Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Home Remedies

San Francisco Chiropractor and Carpal Tunnel Doctor Comments:

We have been treating carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries at my San Francisco Back and Wrist Pain Center for over 15 years now. Many of the conditions we treat could have been prevented with proper home prevention measures. The thing is...we don't come with an owners manual, and a lot of these things...well, you just don't think about them until it's too late.

Anyway...I did a little weekend homework and I found a really good list of 26 RSI Home Remedies on the always informative www.rsi-relief.com website. Enjoy

If you suffer with carpal tunnel related symptoms and would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary CTS Evaluation. 

California Schools Still Allowing Junk Food

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor and Parent Comments:

I just read the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. Here is the headline of the main news story:

School Food Law Failing The Test: Junk snacks still on campus-makers find ways to comply with new state requirements

They just don't get it! Modifying these junk-foods so that they slip through the regulatory requirements was not the intended outcome of the new law. They can lessen the portions...bake instead of fry...eliminate the trans fats... and sprinkle in vitamin powder...and it is still garbage. Give me a break. And we wonder why we have a childhood obesity problem...I found this quote interesting:

"The standards are some of the most rigorous in the country," says Phyllis Bramson-Paul, California Department of Education's director of nutrition services. She says that the California statute is a model for other agencies, including the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences. The institute, at the behest of Congress, published its own recommendations for school snacks in July. They resemble California's but are even stricter, suggesting that fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or non-fat dairy be the only snacks sold on campus."

How about making someone accountable here. According to the SF Chronicle... some schools, such as Piedmont Middle School are just ignoring the regulations altogether.

Could it be that it's hard for parents and school officials to enforce dietary changes on kids when thier own dietary habits are the same or worse. 

I would love to hear some comments about this.

Back Pain and Stress.

San Francisco Chiropractor and Chronic Back Pain Doctor comments on the relationship between mental stress and back pain:

It makes it really difficult to recover from chronic back pain if you are always under a lot of stress. In fact...it's probably one of the reasons you have the back pain in the first place. When we are stressed out it causes the muscles in the back to tighten-up which puts pressure on the spinal discs and nerves...this leads to pain and discomfort...as well as loss of normal function. If this is happening day in and day out...say from a stressful job or relationship...the problem can become chronic.

Then you go to the chiropractor to get your back fixed. You feel better after you go, but the problem won't go away...this can be a Warning Sign that something is wrong. In my practice we are always on alert for the signs of mental stress in our patients. One of them being slowness or failure to respond to treatment...or lots of missed visits because of work, or personal problems.

The thing is...there are some really simple self-help therapies that one can do to manage stress, such as visualization and meditation. And, you don't need to travel to the Himalayas or Brazilian Rain Forest to practice them. One of the books that I recommend to my patients is Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain. This book contains many meditations and visualizations that can be used to relieve stress, fight disease, and manifest goals. I highly recommend it. Another really good source of relaxation techniques is Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D. Dr. Ornish incorporates meditation, yoga, and plant based nutrition into his cancer and heart disease programs.

In reality, you have complete control over your stress levels. These (stress level) knobs are adjustable by YOU. 

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Chiropractic and Disc Pain Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.

Is DRX9000 Spinal Decompression For You?

San Francisco Disc Herniation Doctor Comments:

Sure, it's nice to read DRX9000 testimonials of happy patients who have done spinal decompression with the DRX9000 or DRX9000c. It's social proof that there are like minded people that have responded to the therapy...just like you are hoping to do.

But the reality is... this still does not tell us if the decompression therapy will work for you. You can even talk to patients that have done the DRX9000...they will tell you how great the decompression is and what it is like living with less back pain, or neck pain...or no pain at all. This is really good to hear...

But, this still does not mean that nonsurgical spinal decompression will help you!

So...how do you know if the DRX9000 will help you?  Well...YOU DON'T...and neither does anyone else.

You have to try it for yourself. IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT. 

I guess you just have to go with your gut instinct and the fact that spinal decompression therapy is helping so many other people worldwide return to more normal lifestyles. In fact, most of our DRX9000 patients are direct referrals from happy DRX patients.

