Back Clinic Chronic Back Pain Team. Chronic back pain has a far-reaching effect on many physiological processes. Dr. Jimenez reveals topics and issues affecting his patients. Understanding the pain is critical to its treatment. So here we begin the process for our patients in the journey of recovery.
Just about everyone feels pain from time to time. When you cut your finger or pull a muscle, pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Once the injury heals, you stop hurting.
Chronic pain is different. Your body keeps hurting weeks, months, or even years after the injury. Doctors often define chronic pain as any pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months or more.
Chronic back pain can have real effects on your day-to-day life and your mental health. But you and your doctor can work together to treat it.
Do call upon us to help you. We do understand the problem that should never be taken lightly.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez investigates pain, the spine and its connection to internal organs.
Right after I had my first son, I suffered from headaches and some digestive issues. I had never had digestive issues before, but I passed it off as a side effect of giving birth to a living being. I also blamed the pressures of being in school and raising a small child.
My husband went to a chiropractor to treat some pain in his hands, and that is when I decided to try it as well. The chiropractor re-aligned my spine and, with weekly visits, I was feeling much better.
When my family and I moved to South Korea, I could not find a chiropractor. I did, however, find an excellent acupuncturist that had his office two blocks away from my front door. Instead of working on my spine, the acupuncturist worked on the muscles around my spine.
I feel the results of both were the same. I always felt much better when I took the time to take care of my spine and nervous system.
This is because all our organs receive messages from our brain via our spinal cord. The lungs know to breath in and out because of the messages they receive from the brain. The heart beats because of these messages as well. Every organ in our body is connected to the brain and blocking this connection�even a little�can cause serious health issues.
Some health problems are easily felt like numbness in the fingers or a headache. Some troubles are not so apparent like digestive issues or kidney problems. If the spine is out of order, the organs will feel it.
It Is Important To Take Care Of The Spine Every Day
If one takes a look at the image above, one can see how the nerves from the spinal cord connect to specific areas of the body. A chiropractor or acupuncturist will be able to spot spinal problems and fix them over time. This is what they are trained to do.
Here Are Some Tips To Take Care Of The Spine From Spine Health:
Sitting correctly or using an ergonomic chair while at work is a good way to take care of the spine.
Exercise abs and back daily to strengthen the muscles around the spine and keep it in place.
Take time to get a massage, see a chiropractor, or an acupuncturist. This will help the spine stay in the correct shape.
Wear shoes that support the feet and feel comfortable. Uncomfortable shoes, especially pumps, will injure the back and spine.
Sleep with the spine in mind. Choose a mattress and pillow that supports the spine and try to sleep in a natural position. Also, try sleeping on your arm to get a nice straight spine when lying on your side rather than using a pillow that can tilt your head up and kink your neck.
If one is suffering back pain, it is important to seek professional help. Spine problems, like a pinched nerve, if not taken care of, can become extremely severe. The spinal cord controls the body. In order to be in the best of health, the spine needs to be in good health.
Take care of�your spine and it will take care of you all the years of your life.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez looks at exercise as treatment for back injuries.
Since 1992 Opioid Prescriptions Rose From 112 Million To More Than 249 Million As Of 2015
In 2004, there were enough written opioid prescriptions to ensure every American could have their own bottle. According to studies, a written prescription of a pain-killer should not be used for a back related injury; but rather, exercise is the most effective tool for recovery.
The First &�Foremost Way To Heal & Prevent Further Injury To The Back Is By Simply Moving Around
Vidan Family Chiropractic explains that �what made the body-heals the body.” They suggest exercise such as walking, stretching and yoga instead of requesting an opioid prescription.
Dr. Alex Vidan from Vidan Family Chiropractic joins us more information on the excessive use and prescription of opioids for injuries.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez takes a look at driving and how it effects the spine.
Daily, nearly 90% of journeys and 92% of miles traveled are made in autos or ground transportation (buses, trucks). On average, guys drive 44 miles as well as girls drive 34 miles each day. For many Americans, driving a motorized road vehicle is their job: truck drivers, bus drivers, ambulance and fire trucks, police, taxis etc.
Modern car and truck layouts have come a long way in their own design over the past 20 years, with better fuel efficiency, better features, better styling and better relaxation. But is there any signs that the look of contemporary bus, car or truck seats and driving might play a part in causing a few of the back injuries that plague�Americans each year?
Exactly Why Is Driving Different To Ordinary Sitting?
