DR SUGAR 's Medical Inspiration: Pain

Osteoarthritis part 4
HELLO I AM DR. SUGAR, YOUR INTERNET DOCTOR, HERE TO continue our discussion on Osteoarthritis. I will go into a lot more detail on other treatments for osteoarthritis. - - so if you are ready, let’s get started with a dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation which is referred to as a TENS unit is another technique used to relieve pain. It uses a small electronic device to direct mild electric pulses to nerve endings that lie beneath the skin in the painful area. It seems to work by blocking pain messages to the brain and by modifying pain perception.

Massaging is also helpful in relieving pain. In this approach to pain relief, a massage therapist will lightly stroke or knead the painful muscles. This may increase blood flow and bring warmth to a stressed area. However, arthritis-stressed joints are sensitive, so the therapist must be familiar with the problems of the disease.

Medications like acetaminophen, NSAIDs (like ibuprophen, motrin, or aspirin) and Tramadol may help to relieve pain. These are available as oral medications. Some of these are also available as injections and topical agents, which can be applied directly over the affected joints. In severe cases, you doctor may inject steroids in to the affected joint, which may provide short term but significant relief from symptoms.

Hyaluronic acid substitutes (visco-supplements) are sometimes used by your doctor to treat osteoarthritis involving the knee joints. These products are designed to replace a normal component of the joint involved in joint lubrication and nutrition. These are injected right into the joint space.

For many people, surgery helps relieve the pain and disability of osteoarthritis. Surgery may be performed to remove loose pieces of bone and cartilage from the joint if the joint is buckling or locking, for repositioning of bones and to resurface or smooth out bones. Surgeons may also replace affected joints with artificial joints called prostheses. Artificial joints can last 10 to 15 years or longer.
Osteoarthritis may be considered a life long disease, but many options are available for safe and effective treatment.

I am Doctor Sugar - - If you have osteoarthritis, it is important to work with your health care team to make a plan that works for your lifestyle. Thanks for checking in and If you haven’t already done so be sure to read all of the medical inspiration blogs on osteoarthritis. Thank you for your interest in Total Wellness. Simply click on my picture and go to my profile to see the latest medical blogs on a wide variety of topics. I’ll see you there.

Giving You Your Dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION,
Dr. Sugar
TO YOUR TOTAL WELLNESS!!

Reference
1.http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Osteoarthritis/default.asp
2.http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/arthritis/osteoarthritis.htm
3.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions
or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

The first Therapy that I utilized for my Painful Shoulder was a Massage. So let's gain some education and awareness about this method of treatment. If you haven't yet read my review click here for my results.

Massage Therapy:
Massage therapy has a long history in cultures around the world. Today, people use many different types of massage therapy for a variety of health-related purposes. In the United States, massage therapy is often considered part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), although it does have some conventional uses.

The term massage therapy covers a group of practices and techniques. There are over 80 types of massage therapy. In all of them, therapists press, rub, and otherwise manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body, often varying pressure and movement. They most often use their hands and fingers, but may use their forearms, elbows, or feet. Typically, the intent is to relax the soft tissues, increase delivery of blood and oxygen to the massaged areas, warm them, and decrease pain.

A few popular examples of this therapy are Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, trigger point massage, sports massage, reflexology and shiatsu massage amongst others.

What to Expect:
Typically, the patient lies on a table, either in loose-fitting clothing or undressed (covered with a sheet, except for the area being massaged). The therapist may use oil or lotion to reduce friction on the skin. A massage session may be fairly brief, but may also last an hour or even longer.

History of Massage:
Massage therapy (and, in general, the laying on of hands for health purposes) dates back thousands of years. References to massage appear in writings from ancient China, Japan, India, Arabic nations, Egypt, Greece (Hippocrates defined medicine as "the art of rubbing"), and Rome.

Massage became widely used in Europe during the Renaissance. In the 1850s, two American physicians who had studied in Sweden introduced massage therapy in the United States, where it became popular and was promoted for a variety of health purposes. With scientific and technological advances in medical treatment during the 1930s and 1940s, massage fell out of favor in the United States. Interest in massage revived in the 1970s, especially among athletes.

