READ FIRST: How to Use the Information In the Neck Pain / Cervical Spine Category

Cervical Discogram - Test Report

Cervical Discogram Report

I was told not to drink any fluids or eat any food for 2 hours prior to my procedure. I took this advice seriously as I didn’t want to get nausea or throw up with needles stuck in my Neck.

Arrival at the Imaging Center

I arrived at the outpatient scan center, filled out the typical mountain of paperwork and releases.  Here sign this… blah blah.  Who can really read and understand all that fine print when they are in pain?  My advice is to research Discograms BEFORE you have yours so you know what to expect.

After the paperwork shuffle was completed I was seated in the lobby and waited about a half hour until I was called back.  I changed into the standard hospital scrubs - a gown that opens in the back and a pair of the pants.  I then was taken into the operating theater where I was given an IV.

Preparation for the Cervical Discogram

I received 1gm of an inter venous antibiotic, and placed into position on the table under the fluoroscopic arm.  I was also hooked up to a machine to monitor my blood pressure.  The Radiologist that did my procedure made sure a full 45 minutes passed before he began (This is a precaution to prevent infection and possible Discitis).  During that time he took time to explain to me the procedure and the risks and answered my questions.

My main question was about swallowing during the procedure.  Having needles protruding to the center of your cervical spine and swallowing seemed like it was a potential problem, but it’s not. He told me it was okay, but at certain points during the test he would tell me not to.  I didn’t know if I would be able to talk with needles in my neck, but it was no problem. I also asked about the gauge of the needles.  He told me they would be 25 gauge needles.  I had read some Doctors use 22 gauge needles (Lower the gauge the thicker the needle), and sometimes used the 22 gauge to the disc, the slipped a thinner 25 gauge inside the thicker needle.  He said there was no reason to do this.

The worst part of the 45 minute ordeal prior to beginning the test was the alcohol based scrub that was pretty powerful!  The smell was a bit overwhelming so they placed oxygen in my nostrils to help.  They topped off the Alcohol based prep, with another thick yellow gooey prep.  And for the record, this is very hard to wash off… you have to just let the last bit wear off after a few showers.

The Actual Cervical Discogram Begins

After all the preparation it was time for the Doctor to begin testing my discs. I was given a small amount of Versed (Midazolam) through my IV drip and off we went. The Doctor said he would be testing 4 levels between C4 and C7. For those of you who are new to this the level tested is named after the LOWER Vertebra… so the disc material between C3/4 would be called the C4 disc.  You have 7 Cervical Vertebrae but only 2 Discs because C1/2 is a bone in bone joint.  Anyways… moving on with the test experience.

The Doctor did not tell me the levels he was testing (So I would not be biased in my responses). And I could not tell what level he was working on. With the first needle puncture he said (This is going to feel like a bee sting… and it kind of did), then he would push the needle in slowly to the disc.  He used just enough anesthetic to make the procedure unpleasant, but bearable.  When the point of the needle arrived on the edge of the disc, he would tell me then he would push the needle in and tell me as he was injecting.

I should mention that just before each injection I could hear the Fluoroscopic arm move into position.  For those of you who don’t know the Fluoroscope takes X-Ray images in rapid succession so the Doctor can see EXACTLY where he is placing the needles.

He asked me to describe the pain on a scale of 1-10, tell him the location of the pain, and if this was typical of my “normal” pain or different from my “normal” pain.  Then he would withdraw the needle.  At the next level he said “bee sting” and then repeated the process until all 4 levels were complete.

I was told the test would take about half an hour, and that is probably pretty accurate.  It’s hard to keep track of time when you have Versad flowing through your veins.

