Ask the (almost) doctor

[DecsunaParticipant]

I am finishing the fourth year of medicine, so i thought i would offer people here to ask me health-related questions if they happen to need help. Do be aware though, that my answers are of informative nature only – diagnosing can not be done over the internet, and if you have serious health issues, you should immediately pay a visit to your physician.

[inariParticipant]

Hi Decsuna,

I have a question for you. I am just about to complete a diploma in Remedial therapies and have to complete a project on a health condition for one of my assignments. I’m doing lower back pain, as its so common and something that massage therapists see a lot of, 2/3rds of my clinic clients reported this sort of pain.

I’d like to know what the usual paradigm is for treating lower back pain which is not due to anything serious like spondylosis, ruptured disk etc in the allopathic medical community. The old paradigm seems to have been drugs and surgery, but a workmate of mine is who has spondylosis is being treated with physiotherapy and massage, mild exercise and carefully spaced rest periods. Is that now the usual treatment?

[DecsunaParticipant]

As you said yourself, the first goal in treating any sort of pain is trying to diagnose its source, and issue the appropriate treatment to remedy it. Depending on the source of back pain, exercise and/or massage can be either beneficial or harmful.

Chronic back pain is overwhelmingly common, especially in older patients, and has become even more widespread with he spreading of sedentary lifestyle. It is of course not safe to assume all back pain can be treated by physical therapy or exercise, but most doctors will recommend it if the cause of pain can not be identified (or suspected to be a serious anatomical lesion). Treatment with pain medication is naturally still very common. In some cases, a spinal block, or other surgical methods for pain relief are applied. Exercise of damaged tissues, of course within moderation, is beneficial in most cases, because they are usually at risk of hypoxia, which can worsen it condition and the pain itself through causing ischemia. In the case of spondylosis, the therapy used to consist of supporting the spine (neck collars, most commonly) and medication, including oral painkillers and spinal injections, but the introduction of physical therapy to mobilize the tissues instead of immobilizing them has sown better results. Some physicians even recommend less conventional methods, such as chiropractic treatment and acupuncture (which are not recommendable for all cases of spondylosis!).

As with anything else, treatment largely depends on the physician’s professional opinion, availability of financial means, and after all, the patient.

[Anonymous]

Nice to meet you Descuna.  I too am an “almost doctor” with roughly 18 months of school to go, though my field of practice is Oriental Medicine aka acupuncture.  It would be interesting to  network with you on health topics.  I am also a certified fitness trainer with a strong background in nutrition.  Haven’t seen you over in the training hall yet but I’ve also been up to me ears of late.  I look forward to some interesting discussions.

Ooooo I’ve got my own smiley!!! :mara

[Anonymous]

what is your view on alternative medicine (in addition to standard western medicine)?
have you studied any forms of alternative medicine (herbal, hotistic, etc)?
what is your opinion about the many side effects
that almost all pharmaceutical medications have?

would you be willing to suggest/reccommend herbal medicines
to patients and not just pharmaceutical medications as a way to
offer them a choice in treatment options that often have less
side effects and so better for them in the long run as a way
to better keep the hypocratic oath in mind and use ?

[DecsunaParticipant]

I have already posted my opinion on alternative medicine in another thread here. It is a fact that some methods of alternative medicine have statistically evident results. As such, it is our duty as scientists, to explore it further, and attempt to find the mechanisms of its inner workings. The goal shouldn’t be to “legalize” alternative medicine as alternative, but to explore it and integrate it into classic medicine. Until then we can use its benefits, as we also use many medications whose mechanisms of working we don’t yet understand.

Side effects are a neccessary evil in some cases. Many things can (and should) be treated with herbal and other natural medicines, but some diseases simply require a very simple chemical reaction to be cured, and in that case, pharmaceutical drugs are neccessary. So i would say use both, and use both with caution. I would always want to prescribe what is best for the patient in the currect situation, regardless what type of medicine or treatment it is.

Myself i am a reiki practitioner, and i am interested in homeopathy, but have not explored it very deeply yet.

[Anonymous]

Hi Decs If you are interested in networking with other Reiki practitioners, Jade, myself, an Icarus are all Reiki practitioners. There may be others that I am not aware of

haha….Jade has her own smiley :mara
*wonders how she can make one of her own*

[Anonymous]

I have had an incredible term in the student clinic actually working on patients.  To give some examples of how acupuncture can help a person I will list some of the things I have treated.

One person had a stroke and has been coming to our clinic since last Oct for this.  IN the semester that I have been treating this the client started with numbness and walking difficulty in both calves and feet, as well as speech difficulty.  By the end of the term  this client has full sensation except for the tips of the little toes.  And the speech difficulty is almost un-noticeable!  TO see this person come in weekly with new improvements is humbling.

I have treated a few cases of fatigue that have been significantly helped with herbal supplements – not stimulants

I have treated a client with a painful nerve disease that causes shooting pains in their body.  After three treatments of JUST acupuncture the pain was reduced from a 10/10 to a 2/10, allowing this person to improve their quality of life.

I’ve treated several cases of insomnia with a combination of acupuncture, Herbs and massage. 

I’ve treated several sports injuries, ankles, knees, shoulders and greatly reduced their pain at the same time improving functionality.

I’ve treated at least one case of allergies.

I’ve treated at least 2 patients with Celiac Disease – aka gluten intolerance – which can manifest as many unrelated issues, but usually includes a few autoimmune symptoms, mood disorders, as well as digestive issues.  Through a combination of acupuncture, herbal supplements and dietary changes, their symptoms  have been greatly reduced.

I’ve treated more than a handful of headaches

and the number one issue I have treated is low back pain usually accompanied by Sciatica which is shooting pain from a pinched nerve.

This is only meant as an example of the kinds of things that can be treated successfully without the side effects that western medicine usually has, also western medicine sometimes can not treat some of these issues as well, such as the symptoms of Celiac or Low back pain.  Western doctors rarely recognize Celiac unless it hits them in the face and for low back pain or headaches all they prescribe are painkillers that do nothing to address the quality of life issues.

I am not recommending you give up on your western doctors as they are necessary for major health issues. But acupuncture can compliment your western style treatments.    And if you are not getting satisfaction with your western treatment  give acupuncture a try. I highly recommend you look into acupuncture as an alternate way of addressing your health problems.

[Anonymous]

*Pokes Callista*

one more reiki-teer around here

[Anonymous]

Hiya Erik Good to see you around again. :obisaber

[Author]

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