Solutions for Neuropathy Pain Symptoms Exploring drug-free and non-surgical treatment approaches at Traverse City’s Shift Health Center. by COURTNEY JEROME
Tingling, aching and numbness in your hands and feet is a pain that’s hard to ignore. In fact, when you experience it, the feeling can be overwhelming and all-consuming when accomplishing even daily tasks. “Neuropathy pain can vary from person to person, but it could feel like burning, stabbing, aching, tingling or numbness,” says Kyle Konas, D.C., founder of Shift Health Center who treats the condition along with his chiropractor colleagues, Dr. Peter Kelly and Dr. Damian Mendoza. “At Shift Health Center, we use a plethora of treatment modalities depending on each specific case.” Patients from throughout Northern Michigan travel to Traverse City’s Shift Health Center, seeking a solution. The chiropractic office says the pain is most commonly experienced by both male and female patients 50 years of age and older. Common causes of neuropathy pain include diabetes, prescription medication side effects (especially statins), autoimmune diseases, alcohol use, spinal injuries and chemotherapy side effects. “However, about forty percent of cases are called idiopathic, which means we don’t know why they started,” Konas says. Whether idiopathic, or the cause is known, the team at Shift cares about finding a solution that doesn’t include surgery or medication. “I’ve always been into natural means—a holistic lifestyle has always resonated with me,” Konas says. “I was so sick of seeing all these options that are only band-aids for people’s problems‚ just trying to mask the symptoms. It’s a big problem. And it’s propagated by some patients who just want to take a pill.” Dr. Konas believes their team’s passion for Shift’s treatment modalities stems from the desire to see people get well and stay well, instead of using a pain killer that will cause other negative symptoms. “The nice thing is that much of this therapy we can give our patients to do at home, so they do not need to come to our office
every day,” continues Dr. Konas. “Our goal is not necessarily to ‘cure’ neuropathy, but to reverse the symptoms that you are experiencing.” Their six treatment modalities include: LOW-LEVEL LIGHT THERAPY
This treatment is designed to hit mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell), giving it energy to heal the tissues and the nerves around the area of focus. NERVE STIMULATION
To re-educate the nerves, nerve stimulation is another option. As nerves may be firing in improper frequencies, they need to be re-educated back into a normal rhythm.
I’ve always been into natural means—a holistic lifestyle has always resonated with me.
photo courtesy of Shift Health Center
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LASER THERAPY
Working similarly to low-level light therapy in terms of targeting the mitochondria of cells, laser therapy also has a pain-reduction effect, in addition to pushing fluids through the area.
SPINAL CARE
The nerves that exit the spine feed down to the feet and hands, so it’s crucial to screen the spine and those areas to make sure none of a patient’s symptoms are coming from the spine. DIET MODIFICATION AND SUPPLEMENTATION
Goals for most of Shift’s neuropathy patients include lowering systemic inflammation so the body has the ability to heal, and improving circulation, which can be achieved by modifying diet and adding supplements. SHOCKWAVE THERAPY
This therapy works by recycling old and damaged cells, turning on the stem cell mechanism in the body to produce new cells. It also brings blood flow to the area and moves fluids through the tissues to reduce pain levels. mynorth.com
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