When Can Pain Be a Plus?

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Nobody likes pain, be it the pain of a stiff neck, a headache or your aching back.  So where’s the plus side of pain?  Pain in and of itself is just the body’s warning system trying to tell you that something is amiss, that you might be pushing your body beyond its limits.  In short it works like your home’s smoke alarm which tells you when a fire is imminent.  What you do about it and how fast you respond to these warnings can be the difference between an overdone pot roast to the fire department breaking down your door.

The same can be said of your body’s pain response.  Were we to feel no pain, our lives would literally be on the line 24/7.  In fact there is a medical condition known as CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis), that literally renders people with the condition unable to sense pain of any kind.  While this sounds like a gift to anyone who suffers from chronic pain, what you need to understand is that people born with the condition can do irreparable harm to their bodies without even knowing it. 

In a report by NBC News on an infant with CIPA: The doctor put drops in Ashlyn’s eye to stain any particles that might be irritating it. The infant smiled and bounced in her mother’s lap while the dye revealed a massive scratch across her cornea. “They put the dye in her eye and I remember the look of puzzlement on all their faces,” Ashlyn’s mother says. “Ashlyn was not fazed by it by any means.”

Once CIPA was confirmed, the problems became even more pronounced for her parents. “There were many things they couldn’t anticipate. Ashlyn’s baby teeth posed big problems. She would chew her lips bloody in her sleep, bite through her tongue while eating, and once even stuck a finger in her mouth and stripped flesh from it.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6379795/ns/health-childrens_health/t/rare-disease-makes-girl-unable-feel-pain/

Far from being a blessing, CIPA can turn out to be a curse with a lifetime of injuries.  Those with CIPA can expect to collect their fair share of burns, strains, sprains and broken bones that if left untreated can lead to more serious conditions.  While CIPA sufferers can overcome pain, one thing that they are just as susceptible to as the rest of us is infection.   Because while CIPA covers up the pain, it doesn’t stop the complications that injury can bring.

  

The Pain Pill Cover Up

This is one of the reasons that I am often astounded at the ways in which the public has been taught to deal with pain.  Turn on any television and it won’t be long before you come across an advertisement touting one kind of “pain reliever” or another.  Some of these pain pills are available over the counter and some require a prescription.  But one thing is universal.  These pills do not “relieve” pain.  What they do is mask it.  And therein lays the rub.

Just as those with CIPA, by masking the pain, what we are doing in essence is removing the battery from the smoke detector instead of confronting the fire.  (Which is why it’s illegal to do so in most states.)  While I’m not suggesting that people should suffer in silence every ache and pain that comes along, what I am suggesting is that when you hurt, there is an underlying cause that needs to be diagnosed and treated.  This is the real way to eliminate pain, by putting out the fire. 

What most people do not consider is that in many cases simple aches and pains if treated promptly can mean quick and long lasting relief.  Masking the pain and ignoring it can lead to complications, infection and more radical treatment down the road.  And unlike those with CIPA, many analgesics are habit forming to those who use them and that can lead to even more complications. 

While nobody starts out trying to become addicted to prescription pain pills, it’s a habit that’s all too easy to start and all too hard to quit.  Statistics show that twenty percent of the population in the US reports abusing prescription drugs at least once in their lives. Just as with CIPA, it is possible that there is an inherited predilection toward addiction.

Andrew Saxon, MD professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington stated that, "It's clear that some people have a genetic predisposition to addiction. There's something different in their brains to begin with and prolonged drug abuse likely creates further chemical changes.” http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/prescription-drug-abuse-who-gets-addicted-and-why

With more powerful and longer lasting pain killers flooding the market, it’s the availability of these substances that produce the kind of pain that chiropractic treatment alone can’t cure.  While not everyone who uses analgesics will wind up sliding down the slippery slope to addiction, the best long term solution to pain is to heed the warning and seek medical treatment that can put out the fire and keep your house in good order.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies. If you or anyone you know suffers from herniated discs, degenerative discs or spinal stenosis, visit http://chiropractor-orange-park-fl.com/ & http://chiropractic-jacksonville-fl.com

Above the Curve – How the US spends its healthcare dollars on spinal treatment

By Dr. Steven Warfield

While it’s common knowledge that healthcare costs in the US have skyrocketed during the past few years, most people have no idea how these costs break down for care associated with back and neck conditions.  While from 1999 to 2008, the costs of healthcare rose an astounding 95%, annual expenses for chiropractic care when adjusted for inflation were relatively stable.  This is a good thing, since more than 50% of adults will experience a back or neck injury during their lifetime.  In fact back pain is the second most common reason that adults in the US seek medical care.  (Upper respiratory infections top the list.)

