Posts Tagged ‘pain’

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The Amazing Chiropractic Mechanic!

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

Gravity is a constant force on the body if we like it or not. Every day that you get out of bed, the pull of gravity is acting as a stressor on your body. It pulls on the joints, the ligaments, the muscles, tendons, organs…every part of your body. As we get a little older this stress starts to take its toll on the body, especially the joints. One name that we put on the consequences of this stress is arthritis.

As we look at how gravity can create huge stress to our system it is vitally important to remove any and all disfunction in the spine. Disfunction can be a misalignment of the bones and joints or even poor movement in how those bones and joints move. A misalignment in the spine can create pain, weakness, and even leave you prone to falls!

In my practice I see many “Baby Boomers” who waited until it was too late to take care of a “gravitational” problem. In the absence of too much degeneration I help my patients achieve proper alignment and mobility in their body so they can live life the way it was meant to, pain free!

One way that we can look at how this whole gravity thing works is to look at our bodies like a car. If the front end alignment of my car starts to go “off”, my car starts to pull to one side, it wears down my tires faster, and is very hard on the frame of my car. The same is true of your body in that if there is misalignment in the frame of your body (the spine) then it will wear you down much, much faster. Take a look at the bottoms of your shoes for a second. Is there any wear? If so this may be a good sign that you are misaligned and in major need of a realignment.

Don’t let gravity dictate how you feel. If you had any wear in your tires (shoes) call your local Bellevue chiropractor today to schedule a consultation.

Are you interested in seeing a Bellevue chiropractor? Visit our blog at www.bellevuechiropractorblog.com to find out how to schedule a consultation.

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Complications Of Polimialgia Reumatica

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Both the inflammatory rheumatic diseases polimialgia reumatica and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are often overlapping conditions with undiscovered causative factors. There are some clinical indicators that are common to both conditions and they typically occur in adults over the age of fifty years. As far as the incidence of both disorders in America and England it is estimated that GCA occurs approximately 200 cases per 1 million people. For polimialgia reumatica depending on the country of choice the annual incidence can be anywhere from 120 – 1120 per million.

Polimialgia reumatica can prove harder to diagnose than giant cell arteritis. For gca a common symptom is a non typical headache that has a distinctly painful feel to it. This often goes in combination with elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and high C-reactive protein levels on blood testing. A terrible consequence of gca is visual loss which occurs in under twenty percent of cases and is why this disorder is called a rheumatologic emergency. There can be other associated symptoms such as numbness in the jaw or mouth which is a consequence of less blood to the head because of the inflamed arteries. With further testing it is often revealed that fifty percent of GCA sufferes have inflammation of the main arteries throughout the body

Polimialgia reumatica on the other hand presents with stiffness and aching of the neck, shoulders and hips. Associated with this by one third of patients is weight loss, fever and mental disturbances like depression. There may be no known cause for the onset. The symptoms may appear almost overnight or develop over a period of a few days. Although pain and stiffness may feel like they are originating in the joints or bones, that is not the case. Polimialgia reumatica only affects the muscles or the muscle attachment to the bone called the tendon. It is usually present on both sides of the body. Often a final diagnosis may take some time as other conditions such as neurological, hormonal and endocrine are ruled out.

Polimialgia reumatica and GCA are both commonly treated with corticosteroids. With the desired treatment regime achieving as low a dose as possible as soon as can be done. Because of the fear of drug toxicity it is desirable to achieve the lowest dose that will still provide maximum symptomatic relief. At this present time there is no best method to achieve this other than a little experimentation on the patient. It is common for a high or medium dose to be initially given then see how the patient responds then lower the dose and continue to carefully monitor the patient.

About half of polimialgia reumatica sufferers and 1/3rd of GCA sufferers will have a reappearance of their symptoms within the first year of treatment when their medication is lowered. This is associated with lowering medication below seven and a half mg per day.

As a adjunct to pharmaceutical treatment for Polimialgia reumatica there can be some benefit in changing lifestyle, adjusting dietary habits and adding nutritional supplements. Stress or anxiety can activate some pro-inflammatory conditions within the body, so learning to increase relaxation in your life can be beneficial. Decreased take away or processed foods and supplying your body with more key vitamins and minerals can only serve to help your body during the healing process. There are a few supplements that have been shown to help with inflammation and decreasing that in the body.

More information on how to fix polymyalgia symptoms is available from Peter Alexis’ website which is full of tips and help on polymyalgia treatment.

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What Is Structural Integration And Rolfing?

