Posts Tagged ‘Chiropractic’
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
One of the more frequent questions that the patients of my San Diego Chiropractic practice have asked me over the years is “What is the best bed to get?”
As with most things in life, what is good for me may not be so good for you and visa-versa. As a general rule, the firmer the sleeping surfaces the better. That being said, a mattress should be comfortable. Remember however that comfort can be a fleeting thing – we can feel comfortable as we fall asleep but awake with back pain, stiff necks, sore shoulders or hip pain. A comfortable mattress should allow you get a full nights sleep and awake feeling pain free and rested. Some stores offer a comfort exchange plan that will allow you to exchange the mattress after a month or two if it is not a good fit for you.
A mattress should also offer the right amount of support for your lower back, shoulders and hips. The mattress should have enough give for your hips and shoulders so that when you are lying on your side your spinal column remains straight.
Another thing to consider is the cost of a new bed. This is an issue that I have with my patients that drives me absolutely crazy! If we get the recommended 8 hours of sleep each night, that equates to one third of the hours of each day that we spend in our beds. I have patients and friends who are so cheap when it comes to buying a new mattress while at the same time they spend $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 or more on cars that they drive for less than an hour each day.
Over the years, I have had patients buy mattresses from all the major brands. The Tempurpedic mattress or one made of memory foam are always popular as are the air support beds like the Select Comfort.
The bed that my patients have had the most satisfaction with is the Select Comfort. The idea of being able to change the firmness of the sleeping surface is a nice feature. I like to recommend this mattress because it can change as your comfort needs change.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Hip Pain, Neck Pain, San Diego Chiropractic, shoulder pain, stiff neck
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Monday, January 11th, 2010
Have you ever had low back Pain?
If so, you are part of a large group of people. Statistics tell us that about 80% of us will suffer with low back pain over the course of our lives.
Low back pain is a common complaint for the patients that I treat in my San Diego Chiropractic clinic. Chiropractors have the reputation of being the “back doctors”. I can’t tell you how many times I have had a patient tell me about a friend with either elbow pain or knee pain or shoulder pain who wouldn’t come into my office for care because they think that all chiropractors treat is back pain.
A recent episode of back pain that I experienced just renewed my level empathy for my patients with low back pain. Not that I had lost my empathy for my patients, but a little personal experience always helps with my focus.
Despite the reputation of being back doctors, chiropractors are trained to deal with all of the joints whether they are part of the spine or not.
The process that affects the joints in the low back is the same process that affects other joints in the body. They are irritated by a fall or some other injury. The irritation causes inflammation and the inflammation causes pain, swelling and scar tissue formation. The scar tissue limits the joints range of motion and can become a source of pain itself.
Treatment can be a simple as a few joint adjustments and a few sessions of therapy.
The next time you have a joint that aches, try chiropractic treatment. Most joint problems that cause lower back pain respond well to chiropractic care.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Back Pain, Chiropractic, chiropractic care, lower back pain
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Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
Have you ever felt the neck pain associated with a whiplash accident?
By far the most common injury that our patients suffer when hit by another car from behind is neck pain. Neck pain as a result of a car accident is usually caused by muscles and ligaments being stretched and torn from the force of the accident. I treat many people injured in car accidents in my San Diego Chiropractic office because chiropractic care is perfect for the types of injuries found in car accidents.
When you are in your vehicle and hit from behind, the first thing that happens is that your neck straightens and your head is whipped backward. As your head whips backward, the muscles in the front of your neck are stretched to their limit and sometimes beyond. The stretch placed on these muscles pulls and tears some of the muscle fibers causing a painful, strained or bruised feeling.
After your head is whipped backward, the muscles that were stretched in the front of your neck experience a forceful, reflexive contraction that whips your head forward and stretches or tears the muscles in the back of your neck which also causes a painful strained feeling in the neck.
Your neck is more likely to be injured in a car accident than other parts of your back because it has the smallest muscles, it has the least protection from the vehicle and it has to balance and control the weight of your head. All these factors lead to easy injury on the neck in a rear end type motor vehicle.
