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10 Feb 2019
turmeric for pain management atlanta part 2
February 10, 2019 0 Comments By marietta-pain-doctor Alternative Pain Treatment, Blog, Pain , ,

The Magical Mystery Drug: Turmeric for Pain Management Atlanta? Part 2

There are many herbs and herbal compounds showing promise for pain management Atlanta. One of these is a little yellow spice commonly found in Indian food.

In our last article, we talked about 6 of the biggest benefits of Turmeric in alternative or holistic therapies for pain management.

Maybe, with more doctors accepting alternative medical treatments – or complementary medical treatments for pain management – there will be the opportunity for the needed testing and proof to bring curcumin mainstream in the near future.

Here are Four More of The 10 Biggest Benefits of Curcumin (Turmeric) Including Pain Management:

Turmeric can even help prevent – maybe treat (?) – cancer…

There are many different types of cancer but they all have some things in common and those things are affected by curcumin. Researchers have been studying curcumin as a cancer treatment and have found it can effect growth, development, and spread at the molecular level. Studies have shown it can decrease new blood vessels in tumors, metastasis (spread of cancer), and even kill existing cancer cells.

In test animals, studies have shown curcumin reduces cancerous cell growth and inhibit the growth of tumors. Whether these results can be replicated in humans has not yet been studied enough. Yet, there is some evidence it prevents cancer in the first place (especially cancers of the digestive system like colon cancer).

Perhaps Curcumin may one day be used in conjunction with conventional cancer therapies? The initial studies are promising.

Curcumin may prevent – or treat – Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and the #1 cause of dementia. So far, there has been no real treatment for Alzheimer’s. This makes preventing it, a priority.

Curcumin has been demonstrated to cross the blood-brain barrier. This is hopeful because it means it could stop the inflammatory and oxidative changes in the brain that breed Alzheimer’s, in their tracks.

Similarly, another factor in the development of Alzheimer’s is the growth of protein tangles called Amyloid plaques. Studies show curcumin may help clear these plaques.

While nothing regarding curcumin and Alzheimer’s is yet concrete, it does show promise as a potential answer to this crazy disease.

Curcumin is great for arthritis – a common source of pain for many people.

One thing that causes many people to seek pain management – and/or become dependent on pain management medications – is arthritis. Arthritis can be very painful and debilitating.

Most types of arthritis involve inflammation of the joints. As we have covered, curcumin definitely decreases inflammation and possibly, better than current medications. Therefore, it can be deduced that it would be effective at treating arthritis and thereby, reducing arthritic pain. *Recent studies even show curcumin is extremely potent against rheumatoid arthritis – a disease that causes tremendous pain for the sufferer and that only powerful drugs help.

Curcumin may reduce depression.

In a controlled trial, 60 patients were divided into 3 groups. One group took Prozac, one took 1g of curcumin, and another took both. After six weeks, the curcumin and Prozac groups were nearly the same in terms of effect on depression and the group that received both was doing the best.

Again, this is thought to be because curcumin increases brain-derived neurotropic factor. As such, some studies also suggest it would then increase serotonin and dopamine – natural fighters against depression. Subsequently, this would help with pain management since these feel-good hormones help people with their own natural pain fighting ability.

In summary, turmeric / curcumin shows great potential for preventing, treating, and fighting some of the most pervasive, degenerative, and deadly diseases and health issues we face. While much more testing probably needs to be done before turmeric will replace modern pharmaceuticals, it likely has a place in complementary medical treatment since it is basically side-effect free.

 

 

01 Feb 2019
Pain treatment atlanta curcumin turmeric
February 1, 2019 2 Comments By marietta-pain-doctor Alternative Pain Treatment, Blog, Pain , ,

The Magical Mystery Drug: Turmeric for Pain Management Atlanta?

There are many herbs and herbal compounds showing promise for pain management Atlanta. One of these is a little yellow spice commonly found in Indian food.

Turmeric is quickly becoming known as a magical, mystical, miracle cure – or at least treatment – for many common illnesses and conditions. It’s also starting to be regarded as a holistic pain management treatment too.

