Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Equinox Fitness San Francisco Personal Training Tip: Functional Training

  

Functional Training; A workout that that will keep you strong, balanced and fit for life!

How many of you go to the gym and use machines rather than free weights? I know I used to before I became a personal trainer several years ago. I avoided medicine balls, stability balls, the BOSU ball and cable machines and stuck to the comfort of the weights machines and the treadmill. That was until I was introduced to the concept of Functional Training. This method of training completely revolutionized the way I worked and how I trained my clients, as it seemed to make sense. Functional training teaches a person how to handle their own body weight through balance and body awareness that mimics movements each of us do in our daily lives. Michael Boyle, a renowned strength and conditioning coach, states that Functional Training is ‘purposeful training’. It prepares an individual athlete for his or her sport and reduces injury by challenging balance and movement patterns, rather than giving the body a rigid stable environment. Functional Training is characterized by actions such as squatting, lunging, twisting, pushing and pulling. It teaches a person how to handle their own body weight in all planes of motion, without the two dimensionality of machines (NB: It must be acknowledged that the use of weights machines do have a place in some individual’s exercise regimes, for example injury rehabilitation). Functional training is a useful workout that everyone can do regardless of fitness level.

 

I have been inspired by experts in Functional Training such as Paul Chek, a Holistic Health Practitioner and corrective exercise specialist (works with LA Chiropractic College and many professional athletes). His work includes exercises that are very practical and can be used by a diverse population, from sedentary people to athletes. He bases his concept around movements that our ancestors would use to survive in the wild called “primal patterns”:

1)  SQUAT

2)   BEND

3)   LUNGE

4)   PUSH

5)   PULL

6)   TWIST

7)   GAIT-WALKING JOGGING OR SPRINTING

Although our environment is very different now he argues that these movements still apply today, for example, ‘the squat’. Many of us do this everyday getting in and out of a chair when sat at a computer screen, however some may acquire back, wrist or neck pain from sitting all day. Chek provides an exercise regime based around performing these seven basic movements correctly so that we can carry out daily lives injury free.

Functional Training works to achieve a chosen goal or objective specific to an individual’s needs. This means training your muscles and how they are used in your life, whether it’s walking upstairs, carrying groceries, picking up your child or playing a particular sport. In my job as a personal trainer at Equinox, San Francisco, I have found that functional training is applicable to everyone, as it encompasses many aspects of life. I work with a diverse clientele, but always keep in mind “training for purpose” and consider specific needs.  Functional training can be applied to:

• Pre/Post natal- Help prepare for childbirth; movements can be included that emulate lifting a baby from the crib to help build strength and reduce injury.
• Triathlon Training- A triathlete preparing for a big event. A program can be designed to work on balance, the action and the muscle groups involved in the run, bike and swim.
• Sedentary- Many of my clients have desk jobs and more often than not muscles can get tight or weak from sitting for prolonged periods. Functional training can help correct muscle imbalances and prevent injuries through stretching and performing bodyweight exercises to become more bodily aware.

To make the body stronger it is vital that exercises are done that challenge the proprioceptive nervous system, in other words your balance, testing your internal sensory feedback about the position of your body. This is a great way to strengthen the body and its major core muscles (muscles of the torso). For example, when you perform a lunge on an uneven surface you become more stable when lunging on a flat surface. Using equipment such as stability balls, cables, medicine balls, foam roller, dumbbells, Kettlebells, the BOSU, TRX can help facilitate this type of training and not to mention it can liven up your workout! You can use any of these pieces of equipment and apply Chek’s seven basic movements. For example, squat on TRX, Lunge on BOSU, pulling using a cable, shoulder raise on stability ball with dumbbells. See below:

 

     

 
   
 

     

So next time you head to the gym ask a personal trainer to help you use the equipment correctly to functionalize your workouts, make you stronger, more balanced and fit for your life!

Checkout the following websites for exercises and some of the equipment found in this article;

http://www.fitnessanywhere.com 

http://www.bosu.com

http://www.chekinstitut.com

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/

www.menshealth.com

www.RunnersWorld.com      

Michael Boyle ‘Functional Training for Sports’

Paul Chek ‘How to eat, move and be healthy’ 

  

 

Amy Fiske Bio: Personal Trainer Equinox Fitness San Francisco.

Education: BA in Religious Studies & Education from University of Stirling in Scotland, Masters in Education from the University of Surrey, London, previously worked as a High School teacher in Scotland and London.