And...lets not forget how safe the DRX9000 decompression treatment is.  As far as I know, there has never been a single incident of someone becoming paralyzed or sustaining permanent bodily harm from the DRX treatment.  So, why not try it out. Sure, it's an investment of time and money...but life is short...and there's nothing more important than your health :)

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for spinal decompression with the DRX9000 at our SF Bay Area Spinal Decompression Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary DRX9000 Evaluation. Chances are...you will be glad you did.

Herniated Lumbar Discs?

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor comments on the benefits of Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression with the DRX9000 for Lumbar Disc Herniations:

Have you been diagnosed with a herniated disc in your low back?  If so, you may have been told you need surgery. Chances are...if you know you have a lumbar disc herniation you have had an MRI.  An MRI is the gold standard (diagnostic test) for confirming the presence of herniated discs or bulging disc in the spine.

Maybe you have tried anti-inflammatory medications and pain killers. Maybe you have tried chiropractic care or physical therapy. Maybe even cortisone injections...OUCH. But...the problem is still there! So...NOW WHAT...Because You Don't Want Back Surgery?

Well...You may be a candidate for nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 lumbar decompression system. Spinal Decompression is kind of like traction, except that it's fully computerized and is able isolate on specific spinal segments...say L5-S1 vs. pulling on the entire spine...which could hurt someone with a lumbar disc herniation. 

The bottom line is that the DRX9000 is a $100,000+ machine that is able to treat lumbar disc herniations without surgery...and I have one at my San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center.

The best way to find out if you are a candidate for nonsurgical spinal decompression on the DRX9000 is to bring your MRI films/report to a DRX doctor near you and get checked. Not everyone qualifies medically. But if you do...it's sure worth a shot.

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for lumbar spinal decompression therapy with the DRX9000 at my San Francisco Herniated Disc Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary DRX9000 evaluation. Chances are...you will be glad you did.

Read some SF Bay Area DRX9000 Testimonials

Back Pain Basics and Spinal Anatomy

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

I believe that the more one knows and understands about how the body works...the better it will work for them.  This is why as a chiropractor I feel it is so important to educate patients on spinal anatomy...especially the relationship between the bones of the spine and the nervous system. At my clinic we have ongoing chiropractic health care classes where we really break this stuff down.

In my 15 years as a chiropractor in San Francisco...I have found that the patients that attend the spinal health classes and get a handle on why they are coming in...respond the best to chiropractic care, or spinal decompression therapy.

Anyway, I found a really good article (as well as the photo in this post) at the always informative www.spine-health.com website entitled The Basics of Back Pain and Spinal Anatomy. It's an excellent read.

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Chiropractic and Decompression Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.

DRX9000 Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments on the benefits of Spinal Decompression:

I am asked every day by patients with chronic, severe, back pain or neck pain, if nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy is a wise choice for them. In reality, there is no way for me to know if it is going to give that particular person the pain relief or restoration of function they are looking for.

Sure...some patients seem like they are better candidates for lumbar decompression or cervical decompression therapy than others. But the bottom line is this...The longer a problem such as degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis has been there...the worse the problem becomes. So, if someone has had chronic back or neck pain for 30 years...it will most likely be more challenging than someone that has only had their back pain for a couple of years.

When spinal problems are left uncorrected for years and years they get worse. Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is a process. As the spinal disc degenerate, the outer containment walls (annular fibrosis) of the discs weaken and give way to the gelatinous center of the disc (nucleus pulposis), which can push out on the nerves or spinal cord causing pain and dysfunction, and symptoms like sciatica.

Spinal decompression therapy with the DRX9000 (lumbar) or the DRX9000c (cervical) is often times able to re-position the nucleus and allow the disc to heal. The machine was designed and built to treat herniated lumbar discs, herniated cervical discs, spinal stenosis, facet syndromes, and degenerative disc disease.

But if a back pain or neck pain patient has multiple herniated discs, advanced spinal stenosis or spinal degeneration, it just becomes a little bit more challenging.

So, we learn to manage expectations. If the goal is just to become better than you are without drugs are surgery...and not to become completely NORMAL again...then we set the stage for a favorable outcome. Listen...the DRX9000 spinal decompression machine is a fantastic tool...but it's NOT magic...even though some will swear it is. And, it is very safe and gentle.  Hey...it's worth a shot if nothing else is working or you are looking at surgery. Life is Short...

