17 Oct 2023
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Peripheral Neuropathy in Cancer Patients

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatments, , , ,
Identifying the causes of peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients can be difficult. There are many common causes of peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients. Neuropathic pain is defined as pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Peripheral neuropathies arise from disorders associated specifically within the peripheral nervous system. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy can include numbness, tingling, pins and needles sensations, sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. There are multiple causes of peripheral neuropathy in patients with cancer, identifying the culprit may be complicated by a plethora of etiologies. The peripheral neuropathy can originate from the cancer…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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08 May 2019
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Neuropathy Awareness Week

Peripheral Neuropathy, , ,
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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14 Jan 2019
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Degenerative Scoliosis Treatments

Chronic Pain Conditions, Exercises to Help Pain, Therapies & Treatments, , ,
Degenerative scoliosis, also known as adult onset scoliosis, describes a side-to-side curvature of the spine caused by degeneration of the facet joints and intervertebral discs which are the moving parts of the spine. The main goal of treating degenerative scoliosis once it becomes symptomatic, is to reduce pain as well as any accompanying neurologic symptoms. Most treatments tend not to focus on correcting the curve because typically it is not the cause of pain. Most cases of degenerative scoliosis can be treated without surgery using self-care or assistance from a physician. Strength and Mobility for Scoliosis Increasing strength and mobility…
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09 Jan 2019
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Myofascial Pain What to Know

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, Peripheral Neuropathy, , ,
myofascial pain trigger points Skeletal muscles primarily function our way of moving by attaching to other muscles and joints. When those muscles get knotted up, like when you sleep on your neck wrong, or have a back spasm, trigger points develop causing the muscle to shorten and become dysfunctional. Myofasical trigger points prevent normal muscle function, not allowing the muscle to contract or relax as it should. These highly sensitive trigger points in the muscle can cause sensory, motor, and autonomic symptoms. When myofascial trigger points are not treated early, they can cause stress in the dysfunctional muscle fibers and…
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07 Jan 2019
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Rotator Cuff Injuries

Chronic Pain Conditions, , , ,
Should pain, stiffness, weakness, and loss of range of motion are all common symptoms of rotator cuff injuries. People with rotator cuff injuries sight pain, especially at night, as a symptom. Movement of the arm over the head, or reaching behind the back could cause pain as well. Patients report feeling the most stiffness in the injured shoulder when getting out of bed. Muscle weakness with lifting the arm, or holding it away from the body may be difficult. A rotator cuff injury may also result in loss of normal range of motion. Shoulders are complex joints that are capable…
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