5 Painful Facts You Need to Know

By Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience Managing Editor
http://www.livescience.com/health/080725-pain-facts.html

5 Painful Facts You Need to Know

First off, let’s set the record straight: Pain is normal. About 75 million U.S. residents endure chronic or recurrent pain. Migraines plague 25 million of us. One in six suffer arthritis.

The global pain industry peddles more than $50 billion in drugs a year. Yet for chronic pain sufferers, over-the-counter pills are typically little help, while morphine and other narcotics can be addictive sedatives.

An overview study published last month in the Journal of General Internal Medicine looked at multiple studies of pain and found “researchers don’t yet know how to determine which [treatment] is best for individual patients.” From studies of drugs to surgeries and alternative medicines, “We have found that there are huge gaps in our knowledge base,” said Dr. Matthew J. Bair, assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

So what is pain and why do so many suffer so long?

Pain is felt when electrical signals are sent from nerve endings to your brain, which in turn can release painkillers called endorphins and generate reactions that range from instant and physical to long-term and emotional. Beyond that, scientific understanding gets painfully fuzzy.

Here’s what’s known:

Fact 1 - Scientist Don’t Understand Pain

When you’re in pain, you know it. But if scientists could fully grasp how pain works and why, they might be able to help you more. The American Academy of Pain Medicine defines pain as “an unpleasant sensation and emotional response to that sensation.” Some pain is the result of an obvious injury. Other times, it is caused by damaged nerves that are not so easy to pinpoint. “Pain is complex and defies our ability to establish a clear definition,” says Kathryn Weiner, director of the American Academy of Pain Management. “Pain is far more than neural transmission and sensory transduction. Pain is a complex mixture of emotions, culture, experience, spirit and sensation.”

Fact 2 - Chronic Pain Shrinks Brains

If you have chronic pain, you know how demoralizing and debilitating it can be, physically and mentally. It can prevent you from doing things and make you irritable for reasons nobody else understands. But that’s only half the story. People with chronic backaches have brains as much as 11 percent smaller than those of non-sufferers, scientists reported in 2004. They don’t know why. “It is possible it’s just the stress of having to live with the condition,” said study leader A. Vania Apkarian of Northwestern University. “The neurons become overactive or tired of the activity.”

Fact 3 - Migraines and Sex Go Together

It may not eliminate the phrase “Not tonight, honey …” but a 2006 study found that migraine sufferers had levels of sexual desire 20 percent higher than those suffering from tension headaches. The finding suggests sexual desire and migraines might be influenced by the same brain chemical, and getting a better handle on the link could lead to better treatments, at least for the pain portion of the equation.

Fact 4 - Women Feel More Pain

Any man who has watched a woman having a baby without using drugs would swear that women can tolerate anything. But the truth is, guys, it hurts more than you can imagine. Women have more nerve receptors than men. As an example, women have 34 nerve fibers per square centimeter of facial skin, while men average just 17. And in a 2005 study, women were found to report more pain throughout their lifetimes and, compared to men, they feel pain in more areas of their body and for longer durations.

Fact 5 - Some Animals Don’t Feel Our Pain

Animal research could offer clues to eventually relieve human suffering. Take the naked mole rat, a hairless and nearly blind subterranean creature. A study this year found it feels neither the pain of acid nor the sting of chili peppers. If researchers can figure out why, they might be on the road to new sorts of painkilling therapies for humans. In 2006, scientists found a pathway for the transmission of chronic pain in rats that they hope will translate into better understanding of human chronic pain. Lobsters feel no pain, even when boiled, scientists said in a 2005 report that is just one more salvo in a long-running debate.

What You Can Do

Meanwhile, exercise is a useful remedy for many types of chronic pain.

In an Italian study detailed in the May issue of the journal Cephalalgia, office workers did relaxation and posture exercises every two to three hours. Over an eight-month period, they kept diaries, which were then compared to those of a control group that did not change habits. In the end, the group that exercised reported that headaches and neck and shoulder pain decreased by more than 40 per cent, and their use of painkillers was cut in half.

“Physical activity is actually a natural pain reliever for most people suffering from arthritis,” concludes another study published in the Arthritis Care and Research journal in April. “Even minor lifestyle changes like taking a 10-minute walk three times a day can reduce the impact of arthritis on a person’s daily activities and help to prevent developing more painful arthritis,” said Dr. Patience White, chief public health officer of the Arthritis Foundation. “Physical activity can actually reduce pain naturally and decrease dependence on pain medications.”

A Doctor that Specializes in Pain Management is a Physiatrist!

A Physiatrist (Pain Management Doctor) is the specialist to help you with non-surgical “conservative” treatments to reduce pain. These Doctors use many injection therapies and do no “cure” pain, they only treat it. Do not confuse Physiatrist with a Psychiatrist or Psychologist who treat mental disorders - not pain.

5 Pain Treatment Methods for Spinal Related Pain

About these Spinal Pain Treatment Modalities

Treatments I list on this page are those I have not investigated throughly. I have not tried these treatments, some mainstream, some alternative. I list them only so that those of you who are visiting the site may have additional access to possible therapies. it’s hard to say I’ve tried everything when there are so many therapies “Out there”. The real problem is not every therapy works for every person. So with that being said I give you this list.

