Portland Chiropractor Myofascial Pain | Pain; How Much is Normal?
As a Chiropractor and educator in Portland, Oregon, I see patients with pain of all types and intensities; I also lecture on myofascial pain and mechanical pain (low back, shoulder, neck, etc.). A subject that recently came up with both my students, interns and colleagues is, how much pain is OK?
Can you answer this? How about your medical doctor, naturopath, chiropractor, physical therapist? I was playing devil’s advocate with some interns in my teaching shift at NCNM and I asked them,
“Should we be treating every little ache and pain our patients have and if so, is this teaching them to be hypersensitive?”
In addition, what impact does this have on their pain coping mechanisms, both internal and external? I believe it gives the message that any and all pain is bad and makes patients much more likely to overuse pain medications. There has been some speculation amongst researchers and clinicians (doctors and therapists) alike that we are conditioning ourselves to be in pain. By taking pain medication and other remedies every time we feel, even the slightest pain, we may be conditioning our nervous system to SENSE PAIN ALL THE TIME.
Now most know that in my Portland chiropractic, nutrition, myofascial therapies and functional movement clinic, Optimum Function, I often treat patients to improve function instead of treating pain. The simple fact is, we have to help patients with their pain because often, that is why they are coming in; the unanswered question is, how much is OK?
I have been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) in Portland at Straight Blast Gym for almost a year now and recently, been training harder . We have some fighters going to the worlds at the end of this month and our competition team has been going at it in practice. This past Friday, my back just couldn’t take the pace and today, it’s hard for me to move around, in fact, writing this is painful as sitting seems to be the offending position. Is this OK? Well, in my opinion, it is…. let me explain.
I overdid it, I kept playing in people’s guards and they kept trying to break down my posture, the is the game of BJJ. I should have known better, my back has been feeling tired after practices for 2 weeks, I should have modified my game. Now I am in pain, I didn’t damage anything, just some minor strains and sprains but in an area that is fairly crucial to functional movement and one that is affected by just about any position I put myself in. I have no doubt, that in 2-3 days, I will be back to 100%
Why am I writing this? Because I am planning on doing a more in-depth article series on the topic and will use this information to help educate my patients and students on this topic so we don’t over focus on normal, physiologically-beneficial pain.
Stay Tuned…. feel free to leave a comment, maybe I’ll use it in the articles to come on this topic.
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum Health
Portland Chiropractor and Nutritionist: Have you Had your HbA1c Checked?
Over the past few years, glycosylated hemoglobin (AKA glycated hemoglobin, HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c) has become a promising marker for diabetes. Most labs have reported a “normal” result is you are less than or equal to 7.0%, my optimal range has been between 4.5% and 5.0%. What does it mean?
Well, HbA1c is a marker that gives your doctor an idea about how well you have regulated your blood sugar over the lifespan of you red blood cells or RBCs. Your RBCs have a lifespan of about 3-4 months. Just testing blood glucose gives you a snap-shot view of blood sugar; the problem is; if you regulated your blood sugar properly the morning of the test but not the 3-4 month preceding the test, you don’t get an accurate idea about the potential risk of diabetes.
So, should you just have your HbA1c checked? No, it’s recommended that you have BOTH HbA1c and blood glucose.
You might think it’s strange reading this info from a Portland chiropractor and nutritionist. In fact, I run lab work on many patients, often at prices MUCH lower than your neighborhood hospital or primary care physician. This may mean huge savings, especially for those without insurance. So, come on in to your friendly neighborhood Portland chiropractor and have your HbA1c checked in addition to cholesterol and other markers as necessary.
Reference:
Carson AP, Reynolds K, Fonseca VA, et al. Comparison of A1C and fasting glucose criteria to diagnose diabetes among U.S. adults. Diabetes Care. 2010 Jan;33(1):95-7. Epub 2009 Oct 6.
Hormone Replacement Therapy is Risky…..
