Sciatica is NOT a Condition or Diagnosis!

The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest of all the body’s nerves. It runs from the spinal column through the pelvis and down each leg. Each sciatic nerve is made up of five smaller nerves that branch into the thigh, knee, calf, ankle, and foot. Sciatica occurs when this nerve is compressed, irritated, or inflamed.

Sciatica is not a condition or a diagnosis, rather it is a term used to describe the symptoms of leg pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that travels from the low back through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg. The pain may be anything from a dull ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating discomfort. Sometimes it may feel like a jolt or electric shock.

Because the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, pressure can be placed on it at many locations. Disc bulges can place pressure on the sciatic nerve in the back and cause low back pain and sciatica. The piriformis muscle, located deep in the buttocks, can become too tight and put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Pressure from the piriformis muscle usually causes sciatica that starts in the buttock or upper thigh. A misalignment of the lumbar vertebrae in the low back can put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Finally, spinal degeneration from long-standing back problems can also put pressure on and irritate the sciatic nerve.

How can Osteopathy help?

Since there are many disorders that can cause Sciatica, an Osteopath will investigate the exact cause of sciatic nerve symptoms by taking a thorough case history, followed by relevant spinal, orthopaedic and neurological examination to establish an accurate diagnoses. Referral for diagnostic imaging such as X-ray, CT or MRI may be necessary.

As Sciatica is due to pressure on the sciatic nerve, treatment involves removing this pressure, in order to reduce symptoms and help resolve the problem. Osteopathic treatment aims to decrease nerve pressure and associated inflammation by focusing treatment on poorly moving spinal joints, body compensatory patterns and easing muscular tension in the spine, buttock, hip and leg. Osteopathic techniques and management strategies are dependent on each individual case.  (Reprinted from Osteopathy and Good Health.)

At Osteoklinika our goal is not only to relieve pain but to treat pathological changes that occur in the tissues of the body that led to discomfort, inflammation and restricted range of motion. This approach addresses many musculoskeletal conditions down to the cellular level, therefore speeding up recovery. We call it the method of Bio-Structural Integration™.  Our objective is to find the source of the problem, correct it and allow the body to return to a normal physiological balance and this can occur at any age!  It is not too late to turn it around!  Please call me at 905.660.8810 or visit my website at www.osteoklinika.com. - Andrew Subieta, M.Sc. R.M.T. C.L.T.

Athletes Now Use the Osteopath’s Unique Skills in the Treatment of Sports Injuries

Athletes Use the Osteopath's Unique Skills!

Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment that is concerned primarily with mechanical problems of the body framework. These are principally within the musculoskeletal system. However, disturbance in the viscera may cause secondary changes within the muscles and joints. 

 The aims of osteopathic diagnosis are two-fold: 

 1. To identify the site of the source of the symptoms and the nature of the tissue disturbance. 

 2. To assess the mechanical structure and function of the body. 

Athletes now use the osteopath’s unique skills and detailed knowledge of body mechanics in the treatment of sports injuries. 

Kiante Tripp, Toronto Argonauts with Andrew Subieta, Osteoklinika

In the past, an injury was regarded as an isolated problem, to carry out the most effective treatment, the osteopath accesses all of the factors which may have led up to and contributed to the injury which are often just as important as the injury. 

The osteopath can examine the posture, condition and flexibility of those parts, which make the human body a dynamic machine - these include the muscles, ligaments and tendons of all joints from head to toe. This is of utmost importance to an athlete as poor flexibility in the joints will prevent the body performing at its best and is often an important contributory element to injury. 

The techniques applied by the osteopath provides the body with the best environment for repair, and enables it to perform at its optimum. 

We have experience and positive results with elite athletes in Canada! Call to arrange a consultation to optimize your ongoing success!  905.660.8810. - Andrew Subieta

For more information about how we can assist you to maximize performance on-season or off-season, Andrew Subieta and the clinic staff can be reached at Osteoklinika Pain Management & Rehabilitation 905.660.8810. Also, please check our website www.osteoklinika.com and our social media on Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn for more information about Bio-Structural Integration™.  

Cranial Osteopathy: A Gentle Treatment For Pain

What is Cranial Osteopathy?
Cranial osteopathy (also called cranial therapy or cranio-sacral therapy) is one variety of osteopathic manipulative therapies. It stimulates healing by using gentle hand pressure to manipulate the skeleton and connective tissues, especially the skull and sacrum (the large, triangular bone at the base of the spinal column). Cranial osteopathy is based on the controversial theory that the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, has subtle, rhythmic pulsations that are vital to health and can be detected and modified by a skilled practitioner.

What conditions is cranial osteopathy used for?

