Bio-Structural Integration™ and Diagnosing Yourself on the Internet

Bio-Structural Integration™ rehabilitation that is unique, effective and provides quick relief of pain and is a unique, trademarked process at Osteoklinika! 

Over 15 years ago we discovered that therapy centered around only one system simply does not work! 

Why? The body functions as a unit. When we get injured the central nervous system may be affected, the joints will develop misalignment, the muscles will be in spasm, connective tissue and fascia become tight, the inflammatory process sets in, even internal organs can be affected. Every cell in our body works synergetically together to maintain homeostasis. When one system is disturbed the other cannot function properly. In our method of Bio-Structural Integration™ we address the dysfunction at every level.

Within one treatment Cranial Osteopathy is used to release central nervous system lesions. After that Osteopathic Structural Adjustments are used to correct the joints, followed by Myofascial Release of connective tissue. 


Neuromuscular Massage is implemented to reduce muscular tension, and electrotherapy helps to interrupt the pain cycle.


All of the above is done within a 1 hour treatment. After the structure is realigned, we recommend BioFlex Low Intensity Laser Therapy to deal with inflammation. Now the healing is stimulated at the cellular level. This session may take 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the condition being treated. Elimination of inflammatory process assists in structural stabilization of the joints.

The program of rehabilitation is around 5 weeks long and provides consistently over 90% of success in bringing back a pain-free life. If you have tried every possible known therapy and still have pain, you shouldn't give up! During many years of my practice I developed protocols for numerous difficult- to-treat conditions. 

Never, Ever Self Diagnose!

We’ve all been there: waking up in the middle of the night with a pounding headache, lymph nodes the size of tennis balls, tingling fingers or another ailment with an unexplained origin. More often than not, we’re concerned, and the first thing we’re inclined to do is fire up a computer and begin nervously Googling our symptoms, looking for possible problems our symptoms can lead to and treatments that can ameliorate them. In fact, according to Pew Internet and American Life Project, eight in 10 Internet users look online for health information.

Cyberchondria

Sometimes Internet searches can lead to the right answers, other times it can lead to anxiety or what’s called"cyberchondria": the unfounded concern over common symptoms based on online literature and research. Once someone begins self-diagnosing and agonizing over a health problem they may have, this becomes an issue.“I don’t think people should diagnose themselves, but they should use the Internet to become educated,” Mago says. He stresses that patients should use the Internet constructively to research their symptoms and the possible conditions they can lead to in order to come up with questions to ask a doctor. In a way, this helps both parties.And aside from helping patients becoming better educated medical consumers—and in return, better communicators with their doctors—some impressive things could happen if the Internet were used as a viable healthcare resource with curated information from doctors themselves. And it all starts with a site that has 1 billion unique users: YouTube.

“The Internet is a tool,” says Rajnish Mago, psychiatrist and director of the Mood Disorders Program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. “You can use the tool appropriately or you can misuse it.” It’s no news that there is a lot of bogus information on the Internet, particularly when entering the realm of medical forums. But while self diagnosis can lead to stress and improper diagnosis or self-treatment, the use of the Internet in healthcare actually has some amazing potential.

Help Your Medical Professional Through Education

Doctors can be very busy. They don’t always have enough time to fully assess each patient and educate patients on their symptoms and possible side effects of medications. “Many diagnoses are missed,” Mago says. For example, working in the psychiatric field, Mago has seen many cases of bipolar disorder and ADHD in patients that have gone undiagnosed. This alone may send many to the Internet for answers.

“Doctors need to be proactive about this, but that’s not what’s happening,” Mago says. He surveyed patients and found that none of them had ever been referred to a credible Internet resource by a doctor. Mago takes a different approach, embracing the fact that many patients go to the Internet for information.

YouTube and Internet

Videos have become very much a favored way of learning, Mago says. He did a project in which he pretended to be a patient and looked for answers on YouTube. “The overwhelming majority of results were highly negative,” he says. The lack of credible healthcare sources on YouTube shows that it’s an outlet the medical profession has yet to tap in to. Perhaps that should change.

And the Internet’s potential in healthcare doesn’t end there.

“There needs to be a systematic tool to screen for illnesses,” Mago says. “The Internet could be a very powerful tool for screening millions of people.” All of his depression patients must be screened for bipolar disorder because the latter can go undiagnosed in depressed patients. Use of the Internet could possibly aid screenings like this.

