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What Causes Spinal Stenosis? What Are The Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Available Treatment?

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Spinal stenosis causes wear and tear in the spine leading to the advanced stage of arthritis. Spinal stenosis is a result of a reduction in the space in the backbone.

What is spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis involves losing space inside the spinal canal. Just like you can have stenosis of the freeways when there are a lot of cars going through, you can have encroachment on the spinal canal. Now, it’s most common in the lumbar part of the spine, which is the lower back. Degenerative changes can take up space inside that canal. Less space means more pressure on the nerves and thus more irritation.

What does pain from spinal stenosis feel like?

Spinal stenosis pain is mostly felt in the back or in the legs. But spinal stenosis may not cause any pain at all. It can cause more intense symptoms such as progressive weakness in the lower extremities, again, meaning the legs. If it gets bad enough, it can also cause some bodily functions to lose control, such as the bladder and bowel movements.

What is the main cause of spinal stenosis?

The main cause of spinal stenosis is degenerative arthritis or instability in the spine. Some of the symptoms of spinal stenosis could be numbness in the legs due to pinched nerves, and loss of motor function as well into the lower extremities. The symptoms are mostly as you might take notice, caused by squeezing of the nerve root. Symptoms again most often occur in the lower extremities or the legs. Standing or walking can sometimes exacerbate or make your symptoms feel a lot worse.

How is spinal stenosis diagnosed?

Spinal stenosis is predominantly diagnosed with either an MRI or a CAT scan, and it’s reviewed by a radiologist and discussed with your primary care.

What part of the body does spinal stenosis affect?

It can definitely affect the neck, back, or low back. Meaning the mid back or low back. It can also cause difficulty with walking. Classic spinal stenosis can be presented with shorter distances of you being able to walk, along with much more.

How does Spinal Stenosis affect the body?

First and foremost, Spinal Stenosis can affect the neck, mid back, or the low back. Depending on what parts of the body it affects, you may get different types of symptoms. Some symptoms may be an effect of Spinal Stenosis of the lower part of the body, meaning the lumbar – could be difficulty with walking. Sometimes you may even be able to walk shorter distances, but you tire much quicker than you normally might. Spinal stenosis can also affect the neck and upper back. With those, you may get more arm & hand symptoms.

What types of people are prone to developing Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis generally affects the older population, so we’re looking at 60, 70 plus. As we age, there are more chances of degenerative arthritis, which can cause spurring and consequently, Spinal stenosis.

More reading we think you’ll like:

Can spinal stenosis be cured?

Spinal Stenosis is not curable. Good therapy and some activity modification can help to manage it. If the case shows severe symptoms, experts will immediately recommend surgery.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

What are the best treatments to cure or manage Spinal stenosis?

If spinal stenosis gets severe enough, experts may recommend surgery to free up or decompress the nerves, causing less inflammation and less irritation. Professionals make use of the decompression fusion process to achieve this.

Surgery is indicated with advanced arthritis leading to pinching of the nerve or instability of the spine. Remedies that you can do to prevent getting to a point of surgery would be chiropractic treatments, acupuncture treatments, and physical therapy. That would be the best three-prong approach. The chiropractic is great, therefore really loosening up the joints, taking pressure off the nerves. Where acupuncture comes in is decreasing inflammation and irritation around the nerves and eventually, you’re going to want to strengthen those muscles and ligaments around the spine to help hold the structure. So physical therapy or rehabilitation is important mostly long term. So again, chiropractic, acupuncture, and physical therapy are definite musts with spinal stenosis.

Other things that could definitely be beneficial would be palliative care such as massage therapy, as well as flexion-distraction types of exercises that can help pump the lower back. And this pumping mechanism with these flexion distraction exercises can help get nutrients and water through an imbibition process to the discs to help really get all the nutrients to the disks as quickly as possible.

How can a person suffering from Spinal stenosis cope with the disease?

In addition to doing the recommended therapy, it’s important to keep active, keep moving and keep things fluid. Going on daily walks can help. Experts recommend more flat walking, so avoid hilly areas and high elevations.

Another thing that could be very beneficial would be swimming. Swimming kind of helps take the weight off the body and takes your joints through a full range of motion, loosening up the area, and de-inflaming the area.