• constipation
• irritable bowel syndrome
• seizures
• scoliosis
• migraine headaches
• disturbed sleep cycles
• asthma
• neck pain
• sinus infections
• TMJ syndrome
• Ménière's disease
• ear problems
• children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who have experienced birth trauma or head trauma.

While cranial osteopathy therapy has not been shown scientifically to be a treatment for cancer, it can help patients feel more relaxed by helping to relieve stress and tension.

What should one expect from a visit to a practitioner of cranial osteopathy therapy?

During a typical session, you may be asked first about your history of injuries and the circumstances of your birth, in addition to the usual questions about your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle habits. As part of the physical exam, the practitioner may move your limbs and feel your spine, rib cage and cranium for areas of restricted motion. Treatment includes gentle hands-on manipulation of the cranial bones and the sacrum (tailbone), as well as other restricted areas of the body. The practitioner may use additional manipulation techniques as well, for example, to relax muscles around the joints and spine. The overall effect of a treatment session can be very calming. Some patients report pleasant tingling sensation throughout their bodies during treatment.

Practitioners of cranial osteopathy use their hands to gently free up restrictions in the movement of cranial bones and associated soft tissues and to stimulate the flow of the cerebro-spinal fluid, which bathes all the surfaces of the brain and the spinal cord.

Practitioners believe that distortions in the natural rhythms of the central nervous system may result from trauma of all sorts including birth trauma, childhood injuries, automobile accidents, even psychological trauma. (For years, mainstream medicine dismissed the idea - put forth in the 1930's by osteopath William Sutherland - that the cranial bones in the adult skull could move.

However, researchers at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic medicine confirmed Sutherland's theory in the late 1970's by showing cranial bone motion in X-ray films of the skulls of living subjects.)

Are there other therapies that might work well in conjunction with cranial osteopathy therapy?

Cranial osteopathy therapy can work as an adjunct to other medical, dental, osteopathic, and chiropractic treatments. Cranial osteopathy offers a gentle treatment for pain in patients undergoing other kinds of therapy who are too acutely sensitive to tolerate other hands-on approaches.

Dr. Andrew Weil encountered cranial osteopathy when he met Dr. Robert Fulford, an osteopath who relied on manipulation alone for treating a variety of diseases. Dr. Weil has described Dr. Fulford as a skilled practitioner of cranial osteopathy who could detect subtle movements within the central nervous system and its associated structures through gentle palpation of the cranial bones. Dr. Weil continues to recommend cranial osteopathy therapy for many conditions including colic in babies, earaches and hyperactivity in children, for infants who are not sucking well during breast feeding, and following a difficult delivery to make certain the bones and soft tissues of the infant's head are in proper alignment (treatment frees up restrictions in movement and promotes normal functioning of the nervous system, as well as optimal flow of blood and lymph). He also recommends cranial osteopathy for treatment of migraine headaches, disturbed sleep cycles, asthma, neck pain, sinus infections, TMJ syndrome, Ménière's disease and ear problems in adults. For more information about cranial osteopathy, we recommend reading Dr. Fulford's Touch of Life (Pocket Books, 1997).

At Osteoklinika we view the healthy body as a system of structure and physiological function dynamically interacting with each other in an undisturbed manner. When the structure is affected the function of many systems of the body is changed resulting in pain, inflammation and restricted range of motion. Our objective is to find the source of the problem, correct it and allow the body to return to a normal physiological balance. We call this Bio-Structural Integration™. - Andrew Subieta M.Sc. R.M.T., C.L.T.

Osteoklinika Pain Management and Rehabilitation
1750 Steeles Ave, W. Unit 8
Vaughan, Ontario  L4K 2L7
905.660.8810

Rheumatoid Arthritis - What Doctors Don't Tell You!

When I first wrote about rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I reported that wearing copper bracelets, correcting low gastric acid, identifying environmental and food allergies, and eating at least one avocado pear a day had proven benefits.

Since then, much more evidence has come to light of alternative remedies that may be highly beneficial to sufferers of this condition.

Homoeopathy Paloondo, a plant found in Mexico and Southern California, was used by the Aztecs for inflammatory rheumatoid-arthritic conditions and has been found to be useful for RA in homoeopathic potencies. Euretin and Paloon-don-Dragées, two patented medicines made in Austria and licensed in the European Union, have shown evidence of success.

Paloondon-Dragées has undergone a placebo-controlled Hahnemannian proving - the basic homoeopathic experiment in which a remedy is tested to determine whether it can produce the symptoms it is meant to cure - and was indeed found to produce arthromuscular rheumatism (Homoeother rheumatisch Leiden Paloondo, 1970, 6: 241-5.)

Nutritional therapy Bromelain, an enzyme obtained from the pineapple plant (Ananas comosus), can be effective in reducing the amount of inflammation associated with RA and the dose of steroids needed to manage it.