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 or DRX9000c at my San Francisco Decompression Center...simply call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary DRX consultation. Chances are...you will be glad you did.

Read some SF Bay Area DRX9000 Testimonials

How To Avoid Back Pain When You Travel

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor comments:

They say that traveling and moving are the two most physically demanding activities for your back. I guess it's because most people don't do either one very often. Think about it...when you travel you are lugging around heavy baggage, sleeping on unfamiliar beds, falling asleep in cramped airplane seats, using a different pillow, walking down long runways, and on and on.

And the thing is...most people don't give it too much thought...as far as preparation goes. The fallout is actually a very good source of business for most chiropractors and massage therapist. Not only is your vacation ruined...but when you get home you need a bunch of treatment.

But, there ARE ways to prepare to travel to reduce the chances of your back flaring up on you. In fact, I came across  a great article on the excellent www.spine-health.com website entitled "29 Travel Tips For Your Aching Back."  This checklist is worth printing out and keeping on file. The last thing you want when you're on vacation is to be laid up in the hotel room popping Motrin.   

Health, Vitality, Plant Foods, and Billionaire's

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor comments:

I read a story (in the October 2007 issue of Bloomberg Market Magazine) last night about the billionaire owner of Dole Foods, David Murdock. His wife died a while back at the age of 49 from cancer. After this happened he decided to learn all he could about what causes cancer and how we can protect ourselves from it. Little did he know the very fruits and vegetables that his company was already producing and selling would have most likely saved his wife's life (according to him), if she only would have centered her diet around them, instead of the typical American diet that she so enjoyed.

So, he decided to make (his life's passion) it easier for Americans to get the fruits and vegetables that they need by making pre-cut fruit and vege plates available in the produce Dept's of supermarkets. In fact, Dole Foods, is the #1 producer of these fruit and vegetable platters, as well as pre-washed ready to eat salads in bags.

Dole foods also spends quite a bit of money on health information pamphlets that they distribute to schools and make available to the public.  And, Mr. Murdock practices what he preaches. He is a vigorous 84 years old and weighs 150 lbs with very low body fat. He travels 200,000 miles per year on his private jet, and is convinced our health is directly connected to the way that we eat.

And I AGREE 100%

Mr. Murdock says "just go to any mall in America and look around at people, you can tell what they eat."

He is on a mission to make America healthier. He is building a $1.25 billion dollar research center in Kannapolis, North Carolina that will focus on researching the benefits of fruits and vegetables and their role in disease prevention and cures. WOW...this guy is for real.

The bottom line is this...If you want to lose weight, look better, live longer, and reduce the chances of getting diseases of excess...like heart disease and cancer...EAT PLANT FOODS.

My #1 source of information when it comes to plant based nutrition is Dr. John McDougall, M.D.

Check him out. You will be glad you did. 

Wrist Pain From Weight Training?

San Francisco Chiropractor comments:

Do you get wrist pain after you work out with weights?  If so, you are probably putting too much stress on the wrist joints. And if this keeps happening you are risking causing permanent damage that could result in chronic hand pain. 

The first thing you should do is stop doing the exercises you think are causing the problem. I would also ice the wrists and let them rest for a few days. Then, when you go back to the gym, try a different hand position, or try using some light dumbbells or cables. It's easy to get a good pump without using a lot of weight. Stick with the exercises that do not cause pain or discomfort when you do them, or after.

In addition, try to avoid exercises that cause you to put a lot of flexion or extension into the wrists. There are plenty of exercises you can do with the hands in a neutral position.

Just these few minor adjustments should be enough to fix the problem. If pain persists you should visit your doctor or see a good chiropractor that specializes in treating the upper extremities. Chiropractic adjustments to the wrists, elbow, and shoulders, can work wonders in a short period of time. In fact, chiropractic should be a part of any athletes health maintenance program. All the elite athletes use them. It's not expensive, and your body deserves the same.

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at my San Francisco Back and Wrist Pain Center...simply call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.