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

So what exactly is Rolfing? To many it conjures up as an extremely painful experience. Unfortunately, there is very little truth to this rumor. It can create intense sensation. Pain in massage therapy should always be a brief experience to alert the Rolfer to fascia that is stuck in an adhesive pattern. A well trained Rolfer/Structural Integrationist should be conscious and respectful of their clients needs.

Oftentimes patients are willing to deal with some pain, especially if the session was successful in alleviating the painful condition that brought them to me. My Rolfing technique is more gentle than others, as I believe I can apply the technique a few extra times or longer to get the same results by allowing the body to adapt to the pressure. In reality, it is my opinion that all we are really doing is mirroring for the bodies own homeostatic response. Let me take you in for a deeper look into the world of Rolfing.

It was Dr. Rolf’s theory that pain in the human organism, both physical and emotional, was based on our relationship with gravity and its effect on our fascial membranes. Force vectors that enter the body either physically, or emotionally, can effect the physical structure. Just like a geodesic dome, our structure is totally interrelated, and any force that enters the system can be held in other parts of the structure. Through skillful application of technique a Rolfer/Structural Integrationist can inform the system of its imbalance and ultimately change the structure to a place of more ease, freeing up energy that is used unnecessarily to hold patterns of imbalance.

The plastic connective tissue which links all the internal structures of our human frame is called the fascial network. It is malleable and can be influenced by external responses. Fascia also surrounds internal organs and can impact them as well. Sometimes these external forces can create imbalances which result in painful conditions. Rolfing is a very specific technique, and as I have told my clients, doesn’t resemble the classic Swedish Massage technique that they have experienced prior to coming for a Rolfing session

One thing you will notice with Rolfers, is that the strokes that we apply to the patient’s body are very slow and often times without the use of any lubrication. We can change our patient/clients posture by the nature of fascia’s sliding, elastic capacity. This is the main reason that our clients can become pain free, their bodies are aligned in gravity. Send them out the door with some movement cues and education, and the changes that they have experienced can last a lifetime.

Rolfing has a proven track record as not only a performance enhancement regime, but as a premier tool in the prevention of many very painful injuries. Is is a chemical free, manual therapy that has a proven track record for over 50 years. I can not recommend enough the inclusion of this brilliant technique in your health and wellness regimen.

Want to find out more about Rolfing, then visit Judah Lyons’s site on how to choose the best pain for your needs.

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Polymialgia – The Best Approach To Treating Symptoms

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

The condition that result in stiffness and aching of the muscles in the neck, shoulder and hip area is called Polymialgia. The muscles may become very sore but there will be no weakness with this condition. Polymialgia is typically a condition that affects people over the age of fifty years old. There is not a special diagnostic test for Polymialgia at the present. The diagnosis will be the conclusion of a combination of factors such as blood test results, history of symptom development and physical exam. Commonly blood work will be done to look at markers of inflammation.

Polymialgia has distinctive symptoms that prevent it being confused with other types of arthritis or pain syndromes like fibromyalgia. The standard medical approach of corticosteroid treatment will also be discussed. Lastly nutritional supplements that may assist the condition will be touched upon.

The most frequent main concern with Polymialgia symptoms are those involving the pain and stiffness in the muscles. The area of the shoulders is most likely to be symptomatic at first and pain can also be found in the upper back, neck region, upper arms, hip area and lower back. The pain is typically on both sides of the body and can swap area very quickly, like from day to day. It is described as a severe pain with an aching nature. Movement of the limbs will make the pain worse but the pain’s origin is not from the joint or bones, it comes from the muscles and where the muscles attach to the bones, the tendon. Like in rheumatoid arthritis stiffness can be a severe issue. This will typically be at its worse in the morning and gradually improving with the day, but aggravated by prolonged inactivity or lack of movement such as sitting and watching TV or lying down when not asleep. The onset of these symptoms can be gradual but it is not uncommon to have a very rapid onset.

The typical medical treatment involves the use of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. The approach of this has been shown to be more beneficial for those suffering from milder symptoms of polymialgia. Usually 2/3rds of people who start on a regime of NSAIDs will discover they have to switch to corticosteroid treatment. Many physicians will choose a drug called prednisone as a common treatment. A starting dosage of this will be anywhere from 5-20mg of prednisone daily.

Nutritional supplements can be a compliment or alternative to medication. There are plenty of supplements that have been shown to be beneficial at helping with anti-inflammation. For example fish oil which is easily purchased at health stores can help ease inflammation. Magnesium is a mineral that also assists in decreasing pain and helping muscle stiffness. Another supplement growing in popularity is a derivative of the Indian spice tumeric, called curcumin which can also break the inflammation cycle. Vitamin E was demonstrated in studies on animals to reverse the inflammation pattern and recent research with arthritis victims showed a big reduction in their pain levels. In combination with Vitamin E, the popular Vitamin C can work wonders and has been widely accepted for its ability to ease inflammation.