Turmeric is actually one of the most widely researched and documented herbal treatments we have available today. It has been used in Eastern medicine for over 1,000 years and Western doctors are now recognizing its efficacy as well. To date, the medicinal properties and components or turmeric have been the subject of over 5600 peer reviews and published medical studies. The conclusion being turmeric is equitable to many common drugs for treating inflammation, mental and brain disorders, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and pain. It’s even been shown to possibly treat – or even prevent – cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The active ingredient in turmeric – what makes it work so well – is curcumin. However, there is so little curcumin in turmeric that you must take an extract to get about the 1g you need. Additionally, in order to be effective, turmeric / curcumin must be taken with black pepper, or piperine. It increases the absorption of turmeric by 2000%.  This can either be included with your Turmeric supplement OR you can take it with a handful of peppercorns.

The First 6 of the 10 Biggest Benefits of Curcumin (Turmeric) Including Pain Management:

Turmeric / Curcumin helps to control inflammation and possibly, reduce pain.  

Turmeric helps the body fight foreign invaders that cause inflammation and has a part in repairing damage already done as well.

To a certain extent, inflammation is good. It helps the body fight off bacteria and illnesses. The problem comes in when inflammation becomes long-lasting, or chronic and the body turns on itself. In fact, inflammation is now thought to be at the root of most Western medical issues.

Turmeric / curcumin’s effectiveness against inflammation is one major reason it’s so great. In fact, some studies have found it to be as strong against inflammation as over the counter medications. This can mean turmeric / curcumin may be a good pain management option, especially since it has no side effects.

Turmeric / curcumin increases the body’s antioxidant capacity.

“Oxidative damage” is thought to be one of the main agents behind aging and disease. This type of damage occurs when free radicals interact with organic substances such as fatty acids, proteins, or DNA.

Antioxidants protect our body from these free radicals. Curcumin can actually neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure. But that’s not all. Curcumin even prompts the body to create more of its own antioxidants too. Antioxidants too, reduce inflammation – yet another possible pain relief mechanism.

Curcumin increases brain-derived neurotropic factor, improving brain function and lowering the risk of brain disease.

Until recently, it was thought brain pathways could not repair or regenerate after childhood. Now it’s known this is false. The neurons can not only form new connections, they can multiply.

One of the main drivers of this process is Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, a growth hormone that functions in the brain.  Many brain disorders – such as depression and even, Alzheimer’s – have been linked to a decrease in this hormone. Since curcumin increases BDNF, it can be extrapolated it may be effective at reversing brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function.

Curcumin improves various factors that should reduce the chance of heart disease.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of adults in the world. Curcumin improves the function of endothelium, the lining of the blood vessels.  Endothelial dysfunction is a strong predictor of heart disease because it prevents regulation of blood pressure, proper blood clotting, and other problems. One study shows curcumin as effective as exercise at treating endothelial dysfunction, while another shows it as good as the drug Atorvastatin.

But remember curcumin is also a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant too. In yet another study, patients were given either a placebo or Turmeric before open heart surgery. The group that received turmeric had a 65% decreased risk of heart attack.

30 Jun 2016
alternative pain management treatments
June 30, 2016 0 Comments By marietta-pain-doctor Alternative Pain Treatment, Back Pain, Pain, Patient Education , , ,

An Alternative to Pain: Alternative Atlanta Pain Management Therapies and Techniques

Many pain management physicians – including Atlanta pain management doctors – are beginning to acknowledge alternatives to traditional medications and interventions in relieving chronic pain.

When these alternative pain management options are combined with traditional medicine, this is called complementary medicine.

As pain management doctors, our future efficacy many depend on our ability to at least consider – if not embrace – the role of alternative medicine for pain treatment in our practice. As patients, you deserve to have access to and support for anything that can help reduce – if not erase – your ongoing pain.

Let’s look at some of the most common alternative pain management therapies available today:

Mind-Body Therapies for Pain

It is fairly widely accepted now that manipulating and/or controlling the mind can increase or reduce the sensation of pain.

There are a few different mind-body pain management or pain reduction therapy treatments. These include hypnosis, biofeedback, visualization, guided imagery, and meditation.

One of the most promising is meditation for pain management – either self-induced or guided meditation. The biggest reason is because it is essentially free (or very low cost) and widely accessible. Patients can buy or rent low-cost guided meditation tapes or CD’s for guided meditation. Or they can just begin to sit quietly, breathe deeply, and simply – relax – on their own. For those who choose, prayer can be considered a form of meditation and science has documented the physical benefits of prayer on pain and overall health.

