Category Archives: Mechanical aids

Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) Works Even in Rats

Intramuscular Needle electrical needling of trigger knots in rat gastrocnemius(calf)  results in less irritable sites. I use IMS for areas I wish to avoid use of local (neck, about hip where need to be able to walk after etc.).  I … Continue reading

Posted in Manual Med, Mechanical aids, myofascial pain | Leave a comment

Do Soft Knee Sleeve Help Knee Pain? – Yes

I was always suspicious that soft knee sleeves just cover up the pain area without helping.  However multiple studies show benefit and presence of “stay” supports does not add any benefit.

Posted in Knee, Mechanical aids | Leave a comment

Certain Orthopedic Issues over 70 yr Old – Easy Pain Help – low Dose Radiotherapy- But Will you ever see it?

Low dose Radiotherapy over age 70 has minimal risks but can often drop pain by 1.9/10 in following issues – sore heel and achilles pains, knee pains, and trochanteric bursitis.

Posted in achilles, ankle, foot, Hip Pains, Knee, Mechanical aids, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Do Pelvic Belts Help Back Pain? – Yes

Study on SI belts for pregnancy back pain found it reduced pain by 2/10.

Posted in Back Pain, Mechanical aids | Leave a comment

Good Cane Use

In Dr. Travell and D. Simon’s book they talk about proper cane position: – on opposite side to leg pain (it become good leg when you lift good leg)-shoulder horizontal with cane held out 15 degrees from body Now additionally, … Continue reading

Posted in Knee, Mechanical aids | Leave a comment

Needling Lower Trapezius Helps Unilateral Neck Pains

Needling the lower trapezius muscle was found beneficial in chronic neck pain. I was so taken with the approach then had to injecting lower trap(with muscle relaxed rather than stretched) that I had to include a pic of actual treatment … Continue reading

Posted in Manual Med, Mechanical aids, myofascial pain, Neck, Thoracic | Leave a comment

Post Herpetic Neuralgia – Peripheral Nerve Stimulators

I have heard of peripheral nerve stimulators used in cases before but this additional one makes it more mainstream. This one captured control with high frequency

Posted in Mechanical aids, neuropathic, post herpetic neuralgia | Leave a comment

Simple Neck Treatment For Headaches

The neck gets involved in headaches and can make them worse. You can tell neck may be involved because end rotation is restricted. A simple technique to encourage rotation has benefits.

Posted in Headaches, Mechanical aids, Neck | Leave a comment

Phantom Limb -tDCS Scalp Stimulation Reduced it 40% -Immediate and Sustained

A sustained 40% improvement was obtained from direct current 1.5 milliamp voltage – about what a 9 volt battery hooked up with a 10 k potentiometer resistor could furnish.

Posted in Mechanical aids, neuropathic, Pain Dystrophy | Leave a comment

Effect Of Cushioning Insoles on Workplace Back, Foot and Knee Pains

Use of sorbothane insoles cut  back pains by 38%, foot pains by 37% and knee pains by 38%. Relief in back pain did not mean relief in another areas. Wonder if antifatigue covers would help more.

Posted in Back Pain, Knee, Leg Pains, Mechanical aids | Leave a comment

Cheap Treatments For Sleep Apnea

My daughter, Janice Montbriand, and I did a sleep study on selected cases of chronic pain and found a high incidence of sleep apnea. In Fibromylagia, disordered breathing (a dumbed down version of sleep apnea),is very common. Though the CPAP … Continue reading

Posted in Fibromyalgia, Mechanical aids, Sleep | Leave a comment

Cranial Electrical Stimulation (CES) Helps Post Spinal Cord Injury(SCI) Pain

Skin surface CES therapy is usually 2 milliamp therapy with anode over motor cortex strip (C3) (on skin) with a cathode lead on forehead. In SCI patients it resulted in significant pain relief (P<0.03 versus sham). They found the effect … Continue reading

Posted in central & spinal, Mechanical aids, Stimulation | Leave a comment

Need For Specific 10 Gram Semmes-Weinstein /Frey Mono-filaments For Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Testing Unnecessary

Not wanting to waste money buying expensive monofilaments, I bought a scale and fishline – and now since I have come across a certain article, I realize any 1 cm medium to thick plastic monofilament fishline will do.

