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Pain Management
PAIN MANAGEMENT
On January 23, 2008 a new survey finds majority of Americans in Pain. These results were found through the Harris Interactive survey, sponsored by the National Pain Foundation (NPF). Many of the respondents reported that pain disrupts their work productivity (48 percent), participation in recreational activities (65 percent), ability to take care of their homes and do chores (59 percent), and ability to take care of themselves and family members (41 percent). Despite this disruption, respondents were reluctant to treat their pain, especially with prescription pills, as 93 percent agreed with the statement that "people take too many pills these days." Others reported that they did not want to take a general medication for pain in a specific part of the body, or that oral medications upset their stomachs. "The results of this survey indicate that the majority of Americans either do not know how to control their pain or do not take appropriate action to control their pain," said Mark Rasmussen, president and chief executive officer of the National Pain Foundation. While many people focus on their back, their head or other localized areas of pain, there are some specialists who believe that pain could be a disease in itself rather than just a symptom. Every year forty percent of Americans have acute or chronic pain requiring treatment. All pain, whether acute or chronic is a message carried to the brain by nerves near the surface of the skin or deep within the body. The message is usually a warning of injury, organic disorder, or the effects of stress on the body. Acute pain (short-term) is a common problem, with one in four Americans suffering an episode of pain lasting longer than 24 hours. Acute pain lasts for less than three months and resolves after successful intervention or healing. The most common causes of acute pain are sprains, strains and contusions, and the most common source of pain is the lower back, which accounts for $26.3 billion dollars annually in the United States in direct costs.
Chronic pain (long-term) generally lasts longer than three months, affects as many as 70 million people and has been said to be the most costly health problem in America.(1,2) As the pain continues, it can affect personal relationships, professional commitments and self-image.
Pain Theory
Pain Categories Pain specialists have separated pain sources into six categories. These include: * Joint and muscle pain, which account for the majority of patients attending pain clinics. * Causalgia (ko-zal-je-a), which is the burning pain that follows a bullet wound or some other sudden shock to the nervous system. This type of pain is likely to go away within a few months, but in some cases, it could continue for years. * Neuralgia (noo-ral-je-a), which originates in the peripheral nerves is triggered by cold air, chewing or stress. * Phantom limb pain, which may originate sometime after an amputation is a mild sensation of "pins and needles" that turn into shooting pains that continue for years. * Vascular pain is associated with dilated blood vessels around the brain that cause migraine headaches. * Cancer pain is the result of destruction of tissue or blockage of major organs by a growing tumor, or spread of certain cancers that reach the spine and press on nerves.
Could Poor Posture Cause Pain?
Forward head posture is when the head is positioned in front of the shoulders and can occur at any age. . The weight of your 10 pound head in front of your shoulders causes a tremendous amount of pressure on the spinal cord. This will limit your optimal function or “wellness” and cause pain. Forward head posture can interrupt the brain-body connection and throw the entire body out of balance.
What causes forward head posture??
Sports injuries, auto accidents, falls, repetitive poor posture (computer work, positions at work, long distance driving, etc), lack of exercise, and any physical, mental or chemical stress (processed food, alcohol, medications and environmental toxins). Additionally, when spinal bones are tilted and rotated (subluxations) they will also cause abnormal pressure on the spinal nerves which will result in pain. A combination of forward head posture and spinal misalignments will lead to chronic pain and further health problems if not detected and treated early. In his book “Rejuvenation Strategy” Dr. Rene Cailliet (director of the Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Southern California) writes about the repercussions of deadly forward-head posture:
The good news is chiropractic adjustments can help reduce and sometimes reverse forward head posture! The earlier it is taken care of, the better the chances of correcting the problem. Perception of Pain Some people seem to be more sensitive to pain than others, and different people respond differently to different kinds of pain. In almost all cases, loud music or intense physical effort can override the pain messages. On the other hand, the intensity of pain can increase during fatigue, depression, or anxiety. Experiments have shown that the pain threshold can be raised not only by distractions, but by such techniques as hypnosis or meditation. A study on the chemistry of pain indicates that men are less sensitive to pain than women while older people are less sensitive than young. Many responses to pain are learned through cultural or parental patterns, and individual character traits have a great deal to do with susceptibility to chronic pain syndrome. Pain is very individualized, and its treatment needs to be as well. There isn't a cookie-cutter approach. Advances in health care today, leaves us with many great options to find a treatment that works best for you. Below is a list of the most successful pain relieving treatments available at OC Back & Body Doctors.
