Dr. Oz Warns Against Epidural Steroid Injections; Harvard-trained Pain Management Specialist Dr. Reza Ghorbani Responds

Dr. Oz Warns Against Epidural Steroid Injections

On May 7, 2013 Dr. Oz expressed his concern about the use of Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) to treat back pain. For those suffering from back pain, Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) sound like a dream come true since they can potentially alleviate pain and help patients regain function and mobility for months at a time. This one cortisone shot, for many individuals, can give back significant quality of life. It can also reduce the potential need to use addictive and dangerous pain killers. With Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) becoming more popular with many doctors, Dr. Oz suggested that their ability to alleviate back pain might not be worth the potential side effects.

Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) are the most commonly performed procedure for pain in the US. After watching this episode of Dr. Oz’s show portraying this procedure in a negative light, potential patients could become concerned and confused. As with most medical procedures there are always potential risks and benefits. It is important, therefore, to present both sides of this story.

Epidural Steroid Injections: Are they Safe?

To learn more about Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs), we spoke with Reza Ghorbani, MD, ABIPP, FIPP; a Harvard-trained, Internationally recognized Board Certified Interventional Pain Management Specialist. He is a frequent lecturer on Pain Management and often quoted by the media. Dr. Ghorbani is a diplomat of the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP) and the American Board of Anesthesiology (with subspecialty certification in Pain Medicine). He is also a Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP), which certifies practitioners. Dr. Ghorbani is the President and Medical Director of the Advanced Pain Medicine Institute in the Greater Washington D.C. area. He is currently the Director of Pain Management Services at Dimensions Healthcare System in Cheverly, MD. He is a staff member at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD (an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), as well as Laurel Regional Hospital and Prince George’s Hospital, both affiliates of Dimensions Healthcare System. Dr. Ghorbani was the host of “Dr. Ghorbani Show”, an International TV weekly Health and Well-Being show in Los Angeles, CA from 2012 – 2013. He has co-authored numerous important scientific papers about inflammation that were published in respected medical journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine and The European Journal of Immunology, among others.

While Dr. Oz is concerned about the use of epidural steroid injections, their side effects and efficacy, Dr. Ghorbani believes that epidural steroid injections are safe and effective when administered by a Fellowship trained, Board Certified Interventional Pain Management doctor in the right setting such as an Ambulatory Surgery Center or Hospital. “There have been numerous scientific and clinical studies showing the benefits and safety of this procedure,” states Dr. Ghorbani. “I have practiced Interventional Pain Medicine for over 15 years and have performed over 15,000 Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs). I have witnessed countless lives changed and improved as a result of these procedures. These patients were able to go back to work, play with children and grandchildren, carry groceries, work in the yard again, among many other things. As a result of this alleviated pain patients then move on to exercise and losing weight – reclaiming a healthy life style”.

Dr. Ghorbani continues: “Studies show Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) for the right patient by the right doctor works!”

Like Dr. Oz, Dr. Ghorbani believes that not every patient with back pain is a candidate for Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI). “Epidural Steroid Injections should be administered for treatment of Lower Back Pain associated with Lumbar Radiculopathy (Sciatica) or Neck Pain associated with Cervical Radiculopathy (radiation with shoulder/arm pain) and after diagnostic confirmation of a herniated or bulging disc as well as failed conservative treatments for a period of two to four weeks,” says Dr. Ghorbani.

One of the major concerns in the medical field at the moment is some doctors not having enough training when it comes to various pain management techniques. Quite a few doctors are learning how to give these shots through weekend courses. ABIPP/FIPP Board Certified Pain Management Doctors go through years of training to master these procedures. It is important for patients to choose the most qualified and experienced doctor when considering treatment. A qualified doctor will only administer an Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI) in a Hospital or Outpatient setting such as Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) with the use of X-Ray guidance tools to lessen the risk of serious complications and improve the accuracy of the procedure.

