DMX: Injuries and pain that change your life: Back pain

Your back...it essentially makes your life easier or harder.  When your back is healthy you don't really "think" about it.  When it hurts...it's all you think about.



Your back protects your spine and all that your spine protects.  Your spinal cord and the nerves inside the spinal cord are highly sensitive and once this area is damaged...your life changes.

What produces back pain?  There are many different areas of your back, that if injured, can cause pain.  One type of pain is the irritation of the nerve roots that run down your arms and legs that can cause numbness in these extremities.  

Another injury could be to the disc, bones, joins or ligaments to the spine.
When you have a back injury it is important that you KNOW what is causing the injury.  Many people spend a lot of time treating the symptoms without really knowing the cause.  X-rays are usually ordered first and depending on what is discovered with the x-rays "treatment" is determined.  When that treatment is not working than MRI's are usually ordered. Here is my problem with this.  How long does treatment for symptoms happen before the reason is actually discovered.  I have discussed the importance of getting the best information as early as possible.  Watch this VIDEO on Digital Motion X-rays and learn there is a better way to discover your injuries EARLY ON!!

Back pain ranges from acute (usually lasts from a few days to a few weeks) to chronic (lasting for more than three months).  When a person has back pain it is important to understand why and where.  The pain may be constant, intermittent or only occur with certain activities.  Pain may be in one area or radiate to other areas of the body.  It can from range dull ache to a sharp, piercing or burning sensation.

A person with back pain is offered pain medication, surgery or physical therapy.  When you know what is causing the pain and you treat the injury not the symptoms your quality of life will be better and healing will be faster.  

What is important to know when you have back pain....the sooner you know what is causing it; the sooner you are on your road to recovery.  There are other options other than pain medication and surgery!  

Don't settle for the old X-rays....choose Digital Motion X-Ray!  

Please like Colorado Car Wreck | Your Auto Injury Clinic on Facebook or visit their website.

Dr. Jere Sutton of the Colorado Car Wreck is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

How to find the BEST Doctor for your pain management

I have always loved hearing, "you have got to go to my Doctor....he/she's the BEST."




I mean really what does best mean?  If you look in the dictionary best is defined as:

1. of the highest quality, excellence, or standing: the best work; the best students.
2. most advantageous, suitable, or desirable: the best way.
3. largest; most: the best part of a day.
4. most excellently or suitably; with most advantage or success: an opera role that best suits her voice.
5. in or to the highest degree; most fully (usually used in combination): best-suited; best-known; best-loved.

So let's look "of the highest quality."  By who's definition is quality determined?  Some think that quality cheese can be purchased in a package while others have specialty cheese shipped to them.

Success?  Does that define the best?  Let's look at it this way......professional sports players; yes they may be successful but are they the best?  

I like #5:  Best-suited.  Let's be honest what works for one will not always work for another.  BOTH personalities comes into play and that, will sometimes, not work with the "best" Doctor out there.  

I've written about how to find the "best" Doctor but I'm going to narrow it down to find the best Doctor for YOU!!  

It is very important that your Orthopedic Surgeon (pain management Doctor) is the best for YOU!

How do you find a good Orthopedic Surgeon:

1. I've said this before:  Talk to your primary Doctor.  Your Primary KNOWS you and your personality.  
2. Talk to your friends but remember the "best" Doctor for them may not be the best for you.  
3. Check them out! The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons both have databases that can be accessed online. 
4. Ask questions.  Some would say to ask about credentials and experience.  I'm going to say you can get this online and, honestly, in an interview we all put our best foot forward, right?  Ask the questions that will relate on whether this Doctor is the best for you! I joke about a lot of things so one of my questions is always, "listen, if I jokingly make a comment are you going to rush to a decision without "listening" to the context of the comment?"  It is VERY important that your Doctor know WHO you are not just what your injury is.
5. Trust your gut.  If something doesn't "feel" right....move on.  You don't want a Doctor that you don't trust and a Doctor doesn't want a patient that doesn't trust them.
6. When you find the best Doctor for you....stick with them.  Moving around does not help YOU!  Progress takes time and if you have to keep "starting over" than you will never progress.  

How do you pick your Doctor?






Please like Colorado Car Wreck | Your Auto Injury Clinic on Facebook or visit their website.

Dr. Jere Sutton of the Colorado Car Wreck is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

How to get a free ride on New Year's Eve

Some say that because New Year's Eve is not on a weekend there may be less people out drinking and driving.  I have to disagree with this.  



This year New Year's day falls on Tuesday (2012) so I look at the drinking and driving lasting from Friday night, December 28, 2012 - January 1, 2013.  This is a very scary thought!

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that drinking and driving DEATHS increase by 150% over the New Year's holiday.  This number is staggering!  

I have always been concerned about going out New Year's Eve because I view EVERY driver on the road has been drinking.  ONE death caused by a drunk driver is ONE DEATH TOO MANY!!