Your personal pain tolerance will no doubt be different than mine.  I have had many IV’s and Needle procedures so this was pretty commonplace for me.  Yes it hurt!  But it is really not much worse than having dental work done (Okay it’s worse then regular dental, but not much worse than a root canal and it takes less time for the actual test than a root canal!).  The needles hurt most going in, then only for a few seconds during the active injection of the contrast agent.  Not all my discs caused pain… 3 of 4 were painful.  Only 2 of 4 above the “5″ Threshold on a scale of 1 to 10.  What was surprising was the disc that hurt the most was NOT the one I expected to hurt the most. I know this because after the test I asked the Doctor which disc it was that caused the most pain.

On to the CT SCAN

Immediately following the completion of the Cervical Discogram I was wheeled into another room and placed in the CT Scanner.  I’ve had CT Scans before and they are pretty easy.  Because they needed to scan my C6/7 level and I have broad shoulders (Plus my neck was in mild spasm from all the needling) I asked for the straps to help pull my arms down.

The CT Scan was a breeze and only took a few minutes.  Unlike MRI’s CT Scanners are basically open so you don’t need to worry if you are claustrophobic. The Downside to CT Scans is RADIATION.  And they blast you with a pretty high amount.  Be sure to ask your Doctor BEFORE the test about the precautions they use to minimize your exposure.  You want the least amount of radiation possible.

After the CT was complete I asked to talk to the Doctor because I had some questions about followup pain and I was pretty sore.  He offered to give me an injection of pain medication (I declined because I was pretty much doped up from the Meds I had from the IV).  But he did write me a script for a few pills to get me through the next couple of days and told me to be sure to call in to the Scan Center or to my Doctor if I got a fever or felt ill.

I never went to a recovery area, and no one really came to check on me. I waited seated on the side of a bed for about half hour to talk to the Doctor and then got dressed and went home.  Total elapsed time start to finish in the Scan Center was about 3 hours.

And while I felt okay, later on that night I was pretty sore.  I am about 36 hours post procedure at the time of this writing and pretty close to my normal all day everyday chronic pain self.

About the Cervical Discogram Test

Is the risk worth the benefit?  Maybe.  It depends on your own condition and a whole host of other factors.  Most Doctors will not order a Discogram unless they are seriously considering surgery.  The point of the test is to correlate Discogenic Pain to your regular pain.  If your discs are not causing your pain then surgery may not be a good answer for you.  It’s more complicated than that, but that’s the theory anyway. Sometimes the evidence on MRI is so overwhelming that the test is simply not needed.  Other times patients have pain that is just not explained until they have the test. Discograms are subjective test, but can be valuable.  They are also quite expensive!

That’s it… another test another day.

Cervical Discograms are a Diagnostic Test and do NOT treat pain.

Considering the Cost of Cervical Fusion vs. Disc Replacement

Artificial Cervical Disc Surgery Cheaper Than Fusion

– Kevin McKeever
HealthDay
Posted: 2008-04-28 19:05:04

Note: This article was funded by ADR Manufacturer Medtronic, maker of the FDA Approved prestige Cervical Artificial Disc. The real cost of surgery is not just in the upfront expenses.

MONDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) — Treating cervical degenerative disc disease by surgically implanting an artificial vertebrae onto one’s spine may cost more initially than a traditional disc fusion operation, but it saves the patient almost $6,000 within two years, according to a new study.

The cost savings is primarily from the patient’s ability to return to work sooner after surgery and his or her need for fewer follow-up procedures.

The study — which was funded by Medtronic, the maker of the artificial cervical disc — was expected to be presented April 29 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, in Chicago.

More than 200,000 procedures are performed each year in the United States to relieve compression on the spinal cord or nerve roots. The most common involves spinal fusion surgery to unify two or more vertebrae in an effort to strengthen the spine and alleviate chronic neck pain.

A year ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the first, and to date only, artificial cervical disc in certain cervical spine surgeries. Medtronic’s PRESTIGE disc is a stainless-steel device with a ball-in-trough design, held in place with bone screws.

Researchers conducting a cost-benefit analysis on 541 patients who received either the artificial cervical disc (arthroplasty) or fusion surgery found arthroplasty saved the patient an average of $5,988 over two years following the surgery.

