Kaitlyn Wekerle's blog

Naturopathic medicine has been researched for centuries, uncovering the natural healing powers of the human body. While effective medications and surgeries are largely utilized in the medical community, treatments using a patient’s own blood continually demonstrate efficacy, efficiency, and safety.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection therapy is a non-surgical treatment that is a beneficial alternative to other injection therapies. Southwest Spine and Pain Center now provides PRP injections to patients suffering with painful conditions. Platelet generation facilitates restoration to injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints with the use of the patient’s own blood.

Caregiving is not simply a role one takes on; it is a way of life. There are procedures, techniques, and tailored practices that caregivers carefully utilize while looking after a loved one. Taking care of someone with chronic pain can be difficult at times, and Southwest Spine and Pain Center hopes caregivers utilize our help when taking on these roles.

Southwest Spine and Pain Center has four locations across Utah, continuing to be the leading pain clinic in the southwest United States. Offering patients with better access to care, Southwest Spine and Pain encourages pain sufferers and caregivers alike to visit any of our Centers for individualized care.

Most pain doctors would agree that a multi-level treatment plan is better than a one-tiered method of care. In fact, mental health plays as big of a role as physical pain in some instances. Assessing chronic pain has evolved dramatically over the last century. Physicians now know that pain often influences thoughts, which in turn influence actions, which explains how we interpret pain.

Chronic pain is a reality that millions of Americans will face at some point in their lifetime. People’s work, home, school, and social life will inevitably be affected in one way or another, and Southwest Spine and Pain hopes to prepare these patients with the best tools to prepare for the change. Many of our patients have families with young kids, and we remind these individuals to have a conversation with their children about their chronic pain condition.

Nearly 100 million Americans are affected by chronic pain of varying forms. Chronic bone, joint, and muscle pain accounts for one of the most common reasons for doctor’s visits in the United States.  At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, we are experts of pain management of the spine. As a specialty, however, we are equally adept in the management of musculoskeletal pain.

As the leading pain group in Utah, Southwest Spine and Pain Center is proficient in the diagnosis and care for chronic pain conditions. With four locations across the state, Southwest Spine and Pain caters not only to a patients needs, but their wants and concerns during treatment.

Researchers from Keele University in Staffordshire, England, recently found that adults over 50 years of age have non-restorative sleep (when you wake up feeling tired and worn out) that is strongly linked to the onset of widespread pain and fibromyalgia. In addition, the study concluded that anxiety, memory impairment, and poor physical health also attributed to a higher risk of developing this pain.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, patients can expect to get help for their condition in all aspects of their health. We understand how pain affects sleep patterns and are determined to not only find relief during daily activities, but to find relief during sleep hours. Southwest Spine and Pain Center is the leading pain group in Utah, with 4 locations spread across the state.

Osteoarthritis affects 27 million adult Americans over the age of 25, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, making it the number one form of arthritis. When arthritis develops, inflammation and pain strikes in one or more joints, depending where the condition is. When joints become disabled, walking, sitting, and even standing become impossible, making osteoarthritis one of the leading causes of disability and missed workdays in America.

Joint pain affects a large percent of American society, with approximately 50 million adults diagnosed with arthritis or a rheumatoid condition in the United States. While conventional medicine is effective in minimizing pain, many pain patients implement non-pharmaceutical remedies into their treatment and eventually their everyday lives. A well-balanced diet is essential for manage pain conditions, and positive lifestyle changes have a profound effect on joint pain. Apple cider, once a notorious folk remedy, is now one of the most widely used therapies for pain relief.

On January 2, 2014, the Los Angeles Times released an article revealing a study’s findings into Chinese medicine. According to researchers, the Corydalis plant commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine is comprised of a chemical compound that can “effectively alleviate three different types of pain.”

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, our team follows trending news and research into innovated pain treatments. Chinese medicine and other western therapies are widely used by pain sufferers, and we continue to follow the journey of studies that look to uncover the potentials for improved treatment.

Chances are you’re reading this blog sitting down, and that you spend a lot of your time sitting down. Long periods of sitting not only promotes lower back pain, but it is also associated with a slower metabolism, poor body mechanics, weak muscles, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. While sitting down can be more comfortable in the short run, long run disadvantages are much more detrimental to our overall health.