Acupuncture may help reduce back pain, research finds

A vast majority of our workers' compensation cases at Carroll & Carroll, P.C. involve clients who have suffered a back injury. Over the years of practicing workers' compensation law, the alternative medical procedure of "acupuncture" has gradually gained prominence.

I remember the early days when acupuncture was considered a bogus procedure. Now, most insurance companies will pay for acupuncture treatment.

A new study appears to show that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for chronic back pain with sufferers reporting a 20% reduction in pain.

Attached is a link to a telegraph article on the study.

Cell Phone Elbow

Just in case you haven't heard of the new condition, it's called cell phone elbow or, more commonly referred to in medical terms as "cubital tunnel syndrome."

Here's a story about it from CBS News.

"The latest over use or repetitive motion injury to join the digital age list is cell phone elbow. It is caused by too much bending of your arm to put a cell phone to your ear. This bending compresses the ulnar nerve, which runs along the bony bump on the inside of the elbow."

I have seen many "cubital tunnel" cases in my practice, but none using the theory of too much cell phone use. However, I can see how this might easily be a winnable case. In my own experience of holding a cell phone while driving (before I purchased a "hands free" unit) it would only take about 5 to 10 minutes before my arm became sore.