Pain Therapy - New Pain Therapies - Laser Therapy Treatments

New Treatments for Chronic Treatments - Laser Pain Therapeutic Techniques

For some the agony of daily pain ruins the quality of their lives leading to reduced productivity at work, unemployment, immobility, and depression. The pain itself can actually lead to further health related problems since pain sufferers can't get the exercise they need or participate in social activities. Kids and grandkids, and even friends rarely are able to understand what chronic pain does to their parents, grandparents, or friends lives and disposition. The daily anguish creates an insidious process where they spiral downward emotionally and physically.

Pain sufferers often lose their ability to deal with the pain because it clouds the mind. They naturally become more obsessed with their pain perhaps thinking they can do something about it. All too often, there is little they can do about it on their own. Even by keeping still and not using the joint, inflammation can go on for days or weeks without abatement. Turning to pain killers is the first response to pain, but for chronic sufferers the pain killers can cause kidney, liver and other bodily organs to suffer.

One noted pain doctor in Canada is quoted, "Most people suffering from muscle pain have been living with the pain for a long time, but they may be unaware of their options to accelerate healing. Many take drugs daily to manage the pain and inflammation, but their problem may continue to get worse. They may have poor health habits and their body structures may be declining. They may avoid activities for both work and fun, and have a poor quality of life. It may be difficult for them to get a good night's sleep. As a result, they may feel discouraged and frustrated."

Ending Pain Suffering - Acupuncture

Depending on the affliction, there are a variety of therapeutic treatments from physiotherapy to chiropractics to acupuncture to ease pain suffering. A combination of these treatment modalities can deliver relief for pain sufferers. A new form of treatment is actually an improvement in acupuncture. Acupuncture is an old therapy extending back thousands of years when acupuncturists would insert sharp bamboo shoots in a pain sufferer's skin. The needle would be inserted into specific locations on the body. Through centuries of empirical research and observation, the Chinese discovered that certain parts of the skin were connected with other parts of the body. They theorized the existence of a bodily energy network extending throughout the body just below the surface of the skin. This network includes all the interior organs. This energy works in harmony with the body's circulatory, nervous, muscular, and digestive systems.

When the needles are applied to the ear, knee, back and hands, the human body's response is to release endorphins, natural chemicals which served to make the person feel better and experience less pain. Some people decline the use of acupuncture because they heard it may not work, but laser therapy brings it to a new level.

Laser Pain Therapy

Low Level or Cold Laser Therapy has been used for about 30 years in Europe and Asia. The treatment is relatively safe and uses low output levels, short treatment times, and low energy levels. Treatment success rates have been as good or better than other pain therapies.

Using a low level verilase laser, a qualified therapist can apply an even more precise and improved stimulation of endorphins. Low level lasers send cold light through skin layers to soft tissue cells and result in enhanced blood flow and cell metabolism. The laser light generates the bioenergy in the body's cells at a specific location. The cells transform the energy into endorphins which promotes natural healing of tissues and of course, pain relief. Laser therapy can work well on its own, but it may be best to use it in combination with other pain treatments including physiotherapy regimens, ice, massage, ultrasound, and stretching.

Although muscles and joints are separate matters, they actually conspire together to create a chronic affliction. It is not enough to mask the pain with medications. Your pain condition needs to be assessed by a qualified pain doctor.

It doesn't take much time to make an appointment at a laser therapy pain clinic but it could be one of the smartest things you can do. Why not get some expert examination of your pain issue so you can isolate exactly what's wrong? Don't continue on with your chronic back pain, foot pain, knee pain or hand pain.

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Natutral Treatment For Rheumatoid Arthritis: Options For You To Consider

Turning to a natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is an option you can consider. Such a treatment does not usually involve the use of prescription medications and would have virtually little or no side effects.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that refers to the inflammation of your joints. When your joints are inflamed, you experience pain, swelling, stiffness and general discomfort. It results from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease whereby your immune system starts to attack its own body tissues. It is also considered a progressive disease. This means that over time, your arthritis symptoms can worsen.

There are over 100 different classifications and types of arthritis. It is likely that if you have been diagnosed with one of these, your doctor would have prescribed you the appropriate drugs for it. Although drug medication can be used effectively to treat many kinds of arthritis, there are potential side effects when you become over dependent on them for arthritis pain relief.

Here is a quick run-down on some of the newest and most popular natural rheumatoid arthritis treatments. They may be used alone, or in conjunction with each other.

Physical therapy. This is a very popular natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis as it is highly effective. In many cases, regular prescribed exercises can even improve the range of physical motion substantially. Physical therapy can also help you deal with muscle and joint stiffness, increase muscle strength, and reduce allover pain.

Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese healing method that dates back more than 3,000 years ago. It is used to effectively treat the symptoms of arthritis, in addition to other health ailments. Acupuncture is a procedure used in which specific body areas (or meridian points) are pierced with fine needles for therapeutic purposes or to relieve pain or produce regional anesthesia.

As a natural treatment method, acupuncture is fast gaining popularity in America and other western countries. By 1993, Americans were making 12 million visits per year to acupuncturists, and spending $500 million annually on acupuncture treatments. By 1995, there were an estimated 10,000 certified acupuncturists practicing in the United States; as of 2000, there were 20,000.

Acupresure. Acupressure is another ancient Chinese form of therapy that has been used for thousands of years. It is also used to as a natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast to acupuncture, here, the acupressure practitioner uses his or her fingers instead of needles. Studies have shown that acupressure seem to release endorphins in patients, causing feeling of pleasantness and comfort. It appears that acupressure has strong anti-inflammatory healing abilities for rheumatoid arthritis.

Relaxation therapy: Relaxation therapy is a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates several different therapies working toward a common goal. The goal of relaxation therapy as a natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is to release muscle tension and joint rigidity to reduce your overall pain and discomfort. The different relaxation therapies include meditation, yoga, stretching exercises and Pilates.

Hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is fast becoming a popular therapy for rheumatoid arthritis patients as it is fun and can be very effective. It involves a series of water exercises, usually done in lukewarm water. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis report that the feeling of warm water helps to relax them and provide much relief from their pain.

In addition, several studies have shown that hydrotherapy is an effective therapy that helps reduce the weight and pressure on the joints. The warm water relaxes the muscles and helps reduce the feeling of stiffness. Hydrotherapy is also effective in weight management, which is particularly important if you have rheumatoid arthritis.

Occupational therapy. Occupational therapy is often used as a complementary and natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. In occupational therapy, you learn how to use their body parts more efficiently. Occupational therapy helps in ensuring that you can go about your everyday chores and tasks so that less tension is placed on the joints. Specially made splints are often used to help patients accomplish certain tasks without placing excess pressure on their joints. You and your occupational therapist can work together to tackle any specific challenges that you face. Your occupational therapist can design specific exercises for this purpose and train you in the use of special assistive devices.

Hot and cold therapies. These therapies take advantage of the effects of certain temperatures on the joints. Compresses, ultrasound devices, and warm wax may be used to apply heat to the joints. Ice packs may be used to apply cold temperatures to the affected areas. The efficacy of heat and cold therapies varies according to the patient.

In most instances, the benefits of using the above mentioned natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis outweigh any instant results, but far more damaging, derived from consuming drugs and medication. The only drawback is that usually a natural treatment does not produce instant reliefs. You may need to use it over a period to know if it works for you. It will also be a good idea to maintain a journal to keep track.

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The 411 On Treatment For Fibroids Options Available To You

Fibroids are the most common tumor that affect women and about 99 percent of them are benign (non cancerous). Although uterine fibroids are so common, the good thing is that most of them usually pose no problems for the women that have them. For other women, dealing with the various symptoms of uterine fibroids can be a challenge. They may suffer from pain, pelvic pressure, heavy bleeding, infertility, pregnancy complications, constipation, etc. For women with these tumors, here are the different options available to you when considering treatment for fibroids.

Treatment for Fibroids

1. Ignore the fibroid tumors

Many women choose this option with varying degrees of success. Choosing this option to ignore fibroids and any symptoms is a fearful approach which is not the healthiest approach to have. Hoping that they go away is not the best way to go. They may go away but they may also become much worse.

2. Watch and wait

Although you are not treating the fibroid tumors, you are also not ignoring them either with this approach. As most uterine fibroids do not cause any problems, this may be the approach that your gynecologist recommends which is fine.

With this approach, your gynecologist will monitor the tumors up to four times annually. This option also requires that you do your own monitoring by keeping good records of your symptoms (if any) and noting any changes you notice. You also need to monitor your menstrual cycles and record any changes you notice as well as any lifestyle changes that may impact your symptoms (if any). Keeping a diary or journal can actually be beneficial and eye opening for you.

3. Drug therapy

Conventional treatment for fibroids can start with drug therapy. This can either be done alone or with surgery.

This can start as simply as using pain medication available over the counter to relieve some of the pain from fibroid tumors.

Drug therapy also commonly involves the use of birth control pills in order to control hormones and prevent fibroids from increasing in size as well as to help with other symptoms of fibroids such as heavy bleeding, cramps, etc.