Epidural Steroid Injections: Alternatives & Complimentary Treatments

Dr. Oz and Dr. Ghorbani both stressed, Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) should not be the first course of action when it comes to managing pain. Dr. Ghorbani believes in a multi-disciplinary approach to Pain Management. He is of the firm opinion that patients should try managing pain through alternative and complimentary pain management techniques first, such as Physical Therapy, Chiropractic Therapy, Massage Therapy, Yoga and Acupuncture before considering minimally invasive procedures such as Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs). Surgery should always be reserved as the last resort.

He also believes that Injections are not for everyone. This could be because of personal reasons, financial reasons or medical reasons. There is also a trend among consumers and patients to look for Natural Solutions to their Pain problems. Patients also want to get Clinical results at home!

That is why Dr. Ghorbani created Noxicare™ Natural Pain Relief products. His quest to find a Natural Pain management alternative sparked a discovery that led outside the traditional Pain Management box to the proprietary formulation of 7 of the world's most potent Natural Pain relievers: Turmeric, Willow Bark, Ginger, Holy Basil, Rosemary extract, Alpha Lipoic Acids and Boswellia extract.

Dr. Ghorbani chose each centuries-old ingredient not only because of its proven singular effectiveness for different types of pain, but understanding that each ingredient served as a catalyst to the other ingredients to boost the effectiveness of the formulation as a whole. 
The resulting US patent-pending Noxicare™ formula is a safe first-line pain management remedy, which can be used in conjunction with a other first line traditional pain management program before Interventional procedures.

In conclusion: “Epidural Steroid Injection is an effective and safe pain management tool for the right patient by a qualified doctor in a safe setting at the correct time. Having said that, doctors should always discuss the risks and benefits of any procedure to their patients answering all their questions and concerns and always offer a variety of treatment options to their patients,” says Dr. Ghorbani.

Star NBA Player Greivis Vasquez Endorses Noxicare™ Natural Pain Relief Cream

Noxicare™ Natural Pain Relief is happy to announce the endorsement of its natural pain relief cream by NBA star Greivis Vasquez. Greivis is the starting point guard on the New Orleans Pelicans (formally Hornets) and the best basketball player to ever come out of Venezuela. He was drafted in 2010 after a stellar U.S. college career with the University of Maryland and is currently second on the Terrapins' all-time scoring list.

After using our topical pain relief cream, Greivis had this to say: 

 “This new cream from Noxicare offers a great product for natural pain relief. It’s a great solution for athletes or anyone with an active lifestyle. My favorite part about this natural pain reliever is that, not only does it do a great job, but it's also odorless. No smell means no lingering odor left on my clothes and skin, and that's a big plus for me. Noxicare is a great home-remedy for dealing with my joints and muscle pain!”

- Greivis

We know Greivis will be using our pain cream this off-season to 

relieve his workout pains. The question is, what will you be using? 

Top 10 Foods to Remain Pain Free

With the Food Network gaining in popularity, many of us are becoming even more interested in cooking at home. Making many of these delicious cakes and dishes we see on tv sounds great, but many people are nervous to try some of the more exotic dishes. What we don't realize, however, is that many of the delicious and exotic dishes have other benefits - like pain relief! Many of the wonderful ethnic dishes and natural foods commonly kept in the household are actually great natural pain relief agents! Below, we listed some of our all time top 10 foods to help remain pain free.

Top 10 Foods to Remain Pain Free List

When many of us think of eating, we rarely consider the effects that food will have on our body. We know that fast food is bad for us, but what foods have more health benefits than others?  Below in our top 10 foods to remain pain free list we have listed the most nutritious herbs and foods that are also known to have natural pain relief properties.

•        Red Grapes

•        Ginger

•        Rosemary

•        Holy Basil

•        Turmeric

•        Spinach

•        Red Meat

•        Broccoli

•        Cherries

•        Fish

Top 10 foods to Remain Pain Free: Indian Food

If there was one type of ethnic food that has the most benefits when it comes to natural pain relief - it's Indian! If you look at our list of top 10 foods to remain pain free, you will notice that many of those foods are a large part of Indian cooking, with some of them even being native to India.  Many Indian curry recipes are both popular, and perfect for natural pain relief! These recipes typically include both fresh ground ginger and turmeric, and may include red meat too. Most importantly, the two spices are among the best for helping reduce pain naturally.

