Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Good Posture = Good Health

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

We have been preaching the message that posture and health are connected for 18 years at Executive Express Chiropractic(formerly Front Street Chiropractic) in downtown San Francisco.

What is your posture anyway? Here are some dictionary definitions:

The carriage of the body as a whole. The arrangement of the body and it's limbs. The attitude of the body.  

 Here is my definition: Your posture is a reflection of the position of the spinal bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Your posture is a window to your spine.

Another-words...we can tell from the outside (of the body) by looking at your posture what the spine looks like on the inside (this is an art).

When we are looking at your posture at a particular moment in time, we are looking at the end product (a snapshot) of every physical activity you have ever done, every emotion you have ever felt, and every chemical stress you have ever been exposed to over your entire lifetime. There are also congenital factors built into your posture such as a short leg or a scoliosis.

In any case, the reason all this matters is...inside the spine and skull is the brain and spinal cord which control every cell, gland, and organ in the body. Nerves branch off of the spinal cord and exit from in between the spinal vertebrae and travel to all the body parts. These nerves carry instructions and information from the brain to the body telling it what to do. 

As long as there is no interference...say from a vertebral subluxation (a misalignment of the spine), this process happens as intended and we express 100% health. There are 24 spinal vertebrae...they all stack on top of each other to create 3 nice curves...cervical, thoracic, and lumbar. When one of the bones in the stack is out of alignment it changes the entire configuration as the other bones have to adapt, as do the muscles, ligaments and tendons (and your extremities)...resulting in abnormal posture, which can lead to nerve interference and poor health. 

This is why chiropractors are so concerned with posture. I admit...it's not such an obvious connection...Posture-Nervous System-Subluxation-Health. But it's my job to connect the dots. In fact, we plan on making the entire month of January 2010 "Posture Awareness Month".

So sure, chiropractors can help posture...that's what we do. But we also want to teach you about the 3 types of stresses that cause what we treat...physical stress, mental stress, and chemical stress. If we can teach patients how to reduce stress with education (including this blog) on topics such as exercise, ergonomics, sleeping positions, nutrition, relaxation techniques, yoga and breathing...and at the same time correct the subluxations created by these imbalances, we can help patients to achieve that balance point (that is different in everybody) where optimum posture and nervous system function manifests as optimum health.

                                                                             

And you don't have to wait until "Posture Awareness Month" to have us check your posture.

To find out if you are a candidate for care at Executive Express Chiropractic at the SF Embarcadero Center, please call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online. 

 

 

Low Back Pain-Yoga Study Shows Promise

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I have always been a proponent of Yoga. In fact, up until recently we have always had an in-house Yoga instructor and included Yoga poses and stretches into our treatment programs at our San Francisco Chiropractic Centers. We still recommend Yoga highly and feel it is a great compliment to chiropractic.

Anyway, I was doing my morning back pain research and I came across an article on www.medicalnewstoday.com about a recent Yoga-back pain study and the results are outstanding. The name of the article is:

Yoga Benefits Back-pain Patients

Low back pain represents the largest category of medical reimbursements in the United States...estimated at roughly $34 billion dollars annually, so it makes sense to try and find cost effective solutions.

It has always been known that Yoga was good for chronic back pain, but there were never any controlled studies done on larger groups that proved it...up until now.

The three year study was done at West Virginia University and funded by the National Institutes of Health. Here is an excerpt from the article:

"The yoga group had less pain, less functional disability and less depression compared with the control group," said Kimberly Williams, Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Community Medicine. "These were statistically significant and clinically important changes that were maintained six months after the intervention."

The 90 study subjects, who experienced mild to moderate functional disability, were randomly assigned to the yoga group or the group that received conventional medical therapy. Yoga participants took 90-minute classes twice a week for 24 weeks, doing postures targeted to relieve chronic low-back pain. Follow up continued for six months after the end of classes or therapy.

"Proponents of yoga have long described its benefits in reducing back pain," Williams said. "But not everybody was convinced. This is a much bigger, much more rigorous evaluation than had been done before."

 

My Take: In my opinion...nothing beats chiropractic for the treatment of chronic low back pain, and you should always check with your doctor before deciding on any form of treatment. If your doctor determines that Yoga makes sense for you, give it a shot. And like the study results show...there are many other health benefits to Yoga such as increased strength, flexibility, and balance...as well as reduced depression levels often associated with chronic back pain.

