Author Archives: admin

Sacroiliac Supports

Sacroiliac instability is common and contributes to back pain and maybe even headaches. Where can you get good SI supports?

Posted in Manual Med | Leave a comment

Omega 3 – Anti-inflammatory Effects

Having a load of steroid response “Fibromyaglias” (as diagnosed by rheumatologists), I have been accumulating a list of anti-inflammatory agents. Omega 3 appears to have some promise.

Posted in Drugs | Leave a comment

Canadian Celebrity Takes World by Storm – Humor Me

First Seen in Banff, The character has been making appearances worldwide…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

It’s Official – Swearing Helps Pain – but don’t overdo it

Pain Clinics are becoming very big into psychological coping – well, they better teach patients to swear more – as swearing has now shown to alleviate pain.

Posted in psychology, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Medial Knee OsteoArthritis (OA)- What Else Can You Do? – Unload it and more

Waiting for a knee replacement and the quality of life is poor? Most often the inner knee cartilage wears out first. Measures to take the load off the inner knee are helpful.

Posted in Knee, Mechanical aids | 1 Comment

Ultrasound and TENS for Back Pain

I have found home ultrasound helpful in chronic back pain but there has been little research in its effectivenesss. Now there is a study in low back pain combining it with exercise that found it useful. TENS worked well to … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain | 1 Comment

Muscle-Joint Pains, Dry Mouth and Eyes? – Maybe You Have DEMS/SAPS with Thyroid Antibiodies

DEMS – dry eyes and mouth syndrome; SAPS – sicca asthenia polyalgia syndrome These cases do not qualify for sjogren’s syndrome but have “Sicca [dryness] symptoms and “nonspecific musculoskeletal pain”. They were found to have 59.2% thyroid peroxidase antibody rate … Continue reading

Posted in myofascial pain, Rheumatic | Leave a comment

Vulvodynia Therapy Patient Resource

As a male doctor, I have trouble imparting all the info needed for someone with vulvodynia. Fortunately, Corrie Anne Goldfinger did her Master’s thesis at Queen’s University on the subject. It is available free here (~2+ MB) Since it is … Continue reading

Posted in Interstial Cystitis/Gynecologic | 2 Comments

New Hope For Complex Regional Pain Syndrome I – 5 days Magnesium Infusions

Type I CRPS is a vague syndrome of inordinate pain with variable – vague neurologic weakness or numbness features (unlike type II in which the nerve has definely been cut). Typical scenario is after a wrist fracture in patients with … Continue reading

Posted in complex regional pain, Drugs, Injection | 3 Comments

New Hope For Refractory Neck Pain – Botulinum “Botox” – But Not Cheap

Botox reduced pain in chronic neck pains (average 9.1+ years) for at least 2 month versus placebo -randomized and blind !! 150 – 300 unit was used per sesssion.

Posted in Botox, Neck | 1 Comment

Hyaluronan for Base Thumb Osteoarthritis (OA)

Injectable “lubricant” hyaluronan gives some relief of Carpal-metacarpal OA Thumb. One ml was injected weekly over 3 weeks.

Posted in hand | Leave a comment

Polymyaglia Rheumatica(PMR) – A New Look – Not as Easy as Seems

Due to lack of rheumatists in Regina, I have been forced to deal with complex pain cases that in part have an inflammatory nature. Some fit a PMR profile that requires more difficult management than I am used to. Below … Continue reading

Posted in Rheumatic | 2 Comments

You Need to Do Local Work to Get a Feel for Pain – Tragic Hip Example

Much of the work I do is treating the “peripheral sensitization” – the tissues that become locally sensitive and knotted. Working these areas allows me to get a feel for how much is coming from the spine or other sources, … Continue reading

Posted in Hip Pains | 1 Comment

Knee Pain After Hernia Surgery – Any Ideas?

I received the following message: “Very interesting read, i’m on 4 days after left side inguinal hernia repair with incision and mesh. No full anesthesia. 2 mornings after surgery, after waking up the 2nd time, the back of left knee … Continue reading

Posted in Knee | 2 Comments

Attenuation of Pain After Spinal Injury May be Possible

Microglia spinal support nerves become activated after nerve and spinal injury an greatly potential the pain. Animal experiments show minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic known to inhibit microglia, can reduce post spinal pain in animal subjects.

Posted in Drugs, pain mechanisms | 1 Comment

Self Help Book Resources in Chronic Pain

Let me first apologize to those with good books I have not mentioned. Please let me know and I will add them to the list:

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Knee Osteoarthrtis(OA) – Arthritis Pills Don’t Work That Well -What Else?

A New England Journal Medicine article several years ago demonstrated that compared to placebo not much by pills worked well for OA knee. This leaves one looking for options.

Posted in Knee | 1 Comment

Part of Failed Back is Overactivity of Sympathetic Nervous System

Failed back sydrome – post-laminectomy syndrome has multiple origins. Now it appears some sympathetic overload is present as well.

Posted in Back Pain | 2 Comments

Biphosphonates (bone building meds) and Jaw Necrosis – Not Seen in Oral Doses

Lon-term bone building meds intravenously (like Pamidronate) are associated with occasional oseonecrosis of jaw. Now there appears to be some hysteria that this can occur with oral medication. What are the facts?

Posted in Drugs | 1 Comment

Unresolved Shoulder Pain – Look at the neck

Came across a good power point presentation of a case of shoulder pain not helped by surgery and how the neck should have been considered: Available here

Posted in Neck, shoulder | 3 Comments

Fibromylagia, Bad Neck (and perhaps arm pains)but Normal MRI? – Need a Functional MRI

In the neck, imaging can be next to useless in many cases of unresolved neck pain. Incredibily, some people are told nothing showed on imaging so it has to be in their head. Now functional (multipositional) upright MRI is demonstrating … Continue reading

Posted in Insurer issues, Neck | Leave a comment

Resistant Shoulder Tendonitis Treatments

Having come across a case of resistant rotator cuff (supraspinatus) impingment syndrome, I have been looking for answers. Some treatments include:

Posted in shoulder | 6 Comments

Upper body “Fibromyaglia” Misdiagnosis

Cervical (neck) disc disease can mimic or cause Fibromyalgic symptoms. Certain porportion of post whiplash “Fibromylagia” will fit here.

Posted in Fibromyalgia, radiculitis | 3 Comments

BASDAI resource

In Ankylosing Spondylitis, the The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Spinal Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) are used to obtain coverage for Etanercept. These forms are available here unprotected.

Posted in Rheumatic | Leave a comment

Ischial Tuberosity Off – Loading When sitting for pain relief

Seat adjustments that take the pressure off the ischial tuberosities help relieve back pain sitting

Posted in Mechanical aids | 3 Comments