While it’s hard to put an exact dollar figure on the costs associated with spinal issues, it is widely accepted that somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 billion will be spent this year alone on the diagnosis and treatment of back and neck pain.  Everything from x-rays and MRIs, from surgery to physical therapy are attributable to back and neck injuries.  Not to mention prescription and over-the-counter pain killers.  (Don’t even get me started there.) However, these costs do not include the $10-$20 billion in earnings that will also be lost due to missed days at work while convalescing.  When you add everything up, this brings the total cost for spinal treatment at well over the $100 billion mark.

While these numbers seem alarming, so is the incidence of spinal injury.  While slip and fall or automobile accidents are responsible for a significant amount of back and neck problems, these are by no means the only culprits.  Everything from overdoing it at the gym, to playing golf, tennis or some other sports-related activity can result in spinal pain.  So too can activities around the home or work.  In fact, one of the most common ways to throw your back out is to simply lift something the wrong way.  Puttering around in the garden is also another way in which to injure your back.

Kid’s Stuff

If you are a parent, caring for young children can present something of a minefield.  Whether it’s tripping over toys, or simply the strain of picking up your child, when it comes to back and neck strain, childcare is not kid’s stuff.  Even during play time, many times adults will overdo it in their zeal to compete with or corral a tot.  Not to mention the fact that toting baby paraphernalia slung over one shoulder is sufficient to cause spinal wear and tear that can ultimately result in a trip to the chiropractor.

Other than covering yourself in bubble wrap and refusing to get off the sofa, what can the average person do to enjoy an active lifestyle while avoiding back and neck strain.  (Let me count the ways.)

1.      Make sure your bedding provides sufficient support for your back and your neck.  This means checking everything from your mattress to your pillows. 

2.      Chair Check – Does your office chair have an adjustable lumbar support and more importantly is it properly adjusted?  If you routinely find yourself slouched behind your desk then it is time to either adjust or replace your chair. 

3.      Your computer is not your friend. Especially if you spend all day sitting in front of one.  Most desktop computers and all laptops and tablets force the user to lean forward to type while viewing the screen.  My advice is to get an external monitor for your laptop and to raise the level of the monitor at least a foot above the desktop.  This will allow you to sit upright and avoid the condition called shoulders forward that is primarily caused by the modern workplace.

4.      Lift with the legs as opposed to the back.  If you must lift something off the ground, the correct way to do so without straining your back is to squat down, grasp the item and then stand straight up. Do NOT lean forward, grasp the item and then straighten your back.  This is the surest way I know to strain your back.

5.      Hire a Coach – If you haven’t been to the gym in ages, or played a round of golf or game of tennis in more than a year, the last thing you want to do is go at it full bore.  Especially if you are over forty.  At least not without supervision.  Today there are scads of professional trainers who make their living by evaluating and supervising sports-minded people.  (Another person to consult regarding exercise would be your chiropractor, since he or she has been trained in everything from stretching routines to nutrition.) 

6.      Don’t let your green thumb turn you into a dead duck.  Aside from the fact that many garden implements can be considered lethal weapons, just the act of digging, pruning and/or planting is a hotbed for back and neck strain.  (So is shoveling snow, although we don’t have that problem here in sunny Florida.)  The secret to getting the most out of your gardening is to take it a little at a time, make sure you stay hydrated and be extra cautious around tasks that involve climbing trees and operating power tools.

While health costs in the US are predicted to do little but rise, that doesn’t mean that with a little common sense you can’t enjoy good health and save yourself an unnecessary trip to the doctor.  That in itself is priceless. (Or failing that I can probably get you a good price on bubble wrap.)

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org 

or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com

I'm Feeling Much Better Now

By Dr. Dave Edenfield

When it comes to chiropractic care, most people wait until they are walking wounded to seek help.  But what I would like to point out is that this isn’t the only or indeed best time to work with a chiropractor.  Instead of looking at your friendly, local chiropractor as an ends to a means of dealing with pain or injury, I would like to recommend that you continue treatment once the pain is gone. 

Why?  Let me put it this way.  Do you take your car to an auto mechanic only after it breaks  down or is involved in an accident?  I hope not.  You also take the car in for routine and preventative maintenance, such as changing the oil, rotating the tires and inspections of various moving parts every 10,000 miles.  The reason you do this is to keep your car running better over the long haul.  A well-maintained car costs far less to operate than a poorly maintained one. 

