Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

What is Fibromyalgia?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Fibromyalgia – What is it... Exactly?

                                                
       
There are many conditions that can be attributed to specific causes with a clear origin and means of diagnosis.  However, there are also conditions that are obscure and can only be diagnosed by eliminating other, more common conditions.  Fibromyalgia (FM) is one of those conditions where the degree of pain and disability can be profound and life quality interrupting, yet all the tests come back negative and there are no other conditions to explain the collection of symptoms.  It is at that point when the diagnosis of fibromyalgia is typically made.

FM is typically a chronic (symptoms have been present for at least 3 months) condition where the patient complains of widespread, generalized muscle, ligament and tendon pain accompanied with fatigue and multiple tender points on the body that hurt with only light pressure. To be considered “widespread,” it usually affects both sides of the body and is both above and below the waist.  It occurs in approximately 2% of the population in the US and women are 3-4 times more likely to develop FM.  The risk of FM increases with age and can be secondary to other physical or emotional trauma, or it can occur all by itself.  No obvious pattern usually exists as signs and symptoms can vary depending on weather, stress, physical activity, and even the time of day.

Sleep quality is an issue that seems well agreed upon as regardless of the number of hours in bed, the deep, restorative stages of sleep are seldom reached.  Other sleep disorders frequently associated with FM include sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. 

Causation for the most part is unknown but genetics (family traits), infections (can trigger or worsen FM), and after physical or emotional trauma (eg., post-traumatic stress disorder) have been linked to FM.  An explanation as to why it hurts so much centers around a theory called “central sensitization.” This is basically a low threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to the incoming pain signals.  Certain chemical (neurotransmitters) changes in the brain have been identified resulting is hypersensitivity creating an overreaction to pain signals. 

The American College of Rheumatology has established two diagnostic criteria that include 1) widespread pain lasting at least 3 months, and 2) at least 11 out of 18 positive tender points using just enough pressure to whiten the fingernail bed.  There are no direct blood tests to confirm a diagnosis of FM but other conditions can affect or cause FM can be diagnosed with blood testing.  These include thyroid disease (thyroid function blood tests), inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid (ESR), and a complete blood count to assess anemia and infection.

We take pride in providing quality, evidence-based care and appreciate the opportunity to do so when patients choose our clinic for their chiropractic care.  We realize that there are many healthcare options available.  If you, a friend or family member require care for fibromyalgia, we would be honored to offer our services. 

                       

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR FIBROMYALGIA! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION AT EXECUTIVE EXPRESS CHIROPRACTIC CALL 415-392-2225 AND MENTION THIS ARTICLE

Altadonna Communications ©

Harvard University Researchers: Deficiency Of This Nutrient Is Responsible For 72,000-96,000 Preventable Deaths Per Year

…And There’s Much More: Something you are probably eating every day is contributing to the SECOND cause of preventable death… These “green” water bottles may be hazardous to your health… and… Why was drug giant Pfizer just fined a record $2.3 BILLION?

 

San Francisco – If a simple and inexpensive way to make you live longer existed… would you use it?

What’s that?  Easy question, you say?  Well, let’s tackle an even easier one first and see if your answer is still the same…

            Here’s the easier question:  What if there was a way for you to eliminate the #1 cause of preventable death in the United States and save money at the same time?  Would you do that?  Of course you would… who wouldn’t?  Evidently, a whole heck of a lot of people would NOT!

            Here’s the scoop:  Harvard researchers just published the results of a study, “The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors.” They listed the top causes of preventable death and how many people they estimate die each year from each risk factor.

#1 Killer

            Number one is tobacco smoking… killing 436,000-500,000 each year. Simply not smoking would eliminate the leading cause of preventable death from your life – AND save you quite a bit of money.  Yet millions still smoke.

            See… the “easy” questions at the start of this newsletter aren’t so easy after all… are they?  Well, maybe you don’t smoke.  If so… bravo.  So let’s move on to the first question…

The Power Of Nutrition

The study also found an Omega-3 deficiency causes between 72,000-96,000 deaths every year. This is very similar to the deaths caused by high trans fat intake (between 63,000-97,000).

