Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Herniated Disc Treatment with Spinal Decompression

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We have been providing treatment for herniated discs in San Francisco for almost 20 years now at Executive Express Chiropractic (formerly Front Street Chiropractic).

About 6 years ago we began to incorporate Spinal Decompression into our herniated disc treatment protocols. First it was lumbar decompression with the DRX9000. Then cervical decompression with the DRX9000c. The results have been outstanding.

Spinal decompression machines are designed and built to treat cervical and lumbar disc herniations and related neurovascular compression syndromes without drugs or surgery. Here is a list of the conditions that spinal decompression can help:

• Lumbar disc herniations
• Cervical disc herniations
• Cervical disc bulges & Lumbar disc bulges
• Foraminal stenosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Disc degeneration
• Facet syndrome

I like to think of nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 or DRX9000c (or many of the other fine decompression systems on the market) as a respirator for the spinal discs. The action of spinal decompression on an injured disc, helps the disc to function they way it would if it were healthy...which helps to make it healthy...to the extent this is possible. There are limitations of matter.

But now I know...hundreds of successfully treated disc patients later...that the body can do amazing things if given the chance. And spinal decompression gives the herniated disc a chance. A chance to repair itself...a chance to give back lost life.

Can spinal decompression help you? Maybe. The only way to find out for sure is to saddle-up and go through the entire decompression protocol, which can take 6-10 weeks.

You have to qualify medically though. Not all patients with a herniated disc qualify.

For instance, if you have surgical spinal fusion or any hardware in the spine you are disqualified from treatment. Or if you have an unstable spondylolisthesis...or a severe scolisosis.

The best thing to do is to find a spinal decompression doctor near you and find out if disc decompression makes sense for your condition.

If you live in the SF Bay Area, you can contact our San Francisco Spinal Decompression clinic at 415-392-2225. Ask for a complimentary consultation. Mention this blog post.

Directions to our SF Spinal Decompression Clinic

SF Spinal Decompression Testimonials

 

San Francisco Chiropractor Review: Whiplash

Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco "Patient of the week" is Carlos Lopez. Carlos was suffering with a whiplash injury after being struck from behind by another vehicle. Carlos is feeling much better now thanks to our unique brand of chiropractic, massage, special exercises, and TLC. We have been providing whiplash treatment in San Francisco for almost 20 years. Thanks for sharing Carlos.

San Francisco Chiropractor Reviews

To schedule an appointment at Executive Express Chiropractic call 415-392-2225.

Reviews and directions to Executive Express Chiropractic

Spinal Decompression: There's more to it than just the machine!

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We were the first to offer nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 in San Francisco. That was about six years ago.  During this time we have helped hundreds of herniated disc patients return to more normal lives. We have also learned from each and every spinal decompression patient, how to make the treatment work even better.

Many herniated disc patients that are searching for a spinal decompression center in SF make the mistake of thinking that spinal decompression therapy is the same anywhere. After-all...it's a machine isn't it?

Sure, the DRX9000 (and any of the other fine decompression systems) is a machine designed and built to treat herniated discs and other neurovascular compression syndromes (bulging discs, spinal stenosis, disc degeneration, facet syndrome)...but somebody still needs to know how to use it and apply it to each individual patient. There is a learning curve.

I know...because our spinal decompression results are much better now than they were in the beginning. In fact...it's night and day.

We are better at determining how many drx9000 sessions a patient needs. We are better at knowing what other therapies to incorporate (such as deep tissue laser therapy) into the treatment. We are better at knowing when to begin exercises and which exercises work best for specific conditions. We are better at the actual set-up of the machine and putting the harness on the patient. We know when we should change the angle of pull or not. And, we know how to teach our patients what they need to do to make sure the results last. 

So please...when you are searching for a spinal decompression doctor in San Francisco...ask them how many herniated disc patients they have treated, and for how long. Why?...because it matters. Big Time!

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco.

For a complimentary consultation at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center...please call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

Read some SF Spinal Decompression Success Stories.

Executive Express Chiropractic on facebook

We also offer cervical spinal decompression with the DRX9000c

 

Keeping Your Back Healthy While at Work!

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Whether your work is physically demanding or not, you can be putting your back at risk for injury and possible pain. Something as simple as choosing the right office chair or knowing the proper techniques for lifting objects can go a long way in keeping your back and spine healthy and strong.

Here is an excerpt from an article I found on Spine-health.com, the worlds #1 online spine resource, entitled 11 Ergonomic Tips for Synchronizing Your Workstation and Office Chair:

Having the best designed and most ergonomically-friendly office equipment may not necessarily mean much for preventing back pain, neck pain and other pain if such equipment is out of sync with your workstation, as confirmed in a recent study that provides a great forum for examining how you can adjust an office chair to your work environment.