Here’s a link to an article about how Pfizer was ordered to pay millions of dollars in a Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) lawsuit: Pfizer Ordered to Pay $34.3 Million in HRT Lawsuit
While not as prevalent at the 80′s and 90′s, HRT (premarin,prempro, and provera) is still utilized by some women. The problem is, there are some risks that go along with HRT:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Ovarian cancer
- Breast cancer.
Presumably, women are on HRT to combat the symptoms of menopuase and perimenopause. What many of them don’t know is that these symptoms often resolve when natural therapies are utilized to balance the hormonal shifts that are occurring at this moment in a woman’s life-cycle. The process with which LH and FSH (pituitary hormones that affect the rest of your female hormonal system) flip their dominance and estrogen production all but stops completely is a natural process that occurs (to varying degrees) in ALL women. The key to minimizing perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms lies in the balance between all these processes. In fact, with respect to hormones, balance is key….. it doesn’t matter if you’re a man, woman or child.
At my Portland, Oregon chiropractic, nutrition, hypnosis and functional medicine clinic, Optimum Function; I often run a female hormone profile to get an very individualized picture about my patients’ female hormonal status. Once that’s obtained, it’s MUCH easier to determine how best to support her during this time of hormonal change and turmoil. If you want to investigate what natural treatments can be effective to balance out your hormones and help decrease your menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms, feel free to contact me here or through my website Functional Medicine Portland, Oregon
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthA Health and Wellness Program to Rule Them All
Picking “one therapy” seems nearly impossible but in light of the current debate about the future of health care in the United States, I have to give homage to not one, but rather three therapies that stand above the others in helping to reduce the risk and prevalence of many chronic illnesses.
These three therapies can drastically reduce pain, inflammation and fatigue; these are three of the major components of the major diseases plaguing Americans. The medical names of the disorders associated with these signs and symptoms include but are not limited to the following:
- Fibromyalgia (muscle pain and fatigue)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Chronic headache
- Arthralgias (arthritis symptoms)
- Metabolic Syndrome (pre-diabetes)
- Chronic fatigue
- Fibrocystic breast disease
- syndrome
- Allergies
- Environmental/Chemical Sensitivities
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Dyslipidemias (elevated cholesterol)
- Prostatitis (prostate irritation)
- Cognitive impairment (short term memory)
- Dyspepsia and gastrointestinal reflux disorder (digestive problems)
- Sleep apnea
- Eczema and rosacea
Although none of these conditions are immediately “life threatening,” they are common chronic problems that become more troublesome over time if not corrected. These are also conditions that can progress to more serious diseases if not detected and corrected early.
In a pharmacological model each of these conditions would be treated with its own family of medications to manage symptoms not reverse the condition in many cases. This often results in people taking several medications, all of which have the potential for adverse side-effects and drug to drug interactions. This opens-up a “pandora’s box” of prescription medications often being prescribed to counter the side-effects of the original medication. It can become a “cyclical nightmare” for many patients
In the Lifestyle and Functional Medicine models, the clinical approach treats the underlying cause of the signs and symptoms. Here are my choice of the three foundational therapies that I use in my Portland, Oregon chiropractic, nutrition and lifestyle medicine clinic, Optimum Function:
- The “Four R Program”
- Metabolic Detoxification
- Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (dietary, stress-relief and exercise)
Stay tuned for posts that explain each of these therapeutic interventions. If you are in Portland, Oregon and want to learn more, you can go to www.OptFunction.com and click on the button at the top of the site that reads, “Schedule Appointment Online”. In addition, you can learn more about functional medicine at Optimum function by clicking on this link: Portland, Oregon Functional Medicine.
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum Health“How Can You Help Me Escape the Pain I’m in?”
This is a question I receive quite often when potential patients in Portland, Oregon and other places in the U.S. and Canada call me, email me or contact me through the Optimum Function Website.
