Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

San Francisco Chiropractor: No Waiting-No Appointment Needed-No Hassles...Really!

                                                                       

San Francisco Financial District-Why plan your whole day around going to the chiropractor?... when you can just walk right over (and walk right in) to Executive Express Chiropractic during open hours (9-6 M-F, 9-1 Sat) and be seen in a jiffy...without an appointment.

That's right...appointments aren't necessary at Executive Express...and we are so efficient, your wait will not be more than a few minutes, if anything at all.  Here's how we do it...

We assign you a PIN code on your first visit which you use for future visits to check-in to our paperless patient management system. Then, next time...you just walk-in, you enter your PIN, and take care of business.

So...whether it's a simple sprain sprain in the neck from skiing over the weekend, or sciatica that has been bugging you for years...there's no need to put it off with Executive Express right around the corner....because after-all..."You Just Can't Afford To Be In Pain". 

You can reach Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225 or fill out our online intake form, which will save you even more time on your first visit.

We validate parking at the San Francisco Embarcadero Center.

We are preferred providers for Blue Shield of CA and United Health Care, and we accept most PPO insurance. Go here for a complimentary insurance benefits check.

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): Is it really a disease?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

There is a lot of debate about whether or not degenerative disc disease should be used as a medical diagnosis or not. After-all...how do you treat it? And...doesn't everyone have it to some extent?

These are valid concerns for which the opinions are many...including mine.

For what it's worth, here's my opinion based on 17 years experience as a practicing chiropractor in downtown San Francisco:

I think disc degeneration, just like any other degenerative disease (heart disease, cancer, diabetes), is primarily the inner manifestation of outer circumstances. Circumstances we have control over...specifically our "Lifestyle Choices".

Sure, there are other factors such as genetics, birth trauma, environmental, and physical stresses...but your lifestyle choices are the main switch.

The food you eat (#1 factor), the amount of exercise you get, your mental and physical stress levels, the amount of sleep you get, your mattress, your pillow, the way your desk is set-up, the way you take care of your spine (center of life), if you drink, smoke, or take drugs, etc.

A healthy lifestyle can help keep everything in check...including degenerative disc disease. And chiropractic can help keep the spine in alignment which is a component of a healthy lifestyle.

So...is DDD really a diagnosis? Hey, if it helps explain whats going on why not? Is it treatable?...sure to the extent that lifestyle factors and spinal misalignment's (Subluxations) are adjustable. I don't think you can treat DDD effectively (long term) with medications...but that's just me.

So there you have it...take it for what it's worth...and get regular chiropractic adjustments...if anything can help control DDD it's chiropractic.

To find out if you are a candidate for care at Executive Express Chiropractic at the SF Embarcadero Center...call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online. 

Carpal Tunnel Symptoms and Cervical Disc Herniations

San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Doctor Comments:

We have been helping patients with carpal tunnel symptoms for many years now in downtown San Francisco. We have also successfully treated our fair share of cervical disc herniations.

In fact...some of the patients with carpal tunnel symptoms also had herniated discs in the neck.

Is there a connection between carpal tunnel symptoms and cervical disc herniations?

Great question...and the answer is YES. Here's how they are connected:

The nerves that exit from in between the bones in the lower part of the neck travel down the arm and into the hands. These cervical nerves are prone to pressure from herniated and bulging discs in the neck as they branch off the spinal cord.

When there is pressure on a cervical nerve root it can cause problems at the target cells...in this case the hands. Symptoms like hand pain, numbness and tingling in the hands, burning, weakness, loss of grip strength, and night pain are classic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms.

CTS occurs when there is pressure on the median nerve in the carpal tunnel...an opening in the bend of the wrist. The median nerve is one of the branches of nerves that originates in the neck.

So how can I tell if my carpal tunnel symptoms are from the neck or hand?

It's really hard sometimes to make this determination yourself...it's best to see a carpal tunnel expert...a doctor that treats lots of CTS, like we do at Executive Express Chiropractic in the SF Financial District.

Honestly...true CTS is rare...but CTS symptoms are common and are usually the result of pressure on the cervical nerves from misaligned vertebrae (Subluxations), tight muscles, degenerated discs, bulging discs, and cervical disc herniations.

I know it sounds complicated, but it's not...and neither is the treatment. Sometimes we can fix a problem in a few sessions...sometimes it takes months...it just depends on the severity.

Sometimes we can't help at all...but that's rare. The moral of the story is to go see someone that treats CTS day in and day out...it will be worth the effort (sometimes an expert is hard to find).

If you have CTS symptoms and would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at Executive Express Chiropracticat the SF Embarcadero Center...call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.

 

New Seeing Machine Offers New Hope For The Blind

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I came across an excellent article in the Financial Times "Health" magazine insert dated 3/26/2009, page 7, entitled:

Visible Progress, Device lets blind see photos

The article talks about an amazing breakthrough at MIT that enables the blind to view pictures from a digital camera. At first the projection required a large $100,000 instrument, but now a portable version costing only $500 is being tested. It's about 5 inches square and sits on a tripod...check the story out. 