In essence, the human body is a machine.  It has a lot of moving parts that can wear out over time.  Just like your car, it performs better if it is well-maintained.  Many people spend a lot of money on nutritional supplements, work out routines, organic vegetables and diet plans that are designed to improve the body’s overall performance and increase their longevity.  However, what most people do not take into consideration is the fact that every part of the body is ultimately controlled and regulated by the central nervous system. 

In a nutshell this is what chiropractic medicine is all about: repairing and maintaining a healthy central nervous system.  What patients see is that their chiropractor performs spinal adjustments along with muscle and tissue treatments that make the pain go away.  What they don’t realize is that by restoring better spinal health, their chiropractor has also made it possible for the nerves that carry signals to the entire body to perform their duties better.  This in turn assures that everything from chemical and hormone delivery, to cardiovascular regulation, blood sugar levels and immune response is also improved. 

This isn’t a mere medical opinion.  It has also been proven in a number of scientific studies.  In one study published in 2011 in the journal Spine, a placebo controlled, double blind study tracked the treatments of three groups of 60 patients for ten months.  All of the members of the group reported nonspecific low-back pain lasting at least 6 months prior to treatment. 

According to the article, patients “were randomized to receive either (1)12 treatments of sham SMT over a 1-month period, (2) 12 treatments, consisting of SMT over a 1-month period, but no treatments for the subsequent 9 months, or (3) 12 treatments over a 1-month period, along with “maintenance spinal manipulation”

Results revealed that “patients in second and third groups experienced significantly lower pain and disability scores than first group at the end of 1-month period.  However, only the third group that was given spinal manipulations (SM) during the follow-up period showed more improvement in pain and disability scores at the 10 month evaluation.”

The study’s authors conclude: “SMT is effective for the treatment of non-specific lower back pain, To obtain long term benefits the study suggest maintenance SM Therapy, after the initial intensive manipulation Therapy.”

Best of all, a preventative maintenance checkup by a chiropractor is a great way to nip potential 

problems in the bud.  A checkup will include everything from a spinal examination to a posture analysis that will identify any spinal irregularities that can restrict movement and nerve impulses.  While correctable, spinal misalignments can inevitably lead to everything from impaired motion to pain and other health problems.  Far from being expensive, having periodic preventative maintenance checkups can actually save you money, since ignoring potential health problems can result in loss of income due to time missed at work.

Plus, if you are into leading a healthy lifestyle, consulting a chiropractor can also have added benefits since chiropractors are also trained in nutrition and exercise. Who better to consult on lifestyle changes or nutritional supplements than a trained medical professional?    

So, if you are looking to improve your quality of life and are already investing time and money in creating an environment that helps you live healthier, call your local chiropractor to schedule a maintenance checkup today.  You’ll feel much better once you do.

Dr. Dave Edenfield  and Dr. Steven Warfield are part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com and http://endyourpain.orgwho are dedicated to helping you and your family lead  healthier, happier and pain-free lives.  

In Search of the Quick Fix

By Dr. Steven Warfield

It is said that “Time is Money.”  In our fast paced modern society getting things done in a hurry is practically written into our DNA.  So when something comes along that threatens to derail our faced paced lives, be it a strain, sprain, backache or headache, we are in a hurry to find a quick fix.  For many of us this translates to reaching for the nearest bottle of pain pills in the medicine cabinet.  While many analgesics make the pain go away temporarily, what most people don’t realize is that by masking the pain, this can cause the injury to take much longer to correct.  In fact, covering up the pain and going about your normal routine may even create additional injury, the kind that can cost you lost days at work.

Another fact that most people fail to take into consideration is that overmedication, be it a prescription pain killer or plain aspirin is responsible for more harm than good.  According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, “In 1998 statistics showed that there were 14,253 toxic cases involving aspirin without being combined with other drugs.  Of those, 5,363 occurred in children between the ages of 6 and 19. Included in the total were 33 deaths related to aspirin toxicity.” http://blog.drugrehab101.com/2009/08/aspirin-effects.html

When toxicity occurs from aspirin, the following aspirin side effects may occur:

• Chronic ingestion may create anxiety.
• Various respiratory effects, from hyperventilation to respiratory arrest.
• Ear problems can also occur.
• Seizures are possible.
• Many gastrointestinal effects, including most often nausea and vomiting, but also hemorrhage and pancreatitis.
• When elderly people use aspirin to control pain, the increasing amount may create a state of confusion, which may lead to increased consumption.

