Inflammatory Musculoskeletal Pain
By Dawn Fichter, DC
Inflammation is the body’s acute, natural response to damaged tissues. Most people normally think of this response when they have external injuries such as a sprain/strain or trauma to an area.
However, we are beginning to see chronic inflammation as a problem of the 21st century. Why you may ask? Our immune system is being overwhelmed by acquired toxins from the environment and our food supply. This leads to inflammatory reactions within our individual cells.
Science is discovering that chronic cellular inflammation can lead to health problems including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and chronic degenerative disease. Other factors that contribute to systemic inflammation include stress, inadequate sleep, and lack of exercise.
This systemic inflammation can then lead to inflammatory spinal pain. The fact that spinal pain may be inflammatory is evidenced by back pain patients who commonly find temporary relief with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). It would then be recommended that these patients embrace an anti- inflammatory diet.
An excellent example is the Mediterranean diet which includes olive oil, green vegetables and salads, fish as the primary protein, lean meat, eggs and cheese. What is absent in this diet is sugar, refined grains, and legumes which are overtly inflammatory. It is not an easy change but if you can commit to this for a period of 12 weeks, you will begin to see significant reductions in chronic systemic inflammation and its resulting effects.
Supplements can be added to support this anti-inflammatory diet. Examples include Boswelia, ginger and Omega-3 fatty acids which are helpful in reducing inflammation as well as pain management. For more specific information, I offer nutritional consultations. The initial appointment is 40 minutes and I will ask specific questions regarding your diet and overall health. Before the initial appointment, I do ask that you keep a food journal for two weeks. This will help me determine specific areas of nutritional imbalances in your body. I will then outline small, yet specific changes that can be made in your diet and/or the addition of supplements to address these concerns in order to help you regain balance in your overall health.
Electroacupuncture for Chronic Pain
By Laura Camus, EAMP
On a recent episode of Dr. OZ, electro acupuncture was considered an effective treatment for low back pain. Electroacupuncture is quite similar to traditional acupuncture in that the same points are stimulated during treatment. As with traditional acupuncture, needles are inserted on specific points along the body. The needles (1/50th the size of a hypodermic needle) are then attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses similar to muscle “stim” used in physical therapy settings. In the United States, electroacupuncture has been studied for a variety of conditions. It has also been effectively used as a form of anesthesia; as a pain reliever for muscle spasms; and a treatment for neurological disorders.
Traditional acupuncture has also been found to reduce some of the major inflammatory markers in the body as well as stimulation of the body’s own anti-inflammatory response. This results in pain relief, relaxation and the ability for the body to continue healing. The best way to find out how it will work for you is to try it! If you are interested in experiencing electroacupuncture or traditional acupuncture, schedule an appointment today.
Wolf Chiropractic Clinic Welcomes Lisa Bliss, MD
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Lisa Bliss. Dr. Bliss is a Physiatrist (pronounced “fizz-EYE-a-trist”), or rehabilitation physician, who specializes in nerve, muscle, and bone illnesses that affect how you move.
The job of a rehabilitation physician is to treat any disability resulting from disease or injury, from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. The focus is on the development of a comprehensive program for putting the pieces of a person’s life back together after injury or disease – without surgery.
Rehabilitation physicians take the time needed to pinpoint accurately the source of an ailment. They then design a treatment plan that can be carried out by the patients themselves or with the help of the rehabilitation physician’s medical team. This team might include other physicians and health care professionals such as: neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, chiropractors, and physical therapists, massage therapists and acupuncturists. By providing an appropriate treatment plan, rehabilitation physicians helppeople stay as active aspossible at any age. Dr. Bliss sees new patients by referral only.
Massage and Low Back Pain
By Colene Lange, LMP
Low back pain can be a very frustrating thing to deal with. Repetitive movements like sitting, standing, and transitions from a seated position can be very difficult to do. As a result, many people suffer with discomfort due to muscle weakness or disc conditions.
Think of the low back as a teeter-totter. Understand that muscles assist in moving the spine and joints. The stronger muscles attach to pelvis and hip joint allowing for movement of the legs. If any one of these muscle groups is tighter than another, then they will pull or tip the pelvis in that direction. At the time this is happening, the lumbar spine is the victim of a powerful game of tug-of-war. And all you know, is that your back hurts.
Massage can help by reducing this muscle tension in the low back which will allow you to move more freely and with less pain.