Does Eating Red Meat Shorten Your Life?

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

I have been teaching my San Francisco chiropractic patients about the benefits of a plant based diet for 17 years. And meat and dairy products...especially red meats, and processed meats are at the top of the list as far as foods to avoid or keep to a minimum.

The McDougall Program, which is the nutritional plan I follow,  does not require one to be 100% with the program...the more you do the more you gain. Personally, I adhere to the program 80-90%...with NO red meat or processed foods. So YES...I practice what I preach.

Anyway...if you haven't already seen it, there are results from a new study done by the U.S. National Cancer Institute floating around on the airwaves that support avoiding red meat...and certainly considering plant based nutrition. Check out this article from www.revoulutionhealth.com entitled:

Too Much Red Meat May Shorten Life Span

Tell me what you think by commenting below.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco at the Embarcadero Center. He can be reached at 415-392-2225.  

Sciatica and Spinal Decompression

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We have helped many patients with sciatica using spinal decompression at Executive Express Chiropractic in the SF Financial District. One thing for sure...sciatica (pain down the leg) is not much fun.

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body...it is the diameter of a quarter at it's largest point. The sciatic nerve is formed by branches of the nerve roots in your lumbar spine (low back). These nerves come together and form the sciatic nerve which travels down the leg to the feet.

Pressure anywhere along the nerve can cause leg pain, numbness, tingling, burning...even weakness.  The most likely source of sciatica related nerve compression is right where the nerve roots exit the spinal cord from in between the openings (vertebral foramina) in the bones in your low back (lumbar vertebrae). 

In between the vertebrae are inter-vertebral discs. The discs hold the bones together, give the spine flexibility, and separate the bones so the nerves have room to exit. When the spinal discs bulge, herniate, or degenerate, parts of the damaged disc can protrude and bulge causing nerve root pressure which can expresses itself as sciatica.

Obviously the solution is to remove this pressure, which is the purpose of spinal decompression. Decompression machines are designed and built for this.

Why decompression, wont other therapies help? Often times conventional treatments such as chiropractic, physical therapy, medications, acupuncture, or anything for that matter, do not help. These are the patients that should consider nonsurgical spinal decompression...why...because it might help...when nothing else will. And it is very safe.

Hey...sometimes spinal decompression wont help either...but most of the time it will. Will it help you? I don't know, and neither does anyone else...you have to do it to find out.

Here's the bottom line...if you think you have tried everything for your sciatica...you really haven't unless you have tried lumbar decompression...it's something to think about.

If you would like to find out more about nonsurgical spinal decompression at our downtown SF decompression center...call Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.

What's the best mattress for back pain?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I have been practicing chiropractic in the SF Financial District for 17 years now, and one of the most frequently asked questions is "what's the best mattress?".

Well, it's a really tough question, and often times my patient's don't like the answer...because I really don't have one.

What might be a great mattress for you...might kill someone else's back. You might sleep best on a firm mattress...or a soft one...who knows. I don't know, and neither does anyone else...you have to try them. This is why mattress companies have giant showrooms...so you can go try them out...but is that good enough? I don't think so...you have to sleep on the bed for a few days to really know. This is why all the beds have 90 day return policies.

Anyway...I was doing my daily reading on the latest back pain information and I came across an article at www.webMD.com about a study that was done on beds and back pain entitled:

Soft Bed or Hard Bed for Back pain?  

So...it's good to see my advice makes sense...check it out and let me know what you think.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic at the San Francisco Embarcadero Center. You can request an appointment online or call 415-392-2225.

Bulging Disc San Francisco?

San Francisco Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

We have been helping patients with bulging and herniated cervical and lumbar discs for over 17 years in the SF Financial District.

How do we know when someone has a bulging disc? We don't for sure, unless we order an MRI.

When do you order an MRI?  Usually, only after chiropractic fails to deliver results or the symptoms are severe.

I thought you said you have been helping people with bulging discs in downtown SF for 17 years. How do you know they had bulging discs if you helped them and they did not need an MRI? 

Geez...I'm giving myself some tough questions here...but that's OK...here's how it works...

Patients come to us with cervical or lumbar MRI's that they had taken before they came to us. Maybe they were told they need neck surgery or low back surgery. Or...maybe they had cortisone, pain or anti-inflammatory medications, or physical therapy that did not work. Hey...maybe they had chiropractic that did not work and they want to try what we do...not all chiropractic is the same.

Then we treat them and help them...and we have been doing this for 17 years.

But even our brand of chiropractic does not help all the patients we treat that have disc herniations, or disc bulges...but we have a next step...nonsurgical spinal decompression. Decompression is a high tech, fancy, highly effective machine that treats disc bulges, disc herniations, and degenerated discs without surgery.

