Posts Tagged ‘Pain’
Back Pain Relief That Works as Fast But Lasts Longer Than Cortisone Two months ago, I told you about Prolozone, a tremendous breakthrough in pain management. With Prolozone, we inject an oxygen/ozone gas mixture into painful and inflamed areas. It causes an extremely fast healing response. Now we have proof that this treatment is even better than the standard steroid shot for pain relief.
Each year thousands of Americans are subjected to epidural injections of steroids for low back pain, sciatica, degenerative arthritis, etc. It’s sort of a one-size fits all treatment. You have degeneration, let’s shoot it with some steroids. We’ll knock out the pain for you. Don’t worry about the toxicity of the steroids. Just enjoy the pain relief now. That’s the mindset of the typical American doctor. Well, leave it to the Italians to show us up. Italian researchers studied 306 patients 166 had primarily disc disease and 140 had non-disc vertebral disease. All of them had acute or chronic low back or sciatic pain. The researchers gave them one of two treatments. The first treatment was an X-ray guided injection of an oxygen/ozone gas mixture. This injection went into the area of nerve exit from the spine. The second treatment was the standard injection of steroids around the spinal joints.
Neurologists who did not know what injection the patient received (hence the study was blinded) evaluated all of the patients. There was little difference between the two forms of injection for short-term pain relief. Both worked, with 80% of the patients reporting clear improvement. Most had complete remission of pain at one week.However, at six months, the gas proved far more effective for those with disc disease. Of 86 patients getting the O2/O3 gas mixture, only 13 (15%) had poor outcomes. The steroid injection group had a 22.5% rate of poor outcomes. Among patients without disk disease, 6 of 70 (8.6%) receiving the gas had a poor outcome. But 21.4% of those getting the steroids had a poor outcome. The oxygen/ozone treatment beat steroids long-term for both disc and non disc pain.
However, for that non-disc pain group, they said the difference was not statistically significant. What that means is that there was a 10% possibility that ozone’s superiority to steroids for non-disc long-term improvement was due only to chance. I know the odds on a craps table. Ozone was clearly superior in my book.
There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of epidural steroid injections in America every year. I will admit that the literature suggests that complications from these injections are uncommon. While I have seen permanent pain relief from these injections (after several injections), the effects are usually short lived. And, repeated injections of steroids have significant long-term risks. Steroids are potent blockers of inflammation.They also reduce collagen production, leading to long term weakness of the tissue injected.
On the other hand, the ozone gas mixture has several positive actions. It normalizes the levels of inflammatory chemicals, beneficially increases key enzymes, minimizes toxic reactive free radicals and, most importantly,improves circulation. After all, ozone is oxygen the most important nutrient for cellular and tissue repair. Where there is inflammation, there will always be a deficiency of oxygen. And oxygen is the key to actually rebuilding the tissues.Cortisone may block pain. It may reduce inflammatory chemicals. But ozone modulates inflammation. That means it brings the process into balance. It doesn’t simply suppress one necessary arm of healing (inflammation). It promotes the healthy balance of chemicals that oppose wanton inflammation. It provides oxygen the starving cells need to actually repair and rebuild tissue. Cortisone does nothing of the kind. Instead, it knocks out the ability of the cells to make collagen.
Even better: You might not need the X-ray guided needle to get terrific results. Since it’s a gas, and not a liquid, it has much greater diffusion capacity. Dr. Shallenberger and I are seeing oxygen/ozone administered via standard prolotherapy techniques (needling) into more sensitive areas that rival the results of X-ray guidance.Prolozone is nothing short of miraculous.
The authors of the Italian study concluded: Our most interesting finding was the increase in the number of patients with disc disease (disc-induced pain) who reported an improvement in symptoms. This finding supports other evidence that O2-O3 infiltration affects not only the symptoms but also the cause of pain by accelerating the natural recovery mechanism of disc herniation.If you’d like more information on Prolozone, please read my report on it in the March 2009 issue.
Ref: American Journal of Neuroradiology, 6:996-1000, May 2005.
This article sheds some light on a common type of foot pain called Metatarsalgia, more commonly known as Ball of Foot Pain.