One researcher mentioned it is hard to nail down a more exact number of deaths because, “chronic diseases and associated deaths are multi-factorial.  As far as diet goes, is it the lack of fruits and veggies or the excess animal and processed foods that is the culprit? It’s hard to say.”

It was also noted that more research is needed to fully understand why Omega-3 is so effective in establishing a dietary reference intake (DRI).  Researchers added that until requirements are established, “Americans are likely to continue to fall short of their Omego-3 intake.”  At least, according to this study, sounds like both increasing Omega-3 and decreasing trans fat intake may be a good idea.

So what were some of the other results of the study?  Glad you asked!  Here they are…

1. Smoking Tobacco: 436,000 to 500,000 deaths
2. High blood Pressure: 372,000 to 414,000 deaths
3. Obesity: 188,000 to 237,000 deaths
4. Physical Inactivity: 164,000 to 222,000 deaths
5. High Blood Glucose:  163,000 to 217,000 deaths
6. High LDL Cholesterol: 94,000 to 124,000 deaths
7. High Salt Intake: 97,000 to 107,000 deaths

            Other risk factors included: alcohol use, low polyunsaturated fatty acids, and low intake of fruits and vegetables.

So, what are you probably eating that could be contributing to the SECOND cause of preventable death? (High Blood Pressure)

            According to that study, high blood pressure kills between 372,000-414,000 every year.  And listen to this…

            On September 23, 2009, according to Reuters, a recently released study found a diet high in a form of sugar found in sweetened soft drinks and junk food raises blood pressure among men.

            Reuters reports, the study “provided the first evidence that fructose helps raise blood pressure.”

            The study “suggested that people who consume sweetened soft drinks at night could gain weight faster than those who don’t.”

            Really?  Who would’ve thunk it!?!  J

            From Reuters: “These results suggest that excessive fructose intake may have a role in the worldwide epidemic of obesity and diabetes," said Dr. Richard Johnson of the University of Colorado-Denver, who studied the link between blood pressure and men.

            Fructose is about 50% of the make-up of table sugar and the high fructose corn syrup popular in many foods.

The American Heart Association currently says women should eat no more than 100 calories of added processed sugar per day, or six teaspoons (25 grams), while most men should keep it to just 150 calories or nine teaspoons (37.5 grams). On average, Americans consume 22 teaspoons (90 grams) or 355 calories of added sugar each day.

Maybe it’s time Americans started seriously cutting back… maybe…. just a little… don’t you think?

            Now for something completely different…

“Green” Water Bottles

May Not Be Health Friendly

Plastic water bottles have taken a lot of heat lately. For one thing, they must be disposed of and are not environmentally friendly.  Another problem is the concern over bisphenol-A or BPA, a chemical in hardened plastic . Some people believe BPA is harmful and that’s why many have switched to metal water bottles, some made by the Sigg Company.

An Associated Press article reports: “Now this shocker from Sigg Switzerland:  Bottles made by the company before August 2008 had ‘trace amounts’ of BPA in the epoxy liners. Sigg officials knew it since June 2006, but didn't announce it until last month.”

According to the article, the Sigg bottles are stylish and have slogans like, “SIMPLY ECO LOGICAL.” 

While scientists are in disagreement about the safety or danger of BPA…  in May, Minnesota became the first state to approve a ban of the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups made with BPA. Connecticut followed soon after.

Sigg’s Chief Executive Officer, Steve Wasik, posted a letter on the company’s web site stating that there was no danger of leaching and said “all bottles made since August 2008 have an alternative ‘EcoCare’ liner.”  According to the Associated Press,   “Wasik was ‘proud to say’ that Sigg began developing the BPA-free liner in 2006.”

Is anything safe?  Some think the best way to go is an in-home reverse osmosis filtering system and using glass to store and drink from.

