Pittsburgh Woman Gets Relief After Years Of Suffering
PITTSBURGH -- Pulsated radio frequency can bring relief for some of the most common things that cause back pain.
WTAE Channel 4 Action News anchor Michelle Wright talked with Barbara Drozd, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis.
"I just have to get off my feet. I can't bear it. It's just terrible," Drozd said.
The pain started 11 years ago, and she suffered until she tried pulsated radio frequency from Dr. Doris Cope at UPMC St. Margaret hospital.
"This helps because the tiny pain fibers that enervate these arthritic joints are stunned. It's like resetting your computer," said Cope, an anesthesiologist with a sub-specialty in pain medicine.
Cope targets the area in the sacroiliac joint and pulses heat to ablate the nerve and stop the pain. It takes less than an hour.
Drozd went home the same day of the procedure. The solution is only temporary, but it can offer a year of relief.
"Pulse radio frequency is a procedure that has very minimal downside, because we're not destroying any nerves, nor are we doing any harm to the anatomy," Cope said.
In addition to arthritis, the procedure can treat whiplash, degenerative disc disease and other common problems that can't be helped with many other treatments.
Drozd has three active granddaughters and wanted to share the story of how she zapped her pain away with Channel 4 Action News to show that living with constant pain is unnecessary.
"People feel like pain is something that you should just take. I've learned here, and the nurses and the whole staff here is so understanding of that, and they don't look down on you. It just allows me to be myself," Drozd said.
Pulsated radio frequency costs a couple of hundred dollars and is not covered by insurance.
ThePittsburghChannel.com
Dec 2, 2009
Nov 14, 2009
How Naturopathy Treatment Is Used For Back Pain
For many individuals living with daily back pain, naturopathy treatment has become a viable alternative to conventional measures in providing relief. The base concept of naturopathy is to utilize the body's ability to heal itself by promoting common-sense curative practices designed to heal from within. It is also quite common for practitioners of naturopathy to incorporate conventional measures into a wellness plan, using the best of both disciplines with a patient's best interest at heart. While extensive studies of the benefits of naturopathy are lacking in large numbers, patients who have been helped by it's use swear by the positive features of it's practice.
Naturopathy as used for back pain can use one singular method of treatment or a combination of many, including some non-invasive conventional measures. Acupuncture, relaxation therapy exercises, massage, reflexology, diet advice and lifestyle counseling all fall within the general parameters of naturopathy, with each serving a designated purpose in addressing back pain. A Doctor of Naturopathy may recommend manipulation, herbal treatments or simple exercise in enabling an individual to become their own greatest benefactor in the healing process. In naturopathy, treatment for back pain tends to address causes for the presentation of pain rather than the treatment of symptoms. In this manner naturopathy can prevent future incidents simply through the removal of the root cause of the patient's back pain.
A Doctor of Naturopathy utilizes many of the same diagnostic tools used in conventional medicine such as x-rays and MRI's, however the approach used in treatment is quite different. In naturopathy, back pain may be treated by something as simple as massage and changes in diet and lifestyle, while it may be recommended to the same patient by a a doctor of conventional medicine that surgery is required. While each doctor may present a valid case for their recommendations, the final treatment option lies with the patient suffering back pain. In it's truest sense, naturopathy always stays away from extreme or invasive measures such as surgery, radiation or strong medications that present possible difficulties with side-effects. In their place, naturopathy looks at a combination of often minor adjustments to overall lifestyle that can have a large cumulative impact of stopping back pain by enabling the body to correct itself.
Unfortunately, the practice of naturopathy to treat back pain is limited to a certain extent to those who are open-minded enough personally to attempt something different from the norm. This is also apparent in the fact that many if not most major health insurance carriers do not recognize or pay for naturopathic treatments.
Gather.com
Naturopathy as used for back pain can use one singular method of treatment or a combination of many, including some non-invasive conventional measures. Acupuncture, relaxation therapy exercises, massage, reflexology, diet advice and lifestyle counseling all fall within the general parameters of naturopathy, with each serving a designated purpose in addressing back pain. A Doctor of Naturopathy may recommend manipulation, herbal treatments or simple exercise in enabling an individual to become their own greatest benefactor in the healing process. In naturopathy, treatment for back pain tends to address causes for the presentation of pain rather than the treatment of symptoms. In this manner naturopathy can prevent future incidents simply through the removal of the root cause of the patient's back pain.
A Doctor of Naturopathy utilizes many of the same diagnostic tools used in conventional medicine such as x-rays and MRI's, however the approach used in treatment is quite different. In naturopathy, back pain may be treated by something as simple as massage and changes in diet and lifestyle, while it may be recommended to the same patient by a a doctor of conventional medicine that surgery is required. While each doctor may present a valid case for their recommendations, the final treatment option lies with the patient suffering back pain. In it's truest sense, naturopathy always stays away from extreme or invasive measures such as surgery, radiation or strong medications that present possible difficulties with side-effects. In their place, naturopathy looks at a combination of often minor adjustments to overall lifestyle that can have a large cumulative impact of stopping back pain by enabling the body to correct itself.
Unfortunately, the practice of naturopathy to treat back pain is limited to a certain extent to those who are open-minded enough personally to attempt something different from the norm. This is also apparent in the fact that many if not most major health insurance carriers do not recognize or pay for naturopathic treatments.