It is TOO EASY to not drink and drive!!  Have a designated driver, call a taxi, call home and have someone come get you....there is NO EXCUSE for driving drunk.

The BAC that is considered DUI is .08!  That averages to about one drink per hour but this depends on YOU.  Have you eaten? What do you weigh?  What is your tolerance for alcohol?  Many factors come into play when it comes to whether you have had too much to drink.

New Year's Eve this year there are many opportunities to get a FREE ride home here in Colorado.  Some areas there are more opportunities but EVERY AREA HAS ONE....Don't drink and drive....call someone to come get you.

If you would like to know more about the FREE rides this New Year's Eve (in Colorado) click HERE for a list of ways to score a ride!


Please like Colorado Car Wreck | Your Auto Injury Clinic on Facebook or visit their website.

Dr. Jere Sutton of the Colorado Car Wreck is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

The truth about Back Injuries

Myths are usually enjoyable..you get some smile out of them. Urban legends are even better.  UNLESS the Myths are about your car accident and your back injury. 


Information provided by:  Car Accident Facts:

Myth #1:   Your car has little or no damage how could you have hurt your back?  Some of the smallest car accidents have caused the biggest injuries.  I thing Insurance Companies have decided if your car isn't "hurt" than how can you be?  

Bumpers on most of our cars these days were designed to tolerate some impacts without damage. What the studies have been finding, is that although your car does not look damaged, the force of the other car hitting yours is now moving into your body, the bumper tolerates it, but the force still has to go somewhere, and you are where it goes.So, do not allow damage to your car or LACK of damage in any way inform whether you are injured. If you need treatment for back pain after a car accident, your pain is real and you should get the help you need.

Myth #2:  I had my seat belt on (didn't get thrown from the car) how could you have injured your back?

Well, it does actually, the seat belt is designed to prevent you from being thrown against the steering wheel which used to cause tragic injuries and it prevents you from being thrown out of the car.However, when you are in your seatbelt, and you are in an accident, you are often thrown against the belt. The seat belt sort of acts like a brick wall, when the accident occurs you are thrown against it, it tightens, and your body keeps moving around it, causing shoulder injuries, bruising and damage where the seat belt tightened against your body, and whiplash symptoms as your neck was not restrained.

Myth #3:  You weren't hurt right after the car accident, it's now three weeks later and you are claiming a back injury.

Your pain and your injury are just as real as the person who went to the hospital in an ambulance after a car accident. Injuries in your muscles and ligaments and tendons for unknown reasons can take a long time to show up.

Myth #4:  You are just "sore" take a pill (Advil, Ibuprofen, etc.) and it will go away.

Unlike other injuries you may have experienced, most small accidents can take up to 3 months with steady treatment before your pain starts to change. Ibuprofen can make the day a little more tolerable, but it's not actually a medicine, and can not help your muscles heal and repair their injuries.

Listen to your body, not the insurance companies, or friends, or family or whoever is trying to tell you that you aren't hurt because of any of the above.  Go to a trusted Doctor to find out exactly what is wrong.  Back injuries can cause many problems that you may not recognize as being a back injury (tingling or numbness of the legs, trouble breathing, etc).  LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!!  A back injury, no matter what the reason that caused it, can change your life forever.  It will change it more drastically if the injury isn't discovered and/or treated soon enough.  

Not all back injuries are the same.  Not all "identical" injuries will be received the same...what may cause one person "little" pain may cause another extreme pain.  Only you know your body and only you and your Doctor can treat your back injury.  Be honest, be patient and work your treatment.






Please like Colorado Car Wreck | Your Auto Injury Clinic on Facebook or visit their website.

Dr. Jere Sutton of the Colorado Car Wreck is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

The Story of Santa Claus

The Story of Santa Claus

A Christmas Story

(Author Unknown)

Once upon a time a man called Nicholas lived in Patara, a town in the East. Because he was very fond of children and was kind and generous to them, they came to think of him as their dear friend and their beloved saint. So it was that after a time the wonderful things he did were woven into a beautiful legend. You know that Santa means Saint and Claus stands for Nicholas, and that is how he came to be known as Santa Claus.

In Santa Claus's own town, Patara, lived a great lord who had three daughters. He was very poor, so poor that one day he was on the point of sending his daughters out to beg for food from his neighbors. But it happened that Saint Nicholas not long before had come into a fortune, and as he loved giving to those in need, he no sooner heard of the trouble the poor lord was in than he made up his mind to help him secretly. So he went to the nobleman's house at night, and as the moon shone out from behind a cloud, he saw an open window into which he threw a bag of gold, and with this timely gift the father was able to provide for his eldest daughter so that she could be married. On another night Santa Claus set off with another bag of gold, and threw it in at the window, so the second daughter was provided for. But by this time, the father had grown eager to discover who the mysterious visitor could be, and next night he kept on the lookout. Then for the third time Santa Claus came with a bag of gold upon his back and itched it in at the window. The old lord at once recognized his fellow townsman, and falling on his knees, cried out "Oh! Nicholas, servant of God, why seek to hide yourself?"