Twenty-five patients with stage II or III RA were able to taper their steroid dosages down to small maintenance doses of enteric-coated bromelain. Joint swelling was also substantially reduced in most patients (Penn Med J, 1964, 67: 27-30).

Ayurvedic medicine This Indian system of medicine has long used the yellow pigment - called curcumin - derived from the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) to treat joint inflammation.

In one double-blind study, RA patients were given either curcumin or phenylbutazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Those taking the turmeric showed similar improvements in duration of morning stiffness, walking and joint swelling compared with those taking the NSAID, but without the substantial side-effects usually seen with the drug (Ind J Med Res, 1980; 71: 632-4).
Chinese medicine Two experimental studies have shown that the root of the Chinese medicinal herb Lei gong teng (Tripterygium wilfordii) is usually effective to some degree for both RA and ankylosing spondylitis (J Trad Chin Med, 1983, 3: 125-9; Chin Med J, 1989, 102: 327-32).
Herbal medicine A herbal remedy made from the Yucca plant has also been shown to be helpful in easing the symptoms of RA.

In an American study involving Desert Pride Herbal Food Tablets (containing Yucca plant saponin extract), 149 RA patients were given either the Yucca saponin extract or placebo for one week to 15 months. At the end of the trial, 61 per cent had less pain, swelling and stiffness compared with 22 per cent of those taking the placebo. Some improved within days or weeks whereas some took several months or more (J Appl Nutr, 1975; 27: 45-50).

Osteopathy

Good osteopathic care can modify the course of RA and even bring about a remission. Once the acute inflammation has subsided, this should include heat, friction, hot wetpacks, stretching, yoga, exercise, support and careful passive articulation of the affected joints (Br J Gen Pract, 1993: 15-8).

Dietary therapy

A Norwegian study showed that a change to a vegetarian diet normalised dietary fatty acids and reduced the inflammation seen in RA.

The patients were allowed to consume only vegetable soups, vegetable juices, garlic and herbal teas for the first 10 days. Thereafter, the diet was gluten-free, and meat was allowed only sparingly on every second day. For the first three months, citrus, salt, refined sugar, tea, coffee, cocoa, cola, strong spices, alcohol, milk and milk products were strictly forbidden (Bartram T, Bartram’s Encyclopaedia of Herbal Medicine, London: Robinson Publishing, 1998: 372).

(Harald Gaier is a Registered homeopath, naturopath and osteopath)

At Osteoklinika our goal is not only to relieve pain but to treat pathological changes that occur in the tissues of the body that led to discomfort, inflammation and restricted range of motion. This approach addresses many musculoskeletal conditions down to the cellular level, therefore speeding up recovery. We call it the method of Bio-Structural Integration™.  Our objective is to find the source of the problem, correct it and allow the body to return to a normal physiological balance and this can occur at any age!  It is not too late to turn it around!  Please call me at 905.660.8810 or visit my website at www.osteoklinika.com. - Andrew Subieta, M.Sc. R.M.T. C.L.T.

New Research: Traditional Chinese Herb May Be Effective Treatment for Chronic Pain

A new study from the University of California, Irvine, has shown that dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB), a compound derived from the Chinese herb, Corydalis yanhusuo, can help relieve chronic pain. Corydalis yanhusuo, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used in China as an analgesic for patients with terminal cancer. 

"Our study reports the discovery of a new natural product that can relieve pain. This analgesic acts in animal assays against the three types of pain that afflict humans, including acute, inflammatory, and neuropathic or chronic pain," researcher Olivier Civelli said.

Traditional pain-relieving opiate drugs generally lose efficiency over time, but researchers say that DHCB does not. Although the flowering herb is a member of the poppy family, the source of opiates such as morphine, DHCB acts through the dopamine D2 receptor to regulate pain, rather than the morphine receptor.

The plant has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate pain associated with conditions like menstrual cramps, abdominal pain, headaches and back and chest pain. This is the first study to extract, identify and test DHCB.

"I was having serious leg cramps running into my feet as well. My hands would cramp up also. My accupuncurist put me on this. With 3 days my cramps had eased up. They very rarely happen at all now. They were considered severe."

This discovery is significant, because there are no other current treatments for neuropathic pain.

There presently exists treatments for acute and inflammatory pain, but not for chronic pain. "DHCB may not be able to relieve strong chronic pain, but may be used for low-level chronic pain," Civelli told the UK's Daily Mail.

"Today the pharmaceutical industry struggles to find new drugs," Civelli said. He then stated that he was excited that this natural herbal compound "shows promise as an effective pharmaceutical." Even though their study will likely be used to invent new drugs to bolster Big Pharma's profits, it is important in that it proves the efficacy of a long-used medicinal herb which can be utilized to naturally mitigate pain. (www.universityherald.com) (naturalnews.com).

