The Pain Management Practice is directed by Phyllis Berger and includes a psychologist, a dietician, a rehabilitation physiotherapist and physiotherapists versed in acupuncture. Rehabilitation, conventional physiotherapy, counseling and education on pain management, electromedicine, acupuncture and fertility enhancement are included in the treatment options.

Phyllis believes in providing excellence in the Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation and Acupuncture treatments that patients receive. This is achieved by acquiring superb staff, researching and developing new methods of pain relief and also providing the latest in Electro-Physiotherapy equipment to speed up the healing process.

Electrotherapy assists the body in healing as the body is electrical and its biological mechanism relates to activity driven by minute electrical currents. If the correct electrical current is applied the patient will then have the ability to expedite the healing process. Phyllis also acknowledges that every person who experiences pain has a different interpretation of their situation and that each person has to find the pathway to pain relief that resonates with him or her. The brain is capable of plasticity or change and we can manipulate brain activity by our thought processes which are merely electrical conduction of impulses in specific regions of the brain and body.

Treatments on offer at The Pain Management Practice:

Physiotherapy »    ElectroMedicine »    Acupuncture »    Rehabilitation »

• Mobilisation
  Passive movement of joints (spinal or peripheral) by the therapist.
  
  
• Massage
  General massage of regions of the body that are painful or stiff, including trigger points and deep transverse friction (rarely necessary).
  
  
• Traction
  Stretching the spinal regions of the neck or low back to relieve pain and nerve root compression in the spine. This may be performed manually by the therapist or on an electronic bed designed to stretch the body.
  
  

• Ultrasound
  High frequency micro-massage of deeper tissue that reduces swelling, relieves pain and increases circulation.
  
  
• Laser
  Lasers are used for tissue-healing and pain control. One of the benefits of this treatment is that it is subliminal. It has no sensation and treatment is of a relatively short duration. Soft laser light is used for injuries, scars, wounds, muscle spasm and highly sensitized skin areas (hyperaesthesia).
  
  
• Interferential
  A medium frequency current that promotes the circulation of the deeper tissues and also improves pain relief.
  
  
• Faradic currents
  Muscle stimulating currents, including Bio-stim, to improve awareness and strength in individual muscles that are weakened due to pain (and therefore disuse and lack of co-ordination occurs) and as a result this improves mobility. It is applied in: disuse atrophy (may even be used in the elderly to improve frailty and co-ordination); increasing and maintaining range of motion; and muscle re-education and facilitation. It will reduce the duration of the rehabilitation, thus impacting on health care costs and returning the patient to gainful employment or independence.
  
  
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for chronic and acute pain
  TENS is used for a variety of PAIN conditions, as it is primarily an electrical PAIN RELIEVER as it blocks the pathway of pain from the pain site to the central nervous system. It can be used at home over longer periods if proven in the clinical situation to be effective for pain relief.
  
  
• Microcurrents and microcurrent membranes
  Microcurrents are currents that are so small that they are not discernible to the patient.
  It has been used for wound-healing, pain and swelling. It is also a direct current that may restore a biological electrical balance to facilitate tissue-healing and subsequent pain control. It is also particularly useful for the treatment of increased sensitivity to pain (hyperaesthesia) and the treatment of children. Microcurrent membranes can be used at home.
  
  
• Transcranial electrical stimulation
  This is a device that permits electric current to pass through the brain. These devices produce current that is not harmful or damaging to the brain. This treatment stimulates increased endorphins and cortisol production in the brain for pain relief and improved mobility in degenerative disease and intractable pain states. It is also used for relaxation and stress and is particularly helpful in the treatment of infertility.
  
  
• Action potential stimulation currents (APS)
  Decreases pain, inflammation and swelling in areas in which it is applied. At the same time it increases melatonin, leu-enkephalin, endorphins and adenosine levels in the body - this improves mobility, relieves pain, aids circulation and promotes relaxation. In acute trauma this device relieves bruising and oedema if used immediately and prevents organization of a haematoma.
  
  
• Panag
  PANAG is a Multitherapy treatment for chronic pain and degenerative disease and infertility and gynaecological problems.
  
  
• View article: Report on PANAG - a high frequency direct current
  Read more ....
  
  
• View article: Electrical current combined with Acupuncture for Infertility
  Read more ....

