In today’s world we are bombarded by information and ways to obtain it. Do you want to know how many steps you take a day? Just buy a device and it will calculate it for you. Care to know what your cholesterol levels are? Simply go get a kit at your nearest drug store. Is […]
When Making Medical Decisions About Pain Relief, Is More Information Better? Read Post »
For seven years, searing pain with no relief – that was the title of The Washington Post story that peaked my interest. So I read the article and discovered that Charon Wicker had been experiencing a burning, throbbing, excruciatingly painful sensation in her index finger – for seven years – even though she had: Repeatedly
The next series of blogs is a brief discussion of different types of medications used for pain. NSAIDs Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are generally one of the first line of medications used in the initial treatment of pain. They are exactly what their name means – they are not steroid medications (like cortisone or prednisone)
I have heard from a number of group members who have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis. The diagnosis is often made based on what is found on a CT scan or MRI without the expected corresponding signs and symptoms. It is important to understand what any diagnosis means in relationship to your back or leg
An example of the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to persistent pain is the patient with Kinesiophobia (fear of movement associated with anxiety related to an injury). Just as stress and anxiety can make pain worse, kinesiophobia can prevent a patient from recovering to their full extent and achieving relief from muscle pain. An example….
The importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to persistent pain Read Post »
If the cost of health care is to be reduced in the US, new methods should be established to pay clinicians, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers. If graduating medical students are so laden with debt that paying it off is more important than the possibility of ongoing study and academic pursuit, we must lower the
How can we know what back pain treatments make sense? Read Post »
Prior to drawing blood, saying a word to patients that suggested pain increased the likelihood of them experiencing pain. You might think of this study as just another example of the importance of “Bedside manner”- the awareness of the importance of the behavior and speech of the physician or other care-takers, on the feeling of
Bedside Manner and the power of suggestion in back pain Read Post »
There are three different mechanisms that affect your back pain when it is related to muscles- and that means most of the pain you will experience in your life. 1. Referred back pain patterns- Pain may be referred from one muscle to another when the nerves carrying painful sensations in a muscle stimulates the same
Why does back pain appear to move or change intensity? Read Post »
A bony abnormality of the hip called Femoral Acetabular Impingement Syndrome (FAIS), where the head of the femur (the thigh bone) is found to be irregularly shaped rather than its “normal” spherical shape, is sometimes treated with a surgical procedure to shave the head of the femur. FAIS can affect young individuals in contrast to
Osteoporosis in women is a growing public health challenge with an aging population. New approaches are needed to prevent and treat decreases in bone density and strength. Two recent articles present different and potentially complementary approaches. Diet: Lanou reviews the studies on soy diets for the prevention of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Although the results
A recent study of a simple resistance exercise program for the neck and shoulders, in office workers who complained of weekly headaches (HAs), showed an approximately 50% reduction in HA frequency vs. a weekly health education control group. The exercise groups were 2 minutes or 12 minutes of daily exercise. The remaining HAs were no
The body can sometimes heal itself in painful conditions. A study of patients with painful osteoarthritis of the knee showed that by mechanically separating the bones in the knee that were touching and causing pain, cartilage regrew and pain and function improved. No other treatment is available that can produce structural change in an existing
In our desperate wish for pain relief, we sometimes receive treatment that is harmful. One of those treatments may be botulinum toxin, frequently provided as Botox injections to tender muscles. A recent article showed how Botox could produce permanent damage in muscles with normal muscle fibers being replaced with fat cells.
The patient mentioned in the blog posted in March, 2011 copied me on an email he sent: “I’ve been waiting for clearance from my surgeon who finally declared my fusion as failed (FBSS) in early March and offered no additional hope for pain reduction. At one-year post surgery I could be evaluated for an implanted
People in all industrialized countries are being harmed by a world-wide obesity epidemic. We generally determine if we are the proper weight by calculating the BMI (Body Mass Index): dividing your weight in pounds x 703 by your height in inches squared. If you weigh 140 pounds and are 5 feet, 8 inches, your BMI
Pain is a deterrent to many patients when offered a therapeutic injection. There is some encouraging news on ways to make injections more comfortable. A Cochrane review found that adjusting the pH, with bicarbonate, of a lidocaine injectate for local anesthesia, reduced the discomfort for patients without reducing analgesic effectiveness. The burning sensation produced by
A word in the mouth of a physician is as dangerous as a scalpel in the hand of the surgeon, Eugene Bauer, M.D. 1931 Women who have had breast surgery for cancer do not have more lymphedema with exercise according to a new study published in JAMA. This is an important finding because the myth
Results of a 2 year study on Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), sponsored by St Jude’s Medical, Inc., found that 70 % of patients reported 50% or better pain relief at their final two-year visit. In addition 88% of these patients reported that their quality of life was improved or greatly improved. No specifics were reported
The painkilling drug Darvon (propoxyphene) was banned this week by the FDA because it can cause potentially fatal arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). But other pain medications, like methadone, can also cause dangerous arrhythmias. I have been asked a few times why was Darvon banned, but not methadone?
A 35 year old executive complained of neck and shoulder pain radiating into his fingers along with difficulty using his fingers. His MRI showed bone spurs in his neck which were causing compression of the nerves going into his arm. A neurosurgeon had suggested that he have surgery to remove the spurs and to fuse
