May 30, 2014

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Even the Slightest Pain after a Car Accident

Relieve Pain Post a Comment

[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgFt55sg1lw&list=UUywozp0WIbd3OU4N9KQlUag” title=”Tess%27%20Testimonial%20for%20Shoulder%20and%20Neck%20Pain%20after%20an%20Automobile%20Accident%20″]

Treatment of Injuries Caused by Car Accidents

At Integrated Health Solutions, a large percentage of our patients have experienced some sort of trauma, whether it is from a sports injury or involvement in a motor vehicle accident. When it comes to injuries sustained from accidents, it is from our experience and patient feedback, that an individual does not always feel the pain immediately.  Many of our patients have reported that they did not feel any pain until a few weeks after the accident. This is because our body has an immense ability to keep us from sensing pain.  However, the soft tissues have been affected since the time of the trauma.

Many people who experience physical trauma believe that the pain will eventually go away on its own. We have had patients come to us six months, and even a few years, after their accident, who have unfortunately realized the pain is now a chronic problem and are desperate to feel better. Because of this, we suggest anyone involved in a car accident pay attention to any of their symptoms, some of which may include, but are not limited to: blurred vision, dizziness, clenching of the jaw, pain in the shoulders, neck and back, and headaches.  If you experience any of these symptoms, we encourage you to seek professional help.

Many times, we see patients who have gone to the emergency room after their accident, which is excellent for an initial triage however the main concern of the emergency room is to make sure you do not have any life threatening injuries or fractures. Some patients may be given medication to help with their pain, but please keep in mind that the medicine is doing just that, it’s helping you deal with the pain, not treating the source of it.

We encourage our patients to consider rehab to help reactivate the soft tissue that was damaged in the accident. Different kinds of soft tissue therapies help loosen up the adhesion and fibrotic formations that set in after injury to muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. Acupuncture is a phenomenal tool for decreasing pain and inflammation, and rejuvenating the tissue. Chiropractic care will help centralize the joint and help with proper mechanics.  At Integrated Health Solutions, we follow this integrated approach to help treat the cause, not just cover the symptoms.

If you have been involved in an accident, or have experienced an injury, please seek medical attention by a provider who specializes in restoring soft tissue integrity, joint mechanics, and who is focused on addressing the cause of the pain, not just masking it.  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting us at 317.449.2020.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.
May 22, 2014

Do You Have to Live with Tennis Elbow Pain?

Joint Pain Post a Comment

Tennis Elbow Pain Management and Treatment Plan

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondilitis, is a medical condition in which the outer part of the elbow becomes inflamed and painful. This injury is directly related to a repetitive micro trauma, in which muscles of the forearm (the extensor muscles) become overused, leading to adhesion, tension, and tightness in the musculature. This in turn creates a pull and a tug on the bone (epicondyle) where the pain is felt.

Can Anyone Get Tennis Elbow?

Even though this condition is predominately present in tennis and racquetball players, it is is not an exclusive condition to the athletic population. In our clinic, we have seen this condition present in patients who use their arms at work repetitively on a daily basis, such as hair designers, office workers and chefs.

What Causes Tennis Elbow?

This condition is primarily correlated with overused and over activate muscles of the forearm, known as extensors muscles. These muscles become inflamed, hypertonic, adhesed and tender, in turn creating a tugging and pulling sensation on the insertion, which is a tiny bone of the forearm located at the elbow, which is most commonly where people with this condition feel their pain.

These tense, triggered, and adhesed muscles eventually form nodules within the muscle fibers, known as trigger points. The trigger points will contribute to a viscous cycle of additional pain in the area of the forearm and tension in the muscles, that again augment the pain at the side of the elbow and along the forearm muscles.

Can Tennis Elbow be Treated?

At Integrated Health Solutions, we have formulated a treatment plan that has been proven to be exceptionally successful. Dr. Charbel conducts a comprehensive exam, that not only includes the elbow, but also the shoulder and cervical area. We have found that in many of our patients there is a high correlation of elbow injuries and poor shoulder and upper back mechanics. These poor mechanics create additional and unnecessary demand on the elbow. This thorough exam allows us to have a greater success in the treatment of this condition. Most of our patients experience 80 to 90 percent relief from their symptoms within as few as eight visits.