Certifications: NPTI, NSCA-CPT, TRX, Pre/Post Natal, Kettlebells Level 1

Specialties: Weight loss, toning, running, swimming, cycling

Sports/Background: Running, yoga, swimming, cycling

Areas of interest: Nutrition and sports injury rehab

Hometown: Stirling, Scotland

A is for April, Artichokes, Asparagus and Alliums

 

by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD,

The Veggie Queen™

Spring is when vegetable shoots start popping out of the ground prolifically. I am thankful as some of my favorite vegetables appear in April. I’m not sure if I enjoy them so much because I’m tired of eating greens and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower or because the April vegetables taste so tantalizingly fresh.

You likely know artichokes, which make me wonder about the first person to ever eat the thorny thistles, and how delicious they are well steamed or boiled, parboiled and grilled, and then dipped in a rich garlicky sauce, and asparagus, the spring grass, which tastes great boiled, steamed, sautéed, pan-fried, roasted or grilled, alone or with a simple sauce.

The alliums are a whole family of plants that include garlic, green in the spring, onions, chives, leeks and shallots. For me, these vegetables are what add tremendous flavor and base notes to food. When they first arrive on the scene they are green and fresh. This is the only time of year that you will find green garlic so be careful because it can easily be mistaken for green onions. The same is true for tiny leeks. In fact, I’ve found in my classes that people have a very difficult time distinguishing one fresh, young allium from another. Tear off a leaf (frond) and sniff it which ought to give you a clue.

Once while I was traveling my husband made a salad with an entire bunch of green garlic which I detected as I got into the car as he picked me up at the airport. (Read more about this story in my cookbook The Veggie Queen™: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment http://www.theveggiequeen.com )

The joy of fresh alliums is that other than the root, and some people really enjoy these broom-like strings, you can use the entire stalk for cooking, with green garlic, leeks and shallots, or eating for spring or green onions.

The best and most affordable place to buy these alliums is at the farmer’s market. They add zing to your spring cooking. Alliums pair wonderfully with both asparagus and artichokes, which are also in season, and with winter’s greens. This dish uses green garlic with spicy mustard greens combined with soba noodles to make a fresh meal in a bowl.

Green Garlic, Mustard Greens and Soba Noodles with Shiitake-Ginger Sauce

Serves 4

This is not only delicious but provides incredible nutrition, all in one bowl.

1 ½    cups vegetable broth

¼    cup rice wine vinegar

¼    cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)

2     medium garlic cloves, crushed with flat side of a knife

½    pound shiitake mushrooms, or a combination of white, crimini and shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced thin

1     1-inch thick slice of gingerroot, halved and smashed with flat side of a chef’s knife blade

½    teaspoon Asian chile paste (chili paste with garlic – omit if you don’t like spicy foods)

2     tablespoons soy sauce

1     teaspoon sesame oil

Salt and ground black pepper

1 ½    pounds mustard or other greens (1 large bunch), washed well, leaves trimmed from ribs and cut into 2-inch pieces

1     8-ounce package soba noodles

2     teaspoons canola or other oil

3-4 stems green garlic, sliced into 2-inch diagonal pieces

3     tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

 

Simmer the ingredients, vegetable broth through sesame oil, in a large saucepan over high head until the liquid reduces by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, remove the garlic and ginger, season with salt and pepper to taste and cover the sauce.

Meanwhile, add 2 teaspoons salt to 5 quarts of boiling water. Add the noodles and greens. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the noodles and greens are tender. Reserve ½ cup of noodle water. Drain noodles and greens and set aside.

 

Add 2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil to the saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced green garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Return the greens and noodles to the pan. Add the reserved sauce and noodle-cooking water. Cook over medium low heat, stirring to meld flavors, about 1 minute. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

 

©2010, Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen, Visit her website at http://www.theveggiequeen.com to sign up for her newsletter

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms, Chiropractic, and the Neck

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

We have been treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) since 1992 at Executive Express Chiropractic (formerly Front Street Chiropractic) in the SF Financial District.

It wasn't that long ago that patients and associates would look at me strange when I suggested that the source of CTS symptoms is usually in the neck (conditions such as vertebral subluxations, cervical disc bulges and herniations, disc degeneration, facet syndrome, spinal stenosis, and forward head posture).

I used to hear something like this every day..."The pain is in my hand...why are you checking my neck?"

