17 Dec 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Heat Therapy for Chronic pain

Lifestyle Tips for Chronic Pain, Therapies & Treatments, , ,
Simple remedies are often the best Those remedies your mom tells you to try, you know the ones.“Put your foot up. Ice it. Use the heating pad.” Can often be the best at relieving lower back pain. Heat therapy is one of those mother approved pain relief therapies. Using heat therapy to relieve lower back pain *apply heat for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. (same goes for icing an injury) Some of the benefits of applying heat therapy to injuries: Blood flow stimulation. Heat dilates blood vessels. When dilated this increases the flow of blood carrying oxygen…
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13 Dec 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Exercise Ball Therapy for Lower Back Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Therapies & Treatments, , , ,
The exercise ball therapy is an exercise treatment option for back pain sufferers and is designed to help prevent or minimize further episodes of low back pain as part of a rehabilitation program. The exercise ball is effective in rehabilitation of the back because it strengthens and develops the core body muscles that help to stabilize the spine. With the exercise ball, also called a Swiss ball or physio ball, an element of instability is introduced to the exercise that one would not normally get in a floor exercise. The body responds naturally and automatically to this instability to keep balanced on the…
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10 Dec 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

10 Tips to Prevent Neck Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Lifestyle Tips for Chronic Pain, , ,
It’s probably safe to say that most of us at some point in time have woken up with neck pain or can recall an event or injury that resulted in neck pain. In fact, at any given time, 13% of American adults (women more than men) suffer from neck pain. Neck pain usually arises from muscles, tendons, and ligaments—commonly referred to as the soft tissues—in and around the cervical spine (the neck). Muscle strain and resulting muscle spasm is often caused by an underlying neck problem, such as spinal stenosis, arthritis, or disc degeneration and can be triggered from trauma but frequently occurs insidiously, or…
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06 Dec 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Cervical Nerves

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, , ,
In addition to the seven cervical vertebrae, cervical anatomy features eight cervical nerve roots (C1-C8). These roots branch from the spinal cord and control motor and sensory abilities for different parts of the body. From there each cervical nerve is named based on the lower cervical vertebra that it runs between. As an example, the C6 nerve root runs between the C5 vertebra and the C6 vertebra. Cervical Nerve Functions Each level of the cervical spine actually has two nerve roots—one on each side—that branch off from the spinal cord. Keeping with the aforementioned example at the C5-C6 level, each…
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05 Dec 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

11 Pain Control Techniques

Lifestyle Tips for Chronic Pain, Therapies & Treatments, ,
To prepare for any chronic pain control technique, it is important to learn how to use focus and deep breathing to relax the body. Learning to relax takes practice, especially when you are in pain, but it is definitely worth it to be able to release muscle tension throughout the body and start to remove attention from the pain. Coping techniques for chronic pain begin with controlled deep breathing, as follows: Try putting yourself in a relaxed, reclining position in a dark room. Either shut your eyes or focus on a point. Then begin to slow down your breathing. Breathe…
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03 Dec 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Rheumatoid Arthritis vs Osteoarthritis

Chronic Pain Conditions, , , ,
Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis both cause joint pain and stiffness. They are both forms of arthritis but have different causes and treatments.There are over 100 types of arthritis and related diseases. Two of the most common types are rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). OA is more common than RA. Both OA and RA involve inflammation in the joints, but the inflammation in RA is much greater. Until recently, healthcare professionals believed that inflammation was not present in OA. OA and RA share some symptoms. RA can affect multiple joints in a subtype called polyarticular arthritis, and it tends to affect the body symmetrically. OA usually affects a few joints…
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29 Nov 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

5 Signs of Chronic Hamstring Tendinopathy

Chronic Pain Conditions, , ,
Just as your favorite pair of jeans can become worn and threadbare in the knees, your tendons can also develop chronic injury through wear-and-tear. Tendinopathy refers to a disease of a tendon. The clinical presentation includes tenderness on palpation and pain, often when exercising or with movement. Several terms have evolved in the medical terminology to refer to injuries that cause tendon pain: Tendinitis - acute tendon injury accompanied by inflammation. Why does chronic tendinopathy occur? There are 3 tendons in the back of the thigh that connect the hamstring muscles to the ischial tuberosity (the sit bone) in the pelvis. When…
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27 Nov 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Hip Labrum What’s That?

Chronic Pain Conditions, , ,
Made of tough cartilage, the labrum rings the hip’s socket, or acetabulum. The labrum is important to overall hip health and function. Specifically, the labrum: Facilitates the hip's range of motion, allowing the thigh to rotate in every direction, including forward, backward, inward, and externally Helps preserve proper alignment between the hip’s ball and socket Keeps synovial fluid, or joint fluid, within the hip joint capsule (synovial fluid reduces stress and friction and allows for smooth movement between the ball and socket) In essence, the hip labrum is a ring of cartilage that provides both support and flexibility to the…
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26 Nov 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Lower Back Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Uncategorized, , , ,
While older adults can experience pain related to any of the conditions that also affect younger adults, individuals over age 60 are more likely to suffer from pain related to degeneration of the joints in the spine. Two of the most common causes of lower back pain in older adults include osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis. Symptoms: Lower back pain and stiffness that is the most pronounced in the morning and in the evening Includes any combination of the below symptoms: Pain that interrupts sleep Pain that is most pronounced first thing in the morning and again toward the end of the day Localized…
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21 Nov 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Types of Arthritis That Cause SI Joint Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, , , ,
Pain in your lower back can be caused by many things including muscle pain, soft tissue pain, or joint pain. The sacroiliac (SI) joints can also be a cause of lower back and arthritis pain. Similar to the knee, the SI joint contains cartilage which degenerates over time. Saroiliac pain can cause different forms of arthritis including: osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and gout. When you feel pain in your lower back or hips, the pain can originate from muscles, soft tissues like tendons and ligaments, or joints. But it’s not just the joints of the spine or the large…
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