Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

A Spinal Decompression Success Story

Kelsey presented to our spinal decompression clinic in 2011 complaining of constant lower back pain which had been present for over 9 years.  

Living a healthy life filled with working out and playing sports, Kelsey was heartbroken when her low back pain reached a level where she could no longer enjoy these activities. Anyone that knows Kelsey, knows she's a fighter and she was determined not to let her pain ruin her life. After spending countless hours at Kaiser to figure out what was wrong with her, she was diagnosed with "back pain" and given pain relievers.  Dissatisfied with what she was told, she knew there was more to her story, so she went to get an MRI. Her MRI results revealed degenerative disc disease in her lumbar spine, and disc herniation at L5/S1. She "google searched" for a treatment for her condition other than surgery and found us!  She read our patient reviews about our DRX 9000 machine and how it helps treat degenerative disc disease and disc herniations, so she figured she'd give it a try.

Before Kelsey completed her first several session of treatments, she reported being able to fly on a plane and start working out at the gym again!  In less than 2 months, her constant and debilitating low back pain was described as "mild low back pain". Wow!

Kelsey now comes in periodically for her low back "tune up" and is able to enjoy life again!  She enjoys going to the gym and playing softball again.  We are over the moon with excitement that Kelsey no longer feels like her pain is running her life.  Keep on rockin' Kelsey!

To find out if you are a candidate for care at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center please call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Nutrition Update

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a condition where the median nerve that arises in the neck and travels through the shoulder, arm, and into the hand becomes compressed. Compression of the median nerve results in tingling, numbness, pain and/or weakness that affects the 2nd, 3rd, and thumb-side half of the 4th fingers. It can wake sufferers up in the middle of the night, forcing them to have to shake the hand and flick the fingers to “wake it up.” This can occur multiples times a night, making for a long next day! We’ve discussed chiropractic management strategies such as manipulation/mobilization of the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand, the use of a cock-up splint (especially at night and at times when driving), but more information regarding the use of nutritional supplementation is lacking; hence the purpose of this Health Update!

Let’s look at what we are trying to accomplish by nutritional approaches for CTS:

1. Anti-inflammation: Because of stomach, liver, and kidney side effects, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and others may not be your best choice. Rather, consider Turmeric (300 mcg), Ginger (100 mg), Boswellia (100 mg), Rosemary (100 mg), Bioflavonoid (100 mg), Bromelain (50 mg), Vitamin C (1-3 grams/day), Vitamin E (400 IU/day), Vitamin D3 (2000-5000 IU/day), Vitamin B-complex (especially B6, 9, and 12).
2. Muscle relaxation: Calcium (1500mg/day), Magnesium (400 mg/day), Potassium, valerian root (vervain), B-Complex, L-Arginine, Rosemary, Catnip, Kava root, Chamomile, Cayenne Pepper, Horseradish, Lavender, Licorice, Devil’s Claw.
3. Nerve repair: Folate (B9), B12 (cobalamin), Vitamin D3, B1 (Thiamin; minimum: 1.2mg/day), B5 (Pantothenic acid), B3 (niacin; minimum 16 mg/day), B12.
4. Managing systemic conditions:

a)       Diabetes (dysinsulinism): Chromium (picolinate or choloride), Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Omega-3 Fatty Acids (1000 mg of EPA & DHA), Coenzyme Q10, Polyphenols (dark chocolate, green tea), Botanicals (plant extracts such as garlic, prickly pear, aloe vera, fenugreek, bitter melon and ginseng).

b)      Thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroid): B-Complex (100 mg of B1, 3, 5, & 6 3x/day; B2, 50 mg 2x/day; B12 1000-2000 mcg/day; Selenium and iodine, Anti-oxidants (Selenium, Vit. C, Vit. E) Copper, thyroid extract, organic iodine.

c)       Obesity (BMI>30): Childhood obesity: Vit. D (ages 1-13, 5 mcg/day), B12, Vit. C, Fiber, Calcium (an extra 300mg of Calcium= >2 lb. weight drop); other fat soluble vitamins (Vit. A, E, and K), iron (iron is more commonly deficient in obese children and adults and can lead to fatigue and poor mental health and memory function).

