Shaken Baby Syndrome, the result of physical child abuse, is a closed-head traumatic brain injury that tends to occur in babies, toddlers, and special needs children.
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) is a form of traumatic brain injury commonly seen in high speed motor vehicle accidents, assaults, falls, and shaken baby syndrome.
Cerebral (Brain) Contusions
Cerebral contusions are a form of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These contusions are bruising of the brain tissue caused by multiple microhemorrhage of the small blood vessels leaking on the brain.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is diffuse tenderness and neuropathic pain throughout the body. It occurs more often in women than men. Fibromyalgia can mimic other rheumatic diseases that cause inflammation in the joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles. No one patient presents with the same symptoms. Patients may experience generalized chronic pain, fatigue, insomnia, mood swings, confusion, stiffness,…
Gout
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops when uric acid is formed as the body breaks down purines found in cells and food. The increase in uric acid produces crystals in the joints that lead to more pain. Increased uric acid levels is not the only cause of gout. Genetics, obesity, medications used…
Dupuytren Contractures
Dupuytren contractures is a disease that affects the soft tissue (connective tissue) of the hand. The third (middle finger), fourth (ring finger), and fifth (pinky) digits of the hand are affected. Dupuytren is not very common. It can occur at any age and is typically seen in patients of Nordic descent. This condition may first…
Piriformis Syndrome and Sciatic Nerve Pain
Have you ever had tenderness in your buttocks from sitting for a long period of time or from sitting on a hard surface, possibly your wallet? Have you ever had lower back pain that radiated into your glute and continued down the back of your leg? Did the pain feel dull, achy, electrifying, or numb?…
Scoliosis
Since I am a licensed Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, I will stay within my credentials and only discuss adult-aged scoliosis. Note: Scoliosis can be congenital (occur during the fetal stages) and appear during early child development. Scoliosis is the curving, and occasionally the rotation (twisting), of the spine. It can arise anywhere in the…
Osteoarthritis (OA)
Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis, and is common in the elderly. It is caused by the wearing down of cartilage as we age, thereby making it difficult to move. During this process, the bones may break or chip creating spurs. Eventually the bones will rub…
Thoracic Pain
The thoracic is located between the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back). It consists of twelve vertebrae that attach to the rib cage and twenty-four discs that are inserted between the vertebrae to prevent them from rubbing together. More pain occurs in the cervical and lumbar than the thoracic because the thoracic spine is not…
The Opioid Epidemic
I’m a Nurse Practitioner working in the belly of America’s nightmare: The Opioid Epidemic In March 2017, I thought that I had finally landed the perfect career as a pain management nurse practitioner. In my mind, this was the perfect specialty because growing up and throughout college I had endured sports injuries; luckily, I never…
Chronic Cervical (Neck) Stiffness
Chronic cervical (neck) stiffness may be caused by cervical lordosis (straightening of the cervical spine), scoliosis (the curving of the spine), and cervical spondylosis (neck arthritis). All of which can lead to muscle tightness, muscle spasms, and occasional headaches. The best treatment plan includes neck stretching exercises and the use of moist heating pads for…
I was in a car accident. Why do I feel funny? Why does my neck still hurt? Concussions and Whiplash
Concussions and Whiplash – Have you ever been in a car accident, collided with another person while playing a contact sport, or fallen from a high elevation? If you have, then you’ve probably had a concussion, whiplash, or both! A concussion is a mild to severe traumatic brain injury that occurs after a sudden, forceful…
Intraspinal Facet Cysts (Synovial Cysts)
Intraspinal Facet Cysts (Synovial Cysts) are fluid filled- round structures with a smooth border that develop along the facet joint along the spine. Synovial cysts develop as a result of articular tissue protruding due to facet joint arthritic changes and spinal instability. On MRIs and CT scans, synovial cysts are seen next to degenerative facet…
Osteoporotic Compression Fractures
Osteoporotic compression fractures are a major cause of mid-thoracic and upper lower back pain in elderly women. This type of fracture is caused by osteoporosis, and not always by trauma, although fractures can occur from a fall. Patients may experience debilitating mid-thoracic and lower back pain, a decline in mobility, and a decline in the…
Hip Pain
Hip pain is another common ailment that is seen in my pain management clinic. Patients experience hip pain in different ways. Sometimes lower back pain (L4-5 and L5-S1) can mimic hip pain. In this area, patients tend to feel centralized lower back pain that radiates into their glutes. This may be a result of arthritis,…
Headaches
Headaches. We’ve all had them. They can feel like a cloud stuck inside your head, they can be a crushing or pressured feeling, intense or stabbing. They can be triggered by many different sources: high blood pressure, lack of sleep, sinus infections, unusual odors, poor vision, and the common cold. In this article, I will…
Knee Pain
People can experience knee pain in several different ways, (knee sprain, torn MCL, LCL, ACL, arthritis, osteoarthritis, trauma from a fall, etc.), and the pain can be from mild to severe (Fig. 1). Effective treatment for mild pain includes NSAIDs, steroid knee injections, rest, ice compressions for 20 minutes four times per day, elevation are…