Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), also known as Tic Douloureux and or the suicide disease, is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal or 5th cranial nerve, one of the most widely distributed nerves in the head.
Trigeminal Neuralgia is often misdiagnosed as dental pain, since pain is frequently triggered when someone chews or talks. However, pain can also occur when someone touches their face, shaves or simply feels the wind.
Do I call 911?
Seizures do not usually require emergency medical attention. Only call 911 if one or more of these are true:
These are general steps to help someone who is having any type seizure:
First aid for generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures
When most people think of a seizure, they think of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, also called a grand mal seizure. In this type of seizure, the person may cry out, fall, shake or jerk, and become unaware of what’s going on around them.
Here are things you can do to help someone who is having this type of seizure:
Stop!
Knowing what NOT to do is important for keeping a person safe during or after a seizure.
Never do any of the following things:
All too often a patient will come into clinic that has been very diligent with a fitness regime for years but despite preemptive health measures the patient will develop low back pain. It is described as a deep ache that is worse in the morning and/or night begins to interfere with the normal activities of his/her day. Seems like such a waste of time to put all the effort into staying fit then still having pain, right?
Often there is no specific injury and very little diagnostic grounds other than “facet hypertrophy” (described normally as arthritis in the low back) to support the claim of this pain. Chances are with most of these patients, arthritis did not develop in the last week or month. It is an accumulation of years of repetitive weightbearing and compressive forces to the spine that have brought about this change. The question remains, what can be done to improve this pain when you already believed you were doing all the right things to stay healthy?
In terms of treatment with patients that present with the history that I have outlined above; moderation becomes a recurrent phrase of emphasis. Other useful tools are variation and observation. Mixing up the cardio routine with a variation of biking (indoor or outdoor), swimming, and walking. If you have a gym routine for lifting weights or resistance exercises, try mixing things up by doing body weight activities or group aerobics. It may also be a nice change of pace to do a beginner’s class of yoga or Pilates. Moderation and observation are key parts to avoiding overuse injuries that cause setbacks.
There is current research to suggest that indeed there is a “happy medium” to activity. Too much activity can have as much of a negative impact on the body as doing nothing at all. Take home points:
If you are having setbacks due to low back/neck pain from too much activity or you find yourself sedentary and have no idea where to start, give us a call at 501-661-0077 for a consultation and evaluation at Legacy Spine and Neurological Specialists so that we can get you Back to Life!
Keep Your Pain Under Control While on the GO
Get comfortable
Eliminate any items that could potentially alter your spinal alignment while seated. Remove any objects from your back pocket like a wallet or cell phone. If you are the driver, make sure your seat position is close enough to the steering wheel to avoid reaching.
Get out and move around
Sitting for prolonged periods of time will cause your muscles to tighten and can even lead to spasms. If driving, try to stop every 30-45 minutes for a brief stretch. If you will be on a long flight, make a conscious effort to get up every 30 minutes. Below are a few quick stretches you can do on your short break.
Bring along cold or hot packs
Back pain is often accompanied by inflammation. Ice can help to decrease inflammation and numb any soreness that is a result of prolonged sitting. Some individuals find heat to be more soothing to sore and tight muscles so utilizing heated seats or quick use hot packs can help to ease the ache as well.
Support your back with your feet
Good support for your back can be strongly influence by foot positioning. Your feet should both be positioned on the floor. Ideally you would like your knees to be at a right ankle in relation to your hips. You may have to modify your seat or utilize a foot rest to achieve optimal positioning.
Have a Diversion
The mind is a powerful thing, so if you are not the driver then use a book or movie to occupy your time. If you are the driver, try music or an audiobook to keep you mind off any pain that may arise from a long trip.
Image credit: https://www.pakwheels.com/forums/t/tips-for-maintaining-pain-free-posture-when-driving-a-car/442532
Image credit: https://wellness-centre.com.au/why-you-should-never-sit-on-your-wallet/
Image credit: https://praktispartners.com.au/latest-news/turn-t-rex-work/
Well, we are in full swing of the summer! Speaking of swings, I hope most of you are enjoying my favorite game golf! I hope your swing looks as good as my daughters Maci’s after playing for only three months! I wish mine did as well, unfortunately, with the game of golf comes back and neck injuries all too frequently. To learn more about preventative measures stay tuned in the coming weeks we will post important steps to use to attempt to avoid injury.
Common injuries include musculoskeletal back pain and neck pain that can be treated with anti-inflammatories and physical therapy. More significant injuries can cause herniated discs in the neck or back. This can produce severe back and neck pain with or without radicular pain down the leg or arm. If the pain is down the leg or arm this is called sciatica. We can often treat these more significant injuries with the above and often with the addition of epidural steroid injections. These are outpatient procedures often done a couple of weeks apart for 2 to 3 injections. Of course, neural imaging is important to be obtained first. We perform these procedures and potential surgical intervention if needed at our outpatient spine facility- Legacy Surgery Center. Our team has vast experience with the performance of these and other spinal procedures which to be effective requires experience as well as fluoroscopic guidance.
Lastly, if a disc herniation causes intractable radicular (radiating) pain in the arm or leg (sciatica) refractory to the conservative care above then minimally invasive spinal surgery could be needed. At Legacy Spine and Neurological Specialists, we offer the most minimally invasive surgical solutions available anywhere in the world. These solutions range from micro decompression and discectomy surgery to the minimally invasive standalone lumbar fusion operations without the need for pedicle screws. These surgeries are performed through keyhole incisions less than 1 inch completely outpatient when medically appropriate.
To Learn more visit www.LegacyNeuro.com. Stay tuned for upcoming posts on prevention of golf and other sports -related back and neck injuries.
King was born in 1929 and became a Baptist minister and activist, who led a movement of nonviolent civil disobedience. He led the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, where people took a stand against racial segregation by refusing to surrender their seats to white people. The campaign lasted for a year, and was sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks – who refused to give up her seat.
King organized several nonviolent protests and marches in the following decade. He helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream speech’ and earned his reputation as one of he greatest public speakers in American history.
This time of year is extremely busy—which can take a toll on your health! Often times we are so busy that we forget to take care of ourselves! Here are some important tips to stay healthy during the holiday season.
1. Get Sleep
When we are busy—the first thing we generally let go is our sleep! Be sure to set time aside to get a good nights rest! A proper nights sleep can benefit your mind, weight, and mood!
Many migraine patients recognize specific triggers to their headaches. Migraine patients are more sensitive to certain substances in their foods and environments as well as changes to their routine. Too much or too little sleep, changes in exercise routines, and processed foods can worsen migraine headaches.Heavy, flowery scents or cigarette smoke are frequent triggers.
It gets its name task-specific because classically, it only occurs during one specific task. It can be inherited, secondary to an underlying neurologic cause, or occur sporadically.
It is often initiated by voluntary movement with symptoms “overflowing” into adjacent muscles causing involuntary muscle cramping of adjacent fingers, wrist, and can include forearm. It can sometimes resemble a tremor. The most common task-specific dystonia is writers cramp, but this also frequently occurs in musicians due to the repetitive motions of playing an instrument. Treatments range from conservative measures such as occupational therapy and stretching to Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections of affected muscles if severely limiting function.
Many surgeons, especially neurosurgeons, urge patients to stop smoking before spinal procedures, particularly, spinal fusions.
An extensive amount of research has found that smoking cigarettes prolongs the healing process and causes complications. Below is a list of problems that can arise: