Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Chiropractic Manipulation: A New Study Regarding Headaches

          

Executive Express Chiropractic Health Update On Headaches 

 

                                                 
  San Francisco:  Headaches are a common complaint in patients presenting for professional care, including chiropractic management.  Patients with headaches seek chiropractic care because they find manipulation or adjustments applied to the cervical spine and upper back region are highly effective in reducing the intensity, frequency and duration of the headache pain.  This is because the cervical spine / neck, is often the origin of the headache as the three nerves in the upper neck (C1, 2 and 3) pass through the thick, overly taught neck muscles in route to the scalp / head.  When the muscles of the neck are in spasm, the nerves get “pinched” or squeezed by the overly tight muscles resulting in headache pain.  Each nerve runs to a different part of the head and therefore, pain may be described as “…radiating over the top of head (sometimes into the forehead and eyes),” or, into the head and over the ear, sometimes reaching the temple.  Also, an area located in the back and side of the head is the area where the C1 nerve innervates, so pain may also be reported in that location.  When more than one of the C1-3 nerves is pinched, the whole side to the top of the head may be involved.

In the October 2009 issue of The Spine Journal, Western States Chiropractic College, Center for Outcomes Studies, reported benefits are obtained with the utilization of spinal manipulation in the treatment of chronic cervicogenic headaches.  The word “chronic” means at least 3 months of headache pain has been present.  This new study compared 2 different doses of therapy using several outcome measures including the pain grade, the number of headaches in the last 4 weeks and the amount of medication utilized.  Data was collected every 4 weeks for a 24 week period and patients were treated 1-2 times/week and separated into either an 8 or a 16 treatment session with half the group receiving either spinal manipulative therapy or a minimal light massage (LM) control group.

The results of the study revealed the spinal manipulation group obtained better results than the control group at all time intervals.  There was a small benefit in the group that received the greater number of treatments with the mean number of cervicogenic headaches reduced by 50% in both pain intensity and headache frequency. 

The importance of this study is significant as there are many side effects to medications frequently utilized in the treatment of headaches.  Many patients prefer not taking medications for this reason and spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) offers a perfect remedy for these patients.  Couple SMT with dietary management, lifestyle modifications, stress management, and a natural, vitamin/herbal anti-inflammatory (such as ginger, turmeric, boswellia) when needed, a natural, holistic approach to the management of chronic headaches is accomplished. 

We are proud that chiropractic care has consistently scored the highest level of satisfaction when compared to other forms of health care provision and look forward in serving you and your family presently and in the future. 

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR HEADACHES! 

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL EXECUTIVE EXPRESS CHIROPRACTIC AT 415-392-2225

Altadonna Communications ©

USA TODAY Reports Children Spending 53 Hours Per Week With Digital Media (hunched over?). Parents Should Lookout for Forward Head Posture (FHP) and it's Damaging Effects on Health

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

As the father of a 4 year old daughter I am concerned about how she spends her time. And could any of these activities lead to known health problems...or even worse...health problems we don't even know about yet? That's kind of the way it works isn't it? We find out after the fact that something we have been doing day in and day out is bad for us. But a lot of it is common sense.

Anyway....according to the article in USA Today (1/20/2010, front page), children between the ages of  8-18 are spending an average of 53 hours per week engaged with digital media (mostly TV), such as computers, iPods, cell-phones, video games, etc. 

Here is an excerpt from the article entitled: "USA Today: Kids' digital day: Almost 8 hours" based on research done by The Kaiser Research Foundation:

Kids these days spend so much time with electronic media — cellphones, iPods, video games and computers — that it might as well be a full-time job: more than 53 hours a week, a study finds.

Compared with peers a decade ago, young people spend 79 more minutes of free time each day listening to music, watching TV and movies, playing video games and hanging out online. Nearly twice as many now say they do at least two of these at the same time.

The findings, out today in a Kaiser Family Foundation survey of 2,002 people ages 8 to 18, show that young people spend seven hours and 38 minutes using media in a typical day — up from six hours and 19 minutes a decade earlier.

About the only thing that seems to be fading: ink. Though daily book readership has held steady at about 47% since 1999, the percentage of young people who say they read a magazine every day has plummeted from 55% to 35%. It's worse for newspapers, down from 42% to 23%.

All sorts of potential problems come to mind...including the potential connection between cell phones and cancer. The most obvious potential problem...and one that I have been dealing with for years in my San Francisco Chiropractic clinics is Forward Head Posture (FHP) and Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI).