 

Drug Giant Pfizer Fined A Record $2.3 BILLION For…

According to USA Today: “In the largest health care fraud settlement in history, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer must pay $2.3 billion to resolve criminal and civil allegations that the company illegally promoted the use of four of its drugs, including the painkiller Bextra, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.”

The other three drugs were: Geodon, Zyvox and Lyrica.  According to the article, once a drug is FDA approved, doctors can prescribe them off-label for any use, but makers can’t market them for anything other than the approved use.  Pfizer subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn pled guilty to a felony violation for off-label uses of Bextra.

Question:  Why is it okay for doctors to use a drug for something it’s not FDA approved for, but a felony for makers to market it for the same conditions?

 

And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health talk to us. Contact Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225 with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health. 

 

                                                     Altadonna Communications ©         

Dr. Eben Davis' Top Rated Back & Wrist Pain Blog teams up with Medpedia Health News & Analysis Cutting Edge Health Information Platform

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Recently I was chosen to be part of a select group of health bloggers for Medpedia Health News & Analysis. Medpedia has now officially launched this feature and I would like to invite my readers to check it out. Here is an excerpt of the press release announcement and links to the full story and website: 

Medpedia News & Analysis allows high-quality health and medical content sources to self organize by category and keywords on Medpedia, and then inter-link with Article pages and other parts of Medpedia. Sources reflect a wide range of professional, academic and scientific topics, and over 150 sources have added themselves and been accepted by the Medpedia community onto the News & Analysis platform. Content in the Medpedia News & Analysis section is not part of the (CC-BY-SA) license of Medpedia and copyright is held soley by the author(s). Organizations and individuals who regularly publish medical and health content online are encouraged to submit their source to the News & Analysis section of Medpedia at http://www.medpedia.com/news_analysis.

These three new interrelated tools are part of the Medpedia platform which provides medical professionals and organizations a central place to record their knowledge and receive national and international recognition and visibility for their expertise. Medpedia, which launched in February 2009, also includes a collaborative knowledge base, a Professional Network and Directory for health professionals and organizations, and Communities of Interest in which medical professionals and non-professionals can share information about conditions, treatments, lifestyle choices, etc. Since the announcement of The Medpedia Project in February 2009, thousands of people have become a part of the community and thousands of physicians, researchers, organizations and experts have begun contributing to the knowledge base.

While only physicians and Ph.D.s in a biomedical/health field can edit the Medpedia knowledge base directly, consumers have an important role to play. They can suggest changes to the Article pages, and they can participate in Communities, and they can ask and answer questions.

About The Medpedia Project

The Medpedia Project is a long-term, worldwide project to evolve a new model for sharing and advancing knowledge about health, medicine and the body among medical professionals and the general public. This model is founded on providing a free online technology platform that is: easy to understand, collaborative, interdisciplinary, transparent, and that elevates the best medical information on the Web. The result of this effort will be to transform how both medical professionals and the general public acquire information about health and connect with each other.

Harvard Medical School, the Stanford School of Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and health organizations around the world have collaborated with Medpedia. Many organizations have contributed seed content free of copyright restrictions. Other organizations, such as University of Michigan Medical School are encouraging members of their faculty to edit the Medpedia encyclopedia. Other health and medical organizations that are supporting Medpedia.

Medpedia.com, Inc. is funded and managed by Ooga Labs (www.oogalabs.com) a technology greenhouse in San Francisco.

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

Stress, Back Pain, and Chiropractic

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

According to experts, there are 3 basic forms of stress...Physical, Chemical, and Mental. And...experts tell us they are all interconnected. Another-words, one can lead to the other. Lets take a look at each one of them and see how stress relates to back pain, which is one of the most common physical ailments patients present with at a chiropractors office.  

Physical stress can come from sitting all day at a desk in front of a computer with poor ergonomics.  Auto accidents. Sports injuries. Physical abuse. Slips and falls. Carrying a heavy bag all day. Knapsacks in kids. A bad mattress or pillow. Shoes that don't fit right.  Manual labor...and more. 

