Summer is a great time to breathe fresh air and get outdoors, but the season brings special challenges for people trying to exercise.  Intense workouts and summer sports can mean sports injuries for athletes who aren’t cautious.  Sports medicine Ocean County specialists Northeast Spine and Sports offer these tips on staying safe and avoiding summer sports injuries while still making the most of the season.

1. Wear appropriate shoes. Use shoes that are designed for the activity you’ll be partaking in, whether it’s running or biking or a simple game of tennis.  Shoes that aren’t built for your preferred activity can cause undue muscle strain, foot pain, slipping and even injuries.  It’s also a good idea to purchase your shoes from an experienced athletic shoe retailer, as employees of these stores are trained to fit and recommend shoes for any purpose.

2. Wear a helmet, padding and other protective gear. Bikers, skateboarders and rollerbladers would do well to wear protective gear.  An accident while not wearing a good-fitting helmet plus wrist, knee and elbow pads can cause serious injuries.  Broken bones, skin lacerations and head trauma are not uncommon with these high-energy sports, so it’s best to play it safe.

3. Stay hydrated. Especially in hot summer temperatures, it’s important to stay well hydrated.  Drink water constantly if you’re outdoors, and remember that sweating also causes electrolyte loss- so have a sports drink if you’re feeling hazy.  Watch out for heat exhaustion or heat stroke, though – If you start to feel dizzy, nauseous, disoriented or like you’re about to faint, get inside immediately and seek medical attention.

4. If you’re in pain, stop. Burning during exercise (and soreness afterward) is normal, but if you feel pain it’s time to stop.  Remember that pain is a sign that something is wrong – you could have a minor or even serious injury.  Sit or lay down, and if the pain doesn’t immediately subside or persists when you stand, ice the affected area.  If the pain is very severe or won’t stop, see your chiropractor or pain management doctors in Ocean County NJ.

The biggest mistake people often make when suffering from chronic pain is to be in denial, and it’s easy to understand why.  Chronic pain is pain that lingers long after recovery from an injury or illness.  It can last up to months or even years, and sometimes it’s quite difficult to diagnose why exactly the pain continues.

After coming to grips with the continuing pain, it is imperative to seek out a medical practice that not only specializes in pain management, but is willing and able to give a comprehensive evaluation right off the bat. 

No one should be expected to deal with chronic pain on their own.  Find a pain management specialist, and you will feel the difference.

Acupuncture originated over 2,000 years ago in China and it has gained quite a bit of momentum in the last two decades.  What began as a sense of apprehension when the American public first became familiar with acupuncture has quickly bloomed into widespread acceptance.  Here’s why:

1. Most people feel little or no pain.

Acupuncture needles are metallic and ultra-thin.  As the needles are inserted patients often feel energized or relaxed.  The only time that acupuncture feels painful is if the needles are improperly placed.  That is why it is important to find an experienced doctor.         

2. It’s safe.

Millions of Americans try acupuncture every year and there are very few complications.  Just make sure the needles are sterilized and the doctor is thoroughly trained.

3. Acupuncture works.

There is a reason that acupuncture is being practiced by thousands of dentists, physicians, and acupuncturists across the country.  It is proven to prevent pain and help with various health conditions. 

When looking into acupuncture treatment make sure to ask questions and find a healthcare provider that you feel comfortable with.  Say yes to those super thin needles and say yes to some deserved pain relief.

Prolotherapy New Jersey physician Dr. Hector Lopez is making new waves in minimally-invasive joint pain treatments.  This northeastern health and joint expert is giving new hope to patients with chronic joint pain who may have tried other treatments with no success, and his uniquely effective approach is earning him more and more attention from the orthopedic community.

What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy (also called regenerative-restorative injection therapy, or RIT) is a treatment for various types of joint pain – including pain caused by injury, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, torn ligaments and tendons, damaged cartilage, and back problems like herniated or degenerated discs.  Prolotherapy is also suited to the treatment of more generalized pain disorders like fibromyalgia.

The word “prolotherapy” owes its name to proliferation, which means “new growth” or “extended life.”  The treatment involves a series of gentle, mostly non-painful injections of a substance that promotes localized inflammation and the production of new tissue by the body.  The body effectively heals itself with help from injections.

What are the treatments like?
The procedure involves a simple injection at the site of pain.  Treatment frequencies may vary depending on the patient’s immune system and healing time, but most patients require four to six treatment sessions.  These sessions would take place about four to six weeks apart for a total treatment time of four to nine months.  Many patients start to feel a relief from pain after only one session.

Who can benefit from prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a very safe and minimally invasive procedure suitable for many patients who may not be eligible for more invasive procedures.  Individuals with low immune system function, nutritional deficiencies, or hormonal imbalances may not be good candidates for prolotherapy.