In fact, a reporter from the New York Times contacted me last week because he was in the process of putting together a feature story on the relationship between modern technology and RSI in children. He wanted to know if research existed that could validate what doctors and medical personal are reporting as far as an increased incidence of RSI/CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome), and FHP in children. I told him I was not aware of any formal research and put him in touch with some of the chiropractic researchers that I know that may be able to help. My research is done at my clinic and by observing people.

Heck...all you have to do is look at kids posture these days to see that Forward Head Posture (FHP) is a big problem. After-all, the body will adapt to it's external environment. If the external environment is being hunched over all day (especially during the growth spurts), then FHP will develop...it's that simple.

It's the repetition of FHP movements combined with poor ergonomic postures that cause the body to adapt. FHP can lead to all sorts of health problems including headaches, neck pain, back pain, allergies, and arthritis...to name a few. And the thing is...it's easily preventable with exercises, chiropractic care, and ergonomic instruction. Well...maybe not so easy because we are dealing with kids. But it is preventable and correctable and your chiropractor can help. 

In fact, at Executive Express Chiropractic, January 2010 is Posture Awareness Month. You can bring in your kids for Free and we will check them for FHP, scoliosis, CTS, and RSI. Most of the problems adults present with most likely could have been prevented if they would have had chiropractic care when they were younger (in my opinion). And kids are easy to treat. They respond quick, don't need a lot of treatment, it's safe, and they look forward to the treatment (after they get used to it anyway).

So sure, we need to be concerned about electromagnetic fields from all these electronic devices...and the fact that none of these activities typically involve exercise...and the things we don't even know about yet. But we know about how these activities effect posture...and it happens quick...so the time to have your kids checked is NOW.

To schedule a complimentary posture exam for yourself or your kids at Executive Express Chiropractic...call 415-392-2225. Or check out our Posture Awareness Month promo page to schedule online.

 

    

San Francisco Chiropractor: Whiplash Update

Chiropractic Treatment of Whiplash

 

Whiplash is basically an injury to the muscles, the muscle attachments (tendons), ligaments, and sometimes the nerves that exit the cervical spine.  The degree of injury is highly variable and depends on many factors, some of which include gender/body size (slender woman are especially at risk), awareness of the impending collision, head position at time of impact, the angle of the seat back (bent back is worse that upright), the position of the headrest (too low is common), the amount of vehicle damage (less damage can be worse due to energy transferred to the contents/occupants), the speed of the collision, and many others.

 

Therefore, when discussing the treatment approaches used by chiropractors, it is not appropriate to generalize since each case is so unique.  With that said, when a whiplash patient visits a chiropractor, the first step is obtaining as much information as possible.  A thorough history and examination are important in determining the treatment plan and help to determine severity of the injury.  Chiropractors often offer different types of treatment that may include: manipulation, physical therapy modalities such as muscle stimulation, relaxation, ultrasound, low level laser therapy, cervical traction, and others. Spinal manipulation (often referred to as an adjustment) addresses joint dysfunction and can be performed with one of several approaches. The first and quite common approach uses a high velocity, low amplitude (quick) approach where joint cavitation (the “crack”) often occurs.  Another approach is a low velocity, low amplitude technique where mobilization is used, which is more of a stretch to the end-range of intersegmental (between the vertebrae) motion and rarely, is there joint noise/cavitation. Varying degrees of “amplitude” or, the degree of stretch can be used, depending on patient comfort.

 

Muscle relaxation or stimulation is performed for muscle dysfunction, which may include relaxation or stimulation techniques.  Gentle stretches to a muscle that has excessive tightness or, repeated contractions of a weak (“inhibited”) muscle is also commonly utilized and very helpful when muscle dysfunction is present.

 

Exercises are frequently prescribed by chiropractors.  An example includes the McKenzie exercises, while others include stabilization and sensorimotor exercises.  These are taught in a supervised manner and when it is safely performed and understood, they can be performed at home, work, outside the office setting.  It may require a few sessions to ensure accuracy of the exercise performance.  Because of muscle spasm, joint dysfunction, and pain, patients often develop faulty postures or compromised movements that become “bad habits.”  To break these “bad habit” positions/postures, stabilization and sensory-motor retraining exercises can be very helpful.  These exercise retrain the nervous system to achieve better coordination and control movements and to maintain stability of the weakened neck muscles. 

 

Advice on bend/lift/pull/push and/or work related activity is extremely important in order to avoid repeat exacerbations or “flare-ups” if not properly dwelt within the clinic.  Advice on recreational and home related activities is also very important for the same reasons.

