Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Global Warming Takes Center Stage. Is There A Connection Between The Health Of The Planet And The Health Of Our Human Bodies?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Well, it looks like the crusade against global warming has reached a critical mass. Just a few years ago most people would consider all the chatter, background noise. Sure, there was plenty of scientific data to support the greenhouse gas theory, but the only time we ever heard anything about it was when someone did some kind of a crazy protest. Now, global warming is front and center, where it should be. What if I were to tell you that there was a connection between global warming (the health of our planet) and sickness and disease (the health of our bodies). As most of you know, it is my belief that the majority of our health problems stem from the diet that we eat. Specifically, meat and dairy products (animal protein). Recently, this line of thinking has burst into the mainstream with books such as The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. But, still, the reality of how animal foods are killing us has not penetrated the thick skulls of the decision makers, like the global warming problem seems to be doing. I guess it's a lot easier to switch out your light bulbs to florescent, buy a hybrid vehicle, and buy solar panels, than it is to take your precious steak and eggs away. The reality is that it is very very difficult for people to address their diet, that's just the way it is. So, what is the connection between planetary health and human health ? The connection is that 30% of the lands surface is dedicated towards livestock production (can you believe this). And to make room for this we had to destroy natural forest lands and rain forest that were part of our Biodiversity (Ecosystem). Get this...18% of ALL greenhouse gases come from livestock production. This is actually more than the greenhouse gases generated by transportation. Are you starting to get the picture ? I am going to refer you over to Dr. John McDougall, M.D.s website for the full story. Yes, everything is inter-connected. What's good for the earth, is good for us. We are nothing more that cells in the body of the earth.

Can Exercise Be Doing My Herniated Discs More Harm Than Good?

San Francisco Chiroractor and Disc Herniation Doctor Comments:

If we were to pull ten random people off the streets of San Francisco and perform lumbar MRI exams on all of them, five of them would probably show some sort of disc herniation or disc bulging. Six or seven of them would most likely have some advanced degeneration, and five or six would actually have back pain. Would the people with the disc herniations have the back pain ? Not necessarily. What about the people with the disc degeneration, would they have back pain. Maybe, maybe not. Back pain is tricky because at any given time, half the population has it. Something like 80% of the population will have bad back pain at some point in their lives. And, just because someone has disc herniations or disc bulges, it does not mean they will have back pain. You see, most of the time back pain either resolves on it's own, or responds to chiropractic, physical therapy, or exercise. But, about 10-15% of the time, nothing seems to help and the symptoms will not go away. This is what we call chronic back pain. Sometimes the symptoms of chronic back pain can  be crippling. Nothing seems to work. Pain pills, exercise, physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, etc. Some patients end up having surgery. Now, when we examine the spines of patients with chronic back pain, usually what we see is not good. My experience has been that about 70-80% of the patients I consult with that have chronic severe back pain, have combinations of disc herniations, disc bulges, stenosis, disc degeneration, subluxations, muscle spasms, chronic inflammation, facet syndromes, and other findings. It is rare that we examine someone with chronic back pain and the spine looks normal, although it does happen sometimes. Patients with chronic back pain need to be very careful what exercises they perform. Some patients tell me they know the exercise they are doing is making them worse (usually self prescribed), but they just need to do it to maintain sanity. I understand completely and there are usually exercises we can come up with that will be safe and effective with less risk. Depending on the level of severity of your condition, we may not want you to exercise for a week or two while we try to get the inflammation and pain under control. Then, we will take you through step by step program of stretches, strengthening exercises, and core (spinal and abdominal) strengthening exercises. Some exercise you do at home. Some you do at the clinic. We monitor your progress closely and move you through the levels of intensity in a controlled manner. The exercises are done in conjunction with manual therapies and spinal decompression, depending on the individual case. One thing for sure, exercise can do you more harm than good if you you have serious chronic back pain and you do the wrong kinds of exercises. Make sure you only do what your doctor prescribes. 