Intrathecal Drug Delivery (Pain Pumps) - This is heavy duty, you do not want this… only the very worst cases may need this treatment.

Spinal Chord Stimulator -Surgically implanted pain treatment devices similar to Intrathecal except they deliver low voltage electrical stimulation instead of drugs.

Radiofrequency and Pulse Radiofrequency - Electromagnetic energy is delivered via a needle to treat nerves for pain.

Phoresis - High frequency sound waves are used to push a steroid medication through the skin. Lontophoresis uses a small machine to produce a mild electrical charge to carry the medicine through the skin.

Spinal Chord Stimulator -Surgically implanted paint

Therapeutic Ultrasound - I’m still learning about how this works. I’ve had both hot and cold Therapeutic Ultrasound and the hot felt great, but I don’t know the side effects if applied improperly. Most of the mainstream medical community would agree there is not real evidence to support this treatment.

Exercise - Exercise Therapies - Yoga - Tai Chi

General Exercise

The body is designed for movement and movement aids healing, just don’t over do it! You have to remember there is no blood flow to the discs so if you do not move, the spinal fluid does not move!

Your road to recovery will be much slower or non-existent without some form of gentle to moderate exercise. I’ve had Doctors tell me for Cervical Problems not to swim, but others have said it’s good. I like to swim and while I don’t do anything specific for very long, I believe just the buoyancy provided such incredible relief there are immense benefits in aqua therapy even if all you do is walk through the water. This allows me to relax and stretch and move around and it feels great.

Yoga

The benefits of movement and stretching can not be understated unless directly contradicted by your condition. Give yoga a try I’m still working on my personal yoga experience and I think the benefits are making my pursuit worthwhile.

Beautiful Yoga Movements

Yoga is for everyone. I show you this video to show how incredible movement of the Human Form can be. You do not have to be flexible to start Yoga. The whole point is you are working towards your own goals at your own pace. If you never are able to touch your toes, that’s fine. That’s not the point. The point is to get your body moving and stretching with gentle, relaxing, and peaceful movements.

Tai Chi

Gentle movements and motions many have touted to have brought about relief from spinal pain throughout the back and neck. I have not been to an instructed class on Tai Chi, but from what I’ve read I would like to start.

Tai Chi Fundamentals for Taiji Beginners

Heat and Cold Packs

Ice or Heating Pads bring temporary relief to some, but are not very effective in the treatment of chronic pain (at least not for me). Be sure to get advice on the correct use of these modalities from your Physician or Physical Therapist. Too much or too little may not be effective and may make you feel worse.

Occipital Nerve Blocks for Cervicogenic Headaches

Cervicogenic Headaches

The cervical spine and associated muscular support of the head interwoven with vessels and nerve supply in the head and upper extremities, compose a complex structure with many sites for the generation of pain. A reduction in the space in which nerves pa ss through or lie can result in pain and loss of function. If the pressure is acute, pain is more likely to occur. Loss of function is generally the result of more prolonged and continuous pressure.

The sites of nerve compression in the neck are the intervertebral foramina, the spinal canal, the interscalene space and the course of the occipital nerves through the trapezius muscle at the base of the skull. Impairment or free movement at the joints, discs or ligaments may lead to irritation of sensitive structures of the joints and soft tissue of the neck. Reflex muscle spasms resulting from this irritation can produce continuous tension on the periosteal insertion of muscles. It is common for head and neck pain to originate with stress on the cervical musculature. Tension headaches are the result of sustained muscle contraction which produces both irritation at muscle insertion points and ischemic pain of the muscle itself.

Irritation of the cervical nerve roots at any point from their origin of the spinal cord to their paths to the occipital muscles can result in pain referred to the head and neck or upper extremity. Common sources of such irritation are the degenerative changes associated with osteophytes. As the degenerative process progresses, the spinal canal decreases in all diameters causing pressure on the long ascending and descending tracts as well as the cervical nerve roots. The most frequent complaint of the patient with cervical spondylosis is cervical, occipital or atypical facial pain due to irritation of the C2, C3 and C4 nerve roots. The continued irritation of these roots as they exit from the intervertebral foramina produce an inflammatory response i n the root with secondary edema.

As the greater and lesser occipital nerves pierce the trapezius at the base of the skull they are subject to pressure by cervical muscles and spasm. The result, an occipital neuralgia, produces further cervical spasms leading to a reflex perpetuation of occipital pain. Carcinoma and tumor invasion of the cervical spine and soft tissues of the neck may cause destruction as well as encroachment in cervical nerve roots or invasion of branches of the cervical plexus. These malignant forms of cervicogenic headache will not be discussed.

Treatment

The purpose of this discussion is to describe those injection techniques that have been found useful in the treatment of muscle tension and cervicogenic headaches. These procedures include: trigger point injections, occipital nerve blocks, anesthetic blocks of the cervical nerve C2-C5, facet joint blocks at C2, C3 and cervical epidural steroid injections.