My staff, my fellow doctors, my patient's primary doctors, my wife...everyone thought this was a little strange...that is until they witnessed the results we were getting treating carpal tunnel patients from the neck down to the fingertips.  

The reason seems obvious now...now that it is almost a form of malpractice not to consider pathology in the neck (usually cervical radiculopathy) when it comes to diagnosing and treating CTS symptoms.

WHY? Because the nerves that innervate or connect and control the arm and hand originate in the neck. And pressure on these nerves in the neck causes the same signs and symptoms as true carpal tunnel syndrome. 

The nerve involved is CTS is called the median nerve. The median nerve originates in the neck. It is formed by branches of nerve roots from C5-C8 (C=cervical) which is the lower part of your neck. You have 7 bones in your neck (cervical spine)...and nerves exit from the left and right (underneath) of each bone. These nerves connect and form the 3 major nerves that control the arm and hand. The median nerve, the radial nerve, and the ulnar nerve. 

The median nerve (named median because it travels down the middle of the arm) travels through an area of bones and ligaments in the wrist called the carpal tunnel, where it is susceptible to pressure from either the contents of the tunnel expanding (nerves and tendons from inflammation and overuse, repetitive stress injuries-RSI) or the diameter of the tunnel contracting (bones out of alignment from poor ergonomics, trauma, degeneration, and congenital defects, tumors). If either of these situations occur it can put pressure on the median nerve causing clinical CTS. In fact, by definition CTS is median nerve compromise in the carpal tunnel. True CTS is rare.

Again (and this can be hard to grasp)...pressure on the nerves in the neck that form the median nerve causes the same symptoms (in the hands) as CTS when they have pressure on them. Here are the most common symptoms:

• Pain in the arm and hand or hands 
• Numbness and Tingling in the arms and hands
• Weakness of grip
• Night pain in the hand/s
• Burning sensations in the hand
• Clumsiness of hand/s
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Swelling of the hand 

So how do you know if you have CTS or if the problem is in the neck? You don't...you have to be checked by an expert to find out. A doctor that spends the majority of their day treating patients with neck, shoulder, arm and hand pain...like we do at Executive Express Chiropractic.

And...just because your doctor may correctly identify your carpal tunnel symptoms cause as originating the neck...it does not mean they know what to do about it.

I used to teach chiropractors from around the world how to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. My treatment approach is to work from the neck to the fingertips on both sides. We also address the entire spine because the spine functions as a unit. Heck...you could even have a short leg you don't know about that is causing imbalances in the spine leading to nerve pressure in the neck, resulting in CTS symptoms in your hand. Strange but true.

This is why so my people with hand pain find it hard to get the right kind of treatment and end up in a viscous circle of diagnostic testing, cortisone, pain pills, crazy treatments, and even surgery.

One of my chiropractic clinics in San Francisco was known as the Carpal Tunnel Injury Center for many years during the dot-com boom. Around this time we treated thousands of cases of CTS symptoms. I say CTS symptoms because true CTS is actually rare compared to the amount of patients with cervical spine related CTS symptoms.

Anyway...the bottom line is this. If you have CTS symptoms you need to find yourself a doctor that not only diagnosis CTS and it's related disorders day in and day out (and understands the neck-hand connection)...but that also has a proven method of treatment. This is often times not easy.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area you can visit our team of San Francisco Chiropractors. If you do not live here you can email me at drdavis@executiveexpresschiro.com and I can do my best to refer you to someone good in your area.

In any case...don't just head to the operating table or give up on getting better. It may be that you just have not found the right doctor...a doctor that knows CTS, and the CTS-cervical spine connection...and how to treat it.  

To schedule a complimentary CTS evaluation at Executive Express Chiropractic...call 415-392-2225 or schedule an appointment online.

*True CTS Facts: Women are more prone to CTS. Conditions such as Thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances, and high salt/high fat diets can predispose one to CTS. Smokers are much more prone to CTS as are pregnant women. 

**Tumors in the neck or hand can also cause CTS Symptoms...but this is very very rare.  

Executive Express Chiropractic Google Map

Spinal Decompression for Sciatica

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We have been helping patients with sciatica since 1992 at Executive Express Chiropractic (formerly Front Street Chiropractic) in the Financial District. 

About 5 years ago we began to incorporate spinal decompression into our low back pain protocols for sciatica. Most cases of sciatica are due to neurovascular compression from a bulging disc or herniated disc.

Here is what www.Spine-health.com has to say about Sciatica:

The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that originates in the low back and travels through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg.