Corydalis is a plant. People use the tuber and root for medicine.

Corydalis is used for mild depression, mild mental disorders, emotional disturbances, severe nerve damage, and limb tremors. It is also used as a mild sedative and tranquilizer, as a hallucinogen, to lower blood pressure, and to relax spasms in the small intestine.

For now there is a tincture that focuses on being the "ultimate pain killer for menstrual and gynaecological problems.  Swiss Herbal and their researchers say "this herb will help to relieve painful periods and also abdominal pain caused by fibroids, cysts, endometriosis or other gynaecological problems.  It also helps to relieve inflammation in the womb."

(Corydale, Corydale Bulbeuse, Corydale Creuse, Corydale à Tubercule Creux, Corydalis cava, Corydalis tuberosa, Corydalis Yanhusuo, Corydalis Yanhusuo Rhizome, Dai Ding, Early Fumitory, Fumeterre Creuse, Squirrel Corn, Yanhusuo, Yuan Hu Suo.)

For more information about how to handle chronic pain, Andrew Subieta and the clinic staff can be reached at Osteoklinika Pain Management & Rehabilitation 905.660.8810.  Also, please check our website www.osteoklinika.com for more information about Bio-Structural Integration™.  

Quick and Easy Tips to Avoid Persistent Back Pain

Eat more:

Ginger, salmon, turmeric, especially with black pepper (helps with absorption), garlic, onions, olive oil, canned sardines, albacore white tuna and other fish, fennel (as a veggie), almonds, pecans and other nuts, rosemary, rosemary, basil, pomegranate, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, organic cherries, rice and green leafy veggies.
 

Eat less:

Margarine, vegetable shortening, trans fats, processed foods (especially those containing high amounts of sugar), high-fructose corn syrup; foods high in saturated fats; artificial sugars, diet pop, pop; high-sugar fast food bars.

Food can be related to your inflammation!

antioxidants help to reduce inflammation!

avoid processed meats or better still "eliminate" them altogether!

fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, herbs all help to keep inflammation away!

 

 

 

Bio-Structural Integration™: How Does Alcohol Affect Your Body?

No one wants to be a bummer during the Holiday festivities, but perhaps This knowledge can help to determine whether you take that 'one last drink' before you leave the party.

Aim for moderate drinking over the holiday season as it will minimize the level of pain and the conditions you could develop. Heaving drinking can contribute to many conditions due to inflammation. And we all know, inflammation is the devil!  Here are some examples:

Inflammation of the Muscles

Heavy drinking can lead to a condition called alcoholic myositis, which is inflammation of the muscles, mainly in the shoulders and chest. It causes a lot of pain and is quite common among heavy drinkers.

Psoriasis or Bruising

Studies have found that high levels of alcohol consumption can exacerbate the skin condition psoriasis (reddish spots and patches covered with silvery scales). Bruising is also increased, due to a lack of vitamin C. The skin may also become dryer due to higher levels of dehydration caused by drinking alcohol.

Dementia/Brain

Heavy, prolonged alcohol abuse is thought to be the third highest cause of dementia (permanent loss of brain cells) in hospitalised patients. Without treatment, it lead s to progressive mental deterioration.

Inflammation of the Oesophagus

Oesophagitis (inflammation of the oesophagus) is the main complication of gastrooesophageal reflux. This is caused by the toxic effect of alcohol on the oesophagus, making it more permeable and allowing the entry of cytotoxic substances. Without treatment and abstinence from alcohol, it can progress to ulcers.

Heavy alcohol abuse is the main factor in oesophageal cancer in the western world. The risk is considerably increased where there is combined alcohol and tobacco addiction.

Inflammation of the Nerves

Prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to inflammation of the nerves in the arms and legs, leading to symptoms such as tingling and pain. It is caused mainly by vitamin deficiency.







Gout: Inflammation of the Joints

A common cause of gout, which is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints due to the build-up of crystals of uric acid, is strongly linked to heavy drinking. Gout is generally considered a genetically inherited condition, but it is exacerbated by alcohol.

This holiday season, consider moderate eating and drinking.  It can be a lot less painful in the end.  It's a bummer to develop conditions as a result of too much alcohol, don't you think so? 

Bio-Structural Integration™

At Osteoklinika our goal is not only to relieve pain but to treat pathological changes that occur in the tissues of the body that led to discomfort, inflammation and restricted range of motion. This approach addresses many musculoskeletal conditions down to the cellular level, therefore speeding up recovery. We call it the method of Bio-Structural Integration™.  Our objective is to find the source of the problem, correct it and allow the body to return to a normal physiological balance and this can occur at any age!  It is not too late to turn it around!  Please call me at 905.660.8810 or visit my website at www.osteoklinika.com. - Andrew Subieta, M.Sc. R.M.T. C.L.T.