Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Exercise for back pain prevention & more

San Francisco Chiropractor, Dr. Eben Davis Comments:

Finding the time to exercise can be challenging, especially if you have a full time job and commute. It's even more difficult if you have a family with children. But you know what...you just need to make it happen. You make it happen because it makes life better.

When you exercise you have less back pain, you get sick less often, you have more energy, you look better, your blood pressure is lower, your bones stay healthier, your digestion works better, you maintain a healthier bodyweight...and on and on.

Geez...stop complaining about all the reasons why you can't exercise and make it happen. Exercise in your garage, on the living room floor, whatever. Do it at 6am, 6 pm, midnight, whenever you can. All it takes is 30 minutes, three times per week or so.

Your boss will thank you, you spouse, your kids, your friends, your parents...you will be an all around healthier and better person. Just Do it!

Serious Low Back Pain? Consider the DRX9000

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

Serious low back pain can really put a damper on your life. Even when you figure out how to live with it and get through the day...you still dread having to travel anywhere or venture out of your comfort zone...because the back pain might flair-up. Sure, some days are better than others...but it's always there.

Is there any way to break this vicious back pain cycle?

Yes...often times when all else fails...nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 will help.

Lumbar spinal decompression was created to fill the void that exists between conservative low back pain treatments, such as chiropractic, medications, and physical therapy...and surgery.

However...the DRX9000 is NOT a Magic Bullet. You don't just jump on the machine one time and your chronic back pain is gone forever. It's actually quite a bit of work. The DRX9000 protocol is for 20 visits over a six week period. The sessions are 30 minutes with ice and muscle stim after...another 20 minutes. So, it's about an hour total for 20 sessions.

And, there is home care...ice, back support, and nutritional recommendations. Yes, the decompression protocol is intense. But...if your life is miserable because of chronic severe low back pain...what the heck...the potential reward is huge.

A Great Resource For Chronic Back and Neck Pain Info

San Francisco Chiropractor Dr. Eben Davis Recommends this website for Honest, Reliable Information on Chronic Back and Neck Pain:

It's not easy to find good advice on how to deal with chronic back pain. Everyone giving the advice has an agenda. I guess there's nothing wrong with that as long as the person giving the advice understands that what they have to offer is not for everyone.

I know I have an agenda...to educate my community and readership on the benefits of chiropractic care, spinal decompression, and plant based nutrition. And yes, to meet patients who may be interested in my services. I believe in what I do, and I know I am very good at it. I also know it wont help everyone, and I let them know this up front.

Anyway, I try to recommend sources of information that patients can use to make better decisions about their health. And today I would like to recommend:

www.cure-back-pain.org

This site is an amazing resource of information on back pain. Check it out and let me know what you think.

   

Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease and Chiropractic

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) in the neck is fairly common,and is usually the result of abnormal wear and tear secondary to misalignments (subluxations) of the cervical vertebrae. This is very similar to what happens to the tread of a tire when the front end of your car is out of alignment (watch the degenerative disc disease video at www.spine-health.com).

The spinal discs are fibrous pads that are in between the vertebrae. There is a jelly portion in the middle...kind of like a jelly donut. This is what gives the spine flexibility.

Cervical spinal discs are very strong...they need to be because they were designed to act like shock absorbers. The spinal discs also hold the spinal bones together...so they are considered a ligament.   

When the cervical discs degenerate the bones come closer together because the disc loses height. This can actually irritate the cervical nerve roots and cause neck pain, pain in the arm and hand, and weakness of grip...along with a bunch of other stuff...including headaches.

And...the degenerative process can be happening for quite a while without any symptoms.

Cervical degenerative disc disease can also lead to herniated discs in the neck...bad news.

I have been treating DDD and herniated discs now for 17 years in the SF Financial District. One thing is clear...once you know you have disc degeneration in the neck, it's best to take action and try to contain the damage and slow down the progression of the disease process. This is where chiropractic comes in.

DRX9000 Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression is on the rise

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

Three years ago when I brought the first DRX9000 decompression system to downtown San Francisco, hardly anyone knew what nonsurgical spinal decompression was. Now, most chronic back pain sufferers have at least heard about it...or so it seems.

There was a time when we had a 3 month waiting list for our two spinal decompression machines. Then, slowly, more and more doctors in the SF Bay Area began to purchase the DRX9000, as well as some of the other decompression systems.

This is fine, because there are way more patients that need lumbar decompression or cervical decompression than there are machines. The DRX9000 treats lumbar disc herniations, disc bulges, facet syndromes, and disc degeneration.

The DRX9000c treats cervical disc herniations, cervical disc bulges, and cervical disc degeneration.

Nonsurgical spinal decompression has been getting a lot of press lately because of a Special Report on the DRX9000 that was based on preliminary research at some very prominent healing institutions. John Hopkins University, The Mayo Clinic, and Duke University participated in the ground breaking research study. Checkout this DRX9000 video to hear first hand what they discovered. Hint...The DRX9000 works!

Anyway...if you would like to learn more about spinal decompression, check out the left side of this blog for links to the Axiom Worldwide Decompression Blog, DRX9000 Protocol, and DRX9000 Patient Guide.