The vast majority of people who experience sciatica get better with time (usually a few weeks or months) and find pain relief with non-surgical sciatica treatment. For others, however, sciatic nerve pain can be severe and debilitating.

The Sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body...it's diameter can be as large as a quarter. The nerve roots of the sciatic nerve originate in the lower back and exit from in between the lumbar vertebrae, before coming together to form the sciatic nerve.

Nerves are very sensitive to pressure. In fact, the the weight of a dime on the sciatic nerve can interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses and cause pain. There are many sources of nerve root pressure, here are a few: Bone out of place (vertebral subluxation), spinal stenosis, disc herniation, disc bulge, spinal degeneration, facet syndrome, and facet syndromes.

When we get pressure on a nerve root, the pain will travel to whatever body part that nerve is traveling to. Since lumbar nerve roots travel down the leg and into the feet...pressure on them (often referred to as a pinched nerve) can cause pain, numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, in the legs and feet.

In reality, Sciatica is a symptom, not a cause. You can also get sciatica from pressure on the sciatic nerve as it travels through the Piriformis muscle in the buttocks...this is called Piriformis Syndrome.  

Since most case of sciatica are from a herniated disc or a bulging disc (often referred to as slipped disc)...the question becomes...What is the best treatment to fix a herniated disc? 

Take the Spinal Decompression Guided Tour.

Sure there is back surgery...but back surgery is not indicated all of the time. Heck...my experience has been that back surgery is not indicated most of the time.

Nonsurgical spinal decompression machines are designed and built to treat lumbar disc herniations, disc bulges, stenosis, and facet syndromes without surgery. Spinal decompression enlarges the disc space, elongates the spine, re-positions the disc, re-hydrates the disc, and strengthens the spinal ligaments and muscles. It's like a respirator for the discs. The results have been amazing at our spinal decompression center in San Francisco.   

Does spinal decompression fix everyone?...NO...but not everyone qualifies either. You have to qualify. Sometimes your herniated disc and spinal degeneration is beyond the reach of spinal decompression. A trained spinal decompression doctor will be able to make the call.

If you have sciatica or other lumbar neurovascular compression signs and symptoms and would like to find out if you are a candidate for nonsurgical spinal decompression, please call Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation. 

Google Map to Executive Express Chiropractic and Spinal Decompression

Migraine Headache Treatment San Francisco

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments on His Migraine Headaches:

I know first hand about migraine headaches, and how they can suck the life out of you. I decided to become a chiropractor because of my amazing experience as a chiropractic patient suffering with debilitating migraine headaches.

I had tried everything, including various pain killers, miracle headache cures, muscle relaxers, ice, heat, meditation, acupuncture, you name it. I had x-rays, MRI films, hearing tests, CAT scans, blood tests, sinus exams, and visited every kind of medical specialist under the sun. Nobody could figure out what was wrong with me...it was not much fun.

At the time I was young...I had just finished school and was starting what I thought was going to be a life long career in the financial markets. Now...here I was bedridden, unable to work, unable to work out, unable to socialize...taking pain pills all day.

Well...a client of mine was a very successful chiropractor. He had no idea that I was suffering with headaches...because they had just come out of the blue...and I did not think to contact him. In fact...a chiropractor was the last person I thought I needed to see considering I was being told I may have a brain tumor and to brace for the worst.

Anyway...he contacted me at home and told me to get my but down there so he could check me out. Heck...at this point I would have tried anything. Well...the rest is history.

I must say though, I was very skeptical in the beginning. 

At first I did not believe what was happening. When I started to feel better I thought it was just a coincidence I happened to be getting chiropractic adjustments...and that the headaches were going away on their own. So I stopped after 5 or 6 visits...then the headaches came back. Well, now I thought the chiropractic didn't work.

Needless to say I was not the most cooperative patient in the world. But I came back with my tail between my legs and stuck out the treatment. As it turned out I had pinched nerves in my neck and Vertebral Subluxations (this is what chiropractors treat)...a primary cause of tension and migraine headaches.

I could not believe the turnaround and I really got into the chiropractic lifestyle and philosophy. I had just got my life back without drugs or surgery...which is where I thought I was heading.

So here we are 25 years later and I have helped thousands of migraine headaches sufferers return to more normal lives with chiropractic care. Has every single San Francisco Chiropractic patient I have treated for headaches gotten better?...NO...just the overwhelming majority of them.