We’re talking aspirin here which is available over the counter.  Acetaminophen overdose (acetaminophen 

being the active ingredient in Tylenol) is the leading cause for calls to poison control centers, accounting for 56,000 emergency room visits, 2,600 hospitalizations, and an estimated 458 deaths due to acute liver failure each year. If you want to see some truly frightening statistics, take a look at prescription pain killers, many of which are known to lead to physical dependency.  Opioid dependence affects some 5 million Americans and leads to approximately 17,000 deaths per year.  These statistics were so pervasive that it caused the federal government to change the regulations for the prescription of certain classes of pain killers.

In September 2013, the FDA announced that extended-release and long-acting (ER/LA) opioid pain relievers will no longer be indicated for merely moderate pain. The labels for these analgesics previously stated that they were indicated for moderate-to-severe pain. Now, the labels indicate usage only for management of severe pain that requires daily, around-the-clock treatment because alternative treatments are inadequate. The labels will also include a warning stating that long-term maternal use of ER/LA opioid pain relievers can result in potentially fatal neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. These announcements were made in an effort to combat the epidemic of addiction and fatal overdoses associated with opioid abuse. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/287790-overview

Another factor that many people fail to heed is the fact that once hooked it is very difficult to resist the siren call of opioids.  Withdrawal symptoms can include any number of the following and can persist for days or even weeks.

·         diarrhea, persistent shivering, and nausea

·         insomnia, restlessness, tremors

·         abdominal cramping, bone pains, and muscle ache

To get through these debilitating symptoms many patients wind up undergoing methadone or buprenorphine treatment, followed by a gradual tapering off.   

Being a chiropractor has meant that I have had many patients come to me who believed that they were unable to function without analgesics of some kind.  What I have been able to show most of them is that by treating  the underlying causes of pain it is possible to reduce and in many cases eliminate the use of pain pills altogether.  While treatment is an ongoing process that can take months to complete, what every one of them agrees is that when it comes to a quick fix, curing the underlying cause of their pain is worth taking the time to accomplish.

 Dr. Steven Warfield and Dr. Dave Edenfield are part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://endyourpain.org and  http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com   who are dedicated to helping you and your family lead  healthier, happier and pain-free lives.  

VAX D: The Non-Surgical Treatment for Back Pain

By Dt. Steven Warfield

Many people have at one time or another experienced the onset of debilitating back pain.  It could be the result of anything from trying to lift a heavy object to playing with their children.  All of a sudden there is a searing pain and then the body no longer functions as it should.  Trying to stand up or in some cases even walk is all but impossible.  A trip to the doctor’s office for x-rays and then an MRI reveals a herniated disk.  In the past this prognosis most often meant surgical intervention and a long recovery.  But modern advances in medical technology have produced an alternative to going under the knife for many people. 

VAX-D to the Rescue

Called vertical axial decompression therapy, VAX-D treatment begins by having the patient lie face down on a computer controlled table.  The patient, who has donned a pelvic harness, grasps two handgrips.  To begin treatment, the table separates slightly stretching the patients ba

English: Example of a herniated disc at the L5-S1. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ck. Therapy consists of alternately stretching and relaxing the spine in order to relieve pressure. The handgrips allow the patient to halt treatment at any time by merely releasing the handgrips.  .

Developed by Dr. Allen E. Dyer MD, VAX-D was developed specifically to treat herniated or degenerated disks by lowering spinal pressure to create a partial vacuum that can then retract the disk.  Many times even a large protruding disk can be retracted to where it is supposed to be using this treatment. 

How Effective is VAX-D?

The inventor of VAX-D, Dr. Dyer, recommends that patients only engage in nothing more strenuous than walking during the month following treatment.  He also states that,  “If patients receive this treatment five days a week, for a month, 70% of them will be free of pain. What do they do when it's done? They go skiing. Dumb!" he says. “When the pain is gone, that doesn't mean the fracture is completely healed. Exercise does nothing for an intradisk lesion or a herniated disk. What it does is put stress on a disk that's trying to heal." 

What Makes VAX-D Different?

Mechanical traction has been used for decades to treat herniated disks.  Conventional traction uses two harnesses, one for your chest and the other for your pelvis.  Using a percentage o

Stages of Spinal Disc Herniation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

f your body weight to pull the bones apart, some treatments use a static pressure while others rely on intermittent pressure.  The problem with traditional traction is that the chest harness is uncomfortable.  Add to this the fact that traditional traction can cause the muscles to tighten in an attempt to resist the stretch.  VAX-D eliminates the chest harness and produces results by creating negative intradiscal pressure that creates a vacuum unattainable by traditional traction or inversion tables.  VAX-D also differs from traditional traction in that the patient lies face down, which helps coax the discs back into place, since disc protrusions are most commonly posterior.  It also utilizes intermittent periods of traction with gradual increases of force.