In case your own car is not moving, then sitting in a driving seat probably isn’t substantially different to sitting in a chair that is cushioned, but as soon as the vehicle begins moving things change. Additionally, when driving the feet are actively being used, the right foot on the gas (accelerator) pedal, the left on the brake, and in a stick-shift also on the clutch. When the feet are active they can’t be utilized to support and stabilize the reduced body when they’re put on the floor during regular sitting in a chair, as usually occurs. There is evidence the blend of those variables, coupled with the look of the car seat itself, can increase the possibility of back problems for many people.
Is Driving Linked With Back Problems?
Lab studies have examined the effects of whole-body vibration when a person is sitting in a car seat. The lumbar spine has a natural resonant frequency of 4-5 Hz , and results show that this natural frequency can be excited by lab simulated vehicle driving, and this may result in high spinal loadings in the lower back, and also this in turn could result in greater postural distress and an increased hazard of low back pain and injury.
Quite a few research studies have investigated potential associations between back and driving problems, and usually these studies have found significant consequences.
Drivers in the USA and in Sweden found that in each country 50% of those questioned reported low back pain.�
Investigation of the potential reasons for this revealed that long term vibration exposure from driving was among the greatest risk factors for neck, back and low back problems.
Gender generally seems to play an important part in the possibility of developing driving-related back problems. A survey of over 7000 Parisians found that even though severity and the prevalence of low back pain was higher in women, driving was just connected with back problems in guys. The need for driving as a risk factor improved with driving time, and was especially important for guys who drove 4 hours or more each day.
A survey of over 1400 urban transportation system motorists showed that issues using the capacity to accurately adjust the seat that was driving have significant effects on the prevalence of low back problems.
Nevertheless, it appears that driving need not consistently raise the chance of back problems.
Is There An Ideal Car Seat Layout?
Based on a comprehensive evaluation of advice from peer-reviewed scientific journals and texts, automotive engineering reports, and also the National Library of Medicine a string of requirements for the best car seat layout have been developed. Ideally, the optimal car seat should have:
1. Adjustable seat back incline (100 degrees from horizontal is ideal)
2. Changeable seat bottom depth (from seat back to front edge)
3. Adjustable seat height
4. Flexible seat bottom incline
5. Seat bottom cushion with solid (dense) foam
6. Adjustable lumbar support (horizontally and vertically adjustable)
7. Depth pulsating lumbar support to lessen static load
8. Flexible bilateral arm rests
9. Flexible seat back incline (100-degrees from horizontal is optimal
10. Flexible head restraint with pad that is lordosis
11. Frequencies between 1- 20 Hz to dampen
12. Linear front-back seat traveling to allow otherwise sized drivers to reach the pedals
13. Seat back damped to reduce bouncing of the torso in rear end impacts
Driving Safety
What To Check For In A Great Car Seat Layout When You Buy The Next Car
It is likely that most automobiles available on the market today won’t have the features listed above that are desirable in the optimal car seat all, but some will have more than others pick wisely. Pay close focus on the subsequent 5 guidelines which should help you to protect your back when you drive.
1) Car Seat Comfort
You’ve fixed this to suit your body and when you sit in the car seat does it feel comfortable. Otherwise, you will be most likely caused by then the car seat rear discomfort issues should you drive for any length of time. Rebound up and down in the seat to find out the way that it adapts vibration. Take the automobile on a test drive.
2) Car Seat Adjustments
Can you correct each of the features of the car seat you want to adjust? At a minimum you need to have the ability to adapt:
Seat space to accommodate different leg lengths
Seat height to accommodate different leg lengths
Backrest angle to sit down in either an upright or more reclined posture
You Should�Look For Other Adjustments That Are Useful:
Seat tilt to angle the front of the seat down or up so that this does not press against the back of your knees
Look for a car seat that supplies you with great low back support that can be corrected for depth (frequently the seat has an inflatable cushion) and is height adjustable
Headrest for neck support
Arms rests which are broad, cushioned and comfortable, and preferably height flexible
3) Shift Your Position
Remember to go your position from time to time. Wait until driving conditions are right to enable you to wriggle in the seat to relieve postural fatigue.
4) Take Breaks
Driving is exhausting work and to prevent driver fatigue and minimize postural discomfort it is good move around and take to pretty frequent rest breaks that enable you to stand up.
You can select a number of car seat accessories that will enhance seat comfort for you personally, from fleece covers to soften the seat to bead backrests to provide for some type of back massage while you drive. Select anything you find adds to your driving comfort.
5) Seat Accessories
You’re able to pick a number of car seat accessories which will improve seat comfort for you personally, from fleece covers to soften the seat to bead backrests to provide for some sort of back massage while you drive. Choose anything you locate adds to your driving comfort.