Occipital Nerve Blocks

To understand how a blockade of the occipital nerve is efficacious in the treatment of headache, a review of the anatomy will be presented. The greater and lesser occipital nerves are sensory nerve which enter into the second, and to some extent the thir d cervical segments. The nerves enter the spinal cord via the Tract of Lissauer to terminate in the substantia gelatenosa of the upper cervical cord where they synapse. The infratentorial intracranial structures are innervated by the upper three cervical nerves. Sensory cutaneous distribution in the occipital nerve is over the back of the head anteriorly to the borders of the innervation of the first division of the trigeminal nerve. The C2 component is a more medial band extending form the superior nuch al line to this boundary. C1, when present, innervates an overlapping area more posteriorly. The greater occipital nerve passes over the superior nuchal line midway between the mastoid process on the occipital protuberance just lateral to the insertion of the nuchal ligaments. The lesser occipital protuberance is just lateal to the insertion of the nuchal ligaments. The lesser occipital nerve passes laterally to the greater occipital nerve over the nuchal ridge.

The greater occipital nerve runs transversely and then turns at right angles to run posteriorly. It then emerges through the aperture above the aponeurotic sling between the trapezius and the sternomastoid. This fact renders untenable any speculation t hat it may be compressed by spasm in the trapezius. Similarly, the nerve is not vulnerable to bony compression between the posterior arch of the atlas and the lamina of the axis. How the occipital nerve becomes sensitive to the diverse headache condition described is still a matter of speculation.

Occipital nerve blockade has been used for the treatment of diverse headaches for decades. The most effective position for greater occipital blockade is sitting or lateral decubitus with the chin flexed upon the chest. A short 25 gauge needle is inserted through the skin at the level of the superior nuchal line so as to develop a wall of local anesthetic surrounding the posterior occipital artery. The procedure should be done under strict aseptic conditions. The artery is commonly found approximately one-third of the distance between the external occipital protuberance and the mastoid process on the superior nuchal line. Injection of 3-5 ml of local anesthetic in this area with or without depo-corticosteroids will produce satisfactory anesthesia. Due to the superficial nature of this block complications are infrequent but may include hematoma, infection and paresthesia. Occipital nerve blockade will local anesthetic may also be used as a prognostic tool to determine if rhizotomy is warranted in refr actory cases. Occipital rhizotomy may be performed surgically or using a cryoprobe.

To learn more and read the complete article please visit Dr. Lichten’s Website.

Cryoanalgesia - Cryoneuroablation - Cryoneurolysis,

Basic Description of Cryoanalgesia

Cryoanalgesia is a pain-relieving technique which uses cold to treat nerve pain. It’s been around for centuries, and in its crudest form, uses ice to numb nerves. The more sophisticated, current type of cryoanalgesia uses a needle-like probe to deliver very, very cold sensation and thereby incapacitate nerves.

Detailed Description of Cryoanalgesia

Cryoneuroablation, also known as cryoanalgesia or cryoneurolysis, is a specialized technique for providing long-term pain relief in interventional pain management settings. Modern cryoanalgesia traces its roots to Cooper et al who developed in 1961, a device that used liquid nitrogen in a hollow tube that was insulated at the tip and achieved a temperature of - 190 degrees C. Lloyd et al proposed that cryoanalgesia was superior to other methods of peripheral nerve destruction, including alcohol neurolysis, phenol neurolysis, or surgical lesions.

The application of cold to tissues creates a conduction block, similar to the effect of local anesthetics. Long-term pain relief from nerve freezing occurs because ice crystals create vascular damage to the vasonervorum, which produces severe endoneural edema. Cryoanalgesia disrupts the nerve structure and creates wallerian degeneration, but leaves the myelin sheath and endoneurium intact.

Clinical applications of cryoanalgesia extend from its use in craniofacial pain secondary to trigeminal neuralgia, posterior auricular neuralgia, and glossopharyngeal neuralgia; chest wall pain with multiple conditions including post-thoracotomy neuromas, persistent pain after rib fractures, and post herpetic neuralgia in thoracic distribution; abdominal and pelvic pain secondary to ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, genitofemoral, subgastric neuralgia; pudendal neuralgia; low back pain and lower extremity pain secondary to lumbar facet joint pathology, pseudosciatica, pain involving intraspinous ligament or supragluteal nerve, sacroiliac joint pain, cluneal neuralgia, obturator neuritis, and various types of peripheral neuropathy; and upper extremity pain secondary to suprascapular neuritis and other conditions of peripheral neuritis.

Faith and Spirituality

We Are All Spiritual Beings

Regardless of your religion at a molecular level we are all atoms, beings that are electro chemical. Faith, energy, our brains, mood, stress, all play a role in healing. When we are emotionally stable and emotionally healthy we feel better, and we can heal faster.

Practice your religion, follow your faith; if you pray - then pray, if you meditate - then meditate. You will find some interesting information by searching online for “Violet Flame”, “Archangel St. Michael”, “Archangel St. Germaine”, “Buddhism”, “Higher Self”, etc. Find a doctrine that makes sense to you and explore. At the very least you will educate yourself to the fact that we as human beings are not alone.

