Author: Apex Health

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating form of chronic pain that results from peripheral or central nervous system damage. When the damage is peripheral in nature, it is often referred to as nerve pain, sensory peripheral neuropathy, or peripheral neuritis.

Neuropathic pain is really a disease caused by malfunctioning nerves. Types of neuropathic pain include pain that radiates down the leg or arm or follows and persists after back surgery or other procedures.

Even the lightest touch can set off a sharp or shock-like shooting pain in people with neuropathic pain, who often complain of symptoms, such as unrelenting numbness, tingling, weakness, or burning or cold sensations.

Left untreated, neuropathic pain can lead to a host of other problems, including but not limited to anxiety, insomnia, depression, and withdrawal.

Corsets, braces and splints are used in chiropractic treatment. A common application of braces is used to treat children with idiopathic scoliosis, or curvature of the spine.

Back braces are recommended only for children (girls between the ages of 11 and 13, and boys between 12 and 14 years old). The primary goal of orthotic treatment involving a back brace is to stop the progression of the curvature; braces do not normally reverse curvature that has already taken place.

The act of birth is both a joyous and traumatic event. Few people realize how traumatic birthing can be on an infant’s spinal cord. Even under the best of circumstances with highly trained and competent physicians, a baby’s nervous system can incur damage while traveling through the birth canal. Often, this damage manifests itself in the form of mild “subluxations,” or misalignments of the tiny vertebrae.

An infant’s spine is a delicate, yet sophisticated system of muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, discs, a spinal cord, and nerves. When pressure is applied on a nerve in your spine, the nerve energy is interrupted, and sometimes this can profoundly affect the function of other systems or organs in your body.

Subluxations create pressure or irritation on the various nerves in the spine, and can cause a wide variety of problems in a newborn. Possible injuries include breathing problems, brain bleeding and swelling, spinal cord and brain stem injuries, and neurological deficits.

Some experts believe subluxations are ripe for occurance during the birthing process because of the position the mother is in when giving birth, as well as the manner in which the newborn is sometimes “pulled” by the head and neck from the birth canal.

Subluxations are generally not life threatening, and many of us go through life with a mild subluxation. Left untreated, subluxations in later adolescent and adult life can cause a variety of problems, including pain, soreness, irregularity, and weakness. Subluxations also can contribute to a whole host of maladies, such as immune system disorders, learning disabilities, headaches, and visual and hearing problems.

Infant subluxations also have been linked to immune system problems, learning disabilities, headaches, and visual and hearing problems.

Many of us have heard about how ultrasound is used as a diagnostic test to explore disease process and injury in the human body. Diagnostic ultrasound, for example, can be used to look at joints, nerve roots, tendons, ligaments and muscles and pinpoint signs of inflammation and scar tissue. In some cases, ultrasound helps the chiropractor identify the proper course of treatment.

But ultrasound has another exciting application in the form of deep heat therapy.

Therapeutic ultrasound uses heated sound waves and applies the energy to soft tissues and joints. The fast-moving waves essentially massage soft tissues effortlessly and, in most cases, painlessly.

Therapeutic ultrasound:

• Alleviates muscle spasms
• Reduces inflammation and swelling
• Improves range of motion
• Helps increase blood flow
• Lowers pain and stiffness

Therapeutic ultrasound is typically applied using a small, hand-held wand.

Therapeutic ultrasound is often used as one method to treat lower back pain. It is not used to treat acute inflammatory conditions or in patients who have had a laminectomy.

It is fairly normal for most of us to snore from time to time, especially if we are tired.

The rattling sound we hear in people who snore is actually caused by the tissues in your throat, such as the soft palate and uvula, vibrating.

Some people, however, actually have a minor defect in their throat tissues. The defect prevents the proper amount of air from entering your windpipe. This condition is called sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a more serious form of sleep apnea. People with chronic conditions like this often suffer from restless sleep, and can develop more serious conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, and even congestive heart failure.

Restricted airways in people with sleep apnea are caused by many things, such as an abnormally large uvula (the small finger-like projection hanging in the back of the throat), blocked nasal passages, a poorly developed lower jaw, and in more serious cases, polyps, cysts, or a deviated septum.

Recent research has shown that the brain plays a role in snoring. In addition to physical obstructions in the airway, distorted signals from the brain stem can cause a malfunction in the muscles that control breathing during sleep.

