On a regular basis, patients come to Physicians with complaints of pain or discomfort in either their arms or legs. If numbness or tingling is noted in the hands, especially in the first three fingers, often the first thoughts are of carpal tunnel syndrome and possible surgery to correct the problem. Initially your doctor will perform a detailed history and physical evaluation of the affected area. If the discomfort is thought to be nerve related, such as a pinched nerve, our health care providers can perform extensive evaluation of the nerves of the hand, arm, and neck to determine the location and severity of the problem. Often with proper medication and appropriate physical therapy the problem can be resolved quickly and inexpensively.
In other cases, patients may present with complaints of numbness in their toes, discomfort in their legs or possibly low back pain that simply will not get better no matter what they do. Here again, if the complaint is thought to be nerve related, our health care providers can do an evaluation of the nerves of the legs and low back to determine the location and severity of the problem.
In many cases, if the problem is a minor neuromuscular condition, Physicians can provide at no additional charge a rehabilitation program that can be performed at home to assist in resolving the problem.
An additional service Physicians provides is an ergonomic human factors evaluation of our patients' workstations or tasks to look for biomechanical hazards which may be contributing to their complaints. Simple changes at the work site often can assist in a quick resolution of the problem. For patients who have been referred for the above evaluations, there is no charge for this service.
Massage as a healing tool has been practiced by all cultures for thousands of years. In the 1960's massage therapy began to be studied scientifically. It is now known that massage will lower blood pressure, reduce muscle and joint pain, reduce edema and lymphedema, speed healing, increase circulation, and reduce the pain and anxiety in arthritis, fibromyalgia, tension headaches, and sciatica. Consequently, physicians now refer patients to massage therapy in an integrative approach to healing. The patient benefits by healing with medications as well as touch. Oftentimes, the need for stronger medications is reduced by massage.
Diane De Ste. Croix has been a Licensed Massage Therapist for over 24 years and knows the powerful benefits of massage. She uses many styles of massage therapy. Russian Manual Medicine and Sports Massage are good for increasing sports performance. Lymphatic Drainage Therapy works wonders on lymphedema, fibromyalgia, and edema due to Hepatitis C. Neuro-Muscular Trigger Point Therapy is good for many problems especially sprains, strains, and TMJD. She also does stress reduction treatments using Reiki and Energy Medicine techniques combined with Swedish Massage.
Massage therapy is now recognized by many insurance companies. Ms. De Ste. Croix is a preferred provider for many of them. She treats men, women, and children from ages 8 to 95. Her office is warm, the atmosphere is caring, and healing is a fingertip away.