Chemical stress to the body can result from drugs and alcohol...even prescription drugs. In fact, there are way more deaths and addictions to prescription drugs than street drugs. Environmental and workplace pollutants like asbestos, mercury, and lead. Toxins and preservatives in our food chain and water. Chemicals in our homes in the carpet and paint...even some of the things we buy like plastics, cleaning supplies, personal care items, and rubberized (cookware and toys) items are loaded with chemicals. An often overlooked source of chemical stress is the food we eat (the typical american diet is loaded with processed foods and chemicals).  

Mental stress is what most people associate with the word Stress. Mental stress can come about from being at a job you don't like. Being in a bad relationship. Financial problems. Problems with  your children at home. An illness in the family. Harassment at home or at work. Or just feeling like you don't have enough time or energy to get through the day...or you have no control over your life.  In fact, when they study cancer in the lab with mice...the mice that are unable to exert their will to stop a spin wheel produce the highest level of cancer producing stress hormones than any other activity. It appears that not having control is the ultimate mental stress. 

So how does this tie into back pain and chiropractic?

Well...all 3 stresses can lead to a malfunctioning nervous system and are primary sources of "vertebral subluxations" which is what chiropractors treat. For instance...mental stress can cause muscle tension that can pull bones of the spine out of alignment, irritating spinal nerves, resulting in back pain, neck pain, and headaches...along with many other painful conditions.  This can lead to the chemical stress of pain medications

Physical stress can cause spinal degeneration and lead to painful back conditions such as disc herniations and spinal stenosis. Back pain can then cause mental stress from the inability to perform normal daily activities at work and home. This tends to get progressively worse as time goes on...especially if pain medications are involved (which adds chemical stress to the mix). 

When chemical stress is put on the body from poor lifestyle choices such as alcohol, drugs, and tobacco...it can actually weaken the immune system predisposing the body to all sorts of physical ailments including back pain. Things that would normally not cause physical stress, do when the body is weak. Nothing is worse for back pain than cigarette smoking. And a chemical stress dependency can lead to excessive mental stress as the patient copes with the problem.

So...as you can see...all 3 types of stress are interconnected. Heck...you can be healthy as a horse...get hit with the shell shock mental stress of a death in the family, not be paying attention and step off a curb and break your ankle. The mental stress lead to the physical stress...which could now lead to chemical stress from pain killers and most likely more mental stress from depression and loss of control. It can be a vicious cycle. 

However, for the most part, you do have control over the decisions you make day in and day out. And it's those decisions that steer you either in the direction of health or illness...it's up to you. 

Sure...there are obstacles, and STRESS, and accidents, and things that seem to be out of your control (but are they?)...and some people seem to have it easier than others...But in the end, it's the choices YOU make that mostly determine where you go (in health and wealth). In fact...you are the end product of your decisions...so make them good ones. Be the paddle...not the ball...and include chiropractic in the mix. Not only can chiropractic help remove pressure off of the nervous system (physical stress). We can help teach you about the things that cause what we treat (Vertebral Subluxations)...physical, chemical, and mental stress.

We can help reduce physical stress from your nervous system with our treatments, which will help the body adapt to all 3 stresses at optimum levels. And, we will do our best to educate you about vetebral subluxations and the stresses that cause them.  Our goal is to help you find that balance point where health and stress co-exists. There is no way to escape the forces of stress. All we can do is learn to manage it in the best way possible. 

Health is a spontaneous occurrence when the conditions are right. We just have to learn what the conditions are and seek to create them. They are a little bit different for all of us.

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

     

San Francisco Chiropractor Says "Give Chiropractic Some Time"

We have been practicing our unique brand of chiropractic in downtown San Francisco for over 18 years at Executive Express Chiropractic (formerly Front Street Chiropractic).

Sure, it would be nice if the spinal problems many have developed (because of a lifetime of neglect and abuse to their bodies) could be fixed overnight...but it's just not possible. Healing takes time.

