"What Can I Do To Avoid Back Surgery?..."

"Is It Possible To Put Off or Prevent Back Back Surgery?..."

If you have back pain and if you met with a spine surgeon (who mentioned that you may need back surgery), you may have asked yourself one or more of these questions.

So, if you are dealing with annoying, nagging, chronic Back Pain, you may be willing to do just about anything to find comfort... or to get your pain under control.  And, that means that you probably just want to be able to return to your normal way of life, and possibly even if it means agreeing to undergo risky back surgery. 

As you know, back pain is no joke, but neither is back surgery.

We all know that back pain is very frustrating and uncomfortable to live with.  And, that's because it can get in the way of your sleep, work, daily activities, and simply living your life.  However, that does not mean that you should quickly agree to a major spine surgery such as spinal fusion (screws, plates, and big hardware that locks up your spine) or discectomy surgery (removing some or all of your flexible and soft cushion-like spine discs)!

These invasive back surgeries may or may not relieve your pain.  In fact, a bad back surgery or "failed" back surgery can leave you in even more pain symptoms and agony than before the procedure.

Therefore, it makes the most logical sense to start with and try less invasive treatments and non-surgical options first.

Below, are 5 effective tips to you can try to address your back pain naturally, safely, and non-surgically... in order to start finding and feeling the relief  that you have been searching for - once and for all.

1.) Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS):  Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, is a state-of-the-art method for easing back pain. Sticky electrodes attached to the back and spine area send out electrical signals that stimulate the nerves. The impulses affect neural “pain gates” and/or trigger the production of endorphins. 

2.) Myofascial Release and Soft Tissue Work:  These hands-on soft tissue techniques and treatment options can benefit your back in several ways.  A skilled healthcare provider, such as a doctor of physical therapy performs manipulation of soft tissue (muscles and tendons) near the skin surface will help improve blood flow circulation in exhausted muscles, sore muscles, or in tight muscles and tendons. 

The doctor of PT may use a combination of their hands directly and/or a comfortable hand-held tool to help ease, relax, and lengthen these muscles.  This increased blood flow and fluid drainage will clear out and quickly reduce inflammation, and help heal and recover damaged tissues.  At the same time, this hands-on treatment technique decreases painful muscle spasms in the muscles.  

A firmer or stronger treatment is named deep tissue massage and goes even further.  Manipulation of deeper muscle groups can break up adhesions, masses of scar tissue that sometimes form over an injury site. Once the muscles have been freed from the scar tissue, they can function without pain and stiffness. 

Now, unfortunately, most traditional massage therapists nearby are not trained in healing back injuries, nor helping folks prevent back surgery.  Which is why a licensed doctor of PT uses these specific techniques that target and break up the adhesions. In turn, this will loosen and unbind your muscles.  Myofascial release and soft tissue work is a very important part of your physical therapy program because being adhesion-free is important for relieving pain and restoring a proper range of motion.

3.) Targeted Stretches and Assisted Stretch: Tight, rigid muscles can directly cause back pain or make existing back pain feel even worse. Stretching muscles will cause them to limber up, alleviate your pain and improve your movement. Loose muscles in the back are less likely to get new injuries as well. Typical physical therapy exercises for the back could include knee-to-chest stretches, kneeling lunges, back flexion stretches, stretching your piriformis muscle, prone press ups, and back bends.

4.) Strength-Building Exercises and Stability Drills: Back pain may be caused by structural changes such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis. The stronger you can make your back muscles, the more effectively those muscles can compensate for these changes. With a stronger back, you can maintain a straighter posture with less pain. Common exercises to strengthen the back include bridges, lying lateral leg raises, and partial curls.

5.) Heat and Cold Therapy: Heat and cold have their own distinct healing and pain-relieving properties. Our doctor of physical therapy may administer either technique or both techniques together (in sessions of 15 to 20 minutes each). Heat boosts the circulation, helping inflammatory substances to exit the tissues and relaxing painful muscles. Cold therapy can prove especially useful as an immediate treatment for acute back injuries or when dealing with severe muscle strain. The cold reduces inflammation and swelling while also numbing the nerves.  There is a full blog post on Heat vs Ice/Cold Therapy, if you click right here.

"How Long Does It Take For My Sciatica To Go Away?..."

It depends... it depends on YOU.

In general, it may take about 4 to 8 weeks to go through the first 2 phases of healing (no pain, all movement and range of motion and strength back to normal levels).

It may take another 1 to 4 months to get back to all activities of daily living that you want to be able to do... depending on how active you were before your Sciatica.  This is the third phase of healing.

Here are 10 areas of your life that may determine how fast you can heal your Sciatica:

1.) Overall health.  Healthy people heal faster.  Younger people heal faster.

2.) Other health issues such as Diabetes (especially Type II Diabetes), hypertension and high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic alcohol use or abuse, cigarette smoking or tobacco use, and an elevated body weight or elevated body mass index (BMI) all contribute to healing rates... and can extend the amount of time for your Sciatica to heal.

3.) Diet and nutrition.  People who eat more nutrients and more natural ingredients can heal much faster than other people who consume a lot of processed foods or sugary foods including high fructose corn syrup.

4.) Good sleep and rest levels.  Our bodies require approximately 7-8 hours of sleep per night in order to rest and recover our muscular system and nervous system.  A lack of sleep can certainly slow the healing time of your Sciatica.  And, if you have Lower Back Pain or Sciatica at night while trying to fall asleep or while trying to stay asleep, this can directly impact your ability to heal, rest, and rebuild. 

5.) Sedentary lifestyle (a lot of daily sitting).  People who sit all or most of the day for their work occupation can expect a longer healing time when dealing with Sciatica.  Also, the same goes for sitting and watching TV (or streaming your favorite content) for several hours per day.  Motion is lotion, and in order to speed up the healing of your Sciatica, you need to be able to stand up, walk around, and change positions.  Around 30, 40, 50 years ago, doctors used to prescribe "bedrest" for Lower Back Pain and Sciatica.  But, now we all know that bedrest makes back pain and sciatica worse because you tighten up, get stiffer, and get weaker if you stay in bed or if you stay on the couch.  The best possible way to start reversing your Sciatica is being able to walk around and change positions, so keep moving!

6.) People who follow professional advice and instruction from board certified specialists and top level healthcare professionals heal more quickly than those who do not follow-through with formal care.  If you are dealing with a lot of pain, it is not time to ask your personal trainer or ask YouTube what you should do to reverse your Sciatica.

7.) People who are aware of their day to day postures, positions, and habits will heal more quickly, because they realize that their daily postures and habits can slow down or speed up the healing and recovery of their Sciatica.  They are able to adapt and immediately respond to their condition, and are able to adjust their normal behaviors (such as walking more) in order to find movements, activities, or habits that can "take the edge off" (decrease) their Sciatica symptoms like pain, numbness, tingling, burning, throbbing.

8.) Stress and tension levels.  Those who live with or experience higher levels of stress or frequent tension may heal slower.  If someone is really stressed, their nervous system does not get a chance to "turn off" or relax.  So, if their nervous system is always "on" and in a "fight or flight" mode, then there won't be much opportunity for their bodies to rest or recovery.  This means that their nerves (extensions of their nervous system) may be over-stimulated and remain "on" and activated even when the person is trying to relax or sleep.  So, since Sciatica is a condition involving your Sciatic Nerve with nerve pain or nerve symptoms, you can see how stress could delay the healing and recovery. 

9.) Readers heal faster, and so do those who can focus.  People with longer attention spans are typically self-educated, self-motivated, and self-directed... therefore, those who are self-educated on a topic like Sciatica are more likely to follow-through with successful treatment.

10.) Persistent.  People who think or believe there's hope tend to be more serious, optimistic, and persistent in finding the right Sciatica Treatment for them.  And, they are the type of people who won't let anything stop them or stand in their way.  (For example, we recently had a man with Sciatica fly from Seattle to New York City to be successfully treated for Sciatica.) 

If you have any additional questions about your pain, injury, or your condition, you can call us any time, and our 24/7 receptionist will answer your call, collect some information, and you will get a call back from one of our specialists.  If you are not yet ready to speak and prefer to learn more, click here to check out dozens and dozens of our success stories and testimonials from other New Yorkers, just like you.

"How Can I Relieve Neck Pain in the Morning?..."

We get this question a lot from our clients who receive home physical therapy in Manhattan, Brooklyn, inside and outside of NYC. 

Here's some simple, proven, and effective tips to ease Neck Pain first thing in the morning...

Step 1:  Check Your Mattress - How old is your mattress?  A proper mattress should be firm and not too soft. A firm mattress is helpful in supporting your entire spine (from your neck all the way down to your lower back).

Step 2: Check Your Pillow - How old is your pillow?   A proper pillow should be able to keep the curvature of your neck... in other words, it should "fill in" and support the curve of your neck, regardless if you are sleeping on your left side, sleeping on your right side, or if you are sleeping flat on your back.  Your pillow should not be so soft that it flattens out overnight while you are trying to sleep.

Step 3: Try a Warm or Hot Shower - A warm or hot shower will loosen up a stiff neck and ease neck pain. The warmth is soothing which can relax tight or tense neck muscles.  Also, a warm shower can increase blood flow circulation to your neck area.  And, you will have noticed this in the past if you've had gotten out of a hot shower, looked in the mirror, and saw that your shoulders, arms, or neck area was a little red.  That kind of redness is proof that those areas experienced an increase in blood flow, because the redness is additional circulation coming to the surface of your skin. While in the warm shower, and if you are able, try to gently move your head in circles, both left and right movements.  

Step 4: Avoid Ice/Cold Therapy for Neck Pain - The neck (cervical spine) is a sensitive area.  Most people better and experience more relief and get back more flexibility and range of motion in their neck after using a hot pad or heat therapy, compared to using an ice pack or cold therapy on their neck.  If you click this link here, you can read more about when to use ice versus when to use heat. 

Next, if these tips do not work or do not provide you with any neck pain relief, then it might be time to seek a Doctor of Physical Therapy who is a Neck Specialist.  

Now, if you didn't know, an expert Doctor of Physical Therapy can provide you with a proper diagnosis and hands-on manual therapy treatment at the very first visit.  This is what we offer to busy New Yorkers who might be dealing with annoying neck pain that could be disturbing their sleep, getting in the way of working, or preventing them from doing the things they love... such as time with children or grandchildren, exercising, or even just reading.

Furthermore, what we have found to be effective is working with a Movement Expert who can:

1.) Find the Root-Cause of Your Neck Pain, and then...
2.) Fix the Root-Cause So That it Does Not Return.

If your Doctor of Physical Therapy does not identify where your neck pain is coming from, then they may be "chasing symptoms" or they may be treating the incorrect area.  

When we are able to identify and find the root-cause of someone's neck pain during their first home visit, they should expect to feel at least 10-15% pain relief, if not more.  This is much more possible if you have had neck pain for 3 weeks or 3 months.  However, if you have been dealing with neck pain for 3 years, then may take 2-3 home visits to start feeling positive progress and neck pain relief, because having pain longer than 3 months is considered "chronic pain."  And, it may a few follow up visits to feel some relief that you deserve.

If any of this sounds like you or sounds like what you are dealing with, then feel free to speak with our 24/7 receptionist by calling (646)-781-8884. 

Our receptionist will collect some of your information, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy will personally call you back (typically the very same day, including weekends).

We wish you nothing but the best in getting neck pain relief and investing in your health and wellness.

I Have "Water On The Knee" - What Should I Do?... (Home Physical Therapy)

Water on the knee is a common condition characterized by the accumulation of excess fluid in the knee joint.

​This condition is also known as knee effusion, and it can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the affected knee. The accumulation of fluid in the knee joint can result from various conditions such as arthritis, injury, or infection. However, irrespective of the underlying cause, water on the knee can be effectively treated through physical therapy.

Physical therapy is a non-invasive and effective way to treat water on the knee. This approach involves the use of exercises and other techniques to improve knee mobility, flexibility, and strength.

