Knee Pain

The hip bone's connected to the knee bone.

We frequently see patients in our office with unresolved knee pain.  Many times they have been to other providers for treatment and have only experienced minimal, temporary, relief.  Often times the patient has lost mobility due to the pain in the knee.  Many of these patients experience swelling, clicking, grinding, or stiffness on a regular basis.  They are usually frustrated and tired of not being able to do the activities they want to do.

When I evaluate a patient, for any condition, I am focused on finding the cause of the symptom, and not singularly focused on the symptom itself.  This can lead me away from the site of pain in my evaluation, but can unlock the true source of the patients' problem.  For many of our knee pain patients the evaluation will lead us to their pelvis and hip joints.  

Remember the children's song "Dry/Dem Bones?"  Well, this song often plays in my head when evaluating a knee pain patient.  The femur (thigh bone) makes the hip joint at the pelvis, and at the other end, the knee joint.  When a problem occurs in one area of the system it can have a domino effect, causing problems in another area.  So, what I often find is that a patient having knee pain will also have a pelvic alignment issue.  If the pelvic issue is not corrected the knee pain may never fully resolve.

Are you having knee pain?  Do you know someone who is?  Maybe they need a thorough work-up to determine the source of their knee pain.  Maybe conservative, non-drug treatments will be just what the Dr. will order.  

I have a team of healthcare professionals that will work to find the best solution for the problem.  Our medical providers offer highly effective injection therapies using naturally based materials, and our rehabilitation treatments focus on increasing joint function.  Click here to schedule a personal time to learn more.  Please share this information with anyone you know who may be suffering with knee pain.

All the best,

Dr. Angela Tharnish
Chiropractic Physician  

Feel free to email me with questions.  Follow us on FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter

My hormones are making me crazy!

Every woman will experience a change in hormonal balance from puberty to menopause.  One major difference is how the changes manifest as symptoms.  Some women experience debilitating cramping with menstruation, while others may not.  Menopausal symptoms can vary wildly as well, but traditional treatment for these symptoms seems to be the same regardless of the symptoms.  This can be thought of as getting an oil change for a problem with your radiator.  Both issues can cause your vehicle to not function properly, but the cause or source of the problem is not being addressed properly.

Symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances are:

-         -      Inability to Lose Weight                      -     Hot Flashes                                  -    Hair Loss

-        -       Fatigue                                                 -     Trouble Sleeping                         -    Dry Skin

-         -     Anxiety                                                 -     Depression                                  -    Night Sweats

-         -      Facial hair growth                                -     Breast Tenderness                       -    Irregular Bleeding

-         -     Water Retention                                    -     Heart Palpitations                       -    Vaginal Dryness

-         -      Loss of Sex Drive                                 -     Headaches                                  -    Breast Lumps

In 2002 and 2004 two government-sponsored trials were conducted to investigate traditional hormone replacement therapies (HRT).  Both trials were stopped early because the health risks exceeded the health benefits.  The participants had an increase in breast cancer, blood clots, and/or stroke.   

Another option, many women choose as a solution, is to undergo a hysterectomy.  I, personally, am not a fan of removing parts of my body in order to resolve symptoms.  Surgically removing organs rarely resolves all of the symptoms, and can still result in the need for long-term drug therapy.  Hysterectomies performed at a young age can lead to a lifetime of other chronic health problems; osteoporosis, early menopause, cancer, heart disease, headaches, blood clots.

There are safer alternatives available that thousands of women are utilizing.  The key is to identifying the underlying cause, which when identified can tell us the most effective treatment option.  The underlying factors that can cause these and other health problems include:

-         -     Stress and its effects on the balance of your hormones

-         -     Nutritional deficiencies

-         -     Undetected nerve damage

We are hosting a FREE lecture on April 19^th at 6:30pm, at my office in North Charleston.  You will be able to get more information regarding Balancing Hormones Naturally.  Please feel free to bring a friend, but spots are very limited.  Contact us today to reserve your spot, 843-225-2550 or on our website.  

I want you to live your sweetest year yet!  

Dr. Angela Tharnish

Get your greens

It's time to think further than the lettuce!

When it comes to salads, for me anything goes.  Steak and ground sausage are two of my favorite toppings for a dark green bed of spinach.  If you're trying to add more vegetables to your diet, making a salad into a meal can be as simple as reaching for leftovers.  

Chicken is a common addition for salads, but don't get stuck in only one type of preparation.  Leftover chicken breast from dinner the night before?  Cube it, toss it with your favorite seasoning (garlic, lemon pepper, etc), and a drizzle of olive oil.

One of my favorite salad creations as of late has been a southwestern inspired theme.  I take cooked ground sausage, bell pepper, corn, avocado, and put it with organic spinach.  I use orange juice (yes, juice) as the dressing, and finish it with a sprinkle of garlic and cilantro.  I'm hungry just thinking about it!  I will often crumble corn tortilla chips on top for a little salty crunch.  This salad came about by assessing the leftovers in my refrigerator and getting inspired.   I've used juice and fruit in other salad concoctions before with great results.  Pineapple chunks with spinach, dried cranberries, and almond slices is another favorite of mine.  

