Archive for the ‘back and neck pain’ Category
Sunday, May 9th, 2010
Dr Carl O. Helvie, Host, Holistic Health Show will interview Frank Titus and Mitchell Yass on Saturday at 12 noon PST.
Frank Titus is a leading exercise therapist and pain management expert for over 16 years. After graduating with a B.S. degree in Exercise Physiology from Indiana State University in 1992, Frank worked as an Assistant Director at the Egoscue Method Clinic in San Diego, where he recognized that motion and exercise therapy modalities had higher success rates and longer-term benefits than other pain treatments. He then abandoned plans to continue on in physical therapy or chiropractics, and instead, became actively involved in popularizing spine and body alignment as the most effective ways of eliminating pain.
Titus Motion Therapy (TMT) has seen a success rate of over 95% in treating such painful chronic conditions as herniated disc, sciatica, whiplash, carpal tunnel, migraines, fibromyalgia, TMJ, rotator cuff injuries, degenerative joint disease, tennis elbow, ACL injuries, and arthritis. TMT is an eight week program utilizing specific, yet simple, exercises and motions to restore posture, balance and flexibility. The results is elimination of pain. Frank founded the Health Through Motion in 1995 where he offers Titus Motion Therapy and has personally treated high profile clients in the entertainment and sports worlds including Olympians, and PGA, NFL, PBA, ATP, AVP and NBA athletes. He also hosts the #1 talk radio show “The Painkillers” on 97.1 FM and was the only non Medical Doctor to appear on The American Health Journal an award winning television series on PBS. More information is available at: www.titusmotiontherapy.com
Mitchell Yass is a licensed physical therapist, author and founder of the Personalized Pain Resolution method. Already known as the “Miracle Worker” throughout Long Island, New York, he uses the Internet to solve America’s pain through downloadable videos offering exactly what one would experience during his in-person evaluations. Subjects of videos include Herniated Disc-Lumber (lower back), Herniated Disc-cervical (neck pain, and Sciatica.
Mitchell spent 15 years developing a method for identifying the cause of pain and for resolving it. His mission was to eliminate unnecessary surgeries, prevent prescription drug dependence and to allow his patients to resume a comfortable, active lifestyle. He has proven that in 90% to 95% of cases he has treated, the cause of pain is muscle weakness and imbalance and his pain diagnosis and treatment protocol eliminates his patient’s pain in just days or weeks. More information is available at www.mitchellyass.com
Tags: Dr Carl O Helvie, Exercise Physiology, fibromyalgia, Frank Titus, herniated disc. sciatica, migraines, Miracle Worker, Mitchell Yass, physical therapist, spine and body alignment, tennis elbow, The Painkillers, Titus Motion Therapy, whiplash
Posted in back and neck pain, exercise, Titus Motion Therapy | 11 Comments »
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
A study appearing in Pain Medicine concluded that socioeconomic factors, mainly in the form of race and age, play a large role in the use of alternative treatments for chronic pain. In the study those who were white used alternative interventions more frequently than those who were black, and elderly individuals were more likely to use alternative interventions than younger people. The researchers say the differences may be due to alternative therapies attracting individuals with high education levels and income or may be a result of different insurance coverage.
Results were based upon the ethnic and racial disparities in treating chronic pain among 5,750 adults over a six year period. Using the Pain Assessment Inventory Narrative the researchers assessed the treatment methods used, pain-related symptoms, data on socioeconomic characteristics, medical history, and physical and social characteristics in the black and white adults. Alternative treatments considered in the study included manipulation therapy such as chiropractors or physical therapists, biofeedback, and acupuncture.
Thirty five percent reported using at least one form of complementary and alternative therapy with 25% using manipulation, 13% using biofeedback, and 8% using acupuncture.
Tags: acupuncture, alternative therapies, biofeedback, complementary treatments, manipulation therapy, pain, socioeconomic factors
Posted in back and neck pain, research | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Recent research published in The Spine Journal (2010, 10 (1):26) concluded that more physical loading (pressure placed on the spine from frequent lifting) may delay disc degeneration, the main suspected cause of severe back pain. Studying identical twins where one of the siblings was an average of 29 pounds heavier than the other he found that loading in the form of extra weight was not harmful to the individual’s spinal discs and there was slightly less disc degeneration in the heavier twin than in the lighter one. The researcher stated that the most prevalent source of physical loading on the spine is body weight.