The cost of initial surgery, secondary procedures and medical devices per patient and the average initial procedure cost were both higher for arthroplasty patients than for fusion patients; however, the artificial disc recipients saved long-term, because they needed fewer secondary procedures and returned to work following surgery an average of 38 days sooner than fusion patients.

The return to work alone yielded a gain in work productivity of $6,368, the report said.

“From a societal perspective, the economic benefits associated with these outcomes may offset the increased device costs associated with arthroplasty therapy,” said study presenter Dr. Vincent C. Traynelis, of the University of Iowa, in a prepared statement.

Motion Preservation Surgery of the Spine: Advanced Techniques and Controversies: Expert Consult: Online and Print

Motion Preservation Surgery Text Book

by James J. Yue (Author), Rudolph Bertagnoli (Author), Paul C. McAfee (Author), Howard S. An (Author)

Book Link: Motion Preservation Surgery

This is the most authoritative text available at the time of this writing (August 2008).

* Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
* Pub. Date: June 2008

Product Description

New motion-preserving devices are revolutionizing spine surgery but the learning curve for these operations is steep, and great attention must be given to patient and device selection and the perfect execution of each procedure. Only one reference spells out exactly how to perform these new techniques and its peerless author team, comprised of key investigators involved in the devices’ actual clinical trials, is uniquely qualified to help you get the best results! These global leaders in this area discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the full range of non-fusion technologies and present the step-by-step, richly illustrated operative guidance you need to achieve optimal outcomes! 3 hours of surgical video on DVD demonstrate how to perform key procedures, and access to the complete contents of the book online enables you to reference it conveniently from any computer.

* Select the best device and approach for each patient!
* cervical total disc arthroplasty
* lumbar total disc arthroplasty
* lumbar partial disc replacement: nucleus replacement
* lumbar posterior dynamic stabilization: pedicle screw based
* lumbar posterior dynamic stabilization: interspinous based
* lumbar facet replacement
* Produce optimal outcomes with detailed advice on
* advantages and disadvantages of each option
* indications and contraindications
* patient selection
* interpretation of imaging studies
* surgical anatomy and biomechanics
* surgical techniques
* tips and pearls
* See how to perform each technique, thanks to
* step-by-step, full-color illustrations
* more than 3 hours of surgical videos on DVD, narrated by the experts!
* Access to the complete contents of the book online lets you perform rapid searches, follow links to Medline and PubMed abstracts, and more.

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.”

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.

Massage Thereapy Treatments for Back and Neck Pain

Note: See Also My Post on Myofascial Release

Different Types of Massage Treatments

• Deep Tissue - Targets deep layers of muscles and connective tissue
• Rolfing - A specific form of deep tissue work
• Trigger Point Therapy - Addresses Adhesions in the muscles
• Swedish - most common, long smooth strokes and kneading, circular motions
• Shiatsu - Finger pressure on acupuncture meridians
• Thai
• Many many more

My point in this post is not to cover every single variation of massage, but to point out there are treatments that may address your specific problem areas.

Therapies like Deep Tissue Massage are designed for relieving muscle contraction and reducing pain. Not all massage therapists are alike, some do not understand how to do this properly - this is a form of medical massage, as opposed to just a relaxing massage to reduce stress. All massage work has benefits. Try several different modalities and see what works best for you. Be careful of the oils the therapist uses - I like grapeseed oil.- as some oils contain fragrances and are toxic to the chemically sensitive. You’re skin will absorb these chemicals.

The only downside to massage treatments is cost. I would go everyday if I could afford the expense, or better yet I’d have the therapist stop by my home. Give massage a try, it’s great!

Video About Massage Treatments

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

Soft & Hard Collars

No doubt everyone has seen someone in a Cervical Collar at some point in their lifetime. Soft Collars are worn as “reminders” to keep your neck in the correct postural position and to provide limited support and stabilization for your neck. The consensus I read among the medical community is to limit your use of collars and to keep moving.