Low Back Pain and Forward Head Posture

San Francisco Chiropractor comments:

Low Back Pain is often times a mystery, especially in the early stages. In my 15 years as a chiropractor in San Francisco, I have discovered that one of the most important things that is often overlooked when diagnosing back pain, is posture. In the chiropractic world, your posture is often referred to as "the window to the spine." If we examine your posture (see diagrams) from the front , your ears, shoulders, and hips should be level. When your ears, shoulders and hips are level, the spine is usually straight. From the side, we should be able to draw an imaginary line from your ear lobe, through your shoulder, your knee, and the front of your ankle. This is the ideal position for the spine to be in. When in this position the spine can resist the forces of gravity and motion at optimum levels. But, because we do things like sit at a desk all day. Carry heavy backpacks on one side of our body. Carry children and lift and work in awkward positions, etc. , we tend to lose this normal alignment . Our posture will adapt to external forces just like a trees branches would if exposed to wind every day in the same direction. The thing is, this can lead to postures such as "Forward Head Posture", which can put increased loads on our cervical (neck) joints and discs, and cause our neck muscles to work much harder than they should just to hold our heads up. This leads to fatigue and chronic pain, as weel as many other probems (see latest research). But, in addition to this obvious effect, Forward Head Posture (FHP) can also lead to low back pain. When the cervical curve is diminished and the weight of the skull (about the weight of a bowling ball) is transfered anterior to the body where there is no support, it puts extra stress on the disc in the low back (lumbar spine). This can result in increased intradiscal pressure, reduced blood flow to the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This can also lead to inflammation and pain. But, you go to the doctor and everything checks out OK. How can this be ? Well, not all doctors are trained in biomechanics of the spine. In fact, the normal course of treatment would most likely be a pain pill or anti-inflammatory medication. The poor posture would not even be addressed. So the condition is left intact, and will continue to march forward, potentially leading to degenerative disc disease, stenosis, or spinal degeneration. Anyway, the importance of posture should not be overlooked. Make sure that if you have back pain you seek the advice of a chiropractor or therapist that is fluent in biomechanics of the spine, so that you can get the right kind of treatment. 

Can Chiropractic Care and Spinal Decompression Help Carpal Tunnel Symptoms ?

San Francisco Back and Wrist Pain Center Comments:

We have been treating carpal tunnel symptoms at our San Francisco Financial District Back and Wrist Pain Center for almost 15 years now. I have helped large companies such as PG&E prevent carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and other repetitive stress injuries (RSI). I have addressed the American Postal Workers Union, The San Francisco Unified School District, The Dept. of Transportation, The San Francisco Legal Secretaries Association, and many other large and small companies and groups on non-surgical options for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), repetitive stress injuries (RSI), and ergonomics in the work place. The bottom line is that our bodies were simply not designed to be sitting in front of a computer all day (and sometimes all night). Sure, if you are going to do it there are some basics that will help reduce your risk of  developing CTS or RSI. But, just changing your ergonomics will not do a whole lot for a serious problem that has already manifest because of years of poor posture and bad ergonomics. And, what I have found is that the people that take good care of themselves as far as physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions, seem to be able to handle more work and more stress. You actually increase your resistance to external forces. Of course, there is still a breakpoint. It's just that it is at a much much higher level than someone that does not take care of themselves. They feed off off each other. Some people feel like they need to go out and have a few drinks or smoke a few cigarettes after a long day at the office. Others feel the need to go work out or practice Yoga, go running, something like that.  Which do you think is the better choice ? Obviously the better care you take of your body, the more it can handle. As far as CTS Symptoms, Chiropractic, and Spinal Decompression are concerned, here is the connection:

My Experience Is That Most People With CTS Signs And Symptoms Do Not Have CTS. The Origin Of The Symptoms Is In The Neck.

