Causes of Back Pain after Eating

January 27, 2016/0 Comments/in Back Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Does your back pain flare up after eating a big meal? There are many different conditions that can cause back pain after eating – some serious, some not so serious. In this article, we are going to investigate the potential causes of back pain after eating, and also look into some treatment options.

How Can Food Cause Back Pain?

Back pain can result from certain foods, our body’s reactions to those foods, and also the manner in which we consume food. Here are a few potential conditions that could cause a flare up of back pain after a meal:

If you eat too fast, indigestion can lead to pain in the stomach that may radiate to your back.
Pancreatitis, or Appendicitis. These are serious inflammations of the pancreas and appendix (respectively) that can be fatal if not treated swiftly. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of pancreatitis and appendicitis and seek medical attention quickly if you exhibit any signs.
Gallstones & Gallbladder Issues, which typically necessitate surgical removal.
Food allergies. Your pain could be the result of an allergic reaction.

These are just a few potential causes of back pain after a meal. Treatment begins with an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment Options

Since there are so many potential causes of back pain after eating, it’s essential that you narrow down the root cause of the pain. If your pain is mild and dissipates a few hours after eating, it’s likely just indigestion or an allergic reaction. If the pain persists or worsens quickly, you may have another condition that could cause serious medical issues.

If you are experiencing back pain or other pain after eating, contact a pain management specialist to get to the bottom of your pain. An experienced pain physician at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN can help you understand the cause of your pain, and walk you through your treatment options. Make your appointment today!

Osteoarthritis vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

January 25, 2016/0 Comments/in Arthritis /by Matthew Thorson

Although they both contain the word “arthritis” – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are different conditions that require different treatment approaches. In this article, we are going to offer some tips for differentiating between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. We will also talk about the specific treatment options for each condition.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

Osteoarthritis is a very common condition in which the protective cartilage between our joints breaks down, causing the bones to rub against one another. It can worsen over time and cause increasingly more and more pain. Osteoarthritis most commonly impacts the joints in the knees, spine, hands, and hips. Here are some of the common symptoms of the condition:

Pain, stiffness, and tenderness in the affected joint
Decreased flexibility
A “grating” sensation in the joints

Treatments for osteoarthritis can include regular exercise, pain medications and injections to reduce pain, and physical therapy.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Rheumatoid arthritis (or RA for short) is similar to osteoarthritis, but has several key differences. The biggest difference is that RA impacts the lining of the joints, rather than the cartilage breakdown that osteoarthritis is famous for. RA is, in fact, an autoimmune disorder that causes your body to mistakenly attack its own tissues. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

Swelling in the joints
Morning stiffness
Bumps of tissue underneath the skin
Fatigue and unexplained weight loss

There is no cure for RA, but there are numerous treatments that can address its symptoms, and reduce its advancement.

If you are experiencing symptoms of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, contact a specialized pain management physician today. The pain doctors at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN have over two decades of experience treating RA and osteoarthritis, and can help form a treatment plan that fits your unique needs. Contact our office today to set up an appointment.

What to Do if Your Family Doesn’t Understand Your Pain

January 20, 2016/0 Comments/in Pain /by Matthew Thorson

It’s tough to deal with chronic pain on your own. Having a strong base of supportive family members and friends can make dealing with the pain more bearable. But if your loved ones fail to understand what you’re going through, it can be difficult to get the support you need. Here, we are going to offer some tips if your family and friends do not seem to understand or sympathize with your pain.

Educate

Especially if you suffer from a rare chronic pain condition, your family and friends might not “get” what you’re going through. Do your best to educate them about your condition, its symptoms, and treatments. If you can’t easily explain it in your own words, find some medically sound information on the internet and send them a link. Be sure to use reputable health websites like webmd, mayoclinic, and (of course) this site.

Communicate Your Gratitude

If one of your loved ones is going out of their way to help you through your pain – let them know. Whether they’re picking you up from the hospital, driving you to get a prescription filled, or just keeping your company as you recover, explain to your family members and friends that their support means a lot to you. You may think it goes without saying, but it never hurts to say it out loud.