The treatment plan typically includes soft tissue treatment, physical rehab, and exercises and stretches to the effected area, and to any other areas our exam indicates needs treatment. One proven therapy that we add to our treatment plan that is a key factor, is dry needling.

What is Trigger Point Dry Needling?

Trigger point dry needling is one of the most evidence based, clinically proven therapies that help us expedite the healing process, especially when it is used in conjunction with our other modalities. Trigger point dry needling, also known as medical acupuncture, is very similar to acupuncture, however, during this technique, Dr. Charbel addresses the affected area in addition to points throughout the spine, shoulders, and arms. This will help expedite the healing, and allow better nerve flow and help balance the musculature and eliminate the cause of the pain.

Trigger point dry needling has consistently proven in our clinical setting to have almost a hundred percent success rate in releasing tension, adhesion, and resolving trigger point formations within the muscle fibers and decreasing pain. Once these soft tissue muscles relax, the pulling and tugging on that little bone on your elbow (epicondyle) diminishes, which relieves the inflammation and the pain that you are dealing with.

Trigger point dry needling, when incorporated in our treatment plan allows us to address the cause of the pain and not just mask the symptoms. At Integrated Health Solutions, our approach to treating injuries is comprehensive, and addresses the cause. This is why when a patient complains of lateral epicondilitis, Dr. Charbel examines the entire upper body’s functionality and alignment, which will ensure better usage and faster healing.

Along with dry needling and the other therapies in our treatment plans, Dr. Charbel also reviews the mechanics that the patient utilizes. By enhancing the biomechanics of the different joints involved, stress is reduced on a daily basis. Patients are educated on different exercises and stretches, which will expedite the healing process, and eventually allow the patient to become self-reliant and manage their conditions on their own, and also prevent the injury from reoccurring.

For more inquiries on trigger point dry needling and tennis elbow, please do not hesitate contacting Integrated Health Solutions at 317-449-2020.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.

Back Pain Treatment
May 6, 2014

Will Back Pain Heal Itself?

Back Pain 3 comments

Determining If You Need A Doctor For Your Back Pain

Back pain is more common than you may think. In fact, it is the second most common reason people visit their doctor and one of the most common reasons for missing work.

What Causes Back Pain?

Sports injuries and accidents can cause back pain, but sometimes even the simplest movement, such as tying your shoes, can result in pain. Back pain can be complicated with factors such as arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and even psychological stress.

Minor injuries typically heal within a few days. However, in some cases the pain persists. Often times, the fear of further injury prevents the injured person from being active, which in turn, can result in the pain lasting longer.

Will the Pain Go Away on Its Own?

In the past, researchers believed that over time back pain would “heal” itself. However, a recent study showed that when back pain is not treated, it may go away on its own initially, but it is likely to return. In fact, the study showed that more than 33% of people who experienced low-back pain, had the pain for more than 30 days. Five years later, only 9% of those people remained pain free. *

How Can I Prevent Long-Term Back Pain?

· Don’t bend over to lift objects. Instead, squat, by bending your hips and knees and keeping your back straight, to pick up the object. [youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiQJVD5lcds”]

· Avoid twisting your body while lifting.

· When moving heavy objects, push them, rather than pulling them.

· Exercise on a regular basis. An inactive lifestyle contributes to lower-back pain.

If your back pain lasts for more than a few days, you should see your chiropractor. Dr. Charbel is an affordable chiropractor in Indianapolis, who can tell you if your pain is the result of poor biomechanics and/or an injury. Many of the patients at our affordable chiropractic clinic feel improvement after only a few treatment sessions.

If you’ve been dealing with back pain for too long, in the hopes it would heal on its own, call our chiropractic health center today.

 * Hestbaek L, Leboeuf-Yde C, Engberg M, Lauritzen T, Bruun NH, Manniche C. The course of low-back pain in a general population. Results from a 5-year prospective study. J Manipulative Physiol There 2003 May;26(4):213-9.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.