Physical therapy for water on the knee is always provided by a licensed doctor of physical therapy, who will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan based on your specific needs.

The first step in physical therapy for water on the knee is usually to reduce the swelling in the affected knee.

This can be achieved through various techniques such as ice therapy, compression, and elevation. Ice therapy involves the application of ice packs to the knee to reduce inflammation and pain. Compression involves wrapping the knee with an elastic bandage to provide support and reduce swelling. Elevation involves raising the affected knee above the level of the heart to reduce swelling and improve circulation. 

Electrical stimulation and our use of a brand new medical and technological breakthrough device called the Stimpod NMS460 Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment​ and Therapy is also what we utilize to decrease a swollen knee joint.  This device offers neuromodulation and pulsed radio-frequency technology to treat common conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, chronic pain and inflammation, and joint swelling.  

Once the swelling has been reduced, the physical therapist will then focus on improving knee mobility and strength. This may involve exercises such as stretching, range-of-motion exercises, and strength training. Stretching exercises are designed to improve knee flexibility, while range-of-motion exercises are used to improve knee mobility. Strength training exercises are used to improve knee strength and stability.

Physical therapy for water on the knee may also include other techniques such as massage, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation. Massage is used to reduce muscle tension and improve circulation around the knee joint. Ultrasound involves the use of high-frequency sound waves to improve circulation and reduce inflammation. Electrical stimulation involves the use of electrical currents to reduce pain and improve muscle strength.

In addition to physical therapy, lifestyle changes may also be recommended to help prevent water on the knee from recurring. These may include maintaining a healthy weight, wearing appropriate footwear, and avoiding activities that put excessive stress on the knee joint.

If you are suffering from water on the knee, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Failure to seek treatment can lead to chronic pain and mobility problems. Concierge Pain Relief - Home Physical Therapy provides home-based physical therapy services, which means that you can receive treatment in the comfort of your own home. This approach eliminates the need to travel to a physical therapy clinic, which can be challenging if you are experiencing pain and mobility problems.

In conclusion, water on the knee is a common condition that can be effectively treated through physical therapy. Physical therapy for water on the knee involves the use of exercises and other techniques to improve knee mobility, flexibility, and strength. If you are experiencing knee swelling, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible to prevent the condition from becoming chronic.

At Concierge Pain Relief - Home Physical Therapy, we provide home-based physical therapy services to ensure that you receive treatment in a comfortable and convenient setting.

 >> Click HERE To learn more about our services, call us at 646-781-8884.

"When should I use heat or a hot pad... and when should I use a cold gel pack or ice therapy?"
We get this question a lot from new clients and busy New Yorkers just like you.

Here's the answer:
- If you just hurt yourself in the last few hours or few days, use an ice pack/cold therapy.
So, this includes things like rolling your ankle, bumping your elbow, landing on your knee, stubbing your toe, or you did something or got injured where you now see a "bump" (swelling or swollen area) or you see a bruise (red, purple, blue area).  If you sustained a mild or moderate  injury listed above, then do not place a hot pack or heating pad on this area until 2-3 weeks after the injury occurred. 

- If you are dealing with a pain or injury for longer than 2 weeks, then it actually does not matter if you use ice or heat.  After 2 weeks, it is up to you and your preference of ice or heat.

Some people will prefer heat as they like the warm, smoothing feeling.  So, if you have a pain or injury that is over 2 weeks in duration, then you can use a hot pack or heating pad on your area of discomfort.  Others prefer the numbing sensation of ice.

Precautions: Do not use ice or heat if you have...
- poor sensation,
- poor blood flow circulation,
- diabetes,
- an open wound or healing wound, cut, or laceration,
- a known infection or suspect an infection.

If you have any additional questions about your pain, injury, or your condition, you can call us any time, and our 24/7 receptionist will answer your call, collect some information, and you will get a call back from one of our specialists.  If you are not yet ready to speak and prefer to learn more, click here to check out dozens and dozens of our success stories and testimonials from other New Yorkers, just like you.