If you are looking to ease the symptoms of aching muscles or stiffness that come with polymialgia there are a few options available.Treatment may consist of prednisone which is a common medical drug for the condition or a natural nutritional supplement that helps ease pain and inflammation.

For more about polymyalgia treatment, visit author Peter Alexis’ website for information on therapy like the polymyalgia rheumatica diet.

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Do Not Have Shoulder Surgery For Arthritis Shoulder Pain Until You Check Out The Alternatives

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

There are a lot of different kinds of arthritis shoulder pain. The shoulder is a complicated joint, and it is subjected to lots of different stresses throughout the course of a person’s life. As people get older, injuries that took place to the shoulder while younger can show up in the form of arthritis. This can cause pain, a narrower range of motion, the inability to do normal everyday activities like throw a ball, and a more limited lifestyle in general.

Just because the doctor calls a shoulder injury arthritis does not mean that the rest of the body is suddenly going to be subjected to arthritis also. It also does not mean that surgery is going to be required. When discussing the situation with a doctor, arthroscopic shoulder surgery as well as shoulder joint replacement are always an option, but it is certainly worth it to look for alternatives.

A cortisone shot with a long needle will sometimes give relief for a while, but it does little to address the underlying issue. If one wants to avoid surgery and shots that provide temporary relief, other treatment options should be explored.

After a person has been diagnosed with a shoulder injury, many doctors recommend physical therapy in order to delay or eliminate surgery. The orthopedic doctors, however, do not provide the physical therapy themselves. It is up to the patient to find the resources that will give them the opportunity to avoid the risky shoulder surgery. This also is the case for people that require rotator cuff rehab or have other issues with their shoulders.

One can do these shoulder pain exercises by oneself, without the guidance of a professional physical therapist. Specific exercises and stretches that are designed to strengthen and limber up all the muscles and tendons around the shoulder should be done on a regular basis. Once this program is complete, if the pain is still there, then additional evaluation by a healthcare professional is called for.

Find out more about shoulder pain exercises and rotator cuff rehab for arthritis shoulder pain.

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Learn About Pain Management Solutions That Work

Friday, August 13th, 2010

The easiest thing to do for pain management, also just happens to be the most fun, at least in the beginning. Pop some prescription pain pills. They not only make it so you don’t feel the pain, but you get a nice “buzz” to go along with it.

That is close to having a doctor order you to drink a large glass of liquor every four hours or so, from as soon as you wake up to when you go you ready for sleep. This style of pain management comes with a number of problems. Start with the fact that all pharmaceutical drugs are highly poisonous.

It is because of the poison that side effects come with every drug. Then a vicious cycle can ensue, where you keep needing more drugs to deal with the side effects from the last one.

The big side effect with pain meds is addiction; addiction to the need to keep from feeling the pain and addiction to the light headed feeling, as well. You have a resistance building up, so the effects keep getting shorter in duration, and you don’t want to wait until the time you are supposed to be able to get your next dosage. That’s a classic red flag.

If you have the belief that you could never become addicted to pain medicine because you are against drug abuse and the people who abuse drugs, perhaps you should learn about many people, from the likes of Elvis Presley to Rush Limbaugh, who found out the hard way that it could happen to anyone. Short of never taking a singe pain pill, it is naive to believe you are granted immunity from such things.

If you are going to allow for the possibility of pain medication, it is a good idea to use it only as a last resort, and try your best to not take the next pill as soon as you are allowed. For instance, if it says every 4 hours, can you make it 8 hours? Then work on increasing that time span until you can function without it.

Pain pills have nothing to do with improving the condition which is the cause of the pain, so it is not a good pain management system, even if it didn’t have all the other issues. It simply prevents you from feeling the pain for a little while. The field of chiropractic is much better suited to deal with pain at the causal level. The same is true with acupuncture.

A tremendous amount of people suffer from vitamin and nutrient deficiencies which create chronic pain. The biggest one is vitamin D, which is kind of silly, considering, all you have to do is get an hour a day in the sun and you will have all of that your ever need. Other deficiencies that could be causing you pain is magnesium, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, zinc, carnitine, certain fatty acids, and l-tryptophan. A regular doctor would not know about this, but a naturopathic or homeopathic doctor would be able to help you create a pain management system that works for you, rather than against you.

