Acupuncture has been a staple of Chinese medicine for over 2,500 years. It centers on the concept of qi (pronounced “chee”), or the vital flow of energy through the body. According to the tenets of acupuncture, there are 2,000 points in the body and 20 pathways, also known as meridians. The practice of acupuncture treatments involve the application of thin metallic needles to strategic points in the body for the purpose of restoring the flow of energy.

Licensed practitioners use FDA- approved needles.  Acupuncture needles are 20 times thinner than hypodermic needles. Often, patients respond to the treatment by saying they feel tingly, relaxed and energized. Needles may be applied for a few seconds or up to 30 minutes. Acupuncture stimulates the brain and the spinal cord, affecting the central nervous system. The body responds in part by releasing its own naturally-occurring chemicals.

Among these chemicals are opioid peptides, which have an analgesic, or pain-killing, effect. Endorphins, another of the body’s natural pain alleviators, can be released through the stimulation of electromagnetic points in the body. Pain management in Ventura County that incorporates acupuncture can reduce pain by altering the secretions of neurotransmitters and neurohormones relating to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Acupuncture is thought to have a positive effect on the immune system, enabling recovery.

Acupuncture treatments are often used successfully in conjunction with other techniques for pain management in Ventura County to address lower back pain, headache, carpal tunnel, and other ongoing physical discomforts. As an adjunct therapy, and depending upon the type and extent of the pain, patients may opt to receive from three to ten acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture can serve as part of an individualized therapeutic plan address and relieve chronic pain from a number of angles. Combined with other medical treatments, attention to nutrition, beneficial exercise and positive changes in lifestyle, acupuncture may contribute substantially to pain relief and overall well-being.

By Dr. James  Lin
If you are reading this on any other blog than Comprehensive Pain Management Center or via my RSS Feed, it is stolen content without credit.
You can find me on Twitter via @DrJamesTLin
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Chronic pain is not an easy diagnosis to make, and the best treatments are an integrated approach to chronic pain management. In addition to injectable therapies a patient may use adjunctive therapies such as massage and chiropractic treatment. Chronic pain management may be most effective with a combination of medicinal and complementary interventions. There are both physical and psychological advantages to combining methods and using an integrated approach to chronic pain management.

Benefits of Integrated Approaches

Massage may be described as soft tissue manipulation administered by a trained therapist for therapeutic purposes. Along with heat and cold therapy and an emphasis on adequate hydration, massage can provide extended benefits to chronic pain sufferers. Massage can improve circulation and reduce inflammation, a significant cause of discomfort. Other benefits of massage may be improved sleep and decreased tension. Increased endorphin levels can also relieve anxiety and help promote recovery.

Chiropractic therapy can encompass a variety of treatment. Spinal manipulation is widely recognized as a means of alleviating pressure in areas afflicted with pain. Relief can be felt in those with lumbar herniated disk and neck pain. Chronic pain management that incorporates chiropractic treatment can reduce nerve irritability and restore a greater range of motion. Applications may include mobilization, or the stretching and strengthening of muscles. Ultrasound and hydrotherapy may be used as well. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators (TENS) may help block the transmission of pain while simultaneously releasing pain-killing endorphins.

Another element of holistic pain management is an attention to the daily components that make up a patient’s world. Ergonomics is the study of design in relation to the body’s needs and physiology. Taking steps to improve posture, replace bad chairs, and reorganize workstations to support better movement help to diminish the environmental factors that contribute to chronic pain.

By using an integrated approach to chronic pain management, lingering pain may be noticeably less painful. Traditional medicinal treatments may be combined with complementary therapies to help alleviate pain and keep it at bay. An ongoing program of massage and chiropractic treatments, along with appropriate changes to work stations and activities to support proper alignment, may produce the most effective plan to eradicate persistent pain.

By Dr. James  Lin
If you are reading this on any other blog than Comprehensive Pain Management Center or via my RSS Feed, it is stolen content without credit.
You can find me on Twitter via @DrJamesTLin
Come and visit our blog at http://www.compainmc.com/blog/

Those who suffer from chronic pain understand the overwhelming burden this condition can place on a person’s life. While acute pain occurs as the result of a injury or disease and usually disappears with treatment or time, chronic pain lasts for long stretches of time and can be very difficult to treat. Chronic pain exists in a variety of types, such as neuropathic pain, shingles, back pain, cancer pain, headaches, and a variety of other injuries and pain disorders. While reducing your pain may seem impossible, seeking the help of a medical professional at a pain management center can put you on the path to feeling better.

Treatment for chronic pain must begin with diagnosis. It can be difficult to determine the exact source of the pain. Procedure such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nerve conduction studies, and imaging can be used to determine the cause of discomfort. If these techniques are unsuccessful, then the patient’s own explanation of the nature and location of the pain is often the most useful diagnostic tool.