Making sure that you have good sleep ergonomics, as well as sitting and standing ergonomics. So it’s important to get an Ergonomic professional to possibly take a look at your setup to make sure that you’re doing everything you can possibly not to irritate the area any further. One thing to note is that when Spinal stenosis gets bad enough, it can cause radiating symptoms. So symptoms down the legs as well as bowel and bladder dysfunction. If we get to this point, it’s really important to get to the emergency room as quickly as possible. This could indicate a surgical intervention and that’s probably what our experts at Truspine would recommend at that point in time.

Are you having shooting pains down the back of your legs? This could be spinal stenosis. At our San Francisco clinic, we have spinal stenosis experts that are ready to take action, evaluate and give you the right and best care plan. It’s important to get a very thorough examination. Give us a (415) 421-1115.

You can schedule an appointment with our San Francisco chiropractor to get correctly diagnosed or have a free 15-minute phone consultation.

Does Chiropractic Help? Yes, it helps with these 3 health concerns

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A common misconception about chiropractic care is that the practice isn’t an authentic medical treatment. I would like to set the record straight by saying that chiropractors are designated as physician-level providers. This means that they are medically trained to treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system.

Herniated_Disc_Treatment

The ACA estimates that chiropractors treat more than 35 million Americans annually for a range of health concerns. Three in every group of four people describe chiropractic care as very effective. What top health concerns are among those that ail the general population, and how do chiropractic adjustments address these? Keep reading to find out.

Who Should I See For Back Pain?

Your first choice should be to look for a non-surgical treatment that focuses on spinal manipulation and mobilization. We now know that chiropractic adjustments can restore the mobility of joints that get restricted due to tissue injury. As we’ve previously discussed in A Blessing for Back Pain Relief, this tackles the root of the problem of back pain — which can be either a stuck joint, a muscle sprain, or a strain.

An estimated 40% of Americans with lower back pain or more than 7.7 million people would rather see a chiropractor than a medical doctor. This is because the latter’s specialty would be the management of pain through the prescription of muscle relaxers, pain relievers, and inflammatory reducers. The former enables our body’s self-healing process without medication or surgery.

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Can Chiropractic Care Help Quick Smoking? 

Experts have found that smoking contributes to lower back pain. Chiropractors encourage their patients to quit smoking to manage body pain and much more. Additionally, Tobacco Free Life explains that the knock-on effect resulting from back pain and poor posture encourages smoking for stress relief. Addressing back pain medically, therefore, will reduce stress and discourage smoking behavior.

The effect isn’t direct, of course. However, when combined with evidence-based approaches to quitting smoking, it can be easier to avoid relying on cigarettes. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)—like the nicotine patch, gum, and lozenge—is proven to increase your chances of quitting. Prilla notes nicotine pouch use is growing throughout the US as a discrete means to consume nicotine in moderation. This smokeless “modern oral nicotine category” similar to nicotine gums and patches can be used in public spaces like the office where back pain tends to flare up.

Chiropractic adjustments can help you get rid of back pain that leads to nicotine cravings. Thus, slowly decreasing the reliance on nicotine.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Obesity 

Another epidemic in the US is the growing rate of obese adults and children. Surprisingly for most, chiropractic treatment addresses this in different ways by tackling the root cause. By not simply treating symptoms, it seeks to prevent future weight gain.

First is by moderating communication between the brain and the digestive tract, through spinal manipulation. This regulates the physical appetite for food while simultaneously reducing body and back pain due to excess weight.

Otherwise, Gym Trends 365 emphasizes that chiropractic care improves athletic performance by making daily movement more comfortable. This encourages exercise and other physical activity, which many obese people with pain tend to shy away from. The resulting production of serotonin can then induce a cycle of healthy diet and exercise habits.

As a form of holistic care, chiropractic treatment doesn’t just care for a current issue in isolation. A traditional chiropractor looks at a patient’s whole body and how everything interacts. This holistic view shows them how body pain can have a cyclical relationship with things like obesity or smoking behaviors. They should thus be treated together and not separately.

Whether it’s your brain, muscles, nerves, skin, or even your emotions, chiropractic treatment aims to keep every part working so that you can feel better. For more information on chiropractic care, check out our other blog posts at Truspine. 

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

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Dry Needling Vs Acupuncture: How to Choose?

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Dry Needling Vs Acupuncture
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Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the Same? If you’ve ever seen a picture of someone performing dry needling vs acupuncture, no one would blame you if you confused the two. After all, they both involve the placement of super-thin needles shallowly into the skin. Both can be used to manage pain — albeit different kinds.

