The Japanese traditional medicine style known as Kiiko Matsumoto (KM) is based on an interpretation of classic Chinese acupuncture. Through abdominal palpation, the use of reflex zones, shallow needling, and a unique set of tools (including diode rings and diode chains), KM provides a holistic approach to addressing chronic pain and other health issues.

Diode rings and diode chain therapies are noninvasive methods to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling, and accelerate healing. Diode rings and chains work with the ion flow of the body to produce a healing micro-current to reduce pain and promote healing. By strategically placing a diode ring or a series of diodes (which can be wrapped, say around a limb), treatment can direct the body’s own energetic current toward healing.

Diode Rings

A diode is an electrical component that conducts electricity in just one direction. According to ancient Chinese medicine, energy flows through the human body on pathways called meridians. The heart of acupuncture is to promote healing by restoring proper energy flow along those meridians. Diodes are used to manipulate and direct the flow of energy, just as they direct the flow of electricity.

“The use of the diode is like a “gate” that allows electrical energy (that exist in the body) to move in one direction and in a particular level. The use of these tools helps to move the stagnated energy (cause of the pain) from one area to another and balance the stagnated energy of the injured site,” according to the Integrated Medicine Institute.

Diode rings, diodes mounted on a copper ring are particularly effective at relieving inflammation, pulling out the energies causing inflammation as well as bruises, and bone and ligament issues.

Diode Chains

Diode chains can be rings that have been soldered together or individual diodes soldered on a chain, interspersed to optimize energy flow in the area of the body surrounded by the chain. Chains are specifically used on joints (where they can surround or wrap the joint), such as wrists, ankles, and knees where the target, inflamed area is too large for one or two rings.

Many people notice that wearing diodes helps reduce stress, fatigue, eyestrain, and other effects associated with prolonged stressors like sitting for periods, working on a computer, or typing. People also report reduced jet leg and reduced fatigue when traveling. Diode treatment has been found to assist in a number of health issues, such as promoting proper organ function and metabolic processes, reducing inflammation, and improving mobility.

At Pain Care Clinic of Idaho, our practitioners offer a range of drug-free treatments and therapies that will help you get quick and lasting relief from acute and chronic pain. We focus on providing real solutions and results. Discover how we can help with your condition and improve you quality of life with alternative medicinal therapies. Visit Pain Care Clinic of Idaho or call for a confidential, no-obligation consultation: 208-629-2492.

For those suffering from chronic or neuropathic pain, Scrambler® Therapy may offer relief in a way that no pain management treatment has been able to do before. This non-invasive treatment uses a special device that interrupts, or “scrambles,” the transmission of pain signals by stimulating nerve fibers to send non-pain signals instead. Scrambler Therapy claims a 90% success rate without requiring any surgery, though repeated treatment is necessary to obtain long-lasting results.

By overwhelming the nerves that transmit chronic pain information with what appears to be normal, non-pain electrical information, Scrambler Therapy can retrain the brain to believe there is no pain in the treatment area. This process of retraining is due to a phenomenon called brain plasticity or neuroplasticity. (The original meaning of “plastic” is moldable or changeable.) As medical researchers continue to learn how brain plasticity works, treatments that exploit it are becoming more common and more effective.

In a clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Scrambler Therapy was used to treat patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. CIPN is a set of symptoms associated with damage to peripheral nerves (like those found in our arms and legs or used for bladder and bowel control) caused by chemotherapy or other drugs used to treat cancer. After ten days of treatment, patients in this clinical trial reported a 50% reduction in pain during treatment days. These patients self-reported weekly for ten weeks following treatment and these reports reflected an overall benefit from Scrambler Therapy.

Scrambler Therapy is being used to treat other types of neuropathic pain like chronic back or leg pain caused by sciatica, post-surgery nerve lesion neuropathy, lower back pain and more. Chronic pain can be frustrating due to its difficulty to treat with prescription drugs, invasive surgery or other standard treatments that might have negative side effects and may not resolve the problem in any case. Scrambler Therapy is non-invasive and it has no side effects.

Located in Boise, Pain Care Clinic of Idaho recommends six to ten Scrambler Therapy treatments over the course of two weeks. Patients can expect pain relief to last three to six months or longer based on the severity of the injury or condition. Our physicians are able to evaluate your pain and recommend an appropriate treatment path that may also include medication, activity, and diet instructions to ensure that you receive the maximum benefit from the therapy.

Ideal candidates for Scrambler Therapy include those who have been dealing with unbearable chronic or neuropathic pain and have exhausted all other options or wish to avoid invasive surgery or strong drugs. If you’re ready to learn more about Scrambler Therapy, call Pain Care Clinic of Idaho for an appointment: 208-629-2492.

Though chemotherapy can extend or even save the life of a cancer patient, some types of chemotherapy have side effects that can be severe and long lasting. Most types of chemotherapy drugs used today are poisons that have a difficult time telling the difference between cells in the body that are malignant and cells that are healthy. Chemotherapy side effects include a condition called peripheral neuropathy. About 40 to 70 percent of cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy get this condition.