 

The chiropractic whiplash treatment plan is unique for every individual person given the significant number of variable initially discussed.  One or more of the approaches discussed may be utilized.  If needed, chiropractors often partner with other doctors if there are medication or surgical requirements.  If you, a loved one, or a friend is struggling with whiplash residuals from a motor vehicle collision, you can depend on receiving a multi-dimensional chiropractic assessment and therapeutic approach at this office. We sincerely appreciate your confidence in choosing our office for your health care needs!

 

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR WHIPLASH!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION AT EXECUTIVE EXPRESS CHIROPRACTIC IN DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISSCO, CALL 415-392-2225

 

Altadonna Communications ©

Headache Treatment San Francisco

 

Health Update: Headaches

 

 

Chiropractic Care and Headaches

“I can’t believe how much my head hurts!”  I’ve been laid off from work for the last 3 weeks and worried about making my mortgage payment this month – I think the stress is getting out of control!  Pain starts in my neck and radiates into my head eventually making my whole head hurt, especially behind my eyes.  There are times I feel like my head might explode!  I can’t stand loud noises or even normal noise.  Over the counter medications aren’t touching it and I can’t drive if I take some of the medications my doctor prescribed.  I don’t know what to do next.”

This history is classic for the diagnosis of a tension-type of headache (TTH).  As unemployment rates reach new highs and stress levels climb, it is no wonder more and more people are presenting with this condition.  Even prior to the recession, TTH was the most common type of headache experienced by adults affecting 10-65% of the population.  The impact on daily living by TTH is significant as it disrupts daily activities, quality of life, and work.  These types of headaches, according to the International Headache Society (HIS), can last from 30 minutes to 7 days, do not include nausea/vomiting but may include increased sensitivity to light or noise (rarely both at the same time).  The most common frequency is less than 15 TTH’s/month. 

Medication has been the primary medical form of treatment and some patients require the regular use of certain medications, even when headaches are not present - - as in some cases, it’s too late to start meds once the headache starts.  In these cases, Amitriptyline has been the most frequently prescribed medication and it’s considered the drug of choice for TTH.  Chiropractic spinal manipulation (CSM) has been reported to be helpful in a number of prior studies.  One reported equal benefit as Amitriptyline with 6 weeks of treatment.

A recent publication conducted a study using a new design where TTH sufferers with more than 10 headaches per month were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) cervical spinal manipulation (CSM) + amitriptyline, 2) CSM + placebo (fake) amitriptyline; 3) sham CSM + real amitriptyline; or 4) sham CSM + placebo amitriptyline.  That way, one can determine which of the two or, the combination of both is most beneficial.  An initial period of 4 weeks was followed by a 14 week treatment period. A headache diary was used to track headache frequency in the last 28 days of the treatment period.  Nineteen completed the study and the combined effect carried the most statistically significant result with a close second with CSM alone.  A larger sample size was recommended for a more statistically powerful evaluation.

This study is important as CSM by itself was found to be at least as (if not more) effective than Amitriptyline alone, which is the medication of choice for TTH.  Hence, if CSM or Amitriptyline alone are not found to be satisfying, the combination of the two is strongly supported by this study. 

If you, a family member or a friend require care, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our service.  We are proud that chiropractic care has consistently scored the highest level of satisfaction when compared to other forms of health care provision and look forward in serving you and your family presently and in the future. 

To find out if you are a candidate for headache treatment at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.

Altadonna Communications©

Headaches and Children

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I started having headaches when I was very young. Along with the headaches I would get a very stiff neck. I remember going to my family doctor and she had no answers at all. Finally, my mother took me to a chiropractor named Dr. Frank and he fixed me up in 2 visits. I think I went back once or twice but the headaches pretty much disappeared for many years.

Headaches are fairly common in children and are usually associated with head colds, sinus infections and earaches. Or spills and falls. But often times headaches in children have no known cause (insidious onset) and they can become very uncomfortable. What happens is a bone in the neck becomes misaligned...what chiropractors call a vertebral subluxation, and over time this can cause nerve pressure, stiff muscles, and head pain. 

The pain may even go away on it's own...but if the subluxation remains undetected and uncorrected, it can cause problems down the road such as arthritis and degenerative disc disease (DDD). In fact, some experts (such as myself) believe that childhood subluxations are a primary cause of spine problems in adults.

Solution: What I would recommend is having your child checked by a chiropractor 2x per year with or without symptoms. Of course if your child has headaches, neck pain, back pain, or any other kind of musculoskeletal pain, you should bring them in to be checked. Kids are really easy to work on and they respond great. Even ear infections and allergies in kids respond to chiropractic adjustments.

