Strategies For Natural Pain Relief and Knowing When It’s Time to See a Doctor
By Brad Culling, D.O. When I talk to my patients about their acute pain, I encourage them to seek out natural remedies and strategies first. These can be very effective for tackling and managing your pain so that it lowers your need to see a doctor. Of course, if your pain is prolonged and persistent, affecting your quality of life, then it may be time to seek medical help. This is any chronic pain that persists longer than 6-8 weeks and no other remedies are working to affect your pain. At that point, see your doctor and they can help you
6 Effective Benefits of Interventional Pain Management
Chronic pain isn't always visible and apparent to the outside world. However, dealing with it is nothing short of exhausting. Even the smallest everyday tasks require monumental effort. So, the pain is not only physically draining but also mentally draining. We know about countless chronic pain patients who, before coming to our interventional pain clinic, only found themselves being tossed back and forth between primary care physicians and therapists of all kinds. Tired of dealing with pain, their ability to remain optimistic dwindled with every passing day. Shortly after we utilized the multi-disciplinary interventional pain management approach, we witnessed a striking
Spondylosis Vs. Spondylolisthesis 101: Symptoms and Treatment
By Victor M. Taylor, M.D. DABA Spondylosis is an umbrella term for deterioration of the spinal vertebrae and associated structures particularly the disc and facet joints. Spondytolisthesis is a term used when one of the vertebrae slips forward over another. Causes of Spondylosis and Spondylolisthesis Spondylosis is common and could be considered a normal part of the aging process. Though almost everyone over the age of 50 years old will have some degree of spondylosis, not everyone will suffer from symptoms of the condition. There are many factors in why it could be more severe in some over others. The condition can be strongly
Peripheral Neuropathy: How it Impacts the Quality of Life
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that affects the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. As is evident from the name, peripheral relates to anything outside – the brain and the spinal cord (the central nervous system), while neuropathy is a disease affecting the nerves. As a result, the nerves that act as messengers carrying messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body are damaged. Due to this interruption in the communication that is critical for body mobility, muscle movement can become impaired, affecting movement in the limbs and also causing pain. Considering the
Stress and Shoulder Pain: The Invisible Link That May Be Affecting Your Pain
By Advanced Pain Care Stress and shoulder pain are more closely linked than you might think. Whether physical stress after a surgery or injury or mental stress–you may find your shoulder pain flares up in tandem with stress levels. As an orthopedist, I think of the shoulder as the glenohumeral joint, which is strictly the ball and socket joint. However, many of my patients are likely to think of a lot of the muscles around the area as a part of the shoulder, from the scapula or shoulder blade to the chest wall and the pecs, and down to the elbow. This
Dealing With Endometriosis Pain Is Challenging–But There’s Hope!
By Advanced Pain Care Endometriosis is a disease where tissue that usually grows in the uterus during the menstrual cycle is found outside the uterus. It can cause extreme pain and compound with existing menstrual cramp pain. It’s also a common painful condition, affecting as many as 1 in 10 women during their chilbearing years. Most of the abnormal tissue growth occurs in the abdomen, but it could be anywhere in the body. It grows in time with the menstrual cycle and the abnormal tissue growth can cause inflammation and pain wherever it is located. This can cause mild to severe pain
Burning, Achy Leg Pain: Symptoms of Sciatica and How To Get Relief
By Adam Spjute, M.D. Sciatica is a condition where pain radiates from your buttocks and lower back, down your legs, following the same path as the sciatic nerve. However, sciatica is a bit of a misnomer. Most sciatica pain has nothing to do with the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is most commonly caused by issues above the sciatic nerve, in the lumbar spine. These spinal issues can cause pain that mirrors the path of the sciatic nerve. There are many options for sciatica pain relief, ranging from physical therapy to medication to surgical intervention. However, the appropriate treatment is specific to the cause
Can Degenerative Joint Disease Be Cured?
Degenerative joint disease affects millions of people worldwide, primarily in the form of arthritis. In the United States alone, approximately 32.5 million people suffer from osteoarthritis, which is one of the most common forms of the 100 different types of arthritis. While the highest incidence is among people aged 55-64, with women being the most affected, those above the ages of 45 are also susceptible to this joint degeneration[1]. Degenerative diseases of the joints develop with inflammation in the joints or when the cartilage within the joints in the human body (usually the spine, hands, hips, and knees) begins to wear
Demystifying Intrathecal Pain Pumps: What to Expect
By Advanced Pain Care Intrathecal pain pumps can sound intimidating, but they’re actually a great option for patients with severe chronic pain who haven’t yet found a treatment that works well for them. An intrathecal pain pump is placed under the skin and administers pain medication at a regular rate to combat severe chronic pain. The pain pump itself is a reservoir that holds the medicine and is connected to an intrathecal catheter which runs through the thecal sac, the area around the spinal cord that is filled with fluid. The pain medication is delivered to this thecal sac area at a
Patient Spotlight: A Multidisciplinary Pain Management Patient Experience at APC
By Hope Piper I made the switch from my previous clinic to Advanced Pain Care about ten years ago and it’s been one of the best decisions I ever made. Back in 1998, I was in a serious car accident and my back has never been the same. I was in a lot of pain when I first visited Advanced Pain care, who suggested pain management. At my previous clinic, the treatment plan revolved around medications. There weren’t many other options offered to me and I got the sense that they weren’t truly interested in getting to the bottom of why I