Detailed in the October issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a new study found that workers who received not only new ergonomic office furniture but professional set-up by an ergonomist had less symptoms of musculoskeletal pain and eyestrain 18 months later than those workers who had to set up their new furniture on their own based off instructions.

Now what if your employer can’t afford to hire a professional ergonomist to visit your office during these tough economic times? Well, there are still many ways to be proactive when setting up your office chair and desk just right to your needs and the principles of ergonomics.

Click here for full story

My Take: The fact of the matter is...we are not designed to be sitting in a chair all day in front of a computer. If we are going to do this we need to adjust as many of the variables we can in the right direction. These 11 workstation ergonomic tips cover all the basics.

Check-out Dr. Eben Davis on Spine-health.   

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco.

How Imbalances in the Feet Effect the Spine

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:                                                                                                                                                                                       
It is not uncommon to trace the cause of chronic neck pain, back pain, or headaches, to imbalances in the feet. Sounds strange...but it's true.

This explanation from Foot Levelers summarizes how it all starts with the feet:

Your feet are the foundation of your body. They support you when you stand, walk, or run. And they help protect your spine, bones, and soft tissues from damaging stress as you move around. Your feet perform better when all their muscles, arches, and bones are in their ideal stable positions.

The foot is constructed with three arches which, when properly maintained, give exceptional supportive strength. These three arches form a supporting vault that distributes the weight of the entire body.

If there is compromise of one arch in the foot, the other arches must compensate and are subject to additional stresses, which usually leads to further compromise.

It’s a chain reaction.

Healthcare professionals know alleviating pain in one part of your body often requires treating a different part. The pain you feel in your neck could be caused by a misalignment in your spine that is caused by unbalanced positioning in your feet. See? It’s a chain reaction.

By stabilizing and balancing your feet, Foot Levelers orthotics enhance your body’s performance and efficiency, reduce pain, and contribute to your total body wellness. Our orthotics complement your healthcare professional’s treatment when you stand, walk, and live your active life.

At Executive Express Chiropractic we incorporate custom Foot Levelers pelvic stabilizers into our chiropractic treatment programs. This is how custom orthotics work.

If you would like a complimentary electronic foot scan to see if you are a candidate for Foot Levelers custom orthotics...please call 415-393-2225 and mention this blog post.

Directions to Executive Express Chiropractic

Executive Express Chiropractic on facebook

Can Chiropractic Help a Migraine Headache?

It's Headache Awareness Week at Executive Express Chiropractic 

We have been providing treatment for migraine  headaches in San Francisco for almost 20 years now. As a former migraine headache sufferer myself, I know first hand how they can effect ones life. I also know how hard it is to find answers.

I know what it's like to take migraine headache medications that make you feel even worse. I know what it's like to be told to brace for the worse because you could have a brain tumor. I know what it's like not to be able to work or play...to be bed ridden.

Because of this I have been able to relate to migraine headache patients on a different level because I have first hand experience. I lived it. In fact, it was migraine headaches that led me to chiropractic. And it was chiropractic that cured my migraines and made me want to become a chiropractor.

Story's like mine are common in chiropractic...it's one of the great things about our profession.

Anyway, here is an excerpt from the Mayo Clinic Migraine Headache page:

Migraines are chronic headaches that can cause significant pain for hours or even days. Symptoms can be so severe that all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down.

Some migraines are preceded or accompanied by sensory warning symptoms or signs (auras), such as flashes of light, blind spots or tingling in your arm or leg. A migraine is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

Although there's no cure, medications can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. If treatment hasn't worked for you in the past, it's worth talking to your doctor about trying a different migraine medication. The right medicines combined with self-help remedies and lifestyle changes may make a tremendous difference.

Migraines usually begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. A typical migraine attack produces some or all of these signs and symptoms:

• Moderate to severe pain, which may be confined to one side of the head or may affect both sides
• Head pain with a pulsating or throbbing quality
• Pain that worsens with physical activity
• Pain that interferes with your regular activities
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Sensitivity to light and sound

When untreated, a migraine typically lasts from four to 72 hours, but the frequency with which headaches occur varies from person to person. You may have migraines several times a month or much less frequently.

Not all migraines are the same. Most people experience migraines without auras, which were previously called common migraines. Some people have migraines with auras, which were previously called classic migraines. Auras can include changes to your vision, such as seeing flashes of light, and feeling pins and needles in an arm or leg.

Whether or not you have auras, you may have one or more sensations of premonition (prodrome) several hours or a day or so before your headache actually strikes, including:

• Feelings of elation or intense energy
• Cravings for sweets
• Thirst
• Drowsiness
• Irritability or depression

When to see a doctor
Migraines are often undiagnosed and untreated. If you experience signs and symptoms of migraine, keep a record of your attacks and how you treated them. Then make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your headaches and decide on a treatment plan.

