Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

DRX9000 Mayo Clinic Pilot Study Results

San Francisco Chiropractor and Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

  I was just reading a press release on the www.axiomworldwide.com  website. Axiom is the manufacturer of the DRX9000 lumbar spinal decompression system that we feature at my San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center. Up until recently, there has not been any good research studies to support what doctors and patients already know...The DRX9000 Works!

It is still early in the process, but the pilot studies show a 88.9% success rate at the Mayo Clinic with the DRX9000. This paves the way for the next step...which will be full blown double blind studies, conducted with large groups of low back pain sufferers...primarily those that suffer from lumbar disc herniations.

If you live in the SF Bay Area and would like to find out if you are a candidate for non-surgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000...simply call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary DRX consultation. Chances are...you will be glad you did.

Read some San Francisco DRX9000 Testimonials

Effective Pain Management Techniques

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments on Back Pain Control Using The Mind:

Chronic pain has many sources. When it is back pain...doctors tend to look at the spine for problems such as vertebral subluxation, degenerative disc disease, disc herniations, or spinal stenosis.

There are many ways to treat chronic back pain. As a chiropractor in San Francisco, I use my hands to move misaligned vertebrae back into a more normal position, this is called a chiropractic adjustment. I also have some very fancy spinal decompression machines which cost over $100,000 that we use to treat cervical or lumbar disc herniations .

Medical doctors use drugs and surgery. Acupuncturist use needles...and physical therapist use exercise. But, here's the deal...Chronic Pain can often time have more of a mental component than physical. In fact...pain perception is strongly influenced by the way the brain processes pain signals. This processing mechanism has a lot to do with our emotional state as well a many other factors. The good news is...the brain can learn to manage chronic pain signals better with specific pain management techniques.

I found a really good article on the excellent www.spine-health.com website entitled Mind Over Matter: Effective Chronic Pain Control Techniques. It really is possible to learn how to manage chronic pain better...and this article is a good place to start.

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

Exercise Hand Gyroscopes for CTS and RSI

San Francisco Chiropractor and Carpal Tunnel Doctor Comments:

I just read about an exercise device called the Powerball on the excellent www.rsi-releif.com website. I have personally used the precursors to this device. In fact...we used to prescribe them at our San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Center for patients with CTS and RSI.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

A Powerball is a gyroscopic exercise device produced by RPM Sports. It is a “finely engineered and precision crafted gyro consisting of a rapidly spinning rotor enclosed in a solid [hand held] outer sphere. You set this rotor in motion using a cord or your finger and build its speed by subtle rotation of the wrist. It contains no motor or no batteries. All of the energy comes from the user and the stronger you are, the faster you will be able to make your Powerball spin, and the faster you spin the inner rotor the more inertia it generates and the more resistance it subsequently inflicts upon the fingers, hands, wrists, arms and shoulders.”

If you have CTS or RSI...and would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Financial District Back and Wrist Pain Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary CTS evaluation...or register for one of our Free Carpal Tunnel Lunchtime Seminars.

Cervical Pillows Are Good For Migraine Headaches

San Francisco Chiropractor Dr. Eben Davis Comments on the Importance of Cervical Pillows:

Is the pillow you are using contributing to your daily headaches?  It's possible...especially if the pillow is too soft, and does not offer good support for the cervical spine..kind of like most pillows. Cervical pillows are designed to support the neck while you sleep so the cervical muscles can rest and recover from all the work they did during the day.

A typical cervical pillow is shaped like a wave or has a hole in the center for your head to fall into. Either one is fine as this design puts the neck into it's normal position. Cervical pillows are also desiged to keep the neck straight when you are sleeping on your side.

You should never sleep on your stomach because in order to breath you have to twist your head to one side or the other which puts strain on the neck muscles of the spine...and there is no support so the spine is flat...not good. 

The extra work that the muscles of the cervical spine have to do when you have a bad pillow can lead to headaches and neck pain...and over time, disc degeneration and disc herniations. It's such an easy fix, and a really good cervical pillow does not cost much at all. Checkout the Relax The Back Store online. They have a great selection. A good pillow is around $80.00...well worth the investment. 