Acupuncture for Pain Management

The World Health Organization now acknowledges over 30 ailments and conditions that can benefit from acupuncture. However, even Western physicians are now agreeing that the biggest benefits of acupuncture can be seen in pain relief.

Sixteenth-century Chinese medicine doctors believed illness was due to energy blocks in the body. In acupuncture, needles are injected into – or along – the body’s 14 main energy meridians. These are thought to be the pathways by which energy flows through the body. The needles stimulate these pathways – depending on where they are injected – in order to let the energy flow freely and heal illness or release pain.

Many of the points stimulated by needles in acupuncture are near nerves. When the needle is injected, the nerves cause the nearby muscles to feel “full” or ache in a dull manner. This “message” is then sent to the central nervous system and endorphins (our body’s ‘feel good’ chemicals) are released. Endorphins act as the body’s ‘natural morphine’ to relieve pain.

Today, even most Western or traditional medicine doctors allow and even embrace the idea of their patients adding acupuncture in to their pain management treatment.

Chiropractic & Massage for Pain Management

Chiropractic adjustment for back pain and neck pain / headache pain due to alignment issues and/or compression shows great promise. Some say it works similar to acupuncture by opening up energy channels and others say it releases tension in areas of the body where impact / pressure is causing pain due to the alignment / compression problems.  Few serious side effects have been seen from chiropractic treatment and are rare.

Pain is often increased or exacerbated by muscle tightness and/or stiffness. This is one reason massage may be beneficial in pain management. Additionally, massage is relaxing. And since we release tension and generate endorphins when we relax, this is another way it can help to reduce pain.

Therapeutic Touch / Reiki for Pain Management

Therapeutic touch and Reiki are a little more unorthodox but still gaining popularity –even among traditional pain management doctors. These two forms of alternative pain therapy are said to activate an individual’s own healing power within their body. They are energy-based methodologies and recent studies have shown some effectiveness in treating both pain and anxiety. However, more studies are definitely needed to say definitively whether it is the therapy or belief in the effectiveness of the therapy that produces results.

Nutrition, Dietary, and Herbal Approaches to Pain Management

It is known widely that a lot of pain or pain sensation can be traced directly to inflammation. Therefore, it is no stretch that foods and herbs that reduce this inflammation also assist with pain management. Additionally, some studies have shown that dietary changes – such as increasing good oils and decreasing fats and the quantity of red meat and processed foods eaten – can reduce pain too.

Herbal medicine for pain treatment is also becoming increasingly popular and accepted. That being said, it is very important for you to discuss any herbs or herbal compounds you want or plan to take with your pain management doctor. Some herbs can have a dramatic impact on other prescription medications you might be taking. In several cases, adding certain herbs will necessitate a dosage change and/or may not be able to be taken with your medications at all.

Just remember – even alternative medical theories and therapies can have side effects and dramatically impact your pain management plan with your pain management physician or Atlanta pain management doctor.

Therefore, always discuss any ideas or plans you may have for introducing these alternative treatments into your pain management. Yes, complementary medicine is gaining traction. But the way to make it most effective – and safe for you to consider – is when it is done with a pain management physician you trust who can coordinate the efforts.

07 Aug 2014
royal-pains-premiere-banner-3
August 7, 2014 0 Comments By admin Blog, Concierge Medicine, Patient Education , , ,

Pain Management Atlanta & Concierge Medicine: What Is It? Is It Right For You?

Looking for convenient, yet effective, pain management Atlanta?

When you need an Atlanta pain doctor who is educated and available, a concierge pain management physician may be the best answer for you.

Concierge medicine is becoming more and more popular these days. Also called “Direct Medicine” it’s not really a new phenomenon…. it’s just becoming more accessible to the masses instead of only the wealthy or elite.

For the last decade or so, a concierge doctor – or “retained physician” – catered to the super-rich. A high retainer was charged in exchange for being at the beck and call of the doctor’s clientele, which was usually kept to pretty low numbers. There are stories of doctors being paid $50,000 retainers for a single individual, PER MONTH – whether they used the doctor’s services that month or not.

Of course, this type of practice could be exhausting if the physician did have a month where all his or her clients decided to take full advantage of their retainer. More often than not, however, these types of doctors made a lot of money on these retainers, had a ton of freedom (because less clients were needed), and often still billed insurance for the “meat” of the visit.