Part of the problem with our culture and our medical system is we want results NOW. We don't care how long it took to get here...fix it now. 

Back pain? Go to the doctor and get pain pills...no more back pain. Stiff neck? Go to the doctor and get muscle relaxers...no more stiff neck.

Well...first of all it does not always work out that way. Drugs have side effects, they don't always work...and the underlying problem is left uncorrected...which is what drives people to chiropractors. 

But often times people that visit chiropractors expect miracles...and sometimes they get them. Sure, if you are someone that takes really good care of yourself you are much more likely to respond "quickly" to chiropractic care. Say you exercise frequently, have a good clean diet, are not overweight, don't smoke, get plenty of rest, and have low stress (this does not describe most of our patients)...heck, it may only take a few sessions to get you feeling better.   

You may even live a healthy lifestyle now, but at some point you played contact sports or had a serious accident that messed up your spine and your posture...and it has been that way ever since. Even years and years of poor ergonomics at work can wreck the spine. And a lifetime of misalignment and poor posture cannot be fixed overnight...it's a process.  But the good news is...once your spine is corrected, it's easy to maintain with exercises, a good diet, proper ergonomics and chiropractic maintenance care.

How long will it take to fix? Well that depends what we are dealing with when we start and what the objectives are. If the objective is just to get out of pain...what we call relief care...it might only take 4-12 sessions (depends on severity). But if the goal is to regain optimum posture and spinal health...what we call corrective care...we are talking 2-4 months (again, depends on nature of the problem). Some chiropractors may take more time...some less...techniques vary.

Visits take about 25 minutes at Executive Express Chiropractic and we have a walk-in, no-waiting policy. Nothing's worse than going to the chiropractor for 3 months and having to spend a half hour waiting each time. In fact, waiting is the #1 complaint patients have about going to the doctor...which is why we eliminate it right off the bat.  

So anyway...yes chiropractic can perform miracles...they happen every day. But if your problem is chronic and your goal is to correct it...give it some time...you will be glad you did.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center in the SF Financial District. To schedule an appointment call 415-392-2225.

Lumbar Disc Herniation? Is Spinal Decompression with the DRX9000 For You?

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We have been helping patients with serious low back conditions such herniated and bulging discs for 18 years now at Executive Express Chiropractic (formerly Front Street Chiropractic) in downtown San Francisco.

About 4 years ago we added nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 to the mix (we also treat cervical disc herniations with the DRX9000c). This gave us a next step for lumbar disc herniation patients that did not respond to our conventional chiropractic disc therapy. The results have been outstanding. The DRX9000 does not just help herniated and bulging discs either. Conditions such as degenerative disc disease (DDD), facet syndromes, and spinal stenosis also respond favorably to decompression therapy. 

And just like chiropractic...nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 is 100% natural. There are no drugs, no needles, and no knifes. We do not remove anything from the body or add anything to the body. The DRX9000 helps the body to do what it would on it's own if it could.

There is a natural tendency for things in the body to be where they are supposed to be...and to operate a certain way. The DRX9000 helps the body to re-position the spinal disc, elongate the spine, re-hydrate the disc, enlarge the disc space...and promote healing. I like to call the DRX a respirator for the spine/disc. Just like a respirator helps the lungs to breath until they can do it on their own...the DRX9000 helps the spine to do what it would do if it could...keep the disc in it's normal position...keep it hydrated with fresh oxygenated blood...and keep it flexible and functional.  

Spinal decompression is very gentle. In fact, some patients fall asleep during treatments. The intensity is increased as your body adapts to the process...which is usually around 20-26 one hour sessions over a 6-8 week period. This is NO MAGIC BULLET...it takes time and effort...but what an upside...Getting Your Life Back. 

Does spinal decompression help every low back pain patient we treat at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center?...NO...just most of them. Read the DRX9000 Special Report from the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins University, and Duke University for treatment outcomes. 

I guess the point here is...If You Have A Herniated Lumbar Disc, Spinal Decompression With The DRX9000 Might Just Be For You.