I know there are all sorts of causes of headaches and migraine headaches that are beyond the scope of chiropractic...but I also know what happened to me. And over the past 20+ years as a chiropractic student and doctor, I have witnessed similar miracles over and over again. 

It's easy to get caught in a downward spiral with migraine headaches because of the way they effect you. So when you pull out of it from chiropractic...most often quickly...it can seem like a miracle...believe me I know. But the truth of the matter is this...It's business as usual at the local chiropractor...and miracles happen every day.

So if you are suffering with tension headaches or migraine headaches, or you know somebody that is...your next move should be to the chiropractor.

If you live or work near the San Francisco Financial District you can visit us at Executive Express Chiropractic. We are at the Embarcadero Center and we validate parking.  You can reach us at 415-392-2225.

Executive Express Chiropractic Google Map

       

Back Pain Treatments: Is Exercise Your Best Option? What About Chiropractic?

San Francisco Chiropractor comments:

I have known for a while that x-rays and MRI are over-utilized. This is why we do not take x-rays at Executive Express Chiropractic. We send out for them if there are any Red Flags which is rare.

In fact...a Stanford University study (see below) says there are much more back surgeries where there are higher concentrations of MRI machines. But this information has actually been around for a while. It's like this with many kinds of medical treatments. It seems that if you are a hammer...everyone is a nail.

In addition...and this is not new news either...many back surgeries appear to be unnecessary...and the outcomes are not any better than if the patient had done Exercise as a Back Pain Treatment. That's right, exercise.

Anyway, check out this article. I agree with everything in it, except for the fact that it does not mention chiropractic care at all, which is strange considering chiropractic is the world's largest drug-less healing profession, and the #1 choice for back pain.

Any good chiropractor will incorporate spinal exercises into their treatment regimens. Chiropractic and Exercise is a very powerful 1-2 punch.  

Bad Back Treatments

 

Back pain -- it’s not so much a question of if you’ll get it, but when. Four out of five people experience annoying lower back pain at some time in life... and it’s natural to want to do something to fix it. But before you do, know this: The scientific evidence now shows that for lower back pain, waiting it out is just about as effective as more dramatic (and risky) treatments, such as surgery, narcotics and steroids.

Back Attack

Before we go further with this, though, we need to be clear on one point. Back pain that is of sudden onset due to a fall or blow to the back, or accompanied by other symptoms that could indicate a heart attack or other medical emergency requires an immediate trip to the ER. And if you experience back pain and you also have other medical issues (such as cancer or neurological problems), see your doctor to be sure it isn’t a sign that something else is going on.

I was inspired to look into run-of-the-mill back pain when I read a study published in the medical journal Spine, reporting that people with back pain were getting complicated treatments that don’t help and may in fact cause harm... while less than half get a prescription for the safe, effective and simple self-treatment proven to make things better -- which is exercise. I called the study author, Timothy Carey, MD, professor of social medicine at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and director of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, to ask some questions. Dr. Carey told me that low back pain does not always require tests, such as CT scans or MRIs. Unless you have a history of cancer, osteoporosis, fever, weight loss (these are sometimes called red-flag symptoms) or current muscle weakness or urinary difficulty, it probably makes sense to wait one month before proceeding with such tests.

Why Tests May Cause Harm

A recent study from Stanford University showed that in regions of the US where there is lots of MRI technology available, there are far more back surgeries -- and also that having an MRI early in the course of back pain not only doesn’t tend to lead to a better outcome, it may actually induce health-care providers to suggest unneeded surgery. Aggressive use of CT scans also can lead to over-treatment, Dr. Carey noted. "These imaging techniques provide wonderful pictures of the anatomy of the back, but the images are only loosely correlated with how the back functions," he said.

Dr. Carey’s advice: Before agreeing to undergo an imaging procedure, discuss with your doctor what next steps are being considered. As Dr. Carey points out, "if the results aren’t going to change treatment, then there’s not a good reason to get the test."

We all know the dangers of narcotic drugs, which are often overused for back pain, Dr. Carey told me. He authored a study (also reported in the journal Spine) that looked at 732 people with chronic low back pain that had lasted longer than three months. Sixty-one percent had been treated with narcotics. "These can have significant side effects and can be habit forming, and there’s very little evidence that they work well to improve patients’ functioning," he added.

What’s a Back Patient To Do?