Are you interested in trying out some Indian food yourself? Before you get started, realize that you may need to make a trip to your local Indian/international store, or the international section of your local grocery store. There you can find some of the ingredients that normally aren't kept alongside the more typical spices in the United States & Canada. If you are ready to experiment with some amazing natural pain relief foods, let us suggest one of these recipes:

•        Easy Indian Chicken Curry

•        Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

•        Easy Lamb Korma Recipe

•        Authentic Butter Chicken Recipe

Natural Pain Relief

While eating a wide variety of food and getting the proper nutrients can greatly decrease pain, it is sometimes just not enough. Since many of us go to some effort not to put junk food in our bodies, it is important to take the same approach with medicine by looking for a natural pain relief supplement. One of our favorites with no known side effects is Noxicare. This natural pain relief cream includes 7 well known natural pain relief ingredients, including ginger, willow bark, rosemary extract, holy basil, boswellia, alpha lipoic acids, and turmeric.

Top 10 Tips to Live Pain Free

In today's stressful world, many of us feel like we don't have the time to deal with pain. We try to work through migraine headaches, or hope our chronic pain  will go away with a few aspirin or ibuprofen tablets. What we don't realize, however, is that these pills are sometimes taking a toll on the body, in the form of more pain later, or other nasty side effects like ulcers. Many don't even realize that there are natural pain relief options on the market or perhaps even in their own home! Best of all, there are things you can do in your own life to help be proactive or even fight back against pain. Below, we have included our top 10 tips to live pain free!

Top 10 Tips to Live Pain Free: Fight Back Against Pain

While no one wants to be in pain, we all too often don't consider what can be done to properly avoid it. Once we are in pain, all the focus is on dealing with it right now - we take something and hope for the best. What we often don't stop to consider, however, is that we can actually be proactive and avoid dealing with pain in the first place. To start fighting back against in the pain in your life, consider this list of our top 10 tips to live pain free and how some of them might help you!

•        Exercise daily

•        Move and use every joint in your body daily

•        Lift weights

•        Eat plenty of fruits & vegetables each day

•        Improved stress management (mental stress has been proven in multiple studies to make physical pain worse!)

•        Quit smoking - (smoking decreases circulation & impedes healing)

•        Limit alcohol consumption

•        Create and follow a daily schedule (this can help with stress!)

•        Practice positive thinking exercises

•        Get 6-8 hours of sleep nightly

Probably the most important items on our top 10 tips to live pain free list are exercise and healthy eating. By stretching and moving your body daily, you are drastically lowering your chances to having arthritis or other serious health issues later in life.  As well, eating certain fruits, vegetables, and herbs can also help with your overall pain management, especially spices like rosemary and turmeric. And both of these together often result in more restful sleep and lowered mental stress without any further changes!

Top 10 Tips to Live Pain Free: Natural Pain Relief

While the tips in our top 10 tips to live pain free list are great for preventing long-term pain, pain now still warrants immediate treatment. Rather than take some of the synthetic drugs on the market, you may want to consider trying a natural pain reliever. Today, there is a variety of natural pain relievers and pain relief cream available to fight back against pain. Our recommendation is Noxicare, with no side effects, odor, or oily feel to the cream itself. As well, it is made using seven of the most effective natural pain relief ingredients currently known - ginger, willow bark, rosemary, holy basil, boswellia, alpha lipoic acids, and turmeric. If you are serious about fighting back against pain naturally, give Noxicare a try! 

Top 10 Exercises to Remain Pain Free

In today’s busy world, many of us have a hard time finding time for things we look forward to doing, never mind exercise. What many of us don't consider, however, is that exercise can be one of the best ways to be proactive against pain. While a pain relief cream, like Noxicare, can give the best results for immediate pain, you can fight pain before it starts with these top 10 exercises to remain pain free!

