Blog

Sep
30

Discogenic Pain


Have you been told you have discogenic back pain. If so, we have treatments that can help.

Etiology

Discogenic pain means pain due to a disrupted disc. The internal disruption of a disc can be due to mechanical force such as a car accident or from lifting heaving weight leading to uneven distribution of the weight on the spine. Internal Disruption of a disc can caused by something as trivial as rolling out of bed. The architecture of the disc is that of a
jelly donut with a nucleus pulpolsus as the jelly filled center and the annulus as the doughy outer material. The nulceus pulpolsus, the center of the disc, has many pro-inflammatory materials. Therefore, when the disc becomes "leaky" or the...


Oct
16

Treatments for Knee Pain


Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic disease that will affect an ever increasing number of patients, especially the elderly and the obese. It is characterized by degeneration of the cartilage substance inside the knee which leads to pain, stiffness and tenderness. Millions of people suffer from knee pain, and many have been told they need immediate knee replacement.

While it is true that some people might indeed need surgery, MOST patients have not tried all of the nonsurgical knee pain relief treatments that are available. Many patients are scared of surgery and are looking for alternative treatments. Knee pain is most often due to arthritis, or inflammation of the joint. When this occurs there ...


Oct
01

Venous Insufficiency/Varicose Veins


Venous Insufficiency/Varicose Veins



Millions of American's suffer from Varicose Veins. Risk factors for varicose veins are obesity, prolonged sitting or standing, increasing age, female sex, family history, and pregnancy.



Varicose veins can become problematic if left untreated. They typically cause lower extremities to swell, ache, burn, or tingling depending on the severity of the venous insufficiency. They give the lower extremities a sensation of heaviness. If severe and untreated, they can lead to pooling of blood, ulceration, and phlebitis.



Symptoms of Varicose Vein Insufficiency



Any surgical treatment for varicose veins requires, at a minimum, that the patient is symptomatic with one or mo...


Sep
18

PLATELET-RICH PLASMA (PRP) THERAPY


Through regenerative medicine, a person can take advantage of their body’s ability to heal itself by stimulating natural healing from a concentration of platelets from their blood1. Laboratory and clinical research has shown it is possible to achieve short-term and long-term pain relief for orthopedic and soft tissue conditions1, 2. Currently, doctors are treating tendinitis, tendinopathy, and osteoarthritis in the elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle, in addition to cosmetic treatments to reinvigorate the skin1, 2, 3.


Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is a concentration of platelets which is found in the blood stream with red and white blood cells4. Platelets are a natural carrier of cyto...


Sep
12

What is Post-laminectomy Syndrome?


What is Post-laminectomy Syndrome?

Post-laminectomy syndrome is persistent pain after lumbar surgery
associated with laminectomies but sometimes this diagnosis will be given
even if a laminectomy has not been performed. Post-Laminectomy Syndrome is
synonymous with failed-back surgery syndrome.

Laminectomies are surgical procedures of the spine. They are typically
done in the lumbar spine but can also be done in the cervical spine. Bone
is removed (the lamina) to relief pressure of off a nerve root or the
spinal cord. Intractable pain and weakness are usually the indications for
the procedure. Most of the time patients do great after the procedure but
there are times where patients can have persistent ...


Aug
22

WHAT IS SPINAL CORD STIMULATION (SCS) ?


How Does Spinal Cord Stimulation Work?

Spinal Cord Stimulation, or SCS, offers hope for many of the estimated 75 million people who suffer from chronic pain. 1 SCS sends electrical impulses that trigger nerve fibers selectively along the sppinal cord, masking the pain message traveling to the brain. When this happens, the painful sensation is replace with a soothing, tingling sensation.2


What Condition Are Treated with SCS Therapy?

SCS is prescribed for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain of the back, trunk, or limbs. Many people with failed back surgeries, RSD, CRPS, phantom limb, and other types of neuropathic pain have had great success with the SCS.3 It is most commonly used to trea...


Aug
09

What is Ketamine?


Ketamine is an old drug that has been used in the field of medicine for decades. It is a powerful analgesic medication that is NOT an OPIOID. It works at NMDA receptor as an antagonist. The NMDA receptor has been researched extensively especially in the areas of chronic pain.



What is Ketamine used for?


It has been used in the operating room for pre-emptive analgesia and in the Burn Unit ICU for dressing changes for burn patients.


More recently, ketamine has had a significant impact in the field of pain medicine and psychiatry. It has been used extensively in the treatment of depression refractory to conservative treatment, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and chronic pain due t...