Gather.com
Oct 14, 2009
Top 20 Facts and figures for Back Pain
Back pain is a common occurrence. Many face it at some point in their lives. It can cause much discomfort. One can get relief through medication, exercise, acupuncture, massage etc.
Back pain being a common health condition that afflicts men and women both, one would like to know more about it.
Top 20 Facts and figures for back pain
1. As one grows older one experiences back pain.
2. Lack of fitness. People who are not very fit suffer from back pain.
3. Inherited diseases such as disc diseases which can cause back pain.
4. Being overweight can also cause back pain.
5. Other kind of diseases can also cause back pain such as cancer and arthritis.
6. Work related back pain. Some kinds of work may require you to end or twist the back which can cause pain.
7. Smoking can also delay the cure of back pain. Many smokers cough which causes back pain.
8. Racial factors can also be a cause of back pain. Black women often suffer from displacement of lower spine as compared to white women.
9. According to estimates 4 out of 5 adults will experience back pain in their lives.
10. Back pain is very common health problem. In 2000 almost half of the UK adult population (49%) complained about back pain which lasted for about 24 hours sometime during that year.
11. Simple measures can be taken up to prevent back pain.
12. First Aid help prevents the aggravation of the back pain.
13. One must remain active even if one has back pain.
14. In most cases back pain is not very serious. It disappears.
15. Back pain can start among school children and peak among adults between the ages of 35 to 55 years.
16. In the industrialized countries about 80 % of the people will experience back pain at some point in their lives.
17. Heavy physical work, lifting heavy objects and sitting straight for long hours can cause back pain.
18. Psychosocial factors such stress, anxiety, depression, mental stress and lack of job satisfaction can also cause back pain.
19. Obesity can also cause back pain.
20. Nearly 90% of the people with back pain will recover within 6 weeks.
Back pain is something a person has to cope up with when over stressed with work. Exercise, medication, relaxing the back muscle helps and other forms of treatment such as acupuncture and massage helps in providing relief.
Health Care N Diet
Back pain being a common health condition that afflicts men and women both, one would like to know more about it.
Top 20 Facts and figures for back pain
1. As one grows older one experiences back pain.
2. Lack of fitness. People who are not very fit suffer from back pain.
3. Inherited diseases such as disc diseases which can cause back pain.
4. Being overweight can also cause back pain.
5. Other kind of diseases can also cause back pain such as cancer and arthritis.
6. Work related back pain. Some kinds of work may require you to end or twist the back which can cause pain.
7. Smoking can also delay the cure of back pain. Many smokers cough which causes back pain.
8. Racial factors can also be a cause of back pain. Black women often suffer from displacement of lower spine as compared to white women.
9. According to estimates 4 out of 5 adults will experience back pain in their lives.
10. Back pain is very common health problem. In 2000 almost half of the UK adult population (49%) complained about back pain which lasted for about 24 hours sometime during that year.
11. Simple measures can be taken up to prevent back pain.
12. First Aid help prevents the aggravation of the back pain.
13. One must remain active even if one has back pain.
14. In most cases back pain is not very serious. It disappears.
15. Back pain can start among school children and peak among adults between the ages of 35 to 55 years.
16. In the industrialized countries about 80 % of the people will experience back pain at some point in their lives.
17. Heavy physical work, lifting heavy objects and sitting straight for long hours can cause back pain.
18. Psychosocial factors such stress, anxiety, depression, mental stress and lack of job satisfaction can also cause back pain.
19. Obesity can also cause back pain.
20. Nearly 90% of the people with back pain will recover within 6 weeks.
Back pain is something a person has to cope up with when over stressed with work. Exercise, medication, relaxing the back muscle helps and other forms of treatment such as acupuncture and massage helps in providing relief.
Health Care N Diet
Oct 4, 2009
Some causes and fixes for neck, low-back pain
I am frequently asked to assist patients who suffer from chronic neck and low-back pain. Regardless of whether you have had successful treatment in the past or are currently managing your symptoms with medications, understanding the problem is the first step in managing your chronic pain.
In my experience, the second step is to integrate an active-care model of rehabilitation and self-care for sustainable, long-term management of your chronic pain.
For the most part, chronic neck and low-back problems arise from three factors: injuries and trauma; a combination of excess body weight and advanced arthritis; and a lack of postural awareness and poor body mechanics.
There is commonly a component of all these factors throughout a person’s lifetime that contribute to the pain.
The first factor is simple to understand. Trauma to the body, such as a car accident or a sports injury, is a large force over a short period of time that causes the tissues of the body to become damaged.
According to studies published by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics, in the event of an injury, the most important step one can take is to get evaluated right away and receive the best physical rehabilitation as soon as possible, even if you perceive the trauma to be relatively minimal.
Doing so will minimize the effect of the injury and prevent instability that can significantly increase the probability of chronic problems in the future.
The second factor is excess body weight and advanced arthritis.
Excess body weight simply adds more load to your skeletal system, accelerating the normal rate of degeneration and arthritis associated with aging.
If you are overweight, you are not alone and it is very important that you start looking for weight-loss solutions.
An effective place to start concerns your diet. Minimize all junk food, including anything with high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (trans fats). Next, follow up with a doctor who specializes in weight loss and/or enlist the help of a nutritionist or a registered dietitian.