If you would like a complimentary neck and back pain consultation at our San Francisco Chiropractic Center...please call 415-392-2225.   

Stress, Neck Pain, and Cervical Disc Herniations

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

I'm sure you notice that whenever you are stressed out your neck muscles tense up. Well...most of those neck muscles attach to the bones in your neck and skull and are responsible for controlling their range of motion.  When the muscles go into spasm they become shorter are are unable to function properly.

The cervical muscle spasms  pull the cervical vertebrae they attach to out of alignment...which compresses the spinal discs and nerves...it's a chain reaction. We call this condition a Subluxation. Stress induced subluxations (in addition to neck pain) if left untreated can contribute to degenerative disc disease and cervical disc herniations.   

The best way to deal with vertebral subluxations is chiropractic. Chiropractic adjustments can help restore the bones in the neck back to their normal alignment. Then...we can teach you exercises to help keep them there. In addition...relaxation techniques, including visualization, breathing, and meditation will help dissipate the actual stress that is causing the problem in the first place.

If the disc herniations in the neck are advanced and do not respond to chiropractic adjustments...we will consider non-surgical cervical decompression with the DRX9000c.  Cervical decompression therapy can be done in conjunction with chiropractic care at my San Francisco Chronic Back Pain Center...or as a stand alone therapy if chiropractic has already failed to deliver results.

It has been my experience that we are able to help most cases of stress induced vertebral subluxations...and even bulging or herniated discs...without drugs or surgery.

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

Read some DRX9000 Testimonials         

DRX9000 Spinal Decompression for Chronic Back Pain

San Francisco Chiropractor and Disc Herniation Doctor Comments:

Millions of people suffer with chronic, severe, low back and neck pain. Some have been told they need surgery and do not want to go that route. Some have been told they just need to learn to live with the pain. Here is a list of the most common conditions responsible for chronic back pain:

• Disc Herniations in the neck or low back
• Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
• Spinal Arthritis (Osteoarthritis)
• Facet Syndrome
• Subluxation
• Scoliosis
• Spinal Stenosis

We have been treating chronic low back pain at my San Francisco Financial District Back & Wrist Pain Center for over 15 years now. Most of the time we are able to help patients with chronic low back pain, or chronic neck pain, with our unique brand of chiropractic care. But...sometimes chiropractic care does not help...nothing does. What do we do then?   

Well...this is when we consider non-surgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 (lumbar) or DRX9000c (cervical). Spinal decompression was created specifically to target herniated lumbar and cervical spinal disc to reduce neurovascular compression. Often times there is no way to accomplish this without risky surgeries...that may or not help. Sure, sometimes spinal decompression may not help either...but it will not hurt you...and it will leave you whole.  It's something to seriously consider if you feel you have run out of options and have nowhere else to turn.

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for nonsurgical spinal decompression at our San Francisco Chronic Back and Neck Pain Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.

Read some SF Bay Area DRX9000 Patient Success Stories

Chronic Back Pain and Food Choices

San Francisco Chiropractor comments on the relationship between back pain and diet:

We specialize in helping people with chronic, severe, back and neck pain, return to more normal lifestyles. Some of the conditions we treat at my San Francisco chiropractic clinic are degenerative disc disease, lumbar and cervical disc herniations, and spinal stenosis...along with spinal subluxations and sprains/strains.

Chiropractic is very good at putting things back in their proper alignment and restoring proper spinal spinal motion. However, this may not be enough. Sometimes the spinal problem has been there for so long that there is chronic inflammation...especially if the patient is carrying too much body weight.

The diet that is best for the spine, is the same diet that is best for our overall health and well being...a plant based diet. This does not have to be an all-or-none way of eating either. Just shifting more towards a plant based diet can give you big time results...quickly. Especially if you are overweight.

The best place to get information on plant based nutrition is www.drmcdougall.com.

If you live in San Francisco and would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our Financial District Back and Wrist Pain Center...simply call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation. Chances are...you will be glad you did.    

Nonsurgical Cervical Spinal Decompression

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor comments on the benefits of Spinal Decompression Therapy for Disc Herniations in The Neck:

About two and a half years ago we purchased a DRX9000 lumbar disc repair system. Then, about six months later, we purchased a DRX9000c cervical decompression system so we could treat ruptured discs in the neck.

