Manhattan Medicine

Orthopedic medicine is a branch of medicine which is concerned with the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. Specialists in this field are familiar with conditions which affect the bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles, and they can use a wide variety of techniques to address these conditions. Most practitioners in orthopedics are orthopedic surgeons, although they may not necessarily use surgery in all cases, while others choose to specialize in non-surgical interventions including preventative medicine. Essentially, orthopedic medicine is like the medicine of moving parts. In the preventative realm, orthopedics focuses on teaching people how to move safely and properly. Athletes, hard laborers, and other people who strain their bodies on a regular basis often take advantage of an orthopedic physician to prevent serious injuries on the job. Preventative measures can range from specific stretches to the use of braces and other supports which are designed to prevent injury. When an injury does emerge, an orthopedic specialist can decide on the best course of treatment. Injuries can range from trauma causing torn ligaments and broken bones to degenerative diseases which lead to joint inflammation. Medications, physical therapy, corrective braces, traction, and surgery may all be used to address specific medical conditions. Orthopedic surgery has grown quite advanced, including everything from setting and pinning broken bones to totally replacing joints like the knee. The goal of most orthopedic practitioners is to keep their patients healthy, with a sound musculoskeletal system. Preventative medicine is a big part of some practices, since orthopedic injuries can cause chronic problems, and it is better to avoid them, if possible. Treatment programs usually include lengthy periods of physical therapy and retraining to prevent the recurrence of an injury, along with regular checkups to confirm that the site of an injury is healing properly. This is especially critical in the case of degenerative orthopedic injuries, which need to be monitored closely for the early signs of a recurrence. To become an orthopedic doctor, someone must attend medical school and several years of residency. Typically, the residency in orthopedic medicine lasts for four years, and a doctor can choose to pursue additional training and eventual certification in a subspecialty like sports medicine if he or she desires. Some practitioners of orthopedic medicine are more interested in alternative medicine, in which case they may pursue certification in chiropractic, and other disciplines which are designed to treat the musculoskeletal system

Chiropractors are spine specialists who both diagnose and treat a broad range of physical conditions. Best known for their treatment of back and neck pain they many also specialize further in areas such as sports medicine, orthopedics and neurology. Chiropractors begin their training in much the same way as do medical doctors. They training for a number or years in fields such as diagnosis, x-ray analysis, neurology, and orthopedics but then continue on to specialize in the study of manipulation, spinal disease, exercise, nutrition, physiotherapy and sports injury management. Now, with today’s growing emphasis on treatment and cost effectiveness, manipulation is receiving much more widespread attention. Chiropractic manipulation, also frequently called the chiropractic adjustment, is the form of manipulation that has been most extensively used by americans for the last one hundred years. There are a few basic types of chiropractic treatments that are commonly called adjustments. The traditional adjustment is rendered by hand but other types of adjustments may be administered by the use of an instrument. Whether by hand or through the use of a precise instrument, the goal is to improved mobility or function of some part of the body which in turn might reduced pressure on a compressed nerve (“pinched”) or increase the range of motion of injured muscle or joint. This ability to improve function of the spine or extremity without the use of surgery or drugs gives chiropractic a central role in the conservative management of many types of pain. In fact, after an extensive study of all currently available care for low back problems, the agency for health care policy and research–a federal government research organization–recommended that low back pain suffers choose the most conservative care first. And it recommended spinal manipulation as the only safe and effective, drugless form of initial professional treatment for acute low back painin adults. The result has been that chiropractic has become one of the fastest growing heath professions among the public, professional sports teams and performing arts. The chiropractic doctors of our office are some of the best and most respected in their field and have treated a broad range of local professional athletes and performers. This has included members of the new york knicks, new york rangers, new york giants, the new york mets, the new york city ballet, american ballet theater as well a host of musicians and many broadway companies

Physical therapists are trained in both the evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. They use a combination of hands-on techniques along with specific physiotherapy “modalities” such ultrasound, electric muscle stimulation, and exercise. “Manual therapy” consists of such things as myofascial release techniques (deep tissue treatment by hand) , stretching of restricted structures and soft tissue and joint mobilization/manipulation. In addition to hands on techniques, our physical therapists use an extensive array of therapeutic exercises in treating patients. It is a two step process starting with an evaluated to identify where the problem areas exist for each patient. Following this evaluation, the physical therapist creates a customized program of strengthen and flexibility exercises. The result is that our patients get back to an active lifestyle faster by becoming more fit. Another we help our patients is to create a home program of care so they become less likely to return with the same complaints after we finishing treating them. These are detailed exercise program centered around their specific needs at the end of their care. We find that this extra step keeps most of our patients from returning over and over again with the same problems

Using synthetic drugs and surgery to treat health conditions was known just a few decades ago as, simply, “medicine.” today, this system is increasingly being termed “conventional medicine.” this is the kind of medicine most americans still encounter in hospitals and clinics. Often both expensive and invasive, it is also very good at some things; for example, handling emergency conditions such as massive injury or a life-threatening stroke. Some conventional medicine is scientifically validated, some is not. Any therapy that is typically excluded by conventional medicine, and that patients use instead of conventional medicine, is known as “alternative medicine.” it’s a catch-all term that includes hundreds of old and new practices ranging from acupuncture to homeopathy to iridology. Generally alternative therapies are closer to nature, cheaper and less invasive than conventional therapies, although there are exceptions. Some alternative therapies are scientifically validated, some are not. An alternative medicine practice that is used in conjunction with a conventional one is known as a “complementary” medicine. Example: using ginger syrup to prevent nausea during chemotherapy. Together, complementary and alternative medicines are often referred to by the acronym cam. Enter integrative medicine. As defined by the national center for complementary and alternative medicine at the national institutes of health, integrative medicine “combines mainstream medical therapies and cam therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.” in other words, integrative medicine “cherry picks” the very best, scientifically validated therapies from both conventional and cam systems. Integrative medicine practitioners are not wedded to a particular dogma, western or eastern, only to the get-the-patient-better philosophy. In summary then, integrative medicine is healing oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit) , including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative

Pain management, or pain medicine, is a growing medical specialty dedicated to treating acute, sub-acute, and chronic pain. The goal of pain medicine is to improve quality of life and help patients return to everyday activities, ideally without surgery. A pain management physician is often part of a team of medical professionals, such as the patient’s referring physician, physical and physical therapists, orthopedists, and chiropractic doctors. Pain is generally classified as being acute or chronic. Acute pain begins quickly or suddenly and may be severe. However, acute pain lasts a short time (always under three to six months, sometimes just a few days or hours) and then goes away on its own. Chronic pain may be mild or severe and is characterized by its persistence. It has been defined as pain lasting longer than six months. Sub-acute pain is defined as being between acute and chronic. It is possible for acute pain to transition into chronic pain. The pain specialist typically begins with a comprehensive medical history and then a physical and possibly neurological examination to determine the source of the pain. The pain specialist may ask if the pain was associated with a specific event, accident, or injury and if the pain has changed over time, for example, in terms of intensity, duration, associated symptoms (such as nausea or weakness) , and what relieves or worsens it. Pain patients are encouraged to record pain symptoms and activities or events; such “pain diaries” can be of great help to a physician diagnosing a painful condition. Pain is typically rated along a scale of zero to 10 with zero being no pain and 10 being the worst pain imaginable. A pain examination may involve pain rankings. The patient may be presented with a drawing of the front and back of the body and asked to indicate where he or she feels pain, rate it from zero to 10, and describe it (burning, dull, throbbing, sharp, tingling) . Depending on the type of pain, the pain specialist may also order a computed tomography (ct) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (mri) scan, or other tests. Spinal injections may be required to obtain diagnostic information about the nerves associated with the pain. Many types of spinal injections provide valuable diagnostic information such as a facet joint and medial nerve branch block. Pain specialists develop pain treatment programs tailored to meet the needs of each individual patients. Many pain specialists rely on combination therapy, that is, they recommend more than one type of treatment. Some patients are surprised to learn that a treatment that failed to provide relief before is effective when combined with one or more therapies. Advances in pain medicine help thousands of pain patients every day. There are many ways to control pain and improve your quality of life. Many patients live with unnecessary pain. Pain specialists can provide the latest information about pain management

Spinal decompression treatment was originally developed by allan e. dyer, ph.D., M.D., former ontario deputy minister of health and a cardiologist who pioneered research on the heart defibrillator.Dr. Dyer himself suffered a herniated disc. After conventional therapy failed, dr. dyer formulated the theories that lead to the design and development of spinal decompression. After spending more that 6 years in research and development of the treatment and device, dr. dyer introduced spinal decompression in 1991. today there are hundreds of spinal decompression centers operating throughout the united states, puerto rico, canada and australia. During the last few years spinal decompression therapy has gained rapid popularity for it exceptional results in treating both chronic and severe back pain without surgery. Simply described, the spinal decompression treatment consists of a therapeutic table that is connected to a computer that electronically distracts or “decompresses” the spine. The patient lies face down while an attached brace administer distractive forces along the spinal column. This simple procedure decompresses the spine, specifically the intervertebral discs and spinal muscles, the very same structures that produce most forms of back pain. Patients with low back pain are first examined and then evaluated in accordance with the indications for spinal decompression treatment. Patient medical histories, x-rays and ct/mri scans are carefully reviewed to determine whether the individual patient qualifies for the procedure. If a patient qualifies for spinal decompression treatment, an individual treatment plan (usually consisting of 20 treatment sessions) is developed to meet their specific needs. Each treatment session begins by fitting the patient with a patented pelvic harness designed to achieve optimal decompression of the lumbar spine. The patient lies fully dressed on the spinal decompression device and is properly positioned by a technician to maximize comfort and safety. The controls and settings are adjusted in accordance with the individual patient’s treatment plan, and the procedure commences. The spinal decompression device then applies precisely controlled tension along the axis of the spinal column to distract the vertebral segments and posterior facets of the lumbar spine and decompress the intervertebral discs. Each distraction cycle, lasting anywhere from 30-60 seconds, is followed by a relaxation cycle of similar duration. Each session, which consists of 15-20 continuous cycles of distraction/relaxation, takes about 30 minutes. The fully automated process of spinal decompression treatment is managed by a computer programmed console that is in turned monitored by the technician. A continuous chart recording is made of the parameters achieved during each and every cycle. The chart recording is printed to form a permanent record for the patient’s chart and is available for review by the treating physician. Spinal decompression non-surgical treatment for the management of patients with bulging discs, herniated discs and degenerative disc disease. Summary: spinal decompression is designed to achieve decompression of the intervertebral disc. It is safe and effective without any of the risks associated with surgery, anesthesia, infection, injections etc. The entire treatment can range from 20 to 60 minutes with the total number of treatments depending on the severity of each case. The average number of treatments per patient ranges from 15 – 20 visits, usually to 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Reports have shown that more than 70% of spinal decompression patients report a pain scale reduced to less than 2 within one month and more than 70% of spinal decompression patients retuned to work