First Last, D.C.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex condition that includes widespread muscle and joint pain, where everything seems to ache and is associated with severe exhaustion and fatigue. It affects up to 4% of the population (woman > men), with no known cause and no known cure. With these facts, it’s not surprising that many sufferers have [..]

In 1935, Swedish physiologist Ulf von Euler isolated a biologically active compound from seminal fluid. He named the compound “prostaglandin” because he believed it was derived from the prostate gland. It is now known that prostaglandins are made in tissues throughout the body. [As an interesting side-note, von Euler (and colleagues) was awarded the Nobel Prize in [..]

Do you hurt all over, frequently feel exhausted, can’t seem to ever feel "rested" after a night’s sleep, don’t respond to any of the recommended medications from your family physician, and no test seems to uncover anything specific? If this sounds like you, it is possible that you are suffering from fibromyalgia (FM). FM is a chronic/long-term condition [..]

We know that many people, about 80% of the population, will hurt their back at some point in life. In a survey conducted by Consumer Reports (CR) (see the May 2009 issue), over 14,000 subscribers had low back pain (LBP) but no surgery to treat it in 2008. More than half reported severe daily activity [..]

Many people suffer from CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and unfortunately, often ignore the initial symptoms of numbness or tingling in the hand(s). These early symptoms are typically not too alarming and hence, they often do not raise the level of concern until more intense symptoms occur, such as waking up from sleep due to numbness; [..]

Neck pain and headaches can be very disabling and can significantly alter a person’s normal pattern of living. Simple things like reading the newspaper, cooking, driving a car, and/or looking down when feeding a baby can become almost intolerable. Canceling plans for the day or saying "no" to vacations can be very disheartening and often [..]

There are many different reasons why injuries sustained in car crashes result in chronic or long-term pain. First, there are several types of tissues in the neck that can give rise to pain. The most intense pain comes from the tissues with the greatest density of nerve fibers, such as the joint capsules and the ligaments [..]

Patients who present with neck pain along with arm numbness, pain, and/or weakness often ask, "…what’s causing this pain down my arm?" The condition can result from a bulging or herniated disk pinching a nerve in the neck. The cause of this complaint can be either a traumatic or non-traumatic event. In fact, sometimes, the [..]

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common types of pain involving the musculoskeletal system. Its sufferers may sometimes miss work or be unable participate in desired activities or social outings. It can even become so disabling that out of desperation, LBP patients visit the emergency room (ER) in search of relief. There [..]

You are driving down the road and you notice numbness and tingling in your fingers. You find temporary help by shaking and flicking the fingers, trying to "wake them up." You’ve also noticed your sleep is becoming interrupted and the need to shake and flick the fingers in the middle of the night is becoming [..]