There are many spinal stenosis treatment options you should consider before resorting to surgery. Most patients with spinal stenosis respond well to non-surgical treatments such as medication, physical therapy, and gentle chiropractic care. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal, typically caused by age, injury, or congenital disorder. The condition can cause difficulty […]
chronic pain relief
Acupuncture for Pain Relief
Acupuncture has been used to relieve pain for centuries and is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It involves the insertion of needles into specific points on the body. The needles are inserted into the skin and manipulated. This promotes a healthy flow of energy, or “chi”, through the body. It is believed that this balance can help relieve pain and other symptoms.
Acupuncture for Pain Relief: How it Can Help You
Acupuncture facilitates the communication and activation of the nervous system, which releases specific chemicals within the body. These chemicals can help relieve pain and swelling. This is why acupuncture is used to treat headaches, back pain, arthritis, and joint pain.
Acupuncturists go through rigorous training and licensing. There are many different types of acupuncture. Each one is used to address a different health issue.
Acupuncturists are properly trained to stimulates points on your body that can relieve pain and promote healing.
What are the Benefits of Acupuncture for Pain Relief?
Acupuncture can effectively treat:
- back pain,
- neck pain,
- headaches
- shoulder pain
- wrist pain.
The biggest benefit to acupuncture for pain relief is the safety of the procedure. The complication rate for acupuncture is low and the side effects are usually mild. Soreness and minor bleeding or bruising are the most common side effects.
In a German study1, only 0.003% of patients (13 out of over 4,441,000) experienced severe adverse events from acupuncture.
Acupuncture is also cost effective treatment the following conditions:2
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Low back pain
- Ambulatory Anesthesia
- Migraine
- Chronic Pain
- Neck Pain (plus usual medical care)
- Depression
- Osteoarthritis
- Dysmenorrhea (painful periods)
- Post-operative nausea and vomiting
- Headache
How does acupuncture compare to other treatments for pain?
Acupuncture pales in comparison to the risks associated with taking pain medication. Addiction is a very real risk with prescription pain killers.
According to Hopkins Medicine3,
It takes a couple of weeks to become physically dependent on an opioid, but that varies by individual. If you take an opioid for a day or two, it should not be a problem and, generally, you will not become addicted. However, some studies show even the first dose of an opioid can have physiological effects.
One study found up to 25% of of patients develop a life-long addiction.4 In 2016, there were 63,632 drug overdose deaths in the United States, a 21.4% increase from 2015.5 Two thirds of these deaths involved an opioid.6
A recent study concluded that any dose of NSAIDs for any duration increased the risk of heart attack.8 This means acupuncture is even safer than over the counter pain relievers (NSAIDs).
Acupuncture has treated pain and other chronic symptoms for centuries. It can supplement or replace other treatments, depending on the individual.
What is the evidence for acupuncture?
There have been over 8,000 intensive scientific clinical trials of acupuncture over the past 50 years.9
In 2017, the American College of Physicians began recommending acupuncture for both chronic and acute low back pain.10
The Acupuncture Evidence Project 11 found evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture for 117 conditions, with stronger evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness for some conditions than others. Conditions with strongest evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture include:
- Allergic rhinitis (perennial & seasonal)
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (with anti-emetics)
- Migraine prophylaxis
- Chronic low back pain
- Postoperative nausea & vomiting
- Headache (tension-type and chronic)
- Postoperative pain
Why You Should Consider Using Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been treating pain for thousands of years. There are many reasons why acupuncture may be a good treatment option for you. Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for pain. It’s a safe, cost effective treatment option for many conditions.
Call Advanced Wellness Solutions at 855-509-5400 to schedule your appointment.
Arthritis Pain Management
Gentle chiropractic is a safe, nonsurgical method of arthritis pain management. Gentle chiropractic care can help reduce inflammation and increase range of motion while reducing arthritis pain.
Movement is like lubrication for the joints. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can help to encourage full range of joint motion to provide safe arthritis pain management. In conjunction with the gentle chiropractic adjustment, electrical muscle stimulation is often used for immediate pain relief. In addition to in office therapies, patients are also given appropriate exercises to perform at home to promote increased joint mobility.
Arthritis
Arthritis is inflammation of the cartilage which causes swelling and tenderness in afflicted joints. Cartilage is the connective tissue that surrounds the ends of bones. It is dense, elastic tissue that supports and cushions the joints while helping joints to move smoothly. When cartilage becomes inflamed, joint pain and stiffness result.