He concluded that routine physical loading within limits is not bad for discs and that those fearful of physical loading activities at home, work or the gym should gradually increase physical loading to strengthen the spine.
Tags: back pain, disc degeneration, physical loading, research
Posted in back and neck pain | 3 Comments »
Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Dr Carl O. Helvie, Host, Holistic Health Show interviewed Dr Mark Brown (top left), Dr Phillip Cheras (top right), and Dr Eugene Lipov (bottom left) yesterday. Dr Brown M.D., PhD is Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and has over 40 years experience caring for patients with neck and back pain. His award winning book is titled “Conquer Back and Neck Pain: Walk it Off.“More information is available on a previous entry on this site and at www.conquerbackandneckpain.com.com
Dr Cheras, PhD, is the Deputy Director of the Australian Center for Complementary Medical Education and Research and has been principle or co-investigator of clinical trials in Complementary Medicine in excess of 5 million dollar. His doctoral research on osteoarthritis received international attention. More information can be found on an earlier blog here. He can be reached through his publicist at: jane@drazninpr.com
Dr Lipov, M.D., a board certified anesthesiologist and pain manager, is Director of Research at Northwest Community Hospital and Medical Director of the Advanced Pain Center. More information was presented on an earlier blog or he can be reached through his publicist at: Lsk1836@comcast.net
The interview from yesterdays show follows.
Tags: back pain, bariactric surgery, causation, chronic pain, complementary medicine, daily walking, disc degeneration, Dr Carl O Helvie, Dr Eugene Lipov, Dr Phillip Cheras, Dr. Mark Brown, drugless therapy, exercise, flex now, herniated disc, joint pain, joint pressure, knee replacement, misconceptions, MRI, neck pain, osteoarthritis, prevention, Prolotherapy, recuded inflammation, reduce cartledge breakdown, research, smoking cessation, spinal disorders, spinal stenosis, TENS, trigger points
Posted in back and neck pain, exercise, natural products, osteoarthritis, Podcast, smoking cessation | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
According to new guidelines published in the December, 2009 issue of Neurology transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) which is used widely for pain management is probably ineffective for chronic low back pain and is,thus, not recommended for low back pain that has persisted for 3 months or longer(chronic). These guidelines are a result of research studies reviewed in which all but one excluded people with known caused of low back pain. The results of the research reviewed showed that TENS did not ease chronic low back pain resulting from causes such as multiple sclerosis, a pinched nerve, scoliosis (severe curvature of the spine), obesity, spondylolisthesis ( severe displacement of a backbone), or had no known cause. The author of the new guidelines, Dr Richard Dubinsky, a researcher at Kansas University Medical Center said there is no benefit for people using TENS for chronic back pain.
Tags: chronic back pain, research, TENS
Posted in back and neck pain, research | 6 Comments »
Sunday, April 11th, 2010
On Saturday, Dr Carl O Helvie will interview Dr Mark Brown (top left), Dr Phillip Cheras (top right), and Dr Eugene Lipov (lower left).
Dr Brown, M.D., Ph.D. is Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. He has over 40 years experience caring for patients with back and neck pain and his PhD thesis and all of his research devoted to the cause, prevention, and cure of spinal disorders. He is a founding member of the International Society for the Study of Lumbar Spine and is also a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, American Orthopaedic Association, Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons, the Cervical Spine Research Society, Medical Advisory Board of PinnacleCare, and the North America Spine Society. He serves as a Consultant Reviewer for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery , is on the Board of Associate Editors of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, is on the Associate Editorial Board of Spine, and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques.
He is the author of Conquer Back and Neck Pain: Walk it Off that was a finalist in the National Best Book Awards in the health, exercise and fitness category and also received the 2008 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award for first place in the “consumer health” category.