Using birth control pills (low estrogen pills) may work but there is also the chance that the pills may cause the tumors to grow larger.

The other aspect of drug therapy is the use of hormone therapy to treat uterine fibroids. These are drugs that are used to prevent an estrogen dominant state from existing in your body. While the causes of fibroid tumors remain unknown, it is thought that estrogen as well as the activity of other hormones such as progesterone may play an important role in fibroid growth.

Hormone therapy using drugs that suppress estrogen or progesterone growth try to create an environment that mimics menopause which is characterized by low levels of hormones especially estrogen and progesterone. Fibroids are believed to shrink or die during menopause so this is what hormone therapy seeks to do.

Hormone therapy is usually administered through an injection over a period of 1 to 3 months. While the fibroids may shrink during the treatment period and other fibroids related symptoms may lessen such as heavy bleeding, once the treatment stops, estrogen and progesterone will return to normal levels and with that so will the fibroid tumors as well as the various symptoms of uterine fibroids you had been dealing with prior to the treatment.

This therapy is usually recommended if fibroids are affecting fertility and the small window of opportunity provided by hormone therapy may increase chances of conception.

However, since fibroids and symptoms tend to be worsened by the increased hormone activity during pregnancy, choosing hormone therapy in order to increase fertility many not be wise. This is due to some fibroids having the ability to increase greatly in size during pregnancy and causing pregnancy complications as well as increasing the risk of miscarriage.

4. Surgical treatment

There are various types of surgical procedures available as a treatment for fibroids and many more are being researched and developed every day.

The most common surgical procedures for fibroids include;

a. Myomectomy which seeks to remove fibroid tumors while leaving the uterus intact. If you wish to conceive and fibroids are interfering, an abdominal myomectomy may be the answer for you as the fibroids are removed including those impacting fertility while leaving the uterus intact to allow you to get pregnant.

There are other types of myomectomies that can be performed besides the abdominal myomectomy such as the hysteroscopic resection (vaginal) or the laparoscopic myomectomy. Since these do not restore the uterus as close as possible to the original as the abdominal myomectomy does, they are usually not recommended for those who wish to get pregnant after the surgery.

Since the uterus remains intact after a myomectomy, there is always a chance that the fibroids will return in the future.

b. Hysterectomy which is the most common surgical procedure performed in women with fibroids being the most common reason for a hysterectomy each year.

The total hysterectomy removes the uterus along with the cervix while leaving your ovaries and fallopian tubes intact. Without a uterus, fibroids cannot grow so this is a more permanent solution for fibroids than a myomectomy.

On the other hand, without a uterus, there will be no chance of pregnancy after the surgery and in some cases, a hysterectomy may trigger early menopause in addition to many other side effects.

The other types of hysterectomy include the total abdominal hysterectomy (uterus, cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes are all removed) and well as the supracervical hysterectomy which removes only the top part of the uterus while the cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes remain intact.

5. Image guided therapy

With this treatment for fibroids option, probes and pictures are used to help shrink fibroids or cause them to disintegrate without actually removing them. The most common type of image guided therapy is the uterine artery embolization (UAE) which is also known as uterine fibroid embolization (UFE).

With the UAE, x-rays are used to get the image of the fibroids and then a probe is inserted into the thigh to get at the main blood supply of the fibroids to cut off or reduce this blood supply to the tumors by depositing small round particles (microspheres) into the uterine artery.

Fibroids are believed to thrive when there is a robust blood supply so by cutting off or reducing this blood supply, the tumors will usually shrink or die.

This is an outpatient procedure and is not performed by a gynecologist. Therefore, when talking about treatment options with your gynecologist, he or she may not mention this treatment option. If so, you need to bring it up.

Other image guided therapies include the myolysis (uses heat to kill the fibroid tumors as well as blood supply using probes inserted into the abdomen) and the cryomyolysis which uses extreme cold to do the same.

Since these various therapies keep the uterus intact, there is always a chance of the future return of fibroid tumors.

6. Alternative therapies

More and more women with fibroids are turning to alternative treatment for fibroids methods as many of them not only treat the symptoms but may also provide a more permanent solution for the problem of fibroids.

In fact, before considering surgery, it is important to try other treatment methods first including alternative therapy as you may find that these work better without the potential risks and side effects of surgery. Many of them are even able to cure fibroids permanently unlike most conventional treatment methods.

The various alternative treatment methods include;

• Making important diet and lifestyle changes
• Acupuncture
• Herbalism (Chinese or Western)
• Ayurveda
• Homeopathy, etc

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