Ask Your Physician for Advice

You can also ask your pain management physician for advice on how to explain your condition or symptoms to your family. They may have a way of breaking down the condition in a way that’s easy to understand.

As always, feel free to contact our clinic to discuss your options for pain relief. Our Minnesota pain physicians have been guiding patients to less painful lives for the past 20 years. Contact Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN to set up your appointment today.

Managing Chronic Pain During Pregnancy

January 18, 2016/0 Comments/in Chronic Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Pregnancy itself can come with a lot of pain before, during, and after the birth. But if you are one of the many mothers with a pre-existing chronic pain condition, those nine months can be even more difficult. The focus of this article is chronic pain during pregnancy. We are going to discuss the options available to pregnant women to decrease their chronic pain before birth.

Dealing with Chronic Pain During Pregnancy

Chronic pain can be caused by many different conditions, injuries, and diseases. Here are a few of the more common:

Fibromyalgia
Nerve Damage
Shingles
Arthritis

The various side-effects of pregnancy can often intensity chronic pain caused by these conditions. Thankfully, there are ways of battling through the pain.

Treating Chronic Pain in Pregnant Women

There are additional considerations that must be taken into account when treating a pregnant woman suffering from chronic pain, simply because certain treatments can impact the fetus as well as the mother. Pain medications that would normally be prescribed to a chronic pain patient may adversely impact the child, so extra precautions must be taken. That being said, there are plenty of pain management options that can help reduce your pain and make pregnancy (and life) more bearable. Conservative treatment methods like physical therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, and injections may help keep the pain at bay while you bring your child to term. The most important thing is to have a pain doctor you trust, and encourage open communication between your pain doctor and OBGYN.

If you are suffering through chronic pain during your pregnancy, talk to a qualified pain management physician to discuss your options for treatment. Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN physicians are board certified in pain management and have the experience needed to point you in the right direction. Contact our office today to set up your appointment with one of our Minnesota pain doctors.

EMG Test – When is it Used?

January 13, 2016/0 Comments/in Pain /by Matthew Thorson

There are many diagnostic test that can help doctors determine what exactly is causing a patient’s pain. X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, diagnostic injections, and simple physical examinations are invaluable to a physician when narrowing down a diagnosis. Different tests are used for different means, and it can be hard for patients to keep everything straight. Today we are going to talk about the EMG test. This article will focus on the EMG test. We will explain what exactly the test consists of and when it can be used to successfully identify and treat pain conditions.

What is an EMG Test

EMG (which stands for Electromyography) is a diagnostic test that helps physicians determine the health of a patient’s muscles and motor neurons – signals sent from the brain to the muscles that direct movement. The procedure involves placing surface electrodes or inserting needle electrodes in the muscle(s) involved and tracking the transmission of signals to and from the muscle.

When is an EMG Test Used?

EMGs are typically used when a physician suspects an issue with the patient’s nerves, muscles, or the ability of your body to communicate with your muscles via nerves. Your doctor might order an EMG if you are experiencing tingling or numbness, or muscle cramping and pain. It can help solidify or rule out a diagnosis of peripheral nerve damage, spinal nerve issues, and various muscle disorders.

If you are dealing with pain on a daily basis and it is interfering with your ability to live life to the fullest, contact a pain management doctor right away. The pain specialists at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN can help narrow down the cause of your pain using tests such as the EMG and recommend a treatment plan that works. Make your appointment today by contacting our office.

Leg Cramps – Causes & Treatments

January 11, 2016/0 Comments/in Leg Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Leg cramps range from mildly annoying to intensely painful and debilitating. No matter how severe your leg cramping is, treating it is a matter of discovering the root cause. In this blog we are going to discuss the various factors that may be causing your leg cramps, and how to treat acute and chronic leg cramping.

What is Causing my Leg Cramps?