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is the pain, tingling, numbness or burning sensation that strikes areas of the body served by the peripheral nerves. These nerves receive signals from the central nervous system to hands, feet and internal organs. When this type of neuropathy happens as a result of chemotherapy, it is called chemotherapy associated neuropathy.

A patient can experience chemotherapy associated neuropathy at any point during the course of their treatment. Often, the symptoms worsen as the treatment goes on. The symptoms usually start in the patient’s toes and travel upwards.

Besides the chemotherapy side effects discussed above, the patient also experiences a loss of sensation that might make it hard for them to pick up items, button their clothes or do other tasks. They may not feel heat or cold properly. They have problems with their balance and may have episodes of lightning pain or what feels like electric shocks in their body. Other symptoms are:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Trouble urinating
• Pain in the jaw
• Trouble swallowing
• Poor reflexes
• Deafness or diminished hearing
• Unstable blood pressure
• Dizziness
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of position sense. This means the person have trouble telling where their hands or feet are in space.

Chemotherapy drugs that are implicated in neuropathy are:

• Paclitaxel
• Docetaxel
• Thalidomide
• Platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin
• Vincristine
• Eribulin
• Carboplatin

A patient who is suffering the effects of chemotherapy associated neuropathy should contact their doctor immediately. The doctor might be able to change the chemotherapy drug, adjust the dosage or suggest medications that can ease the patient’s pain and discomfort. Interestingly, the best drugs to treat the symptoms of neuropathy caused by chemotherapy are antidepressants and anticonvulsants.

Dietary supplements such as calcium, magnesium, glutathione and vitamin E might bring some relief. Some patients find relief in eating a diet rich in the B complex vitamins.

A person who is suffering from neuropathy should make their home safe for them to move about. They can install handrails and grab bars, make sure that hallways and rooms are well lit, adjust the temperature of their water heater to guard against scalding and make sure to always use potholders when handling pots and pans.

Scrambler Therapy

A technique called scrambler therapy has proven beneficial for some neuropathy patients. This therapy sends non-pain electrical impulses along the patient’s pain pathways. In one study, one group of patients reported a significant reduction in their pain after less than two weeks of scrambler therapy. There were even a few patients who had no pain at all from their therapy. None suffered side effects.

To learn more about treatment for chemotherapy associated neuropathy, contact the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho at 208-629-2492 or visit paincareclinicofidaho.com.

No one goes into a pregnancy thinking it is going to be a pain-free experience. Pregnancy discomfort is a fact of life. One of the problems with pregnancy pain is that many women are uncomfortable taking over-the-counter medicines, not knowing how much effect they will have on their unborn child. Acupuncture for pregnancy pain could be the solution for many common problems with pregnancy discomfort.

5 Common Ailments During Pregnancy

There are 5 common problems that most women experience sometime during their pregnancy:

• Morning sickness
• Headaches
• Sciatica
• Depression
• Insomnia

Many of these symptoms are the result of increased hormones in your body, particularly HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), the “pregnancy hormone.” Some pregnancy pain is a result of the normal stress and strain on your back and muscles as your weight and your center of gravity changes as your baby gets larger and heavier. Other symptoms are an unpleasant side effect as your body works to provide the proper environment for your unborn baby. Constant pregnancy pain and discomfort can be debilitating, especially if you are not comfortable taking over-the-counter medications that could also affect your unborn child.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Ancient Eastern medicine is based on qi (pronounced “chee”), energy that travels smoothly through subdivisions in the body called meridians. A disruption in this flow results in pain, discomfort, and disease. Inserting tiny needles releases these energy blocks and re-establishes normal qi flow, allowing the body to naturally heal itself.

Western practice also stimulates certain areas of the nervous system by inserting hair-thin needles just under the skin surface. This stimulates the nervous system to release hormones, endorphins, and other chemicals into the blood stream, spinal cord, and brain.

How Acupuncture Can Help

When these tiny needles are inserted into the skin, they stimulate deep-seated nerves to release different chemicals, including endorphins. Endorphins block pain signals in the brain. For example, targeting points on the wrist can help to reduce the nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness.

A study released by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology on pregnant women in their late 2nd and 3rd trimester seems to support that acupuncture can help with many of the problems associated with pregnancy. About 80 percent of the group treated with needles placed in the proper position reported a clinically significant reduction in pain. Compare this result with 56 percent of the women treated with random needles and only 36 percent of the women who were not treated at all.

Summary

Acupuncture for pregnancy has been shown to be a safe, gentle, and effective way to treat the normal discomfort and pain that comes with pregnancy with little risk. Find a professional who is trained and experienced in practicing acupuncture for pregnancy, and you could experience relief from normal pregnancy discomfort without fear of side effects that could harm your unborn baby.

To learn more about how acupuncture can help you, contact the Pain Care Clinic of Idaho at 208-629-2492 or visit paincareclinicofidaho.com.