Many people think of osteoarthritis (OA) as being limited to old age, but it occurs in working-age adults and children as well. In fact, it is a very common disease that impacts the lives of more than 30 million people in the United States.
It is common for runners to experience chronic pain. As an example, a recent study from the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy focused on the incidence of exercise-related leg pain (ERLP). 225 adult community runners who registered for a race in St. Louis (either the half or full version of the Lewis & Clark Marathon) were asked to complete a questionnaire answering questions about any experience of ERLP (or lack thereof), demographic characteristics, and risk factors. An incredible 63.6% said that they had suffered from ERLP at some point.
Running does not have to be painful. Here are four tips so that you can keep the aches from interrupting your workout routine:
Some knee pain may go away on its own, but others may need the help of an experienced doctor. If you have the following symptoms, we recommend that you schedule a consultation with us, so that we can properly diagnose your condition and create a personalized treatment plan that can work for you.
It can be easy to take the advice “If it hurts, don’t do it” to the wrong extreme, especially when it comes to nursing tender joints. Many people think that the best tip for healing is rest followed by more rest, but as it turns out, keeping the body in motion and pacing your improvement with proper form are actually excellent knee pain treatments. Have your nagging knees settled you into the sofa? The following exercises for knee pain relief can help you ease into action.
The knees and hips are the largest joints in the body, supporting the body’s weight and working together to provide the mobility we typically take for granted. Unfortunately, these joints tend to experience a lot of wear and tear, and resulting issues like pain and inflammation can lead to joint instability and inactivity, and result in nearly 10 million doctor visits by women for knee pain annually.
Increasingly, people are looking for way to improve their running form so that they don’t get shin splints or other injuries. Here are tips that can help.
In an era focused on minimalism and preventive healthcare, it is not a surprise to see a running form emerged called Chi Running – fusing yoga, tai chi, and running form. Chi Running is of course just one trend. People are generally interested in avoiding running injury; increasingly, they are realizing that common conditions such as shin splints and runner’s knee can be avoided by simply tweaking form. Better form can also improve speed, which certainly doesn’t hurt.
To alleviate the excruciating knee pain of arthritis, these natural remedies can help.
Arthritis is a degenerative disease characterized by chronic knee pain and joint inflammation that interferes with the body’s normal range of motion. Osteoarthritis (OA), which is the most frequently occurring arthritis type, tends to become more pronounced during the aging process. Although OA can be experienced in any joint in the body, it is a particularly common underlying source of knee pain.
Pain management is not a simple science. Rather, it is an art form. Pain management presents an intricate blend of diagnostic, treatment, and lifestyle challenges – all of which must be overcome to achieve the fastest and fullest possible recovery. Let’s briefly explore how each of the three categories can be best approached to optimize your chances of mitigating your pain and reclaiming a full and active daily life.
The fact is that pain is not always as easy as we would like to diagnose and treat. Because that is the case, multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment is not just an optional strategy for doctors and patients. Instead, it provides a necessary framework to accurately understand specific situations and craft meaningful management plans. Pain management doctors are at an advantage when they have various modalities immediately available to meet unique patient needs.
It’s crucial to take a multidisciplinary approach from the outset rather than using an outmoded “piecemeal” strategy, says Dennis Thompson, Jr., of Everyday Health. The science backs up this claim: recent medical studies offer loud and convincing evidence for the use of multidisciplinary means to treat pain, especially in the areas of chronic back pain and fibromyalgia (1).
An example of a specific technique that is one piece of a multidisciplinary pain management plan is the use of ultrasound in a physical therapy program. An ultrasound machine directs sound waves at the effected part of the body. According to Laurie Sweet, a physical therapist for Johns Hopkins Hospital (2), this process creates heat in the patient’s body, which in turn stimulates blood flow and loosens tissues. The end result is twofold:
Always follow the recommendations of your pain management professionals, but there are several modifications to your day-to-day routine that can be pivotal in aiding your recovery. WebMD lists the following lifestyle changes to enhance your capacity for long term pain relief (3):
As you can see, approaches toward pain management these days are broad and complex. Diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle recommendations for proper pain management are best understood within a multidisciplinary approach. At the Atlanta Medical Clinic, we go beyond traditional medical care by offering not only neurological and physical therapy methods, but chiropractic care as well. If you think a multidisciplinary, integrative approach toward pain management might be right for you, please contact us today.
Sources :
(1) http://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/multidisciplinary-programs-for-pain-management.aspx
(2) http://abcnews.go.com/Health/TreatingPain/story?id=4047863
(3) http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/chronic-pain-home-treatment
Arthritis is a disease in which bone and/or cartilage in the affected individual’s body is lost. This process of degeneration in turn reshapes the joint (causing, for instance, severely bent fingers in extreme, long-developing cases). A proper program of pain management and physical therapy – what we offer – is not only affective at alleviating symptoms of pain but also protects against progression of the disease.
The healthy functioning of joints is disrupted in the case of osteoarthritis (1) Typically a joint experiences a fluid injury and repair process at the cellular level if it becomes damaged or re-damaged. This injury/repair cycle is completed by cells called chondroclasts and chondroblasts.