Meanwhile, only half the respondents in Dr. Carey’s study had been given a prescription for exercise even though there’s strong evidence that engaging in aerobic exercise several times a week helps alleviate back pain. He told me that exercise can be very effective if you take it seriously as a therapy and really do it. "Just as you take a medication at a specific dose, a specific number of times a day, for a specific number of days, exercise also needs to be structured," he explained. If you aren’t particularly fit or haven’t been exercising, Dr. Carey advises walking briskly 10 minutes a day for the first week, then checking with your doctor before extending your workout to 20 and eventually to 30 minutes a day.

Try this: Also good are range of motion exercises for the spine, such as slow rotations. Gradually (over 30 seconds or so) bend from one side through the front and then on to the other side -- then reverse the movement. Do this for five to 10 minutes before aerobic exercise, said Dr. Carey. The stretching and strengthening that yoga offers can be helpful in relieving back pain, too. He said it's best to "get out and get moving," noting that prolonged bed rest is bad for the back and should be avoided. He acknowledged that people with back pain may find exercise increases their discomfort initially, but he urges sticking with it. "You’re not damaging your back, and after a week or two, the pain level will start to decline," he said.

If you do need a pain reliever, several are effective and safe when taken for a short time. These include acetaminophen(Tylenol)... over-the-counter NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil)... and prescription muscle relaxants, such as cyclobenzaprine(Flexeril), especially if you’re having trouble sleeping. All muscle relaxants tend to be sedating, so be cautious if you’re going to drive, and never combine them with alcohol.

You may have an uncomfortable week or two while recovering from benign low back pain but, with patience and conservative treatment, most such back pain improves, notes Dr. Carey. In a small number of cases, the pain doesn’t improve -- and then it may be time for more doctor visits and tests.

Source(s):

Timothy Carey, MD, MPH, professor of social medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and director of The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, Chapel Hill.

 

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco at the Embarcadero Center.  

   

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments on Health Care Reform

The Health Care Bill heads to president Obama's desk today for his signature. And everyone wants to know...How will the Health Care Bill effect me, my children, my business?

Well...I think the answer at this point in time is...not much, if at all.

From what I can see, most of changes go into effect several years from now.

On the surface...it doesn't look all that great for small business owners or high income earners...but who knows how it will all shake-out.

One thing for sure...today is a new day, and life goes on...health reform or not.

As a patient at Executive Express Chiropractic...the Health Care Reform Bill passage will not impact your treatment whatsoever...it's business as usual. We will continue to deliver world class service with no-waiting and no hassles, just like we always have.

If you ever have any questions about insurance, finances, flexible spending accounts, payment plans, or anything else...just ask one of our friendly staff and we will make sure you get the answers you need. 

We have been practicing chiropractic in San Francisco for 18 years. During this time there have been 2 recessions, the dot-com boom and bust, 911, the financial crisis, and who knows what else. But life goes on...and we have a job to do...keeping our patients healthy.

Because that's what we do.

Dr. Eben Davis has been practicing chiropractic in the San Francisco Financial District since 1992. Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center offers Walk-in Service, No-Waiting, and validates Parking. We are open M-F. 9-6, and Sat 9-1.

 

 

Earthquake Survival Instructions: Please Read if you Live in an Earthquake Zone. Share with Loved Ones. It's NOT what we've been told

Subject: FW: Earthquake survival 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

This was passed on to me.  It is worth sharing.
 

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the
American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced
rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an
earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from
60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member
of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have
worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for
simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City
during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was
crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying
down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I
wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know
that the children were told to hide under something. I am amazed that even
today schools are still using the ?Duck and Cover? instructions- telling the
children to squat under their desks with their heads bowed and covered with
their hands. This was the technique used in the Mexico City school.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling
upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space
or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of life'. The
larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the
object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the
person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time
you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you see
formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a
collapsed building.

                        


TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Almost everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' when buildings collapse ARE
CRUSHED TO DEATH. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are
crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You
should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. That
position helps you survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to
a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a
void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an
earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If
the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also,
the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings
will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less
squashed bodies than concrete slabs. Concrete slab buildings are the most
dangerous during an earthquake.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll
off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a
much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the
back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,
next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the
door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a
sofa, or large chair.

6) Almost everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is
killed. How? If you stand under a doorwa y and the doorjamb falls forward or
backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls
sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be
killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of frequency
(they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and
remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural
failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they
fail are chopped up by the stair treads ? horribly mutilated. Even if the
building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a
likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not
collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by
fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest
of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It
is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the
interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the
building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in
an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened
with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the
San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all
killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and lying in the
fetal position next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived
if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them.
All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars
that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and
other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids
are found surrounding stacks of paper.

