Kaitlyn Wekerle's blog

Contrast Hydrotherapy Could Help Relieve Your Chronic Pain

Used for centuries in rehabilitation and whole body healing, contrast hydrotherapy works to relieve chronic pain, stiffness, inflammation, soreness, and areas of the body that have not healed after substantial time following an injury or illness. Contrast hydrotherapy is the alteration of hot and cold water on the body.

Managing Chronic Pain as Your Age

As we age, we face the necessity of managing aches and pains our bodies will indefinitely feel. Pain is not a normal symptom of aging, however, years of physical exertions and pressures take a toll on an aging body. Chronic low back pain, joint pain, and degenerative diseases become realities for many of us. While most turn to surgery, there are other better alternatives than going under the knife.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, our providers hope to keep people away from the surgical table and in our office for education on conservative treatments. Our four Utah locations give ailing patients easier access to our unmatched care, which includes managing pain without turning to surgery as a first option.

Holistic Approach to Spine Care

The years since pain management’s birth into the medical world have vastly evolved, with more treatment options than ever before. This should be good news, right? Well, not exactly. Pain, especially low back pain, is significant in so many different kinds of diseases, making the diagnosis process all the more challenging. What the specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are looking to do is lower this national epidemic through effective, aggressive, and affordable care.

Core Exercises to Manage Lower Back Pain

It is often recommended that people who suffer from back pain use exercise as a basic form of treatment. Aside from clean eating, the use of anti-inflammatory medications, and good posture, exercise can be one of the greatest resources for back pain relief. Exercise doesn’t mean joining a gym either. What is great about this treatment is that it can virtually be accomplished anywhere.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, we encourage patients to take treatment into their own hands. Stay motivated by making small changes to your home and work like to accommodate for your back pain treatment. With four locations across Utah, Southwest Spine and Pain Center is the leading pain management facility in the entire state.

What is Interventional Pain Management?

Interventional pain management differs from conventional chronic pain management because it utilizes specialized procedures and techniques to manage pain. Pain management is an umbrella term defining the overall treatment of any kind of pain, while interventional is any non-invasive and conservative treatment for pain.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, our physicians and staff are dedicated to helping every patient manage their pain and live happier, healthier, and fuller lives. With four locations across Utah, in Richfield, Cedar City, St. George, and Logan, Southwest Spine and Pain is the leading pain management facility in the southwest United States.

Physical Therapy for Lower Spine Pain

Physical therapy is used for many cases involving lower spine injuries and pain. The focus in lower back therapy is to strengthen the core. Building strength in the abdominals and lower back muscles support the spine and also allow less pressure to be put on the back.

Here at the Southwest Spine and Pain Center, we are devoted to the proper diagnosis and education for the patient. It is a common misconception that exercise to any degree causes injuries and pain to worsen. Although healing and rest are necessary, physical therapy is essential for pain management progress.

Exercising Despite Back and Neck Pain

Back pain will occur in every 8 out of 10 people in the United Sates, according to researchers. This seemingly inevitable event is exacerbated throughout out everyday lives, from our workspace and commute, to exercise and daily chores. While many people think that exercise, even the slightest activity, will worsen chronic pain symptoms, it actually has the opposite effect. Exercise and movement helps relieve chronic pain, in most cases.

Managing Chronic Pain Through the Summer Months

You may have heard that weather changes affect joint pain and it is true! Though hard evidence does not yet prove this theory, most physicians do agree that changes in barometric pressure cause joints to inflame and bones to rub against one another. The summer brings drastic weather changes from the wintery weather, with high temperatures making it more difficult for chronic pain sufferers to cope.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, we take all things into consideration when it comes to effects on chronic pain: weather changes included. With four locations across Utah, in Logan, St. George, Richfield, and Cedar City, Southwest Spine and Pain Center is the leading chronic pain management facility in the entire southwest United States.

8 Common Myths About Chronic Pain

One of the most helpful factors in chronic pain treatment is having a reliable support system. Whether you have a supportive family or a great group of friends you can count on to help you out when you need, a support system of any kind is advantageous to your health. Chronic pain can affect numerous facets of your life, from the time you wake up in the morning and all throughout the night.

PRP Injections For Athletes

You might have missed it before the hype of the FIFA World Cup, but Maria Sharapova stole the show at the 2014 French Open on June 8th, winning the title for the second time in three years. Her feat wasn’t an easy one, however. Sharapova struggles with the aches and pains that so many others who play a rigorous sport involving their arms do. Lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, is a chronic condition that is exacerbated by overusing the arm and the elbow. Sharapova didn’t turn to traditional treatment for her tennis elbow. She used platelet-rich plasma therapy.