Prolotherapy offers a safe and comfortable alternative to surgical procedures or a lifetime of chronic pain.  For more information on prolotherapy NJ and other injection therapy treatment options, visit www.drhectorlopez.com/injectiontherapy.php.

June 23, 2011 (Hackensack, NJ) – A spine clinic Bergen County recognized as a leader in pain management and orthopedic treatments is now offering a revolutionary treatment for individuals with chronic joint problems using the patient’s own stem cells.  Performed at Spine & Joint Center by Dr. Damon Noto, the treatment utilizes adult stem cells harvested from the patient’s own fat cells (not controversial embryonic stem cells), which are then injected into the injured joint to help stimulate the regeneration of healthy tissue.

This stem cell therapy has made recent headlines in the baseball world, where it has helped injured New York Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colón make a full recovery from a serious shoulder injury and pitch his first full season since 2005.  The treatment required no artificial hormones, and 38-year-old Colón’s athletic performance since the treatment rivals that of players in their early twenties.

Stem cells are body cells with the potential to develop into any specialized type of cell.  By introducing the body’s own stem cells – harvested from body fat over the oblique muscles (the “love handles”) – the treatment helps the body recover by regenerating the damaged joint tissue.  The procedure is low-risk, minimally invasive, office-based, and can be completed in only 90 minutes.  The patient can leave the office that same day, and substantial recovery is typically seen within 6-8 weeks.  The treatment is very effective because it utilizes the body’s own natural regeneration materials to rebuild damage in areas that unavoidably receive less blood flow, thus receiving fewer stem cells.  By introducing stem cells at the site of injury, doctors can give the body a boost by delivering the patient’s own natural regenerative materials directly to the afflicted joint.

At Spine and Joint Center, Dr. Noto is one of the few doctors in the New York area who perform this procedure – and he’s seeing an extremely high success rate as well as an increase in patients interested in the procedure.  “This is something we couldn’t have offered before,” says Dr. Noto, “and now we have this as an option.  We used to have to replace things with hardware, but now we can stimulate the body to produce new tissue.”  Stem cell treatment offers new hope and a fast, full recovery to patients with orthopedic injuries and patients who have tried surgical procedures without success.

About Spine & Joint Center
Headed by Dr. Damon Noto, Spine & Joint Center offers comprehensive care for joint problems, back pain, and neck pain in Bergen County, New Jersey.  For more information on joint and back pain Bergen County treatment options, visit http://www.spineandjointcenter.com/.

As a pediatric chiropractor Franklin TN practitioner Dr. Jennifer Rousseau knows that the complications arising from a baby positioned in the breech (or “head-up” position) can be far-reaching.  A fetus is normally positioned in the womb with the head facing down, allowing the head to emerge first during birth and for the baby to breathe during the entire birth process, a baby positioned in the womb with the head facing upward is a higher-risk delivery.  Aside from oxygen deprivation, a breech baby is also at risk for umbilical cord prolapse (the umbilical cord collapsing into itself), entrapment of the head in the uterus, and injury to the brain.

There are many potential causes for a breech positioning, and c-section or close supervision by an expert medical staff during birth are often the best solutions.  However, as a chiropractor Franklin TN‘s Dr. Jennifer Rousseau is making a new wave in techniques to turn breech babies inside the womb and allow for a healthy, normal delivery.  At her practice Kyd Kyro, Dr. Rousseau has experienced a 97 percent success rate in turning breech babies to the head-down position by using the Webster Technique.  This technique invokes gentle, pleasant chiropractic massage to reposition a misaligned lower back and allow the baby space to move downward.

For more information on the Webster technique and the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy and for children, visit www.kydkyro.com.

For most individuals, occasional back and body pain is normal as they age.  Many develop arthritis, become injured more easily, or are simply not as limber as they were in their youth.  Some, however, will develop more serious conditions requiring a stricter treatment.

Degenerative disc disease, or DDD, is a condiiton characterized by the degeneration of the cushioning discs in between the vertebrae of the spinal column.  Many experience some degree of degeneration as they grow older, and some do not experience life-altering problems or pain.  Others find that the pain of a degenerating disc interferes with daily activities and must seek treatment.  Symptoms include:

• Chronic or constant pain in the lower back
• Pain in the thigh and buttock area
• Tingling or numbness in the legs
• Pain caused or aggravated by movement or heavy lifting

Many pain management clinics, such as Edina’s Twin Cities Pain Clinic, can successfully treat patients with degenerative disc disease MN without surgery.  Their treatment focuses on physical therapy to relieve stress and pain, and their strong focus on medication management (including intrathecal pain pump MN treatments and neurostimulator insertion) allows them to provide care and treatment while making sure that patients are not overloaded with medications.  TCPC also treats back pain, neck pain, spinal stenosis MN, fibromyalgia, and other painful conditions.  For more information, visit them online.

