Arthritis is a disorder affecting one or more joints of the body. It is characterized as inflammation, pain, and stiffness of the joints. Arthritis can also present as redness, warmth, swelling and decreased range of motion in the affected joint or joints. Onset can be gradual or sudden.
Facts About Arthritis
There are actually over 100 different classifications of arthritis. The two most common forms of arthritis seen clinically are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that usually occurs with age and affects the fingers, knees and hips. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that often affects the hands and feet.
WHAT IS NECK PAIN - PINCHED NERVE?
Neck pain (or cervicalgia) is quite simply pain in the neck region. Neck Pain is a common problem that will affect two-thirds of the population at some point in their lives.
Facts About Neck Pain
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Neck pain is becoming an increasing problem in the modern age, as more and more of the population finds itself working at a desk in front of a computer for multiple hours a day. An ever-increasing amount of young people are developing neck pain due the spending hours a day with the neck in a flexed position (bent forward) texting or just looking down at a cell phone. Neck pain can present all by itself or it can come with accompanying symptoms. Patient can have accompanying symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and vertigo, TMJ disorder or a pinched nerve causing radiculopathy down the arms.
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Facts About Pinched Nerve
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A pinched nerve is when a nerve is compressed or actually pinched at its root, which can cause symptoms of radiculopathy. Radiculopathy can be a tingling or numbness sensation, a burning sensation or a dull to sharp pain. When a patient has a pinched nerve in the neck it can produce symptoms of radiculopathy down the arms to the finger tips. Very often symptoms of a pinched nerve in the neck with radiculopathy are miss diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. A pinched nerve can be due to several reasons, however the most common seen at the clinic are due to either muscular tension, bulging-herniated disc, or foraminal stenosis. When the soft tissues of the body (muscles, tendons and ligaments) are tense, they can wrap around the nerve compressing or pinching it at its root, this usually produces a dull aggravating sensation. When a patient presents with a bulging-herniated disc, the disc has moved to an improper position and during certain movements the disc will pinch the nerve at its root producing a very sharp stabbing sensation. When a patient has foraminal stenosis there is a narrowing of the canal where the nerve root originates from, which compresses the nerve at its root. Foraminal stenosis can produce a dull aggravating sensation or a sharp stabbing sensation that can alternate.
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Acupuncture For Neck Pains - Pinched Nerve
When treating neck pain with or without a pinched nerve the treatment method and strategy will remain the same. The muscular system is the root cause of all of problems associated with neck pain and a pinched nerve.
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The muscles attach to tendons which attach to to the bones. When the body has an excess of muscular tension it can causes pain in it of itself, as well as wrap to tightly around the nerves and pinch or compress the nerves.
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However muscular tension can cause other issues as well. When the muscles and tendons are very tight it can put pressure on the bones they attach too (in this case they attach to the spine). When the muscles and tendons cause excess pressure on the spine it can cause a narrowing in the intervertebral spaces (spinal stenosis). The intervertebral spaces are where the discs are and when that space is reduced, it can cause the disc to become compressed and ultimately to bulge or herniate due to the pressure pinching the nerve.
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The muscles and tendons can also put pressure on the neural foramina causing foraminal stenosis (where the nerve root originates from) which compresses or pinches the nerve root.
In the clinic we use acupuncture, cupping, electric stimulation, and heat therapy to reduces muscular tension and thus any pressure on the spine, discs and or nerves. In 90% of patients treated we are able to reduces symptoms by 80% within 6-12 treatments.
Acupuncture Vs Western Medicine
In Western Medicine, there is a wide variety of pharmaceutical medications prescribed for neck pain or neck pain with a pinched nerve. Sometimes patients will get epidural steroid injections in the cervical or upper thoracic spine. The method of action for pharmaceutical pain medication or epidural steroid injections are the same. They primarily block the brains pain receptors so the brain can't perceive pain in the local area. The danger of these medications or epidural steroid injections, lies within their success.
By blocking the brains ability to perceive pain without providing adequate treatment for the root cause of the problem makes the patient vulnerable by the illusion of feeling better. Now the patient is able to do activities that the pain would have prevented them from doing but the body should not be doing. This causes further damage. Once the pain medication or epidural steroid injection wears off, pain is usually much worse due to the damaged caused by the patient who resumed normal activity while the root of the problem remained untreated.
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In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we will work on the root of the problem (muscular tension). This will alleviate pain caused by muscular tension or pain caused pressure to the spine, discs, or nerves from that muscular tension. We will use methods like acupuncture, cupping, massage, and electric stimulation to alleviate muscular tension and help the patient become free from pain. Patients will also be taught excises so they are able to maintain a pain free lifestyle long after they have completed a successful round of 6-12 treatments.
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