Blog Archive

Medication is a first-wave treatment for pain. If you get a headache or sprain your ankle, for example, you might take ibuprofen or acetaminophen.  The usefulness of medication doesn’t go away if your pain persists. In fact, it might become even more important for managing your discomfort and improving your...

The human body can do amazing things, including healing itself. You may have even marveled as a cut stitched itself back together. If so, you’re not alone in that fascination.  The body’s natural healing capacity has captured the attention of a number of researchers who’ve learned ways to harness that...

Over time, parts of your body can start to wear down. That’s particularly true for your joints. Osteoarthritis — also called wear-and-tear arthritis — affects as much as 80% of the American population over age 65, although it only causes symptoms for about 60% of those folks.  The most common symptoms...

Working from home can come with plenty of perks. It adds some flexibility to your schedule by eliminating your commute. It makes it easier to take care of kids and pets. And it might mean you can take your Zoom calls with more comfortable pants on.  But working from home...

During acupuncture, a trained expert uses tiny needles to stimulate certain locations on your body. The needles are so fine that most people report treatment doesn’t hurt at all. At most, you might feel a small pinch. Depending on where your acupuncturist places the needles, they can help kickstart your...

As medical research moves forward, we’re beginning to better understand how our bodies heal. And as we do, we’re gaining new ways to harness that regenerative power. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) serves as a prime example. As one study put it, “This is an exciting era for regenerative musculoskeletal medicine with...

Hip pain can be demoralizing. When you experience pain with each step you take, it’s hard to want to get up — even for activities you used to love. The decreased mobility can dramatically change your life.  If this sounds familiar, it’s time to talk to your doctor. And not...

As medical science advances, we get better and better at treating pain in new, highly effective ways. When we can’t alleviate back pain with conservative treatments, for example, doctors might recommend an option like a spinal cord stimulator. This sends low levels of electricity to interrupt the body’s pain-signaling processes....

The human body needs sufficient fluids to function at its best. In fact, when it’s not getting enough fluids through food and water, it generally lets you know. Dehydration headaches are a great example.  The trick, though, is determining if dehydration is the root cause of your head pain, or...

If your hip or shoulder is locking up and painful, it’s time to see a doctor. These are signs that you have a labral tear in the ball and socket joint. In many cases, that labral tear won’t heal on its own.  As an expert in both hip pain and...

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...

For thousands of years — since at least 2500 BCE — certain medical practitioners have been using one treatment modality to help their patients heal and find relief from their symptoms. It doesn’t involve medication, it doesn’t require incisions, and its side effects are minimal.  So, what is this ancient healing technique?...

Your shoulder is an extremely complicated network of bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. As your body’s most flexible joint, it allows you a wide range of motion so you can get things from high shelves, reach behind you, spread your arms wide, and more.  At least that’s the case when...

Neck pain is so common that most people will experience it at some point during their lives. Sleeping in the wrong position or working at a bad desk setup could be enough to cause some discomfort. But if you’re experiencing neck pain after starting a new kind of exercise, you...

If you live with migraine headaches, medication can feel life-changing, especially at first. With a pill, you might be able to find lasting relief from your splitting head pain.  The problem — as with most medications — comes from the side effects. Migraine medications can make you feel shaky and...

You’ve probably felt it yourself: a knot of muscle, maybe right under your shoulder blade or on the back of your neck. Sometimes, massaging the area can be enough to get the knot to release. In other cases, though, that knot of muscle fiber persists, causing you pain and potentially...

If you’ve been looking for a medication-free way to address a health problem you’re having, acupuncture could be just the thing. This ancient but proven treatment option can address everything from chronic pain-causing conditions like osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia to unwelcome symptoms like headaches and nausea.  Plus, Dr. Halina Snowball offers acupuncture treatment right here at Integrated Pain Solutions in Stamford,...

There’s nothing quite like a migraine to throw a wrench in your day. And if you’re new to this specific type of severe head pain, you’re probably wondering what suddenly caused you to develop migraine headaches.  Dr. Halina Snowball can help you find out. As a headache specialist, she offers both diagnosis...