1. Other considerations: General health: paleo diet, sleep quality, and exercise (see below).

            You may notice that there is a lot of overlap in many of these vitamin recommendations. If one were to give nutritional recommendations for general health purposes, the anti-inflammatory “big 5” might include 1. A good quality multi-vitamin mineral, 2. Magnesium (often with calcium as a combined supplement), 3. Omega-3 fatty acids; 4. Vitamin D; and 5. Coenzyme Q10. For CTS specifically, the addition of a B complex seems consistently recommended above.  Controlling weight will reduce CTS risk and decrease the risk of acquiring type II diabetes which increases CTS risk by itself. Perhaps an “ideal diet” for everyone might include eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and the elimination of gluten (grains) – referred to by some as the “anti-inflammatory diet,” paleo diet, caveman diet, and Mediterranean diet. Fortifying a great diet with vitamins is the “take-home” concept!

            We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

To schedule an appointment with a carpal tunnel doctor in San Francisco call 415-392-2225. Mention this blog for a complimentary consultation.

Serving local 94111 for over 20 years

Back, Neck and Arm Pain Treatment in San Francisco

Our "Patient of the Week" is Jennifer Rocco. We first met Jennifer almost 20 years ago. She had developed back, neck, and arm pain from long hours of repetitive movements at work. Jennifer works for a gaming company and is involved in testing new products and research and development. This requires intense sessions of sitting with lots of hand and arm movement and limited rest.

Jennifer soon discovered that regular chiropractic adjustments combined with regualr exercise and proper nutrition could keep her healthy and better able her to meet the physical demands of her job. She had witnessed co-workers succumb to the demands of the job and develop serious repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and chronic back and neck pain. She did not want that to happen to her.

Well...here we are almost 20 years later and she is still going strong. Jennifer comes in 2-3 times per month depending on her workload and is in excellent health. Sure, sometimes she overdoes it like all of us from time to time but she seems to have struck that balance between work and her healthy lifestyle that enables her to live mostly "Pain Free". And we are proud to say that regular chiropractic care is the centerpiece of her healthy master plan.

Patients like Jennifer are the reason we do what we do. We like to refer to our little chiropractic clinic at the Embarcadero Center as a "Corporate Pit Stop". The corporate jungle and the fast pace associated with it is the race track.  And your body is the race car. And just like the cars in the Indy 500 have to pull over from time to time and get a super fast oil, tire and parts change...as well as fuel up...so do you...and that's what we do.

Our Financial District Chiropractic Clinic is open 9-6 Monday to Friday and does not require appointments. When you need a quick tune up you can just pull off the race track and right into our "pit stop". We have no waiting so we get to work right away so you can get back on the fast track.

We offer chiropractic adjustments that include a stretch  exercise and warm-up massage. We also have "deep tissue laser therapy" and spinal decompression. There are not very many musculoskeletal problems that we cannot handle. We mostly treat neck, back, and wrist pain, shoulder and arm pain, foot pain, whiplash, carpal tunnel syndrome, and herniated and bulging discs.

So come on down. Mention this blog post for a complimentary consultation and tour.

Our San Francisco Chiropractors can be reached at 415-392-2225.

Serving local 94111 for over 20 years

Whiplash: Causes and Cures

We have been providing treatment for whiplash in downtown San Francisco for over 20 years.

Whiplash refers to an injury to the neck resulting from a rapid movement, usually associated with a motor vehicle collision (MVC). However, it can occur with a slip and fall injury, a bar room brawl, during a sports event like being tackled in football, among other things. For the sake of this discussion, we will stick with the classic example of a rear-end MVC.

            Mechanism of injury: So what really happens during the MVC that causes injury? The answer centers around movement of the neck which exceeds the normal tissue’s stretch limits, sometimes referred to as “the elastic barrier.” When the MVC occurs, during the first 100-200 milliseconds the trunk supported by the back of the car seat rapidly moves forwards leaving the head unprotected in its original position resulting in a backward glide or motion of the head and neck. Next, the head (which weighs about 12-15 pounds) drops back (HOPEFULLY) into the headrest stopping the motion, but if the head rest is too far back (>1/2 inch) or too low, then the head keeps going backwards until the tissues in the front of the neck stretch to the point of either stopping the motion or tearing (or both). Next, the highly stretched front of the neck muscles, ligaments, disks, and tendons (in a “crack the whip” like manner) propel the head forwards to the point of over stretching the tissues in the back of the neck, which similarly stops the movement &/or tears. The degree of injury depends on many things, but is notably worse in the long-necked, skinny female where the “crack the whip” reaction is the greatest. Several factors determine the degree of injury, including the “G-Force,” or the amount of energy produced during the impact. The greater the G-force applied to the head/neck, the greater the potential for injury. The G-force affecting the occupants inside the vehicle is related to many things: the speed of the crash, the size of the two vehicles (worse if a large automobile hits your smaller car), the angle and springiness of the seat back, the amount of energy absorbed by crushing metal vs. no damage to the vehicles (worse when there is no damage as all the energy is transfer to the occupants), whether the head was rotated or looking straight at impact, and more. The KEY to all of this is that we cannot voluntarily contract our muscles quicker than 800-1000 msec and the whiplash process is over after about 500 msec, so we can’t effectively “guard” or protect ourselves against injury even if we try by bracing ourselves before the MVC!