When the muscles supporting the lower spine need to be strengthened, lumbar stabilization may be used in your chiropractic treatment as a form of physical therapy. Lumbar stabilization helps you develop strength, flexibility, and endurance and also has been shown effective in alleviating lower back pain.

The key to lumbar stabilization is achieving a “neutral spine” position. The neutral spine position is that which is the least painful but most sound posture for your lower back.

When your spine is in a neutral position:

• The discs and vertebrae are able to absorb shocks and other forces acting on the spine in an optimal way.
• There is less tension on the ligaments and joints of your spine.
• Your posture is centered.

Once you learn how to go to your neutral spine position, lumbar stabilization teaches you how to maintain that position through a technique called “proprioception.” Proprioception teaches you how to know where your joints are at any given time.

Lumbar stabilization helps you:

• Better control the movements affecting your spine.
• Heal muscle strains, sprains, and damaged ligaments.
• Know how to avoid future injuries.
• Reduce pain in your lower back.

In general terms, arthritis is a gradual breakdown or deterioration of the joint spaces in your musculoskeletal system. According to some experts, 8 out of 10 Americans over the age of 55 suffer from one form of arthritis or another. In many cases, arthritis can become so painful and debilitating, simple tasks such as opening a jar or holding a pencil can be difficult. Arthritis affects everyone in different ways. In some, joints in the spine, fingers, wrists, shoulders, knees—even toes—lose their normal shape and large amounts of fluid and debris fill the joint space.

There are many causes of arthritis. A major cause is simply age. Injury or suppressed or weakened immune systems are others. Some people have no choiceit is simply hereditary.

In most people, the body responds to the onset of arthritis by making extra bone. Your body makes this material in an attempt to shore up the degenerating joint. This additional material, or overgrowth, is called a bone spur or osteophyte. Bone spurs are typically found in the joint or disc spaces, where cartilage has begun to break down or deteriorate. Bone spurs sometimes block the spaces where nerve roots leave the spinal canal.

There are many symptoms of arthritis, including:

• Burning
• Cramping
• Inflammation
• Joint pain
• Loss of muscle control
• Muscle spasms
• Numbness
• Pain
• Stabbing pain in the extremities

Major types of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The degenerative form of arthritis that mostly affects the elderly is called osteoarthritis. In some, osteoarthritis may affect the spine’s facet joints, making it extremely painful to bend or twist. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage to break down and away from the joints.

Stripped of their protective material, the joints begin rubbing against each other, causing pain and impeding movement. This action further irritates the surrounding nerves. Advanced forms of spinal osteoarthritis lead to disc collapse and other problems. An equally painful and destructive form of arthritis is called rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation of the joint tissues, leading to pain, weakness, low red blood cell count (anemia), and loss of appetite.

Physical therapy has been shown to help people with arthritis.

Physical therapy can be used to reduce pain, restore mobility, function, strength, and flexibility, and prevent unnecessary disability.

Physical therapy can also help people suffering from arthritis to self-manage their pain, giving them a sense of confidence, empowerment, and hope.

Common exercises may include wall walking (which targets the shoulder joints) and the chair rise (which strengthens your legs and makes standing and sitting safer). Good examples of appropriate activities for those living with arthritis include aquatic exercises (such as swimming), walking, bicycling, golf, and cross-country skiing.

Like exercise, proper nutrition provides a wealth of benefits‚ both physical and emotional‚ that contribute to your body’s strength and its ability to ward off disease and disability.

A healthy diet translates into a healthy body; the proper mix of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are the best recipe for ensuring that your skeletal, muscular, nervous, and circulatory systems function smoothly.

Following are some dietary tips that will help you keep your spine, joints, and muscles healthy:

• Ample amounts of water are essential from a dietary standpoint. Water keeps your cells hydrated and helps your blood work more efficiently in carrying nutrients throughout your body. Tea, coffee, sodas and alcohol actually have the opposite effect. Drinking excessive amounts of soda and other carbonated beverages could interfere with calcium absorption, which may lead to bone loss and osteoporosis.
• Calcium (in milk, broccoli, salmon, and kale) keeps your bones strong.
• Choose foods rich in fiber. A good rule to follow is an intake of 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day. Foods rich in fiber include whole-grain breads and cereals, beans, nuts and some fruits and vegetables.
• Foods high in Vitamin C (such as broccoli, bell peppers, citrus fruits, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and strawberries) help ward off osteoarthritis. Vitamin B and amino acids may help reduce the pain from contact sports. Thiamine can help promote healing. Also consider Vitamin A to strengthen scar tissue. Fortified dairy products and fish rich in Vitamin D help preserve your cartilage.
• Organically grown foods usually have smaller amounts of toxins in them, so they are arguably safer and healthier.

