One of the most common causes of joint pain is arthritis. It is estimated that over 90 million people in the U.S. suffer from some form of arthritis, but it is not the only source of joint pain. If you have joint pain and are above a certain age, you may dismiss it as arthritis, but that may not be the case. Here is what you need to know about arthritis and other types of joint pain, and why you need to know what is causing your pain.
What Is Arthritis?
Did you know there are over 100 different types of arthritis? Technically, arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, which can include a variety of different conditions. Osteoarthritis is what most people think of when arthritis is mentioned – this is the degenerative joint condition that occurs from wear, tear, aging and injuries. While osteoarthritis is by far the most common type, there are many others that can cause joint pain, including rheumatoid arthritis and gout. One thing all arthritis has in common is that there is not a cure, but there are effective treatments. Continue reading.
The occasional tension headache is a minor inconvenience for most people. However, when you begin to suffer from chronic bouts of this debilitating condition, it can impact all aspects of life. Getting to the root of the problem is the first step toward finding relief.
Tension headaches can present in pressurized pain in general or in localized areas of the head and neck. Once an attack comes on, your ability to function normally is severely impacted. This type of headache is brought on by issues such as stress, mental distress, lack of rest and overwork.
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Experiencing pain anywhere in the body is uncomfortable and unpleasant. However, understanding the source of your injury can help you determine if you should seek medical attention. For example, a sore knee following a fall has a clear cause. The level of swelling, range of motion and degree of agony indicates if the area can be rested or if you should pay a visit to the doctor.
Hip pain can come on suddenly or build up over time and may not have an identifiable cause. The hips are responsible for supporting the body with bones, ligaments and joints. This can make resting the area difficult as you may experience discomfort when standing, sitting or sleeping. Continue reading.
If you or a loved one suffers from chronic pain, you probably feel like you’ve tried everything to get relief. From switching from one medication to the next, exercising or not, nothing seems to make much difference. Chronic pain steals much joy out of life and prevents you from living fully. Alternative medicine often gets a bad rap, but you may want to give it a try to move out of chronic pain.
What is Alternative Medicine?
Alternative medicine is healthcare outside of the mainstream Western pharmaceutical-based medicine in the United States. The list includes many different specialties or areas of focus. For example, chiropractic care, acupuncture, naturopathy, homeopathy and Ayurveda are all types of alternative medicine that have been used for years. Continue reading.
If you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), you’re not alone. This repetitive-motion injury affects roughly 5% of Americans, particularly people performing data entry or production line work. The good news is there are many ways to ease the unpleasant symptoms of CTS without having to undergo surgery.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is formed when the median nerve, one of the primary nerves of the forearm and hand, gets compressed. Tendons in the carpal tunnel can squeeze the median nerve if they become inflamed and irritated. This pressure causes swelling, pain, weakness, tingling and numbness in the wrist and hand, sometimes in the arm. Aside from inflammation of the tendons in the hand and wrist, common causes of CTS include: Continue reading.
Peripheral neuropathy can be annoying, frustrating and painful for anyone suffering from it. Many people do not understand what causes it, and equally as important, they do not know if anything can be done to relieve it. Let’s look at what peripheral neuropathy is, why it happens and if successful treatment can be found.
What Is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is when one or more peripheral nerves are damaged or impinged. The peripheral nerves extend into the leg, foot, toes or the arm, hand and fingers. Underlying medical conditions cause peripheral neuropathy such as diabetes, Lyme disease, chronic kidney disease, HIV, cancers, vitamin deficiency and sarcoidosis. In addition, alcohol, some medicines and accidents can also lead to peripheral neuropathy. Continue reading.
Warehousing is a lifetime job for many Californians. When the pay and benefits are good, there is no reason to look elsewhere for work. There are also various roles available, with the prospect of moving up the chain of command based on experience and hard work alone.
However, warehousing is hard work that often involves heavy lifting and repetitive actions that can lead to injuries. You may not recognize the toll that the job has taken on your body until pain, discomfort and limited range of motion become chronic issues.
There is also a risk of suffering injuries in a warehouse, as the workplace is often a potentially dangerous environment. Inadequate training, poor storage practices and improper loading techniques are just some of the factors that can lead to employees getting hurt or killed at work. Continue reading.
Chronic pain can develop for many reasons. If you have experienced an injury that has failed to heal properly, this could become a source of chronic pain. Even when trauma to the body has recovered well, there could be underlying nerve damage that causes ongoing discomfort.
Some diseases may leave you with additional agony, such as fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Other conditions that can lead to chronic pain are stomach ulcers, gallbladder disease and cancer. In many cases, it is difficult to determine a single root cause of chronic pain. Continue reading.
Chronic pain. If you struggle with an occasional strained back or a bum knee that pops every couple of years, that’s not chronic pain. Likewise, suppose you deal with an excruciating recovery from complicated surgery and need heavy pain meds for a few days or even a couple of weeks. In that case, that’s not chronic pain either. Chronic pain is much more insidious. Chronic pain doesn’t go away.
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Most people will experience a headache at some time in their lives. In the majority of cases, treatment does not require professional medical intervention. Drinking plenty of water, getting rest and medication like ibuprofen will resolve most minor headaches.
However, some people suffer headaches that are extremely debilitating and frequent. This can severely impact quality of life and effect productivity. Severe headaches can negatively influence personal relationships and even your career due to frequent absences. If you are struggling due to problematic headaches, we at Allied Pain and Spine Institute would recommend a consultation with our specialist team. Continue reading.