Whether you’re trying to fight chronic pain or banish a bad mood, you can explore a relatively simple option: yoga. Across the United States, when people refer to yoga, they’re usually talking about a series of physical exercises you move through, often linking your breathing and movement together.  Yoga is...

If you’ve ever had a massage, you know it can deliver relief. From generally tight muscles to trigger points, putting yourself in the hands of a trained massage therapist can go a long way. When you’re pregnant, that’s especially true. Prenatal massage therapy offers you a safe, medication-free reprieve from...

If you’re looking for a medication and side-effect-free way to improve your life, acupuncture may be just what you need. With ancient roots and plenty of modern medical evidence to support it, more and more people are exploring this treatment option.  So, what can acupuncture do? Here at Integrated Pain...

When most people think about joint problems, they think about the lower half of the body. And, yes, your knees and hips play a big role in living a quality life. But your shoulders carry their fair share of the burden too.  If you’ve been dealing with pain, swelling, and...

Pharmacologists work hard to develop medications that will help the widest range of people. Ultimately, though, each of our bodies is different. What you need probably isn’t what’s best for your friend or family member. In some cases, that’s why medication has a limit on what it can do.  Fortunately,...

Maybe it was an accident. You tripped and fell or tried to lift something heavy and strained your back. Or maybe it was something more traumatic, like a car accident or a sports injury. However you got hurt, you probably have one goal: healing.  That can be easier said than...

Your body relies on its fascia to hold your muscles together as you move throughout your day. This thin layer surrounds each muscle, enabling them to glide smoothly against one another. It’s an essential component of your body. But like pretty much any other part of you, your fascia can...

Sleep is supposed to be a restorative time. If you’re living with persistent hip pain, though, the way you sleep could leave you feeling worse come morning. Fortunately, the opposite is also true. Sleeping in specific positions can alleviate pressure on your hip.  If you’re currently living with persistent hip...

Knee pain isn’t just one of the most common pain types. It’s also one of the most problematic. When your knee joint can’t function comfortably, you limit what you do. You sit around more and pass on activities you used to enjoy. Your world gets small — and fast. Fortunately,...

Staying active does wonders for your overall health and longevity, but it does come with some risks. From sprains to strains, there are a lot of ways your body can gripe about doing too much. That doesn’t even factor in the sports injuries that come from a misstep when you’re...

We all get headaches from time to time. But if you have chronic headaches — ones that regularly come back — a specific cause is probably to blame.  Some causes are fairly obvious. You might have persistent head pain after an injury like a car accident, or you might get a...

When you think about an epidural, you probably imagine the injection applied at the base of your spine, say, during childbirth. But that’s not the only type of epidural injection. In fact, if you’re living with neck pain, a different type could be the ideal solution to ease your discomfort. ...

Medicine has come a long way. Not only do we better understand the human body now, but we’re also starting to get a better handle on the miraculous way it can heal itself. This gives doctors the opportunity to harness that regenerative power that already exists within you, then strengthen...

Even people who only get headaches once in a while find them annoying. But if you’re plagued by persistent head pain, you’ve probably looked into your options for relief. The good news is there are a lot of choices out there. The bad news is not all treatments work for...

Hip pain can be one of the most debilitating types of discomfort. Not only does it limit your mobility, but hip pain can even cause pain while you’re sitting. Ultimately, if you’re living with hip pain, you probably want to figure out how to get rid of it.  Finding effective...

People who don’t get migraines have a hard time wrapping their minds around all of the implications. A migraine does much more than just cause an intense headache. Maybe you deal with nausea or light sensitivity. Maybe the stress of knowing a migraine is about to strike ruins your day....

We rely on our muscles to move us through our days. But all of the strain of carrying our bodies forward while keeping us upright can take its toll. In some cases, your muscle fibers can get tight, resulting in a knot that doesn’t relax even when you stretch. Doctors...

For centuries, healing specialists have used acupuncture to balance the flow of energy in the body and, as a result, alleviate pain and treat a variety of conditions. That’s saying something.  As medical research has advanced, we’ve moved away from a lot of historical treatments (take blood-letting, for example). But...