But that’s the end of the similarities.

If you’d like to skip the explanations, go straight to the quiz.

What Is Dry Needling Vs Acupuncture?

What Is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is a therapeutic technique that targets trigger points on the body. This instructs specific musculoskeletal systems to “reset to default”. By doing so, they begin functioning as they were intended to.

It involves the placement of a tiny, single-use, dry needle into a trigger point. A myofascial trigger point is an easily irritated spot found on the fascia of a musculoskeletal system. Fascia is an extremely nerve-dense (and therefore sensitive) tissue that surrounds organs, bones, muscles, and other systems in the body.

Nodules and tightness can form within the fascia. A trained professional can feel these spots on your body. You can also feel them as isolated pain or tension in a muscle.

Placing a dry needle on this spot acts as a “reset button” for that network of tissues. We call it “dry needling” because the needle doesn’t inject anything into your body. The sterile, stainless steel needle instead works with your own body’s natural responses to get the desired result.

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture also requires several single-use, tiny needles. The acupuncturist applies these needles shallowly to acupuncture points to restore optimal health.

Acupuncture points are not the same as the trigger points targeted with dry needling. Instead, they are points mapped out on the human body along life force (Qi or Chi) pathways called Meridians. These pathways manage the flow of Qi energy and connect everything, body-mind-emotions.

Since these are also connected, disruptions or blockages in one part of a whole person (That’s you!) can lead to dis-ease in another part of the body, mind, or emotions.

An acupuncturist targets these points by shallowly inserting needles into your external body (skin) to unblock Qi within the body (e.g., liver function) and restore balance in those energies.

So when comparing dry needling vs acupuncture, dry needling helps improve the mechanical function of the muscles and joints. Alternatively, acupuncture helps restore how energy moves through your body to promote overall health.

So much more to explore on our site! We think you’ll also like these helpful articles.

How Does Dry Acupuncture Vs Dry Needling Work?

Dry Needling Supports Musculoskeletal Balance

Your musculoskeletal system comprises muscles, bones, and connective tissues. Overuse, underuse, and misuse can cause this system to stop functioning as it initially did.

Unfortunately, modern life doesn’t promote whole body health. You use specific muscles a lot, and others hardly move. Just think of how often you use your right hand vs left hand, depending on your preference.

As a result, some systems overwork while others do not. They become weak. This creates an imbalance between them that can lead to abnormal stress. You may experience this as a localized:

  • Tension
  • Pain
  • Pinched nerves and nerve pain
  • Cramping up

If allowed to continue, this can cause degenerative joint diseases and a change in your posture. Misalignment slowly becomes the new normal. The body tries to adapt to how you’re using it.

Those who sit for 8-10 hours a day can find themselves particularly affected. Sitting muscles get stronger. Standing and moving muscles get weaker.

By targeting the myofascial trigger point, we can restore proper alignment and balance among systems.

Acupuncture Supports Optimal Health and Function

Acupuncture is a complex, and well-studied science of how Qi moves through the body. Through research and experimentation, ancient acupuncturists mapped out how Qi flows within the meridians. This allowed them to target specific acupuncture points to unblock the flow of Qi.

Keep in mind that neither acupuncture nor dry needling is a treatment in the way conventional medicine defines “treatment”. Both work by helping your body help itself. They can reset and activate your body’s natural tendency to want to restore balance and move toward optimal health. In that, dry needling and acupuncture are the same.

We can further explore the dry needling and acupuncture differences by looking at the types of conditions you might use acupuncture or dry needling for.

Take the quiz to find out which one may be better for you.

What Does Dry Needling Versus Acupuncture Help With?

Dry Needling Helps Primarily with Extremity Pain

Most pain in your extremities is caused by imbalances in the musculoskeletal systems. One system is working harder than another, overcompensating and causing strain. You may have experienced this when you’ve ever favored an injured body part and developed a cramp somewhere else because of the imbalance.

So activating the trigger points with a dry needle can help restore balance and reduce pain with conditions like these:

  • Tennis elbow
  • Golfer’s elbow
  • Hip Pain
  • Pain in the Glutes (Buttocks)
  • Knee pain
  • Achilles Tendonitus / Tendonosis
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Other foot pain
  • Various muscle spasms
  • Dry needling for TMJ

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Acupuncture Helps with Disrupted Qi Flow that Can Lead to Physical and Emotional Pain

Acupuncture can help with a broader range of conditions related to imbalances in the Qi flow. As a result, you may experience improvements in:

  • Digestive issues
  • Menstrual pain
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Inability to deal with stress
  • Depressed feelings
  • Migraines
  • General pain
  • Allergies

You’ll find a more complete list here.