What matters is you find your core belief system, you then practice it. Keep an open mind as there is much to be learned from all religions. And the “right” religions is merely the one you believe.

Hydro Therapy - Aqautic Therapy for Pain Relief and Exercise

Benefits of Hydro Therapy

Hydro Therapy is simply the use of warm water to help us relax or exercise or both. Hot Tubs, Swimming Pools, Therapy Pools, and even your Home Bathtub can serve as appropriate vehicles for this purpose. Today’s “Hot Tub” contains dozens of jets that can feel wonderful and allow us to release muscle tension and relax. You may have a high end “Whirlpool Tub” or built in Home Spa. Larger bodies of warm water allow us to move from relaxation into exercise, stretching and strengthening. So while passive relaxation has it’s benefit, if you can, try and find a warm water pool large enough to exercise in. Ideally the pool will be no deeper than mid chest level to the bottom of your neck (48″ to 52″) is just about right.

If a pool is too deep it can be dangerous should you become ill. If a pool is too shallow you won’t receive the full benefits of flotation and buoyancy. Water allows us to exercise without stressing the joints. As muscles relax and the forces of gravity are lessened we can enjoy stretching that would not otherwise be possible. An ideal temperature for exercise is 84 to 90 degrees. Much warmer and you’ll become uncomfortable with your movements and begin to sweat a lot. For just relaxation 100 to 102 degrees is wonderful. When the water temperature drops below body temperature and we are not moving it becomes uncomfortable, and water over 104 degrees is very dangerous to our bodies. In fact if your water temperature is above body temperature you should limit your sessions to 20 minutes. Water 104 degrees and higher for periods longer than 20 minutes can damage your internal organs.

Warm water can really help to reduce your stress levels. Often Hydro Therapy is combined with aroma therapy and music to complete the relaxation. It’s hard not to just relax when the pressure is taken off your injury. It’s like an anti-gravity experience where we become weightless.

Some Spas contain special “Neck jets” or “Lumbar jets” that just melt (at least temporarily) away your pain. The warm water dilates the blood vessels promoting healing, and a 20 minute session will help you fall asleep faster

Caveats: You’re skin is an organ and will absorb chemicals in water so ask your dealer about the least chemical solution to keeping the water pure and clean. Tubs will make you sweat and release toxins in the water so be sure to keep your Spa’s water clean. Do not exceed 20 minutes in water over 104 degrees (The limit at which you can set the Spa’s) as your internal proteins will start to cook! If the water feels too hot turn it down, anything over body temperature will make you sweat. Ask your Physician about Hydro Therapy for your condition. Hydro Therapy will not “cure” your condition, but it can go a long ways to making your pain more tolerable and will aid in your recovery most of the time. If prescribed by your Physician you may be able to deduct the expense of a Hydro Therapy Solution from your personal taxes.

Note: Not everyone is comfortable in water. Some people never learn to swim as youngsters, this is okay. That’s why we recommend to find a pool that is not too deep. Find a partner to go with you. Swimming and splashing is fun! Enjoy yourself.

Tips on Purchasing a Hot Tub

There are so many brands available and Hot Tub dealers come and go. Find a local dealer that has been in business a long time with an established track record. The tub is important, but even more important is the warranty and service for that warranty. Tubs require maintenance, you’ll need a source for chemicals. Pumps break, control panels break. Just like purchasing an automobile - think about the “Total Cost of Ownership” not just the up front cost. Be sure to “Wet Test” the tub before you buy! Wet testing is essential, because the tubs feel completely different with and without water. Wet testing means taking your swimsuit to the dealer and sitting in the tub for 10 or 15 minutes. Make sure you can control the jets, make sure the jets are not so powerful that they blow you out of your seat. Try all the seat positions to be sure they are comfortable to your body.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture Videos to Help You Understand How it Works

My Experience with Acupuncture

Works for some to help with pain. I tried Acupuncture with electrical therapy (At a Chiropractors Office” and it did nothing for me, but he person doing the work may not have been fully schooled as to the proper treatment.

I then found a true Oriental Acupuncture Specialist, and it made me realize the Chiropractor was clueless. The Doctor I saw for Acupuncture was born in China, Trained in China, and was actually a retired Orthopedic Surgeon in China. The number of needles he placed, the location of placement and the effects on my muscles were completely different from the “treatment” (Money bilking) I received from the Chiropractor. In my defense the Chiropractor came highly recommended by the Naturopathic Physician I was seeing at the time. But I should have been smart enough to know that they Guy had no clue what he was doing. Now I do. The benefits of hindsight.

In short, make sure your Acupuncturist is fully trained and licensed (Yes they have schools for Acupuncture).

I received some pain reduction and additional range of motion from my treatments (A series of 10 every couple of days). Unfortunately for me the treatments did not solve my chronic problems and due to the expense ($60 per treatment) vs. benefit I was forced to abandon further treatment.

