Celebrating Over 30 Years Serving the Tucson Community!
Chronic pain is an intractable problem affecting up to a third of the U.S. population. It costs the U.S. more than 600 billion dollars in medical interventions and lost work time, has fueled and cost the lives of far too may souls from the opioid epidemic and impacts the health and welfare of everyone it… Continue reading Retraining the Brain
Acupuncture has become a popular alternative treatment for chronic pain. It’s a traditional Chinese practice dating back over 3,000 years ago. It was described by a European doctor, Ten Rhijne, in the 1600’s when he worked for the East India Company and first used in the U.S. in the 1950’s as a treatment for a… Continue reading Electroacupuncture
Last week we discussed the areas of the brain that are involved in how we process pain as they were identified on functional MRIs. Together they are known as the pain matrix: Primary somatosensory cortex Secondary somatosensory cortex Anterior cingulated cortex Insular cortex Prefrontal cortex Thalamus Not only are these different parts of the brain… Continue reading How We Can Impact the Pain Matrix
Pain is incredibly difficult to categorize. It’s meant to tell us when something is wrong. Yet, as described in multiple posts, it can persist long after the trauma or injury has passed. And our brains have impressive powers to modulate the perception of pain. It can exacerbate or minimize depending on what we are experiencing… Continue reading ASMR May Be An Option
Last week I discussed the role of the vagus nerve. It’s one of 12 cranial nerves in the body that help link the brain with the head, neck, torso, and the rest of the body. They originate in the brain and each has a different function that relates to sensation or movement. The vagus nerve… Continue reading 10 Ways to Activate Your Own Vagus Nerve