Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Study Shows Stress Makes Allergies Worse!

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I just read an interesting article about a study that was done to determine if there was a relationship between stress and severe allergic reactions in patients with seasonal allergies. YES there is. The answer did not surprise me. I think stress compounds just about any problem...and is the actual cause of more health conditions than we think.

Anyway, check out the article...it's called Stress Makes Allergies Worse and last longer. I came across it at www.revolutionhealth.com, which is a pretty good source of information for research on health and wellness.

Regular chiropractic care can help reduce stress levels and help with allergies. If you would like a complimentary consultation at Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center in downtown SF...simply call 415-392-2225, press ext #1 (24 hr live operator).   

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.   

Computer Related Back or Neck Pain?

San Francisco Chiropractor and Ergonomic Specialist Comments:

Most of the patients we treat at Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center, spend the majority of their day sitting in front of a computer. Lawyers, accountants, traders, bankers, executives, executive assistants, and just about everyone else...sit while they work...usually for too long, and in the wrong position.

Add the mental stress of deadlines, layoffs, financial worries, and more...and the muscles wind-up even tighter...like a guitar string.

There is a breaking point for your spinal muscles, ligaments, and tendons...a point where they have done too much work...and they become prone to injury. These types of injuries are called "non-accidental" injuries or repetitive strain injuries (RSI). Typically, RSI builds up silently, but when they hit, they hit hard. Some of the symptoms of non-accidental injuries & RSI are:

• Neck Pain
• Back Pain
• Arm and Hand Pain
• Shoulder Pain
• Pain Between Shoulders
• Numbness & Tingling in the Hands
• Weakness of Grip
• Sciatica
• Headaches

These types of musculoskeletal conditions can lead to chronic ailments that can stay with you for years, effecting your productivity and lifestyle.

So what's the solution? Well, you have to take action to increase your resistance to the stresses of sitting for long periods with repetitive motions. The information is out there...it just needs to be implemented before problems develop...which goes against human nature.

At Executive Express Chiropractic...we arm our patients with the exercises and ergonomic advice they need to counteract these stresses. Plus, our entire treatment regimen is geared toward office workers. A good chiropractor should be part of your proactive strategy. Reading this blog will help you also.

Check out this article on the excellent www.spine-health.com website entitled:

Five ways to turn the clock on computer related back pain  This article covers quite a bit of ground...check it out.

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at Executive Express Chiropractic in the SF Financial District...simply call 415-392-2225, press ext1 (24 hr live operator). Ask for a consultation with Dr. Eben Davis.

         

Chiropractic Care Just Makes Sense

San Francisco Financial District Chiropractor Comments:

So...you have neck pain. low back pain, wrist pain, a bad knee (that hurts), and headaches, stress...where do you go?

Hmmm...let me think...the emergency room?  Your Medical Doctor? An Orthopedic Doctor?  A Physical Therapist? An Acupuncturist? Heck...maybe you see all of them. Why not just take a couple of months off of work and really try to get to the bottom of this...what's going on here???

Or...maybe you just pick up the phone or drop by your chiropractors office...where they can treat all these problems at once...it's business as usual.

At least that's how it is at Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center in downtown San Francisco. It's rare that a patient only has one or two symptoms. Usually it's a laundry list, because the nerves that exit the spine control all bodily functions. So when the spine is out of alignment, it can cause problems all over. And most patients are all out of alignment.

The most common problems we treat at our Financial District Chiropractic Center are: low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, arm and hand pain, headaches, rib pain, upper back pain, and knee and foot pain. And sometimes patients come in with everything...and we treat it all at once...in less than 30 minutes.   

Back, Neck, Arm, and Hand Pain: Are They All Connected Somehow?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Question: I often times have low back pain and neck pain that travels into the arms and hands...all at once. Either they are OK...or I have all of these symptoms all at once. It can be really bad, and my medical doctor just gives me pain pills and tells me to take it easy. It happens maybe 1-2x per month. What causes this? 

Answer: Actually, this is not that unusual. The back, neck, arms, and hands are all connected to each other by the nervous system. The nervous system consist of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The nerves branch off the spinal cord and exit from in between spinal vertebra and connect to all the parts of the body.

The nerves that exit from the neck bones, travel down the arm and into the hand. So any pressure on these nerves from a misaligned vertebrae (subluxation) can cause pain in the arm and hand...because nerve pain can travel down the nerve (radicular pain).

And, since all the bones of the spine are interconnected...it may be that you have a couple of real specific vertebral subluxations that move in and out of alignment depending on your activities and stress levels. I call these transitional subluxations...they can be quite unpredictable.

Humans, Just Like Wild Salmon, Thrive In A Healthy Habitat

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

I just finished reading a feature story on the front page of today's San Francisco Chronicle, entitled:

California's last best run of wild salmon.

The story goes on to explain how the Chinook salmon are running stronger than ever at Butte Creek now that their habitat has been returned closer to it's natural state.