Similar Modalities Like Gua Sha

Gua Sha is a healing technique used in Asia by practitioners of Traditional Medicine, in both the clinical setting and in homes, but little known in the West. It involves palpation and cutaneous stimulation where the skin is pressured, in strokes, by a round-edged instrument; that results in the appearance of small red petechiae called ’sha’, that will fade in 2 to 3 days.

Raising Sha removes blood stagnation considered pathogenic, promoting normal circulation and metabolic processes.The patient experiences immediate relief from pain, stiffness, fever, chill, cough, nausea, and so on. Gua Sha is valuable in the prevention and treatment of acute infectious illness, upper respiratory and digestive problems, and many other acute or chronic disorders.

Gua Sha Video

Prescription Medications - Drugs

The Scary Truth About Prescription Drugs

This should go without saying, but some people don’t really understand the purpose of Prescription Medications and their role in healing. Drugs treat symptoms, drugs do NOT CURE, only the body can cure. It’s really just that simple.

Drugs are foreign to the body, synthetic substances created to alleviate a symptom. When you fall ill you don’t fall ill because of a drug deficiency. I have too often read posts of patients suffering and their treatment includes a handful of pills. These people continue to take these pills over and over, and guess what? They do not get better? Why? Because the medications are not designed to “fix” the cause, they are designed to treat the “symptom”.

Now I am not about to suggest that “Drugs are Bad”, I am only going to suggest that you consider what your medications are doing for you and your recovery. So many people start a medication, then another, then another to the point where they really have no idea what is helping and what is not. And their Doctors are not sure either. Read the fine print on prescriptions and dig a little into the research behind a particular medication and you’ll uncover statements like “The exact mechanism of … are unknown”.

Drugs are required to pass an evaluation period under FDA Supervision. This means the drug has been tested for a specific purpose. This does not mean the drug is “safe”. All drugs have side effects. It’s your responsibility to dig in and figure out what those side effects are and how they effect you as a patient. It’s your responsibility to keep your Physician in the loop.

Here is an example of Side Effects for the Drug Neurontin (Generic: Gabapentin)

Approximately 7% of the 2074 patients > 12 years of age and approximately 7% of the 449 pediatric patients 3 to 12 years of age who received Neurontin in premarketing clinical trials discontinued treatment because of an adverse event.

The list of “Adverse Events” for this Drug during clinical trials is staggering and include specific conditions far to vast to list here. How ever I will list the parts of the body that events were reported:

• Body As A Whole - Frequent
• Cardiovascular System - Frequent
• Digestive System - Frequent
• Endocrine System - Rare
• Hematologic and Lymphatic System - Frequent
• Musculoskeletal System - Frequent
• Nervous System - Frequent
• Respiratory System - Frequent
• Dermatological - inFrequent
• Urogenital System - inFrequent
• Special Senses - Frequent

Here is an example of the conditions for the “Special Senses” category:

Special Senses: Frequent: abnormal vision; Infrequent: cataract, conjunctivitis, eyes dry, eye pain, visual field defect, photophobia, bilateral or unilateral ptosis, eye hemorrhage, hordeolum, hearing loss, earache, tinnitus, inner ear infection, otitis, taste loss, unusual taste, eye twitching, ear fullness; Rare: eye itching, abnormal accommodation, perforated ear drum, sensitivity to noise, eye focusing problem, watery eyes, retinopathy, glaucoma, iritis, corneal disorders, lacrimal dysfunction, degenerative eye changes, blindness, retinal degeneration, miosis, chorioretinitis, strabismus, eustachian tube dysfunction, labyrinthitis, otitis externa, odd smell.

Gabapentin was originally approved in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994 for use as an adjunctive medication to control partial seizures (effective when added to other antiseizure drugs). In 2002, an indication was added for treating postherpetic neuralgia (neuropathic pain following shingles, other painful neuropathies, and nerve related pain).

So the FDA has approved Neurontin/Gabapentin for 2 conditions! However it is prescribed by Physicians to treat a huge list of ailments. Those Aliments were not part of the clinical trials! And Neurontin/Gabapentin is one of those “exact mechanism of action is unknown” drugs. This simply means it seemed to work in clinical trials for most people (The 7% who were not forced to drop out due to adverse effects), but is widely prescribed for conditions for which it has not even been tested! Kind of scary don’t you think?

Be very cautious, as the intention of these medications is to relieve pain while your body heals. If your body does not heal while on the Meds then you risk becoming physically dependent. Medications ALL have side effects. Narcotics ruin your liver. Benzodiazepines are extremely dangerous to your brain and behavior, and wreck havoc on your liver, may give you undesired hallucinations, and may rebound on you and make it impossible for you to sleep.

Drugs heal nothing! They merely give you a chance to feel less pain and suffering while you work on finding the CAUSE of your problems.

Wake up! It’s not healthy to douse your brain in chemicals! And drugs don’t just go to your Brain (Where most drugs are intended to effect) they travel to every organ and every tissue that has blood supply.

Electrical Stimulation Thereapy & TENS Electrical Neural Stimulation

TENS, Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation

Based on the theory that the electrical stimulation pulses get to the central nervous system faster than the pain messages so you (in effect) feel the stimulation, but not the pain. It’s also believed that endorphins are released from the brain to help reduce your discomfort.