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct.
The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of Istanbul
Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific
test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten
mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle
of life' survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled
through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the
results.

The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly
observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed
there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my
method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of
viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe , and it was seen in
the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The entire world is experiencing
natural calamities so be prepared!

I have created a permanent category on this blog called “earthquakes” for these instructions in case you need to find them later: www.sfbackpaindoctor.com.   

                       

 

 

Back Pain, Backpacks and Children

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

As the father of a soon to be 5 year old daughter, I am concerned about her posture...even more so because I am a chiropractor, and posture is my specialty.

While my daughter has not started wearing a backpack yet, I am concerned about when she does.

Here's an excerpt from an article on the Children's Hospital Boston website entitled:

Is my child's backpack too heavy?

Many children today are coming home with backpacks laden with several books, notebooks, calculators and school supplies, often bent over under the strain of carrying it all. Some students end up carrying bags that are equal to 30 percent of their body weight, according to some studies. Pierre d'Hemecourt, MD, Sports Medicine specialist at Children's Hospital Boston, offered the following information on the risks associated with heavy backpacks.

Can heavy backpacks cause back problems for my child?
This issue is a bit controversial, as there is no specific proof as to whether backpacks are a direct cause of back problems. During adolescence kids are going through growth spurts and so their bones and posture are susceptible to injury from playing sports, as well as from heavy backpacks. However, the AmericanAcademy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Physical Therapy Association have set out guidelines that should be used with backpacks to reduce the risks associated with them.

I can tell you this…In my professional opinion; backpacks are a primary cause of Forward Head Posture in children. We are living organisms, and we adapt to our external environment. If you are a child and you are wearing a heavy backpack that contains up to 30% of your bodyweight, day in and day out…your body has to adapt to this…and yes, permanent (but not irreversible) changes can and will occur.  

 

The good news is...problems can be prevented in the first place with proper education and planning. Life is a balance scale...with positives on one side, and negatives on the other. There are backpacks that are more posture friendly than others. Checkout this video entitled: Backpacks without back pain. These are a little expensive, but there are cheaper options.

 

Ergoworks has some reasonably priced backpacks for children. You can also find guidelines for backpack weight vs. your child's bodyweight.

 

Anyway...just like most everything, there are best practices for backpacks and children. A little bit of planning will go a long way when it comes to minimizing backpack stress and back pain. 

 

And don't forget to have your child's posture checked at least every 6 months by a chiropractor. Early detection can go a long way when it comes to correcting postural problems in children.

 

For a complimentary postural assessment for your children at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco...call 415-392-2225. 

 

Google Map of Executive Express Chiropractic

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments on Walk-in, No Wait Policy

                                                                           

There are many Chiropractors in San Francisco. What makes Executive Express Chiropractic different is we make visiting the chiropractor easy.

When we built our clinic from scratch, we told our architect that we wanted to be able to process patients with zero to just a few minutes wait time. Why?...because wait time is the #1 complaint that patients have about most doctor visits.

In addition, we wanted patients to be able to walk-in without an appointment. Why?...because schedules change, and reasons for wanting to visit a chiropractor, such as back pain, neck pain, headaches, or stress, can appear out of nowhere. 

Who wants to have the urge to visit a chiropractor, but then have to jump through the hoops of making an appointment...for who knows when...and then have to wait...usually longer than the time you are actually undergoing treatment? It's a major deterrent...and it's the reason this San Francisco Chiropractor exists...to bust-up this old way of doing things.

We built Executive Express Chiropractic for YOU.

Sure...there are some other chiropractors in the Financial District that try to pull this off...but nobody does it like we do. 

And...we are open all day...9-6pm and 9-1pm on Saturdays. We can also validate your parking at the Embarcadero Center. Have you ever tried to find a parking space in downtown San Francisco?...Good Luck. 

So...there you have it. Do we have it all figured out? NO...we are not that arrogant. We are always learning and trying to improve our patient visit encounter. And we welcome your suggestions.

And we know there are many San Francisco Chiropractors to choose from. So this keeps us on our toes.

Anyway, if you live or work near the SF Financial District and would like to check us out, you can reach Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225. You can also save even more time by filling out our secure online intake form. Or...you can just come on down. 

Executive Express Chiropractic Map