One pilot study published in 2004 demonstrated significantly better outcomes for those who were treated 9-12 times in a three week period compared to those who were treated only 3 visits. Upon 12 week follow-up, those in the 9-12 visit group still enjoyed less pain and disability than those in the 3 visit group. http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/ymmt/article/
PIIS0161475404002398/abstract
Dose Response for Chronic Cervicogenic Headaches treated with Chiropractic Care
December 7th, 2009What are the ingredients of a good topical analgesic
November 9th, 2009CryoDerm™ Delivers the Benefits of MSM, Arnica, Boswella & ILEX in a 100% Natural Pain Relieving Roll-On
There are several amazing ingredients in CryoDerm™ that help provide the pain relief. The main active ingredient is menthol, which is derived from peppermint oil. Other ingredients include: Arnica, Boswella, Ilex and MSM:
Arnica has been proven effective in reducing bruising, swelling, edema, hematoma, contusions, and is being used to treat muscle strains and sprains and a variety of joint problems. Research studies completed in 2002, at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, used an Arnica preparation to reduce bruising after surgery. The preparation reduced bruising by as much as 41% which dramatically shortened recovery time! Patients have reported faster recovery after orthopedic surgery including hip and knee replacement, as well as other categories of general surgery.
Boswella refers to the resin of various species of Boswellia shrubs and small trees which are found in the Red Sea region and mountains of central India. It has been widely used as an Indian herbal medicine treatment for arthritis and bursitis.
Nearly sixty percent of arthritis patients who were tested in a study at the Government-Medical College in Jammu, India experienced good to excellent results against stiffness and pain. What’s amazing is that more than three-quarters of these patients were either bedridden or unable to do normal work.
Ilex , also known as Yerba mate has been used by the Indian tribes in Brazil and Paraguay as a beverage. It continues to be a popular beverage throughout South America. Research has shown that Ilex has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antispasmodic properties.
Unless you have tried CryoDerm™ for pain relief you are missing out on an opportunity to achieve drug free pain control for sore muscles, arthritis pain, muscle aches, bursitis and tendonitis.
Fibromyalgia…not just in your head
February 20th, 2009I wanted to provide a little information on this disorder as many of my patients currently suffer from this. Fibromyalgia is very difficult to diagnose objectively. Furthermore, it usually is arrived at by excluding other disease processes. The general symptoms include: marked fatigue, diffuse muscular pain, depression, difficulty sleeping, and cognitive difficulties.
New information published in Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism June, 2007 indicate that the etiology of fibromyalgia may have a neurophysiological basis. The authors define a new classification for this disorder as central sensitivity syndrome (CSS). The evidence is mounting that fibromyalgia can be considered a neurosensory disorder characterized partly by pain processing in the central nervous system (CNS).
The long and short of it is whether due to chronic stress, trauma, or severe life events, the CNS has adapted and pain is processed differently than normal. Without going into too much detail, the nervous system has become sensitized or worn down by a traumatic event and now the threshold for recognizing pain is far lower than it should be. This means that stimuli that would not in the non-fibromyalgia population be recognized as pain are stimuli that indeed do express themselves as painful in fibromyalgia population.
This makes sense to me, lowered threshold to activate the sensation of pain is why these patients have a heightened response to noxious stimuli. Chronic pain also leads to elevated stress hormones which is another topic. So for you sufferers, keep trying to get better. Next article will be about methods to manage this condition from a non-pharmaceutical perspective.
Running should not be a pain
February 15th, 2009That’s right, there are a few simple rules of thumb that will keep you on the road.
1) It starts with your foot wear, do not run on old broken down shoes. I recommend you replace your shoes every 300 miles of running or so. This is what I try to do. Obviously, if you are built like a lineman and not an olympic marathoner, you need to do this more often. The math is simple: 20 miles/week times 4 weeks equals 80 miles. 300 miles divided by 80 is roughly 4 months before you have to change shoes.
2) Warm up slowly…then stretch. You don’t want to stretch cold muscles. Walk then jog easily for 10 minutes first.
3) Stretch after running, 5-10 minutes to work the kinks out should be fine.
4) Make sure you vary the terrain you run on. If you run predominately on concrete and you are always sore, this is why. Find a park with grass or wood-chip trails to do some of your running on.
These are just a few rules of thumb, and they are very simple to follow. Remember running should not be a pain!
What is wellness?
February 8th, 2009Wellness is a state of optimal well-being. It is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards six areas. These are your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being.
Since my practice deals with the physical well-being of patients, I will outline my best recommendations for that.
Breaking down physical well-being into four components makes this process understandable. These are sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction.
Sleep cannot be overlooked, it is imperative that you devote 6-8 hours toward good quality sleep. If you cannot, look for reasons why. These may be poor sleeping surface, the wrong pillow, too much noise, or the room is not quite dark enough. Be careful not to eat too close to bed time, and do not consume caffeinated beverages in the evening. By identifying which of these factors is not optimal and making the appropriate changes, you should get good quality sleep and awake refreshed.
Next is nutrition. Note, this is not about dieting. This is about getting good quality nutrients into your diet so that you can function optimally. Simply put, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, and drink plenty of good clean water. I did not mention whole grains for a reason; many of you have certain sensitivities to whole grains, especially wheat. Whole grains are certainly appropriate for many of you that do not have this sensitivity, but they need to be consumed along with the other food sources, in just about the same proportions.
Exercise is next on the list. My first recommendation if you do not currently exercise is to get some good walking shoes and get out the door 20-30 minutes at least every other day. Not only will walking improve your cardiovascular system, but your blood sugar profile will improve and you may benefit by losing excess weight. I won’t go into too much detail on specific exercise programs, but what I am outlining is a good starting point.
Lastly, stress needs to be controlled. This is not easy to do but should be a major focus for those of you moving toward wellness. First, identify what in your environment is increasing your stress level. If it is everything, identify the ones you can control; don’t worry about situations you cannot. Secondly, see if you can eliminate the stressful situations. Thirdly, if you cannot eliminate these situations, take several deep breaths before you have to deal with them. It is important to take time out each day for some quiet time. This may be as simple as finding a quiet place, closing your eyes, and taking deep breaths to calm down. Some may find that exercise helps them manage stress, this is what I use. Dealing with stress is a process, take it one day at a time or one situation at a time.
I hope this post gives you all a basic understanding about the physical component of wellness and I hope some of these recommendations help you.
Dr. Howe