In his current research, Mago is looking at ways to use the Internet to identify if symptoms are more likely side effects of medication than symptoms of the illness itself.

Another possibility is using the Internet to develop a website that will ask patients questions about their symptoms and use an algorithm to come up with possible problems. The website would then give the patient a list of questions that she should bring up with her doctor. One of Mago’s associates used this model for blood pressure.

Don't Scare Yourself!


Rather than discouraging their patients from using the Internet in the hopes that they don’t end up scaring themselves with false information, doctors should perhaps explore other alternatives and opportunities for what this resource can do. “The Internet is here to stay in healthcare,” Mago says. “The question medical professionals have to ask is if they are going to embrace it and use it to their advantage or be dragged in kicking and screaming.”


Diagnosing yourself on the Internet can take hours and hours of reading, watching videos and it can be very confusing!  Please call us, visit us and see that in just one hour you could actually feel better and recognize that you don't have to worry about your health and that you could be making yourself "sick" just trying to figure it all out on the internet!  

For more information about your general health, inflammation and pain, Andrew Subieta can be reached at Osteoklinika Pain Management & Rehabilitation 905.660.8810. Also, please check our website at www.osteoklinika.com for more information about Bio-Structural Integration™, or our Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter pages.  

Bio-Structural Integration™: ACL Injury and Low Intensity Laser Therapy

Bio-Structural Integration™ sets the new standard of rehabilitation that is unique, effective and provides quick relief of pain! It is a unique, trademarked process at Osteoklinika! 

Over 15 years ago we discovered that therapy centered around only one system simply does not work. Why? The body functions as a unit. When we get injured the central nervous system may be affected, the joints will develop misalignment, the muscles will be in spasm, connective tissue and fascia become tight, the inflammatory process sets in, even internal organs can be affected. Every cell in our body works synergetically together to maintain homeostasis.

When one system is disturbed the other cannot function properly. In our method of Bio-Structural Integration™ we address the dysfunction at every level.  Within one treatment Cranial Osteopathy is used to release central nervous system lesions. After that Osteopathic Structural Adjustments are used to correct the joints, followed by Myofascial Release of connective tissue. Neuromuscular Massage is implemented to reduce muscular tension, and Electrotherapy helps to interrupt the pain cycle.

Low Intensity Laser Therapy

Low Intensity Laser Therapy can effectively reduce pain and inflammation, while stimulating healing. It isn't a magic cure however; in cases where surgery is recommended, Laser Therapy applied prior to and after surgery will improve healing and get you back to the things you enjoy faster!

 
What Is An ACL Injury?

Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries are common in contact sports and those involving a sudden change of direction. Often an ACL injury will occur in combination with injury to other structures in the knee joint.

Torn ACL symptoms

At the time of injury, symptoms of an anterior cruciate ligament sprain will include extreme pain in the knee. There is likely to be a lot of immediate swelling from bleeding within the joint which will feel warm. There may be an audible pop or crack at the time of injury and a feeling of instability.

Often an athlete will seek professional advice at a clinic the next day or two after injury. By that time there will be considerable swelling making it very difficult to diagnose exactly what is wrong with the knee. After a few days when the swelling has gone down it will be easier to examine the knee joint. Symptoms will include restricted range or movement with particular difficulty straightening the leg. It will be tender all around the knee joint. There will be positive signs in the Anterior Drawer test and Lachman's test.

Anterior Drawer Test

With the patient laying on their back with the injured knee bent to 90 degrees and the foot flat on the table. The practitioner may stabilize the foot by sitting on it.The practitioner will grasp the upper Tibia (shin bone) with both hands. They will then attempt to pull the Tibia forwards, towards them. A positive result is if the Tibia moves excessively forwards.The injured knee should always be compared to the healthy knee for 'normal' movement.

Lachman's Test

The patient lies on their back with the knee flexed between 15 and 30 degrees. The practitioner grips the outside of the lower femur or thigh bone with the upper hand and the inside of the upper Tibia with the lower hand. The femur is stabilized with the upper hand as the lower hand applies an anterior force on the tibia. A positive result is found if the tibia moves excessively forward compared to the healthy knee.