You have to first qualify medically, because not everyone does. 

The next step if you live or work near the San Francisco Financial District is to call us at Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary spinal decompression consultation and tour.

We will meet with you, determine if you are a candidate for the DRX9000, and show you how the DRX works. We will answer any of your questions, and discuss treatment options and costs.

You can also request an appointment online...simply put "DRX Blog" in the referral source  field.

Read some: San Francisco Disc Herniation DRX9000 Testimonials 

Does Chronic Back Pain Go Away On It's Own?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I just read an interesting article on www.medicalnewstoday.com entitled:

Four Out Of 10 Back Pain Sufferers Will Recover Within A Year

Here is an excerpt from the article:

The participants were drawn from a larger group of 973 patients who attended primary care clinics in Sydney with a new episode of low back pain. These patients had visited their health care provider with acute low back pain (ie. the episode had lasted for more than 24 hours but less than two weeks). Patients with serious spinal health problems such as cancer, infection, fractures or inflammatory arthritis were excluded from the study. Those who had not recovered by 90 days were considered to have chronic non-specific low back pain and joined the current study.

The researchers followed up 400 patients with chronic non-specific low back pain with a telephone interview assessing pain and disability levels and work status nine and 12 months later. The results reveal that a reasonable number of participants had complete recovery within a year of first developing chronic low back pain (35% by nine months, 41% by one year).

In conclusion, Dr Menezes Costa says that this study is important as it demonstrates that the rate of recovery from chronic low back pain is higher than previously reported and that the findings suggest that the prognosis is not uniformly poor for patients with chronic low back pain.

                                                                   

My Take: This seems about right. Dr. BJ Palmer the discoverer of chiropractic used to say you could hit some back pain patients in the butt with a shovel and they would get better. But when you consider that over 80% of the population will have a serious bout of back pain at some point in their lives...and the #1 factor that predisposes one to chronic back pain (pain that lasts over 90 days) is previous back pain...that still leaves a huge amount of back pain sufferers that will become chronic...some disabled.

 

And..just because a back pain patient feels good nine and 12 months later does not mean they do not have an underlying spinal problem that will rear it's ugly head again down the road. So...like many studies, we are looking at partial information which makes it hard to draw any kind of useful conclusions as far as treatment is concerned. Personally, I would rather concern myself with keeping my spine in alignment with routine chiropractic care, my body weight normal, my diet clean, and my muscles nice and strong. It just seems like the rest takes care of itself when I do. 

 

So sure...many cases of chronic back pain self resolve...but what else is new? I'm sure it boils down to the same old stuff when it's all said and done...Those back pain patients that take better care of themselves and maintain a healthy lifestyle, recover quicker and become less chronic. This is not unique to back pain either...it's across the board. And...you are the one in charge. So take care of business by eating right, exercising, getting plenty of rest and relaxation...and regular chiropractic check-ups.  And enjoy the research for what it is...partial information.

 

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic at the San Francisco Embarcadero Center. To schedule an appointment call 415-392-2225.

Smoking linked to chronic back pain

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

Check this article out and pass it along to anyone you know that has chronic back pain but continues to smoke:

 Smoking linked to chronic lower back pain

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By Danny Rose | October 24, 2009

Article from:  Australian Associated Press

SMOKERS can add another health concern to their list as research shows daily tobacco use can lead to a bad back.

A major Canadian study has identified a higher rate of chronic lower back pain among people who smoke every day, particularly the young.

Professor Michael Cousins said the research suggested their smoking was interfering with pain transmitters, causing osteoporosis or affecting their spine-related blood circulation.

The condition resulted in chronic lower back pain which could also trigger a "downward spiral" in a person's life, he warned.

"Chronic pain is now regarded as a disease in its own right," said Prof Cousins, who is director of the Pain Management Research Institute at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital.

"Patients with it rapidly progress into a downward spiral of physical, psychological and environmental changes, resulting in major deterioration of all life activities, in their work, family and community roles."