TENS is considered a method in the treatment of pain, and has a wide following; still others maintain that it is ineffective. A 2007 meta-analysis of studies going back many years indicates that TENS is an effective treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

In palliative care and pain medicine, TENS units are used in an attempt to alleviate neuropathic pain (pain due to nerve damage). Some patients benefit from this approach, while others may not, depending on individual differences, and pain threshold.

Most people use pre-gelled self-adhering electrodes (single patient use) to transmit the electrical signal through the skin, while most clinicians use carbon-impregnated silicone rubber electrodes with a water based conductive gel so that the pads may be cleaned between applications on different patients.

I have not tried a Tens Unit, but I have witnessed patients using Tens and they claimed it was working for them. TENS is not the only type of Electrical Stimulation Therapy, but these therapies are not mainstream, so finding valid information and practitioners is not an easy task.

Resources:

Muscle Physiology Electrical Stimulation - Interesting article from the University of California San Diego and here is background research from a Physical Therapist.

Relieve your Aches and Pains with a Home Infrared Sauna

Have You Enjoyed the Relaxing Soothing Feel of a Home Sauna?

Note: Far Red or Infrared Sauna is NOT heated to 170 degrees like the traditional rocks/water type sauna many people think of, can be installed anywhere you have space, and requires almost no maintenance. Close your eyes, relax and remember the last time you felt so warm and comfortable. You can enjoy that feeling every single day!

Benefits of Sauna for Pain Relief

• It increases the extensibility of collagen tissues. This means it makes it easier for you to relax and stretch your tired aching muscles. You’ve heard the phrase you need to “warm up before you stretch” and this will help you do just that.
• It decreases joint stiffness directly. Soothing warmth relaxes the joints for comfort.
• It relieves muscle spasms.
• It increases blood flow.
• It assists in resolution of inflammatory infiltrates, edema and exudates.

In Addition to Pain Relief Sauna helps with

• Weight Loss - Infrared Sauna helps you burn as many as 600 calories in a single 30 minute session.
• Beauty - Improves skin tone and reduces scarring
• Cellulite reduction
• Relaxation

Learn More…

Click Each link for Specific Details

• Most Common Questions about Infrared Sauna use

• How do the Saunas Work and are they safe?

• Read what people are saying about their own Infrared Sauna

• Compare Infrared Sauna Models

Migraine Headaches - Migraine Relief & Migraine Treatment

Migraine Headaches can occur with or without AURA. Diagnosis is often difficult and can refer pain to areas that would otherwise not be suspect. I have read extensively about Migraine Headaches or the migraine condition. I have yet to find a single concise definition of Migraine Headaches. Many believe they have Migraines, but really don’t. Migraine is actually just a label for a condition, the bottom line is there are many causes of Headache and whether you have a true Migraine condition or not is only relevant if there is an appropriate treatment which stops your own pain. Migraines are difficult to diagnose, but treatment is available.

Migraine Headache Relief - Recommended Reading

Johns Hopkins neurologist details a three-step system designed to allow headache sufferers take control of their lives and headaches: step one avoids quick fixes; step two eliminates headache triggers, especially dietary ones; and step three raises the headache threshold.

Title: Heal your Headache

ISBN 0-7611-2798-4 HC
ISBN 07611-2566-3 Paper Workman Publishing Company, NY, NY 10003-9555

Note: We have no relationship with Dr. Bucholz nor are we compensated for publishing this information. I have read this book in it’s entirety and found it to be worth the time. I do not agree with all Dr. Bucholz’s assertions, but he does present a very valid approach to migraine treatment.

Migraines: Headache Treatment & Cures?

There are often no easy answers for cures to Migraine headaches. This page is not an attempt to cure anything. Please read the above book as it is probably the best of it’s kind. When I was checking Amazon’s referral page for “Heal Your Headache: there were over 116 reader recommendations, nearly all 5 Star including recommendations by other Physicians. Please keep an open mind to dietary restrictions and their role in Migraine headaches. The more research read the more you will find Migraines are a difficult beast to tame and they may or may not present with pain or Aura.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) for Migraine Headache Relief

Supplementing with relatively small amounts of riboflavin (vitamin B2) may reduce the severity and frequency of migraines in chronic sufferers, reports a study in Headache. Previous studies showing that riboflavin can prevent migraines used 400 mg per day, which is at least 200 times the amount in a typical diet. In the new study, 25 mg per day appeared to be an effective migraine treatment.

Riboflavin was originally considered for migraine prevention because researchers observed that migraine sufferers tend to have impaired energy production in brain cells, which riboflavin has the potential to enhance as it is a component of a key substance involved in the body’s energy production. Magnesium, another nutrient important for producing energy, has already been shown to reduce migraine recurrence. In earlier studies with riboflavin, a very high dose was chosen, presumably to give the vitamin the best chance of working. While riboflavin does not appear to cause any significant adverse effects even at high doses, it is possible that taking large amounts of any single nutrient might cause subtle imbalances in body chemistry. For that reason, if lower doses are equally effective, they are preferable to higher amounts.