Well, to some this is not earth shattering information. But, to others they want to know what problems in the hand  have to do with the neck. Well the nerves that control the hands come from the neck. When you have pressure on these nerves as they exit from in between the bones in the neck it can cause the same symptom's you get when you have pressure on them in the carpal tunnel (wrist). It's the same nerve, it just passes through the neck bones (vertebrae) first. In fact it's much more likely that your neck bones are out of place, or you have a herniated disc in the neck causing pressure than having CTS. I would actually go as far as saying that ANY DOCTOR THAT EXAMINES YOU FOR CTS SYMPTOMS THAT DOES NOT LOOK AT THE NECK IS IN THE WRONG PROFESSION. So, if you are experiencing CTS symptoms such as hand pain, numbness, weakness of grip, night pain (classic), arm and neck pain, you should consider chiropractic, since chiropractors base everything they do on where nerves originate and removing pressure from misaligned vertebra (subluxations). In addition, some chiropractors (and medical doctors) incorporate non-surgical spinal decompression for reduction of herniated discs, that can also interfere with nerve transmission to the arms and hands. The machine I use is the DRX9000C. We have had very good success using a combination of chiropractic and spinal decompression, even with the most severe cases. If you or someone you know is suffering with CTS symptoms and would like to find out if we can help, simply call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary phone consultation and we will see if you should consider coming to our facilities for an examination to see if you are a candidate for our methods.

Does Smoking Cause Low Back Pain ?

San Francisco Chiropractor and Chronic Back Pain Doctor Comments: 

It only makes sense that smoking, which causes vasoconstriction of the arteries and deprives tissues of life sustaining oxygen and nutrients would contribute to low back. At least to me it does. But, I have not seen a whole lot of research on it. So, I decided to do a search to see if I could find anything. The abstract of the research article I found is not new (2001). In fact I have read it many times. But, it is straight forward and to the point. And the study was done by the world renowned John Hopkins University. Anyway, I thought I would share it with you because as amazing as this may sound, there are still doctors out there who do not make the connection between smoking and back pain with their patients. Heck, if the only thing smokers with back pain did was to stop smoking their back would probably feel better. I know it's not easy to quit, but your back and the rest of your body would sure be glad if you did. It's never too late to quit.

Chiropractic and Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression Compliment Each Other

San Francisco Chiropractic & Spinal Decompression Center Comments:

I have been practicing Chiropractic for about 15 years now in the San Francisco Financial District, working primarily with chronic, severe cases of back and wrist pain. About two years ago we began to incorporate nonsurgical spinal decompression into our treatment regimen (featuring the DRX9000) so we would be able to help more patients with chronic low back pain. Conditions such as herniated discs, bulging discs, advanced spinal degeneration, and facet syndromes can be very difficult to treat because there tends to be so much pain and inflammation, making it hard to use physical modalities and therapies. We later purchased a DRX9000C so we could treat cervical disc herniations (arm pain, weakness, hand pain). What we have found is the perfect compliment to what we were already successfully doing (working) with our hands. We incorporate chiropractic techniques such as Biophysics, using gentle, low force adjusting instruments, and special tables/equipment (low force).  The DRX9000 is very good at helping to reduce pain levels and inflammation, thus making it easier to incorporate gentle adjusting procedures by hand or with an instrument. The adjusting procedures can help to restore posture, resulting in less stress on the spinal joints and discs. Yes, it is true that many of the patients we start care with have already tried chiropractic unsuccessfully. But, the treatment was not done in the proper context. There was too much inflammation or the adjustments were just too forceful. If done properly, the combination of gentle adjustments and spinal decompression can be very powerful, setting the stage for core rehabilitation of the spinal muscles. Our treatment is definitely NOT a Magic Bullet. It takes time and effort. There can be lots of up and downs. And, you can often times feel more sore in the beginning even though we start off very very easy. But for the most part, what we do is very rewarding, both for the patient and for the clinic. We are able to help patients that had nowhere else to turn get back on track. If you or someone you know is suffering with back, neck, or hand pain, please contact my office for a complimentary consultation. We can even speak to you by phone first before you come down (some patients travel great distances to see us). Or, if you would like a referral for a doctor in your area, just drop me an email at drdavis@best.com and I will find someone for you.   

