Talking Pain to a Doctor

How to Talk about Pain to a Doctor On a scale of 0 to 10 what is your pain? Patients who are asked to describe the level of their pain to a doctor using a numerical scale or smiley faces. Pain scales are used from diagnosis to recovery and often help guide treatment. While the pain scale helps evaluate the level of pain a patient feels, it’s not the whole story. Here are a few ways of talking to your doctor about pain, to help assess the best treatment options for you. Be Creative Descriptive words can often be helpful…
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The Physical Exam

by: Dr. Michael A. Castillo I have a medical pet peeve lately, physicians relying on MRIs and EMG to make diagnoses, without performing a physical exam. Medicine is an honor to have a career in because you get to touch people physically and emotionally. It comes with a great deal of responsibility. I am getting more referrals where a patient hasn’t been physically examined. The patient tells me what is wrong in the history because the MRI says so. The proper order is History, Physical Examination, and then Tests (MRI, X-rays, Nerve Tests, et al) to create a diagnosis. A…
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Knee Pain

by: Dr. Michael A. Castillo We use our legs every day, and as result knee pain is common either from wear and tear, or injury. The first thing we need to understand is what is wrong with the knee. Best practices for knee pain diagnosis are a physical exam and an MRI. As there can be injury to the internal knee as well as the external knee, sometimes both parts. There can be three approaches to treating the knee: internal injections with hyaluronic acid (roster comb), external injections with steroid or natural anti-inflammatory injections, regenerative medicine, and surgery (endoscopic and…
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Caring, Quiet, and Hugs

by: Dr. Michael A. Castillo I am in Albuquerque for the next week. I came to see my son, and my father. My Uncle Leo passed on Friday. My daughter, wife, and I were present. My daughter was holding his hand. She cared enough to sit with him the last few days of his life believing someone should be present. The same should happen during life. Please remember your family members today for they will one day not be with us on this earth but only in our hearts and memories. For people in pain or just needing rest, the…
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Pain Causing Dermatomes

What are Dermatomes? A dermatome is an area of skin in which sensory nerves derive from a single nerve root. These nerves can cause pain within the dermatome area. The body is divided into specific regions called dermatomes. A dermatome refers to the part of the embryonic somite. The spinal cord is broken up into 31 dermatome segments. Each segment has a pair (left and right) of ventral (frontal) and dorsal (posterior) nerve roots; which relays motor and sensory nerve sensations, including pain. Combined on each side of the body the anterior and posterior nerve roots form the spinal nerves…
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Neuropathy Awareness Week

May 5th thru the 12th is National Neuropathy Awareness Week. Neuropathy is a chronic condition that affects millions of people in America. While there is no cure for neuropathy, there are ways to manage the pain associated with it. Many groups including the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy and the American Health Council help patients dealing with pain find additional resources such as mental health guides for managing pain. As well as garnering support for research funding to learn more about peripheral neuropathy. So this Neuropathy Awareness week, take time to learn more about this condition and how it can affect…
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Untraditional Approach to Sports Injuries

If a sports injury does not respond to nonsurgical treatments Dr. Castillo may recommend regenerative medicine therapy Some sports injuries heal fairly quickly on their own with rest and mild activity. While others are like a torn ACL, are unlikely to heal with traditional treatments. Now regenerative medicine such as PRP therapy, Stem Cell Therapy, and others may be able to help heal sports injuries. These regenerative treatments can help get players back on the field quicker. What is Regenerative Medicine? Regenerative medicine is the process of using cells to create newly functional tissues or repair tissue damaged from aging,…
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Regenerative Therapies for Osteoarthritis

Reactions to new materials or objects is eliminated with stem cell therapies as the patient’s own cells. Joint pain has become a growing problem with the extended life expectancy in the US. There are about 1 million joint replacement surgeries performed in the US annually. With that the number projecting to increase to nearly 4 million by 2030. Some people continue to live with arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other joint pain – some because of lack of treatment options or a fear of surgery as an option. Regenerative therapies for osteoarthritis While joint replacements have been an option for people suffering…
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Stem Cells The Next Frontier

From diabetes to spinal cord injuries, stem cells have the potential to treat diseases and ailments of all types. And the list continues to grow. Regenerative medicine has become a beneficial option for patients with back problems. Stem cells could be the next frontier in pain management Advances have enabled spinal surgeons to use stem cells to treat patients helping in the regeneration of degenerated discs, healing spinal cord injuries, and helping bone growth in spinal fusions – according to a study in the World Journal of Stem Cells. Regenerative cell injections are also a viable option for patients suffering…
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Nerve Pain Fighting Research

Phantom limb pain is the perception of pain or feeling a missing limb after amputation, and it relatively common. Currently it is unknown byresearchers if the effect initiates from the nervous system or is psychological. But research on regenerative targeted muscle reinnervation techniques could soon change how phantom limb pain is treated. Regenerative targeted muscle reinnervation is a new technique being used to treat phantom limb pain. A study from the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State and the College of Medicine focuses on improving patient care by stopping phantom limb pain before it begins. Dr. Ian Valerio, who is…
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