The third factor that can significantly increase the probability of chronic neck and low-back pain is lack of postural awareness and poor body mechanics, or body movement. The most common examples that lead to neck and back problems are sitting in prolonged slumped postures and bending at the lower back with daily activities and occupational tasks.
When combined with excess body weight, this small factor compounded over time can become a moderate force, contributing to chronic pain.
The active-care rehabilitation model, developed from sports rehab, encourages the client to learn and apply daily self-care techniques and restorative strength and flexibility exercises.
I’m biased, but I suggest working with a doctor of chiropractic or a physical therapist who specializes in sports rehab.
In my experience, active care is the key component to a beneficial treatment program and the most cost-effective solution to the management of chronic neck and low-back pain.
With consistent dedication and professional guidance, a person who suffers chronic pain can effectively manage his or her symptoms through active care. The key is to take action now.
— Sevak Khodabakhshian is a doctor of chiropractic with Thousand Oaks-based Omega Rehab & Sport, where a team of physical therapists, chiropractors and athletic trainers applies an active-care approach to healthcare. He can be reached for comments, questions or suggestions by e-mail, at Sevakk@omega-rehab.com.
Ventura County Star
In my experience, the second step is to integrate an active-care model of rehabilitation and self-care for sustainable, long-term management of your chronic pain.
For the most part, chronic neck and low-back problems arise from three factors: injuries and trauma; a combination of excess body weight and advanced arthritis; and a lack of postural awareness and poor body mechanics.
There is commonly a component of all these factors throughout a person’s lifetime that contribute to the pain.
The first factor is simple to understand. Trauma to the body, such as a car accident or a sports injury, is a large force over a short period of time that causes the tissues of the body to become damaged.
According to studies published by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics, in the event of an injury, the most important step one can take is to get evaluated right away and receive the best physical rehabilitation as soon as possible, even if you perceive the trauma to be relatively minimal.
Doing so will minimize the effect of the injury and prevent instability that can significantly increase the probability of chronic problems in the future.
The second factor is excess body weight and advanced arthritis.
Excess body weight simply adds more load to your skeletal system, accelerating the normal rate of degeneration and arthritis associated with aging.
If you are overweight, you are not alone and it is very important that you start looking for weight-loss solutions.
An effective place to start concerns your diet. Minimize all junk food, including anything with high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (trans fats). Next, follow up with a doctor who specializes in weight loss and/or enlist the help of a nutritionist or a registered dietitian.
The third factor that can significantly increase the probability of chronic neck and low-back pain is lack of postural awareness and poor body mechanics, or body movement. The most common examples that lead to neck and back problems are sitting in prolonged slumped postures and bending at the lower back with daily activities and occupational tasks.
When combined with excess body weight, this small factor compounded over time can become a moderate force, contributing to chronic pain.
The active-care rehabilitation model, developed from sports rehab, encourages the client to learn and apply daily self-care techniques and restorative strength and flexibility exercises.
I’m biased, but I suggest working with a doctor of chiropractic or a physical therapist who specializes in sports rehab.
In my experience, active care is the key component to a beneficial treatment program and the most cost-effective solution to the management of chronic neck and low-back pain.
With consistent dedication and professional guidance, a person who suffers chronic pain can effectively manage his or her symptoms through active care. The key is to take action now.
— Sevak Khodabakhshian is a doctor of chiropractic with Thousand Oaks-based Omega Rehab & Sport, where a team of physical therapists, chiropractors and athletic trainers applies an active-care approach to healthcare. He can be reached for comments, questions or suggestions by e-mail, at Sevakk@omega-rehab.com.
Ventura County Star
Sep 24, 2009
Can the “Bullet Cage” Decrease Back Pain?
John Asfora, inventor and surgeon, recently received FDA approval on a novel device and the tools and methods used to implant it into patients suffering from spinal cord injuries and back pain. According to the Argus Leader, surgical trials on the device and approach began in 1999, finally culminating in August 2009 with FDA approval.
The device in question is called a “bullet cage,” named such because it looks like a hollow bullet with screw threads around it. In order to relieve pressure between vertebrae, the bullet cage is inserted into a drilled-out space in the bones. The device acts as a replacement for the intervertebral discs, which can become worn over time or damaged in accidents resulting in spinal cord injuries.
One patient, Jackie McNamara, had the bullet cage implanted into her lumbar spine in Autumn of 2006 and reports that her once severe pain has vanished since then.
The prototype for the current bullet cage was developed in Hawaii in the 1940s as a way of relieving soldiers of back pain. Later, veterinarians experimented with similar devices on horses. Since then, the device and techniques used to implant it have come a long way. Asfora’s bullet cage consists of an inch long piece of titanium with screw threads along the outside to keep it secured in the bones.
Previously, back surgeries such as the insertion of a bullet cage would have been attempted by accessing the lower back through the patients’ bellies. Asfora devised a set of tools, combined with the use of a microscope, by which he could accomplish the implant of bullet cages through an inch-long incision in the back. His FDA approved methods and tools promise much less risk of complications, and far less chance of nerve damage to the spinal cord.
While the procedure and necessary hospital care can cost as much as $70,000, patients like McNamara have found that the cost is worth the benefits of a far less painful life. McNamara is currently training to run a marathon, and she hadn’t been a runner at all before her surgery.
