Autoimmune Disease in Oklahoma City, OK and Surrounding Areas
Autoimmune disease is the THIRD largest category of disease in the United States behind heart disease and cancer. There are more than 80 types autoimmune diseases and they affect over 50 million Americans. But what is an autoimmune disease? Consider your immune system as an army whose sole purpose is to protect your body from intruders, such as viruses, bacteria, and other outside toxins. Imagine your army turned it’s guns on you and started attacking your tissues? That is autoimmunity. Your body’s natural ability to fight external threats starts to attack the body’s tissues. This process may cause symptoms such as fatigue, fever, malaise (feeling unwell), joint pain and rash, among other symptoms. These symptoms usually cause exacerbations of symptoms then going into remission. Autoimmune diseases affect blood vessels, connective tissue, endocrine glands, joints, muscles, red blood cells, and skin. Your army can also start attacking your organs, such as the liver, intestines or kidneys. The exact cause of autoimmunity is unknown, but it is believed to be a combination of heredity and your environment. If a family member of yours has an autoimmune disease, you are 2 to 5 times more likely of developing one. Your environment may trigger certain medications, hormones (such as pregnancy and stress hormones) and chemical irritants. Women are 75% more likely to be affected by autoimmune disorders, especially African-American, Hispanic-American and Native American women.
Examples of autoimmune disorders include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren’s disease, multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes mellitus, psoriasis and irritable bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), many others. Autoimmune disease is one of the top 10 causes of death of females over 65, the second highest cause of chronic illness and the top cause of morbidity in females in the United States. These diseases are treated by medical doctors using immunosuppressant drugs and corticosteroids, which both have pretty severe side effects when used for extended periods of time.
What does this have to do with chiropractic, you ask? Chiropractic can be a fantastic supportive treatment for those who suffer from autoimmune disorders. The treatment goals for most autoimmune diseases include reduction of symptoms, control the autoimmune response and to maintain the body’s ability to fight disease. Immunity is controlled by the brain stem which is protected and encased by the upper cervical spine. Chiropractic adjustments relieve the pressure on the nervous system caused by misalignments in the spine. Every cell, organ, and tissue in your body is controlled by the nervous system, so relieving the pressure on the nervous system promotes better health and function of those cells, organs and tissues. In short, chiropractic adjustments allow your body to function at it’s fullest potential. Chiropractic patients with autoimmune diseases often relate improvement in symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain and muscle aches. With dietary alterations and consistent chiropractic adjustments, patients have noticed a marked decrease in inflammation caused by autoimmunity.
If you, or someone you know in the Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas are looking for a chiropractor to help with symptoms caused by an autoimmune disease, please call Venturis Clinic at 405-848-7246 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Philipose.
Call to Schedule a Complimentary Consultation
405.848.7246
Ask about Digital Motion X-Ray Imaging
Offering variety of pain management solutions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is prolotherapy good for?
Many conditions respond well to prolotherapy, such as facet syndrome (back and neck arthritis), whiplash, joint sprains, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, tennis elbow, sprains, chronic tendonitis, Ehler’s-Danlos Disease, Bulging disc, knee pain, shoulder pain Vagus nerve inflammation and more.
What are the risks of prolotherapy?
Theoretical risks of prolotherapy injections include soreness, infection or neurological (nerve) damage. Injections should be performed by trained physicians using universal precautions diagnostics examinations and tproper examinations. This results in very minimal side effects.
What is the average cost of prolotherapy?
Costs vary quite a bit from $150-$1500 dependent on type and contents of injections.
Is prolotherapy a permanent fix?
Prolotherapy is an all-natural, permanent treatment, as it relies on the body repairing itself to reduce pain. In contrast, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications only provide temporary relief. Booster shots as well has wellness therapies including stretching, massage, chiropractic, dry-needling and strengthening will help maintain progress.
Who is a good candidate for prolotherapy?
