Despite the sensation of “feeling good” that opioids create, they are actually quite problematic and even deadly. At lower doses, opioids can make you feel sleepy, but at higher doses, they can slow both your breathing rate and your heart rate. These effects are what ultimately lead to death. For this reason, it is especially important to follow your doctor’s prescription and advice when taking prescribed opioids for pain relief. 

If you or someone you love is dealing with opioid addiction, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab to help. With our holistic approach toward treatment, our program addresses the psychological aspects of addiction as well as the physical. This is accomplished, in part, with the help of suboxone. 

Part of a family of medications called “opioid antagonists,” which are the opposite of opioid agonists. As such, suboxone actually negates the “pleasant” effects of opioids by preventing them from activating pain receptors. This also helps to manage the symptoms associated with withdrawal. To learn more, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today!

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• Abdominal Migraine: Affects the belly rather than the head and may result in stomach pain, nausea, appetite loss and vomiting.
• With Brainstem Aura: Previously referred to as the basilar type of migraine, this type of migraine includes sensory, visual or speech or language symptoms along with at least two of the following: vertigo, slurred speech, tinnitus, unsteadiness, double vision and severe sensitivity to sound.
• Chronic: Headaches occur 15 or more days per month for more than 3 months with migraine symptoms occurring during at least 8 days each month.
• Hemiplegic: Includes an aura accompanied by temporary weakness on one side of the body. The aura and other symptoms typically subside within 24 hours. The symptoms are similar to those associated with a stroke, but no nerve damage occurs.
• Menstrual: Generally occur two days before the start of a woman’s period and last through until three days after it ends. Women may also experience migraines at other times of the month, but the menstrual migraine typically does not include the aura.
• Ocular: Also referred to as a retinal migraine, this rare migraine type involves seeing flashing lights, colors and other visual changes. It may also include loss of some or all vision in one eye that typically lasts for less than one hour. 
• Ophthalmoplegic: Includes pain and weakness around the eye and may last for a week and result in double vision, droopy eyelids and other eye changes. 
• Silent Migraine:  A migraine without a headache, but an aura may occur or you may also experience nausea and other migraine symptoms. Symptoms typically last 20-30 minutes.
• Status Migrainosus: Ongoing migraine that lasts longer than three days and may be so intense that it requires hospital care. This type of migraine may be caused by some medications or due to medication withdrawal. 
• Vestibular: A migraine that includes vertigo, which may last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

If you suffer from migraines or headaches in general, contact Advanced Spine and Rehab to learn more about how we can help. 

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Migraine With Aura

Broadly speaking, there are two basic categories of migraines. The first is the migraine with aura. Once referred to as a “classical migraine,” this type of migraine includes visual symptoms such as seeing lines, shapes or flashes. Some migraine sufferers may also lose their vision for 10 to 30 minutes during the aura phase. You may also experience tingling in your arms and legs or you may experience changes to your smell, speech, taste and touch. Approximately one out of four migraine suffers experience auras, which typically start before the head pain begins and may last up to an hour.

Migraine Without an Aura 

The other broad category of migraines is the migraine without and aura, which is also referred to as the “common migraine.” As the name implies, this type of migraine does not include the aura phase. You may, however, feel a pulsing or throbbing on one side of your head. You may also experience nausea as well as vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. 

To learn more about migraines and how they may affect you either before or after a car accident, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today. We will be happy to help you explore you options for helping you to live a healthier lifestyle. 

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Regardless of home the opioid is made or manufactured, this class of drugs can result in a number of side effects. Some of these include mental fog, drowsiness, constipation and nausea. Slowed breathing is also a side effect of opioids and, in some cases, this can lead to death. 

Recognizing the signs of an opioid overdose is one of the keys to helping to save someone who is in this situation. Some of the signs of an opioid overdose include:

• Body goes limp
• Skin feels clammy to the touch
• Inability to speak
• Purple or blue coloring to the fingernails or lips
• Extremely pale face
• Vomiting or making gurgling sounds
• Slowed or stopped breathing
• Slowed or stopped heartbeat
• Inability to be awakened

If you recognize these signs in someone, it is essential to call 911 immediately in order to get help. 

Clearly, addiction to opioids is a serious condition that can lead to numerous health complications and even death. To avoid these issues, it is essential to get treatment right away. If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid addiction, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today to learn more about our suboxone-based treatment program and how we can help. 

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Western Medicine Vs. Chiropractic Care

Traditionally speaking, Western medical practice relies heavily on using medication to treat various conditions and their symptoms. While these Western medical practices certainly do have their rightful place in the treatment of certain conditions, they are not necessarily the only or even the best option. With chiropractic care, the goal is to take a more natural approach while addressing the root cause of your health issues. 

At Advanced Spine & Rehab, we believe the best approach is combining the two types of medical practices in order to take a more holistic approach to best meet your health needs. By taking the best of both worlds and applying the knowledge that comes from each, we are able to create a treatment plan that helps to address your needs while simultaneously working toward achieving your health goals. 

Enjoy the Difference that Advanced Spine & Rehab Provides

By recognizing the power of both traditional Western medicine and chiropractic care, we at Advanced Spine & Rehab are able to offer a wide array of medical services all under one roof. Why get bounced around from one building to the next in order to enjoy the benefits of both types of medical practices? Contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today to learn more about how we can help you meet your health and wellness goals!

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Concussion

A form of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, a concussion occurs when your brain strikes the inside of your skull. This may happen if your car comes to a sudden stop as a part of the accident, with the momentum causing your brain to continue to move forward inside of your skull. Concussions are typically characterized by the following symptoms:

• Amnesia about the accident
• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Feeling of “pressure” inside of the head
• Headache
• Light-headedness or feeling “dazed”
• Loss of consciousness
• Nausea
• Personality changes
• Ringing in the ears
• Slurred speech

Contusion

A contusion, or a bruise on the brain, may occur when you experience direct impact on your head. You may experience a contusion if you hit your head on your steering wheel or against a window during your car accident. Typical symptoms associated with contusions include:

• Balancing issues
• Cognitive changes
• Concentration issues
• Coordination issues
• Difficulty with forming new memories 
• Difficulty with forming sentences
• Numbness or tingling in the affected area
• Slurred speech

Penetrating Wound

It is also possible to experience a penetrating head wound if an external object penetrates your skull. Symptoms of a penetrating head wound may include:

• Bleeding from the ear
• Coma
• Difficulty breathing
• Heavy loss of blood
• Loss of bowel or bladder function 
• Loss of consciousness
• Loss of movement or sensation in the limbs
• Paralysis
• Seizure

If you have experienced these or any other type of head injury from a car accident, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab to learn more about how we can help you with your treatment and recovery. 

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What are Opioids?

Opioids are a classification of drugs that can include both illegal drugs, such as heroin, and prescription pain medications. When prescribed by a doctor as a pain medication, opioids are meant to treat persistent or severe pain, such as that which is associated with chronic pain disorders are caused by surgery or diseases such as cancer. 

Opioids work by attaching to opioid receptors on the nerve cells in the brain, on the spinal cord and in other parts of the body. The opioid then blocks the pain messages that are sent from the body to the spinal cord and the brain, thereby effectively preventing your body from experiencing the pain. 

Signs of Opioid Addiction

While it is possible for someone who is addicted to opioids to hide their addiction from their loved ones, there are a number of signs that are commonly associated with opioid addiction. Some of these include:

• Changes in sleep habits
• Changes in exercise habits
• Decrease in libido
• Drowsiness
• Experiencing new financial difficulties
• Frequently experiencing flu-like symptoms
• Isolation from family or friends
• Poor hygiene
• Stealing from family, friends or the workplace
• Weight loss

If you yourself are using opioids and you find that you are unable to control your opioid use or you have uncontrollable craving for opioids, you may be struggling with addiction. 

If you or someone you care about is struggling with opioid addiction, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today to learn more about our suboxone treatment program. 

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Tip #1: Sit Properly

Whether sitting at your desk at work or otherwise sitting for long periods of time, be sure to sit in an upright position with your shoulders relaxed and your feet flat on the floor with your back supported against your chair. You can also put a rolled towel or a pillow between your lower back and your chair to help provide additional support. 

Tip #2: Begin an Exercise Routine

A regular exercise routine can help to reduce your risk of back injuries by helping to keep your body strong and flexible. Your exercise routine should include balance training, strength training and aerobic activity, such as walking or water workouts. 

Tip #3: Get to Stretching

Your regular daily routine should also include stretching exercises. Stretching prior to exercise will also help to reduce the risk of injury, while stretching after an injury will help to expedite the recovery process. To warm up your muscles before stretching, be sure to walk or perform other gentle movements for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, slowly increase your stretch as you feel your muscles begin to relax. Be sure to stretch slowly and gently without bouncing. Your stretch should be pushed only to the point of mild tension, not to the point of pain. 

To learn more about how to care for your back or how Advanced Spine & Rehab can be a part of your back health management, contact us today!

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What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury. Coming from a Latin word that translates to mean, “to shake violently,” a concussion is generally caused by a sudden or direct blow to the head. Frequently associated with sports and other recreational activities, concussions can also be caused by falls, fighting, work-related incidents and bicycle and car accidents. 

What are the Signs of a Concussion?

Signs from a concussion may occur immediately or may take several days or even weeks to appear. In addition, they may last for only a few seconds or they may linger for a period of time. Some of the signs include:

• Behavioral changes
• Blurred vision
• Clumsiness
• Confusion
• Depression
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Irritability
• Light sensitivity
• Loss of taste or smell
• Memory loss
• Nausea
• Noise sensitivity
• Ringing in the ears
• Sleep problems
• Slowed response to questions
• Slurred speech

You may also lose consciousness in association with a concussion.

How is a Concussion Treated?

Recovering from a concussion requires simply giving the body time to heal while also addressing any associated pain or other symptoms. Rest is generally prescribed, with steps also taken to guard against repeat concussions. Since repeat concussions can have a cumulative effect on the brain, it is essential to take steps to prevent additional concussions in the future. You should not resume normal activities until you receive clearance from your doctor. This includes returning to work or engaging in sports or other activities that you put you at risk for concussion. Pain associated with concussions is generally treated with aspirin-free pain relievers.

To learn more about concussions or to receive treatment following a car accident, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today!

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Given the serious negative effects that opioids have had on the country as well as on so many people who live within it, it is only natural to begin to feel helpless and to wonder “What can I do?” While no single person has the ability to put an end to the opioid crisis, you can help to bring it to an end by doing any and all of the following:

• Have meaningful conversations with your loved ones about opioids. Rather than thinking “It won’t happen to me,” talk about the threats of opioid abuse and ask and research the tough questions together.
• Keep prescription drugs in your home locked away and out of reach of others. 
• Get involved and participate in community events to help spread awareness, such as public forums, prevention activities at schools, walks, fun runs and community vigils.
• Contact law enforcement regarding drug-related activities in your neighborhood. 
• Discard unneeded drugs properly by taking them to law enforcement on local “take back” days or taking them to your local pharmacy.

If you or a loved one is battling opioid addiction, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today to learn more about our suboxone opioid treatment program.

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