The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While the symptoms are similar, the cause of each is dramatically different.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease.
RA is an autoimmune disease is when the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells by mistake. In the case of RA, the healthy cells in the cartilage cushioning the joints are attacked. The joints affected are usually in the hands, wrists, and knees. When the body’s immune system attacks the joint cartilage, it becomes inflamed, swollen and tender. Eventually, the inflammation damages the joint cartilage as well as the bones of the joint. This can cause long-lasting or chronic pain, unsteadiness (lack of balance), and deformity (misshapenness). 3
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis.
OA is a degenerative condition that affects joint cartilage and bones. It causes pain, loss of mobility, as well as decreased muscle function and strength. Like RA, osteoarthritis causes joint pain and stiffness. It was once thought that in osteoarthritis, the joints were simply wearing out. Research has shown that OA is a complex process with many causes. It is not an inevitable part of aging experts say, but rather the result of a combination of factors.
While osteoarthritis can damage any joint, it most commonly affects joints that bear weight — like your knees, hips, feet, and spine. It often comes on gradually over months or years.2 Ten percent of men and 20% of women aged between 45 and 65 years report OA,4 with 80% of those older than 75 years showing radiographic evidence of OA.5
Treatments for Arthritis Pain
According to Scott Haldeman, MD, a neurologist in Santa Ana, California and Chairman Emeritus of the Research Council for the World Federation of Chiropractic as quoted in arthritis.org6,
Chiropractic care is one of the safest therapies you can use if you have back or neck pain due to osteoarthritis.
In addition to treating neck and back pain from osteoarthritis, gentle chiropractic treatment can also treat osteoarthritis of the hip 7 and other arthritic joints.
Gentle Chiropractic Care for arthritis pain
Gentle chiropractic care can help increase the range of motion in arthritic joints and reduce arthritic joint pain.
While gentle chiropractic care won’t repair or rebuild cartilage, it can relieve pressure on joints caused by arthritis. Gentle chiropractic care can also stop muscle spasms and tenderness caused by osteoarthritis through gentle manipulation of muscles and soft tissues surrounding arthritic joints.
Acupuncture for arthritis pain
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have been used for thousands of years to relieve arthritis pain. While acupuncture can’t cure or reverse the process of arthritis, a study showed it can help you feel significantly less pain and function better. 8
Over-the-counter medications
It’s very common to reach for over the counter (OTC) pain medication for arthritis pain management. Unfortunately, all NSAIDs (including OTC pain medication) now carry a black box warning. This is the strongest of all FDA warnings and is reserved for drugs that pose a significant risk to the population. In 2007, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement warning of the long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 9 which included this warning:
“Consumers are advised that all over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications, including NSAIDs, should be used in strict accordance with the label directions. If use of an OTC NSAID is needed for longer than ten days, a physician should be consulted.”
A practice based study of patients with acute and chronic low back pain found that patients receiving chiropractic manipulation as their primary treatment had significant reductions in visual analogue scale (VAS) scores within two weeks of care.10 This study also included evaluation of traditional medical management with a primary treatment using NSAIDs. The same level of pain reduction was not reported in the NSAID group until the 12-week marker.
Herbs and supplements for arthritis pain relief
There are many herbal supplements which tout anti-inflammatory properties. It’s important to exercise caution when taking supplements. Just because a product is natural does not mean it’s safe. The contents of supplements are not verified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Some supplements can interact with medications or can cause health problems.
You should always consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplement.
Turmeric, ginger and cinnamon are supplements that reduce inflammation in the body. There is also evidence that vitamin C and fish oil may help with arthritis pain while providing other health benefits.
Glucosamine sulfate supplements have unique anti-inflammatory effects. In some laboratory tests, it demonstrated a protective effect on the cartilage as well. Chondroitin sulfate supplements also appears to have anti-inflammatory properties. Some laboratory studies suggest that chondroitin sulfate may slow cartilage breakdown associated with osteoarthritis and even stimulate cartilage growth.11
Trigger point injections for arthritis pain relief
If chiropractic treatment alone does not provide adequate pain relief, the medical professionals at Advanced Wellness Solutions may recommend a trigger-point injection. A trigger-point injection usually contains an anesthetic and a steroid to immediately help alleviate arthritis pain. These injections are rarely a standalone treatment. They work best when combined with other conservative treatment methods such as chiropractic care.