Chiropractic care is ideal for treatment injuries like whiplash. Chiropractic care reduces your pain, improves your mobility and helps you heal faster.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Chiropractic, Neck Pain, San Diego Chiropractic, Whiplash
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Monday, December 21st, 2009
I had a patient ask me the other day if I could cure arthritis. My answer was “Yes and No”.
Arthritis, regardless of the type, typically results in permanent damage to the joint. There are many types of arthritis, some are the autoimmune type like rheumatoid or psoriatic.
With these types of arthritis, your immune system actually attacks the joints causing erosion of the joint surfaces as well as inflammation, pain and in severe cases disfigurement of the joint.
Other types of arthritis are the more typical wear and tear types. Usually these types of arthritis fall under the category of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease, DJD, OA and spondylosis. Other factors affecting the onset of osteoarthritis include genetics, metabolic and developmental issues – all of which can cause a loss of the joints cartilage which provides the cushioning for the joint.
Symptoms of arthritis, regardless of the types include joint pain, tenderness, creaking noises, stiffness, locking of the joint and swelling as a result of inflammation.
So now I am back at the original question. Can I cure arthritis with chiropractic care?
The “no” part of the answer is that chiropractic care cannot reverse joint damage or “cure” a patient from autoimmune types of arthritis or reverse the effects of osteoarthritis.
The yes part of that answer follows the logic of chiropractic care. Chiropractic adjustments break down scar tissue and adhesions that restrict joint motion and are a source of pain. Scar tissue and adhesions are common with arthritis and do restrict motion and cause pain. Chiropractic care helps reduce the pain of arthritis and restore a portion of the lost range of motion that accompanies arthritis by controlling the formation of scar tissue.
In general, chiropractic care can help control the pain of arthritis and help restore joint motion.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Arthritis, Chiropractic, chiropractic care, Chiropractor San Diego, joint pain, osteoarthritis
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Friday, December 11th, 2009
If you suffer with neck pain, I feel your pain. Ever since I was a kid I have struggled with neck pain and stiffness.
After becoming a chiropractor and seeing x-rays of my neck, I have to conclude that had I received regular chiropractic care early on I would not have the issues that I have today.
My first set of chiropractic x-rays from 1991 showed mild arthritis in the joints of my neck. I was only 27 years old – and I had arthritis in my neck! Arthritis is usually thought of as an old persons condition. In reality, arthritis is more time related than age related.
In my case, a car accident in my teens led to chronic neck pain and stiffness. I did get some chiropractic care to relieve my pain but I quit treatment way to soon and didn’t make chiropractic care a priority in my budget until many years later. By that time, the damage had been done. The arthritis had started and I was well on my way to chronic neck pain.
Chiropractic care following car accidents helps restore normal movements of the joints in your back. It also helps reduce muscle spasms and break down scar tissue which can also be a source of pain and muscle spasm.
Since scar tissue build up and abnormal joint motion leads to arthritis, and chiropractic care helps break down scar tissue and improve joint motion, I can only conclude that had I received the chiropractic care that I needed that I would not be dealing with as many neck problems as I currently have.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Chiropractic, chiropractic care, chronic neck pain, Neck Pain, San Diego, stiffness, Whiplash
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Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Have you been involved in a whiplash accident? Do you have neck pain and headaches?
We treat patients who have been in whiplash accidents on a daily basis. One of the more common complaints that our whiplash patients have is headaches. In fact, I would say that headaches are the most common complaint that car accident victims have next to neck pain.
Usually headaches from car accidents are caused by damage to the neck muscles and the muscle tension from the accident. In my practice, almost everyone that I see with headache issues from a car accident also has neck pain. That is not to say that everyone with neck pain has headaches although at least 50% of them do.
Car accidents generate a lot of force through the neck and upper back. Under circumstances like those found during car accidents, the weight of your head is simply too much for the smaller muscles in the neck and at the base of the skull. When those muscles get stretched and torn, the other surrounding muscles tighten up as a protective mechanism. It is those tight muscles that trigger the muscle tension headaches that are so common after car accidents.
