DO YOU HAVE BACK PAIN?
If you are living with chronic back pain then you know it’s no walk in the park. Almost everyone will experience some form of back pain, ranging from slightly irritating to completely crippling, in their lifetime. Whatever the degree of pain you are experiencing and whether it is acute or has become chronic, at the very least you would probably rather live without it. In the most extreme cases in can be difficult to go on living with it. This article aims to help you to understand what causes lower back pain, and how treatment can help you achieve lasting back health so that you can go on enjoying those walks in the park.
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Common Conditions
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SUBLUXATIONS
Subluxation is a medical term describing a misalignment in the vertebral column. There are a wide variety of causes, including physical stress, trauma, and toxins. Subluxations are often quite painful and can disrupt normal movement. Subluxations are one of the most commonly overlooked contributors to back pain.
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STRESS AND BACK PAIN
Chronic stress wreaks havoc on the body, and can eventually lead to hyper-tension and chronic back pain. The back pain is a result of tension and muscle spasms that occur when stress hormones are released. The tension will often accumulate in what are referred to as trigger points. These trigger points can be extremely painful and need professional attention to resolve. Our pain specialists have the knowledge and tools to relieve pain and to deal with underlying nervous system imbalances that may be keeping your body locked in patterns of stress and pain.
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BACK PAIN
The back is a broad term that covers a large area of the body. It is made up of many tendons, ligaments, discs, muscles, and bones. Without a solid understanding of these different parts, it can complicated to locate and address the source of the pain. The following explains some of the most common issues and their identifying features. It also explains how our medicine can help to resolve them. This is a general guideline to help you in your quest for effective treatment, but we highly recommend that you seek a professional opinion to properly diagnose these issues.
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MUSCULAR SPRAINS AND TENDON OR LIGAMENT STRAINS
Strains and sprains most typically occur when we engage in tasks that our body is not accustomed to, or when we are involved in an accident. Lifting while twisting, or stretching past one’s limits are common causes to strains and sprains of the back. These can be extremely painful, and are often accompanied by swelling and bruising of the surrounding area.
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OTHER ISSUES THAT CAUSE BACK PAIN
Conditions such as obesity, arthritis, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections have been shown to cause symptoms of lower back pain. These are all serious issues that need to be identified and treated immediately to avoid long-term health issues. Many of these issues can have their source in spinal misalignments and respond well to treatment.
If you have questions about how our team at Renova Medical Center can help you, please schedule a consultation today.
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DISC BULGES AND HERNIATIONS
Disc bulges and herniations are conditions in which the outer edges of the discs, located between the vertebrae, are damaged. This causes the jelly-like center to bulge or be pushed out. This is a surprisingly common issue and it is often, but not always, very painful. Many people who have this condition feel nothing at all. The quality and intensity of it, for those who experience pain, depends on the type and position of the herniation. If the damaged disc is irritating a surrounding nerve, shooting or stabbing pain along with weakness in the legs is often severe.
It is important that this issue is properly identified and promptly treated to avoid further damage. A pain specialist can thoroughly assess your back to determine the extent of the issue and the appropriate treatment to prevent worsening of the herniation, and provide relief from the associated pain.
SUFFERING FROM NECK PAIN?
You know the old saying, “It’s a pain in the neck”? Well, when you live with neck pain you understand why this is such an insult. Neck pain can make even the simplest of movements involving the neck, head, arms, shoulders, and back excruciatingly difficult. It can lead to headaches and difficulty using your body. Immobility resulting from neck pain can cause the muscles to become weak and to degenerate over time.
Understanding the root of your neck pain is a necessary step towards acquiring the treatment that will be effective in both short and long-term recovery. The following article looks at the causes of neck pain and explains how our treatment methods can be a useful alternative to conventional treatments.