While dry needling vs acupuncture for various conditions may sound straightforward, everyone is different and may need one, the other, or both to experience the greatest relief. For example, many want to know about Dry Needling vs Acupuncture for migraines.

Some people who have migraine, develop a tension headache that becomes a migraine while others see light flashes that signal the headache is on its way. These are just two of the different ways people experience migraine. Each calls for a different solution. For this reason, both dry needling and acupuncture can be effective for migraines, depending on the person and how they experience the condition.

When you take the quiz, you’ll quickly learn which might work best for your unique situation.

Origins

Dry needling is a fairly recent and modern treatment first practiced in 1979. It is growing quickly in popularity and respect in the conventional medical community. In fact, many physical therapists now learn this treatment as part of their training. They are adding it to their list of therapies they use to help patients with various types of pain.

On the other hand, acupuncture is an ancient Chinese Medicine practice dating back 1000s of years that is also growing in popularity and respect in the U.S.

Relationships to Conventional Medicine

American Medical Association (AMA)

The American Medical Association (AMA) has also presented acupuncture as a possible solution when they said, “Non-pharmacologic therapy and non-opioid pharmacologic therapy are preferred for chronic pain”.

The American Medical Association (AMA) calls dry needling an invasive procedure. That term sounds scary. But it just means that because a needle penetrates the skin, only a licensed practitioner can perform it. These include medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic, physical therapists, and doctors of acupuncture. The AMA and many other organizations consider dry needling to be a type of acupuncture. So it’s important to note many may use the term “acupuncture” when they are really talking about dry needling in research and vice versa.

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

Similarly, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) says that physical therapists who are properly trained can offer this treatment to their patients.

National Institutes of Health (U.S.)

Acupuncture and dry needling have a lot of modern scientific research backing up their efficacy for a variety of ailments. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health a subset of The National Institutes of Health, “Results from a number of studies suggest that acupuncture {including dry needling} may help ease types of pain that are often chronic such as low-back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis/knee pain… reduce the frequency of tension headaches and prevent migraine headaches.”

Conventional medicine sees the benefits of acupuncture a little differently than a modern acupuncturist or ancient practitioner would. They recognize that acupuncture can:

  • Reduce inflammation
  • Stimulate blood flow
  • Stimulate the nervous system
  • Activate endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers

They see it as an integrative therapy complementing conventional medicine much like chiropractic or nutritional therapy. In the same way, it can work for people who are willing to stick with a treatment plan.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Dry Needling Therapy Vs Acupuncture Treatment Targets

Through years of education and experience, trained professionals can feel that tension and knots when they examine a part of your body. Often the location of these knots isn’t precisely where you have pain, since these systems pull on each other.

The practitioner knows that placing a needle at that trigger point causes the muscle to release that tension so that it can start working correctly.

On the other hand, acupuncture follows a well-researched and defined meridian map. This map dictates that placing a series of needles here, here, and here can restore the proper flow of Qi. The acupuncturist listens to the client describing their problems. Then, based on their understanding of the meridian map, they know where to place the needles.

Dry Needling Vs Acupuncture: Side Effects

All procedures and therapies can have side effects. So it’s important to only allow a trained and licensed professional to perform dry needling or acupuncture. Because needles are single-use, the risk of infection is minimal. Most side effects are mild and not enough to stop someone from having either done. Around the treatment site, you may experience temporary pain, bruising, and bleeding.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Take the Quiz

Are you currently experiencing pain or conditions that may be the result of imbalances and blockages in your body? Then it’s time to learn more about which service might be right for you. Take the below quiz.

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Acupuncture and Its Benefits

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In the case of various health issues, people first try standard therapies. Then, people switch to alternative medicine when these therapies fail to give the expected results. There are several forms of alternative medication practised today. In this article, we will discuss the concept, process, and benefits of Acupuncture in detail. Let’s begin with the idea of Acupuncture.

What is Acupuncture, and How Does It Work?