El Paso TX. Chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez discusses ways�to assist you to get the care you’ll need at your next appointment. Dr. Michael J. Cooney, D.C�I�ve been treating patients with severe and chronic pain from around the corner in Rutherford, New Jersey to as far away as Australia and South Africa.
From our patient�s first reference to the past treatment office visit, the success of any pain treatment we prescribe is contingent upon us (the health care provider) correctly treating the root cause of your pain.
As the patient, just describing your intense pain or neuropathic pain is a high stakes� conversation that is �. I am able to read your medical history, attributing lab results and physician reports, however this really is secondary to understanding each patient�s pain mechanics. It is absolutely vital this is communicated to your pain management provider as correctly as possible.
For those fighting �invisible pain” such as fibromyalgia, CRPS (complex areas pain syndrome), RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), diabetic neuropathy or long-term pain after cancer treatment, correctly communicating the place, frequency and depth of the discomfort can be especially demanding and emotionally taxing.
You might wish to bring this short article for your next doctor visit and go over each of the key pain description points I�ve outlined below.
I really hope your doctor will ask you these questions, but if not, you are able to behave as your own pain promoter and offer this information.
�Tell Me About Your Pain�
Based upon your medical records, we already know the reason behind your pain (injury or ailment). In order to restart your highest quality of life possible, our goal would be to remove or minimize this symptom.
Pain symptoms are private, subjective –and unique. (What Joe describes as �unbearable pain� could be considered �fairly disagreeable pain� to Mike). Through the years, I developed my own �pain diagnostic� conversation with patients to assist my team and I understand what, where, when and just how much pain patients are feeling.
I�ve outlined key points below:
Time Matters
This is key to a proper analysis. Don�t presume we know you�ve combated with this pain to get a month a year or a decade.
1.I�ve had this pain for _________________.
2.How frequently and how long does it last?
3.What ignites (flare) or lessens your pain and for how long?
Location, Location, Location
Graphic of a human body with a rear & front view (see above)
Doctors may instruct you to indicate the area/s where your pain is concentrated. They may also request that you notice a difference between pain which is on pain and the surface that’s below the surface.
The front and back of the unisex individual figure are the most identifiable, although this tool comes from the McGill Pain Questionnaire including other measurements.
Most referring physicians, regardless of their medical specialty, utilize 1 to 10 point pain scale that is simple, so�I keep everyone on the same page.
This tool comes from the McGill Pain Questionnaire including other measurements, but the front and back of the unisex person body are the most identifiable.
How Bad Is Your Pain – Measurement Tool
Simply said, take into consideration where your pain level falls the majority of the time�unless you experience extreme pain changes.
No Pain
0 � Painfree
Manageable Pain
1 � Pain is quite mild, barely noticeable. You don’t think about it.
2 � Small pain. Annoying and may have occasional twinges that are stronger.
3 � Pain distracting and is noticeable, you may get used to it and adapt.
Moderate�Pain�Disrupts Regular Day-To-Day Living Tasks
4 � Moderate pain. If you should be deeply in an action, it may be blown off to get a time frame, but is diverting.
5 � Moderately strong pain. It can’t be dismissed for more than a few minutes, but you still can manage to work or participate in some social activities.
6 � Rather strong pain that interferes with normal daily activities. Difficulty focusing.
Severe�Pain�Disabling; Debilitating, Reduces Daily Quality Of Life, Cannot Live Independently
7� Severe pain that dominates your senses and significantly restricts your capability to perform ordinary daily tasks or maintain social relationships. Interferes with sleep.
8� Intense pain. Physical action is seriously limited. Conversing requires great exertion.
9. Not able to converse. Weeping outside or moaning uncontrollably.
10� Unspeakable pain. Perhaps and bedridden delirious. Mobility may be undermined.
�My Pain Feels Like��
Most of the time, patients experience one or two consistent pain �feelings� but some can experience a variety of sensations.
The most common pain kinds are:
Sharp stabbing pain
Extreme heat or burning sensation
Extreme cold
Throbbing, inflamed tissue
Susceptibility to contact / touching
Itching
Numbness, tingling, pins & needles
Create A Pain Journal
I motivate patients or their family members to document a weeklong pain cycle till they meet with chiropractic, their pain management or alternative medicine team.
Additionally, jot down any treatments or activities�that lessen or increase your discomfort.
As an example, maybe you have discovered that hot showers or cold weather allows you to feel worse, but exercise or Epsom salt baths makes the pain more manageable.
If you come prepared with all this information, your time with all the physician can be spent focusing on next steps and also a treatment plan, rather than a lengthy Q & A review of the information supplied here.
More importantly, addressing these issues beforehand will ensure your physician receives up-to-date, higher quality information.
