Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Does chiropractic really work or is it all in the head?

We have all heard about the “placebo effect” and the “power of positive thinking.” A placebo, according to Wikipedia, is “…a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient.” When a placebo is used, it will sometimes have a perceived beneficial effect. When this occurs, it is referred to as “the placebo effect.” Placebos are commonly used in research where one group will be given the “real” treatment, another a “placebo” and a third group will be given nothing at all.  The evaluators are usually blinded as to who received which of the 3 approaches. The group receiving the placebo is carefully compared to the other 2 groups (the real treatment group and the no treatment group). Common placebos include inert tablets (sugar pills), sham treatment (which may include surgery, detuned electrical stimulation, sham acupuncture, sham manipulation, and many more). What is compelling and interesting is that the placebo often has a surprisingly positive effect on the patient’s symptoms and because of this, research is quite extensive trying to figure out why even placebos can benefit patients.

            The phrase, “…the power of positive thinking” has also been around a long time. Again, studies have shown that when a patient’s treatment plan is presented in a detailed fashion with a “positive spin” compared to when the health care provider seems skeptical that it might help, the results favor the positive presentation. Call it what you will – the power of positive thinking, faith, hope - it does appear to be an important part of the formula to obtain a positive outcome from treatment, any treatment.

            When considering the placebo effect of chiropractic, specifically cervical manipulation and its effect on neck pain and headache, a landmark study published by medical doctors revealed significantly greater benefits of cervical manipulation for acute, as well as subacute and even chronic (pain > 3 months) neck pain when compared to other forms of treatment (muscle relaxants or “usual medical care”). They reported that the highest quality study demonstrated that spinal manipulation benefits patients with tension-type headaches. They also reported that the complication rate for cervical spine manipulation is low, estimated to be between 5-10 per 10 million manipulations. Another very supportive study looked at the immediate effects from only one cervical spine manipulation (CSM) using objective instruments that measured pain (algometry) and strength (grip strength dynamometer) on patients with elbow tendonitis pain (lateral epicondylitis). The patients received either CSM or a “sham” method they refer to as “manual contact intervention” or MCI. The “real” treatment group (CSM) showed a significant increase in grip strength and reduced pain compared to the MCI/sham group.

            The “take-home” message here is clear. Cervical spine manipulation was found to be superior to sham manual treatment (placebo), as well as muscle relaxers, or “usual medical care” for neck pain and headaches. Second, cervical manipulation clearly out performed the placebo effect in patients with elbow pain. Simply put, chiropractic works!!!!

            We realize that you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for neck pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

To schedule a complimentary headache or neck pain assessment with one of our San Francisco Chiropractors, call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

Repetitive Strain Injuries: What's Best?

We have been providing treatment for Repetitive Strain Injuries in San Francisco for 20 years now. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is also known as repetitive stress injury, repetitive motion injuries, repetitive motion disorder (RMD), and cumulative trauma disorder (CT). 

Basically, RSI is an injury to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that results from performing repetitive tasks over and over again...like operating a computer all day while sitting at a desk. Or cutting hair, or operating equipment.

At Executive Express Chiropractic, since we are located in the SF Financial District, we focus primarily on the repetitive motion injuries that develop in people who sit all day in front of a computer...but the examination and treatment is the same no matter what the cause. The difference would be in the prevention as far as ergonomics and proper use of equipment.

The most common type of RSI we see at our clinic involves either the neck, shoulder, arm, and hand (or various combinations)...and less frequently the low back. Now there may not be symptoms at all these joints...but they are all connected in a kinetic chain and must be considered.

For instance...a patient may present with arm and hand pain on the right (their mouse hand), but may actually have RSI in the neck and shoulders on the right, and possibly on the left...even though there is no pain...YET!

A doctor that spends the majority of their day treating patients that develop repetitive motion disorders will know to check the full spine and neck to fingertips on both sides. After-all...the nerves that control the upper extrmities exit from the neck and travel down the arm and through a tunnel in the wrist (carpal tunnel) into the fingers. If you have pressure on these nerves in the neck (which may or may not be causing you pain) it can cause all sorts ot problems in the shoulder, elbow, arm, and hand.

The treatment we provide RSI patients is chiropractic adjustments to the neck, back, shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers...on both sides, massage/trigger point therapy/neuromuscular work to the same areas, special exercises, deep tissue laser if needed, cervical and wrist traction if needed, and targeted stretches.

