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Contaminated Epidural Steroid Injections Lead to Deadly Fungal Meningitis

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New England Compounding Center (NECC) - fungal meningitis outbreak and epidural steroid injections

Contaminated steroids used in epidural steroid injections for neck pain linked to fourteen fungal meningitis deaths so far.

The number of patients now thought exposed to the potentially contaminated methylprednisolone acetate causing an outbreak of deadly fungal meningitis has risen to some 14,000 according to the CDC. Around 12,000 individuals have so far been contacted to explain the risk after they received the potentially contaminated epidural steroid injections for neck pain or a steroid injection into a joint such as the knee, shoulder or ankle. Epidural steroid injections for cervical spinal stenosis are sometimes used to relieve inflammation in pain, although lumbar spinal stenosis injections are more common for back pain as such injections can be problematic at the best of times in the complex area of the cervical spine. Read more

Effective Fibromyalgia Treatment with Electrostimulation Device

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new fibromyalgia treatment to break cycle of pain

RINCE helped more than 75% of patients reduce or eliminate need for pain medications for fibromyalgia.

Researchers from Flint, Michigan, unveiled a new electrostimulation fibromyalgia treatment this week at the American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM) 23rd Annual Clinical Meeting.

The study shows that this new, noninvasive cortical electrostimulation device is effective at reducing fibromyalgia symptoms, with researcher Jeffrey B. Hargrover, PhD, and colleagues explaining how neuroimaging studies to identify areas of abnormal pain processing in patients with fibromyalgia allowed the development of this targeted treatment. Significant benefits were found for those suffering from neck pain, generalized pain, fatigue, dysfunction and sleep disruption from the condition. Read more

Stem Cell Therapy for Degenerative Spine Conditions of the Neck

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Stem cell therapyIf you read the newspaper, watch the news, or listen to the radio, stem cell therapy is likely something that you’ve heard about, but is stem cell science simply confined to the laboratory, or is it actually a phenomenon that could apply to your life and your health? If you suffer from chronic back or neck pain due to degenerative spine conditions, learning more about stem cell research and recent advances in stem cell treatments may help broaden your outlook on the types of therapies that are available to you. Read more

Managing Facet Joint Disease Treatment at Work

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Facet joint disease treatmentIf you are adhering to a facet joint disease treatment regimen prescribed by your doctor, you may be trying a wide range of therapies aimed at reducing back or neck pain and increasing spinal mobility. Some treatments, like applying hot/cold compresses or stretching, can be done at home, while others, like physical therapy or corticosteroid injections, require the supervision of a medical professional.

Although home remedies and those administered by a doctor can help, many struggle to manage facet joint disease treatment at work and experience exacerbated symptoms of back or neck pain in the workplace. Read more

Do Biologics for Rheumatoid Arthritis Increase Cancer Risk? New Analysis Says Not.

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rheumatoid arthritis drugs and cancer

BRMs are used to treat autoimmune disease, like RA.

Patients taking biologic medications to relieve neck pain and other symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis may be relieved to hear that these powerful drugs do not appear to increase the short term risk of cancer, according to a new study.

The comprehensive meta-analysis carried out by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) this week and is expected to allay fears over the possible increased cancer risk in patients with RA who take any of the nine US FDA approved biologic response modifiers, such as abatacept and rituximab. Read more

Spinal Bone Spur Treatment – Do Alternative Therapies Work?

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Bone spur treatmentSpinal bone spur treatment can take a variety of forms, from simple stretches to prescription analgesic pain patches. Similar to treating many other common conditions, the mainstream medical community generally agrees on a group of therapies that have been tried, tested, and studied to the point that they are considered safe and effective for patients suffering from spinal bone spur symptoms. Read more

Alternative Therapies for Cervical Spinal Stenosis

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cervical spinal stenosis alternative treatments

Clearly some yoga positions are not ideal alternative therapies for neck pain.

Conservative treatments for neck pain are standard practice for most patients prior to surgery but what if you want to treat cervical spinal stenosis without surgery using alternative therapies? Is there any evidence to support the use of acupuncture, acupressure, energy therapy, or reflexology? How about yoga for spinal stenosis? When your neck pain is causing you to consider surgery talk to your doctor about the alternatives, they may even be able to refer you to a local therapist. Read more

Chronic Neck Pain – Could Vitamin B6 Supplements Help?

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vitamin b6 chronic inflammation neck pain

Could popping B6 pills help your neck pain?

A new study has linked chronic inflammation to low vitamin B6 levels, so could some simple dietary changes help your neck pain? Although some inflammation is normal and, indeed, helpful, at the time of acute injury once this becomes chronic it can create all manner of problems for cardiovascular health, musculoskeletal health, type 2 diabetes, and even cognitive health.

More research needs doing but, perhaps, it’s a good idea to create a ‘neck pain diet’ including vitamin B6-rich foods to lower inflammation. Read more

Does Chiropractic Care Increase Stroke Risk?

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neck pain chiropractor stroke exorcist headspin

Is your head spinning with thoughts about chiropractic adjustment, arterial dissection, and stroke?

Some people are terrified of getting chiropractic adjustments for neck pain as they have heard horror stories about arteries being dissected or torn and how chiropractic techniques can cause strokes. Is there any merit to these claims or are they simply urban myths? The complicated studies carried out into the association between chiropractic and stroke make it difficult to assess your level of risk and in some cases it seems that the dissection could be the cause of neck pain that prompts that visit to the chiro in the first place. Read more

Neck Pain Relief Device Recalled – ShoulderFlex Massager Poses Risk of Strangulation.

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The FDA recalled a neck pain relief device recently after reports that the neck massager posed a serious risk of death or injury. The ShoulderFlex Massager was recalled by its manufacturer back in August 2011 but the Food and Drug Administration is concerned that many of those who bought the device remain unaware of its potential risks, including the risk of strangulation when using the device for neck pain or back pain whilst lying down. Read more