Find more details about how you can find pain relief easy and fast! When you learn the advantages of pain cream, you will be able to begin enjoying your regular activities quickly!

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Diet And Exercise Can Help With Joint Pain And Arthritis

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

The cause of joint pain and arthritis is not well known. The pain comes because of swelling around the joints. Some people get this disease because they had a previous injury or they have had gout.

The disease will not go away, but it can be slowed down with diet and exercise. Losing weight can help, thus causing less pressure on the joints. This is a chronic disease so the best thing to do is to learn how to live with it.

A person needs vitamins, nutrients, and minerals so a good way to get started is to eat healthy. Eating this way will keep everything in balance.The best way to do this is to eat the food groups, getting vegetables, milk, fruit, beans and other proteins will help. Remember to not eat when you are not hungry and to eat when you are hungry.

Coping with joint pain is not easy so you will have to eat right all the time. Not only will weight loss begin but having more energy will increase, and the pressure on your joints will decrease. This will help with the control of pain.

Some people are afraid to workout, because they are afraid of further injury and pain. This is not true, you cannot make yourself worse by exercising. This will make you more flexible, give some pain relief, and help reduce swelling. The time you workout is very important, to improve the pain from this disease. The exercise can be moderate, do not strain yourself, just do the same thing on a regular basis.

Exercise can be done in many ways like swimming, water walking, biking and regular walking. Doing any of these things will improve your joint pain. The best way to start is with stretching and then work your way into the next phrase. Yoga and golf can even be considered for a workout.

Talking to your doctor is very important, discuss what you plan on doing for exercise. Your doctor might suggest some kind of physical therapy in which they will tell you what to do and possibly give some devices to help you, without causing additional stress on your joints.

Controlling this illness is the best a person can do for themselves. Exercise and diet will give you a lot of help to live a healthy and pain controlled life. Arthritis is not going to go away in time so one has to learn to live with it. Eat well everyday and exercise, if you are not consistent, you will not help yourself. Experimenting with what works for you is very important. It is basically trial and error. Over the counter medicines like pills for pain, ointment and creams can all give some relief. How you take care of yourself will give the most relief.

Taking care of ourselves is what will give a good quality of life. Take the time to make a plan of action. Write down your foods you will eat and when you will exercise. After you make a plan go shopping and get the food and keep daily track of your workouts. If you are consistent with your plan of action you will feel better.

Learn more about joint pain and natural remedies. Read about Flexcin side effects and benefits on Robert Short’s site. Also read about Amberen reviews for women dealing with menopause symptoms.

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Keys To Understanding Pain Management Options

Monday, July 19th, 2010

When an individual suffers from an illness or injury that causes pain for a short duration, they are generally pretty uncomfortable. This short duration pain is known as acute pain, usually meaning that it has a known cause that will quickly pass and the pain will go away. For those people who suffer with pain for a long period of time, uncomfortable may hardly describe what they are feeling. This long term pain is known as chronic pain, and it often has no end. That is why it is important to understand what pain management options are available for chronic pain.

Chronic pain is often described as pain that persists for three months or more. It is not always understood, or even believed to exist by some people, but if you experience it you certainly know it is real. The challenge can be that it is not always possible for your doctor to determine the cause of your pain, leaving you the option to treat the symptoms without eliminating the cause.

Before an individual comes to the realization that the pain is long term he might have already tried a number of over-the-counter medications. These could include anything from plain aspirin to pills that contain anti-inflammatory drugs along with a pain reliever. If it appears that the pain is in the muscles, there are many rubs, creams, patches and gels that claim to relax the muscles and relieve the pain. If none of these provide relief, the patient will most likely end up at their doctor’s office.

While your doctor will take a medical history and try to find the cause of your pain, in many cases the cause of chronic pain is never fully identified. It then becomes a matter of finding a treatment that will give you relief from your pain. This can take some time, as everyone reacts differently to pain and to each treatment. Often times, the first thing the doctor will try is giving you a prescription medication. It might take several tries to find a medication that helps, so do not get discouraged.

While use of narcotic drugs to treat chronic pain has been controversial, doctors are realizing that when used appropriately, and often in combination with other drugs, that they can be effective in treating pain without causing addiction. Other families of drugs that are used in pain treatment include antidepressants and anticonvulsants, though they are often used in smaller doses for this purpose.

While taking drugs might be easy, there are other options your doctor might suggest. These require you to commit time and energy into your treatment. Regular exercise is a key component to a healthy lifestyle. This can be even more important for a chronic pain sufferer. Keeping your body moving and flexible can be a big benefit in coping with your pain. Your doctor might also suggest that you see a physical therapist for a course of treatment. Normally lasting only a few weeks, during this time you will be taught exercises that are good for stretching and strengthening the affected areas around your pain. The physical therapist might also use heat or ice on the area of pain, or possibly massage.

