What does the doc advise for pinched nerve pain?
“Pinched nerves” are typically due to an injury to the muscles of our neck or ligaments that can spasm which is quite painful. They can also occur if there is compression of the nerve due to a herniated cervical disc.
So the first thing is to start with conservative therapy with physical therapy, heat and if your pain is significant consider analgesics like Tylenol or Motrin (will help with inflammation) with food. The important thing is to make your physician aware so that something more serious is not the cause.
I recently had a pain so strong in my buttocks it woke me up out of my sleep twice. Felt like a charley horse. What could that be?
You likely were dealing with sciatica. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in our body and it comes out from the lower back/buttock region can cause a severe sharp pain that radiates down your leg when it is compressed due to inflammation. The good thing is that it is treatable and usually responds to NSAIDS (Motrin or ibuprofen), physical therapy and at times muscle relaxants.
Are there any promising options for knee pain like cartilage repair or replacement other than knee replacement surgery?
Knee pain is extremely common as at least 25% of adults have chronic knee pain. Its important that we first understand the cause of the pain, because they are treated quite differently. For example, if its due to an overuse it can be treated conservatively, but if it is due to an acute trauma or older age, options for treatment may include PT or surgery.
But I prefer to hold off on surgery until we have you seen by a physical therapist first to decide if there are ways to strengthen certain muscles around the knee/thigh to give you better support. If not then a visit to the orthopedic surgeon will also be helpful for other ways to help with pain that do not include surgery, such as injections of cartilage or low dose steroid.
Is masturbation good for stress?
A: Some people feel that not only can that help them relieve stress, but so can exercise as well. Its likely because they are both related in a sense since they can produce relaxation.
I have abdominal pain on the right side when I eat and afterwards, there’s a lot of gas throughout my back and stomach.
Thanks for sharing this. Its important that you get in to your doctor to discuss having an ultrasound to rule out gall bladder disease. The gall bladder is located right under the liver in the right upper portion of your abdomen. It secretes bile to help us digest fatty meals, and you may notice your symptoms worsen after eating with some nausea. So please make an appointment with your physician.
I’m addicted to Mountain Dew. I injured my knee so I want to know how to satisfy my sweet craving without artificial sugar?
I am so glad to hear that you want to STOP drinking soda. Its probably one of the worse things we can drink due to the high sugar content, which also leads to increased inflammation, which can later predispose us to other diseases.
Joint pains can be improved with weight loss, low impact exercise (ie. swimming) can prevent to much stress on your joints. I also like to include omega fatty acids (fish oil) along with adding turmeric (curcumin) to your diet to get the anti-inflammatory effects. If your pain is not relieved, Tylenol is also a good option.
After a couple knee surgeries, I recently received the Synvisc 1 injection to stave off a replacement for a while. I’m now having pain on the right side from “compensating for” pain on the left side. My ortho keeps prescribing pain meds, but I’d rather take something natural. Would you suggest turmeric to help reduce the inflammation and pain. . .or is there another recommendation?
Yes, I too talk a lot about using some natural remedies to see if that can possibly help your pain as well. Turmeric is a wonderful place to start to see if your symptoms improve, but don’t forget to include ginger for assistance with inflammation as well. There was a recent study that showed edamame may also be able to help reduce knee pain.
What are the best meds for fibromyalgia? I’m always in pain since getting mugged and hit in the head.
I am sorry to hear that happened to you. For fibromyalgia, keep in mind that good sleep habits, a good exercise program with stretching and strengthening are quite beneficial and the best place to start. If meds are needed, there are several that are now shown to be of some benefit you can discuss with your doctor like amitriptyline, pregabalin and duloxetine. But due to the assault you unfortunately suffered, I would suggest therapy to help provide you some support was well.
Would you ask the doctor what he thinks about Indian ginseng?
There has been a mention in some studies that there may be some improvement of fatigue( this study was in cancer patients)BUT you should definitely ask your doctor and see if they are open to you trying it out, but make them aware, so that it does not interfere with any other medications or is not contraindicated due to a medical diagnosis.