Even if you have a history of headaches, see your doctor if the pattern changes or your headaches suddenly feel different.

Click for full article: Mayo Clinic Migraine Headache page.

My Take: I had most of the symptoms above...and the migraine medications made them worse. I had hearing tests, x-rays, brain scans, MRI, pain pills, nausea pills, sleeping pills, and a bunch of other pills. I would have tried anything...which is how many migraine headache patients feel when they enter our San Francisco chiropractic clinic.

As it turned out, I had pressure on my brain-stem because the bones in the upper part of my cervical spine were out of alignment. When I first heard this I did not believe it and did not think chiropractic would help. But after a few sessions my headaches began to resolve and I was on the road to recovery. It seemed like a miracle...but for my chiropractor (who I became best friends with), it was just another day at the office.

Listen...chiropractic is not a miracle cure for all headaches, especially migraine headaches...but it was for me, and for the thousands of migraine patients every year that chiropractors cure...how do you think they feel?

Is there scientific proof of how chiropractic adjustments help migraine headaches?

Probably not...but there are millions of happy chiropractic patients that could care less.

Heck, I have helped thousands of headache patients over the past 20 years return to more normal lives.

Sure, I have had my share of migraine headache patients that I could not help...but it has been the exception, not the rule.

So,  if you or someone you know is suffering with migraines, consider chiropractic. Chances are...you will be glad you did!

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco.

To schedule a complimentary headaches assessment call 415-392-2225.

Reviews and Directions to Executive Express Chiropractic

 

What is a Tension Headache?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

This week is Headache Awareness Week at Executive Express Chiropractic. Our objective is to help educate the community, as well as our patient base, on the various types of headaches and the drug-less treatment options that are available for them.

Tension Headaches are considered the most common type of headache. Here is an excerpt of what the Mayo Clinic has to say about them:

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

A tension headache is generally a diffuse, mild to moderate pain that's often described as feeling like a tight band around your head. A tension headache — or tension-type headache as it's medically known — is the most common type of headache, and yet its causes aren't well understood.

It may feel as if muscle contractions are responsible for your head pain, which is why this type of headache is generally referred to as a tension-type headache, though experts no longer think muscle contractions are the cause.

Fortunately, effective treatments for tension headaches are available. Managing a tension headache is often a balance between fostering healthy habits, finding effective non-drug treatments and using medications appropriately.

Signs and symptoms of a tension headache include:

• Dull, aching head pain
• The sensation of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head
• Tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles
• Occasionally, loss of appetite

A tension headache can last from 30 minutes to an entire week. You may experience these headaches only occasionally, or nearly all the time. If your headaches occur 15 or more days a month for at least three months, they're considered chronic. If you have headaches that occur fewer than 15 times in a month, your headaches are considered episodic. However, people with frequent episodic headaches are at a higher risk of developing chronic headaches.

The headache is usually described as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one person to another, and from one headache to another in the same person.

Tension headaches can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from migraines, but unlike some forms of migraine, tension headache usually isn't associated with visual disturbances (blind spots or flashing lights), nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, or slurred speech. And, while physical activity typically aggravates migraine pain, it doesn't make tension headache pain worse. An increased sensitivity to light or sound can occur with a tension headache, but these aren't common symptoms.

When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor
If tension headache disrupts your life or you find that you need to take medication for your headaches more than twice a week, make an appointment to see your doctor.

Click here for full Mayo Clinic article on tension headaches.

My Take: As a former migraine headache sufferer (this is how I was introduced to chiropractic), I know first hand how headaches can interfere with your life. I also know from my experience as a migraine headaches patient and from my 20 years experience treating them, that it's often hard to name a headache (tension, migraine, cluster, temporal, etc.) because the symptoms overlap.

I also learned from my experience with migraine headaches, that in general (and it has gotten better)...most doctors tend to look for a chemical cause vs. physical...which is why they treat the headache with a chemical (drug).

If the problem is physical, such as a pinched nerve in the neck, a bone out of alignment, cervical muscle spasms from abnormal posture pulling on the head...or even a short leg causing muscular imbalances throughout the body...what good is the chemical going to do other than mask the real problem? And the drugs can cause a whole new set of health concerns (side effects).  

Hey, sometimes the cause of headaches is chemical (or hormonal)...but way more often it's physical (in my opinion)...which is what people need to know. There are physical causes of headaches which can be addressed without medications. And chiropractic can help.

If you are looking for a headache doctor in San Francisco, please call Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary headache assessment.We are here to help.

