Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

What is Detox Yoga and How Can it Benefit You?

Melissa Redd and Detox Yoga

 What do you perceive as toxic? Here is a list of what some of my clients wrote:

·         Over consumption of sugar

·         Over consumption of alcohol

·         Rushing

·         Yelling

·         Guilt

·         Stress

·         Laziness

·         Anger

·         Negative thinking

·         Certain relationships

·         Procrastination

·         Lying

·         Abuse

 

Okay, now you make your list.

Yuck. 

So, just as “heavy and dark” as that list you just wrote is,

the practice of yoga can make you feel and act “weightless and light.”

We live in a world of duality and yoga helps us find our center.

 

The very word yoga means “unity” or “to yoke.”  The purpose of yoga

is to unit ourselves with our highest nature through the practice of yoga disciplines.

 

Given the increasing pace and conflict present in the modern life with all it’s

resulting stress, yoga is an essential tool for survival as well as for expanding

creativity and joy.

 

Hatha yoga systematically explains various techniques to increase consciousness.

One of the cleansing techniques is called “Dhouti Kriya.”

This is a cleansing Kriya around the stomach area to aid in digestion and circulation.

 

Yoga will help you to dissolve your toxins, both mental and physical.

Give yoga a try and notice how good you feel without all those impurities.

 

-           Melissa Redd, Health Coach

 

Melissa Redd is a Health Coach in Burlingame, California.

She has a private practice where she offers an exclusive one on one coaching system called “Figure 8.”

Figure 8 is about you having a slender waist line, a new truthful story, and purpose and joy in your life. 

The average client working with Melissa can lose up to 10lbs or 2 inches in 2 months. 

“Figure 8” is not a diet, it’s a 8 week jump-start system to permanent lifestyle change.

• Are you ready to have a great figure? 
• Have you tried diet programs before that gave you results, but they didn’t last?
• Do you want to feel better about yourself?                                                     

 

If you are interested, call my office today:  650-346-3315. 

Personal coaching time-slots are limited.

 

Melissa has worked in the health industry for 20 years. She has helped over 3,000 individuals

lose weight and keep it off.  She has worked with Fortune 500 companies and professional

sports teams.  Her programs have been featured on numerous media outlets and television over

the last 10 years.

Find Melissa Redd at:  www.reddcoaching.com,

Melissa Redd on YouTube

Melissa Redd on facebook

Yoga Stretches for Low Back Pain Relief

At our San Francisco Chiropractic Center it's very common for low back pain patient's to tell us that they injured their back stretching, or the stretches they were doing made their low back pain worse.

What happens is, maybe they used the wrong stretching technique or forced it a little too much. Or, tried to stretch when they should of just rested for a short period and iced first....which is a good idea if the pain is new and acute, and really flared-up.

Anyway, the reason I am thinking about this in the first place is I came across an article at www.YogaJournal.com entitled Ease On Back, by physical therapist Julie Gudmestad, that talks about the benefits of a well constructed yoga stretching routine for conditions such as acute low back pain, herniated and bulging discs, and severe hip pain. Here is an excerpt from the article:

As a physical therapist, I have heard this unfortunate story many times. Sitting forward bends are probably the best-known leg stretches, and are therefore likely to be included in a beginning stretch routine, whether in a public yoga or aerobics class, or in a book or video. Surprisingly, there seems to be widespread misunderstanding about the role of stretching in the care of back problems. And the irony is that certain types of stretching can actually worsen some back problems.

A yoga practice with too much emphasis on aggressive forward bending can be risky, particularly if the student has tight hamstrings and a flattened curve in the lower back. A well-constructed yoga routine, however, can be an ideal way to learn to stretch without creating or exacerbating back pain, and a chance to practice good alignment and movement patterns which help protect the back from injury.

Click here for full story

My Take: I know first hand from 20 years practicing chiropractic in downtown San Francisco, that the wrong type of exercises or stretches for back pain can do more harm than good.

Incorporating well constructed Yoga programs into treatment protocols for acute and chronic back, neck, and hip pain just makes sense...especially in the SF Bay Area where there are so many talented Yoga instructors (Check out the Yoga Journal Online Directory).

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic at the San Francisco Embarcadero Center near the Ferry Building.

Reviews and directions to our San Francisco Chiropractic Center

More about Physical Therapist and Yoga Instructor Julie Gudmestad

September is National Yoga Month

September is National Yoga Month and you can sign-up for a Free Week of Yoga at participating Yoga Studios around the US. Yoga has many health benefits and is the perfect compliment to chiropractic care. Here is a partial list of health benefits:

Yoga has been researched extensively and is know to have a wide range of health benfits for body, mind, spirit: Lower blood pressure Decreased stress Greater flexibility (not just physically!) Enhanced brain function Lower cholesterol Better skeletal alignment Strengthened bones/joints Improved respiration Weight Loss Enhanced circulation Easier transition through menopause Deeper peace of mind And many more… Click one of these links to learn more. Overview Health Benefits | Chronic Backpain | Depression | Diabetes | Menopause | Stress | Asthma & Breathing | Obesity | Heart Disease | Cancer | Fatigue & Cancer | Cancer Patients & Survivors | Breast Cancer | Side Effect & Danger | Heart Failure | Weight Loss | Meditation & Consciousness | Pregnancy | Fitness | Breathing | Multiple Sclerosis | Rheumatoid Arthritis | For more information about National Yoga Month click here: http://www.yogamonth.org/

Can Yoga help back pain?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I have always been an proponent of yoga for back pain...especially chronic low back pain.

In fact, we use to have in-house yoga instructors at several of my chiropractic clinics.

Anyway..I came across an article about a study that was recently published in the prestigious Spine Magazine entitled:

Yoga May Ease Chronic Back Pain...here is an excerpt:

For the current study, published in the journal Spine, researchers randomly assigned 90 adults (average age 48, range 18-70) with chronic lower back pain to either stay with conventional care or take six months of Iyengar-style yoga classes.

Iyengar is a form of yoga that emphasizes proper body alignment and uses "props," such as blocks, blankets and the wall, to help support people in the various yoga postures. The certified Iyengar yoga instructors in this study had experience using yoga therapy for back pain.

Overall, the researchers found, the yoga group showed not only greater improvements in pain and mobility, but also a larger reduction in depression symptoms. And the benefits were seen immediately after the six-month yoga regimen ended, as well as six months later.

The findings do not mean that every style of yoga is right for back-pain sufferers.

My Take: Just like the article says...not all styles of yoga make sense for back pain. And, buying a yoga video or book to try and learn yoga yourself could actually make back pain worse.

The best thing to do is to study under the tutelage of a master yoga instructor...especially an instructor that teaches Ivengar...although there are many forms of yoga that are good for low back pain.

The article also talks about the many side benefits of yoga including reduction in depression levels of students.

And yoga works great with chiropractic. I have had many yoga instructors over the years as patients, and my wife and 5 year old daughter practice yoga on a regular basis.

Just make sure you do it right.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco.

Map and reviews of Executive Express Chiropractic San Francisco

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).