While basic human nutritional needs – lots of fruits and vegetables, fewer refined starches, and saturated fats and sweets in moderation – are similar for almost everyone, some individuals have special medical conditions that can actually be improved by modifying the diet with synergistic supplementation.  Careful dietary planning with an expert can significantly improve quality of life for a heart disease patient, in addition to addressing the symptoms of someone with chronic pain.

While having completely different causes, symptoms, and treatments, these two conditions share certain nutritional needs.  Board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Hector Lopez, MD, MS, CSCS, FAAPMR holds a Masters degree in nutrition and has extensive knowledge of the human body’s needs for all manner of health-related situations.

Dr. Lopez describes heart health as very centrally dependent on the right intake of fats.  There are many fats that raise unhealthy serum cholesterol fractions and have a negative impact on the heart – such as the trans-fats, high-fructose corn syrup and non-fibrous, high glycemic load carbohydrates in highly processed foods, and certain hydrogenated oils.  A healthy heart depends on limiting the intake of these bad fats and balancing the intake of essential fatty acids – the “good” fats necessary for life on a molecular level which cannot be produced by the body.

It is most important to balance the intake of omega-3 and -9 fatty acids (found in finfish, shellfish, chia seeds, flaxseed oil, dark leafy greens, and certain nuts, olives and avocado) and the intake of omega-6 fatty acids (found in refined vegetable oils, many processed foods, and meat).  The American diet tends to be deficient in omega-3’s and overloaded in omega-6 fatty acids, causing a number of chronic health conditions – including heart disease.  A good diet for heart disease prevention and treatment would attempt to rebalance omega-3 to 6 ratio.

Omega-6 fatty acids are also known to have pro-inflammatory properties, making them an equally poor dietary choice for a chronic pain patient.  Increasing the intake of omega-3’s, which have anti-inflammatory properties and can help supplement a more aggressive pain treatment program. Dr. Lopez describes a typical nutrition for pain relief program as comprehensive and optimized for the patient’s specific needs.    A patient being treated for pain or injury may be prescribed fish oil, increased vitamin D, flavanoid-rich supplements, like extracts of teas, herbs, spices, and botanicals.  Patients can also benefit from reducing their intake of soybean & corn oil, refined carbohydrates like, high fructose corn syrup, sugar and foods containing trans- fats.

Dr. Lopez offers nutritional counseling, regenerative injection therapy, transforaminal epidural injections, and PRP therapy at his practice.  By using nutrition to treat chronic pain, patients can enjoy fewer symptoms, better heart health, and a longer life.

About Dr. Hector Lopez
Hector L. Lopez, MD, MS, CSCS, FAAPMR has advanced higher education in nutritional biochemistry and exercise science and takes an integrative orthopedic approach.  His comprehensive programs help ease pain, reduce recovery time, and enhance the recovery process.

Looking for a solution to chronic back and neck pain?

While many pain patients find medications and surgical procedures to be a suitable solutions for their chronic pain and discomfort, others are seeking a less invasive treatment plan without potentially harmful medications.  It’s important for these individuals to understand their condition fully in order to choose the right doctor, pain clinic, and treatment program.

Patients looking for information and treatment programs may find backandneckpainresources.com a helpful research tool.  A library of back pain resources and information, the site contains helpful articles on all causes of pain – including back pain during pregnancy, pain due to kidney stones, poor posture, and more.  Articles feature information about treatments and prevention and even the proper temperature for pain relief.

For patients seeking medically sound yet minimally invasive treatments for back and neck pain Edina‘s Twin Cities Pain Clinic  provides a range of phsyical therapy Edina and medication management programs.  These solutions are safe and proven, and in their new location the staff of TCPC is well-equipped to care for pain due to many different causes.

Pain in the body has many different causes, and the proper treatment may depend on the source and reason for pain.  Nerve pain, which is rooted in the nervous system, is one of the most common types of pain and may call for different courses of treatment.

Nerve pain is sometimes referred to as a “slipped nerve” or a “pinched nerve.”  In reality, nerve pain can occur when nerve tissue becomes damaged for whatever reason.  This makes the nerve unstable and causes it to fire random signals through the nervous system and to the brain.  These signals can be interpreted as numbness, tingling, sensitivity to hot or cold, vibrations, or pain.  Nerve pain can originate in the spine or in the extremities.

When nerve damage originates in the central nervous system – the part of the nervous system between the spine and the brain – it can often result in referred pain in other parts of the body.  If a part of the spine that supplies nerves to the leg and foot becomes damaged, the leg and foot could experience pain, tingling, or numbness.  Patients with nerve pain often describe their pain as “shooting” or “burning.”

There are a number of treatment methods for coping with this type of pain.  Patients tend not to respond well to NSAID pain relievers and opioid drugs; as these are often dangerous, medication management programs and alternative treatments are a safer bet for patients with nerve pain.  Specializing in medication management and physical therapy Edina‘s Twin Cities Pain Clinic offers a range of treatment programs customized to each patient’s individual needs.  For more information, visit them online.