More than 20 million Americans suffer from peripheral neuropathy, and this number is projected to increase along with other related chronic diseases. Neuropathy has many causes but the most common is from complications associated with diabetes. Signs of neuropathy are numb, tingling, or burning feet, one-sided bands of pain, and numbness and weakness on the trunk or pelvis. Therapies for neuropathy include antidepressant medication, anti seizure medications, local anesthetic injections and injections called nerve blocks, anesthetic patches and creams, opioids and surgery for some.
Do you experience widespread pain with no clear origin? Are you feeling stressed, tired and like you’re in a constant state of brain fog? If you’ve tried reaching out for help, you may have had your symptoms dismissed as “all in your head” or just a mental health issue. Many doctors prescribe pain medications and do little else to help. You may ask yourself, “How long will I have to take this? Is this medication safe?”
Arthritis impacts over 30 million Americans and is projected to increase significantly. In fact, joint pain is one of the top reasons people see their physicians. Signs of arthritis are joint misalignment, lack of joint mobility, morning stiffness, joint swelling, joint line tenderness, bony enlargements and pain with exercise in some cases. Most therapies for arthritis include patient education, over-the-counter analgesics (acetaminophen) and anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), a walking or light exercise program, weight management or nutrition program and many times a referral to a physical therapist or chiropractor to help with symptom management.
From time to time, it is not unusual to have loose stools or diarrhea when going to the bathroom. However, excessively painful, urgent and recurring diarrhea, which may include blood or excessive mucus, is a red flag potentially indicating a more severe issue. One possible cause of those symptoms is an inflammatory bowel disease called ulcerative colitis (UC).
All backed up and don’t know what to do? If you are leaving the toilet feeling like you still have to go, you are probably constipated. Individuals who are constipated may be able to pass a small amount of stool, but may not empty their bowels completely, leaving a sense of incomplete emptying, which is frustrating and uncomfortable.
