Solutions Integrated Medicine Blog

     Often occurring from car accidents, spinal ligament instability is one of the most common reasons for chronic neck/back pain lasting for years after the wreck. This condition is often overlooked or misdiagnosed as it does not show up on regular diagnostic imaging. MRI, CT and regular x-ray fail to show it. When supportive ligaments are damaged in the spine, they can cause serious, ongoing pain and the worst cases can even be a criteria for spinal surgery. While most doctors miss this condition, we have great success! 

     Advanced osteoarthritis causes joints to degenerate and lose their cartilage resulting in instability and reduced space. In the knee joints, this causes extreme pain, weakness and eventually may end in joint replacement if the space gets thin enough. A common treatment for this is an injection of hyaluronic acid and is an effort to temporarily improve space and lubricate the joint. This is called viscosupplementation and helps many patients with pain relief and can even delay surgery, but often involves 3-5 injections. 

     Even though it’s been practiced for numerous years now, regenerative medicine is considered a new(er) branch of medicine. While treating joint problems with allografts and regenerative tissue products have been deemed safe and effective by the FDA, the science has not been around long enough for standard treatment protocols to have been established. Just as there are new products constantly coming out that are better and more advanced than the last, the same goes for the understanding and application of treatment. At Solutions, we have also been through a progression of understanding of just how these products work and what works best. 

     For patients suffering with severe knee pain that have exhausted oral medication, injections are commonly the next step. Cortisone is usually the first stop, but unfortunately causes damage to the joint and can be dangerous to use. A safer alternative is called Hyaluronic Acid, or rooster comb injections. Hyaluronic acid is a component of the synovial fluid inside your joints and acts as a lubricant. The degeneration that occurs in osteoarthritis also breaks down this fluid, so hyaluronic acid injections can help replace it. For more information about how this can help you put off surgery and where to get it here.

     If you’re going to spend money outfitting your car with new tires, it makes sense to spend a few more dollars getting them aligned and balanced at the same time. Even though these procedures cost extra, they are important details you don’t want to miss. Without good alignment or the right balance, the new tires are almost guaranteed to wear out faster. It seems few in their right mind would do this, yet we meet numerous patients willing to spend good money for regenerative medicine, but think they’re saving costs by skimping on the ‘extras’ – like orthotics, rehab or nutritional supplements. 

     When you’ve been through all the conservative measures of treatment and still have neck or back pain, the next step is often an MRI. It’s very frustrating however when the MRI is negative and fails to show a good reason for the pain. Unfortunately this is quite common in car accident injuries and whiplash. This situation is not only stressful to the patient, but also attorneys when there is litigation involved. Without a proper diagnosis, treating the cause of the problem will be impossible, adding further expense and time the patient will be in pain.

     One of the most common reasons for a total knee replacement is degeneration from Osteoarthritis. Most doctors advise patients to wait as long as possible for a joint replacement, so buying time can be a very important issue. One of the healthiest ways to do this is with a good knee brace. While most knee braces and compression sleeves will provide some amount of support, it’s important to choose the correct style to get the most benefit, particularly when facing surgery. The best type of brace to help with pain and possibly put off surgery is called an ‘unloader’ or offloading knee brace. These braces have hinges on each side and are adjustable in not only size, but also the amount and type of support they offer.

     Just when you thought things were getting better… While we have never fully recovered from the opioid crisis, things were starting to improve; and then the pandemic hit. A report dated August 4, 2021 by the AMA shows the COVID pandemic made our nation’s drug overdose epidemic even worse. (1) CDC data shows prescription opioid overdose deaths in 2020 hit the highest numbers ever recorded; 136 people/day die from prescription opioid overdoses. This is equivalent to a Boeing 747 crashing every 3 days and killing every passenger. In most cases, even when doctors cut off the supply, it’s too late… addicts will find their fix; 80% of people addicted to heroin started with prescription opioids. (2)

     Dropping items, inability to open jars/lids and trouble buttoning garments are just a few of the aggravations commonly experienced by sufferers of arthritis in the hands and fingers. Deterioration of the thumb joint, arthritic nodules on the knuckles and stiffness in the fingers can make normal daily activities arduous and painful. Severe cases of arthritis in the hands leave many patients literally crippled. Besides pain medication and topical rubs, traditional medicine offers very little hope for this problem. Prescription arthritis medicine is expensive, taxing on the body and rarely does much either.

     A good back brace can be extremely beneficial in both rehabilitation and injury prevention. Lumbar supports and braces for the lower back are readily available over the counter and also as a prescription. While purchasing a back brace from WalMart may be convenient, chances are high the product does not offer the correct support or falls apart after the first use. PLUS without instructions about how to use a lumbar support, there’s a high chance you could also be using it incorrectly. Without knowing when/how to properly wear or how to adjust them, back braces can cause more harm than good! Keep reading to learn the right way to get the most from a lumbar brace here…..