Acupuncture – A Chinese therapy to relieve pain and treat health conditions. It is most often performed by putting very thin needles into the skin at certain points on the body to influence energy flow along the body’s meridians.
Arthritis – Acute or chronic inflammation of a joint that can cause pain and stiffness of the affected area.
Bone Density – Bone density is the amount of bone tissue in a certain volume of bone. It can be measured using a special x-ray called a quantitative computerized tomogram.
Cancer – Also called a malignancy, is characterized by an abnormal growth of cells.
Catheter – A small tube that is passed into the body for injecting medication or withdrawing a substance.
Cervical Spine – The region of the spine in the neck area. The cervical spine begins at the base of the skull. There are seven levels in the cervical spine.
Chronic Pain – Pain that lasts for 3 months or longer is considered chronic. Chronic pain can occur anywhere in your body and can range from mild to severe.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome – Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), also called reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, is a chronic pain condition in which high levels of nerve impulses are sent to an affected site. Experts believe that CRPS occurs as a result of dysfunction in the central or peripheral nervous systems. CRPS is most common in people aged 20 – 35 years old. It affects women more often than men.
CT Scan – Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that takes the data from multiple X-ray images and turns them into pictures on a screen. CT stands for computerized tomography. The CT scan can reveal some soft-tissue and other structures that cannot even be seen in conventional X-rays. Using the same dosage of radiation as that of an ordinary X-ray machine, an entire slice of the body can be made visible with about 100 times more clarity with the CT scan.