The stress of constant pain can begin to take a toll on the mind as well as the body. For this reason, the doctor may suggest seeing a counselor to address the mental health aspects of pain. Through counseling the patient can learn techniques to break the cycle of pain causing stress, which causes more pain, leading to more stress. The counselor may teach the patient to use guided imagery to escape the pain for a period of time. Biofeedback or relaxation skills might also be taught by the counselor.

This is only a brief overview of the options available to you for pain management. Be sure to educate yourself as much as you can about these and other options. If you are persistent and open-minded about the treatment options, you are likely to find some level of relief for your chronic pain.

Find out about the benefits and advantages of using an effective and non-toxic Joint Pain cream to relieve your hips and knees today! When you experience sore and painful wrists, you can alleviate it fast and easy with Carpal Tunnel cream!

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The Benefits Of Using An Arthritis Pain Relief Gel

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

An arthritis pain relief gel can be an important part of your arthritis pain relief treatment program. Some people swear by their efficacy, though there are many various kinds on the market today and it’s probably essential to experiment and see what works best for you. This is mainly because while symptoms sound common enough, the actual underlying issues may vary considerably from one person to the next.

What an arthritis pain relief gel cannot do, nevertheless, is make up for an unhealthy lifestyle. At best it can provide temporary topical arthritis pain relief but likely nothing else. Arthritis is, of course, damage to the bone, generally involving infection and inflammation, and such kinds as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis cannot be completely prevented, a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risks and form an important part of any physical therapy program necessary.

After all, recovery requires resources – nutrients. Without a healthy diet, you are not giving your body even the barest chance at winning its fight against disease. And pills should be avoided in favor of fresh whole foods, unless prescribed by a doctor. The fresher something is the more potent its ingredients – that is, the nutrients involved.

And “whole foods” means food that’s not “processed,” put together or otherwise treated in a factory but occurring naturally, as is. Too many individuals think that popping pills is the same as providing their bodies with nutrients, but in most cases nothing is further from the truth, for nutrients don’t work in isolation but together, within a biochemical context such as those provided by fresh whole foods.

Think about it. It is like taking words out of a sentence. Do they mean anything? It depends on the sentence, doesn’t it? Not to mention, oftentimes, preceding sentences and subsequent sentences. Well, it is the same thing with nutrients, macro, micro, and phyto. That’s why fresh whole foods are the best. They offer individual nutrients with the necessary biochemical context by which our bodies can “understand” them and “know” what to do with them! You’ll also need adequate rest. Without enough rest, your body doesn’t get as great a chance to use all those vital nutrients…but that’s a different article, for another time.

To Learn more about arthritis pain relief. Stop by www.thewizardofarticles.com where you can find out all about arthritis pain relief gel and what it can do for you.

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What Is Myofascial Pain Relief

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

More and more folks are sustaining injuries as they take up weight-lifting, frequently on the advice of a doctor. Lifting weights is a clinically proven way of stimulating muscle and bone mass to become stronger, extremely crucial as we head into maturity and advanced age. Minor difficulties may be treated topically with something like an arthritis pain relief gel, but generally speaking prevention is much better than cure and appropriate lifting techniques will go a long way towards ensuring safe and healthy workouts.

Yes, it seems ironic but if you work out in the wrong way with bad technique you can actually hurt yourself. Thus many do not understand all there is involved in something like weight-lifting and so get hurt unnecessarily. Of course, almost no one learns to ride a bicycle without falling, and therefore some amount of similar trial and error is to be expected when it comes to lifting weights as well.

However, correct form is essential, and unlike riding a bike lifting weights might seem deceptively simple. It is and it isn’t. That means that in some ways it can be, and in other ways it is not. An arthritis pain relief gel can only do so much for myofascial pain relief if you simply have no idea what you’re doing.

But what is most essential is to learn to listen to your body. Learn to distinguish discomfort from pain, and minor aches from serious pains. Some level of soreness and even fatigue is natural, but complicating matters is the fact that everybody is different.

A genetically gifted athlete will generally be able to recover a lot faster than those not similarly endowed, though all might benefit from some kind of muscle pain relief gel, depending on the exact circumstances involved. The key is to learn, and think intelligently – even when lifting weights!

To find out more about arthritis pain relief gel, then visit www.resource-mania.com yo get advice on the best muscle pain relief gel for your needs.

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