While hip pain might be less common than other types of chronic pain, like back pain, it’s no less of a problem. Because it can make both sitting and walking uncomfortable, hip pain can keep you from the things you love while simultaneously making it a challenge to rest or...

Yoga has something of a mixed reputation in the United States today. While some people swear by it because of the way it has improved their quality of life, others think it’s just a funny way of moving.  Actually, though, the more modern medical research looks into yoga, the more...

You already know that your body has a pretty impressive healing power. You’ve watched scrapes and bruises heal. You might have even broken a bone, then marveled at the way your body knit that area back together. Ultimately, our bodies can do a lot — but they have their limits....

Fibromyalgia is frustrating, partially because we know so little about it, partially because we haven’t yet found a cure, and partially because it causes so many symptoms. For people diagnosed with fibromyalgia, the symptoms like widespread pain and brain fog can make it hard to do the things they used...

You rely on your hips. These ball-and-socket joints give your legs a broad range of motion, helping you move not just forward, but wherever you want to go. At least, they do when they’re healthy. But a wide variety of issues can interfere with your hips, causing you pain and...

Whether you need physical therapy after an injury, surgery, or other incident, or you’re choosing it to help with chronic pain, you’re probably wondering what to expect. Your prescribed physical therapy schedule might feel burdensome, and you could be wondering if it will actually drive results.  That’s why Dr. Halina...

Hip pain makes your days more challenging. You probably want to do everything you can to minimize that discomfort and protect your mobility. The problem is many people do things that actually worsen their hip pain — all without knowing their bad habits are to blame. At Integrated Pain Solutions...

Headaches are one of the most common health problems. If you look at just tension-type headaches, more than half of women and one-third of men deal with this head pain.  Sleep issues are just as rampant. About a third of all American adults deal with insomnia. Since both problems are...

Fibromyalgia can feel unrelenting. As if your widespread pain wasn’t enough, you might deal with everything from sleep problems to brain fog to digestive challenges. A robust, personalized treatment plan is key in helping you maintain the best possible quality of life.  If you haven’t already, you may want to...

You already know that tension can lead to discomfort in your body, particularly when it persists. But relaxing tense muscles isn’t always easy. In some cases, knots can form in your muscle fiber that you can’t get rid of on your own. These knots are called trigger points. To bring...

Medical research has only scratched the surface of the body’s capabilities. The more we learn, the more we realize that our systems can do amazing things — including heal themselves. But sometimes they need a little help. Rather than turning to medications, regenerative medicine turns to components already in your...

If you live with ongoing pain or unwelcome symptoms of allergies, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about things that could bring you relief. The problem is that many of the options available rely on prescription medications. If you’ve been looking for a drug-free way to feel better,...

Headaches can be caused by a variety of factors, including dehydration, stress, and illness. Most everyday headaches can be treated with over-the-counter medications, or pass once you overcome the underlying illness causing them. However, for some people headaches can be persistent and have a real impact on their quality of...

Arthritis can cause joint stiffness, swelling, and pain that can lead to mobility issues and even disability. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a cutting-edge treatment that works by harnessing your body’s natural healing capabilities in order to reduce your pain and improve your mobility.  Dr. Halina Snowball offers this groundbreaking treatment...

Migraines cause severe headaches, as well as nausea and fatigue. TMJ disorders can cause head pain, jaw pain, and discomfort when you talk and chew.  These conditions are sometimes considered hard to treat because they occur in the sensitive region of your head and jaw, but there is one treatment...

If you experience chronic headaches, you know that they can be debilitating and disruptive. But did you know that different types of headaches have their own causes and need their own specific treatments? That’s why the first step to headache relief is a comprehensive assessment and thoughtful diagnosis.  Dr. Halina...

Nowadays, many people live and work in environments that require them to sit for hours at a time. Over time, this can strain your muscles, leading to stiffness, soreness, and pain throughout your body. Here at Integrated Pain Solutions in Stamford, Connecticut, we take an integrative treatment approach to your...