Chiropractic care safely and effectively helps you recover from both neck pain and headaches. Chiropractic manipulations ease muscle tension, improve your range of motion and reduce your pain. This care combined with at home therapies including ice packs, light stretching, light exercise and rest can help you regain your health.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Auto Accidents, car accident, Chiropractic, Headaches, Neck Pain, Whiplash
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
People are often confused by office work related injuries. Patients of my San Diego based Chiropractic Clinic often think of sedentary office work as safe and heavy manual labor as potentially hazardous.
While it is a fact that I see patients with neck pain or back pain that is related to heavy manual labor, it is also a fact that at least 80% of my patients who complain of neck pain, back pain, etc., were injured doing sedentary office work.
How does this happen?
Work in an office environment tends to be sedentary and repetitive. This type of work results in both mental and physical fatigue. Many office tasks involve scenarios that call for static positions of joints that are adjacent to joints that are required to endure repetitive movements. A good example of this would be keyboarding where the wrist is held in a relatively fixed position while your fingers peck away at the keys. This situation sets the stage for injury.
Our bodies were designed to move joints through full range compound movements. These kinds of movements encourage lubrication of joints and adequate blood flow. Without a good blood supply and joint lubrication, our bodies break down resulting in neck pain, back pain and a host of other issues involving the joints.
The question is, ‘If you work in a sedentary office environment, how do you prevent injury?’
The following guidelines will help you minimize fatigue and injury.
1) Maintain good posture
2) Limit repetitive reaching outside of your normal work space
3) Alternate work activities when possible
4) Take frequent rest, stretch and exercise breaks.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Ergonomics, Neck Pain, San Diego, Work Injuries
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Saturday, November 7th, 2009
People are often confused by office work related injuries. Patients of my San Diego based Chiropractic Clinic often think of sedentary office work as safe and heavy manual labor as potentially hazardous.
While it is a fact that I see patients with neck pain or back pain that is related to heavy manual labor, it is also a fact that at least 80% of my patients who complain of neck pain, back pain, etc. were injured doing sedentary office work.
How does this happen?
Work in an office environment tends to be sedentary and repetitive. This type of work results in both mental and physical fatigue. Many office tasks involve scenarios that call for static positions of joints that are adjacent to joints that are required to endure repetitive movements. A good example of this would be keyboarding where the wrist is held in a relatively fixed position while your fingers peck away at the keys. This situation sets the stage for injury.
Our bodies were designed to move joints through full range compound movements. These kinds of movements encourage lubrication of joints and adequate blood flow. Without a good blood supply and joint lubrication, our bodies break down resulting in neck pain, back pain and a host of other issues involving the joints.
The question is, ‘If you work in a sedentary office environment, how do you prevent injury?’
The following guidelines will help you minimize fatigue and injury.
1) Maintain good posture
2) Limit repetitive reaching outside of your normal work space
3) Alternate work activities when possible
4) Take frequent rest, stretch and exercise breaks.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Neck Pain, work, Work Injuries
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Monday, November 2nd, 2009
I tell the patients in my San Diego chiropractic practice that health doesn’t just happen. We have to work at it over the course of a lifetime in order to obtain it and then maintain it. Plenty of our success has to do with attitude and follow through.
Let me explain. I know plenty of men and women who would love to have lean bodies and live long and healthy lives. Some of these people pursue these goals with purpose while others simple do their best and accept the results that their efforts bring.
In contrast, I have never met someone who wants to become unfit, obese, sickened with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and / or have trouble taking a short walk due to their unhealthy lifestyles. Despite the lack of desire to intentionally lose our health, I see people like this everyday.
The frightening thing is that most of us will end up out of shape and sick when we are older.
How does this happen? I believe that it happens because we don’t work on maintaining our health and over the course of months or years we lose our conditioning and with it our health. We assume that one fattening meal won’t affect us. The truth is that one fattening meal won’t hurt us at all, but one fattening meal per day (or more) combined with a lack of exercise will have negative consequences for the way we look and feel.
At my office we encourage health maintenance through the use of chiropractic care, exercise, stretching and sound nutrition. Over my 20 years in practice I have seen my patients advance through different age groups. There is a significant difference between those who attend to their health and those who don’t. Those patients who pursue health live active pain-free lives while those who only seek care when they have a health issue tend to suffer with poor health in general.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Chiropractic, chiropractic care, health maintenance, Nutrition, pain free, San Diego
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
Back pain, neck pain and headaches are typical symptoms that people experience after a car accident. When we are involved in car accidents muscles get strained, ligaments get sprained and inflammation starts to settle in around the injured joints.
