Newest Articles

We know that many people, about 80% of the population, will hurt their back at some point in life. In a survey conducted by Consumer Reports (CR) (see the May 2009 issue), over 14,000 subscribers had low back pain (LBP) but no surgery to treat it in 2008. More than half reported severe daily activity [..]

In 1935, Swedish physiologist Ulf von Euler isolated a biologically active compound from seminal fluid. He named the compound “prostaglandin” because he believed it was derived from the prostate gland. It is now known that prostaglandins are made in tissues throughout the body. [As an interesting side-note, von Euler (and colleagues) was awarded the Nobel Prize in [..]

Patients who present with neck pain along with arm numbness, pain, and/or weakness often ask, "…what’s causing this pain down my arm?" The condition can result from a bulging or herniated disk pinching a nerve in the neck. The cause of this complaint can be either a traumatic or non-traumatic event. In fact, sometimes, the [..]

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common types of pain involving the musculoskeletal system. Its sufferers may sometimes miss work or be unable participate in desired activities or social outings. It can even become so disabling that out of desperation, LBP patients visit the emergency room (ER) in search of relief. There [..]

You are driving down the road and you notice numbness and tingling in your fingers. You find temporary help by shaking and flicking the fingers, trying to "wake them up." You’ve also noticed your sleep is becoming interrupted and the need to shake and flick the fingers in the middle of the night is becoming [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a very common condition that affects approximately 3-6% of the world population. A partial list of symptoms associated with FM includes widespread pain, fatigue, non-restorative sleep, generalized stiffness, memory problems, poor balance, headache, numbness/tingling, painful muscle cramps/spasms, depression, anxiety, back pain, jaw pain, and hypersensitivity to noise, lights, odors (perfumes), and weather changes. [..]

Last week while driving to work, you were stopped at a red light and glanced in the rear view mirror only to notice a car approaching from behind way too fast. The next thing you remember is the squeal of the tires and a loud crash with an accompanied sudden jolt as your car was [..]

In February 2008, Brook Martin, MPH, and colleagues published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association titledExpenditures and Health Status Among Adults With Back and Neck ProblemsThis article evaluated the inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, and pharmacy expenditures related to back and neck problems in the United States from 1997 through 2005 and to examine [..]

Whiplash results from a sudden trauma, usually involving an accident, where the injured person’s car is struck from behind, from the front, or from one of the sides.The injury is caused from the head quickly accelerating, like a "crack the whip" action, which often results in headache, neck pain, and sometimes loss of memory or the [..]

Patients with headaches also commonly complain of neck pain. This relationship is the rule, not the exception; therefore, in order to achieve optimum results, treatment for headaches must include treatment of the neck. There are many anatomical reasons why neck problems result in headaches. Some of these include: The first three nerves exiting the spine [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome of unknown cause in which widespread pain, persistent fatigue, and muscle weakness are common symptoms. This discussion will focus on the use of non-drug methods to treat FM and in particular, the use of physical exercise approaches. Studies have shown that FM patients who participate in aerobic exercise programs experience reductions in [..]

Approximately two-thirds of employees from industrialized nations use a computer on a daily basis and one in five spend at least 75% of their total work time behind a computer. It’s no wonder so many people suffer from  carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in addition to neck, shoulder, and arm pain. There are many reasons for the presence [..]