A very popular show that’s been on television for about the last six years – “Royal Pains” – centers on this kind of concierge medicine and portrays the glamour that typically went along with this type of concierge medicine practice.

Today, there are large numbers of doctors using a slightly different concierge model. These doctors often cater to a broader range of patients and the retainers are much smaller (or non-existent). If you need an Atlanta pain doctor or pain management Atlanta, a concierge doctor using this type of model may be a great option.

These “new style” concierge medicine practices will typically have a menu for services and only accept direct payment, not billing insurance at all and often, don’t even offer that option. However, by eliminating insurance filings, eliminating the need to collect copays and then re-bill the patient when the insurance doesn’t cover what was expected, and not having to deal with delinquent accounts, the concierge physician and/or practice is able to keep overhead low and thus, prices affordable. Furthermore, this usually also means they don’t need to see as many patients. This means when you need an Atlanta pain doctor or pain management Atlanta, you can usually see a concierge doctor quickly—even the same day if necessary. For chronic pain patients, you can also often get a recurring appointment, on the same day every month, with no wait.

Think a concierge practice might be right for your pain management Atlanta? Then, please reach out to Dr. Parimi, Atlanta pain doctor and concierge pain management physician in Marietta, GA today!

07 Aug 2014
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August 7, 2014 1 Comments By admin Blog, Patient Education ,

Chronic Pain Management: What Is It and What Does A Pain Management Doctor Do?

Chronic pain is no fun.

Chronic pain management is a specialty area of practice that centers on assisting people who have ongoing, often insurable, issues with pain or disease.

Most chronic pain management is multidisciplinary—meaning your treatment plan will often come with multiple angles and quite possibly, multiple physicians and/or a physician and/or counselor. This way, hopefully, a complete plan can be created that addresses all aspects of your pain and pain issues.

Doctors who specialize in pain management also specialize in appropriate use of pain medications. They can help you to choose the proper pain medicine for your disease or illness while minimizing the addictive effects that some medications bring to the table.

A skilled pain management doctor will also have a variety of other treatments they incorporate as well, including biofeedback, nerve stimulation, etc. A good relationship with a good pain doctor can often go a long way to helping you regain your quality of life.

What does a pain management specialist do exactly?

A pain management specialist is a physician who has special education on treating pain and chronic pain condition. This can be comprised of acute pain (an accident; injury), chronic pain (diseases / chronic illnesses that cause pain), cancer, or a combination.

Pain can also be a result of surgery, weight issues or lifestyle. Sometimes, pain will go away by itself. Other times, a physician’s intervention is needed.

What should I look for in a pain management specialist?

First, you need to look for someone who truly specializes in the practice of pain management and understands the risks and responsibility that goes along with treating someone with chronic pain. Then, you need to be sure the doctor’s personality meshes well with your own.

Your doctor should also be invested in and willing to working with any additional professionals who can help to magnify the positive results of your treatment. Make sure to ask if your new doctor has real training or specialization in pain management, check to see what their reputation is in this area (local and online reputation) and how many patients they treat or have treated with your specific issue.

No one should have to deal with pain. But there are a lot of considerations to treating pain, not the least of which is the widespread problem of addiction to – or abuse of – pain medications.

Your pain management specialist will be knowledgeable in proper use of medications, as well as other means – possibly incorporating counseling or mood therapy – of treating pain. They will also be specifically trained in pain management and willing to address a multidisciplinary approach.

If you are able to find all of these qualities in a pain management physician or practice, then you will be well on your way to living a life free of pain or at the very least, much less painful.

30 Jul 2014
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July 30, 2014 1 Comments By admin Back Pain, Blog, Pain Causes, Patient Education , ,

Chronic Back Pain: 6 Uncommon Causes

Dealing with Chronic Back Pain?

While your pain management doctor will help you cope with chronic pain, a little prevention can go a long way…

But first… you need to know some surprising causes of back pain that you can potentially eliminate for good.

If you’ve ever had a bout of back pain, you’re not alone: According to the National Institutes of Health, eight out of 10 people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Most of the time, back pain is set off by something totally minor, says Venu Akuthota, MD, director of the Spine Center at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado.

Besides obvious causes (constantly lugging a too-heavy purse, for instance), experts say that everyday habits like hunching over your smartphone can strain your spine and the surrounding muscles over time, causing pain and making you more vulnerable to serious injury. To stop back pain now—and avoid future agony—try targeting these unexpected culprits.