Who Gets Massage:
Dr. Sugar gets a massage at least once a month. I tend to carry a fair amount of stress and tension in some of the muscles in my neck and trapezius and I find a massage at least once or twice a month does wonders for me. I of course do not regularly do this on the beach.

According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of CAM use by Americans, an estimated 18 million U.S. adults and 700,000 children had received massage therapy in the previous year.

People use massage for a variety of health-related purposes, including to assist with pain relief, rehabilitation of sports injuries, reduce stress, increase relaxation, address anxiety and depression, and aid in general wellness.

Any Scientific Evidence:
Scientific evidence on massage therapy is limited. Scientists are not yet certain what changes occur in the body during massage, whether they influence health, and, if so, how. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is sponsoring studies to answer these questions and identify the purposes for which massage may be most helpful.

Massage therapy appears to have few serious risks if it is used appropriately and provided by a trained massage professional.

Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Research Status:
Although scientific research on massage therapy—whether it works and, if so, how—is limited, there is evidence that massage may benefit some patients. Conclusions generally cannot yet be drawn about its effectiveness for specific health conditions.
According to one analysis, however, research supports the general conclusion that massage therapy is effective.

There are numerous theories about how massage therapy may affect the body. For example, the "gate control theory" suggests that massage may provide stimulation that helps to block pain signals sent to the brain. Other examples include theories suggesting that massage might stimulate the release of certain chemicals in the body, such as serotonin or endorphins, or cause beneficial mechanical changes in the body. However, additional studies are needed to test the various theories.

Safety:
Massage therapy appears to have few serious risks—if a properly trained therapist performs it and if appropriate cautions are followed. The number of serious injuries reported is very small. Side effects of massage therapy may include temporary pain or discomfort, bruising, swelling, and a sensitivity or allergy to massage oils.

To Your Total Wellness,
Dr. Sugar

Your own Community Doctor- Isn’t that Sweet!!

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

References:
http://www.medicinenet.com/massage_therapy/page7.htm
http://nccam.nih.gov/
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/massage/

More videos from Dr. Sugar, MD available on

www.MyOwnMedicalDoctor.com

If you missed the beginning of this exciting story click here for part 1.... So here I am in the middle of the ocean – in the middle of the night and when I say my left arm hurt – my friend – I mean to tell you it really really hurt. I felt sweaty and short of breath and a little nauseous. I thought it was possible that I would actually pass out from the pain. And generally speaking I am pretty good with pain. There was a time in my life when my motto was ..."if you're not bleeding you're not playing hard enough"... yeah that was a long time ago but you get the idea.

Now if I was anywhere near civilization at this point I would have been waking my husband up and saying “get me to the emergency room something is seriously wrong here!” But civilization was not near and neither was any form of help so I took 10 vagus breaths and began giving myself a quick little physical exam.

Ok left arm pain - - does my chest actually hurt – NO – good then I am probably not having a heart attack…. But just in case I am going to take a couple of aspirin.

Pulse - - little fast but strong and steady - -ok good aorta must be in one piece.

Left arm mostly hurts in the shoulder but the pain is shooting all the way down into my elbow and then down into my little pinkie - - does my arm move ok – YES – I have full range of motion at the shoulder joint – good no rotator cuff tear.

Neck - - feels pretty ok – can move it in all directions – that doesn’t seem to affect the pain in my shoulder - - so I guess my cervical spine is ok - - thank goodness. Unfortunately, my thumb and first two fingers have now gone completely numb and my arm doesn’t have a whole lot of strength.

Hmmmm so what the heck is causing this pain? Why oh Why does it hurt so D!@#$! much and what can I do about it?

I like to ask people “How Old Would You Be if You Didn’t Know How Old You Were?” For me I would be somewhere between 26 and 28. Full of life – Working Hard, Playing Hard - - Having Fun and Loving Life - - - You can sleep when you die…. That really is me in a nutshell.

Suddenly in a flash this 26 year old was shocked by the reality that my body isn’t really 26 anymore and believe me I did NOT like this reality.

So I lay back down and suffered until morning at which time I told my husband I was dying. He laughed and said – “come on get in the shower – lets go see the Bahamas.” So I got up and got in the shower and the hot water did help a little. Other than the fact that there was absolutely no comfortable position I could get in, I was able to get dressed and get off the ship.