More specifically, prolotherapy may be right for you if you experience any of the following: Damaged or lost tissue, especially surrounding the joints. If patients have tried various traditional treatments including prescription drugs, physical therapy, or steroids but seen minimal to no results, prolotherapy may be right for you.
Why does prolotherapy hurt so much?
A patient is generally sore for a couple of days after Prolotherapy. This is because the injections have to go through some muscles to get to the ligaments and tendons. To help the muscle soreness resolve itself sooner, dry needling and moist heat applied to the area is recommended.
Is prolotherapy better than cortisone?
Cortisone can cause tendon rupture, particularly of the achilles tendon. Prolotherapy is a proven orthopedic treatment to reduce pain and strengthen weakened joints without the negative side effects of cortisone.
What are the pros and cons of prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is great for strengthening weak joints and creating heightened muscle functionality, such as increased movement and flexibility. However, there are some risks involved, for example it is a shot like any other so there could be pain or tenderness to the injection site.
What should you not do after prolotherapy?
Due to the numbness we ask that you refrain from any strenuous activities but to stay mobile. Continue to move affected area to decrease soreness and stiffness. You should avoid strenuous physical activity for 2 days following injections. You will experience some pain and soreness 2-5 days after your treatment. Do not take any anti-inflammatories, pain medications or steroids during treatments. This may inhibit your body’s ability to heal the affected tissue.
How long does prolotherapy take to heal?
Most ligaments and tendons heal within a period of 3 months; however, the majority of healing after a prolotherapy session occurs in the first two weeks.
How many prolotherapy sessions will I need?
Prolotherapy treatments vary from person to person and from injury to injury. Many patients have experienced some relief of their pain with only one session. The average person requires anywhere from 3-12 treatment sessions spaced about 3-6 weeks apart from each other.
How long does a prolotherapy injection last?
On average, patients experience one year of improvement and relief from prolotherapy. However, there is a huge variation and sometimes improvement lasts from three months to 15 years.
What is injected during prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy involves injections of a mild irritant into the injured part of your body. Most of the time the injection contains saline, dextrose (a type of sugar), and lidocaine, which is a numbing agent. Dr. Philipose custom tailors the injection, so the exact composition depends on your needs. These injections may include natural collagen, minerals, amino acids and other natural substances to accelerate healing compared to traditional prolotherapy.
Is prolotherapy better than surgery?
Prolotherapy is considered a viable alternative to surgery, and as an option to pain medications, cortisone and other steroidal injections. The Prolotherapy procedure is considered a safe, affordable option that allows the patient to keep working and/or training during treatment.
Can prolotherapy reverse arthritis?
One study with 90 adults with knee osteoarthritis involved some participants getting monthly prolotherapy injections of dextrose for 3 to 5 months. Those who received prolotherapy saw a significant improvement in pain, function, and stiffness scores.
Does prolotherapy regrow cartilage?
Prolotherapy is an injection of a non-biologic substance with localized effects for repairing connective tissue injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Recent studies in humans show that prolotherapy stimulates cartilage regeneration.
Are you sedated for prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a safe, cost effective injection technique used for treating musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain in various parts of the body. It is noninvasive, has limited side effects and does not require sedation.
What does dry needling actually do?
Dry needling treats muscle tissue, and its goal is to reduce pain, inactivate trigger points and restore function. It rarely is a standalone procedure. Rather, it often is part of a broader physical therapy approach incorporating other traditional physical therapy interventions into treatment.
What is dry needling and does it hurt?
We use very thin filament needles. The initial feeling of the needle entering through the skin is very minimal; much less than a vaccination or having blood drawn. Once the needle reaches the muscle, the twitch sensation feels more like a deep cramp and doesn't last long (15-30 seconds).
How long does dry needling results last?
After dry needling, experiencing some slight soreness is normal, and you will typically note an improvement in your symptoms within one to two days. How long the benefits will last will vary per individual. The first few treatments will usually have a short length of relief spanning over several days.