Consequently, your case could be assessed more quickly and a pain management plan can be placed into action to begin removing or reducing your suffering as rapidly and efficiently as possible.
Chiropractors think that good health is decided by way of a healthy nervous system, particularly a healthy spinal column. Sometimes, vertebrae become misaligned and put pressure on the nerves exiting the spinal cord. The misalignment of a vertebra is called a chiropractic subluxation.
Chiropractors use specific methods to return the vertebrae in their proper locations or muster them to allow them to go freely when subluxations happen. These techniques are called spinal manipulations or adjustments. During an adjustment, the vertebra is freed in the misaligned location and returned to the right place in the spinal column. The adjustment permits the entire body to cure and preserve homeostasis once performed.
Chiropractors Are Trained In Many Different Adjustment Techniques
Some are done by hand; some necessitate using specialized instruments. Since each patient is different, your chiropractor will pick the best technique for the state. Nevertheless, don’t hesitate to ask the chiropractor which technique she or he will be doing and the way that it will be achieved.
Common Adjustment Techniques Employed By Chiropractors Are The Following:
Toggle Drop – this is when the chiropractor presses down firmly on a specific part of the back. Subsequently, using a drive that is precise and rapid, the chiropractor aligns the spine. This really is accomplished to enhance mobility in the vertebral joints.
Motion Palpation – this hand-on procedure is performed to determine in case your vertebrae are moving freely inside their normal planes of motion.
Lumbar Spin -the chiropractor positions the patient on her or his side, then implements a thrust that is quick and precise returning it to its proper place.
Release Work – the chiropractor applies gentle pressure using her or his fingertips to separate the vertebrae.
The chiropractor applies a quick thrust at once the table drops. The dropping of the table allows for a lighter adjustment without the twisting postures that can accompany the manual adaptation.
Instrument adjustments – of correcting the spinal column frequently the gentlest ways. The patient lies on the table while a string is used by the chiropractor face down – filled activator instrument to do the adjustment. This technique is frequently used to perform adjustments on creatures too.
Manipulation done under anesthesia (or twilight sedation) – this is performed by a chiropractor certified in this technique in a hospital outpatient setting when you’re unresponsive to traditional adjustments
Keep in mind that before you experience complete relief out of your symptoms you may really need to go back to the chiropractor’s office for additional adjustments.
A pain medicine specialist is a medical or osteopathic doctor who treats pain due to disease, ailment, or injury. Many of these doctors are physiatrists or anesthesiologists although called interventional pain management specialists or pain medicine. Pain medicine is a mutlidisciplinary team effort generally affecting specialists in other disciplines, complimentary alternative medicine, along with radiology, psychiatry, psychology, oncology, nursing, physical therapy, and the patient’s primary care physician or other treating doctor.
Education & Training
After graduating medical school and completing a one-year internship, the physician enters a residency program normally in physical or anesthesiology medicine but sometimes from other fields like psychiatry and neurology. Upon conclusion of a residency program (typically 3 years long), the physician completes a one-year fellowship for advanced training in pain medicine.
Many pain medicine specialists are board certified. The organizations that board certify physiatrists, anesthesiologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists all collaborate to provide the board examination for the subspecialty of Pain Medicine. You can find numerous opportunities for pain management specialists to remain current with medical and technical improvements in pain medicine, such as scientific journals and society meetings.
Targets of Pain Management
The goal of pain medicine is to handle severe or long-term pain by reducing intensity and pain frequency. Besides addressing pain problems, a multidisciplinary pain management program may address your functional goals for activities of day-to-day living. Overall, a pain medicine plan aims to give you a feeling of well-being, increase your level of action (including return to work), and reduce or eliminate your reliance on drugs.
Many Kinds of Pain Treated
Pain medicine specialists treat all sorts of pain. Severe pain is described sharp or as acute and may indicate something is wrong. The pain experienced during dental work is an instance of intense pain. Pain lasting 6 months or longer is defined as chronic. This type of pain varies from mild to serious and is consistent. Spinal arthritis (spondylosis) pain is frequently chronic. A good consequence is produced by uniting different treatments regularly although chronic pain is difficult to handle.
Degenerative disc disease
Facet joint pain
Sciatica
Cervical and lumbar spinal stenosis
Spondylolisthesis
Whiplash
What to Anticipate During an Appointment
Your appointment with a pain or interventional pain management practitioner is much like other doctor visits. Although there are many similarities, the focus is fast managing it, and on your pain, the cause or contributing factors.
Pain medicine physicians execute a physical and neurological examination, and review your medical history paying particular focus on pain history. You may be asked many questions about your pain
On a scale from zero to 10, with 10 being the worse pain imaginable, speed your pain.