            Type of injury: The classic injury is called a sprain (ligament tear) and strain (muscle and/or muscle tendon tear) to either or both the front of the neck and/or back of the neck. Sprains and strains come in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree tears, getting progressively worse as more tissue is torn. Please refer to previous issues of the Whiplash Health Update where the anatomy is reviewed so you can “picture” this properly.

            Prognosis: The length of time to recovery or maximum improvement varies by the amount of tissue damage. A “prognosis scale,” first introduced in 1995 and validated by 2001, showed that in Type 1 injuries pain without loss of neck motion healed the quickest. Type 2 injuries where neck movement was reduced after the MVC (but no neurological findings occurred) healed next quickest. Type 3 injuries, which included BOTH motion and neurological loss, healed the slowest and had the worst long-term outcomes. Other factors enter into this, of course. We will continue this “Whiplash 101” discussion next month…

            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.

If you have been involved in an auto accident and want to schedule an appointment with one of our San Francisco Whiplash Doctors call 415-392-2225.

Serving local 94111 for over 20 years

 

Fibromyalgia – Where Does the Pain Come From?

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a very strange condition. Can you think of any other condition that creates so many symptoms and yet all the blood and imaging tests are negative? FM symptoms include chronic fatigue, muscle aches and pains, depression, sleep disturbance, memory affects, and more. The degree or severity of FM varies from mild to severe, leaving some totally disabled and distraught. So, the question of the month is, where does the pain come from?

            Since the usual markers of injury are negative (that is, blood and other tests), we can tell you first that the pain is NOT coming from damaged tissue such as muscle, bone, organs, and the like. If it did, abnormal enzymes &/or inflammatory tests would result. Rather, the origin of pain appears to be arising from within the central nervous system. That is to say, there are portions of the brain and spinal cord where pain signals are received and when they reach a certain level or threshold, the sensation is felt. When the sensory input is below that level, it will not be felt. In fact, there are MANY MORE incoming sensory signals that are NOT felt compared to those that are. This “thermostat-like” function is vital so we DO NOT feel everything that arrives to the brain. This is why we don’t feel the clothes hanging from our backs or the shoes on our feet (unless the laces are tied too tight!). It’s been said that if we DID “sense” all the incoming signals we would, in a sense, “…short circuit.”

            In the FM patient, this thermostat is “messed up.” It is set lower than what is considered normal, and as a result, patients do sense or feel more than they should. This “nervous system overload,” sometimes referred to as a “sensory storm,” occurs in the FM sufferer. A more fancy term called “central sensitization” can be searched and you will find a LOT to read about this interesting subject (check it out)!

            So how does this hypersensitive situation start? Fibromyalgia is classified into two main categories – type I and type II. In type I, or primary FM, the cause is unknown. The cause could include one’s genetic make-up, but the bottom line is, we really don’t know. In type II or, secondary FM, some other known condition or situation can be identified such as irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, after a trauma, or following an illness or infection. Some also feel the lack of sleep or sleep loss can cause FM. This is because it takes about four hours of sustained sleep to reach deep sleep, and because of frequent sleep interruptions, the person never reaches deep sleep. Over time, deprived of the relaxing deep sleep benefits, the body gradually tightens up, “re-setting the thermostat” and too much sensory information reaches the brain, resulting in overload, and a heightened pain level is perceived. Studies have shown that when sleep is restored, many FM patients gradually improve and function better. This focus on sleep restoration is important in the management strategies of FM treatment. We all know our tolerance to just about everything suffers when we are over-tired, similar to the toddler who cries at the drop of a dime when they need a nap.

            Chiropractic adjustments, certain nutrients like melatonin, valerian root, and vitamin B complex can facilitate sleep restoration. Treatment for sleep apnea can also help patients with FM. As we’ve said before, FM is usually multi-factorial and including chiropractic in the FM treatment “team” is essential for a satisfying result!

            If you, a friend or family member requires care for FM, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!

To schedule an appointment for Fibromyalgia Treatment in San Francisco call 415-392-2225.