Culprit No. 1: Your Fancy Office Chair

Even an expensive, ergonomic chair can be bad for your back if you sit in it all day without a break. Sitting not only lessens blood flow to the discs that cushion your spine (wearing them out and stressing your back), but it puts 30 percent more pressure on the spine than standing or walking, says New York City chiropractor Todd Sinett, author of The Truth About Back Pain.

Be sure to stretch at your desk and get up every hour to walk around. Don’t assume that built-in lumbar support makes your chair back-friendly—in fact, for many people, lumbar supports don’t make a bit of difference, especially if they aren’t positioned properly (at the base of your spine), says Heidi Prather, a physical-medicine and rehabilitation specialist and associate professor of orthopedic surgery and neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

No matter what type of chair you sit in, make sure your head is straight (not tilted down) when you’re typing or reading. Avoid slouching and adjust your seat so it tilts back slightly to help alleviate some of the load on your back, Sinett says. And keep your feet planted firmly on the floor.

Culprit No. 2: The Wrong Shoes

When you strut in stilettos, your foot strikes the ground in a toe-forward motion rather than the normal heel-toe gait, stressing your knees, hips, and back, Sinett explains. “Wearing heels also alters the angle of your body so your weight isn’t evenly distributed over the spine,” he says. This instability can set you up for pain and injury radiating from your knees all the way to your back.

Another shoe no-no: the backless kind (even flats and flip-flops), which allow your heel to slide around. Again, the lack of stability distributes your body weight unevenly, putting more pressure on your spine. Your shoe should firmly hold your foot in place to keep you stable and protect your back, says Sinett, who also advises sticking to heels that are less than three inches high.

Culprit No. 3: Your Beloved Smartphone or Tablet

Mobile technology has not been kind to our backs and necks, Prather says. “We’re hovering over laptops, iPads, and smartphones all the time,” she notes. “This head-down position strains the muscles in the neck, and the pain can extend all the way down your spine to your lower back.” Take frequent breaks, and try to look straight ahead—rather than down—while using a laptop, tablet, or phone. You can buy a stand to help hold your laptop or tablet at a more back-friendly height and angle.

Culprit No. 4: Extra Pounds

Carrying even just a few extra inches around your midsection—whether it’s due to belly fat or pregnancy—makes your pelvis tilt forward and out of alignment, as your body works to keep itself balanced. This can cause excessive strain on your lower back, Dr. Akuthota says. He recommends doing this easy stretch several times daily: Tighten your abs (like you’re bracing for a punch in the stomach) to activate core muscles and take a load off the lumbar discs; hold 10 seconds, then release. (Pregnant? Check with your doctor before doing any exercise.)

And if weight gain is your problem, consider making whole grains an essential part of your slim-down plan: A new study from Tufts University found that those who ate three or more servings of whole grains a day had 10 percent less abdominal fat compared with those who ate essentially no whole grains.

Culprit No. 5: The Wrong Bra

Large-breasted women obviously carry significantly more weight in front than those who have smaller breasts. This can lead to hunching and sore neck and back muscles, Sinett says. A bra that offers proper support can actually minimize that forward hunch and relieve pain, while one that doesn’t may exacerbate the problem, as you hunch or strain even more to compensate for uncomfortable straps or a riding-up band.

Research shows that many women wear the wrong size bra, but the right fit can mean the difference between sagging and supported; get fitted by a bra professional. Prather says you may want to try a T-back (a.k.a. racer-back) style. “It gives the body a cue to pull the shoulders back,” she says.

Culprit No. 6: Your Crazy Schedule

Just like the rest of you, your back muscles can tense up when you’re frazzled. Muscles are designed to contract and relax, Sinett explains, but when you’re stressed, they may contract so much that they can eventually start to spasm. Stress also boosts production of the hormone cortisol, which increases inflammation and can lead to achiness, he says.

On top of that, “Chronic stress can affect the way a person perceives pain,” says Alan Hilibrand, MD, spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and professor of orthopaedic and neurological surgery at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. “So those who are stressed will often have a harder time managing back pain than those who aren’t.” Lower-impact aerobic exercise (think walking or working out on an elliptical trainer) may help relieve back pain and ease stress—so you can beat the pain for good.