As it turns out, inflammation plays a big role in our health following a motor vehicle accident. Inflammation causes the muscles to tighten or spasm in an effort to protect the joint. Inflammation also causes us to feel pain. If the inflammation lasts for more than a few days it will cause scar tissue to form around the joints which also causes pain and decreased range of motion.
Since chiropractic care is so effective in treating the injuries associated with car accidents, I see many of these patients in my San Diego Chiropractic Center. Many of these patients had never been to a chiropractor prior to the care that they will receive because of their accident.
Chiropractic care for auto injuries should involve three separate phases of care.
The first phase of care should be directed toward to relieving pain. Ice packs, electrical stimulation, ultrasound and spinal manipulations all help to reduce pain and tension.
The second phase of care is directed toward improving the range of motion of the injured joints. It is important to “remodel” as much as the scar tissue as possible to help you maintain your full range of motion in the future.
The third phase of care is directed towards building strength and flexibility in and around the injured joints. Strong, flexible muscles that work to move joints that have full range of motion will help you maintain your spinal health in the future.
We would be happy to consult with you regarding care for your auto accident injuries.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Back Pain, car accident, Chiropractic, Chiropractor, Headaches, Inflammation, Neck Pain
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Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Chiropractic care is currently the best available treatment for whiplash injuries. Whiplash refers to the “whipping” back and forth of the head and neck. This whipping motion strains muscles, sprains ligaments and damages joint surfaces. Sometimes whiplash forces are strong enough to pinch nerves, herniated discs and occasionally break bones.
Whiplash treatment should not be taken lightly. Statistically 25% of all people who suffer painful symptoms related to whiplash never make a full recovery. That means that 25% of car accident victims who seek care will continue to deal with pain in the future.
Chiropractic care for whiplash revolves around healing the muscles and ligaments with a variety of therapies and restoring full, free and painless range of motion with chiropractic adjustments. Under the care of a chiropractor, once you are pain free you will work on specific stretches and exercises to help support your spine to insure your best chances at complete recovery.
Chiropractic care for whiplash is a proactive treatment. Its success depends on you (the patient) maintaining recommended treatment schedules and following at home instructions regarding icing, rest, exercise and various other activities.
Whiplash is considered a sprain / strain type of an injury and as such should resolve in about 8 to 16 weeks with proper care.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Chiropractic, Chiropractic care for whiplash, Chiropractor San Diego, Whiplash, whiplash treatment
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Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
Statistics indicate that every seven years you will be involved in an automobile accident. Before you panic you should know that in my San Diego based Chiropractic Clinic we provide treatment for those patients involved in auto accidents on a regular basis. I have treated patients in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s who have never been in a car accident and I have treated people who are in their 20’s and 30’s who have been in half a dozen. Some people just have enough accidents to cover all of us!
The most common injury resulting from car accidents is whiplash. Whiplash is a non-medical term that describes an injury that involves straining, spraining and sometimes tearing of the muscles and ligaments that move and support our joints, especially the joints of our spines.
Whiplash is most often associated with rear-end type auto accidents in which the heads and necks of those in the car being hit are suddenly snapped violently backward and forward by the force of the impact.
Whiplash can occur at almost any speed, even in low force auto accident at speeds as low or less than 5mph. Whiplash can also be related to other incidents or mishaps in which the head is pushed or jerked beyond its normal range of motion.
Common outcomes of auto accident injuries include serious and chronic neck pain, as well as back pain, headaches, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, nausea, numbness and dizziness. More serious injuries such as bruising of the brain can sometimes occur in auto accidents resulting in concussion.
If you were injured in an auto accident it is important to get evaluated by a chiropractor who is trained to deal with injuries related to auto accidents.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Auto Accident Injury, Back Pain, Chiropractic, Chiropractor, Headaches, injuries, Neck Pain, Whiplash
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Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
Nutrition is vital to the health and function of our bodies. Many of my San Diego Chiropractic patients don’t fully understand the need for sound nutrition or why we stress the importance of nutrition. Poor nutrition can cause or contribute to fatigue, anxiety, aches and pains.