What’s good for gout in my ankle area? I want it to go away forever.
Gout is an inflammatory condition and therefore responds well to NSAIDS (Aleve, Cholchine (prescription) to help alleviate your pain. There has also been some studies that show cherries can also be a natural way to see if they can modestly help as well.
What is the best specialist to see for lower back pain? It’s only on my left side. My PCP only gives me Motrin and steroids. I want to find the cause of the pain.
I totally understand. Make sure you have this exact discussion with your PCP so that you can know whether X-rays or an MRI is needed.
These should help to narrow down the cause for you and provide you better understanding of whats going on in your body. I mentioned the importance of having the best relationship with your doctor, as I mention in my new book called, BOND (on Amazon), because I feel that would only enhance your knowledge and healing.
I am wheelchair and scooter bound. I’m having a problem with my left leg swelling daily and warm to hot to the touch. Also painful. What can I do for that?
Its important that you get in to see a medical professional as soon as you can, as your symptoms can be consistent with a cellulitis. This is an infection of the skin that will require antibiotics in order to get optimal healing.
Hey Tom, ask the doc this for me…..I do repetitive work and I have pain in my thumb. It stays sore constantly so bad I went to emergency but they did nothing . What can I do other than alcohol and Epsom salt bath?
OK, avoid the alcohol and Epsom salt and ask to be referred to a hand surgeon. Not for surgery but to have the thumb evaluated. It could be deQuervain’s tendinopathy, which is just a long word meaning you have moderate to severe inflammation of the tendon at the back of the thumb due to repetitive use. Usually it gets better on its own or with NSAIDS (ibuprofen, Motrin)..but sometime a steroid injection can provide great benefit if all else fails.
I have been having leg problems. When I lay on either side of my body I get this cramping feeling in my left leg. I talked about it with my doctor, she said I need to lose weight. Well I’m sure I do, but this is a pain that I have never experienced before. Just wondering if this could be something serious? I’m concerned that it could be a blood clot.
The signs of a blot clot in the lower extremity is typically only one leg involvement, swollen and painful, especially in the calf. But it is usually seen in those who are more immobile or have other problems with clotting factors in the blood. BUT, its usually not the way your describing your symptoms, luckily. But still make your physician aware of your concerns.
When I reach up, out or take off my tee shirt, I get a sharp pain in my shoulder. Also what is the name of the plant from the mountains please, thanks.
Arnica Montana, sold as Arnicare in the grocery stores, CVS, Walgreen and natural food stores. It helps to relieve pain, swelling and bruising without a scent (such as Sybil mentioned)
What are some other things I can use for knee pain? I am bone on bone NO cartilage. Is there anything besides arnicare or turmeric?
You should make sure to follow with a the orthopedic surgeon to have this addressed as they have newer therapy that can now inject cartilage into the joint space and provide great relief.
What does tingling in your fingertips mean?
A: It can mean that you have Carpal Tunnel syndrome. So make sure you get into your doctor so that they can examine your hand for some of the telltale signs that can make the diagnosis.
Can ignoring knee pain and swelling cause major problems?
Absolutely! So please have your knee examined as well as lab testing. Sometimes swelling at our joints can be due to diseases that cause inflammation such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and even Lyme’s disease, so please have it checked out.
I read on the internet, that pain can be related to the early stages of cancer. Is this true?
I would not get too worried about that at all until you are properly evaluated by your doctor to review ALL of your signs and symptoms of what you are dealing with. Its about staying positive and your spirituality as well when we want to stay healthy.
A NOTE FROM DR. REDCROSS ABOUT NSAIDS – NON STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (IBUPROFEN, SOLD MOSTLY AS ADVIL AND MOTRIN, NAPROXEN, SOLD AS ALEVE, CELECOXIB SOLD AS CELEBREX AND ALSO INCLUDING ASPIRIN):
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Board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Ken Redcross is the founder of Redcross Concierge, a personalized medical practice designed to enhance the patient-doctor relationship.
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