As well as the tests described above, the practitioner may also test the range of motion at the joint, the strength of the surrounding muscles, and test for associated injuries such as meniscus tears.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Explained

A torn ACL is an injury or tear to the anterior cruciate ligament which is one of the four main stabilizing ligaments of the knee.

The ACL attaches to the knee end of the femur or thigh bone at the back of the joint and passes down through the knee joint to the front of the flat upper surface of the tibia or shin bone. It passes across the knee joint in a diagonal direction and with the posterior cruciate ligament passing in the opposite direction forming a cross shape, hence the name cruciate ligaments.

The role of the anterior cruciate ligament is to prevent the tibia bone from moving forwards of the knee. The posterior cruciate ligament does the reverse preventing the shin bone moving backwards. Together these two ligaments are vitally important for the stability of the knee joint, especially in contact sports and those that involve fast changes in direction.

A torn ACL usually occurs through a twisting force being applied to the knee whilst the foot is firmly planted on the ground or upon landing. A torn ACL can also result from a direct blow to the knee, usually the outside, as may occur during a football or rugby tackle. This injury is usually seen in combination with a medial meniscus tear, articular cartilage injury or medial ligament sprain.

Immediate treatment for ACL injuries

If an ACL injury or knee joint sprain of any kind is suspected then stop play or competition immediately, assuming you have a choice! Apply the PRICE principles of protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation. Applying ice and compression will help limit pain and stop bleeding and swelling. Some professional therapists at pitch side will immediately apply a compression wrap fairly tightly to prevent the knee swelling up however this should only be left on for 10 minutes at a time to avoid stopping blood flow completely and causing further injury. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Ice can be applied for 10 to 15 minutes every hour for the first 24 to 48 hours although not directly against the skin. There are a number of commmercially available cold wraps which are excellent for knee joint injuries as they provide compression as well as cold at the same time. Elevating the limb will also help swelling and tissue fluids drain away from the site of injury.


What can a Professional do?

A doctor or sports injury professional is not likely to be able to do much the day after an injury. The joint is likely to be too tender and swollen to properly assess. Once the swelling has died down then a more accurate assessment and diagnosis can be done. An MRI scan can confirm the diagnosis and an X-ray eliminate an avulsion fracture where the ligament pulls a piece of bone away.

It is likely the doctor will refer for ACL surgery if required as well as advice on a pre-surgery rehabilitation program in order to strengthen the knee and reduce the swelling in preparation for surgery. This will help produce the best results following surgery.

When is ACL surgery required?

The decision whether or when to operate to reconstruct a torn anterior cruciate ligament is a controversial one. Surgery can be performed shortly after injury, a few weeks or even months after injury or not at all.

The decision of whether to operate is based on a number of factors, including the athletes age; lifestyle; sporting involvement; occupation; degree of knee instability and any other associated injuries. Older people who are less active and perhaps injured their ACL following a fall as opposed to during sport may be unlikely to undergo surgery.

A younger, fit person who regularly plays sport or needs to be active for work and would be more likely to adhere to a complex rehabilitation program is more likely to be offered surgery. Other factors include whether a meniscus repair is required or any other joint injury and the degree of instability in the knee.

After Surgery?

Here is a short story.  Increasing instability of the knee developed in a 27-year-old man who had torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) approximately 10 years prior to surgical intervention. After initial conservative treatment, including use of a functional brace for activity, the patient opted for surgical reconstruction with a patellar tendon graft. One of the authors conducted three preoperative examinations to assess the condition of the patient's musculoskeletal system. These manual examinations included findings of somatic dysfunction in the lumbo-pelvic region. In addition, there was extension of muscular tension from the injured left knee and ankle into the lower thorax and ribs 6 through 9. During the postoperative rehabilitation process, examination at regular intervals included documentation of somatic dysfunction and osteopathic manipulative treatment. Following ACL reconstruction and OMT, the patient showed increasingly stable mobility in the lumbopelvic region. Furthermore, episodic new dysfunctions readily resolved with OMT. The patient returned to his regular sports activities 6 months after surgery! (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16790541)

Before you consider surgery and if you are still experiencing more than 6 months after surgery, or for more information about inflammation and pain, Andrew Subieta can be reached at Osteoklinika Pain Management & Rehabilitation 905.660.8810. Also, please check our website at www.osteoklinika.com for more information about Bio-Structural Integration™, or our Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter pages.