We also are especially concerned with proper ergonomics and microbreaks, which are breif resting periods (2-10 min) throughout the day to give the body time to rest and recover from work (see proper ergonomic set-up here).

We also recommend getting up and moving around and even standing while you work. Switching your mouse back and forth from right hand to left is a good habit to get into as well.

There are specific general guidelines for sitting at your desk in front of your computer. We recommend following them.

Your mattress and pillow can also contribute to your vulnerability to RSI. A cervical pillow will help to restore and maintain your neck curve, while a soft pillow can result in loss of neck curve and nerve pressure. We like (and sell) Tempur-pedic pillows.

We recommend drinking half your body-weight in ounces per day of water, and avoiding salty and processed foods as best you can...plant foods are best. High animal food intake (meat, chicken poultry, dairy) can cause chronic inflammation in the joints and in the body, predisposing you to RSI.

Lots of stuff here huh?

Oh yeah...but this is what we do. We are Black Belts in the prevention and treatment of conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and other forms of RSI.

What I recommend if you feel you may have RSI of the neck, back, shoulder, arms or hands...is to find yourself a chiropractor that specializes in treating these conditions.

I know it sounds like a lot...but our typical office visit is 30 minutes or less...but that's because we have "no-waiting". Treatment starts almost immediately after you arrive.

Anyway...there is a ton of info on this blog as far as self-help stuff...but you can't adjust the joints back into alignment yourself (or most of the other things we do)...you need a chiropractor. One that knows RSI.

If you need help finding one, please email me at eben davis@yahoo.com. I have several hundred doctors around the country I have trained. I will check to see if there is an RSI expert near you.

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

Related articles by Dr. Eben Davis:

Can wrist pain be connected to the neck?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

 

 

Whiplash Facts You Should Know!

 
We have been providing whiplash treatment in San Francisco for almost 20 years now in the Financial District.

In whiplash research, many articles have been published that conflict or contradict each other. The goal of this blog post is to report the “facts” about whiplash.

• It is more common to have a delay in the onset of whiplash symptoms. Symptoms may start about two hours after the initial injury or it may take days, weeks, or months before you feel anything.
• For whiplash caused by car accidents, the severity depends on the force of the impact, the way you were seated in your car, and if you were properly restrained using a shoulder and seat belt.
• Tests show the soft tissues in your neck sustain injury at a threshold of 5 mph. That means if you're rear-ended at 5 mph or slower, you have a lower chance of getting whiplash. However, most rear-end car accidents happen at speeds of 6-12 mph.
• If you've been in a car accident, it’s a good idea to be evaluated even if your car didn't get damaged and you don't feel any pain.
• Although whiplash is most often associated with car accidents, you can also get whiplash from sports such as snowboarding, boxing, football and gymnastics.
• The concept of “no car damage = no injury” is COMPLETELY false. Most cars can withstand collisions of up to 10 MPH and as pointed out above, only in collisions < 5 MPH are you less likely to be injured. Collisions that occur between 6-12 MPH cause the highest percentage of whiplash injuries (which is below the threshold of car damage in most cases). Also, the energy of the impact is transferred to the contents inside the car when there is no vehicular damage (that means you).
• Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) can occur in motor vehicle collisions even if the head does not hit an object inside the car, although it’s more common when there is a head strike. The symptoms associated with MTBI are often referred to as “Post Concussive Syndrome.”
• Approximately 10% of whiplash injured patients become totally disabled.
• Of the studies published since 1995, over 60% of whiplash patients required long-term medical care.
• Risk factors for long-term symptoms associated with WAD include: rear impacts, loss of the cervical lordosis curve, pre-existing degenerative arthritis, use of seat belts & shoulder harness (low speed impacts only), poor head restraint position or shape, non-awareness of the impending collision, female (especially long slender neck), head rotation at impact.

We realize you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

For a complimentary consultaion with one of our San Francisco Whiplash Doctors, call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

San Francisco Chiropractor Review: Neck Pain

Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco is proud to feature "Patient of the Week" Katy Young. Katy was suffering with chronic neck and upper back pain. Katy read our reviews on Yelp and decided to give us a try. Katy reports she is almost pain free. Our San Francisco Chiropractors have used a combination of adjustments, massage, exercise, and stretches to address Katy's problems. Check-out what Katy has to say about us. 