• Acupuncture
  Acupuncture is the practice by means of which very thin needles are inserted into the skin at specific sites. These sites, or points, as they are known, are situated on pathways in which energy, known as Qi, is propagated. These pathways are named the meridians or channels. It is interesting to note that most pain impulses travel along the same pathways as those of the traditional Qi circulation. There are special points that are not on the meridians that may be situated in or near an area or joint that is painful, or that have specific general effects on the body when needled.
  
  Another aspect of needle insertion is the effect of the “needle injury” itself. The needle creates a micro-injury in the tissue and the body responds by an overwhelming reaction of the local defence or immune mechanism. The effect of this is to repair not only the micro-injury but also the surrounding area of injury or disease. The needle also initiates a potential action or electric charge in the peripheral (limb) or spinal segmental nerve (nerve level in the spine that supplies the limb) that it stimulates. This triggers a complex series of biochemical effects, such as an opiate (natural pain-relieving) and anti-inflammatory release, as a result of the signals received in the whole nervous system (including the brain).
  
  Acupuncture is extremely effective in treating the musculoskeletal system, as the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bone lie under the skin along the meridians. When muscles are in spasm, inserting a needle into the tight musculature will release the spasm by initially "grabbing" the tight tissue and then relaxing it. A "twitch response" may be noted.
  
  Needling the skin stimulates the nerve fibre afferents incoming to the nervous system among others. Certain pathways will specifically target the release of endorphins (polypeptides that reduce pain sensitivity), often creating instant pain relief. Other nerve fibres have different pathways to the spinal cord and brain and release different neurotransmitters (natural pain relievers). These neurotransmitters are enkephalin, dynorphin and serotonin, among others and which also induce relaxation, emotional release and relief.
  
  Acupuncture is therefore highly effective in the treatment of pain, inflammation, improving immune activity, stress, release of emotions and it also induces relaxation.
  
  
• View article: Acupuncture in the Western Medical Context
  Read more ....
  
  
• View article: The Role of Acupuncture in the management of PCOS
  Read more ....
  
  
• View article: Electrical current combined with Acupuncture for Infertility
  Read more ....

• Exercises
  Includes strengthening, stretching, postural correction, muscle balancing and re-education of walking and moving. Electrical stimulation (faradic current) is an essential aspect of improving strength and mobility in the spine and in the periphery. Mirrors are also an important method of helping the brain to improve mobility and patients are encouraged to hide the injured limb behind a mirror while looking at the image reflected in the mirror (actually the uninjured limb) as it makes the brain see the ‘injured limb’ as completely mobile. The brain is then confused into believing that the injured limb has the ability to move normally. This restores normal conduction of impulses to and from the brain to the periphery.
  
  
• Magnets
  Improves circulation and mobility. Magnet therapy is a simple, inexpensive and effective treatment for pain and trauma and promotes the healing of fractures. Magnet therapy has a wide range of applications, because of its ability to influence the magnetic field in the body by its affect on the circulation. Often magnets applied to a specific area eg shoulder will improve range of motion immediately if applied in the correct position. This helps pain and strength as it enables the limb to attain a better movement and strength will then develop as the limb is moved in the normal day to day activities. It is usually a regenerative holistic therapy, since our bodies are good conductors of magnetic energy. (See effects of magnets: Acutouch)
  
  
• Biofeedback
  Improves muscle awareness and encourages greater muscular control and strength. Used in the rehabilitation of walking and muscular control of weakened muscle groups. Biofeedback is an interesting device that interacts with the user. Biofeedback also trains the mind to control certain body and mind functions: such as relaxation; temperature control; blood pressure; and muscle strengthening, among others.
  
  
• Acutouch
  Acutouch is treatment administered through two “pens” that are a hexagonal purpose-designed hexacromanion system that channels the energy flow that is gathered and concentrated, by means of sympalenses. The healing flow is focused through gold-coated tips that do NOT penetrate the skin. It provides a combination of far infrared rays to increase the temperature of the deep layers below the skin, widen capillary blood vessels, improve circulation, increase metabolism and revitalises damaged tissue; negative ions produced accelerate the delivery of oxygen to the body’s tissues and a magnetic field provides 600 gauss of magnetic energy that improves circulation, reduces toxins and delays the ageing process of cells. This combination of treatment often has profound effects on pain, inflammation and circulation and produces results in areas that sometimes do not respond to conventional approaches.