PAIN
For anyone going through pain, it can provoke a range of emotions from terror to annoyance to fatigue. Chronic pain causes the brain to degenerate, and is a major stressor on the body. Most people who see a chiropractor for pain expect some relief in a short period of time but also realize that complete resolution requires the root cause to be corrected. That is still true in our practice, but thankfully we have many tools and technologies to provide serious pain relief without the dangers and side effects of pharmaceuticals or injections. We also have other technologies that help speed up healing and rehab. Here is a list of some of the technologies we use to cut pain fast and a brief description of how they work:
HOMEOPATHY
We use reflex muscle testing and a technique called “2 pointing” which is essentially asking the body if it needs help due to a toxic buildup locally at the pain site. If the body say’s it needs help with this, we use homeopathy, which is a pre-prepared spray that goes under the tongue. Each remedy we use in the office is actually a “super remedy,” which contains a large collection of homeopathic remedies in one. The benefits in pain reduction are usually instant, and can vary from a little relief to complete removal of the pain (even in very severe pain cases). When homeopathy is indicated through the muscle test, it is the simplest, least expensive, and fastest tool we have for lowering pain.
ICE-WAVE PATCHES
We use a form of photo-biomodulation called Ice-Wave Patches. They go directly on the point of pain and are worn home. They are designed to alter the pain signal and bring the body’s healing awareness to the area. The results are typically instant, dramatic and lasting, even with severe pain. Unlike pharmaceuticals that take time to be absorbed and can be tricky to dose properly, ice wave patches can literally provide instant pain relief.
AEON PATCHES
From the same company as the above ice wave patches, these patches are generally slower acting but are clinically proven to lower inflammation and increase neural function through the balance of the autonomic nervous system. Patients generally notice some pain relief within a few minutes and ongoing pain relief for 24-48 hours or more. They also notice a sense of calm and sometimes improvement to neural and cognitive deficits.
CLASS IV LASER
Dr Paul has been utilizing lasers for pain relief, tissue healing speed, and mitochondrial function for years. We currently use the MedRay Class IV laser, a very powerful and deeply penetrating laser utilizing 4 of the best researched frequencies for pain relief. The treatment time is between 8-12 minutes per part and can provide a less dramatic but ongoing pain relief to the patient.
SHOCKWAVE
Shockwave treatment provides an incredibly powerful acoustic wave into the tissue that interacts with injured tissue but usually doesn’t react with healthy tissue. This means you feel it where you are injured. Initially it hurts, but this improves throughout the short treatment (usually 2-4 minutes) and by the end the injury often is at zero pain or significant pain reduction.
NET
When reflex muscle testing is performed as described above, and the body “tells us” there is a mental stress, the technique we use to process that stress (and thus remove it) is called NET. NET stands for Neuro-Emotional Technique. When the body indicates it will help, it can lower pain powerfully and instantly, which is often a great surprise to the patient. It can also help lower pain where the structure was corrected through chiropractic, physical therapy, or some other form but that still has some associated pain.
PEMF
Pulsed Electromagnetic Frequencies, or PEMF, is a form of treatment where the patient sits in a powerful and rapidly pulsing magnetic field. This actually acts as a form of stress for the cells, as they must respond to the rapidly changing magnetic environment. The patient controls the settings, but it can feel like anything from mildly painful to relaxing and calming, depending on the patient and the problem. The patient typically feels discomfort increase in tissue that is not at the same tone and frequency as the rest of the body, like scar tissue or injured tissue. Patients frequently report gradual and mild improvements to pain levels, especially with multiple treatments.
NUTRITION
Nutrition can be used very successfully to lower inflammation in the body and thus lower overall pain. It is a slower approach than many of the above tools but is an important piece of the long game in every patient. Many people in today’s world are emotionally attached to food and have unhealthy relationships with food, so this approach can be met with resistance. Many also find the lack of consistency in messaging among the experts to be maddening. Dr Paul’s suggestion is to use nutrition as a powerful lever to meet your health goals. If everything is great, you probably don’t need to change much. If everything is horrible, you may need to change a lot. Some patients can get away with less intervention and some need more help, so the New Wave approach is to match the patient’s willingness to change things with the goals of the patient.