Another recipient of the bullet cage, Tom Lambert, was brought to his knees by debilitating back pain. After getting 4 bullet cages and 2 plates inserted into his back by Asfora, Lambert is back to walking 4 miles a day and lifting as much as 150 pounds. He reported that the surgery might have even made him taller.
Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Center
The device in question is called a “bullet cage,” named such because it looks like a hollow bullet with screw threads around it. In order to relieve pressure between vertebrae, the bullet cage is inserted into a drilled-out space in the bones. The device acts as a replacement for the intervertebral discs, which can become worn over time or damaged in accidents resulting in spinal cord injuries.
One patient, Jackie McNamara, had the bullet cage implanted into her lumbar spine in Autumn of 2006 and reports that her once severe pain has vanished since then.
The prototype for the current bullet cage was developed in Hawaii in the 1940s as a way of relieving soldiers of back pain. Later, veterinarians experimented with similar devices on horses. Since then, the device and techniques used to implant it have come a long way. Asfora’s bullet cage consists of an inch long piece of titanium with screw threads along the outside to keep it secured in the bones.
Previously, back surgeries such as the insertion of a bullet cage would have been attempted by accessing the lower back through the patients’ bellies. Asfora devised a set of tools, combined with the use of a microscope, by which he could accomplish the implant of bullet cages through an inch-long incision in the back. His FDA approved methods and tools promise much less risk of complications, and far less chance of nerve damage to the spinal cord.
While the procedure and necessary hospital care can cost as much as $70,000, patients like McNamara have found that the cost is worth the benefits of a far less painful life. McNamara is currently training to run a marathon, and she hadn’t been a runner at all before her surgery.
Another recipient of the bullet cage, Tom Lambert, was brought to his knees by debilitating back pain. After getting 4 bullet cages and 2 plates inserted into his back by Asfora, Lambert is back to walking 4 miles a day and lifting as much as 150 pounds. He reported that the surgery might have even made him taller.
Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Center
Sep 2, 2009
Acupuncture for Pain
A national survey indicated that more than one-quarter of U.S. adults had recently experienced some sort of physical pain lasting more than a day. [1]
Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. It may be sharp or dull, off-and-on or steady, localized or all over. Although pain usually goes away once the underlying problem is removed, it can last for weeks, months, or even years.
To relieve their pain, many people take over-the-counter medications including aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen. Stronger medications, including NSAIDs in higher dosages and narcotics, are available only by prescription.
People may also try non-drug approaches to help relieve their pain, including physical and occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, self-care techniques, and complementary and alternative therapies, such as spinal manipulation or acupuncture.
From the Chinese medicine perspective, pain is caused by two energy imbalances. One is the blockage of energy channels. Energy or qi needs to flow smoothly to maintain normal function of body and mind. Wherever there is blockage of energy channels, there will be pain existing in the area. In other words, when energy is stagnated in the area, it causes pain.
The factors that are involved in causing the blockage of energy channels (also called meridians) include physical trauma, emotional distress, and excessive pathogenic energy from the environment, such as heat, cold, and dampness. Insect bites and excessive alcohol intake contribute to the problem as well. This type of pain is usually acute, severe, or intermittent, and it is migrating or fixed.
The other type of pain is principally caused by a deficient amount of energy moving in the body or body aches due to lack of nutrition supplied through good circulation. This type of pain is normally dull, chronic, and consistent and is in a fixed location. Very often, people have pain caused by both of above conditions.
Acupuncture treatment is often used after the evaluation of energy channels and determining the types of energy imbalances that are present.
Acupuncture needles can always be placed at areas of tenderness, called Ashi points. In addition, a combination of acupuncture points should be selected to address the energy imbalance in the related meridians. For example, for a middle-aged man with chronic lower back pain caused by deficient qi in the kidney and bladder meridians, some points on the kidney and bladder meridians will be selected.
Also, the points in the spleen and stomach meridians may be chosen because they are supportive of kidney and bladder energy. There are a couple of points on the back of hands that are very useful for back pain.
After the points are selected, the techniques of inserting and manipulating the needle may differ based on the whether the energy is blocked or deficient. For example, if energy is blocked, a needle should be inserted against the direction of the energy flow and twisted counterclockwise. If energy is deficient, the needle is inserted to the direction of the energy flow and twisted clockwise.
Traditionally, people receive acupuncture on a daily basis targeting certain conditions. In the United States, people receive treatments once or twice a week due to financial and time constraints. People need to have persistent courses of treatment in order to fully benefit.
Acupuncture is being studied for its efficacy in alleviating many kinds of pain. There are promising findings in some conditions, such as chronic low-back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee. The problem with research is that it often fails to make accurate evaluation of energy imbalances of each patient, and it does not treat frequently and persistently enough to demonstrate its effectiveness is greater than placebo needling.
In animal studies, acupuncture seems to be able to stimulate the production of endorphins and regulate neurotransmitters. Neurophysiologic studies in humans indicate that acupuncture can reduce the electrical activity in the area of brain involved in the perception of pain. However, none of these findings can explain the dramatic and rapid reduction of pain.
Acupuncture is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced practitioner using sterile needles. Relatively few complications from acupuncture have been reported. Serious adverse events related to acupuncture are rare, but include infections and punctured organs.
Additionally, there are fewer adverse effects associated with acupuncture than with many standard drug treatments (such as anti-inflammatory medication and steroid injections) used to manage painful musculoskeletal conditions like fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, and tennis elbow.
