 Got Yourself a Less-Ability?
Chronic Pain Doctor Says Medically-Based Stretching Can Keep Your Less-Ability from Becoming a Disability
Golf swing not what it used to be? Can’t jog anymore? How about that shoulder check? If you’re noticing a decrease in mobility you need to pay attention to it, says Toronto medical doctor and pain specialist. That means stretching, injury awareness and pre-medication. Or you’ll end up with a chronic condition that will take a lot more to treat.
Up to 31% of North Americans report chronic pain, with causes ranging from old sport’s injuries to accidents to migraine pain and arthritis. Countless others report a loss of ability, such as a decrease in the ability to swing a golf club, or to perform a shoulder-check while driving a car. And while pain is minimally addressed in medical training, it is a significant cause of missed work, doctor visits and hospital stays throughout North America. According to pain specialist Dr. Blair Lamb, MD there is a large gap between what is known and what is practiced in the treatment of all forms of pain.
According to Dr. Lamb, all muscles shorten in response to injury or exercise, which eventually causes scar tissue within the muscle. New research indicates that scarred, shortened muscles lead to joint and nerve injury, causing chronic pain and arthritis. Virtually every person and animal on the planet will suffer from the complications of muscle dysfunction or in one form or another and most will begin with early symptoms by 30 years of age.
Prescription Medication Not Enough
Many pain sufferers rely on prescription “non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” (NSAIDs) or over-the-counter aspirin to deal with their pain. But these medications are not without controversy, as NSAIDS Vioxx and Bextra and most recently, Diclofenac were pulled from the market due to their links with heart attack.
Dr.Lamb’s Pain Management Strategy
Stretching Videos
“Stretching offers a way back from injury and disability in virtually all age groups,” says Lamb. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Lamb has designed a multi-level stretching program for fitness, weight control and many pain conditions. The program is medically based on how the body is designed and how stretching helps you with pain conditions, fitness and weight control.
“In general,“ says Dr. Lamb, “stretching helps to reverse the muscle shortening and promote muscle healing. Stretching returns damaged, shortened muscles to normal length. Since most activities, including exercise, sports or work will contribute to muscle injury and shortening, it makes sense for most people to add stretching into their lifestyle. While often considered boring or painful, stretching is essential to good health and effective exercising.” The main benefits of stretching include:
- Elongation of Muscle
- Increase in Strength of Muscle
- Improvement in Weight Control & Exercise
- Decompression of Joints
- Decreased Chronic Pain
- Increase In Normal Sleep
- Improvement In Sports Performance
- Improvement In Joint Pain & Arthritis
- Improvement In Joint Range of Motion
- Reduction of Injury During Work or Sports
Prevent and Premedicate
Nutrients such as the Omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fatty fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel can help reduce inflammation associated with chronic pain. Those who suffer joint pain and arthritis should avoid inflammatory foods like citrus fruit, red meat, sugar, salt, and nightshade plants like potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.
Also, a new natural ingredient for inflammation called Celadrin® has been clinically proven to promote healthy joint function and relieve muscle stiffness caused by injuries—with no side effects.
Combination Therapies for Pain Relief:
Heat Therapy Heat is very helpful in increasing blood flow within a muscle thereby reducing muscle spasm and scar formation.
Physiotherapy and Chiropractic Both are well described in public and medical literature and often work well in combination.
Injection therapy Several forms of injection therapy, including traditional acupuncture, nerve block therapy, cortisone injection, saline or salt water injection, trigger point injection and intramuscular stimulation (IMS) are useful.
“While pain is a part of life, there are things you can do to avoid injuries or painful conditions.” Says Lamb. “If you already have pain, there are ways to minimize or reverse your pain.”
Dr. G. Blair Lamb, M.D C.C.F.P., O.P.P.A. is a pain and rehabilitation specialist practicing in Burlington, Ontario, Canada and Phoenix, Arizona. He began his career in the rehabilitation field when he suffered a series of accidents causing profound pain and loss of function of his spine and limbs. He specializes in the treatment of chronic pain conditions, including low back pain; headache and migraine; whiplash; neck pain; golfer’s elbow; tennis elbow; foot pain; fibromyalgia; TMJ and more.
Please visit www.stretch-doctor.com, www.spinalsolutions.ca.
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