As soon as we hit shore - -there was a massage table set up on the beach offering BEACH MASSAGE - - and my husband said - - “Babe, why don’t you try that - - maybe that will help your arm”…. Great Idea

So....
Day 1 Therapy 1 BEACH MASSAGE
Price: $75.00
Time: 25 minutes
Results:Pain 9/10 at beginning of massage
Pain 7/10 at end of massage
Main benefit: at this point I realized that all this pain was coming from MUSCLE SPASM in multiple muscles and trigger points in and around my left shoulder and scapula and the muscles were in such a tight spasm that they were actually restricting blood supply to my arm and squeezing the nerves so tight that my fingers were going numb.

Once I came to this realization I felt much better (mentally) although not that much better physically. The masseuse said I should get in the ocean and swim and this might help loosen up the muscles so I grabbed the kids and we threw on some snorkel masks and we snorkeled for the next few hours. The arm actually felt pretty good in the water.

Rating: Thumbs up for ambiance (who doesn’t like a beach massage) and for peace of mind (at least I am pretty sure what is going on now)

I am Doctor Sugar and I’ll be back with more of this exciting story real soon.

When you have a medical questions simply click on my picture and go to my profile to see a wide variety of videos and blogs about wellness and self esteem. I’ll see you there!!


Would you like to join your Community Doctor?

These are the pictures from the fateful day when I damaged my shoulder. Looking back now it is pretty clear that as I reached behind and above my head and grabbed the top line, I strained/stretched the muscles in and around my left scapula/shoulder. There are also some tears in the ligaments and the whole area is in spasm.

So getting back to my story... We are now back on the ship after the nice little beach massage. I am still looking for some relief to my shoulder. If you have missed the beginning of this shoulder saga click here to get the scoop. I have some aspirin but it doesn’t seem to touch the pain so I called the spa and asked if they had any appointments for acupuncture. I was in luck. The doctor was in! Yes!

I have been receiving regular acupuncture for quite a while now. My friend Dr. Tara Perry who was on a BraveHeart View and was one of the guests at RISE is a very gifted Doctor of Oriental Medicine who practices in Beverly Hills, CA. I make it a point to see her every time I visit the area. I recently underwent a minor surgical procedure and my wonderful, wonderful friend Dr. Perry came to my hotel room and did an acupuncture treatment within 48 hours after my procedure and then again 5 days after the procedure to assist with healing. (That is a true friend) I currently get acupuncture about once or twice a month primarily for stress relief and to balance Qi. I enjoy it immensely.

Ok back to the shoulder problem. I meet the doctor, explain the problem and remove my clothes and lay down on the table. He inserts the needles and then leaves (as is general practice - - usually the needles are inserted and you are left to meditate while the needles work their magic).

Unfortunately, (although this is usually a very pleasant part of the procedure) for me and my shoulder this was not the case. At this point my muscles went into major spasm and I was in tears. Literally taking a vagus breath every 2 seconds to keep from flying off the table with needles sticking out all over my body. To say it was miserable is no understatement. When the doctor returned I explained that the needles just weren’t giving me the relief that I had hoped for… so in addition to the needles he also began doing acupressure to some of the trigger points that were in spasm, which helped immensely.

So.... Results:
Therapy 2: ACUPUNCTURE
Price: $177.00
Time: 35 minutes
Results: Pain 8/10 at beginning of acupuncture session
Pain 10/10 during session
Pain 1/10 at end of acupuncture/acupressure session.
Unfortunately this lasted only about 5 minutes until I put my bra and shirt on and then the muscle went back into spasm again and the pain went back to about 6/10.

Main benefit: total relief for 5 minutes which again re-assured me that I didn’t have a serious internal injury.

The DOM (Doctor of Oriental Medicine) recommended two products to me. I will do another post in a few days talking about all the products that I have been taking both topically and internally…so you’ll have to wait on the edge of your seat to hear about those.

Rating: Two Thumbs up for 5 minutes of relief and peace of mind that what I have is going to be ok ... it is just a matter of time. Also for my belief in Acupuncture in general and for previous excellent results.
One Thumbs down for cost. Granted I was on a cruise ship but I felt like $177.00 dollars for a session was not cost effective for the results.