Cold Laser Therapy For Pain Relief & Healing Therapeutic lasers have been used in Europe for more than 30 years, but are new to America. Specifically, the Class IV Lasers (Class IV Medical Device)! are a very safe and effective treatment for a variety of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. Laser therapy is a therapeutic, non-invasive, infra-red, painless, safe and effective treatment that can help in the reduction and elimination of pain suffered from the following:
The doctors at OC Back & Body Doctors use both Class III and Class IV Cold Lasers. During each painless treatment, laser energy increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen, and nutrients to the damaged area. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness, and pain. As the injured area returns to normal, function is restored and pain is relieved.
Public demand for this revolutionary pain relief has made laser therapy a super star in the medical and therapy treatment profession because of the amazing results reported by patients!
Massage - Pain Relief Method
Massage therapy helps you relax, re-align and rejuvenate. There are many positive aspects to receiving massage therapy on an ongoing basis, and with the busy lives we lead, we can all benefit from a little stress-management. More Americans are turning to therapeutic massage treatment to provide relaxation, relieve tension and pain associated with the daily stresses of their busy lives, or simply to help maintain good health and achieve a balanced lifestyle. Masseurs must be licensed in most states, and referral by a doctor insures reliability.
What Can Massage Therapy Do For You? Decreases anxiety, tension, depression and pain Relieves muscle tension Increases energy levels Alleviates discomfort during pregnancy Reduces blood pressure Provides greater joint flexibility Increases athletic performance Promotes deeper breathing Boots your immune system Improves circulation of blood and lymph fluids
Chiropractic - Pain Relief Method Chiropractic is built on the philosophy that your body’s intelligence system flows via the nervous system to organs, tissues and every single cell in your body. Science tells us the body is a self healing and self regulating organism, and the nervous system is the master controller of the entire body, carrying life force to all organs and tissues. We also know that interference with this life force is the sole cause of sickness and disease, and that the removal of this interference is necessary so that mankind can fully express his/her potential uninhibited. If the joints don’t move properly or if the body is asymmetrical in relation to gravity, then there is interference with the nervous system which results in interference with the way the entire body works. This interference with the nervous system is called Subluxation. This results in pain, lack of mobility, decreased resistance to disease and a host of many other symptoms.
A chiropractor is similar to a mechanic for the body. Every person is like a car. Whether it is a brand new Ford or an older BMW, you must keep that car tuned up so that it will run more efficiently.
Is Chiropractic Safe? Absolutely! Compared to other treatments, chiropractic is by far the safest. Chiropractors also have by far the lowest insurance premiums of all medical providers. Even though hundreds of thousands of chiropractic adjustments are made each year, only a few complaints are registered. Chiropractic care assists the body to exist and function more symmetrically within a gravity environment. Chiropractic brings more balance to the body by correcting subluxations which are the main culprit for pain, imbalance and poor function due to the interference of the central nervous system. The Chiropractic approach is an “inside-out” natural approach. Hundreds of studies show chiropractic to significantly help with acute and chronic pain.
Pilates For Pain Relief
What is a reformer table? A Pilates reformer table is an apparatus which evolved from Pilates original mat work. With the use of springs and bands, the movement is facilitated with less strain to the body. The challenge can be altered by adjusting the resistance of the bands to accommodate the fitness level of the client. Pilates is a safe and effective exercise that has many benefits including: * Balanced conditioning for the whole body * Creates a sleek, toned body * Creates flat abdominals, a strong back, & slender thighs * Improves spinal alignment & posture * Builds long lean muscles without bulking up * Increases body awareness & coordination * Improves muscle elasticity & joint mobility * Mind – Body connection
Most chronic lower back pain is alleviated by strengthening particular muscles. Exercise such as swimming and yoga can be helpful in alleviating stress-induced pain such as headaches. Regular exercise is known to stimulate endorphin (en-door-fin) production in the brain and is responsible for a gratifying "high". In fact a study just came out in 2008 that showed exercise was more effective in treating depression than the most common antidepressant medications!
Cellular Cleanse Therapy
The detox footbath therapy has been proven in clinical trials to increase muscle strength and improve flexibility while facilitating the removal of heavy metals and toxins from the body. Muscle strength and flexibility are recognized as the gold standard by the American Medical Association for impairment and disability evaluation.
Electrotherapy - Pain Relief Method Electrotherapy seems to have an effect on the larger nerve fibers that either short circuits messages of pain, or that stimulates the release of endorphins (en-door-fins). The compact easy-to-use equipment can be operated by the patient as necessary. It's reported to be helpful in reducing chronic neck, shoulder and lower back pain.