Research Shows Obesity Increases The Risk Of Cancer.

San Francisco Chronic Back Pain Center Comments:

When we accept a patient for care at our San Francisco or Marin County Back and Wrist Pain Centers, one of the first things we consider is body weight. It is common knowledge that over two thirds of our population is obese. Extra body weight overloads the joints and discs and can lead to conditions such as degenerative disc disease, disc herniations, and chronic back pain. High salt diets can cause tissues to retain water and contribute to problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis.  In addition, obesity is directly connected to increased risk of coronary heart disease, stoke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and yes, cancer. According to an article I read this morning on the National Cancer Institute website, the experts have concluded that the primary causes of obesity are sedentary lifestyle and overconsumption of high calorie foods. Well, I can't say that that is earth shattering information. The average person could tell you this. This is why I just find it mind boggling that the majority of us would agree that the underlying cause of most disease processes are the choices we make when it comes to food (and exercise). These disease processes lead to drugs, treatments, and huge hospital bills and health care expenses. We spend more money on health care than all the other industrial nations combined, yet we are no better off. What about all the research dollars spent to discover magic bullets that will never work. I guess people want to be able to live to be 100 without eating right or exercising. Just pop a pill that will neutralize all the garbage we eat. Then pop another pill that gives us the benefits of exercise without having to do it. There are actually billions of dollars spent each year on this kind of stuff.  And, most of the weight loss books that sell millions of copies are programs that allow you to have your cake and eat it too. Have you seen those commercials with Dan Marino. You can eat all the garbage and lose weight. They have figured out a way to combine the garbage foods just right using some sort of magic glycemic index formula and on and on. Listen, there is NO magic formula. The magic formula is to give the body what it was designed to eat, plant foods. This BLOG can steer you in the right direction. Or better yet, you can go directly to drmcdougall.com or fatfree.com (Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D.) and learn from these two world renowned (and local) experts first hand. Food is how you interact with your environment the most. If you could change one thing only and your diet was poor, it would have to be diet. And, you don't have to be a hermit living in the woods, living in a grass hut to eat right. Vegetables, starches, herbs, and fruits, are what give food it's flavor anyway. Try this out for a while. You will fell better, look better, have more energy, and probably live longer :)   

What Is The Best Position For Sitting At Your Desk ? It's Not What You Think

San Francisco Chronic Back Pain and Disc Herniation Center Comments:

We have been teaching patients ergonomics at our San Francisco back pain center for many years now. So, this is really a shocker. Up until recently, it was thought that the best way to sit in your chair at your workstation was at a 90 degree angle, feet flat (or on a stool if you are short), with your computer monitor directly in front of you at eye level. But, as we know, the farther along science progresses, the more we learn about how to make things better (sometimes). According to a recent study performed by Scottish and Canadian researchers, the best position for sitting is at a 135 degree angle. They used state of the art MRI equipment to visualize spinal discs height and loading using various postures.   The story talks about how 32% of the population spends over 10 hours per day in front of a computer. Half do not leave the desk at all, even to have lunch. Amazing!  So, how do we put this information to work so we can put less stress on our spinal joints and discs ? Well, I have tried 135 degrees. It is very difficult to maintain. Try 120 degrees as suggested in the study, and move your monitor closer to your body. Most decent chairs unlock so you can do this. After you play around with it for a while and your body gets used to it I think you will notice a reduction in back pain (if you have it) when you sit for long periods. Let us know how this works for you.   