The Epoch Times -
Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. It may be sharp or dull, off-and-on or steady, localized or all over. Although pain usually goes away once the underlying problem is removed, it can last for weeks, months, or even years.
To relieve their pain, many people take over-the-counter medications including aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen. Stronger medications, including NSAIDs in higher dosages and narcotics, are available only by prescription.
People may also try non-drug approaches to help relieve their pain, including physical and occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, self-care techniques, and complementary and alternative therapies, such as spinal manipulation or acupuncture.
From the Chinese medicine perspective, pain is caused by two energy imbalances. One is the blockage of energy channels. Energy or qi needs to flow smoothly to maintain normal function of body and mind. Wherever there is blockage of energy channels, there will be pain existing in the area. In other words, when energy is stagnated in the area, it causes pain.
The factors that are involved in causing the blockage of energy channels (also called meridians) include physical trauma, emotional distress, and excessive pathogenic energy from the environment, such as heat, cold, and dampness. Insect bites and excessive alcohol intake contribute to the problem as well. This type of pain is usually acute, severe, or intermittent, and it is migrating or fixed.
The other type of pain is principally caused by a deficient amount of energy moving in the body or body aches due to lack of nutrition supplied through good circulation. This type of pain is normally dull, chronic, and consistent and is in a fixed location. Very often, people have pain caused by both of above conditions.
Acupuncture treatment is often used after the evaluation of energy channels and determining the types of energy imbalances that are present.
Acupuncture needles can always be placed at areas of tenderness, called Ashi points. In addition, a combination of acupuncture points should be selected to address the energy imbalance in the related meridians. For example, for a middle-aged man with chronic lower back pain caused by deficient qi in the kidney and bladder meridians, some points on the kidney and bladder meridians will be selected.
Also, the points in the spleen and stomach meridians may be chosen because they are supportive of kidney and bladder energy. There are a couple of points on the back of hands that are very useful for back pain.
After the points are selected, the techniques of inserting and manipulating the needle may differ based on the whether the energy is blocked or deficient. For example, if energy is blocked, a needle should be inserted against the direction of the energy flow and twisted counterclockwise. If energy is deficient, the needle is inserted to the direction of the energy flow and twisted clockwise.
Traditionally, people receive acupuncture on a daily basis targeting certain conditions. In the United States, people receive treatments once or twice a week due to financial and time constraints. People need to have persistent courses of treatment in order to fully benefit.
Acupuncture is being studied for its efficacy in alleviating many kinds of pain. There are promising findings in some conditions, such as chronic low-back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee. The problem with research is that it often fails to make accurate evaluation of energy imbalances of each patient, and it does not treat frequently and persistently enough to demonstrate its effectiveness is greater than placebo needling.
In animal studies, acupuncture seems to be able to stimulate the production of endorphins and regulate neurotransmitters. Neurophysiologic studies in humans indicate that acupuncture can reduce the electrical activity in the area of brain involved in the perception of pain. However, none of these findings can explain the dramatic and rapid reduction of pain.
Acupuncture is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced practitioner using sterile needles. Relatively few complications from acupuncture have been reported. Serious adverse events related to acupuncture are rare, but include infections and punctured organs.
Additionally, there are fewer adverse effects associated with acupuncture than with many standard drug treatments (such as anti-inflammatory medication and steroid injections) used to manage painful musculoskeletal conditions like fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, and tennis elbow.
The Epoch Times -
Aug 29, 2009
Health Watch: Trigger Point Therapy Brings Relief
NEW YORK (CBS) ― A growing number of people are turning to needles to relieve their chronic pain. It's called "trigger point therapy," and many say it's bringing the relief they desperately need.
Nathalie Dinoia developed chronic back and neck pain after a close call at Ground Zero on 9/11.
"I was there when the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center and I fell on my side cracking my neck, falling on my hip," she said. "The pain is very tremendous. Your muscles are tight, tight, tight."
After physical therapy and appointments with the chiropractor didn't help, she turned to Dr. Alexander Kulick for trigger point therapy.
"Immediate release. I was feeling to be back to be normal," she said.
Trigger point therapy involves inserting needles into the muscles at special points that cause them to twitch and then relax for good.
"A trigger point really is part of the muscle that is most constricted," said Dr. Kulick.
The needles used in trigger point injections usually contain a small amount of anesthesia and saline or salt water. But even when no medications are injected, just applying pressure to the points can give some relief. Dr. Kulick said the treatement can be used for many kinds of pain, ranging from muscle pain to migraines.
"A pattern of pain that kind of goes across the side of the head and around the eyes, and that really can be related to a trigger point, a muscle that is spasmed at the base of your neck," said Dr. Kulick.
Alison Chrisman had severe muscle spasms in her hips and spine, and although she describes the treatments as slightly uncomfortably at first, it was well worth it.
"Most recently I was incapacitated. I couldn't walk, I couldn't stand up straight," she said.
But after having gone through trigger point therapy?
"I walked out of here in no pain after the second session,"she said.
Trigger point therapy should only be administered by a licensed physician trained in the technique. Although rare complications such as puncturing a lung have occurred, milder side effects such as redness and swelling around the injection site are most common.
In most cases, stretching exercises and physical therapy are performed following trigger point injections. Check with your insurer, not all of them cover this procedure.