When did pain start? When pain started, what were you doing?
Does pain disperse into other regions of the body?
Is its intensity persistent, or is it worse at different times of night or the day?
What really helps to alleviate the pain? Why is pain worse?
What treatments have you ever attempted? What worked? What failed?
Would you take over the counter drugs, vitamins, or herbal nutritional supplements?
Does one take prescription medication? If so, what, how much, and how frequently?
Most pain medicine specialists utilize a standardized drawing of the front/back of the body to let you mark where pain is sensed, as well as indicate pain spread and type (eg, light, sharp). You may be asked to complete the form each time you see with the pain physician. The finished drawing helps you to evaluate your treatment progress.
Accurate Analysis Key to Treatment
Pain medicine includes diagnosing origin or the cause of pain. Making the proper identification may include getting an X ray, CT scan, or MRI study to verify the reason for your neck pr back pain. When treating spine-associated pain (which may include arm or leg symptoms), other tests, like discography, bone scans, nerve studies (electromyography, nerve conduction study), and myelography could possibly be performed. The proper analysis is crucial to some favorable treatment plan.
Some spinal ailments and pain treatment requires involvement of other specialists, such as your primary care physician, neurosurgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, and practitioners in radiology, psychiatry, psychology, oncology, nursing, physical therapy, and complimentary alternative medicine. The pain medicine specialist may consult with and/or refer you to a neurosurgeon or orthopaedic spine surgeon to determine if your pain difficulty necessitates back operation.
When you�re in pain, you might try just about anything to feel better. Claims of miracle cures that instantly relieve back and neck pain are tempting, but they often fall short of their promises.
Save your money and steer clear of the products featured promising to eliminate your spine-related pain.
Copper Bracelets
Copper bracelets and wristbands have attracted a following of arthritis sufferers because of their perceived ability to reduce joint pain.
The key word here is perceived.
A 2013 study in the UK examining the effects of copper bracelets in patients with rheumatoid arthritis found no difference in pain outcomes between those wearing copper bracelets and those using a placebo.
While the bracelets won�t do you any harm, they�re more for looks than clinical benefit. There�s no solid medical evidence available proving they reduce pain or inflammation.
Magnets
From magnetic shoe inserts to bandages, magnets have been heavily marketed as a miracle cure to zap away a variety of back pain conditions, including fibromyalgia and arthritis. However, no proof exists to back up magnets� health claims.
While studies have examined magnets� impact on pain, the results are mixed�and the quality of some of the research is questionable. Additionally, magnets are not safe for some people, including those who use pacemakers or insulin pumps.
Colloidal Silver
Silver jewelry? Classic. Silver home furnishings? Sure thing. Colloidal silver for your spine pain? Never a good idea.
Colloidal silver for back pain is typically found as a topical cream containing small particles of silver. In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that people not use colloidal silver to treat any medical condition because it�s neither safe nor effective.
Even worse than the false claims of back and neck pain relief are colloidal silver�s strange and serious side effects. This product can interfere with the absorption of some prescription drugs and even permanently tint your skin a blue-gray color.
DMSO and MSM Dietary Supplements
If you have spondylosis (osteoarthritis), you may have heard of the dietary supplements dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). Some believe this pair of supplements can block pain and inflammation, but no real medical evidence shows these substances actually relieve painful arthritis symptoms.
Instead of eliminating your arthritis pain, MSM and DMSO might cause some unwanted side effects. Both have been linked to causing upset stomach and skin rashes, while DMSO may also leave you with garlic breath and body odor.
A Word on Drug-Supplement Interactions
Speaking of supplements, it�s important to understand that dietary supplements may not mix with over-the-counter or prescription drugs. Some interactions result in mild side effects, but others can be much more serious�even life-threatening.
If you�re using a dietary supplement�even if it�s a seemingly benign herbal or vitamin�always let your doctor and pharmacist know before taking it with an over-the-counter or prescription medication. They will share any dangerous interactions, and ensure you�re safely addressing your back and neck pain.
The Real Deals: Alternative Treatments that Work
Many who fall prey to the products listed in this slideshow have an interest in alternative or complementary therapies for back and neck pain. While some non-traditional treatments should be avoided, many have been proven to reduce spine pain.
Scientists from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at the National Institutes of Health reviewed 105 U.S.-based trials from the past 50 years that included more than 16,000 participants. They found the therapies below effective at controlling pain:
� Acupuncture � Massage � Relaxation techniques � Tai chi
If you prefer alternative methods to manage for your spinal condition, explore the therapies above. They are effective, safe, and will help you live a healthier life.
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