 

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

Stress Management with Yoga

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Here we are in the middle of one the worst economic crisis' in history. And in my opinion...it's far from over.  This crisis is effecting everyone...and not in a good way. One thing for sure...it's very stressful...and stress is not healthy.

However, there are ways to counter the negative effects of stress...and one of my favorites is Yoga. What I like about Yoga is...you can dive in...hook, line, and sinker...or, you can just do the parts of it you like...even at home...or at work.

Sure...going to a Yoga studio...especially here in San Francisco, is probably the best way to learn...under the tutelage of a master...even then you don't have to do all of it... you probably couldn't anyway.

Heck, even buying a book or a video and learning some of the poses and breathing techniques on your own will most likely work wonders managing your stress. That's what I do.

Anyway, I looked around and found an excellent article about Yoga and stress on www.mayoclinic.com entitled:

Yoga: Improve your stress management and relaxation skills

Check it out and tell me what you think.

To find out if you are a candidate for care at Executive Express Chiropractic in the SF Financial District...call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.

Chiropractic, Yoga, and the Elderly Patient

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I had an 87 year old woman present to our Embarcadero Center Chiropractic Clinic last week with really bad sciatica (pain down the leg). She said she had never had sciatica before...or any kind of low back pain.

I thought that was kind of unusual because most 87 year olds have had many bouts of back pain. Anyway, I told her we would try some very gentle chiropractic adjustments and some muscle work on the lumbar spine. The reason we work on the lumbar spine is because pressure on the sciatic nerve (roots) is usually always at the level of the spine.

Anyway, we did some gentle adjustments and the sciatic nerve pain was gone after one visit...I thought it would take several...pretty amazing.

Well, I came to find out that this woman has been practicing Yoga for over 60 years, and she is still an active practitioner. Considering the fact that Yoga is based on the premise that the spine is the center of life, it started to make sense why she was so healthy, and why she responded so well to chiropractic. That's the other thing...she did not look a day over 65.

So...I guess the moral of the story is that Yoga is good stuff. And Yoga and chiropractic can be a powerful, one-two punch. If you missed my post yesterday on Yoga resources check it out today. Yoga and chiropractic can serve you well...for a lifetime.

Dr. Eben Davis is the clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic at the SF Embarcadero Center. He can be reached at ebendavis@yahoo.com.

Yoga Information: A Great Online Resource

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I have always been a strong believer in the mind, body, and health benefits of Yoga. In fact, I shared my first chiropractic clinic in downtown San Francisco with two Yoga practitioners. A while later, when I relocated into the SF Financial District...we offered Yoga at the new chiropractic clinic.

Our brand new clinic, Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center will not have onsite Yoga...but we sure do recommend it if the conditions are right.

It's always best to do some homework as there are many forms of Yoga, and you don't want to hurt your back doing something that you shouldn't.

So anyway, check this article out...it's a great place to start:

100 Free Online Instructional Yoga Videos

Nothing beats going to a studio and learning from a Yoga Master...but this article should help you learn more about the benefits of Yoga.

For a complimentary consultation with Dr. Eben Davis at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco call 415-392-2225

Is Yoga Good for a Herniated Disc?

San Francisco Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

Yoga is very popular these days...and there are many different kinds. Some methods of Yoga are very gentle...some are advanced...and everything in between.

Anyway...I am often asked...Is it is OK to do Yoga with a herniated disc?

My answer is always...it depends. It depends on your particular condition.  There are Yoga postures that might be perfect for you and actually enhance the healing process...and there are Yoga postures that may hurt you.

This is where an experienced Yoga teacher comes in. I used to have an onsite Yoga instructor at my Financial District Chiropractic Center. Sometimes Yoga made sense for herniated disc repair...sometimes it didn't.

I did a little research online and came up with this article on the Yoga Journal website entitled:

Yoga With A Herniated Disc

It's an excellent read. Check it out. Let me know if you have any experience with Yoga and disc herniations and if you know any really good instructors here in downtown San Francisco that I can refer patients to.

For a complimentary consultation with Dr. Eben Davis at Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center...simply call 415-392-2225, press 1 (24 hr live operator). 

Yoga For Chronic Back Pain

San Francisco Chiropractor and Chronic Back Pain Doctor Comments:

I was checking around for some information on Yoga, and I came across a good article on the www.revolutionhealth.com website. The article is entitled:

Yoga And Back Pain. Here is an excerpt from the article (by Dr. James Herndon, MD):

At the end of treatment...and for 3 months after...patients treated with yoga had slightly more relief than those in the exercise group and "significantly more pain relief than those in the 3rd group" who received tips for managing back pain, fitness and suggested life style changes. The authors concluded that in their opinion yoga did so well because patients had an increased awareness of how to sit, stand and walk as well as "a sense of relaxation."