Chiropractor San Francisco Reviews

To schedule an appointment with one of our San Francisco Chiropractors call 415-392-2225. Mention this review for a complimentary consultation.

San Francisco Chiropractor: Neck Pain Update!

Neck pain is one of those conditions that affect most people at some point during their lifetime. All you have to do is ask just about anyone, “…have you ever had neck pain?” Then again, maybe you shouldn’t since you’ll probably get overloaded with way too much information from several people willing to share every little detail with you. Because of the way we are anatomically built, the neck is particularly vulnerable to injury (it has to hold up an average head weight of 15 pounds which can be quite a job, especially when we slump or slouch and that 15 pound weight falls forward).

Most of our San Francisco Chiropractic patients sit at a desk all day looking at a computer monitor. Then go home and do more of the same. The head is pulled toward the screen like a magnet causing the muscles of the neck to exert a counter force, predisposing the office worker to neck pain. There are ways to minimize these forces which we teach our patients.

Injury to the neck can result in minimal symptoms all the way to complete disability, making it one of the most common reasons people see doctors of all varieties for help, especially chiropractors.  Couple neck pain with headaches and now you have a real potential for disrupting lifestyles. With simple causes like poor posture, stress, work station problems or long hours at a computer, not to mention anxiety, depression and more, it’s no wonder most of us have needed help for neck pain at some point in time.  So, the question remains, “…what can you do about it?”

From a chiropractic standpoint, spinal adjustments, massage and other soft tissue techniques, and several forms of physiological therapeutics (such as ultrasound, electric stimulation, light – low level laser therapies), all work great!  But, instead of (or, in addition to) things that WE do to you, let’s discuss things we can teach YOU to do on your own. There is a long list of aids that help neck pain that you can self-manage, of which some include: a home traction device, cervical pillows, exercises, posture retraining, stress management, work station modifications, work / job analysis and subsequent modifications, and more. Most important is that YOU are in control of your own management program. All you need is a little motivation (your job) and proper training (our job). Many of these “self-help approaches” include an apparatus or device of some sort, which are technically coined, “hard durable medical supplies.” More specifically (your chiropractor can order these for you):

1. Cervical traction units include (but are not limited to) inflatable collars, seated over-the-door traction units, laying on the back varieties, as well as towel traction. The concept here is that you are stretching the neck vertebra apart and if it’s done proper, it should feel good! Don’t do it if it doesn’t or, reduce the weight until it does feel good. Another type of traction is placing a fulcrum (dense foam triangle) behind the neck while lying allowing the head to hang off the edge of the bed. Foam arches work well.
2. Cervical pillows share the common concept of being contoured to fit the neck and head.  These are thicker on the edge so the gap between the neck and shoulder point is filled in so the head is pointed straight ahead. There are many types of contoured pillows including water pillows, foam, inflatable, buckwheat, rice, and other types. However, a word of caution is in order: you may not like it at first as it can take 3-4 nights to get used to it. But, once you do, you’ll miss your pillow when you’re not able to travel with it.  Executive Express Chiropractic carries the complete line of Tempur-Pedic Pillows.  
3. Exercises. Place your hand against your head and push into the hand, allowing the head to “win” as you move through the full range of motion (forwards, backwards, sideways and rotation). Don’t forget stretching, other strengthening exercises, and fine motor control exercises are important as well. We’ll have to pick this topic up again in the near future. Our San Francisco Chiropractors prescribe a wide variety of exercises. Some you need help with and we do at the clinic…some you do at home.

            We realize that you have a choice in where you choose your health-care services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for neck pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

To schedule a complimentary consultation at our downtown San Francisco Chiropractic Clinic at the Embarcadero Center, call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

 

Check-out our 5 Star Reviews

Can wrist pain be connected to back pain?

We have been helping patients with back and wrist pain in downtown San Francisco for around 20 years now. When we first started, office workers and professionals would perform various tasks throughout the day and there would be a lot of moving around. Today, it's pretty much sitting in front of the computer all day with a few breaks here and there. Then, more at home.

Well...not only is there an entire body of recent research that suggests that sitting all day is bad for your heart, your internal organs, your immune system, and your skeletal system...sitting for prolonged periods doing repetitive motions is terrible for your back and hard on your wrists.

