Dr. Nani’s FAQ

Trigger points are highly irritated, painful nodules found in muscles that are the result of injury or overuse. When these trigger points irritate the nerves around them it causes referred pain (or pain that is felt in another region of the body) often far away from the actual trigger point itself. Unresolved trigger points may result in a wide range of chronic pain conditions such as headaches, migraines, jaw pain, neck and back pain, joint pain and many others. Trigger point injections have been shown to be one of the most effective treatments available to bring about prompt relief of symptoms caused by trigger points. It is a very simple office procedure that is relatively pain free, and has a very low likelihood of side effects and usually offers immediate relief.

Dr. Nani is covered by many insurances including Medicare.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition caused by repetitive straining of the hands and wrists. It is caused by a compression of one of the nerves (median nerve) that supplies the hand. Carpal tunnel usually begins with numbness and tingling of the hand and fingers and may involve aching in the fingers and hand, forearm or shoulder. The symptoms may be intermittent or constant and can range from mild to disabling. Carpal tunnel syndrome usually responds very well to osteopathic manual medicine. Various manual and neural therapy techniques are used to remove the underlying strain patterns in the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands. In contrast, homeopathic remedies are used to minimize inflammation and reduce the pressure on the median nerve. This combination of therapies often results in long-term relief of carpal tunnel syndrome and eliminates the need for corrective surgery.

Yes! We all experience headaches occasionally, but when they are severe or become chronic, they can have a huge impact on our quality of life. Headaches are one of the most common complaints seen in medical offices. There are many potential causes, including sinus pressure, eyestrain, stress, hormone changes, dental issues, or any combination of these things. The most common causes are tension or an old injury to the head, neck, and upper back. This results in muscles that are tight or spasming, joint restrictions, compression of local nerves and blood vessels, and, most importantly, chronic inflammation of the head and neck, including the meninges (the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord). Most of our patients with chronic headaches have great relief from their symptoms. Our main goal is to stop the cycle of inflammation and to remove any underlying injury patterns that led to this inflammation in the first place. We will address all potential causes of the headaches. We use a combination of many different therapies, including subtle osteopathic manipulation, homeopathy, trigger point injections to eliminate muscle tension and spasm, and neural therapy to help resolve old injury patterns that may be causing the pain.

Yes, here is one patient’s story:
Jane came in with advanced psoriatic arthritis (one of the many different forms of arthritis). Her disease had progressed for many years. She had to walk very slowly with a cane, and her neck was so rigid from the disease that she couldn’t move her head in any direction. She was in constant pain, and her medications were no longer helping. Jane came in, and we immediately began using gentle osteopathic treatments to improve her flexibility and increase blood flow to the affected regions. Then we started using homeopathic injectable remedies formulated specifically to treat the pain of arthritis and the underlying inflammation that causes it, as well as oral remedies to help reduce inflammation. Within one month, Jane noticed significant improvement in her symptoms, and by three months, she was walking without a cane, could move her head and neck again, and was no longer in constant pain.

Most people think of scars as inert or dead tissue. Not true. Traumatic and surgical scars can lead to pain at the scar site as well as chronic musculoskeletal pain or other illness elsewhere in the body. According to the principles of Neural Therapy, scars are electrically active. They can disrupt the electrical activity of cells and tissues in the surrounding area and elsewhere in the body, creating what is known as “interference fields.” The normal voltage of tissues and organs in the body is around -70 millivolts, but the voltage of a scar can be as high as 1-2 volts which is 14-28 times stronger. Scars are “deactivated” by injecting them with tiny amounts of procaine, a local anesthetic. This turns off the electrical activity that is emitted by the scar, removes the interference fields, and allows chronically injured tissue to heal. Deactivating scars can have an immediate and long-lasting effect on many chronic conditions, including musculoskeletal pain, asthma, allergies, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and many others.

Osteoarthritis of the knee is extremely common, especially as we age. There are many treatment options, with surgery being the last resort. There are some things that we can do, however to help prevent surgery, even in severe cases. Here is one patient’s story:

Judy came in with severe knee pain that had persisted for about 6 months. The pain was there all the time and was so severe that she could barely walk. She went to her doctor who ordered an X-ray. This showed severe osteoarthritis and she was told that she needed an immediate knee replacement surgery. Judy decided that she wanted to try osteopathy first. She came in and we began treating her using gentle manipulation techniques. We also began using homeopathic injectable remedies to control the pain, reduce inflammation, and begin the process of repairing broken down tissue. She began noticing some relief of her pain right away. We continued treating her and now (6 months later) she is pain free, is able to do all of her usual activities, and has not needed surgery.

Absolutely. Motor vehicle accidents and many other types of forceful injuries (such as falls) result in an enormous amount of force moving through the tissues of the body and can create strain patterns that often go unnoticed for an extended period of time. These strain patterns change how the body functions and, over time can result in symptoms that seem entirely unrelated to the original trauma.

For example, we frequently see patients with symptoms like vertigo or migraines. Upon careful questioning and examination, wen found that these problems resulted from a severe strain pattern in the upper neck caused by an injury that occurred years before.

In another example, a strain pattern through the ribs and chest may restrict the movement of the lungs. Over several years the restricted motion of the lungs creates congestion and inflammation, and we see asthma symptoms begin. The good news is that once we remove these strain patterns, even if they have been there for years, we see the symptoms resolve.