Acupuncture uses thin needles put into different places on the body called acupuncture points. These points lie along Meridian pathways that carry Chi or energy to other body parts. Acupuncture works to unblock those areas where the power may be stagnant because of illness or injury or some chronic disharmony in the body. It allows the body to function naturally by restoring the balance that was once there.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Relief after an Acupuncture session

After an acupuncture session, the body becomes highly relaxed. It resets the nervous system and puts you in a more parasympathetic state than a sympathetic one. Sometimes you will feel sleepy; sometimes, you may have more energy. It depends on the cause of the treatment on that day.

Immediate Effect and Time Required for Relief or Improvement

Acupuncture often generates an immediate effect experienced as body relaxation and better sleep that evening. However, in some cases, patients who have chronic issues and delay treatment may require therapy for a longer period. For example, if you visit the acupuncturist with back pain you’ve had for five years, it’ll take several sessions for recovery. Some people feel much better after one or two treatments. Usually, results are expected within four to six weeks. Your consistency with treatment will determine the final result.

How Long Does the Effect of Acupuncture Last?

It simply depends on what you’re coming in for. In most cases, the effects of Acupuncture can be permanent after a few sessions, or it can require maintenance. Initially, it is necessary to visit an acupuncturist regularly until the symptoms don’t come back. Experts usually recommend weekly visits for about four to six weeks until your symptoms aren’t returning. In case of signs return after some period, the maintenance and upkeep wellness visits can help the patient. You can visit monthly or maybe seasonally for such a purpose.

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Dos and Don’ts After an Acupuncture Session

After the acupuncture session, patients must listen to their bodies. People coming in for physical ailments must avoid doing exercise or activity involving that particular body area. Those who come for detox are not supposed to drink alcohol. Experts usually ask people to drink lots of water after Acupuncture. They also suggest resting if they can and resting if they feel like it. If you must go on with your work and are tired, you’ll be fine to drink a coffee if you need to.

Preparation for First Acupuncture Session

You need not prepare much for Acupuncture. Many patients try to wear loose clothing, which is not necessary. Experts ask people not to come on an empty stomach or complete, just somewhere in between. There is no strict rule of eating much or less before Acupuncture to make or break the treatment.

During the first session, experts have an in-depth conversation with patients about what they’re coming in for and their medical history.

Then, the patients are asked to get on the table so that experts can take their pulses. Then the other diagnostic measures are done, such as palpation of the abdomen, neck, and other body areas. After that, the expert will begin the treatment by starting slowly. The expert will ask you to inhale and exhale with the first couple of needles. Some people are susceptible to Acupuncture, whereas others are not sensitive.

Frequency of Acupuncture Sessions

Unless someone is extremely ill, at an advanced age, or has a child, the experts say you can’t overdo it with Acupuncture. Acupuncturists usually recommend a cadence of once a week. However, it is undoubtedly acceptable to do more than that. Typically, people proceed with that speed whenever they’re first starting. 

Comparison Between Acupuncture and Physical Therapy

Comparing acupuncture with physical therapy, people recover very quickly from acupuncture. Even though the recovery depends on the injury, physical therapy seems to be a long-term process. Acupuncture immediately relaxes the tight muscles in acupuncture Points. And it also allows the body to function the way it did before the injury. Physical therapy chips away bit by bit. Acupuncture will expedite your process. Physical therapy is essential, and most people opt for it. But, you will get a lot quicker results if you also do Acupuncture.

Who Can Opt for Acupuncture Therapy?

Everybody can benefit from acupuncture therapy. However, acupuncture is not done on kids younger than five to seven. And also, if you’re at an advanced age, it will be very light. There are no other parameters than age to get Acupuncture done. Being too young, kids don’t need this therapy. And the older people are too weak to have a lot of Acupuncture done. But people with ages anywhere in between can opt for this for anything. It may be a cold or flu, a sore neck or back, allergies, indigestion, anxiety, etc.

Process of Acupuncture Session at True Spine

Before Acupuncture Session

  • We begin with an in-depth conversation when you come for your first acupuncture treatment. You can share any pertinent information that you feel is important for us, along with your medical history and reason for coming.
  • We ask you many questions about things that might seem unrelated to what you’re coming in for. Acupuncture strives to treat the entire person. Anything from your past life is perhaps significant to what you’re coming in for.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

During Acupuncture Session

  • After that, we will let you get comfortable on the table and will begin the treatment with a diagnosis. It includes Chinese pulse taking and palpitation of the abdomen. Depending on what you’ve come for, the neck, sometimes the feet, or different areas.
  • If you’ve come for physical pain, we’ll take a good look at the body’s structure. The way you stand and your neck or arm moves(if it’s a separate issue).
  • Then we will begin the treatment by giving you the breathing cues. So you inhale, we insert the needle, and you exhale. We’ll continue needling till all of the hands are in. We’ll continue the treatment depending on how nervous you are that day.
  • Usually, people start to feel nice and relaxed and fall asleep at the table. Some of them get to a pleasant meditative state. Then we let you rest in the room with the lights off, warm bed, and feet heater on for about 20 minutes.