Apparently, over the years there has been some serious exposure to chemicals and pollutants that contributed to the almost fatal decline of the salmon run.  This, along with various man made diversions prevented the natural spawning pattern. So, by removing these stresses and allowing nature to restore the Eco-balance, a healthier context was achieved.

Anyway...I could not help but compare the (previous) context induced unhealthy state of the Butte Creek Salmon population, to the unhealthy (contextual) state of the American human population. 

Now, if we could only apply these same principles to our health care system we would be in much better shape. We could even teach these principles in schools. The principles of contextual healing. 

Back Pain, Children And Stress

San Francisco Chiropractor and Chronic Back Pain Doctor Comments:

I just got through reading an article on the front page of the 5/20/2008 Marin Independent Journal, entitled:

"STRESS OUT, BREATH IN-Novato students practice guided relaxation"

The article goes on to talk about how stress starts at a very early age, and how Sinola School is trying to help students (eighth graders) relax a little. Stress is known as a silent killer, and is responsible for many health problems in children and adults. So, they are experimenting to see if early intervention can make a difference...I think it can.

I know from my experience as a chiropractor that stress can play a big part in musculoskeletal disorders such as neck and back pain. And stress can interfere with treatment also. I have seen it over and over. Patients trying to get better, but they just cant get a handle on controlling stress.

Sometimes, even keeping the chiropractic or decompression appointments becomes too much stress...it's a viscous cycle, that can be hard break. 

There are many good ways to manage stress, such as relaxation and visualization techniques, exercise, and yoga. Even activities like hiking and fishing can help with stress, along with just learning how to take time off and not work so hard. Biofeedback therapy is also useful.

There is a book I recommend called Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain that I use personally for relaxation and visualization. Sometimes being proactive is all it takes...which means acknowledging there is a problem. It's just not worth the risks.

For a complimentary consultation at our San Francisco Back and Wrist Pain Center...fill out our online request form and we will contact you right away.      

Migraine Headaches and Chiropractic

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I first saw a chiropractor when I was about 10 years old because I was having really bad headaches. The chiropractor fixed my problem in a few visits...and that was that.

Children respond very favorable to chiropractic adjustments...and usually they only require a few visits...it just depends on the problem.

Then, later on in my life...when I was about 23, I started getting the headaches again. This time they were really bad. So bad that my medical doctors prescribed Percodan for the pain. I even had a brain scan to see if I had a brain tumor. Nothing worked, the drugs made me sick, and it turned into a mess.

Then I went back to see a chiropractor...well, it worked again. This time it took a little longer because the vertebral subluxations in my neck were pretty bad. But I could not believe it. They would come back a little every now and then...but then the migraines disappeared...forever.

Taking Responsibility For Your Own Health

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

It's not uncommon for people to blame somebody else when they get sick, say with the flu. They will say something like...Oh, Mary came to the office with the flu bug and gave it to me. Or, with symptoms like back pain, you will hear... it's my chair at work. Or... I just don't have time to exercise. Or my favorite...I cant lose weight because of my metabolism. And on and on...   

Sure there are some things that you have no control over...like someone rear-ending you at a traffic light, or a tree randomly falling on you. But, for the most part, you are the one that adjust the knobs that control your health. And you adjust them in the direction of health or in the direction of illness based on your lifestyle choices and the decisions you make about your healthcare (drugs vs. natural). And, whether or not you take responsibility for your health...or not.

Do you run to the doctor everytime you get sick with the flu? Or do you consider the factors that help prevent someone from getting the flu...like rest, a healthy nervous system (chiropractic), proper diet, exercise, low amounts of stress...and a positive attitude. These are what I refer to as adjustable lifestyle knobs...adjustable by YOU.

Chronic Back and Neck Pain: Sometimes Nothing Seems To Help

San Francisco Chiropractor and Chronic Back and Neck Pain Doctor Comments:

I have been practicing chiropractic for 17 years now in the Financial District, and there is one thing I have learned that is hard to accept. Chiropractic care will not help everyone that does it...nothing will. In fact, there are times that a patient just does not seem to respond to anything.

I have had back and neck pain patients that have tried acupuncture, physical therapy, pain medications, chiropractic, spinal decompression, and goose grease...and none of it helped...talk about frustrating.   

Fortunately...this is rare.  And, sometimes it looks like the back pain is just there to stay, and all of the sudden it starts to respond to the chiropractic or spinal decompression, or combination of both. So, it can be a little tricky knowing when to stop...or continue.

When a patient with chronic low back pain, or chronic, severe neck pain does not respond, we start to take a serious look at the patients lifestyle factors that are adjustable...such as diet, mental stress, posture, ergonomics, and anything else that could be adjusted in the direction of health...even the shoes they wear, or the pillow they sleep with.

Sometimes we can control the symptoms just a little..enough to make make a difference. One thing for sure...Unless YOU have adjusted all the knobs in the direction of health...you will never know what it would be like if you had.

If you are suffering with chronic neck pain, or chronic low back pain, and would like to  find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Back, Neck, and Wrist Pain Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.