Nathalie Dinoia developed chronic back and neck pain after a close call at Ground Zero on 9/11.
"I was there when the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center and I fell on my side cracking my neck, falling on my hip," she said. "The pain is very tremendous. Your muscles are tight, tight, tight."
After physical therapy and appointments with the chiropractor didn't help, she turned to Dr. Alexander Kulick for trigger point therapy.
"Immediate release. I was feeling to be back to be normal," she said.
Trigger point therapy involves inserting needles into the muscles at special points that cause them to twitch and then relax for good.
"A trigger point really is part of the muscle that is most constricted," said Dr. Kulick.
The needles used in trigger point injections usually contain a small amount of anesthesia and saline or salt water. But even when no medications are injected, just applying pressure to the points can give some relief. Dr. Kulick said the treatement can be used for many kinds of pain, ranging from muscle pain to migraines.
"A pattern of pain that kind of goes across the side of the head and around the eyes, and that really can be related to a trigger point, a muscle that is spasmed at the base of your neck," said Dr. Kulick.
Alison Chrisman had severe muscle spasms in her hips and spine, and although she describes the treatments as slightly uncomfortably at first, it was well worth it.
"Most recently I was incapacitated. I couldn't walk, I couldn't stand up straight," she said.
But after having gone through trigger point therapy?
"I walked out of here in no pain after the second session,"she said.
Trigger point therapy should only be administered by a licensed physician trained in the technique. Although rare complications such as puncturing a lung have occurred, milder side effects such as redness and swelling around the injection site are most common.
In most cases, stretching exercises and physical therapy are performed following trigger point injections. Check with your insurer, not all of them cover this procedure.
Aug 28, 2009
Sciatica Symptoms And Treatment
If you develop a pain that starts in your lower back or buttock and radiates down your leg, your problem may be sciatica. Sciatica is also known as nerve root entrapment or irritation, or lumbar radiculopathy syndrome.
Symptoms and Causes of Sciatica
Patients with sciatica may also have numbness, “pins and needles” sensation, muscle weakness, and reflex changes. Symptoms may be worsened by twisting, sitting, coughing, or sneezing.
Sciatica is a symptom that is typically caused by a lumbar disc herniation or lumbar spinal canal narrowing (stenosis), resulting in irritation or compression of the affected nerve root. These symptoms can be brought on by wear and tear over time or by an injury causing a rupture or herniation of a disc, when the inner contents (a gel-like nucleus) protrudes through the torn outer ring (annulus) affecting the adjacent nerve roots.
The symptoms of sciatica can be distinguished from low back pain and referred low back pain by the radiation of pain into the buttock and leg and by clinical findings. An estimated 5-10% of patients with low back pain have sciatica.
The majority of patients with sciatica have a favorable outcome with natural resolution of symptoms in several months. However, in contrast to low back pain, some patients with sciatica tend to have more persistent and severe symptoms with prolonged disability.
Treatment for Sciatica: Conservative and Surgical
Patients with sciatica should tell their doctor about the specific duration and character of their symptoms. The doctor will perform a history and physical examination. After appropriate conservative care, x-rays and MRI scans can confirm lumbar nerve root compression.
Conservative Treatment
Conservative treatment is aimed at pain reduction. Initial treatment starts with cold packs or heat, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications), muscle relaxants, and pain medications.
Education about proper mechanics (bending and lifting), physical therapy, and epidural steroid injections may also help patients return to full activity.
Surgical Treatment
Some patients do not respond to nonsurgical care and experience persistent disabling sciatica. These patients may benefit from surgery.
The role of surgery is to remove the disc herniation or stenosis (narrowing of canal) that is pressing on the affected lumbar nerve to ease the leg pain and associated symptoms of numbness and weakness. This decompression surgery does not reliably reduce low back pain.
The timing of surgery is multifactorial, based on the duration and severity of symptoms. There is consensus that a cauda equina syndrome (bladder or bowel paralysis) is an absolute indication for immediate surgery. In general, there is a greater than 90% chance of successful resolution of sciatica after surgery.
The surgery can be performed with a microdiscectomy, laminotomy, laminoplasty, or laminectomy technique as indicated by the need for exposure of the affected nerve roots.
In the recent SPORT clinical study (Spine Patient Outcome Research Trial), a randomized, multi-site trial that the HSS Spine Service participated in, patients who underwent surgery for a lumbar disc herniation achieved greater improvement than non-operative treated patients in relief of sciatica, physical function, and bodily pain.
Source: Hospital For Special Surgery
Symptoms and Causes of Sciatica
Patients with sciatica may also have numbness, “pins and needles” sensation, muscle weakness, and reflex changes. Symptoms may be worsened by twisting, sitting, coughing, or sneezing.
Sciatica is a symptom that is typically caused by a lumbar disc herniation or lumbar spinal canal narrowing (stenosis), resulting in irritation or compression of the affected nerve root. These symptoms can be brought on by wear and tear over time or by an injury causing a rupture or herniation of a disc, when the inner contents (a gel-like nucleus) protrudes through the torn outer ring (annulus) affecting the adjacent nerve roots.
The symptoms of sciatica can be distinguished from low back pain and referred low back pain by the radiation of pain into the buttock and leg and by clinical findings. An estimated 5-10% of patients with low back pain have sciatica.