Dr Phillip Cheras received his PhD from the University of Queensland in Australia in 1993 and has been an Adjunct Associate Professor with NatMed Research at Southern Cross University in Australia since 2007. He has received international attention for his doctoral research which lead him to propose a new paradigm for the causation of osteoarthritis. He has published his “Vascular Concept of Osteoarthritis Causation” and presented it at numerous international conferences and symposia. In 2001 he was a core member of the team that established the Australian Centre for Complementary Medical Education and Research (ACCMER), a joint venture of the University of Queensland and Southern Cross University, and became the foundation Deputy Director.
Dr Cheras has been the Principal or Co-investigator of clinical trials in complementary medicine valued in excess of $5 million. He has fostered links between the complementary medicine industry, academia, government, and entrepreneurial investors.
Dr Cheras reviews for a wide range of journals and organizations including the Cancer Council of Australia. In 2007, he was appointed as Interim Executive Officer for the newly created national Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) with the University of Western Sydney. He is a consultant to the Complementary and Alternative Industry and has co-authored both national and international reviews.
Dr Eugene Lipov, M.D. is board certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Management. He graduated from Northwestern Medical School in 1984 and attended Rush St Luke’s Medical Center to pursue advanced training in Anesthesiology and Pain Management. He has been on the academic faculty at Rush St Luke’s for more than 5 years.
Dr Lipov is currently the Director of Research, Northwest Community Hospital, and Medical Director, Advanced Pain Center. He has conducted numerous media interviews about his innovative treatment of hot flashes and pain management. He was an instructor for ISIS (International Spine Injection Society) and is a member of ISIS and NASS (North America Spine Society).
Tags: Australia, Book of the Year Award, complementary medicine, Dr Carl O Helvie, Dr Eugene G. Lipov, Dr Mark Browm, Dr Phillip Cheras, neck and back pain, orthopedics, osteoarthritis, pain management, rehabilitation, spinal surgery
Posted in back and neck pain, complementary, integrative medicine | 7 Comments »
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
In a study published in Family Practice researchers concluded that the Alexander technique was considered effective by most patients. The Alexander Technique is a method of teaching bodily awareness and reducing muscle tension. Patients are taught standing and sitting postures and how to move correctly.
Researchers at the University of Southampton and Bristol surveyed patients to determine their expectations of and experiences with the Alexander technique and prescribed exercises. One hundred eighty three people who had received lessons in the Alexander technique returned questionnaires and 176 who had received prescribed exercises returned them. A follow up questionnaire was completed 3 months after the first and many of the subjects were interviewed. Findings included positive expectations of both groups at the beginning of the study that remained the same for the exercise group after 3 months. However, the expectations were higher after 3 months for the Alexander technique group. This group believed they had learned how to manage their back pain and the method fit well into their lifestyle.
Posted in back and neck pain, exercise, research | 9 Comments »
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
Guests of Dr Carl O Helvie, Host, on the Holistic Health Show yesterday were Dr Richard Vincent (left), Ms Ginger Garner in a yoga pose (right), and Mrs Lynda Cookson (below).
Dr Vincent, a chiropractor, is President of the Integrated health Care Practice Resource Group, a management group, and introduced the Graston Technique, a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization to the chiropractic profession in 2001. More information is available on a previous blog here or at www.grastontechnique.com
Ms Garner is a physical therapist and founder of Professional Yoga Therapy Studies and developer of the Professional Yoga Therapy and Elementary Renewal Method of Rehabilitation. More information is available on an earlier blog here or www.gingergarner.com
Mrs Cookson is from the West of Ireland and was forced to change her career as owner of a clinic to artist and writer when she developed severe back pain. She is a well established artist and has sold painting around the world. More information is available on an earlier bloig here or at www.lyndacookson.com
The interview with these guests follow. I hope you enjoy and learn from it.
