Solutions Integrated Medicine Blog

     Nearly everyone has woken up in the morning with a crick in their neck or a stiff lower back. Few would argue that it is possible to hurt your back or neck from sleeping in the wrong position. This is also explainable from a scientific/chiropractic view point; holding the spine in compromising positions for extended periods of time can easily cause disc nuclei to shift and misalignments to occur. Problems in other joints that occur from sleeping are also very common; it’s easy to over stretch ligaments and joints bursas when sleeping with your arms overhead or twist a knee joint too far when turning. So it would make sense to try to avoid the positions that might cause injury whenever possible.  

     Most sufferers will agree it’s the worst kind of headache you can get. Many migraine patients are completely incapacitated, sensitive to light and/or loud noises and must lay down in a cool, dark, quiet room to manage the constant throbbing. Besides disabling, migraine headaches can also be very difficult to treat; prescription medication that can be effective if taken at the right time, however is also so taxing to the body the patient is barely functional the next day. In most cases, the medication only helps manage the condition but offers no real resolution.

     When we study the cause of back/neck pain, besides a pinched nerve, the other major source of pain is the ligaments. The spinal column includes 220 ligaments, with only 23 of those being discs, however most medical treatment for back pain involve the disc. Yet, low back injuries are the number one cause of chronic pain and disability in the world today, despite all the emphasis on discs. The ligaments of the spine hold it together; when they become stretched, torn and damaged, they create areas of spinal instability – causing chronic pain, inflammation and recurring spinal issues. Spinal ligament instability is an extremely common reason for patients to have ongoing, chronic back and neck pain. The problem is there has not been a measurable method to detect this condition… until now!

     The latest regenerative medicine therapies we are now offering are much more than just millions of undifferentiated somatic cells (MSC’s). They also contain numerous other ingredients that work synergistically with each other to help the body reconstruct new tissue. Besides MSC’s, they also include exosomes, hyaluronic acid and certain growth factors specific for joints. These provide the body with the right building blocks so it has everything it needs to improve joint space. Original sources of the allograft cells are immune privileged umbilical and amniotic tissues (donated from healthy mothers who had live, healthy c-section births), so there is no chance of rejection. All donated tissue and resulting therapies are intended for homologous use, meaning the allograft is to supplement, repair and replace cells that perform the same function. In a degenerative knee joint for example, allografts are intended to help the knee joint produce more of the same cells to replenish what has deteriorated.

     While undergoing treatment, there is an optimum time frame for putting in the right nutrients. As the body is healing, it requires certain building blocks – all of which are supposed to be supplied by our diet. Unfortunately, the average American diet tends to deplete the body of nutrients rather than add to it. Even many popular weight loss plans that have helped may people lose weight are often missing the right nutrients the body needs during a repair process. This is why we always recommend supplements while a patient is undergoing chiropractic care or regenerative therapy.

     Sciatic pain that goes untreated rarely stays the same. For many, it starts out as occasional jolts of electricity that shoots down the back of the leg – often all the way down to the foot. As the condition progresses, the pain settles in as a frequent burning pain and annoying tightness that feels like you have to stretch all the time. Eventually, there is constant pain and weakness to the point walking or even putting any pressure on the leg is impossible. Many patients describe sciatic pain as a hot poker burning inside their leg that won’t let up no matter what they do.

     While x-rays are best for viewing joint deterioration and alignment, MRI is the best imaging for diagnosis of muscular, ligamentous/partially torn rotator cuff. In many shoulder pain cases, MRI helps surgeons pin-point exactly where the problem is so they know where to operate. For alternative treatment with regenerative medicine for shoulder pain, an MRI can also be extremely helpful for determining how complete of a resolution may be possible. Regenerative medicine works very well for partial tears but not for complete tears that require surgery and knowing this ahead of time is important for realistic expectations.

     Regenerative medicine is offering new hope to trigger finger sufferers! Also called Stenosing Tenosynovitis, trigger finger is a painful, annoying problem affecting the tendons in the hand that can eventually become disabling. Sufferers complain of pain in the palm or knuckles, weakness of grip and a catching or locking of the involved finger. This problem is usually worse in the morning with the ring finger, thumb and sometimes middle finger most commonly affected. Trigger finger is more of a nuisance than a serious condition, however if left untreated the affected finger/thumb can become permanently stuck (bent or straight) and this can be very disabling.

     Cold therapy (using an ice pack) is commonly recommended by doctors and therapists for acute injuries to help reduce pain and swelling. However despite its common use, its efficacy has actually yet to be proven in clinical studies. In fact, while ice may help with temporary pain relief, it causes a vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), decreasing the amount of blood flow. This results in a decrease in metabolic/enzymatic activity as well as decreased oxygen demand to the injured area, effectively slowing the healing response initiated by inflammation.

     For treatment of low back pain, many doctors start with conservative treatment. In medicine, this often means anti-inflammatories, steroids and/or physical therapy. While medication may provide needed pain relief, the result is temporary and doesn’t address the cause of the problem. Combatting inflammation at the wrong time can also be disruptive to healing, not to mention the side effects and addiction problems associated with taking medication. Therapy is at least natural, however often misses the mark as well, with patients commonly complaining of PT either making the problem worse, not helping or only helping temporarily.