Typical treatments last anywhere from 20-45 minutes.  The recommended regimen for treatment is 24 sessions over the treatment period, followed by a maintenance program.

Is VAX-D the solution for you?  Ask your chiropractic physician.  But for those who suffer from chronic back pain, this is one non-surgical option where the only thing you have to lose is pain.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies. If you or anyone you know suffers from herniated discs, degenerative discs or spinal stenosis, visit http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/& http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com

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Pill-Free Pain Relief

By Dr. Steven Warfield

When it comes to relieving back aches, muscle aches, or discomfort of most kinds, most people reach for a pill.  While pain relievers, either over-the-counter or prescription are one way to ameli

Pain Research & Management (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

orate pain, they aren’t the only or even the best solution. 

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy sounds scary, but it is anything but.  Unlike industrial lasers that use laser light to cut, therapeutic lasers work by delivering deep penetrating light energy that is absolutely painless.  In fact most patients report that laser light actually feels good, as it imparts a pleasant feeling of warmth.  The way that therapeutic lasers work is by using light to stimulate change at the cellular level. Cells soak up laser light energy and convert it to cellular energy, which leads to regeneration, tissue repair, and reduced scar formation.  Laser treatment can be used to accelerate recovery and potentially enhance the benefits of other treatments. 

The number of therapeutic laser sessions depends upon several factors, including whether it is being used as a stand-alone treatment, or whether it is being used in combination with other therapies.  As far as effectiveness, many patients notice a reduction in pain within a couple of treatments, while others may take up to 6 treatments before they begin to feel immediate relief.  And unlike pharmaceuticals, there are no adverse side effects from laser therapy.

Laser therapy can be used to treat the following conditions:

• Neck and Back pain
• Shoulder/Rotator cuff injuries
• Elbow tendonitis
• Wrist and hand conditions
• Arthritis or overuse
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Knee pain
• Shin Splints
• Sprains, strains and muscle tears
• Achilles Tendon injuries
• Plantar fasciitis/heel pain

(Below is a video that shows a therapeutic laser in action.)

Vaneton - Laser therapy opens new horizons of healing

Electrotherapy and Ultrasound

Electrotherapy is the application of micro-electrical current to the body for therapeutic purposes.  This also sounds a bit intimidating at first glance, but electrotherapy is simply the use of several electronic devices that can prevent muscle atrophy and spasms, increase or maintain range of motion, and alleviate pain. 

EMS gently and safely contracts and relaxes muscles to soothe and help them recover from injury, fatigue and/or soreness.  EMS units work by sending weak electrical impulses that stimulate targeted muscle groups. 

Ultrasound

Ultrasound uses high-energy sound waves that are designed to treat soft tissue.  Ultrasound is applied using a transducer or applicator that is in direct contact with the patient's skin. Gel is used on all surfaces of the head to reduce friction and assist transmission of the ultrasonic waves. The three primary benefits to ultrasound are:

1. A speeding up of the healing process from the increase in blood flow in the treated area.
2. The second is the decrease in pain from the reduction of swelling and edema.
3. The third is the gentle massage of muscles tendons and/ or ligaments in the treated area because no strain is added and any scar tissue is softened.

Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractors routinely treat chronic pain by using a variety of non-surgical treatments, such as spinal manipulation, to address chronic pain symptoms, such as inflammation and muscle tension.  This is accomplished by hand or by instrument to improve the range of motion in the areas used. Chiropractors are dedicated to the non-surgical treatment of disorders of the nervous system and/or musculoskeletal system.  When it comes to pain management, they typically focus on, but are not limited to, care of:

• Mid and lower back pain
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Joint pain in the arms and legs
• Foot, ankle and knee pain
• Carpal tunnel
• Bulging or Herniated discs
• Disc degeneration
• Headaches

In Conclusion

Before you reach for that bottle of pills, remember that masking the pain and truly alleviating pain are two different things.  If you or someone you know are experiencing chronic discomfort, contact a health professional that specializes in helping patients achieve long term, pill-free pain relief. 

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies. If you or anyone you know suffers from herniated discs, degenerative discs or spinal stenosis,  visit http://endyourpain.org

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