Think about it. Life is Motion. We are designed to be running around the woods hunting for food and getting plenty of exercise and sunlight. When we deprive ourselves of this movement we steer ourselves in the direction of illness. 

The nerves that control the upper extremities (arms and hands). exit from the upper back and neck. When you sit for long periods...especially if you do not have a properly set-up workstation, it causes tremendous stress on the spinal bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons of the spine. This can lead to muscle spasms that can pull the bones out of alignment (vertebral subluxation) pinching the nerves that control the arm and hand.

For the most part, this happens silently. Then at a certain point you begin to feel things like weakness of grip, numbness, tingling, and wrist pain. There may or may not be any back or neck pain.

This type of injury is referred to as a Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI).

A good chiropractor or therapist will quickly determine during the exam and consultation if you have RSI, or if the cause is something else. RSI takes longer to treat than a new muscle strain from say sleeping funny or putting together a piece of furniture..or a fresh sports injury. A good doctor knows the difference. 

Fortunately, with the advancement of medical technology, treating back and wrist pain has become a whole lot easier. In addition to the manual therapies that have served us well for so long (and are still the cornerstone of our treatment) we have Deep Tissue Laser, Active Release Technique, Graston Technique, and Kinesio Taping...as well as Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression. All of which can be mixed and matched per individual needs. It's rare when we can't get the job done. 

So, YES...wrist pain and back pain can be connected. And your wrist pain may still be connected to your back even if there is no back pain (or neck pain). A doctor that treats back and wrist pain day in and day out will be able to check your back and neck and determine if it is the source of your hand pain.

Our San Francisco Chiropracors treat the full spine and upper extremities on both sides (shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers) when a patient presents with RSI. After-all...the spine functions as a unit. And when RSI builds up slowly over time...it throws everything out.

Same with the upper extremities. When you have pain in say the wrist...you favor it and use the other side more...now you are at risk to develop overuse  syndrome on that side. Same with the shoulders and elbows...they are connected to the wrists. When the wrists are injured, they have to work more than they should and can lose alignment (this may or may not be symptomatic).

Anyway...as you can see, there is a lot involved in the treatment on back, neck, and wrist pain. And who treats you matters. Do they use this comprehensive approach and have the skills to deliver the goods...or is it just wrist splints and Motrin? And not all chiropractors are equal either. Some have no clue what to do. So do your homework. And if you need help finding a chiropractor in your area send me an email at ebendavis@yahoo.com.

That's about it on this topic...I hope you found it useful.

Dr. Eben Davis is an expert on the nonsurgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), repetitive stress injuries, and beck, neck, and wrist pain. Dr. Davis has helped train thousands of chiropractors on how to treat CTS and it's related disorders.

If you live or work near the San Francisco Financial District and would like to find out if you are a candidate for neck, back, or wrist pain treatment...call Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225. Mention this blog post for a complimentary consultation.  

Check-out our 5 Star Reviews

Got Neck Pain? Consider Chiropractic

Neck pain is very common, effecting up to 70% of us at some point in our lives. While there are specific causes of neck pain such as a sports injury, whiplash, or sleeping in a funny position...most of the time no direct cause can be identified. The term for this is "non-specific neck pain" or "neck pain of unknown origin".

Doing the same repetitive motions day in and day out such as working on a computer and rotating your head back and forth from the computer monitor to a worksheet or between monitors like traders do, can lead to repetitive stress injuries (RSI) or cumulative trauma disorders (CTD).

The stress builds up silently over time in the neck joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and eventually causes neck pain and disability.

The good news is, research shows that 100% natural chiropractic care is able to help the majority of neck pain patients and should probably be your primary treatment choice.

The ability to predict a favorable response to treatment has been termed, “clinical prediction rules” which in general, are usually made up of combinations of things the patient says and findings from exams. In a large study, data from about 20,000 patients receiving about 29,000 treatments, was collected and analyzed to find out what complaints responded well to chiropractic treatment.  The results showed that the presence of any 4 of these 7 presenting complaints predicted an immediate improvement in 70-95% of the patients: 1. Neck pain; 2. Shoulder, arm pain; 3. Reduced neck, shoulder, arm movement; 4. Stiffness; 5. Headache; 6. Upper, mid back pain, and 7. None or one presenting symptom.  Items not associated with a favorable immediate response included “numbness, tingling upper limbs,” and “fainting, dizziness and light-headedness in 4-12% of the patients.  The “take-home” message here is that was far more common to see a favorable response (70-95%) of the patients compared to an unfavorable response (4-12%), supporting the observation that most patients with neck complaints will respond favorably to chiropractic treatment.