At Optimum Function, patients not only have access to various chiropractic and soft tissue techniques, they also have access to functional rehabilitation and training that includes kettlebells, TRX suspension systems and body weight exercises. My patients have access to nutritional interventions to decrease pain and inflammation that include diet and lifestyle counseling, body composition analysis, anti-inflammatory supplements, and blood work or other lab work if necessary.
In fact, there are not many chiropractic, nutrition, functional medicine and hypnosis clinics in Portland, Oregon; and even fewer that treat patients from all over the U.S. and Canada. As a doctor, I decided to pursue treatments that allowed me to help my patients from a few different avenues.
- Chiropractic, soft tissue therapies and manual medicine allow me to restore motion in joints and balance tension throughout your body. Techniques used include; Graston Therapy, Kinesiotape, Cold Laser, Electrostimulation, Arthrostim, Vibracussor, Adjusting, Active Muscle Release, and more!
- Functional rehab. and training allows me to “turn-on” the muscles that are your prime movers. After this is done, I can give you full-body functional workouts to help solidify your body’s stability and reduce your risk of re-injury.
- Nutrition and functional medicine allows me to look at and treat your particular chemical and physiological processes. Often, diet, exercise and lifestyle changes are the first line of defense against diseases like type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity
- Hypnosis helped me round-out my treatment paradigm by allowing me to help my patients on a subconscious level, dealing with habits, issues and problems on a level deeper than the conscious mind for long-lasting, effectiveness.
Well, there you have it, at Optimum Function in Portland, Oregon, you get one-on-one treatments that address many of your health concerns. Escape pain and live the life of your dreams!
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthOptimum Function Chiropractic, Nutrition and Hypnosis Now on RateItAll.com
Hey everyone, I am now on Rate It All.com
Click on the following link to rate me; Optimum Function: Portland, Oregon Chiopractic, Nutrition, Hypnosis and Functional Medicine on RateItAll.com
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthFunctional Medicine Training Program Starting
Attention docs and health care providers, another Functional Medicine Traning program starts again this week. Functional Medicine University, founded by Dr. Weatherby and Dr. Grisanti, is an online training program that prepares doctors and health care providers in the art of Functional Diagnostic Medicine. I participated in this class in in 2006 and can say it is one of the best out there.
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthThe Infamous Stress: An Article about Stress and Your Body.
I just finished an article I have been working-on about stress and what it can do to your health. As many of you know, excess stress or stress that isn’t adapted to very well can have many deleterious affects on your body and health. Click on the following link for more info.
Enjoy!
Yours in Health, Tim Irving DC, MS, LMT, CKTP, GSTM cert, Nutritionist, Hypnotherapist Optimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste 215, Portland, OR, 97214 Optimum Function = Optimum HealthYours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum Health
Do You Want To Learn Functional Medicine?
OK all you docs and purveyors of health out there. I am going to share some resources that have helped me integrate Functional Medicine into my Portland, Oregon Chiropractic, Nutrition, Functional Medicine and Hypnotherapy Clinic; Optimum Function.
Click on the following link to learn more about the Functional Medicine Training program that I would recommend to anyone and have participated in myself a few times now: Functional Medicine University: Functional Medicine Training with Dr. Weatherby and Dr. Grisanti
Click on the following links to get a glimpse at the various ways functional medicine practitioners treat hypertension and how we test for “leaky gut”: A Functional Medicine Approach to Hypertension; The Mucosal Barrier Function Test for “Leaky Gut”
If you have any questions about the program, don’t hesitate to contact me any time at info@OptFunction.com. I have turned 3 or 4 docs onto this program and would love to have more docs out there practicing functional medicine in Portland and throughout the US.
Yours in Health, Tim Irving DC, MS, LMT, CKTP, GSTM cert. Nutritionist, Hypnotherapist, FMU cert. Optimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97214 Optimum Function = Optimum HealthYours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum Health