Neck Pain
Although the neck is a relatively small area of the body, it is comprised of some complicated structures which do the important job of holding your head up. The small size of the vertebrae of the neck allows for a lot of mobility, but can also make the neck more vulnerable to injury and pain. Some of the causes of neck pain include:
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Trauma, such as whiplash
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Sleeping position
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Poor posture
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Repetitive stress
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Abnormalities in the bone structure
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Joint issues
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Muscle strains and pulls
Most of these issues are either caused by, or impact, the alignment of the spine. When muscles in the neck go into spasm, the spine gets pulled out of alignment. When the spine is misaligned, the nerves become irritated and cause further tension and other systemic problems. Because every nerve in the body has its root in the spinal column, issues that have their source at the neck can have a major impact throughout every other system.
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Many people let spinal problems go uncorrected. They hope that if they wait long enough the pain will simply go away. In some cases it will go away, but the misalignment that caused the problem is usually still there. Over time, that area can become aggravated, and the pain can return. If the problem is not corrected it can become much more serious. Some patients let things go to the point where surgery may be the only option.
Conventional vs Holistic Treatments
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Conventional
Most commonly, people try to deal with their neck pain using prescription or over-the-counter medications. This may help to relieve the symptoms in the short-term, but not only are patients dealing with side effects, the underlying issue goes unaddressed. Massage Therapy has become more popular over the years and this can help to relieve some muscle tightness. If the issue is in the muscles, bones or joints, the problem will remain.
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Holisitc
We have a medication and pain-free treatment that helps to heal the underlying nerve damage that can lead to neck pain. Following a thorough consult with our pain specialist, a personalized recovery plan is developed. Gentle frequencies are applied to area to bring instant relief and restore long term health to the neck and the entire body. Call our team at Renova Medical Center today to set up a consultation and bring an end to the pain in your neck.
DO YOU HAVE SHOULDER PAIN?
We don’t think much about our shoulders until they start to give us pain. Then we realize that we are constantly using our shoulders to lift and extend our arms, to carry, wave, and perform numerous other motions and tasks. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and as a result it is subject to a wide range of injuries and conditions.
Shoulder problems that go unchecked can lead to lifelong, debilitating issues. In order to properly treat the shoulder joint and achieve long-term relief it is important to identify the cause of shoulder pain. This article explains some of the common causes of shoulder pain and how our approach can help bring balance and function back to your shoulder.
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Symptoms of Shoulder Pain
Due to the wide range of causative factors, shoulder pain and abnormal motion in the joint may develop gradually or come on suddenly. Symptoms of a shoulder injury are occasionally very subtle, but even these can develop into major issues. Since the shoulder joint is used in the vast majority of activities that we engage in daily, all symptoms involving the shoulder should be monitored carefully and treated promptly to avoid progression of the problem. Symptoms indicating the need for an immediate evaluation of the shoulder complex include:
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Shoulder pain that lasts for more than a week
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Shoulder pain that goes away and then returns frequently
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Difficulty raising your arm above your head
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Trouble or pain when carrying objects
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Pain in the shoulder joint that becomes more pronounced in the evening
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Any visual signs of damage to the joint such as bruising or swelling
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Unusual snapping or clicking sensations in the joint during movement
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Causes of Shoulder Pain
The causes of shoulder pain are seemingly endless, but let’s go over some of the more common causes for pain in the shoulder. Shoulder pain may be the result of conditions, such as:
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Neck and upper back tightness
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Spinal misalignment
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Arthritis
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Abnormal patterns of movement
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Athletic injuries and automobile accidents
While a few of the items on this list may indicate localized swelling in the shoulder joint, more of them point to the spine as the probable source of pain. The nerves that control the shoulder originate in the spine. If the vertebrae around the neck and upper back are compressed or injured, the nerves that go to the shoulder will be irritated and cause pain. Even a minor spinal misalignment can interrupt communication between the nerves and the shoulder and a cascade of problems can begin. So, what appears as shoulder pain may actually be referred pain from the spinal column.
Treatment of Shoulder Pain
Our treatment is a gentle and non-invasive alternative to medications and surgeries that provide fast and effective results. Revive pain specialists are trained to deal with issues that can result in shoulder pain. In order to determine the cause of your shoulder pain, a treatment begins with a thorough evaluation process, using information provided from your medical history. Once a correct diagnosis is achieved it will then be used to develop an individualized treatment plan that will help ensure a fast recovery.
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Call our team at Renova Medical Center today for help.