• Holiday food and toy donations will be collected at the Spiel offices through November and December. Donations will be distributed to local families in need. Remember to bring canned or non-perishable food items, as well as unwrapped toys with you to your next appointment in order to spread the holiday joy!
  
  
• After 5 years of working part time in our office, Abby is graduating from college.  She has decided to continue her education to pursue a career in health care and has applied to a physician assistant program!

Do you work on hip injuries?

Yes. Treatments include injections w/ steroids, joint lubricants and growth factors as well as radiofrequency procedures.

My son, 17 years old, has had persistent, severe neck pain since developing Pseudotumor Cerebri from being treated for Lyme disease. He has been sick for over 2 years now. His doctors do not know the "why" but are treating his pain. He has had steroid injections in his neck every 2-3 months over the last year and has moved on to cervical epidurals. A rheumatoid doctor found a "trigger" point for excruciating pain on the C4 spinous process, but no diagnosis. With your experience, can you offer any thoughts?

I recommend appropriate medical treatment to treat the infection and co-infections prior to injecting your son with epidurals. By the way, steroid injections are contraindicated with Lyme disease and many appropriate antibiotic regimens may induce a Herxheimer-type reaction making things worse before they get better. Treat the pain with oral medications while taking care of the underlying process. I would recommend a combination of drugs that treat neuropathic pain such as Cymbalta or Lyrica along with NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for joint pains and/or opioids for resistant pain.

Uncomfortable shoes making your feet hurt? They might be causing more damage than you think.
Your feet provide your body with its basic upright posture. Shoes with little or no support, like flip-flops and shoes with unsturdy soles, can cause your back to retain most of the stress to keep good posture and create back pain with prolonged use.
Surprisingly, old or worn out shoes are just as unhealthy for your back as high-heeled shoes. High-heeled shoes put your body's weight onto your toes instead of your whole foot, making your legs, hips and back function in ways they were not designed to. As the soles of old shoes break down after frequent use, the foot tends to roll forward, effectively putting that same stress on your toes, legs, hips and back.

Preventing back pain by having the right shoes is both easy and comfortable. Avoid wearing flip-flops (Crocs included!) and high-heels too often. Instead, opt for shoes that do not have an open back, a maximum of a 1-inch heel, and provide good arch support. If it doesn’t feel comfortable, it’s not for you...no matter how good the shoe looks!

• Paraplegia- paralysis below the waist- can result from injuries below the neck.
• Quadriplegia- paralysis below the neck- can result from injuries to the neck.
• Spinal cords are usually between 1-2 centimeters in width.