Advanced Treatment Protocol Restores Damaged Nerves, Alleviates Pain
By Richard Hiler, DABCN
When the gym that Linda Dolinger attends opens its doors at 5 a.m. each day, Linda is right there and among the first to walk through those doors. She’s there to build up her body and strength, of course, but also to build relationships. “I go because I enjoy working out and because I enjoy the people,” says Linda, 76. “I always say that going to the gym is as much of a social activity for me as it is a physical activity. I usually spend an hour doing cardio and an hour on the machines.” A native of Delaware who’s been living in Florida for more than 20 years, Linda also enjoys going for long walks, cooking and reading.
A little more than a year ago, she found herself reading up on a way to relieve discomfort in her left heel. “It was a burning feeling in my left heel, not all the time; it was intermittent. But it became more and more annoying. I knew enough that I thought it was probably peripheral neuropathy.” Peripheral neuropathy can cause numbness, tingling and stiffness, as well as weakness, and burning and pain in the feet, hands and arms. It’s most often caused by diabetes, exposure to certain medications, chemotherapy, and spinal stenosis. But sometimes, no cause can be found. In those cases, the condition is called idiopathic neuropathy. That was the case with Linda, who also knew enough to seek almost immediate medical help. “I know that if you don’t do anything about peripheral neuropathy, you can wind up needing a walker or a wheelchair to get around because it makes it really hard to walk, so I went to a foot doctor,” Linda says. “He was no help, though, so I next went to see. Dr Hiler.”
Combination of Therapies
Richard A. Hiler, DC, DABCN, is a board-certified chiropractic neurologist at Feel Amazing Spine and Joint Institute, an integrated practice that has both medical and chiropractic providers. “We do chiropractic, physical medicine and regenerative medicine at our clinic,” Dr. Hiler says. “And neuropathy is one of those things that patients need physical medicine for because there is no pill for numbness, only pills that mask pain while things to worsen. Many doctors are trained to prescribe and are not trained in treatment. They will usually say, “You’ll have to live with it”. But peripheral neuropathy can be helped by treating nerve flow and blood flow. Dr. Hiler has been successfully treating the condition for more than 20 years with a combination of therapies.
At the heart of that combination of therapies are neuro-electrical therapies, light therapy and manual therapy. The program can also incorporate the use of a blend of vitamins and peptides. “We use many different electrical therapies that emit a gentle impulse exercising the nerve, gently restoring function, and also works as an analgesic for pain. “The light therapy is a red LED and infrared light therapy, it has to be a certain wavelength, pulsed at a certain frequency, and with a sufficient power; power you’re not going to get from something you pay $100 for on Amazon. Then there is vibration, manual therapy, neurological exercises and balance therapy. “Sounds like a lot, but we make it pretty simple” say Dr. Hiler.
Positive results!
Dr. Hiler says that about 90 percent of his patients achieve a 50 percent improvement or better, and Linda is among those who have reached that mark. By the time she visited Dr. Hiler for the first time, she was also struggling to walk and sleep because of her neuropathy, but that is no longer the case. “Dr. Hiler’s treatments have really lessened the pain and the frequency of it.”
Linda also found relief with Dr. Hiler two years ago to alleviate symptoms from severe blockages in her femoral arteries. Linda says “I had what I call a rotorooter procedure done on each leg, and a stent was put into each leg as well. The pain I was experiencing improved a lot after that but it didn’t last. Dr. Hiler’s treatments have improved that pain I was feeling in my legs as well, and that’s got me walking regularly again. I am very happy with Dr. Hiler and his treatment program, and I would never hesitate to recommend him for the neuropathy treatment he offers or even for someone who is just looking for a good chiropractor.”
Richard A. Hiler, DC, DABCN is a board-certified chiropractic neurologist who has more than 30 years of experience and specializes in addressing complex conditions involving the joints and spine. He is committed to providing innovative, drug-free solutions for chronic pain and neurological disorders. He was the first provider in Naples to develop a drug-free neuropathy program, setting a benchmark for holistic care in the region.
Feel Amazing Spine & Joint Institute
239.330.1000
3031 Airport-Pulling Rd N
Naples, FL 34105