Leg cramps are the result of muscle spasms that cause the muscles in the legs to involuntary seize up without the patient’s control. If leg cramps occur specifically in the calf, they are called Charly Horses. There are many potential elements that can cause a person’s legs to cramp up, including:

Not stretching enough before exercise
Poor circulation in the legs
Dehydration
Overexertion or muscle fatigue during exercise
Pinched nerves in the spinal cord or legs

Certain medications (such as Lasix and Evista) have also been shown to cause muscle spasms in the legs.

Treating Leg Cramps

Treating leg cramps depends on the root cause of the cramping. If the cramping is acute and pops up in the course of exercising, it can typically be treated with massaging, stretching, and icing the muscle. However, if the cramping is chronic and extremely painful (or comes with numbness in the legs), the root cause may be related to the nerves. If that’s the case, you may need to consider over options like nerve block injections or minimally invasive surgery on the affected nerves.

If you are experiencing leg cramps that are causing you pain or interfering with your mobility, contact an experienced pain management physician. The pain doctors at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN have over 20 years of experience treating leg pain conditions and can walk you through your treatment options. Contact us today to set up your appointment.

3 Pieces of Advice when Considering Surgery

January 6, 2016/0 Comments/in Surgery /by Matthew Thorson

Surgery is a scary concept for a lot of patients, and should not be taken lightly. Patients need to survey all of their possible options before embarking on a treatment path. In this article we will offer a few tips to consider when you’re deciding whether or not to go under the knife.

Consider All your Options

Most patients want to do everything they can before committing to surgery. Make sure you’ve exhausted all of your other conservative treatment options before going under the knife. These less invasive options may include: pain medication (over the counter, and prescription), pain injections, physical therapy, massage therapy, and more.

Get a Second (or Third) Opinion

The decision to go through with a surgical procedure should not be taken lightly. It’s never a bad idea to get a second (or third opinion) from multiple doctors. If all of the physicians you visit tell you that surgery is your best bet, it will make your decision even easier. If these physicians disagree, then you need to consider your options more carefully.

Insurance, Work Comp, & Cost

Another huge consideration for many people thinking about surgery is cost. Many surgical procedures carry a huge price tag, and may or may not be covered by your insurance. It’s important to check your insurance plan to see if the procedure you are considering is covered. If you were injured on the job and are receiving treatment as part of a worker’s compensation claim, check to see if work comp will cover any or all of the procedure.

If you are experiencing pain and considering surgery, make an appointment with a pain specialist today. The pain physicians at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN have been treating Minnesotans for over twenty years and can help you decide whether or not surgery is the best option for your situation.

Best Places to Live if you Have Chronic Pain

January 4, 2016/0 Comments/in Chronic Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Although many people assume it’s a myth, the climate in which you live can have an impact on your chronic pain. In this article, we will talk about how weather and climate can affect your pain, and some of the best areas to live if you are in chronic pain.

How Weather & Climate Impact Pain

You may have heard your grandpa complain about knee pain when it gets cold or right before a storm. It’s been parodied in movies, tv, books, etc. for decades, and many people assume it’s just an old wives tale (i.e. not true).

But the truth is that cold weather can lead to an increase in joint pain. Changes in air pressure can also lead to headaches and pain in the joints – especially in people who suffer from arthritis or chronic pain conditions.

Knowing that, you may assume that warm weather climates are the best for people who suffer from chronic pain. Many older patients do migrate to warmer climates when they retire, and one of those reasons is often to ease their chronic joint pain. However, there are many other considerations you need to take into account before packing up your life and moving.

Other Considerations

Of course, weather should not be your sole criteria when you are considering a move to lessen your pain. Family, friends, work, and other considerations should take precedent. One of the most important things you need in the fight against chronic pain is a pain management doctor who understands your condition. If you already have a trusted pain doctor in your area, that may be reason enough to stay put (even if you live in a frozen tundra like Minnesota). A great doctor in a cold climate is better than a bad doctor in a warm climate.

If you have any questions about how to treat your chronic pain, contact a pain management physician as soon as possible. At Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN, our board-certified pain doctors have been treating Minnesotans with all manner of pain conditions for over 20 years. Call our office today to set up your appointment.