So there you go...chiropractic can help with headaches in children...and much much more. I know from first hand experience and as the father of a 4 year old daughter that chiropractic just makes sense.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco. To schedule an appointment call 415-393-2225 or request an appointment online.  

Chiropractic Care and Mesothelioma Pain Management

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that typically affects the lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen. It is caused by asbestos exposure which occurs when fibers are inhaled or ingested into the body and become lodged in body cavities, causing inflammation or infection. The life expectancy for mesothelioma patients is generally reported as less than one year following diagnosis as the cancer is typically not diagnosed until it is in later stages and is less treatable.

Cancer patients have included chiropractic care in their course of treatment to help control pain and alleviate headaches, tension and stress. According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic doctors “have a deep respect for the human body's ability to heal itself without the use of surgery or medication. These doctors devote careful attention to the biomechanics, structure and function of the spine, its effects on the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, and the role played by the proper function of these systems in the preservation and restoration of health. A doctor of chiropractic is one who is involved in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the promotion of public health, and a wellness approach to patient healthcare.”

Two studies were published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in January of 2001 that examined the cases of two patients fighting cancer. A 57-year-old man diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer experienced significant pain relief and was able to reduce the amount of medication needed following chiropractic care. He also reported an increase in his quality of life following a visit to a chiropractor.

A 54-year-old man diagnosed with lung cancer (a cancer often related to asbestos exposure) began seeing a chiropractor after experiencing little pain relief one year after he underwent surgery to combat his cancer. The man experienced pain relief immediately after beginning chiropractic care and discontinued use of all pain medications after two visits to his chiropractor. The Journal noted, “These clinical examples offer two specific instances of how chiropractic may improve the quality of a cancer patient’s life.”

To find out if you are a candidate for chiropractic care at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco please call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.

Can a Herniated Cervical Disc Cause Headaches?

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

I have been helping patients with headaches and herniated discs in the neck for almost 18 years now in downtown San Francisco. Of course...not everyone with a headache has a herniated disc...and not everyone with a herniated disc in the neck has a headache...but many have both.

Over the years I have attracted headache and migraine patients to my clinics because I myself once suffered from debilitating headaches...so I can relate to their problems. However...sometimes chiropractic care would not work...or massage...or acupuncture...or pain pills...or anything for that matter. This was rare...but it would be very frustrating.

I would often times send my headache patients out for an MRI of the neck to rule out herniated discs or spinal stenosis when they were not responding to traditional therapies. What I started finding more often than not was a herniated disc in the neck. Well...up until about 4 years ago there was still nothing more I could do...but at least we knew what the problem was and I could refer out to a spine surgeon. This was not what patients wanted to hear.

Then came nonsurgical spinal decompression of the cervical spine with the DRX9000c. At first I was very skeptical that a machine could fix a disc herniation...but it did. It did not get 100% resolution on everyone it did help...but we experienced life changing results enough of the time for me to make cervical decompression a key component of my chiropractic practice.

We are the only clinic in downtown San Francisco to offer cervical spinal decompression with the DRX9000c. Sure more downtown SF chiropractic clinics will come along with the DRX9000c...but they will never have as much as experience as we do...and experience matters, believe me.

Since the beginning we have done thousands of spinal decompression sessions on hundreds of patients...and the outcomes are outstanding. There is an art to managing cervical disc herniation patients with the DRX9000c and we have become very comfortable with the process.  

So, YES there can be a connection between headaches and disc herniations...disc herniations can cause them. And...there is a potential solution to your disc herniation problem that does not require surgery...the DRX9000c.

Hey...regular chiropractic should be tried first..at least that's what we do at Executive Express Chiropractic. But the DRX9000c is our "Ace in the hole"...we now have a next step...and for that we are thankful...and so are our cervical disc patients.

To find out if you are a candidate for headaches treatment at our San Francisco Chiropractic and Decompression Center...call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.

Read some San Francisco DRX9000 success stories 

 

Migraine Headache Statistics in Women

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I gave a migraine headaches seminar to a group of about 40 people at the Embarcadero Center in downtown San Francisco, which is where my chiropractic clinic is located-Executive Express Chiropractic.

I know first hand what it's like to suffer with migraines because I used to suffer from them personally.

One thing for sure...every time I give a headaches seminar it seems like the ratio of women to men is 10:1 women.  Now I know 90% of migraine headache sufferers are not women...but women seem to seek treatment and information for migraines more actively. At least that's been my experience and I have been practicing chiropractic for 18 years.

However, more women than men do get migraines and they get them more frequently too. Women also respond very favorably to chiropractic treatment...and that's a good thing...because migraines can be brutal.

