Pain Relief Desperation

Comments

DESPERATE FOR PAIN RELIEF

Who can forget last year’s drastic act of desperation?  Mountain climber Aron Ralston used a pocket-knife to amputate his own arm and free himself from a one-ton boulder that fell and trapped him for almost a week in a remote Utah canyon.  Sometimes chronic pain can make you feel like a boulder has fallen on top of your neck, shoulder, low back, or leg.  When conventional treatments such a medication, massage, manipulation, and exercise do not seem to provide significant or lasting relief, you can feel like you would do anything to take away the pain.  Before you whip out your Swiss army blade, here are some treatment options that you may not have considered or possibly even heard about:

PUNCTURE YOUR PAIN

Although ancient in origin, acupuncture is being used like new by western health practitioners to relieve chronic pain.  Modern approaches recognize that needles inserted at acupuncture points induce the release of natural painkillers.  Hair-thin needles are inserted to a depth of less than an inch at prescribed points on the body--and sometimes just on the ear. The needles, which can be twirled or attached to electrical stimulators, are left in for about 20 minutes.  The number of treatments required depends on the severity and duration of the symptoms.  Many experts believe that acupuncture is most effective when provided by a certified practitioner, such as a Certified Medical Acupuncturist or a Physical Therapist who is registered as an acupuncturist with the College of Physical Therapists of Alberta.

STIMULATE YOUR MUSCLE

Intramuscular stimulation (IMS) is an innovative and effective treatment for chronic pain of neuropathic origin.  This scientifically proven technique is able to find and diagnose muscle cramping in deep muscles, which have contracted and become shortened from distress. These shortened muscles cause pain not only in the affected muscles, but also from the resulting stress on surrounding tendons and joints. IMS treatment causes the muscle to “grab” the filament needle, which in turn forces the shortened muscle to release, providing relief from pain.  The type of chronic pain which can respond well to IMS are headaches, whiplash, mid & low back ache, and frozen shoulder.

SHOCK YOUR SCAR TISSUE

Radial Shockwave Therapy (RSWT) is a new pain relief treatment for chronic pain.  High energy acoustic energy waves are transmitted by the shock wave applicator through the skin and spread radially into scar tissue and calcified areas.  Most RSWT therapy only requires three to four treatment sessions with each session taking about ten minutes.  Pain relief is observed in many patients in eight to ten days after the first treatment.  Currently, RSWT is used to treat chronic heel pain, tennis elbow, calcific shoulder tendonitis, shin splints, and hip bursitis.  The clinical results to date appear promising, with a recent study showing positive findings in over 94% of chronic plantar fasciitis patients.

Brent Kassian, BScPT, MCPA, MCPTA

Executive Director

Capilano Rehab Centre

phone:  466-1104

hit their hip website @ www. caprehab.com