One of the most popular self-help techniques of recent years for the alleviation of pain is meditation. Like biofeedback, this enables people to gain control over their body states once they've mastered the discipline. The positive results of diminishing pain and pain perception through this altered state of consciousness is yet another indication of the relationship between brain, mind and body.
Acupuncture - Pain Relief Method
Acupuncture treats a wide spectrum of health problems without the use of drugs or hazardous equipment. Side effects are extremely minimal. On occasion, a patient may feel light-headed following treatment.
How Does Acupuncture Work? In the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them. Placing needles at these acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal chord and brain. These chemicals influence the body’s own internal regulating system. The balancing accomplished by acupuncture results in the stimulation of the body’s natural healing abilities.
Therapeutic Lifestyle Coaching Therapeutic Lifestyle Coaching is one of the newest trends in pain management. It is based on a natural approach, designed to attach the underlying cause of many common health problems, and therefore improve overall health. These specialized programs usually include diet and fitness modifications that are personalized to your condition and lifestyle. Our wellness director is the health care professional that specialize in lifestyle coaching. When your underlying cellular health is better, your energy levels are higher, your body metabolizes fat better, you lose unhealthy fat easier, you sleep better, you have no pain and inflammation…you just feel better all over!
Wellness Clinics Wellness facilities are the newest health care trend in America. The health care professionals at our full service wellness center will help you find relief for your pain, naturally. Our cutting edge wellness centers will create a custom program that may include one or a combination of different types of natural therapies to bring your body back to better balance and therefore out of pain. Most importantly, our wellness programs include extensive patient education so that you may be actively involved in your healing process and better able to achieve a higher state of health and wellness.
(1) Krames, Elliot. Intraspinal opioid therapy for chronic non-malignant pain: current practice and clinical guidelines. J Pain and Symptom Manage, 1996 (2) Chronic Pain. Ohio State University Medical Center.
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"If pain, particularly acute pain, is left untreated it can become a chronic condition with a much bigger impact 0n the individual, their family, and even their employer. People with pain can combat their problem and often resume their normal activities by seeking professional help in a timely manner, as a doctor can recommend or prescribe a wide variety of effective treatment options."
An understanding of how pain happens is basic to finding more effective ways in dealing with it. There are millions of sensory receptors on the surface of the body and in it that keeps the brain informed about temperature, condition of organs, unusual changes and so forth. These receptors and the brain communicate in a complicated code through a network of nerves located throughout the body. Every nerve consists of bundles of fibers which can be categorized as large and small bundles. The large bundles carry impulses related to touch. The small bundles send messages slower than the large ones and carry the pain impulses. Both sets of bundles meet at the spinal cord. Scientists believe that there is a gate-like mechanism in the spinal cord that can shut against pain messages. Relief associated with chiropractic manipulation, electrical stimulation or acupuncture may be the result of the pain gate being closed by using these methods.
Yes!! As Dr. C Norman Shealy from the Shealy Institute states… “Posture affects and moderates every physical and mental function in the body. Spinal pain, blood pressure, headaches, pulse, lung capacity, and mood are only a small portion of the body’s functions that are most easily influenced by posture”
People who suffer from acute pain are rarely free of anxiety and can benefit from the relaxing results achieved by a competent manipulation of tight muscles. Massage plays an important role in achieving a pain free lifestyle by utilizing various types of massage, such as swedish, deep tissue, or trigger point therapy. By employing one of the many massage techniques, one can rejuvenate and refresh the mind while improving joint movement, and increasing the flow of blood and nutrients to muscles and other tissues.
By receiving adjustments and relieving pressure from the central nervous system, the chiropractor helps the body to run more efficiently. It allows the body to adapt more easily to our ever changing environment. Unfortunately, most people don’t know what it feels like to have a healthy running body, because they have never been worked on. Instead they live a life of daily stress without any tune-ups and wonder why their body “breaks down” without notice. 
Pilates is an exercise system developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920’s from a combination of yoga, gymnastics and martial arts. The emphasis is on strengthening, lengthening, and alignment. It promotes balance and physical harmony and has benefit for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Meditation For Pain Relief
Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique from that framework intended to restore health and well-being. The technique involves the insertion of needles into "acupuncture points" on the body by trained practitioners. These acupuncture points that have shown great effectiveness in healing the body. The points have been used for over two thousand years with continued success. 