If you live or work in the SF Bay Area and would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Clinic at the Embarcadero Center...simply call 415-392-2225, press ext 1(24 hr live operators) and ask for a complimentary consultation with Dr. Eben Davis.   

Read some Bay Area DRX9000 Success Stories

Dr. Eben Davis' DRX9000 Research Update

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor recommends watching this video on the the DRX9000:

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for the DRX9000 at Executive Express Chiropractic at the SF Embarcadero Center...simply call 415-392-2225, press ext 1(24 live operators). Ask for a complimentary consultation with Dr. Eben Davis.

Can Chiropractic Adjustments Lower Your Blood Pressure?

San Francisco Executive Express Chiropractor Comments:

There has been some favorable research lately that supports what chiropractors have known for a while...that Atlas subluxations (misalignments) in the upper cervical spine (neck) can cause an increase in blood pressure. And that adjusting (correcting the misalignment) these subluxations with chiropractic treatment can cause blood pressure to drop, or normalize.

The most recent blood pressure study was done at the University of Chicago and published in the American Journal of Hypertension...these results are real.

In chiropractic college, we learn quickly that the upper cervical spine is "Houston Control"...your brain stem is here.   Your brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord. There are some very vital functions in addition to blood pressure that are regulated by the brain stem. Functions like breathing air, digesting food, and circulating blood. Subluxations up here can wreak havoc. The last thing you want is pressure on your brain stem.

When I do an initial exam at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco, I always check the Atlas...no matter what the patient came in for.

And get this...the Atlas Vertebrae...is also the most freely movable vertebrae in your spine...it is what enables you to turn your head back and forth. Because of this, it is more prone to subluxations than any other bone in your body.   

Chiropractors and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

San Francisco Chiropractor and Wrist Pain Doctor Comments:

I just received an email from a musician in Chicago who has been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). He is a drummer and is concerned that if the problem is actually in the neck, which he suspects...performing surgery on the hand might be a waste of time.

He was wondering if chiropractic adjustments to the neck could possibly help his CTS.

I referred him to this blog, where I have written extensively about the role chiropractic care can play in treating carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries (RSI).

But then I started thinking...I am a chiropractor, most of my friends are chiropractors...and I know many chiropractors on a professional level. And...not all of them treat a lot of CTS...it is a specialty. To really do it right, the chiropractor has to be proficient at treating the upper extremities in addition to the cervical spine.

I used to teach chiropractors how to diagnose and treat carpal tunnel syndrome. The method I have used to treat CTS successfully in downtown San Francisco for 17 years is very comprehensive (Executive Express Chiropractic). We treat from the neck to the finger tips on both sides. And we adjust the rest of the spine as well...because all 24 spinal bones connect to form one unit.

Headaches and Pinched Nerves in the Neck

San Francisco Chiropractor and Former Headache Sufferer Comments:

Headaches are one of the most common reasons patients go see a doctor. I actually became a chiropractic patient because of very severe migraine headaches and associated neck pain.

None of the many medical doctors I went to could figure out what was wrong. I had a brain scan, and all kinds of tests...they just did not know what do...other than prescribe Percodan which I developed an allergic reaction to and almost died.

It was a chiropractor that finally cured my headaches. He took x-rays and did his chiropractic exam, and told me I had pinched nerves in the neck, and that pinched nerves was a very common cause of migraine headaches and neck pain.

This was news to me. Of course I did not believe it...that is until I started feeling better after the first visit. The chiropractor recommended 30 sessions because the headaches were so severe and I had had the problem for so long. I quit after 10 and the headaches came back. I started over again and went through the entire program, and I have never had that kind of a headache ever again.   

Severe Back Pain Not Responding To Chiropractic?

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

If you have severe low back pain and chiropractic care is not helping, you may have herniated discs in your lumbar spine. In fact, herniated lumbar discs are fairly common...and chiropractic usually will help them. It just depends on the way the way the disc is positioned on the spinal cord or nerve roots.

Sometimes the spinal disc gets jammed up against a nerve and a slow motion chain reaction occurs...muscle spasms, inflammation, loss of disc height, loss of water content of the disc, degeneration, stenosis, and back pain...sometimes severe back pain...back pain that interferes with your life. And get this...this mostly happens with no symptoms. The symptoms come later and can trick you into thinking the problem just started.

In order to know for sure that you have a herniated disc in your low back...we need an MRI. If you have one already, great...we know. But if you don't...we usually try some chiropractic first to see if it will help. If it doesn't, we consider an MRI. At least that's what we do at Executive Express Chiropractic.

Why not just order the MRI right off the bat? Well...MRI's are expensive, and the standard of care is to wait...and it usually turns out to be the right thing to do. There are so many incidents of low back pain and sciatica...if doctors sent all of them for an MRI first, it would short circuit the medical system...the costs would be too high.

Typically, I consider an MRI after 3-4 weeks of gentle chiropractic if there is minimum response or the patient takes a turn for the worse.  And I have a next step in mind if the patient qualifies medically...nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000. After all...there aren't a whole lot of treatment choices out there for disc herniations. There's pain meds and muscle relaxers, cortisone injections, surgery, and physical therapy.