Tags: condroitin, Dr Carl O Helvie, Dr Richard Vincent, Ginger Garner, graston technique, Lynda Cookson, massage, meditation, physical therapy, Yoga
Posted in back and neck pain, graston technique, massage, natural products, Podcast, Yoga | 8 Comments »
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
A new study published in a letter to the editor in the most recent issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (52 (3), 256-157, concluded that high-touch Integrative Medicine (IM) therapies can help employees manage their back pain by using fewer medications. The study utilized assembly workers at Ford Motor Company diagnosed with low back pain. The subjects were divided into 2 groups and both groups received care at the onsite clinic. One group received conventional therapies including pain medication. The other group received integrative therapies including acupuncture, and relaxation/meditation CD’s to manage stress and pain. Both groups received treatment over 6 weeks with a 12 week follow up.
The sample size was too small for definitive conclusions but the researchers were encouraged because the group who used integrative therapies in conjunction with conventional medicine had the same outcomes as the conventional medicine group but they also had a 58% reduction in pain medication use.
Tags: acupuncture, back pain, conventional medicine, integrative therapies. medication, meditation, research
Posted in back and neck pain | 2 Comments »
Sunday, March 14th, 2010
Guests of Dr Carl O Helvie on the Holistic Health Show on Saturday will be Dr Richard Vincent (top left), Ms Ginger Garner (top right), and Mrs Lynda Cookson (below).
Dr Vincent is a graduate of the Chiropractic Institute of New York and is currently the President of Integrated Health Care Practice Resources and past president of the Practice Resource Group, a management organization. He is also past president of the Society of Chiropractic Management Consultants and also served as the president and CEO of Spine Management Care Network and as clinical director of Chiropractic Services for Triad Health Care, Inc.
Dr Vincent introduced the Graston Technique, a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization to the Chiropractic profession in 2001. He has integrated the technique at the college and University level for chiropractors and directs a cadre of instructors who teach the technique in seminars throughout the world. He currently serves as GT clinical advisor.
In his profession he has served as president of the Massachusetts Chiropractic Society, chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Chiropractic Examination and Registration, president of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards and president of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
He has also been active in the community serving as chairman of the board of trustees of the North Shore Community College, and on the board of directors of the Beverly Saving Bank. He has been a member and vice-chairman of the Governor’s Committee on Mental Retardation for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is currently a member of the citizens advisory board, Department of Mental Retardation in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
In 2005 Dr Vincent was awarded the George Arvidson award for excellence in chiropractic regulation and public protection by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Board. In 2006 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of law degree from National University of Health Sciences.
He has published articles dealing with practice management and the ethical delivery of chiropractic care. More information is available at:
www.grastontechnique.com
Ms Ginger Garner who holds a masters degree in physical therapy and has advanced studies in yoga and yoga therapy and certification in pilates, ayurveda, and studies in spinal manual therapy, music and sound therapy and women’s health is founder of Professional Yoga Therapy Studies and developer of the Professional Yoga Therapy and Elementary Renewal Methods of Rehabilitation.
She has written and teaches continuing education courses across the United States on treating lumbopelvic/sacroiliac joint pain, is founder and executive director of a school that exclusively certifies licensed health care professionals to practice alternative rehabilitation methods in yoga therapy, and has had tremendous success treating patients with these methods. She has a DVD available and more information is available at: www.gingergarner.com
Lynda Cookson from the west of Ireland ran her own clinic for 5 years prior to being forced to change careers in 1992 to that of an artist and writer because of severe back pain. Lynda is a certified reflexologist, a namikoshi shiatsu therapist, an aromatherapist, and studied iridology, ayurvedic healing and acupuncture. Since changing her career she has become an accomplished artist and writer having sold works in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Namibia, the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Dominican Republic and Malaysia. Her paintings are part of permanent collections, have been auctioned, and collected throughout Ireland. Her most recent publication is a book titled Tea’n Turps published in 2009 that takes a humorous look at the lives of 12 well-established artists living and working in Ireland. More information is available at: www.lyndacookson.com
Tags: chiropractors, Dr Carl O Helvie, Dr Richard Vincent, graston technique, Mrs Lynda Cookson, Ms Ginger Garner, physical therapy, Yoga
Posted in back and neck pain, exercise, graston technique, Yoga | 3 Comments »
