Kaitlyn Wekerle's blog

You may have heard from a friend or through research on the Internet that an onion is a great source for improved health. Maybe you thought it was an urban legend or just some spreading rumor, but research actually validates the medical benefits that onions help fight chronic diseases.

The medical experts at Southwest Spine and Pain Center take your questions and turn them into answers. Patients can expect to be a part of every step throughout their treatment process and given vital information for relieving pain symptoms. Southwest Spine and Pain Center is the premier pain clinic in the Western United States and continues to uphold our reputable name.

Successful chronic pain treatment is easier when the cause is identified. Sometimes, however, it is not so easily identifiable. Psychogenic pain is caused by mental distress and has no true root for treatment. Individuals who suffer from psychogenic pain often feel stinging, burning, tingling, and intermittent pain. If left untreated, chronic pain can transform into bigger mental problems such a depression, mood swings, insomnia, and anxiety.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, our main focus is you. Treatment doesn’t end until there is a solution. Our experienced medical staff is equipped with the proper skills to help design treatment plans and alter care for each individual patient.

The age-old question: what is fibromyalgia and how can I control it? Patients living with this painful condition are often left wondering why and how. Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal condition that is greatly misunderstood. Symptoms of the condition include muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and anxiety. Because the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, patients often turn to treatment for pain management.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, our trained medical staff is determined to provide the best assistance for fibromyalgia patients. It is important to keep all patients informed about remedies that can be done at home in an effort to speed up their recovery and reduce their pain.

Sometimes, it feels like every movement we make enhances our chronic pain. Instead of staying active, we fall into a pattern of laziness and sluggishness. However, not being active can actually worsen our chronic pain.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, we confront chronic pain on a daily basis. From fibromyalgia, to pain from a sport’s injury, the medical team at Southwest treats each condition with professionalism and determination.

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to an injury. Pain is often associated with this response, but it is normally beneficial. Inflammation is a reaction that happens to heal and prevent infection. However, chronic inflammatory changes can be bad for our health.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, we encourage our patients to practice wellness in all avenues of their lives. Though we prescribe medications and other therapies for treatment, some of the best treatment can be done by the patients themselves. To reduce inflammation and pain, patients should seek the following foods to help provide relief.

People typically decide to go on a diet to lose weight and fix bad eating habits. There are so many great diets filled with colorful and delicious foods out there with a slue of benefits. Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet is notoriously imitated for its countless health benefits. 

Losing weight, though may indefinitely come with the plan, isn’t the only thing that can be altered and helped while dieting. Spinal pain can actually be reduced by eating food with the proper nutrition. Southwest Spine and Pain Center encourages all patients to choose nutritionally rich foods when they eat as another effort to help with their treatment.

Some people may not know this but the majority of sports injuries are a sign of nutrition imbalance. While some injuries are the result of accidents or overuse, many are from improper diet management.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, our physicians ensure all patients get the proper attention and education regarding their spine or pain condition. Athletes are recommended to stay hydrated and energized during any exercise regimen.

Facet arthropathy is the scientific term of a degenerative arthritis condition that affects facet joints. These joints are found in the spine. The spinal column is made up of 24 vertebrae, and two facet joints are found between the vertebrae of each spinal division.

Degenerative arthritis is a common disease developed as people age. When the facet joints develop arthritis it can be from a number of complications:

• Wear and tear
• Previous back injury
• Torn ligaments/ fractures
• Disc problems

When these complications arise, bone spurs can develop and deteriorate the surrounding cartilage.

The basics of healthy eating are pretty simple: lots of fresh fruit and vegetables of all sorts of colors. The Mediterranean diet harnesses those basics and incorporates them into one simple and fun diet. The diet is styled after traditional cooking of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Along with fresh fruits and vegetables, the diet incorporates olive oil and even red wine.

The Mediterranean diet is shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Nearly 1.5 million Americans following the diet found a reduce risk of death from heart disease, cancer, and reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. With the Mediterranean diet’s primary focus of fruits and vegetables, it may help to reduce pain symptoms as well.

Warm weather, clear skies, and fresh greens are all a golfer could ask for. For the advocate, practice makes perfect, and when you couple free time with good weather, they will indeed be practicing their swing on the course. Unfortunately, a perfect swing and the repetitive motion can place a lot of stress on the lower back.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, sports injuries, specifically golf, are common amongst patients. Activities that require repetitive motion can cause degenerative problems and promote pain. With our experienced medical team and dedication to providing excellent care, we hope to deliver a beneficial treatment plan.