I encourage people in my nutrition lectures to take ingredients (preferably low fat, high nutrient content) that they like and mix and match to make their perfect combo.  If you feel like you need a protein to make a meal, add it to the salad.  You'll feel fuller sooner, allowing you to eat less, than if you had eaten the protein by itself.  Plus you'll be getting all of the added benefits of the vitamins and minerals in the vegetables. 

Here are a few guidelines you should follow:

- Choose organic produce based off of the Dirty Dozen list.  Read more here
- Avoid dressings, including low fat dressings.  Try olive oil, juice, or vinegar instead.
- Avoid loading the cheese on your green salad.  It adds fat, and can block some of the absorption of the vitamins in the greens.
- Don't add your dressing until you're ready to consume the salad.

If you would be interested in attending a nutritional lecture at no cost to you, or if you have any questions email me, drtharnish@gmail.com.  

Yours in health and wellness,

Dr. Angela Tharnish
www.charlestonpainreliefcenter.com
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Headaches

Pain in the temple area.  Throbbing that effects your concentration.  A dull ache that slows your thinking and annoys you all day.  Do any of these sound familiar?  If not, chances are you have someone in your life, that knows these symptoms all too well.  Millions of Americans suffer on a regular basis with an assortment of different types of headaches.  Many people have resolved to live with the headaches, but there might yet be something to try.

Research dating back nearly 20 years, has shown that treatment of the neck helps in decreasing the frequency and intensity of most headaches.  Read a summary here.  The research has been clear that drug therapy for the treatment of headaches is 70% more likely to cause an unwanted side effect.

In our office, with proper treatment, we've had so many success stories of people who have been given their lives back.  Read one of our most recent success story here.

If you are suffering with headaches, or know someone who is, please call for a free consultation to find out if you would qualify for treatment in our office.  843-225-2550.

Wishing you all a healthful day!

Dr. Angela

Get Moving!!

After over 10 years of working with people to improve their health, one of the most common hurdles I still see is how to build more activity into their day.  So many people I meet with are stuck thinking that they have to exercise for a hour to get any benefit from it.  This simply is not true.

Think of it this way; you want to take a long weekend trip, and you want to pay cash for it.  You start saving $50/month in order to reach a final goal to pay for the trip.  You still plan the trip even though you don't have the ability to pay for the trip right away.  You "bank" or save the money to reach your end goal.

Exercise can work the same way.  Physiologically you can benefit from "banking" your exercise by breaking it into manageable chunks.  You don't have walk 3 miles or lift weights for 30 minutes in order to reap the many benefits of physical activity.  All you have to do is to get moving for 15 minutes, at least two times per day.  If you can fit in more 15 minute sessions, even better!

In our physical medicine practice we see may people who are stuck in a very dangerous rut.  It hurts them to move, so they stop doing most physical activity, which only compounds and makes their problems worse.  I have encouraged patients to start small.  Do laps around your backyard or in your driveway.  The point is to get up and get moving!  Our bodies were made to move, not sit.  Sitting is literally detrimental to your health, especially the health of your spine.

If you don't feel like you can even walk without pain, sit and stretch your legs out in front of you (then make sure to call me for a consultation because that's not normal!).  Get your body moving as much as you can without pain.

Get out there, and get moving!

Wishing you all the best,

Dr. Angela Tharnish


www.charlestonpainreliefcenter.com

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Ready? Set? Go!

Happy New Year!

The first full week of the year always brings a lot of excitement for me.  It's a time to get refocused after the holidays, and to get excited about all the people I want to be able to help in the next year.

There's always talk about new year resolutions and how people want to leave the previous year behind them for the promise of a better one ahead.  I often wonder how this practice came into existence.  Why do we place such emphasis on a new year as a starting point for goals?  What happens to those goals when obstacles arise in our path?

For me, distractions abound as a working mother.  Helping manage the lives of other people (little or big) lends itself to getting distracted from your own goals and life.  It becomes easy to fall into a routine and "go with the flow" of every day life.  If you add any physical aliments to your life, it can become easy to get off track.  Frequently, I am reminded of how many people suffer with symptoms that interfere with their ability to live the life they want.  Whether the interference affects their physical activity or their interactions with family and friends, the symptoms remove them from their life.

I want to encourage as many people as possible to stop letting physical obstacles keep them from attaining the goals they have for themselves.  Headaches, back pain, diabetes, heart disease all take you out of your life and away from your path toward goal attainment.

I have a limited number of spots for people this first month, of this new year, to help them create action steps necessary to improve their success of fulfilling their goals.  I am including a 30 minute consultation, at no charge, to remove any hesitations that might be present due to cost.  I don't want cost to be a reason for anyone to ever stay stuck on a path they are no longer happy on.

Please don't wait.  Seize the day and take control of your life and improve your future!

You can reach me via email, website, or call my office to schedule a consultation:
drtharnish@gmail.com

www.charlestonpainreliefcenter.com

843-225-2550

Wishing you a great start to a sweet 2016!

Dr. Angela Tharnish
Chiropractic Physician & Wellness Consultant