At OrthoWell , we are dedicated to providing a comprehensive approach for your pain management. Pain is a warning sign! We need to listen to it. At OrthoWell , we understand the physiology of pain and YOU need to understand it to. Studies confirm that the more you understand your pain, the less pain that you will experience. Of course, there are different types of pain.  The pain that you feel acutely as a result of tissue trauma and inflammation is different than the chronic pain that you may be experiencing due to fibromyalgia,  a herniatied disc, or a neurological disorder. The pain response is often linked to the stress response. What this means is that your physical and emotional stress can be a strong contributor to your overall perception of pain. How you deal with stress can be the determining factor between a full recovery and persistent chronic pain.

We want to educate you.

We want to make you understand your pain.

We want to cure you of your pain.

Here’s how….

#1:  EDUCATION

I have written several blog posts and posted several videos on the physiology of pain and  pain management strategies.

This link will provide you with an introductory understanding of pain. It is entitled EXPLAIN PAIN. You need to understand the basics of pain physiology and how pain can be a self-perpetuating phenomenon. CHECK IT OUT HERE .

Also, here is a link to one of my mentor’s very concise and very informative booklet on understanding PAIN called “Why do I hurt?” A must read for a true understanding of your pain.

http://www.optp.com/Adriaan- Louw

#2: STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

Being aware of your stress reaction is one thing, but doing something about it is another. You need to take time to downregulate your nervous system. You need to take control of your physiology! Here is a link to  my post on breathing and stress and the video is included below.  CHECK IT OUT HERE .

Meditation is another option that you may want to pursue as well. You can look into Deepak Chopra as he does a nice meditation series with Oprah Winfrey. You can check it out HERE .  You may also want to check out the meditation at Brainwave Research Institute  that has been shown to guide you into deep meditation and helps to trigger the release of endorphins (the “feel good” chemicals) in your brain.

Sometime we just need a little help to refocus how we talk to ourselves i.e. self-talk.  You want to encourage positive thoughts instead of negative ones. Here is a simple strategy that you can use. CLICK HERE. If you want to take it a step further and REALLY get a handle on that little voice in your head then read 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story by Dan Harris.

The health of your gut can affect your stress and anxiety levels as well. Check out the information at the bottom of this page on the role that probiotics play in your overall health.

#3 MANUAL THERAPY TECHNIQUES

At, we are Orthopedic Manual Therapists . We specialize and are certified in manual, hands-on techniques such as Graston Technique Active Release Technique .

We offer services such as Laser and Trigger Point Dry Needling that can provide relief to many patients that have “tried everything else”. Just think if you STARTED your physical therapy with these techniques?

But what if your pain is arising from nerves? At OrthoWell,  we perform NeuroMobilization and Manual Traction to alleviate the compression on nerves, to decrease the sensitivity of nerves,  and to increase the circulatory effect, hence, the healing effect to damaged or irritated nerves.

But what if your pain is arising from primal reflexes that are up-regulated or hyper-sensitized? At OrthoWell,  we are certified in Pain Reflex Release Technique.

Pain Reflex Release Technique™ or Primal Reflex Release Technique is a manual-therapy approach for evaluating and relieving musculoskeletal pain. PRRT or “PERT” is often able to accomplish in just seconds what other manual therapy techniques can do over time.

PRRT has been found effective in more than 80% of patients with painful conditions. So how does it work? “Pert” is based on the premise that over-stimulation of the body’s primal reflexes creates pain and keeps painful patterns occurring again and again. These reflexes — startle, withdrawal, and the protective joint reflexes–are hardwired into the nervous system of the body for the purpose of survival. When a person experiences a painful or startling event, these reflexes are triggered in an attempt to protect the body.

Unfortunately, these reflexes often persist in a state of hyper-readiness long after the triggering event has passed. When sustained over time, activated reflex responses lead to patterns of pain that are reproduced, repeated, and maintained, interfering with healing and resisting therapeutic efforts to restore natural function.

“Pert” utilizes therapeutic principles such as contract relax and reciprocal inhibition and incorporates effective strategies from therapies such as myofascial release, cranial sacral therapy, and trigger point therapy.

Come to OrthoWell Physical Therapy to discover if Pert can help you too!  Check out the video below for a demonstration of PRRT.

WATCH the video below for a testimonial on the results achieved with Pain Reflex Release Technique:

#4 PROPER NUTRITION

Proper nutrition is vital to providing your body with the fuel that it needs to heal and control pain.

Did you know that stress can actually deplete your body of vitamin C?

Did you know that vitamin D deficiency has been linked to chronic pain?

Did you know that 90% of people are deficient in trace mineral?

GO HERE to read my extensive blog post on vitamins. It is a must read if you are vested in your health!

There has been a lot of talk about the role probiotics play in our health. With the overly stressful and constant on-the-go lives we live today, it makes it difficult for our bodies to keep up. One area greatly affected by this life style is our gut health. Take a look at these two articles about their importance in good gut health, and the affect they can have on your healing/recovery as well as your athletic performance.

http://www.eatingwell.com/…/diges…/the_promise_of_probiotics

http://www.runnersworld.com/…/do-probiotics-improve-running…

I ( Chris) use a product called Perfect Biotics available at:

https://probioticamerica.com/products/perfectBiotics.php