Metatarsalgia – Ball of Foot Pain
Pain in the balls of the feet (Latin: Metatarsalgia) is a very common foot complaint, in particular for women. Most women who wear high heels or tight fashion shoes (or who have done so in the past) are likely to suffer from Metatarsalgia. Men can also suffer from this condition, especially if they have to wear hard shoes or boots without any cushioning inside, and their job requires standing or walking for prolonged periods. For example workboots or military/police boots can easily cause ball of foot pain.
What are the symptoms of Ball of Foot Pain?
People suffering from Metatarsalgia often experience a burning sensation under the ball of the foot. Sometimes combined with a sharp, tingling sensation near the toes (this condition is called Morton’s Neuroma, see further below). The pain can also be stabbing pain that comes and goes throughout the day. In some cases people experience a feeling similar to having a pebble sitting under the forefoot.
Ball of Foot pain worsens when wearing high heels/fashion shoes for a longer periods of time or, for men after walking long distances in hard shoes. Typically people with Ball of Foot pain also display excessive callous formation under the balls of their feet.
What causes Metatarsalgia?
Typically, the two main causes for ball of foot pain are:
- wearing high heels/fashion shoes
- over-pronation (fallen arches)
Most (young) women like to look stylish and wear a shoe with a medium to high heel. The problem with high heels is that your bodyweight is not evenly distributed across the underside of the foot, but rather 80% of your weight pushes down on only one area of the foot, the forefoot area. i.e. the balls of your feet. This is totally unnatural and before long the entire forefoot structure collapses, leading to constant pressure and friction in the ball of the foot. The body reacts and builds up thick layers of callous in this area which in turn leads to a burning sensation under the foot.
Also, as part of the ageing process women tend to lose the bulk of the shock-absorbing ‘fibro-fatty’ pad under the ball of the foot. Without this natural padding pain develops due to the pressure on skin over bone.
Another cause of Ball of Foot Pain is over-pronation. Over-pronation (or excess pronation) occurs in a lot of people, especially as they get older. The arches drop and feet and ankles tend to roll inwards. Excessive pronation is a major contributing cause to heel pain and heel spurs, but it also can lead to Metatarsalgia. As the longitidunal arch collapses so does the transverse arch. The transverse arch is the arch that runs across the forefoot and is formed by the 5 metatarsal bones. The bones in the foot drop and the structure of the foot is severely weakened. When we wear shoes that do not provide enough support and cushioning excess pressure is placed on the ball of the foot and often pain is experienced.
Over-pronation, combined with wearing hard, flat shoes and walking on hard surfaces such as concrete, pavements, tiled floors etc often leads to ball of foot pain, but also other common complaints including aching legs, knee pain and lower back pain.
Treatment of Ball of Foot Pain (Metatarsalgia)
For ladies’ high heel and fashion shoes there is a new, unique solution to ball of foot pain: Footlogics ‘Catwalk.’ New from Spain these specially designed insoles restore our natural body balance by supporting the longitundinal arch, as well as the metatarsal bones and they shift bodyweight away from the forefoot towards the arch and heel. The result is that your bodyweight is more evenly distributed over the entire surface of the feet, and not just pushing into the balls of the feet. Thus, the insole prevents excessive pressure and friction in the ball of the foot are, and greatly reduces/eliminates the pain and burning sensation under the feet – especially with longer periods of standing or walking.
In case of regular flat footwear – whereby Metatarsalgia is caused by over-pronation – a full-length orthotic insoles with arch support as well as metatarsal support is recommended to prevent and relieve pain the ball of the foot.
Removal of excess callous by a Pedicurist, Chiropodist or Podiatrist is highly recommended to relieve ball of foot pain. You can also remove hard skin and callous yourself by means of daily light abrasion (using a pumice stone or fine grit foot file).
Choose the right footwear..
Shoes that are very narrow in the forefoot force the metatarsal bones together, pinching nerves and blood vessels that run between the bones. Continued use of shoes that are too narrow can cause one or more of the metatarsal bones to either shift up or down within the transverse arch, causing the arch to completely collapse.