What is at the root of our poor nutrition?
1) High carbohydrate, low protein diets.
2) Poor quality synthetic vitamins taken as supplements.
3) Poor food quality. Soil mineral depletion and demineralization combined with excessive use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides as well as over-processed food that have been enriched with synthetics and preservatives has led to foods that are far less nutritious than in the past.
Proper nutrition begins with cleaning poor quality, over processed foods out of your diet and replacing them with organically grown fresh vegetables and fruits. You also have to select high quality animal proteins or whey protein supplements since many animal proteins contain synthetic steroids and other injected hormones to promote rapid growth.
Finally, a good nutrition program requires high quality whole food supplements. Since even organically grown foods are lacking in vitamin and mineral content, a modern nutrition plan should be fortified with whole food supplements.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: aches, anxiety, Chiropractic, fatigue, fresh vegetables, health and function, Nutrition, organic, pain, whole foods
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Monday, December 1st, 2008
When was the last time that you felt pain?
I treat people with back pain, neck pain and various other pains on a daily basis.
Pain is a very complex sensation. The body’s interpretation of pain involves both nerve and chemical processes that are relayed to the brain for interpretation. In my San Diego Chiropractic office, I hear my patients complain of neck pain, back pain, headaches, sciatic pain etc. Some of these patients suffer from acute pain while others who are less fortunate complain of chronic long lasting pain.
A study completed recently in Chicago revealed some very interesting things about brain activity in people suffering with chronic pain.
Brain scans taken of people in chronic pain show a constant activity in areas of the brain that are at rest in those who don’t suffer with chronic pain. Researchers said that this finding could help explain why chronic pain patients have higher rates of depression, anxiety and other disorders.
Apparently they found that chronic pain seems to alter the way people process information that is unrelated to pain. They found that enduring long periods of pain affects brain function even with tasks that demand minimal attention.
Studies have shown that in healthy people, certain regions of the brain take over during a resting state, something known as a default mode network. “It takes care of your brain when your brain is at rest,” Dr. Chialvo said.
When a person performs a task, this default mode network quiets down, but not in people with chronic pain.
Instead of quieting down, a front region of the cortex of the brain associated with emotion is constantly active. This constant activity disrupts the brains’ normal equilibrium.
To study this specific brain activity, Dr. Chialvo did a type of brain scan on 15 people with chronic back pain and on 15 healthy people.
In this study, volunteers were given a simple attention task — tracking a moving bar on a computer screen – in order to observe the brain shifting out of default mode to handle the task.
Both groups performed the task well but when they measured areas of the brain that were activated, the differences emerged.
“Where we were surprised is the difference in how much brain they used to do the task compared with the healthy group. It was 50 times larger,” Chialvo said.
They said disruptions in this brain activity could explain why pain patients have problems with attention, sleep disturbances and even depression.
So there you have it. If you feel a little off or if someone you work with or care about has trouble focusing or staying on task because of pain, your observations are correct. Give yourself and others a break.
Here’s To Your Health
Dr. Jones
http://www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1/
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: acute pain, Back Pain, Chiropractic, chronic pain, Headaches, Neck Pain, San Diego Chiropractic, sciatic pain
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Saturday, November 15th, 2008
Being a Chiropractor in San Diego brings special challenges. In addition to our population leading more active and physically demanding lifestyles, they also are more likely to seek out alternative health care.
Neck pain, back pain, headaches and sciatica rule the symptoms that instigate new patient and returning patient visits.
What do they all want? Chiropractic adjustments of course!
Most of my patients consider themselves to be purveyors of natural health care. However, when asked about nutrition, most of them don’t have a good handle on it. Hence the topic of this blog post.
I thought that I would do a very brief overview of vitamins.
Vitamins are essential for us to maintain a healthy body. They regulate metabolism and assist the processes that release energy from digested food. The body needs vitamins in much smaller amounts than it needs carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water. Vitamins are considered MICRONUTRIENTS.
Vitamins act as coenzymes that work with enzymes that are the foundation of all humane bodily functions. They are the catalysts or activators in all of our chemical reactions.
