Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Spinal Stenosis and Acupuncture

San Francisco Chiropractor comments: 

Often times acupuncture can offer much needed relief from the symptoms of spinal stenosis. In fact, we often times refer our spinal decompression patients with spinal stenosis for co-care with acupuncture. Here is a good article that explains the benefits of acupuncture for spinal stenosis.

DRX9000 Treatment Tips

Attention San Francisco Spinal Decompression Patients! Here are 5 Easy Tips to get the most out of your Herniated Disc Pain Therapy: 

1. Wear your back brace during all the waking hours for the first two weeks.

2. Ice your neck or low back when you get out of bed and before you go to sleep.

3. Take Fish Oil supplements to reduce inflammation.

4. Refrain from going to the gym or working out for two weeks.

5. Sleep with a cervical pillow on your side or on your back, permanently.

These are all things that will increase the odds of a favorable outcome with your spinal decompression therapy on the DRX9000. It's all about reducing external stresses and increasing internal resistance so your body can heal and recover.

If you have any specific questions about your decompression therapy, you can contact me directly by filling out this online DRX9000 questions form or call my office at 415-392-2225 and ask for Dr. Davis.   

Latest Results from Two Large Diet-Cancer Studies

San Francisco Vegan Disc Pain Doctor comments

Here is more evidence from the American Institute of Cancer Research that a plant based diet can help protect us from cancer:

For Immediate Release: April 16, 2007
Contact: Glen Weldon, 202-328-7744 x312

IN THE NEWS:
Latest Results from Two Large Diet-Cancer Studies

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) welcomed preliminary results from two ongoing investigations into the links between diet and cancer.

Scientists working on two different cohort studies, the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study and the Hawaii Multiethnic Cohort Study, which track the diets and cancer rates of large groups of participants, announced new results at a cancer research conference in Los Angeles over the weekend.

In one study, eating more fruits and vegetables was associated with lower risk of head and neck cancers. In the other study, diets high in one specific type of compound that occurs in onions, apples and certain other plant foods were associated with lower risk for pancreatic cancer.

These new findings should be considered preliminary because they haven’t yet been published in peer-reviewed journals, but they come from well-established cohort studies with proven track records.

“If these new results hold up after the review process, they will represent major contributions to our understanding of the diet-cancer connection,” said AICR Nutrition Advisor Karen Collins, RD. “Both studies reinforce AICR standing advice, based on years of research, to consume a diet high in a variety of plant foods for optimal protection against cancer.”

For the latest info on plant based nutrition visit:  www.drmcdougall.com

Wrist Pain During Pregnancy. Is it Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ?

San Francisco-One of the more common symptoms that occurs during pregnancy is hand or wrist pain. There can also be numbness or tingling. Weakness of grip. Night pain. Or pain that originates in the wrist and travels up the arm to the elbow. What's happening is most likely a temporary case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).

The carpal tunnel is a small canal in the hand where a big nerve (the median nerve) passes through to control part of the hand. There are also 9 tendons inside the tunnel that control hand and finger movements. This tunnel is created by the alignment of your wrist bones (the word carpal is Latin for wrist) and some soft tissue structures (primarily the flexor tendon). It is about the size of the tip of your pinkie. Women have very small carpal tunnel as compared to men, and are more prone to CTS.

When a woman is pregnant she retains more fluids to help nourish and protect the baby. Often times the cells that make up part of the carpal tunnel will swell up and put pressure on the median nerve, creating a temporary case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which can be very painful.

If this occurs I recommend seeing a chiropractor, massage therapist, or physical therapist that is familiar with this condition. It can be treated successfully most of the time. In addition, refrain from extensive computer use, wear a wrist splint, and ice your wrist/hands 3-4 times per day. Also consider some light Yoga stretches for CTS or exercises. With the right kind of treatment the symptoms should resolve quickly.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and would like a complimentary consultation at our Back and Wrist Pain Center please call: 415-392-2225.

   

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Is it a thing of the past ?

San Francisco Financial District- You sure don't hear much about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) anymore in the headline news. Ever since a study at the Mayo Clinic came out that downplayed the link between heavy computer use and CTS, it seems to be just another diagnosis.

From a chiropractors perspective, we never bought into the fact that CTS was all about heavy computer use. In fact, we were behind the scenes working on the neck, which is the main source of nerve innervation to the arms and hands. So it made sense to look there first. Someone sitting at a desk all day twisting and turning their heads and staring at a computer monitor puts a lot of stress on the muscles and joints in the neck. This can lead to misaligned vertebrae, pinched nerves and muscle spasms where the nerves exit. These nerves go into the arms and hands. 