On the other hand, shoes that are too wide can cause shearing stress under the foot as it slides around, causing callus to build up under the ball of the foot and under the toes. A narrow foot in a wide shoe will slide forwards, causing compression and curling of the toes. By allowing your toes to curl inside a shoe, you disturb the resting positions of your extensor and flexor muscles. Over time, this can result in fatigue and even cramp.
Thin soled shoes or shoes without any innersole cushioning will transfer all the hard impact with man-made surfaces directly into the bones of your feet, stimulating callous formation. So always buy shoes with plenty of cushioning and support, or wear orthotics inside your shoes.
Ill-fitting footwear should be replaced by anatomically correct, well-balanced and cushioned shoes. Avoid the use of high-heeled shoes or only wear high heeled shoes for no more than a few hours per day.
If problems persist, please consult a podiatrist.
document.write(getResources()); Peter Van Dyke is a Dutch foot specialist and orthotist with a special interest in ball of foot pain, Plantar Fasciitis and orthotics. He gives advice on effective remedies to help relieve aching feet and prevent further problems. He also works closely with a number of large orthotics manufacturers in Europe, the USA and Australia.
Don’t anguish if it’s too sweet, aloof abate the honey allocation and the aforementioned with the biscuit which can be bargain to bisected a teaspoon if the aftertaste is too strong.Obesity is additionally a culprit.Dire as these deepening affection may sound, there are no accepted cures for arthritis.For this mix one allotment honey to two genitalia balmy baptize and add a baby teaspoon of arena cinnamon.Many earlier arthritis patients accompany this home antidote for arthritis to us from abounding ancestors of able use.
Rheumatoid arthritis could arise aback or increasingly.It should anatomy a adhesive which you can administer to aching areas and beating it in.You can additionally use this topically!It is believed that potatoes comedy an able role in eliminating the affliction that is associated with arthritis.Be alert that your aliment assimilation can additionally affect the condition.Fatigue, accident of consequence, and poor aftereffect can be advanced of agenda cryptogram.Cinnamon and Honey Dissolve two spoons of honey and a baby teaspoon of arena biscuit in a cup of hot baptize and alcohol this – finer daily.
People who ache from arthritis can not alone ache from the accident of advancement and movement, aberration in their basic and joints, but will additionally be beneath astute pain.There could be ambiguous or cursory pains in advanced of agenda stages; it could access in the morning and by the aim of the time.Most bodies with arthritis acquisition the algid acclimate actual adverse to their condition.An able home antidote for arthritis is potato juice.Regardless of the attributes of the remedy, all of them are artlessly agency to acquisition means to administer the affliction brought on by the disease.
Advancing in age is one of the best accepted affidavit why arthritis comes about.Any enactment can be complex counting bodies of the spine, but the easily and anxiety are about frequently affected.In some cases, heredity, acclimate changes and hormonal changes can comedy a big role also.You artlessly accomplish a abstract from potatoes and again absorb the juice.This is the acumen why there is a advanced ambit of booze affliction of options for bodies who ache from arthritis.You may additionally accept to apparatus added potatoes into your circadian diet to abate the affection that are associated with arthritis.Excessive uric acerbic in the anatomy can trigger, if not worsen, an arthritis.Many factors accept been apparent to account arthritis.
There are abounding medications that can advice to affluence the affection of rheumatoid arthritis but patients are consistently brash to adviser their diet and do approved exercise.Sometimes it could account an astute agitation and bind, abscess and affliction in abounding joints.Some of the drugs acclimated can accept ancillary furnishings and that is why abounding bodies opt for home remedies to advice them cure rheumatoid arthritis and the associated pain.
Celebrex is a successful medication for the treatment of symptoms of osteoarthritis. It comes in the group of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The medication helps reduce hormones that cause inflammation and pain. In other words, Celebrex is used to treat pain or inflammation caused by many conditions such as arthritis and menstrual pain. Moreover, it is also used in the treatment of genetic polyps in the colon. According to doctors, patients can buy Celebrex for treating:
- The symptoms of osteoarthritis
- Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in adults
- Acute pain
- Painful menstrual cycles
The medication also helps reduce colon and colorectal polyps in patients with a disease called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). The medication does not prevent the development of arthritis; it only helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis. One of the interesting facts is that now, generic Celebrex is also available in the market. It is formulated by using the same ingredient as used in the branded medication. It is only cost that makes them different from each other.
