When you visit the Neuropathy Treatment Clinic of Oklahoma, you will receive a comprehensive approach to pain management. Our pain management clinic, led by Dr. Liphard D’Souza, offers a wide variety of treatment options for both acute and chronic pain conditions, ranging from physical therapy and related programs to specific treatments like combined electrochemical therapy (CET).

In addition to these options, we’re also happy to provide suggestions and approaches for those people who live day-to-day with various forms of chronic pain. While precise recommendations will differ from patient to patient, this two-part blog series will cover several general habits that help many people reduce pain and live a more comfortable life.

Proper Diet

One of more common sources of chronic pain among people today stems from the body’s inability to heal itself properly and within a decent amount of time. Many of those who suffer from regular pain deal with these concerns, which may develop into a cycle where the body is never able to find relief from pain.

An important action that can help limit these concerns: Eating a balanced, healthy diet. Most people don’t realize how heavily this impacts the body’s healing mechanisms, from individual muscles or joints all the way to the overall immune system. A healthy diet helps you support normal weight and limit your risk of disease.  It can also allow for the kind of body synergy that keeps internal defenses high, in turn promoting proper responses to pain.

Regular Exercise

While it may seem unwise to exercise if you’re in the midst of pain, there are situations where doing so will actually contribute directly to limiting this pain. The primary reason for this is the fact that exercise triggers the release of endorphins and hormones that have been proven to help reduce pain symptoms in a variety of areas. In addition to this, exercise builds up muscles, joints and other physiological areas and increases their natural ability to withstand pain.

Quit Smoking

Research from numerous sources and across multiple decades all reveal the same thing: Smoking can increase your pain issues, decrease your body’s healing capabilities and increase the risk of disc damage and disease. Smoking lowers your circulation, a vital factor in providing proper healing. If you have chronic pain and have not been able to quit smoking, focusing your efforts on this area can go a long way towards good health and less pain.

Meditation and Relaxation

For many people, chronic pain is largely a bodily response to constant stress in the muscles. Utilizing meditation or other forms of relaxation can have a major impact here – like exercise, these practices often release endorphins that promote healing. They also help to directly limit the tension in areas that might be the source of your pain.

For more information on daily habits to help you limit pain, or for any questions regarding ways to help limit constant pain, speak to the staff at Neuropathy Treatment Clinic of Oklahoma today.

Shingles are an all too common occurrence. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), almost 1 out of 3 people in the United States will develop shingles during their lifetime. The great news is that the majority of people who get shingles will only have it once.

So, while shingles are common and most people know someone who has had them, do we really know all there is to know about shingles?

 We sat down with Neuropathy Treatment Clinic of Oklahoma’s own Jennifer Martin, DNP, APRN/CNP and asked her to help us get to the bottom of understanding shingles and how the pain associated with shingles can be treated.

 So, what exactly are shingles? 

Shingles is a viral infection that causes one to break out in a painful blistery rash. It is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, which is varicella-zoster. If you have already had chickenpox (statistically 99% of Americans over the age of 40 have) you are more susceptible to getting shingles because the virus is already in your nerves; It is just inactive.  

What are the signs and symptoms? 

The earliest sign of shingles is when you develop flu-like symptoms such as general weakness and fever. The next sign is when you begin to feel pain or burning in the area where the rash may develop; which is typically on your face, chest, back or waist. The pain can be intense and grows worse as the rash begins to develop.

To get a glimpse of what it is like to have shingles, we asked Anna Arage (63) about her recent outbreak. “It is extremely painful,” Anna said. “It has completely zapped my energy and it is hard to get up every morning. The rash is on my right side and my torso is swollen around the rash site. It is keeping me from being my feisty self and I am doing everything I can to get rid of it.”

Shingles typically last between 3-5 weeks. Unfortunately, sometimes that is just the beginning. Roughly 1 in 5 patients with shingles go on to develop something called postherpetic neuralgia.

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the nerve damage caused by the shingles rash even after the rash is no longer present. Shingles follow a nerve pattern, so wherever it is sitting, it is damaging those nerves and will cause long-term pain. These symptoms include itching, numbness, deep and aching pain long after the rash has cleared up.

Where does the Neuropathy Treatment Clinic of Oklahoma come in? 

NTCO has the technology to treat postherpetic neuralgia. According to Dr. Martin, Neuropathy Treatment Clinic “…uses a vitamin blend injection at the site of the rash and something called combined electrochemical therapy.” Combined electrochemical therapy is sending electrical signals to the affected region which targets and helps soothe the damaged nerves. CET has a high efficacy rate and 87% of patients have said after this treatment, they experience significant relief from their nerve pain.

Concerning shingles and postherpetic neuralgia, Dr. Martin said, “shingles is a virus that has to run its course, but the faster we can treat it, the better because the long-term damage and pain will not be as severe.

Here are some quick answers to a few of the most common questions:

• Are shingles contagious? Yes and no. Shingles are only contagious while the virus presents itself with a rash and/or blisters. Shingles can be spread by touching the affected area. While the virus is dormant, it is not contagious. People who have an active case of shingles should keep the area covered and wash their hands frequently, but can continue with daily activities such as work.
• Can you have the shingles as a young adult? Yes. While shingles are most commonly found in adults 65+, young adults and even children can have shingles.
• Does stress cause shingles? Technically, the answer is no. Stress does not cause shingles, but stress can weaken one’s immune system leading to an increased risk for a shingles flare-up.
• Besides receiving advanced treatment at the Neuropathy Clinic of Oklahoma, what are some other ways to help with shingles? The best thing you can do for yourself is to eat well-balanced meals and to get plenty of rest. Go for a walk or do things that help take your mind off the pain and help alleviate stress. Wearing loose clothing around the infected area and apply a cool washcloth to your blisters.
• How can you avoid getting shingles? The CDC recommends that adults 50+ receive the shingles vaccine. Ask your primary care physician for more information about the vaccine and to find out if you are a good candidate for the vaccine.

So, what are you waiting for?

Have you had the shingles rash and are experiencing postherpetic neuralgia? If so, Jennifer and the rest of the Neuropathy Treatment Clinic of Oklahoma team is ready to help! The sooner you can get in and get treatment, the better!

WHAT IS FOOT DROP

Foot drop can be a temporary condition in some cases or can become permanent if therapeutic action is not implemented early. Foot drop is a general term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. If you have foot drop, you may drag the front of your foot on the ground when you walk. Foot drop is a sign of an underlying neurological, muscular or anatomical problem. As a result, individuals with foot drop scuff their toes along the ground or bend their knees to lift their foot higher than usual to avoid the scuffing. Foot drop is a common and distressing problem that can lead to falls and injury.

RANGE OF PATIENT SYMPTOMS

• Decreased sensation, numbness, or tingling in the top of the foot or the outer part of the upper or lower leg
• Foot that drops (unable to hold the foot up)
• Toes drag while walking
• General walking problems
• Weakness of the feet or ankles
• Loss of muscle control in the lower legs and feet
• Weakening of the foot or foreleg muscles
• Difficulty lifting up the foot and toes

FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY

In the process of treating pain from the symptoms related to neuropathy, our group has treated a subset of patients, approximately 6%, with peroneal motor nerve dysfunction (foot drop) which have also responded to our treatment. Chronic foot drop is very difficult to reverse.  One of our patients was told by another clinic it would be four years, if at all, before he recovered.  Our treatment has revealed different outcomes. Functional improvements have been significant and in many cases patients are walking much better. In some cases patients have achieved full recovery where function was completely normal in as little as 6 weeks of treatment.