Trigger point injection therapy can provide immediate and ongoing relief from pain in the targeted area while chiropractic treatments address the underlying cause of the pain.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for arthritis pain relief
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) delivers a small electric current to specific nerves. Tens units provide neuromodulation treatments which can ease pain with minimal risks and offer an alternative to pain medication for arthritis pain management. According to Arthritis.org 12
These devices are generally safe. However, they involve sending electrical impulses though your body. So it’s important to talk with your doctor first if you have a pacemaker, another implanted device, are pregnant, have epilepsy, or have a heart problem.
Topical medications for arthritis pain relief
Topical medications that do not contain NSAIDs that Advanced Wellness Solutions recommends are:
- CryoDerm Gel: It contains almost 300% more of the active ingredient and pain reliever menthol than other topical pain relievers. Menthol is used clinically as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. It creates a cold sensation on the skin, by activating the peripheral cold receptors.
- Biofreeze Professional: Biofreeze is greaseless, stainless and has a vanishing scent. It is an optimized, fast-acting proprietary formula.
Topical NSAIDS are now available without a prescription. Diclofenac sodium 1% gel (Voltaren Arthritis Pain) is now available at many pharmacies. A 2016 Cochrane review 14 concluded, “Topical diclofenac and topical ketoprofen can provide good levels of pain relief beyond carrier in osteoarthritis for a minority of people, but there is no evidence for other chronic painful conditions.”
Safe Arthritis Pain Management
When arthritis threatens to immobilize you, gentle chiropractic care can keep you moving.
Accepting new chiropractic patients. Call (772) 403-7640 to schedule your appointment.
We Accept All Major Medical Health Insurance and Medicare.
You can find safe arthritis pain management at Advanced Wellness Solutions. Effective gentle chiropractic care can help to relieve the pain and slow the damage to cartilage from osteoarthritis. Gentle chiropractic maximizes the function of arthritic joints by encouraging full range of joint motion.
Offering Veterans Treatment for PTSD
Find veterans treatment for PTSD at Advanced Wellness Solutions.
Veterans seeking treatment for PTSD should know that acupuncture can treat PTSD symptoms of depression and pain. Acupuncture for veterans treatment for PTSD can also improve physical and mental health functioning. Acupuncture can also significantly improve sleep quality which in turn improves physical and mental health.
What is PTSD?
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) can occur after a traumatic (extremely stressful) event. It is common to suffer stress after surviving traumatic events such as combat, being assaulted or even being in a car accident. However, if your stressful reactions don’t subside over time or are impacting how you live your life, you may have PTSD.
Experiencing trauma doesn’t mean you’ll develop PTSD. While about 8% of the general population will experience PTSD, the incidence for veterans is much higher. A public health study of PTSD in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans showed 15.7% of OEF/OIF deployed Veterans screened positive for PTSD compared to 10.9% of non-deployed Veterans.1 It is estimated that 30% of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime.2
PTSD symptoms
There are four main types of PTSD symptoms:3
- intrusive memories
- avoidance
- negative changes in thinking and mood
- changes in physical and emotional reactions.
Behavioral symptoms of PTSD include agitation, irritability, hostility, hypervigilance, self-destructive behavior, or social isolation. The psychological symptoms of PTSD include flashback, fear, severe anxiety, or mistrust.
PTSD also causes negative mood changes such as a loss of interest or pleasure in activities, guilt, or loneliness. Sleep disturbances including insomnia or nightmares are also common in people suffering from PTSD.
Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional if you or a loved one:
- have had disturbing thoughts and/or feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month
- if these thoughts and/or feelings are extreme or severe,
- feel you (or they) are losing control of your/their life.
Early treatment can help prevent PTSD symptoms from getting worse.
PTSD comorbidities
PTSD often presents simultaneously with other mental health conditions. Depression is the most common comorbidity of PTSD in veterans. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is nearly three to five times more likely to emerge in those with PTSD than those without PTSD.4 Other common comorbidities of PTSD in military veterans include anxiety and substance abuse or dependence. 5
Veterans Treatment for PTSD
One of the most frequently reported symptoms of PTSD among OEF/OIF veterans returning from deployment is sleep disturbances. 6 Sleep plays an incredibly important role in physical and mental health. See Sleep Helps you Heal for more information.
It is important for everyone to find drug free ways to get essential healthy sleep. Veterans suffering from PTSD need extra help in this area.
Acupuncture has been commonly used to treat insomnia in China for thousands of years. Dozens of randomized control trials show that acupuncture improves sleep quality. In these studies, acupuncture was superior to medications regarding the number of patients with total sleep duration.