Anyway...I found an excellent article on the Women's Health section of www.WebMD.com entitled: 

Your Guide To Migraines and Headaches

This is a very comprehensive guide on migraine statistics, who gets migraine headaches, why women get more migraines, what triggers migraines, and treatment options. 

One thing this article lacks is any mention of chiropractic care which is too bad because chiropractic treatments help thousand of migraine headache victims every single day.

So take the article for what it is...and please...if you feel like you are getting nowhere with your headaches, like I once did...turn to chiropractic...it might just be your last stop.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in the San Francisco Financial District. To schedule an appointment call 415-393-2225.

When is a Headache a Warning Sign of a Serious illness?

San Francisco Chiropractor and Former Migraine Headache Sufferer Comments:

I know first hand what it's like to suffer with migraine headaches that nobody can figure out. I suffered with headaches so bad I was on disability...which is how I discovered chiropractic.

Like most headache sufferers...I trusted my doctors to know what they were doing and to be able to figure out what was wrong with me. The first thing that was done was to rule out something really bad like a brain tumor or ruptured blood vessel. My headaches came on suddenly so this did make sense. 

Anyway...here are some of the warning signs that should lead to immediate medical attention (courtesy of www.webMD.com): 

·         A sudden, new severe headache

·         A headache that is associated with neurological (nerve) symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, sudden loss of balance or falling, numbness or tingling, paralysis, speech difficulties, mental confusion, seizures, personality changes/inappropriate behavior, or vision changes (blurry vision, double vision or blind spots)

·         Headache with a fever, shortness of breath, fever, or rash

·         Headache pain that awakens you at night

·         Headaches with severe nausea and vomiting

·         Headaches that occur after a head injury or accident

·         Getting a new type of headache after age 55

Most headaches do not require urgent care...here is a partial list of some of the most common headache signs & symptoms (chiropractic can potentially help with these):

·         Have three or more headaches per week

·         Have headaches that keep getting worse and won't go away

·         Need to take a pain reliever every day or almost every day for your headaches

·         Need more than 2-3 doses of over-the-counter medications per week to relieve headache symptoms

·         Have headaches that are triggered by exertion, coughing, bending, or strenuous activity

·         Have a history of headaches, but have noticed a recent change in your headache symptoms

So, while it makes sense to rule out serious illness when it comes to headaches...conventional medications and treatments often times fail to deliver and chiropractic should be considered.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco. To schedule an appointment call 415-392-2225.

 

Headaches and Children

San Francisco Chiropractor and former headache sufferer comments:

According to the American Headache Society (AHS) between 4% and 10% of children have migraine headaches. And...many adults that suffer with headaches started having them when they were children.  Check out this very informative article by the AHS entitled:

Headaches in Children

The article really explains the different types of headaches well and talks about what to look for...as sometimes headaches are not that easy to detect in children.

Where this article falls short...and I know from first hand experience...is it does not even mention chiropractic (chiropractic and headaches) as an alternative treatment or pinched nerves as a cause of headaches...even though this is common knowledge.

So while the headache itself can be a major problem...so can the wild goose chase that many headache sufferers have to go on when it comes to headache treatment.

Here is a short version of my headache story...I began to suffer progressively worse migraines when I was about 25 years old. I was out on disability for over 3 months. I had brain scans, MRIs, x-rays, and tried every medication known to man. I was bed ridden. At one point I had to have my stomach pumped because of an allergic reaction to Percodan...it was a nightmare.

Nobody had any idea what was wrong with me or what to do about it...that is until I saw a chiropractor. The chiropractor diagnosed me with Vertebral Subluxation and pinched nerves in the upper part of my neck. After some ups and downs I was better in a few months...never to have migraine headaches again...at least not like that anyway.

Here's the deal...my problems (Subluxations) started when I was young and developed silently...just like most spinal problems that adults present with...including headaches. 

My recommendation is to have your children checked for proper spinal alignment 2x per year by a chiropractor...ongoing...just like trips to the dentist. And if your child develops headaches...please do them a favor and take them to the chiropractor...it's just the smart thing to do.

Dr. Eben Davis and his San Francisco Chiropractic clinic are located at the Embarcadero Center in the SF Financial District.  For a complimentary headache assessment call 415-392-2225.

Attention San Francisco Embarcadero Center Tennants: Dr. Eben Davis is giving a Brown Bag Seminar called "Natural Solutions For Headaches" on 6/25/09 from 12-1. Call Boston Properties to register at 415-772-0735. Complimentary lunch will be served.