Reviews of Executive Express Chiropractic

Executive Express Chiropractic on facebook

Eben Davis on twitter

 

Common Causes of Low Back Pain

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions a chiropractor treats...and there are many common causes. Recently, I wrote an article for Spine-health.com entitled Lumbar Spine Anatomy and Pain. Here is an excerpt:

The lumbar spine refers to the lower back, where the spine curves inward toward the abdomen. It starts about five or six inches below the shoulder blades, and connects with the thoracic spine at the top and extends downward to the sacral spine.

“Lumbar” is derived from the Latin word “lumbus,” meaning lion, and the lumbar spine earns its name. It is built for both power and flexibility (i.e. lifting and bending). The lumbar spine has several distinguishing characteristics:

• The lower a vertebra in the spinal column, the more weight it must bear. The five vertebrae of the lumbar spine (L1-5) are the biggest unfused vertebrae in the spinal column, enabling them to support the weight of the entire torso.
• The lumbar spine meets the sacrum at the lumbosacral joint (L5-S1). This joint allows for considerable rotation, so that the pelvis and hips may swing when walking and running.
• The lumbar spine’s lowest two spinal segments, L4- L5 and L5-S1, which include the vertebrae and discs, bear the most weight and are therefore the most prone to degradation and injury.
• The spinal cord travels from the base of the skull through the spinal column and ends at about T12-L1. At that point numerous nerve roots from the spinal cord continue down and branch out, forming the “cauda equina,” named for its resemblance to a horse’s tail. These nerves extend to the lower extremities (buttocks, legs and feet). Because the spinal cord does not run through the lumbar spine, it is quite rare that a lower back problem would result in spinal cord damage or paralysis.

There are many structures in the lumbar spine that can cause pain – any irritation to the nerve roots that exit the spine, joint problems, the discs themselves, the bones and the muscles can all be a source of pain. Many lumbar spine conditions are interrelated. For example, joint instability can lead to disc degeneration, which in turn can put pressure on the nerve roots, etc.

Click here for full story

Many of the common causes of low back pain often times overlap with each other, which is why it's very important to have a comprehensive examination, diagnostic, and treatment approach, as well as a team of health care providers you can refer to for second opinions and co-care. 

At Executive Express Chiropractic, we incorporate chiropractic, spinal decompression, deep tissue laser, Graston, ART, kinesiotaping, massage, and exercise, into our comprehensive "tailor made" treatment programs for low back pain. We refer out to medical doctors, physical therapist, and diagnostic centers when indicated. Success rates are very good.

We also consider the mental component of low back pain...especially chronic low back pain, and the over-all physical condition and body-weight of the patient.

To schedule an appointment at our San Francisco Chiropractic clinic at the Embarcadero Center, call 415-392-2225. Or, Request an appointment on-line.

Reviews and directions to Executive Express Chiropractic

Executive Express Chiropractic on facebook

Dr. Eben Davis on twitter

 

San Francisco Chiropractor Review

Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco is proud to announce Juan Reyes as our "Patient of the Week". Juan presented with chronic low back pain that he was just learning to live with. Juan was passing our Embarcadero Center chiropractic offices when he decided just to walk-in and try us out. Juan is feeling much better now and looks forward to his chiropractic adjustments.

Reviews of San Francisco Chiropractor

To schedule an appointment at Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco call 415-392-2225.

Can You Lift Weights With a Herniated Disc?

San Francisco Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

Herniated discs...especially in the lumbar spine are fairly common...I have one. You may have one too...and not even know it. In fact, we could pull 10 people off the street and find that 6 or 7 of them have a herniated disc in the low back. And maybe only a few of them have the signs and symptoms of disc herniation. 

However, there are many people that have symptomatic disc herniations...many with loss of function and disability. Some patients know they have disc herniations but are able to manage them with regular chiropractic, nonsurgical spinal decompression, spinal and core exercises, and yes...even weight lifting.

Personally, I find that I have less back pain when I lift weights. In fact, if I stay on a regular workout routine of weights, core exercises, and stretching, along with chiropractic adjustments...I have no back pain at all.

If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc and you are symptomatic, you should work with a chiropractor, orthopedic doctor or physical therapist to come up with a back pain regimen that makes sense for you. This may or may not include weight lifting.

One thing for sure...you don't want to lift weights when your back pain is acute and inflamed. You will most likely do more harm than good. But once your back pain subsides, and the inflammation goes down, and your spine and core are strengthened...it may be OK.

I advise all my patients to scale in slowly. Start with real light weights and ice after you work out for 15 minutes. Listen to your body and stop if you feel pain. Your chiropractor, MD, physical therapist  or trainer can pick some exercises that are safe for you...then modify them based on your feedback.

So, YES...you can lift weights with a herniated disc...as long as the condition are right.

Your chiropractor is a herniated disc expert and can help you create the right conditions.

To find out if you are a candidate for herniated disc treatment at Executive Express Chiropractic and Spinal Decompression, call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.

Reviews of Executive Express Chiropractic

Eben Davis on Twitter