How many sessions of dry needling do you need?
If treatment zones are found and the correct muscle groups are targeted, sub-acute conditions will improve after three – four consecutive sessions, with chronic injuries requiring five – six consecutive needling sessions.
Does dry needling remove knots?
Dry needle therapy resolves muscle knots by inserting a very thin needle directly into the trigger point. The knot responds to the interruption and relaxes immediately. Most patients agree that dry needling doesn't hurt in the way that you might think!
How deep do dry needles go?
Superficial dry needling involves inserting a needle at a depth up to 10 mm or into the subcutaneous tissue and may be combined with manipulation of the needle while in situ.
Does dry needling reduce inflammation?
The micro tears caused by the needle prompts the body's natural defenses to get to work, bringing nutrient-rich blood to the site and boosting tissue repair. Dry needling also helps to dissipate inflammatory mediators, those substances that gather in an area of inflammation.
Is dry needling good for arthritis?
Dry needling is an effective treatment in reducing pain from osteoarthritis because it increases blood circulation around the joint, thereby providing natural relief.
What exactly does a chiropractor do?
A chiropractor is trained to make sure your body is functioning as optimally as possible by using spinal manipulations and other therapies to relieve pain in your joints and muscles. These spinal adjustments will increase blood flow and nerve conductivity to the joints and muscles that are experiencing pain. They are taught philosophically to find and treat the cause rather than just the symptoms.
Is it healthy to go to the chiropractor?
Spinal manipulation and chiropractic care are generally considered safe, effective treatments for acute low back pain, the type of sudden injury that results from acute or chronic conditions such as strains, arthritis or disc injuries.
What are the benefits of chiropractic care?
• Improves neck pain. • Reduces reliance on opioid pain relievers. • Eases back pain. • Possible reduction of osteoarthritis symptoms. • Eases headache symptoms. • More affordable treatment for chronic back pain. • High satisfaction. • Reduces scoliosis symptoms.
What are the cons of seeing a chiropractor?
Spinal and joint manipulation has a chance to go wrong and may cause unwanted injuries. So it is important that you only have an appointment with an experienced chiropractor that performs the necessary examinations and diagnostics to ensure safe treatments. DO NOT ALLOW a physical therapist or any other untrained person try a manipulation especially without X-rays.
When should you go to a chiropractor?
Chiropractors are most sought after to treat neck and low back pain due to acute or chronic pain. If you experience back pain that lasts for more than a few days, consult a chiropractor for an assessment.
What cracks when you see a chiropractor?
During a back adjustment, your back undergoes quick, gentle stretching of the spinal facet joint, so you may hear a cracking or popping noise. This is caused by small pockets of air or bubbles, which are in the fluid that surrounds your joints.
Why do chiropractors want you to keep coming back?
Changing your posture, changing your spine's ability to move, changing your muscle health and structure take time. Months in fact. All muscles have memory and your body wants to go back to its old patterns instead of creating new healthy ones. That is why adjustments need to be repeated again and again
Is chiropractic care is ineffective?
Critics are skeptical mainly due to the fact that chiropractic care does not involve medications or any invasive surgeries. Some have associated this practice with some side effects and fatal complications in some cases resulting in death or stroke. It also goes against the medical philosophy of not prescribing medications. In recent years there has been a comparison that shows not only Chiropractic to be safe, but healthier and more successful than taking steroids and medications. There are also various techniques now that prevent any type of injuries due the gentleness of the adjustment.
Why do some chiropractors crack and others don't?
The noises you hear during chiropractic treatment depend on the technique used. For example, some techniques cause a cracking sound, and others don't, but both can be highly effective, depending on your needs. So, whether you hear an abundance of pops or none at all, you don't need to worry.
If you have tried multiple types of doctors and treatments but still hurting, you may not have found the cause. We can help!