Is it not wonderful to think that this was so long ago, sixteen hundred years, yet we still look for the secret coming of Santa Claus with his Christmas gifts? At first he was said to come on his own birthday, which is early in December, but after awhile, as was very natural with Christmas so near, the night of his coming was moved on in the calendar, and now we hang up our stockings to receive his gifts on Christmas Eve. In some countries children still put their shoes by the fireside on his birthday. In others they say it is the Christ-Kindlein or Christ Child who brings the gifts at Christmastime. But it is always a surprise visit, and though it has happened so many hundreds or times, the hanging up of the Christmas stocking is still as great a delight as ever.

Please like Colorado Car Wreck | Your Auto Injury Clinic on Facebook or visit their website.

Dr. Jere Sutton of the Colorado Car Wreck is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

Understanding Pain

Pain is not our friend.....

or is it?  

Let's face it none of us like pain but pain is an important part of our lives because where there is pain there is a reason for it.  When we feel pain it is our body's way of telling us that something is wrong and needs attention.

The reason pain is our friend is it will stop us from continuing something that could harm or further harm us.  A great example of this is placing your hand on a hot stove.  We only do this once because of the pain.  Now let's imagine our bodies didn't tell us anything...meaning no pain.  What would happen to your hand if left on that hot stove.

Let's take a look at some not so obvious injuries that cause pain:

• Neck injuries include damage to the discs in your neck and can cause pain in your arm and hand.
• Back injuries can cause pain in your leg.

Some pain symptoms include:

• Tingling or numbness in the hand, foot, arm or leg
• Headaches
• Discomfort, soreness, tightness or stiffness

Pain that is not treated can lead to:

• Depression
• Fatigue
• Weakened Immune System
• Anxiety
• Stress

What should you do when you feel pain?  See your Doctor!  What type of Doctor will determine what kind of pain you are in.  Always start with your Primary Doctor and if your pain is caused by an injury you are aware of: fall, car accident etc. get a referral to a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon.  

 
Pain Management Doctors Should (Pain Management):

• Pain management professionals should be qualified and Board Certified.
• Look for doctors and therapists who take a multi-disciplinary approach to make the widest range of therapies available to the patient.
• A good pain management doctor or therapist should be friendly, understanding, and open to questions.
• Pain management involves a team - look for professionals who work in conjunction with primary care physicians and experts in other fields.
• Most of all, pain management professionals should approach treatment of pain with a positive and realistic attitude with the patient's needs in the forefront.

Please like Colorado Car Wreck | Your Auto Injury Clinic on Facebook or visit their website.

Dr. Jere Sutton of the Colorado Car Wreck is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

The psychological side effects of pain medication

Pain.  It is one of the hardest things to "live" with.  Not only does it affect us physically but it affects us psychologically.  




Pain medication...sometimes it is a necessary evil.  We need it to control the pain and survive on a daily basis.  What happens when we take it too long and what is too long?

Let's look at what is too long first:  This depends on you.  As each person is different there is no chart that says you can take this medication this often for this long.  Often it is not discovered you are dependent on the pain medication until it's too late.  

The physical side effects of pain medication will vary from person to person but the most common side effects are: constipation; which can lead to bloating, water retention, and in severe cases intestinal obstruction.  Weight gain, urinary retention and erectile dysfunction are also side effects of taking pain medication.  So those of us who are in pain look at this list and although the list is serious we often will trade these physical side effects for a pain free day.

Okay so physical side effects won't stop you from taking pain medication so let's look at the psychological side effects which are often more severe.

Endorphins:  these are, in my opinion, one of the best things our body does for us.  Your body produces endorphins which are a natural pain reliever.  This is just one of the positive things that endorphins do for us.  They relieve stress, they increase sexual drive, they give us an euphoria feeling and much much more.

What happens when you take pain medication?  It inhabits the body to produce endorphins.  So we are taking pain medication (which could become addicting and cause us physical and psychological side effects) to stop pain...and our body produces endorphins to stop pain.

I'm not saying that pain medication should never be used.  I've had too many surgeries and a severe enough car accident that pain medication got me through some very rough days.  I'm saying that each person in pain needs to evaluate ALL options for pain relief before becoming dependent on pain medication.

Talk to your Doctor!  Ask your Doctor to refer you to a pain specialist; an surgeon is a great example of who you could be referred to.  Look at all your options...try everything because what may not work for another just may be the answer to your pain management.

Knowledge is Power.  It's time to take control of your pain.  Ask and try different pain management options before resigning yourself to a lifetime of taking addicting pain medication.

This information should not be construed as medical advise.  Please talk to your Doctor.





Please like Colorado Car Wreck | Your Auto Injury Clinic on Facebook or visit their website.

Dr. Jere Sutton of the Colorado Car Wreck is a Board Certified orthopedic surgeon