Intricacies abound within the human body, all of them connected to the consciousness through feeling. A human body that is unwell can present pain, discomfort, pressure and a myriad of other confusing descriptors. Miraculously, pain is not always an indicator that the part hurting is distressed. Deceitful pain is trying to point towards the real problem. A doctor who limits their outlook may miss chronic pain as an indication toward nerve damage or parasites. Not looking at every angle will sacrifice the time, money and health of the patient.
Daniel Baumstark, an experienced physical therapist located in the Washington D.C. area, often encounters deceitful pain. A typical story will involve an individual who has experienced pain for some time and no one else can diagnose the problem. As a last ditch effort to avoid surgery, that individual comes to Mr. Baumstark. One such patient presented themselves with chronic knee pain. An orthopedic surgeon had advised surgically “scoping” to fix the meniscal cartilage of the knee. The patient consulted Mr. Baumstark in a last effort for a conservative cure. Daniel Baumstark and his team at PhysioDC took the challenge seriously.
The patient presented with pain his left knee. His pain was definitely indicative of a meniscal tear, but some things did not add up. Pressure to the area, full flexion (bending) and extension (straightening) did not provoke more pain. Moreover, long periods of inactivity caused an acute pain in the knee. This type of rest should have alleviated the pain while the flexing and extension worsened it. This distressed knee was not due to a meniscal tear. Through more testing the Washington, D.C. physical therapist was able to find the real issue. A nerve root in his lower back was compressed due to a bulging disc. This nerve root sent the pain into the undamaged knee. Deceitful pain had struck again, almost costing this patient the health of his knee and a lot of money.
Deceitful pain or “referred pain” is not uncommon at all. The nerve bundles in the spine, the gall bladder, kidneys and other organs can all send deceitful pain into other areas of the body. Second opinions and doctors or specialists such as physical therapists who treat the body as a whole and not as isolated parts may catch deceitful pain. Carefully check, in consultation with a doctor, the spine and other organs for the cause. Surgery is a modern marvel, but not the best option for every treatment. The process of surgery does harm the body; avoid it whenever possible.
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