Celebrex comes in the strength of 100mg and 200mg. You are supposed to take the dose as per your doctor’s direction. In fact, for the treatment of arthritis, 100 mg dose twice daily or 200 mg single dose is recommended. For acute pain or menstrual cramps, 400mg dose is prescribed as a single dose on the first day and then 200mg daily if needed. Above all, for the treatment of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, the recommended dose of Celebrex is 400mg twice in a day.
You can buy it from both offline and online pharmacies. However, online pharmacies not only sell the medications at reasonable price, but also offer you attractive discounts and flexible payment options. For buying the medication online, all you have to do is just place your order online by simply filling in an online order form. When you buy Celebrex from your selected online pharmacy store, you will also get instruction guide of using the medication. In fact, Celebrex is a successful medication, but some common and mild side effects may also occur.
Therefore, you are advised to buy Celebrex as per your doctor’s prescription. These side effects include headache, nausea, stomach upset, muscle pain, dizziness, sore throat and stuffy nose. As side effects are mild that disappear automatically within a short time, in case any of the side effects last for some more time, then you are advised to stop using the medication and consult your doctor as soon as possible. In addition to side effects, you are supposed to buy Celebrex only after your doctor’s prescription. It is also important to tell your doctor about your medical history. If you are using prescription, non-prescription or herbal medication, you are advised to tell your doctor. If you are pregnant or want to be pregnant, then you are advised not to use the medication.
The most common cause of heel pain and heel spurs is a condition called Plantar Fasciitis. This is Latin for inflammation of the Plantar Fascia. The Plantar Fascia is the broad band of fibrous tissue that runs under the foot and that forms your arch. Because of a number of different factors the plantar fascia are being overly stretched and this continuous pulling results in inflammation and pain at the heel bone, at the point where the ligaments insert into the heel bone.
Over-pronation of the feet (fallen arches + rolling inward of the feet and ankles), tight calf muscles, as well as ageing and being overweight are the main causes for the plantar fascia being overly stretched.
There are many ways to treat heel pain, heel spurs and Plantar Fasciitis, including cortisone injections and surgery. However, in most cases Plantar Fasciitis relief can be achieved through self-help by following a number of easy, simple steps, most of which are aimed at reducing the pulling of the plantar fascia:
1. Rest, reduced activity:
When you have Plantar Fasciitis avoid any activity that can further aggravate the problem. This includes walking for long distances, walking up or down stairs, running, sports etc. If you want to keep fit swimming is the safest activity, until your heel pain has been treated properly. Or you can ride a bike or a stationary exercise bike. Basically, try to be as little on your feet as possible, allowing the plantar fascia to heal itself.
2. Ice (can be combined with heat)
Use an ice pack and apply it onto the sore heel for 5-10 mins at a time, 3 to 4 times per day. The ice will reduce the Plantar Fasciitis inflammation in the heel area. To help reduce any chronic inflammation, you can try alternating between ice and heat. Place an ice pack on the heel for 5 minutes and then switch to a hot pack (or hot water foot bath) for another 5 minutes. Do this for about 20-30 minutes per day and you’ll notice some considerable heel pain relief.
3. Roll a tennis ball (or rolling pin) under the foot
Many people with Plantar Fasciitis experience a sharp heel pain in the morning, when taking the first steps after getting out of bed. This pain comes from the tightening of the plantar fascia that occurs during sleep. Stretching and massaging the plantar fascia before standing up will help reduce heel pain for the rest of your day! Massaging the plantar fascia can be done simply by rolling a tennisball (or rolling pin) under the foot, all the way from the heel to the toes. You may do this sitting down, applying a fair amount of pressure onto the arch, or even standing up as long this causes not too much discomfort. Keep rolling the ball or pin under the foot for about 5 minutes.