Osteoarthritis, however, does not allow these cells to perform their roles effectively. Instead, another type of cell, the osteoblast, enters the picture, creating additional cartilage and bone in improper locations – such as spurs (2). This nonstandard cellular development leads to swollen, painful body parts. Alleviating pain in joints, such as hand or knee pain relief, is then often medically sought.
Osteoarthritis prevents the cells that make up a person’s cartilage from releasing a sufficient quantity of protein when repair of joint cartilage is required. The demand for repair at a cellular level, then, is not met. Cartilage, which is typically taut, begins to loosen. As the arthritic condition becomes more ingrained, fraying of the cartilage occurs, as does cracking and pitting. The more degradation that occurs throughout the cartilage cells, the less flexible its fibers will be (3). It becomes less and less able to protect itself, creating a downward spiral. The joint in general is put at risk by cellular cartilage weakness, increasing the likelihood of deterioration.
Osteoarthritis can quickly become painful, but treating it means that its progress can be slowed or stopped altogether. The reason that’s important is that, left untreated, the pitting and cracking can become more pronounced, eventually resulting in total removal of the cartilage. When no cartilage remains, a person begins to experience bone-on-bone direct contact during activity. The affected areas of bone become reshaped, then, as activity grinds down the cells, following the reshaping of the cartilage that has occurred. When the bones no longer join up properly, range of motion can decrease significantly.
Again, when osteoarthritis is treated, the deterioration can be mitigated. What we offer at the Atlanta Medical Clinic is extraordinary considered to many solutions for hand or knee pain relief or wherever cellular damage has become the most severe: a complete spectrum of pain management solutions, not just injections and medications but also chiropractic treatment and physical therapy as necessary. Contact us today to learn more about how an integrative solution can deter your osteoarthritis and aid you in returning to a healthy, fully functional lifestyle.
References:
(2)http://www.medicinenet.com/osteoarthritis/article.htm
(3)http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/osteoarthritis-basics
Sleep is an essential part of healing and managing pain. We need to get enough to function properly (8 hours), but quality sleep is most important. When we sleep our bodies are healing and repairing the damage done from the stress of the day, and naturally during this healing process our bodies need optimum circumstances. Everyone’s body is different, some positions will benefit others and some will hinder them depending on the aliment.
“Sleep allows us to rejuvenate the proteins in our body, in fact, rest helps with increasing the pain threshold of the body…if you have a particular back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain or hip pain then quality sleep will help you.” says Dr. Dembowski.
Many people can find sleeping during the night difficult. But there are always ways in which it can be improved. Some listen to the sound of rain while sleeping, as it helps calm them down and transports them to places such as the beach or holidays. Others people may like sleeping with a fan or air conditioning to keep them cool throughout the night. Someone I know use to have such a hard time going to sleep that he would always sleep with the air conditioning on. Unfortunately for him, the one time that he needed the fan for more than sleep (to keep him cool during a heat wave), the air conditioning stopped working. While he looked into finding a company would could deal with an air conditioning replacement, he had to use the small fan that was hidden away in the cupboard for months. For him, it wasn’t as effective, but he did manage to get a few good night’s sleep. You just need to try and find out what works best for you and your sleeping arrangements.
The three major sleeping positions are side, back, and stomach. Around 57% of people sleep on their side, according to a nationwide survey of over 2,000 people conducted by Tempur-Pedic North America. Lying on the back is the second most popular, with around 17% of people; followed by the stomach at 11% and the rest is varying positions throughout the night. Each position has variations, benefits and drawbacks. Make sure your sleeping position is correct for the area that is causing you the most pain.
If you suffer from…
Shoulder Pain: Try to avoid sleeping on your side if you have shoulder pain, the best position is on the back or on the opposite side of the hurt shoulder. Also place a pillow under the arm to support the shoulder.
Neck Pain: For neck pain try and keep the neck supported in a neutral position with a pillow above the shoulders, too many pillows may put the neck in a bent position. That can put stress on the vertebrae and cause damage to the disc. When dealing with neck pain avoid sleeping on the stomach.
Back Pain: To reduce back pain experts suggest sleeping on the back with a rolled up towel or pillow under the knees and under the small of the back. If you are sleeping on your side place a pillow between the knees for added support, and to aid the hips and knees.
Knee Pain & Hip Pain: Sleeping in the side or fetal position with a pillow between the knees can reduce pressure on the knees and hips, also if lying on the back place a pillow below the small of the back and under the knees to help alleviate pain.
Snoring / Sleep Apnea: Try to keep off your back, sleep on your side or stomach to reduced the threat of tongue collapsing or the relaxation of tissues in the throat which can hinder breathing.
Acid Reflex: Sleeping on the side is best for acid reflex most experts recommend sleeping on the left side. Sleeping on the back is not ideal for acid reflex but it can help alleviate symptoms if the head is propped up.
For those with sleeping problems it is not recommended to sleep on the stomach as it can cause back and neck pain. Use these helpful tips to find out your ideal sleeping position, but be sure to change it up once and a while as sleeping in the same position to often can cause problems. If these tips do not help you with your symptoms then contact our clinic for a free consultation. You may need medical attention to relieve the inflamed areas of the body and help you get a good night sleep.
Sources:
1.) Journal of Sleep Vol. 35:12 (2012)
2.) WebMD.com
3.) SleepAssociation.org