Posted in Mechanical aids, neuropathic | 2 Comments

Several Scoliosis Operations and Still Pain – Spinal Cord Stimulation May Help

I have one gentleman with multiple surgical procedures including fusions and Harrington rod placements who is left with chronic pain. He has to stand up most of the time. I’m presuming there is a pseudoarthrosis at one level but there … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Mechanical aids, Stimulation | 1 Comment

Lidocaine Patches For Post Surgical Chronic Pains

Recent poster demonstrated how use of lidocaine patches reduced area of pain in  traumatic neuropathies about the knee. These were not recent operative cases.  Could this work for all post surgical pain problems?

Posted in breast cancer, complex regional pain, Mechanical aids, neuropathic, Post Hernia | 2 Comments

Treatment Plan For Fresh Osteoporotoc Compression Fractures

Now that Kyphoplasty has become widespread, these techniques might be outdated. However, there are cases where you cannot do kyphoplasty, and these techniques would apply – they involve caudal or epidural catheter blocks, intercostal nerve blocks, trigger injections, and  near infrared radiation … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Injection, Mechanical aids, neuropathic, osteoporosis, Stimulation | Leave a comment

Bad Thoracic Back Pain and Desperate? -Early Case of Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation

Some cases of thoracic back pains can get horrendous – partially because there are pain generators coming form both thoracic spine and neck, and because postural and instability effects are rampant there as well. It seems that measures may only … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Mechanical aids, Stimulation, Thoracic | Leave a comment

Small Spot Body Pain Treatment – Pen like Electrical Skin Stimulation

In the scalp, when there are small spots of severe pain, they call it nummular headache areas – they are remarkably resistant to treatments (botox helps though). Similar painful areas the size of the palm were treated with a 2 … Continue reading

Posted in complex regional pain, Mechanical aids, neuropathic, post herpetic neuralgia, Stimulation | 1 Comment

Cheap Infrared Treatment of Chronic Regional Pain

There have been various reports of Infared spot treatment for limb CRPS. The  Infrared laser machine is very expensive – there is a cheap substitute that seems to help

Posted in complex regional pain, Mechanical aids | Leave a comment

Music Therapy in Chronic Pain May Drop Pains by 50% 0ver 2 Months

Program of twice daily 20 minute of specific music therapy dropped chronic pains from 6.3 to 3.2/10 over 6 weeks.

Posted in Fibromyalgia, Mechanical aids, psychology | 1 Comment

Fibromyalgia – Simple Home Treatment

Stand up with one leg bent up. Position two mirror over the bend up leg so its reflection looks like you have both legs up. This gives patient an amazing sensation of weightlessness. Hold position for 30 seconds and stop … Continue reading

Posted in Fibromyalgia, Mechanical aids | 1 Comment

How Effective Are Forearm Straps And Wrist Splints For Tennis Elbow ?

Looks like extension wrist splint straps help a bit but tennis elbow bands don’t do much

Posted in Mechanical aids, Tennis elbow | 3 Comments

How Can One Sleep On One’s Stomach ?

I have a patient who has widespread pain and can’t sleep on her sides. What is most comfortable is my massage table with a hole for the face. I have looked for portable versions of that and came across a … Continue reading

Posted in Mechanical aids, Sleep | 1 Comment

Ergonomics For Office Neck Pains? – Get an Arm Board

A Review of ergonomic studies was able to (?gleefully) trounce all studies as having inadequate design but could not ignore that an arm board could help office neck pain.

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Chronic “Back” Pain Missed in Elderly – the Costo-Iliac Impingment Syndrome

With the loss of height from osteoporosis in the elderly, the lowermost side ribs can rub on the side wing of the hip crest, resulting in was patients describe as back pain. To make things worse, this rubbing restricts walking, … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Mechanical aids | 6 Comments