6. Q. How Can Neuropathic Pain Be Treated?
A: O.K., so how do we treat these sick nerves and their tight muscles? Well, a nice analogy here is the situation that occurs when you walk out of a movie theatre during the day. You squint because the optic nerve has been in a state of relative disuse in a low-light environment for 2 hours and the pupil of the eye has become dilated. And here's the important point: the treatment for your dilated pupils (and the super-sensitive iris) is NOT to go back into the theatre, BUT simply to stay outside and let the continued light input STIMULATE the reflex that causes your pupil to narrow to the appropriate diameter.
It is very similar with your nerves and shortened stiff muscles. They need ENERGY, which can take the form of heat (hot packs, diathermy), mechanical energy (stretch/exercise, massage, chiropractic), light (cold, or low-energy lasers), or electro-magnetic (electrical and magnetic muscle stimulators) to gradually reverse the supersensitivity in their muscles and allow them to return to their normal length. When the nerves are only minimally damaged, these types of intervention work well, however with time and accumulated injuries to the nerves, a more focused and powerful form of stimulating the spinal reflexes is needed, the IMS needle.
Also, while the symptoms that result from sick nerves can be managed with medication, medicine or surgery will not alleviate the underlying problem.
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DrGoodman@NorthwestIMS.com