Prior to this...we would refer patients that did not respond to traditional chiropractic care out for medical consultations. Now, we consider nonsurgical spinal decompression as a next step. The results have been excellent.

Here are some of the spinal conditions that can benefit from spinal decompression:

• Cervical Disc Herniations
• Lumbar Disc Herniations
• Spinal Stenosis
• Sciatica
• Bulging Lumbar or Cervical Discs
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Facet Syndrome

Just to be clear...the DRX9000 does not help everyone...nothing does. But, it is a safe, effective, state of the art treatment,  that was designed specifically to treat disc herniations and related disorders non-surgically. It's a smart choice if you are considering surgery or have not had much success with conventional neck or back pain remedies. 

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

SF Bay Area DRX9000 Success Stories  

Plant Based Nutrition and Weight Loss

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor comments on the benefits of eating a diet centered around Plant Foods:

I am asked frequently by old friends, patients, and relatives, how I stay so slim. But, when I try to tell them I am a vegetarian...they go into kind of a daze...and seem to lose interest in the conversation. It seems that everyone is always looking for that magic bullet...that new diet that allows you to still eat junk and lose weight at the same time. This is why fad diets are so popular.

Anyway...some people listen, and lots of people read this blog that are searching the internet for information on back and wrist pain nutrition, and specifically...plant based nutrition. So I share what I know...most of which I learned for a medical doctor named John McDougall, M.D.

I was first introduced to the McDougall Program when I was in chiropractic college, and I have been with the program ever since.

Dr. McDougall has a monthly newsletter that I recommend you subscribe to. In last Septembers issue there is a great article entitled:

If I Could Be Your Doctor, I Would Love to Tell You How:

To Lose Excess Weight Effortlessly, Painlessly, and Permanently

I tell people to give the diet a shot for 60 days. After 60 days...chances are you will look better, feel better, and weigh less. It's worth a shot .

      

DRX9000 Spinal Decompression Results Take Time

San Francisco Chiropractor and Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We meet with lots of disc herniation patients every month to determine if they are candidates for non-surgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000, or DRX9000c. We do an initial consultation, and a physical exam of the cervical and lumbar spine. Most of the time the patient has x-ray or MRI films...but if they don't...we get them. If we feel someone is a candidate for lumbar decompression therapy or cervical decompression therapy...we let them know.

Then...we look at the appointment book to see what the schedule looks like. Since the DRX9000 treatment protocol is for 20 sessions over a 5-6 week period...it can be challenging for patients to make this happen on the spot...especially if they are working.  So...sometimes the scheduling process takes a few days. But...when it is all said and done and the apts are made...we are ready to start decompression therapy.

Some disc herniation patients start to feel better right away once they start the DRX9000 treatment...others actually get a little more sore than they were, temporarily...and everything in between. What matters is how you feel at the end.

The patients that get the best results with spinal decompression do not concern themselves with what happens in the beginning. They focus on making their appointments, wearing their back supports...and adhering to the home care regimen. They let the DRX9000 do it's job...and really...hope for the best.

Because,  no matter what anyone says...there is just no way to know if the DRX9000 is going to work for you unless you do it. Not part of it...all of it. You can't tell after one session. You can't tell after three sessions...and you may not know until you are close to the end. That's just the way it is.

And...for a medical doctor, chiropractor, friend, or therapist to tell you not to do spinal decompression...they don't know either.

What we do know is non-surgical spinal decompression has helped hundreds of patients at my San Francisco Disc Herniation Center, and around the world, when nothing else would help.

And...for the patients that did not respond to decompression therapy...it did not harm them...and that is meaningful.

So, if you are serious about fixing your lumbar or cervical disc herniations...you should seriously consider giving the DRX9000 or DRX9000c a shot. Not part of it...all of it. Because if you only do part of it and you do not feel better...it has absolutely no bearing on whether or not you would feel better if you did the entire treatment. YOU STILL WONT KNOW. If you are going to do it...do it right. Chances are...you will be glad you did.

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 at our San Francisco Decompression Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary DRX consultation. 

San Francisco DRX9000 Patient Testimonials