After Acupuncture Session

  • We leave you with a button in case you feel uncomfortable. You can press the button, which will alert us to come in and check on you. So after 20 minutes, we return and get the needles out. We check in with you to see how you’re feeling, and you’ll be on your way.
  • At True Spine, we make sure you’re entirely comfortable. We allow you to understand what was done that day and what you can expect in the upcoming days. We’ll give you that briefing before you leave. We’ll tell you when we want to see you again, and you’ll be on your way.

Benefits of Acupuncture

The benefits of Acupuncture are far and wide. It is helpful for pain relief, stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Experts do work with allergies, fertility, and the digestive system. Let’s look at the following benefits of Acupuncture for various health issues.

  • Acupuncture for Fertility

Acupuncture is widely studied for fertility and can be beneficial on many levels since it regulates hormones. If stress is the factor, it relaxes the patient. It can also build an endometrial wall if that is a factor. Several factors lead to infertility these days. Acupuncture can also be done with IVF for people looking to get pregnant naturally.

  • Acupuncture for Back Pain, Neck Pain, and Other Body Pain.

Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek out Acupuncture. Some people suffer from upper back and neck pain due to poor posture. Few others suffer from low back pain due to exercise or injury. Acupuncture works to relax these muscles and decrease inflammation. There’s another form of Acupuncture called trigger point acupuncture. It is more effective at relaxing tight muscles and gives excellent results.

  • Acupuncture for Nausea and Vomiting

Acupuncture is perfect for all sorts of nausea. It’s good at relaxing the vagus nerve. It helps those who have a vagal response that often causes them to be nauseous or dizzy. Other reasons for nausea can be related to how your digestive system works further down the line. It decreases inflammation in the intestines and helps the digestive system function smoothly.

  • Acupuncture for Migraine and Headaches

Acupuncture is excellent for migraines and headaches. People have a lot of tension at the back of their heads or eye strain due to looking at a screen. Acupuncture is excellent for relaxing muscles around the back of the neck and the eyes. We can deal with the hormones; whose imbalance is causing a headache. So Acupuncture works for multiple factors causing a headache.

  • Acupuncture for Anxiety 

We’re all overworked and stressed out these days. Everyone’s nervous system is on a high. So we do a lot of Acupuncture to decrease the sympathetic response from the nervous system. Acupuncture is also excellent for depression. It helps to relieve long-held emotions and helps the body and your mind in processing. You often feel much lighter and much more relaxed after an acupuncture session.

  • Acupuncture for Insomnia

We treat insomnia with Acupuncture by regulating the nervous system of people. They are overworked and constantly on the go, and it’s difficult for them to turn it off at night. We also work with the adrenals in this state. It’s difficult for the adrenals to get on a regular rhythm, which interrupts the circadian rhythm. When melatonin increases at night, cortisol is still very high. It won’t allow melatonin to turn on and will help you to turn it off and go to sleep.

  • Acupuncture for Weight Loss

Acupuncture can decrease the way your brain thinks of the stimulus. So it will allow you to eat only when you are hungry. Acupuncture also allows the digestive system to function more smoothly. You can process your food effectively. You don’t have all the bloating, constipation, and toxicity build-up from a sluggish digestion system.

  • Acupuncture for Sciatica

Sciatica is one of the main reasons people come in for Acupuncture. The piriformis muscle becomes highly tight due to poor posture or injury. This is where the sciatic nerve runs through the glutes. We can relax the piriformis muscle around that nerve and decrease the nerve pain. In addition, the imbalance of the sacrum bone, which is at the base of your spine, also often leads to sciatica. Acupuncture can realign the sacral joint to avoid pressure and further imbalance.

  • Acupuncture for Sinus

Acupuncture is excellent for sinus issues. If someone has chronic sinusitis, it decreases the inflammation in the sinuses. It also allows the body to process the flame more effectively. So, in case of an allergy, it will help with the histamine response. If it’s a chronic inflammation of the sinuses, it will decrease the inflammation and flame produced in response to that inflammation.