Chronic Back Pain Haunts Former NFL Players. Is The Glory Worth A Lifetime Of Suffering? Former San Francisco 49ers Have Mixed Feelings

San Francisco Chronic Back Pain Center Comments:

Well, it's Super Bowl weekend, so I thought I would write about something that had to do with football players and back pain. So, I searched for an article I read in the San Francisco Chronicle last weekend that I found interesting. The article profiled some of the 1981 San Francisco 49er players (with chronic pain) that won the Super Bowl (25 years ago), including Dwight Clark and Joe Montana. For those of you who do not know, Joe Montana, as well as most of his immediate family have been chiropractic patients for many years. Anyway, the article interviews the players about their current state of health, whether or not they attribute their health problems (which most of them have) to football, and if it was worth it. And,  would they do it again. The answers will surprise you. The dirty little secret of the NFL is that it is very hazardous to your health. I have read research that suggest that NFL players live 10-15 years less than the average person. If this is true, it is really sad. I enjoy football as much as anyone, but that is quite a price to pay for glory. But, there is a price tag on everything I guess. All of us pay a price for the decisions we make, one way or another. Go Colts

Chronic Pain Up Almost 40 Percent Among U.S. Workers In Past Decade

San Francisco Chronic Back and Wrist Pain Center Comments on Recent Chronic Pain Study Results:

We have been helping our community battle chronic pain related conditions for 15 years now at our San Francisco Financial District location. Some of the conditions we see the most are things like chronic low back pain, sciatica (leg pain), neck pain, arm and hand pain, headaches, and upper back and shoulder pain. And, usually there are other issues such as digestive disorders, insomnia, heart problems, obesity, chronic fatigue, and cancers. All in all, the state of the union is not good when it comes to health. So, what I decided to do this morning is perform an on-line search to see if there where any current news stories on chronic pain. I found is very interesting article on the Medical News Today website which supports our clinical observations. In the past 10 years, chronic pain is up almost 40 % with full time U.S. workers. This is a remarkable statistic. Here is an excerpt:

"Chronic pain appears to be increasing in prevalence among U.S. workers as Americans age and lead more sedentary lifestyles,"  said Rollin Gallagher, M.D., M.P.H., editor-in-chief of the NPF Web site (http://www.NationalPainFoundation.org), a founding and current member of the Board of the NPF and clinical professor and director, Center for Pain Medicine, Research and Policy of the University of Pennsylvania. "This survey indicates that employees with chronic pain must become their own advocates, understand the impact of their chronic pain and work with their healthcare provider to identify appropriate treatment options."

Personally, I do not find this surprising at all. We know what the typical American diet is like (loaded with fat, sugar, animal protein, and processed foods). And, we know what our exercise habits are. Geez, 65% of U.S. citizens are considered obese. Here in the Financial District of San Francisco it is not uncommon for workers to spend 10-12 hours a day in front of their computer drinking Starbucks coffee all day (eating candy bars). While at the same time stressing out over deadlines and mortgage payments. When you consider that our bodies were designed to be running around the jungle (exercise) hunting for food (plant foods), it's easy to see how they can break down when we neglect them. Dis-ease processes often manifest when our internal and external environment are not healthy. It would be like putting cheap gas into an Indy race car.

So, what is the solution ? Well, the solution is to try to create more favorable conditions (context) for health to manifest (vs. treating the symptoms with harmful medications). Fortunately we know what these conditions are. The science of creating favorable conditions so the the body can heal and stay healthy is called "Contextual Healing". In fact, this entire Blog is based on these lifestyle principles. In a nutshell, we need to eat right (plant based diet), exercise (including aerobics/stretching) , relax (meditate and visualize), sleep right, and hopefully do things we enjoy. If it's all work and stress, coupled with a poor diet and lack of exercise, you create unfavorable conditions for health and dis-ease is likely. So, if you need help getting started with the plant based diet, make an appointment to meet with me, or come to one of our FREE health care classes every other Thursday from 12-12:45pm (call Mari at 415-392-2225 to register)