I am Doctor Sugar and I’ll be back with more of this exciting story real soon.

When you have a medical questions simply click on my picture and go to my profile to see a wide variety of videos and blogs about wellness and self esteem. I’ll see you there!!

Would you like to join your Community Doctor?

**Ratings**
Pain Scale 1 to 10 with 1 being like a paper cut and 10 like childbirth or the worst pain ever
Thumbs Up Scale 1 to 3 (good – better – best)
Thumbs Down Scale 1 to 3 (not effective – wouldn’t take the time/money to try it – definitely would NOT recommend it)


The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions
or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world. As part of traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health through the stimulation of specific points on the body. In the United States acupuncture is considered part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

To read my review on a recent acupuncture treatment for my painful shoulder click here.

About Acupuncture:

If you don't know what acupuncture is, the easiest way to describe it is that the practitioner uses small gauge (exceedingly fine) needles, along various points on your body. The intention is to solicit a physiological response. Acupuncture is widely used in Asian countries to treat virtually any condition or disease: however, it is credited with being a noted pain reliever. Chinese practitioners use this healing art to treat whole body conditions.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: YIN and YANG:
Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. According to TCM, health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state"; disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of QI (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians.

Qi can be unblocked, according to TCM, by using acupuncture at certain points on the body that connect with these meridians.

History:
It will amaze you to find out just how long this alternative healing art has been around. Would you believe over 7,000 years? There is some proof that in India a very primitive acupuncture-like therapy was used on people at that time. In China over 5,000 years ago, fishbone needles were used on humans to obtain healing results.

Seven thousand years is quite the track record, and that astonished me until I found more information, which indicated that the first person to use acupuncture on animals did so in 480 BC in China.

Acupuncture obviously has something going for it when partnered with traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Although having said that, I should also say that this art fell out of favor in the 1940s because antibiotics were thought to be better for certain illnesses.

Acupuncture became better known in the USA in 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery.

It wasn't until 1983 that acupuncture was finally endorsed by the American Osteopathic Association as a recognized component of a diverse medical practice. This meant that "real" doctors approved of and used this healing art.

Who Gets Acupuncture:
Dr. Sugar gets a acupuncture at least once a month. I tend to carry a fair amount of stress and tension in some of the muscles in my neck and I find acupuncture assists with this as well as reduces overall life stress and balances Qi.

According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of CAM use by Americans, an estimated 3.1 million U.S. adults and 150,000 children had used acupuncture in the previous year. Between the 2002 and 2007 NHIS, acupuncture use among adults increased by three-tenths of 1 percent (approximately 1 million people).

What To Expect from Acupuncture:
Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. Definitely nothing like the needles I use to draw blood or give shots. In fact they are so thin that they probably shouldn't even be called needles. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people feel energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment. This is why it is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner.

Acupuncture Side Effects and Risks:
Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA, in light of the millions of people treated each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. However, acupuncture can cause potentially serious side effects if not delivered properly by a qualified practitioner.

Any Scientific Research:
There have been many studies on acupuncture's potential health benefits for a wide range of conditions. Summarizing earlier research, the 1997 NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture found that, overall, results were hard to interpret because of problems with the size and design of the studies.

Conclusion:
In traditional Chinese medicine, the human body is regarded as a small part of a large infinite universe. That body will then follow the governing laws of nature and experience good health doing so. You can see how this is applicable to the mind, body and spirit connection that I believe in and follow.

However, what also captured my attention about acupuncture is that the practitioner's goal is to diagnose imbalance in the life force, or the Qi, determine what the imbalance or disease is, and get rid of the cause by treatment. While traditional Western medicine doesn't always pay attention to imbalances in the life force, it does diagnose disease and attempts to get rid of it with various medicinal forms of treatment. Sweet! Do you see the parallels here?

To Your Total Wellness,
Dr. Sugar

Your own Community Doctor- Isn’t that Sweet!!

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

References:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction.htm
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/acupuncture-for-pain.htm

More videos from Dr. Sugar, MD available on

www.MyOwnMedicalDoctor.com