How long it takes to fix your neck pain depends on several factors.  Your chiropractor will want to know things such as whether or not your neck pain is new and acute (sports injury/whiplash), reoccurring, chronic, or involves repetitive motions (RSI or CTD). A chiropractor specializing in neck pain will also want to know if you use a cervical pillow or not, the type of mattress you sleep on, your ergonomic set-up, and your hobbies...to name a few. Every case is different.

Some neck pain patients respond in a very short period of time, such as days...some take weeks or months to respond. An expert chiropractor is able to make recommendations based on your initial consultation, case history and exam findings. Often times a cervical pillow, ice, and exercises are prescribed to speed up the healing process and prevent future problems.

In any case, chiropractic is the go-to treatment for neck pain. And it works it's magic naturally, efficiently, and painlessly. Chiropractic is #1 for neck pain relief. See your chiropractor today!

If you live or work in the SF Bay Area you can visit one of our San Francisco Neck Pain Doctors at Executive Express Chiropractic (we validate parking). Mention this blog post for a complimentary neck pain assessment.

Neck Pain, Arthritis, and Chiropractic

San Francisco Neck Pain Doctors: When we say the word “arthritis,” many images pop up in our heads. Some people think of crippled hands or perhaps a friend who talks about his bad hip being, “…bone on bone!” Or, how about the neighbor who has a bum knee and walks with a limp and a cane? Rarely do we think about the neck being associated with “arthritis.”

Before we go too far into this discussion, we should define the term, “arthritis,” which means joint (“arth-“) swelling (-itis). Simple enough, right? Wrong! Without getting too complicated, we must realize there are MANY different types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, gouty arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, etc. To narrow this down a bit, we will limit our discussion to osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease. 

Degenerative joint disease or DJD, is the most common type of arthritis that EVERYONE eventually ends up with – whether we like it or not.  Or do they? That’s because, over time, our joints absorb the stresses of life and can wear out prematurely and can become “arthritic.”  While it’s true that weight bearing joints wear out quicker (like hips and knees more so than elbows and shoulders), DJD can affect any joint. There are many causes of DJD, including a genetic (minor factor in my opinion) or hereditary tendency (we take on the bad habits of our parents). The most common cause of DJD is wear and tear over a long period of time complicated by joints that are not in their proper alignment. Of course, the rate of acquiring DJD in the neck (or anywhere else for that matter) is directly related to how “nice” we have been to our body, in this case, the neck. For example, after a car accident, a common injury to the neck is whiplash. This occurs because we literally cannot control the speed of the head as it rapidly moves forwards and backwards upon impact and it’s all over within 600-800 milliseconds! Since we can’t voluntarily contract a muscle that fast and when joints move beyond their normal stretch length, the ligaments – those non-elastic, tough tissues that securely holds bone to bone – will only “give” so much and then tear, which is technically called a “sprain.” This leads to an accelerated rate of degeneration.

Our lifestyle choices play a big part in DJD. The way we sleep (cervical pillow?), sit at our desk at work, the amount of exercise we get, the amount of mental stress we are under (tight muscles pull neck joints out of alignment), and what we eat (the Typical American Diet is pro-inflammatory) are all factors.

 Blood tests are negative with DJD (unlike many of the other types of arthritis), and an x-ray can help determine how “arthritic” the joint is and whether the smooth, silky ends of the joint (called hyaline cartilage) are worn down and if bony spurs are present.  In the neck, DJD can create a lot of symptoms which may include pain and stiffness, especially in the mornings after laying still and not moving during the night. After we get up and move around, “…it loosens up.” As the condition advances, neck movements become tight and restricted with pain, which further limits movement, and sooner or later, the patient must rotate their whole body to look to the side. If the arthritis hits or bumps into a nerve as it exits the cervical spine, neck soreness, and numbness/tingling may radiate down an arm, at times to the hand, usually only affecting certain fingers. Headaches, especially in the back of the head, can also occur from the reflex muscle “splinting” due to the pain associated with arthritis. As Dr. Peter Ulrich, MD points out (see Cervical Osteoarthritis article) chiropractic adjustments, “…help control chronic symptoms or provide relief for more severe episodes of pain from osteoarthritis.”