The majority of patients with sciatica have a favorable outcome with natural resolution of symptoms in several months. However, in contrast to low back pain, some patients with sciatica tend to have more persistent and severe symptoms with prolonged disability.
Treatment for Sciatica: Conservative and Surgical
Patients with sciatica should tell their doctor about the specific duration and character of their symptoms. The doctor will perform a history and physical examination. After appropriate conservative care, x-rays and MRI scans can confirm lumbar nerve root compression.
Conservative Treatment
Conservative treatment is aimed at pain reduction. Initial treatment starts with cold packs or heat, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications), muscle relaxants, and pain medications.
Education about proper mechanics (bending and lifting), physical therapy, and epidural steroid injections may also help patients return to full activity.
Surgical Treatment
Some patients do not respond to nonsurgical care and experience persistent disabling sciatica. These patients may benefit from surgery.
The role of surgery is to remove the disc herniation or stenosis (narrowing of canal) that is pressing on the affected lumbar nerve to ease the leg pain and associated symptoms of numbness and weakness. This decompression surgery does not reliably reduce low back pain.
The timing of surgery is multifactorial, based on the duration and severity of symptoms. There is consensus that a cauda equina syndrome (bladder or bowel paralysis) is an absolute indication for immediate surgery. In general, there is a greater than 90% chance of successful resolution of sciatica after surgery.
The surgery can be performed with a microdiscectomy, laminotomy, laminoplasty, or laminectomy technique as indicated by the need for exposure of the affected nerve roots.
In the recent SPORT clinical study (Spine Patient Outcome Research Trial), a randomized, multi-site trial that the HSS Spine Service participated in, patients who underwent surgery for a lumbar disc herniation achieved greater improvement than non-operative treated patients in relief of sciatica, physical function, and bodily pain.
Source: Hospital For Special Surgery
Mayo Clinic: Effectiveness of Laser Spine Surgery for Pain Relief Remains Unproven
By Tribune Media Services
Published: Thursday, August 27, 2009 11:56 AM MDT
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Can you shed any light on the reliability of laser spine surgery as a successful treatment for chronic neck and back pain? Do these treatments work?
ANSWER: Spine surgery can be performed using several different tools, including a laser. Laser spine surgery has been around since the 1980s but it has never been studied in a controlled clinical trial to determine its effectiveness. Most neurosurgeons don't use lasers for spine surgery because there are no clear benefits to laser surgery over more well-established spine surgery techniques that have proven to be effective.
The purpose of spine surgery typically is to relieve pain and other symptoms by decreasing pressure on a compressed spinal nerve or by stabilizing the spine. Surgery may involve removing a herniated or damaged portion of a disk in the spine (discectomy); removing the back part of the bone that covers the spinal canal (laminectomy); removing bone spurs or other spinal growths; or connecting two or more of the vertebral bones in the spine (spinal fusion).
Traditionally, a small, high-speed air drill or a surgical instrument that's heated with an electric current (electrocautery) is used to cut away the tissue and bone. During laser spine surgery, a focused beam of light (laser) is used to cut away tissue. Laser spine surgery is often promoted as being noninvasive and risk-free. However, these procedures require incisions and can result in serious complications.
Before deciding on the type of spine surgery to have, first, you should thoroughly investigate the need for surgery. Chronic neck and back pain has many possible causes. I'd strongly recommend that you do not proceed with any type of treatment until you see a medical spine specialist such as a neurologist to evaluate your symptoms and diagnose what's causing them.
In some cases, a precise diagnosis can be difficult to determine. If you have pain that's confined to your spine - it doesn't radiate to your hands, arms, feet or legs - and magnetic resonance imaging or another imaging test doesn't reveal a specific diagnosis, you may want to consult a specialist in a pain clinic.
Pain specialists can use diagnostic injections to pinpoint the problem area. One difficulty in diagnosing spine problems is that the spine has many moving parts that are potential pain generators - for example, disks, facet joints, nerve roots, the spinal cord and muscles. By systematically injecting these structures one by one with anesthetic agents, the anatomic source of the pain often can usually be determined.
Even when you know what's causing neck and back pain, surgery shouldn't be the first line of treatment, unless you're having severe pain or muscle weakness that results in difficulty walking or performing daily activities. Medications and physical medicine that combines exercise, lifestyle changes and treatment modalities such as acupuncture or therapeutic massage can often effectively reduce pain.
If your symptoms persist, a reasonable next step would be injection therapy. Your doctor may inject medication such as cortisone into the space around the spinal cord (epidural space) to decrease inflammation around the nerve roots. Or your doctor may inject numbing medication into or near the structures that are causing back pain. Often both substances are injected simultaneously.
If more conservative treatments fail to reduce back pain, then surgery may be necessary, depending on your diagnosis. For example, if you have a herniated disk with leg or arm pain as a major symptom that hasn't been relieved with other treatments, discectomy may be appropriate. If your doctor recommends surgery, don't move forward until you have a clear understanding of your diagnosis and how the surgery will help relieve your symptoms.
Traditional spine surgery has been tested in numerous clinical trials and proven to be effective. Studies have shown that discectomy reduces pain and other symptoms in approximately 85 percent of people who have a herniated disk. In elderly patients who have radiating pain due to spinal stenosis, laminectomy effectively reduces symptoms in about 80 percent of patients. Very few neurosurgeons regard laser spine surgery as a viable alternative to conventional spine surgery techniques. At Mayo Clinic, we don't use or recommend laser spine surgery. - H. Gordon Deen, M.D., Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla.
(Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn't replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to medicaledge(AT SIGN)mayo.edu , or write: Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.)
Published: Thursday, August 27, 2009 11:56 AM MDT
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Can you shed any light on the reliability of laser spine surgery as a successful treatment for chronic neck and back pain? Do these treatments work?
ANSWER: Spine surgery can be performed using several different tools, including a laser. Laser spine surgery has been around since the 1980s but it has never been studied in a controlled clinical trial to determine its effectiveness. Most neurosurgeons don't use lasers for spine surgery because there are no clear benefits to laser surgery over more well-established spine surgery techniques that have proven to be effective.
The purpose of spine surgery typically is to relieve pain and other symptoms by decreasing pressure on a compressed spinal nerve or by stabilizing the spine. Surgery may involve removing a herniated or damaged portion of a disk in the spine (discectomy); removing the back part of the bone that covers the spinal canal (laminectomy); removing bone spurs or other spinal growths; or connecting two or more of the vertebral bones in the spine (spinal fusion).
Traditionally, a small, high-speed air drill or a surgical instrument that's heated with an electric current (electrocautery) is used to cut away the tissue and bone. During laser spine surgery, a focused beam of light (laser) is used to cut away tissue. Laser spine surgery is often promoted as being noninvasive and risk-free. However, these procedures require incisions and can result in serious complications.
Before deciding on the type of spine surgery to have, first, you should thoroughly investigate the need for surgery. Chronic neck and back pain has many possible causes. I'd strongly recommend that you do not proceed with any type of treatment until you see a medical spine specialist such as a neurologist to evaluate your symptoms and diagnose what's causing them.
In some cases, a precise diagnosis can be difficult to determine. If you have pain that's confined to your spine - it doesn't radiate to your hands, arms, feet or legs - and magnetic resonance imaging or another imaging test doesn't reveal a specific diagnosis, you may want to consult a specialist in a pain clinic.
Pain specialists can use diagnostic injections to pinpoint the problem area. One difficulty in diagnosing spine problems is that the spine has many moving parts that are potential pain generators - for example, disks, facet joints, nerve roots, the spinal cord and muscles. By systematically injecting these structures one by one with anesthetic agents, the anatomic source of the pain often can usually be determined.
Even when you know what's causing neck and back pain, surgery shouldn't be the first line of treatment, unless you're having severe pain or muscle weakness that results in difficulty walking or performing daily activities. Medications and physical medicine that combines exercise, lifestyle changes and treatment modalities such as acupuncture or therapeutic massage can often effectively reduce pain.
If your symptoms persist, a reasonable next step would be injection therapy. Your doctor may inject medication such as cortisone into the space around the spinal cord (epidural space) to decrease inflammation around the nerve roots. Or your doctor may inject numbing medication into or near the structures that are causing back pain. Often both substances are injected simultaneously.
If more conservative treatments fail to reduce back pain, then surgery may be necessary, depending on your diagnosis. For example, if you have a herniated disk with leg or arm pain as a major symptom that hasn't been relieved with other treatments, discectomy may be appropriate. If your doctor recommends surgery, don't move forward until you have a clear understanding of your diagnosis and how the surgery will help relieve your symptoms.
Traditional spine surgery has been tested in numerous clinical trials and proven to be effective. Studies have shown that discectomy reduces pain and other symptoms in approximately 85 percent of people who have a herniated disk. In elderly patients who have radiating pain due to spinal stenosis, laminectomy effectively reduces symptoms in about 80 percent of patients. Very few neurosurgeons regard laser spine surgery as a viable alternative to conventional spine surgery techniques. At Mayo Clinic, we don't use or recommend laser spine surgery. - H. Gordon Deen, M.D., Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla.
(Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn't replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to medicaledge(AT SIGN)mayo.edu , or write: Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.)
Jun 16, 2009
Exercise offers relief from back pain, study shows
More is better when it comes to alleviating lower back pain - more exercise, that is. Although many people who suffer from back pain don't exercise, fearing it will exacerbate the problem, a recent study found that exercising four days a week gave people greater relief from back pain than working out fewer times a week or not at all.
In the study, 120 people were randomly assigned to one of four groups for 12 weeks: One did a strength-training program two days a week, one did it three days a week and one did it four days a week. A control group did no exercise but participated in a two-week exercise familiarization program. Exercises in the program included bench presses and leg presses.
Those in the four-day-a-week program had the most reduction in pain - 28 percent - compared with 14 percent for those who exercised two days a week. The four-day group also reported having a better quality of life and less disability than those who exercised less.
In addition, it showed the greatest strength gains. The control group showed insignificant change in all areas. The study was presented recently at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle.
- Los Angeles Times
In the study, 120 people were randomly assigned to one of four groups for 12 weeks: One did a strength-training program two days a week, one did it three days a week and one did it four days a week. A control group did no exercise but participated in a two-week exercise familiarization program. Exercises in the program included bench presses and leg presses.
Those in the four-day-a-week program had the most reduction in pain - 28 percent - compared with 14 percent for those who exercised two days a week. The four-day group also reported having a better quality of life and less disability than those who exercised less.
In addition, it showed the greatest strength gains. The control group showed insignificant change in all areas. The study was presented recently at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle.
- Los Angeles Times
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