So if we are treating a patient that is not responding to chiropractic and we order an MRI (or they already had one), and there are disc bulges or herniations, we try cervical or lumbar spinal decompression as a next step.

When we do this we help a great majority of this group. Nonsurgical spinal decompression is the new treatment of choice for thousands of chronic back and neck pain sufferers. To learn more about success rates check out the Spinal Decompression Special Report.

So anyway...if you live or work near downtown San Francisco and you are looking for bulging disc or herniated disc treatment, give San Francisco Spinal Decompression a call at 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.

Obesity Can Reduce Your Life Expectancy

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

I read an article in the USA Today yesterday entitled:

Obesity can carve 10 years off life

After reading the article, I was a little surprised it was buried back in the health section on page 7 of Section D. After-all...healthcare costs and reform is one of our nations most serious concerns...and one of President Obama's most difficult challenges.

It's all so crazy to me...when the answer probably sits on the plate in front of us every time we sit down to eat. Yes...4=2+2. (Poor Typical American Diet= Disease + Higher Health Care Costs). There is just never going to be a way to have your cake and eat it too. If you eat junk your appearance and your health will relect it.

The USA Today article is about a study of 800,000 people. It found that adults who are obese-about 40 or more pounds overweight-may be cutting serious time off of their life spans.

Get this...about 66% of adults in the USA are either overweight or obese...Geez...no wonder we are so sick as a Nation. According to studys...being obese has the same effect (taking life away) on your health as smoking...as long as you continue to do it. Here's what the article says:

"If you continue to smoke, it takes an average of 10 years off your life. Being obese has about the same effect."

Can you imagine if you do both?

How about taking some of this stimulus money and spending it on huge advertising campaigns to promote the health benefits of plant based nutrition and the connection between diet and disease?

But that will never happen...there is too much money behind the meat, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies...so we have to figure it out on our own using resources like www.drmcdougall.com.

Dr. John McDougall has been fighting this battle for most of his life...and a battle it is.

It really is tough knowing the potential solution for most of our health problems is right there in front of us...every meal.  

Anyway, check the article out and read some of the McDougall newsletters on his website...they are eye opening. Give plant based nutrition a try...you will like the way you look and feel...I guarantee it. 

Dr. Eben Davis can be reached at ebendavis@yahoo.com

Taking Responsibility For Your Health & Wealth

San Francisco Chiropractor, Employer, Husband, Friend, and Father Comments:

I am always surprised at how people are able to deny responsibility for the current state of their health, wealth, and well being. It's as if they are victims of circumstance and their health and livelihood depends on (or are the result of) the actions of others.

Well...I have some strong feelings about this. I do believe that my 3 year old daughter is the end product of everything her parents teach her, feed her, expose her to, and how we manage her health care.

However...when it comes to my adult friends, family, employees, and patients...I feel otherwise.

Sure...our worldview was formed primarily by our upbringing (and some had it worse than others)...and the template for our opinions and habits on everything from taking care of our bodies, the food we eat, and our work ethic, was formed during this time...but so what?  Now we are adults and we can make our own decisions, form our own good habits, and create fertile soil for good health and wealth based on our own actions and lifestyle choices.

The only prerequisite is DESIRE. The information and opportunities are out there...you just have to take action. The ball is in your court. You are the end product of everything you do, the people you hang out with, the books you read, the amount of times you workout per week, what you eat, what you drink, what you smoke, what you think, how hard you work, how much sleep you get, how you setup your desk, your attitudes, the way you manage time, etc. 

Sure, it's not easy sometimes...actually it's never easy...that's the whole point. You have to be willing to work through adverse conditions, mentally and physically to achieve great success...in health...and in wealth.

For example...I don't know a single chiropractor that achieved great success (including me) without devoting themselves 7 days per week for an extended period of time...the whole while wondering if they would ever succeed. But sticking with it because you have to go out on a limb...because you know that's where the fruit is. 

It's the same with health. I have heard so many people tell me that eating vegan made them sick and they needed meat for protein and on and on. Well...that's a normal cleansing reaction and the more sick you get (usually)...the more toxic you are. Kind of like a junkie going cold turkey.

Hey...it's not easy to do. But if you do it you get the benefits of eating that way...like staying trim and fit and higher resistance to most killer diseases. Eat the way you are eating...whatever that is...and your health and appearance will reflect that...it's that simple.

You are the sum total of all your actions and inaction's.

Life is like a cafeteria...you can have whatever you want...but at the end of the line you have to pay the price...and they always put the deserts first.

Heck...look at what a pro-athlete has to put themselves through to achieve greatness. Or a great business, or a great musician...they sacrifice and pay the price.  Why should what you do be any different?  It isn't...it's Universal Law. 

The bottom line is this: Health and wealth are spontaneous occurrences when the conditions are right...and it's up to YOU to create those conditions.