Prof Cousins commented on the study published in the journal Clinical and Investigative Medicine.

Researchers used health survey data from more than 73,000 people aged 20-59 to look for any link between smoking and back pain.

They found that while 15.7 per cent of non-smokers reported chronic pain, for daily smokers the figure was 23.3 per cent and the association was stronger in younger adults.

The study was controlled to ensure weight, fitness, education and other factors which can differ between smokers and non-smokers did not skew the results.

"Back pain treatment programs may benefit from integrating smoking habit modification," the researchers said.

Lobby group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia said the finding was significant as back pain was experienced by four out of five Australians.

It was also a major cause of work absence and productivity loss, with the combined health and workplace cost estimated at more than $9 billion a year.

"This study further strengthens the case for stepping up the fight against tobacco at all levels," said ASH chief executive Anne Jones.

"This should include an immediate tax increase and making all workplaces comprehensively smokefree in line with our commitment to the international anti-tobacco treaty."

 

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. 

 

 

Sciatica from a Lumbar Disc Herniation?

San Francisco Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

We have been helping patients with sciatica in the SF Financial District for many years now at Executive Express Chiropractic.

Pain resulting from irritation to the sciatic nerve (the largest nerve in the body) is called sciatica. The primary  symptom of sciatica is pain in the leg. The pain can travel from the low back into the buttocks. The pain can travel all the way down the back of the leg (or side of the leg) or just part of the way...say to the knee. You can even have pain that travels down both legs. Sometimes there is numbness, tingling, and weakness along with the leg pain. And, there is usually associated low back pain...but it's not uncommon to have sciatica with no back pain.

The most common cause of sciatica is pressure on the lumbar nerve roots where the nerves exit (the low back) that form the sciatic nerve. And the most common cause of lumbar nerve root pressure is bulging or herniated discs. Disc degeneration, spinal arthritis, and spinal stenosis can also cause sciatica...as can piriformis syndrome or facet syndrome.

No matter what the cause...sciatica is literally a pain in the butt. It is not much fun at all. And sciatica can become chronic and disabling. And it can be a nightmare trying to find the right kind of treatment. Often times nothing seems to help. Some patients have tried everything from acupuncture, physical therapy, cortisone, pain meds...even chiropractic...nothing helps and they don't want back surgery. What can be done?

Well...there is a treatment that has been around for about 7-10 years or so...but has recently been refined to the point where it is highly effective for the nonsurgical treatment of lumbar disc herniations...it's call nonsurgical spinal decompression. The machine we use at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center is the DRX9000.

We chose this machine (after researching all of them) because it seemed to offer the greatest amount of patient comfort (they all offer similar outcomes). The DRX9000 is the Rolls Royce of spinal decompression machines...at least in my opinion.

Anyway, the DRX9000 is able to repair (without drugs and surgery) many bulging discs or herniated discs in the lumbar spine. It does this by re-positioning the injured disc, re-hydrating the disc, enlarging the disc space, elongating the spine, and pulling the herniated disc material off the lumbar nerve roots...which can be a blessing for your sciatica (see DRX9000 Special Report for treatment outcome studies).

However, the DRX is not a magic bullet.  It takes 20-26 one hour sessions, extensive home care and exercises...and does not work on every single person that does it. And...you have to qualify medically for spinal decompression...not everyone does. 

But here's the deal...The DRX9000 spinal decompression system is very safe and gentle. So even if the DRX fails to deliver results...which is the exception not the rule...you are still whole. Nothing has been removed from your body. Nothing has been fused. Nothing has been injected into you...it just didn't work and you can explore other treatment options. If you can handle this than the DRX9000 might just make sense for you.

If you live or work near downtown San Francisco...or have the ability to stay here for 6 weeks or so...than you can visit Executive Express Chiropractic(415-392-2225) to find out if you are a candidate for the DRX9000. You can also request an appointment online.

You can also find a DRX9000 near you at www.axiomworldwide.com.