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GOT A MINUTE… LEARN ABOUT SACROILIAC FUSIONS!

WHAT IS SACROILIAC (SI) DISEASE?

The sacroiliac joint is located between the sacrum (the base of the spine) and the ilium (the lateral part of your pelvis).  Like any joint, the SI joint is susceptible to aging, direct trauma, or any disease of the spine, sacrum or pelvis.  Conversely, often SI disease is misdiagnosed as pelvic or back pain. Too much movement (hypermobility) causes discomfort in the lower back and/or hip, as well as the groin.  Pain from too little movement (hypomobility) is often felt on one side of the low back, buttocks or thigh. Hypermobility may also be a generator of “sciatic-like” pain in the leg.

 

ARE THERE RISK FACTORS FOR SI DISEASE?

Any movement (sports, job related or personal... Read more

GOT A MINUTE… LEARN ABOUT NEUROPATHY!

WHAT IS NEUROPATHY?

Any nerve can lose nerve tissue by compression, trauma, scarring from surgery, chemotherapy, and a lack of blood flow, or a number of medical issues (most importantly diabetes). Early on, if you can maintain the best health possible, neuropathy symptoms can slow or reverse. If you smoke, quitting can also result in less neuropathy pain.

 

WHAT ARE NEUROPATHY TYPES AND THEIR SYMPTOMS?

Neuropathy causes numbness, which progresses to pain.  It is more common in the feet than hands, because the feet are farther from the spinal cord than the hands. It can involve one nerve (like carpal tunnel), or many nerves (like peripheral neuropathy). Most symptoms are sensory (i.e. numbness), but... Read more

GOT A MINUTE… LEARN ABOUT LEG CLAUDICATION!

WHAT IS LEG CLAUDICATION?

Lower extremity pain, numbness and difficulty walking all are symptoms of claudication. Claudication causes tightness in the legs when standing or walking, and often is relieved with rest. It is most commonly felt in the calves, but also can affect the feet, thighs, hips, or buttocks. Claudication can limit the performance of many activities, including walking, climbing stairs, exercising, etc. In fact, claudication comes from the Latin work claudicare or “to limp.”

 

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF LEG CLAUDICATION?

The most common cause of leg claudication is poor blood flow to the distal lower extremities (vascular claudication).  Hardening of the arteries is the most common cause.  Risk... Read more

Senator McSally visits TSPI
Good and Bad Exercises for Arthritis Patients

Physical exercise can be challenging for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). For adults who have a long history of a sedentary lifestyle, commencing a planned exercise routine can be particularly frustrating. However, the importance of including exercise as a part of an overall arthritis management plan has been clearly demonstrated, per a Journal of Aging Research article. (Since the Arthritis Foundation reports that arthritis affects at least one in four adults, taking your arthritis pain seriously by obtaining early treatment is advisable.)

At Tristate Pain Institute, we utilize a wide variety of therapeutic modalities to treat pain resulting from diverse health conditions (including arthritis pain... Read more

Shingles – Diagnosis and Treatment

 Shingles (caused by Herpes Zoster) is often excruciatingly painful, and the risk of contracting it increases with age. Around 25 percent of all adults aged 50 and older will develop this viral disease unless vaccinated against it (per the National Institutes of Health). According to the Centers for Disease Control(CDC), the most common Shingles complication is postherpetic neuralgia.

The CDCalso reports that between 10-15 percent of people afflicted with Shingles will develop this type of nerve pain. If you are one of those people, you may benefit by a visit to Tristate Pain Institute. Our medical providers at our sites in Arizona and Nevada treat neuropathic pain such as... Read more

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