Fifty-two people suffering from recurrent migraines participated in the three-month study. They were randomly assigned to receive either a daily combination of riboflavin (400 mg), magnesium (300 mg), and the herb feverfew (100 mg), or 25 mg of riboflavin per day. Each of the three components of the combination product has been shown in earlier research to reduce the recurrence rate of migraines. A positive response was defined as a reduction in the frequency of migraines by 50% or more. Forty-two percent of participants responded to combination therapy and forty-four percent responded to low-dose riboflavin. In addition, the average headache severity and the number of days with tension headaches decreased significantly in the low-dose-riboflavin group, but not in the group receiving combination therapy.

Because there was no control group in the new study, one cannot rule out the possibility that the beneficial effects of low-dose riboflavin were due to a placebo effect. However, the researchers considered that possibility unlikely, because the effects of riboflavin were greater than those found with a placebo in previous migraine studies.

In addition to riboflavin, magnesium, and feverfew, coenzyme Q10 has been found in one preliminary trial to reduce the recurrence rate offering many complete migraine relief.

Dietary factors also appear to be important migraine triggers in susceptible people. For some, tyramine-containing foods such as certain wines and aged cheeses are the main offenders. For others, allergic reactions to common foods such as wheat, oranges, egg, coffee, tea, and beef seem to be the main triggers. Determining your triggers through the process of elimination is an effective method which may ultimately result in migraine relief.

Vitamin Herb University is the premier online course and informational resource for dietary supplements, supplement reviews, vitamin information, herb information, and drug herb interaction.

Possible Dietary Connection: Foods to Avoid if you have Migraine Headaches

This list is not exclusive nor conclusive but it is generally recommended you avoid these foods:

1. Chocolate
2. Dairy including Milk, Cheese, Yogurt. Some soft cheeses may be permissible but it’s best to avoid ALL Dairy until you figure out your own Migraine Triggers.
3. Alcohol
4. MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate) - this insidious neurotoxin is disguised under many many names including “Natural Flavoring”, “Soy Protein”, and many others. This is FDA Approved, but it’s still poison. If you eat canned foods, soups, snack cracker, etc. you no doubt consume this. Eat FRESH unprocessed foods only! Even health foods like Vegetable Burgers are contaminated.
5. Nuts and nut butters - all varieties.
6. Processed meats and fish - smoked, canned, marinated, cured, etc. Eat only FRESH grass fed free range meats or wild fish.
7. Vinegar
8. Citrus Fruits, dried fruits, bananas and avocados.
9. Onions
10. Baked goods - while it is a pretty good idea to avoid these in general fresh baked yeast based bakery goods are a potential trigger for Migraines.
11. All artificial sweeteners - there is no such thing as a SAFE artificial sweetener. The body does not like artificial foods.

You may be able to reintroduce some of the above items AFTER you determine your real dietary triggers and get a firm grasp on the cause of your Migraines. It goes without saying that many of the above should never be consumed under any circumstances. Migraine headache relief may be impossible if you are unwilling to eliminate the above.

A Cardiologist Visit the Possible Migraine Headache Cures?

If you have migraines, you must see a cardiologist. They must perform a TEE on you. It is a camera down your throat, 20 minutes, you wake up, no fuss. If it detects a hole in your heart that doesn’t close after birth you may be able to be fixed of migraines. My fix was an overnight in a hospital after non-invasive surgery to put a plug on the hole, no open heart surgery. My daughter had migraine symptoms, she did the TEE, same problem, she got hers fixed too, she now has no migraines. My granddaughter has the problem also, she is 3 and has to wait for her fix also. I understand that blood gets filtered by the lungs, the hole bypasses some of the filtering and a clot, even small can go to the brain. The only medicine I am on now is one enteric baby aspirin, and vitamin E. I had all the chemical symptoms for 40 years, caffeine, cheeses, MSG, flashing lights, etc. No problem now, I do stay away from MSG and caffeine as I believe that certain foods or additives can promote small clots. Bottom line, I am fixed, no migraines. God is Good! -Bill Republished as a service to Migraine Sufferers from healingwell.com forums.

Low Intensity Laser Therapy - Low Level Cold Laser

Low Level Laser Therapy Technology to treat chronic and acute pain is no longer science fiction. What was unheard of only a few years ago is not available and helping to provide relief to patients who have found no relief elsewhere. You may want to give Laser Pain relief a try. While not a new technology Class IV Laser Therapy is still in its infancy in the United States, and the world for that matter. Scientists are discovering more uses for lasers and Medical Innovators are developing new instruments for the treatment of pain conditions. Does it work? I have not tried this treatment as it is primarily available in Canada and all Laser Therapies are not the same. Each company has their own “spin” on using Lasers for Treatment.

This implementation of Laser Therapy differs from the Avicenna Laser Therapy I have written about in a separate post. To find out more about this “Cold Laser” Treatment please visit The Toronto Canada based Meditech Bioflex Laser Treatment Website.