4. Towel stretch
Your next Plantar Fasciitis exercise is stretching of the plantar fascia using a bath towel. Put a rolled up towel under the ball of one foot, holding both ends of the towel with your left and right hand. Next, slowly pull the towel towards you, while keeping your knee straight (the other knee may be bent). Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat 4 times and change to the other foot, if necessary. (It’s always good to do these exercises on both feet, even if you only experience heel pain in one foot, as this will help prevent the heel problem to come back in your other foot!)
5. Stretch your calf muscles
Tight calf muscles is a major contributing factor to Plantar Fasciitis. Therefore this particular heel pain exercise is very important. Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall at about eye level. Put one leg about a step behind your other leg, keeping your back heel flat on the floor. Make sure this leg stays straight at all times. Now bend the knee of the front leg slowly, lowering your body until you feel a stretch in the calf of the back leg. Hold the stretch for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat 4 times. Do the same for the other leg.
Now you’re ready to face the day! Please make sure you don’t walk barefoot at home in the morning, as this will undo all the hard work and aggravate your plantar fasciitis. Wear shoes or supportive sandals as soon as you have done the heel pain exercises.
You can repeat any of these heel pain exercises during the day, if you wish. For example the tennis ball rolling can be done as you watch TV or read the paper.
There’s one more plantar fasciitis exercise you may want to do which is called the Achilles Tendon stretch. Stand on a step with both feet on the same step and slowly let your heels down over the edge of the step as you relax your calf muscles. Hold this stretch for about 15 to 20 seconds, then tighten your calf muscle a little to bring your heel back up to the level of the step. Repeat 4 times.
Please note that stretching exercises should create a pulling feeling, they should never cause pain!
6. Take an anti-inflammatory drug, like Ibuprofen
To ease Plantar Fasciitis and heel pain you can take an anti-inflammatory that contains Ibuprofen, like Nurofen or Advil. This is a short term fix that will help decrease the inflammation of the plantar fascia. You still need to do take all the other measures such as stretching, ice, orthotics etc to achieve long term pain relief from your heel problem. For many people Ibuprofen is pretty heavy on the stomach and therefore these drugs should be taken in moderation.
7. Lose some weight
As we get older we tend to put in a bit of extra weight. The combination of weight gain and ageing means we put a lot of extra tension on our muscles and ligaments in the feet, legs and back. Most people tend to over-pronate because of weight gain. Over-pronation (fallen arches) is the main cause of Plantar Fasciitis and heel pain. Therefore by losing weight you will decrease the tension on the plantar fascia.
8. Wear the right footwear
Supportive footwear is paramount, especially as we get older. Floppy footwear causes ankle instability during walking and contributes to the problem of over-pronation, leading to heel pain and other foot problems. A good supportive shoe should only bend at the sole in the forefoot area and should be firm elsewhere, especially the back section of the shoe (heel counter) should be firm. Many footwear companies advertise shock-absorption and cushioning as the major benefits of their (sports) shoes. Stability is far more important than cushioning!
9. Use a Plantar Fasciitis night splint
A night splint holds the foot at 90 degrees during your sleep. The aim of the splints is to keep your foot and calf muscles stretched during the night. Normally during rest the plantar fascia and calves tend to tighten and shorten. So when you wake up in the morning and take your first steps, the fascia are being pulled all of a sudden, causing the sharp pain in the heel.
The problem with night splints is that they can be quite uncomfortable. This is why they are so-called sock night splints on the market which are more bearable than rigid night splints.
10. Wear orthotics in your shoes
Research has shown that by far the most effective way to treat heel pain, plantar fasciitis and heel spurs is wearing a corrective device inside the shoe. Orthotics are designed to correct the problem of over-pronation, the major cause of plantar fasciitis and heel pain. Orthotics support the arches and control abnormal motion of the feet, thereby greatly reducing the tension in the plantar fascia band. Especially when combined with daily exercises, orthotics will provide relief to the majority of heel pain sufferers.
Orthotics can be obtained from a foot specialist (podiatrist). These are called custom orthotics and they usually quite hard. Nowadays there are softer orthotics on the market, which are made of EVA and which mold themselves to the wearer’s foot shape because of body heat and body weight. These softer orthotics are pre-made and can be very effective in the treatment of Plantar Fasciitis. They are available without a prescription from pharmacies and specialty websites.