  • Acupuncture for Stress

If you’re coming in for any ailment, we always work with stress-relieving points on you. It’s straightforward to relax the nervous system and feel euphoric after Acupuncture. It’s one of the best benefits of Acupuncture and one of the main things we see in almost all of our patients.

Risks Involved with Acupuncture

  • Pneumothorax

The puncturing of the lung is the most significant risk for Acupuncture and is called pneumothorax. Since the needles are thin, they do a very tiny puncture. In that case, you would have blue lips and a bit of difficulty in breathing. You would also need to go to the hospital. So, pick the acupuncturist wisely who knows what he’s doing.

  • Nerve Damage

Choose your acupuncturist wisely to avoid the risk of nerve damage. Correct placement and depth placement of the needle should never damage a nerve. But it can happen if you have somebody that does not know what they’re doing.

Conclusion

Now you are aware of the concept of Acupuncture and its benefits. You can opt for Acupuncture as a remedy for any of the above health issues. You will get the best acupuncture treatment with True Spine.

Are you dealing with pain, injury, or inflammatory conditions? To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

What Is Shockwave Therapy & How Can It Treat Plantar Fasciitis?

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This article will discuss shockwave therapy and how it cures plantar fasciitis. Shockwave therapy proves to be the best among the other options available to treat plantar fasciitis. So let’s understand those concepts and why this therapy is best.

What is Shockwave Therapy?

In this therapy, the sound waves or acoustic waves go deep into the muscle, tendon, or ligament. It is a non-invasive, outpatient alternative to surgery for people suffering from joint and tendon disorders.

Patients looking for an alternative to conventional treatments like orthotics and injections find this treatment very useful. For example, shockwave therapy helps people with tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, knee pain, shoulder pain, and plantar fasciitis. 

How does it work?

Shockwave therapy helps treat tennis elbow, heel pain, and degenerated tendons. After completion of diagnosis, the therapy starts with the probe. Firstly, your doctor will apply gel to the skin of the concerned area. Next, he will do a non-invasive probe to that part of the body.

An electric charge will create focused energy on the area of concern. These shock waves heal the tissues by creating force. After the session ends, your doctor will remove the gel from the skin.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort and experience the healing power of sound, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Is Shockwave Therapy painful?

The main complication involved in this treatment is pain and hypersensitivity. These issues generally resolve with time. The active participation of the patient makes this treatment more successful.

High energy wave may require local anesthesia, as it causes some pain, whereas low energy wave therapy doesn’t require anesthesia. Pain and disability may persist if the treatment is not successful.

What is Plantar Fasciitis & where is the pain in plantar fasciitis located?

The plantar fascia is at the bottom of the foot. In this disorder, the inflammation takes place in the foot’s heel. The patient may feel a sharp pain in the morning or after long durations of activity.

To be precise, Plantar Fasciitis is the pain at the heel, specifically in the calcaneus bone. The patient may feel pain in the morning after the rest of the whole night. Also, the long walks or running sessions can cause pain in this area. Shockwave therapy treats plantar fasciitis.

What is the cause of plantar fasciitis? Who is affected by this disease?

Repeated stress and tension on the feet can cause inflammation in the plantar fascia. This results in plantar fasciitis. There is no particular reason for this disorder. But the following categories of people are more prone to plantar fasciitis-

  • People between the age group of 40 to 60 years.
  • Athletes and sportspersons who do more exercises which cause stress on heels.
  • People with flat feet, a high arch, or a typical walking style can suffer from plantar fasciitis.
  • Obesity causes stress on the feet. Hence those who are carrying extra weight are prone to this disorder.
  • The people with occupations that keep them on their feet regularly for a long time.

Does obesity contribute to plantar fasciitis?

Obesity is one of the factors causing stress on the feet. A person who is carrying extra weight puts added pressure on the plantar fascia. The extra weight causes heal pain, which puts a load on joints and ligaments.

Consulting a doctor for suitable weight-loss methods and doing exercises regularly will help avoid the risk of plantar fasciitis in the case of people who are carrying extra weight.