Vitamins exist in two categories; water soluble and oil soluble. Water soluble vitamins must be taken into the body daily. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and are usually utilized and excreted within 24 hours. Vitamin C and the B vitamins are examples of water soluble vitamins.
Oil soluble vitamins are stored for longer periods of time in our fatty tissues and in the liver. Examples of oil soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K.
Both types of vitamins are necessary for maintaining health and fitness.
Vitamins are a small piece of nutrition. Just as important as taking vitamins is the ability to resist the urge to eat junk.
Soda, deep fried foods, tobacco, alcohol, refined sugar and many others steal our health.
True health maintenance has to include examining our nutrition.
Here’s To Your Health
Dr. Jones
http://www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1/
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: alternative health care, Back Pain, Chiropractic, Headaches, Neck Pain, Nutrition
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Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a healthy spine?
Being a Chiropractor in San Diego, I see many types of injuries. These injuries result in symptoms such as neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, etc. The cause of these injuries ranges from car accidents and work or sports injuries to injuries caused by more domestic duties that result from around the house chores and sometimes things as simple as sleeping in an awkward position.
Of these injured patients, I would say that at least for the moment, while they are in pain, at least 75% of them ask “what can I do for myself to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?” This question served as the inspiration for this article and I will address in this post.
To begin with, pain is a great motivator. When people are in pain they take a proactive approach to their health. People often inquire about what kind of stretch or exercising that they can start right away. Unfortunately, the best thing that you can do while your injury is new is to apply ice packs to the injured area and rest. More often than not, over my 15 plus years in practice I have seen enthusiastic patients ignore this advice and end up giving their conditions major set backs. The time to start exercising and stretching your back for most of us is when it is out of its acute stage of pain.
My biggest struggles in practice have been dealing with my patients exercise and diet habits. Exercise is one of the few things that a patient can do at home, outside of chiropractic care, to help prevent or diminish the chances of developing back pain.
After an injury, you should approach exercise cautiously – almost to a point where the exercise that you are performing feels like it is doing nothing. If you can get through a few low intensity exercise sessions like this without aggravating your condition, you should slowly add resistance which allows you to build confidence and strength at the same time.
This is a sensible approach to exercising after a back injury. Slow and cautious – and under the advise of a health care professional. Strong muscles add strength and support to your spine and can only serve you in a beneficial way.
More Coming Soon
Dr. Jones
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Pain Relief Blog
Tags: Back Injury, Chiropractic, Exercise, Health
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a healthy spine?
Being a Chiropractor in San Diego, I see many types of injuries. These injuries result in symptoms such as neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, etc. The cause of these injuries ranges from car accidents and work or sports injuries to injuries caused by more domestic duties that result from around the house chores and sometimes things as simple as sleeping in an awkward position.
Of these injured patients, I would say that at least for the moment, while they are in pain, at least 75% of them ask “what can I do for myself to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?” This question served as the inspiration for this article and I will address in this post.
To begin with, pain is a great motivator. When people are in pain they take a proactive approach to their health. People often inquire about what kind of stretch or exercising that they can start right away. Unfortunately, the best thing that you can do while your injury is new is to apply ice packs to the injured area and rest. More often than not, over my 15 plus years in practice I have seen enthusiastic patients ignore this advice and end up giving their conditions major set backs. The time to start exercising and stretching your back for most of us is when it is out of its acute stage of pain.
My biggest struggles in practice have been dealing with my patients exercise and diet habits. Exercise is one of the few things that a patient can do at home, outside of chiropractic care, to help prevent or diminish the chances of developing back pain.
After an injury, you should approach exercise cautiously – almost to a point where the exercise that you are performing feels like it is doing nothing. If you can get through a few low intensity exercise sessions like this without aggravating your condition, you should slowly add resistance which allows you to build confidence and strength at the same time.
This is a sensible approach to exercising after a back injury. Slow and cautious – and under the advise of a health care professional. Strong muscles add strength and support to your spine and can only serve you in a beneficial way.
More Coming Soon
Dr. Jones
http://www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1/
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Back Injury, Back Pain, Chiropractic, chiropractor in San Diego, Exercise, