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Carpal Tunnel Syndrom

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Category: Our History

Published on Friday, 19 July 2013 00:27

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Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) CTS is the most common entrapment neuropathy. CTS is median nerve injury due to compression, traction or friction at the level of wrist. The syndrome is characterized by pain, paresthesia, numbness and weakness in the median nerve distribution of the hand. CTS has an enormous economic impact due to the costs associated with lost working hours, reduced earnings, restricted work activities. Early diagnosis and timely treatment of CTS can prevent irreversible nerve damage and permanent disability.  Causes of CTS Predisposition factors include diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, renal disease, alcoholism, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, pregnancy, and menopause. Compression could be due to intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Fracture, dislocation, space occupying lesions (tumors, cysts) can lead to entrapment of median nerve. Congenitally small carpal tunnel may predispose to nerve compression. Chronic nerve compression can be caused by pressure against hard surface. Use of vibrating hand held tools, highly repetitive forceful motion of upper extremity and abnormal hand position can lead to CTS.  There are several high risk occupations for CTS. People in occupation that require repetitive or forceful hand movement or sustained exertion of the upper limb are at risk for CTS. These include carpenters, butchers, grinders, factory workers, garment workers, packers, cashiers, elevator operators, computer operators, dentists, pneumatic tool operators and drilling machine operators. Athletes and sportsperson may be at risk due to direct injury or repetitive trauma due to throwing and catching.  Clinical manifestations There are paresthesias (abnormal sensation, tingling) in the hand induced by activity. They may occur typically at night (few hours after retiring) and are relieved by shaking or massaging the hand. These may radiate to the wrist, elbow, forearm or shoulder. Patients complain that the hand feels fat, swollen, weak, clumsy and objects drop from the hand.  Diagnosis A typical history, physical examination with positive Phalens' and Tinel's sign is diagnostic. Electrodiagnostic studies - nerve conduction studies of median nerve demonstrate delayed conduction across the carpal tunnel on the affected side.  Treatment Lunate is usually subluxated in this case. Chriopractric adjustment may be enough to put lunate in its proper location. Medical conservative treatment depends on the cause and severity of the condition. Wrist splinting and changing habits may be sufficient in mild CTS. Moderate CTS may require medications. Local steroid and lignocaine may bring temporary relief.  Surgical treatment by decompression of the median nerve by release of the transverse carpal ligament is indicated in severe CTS not responding to medical treatment.

Migrain

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Published on Friday, 19 July 2013 00:10

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Migraine

The suffering of a Migraine patient is difficult to understand by those who have never experienced a headache. “It is surprising that man has visited the moon long back and he will conquer other planets and stars as well but there is no cure for migraine headache” exclaimed Osho. The suffering of a Migraine patient is difficult to understand by those who have never experienced a headache. “It is surprising that man has visited the moon long back and he will conquer other planets and stars as well but there is no cure for migraine headache” exclaimed Osho.

The misery, frustration and cry for cure of migraine patient is well represented by George Bernard Shaw. He suffered severe headache once a month till the age of 70. He admonished Nansen the famous arctic explorer, “Have you ever tried to find a cure for headaches?” , Well you have spent your life in trying to discover North Pole, which nobody on earth cares tuppence about, and you have never attempted to discover a cure for headache, which every living person is crying aloud for.”

That is not true anymore, researchers are working on a remedy for migraine. The current understanding has moved on from accusing the patient of defective personality to a disease of the brain. Migraine is a hereditary tendency of the brain which causes impaired modulation of afferent impulses periodically leading to exaggerated perception of headache, vascular pulsation, scalp tenderness, sensitivity to light, sound. The better understanding of pathophysiology has lead to improve treatment and care of migraine patients.

Having treated thousands of patients of migraine and other headaches Dr Chakor has gained significant expertise in all types of Headache treatment. Every day patients are seen in the outpatient clinic or indoor department. Patients are treated by consultation or are admitted for refractory headaches as deemed necessary. 