Best Exercises to Prevent Pain

Even if we may not want to make time for it, exercise and stretching are some of the best ways to prevent pain before it starts. Since we know it’s hard to find time to find time to exercise in all of our busy lives, we made sure all the exercises on our top 10 exercises to remain pain free list are not just easy, but fast and simple enough that you can do them during your coffee break or when you get home from work!

•        Leg Stretches

Instructions: Sit down straight with your legs in a "V" position. With your left arm, try to reach your left toes. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Next, try to reach your right toes with your left hand. Repeat as needed.

•        Neck Roll

Instructions: With your neck muscles relaxed, very slowly start rotating your head in a clockwise position. This should cause a gentle stretching along your neck. When finished, repeat it counter-clockwise until you feel a nice, relaxing stretch.

•        Arm Raises

Instructions: Put you right arm up in the air (like a child asking a question). Stretch your arm in the air as high as it will go and then slowly move it down to the side of your body, keeping it straight. If done correctly, you will do a half circle with your hand.  Repeat on both sides.

•        Singe Calf Raise

Instructions: Hold onto a chair and support yourself against a wall. With some pressure against the wall, lift your right leg up, with your shin parallel to the ground.  Slowly move your ankles and toes, making sure to support yourself on the chair so you don't fall. This should result in a gentle stretch in your knees and calf.

•        Modified Hurdlers' Stretch

Instructions: While you are sitting down, extend one leg straight and do not lock the knee. Place the bottom of the other foot against that knee (your legs should end up looking somewhat like a '4'). Make sure to keep your shoulders, hips, and back straight before slowly lowering your head and torso toward your straightened leg. Hold for 6-8 seconds and repeat two to three times on each side to stretch the inner thighs.

•        Finger Stretches

Instructions: If you are in a hurry and having finger pain, this is one of the simplest and best stretches. Move your hand into a fist and then open it, stretching your fingers as far as they can go naturally. Close your fingers into a fist again to relax. Repeat as long as needed.

•        Join Fingers

Instructions: Join your fingers together and position your palms almost, but not quite against one another. Now, very gently squeeze your fingers to simultaneously massage and stretch those joints.

•        Wrist Rotations

Instructions: Close your hand into a fist, then rotate it to where your thumb is facing the ceiling. Now, alternately turn your wrist clockwise and then counter-clockwise for a minute, or until you feel a gentle stretch in your wrist and lower arm muscles.

•        Finger Dance

Instructions: This is probably one of the easiest exercises to help people who type most of the day. Remember when you tried acting like a ghost as a kid? Wiggle all your fingers and do this for about a minute, moving each one up and down until you feel a nice stretch.

•        Walking

Instructions: This may seem simple but even a five or ten minute walk can help prevent or reduce lower back pain and leg cramps. By stretching your legs and back, you can not only make your body feel great, but help clear your mind to make yourself more productive at work as well!

Why Exercise Prevents Pain

After looking at our top 10 exercise to remain pain free list, you might be wondering why exercise makes such a difference. Recently, the Mayo Clinic released a fantastic article, talking about why exercise is crucial for arthritis sufferers. By constantly moving, you are strengthening your joint muscles, building bone strength, and maintaining your overall flexibility - all things that have proven in multiple studies to help deal with both minor and chronic pain.

Natural Pain Relief Solutions

While exercise can do wonders for reducing many aches and pains, it unfortunately isn't always the right answer. No matter how proactive you are, you will have to deal with pain at some point in your life, anything from an annoying headache to arthritis. Many of us go for popular name brand pills out of habit, not realizing that they can actually do more harm than good by causing ulcers or other nasty side effects. Rather than take such risks, we suggest going with a natural pain relief solution. Noxicare is one of the best on the market since it uses seven of Mother Nature's best natural pain relievers - willow bark, ginger, rosemary, holy basil, boswellia, alpha lipoic acids, and turmeric. With a great natural pain relief solution and our top 10 exercise to remain pain free list - you will be pain free in no time! 

