Chronic Pain Articles

Dr. Castillo is dedicated to providing information to help with healthcare decisions including articles about pain and pain management.

Fracture Risk and Spinal Osteoarthritis

Many health factors can effect whether or not fractures are a risk in spinal osteoarthritis. Spinal osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis in general is more prevalent in women, is more common in women over 50; but can occur in men. OA related fractures in the spine may be an under-diagnosed result of spinal osteoarthritis. Fractures that do occur […]

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, Uncategorized

Upper Back Pain

Upper Back Pain – It’s just Different The thoracic spine is complexly unique to other areas of the spine, making upper back pain different. Your neck and lower back tend to have greater range of motion and experience greater degeneration during the aging process do to mobility. Underlying conditions can also be the cause of

Chronic Pain Conditions

Stress Induced Lower Back Pain

Stress. It’s something all of us experience during our lives. But did you know stress could be a contributing factor of lower back pain? Whether it’s changing the way we carry ourselves, maintaining some physical activity, or finding outlets for tension (work, relationships, etc.) it is important to take care of our backs. Taking care

Chronic Pain Conditions, Therapies & Treatments

RA Hand Pain Hacks

Pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, or (RA) can make everyday tasks a challenge. And there are assistive devices out there that can help save joints and minimize excessive energy output. There are hacks that for these devices can be used differently to save you money and further joint pain. Let’s start with hacks to save

Chronic Pain Conditions, Lifestyle Tips for Chronic Pain

Leg Pain and Foot Pain Causes

Leg and foot pain can originate from other chronic conditions such as lumbar back pain. The nerves that control muscle functions in the legs are located in the lower back, and that’s where symptoms of leg pain can instigate in some cases. Symptoms of leg pain caused by the lower back conditions can include numbness,

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain

McKenzie Method for Low Back Pain

Of the many frustrations back pain patients face, the lack of a standardized or uniform treatment approach is high on the list. Especially for those patients with longer-lasting symptoms of sub-acute pain (lasting between six and twelve weeks) or longer than twelve weeks (chronic back pain), treatment approaches are very inconsistent. While the McKenzie Method is successful

Chronic Pain Conditions, Therapies & Treatments

Improve Diabetes Health With These 7 Must-Dos

By Riva Greenberg, Special to Everyday Health Medically Reviewed by Kelly Kennedy, RD A passionate diabetes patient-expert shares small but powerful changes that can help people with diabetes lead a happier, healthier life. Each year, we spend upward of a dozen hours with our healthcare providers, leaving more than 8,700 hours that we must take care of

Chronic Pain Conditions, Therapies & Treatments

Exercising with Lower Back Pain

Should You Work through the Pain? If you suffer from a lower back condition—like a lumbar herniated disc or spinal stenosis—your doctor will likely recommend exercise as part of your treatment program. But what should you do if your exercise regimen exacerbates your lower back condition? Should you work through the pain? Soreness vs. pain related to a

Exercises to Help Pain, Lifestyle Tips for Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain and Insomnia

Patients suffering from chronic pain often find their problems are compounded by insomnia and sleeping disorders. Among those with chronic pain, an estimated 50% to 80% have ongoing sleep difficulties. Back pain is the most common type of chronic pain problem, and is the most common medical disorder in industrialized societies. Back pain is also

Chronic Pain Conditions, Lifestyle Tips for Chronic Pain

Carpal Tunnel vs. Cervical Radiculopathy

The carpal tunnel is a structure in the wrist that contains the tendons that control the fingers and then median nerve, which innervates the thumb and first two fingers. When the carpal tunnel is too small and/or inflammation occurs in the tendons that run through it, the median nerve becomes compressed, causing symptoms such as

Chronic Pain Conditions, Peripheral Neuropathy
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