Acupuncture plus medications showed better effect than medications alone on total sleep duration. Also, acupuncture plus herbs were significantly better than herbs alone on increase of sleep rates. 7
According to Chinese medicine, there are 2,000 meridian acupuncture points on the body. These points connect the body’s meridians or energetic pathways. Acupuncture is the practice of inserting very fine, sterile needles into specific points to facilitate natural healing.
Benefits of Acupuncture for Mental Health and Veterans Treatment for PTSD
Acupuncture has shown potential benefit in a wide range of mental health disorders including anxiety disorders and substance abuse disorders. There is growing clinical evidence to support the use of acupuncture for a variety of mental health disorders.
In 2014, Charles C Engel et. al. ran a well-designed randomized controlled trial. The trial compared the effectiveness of using acupuncture for PTSD. The subjects in the trial were divided into two categories: those who received usual PTSD care plus acupuncture compared to usual PTSD care alone.
The following is taken from Complementary and Alternative Medicine Approaches in the Treatment of PTSD by Gary H. Wynn
Acupuncturists in the study delivered a standardized treatment during the first four sessions to facilitate clearing of trauma, calming the spirit, and balancing the Qi. For the remaining four sessions, the acupuncturist was allowed to adjust the treatment based on clinical findings. Both groups were followed for 12 weeks.
At 12 weeks, the acupuncture treatment group showed significantly greater improvements in PTSD symptoms as well as improvements on ratings of depression, pain, and physical and mental health functioning.
In the study abstract,8
Mean improvement in PTSD severity was significantly greater among those receiving acupuncture than in those receiving UPC. Pre-post effect-sizes for these outcomes were large and robust.
If you suspect you or a loved on is suffering from PTSD, please seek treatment. PTSD symptoms usually get worse without treatment.
Call (772) 403-7640 to schedule your appointment.
Acupuncture for Pain Relief
Using acupuncture for pain relief has been an effective drug free treatment for thousands of years.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have been treating pain and illness for thousands of years. Many studies have been performed to measure the effectiveness of acupuncture. The Acupuncture Trialists’ Collaboration compiled raw data from trials where the main outcome measures were pain and function. They concluded that acupuncture is an effective method of treating chronic pain. Their conclusions included: 1
- acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain
- that the effects of acupuncture persist for up to 12 months,
- and that the benefits of acupuncture cannot be explained away solely by the placebo effect.
The report itself 2 states:
Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal, headache, and osteoarthritis pain.
Acupuncture for Pain Relief
Acupuncture involves the insertion of sterile, fine needles into specific spots to stimulate the body to heal itself. There are 2,000 acupuncture points according to Traditional Chinese medicine. These points are connected by meridians or energetic pathways. Energy or Qi (pronounced “chee” which means vital energy), flows through the body using these pathways.
In a healthy body, Qi (vital energy) flows freely. Pain, lack of function, or illness are signs that Qi has been disrupted.
By stimulating specific points on the body, Dr. Heather can help to restore healthy function to the body.
Advanced Wellness Solutions patients frequently tell us that they didn’t realize how much chronic pain was impacting their life.
The research makes it clear that chronic pain is bad for your physical health. Chronic pain can elevate blood pressure, pulse rate, adrenaline and cortisol serum levels. This puts hazardous stress on the cardio-vascular system. Chronic pain can cause elevated serum lipids and glucose levels.1
According Perry G. Fine, MD of the Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Pain Research Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,1 the long-term consequences of chronic pain include:
- sleep disturbances
- cognitive processes and brain function
- mood/mental health
- cardiovascular health
- sexual function
Living with chronic pain makes everything more difficult. Chronic pain can make performing the simplest tasks more difficult. It also has a significant impact on your mental health.
Chronic Pain Affects Your Sleep
According to the APA 2, healthy sleep has been proven to be the single most important factor, more important than diet, exercise, or even heredity, in predicting longevity.
Acupuncture for Pain Relief and Insomnia
Insomnia has been treated with acupuncture in China for thousands of years. Western clinical studies confirm that acupuncture may have a beneficial effect on insomnia.3
Chronic Pain Affects Your Thoughts
If you’re in chronic pain, you’re not operating at your cognitive best. Memory and attention care impaired in up to two thirds of patients with chronic pain.3
Chronic pain doesn’t just harm your physical health. It affects your emotions and relationships. It even affects your state of mind. Chronic pain causes changes in the levels of stress hormones and neurochemicals found within your brain. This disruption can affect your mood, thinking and behavior.