When this occurs chiropractors call the condition a subluxation. We treat the subluxation by hand with an adjustment. A  gentle force applied to restore the vertebrae back to a more normal position. This releases the nerve pressure and allows the nerve to function better.

Note: Subluxations in the neck can cause the same symptoms as CTS

Some of the signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) are hand pain, arm pain, numbness, tingling, weakness of grip, and night pain (classic). The same symptoms can be caused by pressure on the nerves as they exit the neck. This is why it is SO important to have a doctor than understands this evaluate you. A physical therapist or a chiropractor is probably your best bet.

For a complimentary consultation, please call 415-392-2225

Herniated Disc Pain. What does it feel like ?

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor comments:

Someone asked me at the gym today "How would I know if I had a disc herniation or a bulging disc, in the neck or low back ? Can you feel it ? I had to think for a second because this is a little tricky. Typically, you would suspect a disc herniation if there was radiating pain into the arm from the neck or into the leg from the low back.  This kind of pain along with weakness in the arm or legs suggest disc herniation also.

The thing is, you can have herniated spinal discs and have no symptoms at all. Or, you can have pain that radiates into the arms or legs and have normal spinal discs.

"How would I know then if I had a herniation ?" he asked, again. Well, we would have to perform a physical exam and put you through a series of standardized orthopedic tests for disc problems. We could also take some x-rays and look for disc degeneration, abnormal disc height, bone spurs, or fusion. Then we would put all the pieces together and decide if it made sense for you to have a cervical MRI or a lumbar MRI, which is the gold standard for detecting disc herniations.

"Geez, how long would all this take ?", he asked. Well, we could do everything I just described with a couple of hour long appointments.

"What if I have them ?" It just depends, maybe some chiropractic and physical therapy directed right at your problem for 4-6 weeks. If this did not work we could consider nonsurgical decompression on the DRX9000 or refer you out for medical care and surgical options.

The funny thing is, after all this it turned out he did not even have any back pain pain at all, or signs and symptoms of disc herniations, he was just curious.

If you think you may have disc herniations, or you know you have a herniated disc, then you owe it to yourself to see if you are a candidate for nonsurgical spinal decompression on the DRX9000.

Call 415-392-2225 Today for a Complimentary Consultation at our San Francisco Disc pain and decompression center

 

Disc Injuries and Athletes

San Francisco Disc Pain Doctor comments on spinal disc injuries to athletes:

I remember when my chiropractor friend, Dr. Nick Athens of San Carlos, CA was treating Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49rs. He was also treating (and still does) a good portion of the rest of the team. According to Joe, the chiropractic care allowed him to play at a much higher level. Yes, Joe Montana still had to have back surgery, but as far as I know he continues to have regular chiropractic adjustments, as does his entire family.

It's unbelievable what professional football players put their spines through. It's amazing they are able to handle it as well as they do. I'm know most of them have personal trainers and chiropractors that they work with on a regular basis. This helps them deal with all the abuse the spine and discs take every Sunday during the NFL season. And I think we would all agree, this can be brutal.

In addition, many professional athletes, as well as regular folks who are "in the know", are turning to nonsurgical spinal decompression on the DRX9000 for herniated and degenerated disc treatment and regeneration

Anyway, I came across a real interesting study done by some sports medicine doctors that really breaks down low back pain and intervertebral disc injuries . It correlates MRI findings with specific causations and symptoms. It has an emphasis on sports injuries. It's a little technical, but good reading.

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Bay Area Disc Pain Center, then please fill out our FREE Online Consultation Form and we will contact you by email or phone at your convenience. Or,

Call our office directly at 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation

Read what our patients have to say that have had non-surgical spinal decompression on the DRX 9000

 

Spinal Degeneration and Degenerative Disk Disease (DDD). Who is at Risk ?

San Francisco Disk Pain Doctor comments:

Degenerative Disc Disease has become the SCAPEGOAT diagnosis for chronic back pain in adults. While it is true that up 90% of the adult population will experience severe back pain at some point in their life, only 20% or so will become chronic (last over 6 months). Still, this is a BIG number. So, what's going on here, what is causing this ?

Well, when you consider that up to 75% of our population is obese (look around), and the spinal disks are shock absorbers, it's easy to comprehend how the extra weight put on them, can cause cause them to wear abnormally.

When you add car accidents, sports injuries, bad posture, smoking, poor ergonomics, mental stress, poor diet, and drugs and alcohol to the equation , lack of exercise, it can create quite a potent formula indeed. In actuality, the same conditions that cause other degenerative conditions (heart disease and stroke, cancer, prostate disease, digestive disorders, etc.) are one of the main contributors to spine degeneration and degenerative disk disease (DDD).

