Pain Treatment Guide: What Activities Should Be Avoided With Fibromyalgia?
Do you ever find yourself struggling with ongoing fatigue, muscle pain, or difficulty concentrating? Fibromyalgia might be the culprit, and it's more common than you might think. This chronic pain condition causes widespread pain in muscles and joints. It often comes with fatigue, sleep issues, trouble concentrating (called "fibro fog"), and mood changes. The exact cause isn't fully understood, but it’s centered around the way the brain processes pain and changes in certain brain chemicals. Some people also experience headaches, irritable bowel symptoms, and tingling sensations. Certain activities can worsen fibromyalgia pain and symptoms. Intense exercise without warm-up leads to muscle fatigue and
Why You Shouldn’t Give Up Hope After Failed Back Surgery
Back surgery is the most common treatment for chronic pain that has failed to respond to other treatments. However, surgeries may not always give the desired results due to factors like individual variations or underlying complexities. Patients might experience a failed back surgery when the procedure doesn't lead to the expected relief or improvement in symptoms. This can be discouraging, but you should stay hopeful and explore alternative paths for healing and pain management. Talking to pain care specialists to learn more about other treatment options can help in finding the relief you deserve. Advanced Pain Care can provide relief when
What Conditions Can A Spinal Cord Stimulator Treat?
Living with persistent pain can be a steady battle, creating hurdles and distress that are difficult to ignore. However, advancements in therapeutic innovation, like spinal cord stimulators (SCS), offer hope for managing this pain and bringing effective relief. These tiny devices are put beneath the skin to send gentle electric signals to the spinal cord. These signals disrupt pain messages before they reach the brain, relieving many patients of chronic pain. If you’re seeking relief from chronic pain, consult the spine doctors at Advanced Pain Care in Austin, TX. Our team uses spinal cord stimulation surgery and other pain management techniques
Lingering Post-Surgical Pain: Is It All In Your Head?
Post-surgical pain implies pain that persists over 3 to 6 months after you've undergone a surgical procedure. Essentially, it is due to a surgery-induced injury to a major nerve. It is characterized by discomfort and pain that may be constant or intermittent and can last for days, weeks, or even months after surgery. Over 45 million surgical processes are performed in the United States every year(1). Pain management after surgery is important to prevent negative effects (2), such as difficulty performing daily tasks, lower quality of life, and higher medical costs. Moreover, poorly managed pain can disrupt sleep and impact mental
When Should You See A Pain Management Specialist?
Have you ever experienced a sharp pain in your neck or back while doing everyday tasks like grocery shopping? Well, you’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 20.5% of U.S. adults experience consistent pain that worsens by day(1). This pain is usually felt in the back, hip, or foot. Many people find it hard to decide if they need to see a professional. Have you been battling physical pain for over three months now? Does it refuse to subside no matter what, or worse, become more aggravated with time? Here, we can provide you with advice and
The Role of Neurosurgery in Treating Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is a complex and often debilitating condition affecting millions of individuals worldwide. It's persistent pain that can be challenging to manage and treat. However, advancements in medical science have opened up new avenues for effective pain management, one of which is neurosurgery. In this blog, we'll explore how neurosurgery plays a crucial role in treating chronic pain with insights from Advanced Pain Care, a leading clinic in Austin. Understanding Chronic Pain Chronic pain is a complex and persistent form of pain that extends beyond the expected period of healing, typically lasting longer than three to six months. Unlike acute pain,
What Are Positive Coping Strategies for Chronic Pain?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 50 million adults in the United States experience chronic pain(1). This kind of pain can have a life-changing impact on people. Over time, the pain can take away the enjoyment of everyday activities, from work to family life. Experiencing chronic pain can be depressing. It can interfere with relationships, and can make sufferers angry or withdrawn. However, there are several coping strategies to help you manage your pain. Numerous studies(2) have revealed that chronic pain is heavily influenced by how our brain processes pain signals. The brain can also learn
How Effective is Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Pain?
Everyone experiences occasional pain due to several factors, such as occupation, inappropriate postures, injuries, etc. However, when that pain affects our ability to function or grows more severe, it's time to consult a pain management doctor. Pain lasting for months or even years is termed chronic pain. Sometimes, it does not subside even after multiple treatment approaches. When all non-surgical treatments have been exhausted, pain specialists recommend a special nerve stimulation therapy known as spinal cord stimulation or neurostimulation. A spinal cord stimulator uses electrical pulses to disguise pain signals before they reach the brain, making it an effective solution for
All About Spinal Stenosis: Causes, Treatments and Preventions
Interview with Dr. Adam W. Spjute, M.D. Dr. Adam Spjute is a Double-Board-Certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Management Specialist at Advanced Pain Care in Waco. Trained in anesthesiology, Dr. Spjute then did a fellowship training in pain management. Since then, he’s been practicing pain management for 5 years, treating chronic pain ranging from headaches and foot pain and everything in between. He’s published studies in Anesthesia and Pain Management, was granted membership into the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management, and helps patients in Advanced Pain Care’s Waco branch with their pain care needs. So, Let’s Talk
Eastern Medicine vs. Western Medicine: What’s the Difference?
It’s easy to directly compare Eastern and Western medicine together— but is it fully accurate? We spoke with Dr. Rey Ximenes, Consulting Physician at APC, Medical Director of Driftwood Recovery, and rated the Top Doctor 2023 in Austin Monthly, about the differences between Eastern and Western Medicine. “It’s a little bit unfair to just narrow it down to Eastern and Western Medicine,” he explained. “Because it doesn’t really tell the whole story.” Instead, he better refers to what we’d consider Eastern medicine as Traditional Medicine and Western medicine being Allopathic Medicine, explaining that while we’d assume that healing herbs like echinacea and mullein