Chronic pain can influence your thoughts, feelings, and memory. It also affects your concentration. It can even affect your connections with others.
Chronic Pain Affects Your Emotions
The emotional effects of chronic pain include:
- Depression
- Anger
- Anxiety, and
- Fear of re-injury
Living with chronic pain can affect your mood. Chronic pain can make you more susceptible to depression, anxiety, and fear. Chronic pain can cause sleep disturbances, depression, and a heightened risk of suicide.4
Acupuncture for Pain Relief and Mental Health
According to studies, acupuncture may be a valuable for those suffering from mental health disorders.4
Chronic Pain Affects Your Heart
Chronic pain can lead to a chronic stress reaction. This in turn causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. This stress reaction can lead to a reduced ability to fight off illnesses and diseases. It can increase the risk for heart disease.5
Acupuncture for Heart Health
Acupuncture reduces stress and improves heart function, according to UCLA researchers.6
Chronic Pain Affects Your Sex Life
Chronic pain may interfere with sexuality for several reasons. One is the nature of the pain itself. Other factors associated with chronic pain, include mood disorders, decreased sex drive (libido), medications or stress. All of these can affect sexual function 6.
Chronic Pain – the Invisible Disability
Chronic pain is the “invisible” disability.7 What this means is it is possible to look like the picture of health but suffer from chronic pain. Chronic pain makes everything more difficult.
Advanced Wellness Solutions’ health care practitioners treat chronic pain. If they can’t find a way to relieve or manage your pain, they’ll refer you to someone who can.
Advanced Wellness solutions offers drug free pain relief treatments. Our goal is to help our patients achieve a better quality of life.
Advanced Wellness Solutions offers drug free pain relief using gentle chiropractic and acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
Gentle Chiropractic Care Provides Chronic Pain Relief
One of the things we often hear patients say after treatment is, “I didn’t realize how much chronic pain was affecting my life!” It’s very gratifying to be able to provide chronic pain relief. We’re happy to help our patients get back to enjoying life instead of simply struggling to survive the day. Unfortunately, many chronic pain patients suffered needlessly and only find us as a “last resort” after they’ve tried everything else.
Accepting new patients. Call 855-509-5400 to schedule your appointment.
We Accept All Major Medical Health Insurance and Medicare.
Living with chronic pain makes everything more difficult. Performing even the simplest tasks can be difficult when you’re in chronic pain. Whether it’s headache pain, back pain, neck pain or hip or knee pain, chronic pain leads to a stress reaction throughout the body. Chronic pain can cause muscles to tighten and spasm which in turn results in even more pain.
Studies show that chronic pain can elevate blood pressure, pulse rate, adrenaline and cortisol serum levels, putting hazardous stress on the cardio-vascular system. Chronic pain may also experience elevate serum lipids and glucose levels.1
So it’s clear that chronic pain is bad for your physical health. However, the damage caused by chronic pain doesn’t stop with your physical body. Chronic pain also affects your emotions, your relationships, and even your state of mind. Chronic pain is known to change the levels of stress hormones and neurochemicals found within your brain and nervous system. This disruption of the delicate balance can affect your mood, thinking and behavior.
People suffering from chronic pain tend to have poor sleep and sleep disturbances. This leads to fatigue, trouble concentrating, decreased appetite, and mood changes. Poor quality sleep, the frustration of dealing with chronic pain and the elevation of stress hormones can then depression and anxiety.
Overuse of Pain Relief Medication Can Cause Headaches
When you’re in chronic pain, it’s fast and easy to reach for pain relief medication. Unfortunately, repeated use of pain relievers can cause medication overuse headaches.1 Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is clinical diagnosis. It’s classified as a secondary disorder affecting patients who use pain relieving medication (OTC or prescription) more than two to three days per week.
The bad news: the most effective treatment for MOH is to stop using pain relieving medication.2
The good news: gentle chiropractic care can effectively treat chronic pain without drugs or other medication. Finding effective treatments for chronic pain can restore healthy sleep patterns which in turn can reduce blood pressure, pulse rate while lowering adrenaline and cortisol serum levels.
Accepting new patients. Call 855-509-5400 to schedule your appointment.
We Accept All Major Medical Health Insurance and Medicare.
Dr. Danielle Hurd, DC practices effective gentle chiropractic at Advanced Wellness Solutions. Dr. Danielle pursues a drug free approach to chronic pain relief when prudent and possible. If she is unable to provide chronic pain relief, she will refer you to medical professional with the needed expertise in the appropriate specialty.