Spinal fluids require movement to allow for healing as there is no vascular supply to the discs after the 2nd to 3rd decade of life (essentially by age 25). Hard collars such as the Philadelphia and Miami collars are generally used after surgical procedures. I believe collar use in chronic conditions should be supervised by a Physician. Having said that - listen to your body, I use a soft collar infrequently, but it serves as a great reminder while driving.

Steroid Injections for Back and Neck Pain

Lumbar Epidural Injection Procedure Video

Where the Steroids are Injected

The epidural space (or extradural space or peridural space) is a part of the human spine. It is the space inside the bony spinal canal, but outside the membrane called the dura mater (sometimes called the “dura”). In contact with the inner surface of the dura is another membrane called the arachnoid mater (”arachnoid”). The arachnoid encompasses the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the spinal cord.

Epidural Steroid Injections

An epidural injection, or epidural steroid injection, may be used to help reduce the pain caused by a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, or spinal stenosis. These spinal disorders often affect the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) areas of the spine.

The medicine used in the injection is usually a combination of a local anesthetic (e.g. bupivacaine) and a steroid (e.g. triamcinolone). The technique and risks of the procedure are similar to those for standard epidural analgesia. The effects of an epidural steroid injection vary, but permanent benefit is unlikely. The technique is believed to work by reducing the inflammation or swelling, or both, of the nerves in the epidural space.

Some patients who have some residual pain after the first injection may receive a second or third epidural steroid injection. Patients who do not receive any relief from the first injection are unlikely to benefit from a second injection.

Side Effects of Epidural Injections

Note: Yes I know that some of these side effects refer more to pregnant women than back pain, but the process is the same, it’s the injected drugs that differ.

In addition to blocking the nerves which carry pain, local anaesthetic drugs in the epidural space will block other types of nerves as well, in a dose-dependent manner. Depending on the drug and dose used, the effects may last only a few minutes or up to several hours. This results in three main effects:

• Loss of other modalities of sensation (including touch, and proprioception)
• Loss of muscle power
• Loss of function of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls blood pressure

Pain nerves are most sensitive to the effects of the epidural. This means that a good epidural can provide analgesia without affecting muscle power or other types of sensation. The larger the dose used, the more likely it is that the side-effects will be problematic.

For example, a laboring woman may have an epidural running during labor which is providing good analgesia without impairing her ability to move around in bed. She requires a Caesarean section, and is given a large dose of epidural bupivacaine. After a few minutes, she can no longer move her legs, or feel her abdomen. Her blood pressure is noted to be lower and she is given an intravenous infusion of ephedrine or phenylephrine to compensate. During the operation, she feels no pain.

Very large doses of epidural anaesthetic can cause paralysis of the intercostal muscles and diaphragm (which are responsible for breathing), and loss of sympathetic function to the heart itself, causing a profound drop in heart rate and blood pressure. This requires emergency treatment, and in severe cases may require airway support. This happens because the epidural is blocking the heart’s sympathetic nerves, as well as the phrenic nerves, which supply the diaphragm.

It is considered safe practice for all patients with epidurals to be confined to bed to prevent the risk of falls. The loss of the sensation of needing to urinate may require the placement of a urinary catheter for the duration of the epidural.

Opioid drugs in the epidural space are very safe (as well as effective). However, very large doses may cause troublesome itch, and rarely, delayed respiratory depression.

