Pain Relief - Not Pain Management

Fibromyalgia refers to widespread muscle  pain usually at the back of the neck, the shoulders, back (upper, middle and lower), and hips. The pain can be moderate to severe, and may interfere with activities of living. In addition to pain, persons with this disorder have other symptoms, such as headaches, irritable bowel, mood swings, and non-restorative sleep (and with that fatigue). Depression is a common effect.

The cause is unknown, but it may be one more of the autoimmune diseases because people with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are more likely to develop fibromyalgia. The best theories for the cause suggest that the nerves which signal the brain on the status of muscles at any given moment send conflicting messages. The brain, it is thought, interprets this as pain. 

Fibromyalgia is not infectious, not hereditary, and is not the result of muscle strain or sprain. It is just plain painful!

Approximately 4 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia, and it is nearly 10 times more common in women. While it may occur at any age, the usual onset is from 20-50 years. For reasons that are not at all understood, there tends to be a past history of physical/sexual abuse and/or domestic violence.

Effective treatment may include prescription analgesics and muscle relaxants, including topical analgesics, although NSAIDs are largely ineffective in most people. Natural treatments that may be effective in some persons include acupuncture, IV supplements including magnesium. We find trigger point injections to be highly effective in some patients.

Migraine Headache is not the same as a tension headache and cannot be treated the same as any other headache.  While Migraines are episodic, during an episode the person who has the migraine can be completely debilitated - unable to work, take of children or others, unable to drive, unable to make good decisions. Very often, patients will try  to find a quiet, dark room to rest during a migraine.

A migraine will usually be described as a headache on one side of the head, with a throbbing pain behind one eye.  Patients will describe images of flashing lights, sensitivity to light and sound.  

Migraines may be triggered by certain foods (red wine, some cheeses, some spicy food or processed food), or there may not be an identified trigger.  The headache may last from one to several hours.

If you suffer from episodes of migraine headaches, please  don't suffer in silence.  Make an appointment for an evaluation and treatment.

Some medications are very effective treatment for many people with migraines.  CBD, caffeine, and even NSAIDs may help.  We find that an IV with magnesium helps many migraine sufferers.  Narcotic medications however, are simply not a good idea.

Arthritis is the medical term for inflammation of a joint, which includes pain, swelling, redness and limited movement.  

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis resulting from a deterioration of a joint.  Hence, we call osteoarthritis a "wear-and-tear" arthritis.  I see see this form of arthritis in people who have worked hard and worn out a joint - knee, ankle, wrist, fingers, and others.

Characteristics of osteoarthritis include involvement of  joints on one side of the body,  such as the right knee or the left wrist; stiffness in the joint that tends to lessen with 30 to 60 minutes of activity; increased pain with a change in weather patterns.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. Simplistically, you make antibodies to a joint, as if it were infected.  This tends to affect the same joint on both sides of the  body at the same time: both knees or both wrists, for example.

Gouty arthritis, sometimes just called 'Gout' is a painful inflammation of a joint (usually a Great toe) caused by the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint. This has been called a Disease of Kings because it is associated with a rich diet.

Psoriatic Arthritis is a painful inflammation affecting about one-third of persons with psoriasis.

There are effective treatments for all types of arthritis, but the treatment is not "one size fits all."

Sometimes, the reason for your pain may be a chronic disease that has damaged nerves, joints, or muscles.  When that is the situation, your pain just won't fit into one of the nice, neat categories found in medical textbooks.

While the treatment options are similar, there is also the opportunity to get to the root of the pain and eliminate that.  For example, Lyme disease is caused by an infectious agent (transmitted by a tick bite).  If we get rid of the infectious agent, you won't need pain relief any longer.

Why tolerate pain and the cost of pain treatment if there is a way to eliminate the underlying cause?