Symptoms
Migraine is 2 to 3 times more frequent in women than in men. The typical headache of migraine starts on one side of the head usually around the eye or forehead. It then gradually builds up in severity and spreads to involve one half of the head, rarely it may involve the entire head. It is usually quite severe and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting sensitivity to sound, light. 

The typical migraine headache is:

A person suffering from migraines will always like to relax in the dark and quiet place and most of the times relief can be obtained only when vomiting takes place. Many people have a prodrome where they report change in mood, irritability or depression. In patients of migraine with aura a complex of neurologic symptoms may precede or occur with the headache. The aura can be visual, sensory, motor or a combination of these. In atypical visual aura the patient sees a hazy spot or a star in the center of his vision which then increases in size. Its borders are bright and scintillating, shimmering. This is followed by a typical migraine headache.

Many things can trigger a migraine. These include:

Some triggers typical to patients are:

All headaches are not migraine. Essentially migraine is a diagnosis of exclusion, which means other secondary causes of headache are ruled out by appropriate tests. A headache may not be migraine if it does not fulfill the criteria for migraine. New onset headache, headache occurring for the first time, headache with convulsion, confusion, fever, and abnormal behavior is not migraine headache. Headache in patients who have low immunity or those on treatment for cancer likely have a cause of headache other than migraine. 

Other serious causes of headache
- Brain tumor
- Thrombosis of cerebral veins
- Temporal arteritis
- Rise in intracranial pressure
- Low intracranial pressure
- Aneurysms of cerebral artery
- Meningitis, encephalitis
- Dissection of vessels
- Brain Hemorrhage
- Stroke

Diagnosis of Migraine
It is essentially diagnosed on history of the symptoms. History of recurrent one sided headache accompanied with nausea vomiting in a woman with family history of similar headaches in virtually diagnostic of migraine. The neurological examination is normal in patients with migraine. Secondary causes which can cause headaches have to be ruled out by appropriate tests like CT scan or MRI where indicated.

Treatment
Migraine presents in different severity in different patients and even in the same patient at different times. The treatment has to be tailored as per the severity and disability caused by the headache.

Many factors may contribute to the occurrence of migraine attacks. They are known as trigger factors and may include diet, sleep, activity, psychological issues as well as many other factors. Avoidance of identifiable trigger factors reduces the number of headaches a patient may experience. Non-pharmacological techniques for control of migraine are helpful to some patients. These include biofeedback, relaxation technique, physical medicine, yoga, pranaayaam and counseling.

Good Sleep - is of prime importance to all migraine patients. Remember the sleep requirement of each individual is different.

Migraine headache may prevent one from falling asleep or wake you may wake up at night with a migraine headache. Commonly migraines are often triggered by a poor night's sleep. The following tips for good sleep may be useful - These are similar to sleep hygiene measures advised for insomnia.

Regularly Exercise
The benefits of regular exercise go beyond control of migraine, have a habit of regular exercise.

Stress, do not try to manage it-
Stress and migraines often go hand in hand. You can't avoid daily stress, but you can avoid stressful situations or people, it will help you prevent migraines.

Good eating habits 
Your eating habits are important for migraines- 

Biofeedback
As an alternative to drug therapy, this training uses special equipment that monitors physical tension to teach the patient how to control the physical processes that are related to stress. Once familiar with this technique, people can use it, without the monitoring equipment, to stop an attack or reduce its effects.

Self-hypnosis exercises are also taught to control both muscle contraction and the swelling of blood vessels. This patient-directed therapy, with the clinician serving as a guide or teacher, should be practiced daily. Children have an excellent response to biofeedback training, since they are open to new methods, learn quickly and have not become firmly entrenched in a chronic pain pattern.

Chiropractic Treatment
 adjustment of the cervical spine. Trigger point treatment.

Back Pain Los Angeles Chiropractic Approach

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Category: Our History

Published on Friday, 19 July 2013 00:20

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Back pain

Lower back pain is one of the most common causes of chiropractic consultation. Loss of work hours and loss of productivity due to back pain is huge and this creates a significant burden on society.