For patients with nerve root pain involving one or two roots, I believe that fluoroscopically guided foraminal injections will prove to be superior to the approaches that do not use x-ray guidance. Epidurals in general, but especially foraminal injections, do not appear to be as effective if the pain is caused by widespread degenerative or arthritic problems in the spine. - Steven Richeimer, MD

Nutritional Therapy for Back and Neck Pain

Supplements like Zyflamend (New Chapter’s anti-inflammatory Herbal Remedy endorsed by MD’s), Carlson’s Fish Oil (Norwegian and toxin free), Essential Fatty Acids from Pumpkin Seeds and Pumpkin Seed Oil, Flax Seed and Flax Oil (Mix the flax oil 2-5 tablespoons per 4 ounces of organic cottage cheese), lots of pure bottled water (Do not drink distilled water as it has no minerals and will “pull” minerals from your body!) will be of great benefit to many. While genetics may be the determining factor in longevity and health, providing your body with quality nutrition can only help.

If possible have your blood and hair tested for mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Get both tests done as they complement each other. You’re body MUST have nutrition to heal! There are other supplements which will help depending on your own individual needs. Specific foods can cause or reduce inflammation - I’ll cover this topic deeper in posts to the Nutrition Category.

Grocery store foods contain deadly toxins and pesticides that damage your liver, joints, etc. and make it very difficult to heal. Soda Pop is death to the blood. Fix your nutrition now while you still can. Dairy products will clog your intestines and make digestion of essential nutrients more difficult. Diary is full of sugars, pus, blood, fats and hormones your body does not need.

Don’t buy into the Dairy Industry promotion of calcium. Your body requires magnesium to properly absorb calcium, and the ratio of calcium to magnesium in Dairy is about 10:1 not 3:1 or 2:1 which would allow proper absorption of the calcium. There are some exceptions to avoiding Dairy. Organic Cottage Cheese and some Organic Yogurts and Butters may have benefits which outweigh the risks.

Pasteurization kills bacteria, but also destroys essential enzymes. Consider taking Enzyme Supplements with your meals to aid in absorption of nutrients. Enzymes will also be beneficial in reducing inflammation. Limit your consumption of Beef (and inflammatory food) and do not eat pork (contains viruses and plays havoc with your blood).

The bottom line is this: Take a hard look at what you eat everyday, read the labels, try to eat foods that do not come in bottles, boxes, or cans. Eat fresh, eat organic, and give your body the fuel it needs to heal!

I would think most people would find it odd that a Doctor will write a prescription for synthetic chemicals and people will readily and willingly take the pills because the “Doctor told them to”. Sure they know there are side effects, but they have no idea what those chemicals are really doing to their bodies. But those same people would look at the Doctor with disappointment if he told them to eat right. Imagine if your Doctor handed you a list of foods that prevent inflammation and pain, what would you do? Food for thought (Pun Intended).

ISTOP Acupuncture

ISTOP Acupuncture Treatment for Pain

ISTOP: Institute for the Study and Treatment of Pain

I believe the ISTOP Methods can be extremely beneficial for all kinds of spinal pain patients. I had to leave my Home State to find a practioner. And I was only able to receive one treatment (Which is simply not enough). But I am convinced by the process of the treatment, that this modality holds incredible potential in pain relief. I wish I could afford to move and get regular treatments. I have had traditional accupuncture administered by a Chinese Doctor (Born in China, and with MD Credentials as an Orthopedic Surgeon in China) with over 20 years Acupuncture experience, and it was simply not the same.

ISTOP is different, the needles are placed deeper. And there is a slight amount of pain upon insertion as you would expect, but no more so than traditional Acupuncture.

If you have any pain related to musculoskeletal issues and have the opportunity to undergo this treatment I would highly recommend you give it a chance.

The Doctor Behind ISTOP

Dr. Chan Gunn matriculated at Peterhouse in 1950, and was elected to an Honorary Fellowship of the College in 1997. He is a pioneer in the treatment of pain, and is President of the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Pain based in Vancouver, Canada. He is also Clinical Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, US. In 2001, Dr Gunn was awarded the Order of British Columbia, and in 2002 he became a member of the Order of Canada, the Nation’s highest honor. In 2007, Dr. Gunn was also admitted as a Companion of the Guild of Cambridge Benefactors and elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.

Visit ISTOP.ORG to learn more.