So what is the solution. Well, a potential solution is to reverse the unhealthy conditions that are responsible, and I would start with what you eat. Yes, there is a connection between healthy spinal disks and nutrition. Next, I would start an exercise program based on your level of fitness. Start walking and doing some stretches, then build from there. The combination of dietary modifications and exercise is almost certain to cause immediate weight loss and inflammation reduction. Inflammation is a primary cause of disk related back pain and degeneration. And, inflammation stems from the same unhealthy conditions as does disk degeneration and obesity. Consider Fish Oil supplementation also.

It's easy to get caught up in the trap of taking medications for all your different symptoms. Now you have a situation where you are putting chemicals into the body that are not manufactured by the body, and this can lead to disaster.

It is best to try to change the conditions naturally and let the body clean itself up. Most of the time if disk pain sufferers were just to lose 20 or 30lbs they would feel so much better and be able to handle more exercise.

I know it's easier said than done, but nothing worthwhile is easy, but it sure beats the alternative.

If you or someone you know is suffering with Degenerative Disk Disease (DDD) or advanced Spinal Degeneration and would like to know if you are a candidate for  treatment at our San Francisco Financial District Spine and Disk Pain Center, we have a couple of easy choices for you:

1. Fill out our Free online patient consultation form and we will contact you by email.

2. Call our office at 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary disc pain evaluation (Value $183).

Chances are, you will be glad you did.

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center to offer Free MRI Second Opinions

Attention San Francisco Bay Area Back and Disc Pain Sufferers

If you have been diagnosed (by MRI) with disc herniations, disc bulges, ruptured discs, facet syndrome, or spinal stenosis, of the cervical or lumbar spine, then you qualify for a complimentary second opinion of your MRI report. 

The purpose of the second opinion would be to help determine if you would be a candidate for nonsurgical spinal decompression on the DRX9000 or DRX 9000c. Often times, there are findings that would contraindicate nonsurgical spinal decompression, or reduce the likelihood of a favorable outcome, and vise-versa. We will let you know what we think.

If you would like to take advantage of our complimentary MRI second opinion, than you can start the process by filling out our online patient request form  and indicate that you want a second opinion of your MRI and we will contact you.

Or, you can fax your MRI report directly to our office at 415-392-2278 with a cover sheet asking for a complimentary MRI second opinion. Please include your name, phone number, and the best time to call.

Or, you can simply call our San Francisco Disc Pain Center directly at 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary MRI second opinion

Read what some of our patients that have had nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy on the DRX9000 have to say

Cervical Herniated Disc Symptoms and Treatment Options

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center treats disc herniations in the neck without surgery

It is hard to know if you have a ruptured or herniated disc in your neck, because often times you have no pain there. What you feel is pain in the arm or hand. Or, numbness or tingling in the arm or hand. Maybe weakness of grip. Or, no pain at all, just weakness or numbness. Herniated discs are usually discovered in patients between 30-50 years old. Sometimes there was a specific trauma such as a car accident or a sports injury. But, it is not uncommon for the symptoms such as the arm pain to occur spontaneously. This is what I deal with most often at my  San Francisco Spine and Disc Pain Center. In fact, repetitive stress injuries (RSI) can include cervical or lumbar disc herniations.  Working at a desk in front of a computer puts a lot of stress on the spinal discs, which can cause them to weaken and herniate (see photos from SpineUniverse).

Disc herniations of the lumbar spine are 15 times more common than cervical disc herniations, and much easier to treat.   So, what do you do if you have a herniated cervical disc (see treatment options at Spine-health) ?  This is where it gets tricky. Cervical spine surgery can be very simple or very complicated. And, it could start out looking simple, then become complicated DURING THE SURGERY.  My opinion is that surgery should be avoided at all costs. This is why I incorporate nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX 9000c into my treatment protocol for cervical disc herniations, along with traditional chiropractic and physical therapy. Its the best of all (nonsurgical) worlds. Sure, it might not help. But it helps more often than it doesn't, I'll tell you that. "You can always have surgery", that's what I tell my patients. The DRX9000c is gentle, safe, and effective, often with the worst of conditions.

If you would like more information on the DRX9000c, then please fill out our online patient request form. and we will send it to you right away.

If you would like a complimentary phone consultation or if you would like to meet with me in person than please call our office directly at 415-392-2225 and ask for Mari. Chances are, you will be glad you did.

Read what our patients have to say about treatment at our San Francisco Financial District Spinal Decompression Center