19 Sep 2023
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Fix Pain After Back Surgery

Therapies & Treatments, , , , ,
Dr. Castillo's thoughts about intrathecal pain pump management for treating back pain after surgeries. Intrathecal pain pump management is a proven safe and effective therapy for chronic pain control after back surgery. I send a lot of patients for back surgery, when they have chronic back or neck pain. There are patients in danger of hurting a nerve in their spine which allows them to function. The purpose of back surgery is to fix a problem with the spine and stabilize the spine. Some people have no back pain after surgery, and we don’t talk about these outcomes. A lot…
Read More
27 Sep 2022
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Chronic Pain Patient: Let’s Talk Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, , ,
I was told September is “Pain Awareness Month.” Pain is strictly an individual concept, especially for chronic pain patients. Medicine uses a blank line that is 10 centimeters long, numbered 0 to 10 with smiley faces to crying faces, as well as other methods to measure pain. None of these methods are really appropriate for measuring pain across all patients. Or have been shown the ability to cross reference to another person’s pain. There is no consistent way to deal with an individual’s chronic pain, because what can be an 8 to one person is a 3 to another. Pain,…
Read More
09 May 2022
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Recreation Therapy Into Pain Management

Lifestyle Tips for Chronic Pain, Therapies & Treatments, , ,
Improving strength and flexibility does not have to be all work and no play. Learn how to get patients to pick up fun sports and hobbies. Especially sports and hobbies that also strengthen their core, lighten their mood, and reduce their pain. Deconditioning and immobility are 2 major affects of chronic pain. Therefore, it's important for physicians to encourage patients to participate in a sport or hobby, and have fun again. According to the American Therapeutic Recreation Association, recreation therapy is a treatment service. Recreation therapy is designed to restore, remediate, and rehabilitate a person’s level of functioning and independence…
Read More
30 Mar 2022
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Pain: Acute vs. Chronic

Chronic Pain Conditions, ,
Broken bones are an example of acute pain Acute and chronic pain have important differences that can give physicians important clues for diagnosing and treating pain. And the types of pain are different, in some cases acute pain can develop into chronic pain. Acute Pain By definition it is temporary, and it may occur suddenly usually associated with an injury or illness. However with time it can heal with recovery from injury or illness. Acute pain serves as the body’s alarm system to prevent further trauma. Like a strained muscle, resting the muscle prevents further injury, giving the muscle time…
Read More
03 Mar 2021
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Talking Pain to a Doctor

Chronic Pain Conditions, Lifestyle Tips for Chronic Pain, Therapies & Treatments, , , ,
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…
Read More
30 Sep 2019
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

The Physical Exam

Chronic Pain Conditions, Sunday Thoughts for Monday Morning, Therapies & Treatments, , ,
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
19 Nov 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Gate Control Theory of Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Chronic Pain News, ,
In gate control theory, experiencing pain can be caused by a complex interaction of the central and peripheral nervous system and how they process pain signals. Pain is more complex than was previously understood, gate control theory of pain was created in the 1960s by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall. Gate control theory of pain states that non-painful signals closes the "gates" to painful signals, preventing pain sensation from traveling to the central nervous system. And it gives reason to believe there can be psychological factors that influence the experience of pain. Depending on the situation pain can be experienced differently…
Read More
16 Oct 2018
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Plantar Fasciitis Remedies and Exercises

Chronic Pain Conditions, Therapies & Treatments, , ,
Plantar fasciitis is a very common and uncomfortable condition of the foot, but there are plantar fasciitis home remedies that can help ease symptoms, including specific plantar fasciitis exercises. The condition is associated with repetitive strain from running, hiking, and sports like soccer. For some people, this type of injury is linked to occupation. For instance, if a person must stand for a long period of time on a hard surface, it could lead to plantar fasciitis. Dancers are also prone to this strain injury. Research shows that people who have flat feet or high arches are more likely to…
Read More