I have known about the benefits of yoga since I started practice, as I shared space with two very good yoga instructors...they performed gentle yoga stretches and massage on my patients. Chiropractic and yoga is a very good combination.

However, just like I always say to my patients that ask if they should do yoga...Make sure you perform yoga under the tutelage of a master. And only start off with gentle yoga if you have chronic back or neck pain. You can work your way up to more advanced levels over time. 

Good Posture=A Healthy Back

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

There is a lot of debate over whether someones posture can be controlled at a conscience level, or if posture is actually the end result of all your habits and actions over your lifetime. Some say your psychological profile contributes to your posture as well. Some say it's mostly hereditary.

I think it's a little of all the above. Your posture is also "a window to your spine". A trained eye can actually visualize the position the spine is in by looking at posture. And there are many ways to improve posture...including chiropractic.

Anyway, I found some real interesting links with some different viewpoints on posture, along with some exercises and ergonomics tips. Here they are:

Posture For A Healthy Back

Posture-What About It?

Chiropractic Biophysics

I trained at the clinic where the Biophysics technique was invented. So, we incorporate this method into our treatment protocols.

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Back & Wrist Pain Center...please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.   

10 Tips For Chronic Back Pain

San Francisco Chiropractor and Chronic Back Pain Doctor Comments:

It sure is hard to exercise when you have chronic back pain. And you know what happens when you don't exercise...you don't get any thinner. You also know what happens when you put extra weight on a bad low back...it gets worse.

And, what do you do when you can't exercise and lead an active lifestyle because of chronic back pain? You eat more...it's a viscous cycle, that's often hard to break.

So, how do you get out of this mess and get your life back?

Well...here's what I think...You sure don't keep doing what you're doing...that's for sure. Not unless you want more of the same. You can put a turbo-booster on what I described if you smoke or drink too much, or expose yourself to too much stress.

Here's a simple prescription:

1. Chiropractic care. Find a chiropractor you like and work with her long term.

2. Switch to a plant based diet for 60 days. If you like it, stay with it. My best source is www.drmcdougall.com.

3. Consider non-surgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 if chiropractic fails to deliver results.

4. Start riding a life-cycle 3-4 days a week for 20-40 minutes. It is non-weight bearing, but ease into it. Start at five minutes and work your way up. Yoga stretches are good too...gentle at first.

5. Consider relaxation & visualization techniques. Purchase the book Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain.

6. Get plenty of sleep and use a cervical pillow. I like the Tempur-Pedic Memory Pillow.

7. Try Acupuncture for pain control and to reduce inflammation.

8. Drink lots of clean water. Half your body weight in ounces per day.

9. Stop any fad diets such as high protein diets. They only offer short term benefits, with long term health risks.

10. Talk to your medical doctor about reducing prescription pain killers, muscle relaxers, or cortisone injections. This stuff can do more harm than good long term.

Yoga In Conjunction With Chiropractic For Back Pain Just Makes Sense!

San Francisco Chiropractor and Chronic Back Pain Doctor Comments:

I am often asked, "Is Yoga Good For Back Pain?"  My response is always the same...Maybe, Maybe Not...it just depends on the circumstances.

Sure, the major premise of Yoga is that the spine is the center of life...there is an outer reality and an inner one...and the nervous system is the doorway between them. The spine houses and protects the nervous system. So you want to keep the spine healthy and limber throughout your lifetime to keep the energy flowing.

In actuality, Yoga philosophy is very similar to Chiropractic philosophy...which is why the two healing arts work so well together. OK, OK....should I do Yoga for my back pain or not?

Well, it depends how bad your condition is, and what kind of physical shape you are in...and where you are learning the Yoga, and what type of Yoga...Blah Blah Blah. Is it from a video, your next door neighbor, or under the tutelage of a master practitioner??? There's a big difference.

Lets do this...Read this excellent article from the great www.Spine-health.com website and decide for yourself. The article is entitled:

The Healing Benefits Of Yoga

If you think that it makes sense to try Yoga, give it a shot. If you are my patient and you would like a good referral in San Francisco, send an email to ebendavis@yahoo.com.

Otherwise, do a little homework and find somebody good to learn from. If you have any helpful advice regarding Yoga and back pain, please comment below.

If you suffer from chronic back pain and would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Chiropractic Center...simply call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.