In addition to the physical pain, chronic pain can also cause detrimental psychological effects. Unrelenting pain can significantly affect a person’s relationships, career, and life. By preventing someone from completing his or her daily activities, chronic pain can result in stress, anxiety, and depression. These psychological impacts can be even more damaging than the physical pain. Experienced medical professionals at a pain management center will take these aspects of chronic pain into consideration during diagnosis and treatment. Chronic pain doctors often offer cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise programs as alternatives or additions to more invasive pain treatments.

Without treatment, chronic pain has the power to govern your life. Pain has the ability to control your body and mind and prevent you from participating in the activities you enjoy. Consulting a chronic pain expert at a pain management center can help you find a treatment plan that is right for your pain and your lifestyle.

By Dr. James  Lin
If you are reading this on any other blog than Comprehensive Pain Management Center or via my RSS Feed, it is stolen content without credit.
You can find me on Twitter via @DrJamesTLin
Come and visit our blog at http://www.compainmc.com/blog/

Clinical depression is a serious condition that is often accompanied by chronic back pain.  Recent studies have shown that there is often a clear correlation between chronic back pain and depression. It has been shown that patients who seek treatment for back pain are far more likely to experience severe depression, the greater the pain the more severe the depression.

Chronic pain can lead to depression for a number of reasons. First, pain can interrupt normal sleeping patterns, causing chronic fatigue. In daytime, pain can make getting around difficult, which often results in patients isolating themselves from others and becoming irritable with those around them. If the pain becomes a barrier to work, then financial pressures may also be added to the mix. All these help create a link between chronic back pain and depression.

In addition to these contributors, anti-inflammatory medication may further dull the senses, and when the pain is particularly severe, a patient may have difficulty remembering essential things like appointments and deadlines, and the ability to concentrate may suffer as well.

As a result of this stew of difficulties caused by pain, a patient may succumb to despair and hopelessness, which are often interpreted as clear signs of clinical depression. Moreover, frustration over the inability to perform simple daily tasks, such as house cleaning, childcare and socializing can exacerbate these feelings. Essentially, a patient may feel enslaved by the chronic back pain and this loss of control can lead to a depressive state.

Interestingly, while the link between chronic back pain and depression makes intuitive sense, the opposite can also be true. Researchers are now discovering that depression may also lead to back pain. Thus, if the clinical depression goes untreated, the back pain can be extremely difficult to manage.

Although a chronic back pain sufferer may downplay depression as a result of the pain, perhaps because of the stigma often associated with depression, experts recommend that patients seeking treatment for back pain should also seek a screening for clinical depression to aid in prognosis and a treatment plan.

By Dr. James  Lin
If you are reading this on any other blog than Comprehensive Pain Management Center or via my RSS Feed, it is stolen content without credit.
You can find me on Twitter via @DrJamesTLin
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When seeking pain management in Ventura County, you may wonder what exactly the term means. Also known as algiatry, pain management refers to methods offered by experts seeking to help patients improve the quality of their lives by helping them cope with and reduce pain in a variety of ways. This pain may be the result of injury, illness or chronic conditions.

Generally, pain management requires a team of professionals, including doctors, psychologists, occupational therapists and many others. This team works to create a comprehensive pain management plan based on a patient’s individual situation.

In many cases, such as injuries that are apt to heal normally, pain can be alleviated or even resolved if its source can be found and treated. Often, simple pain medication, such as acetaminophen, can solve the problem until the patient recovers sufficiently from the cause.

Often, however, the discomfort is chronic and thus pain management in Ventura County requires a coordinated plan in order to properly control pain. Treatments may include a variety of medications, such as analgesics, anti-depressants or anticonvulsants. In addition, a treatment plan may include physical therapy or exercise.

If interventional procedures are required, a patient may also undergo things like epidural steroid injections, spinal cord stimulators, facet joint injections or neurolytic blocks.

Another approach is called physiotherapy, which may augment conventional therapy with a number of methods for pain management, including electrotherapy, behavioral therapy or therapeutic exercise.

In an increasing number of states, medical marijuana is now legal. Many patients claim it helps them effectively manage pain, and some studies have backed this conclusion. As a result, some medical professionals have been prescribing marijuana for certain pain sufferers.

Pain management in Ventura County is fast becoming an ethical issue, with many people arguing that pain management is a fundamental human right, and is one of the leading arguments for expanding access to health care. One result of this paradigm shift is that clinical guidelines and clear standards are being established for pain management professionals.

By Dr. James  Lin
If you are reading this on any other blog than Comprehensive Pain Management Center or via my RSS Feed, it is stolen content without credit.
You can find me on Twitter via @DrJamesTLin
Come and visit our blog at http://www.compainmc.com/blog/