Pain

Recently Answered

• QWhat causes numbness in my feet?

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  A Dr. Stephen Wechsler , Chiropractic Medicine, answered

  Numbness can be caused by a variety of origins. 

  First does it make sense? Does your back hurt or legs? Do you have diabetes or any other disease that causes numbness?

  As a Chiropractor, I look to the spine as the cause, as an Ayurvedic practitioner I look to the diet and lifestyle.

  Treatment might include a diet low in sugar and rich in green vegetable for the B vitamins. I might suggest a strong B vitamin as a first inexpensive try.

  Chiropractic adjustments to the lower back if indicted, though subluxation anywhere in the spine might affect numbness in the feet.

  I have had success even with long term numbness with Avalon Light Therapy and massage to increase circulation.

   

  See All 3 Answers
• QHow do I prepare for an appointment about phantom limb pain?

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  A Diana Meeks , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Preparing for your appointment to diagnose phantom limb pain is important. There are several things you can do to make the most of your visit to the doctor. Think of any questions you have about your condition or future and write them down. Supply your doctor with a list of your medications, including over-the-counter products and vitamin or herbal supplements. Consider whether or not you'd be willing to participate in clinical trials and make a point to ask your doctor if you're a candidate.

• QAre there alternative treatments for physical pain?

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  A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Alternative treatments for physical pain do exist. Two such treatments are acupuncture and magnet therapy. In acupuncture, small needles are inserted through the skin at specific locations of your body. It has been used to treat many pain related disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia. Magnet therapy is sometimes used with athletic injuries and involves wearing a magnetic band around the wrists or neck. Both acupuncture and magnet therapy were used in ancient Chinese medicine.

• QWhy are some body parts more susceptible to acute pain than others?

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  A Diana Meeks , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Nociceptors, the nerve endings that detect pain, evolved because they transmit messages about tissue damage. On the most basic level, they cause organisms to move away from stimuli associated with harm. Nociceptors are thus densest in areas prone to injury, like fingers and toes. Visceral pain, pain that originates in the internal organs, is consequently much more difficult to pinpoint.

• QCan central pain syndrome be prevented?

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  A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Because central pain syndrome results from damage to the central nervous system due to illness or injury, it is difficult to prevent. While we can try to avoid injury, it is not always possible. Moreover, illnesses that can lead to central pain syndrome, such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, certain cancers, strokes, and Parkinson's disease, are sometimes hereditary and nearly impossible to prevent.
• QCan pain be prevented?

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  A Diana Meeks , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Unfortunately, pain is a part of our everyday lives. There is no fool-proof way to completely avoid or prevent pain, and even if you could, you would not want to. Pain can be a good thing. It alerts us to problems within our bodies and stops us from doing serious harm to ourselves.

• QCan physical pain be prevented?

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  A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Physical pain is often associated with an injury or illness. With this in mind, to prevent pain, you must remain healthy to prevent those two things. Although both can be controlled to some extent, physical pain will most likely be experienced in life. Some physical pain can actually be a good thing when it tells us something is wrong with our body.

• QWhat causes acute pain?

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  A Diana Meeks , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Your body is filled with nerve receptors, some of which are geared specifically to transmit sensations of pain. These are called nociceptors. These nerves transmit the 'pain' message through the spinal cord to the brain, where they arrive first in the thalamus. The thalamus relays the fact of pain to several other parts of the brain: the somatosensory cortex, which governs movement and feeling; the limbic system, which produces emotional responses; and the frontal cortex, which is associated with conscious thinking.

• QHow common is acute pain?

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  A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  According to NIH statistics, more than a quarter of adults experience pain each month. (Ten percent experience the same pain over the course of a year, meaning that their pain is chronic, not acute.) Pain may be the single most common medical condition.

• QWhat are some complications of phantom limb pain?

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  A Diana Meeks , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Complications of phantom limb pain are not numerous since phantom pain itself is a complication of limb amputation. Sometimes neuromas, a type of growth, can develop on the amputated nerves, increasing your pain. You may have trouble sleeping or develop emotional depression or anxiety from your condition, but these conditions can be treated with support groups and a strong social network.