Top 10 Natural/Holistic Remedies

Living a pain-free lifestyle isn't easy, especially with how busy all of us are on a daily basis. Between work, kids, and extracurricular activities - it's no wonder our bodies get exhausted and start hinting that they are not happy (aka pain). Nothing is worse than coming home from a busy day, only to have a nauseating headache, or to find that your hands are too sore to dig into your favorite gardening activities. For the worst of those times, realize there are some natural pain relief options available that are 100% safe. Below, though, we list some of our top 10 natural or holistic remedies that are perfect pain-fighting additions to any busy lifestyle!

Top 10 Natural or Holistic Remedies: Pain Relief: Herbs, Fruits, & Veggies

Even though we may like to think sometimes we are the only ones that deal with pain, it has been an ongoing problem. Since ancient times - especially in ancient Egypt, Greece, and China - people have been trying to find cures for pain. Based on their local ingredients, these cultures found plants that were excellent at managing different types of pain, and worked time and time again. In fact, many of these plants are still used today in modern holistic and natural medicine. On our top 10 natural or holistic remedies list, we included some of our favorites that are perfect for home remedies.

•        Turmeric

Turmeric is a very popular spice found in Indian food. This spice not only helps improve circulation, but prevent blood clots, digestive issues, and skin issues. What it's most known for, however, is the ability to help with pain such as sprains, bruises, and even joint pain!

•        Ginger

Ginger is one of nature's best anti-inflammatories and has been used for centuries as a natural pain reliever. It is excellent at dealing with headaches, arthritis, cramps, sore muscles, and even menstrual pains. It has been used in food or as a part of natural herbal teas for centuries.

•        Licorice Root

Licorice Root has been used for years as a natural pain reliever, and for dealing with sore throats. It is not perfect for everyone, however, since it can increase blood pressure and aggravate heart conditions. Use only after consulting with a doctor or holistic expert.

•        Rosemary

Rosemary is one of the most well-used herbs in natural medicine and cooking alike! This herb can help with low blood pressure, stimulate the central nervous system, help with digestive problems, and is a very well-known natural pain reliever when applied to the skin in the form of rosemary extract. It is a very popular massage oil for this reason! Rosemary is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and has been shown to lower the pain in patients with osteoarthritis.

•        Holy Basil

Holy Basil (also known as Hot Basil) is an herb native to India that has recently been gaining in worldwide popularity. It has been used for centuries to help with influenza, headaches, asthma, bronchitis, diabetes, and various skin issues. Has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and the pain associated with neuropathies.

•        Boswellia

Boswellia is a tree native to India, where its bark and sap are well known for its medical properties. It is known to be good for treating orthopedic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, join pain, ulcers, menstrual pain, and sore throats. It can usually be found in a supplement form in health stores.

•        Alpha Lipoic Acids

Alpha Lipoic Acids are one of those little known secrets to the natural world that is found in many drugs. It is a natural pain reliever found in many vegetables and other foods, including red meats, yeast, spinach, broccoli, and potatoes.

•        Willow Bark

Willow bark is actually the shell of the willow tree and has been chewed on for centuries to relieve pain. Since it is so effective, it is still used today. In modern medicine, it is usually found in the form of herbal creams and supplements since some of the chemicals within can irritate the stomach lining (if taken orally in a dosage range exceeding 240mg per day).

•        Clove Oil

Clove Oil is one of the most popular home remedies for treating tooth aches. This very powerful oil can be applied to the tooth using a cotton swab and should not be ingested in large amounts.

•        Natural Aromatherapy Oils

Various studies over the years have shown that some plant vapors are perfect at dealing with tension pain. Some of the most well-known include lavender, rosemary, chamomile, and peppermint.

Top 10 Natural or Holistic Remedies: Natural Products

If you are wanting a fast solution to deal with pain, there a variety of wonderful natural pain relief products on the market. One of the best products, using seven of these most well-known natural pain relief ingredients, is Noxicare. This natural pain relief cream has no known side effects, scentless, and isn't oily like some other topical creams on the market. Best of all, it works even on many chronic pains, enabling you to take your life back! This cream is a great example of the effectiveness of our top 10 natural or holistic remedies list.