Los Alamitos
Do you ever have clients who complain of experiencing “radiating pain” or “numbness and tingling” even after they’ve been given an MRI and had multiple therapy appointments? If the answer is “yes” we could have an explanation and a solution. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – what it can’t do MRI’s are an amazing tool but…
If you are having a nerve conduction study, or EMG and NCS tests, there are a few things you should keep in mind when preparing for the test. Your skin needs to be clean for the test, so it’s a good idea to take a shower or bathe on the day of the test. When…
Many people feel their sciatica pain flare up during the spring and summer. This is often due to working in the yard and going on vacation. The purpose of a vacation may be to relax, but back pain can happen and ruin your fun in the sun. This pain often comes about from being in…
If you suffer from sciatica, EMG and NCS tests can be a helpful tools in diagnosing and treating the pain. An EMG test can be done alone, but generally is performed with NCS. Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) and Electromyography (EMG) are two parts of a test that are usually used together. NCS tests determine the…
Regular exercise can prevent and reduce sciatica pain. It can also reduce other symptoms. Sometimes, when you are feeling back pain, it can feel difficult to exercise. However, exercise is very important for your health and to help with sciatica. You may just want to lay in bed, but it’s best to get up and…
If you suffer from sciatica, you may have noticed that your pain feels worse depending on the weather. There is a link between the weather and how severe sciatica pain is. The truth is, pain gets worse in the winter. When it’s cold outside, muscles become more tense and tight. This is due to decreased…
When a patient is dealing with sciatica, finding which nerve is injured can greatly help the healing process. A neurologist determines if a nerve is injured with about 80% accuracy in the exam room. When a clinical exam combines with EMG testing, this helps bridge the gap to 100% certainty. EMG stands for Electromyogram, an…
Physical examination is very important when evaluating cervical radiculopathy and determining which nerve root is affected. During this exam, performing manual muscle testing can be done to detect subtle weaknesses. To do this, the doctor will place the limb of the side that is affected in the antigravity position and then apply resistance in the…
When you are suffering from sciatica, it’s important to eat a healthy diet. By choosing to eat healthy foods, your body will have more resources to promote healing. Many unhealthy foods can slow down the healing process and even cause inflammation or weight gain, which can make pain worse. By choosing healthy foods such as…
Radiculopathy is a term that encompasses several symptoms and regions of the spine. The most common type is sciatica. The symptoms of radiculopathy are pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs. The cause these symptoms is compression of a nerve root in the spinal column. The symptoms will depend on the part…