But mostly, chiropractors can help you prevent degenerative disc disease in the first place or dramatically slow it down.  Our San Francisco neck pain doctors have found  chiropractic adjustments, exercise, deep tissue laser, and massage therapy to be a potent combination in the prevention and treatment of DJD.

            We realize that you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for neck/arm pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our Neck Pain Doctors in San Francisco, call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

 Check-out our 5 star Reviews

How Misalignment in the Neck Causes Headaches

Millions of people suffer with chronic neck pain and headaches...many of them taking medications every day for the pain. Some migraine headache sufferers are not able to work. Most are just unable to enjoy life to it's fullest. 

I know first hand what it's like to suffer severe migraine headaches. It's how I was introduced to chiropractic 30 years ago. Even though I was only 22 years old and in great shape, I was stricken with severe migraines that doctors and specialists could not figure out. I had blood tests, cat scans, MRI, hearing tests, and x-rays. I was prescribed Perkodan for the pain and developed an allergic reaction and had to have my stomach pumped. At one point I was told to prepare for the worst because I could have a brain tumor (nice huh?).

It wasn't until a client of mine (I was a stock broker at the time) called me at home to see how I was doing that anyone suggested chiropractic (I had not even thought about it). He happened to be a chiropractor.

My medical doctors said I was nuts and that my problem was chemical and organic in nature, not physical...and to be careful because chiropractors can hurt people.

The way I figured it was..what did I have to lose? I would have cut off a pinkie at that point to get my life back. Well...the rest is history.

My chiropractor told me I had several misalignment's in my neck...especially the top vertebrae, the Atlas. Chiropractors call these misalignment's Vertebral Subluxations. He could tell they had been there a long time because of the degeneration on my x-rays and the condition of the surrounding soft tissues.

He prescribed a series of chiropractic adjustments, massage, traction, exercises, ice, and a cervical pillow. Now I did not think for one second that this was going to help me. I remember thinking that this was nuts. But about 6 hours after my first treatment I started feeling better. I thought it was just a coincidence.  

Then I went in the next day to be checked and get my next adjustment. The pain had come back...but still it felt a lot better. This went on for about 3-4 weeks until the headaches were completely gone. My treatment plan was for 8 weeks. I thought I was better though and stopped treatment. Actually, I still thought the headaches went away on their own. But then they came back.

I went back in with my tail between my legs and finished my program. The headaches were gone. It was this experience as a chiropractic patient with severe neck pain and headaches that made me want to become a chiropractor...and I did. 

Because of this I have been able to help thousands of patients with neck pain and headaches. I know first hand what it's like to feel their pain...and to get the runaround...and to be bedridden.  And I know what to do about it. For the most part,  the neck pain and headache treatment we deliver in San Francisco, is the same treatment I recieved 30 years ago. The same treatment helping thousands of headache patients every day.

So, if you or someone you know is suffering with neck pain and headaches...give chiropractic a chance...and let me know how it went by commenting on this blog. Thank You chiropractic!

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco. To schedule an appointment for neck pain and headaches treatment in San Francisco call 415-492-2225. Mention this blog post for a complimentary consultation.

Check-out our 5 Star Reviews

Best Exercise for Forward Head Posture

We have been practicing chiropractic in downtown San Francisco for almost 20 years now. One of the most common problems we see is Forward Head Posture (FHP). The head should be positioned over the body in such a way that from the side, your ear lobe is center with your shoulder. When we spend too much time sitting in front of a computer, our heads tend to move forward...and stay there. This can cause a chain reaction from tight neck muscles, increased pressure on the spine and discs, to neck pain, headaches, breathing problems, and insomnia.

Chiropractors are experts at preventing and correcting forward head posture. After-all, FHP is acquired. It is an adaptation to your external environment. Just like the branches of a tree by the ocean conform to the steady onshore winds...the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and spine, adapt to the constant pull towards the computer screen.

Fortunately, there are ways to correct FHP with exercise, chiropractic adjustments, ergonomic instruction, and proper sleeping position...including a cervical pillow.  Check out this video for the best exercise for Forward Head Posture that I know of. We use a foam block behind the patients upper back at our chiropractic center to enhance the treatment and make it more effective.

To schedule an appointment at Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco call 415-392-2225. Ask for a complimentary posture exam.