 Signs/symptoms of plantar fasciitis:

If you are suffering from one or more signs/symptoms present below, then there is a possibility that you have plantar fasciitis-

  • Pains in the bottom and nearby area of the heel.
  • Increasing pains after a workout.
  • Pain in the arch of the foot can be a symptom.
  • Worst pain in the morning and standing after sitting for a long duration.
  • The swollen heel can also be a sign of plantar fasciitis.
  • Continuing pain for months.
  • 80% of people have reported tight Achilles as a symptom.

How can shockwave therapy cure plantar fasciitis?

If the conservative treatment options did not work in the early days, there were limited choices like steroid injections, custom orthotics, or invasive surgeries for plantar fasciitis. Unfortunately, these options cannot be used in the long term since they can weaken the tendon.

Shockwave therapy is a quick, gentle, non-surgical treatment option which helps reduce the pain from plantar fasciitis. Currently, this treatment is highly effective and the most advanced therapy available for plantar fasciitis.

In this process, the special probe delivers pressure to the concerned area and triggers the body’s self-healing process. This results in the formation of new blood vessels. Thus it is a very effective treatment.

You may also find these resources very helpful:

What are the home remedies to treat plantar fasciitis? (primary solution to treat the pain before visiting a chiropractor)

The majority of the people with plantar fasciitis recover within 10 months by following home remedies. They are:

  • Stretching the calf muscles.
  • Avoid walking bare feet. Use well-cushioned, sturdy and supportive shoes.
  • Use arch supports, appropriate shoe inserts, or custom-made foot orthotics.
  • For reducing tightness in the calf muscle, use a night splint.
  • Massaging the affected area can also give relief.
  • Apply ice on the area for 10 to 15 minutes, three to four times per day.
  • Restrict physical activity along with prolonged standing.
  • Take over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen.
  • Lose weight and use crutches.

What are the therapies for plantar fasciitis other than shockwave therapy?

The treatment options other than shockwave therapy are as follows:

Physical therapy- A therapist teaches exercises to the patient that requires stretching of plantar fascia and Achilles tendon to strengthen lower leg muscle.

Night splints- Wearing a splint can keep the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon in a stretched position overnight while the patient sleeps.

Orthotics- Using custom-fitted or off-the-shelf arch supports distributing the pressure on the feet more evenly.

Walking boots, crutches, or canes- Using one of these products for a longer duration as per recommendation from the health care provider.

Other procedures- If the above options do not give results, then the other options like steroid injection, surgery, and ultrasonic tissue repair can help to get relief.

Why is shockwave therapy better than other therapies?

We have seen options other than shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis. They have their limitations as follows:

  • Steroid injections cannot be used for a long time since they can weaken the tendon.
  • Wearing a particular shoe for a long time for custom orthotics is not convenient.
  • Invasive surgeries are risky because of the side effects and an extended downtime which is not favorable.

But in shockwave therapy, there is no risk, no inconvenience of wearing the particular shoe, and no injections are involved. Besides these factors, this therapy is quick, gentle, advanced, and highly effective. These features make it better than other therapies.

What are the side effects of plantar fasciitis?

Some effects may not be strictly known as side effects, but they are observed if the plantar fasciitis is left untreated. They are:

  • Chronic heel pain hinders daily activities.
  • The change in walking style to avoid pain can lead to hip, knee, foot, and back problems.
  • Heel spurs, ligament tears, ankle pain, pelvic instability, osteoarthritis, etc.
  • Plantar tears, plantar rupture, and plantar fibromatosis are some of the consequences.

How many shockwave therapy sessions are required to treat plantar fasciitis? How long does it take to cure this?

The number of sessions and duration required for treatment varies from person to person. It is also dependent on the intensity of the pain. But average, three to four weekly sessions/sittings are necessary for complete healing.

Some people start feeling relief immediately after the session, while others feel it 2 to 4 hours after the session. There is no downtime required. Patients can join back their routine activities after the sessions.

Exercises for plantar fasciitis:

We have already understood that this disorder requires rest and not significant activity. So there is no need for any rigorous exercises for this treatment. Only some stretching exercises are sufficient and helpful for relief. They are as follows-

  • Calf stretches.
  • Rolling stretches.
  • Seated foot stretches.
  • Towel curls.
  • Marble pickups.

With the help of these exercises and proper rest, the patient will feel relief very soon.

Are you dealing with a sharp pain at the heel after a walk, running session, or early in the morning when you get out of bed? You are most probably suffering from Plantar Fasciitis. Shockwave therapy has a success rate of around 60-80%.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort and experience the healing power of sound, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

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