Raw foods retain vast amounts of minerals and other nutrients, which are destroyed or diminished by the process of cooking (canned tomatoes are the rare exception here). Eat the skins of fruits and vegetables because they often contain more nutrients than what’s inside.

Walking is one of the most elegant, simple, and affordable means of providing your body with a host of fitness benefits. Because it calls into play so many different muscles groups as well as kinds of exercise, it’s one of the best things you can do to help ensure good spinal health, an efficient metabolism, and strong immunity.

Surprisingly, walking burns about as many calories as running or jogging, yet carries less risk of cardiac overexertion or risk of injuries, such as shin splints. A brisk 15-minute walking mile can do wonders for you.

Simple tips on walking

• Allow your arms to move naturally; don’t keep them rigid. The key is to relax while you are walking.
• Avoid carrying weight equipment, such as small dumbbells.
• Be mindful of the kind of surface on which you walk. The most ideal kind of surface is cushioned or rubberized, although it is hard to find anywhere except an indoor track or fitness facility. Grass is another semi-ideal surface because it “gives” to your weight. Concrete, tile, stone or linoleum floors are among the worst kinds of surfaces on which to walk.
• Experts generally agree that you should start out walking about 20 minutes several days a week, gradually increasing that to 30, 40, 50 minutes, and so on.
• In colder months, layer your clothing. This will allow your body to trap heat that it needs and shed heat that it doesn’t need.
• Invest in a good quality pair of walking or running shoes that give you plenty of support in the heel, ball, and arch. Uppers should be composed of breathable materials, such as nylon or leather. Keep your head and chin up at all times. This not only ensures a neutral spine, but also keeps you alert to dangers, such as cars or other hazards.
• Walk briskly.

Many of us are familiar with the terms “slipped disc” and “herniated disc.” But few people outside the medical profession truly understand how critical their spinal discs are. Without discs, our vertebrae would grind against each other and our spines would collapse under the strain.

A whole host of things can go wrong with a vertebral disc over a lifetime. A traumatic injury can crush or misplace a disc. An excessive pulling or lifting accident at home or on the job can force a disc out of position. And for some of us, simply getting older can cause a disc to deteriorate. This is usually called degenerative disc disease.

First, what exactly is a disc?

Vertebral discs are the shock absorbers that are found between vertebral bodies. Each disc is essentially sandwiched between two vertebrae supported by ligaments. Composed of collagen, discs have a tough outer core and a soft inner core. When you are born, these discs are mostly water. As you get older, the discs slowly lose their water content and get harder. As they dehydrate over time, your discs provide less of that soft and cushy support they provided when they were new. Because they have no blood supply and few nerve endings, discs are unable to repair themselves. Disc degeneration can be painful in later years; in some cases, the inner core of the discs leak proteins that can inflame the nerve roots.

Common disc disorders

Disc disorders are generally classified as contained discs or noncontained discs. Contained discs are discs that are essentially intact, but protruding where they do not belong. Noncontained discs are ruptured discs that also may protrude into another area of the spine, leaking their fluid and causing havoc.

A common contained disc disorder is a bulging disc. Bulging discs may push into the spinal canal. A common noncontained disc disorder is a herniated disc, which has ruptured, usually at its weakest point. The fluid inside herniated discs is an irritant to the delicate soft tissues of the spinal cord, none the least being the nerves. Nerves that have become exposed to this fluid often swell in response. In some cases, parts of a herniated disc’s tough outer shell can break off into the spinal canal, causing further irritation.

The vast majority of herniated discs occur in the lower back or lumbar region. When a lumbar herniated disc presses on a nerve root, it can cause radiating pain, numbness and weakness in other areas of the body, including the buttocks, leg, ankles and toes. Ironically, in many cases, a person with a herniated disc will not feel back or neck pain.

Cervical (neck) discs that have herniated can cause radiating pain and numbness down an arm and into the wrist and hand. Other types of symptoms include shoulder pain and numbness, as well as muscle and reflex weakness.