Etiology
In many patients this is related to bad sitting posture and occupation. Trauma is also an important cause of low back pain. Back pain can be neurogenic (related to nerve, nerve roots, spinal cord injury) or mechanical (related to musculoskeletal injury). Intra-abdominal causes like urinary stones, abdominal aneurysm, pelvic inflammatory disease, tumors may also cause back pain. 

Diagnosis
Low back pain is a symptom and the underlying cause has to be detected for an effective treatment. The chiropractic dictum of anatomical localization (where is the lesion/abnormality) and determining the etiology (what is the lesion) applies here. A through history in many cases will point to the etiology. For example, acute onset severe back radiating to the leg after lifting heavy weight is usually due to a prolapsed intervertebral disc pressing on the spinal nerve root. A long history of relapsing back pain without leg pain suggests a mechanical back pain. This includes facet joint arthritis, disc pain and pain from ligaments.

Investigations
All patients with back pain and abnormal neurological examination need x-ray to start and later MRI imaging. MRI is also sensitive for disc, ligaments, vertebral, paravertebral imaging. MRI may over diagnose abnormalities and these may be seen even in asymptomatic individuals. MRI can miss vascular abnormalities and sometimes paravertebral lesions Back pain with normal neuro-exam may need x-rays as deemed necessary. In some case CT myelography, angiography may be needed. EMG and NCS can correctly localize nerve root, plexus and nerve lesions. 

Treatment
This depends on the cause of the back pain. For mechanical back pain without neurological deficit a short course of chiropractic treatments is usually sufficient. Recurrent back pain may become a chronic pain condition and require multidisciplinary management. 

In the presence of a neuro deficit urgent intervention may be required to restore function (e.g. prolapsed disc with cauda equina syndrome). 

Prevention
Maintaining a correct posture while sitting, control of abdominal obesity, regular back strengthening exercises go a long way in preventing mechanical back pain.

Neck Pain Chiropractic Treatment

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Category: Our History

Published on Thursday, 18 July 2013 23:57

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Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common problem with around 50 to 75% of population having this complaint at some time in their lifetime. 

Etiology
Neck pain could be a symptom of a host of diseases. These could be minor or sometimes serious. Injury to the soft tissues, namely muscles, tendons, ligaments, bone and cartilage like vertebrae, vertebral or facet joints can lead to neck pain. Injuries to these structures are commonly whiplash injuries which happen while travelling or as a result of poor sitting posture. 

Degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine can press upon the spinal nerves and cause neck, shoulder and arm pain. Cervical spondylosis (degenerative spine disease) can cause local neck pain or neuralgic pain due to pressure on the nerves (cervical radiculopathy).

Intrinsic spinal cord disorders like tumors, demyelination, syringomyelia can cause neck and arm pain. Rarely referred pain from heart, lungs, and some abdominal organs can cause neck and shoulder pain.

Neck pain could be part of a systemic inflammatory disease like polymyalgia rheumatic or vasculitis. Acute onset neck pain associated with severe headache and fever could herald meninigoencephalitis (infection of the covering of the brain). Acute severe neck pain in a previously healthy person may suggest a spinal hemorrhage.

Diagnosis
Thus the key remains in detecting the etiology of neck pain. A thorough history and a detailed neurological examination will lead to a correct diagnosis.

An MRI of the cervical spinal region is indicated in patients with abnormal examination. MRI may also be appropriate in cases with acute onset neck pain, patients with history of injury and in those with associated systemic disorders.

A nerve conduction study and electromyography may be necessary to demonstrate radiculopathy.

Treatment
The treatment of neck pain depends on its cause. In patients with degenerative spine disease and mechanical neck pain a short course of chiropractic treatment with neck exercises and advice on proper posture will be sufficient for long term relief. The direction where the vertebra is misaligned has to be assessed. The proper line of drive is important in correction of vertebra.