Avicenna Laser Technology for Pain Management

A couple of years back I was contacted by an Avicenna Representative about listing information about their new Pain Treatment Laser Technology. I agreed to link to their site. As of this posting July 2008, I have not tried the technology. There are simply not enough trained Physicians near where I live. However I believe the technology may hold promise for Pain Relief if you live near a Trained Doctor.

Laser Technology for Pain Management

Since 2003, Avicenna Laser Technology, Inc. has been a pioneer and pacesetter in the advancement of therapeutic laser therapy for musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain management.

On December 11, 2003 Avicenna’s HP-7.5 Class IV therapeutic laser was the FDA’s first cleared high power Class IV laser. Since that time, Avicenna has become the market leader in laser therapy patient education, physician training and research & development.

Today, as high power laser therapy is widely recognized as a safe, pain-free and non-invasive medical procedure to accelerate the treatment and rehabilitation of various acute and chronic pain conditions the company’s Class IV medical device is used in over 100 U.S. medical practitioners’ offices and continues to grow.

Avicenna’s laser modality is utilized by orthopedic and pain management physicians, MDs-family practice, physical therapists, doctors of oriental medicine, anti-aging clinicians, chiropractors, cosmetic & plastic surgeons, veterinarian’s, university physical therapy R&D labs, health & wellness centers, sports rehabilitation clinics, and found in the progressive sports medicine and athletic training rooms of NCAA, MLB, NBA, and NFL teams.

Message From CEO

Since 2003, Avicenna Laser Technology, Inc. has been at the forefront of engineering and delivering first-in-class high power therapeutic laser therapy devices to medical care providers. Today, I am proud to be leading a company selling the worlds most powerful and first FDA cleared high power therapeutic laser for musculoskeletel and neuropathic pain mangement.

An estimated 50 million Americans live with chronic pain caused by disease, disorder or accident. An additional 25 million people suffer acute pain resulting from surgery or accident. Approximately, two thirds of these individuals in pain have been living with this pain for more than five years.

The most common types of pain includes: arthritis, lower back, bone & joint pain, muscle pain and fibromyalgia. The loss of productivity and daily activity due to pain is substantial. It was reported in 2000 that 36 million Americans missed work in the previous year due to pain, and that 83 million indicated that pain affected their participation in various activities.

People with chronic pain have difficulty finding doctors who can effectively treat their pain. “The Chronic Pain in America: Roadblocks to Relief” study found that one out of four pain patients had changed doctors at least three times, reporting that the primary reason for change was that they still experienced pain. Although, most acute cases resolve with simple conservative means, many patients develop chronic symptoms. Too often treatment consists of “more of the same.” Many patients undergo expensive and often ineffective interventions when routine treatment methods fail. In desperation, surgery may be performed for borderline indications with predictably poor results.

As a physician and scientist, I have seen many cases where patients conditions get significantly worse after prolonged usage of pain medications or surgery. I believe that many conditions experienced by these patients would have resolved if they had been offered Avicenna Class IV High Power Laser Therapy. Any physician who routinely treats patients with pain should remember the Hippocratic mandate “primum non nocere” (above all, do no harm). Avicenna Class IV High Power Laser Therapy is a safe, non-invasive, reliable, cost-effective treatment tool which has been proven effective in over 100 care provider offices throughout the U.S.

Our laser device is being integrated into the athletic training rooms of professional sports teams to accelerate athlete injury rehabilitation times, and physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons are utilizing and referring our technology post-surgery for their patients rehabilitation aftercare programs. Avicenna Class IV High Power Laser Therapy should be considered for any patient experiencing pain from neuropathic, myofascial, or sclerotogenous etiologies.

As an innovative, well-respected, and well-established industry leader, we promote the best practices in healthcare. Our focus will always remain on our patients and customers. Our team of clinicians and support personnel do more than just promote the theories and benefits of laser therapy — our clinical experience demonstrates that we improve a patients well being, and we continually train, support and become part of the medical professionals offices who utilize our technology.

Thank you for visiting our web site. (See Link Below)

Sincerely,

Dr. Bruce R. Coren
Chairman, CEO & Co-Founder
Avicenna Laser Technology, Inc.

Source: Information on this post comes directly from the Manufacturer’s Website

Inversion Therapy - Inversion Tables Make Hanging Upside Down Easy!

Decompress your spine naturally!

You do not have to hang completely upside down. What you need is an Inversion Table which allows you to control the angle of negative recline. Great for the entire spine! Many companies make these tables and unless your specific symptoms are contradicted by Inversion Therapy the benefits can be tremendous. Anyone with lower back pain that has not resolved on it’s own and is pre-surgical should give this a real try. If you have had surgery you should talk to your Doctor to make sure it does not contradict the hardware used in your procedure.

I purchased the Teeter Hang Ups Brand Table for about $300 through Costco (You can also buy direct through their website). Teeter Hang Ups is the most known brand. Electric Powered Tables are also available at additional costs. I chose not to purchase the Gravity Inversion Boots at first, but added them later as they make the whole experience much more comfortable.

Using an Inversion Table is Very Easy!

This image is from the Teeter Hang Ups website linked above.
I have included a direct link to Amazon - Read the Reviews!

User Reviews >>>