Rachel Cohen's blog

From all of us here at Southwest Spine and Pain Center (SWSP), we wish you a happy and healthy New Year! We hope you’ll consider making a few New Year’s resolutions that coincide with your pain treatment at SWSP. The team of highly qualified pain management specialists understands living with chronic pain is not easy, which is why they’ve dedicated their lives to helping those who suffer from it. Therefore, in addition to setting aside time to reflect on the past year, the team at SWSP wants you to consider combining these New Year’s resolutions with your own.

Use Positive Terminology

Changes in the weather can be major triggers for those enduring chronic migraines. Bright sunlight, high humidity, dry air, extreme wind and drastic changes in temperature can all cause imbalances in brain chemicals, causing migraines.

The double-board certified pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center provide comprehensive pain care. They know that whether you’re suffering from acute or chronic pain, living your life to the fullest is what’s important. Therefore, if you suffer from migraines that are triggered by weather, there are a few things you can do to lessen their effects.

Before the development of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, physicians generally used cortisone injections to relieve moderate to severe muscle/joint inflammation and (some) pain. However, with the creation of PRP injections, physicians can now alleviate inflammation and pain as well as aid the damaged tissue’s healing process.

Despite a few minor differences, both therapies provide patients with some level of pain relief. Regardless, the pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are covering the differences between the two therapies and which one may be best for reducing your pain.

Before we begin discussing pillow options for back pain, it’s important patients understandthere is no one “best” pillow that can/will alleviate all of your back pain problems and/or symptoms. Finding a pillow to minimize or reduce back pain symptoms, however, is achievable, but also varies from person-to-person.

We’ve written about platelet-rich injections in previous blogs, but have never discussed why this particular therapy could be a great alternative to others when it comes to treating chronic low-back pain. Of course, the effectiveness of PRP injections depends on the source and/cause of your back pain. Some of the most common back and spinal conditions involve damaged discs and/or compression of nerve roots, i.e. herniated discs, degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. These conditions, however, do not really benefit from PRP injections—muscle strains, damaged ligaments and tendons, and muscle fibrosis in the back, do.  

Be honest, you’re probably pretty set on ugly sweaters, Christmas-themed socks and/or cheap gift cards to pricey stores as gifts this year. Of course the theory “it’s the thought that counts” still applies to gifts like those, but wouldn’t it be great to give or receive a gift that truly had thought behind it? The kind of gift that tells whomever is receiving it that you care about their wellbeing and that you searched high and low for the absolute perfect gift.

Well, ‘tis the season for giving, and the pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center want to provide you with a few gift ideas if you or someone you know lives with chronic pain! See below for gifts that will help ease the pain of those suffering from fibromyalgia/chronic pain.

Did you know that consuming one gram of ginger before undergoing surgery may help reduce your risk of nausea and vomiting post-surgery? Although ginger is most commonly known for it’s anti-nausea benefits, it also has a plethora of other health benefits. For example, studies have proven that ginger can reduce inflammation, improve digestion and alleviate pain.

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive pain management procedure that helps reduce symptoms associated with facet joint pain. Facet joint pain can occur anywhere in the spine, but is most common in the lower back and neck. Southwest Spine and Pain Center provides this treatment option to those suffering from chronic neck and back pain, and if eligible, highly recommends it for patients.

With the help of electrical currents and heat waves, this procedure can decrease pain signals from damaged nerve tissue and provide long-lasting relief. In some cases, lumbar radiofrequency can provide patients with several years of pain relief.

Eating the wrong foods at any point in time can cause serious inflammation, swelling and pain for chronic pain patients. Add holiday meals and we’ve got ourselves a game-over situation, people!

Time-out! The pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are not going to let you accept defeat that easily, because holiday foods like turkey, stuffing, ham, pie and other side dishes can be enjoyed this year with a few minor adjustments.

It’s Thanksgiving, and guess who’s hosting this year? Why, you of course! On one hand, seeing family and friends will be the cherry on top of a perfect year! On the other, your chronic pain symptoms are undoubtedly going to get in the way of hosting this event.

You may have mixed feelings about hosting this year’s Thanksgiving festivities (completely understandable), but do not panic! The pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are here to help. Consider these tips for hosting your Thanksgiving meal or party this year, without pain.

1. Plan Ahead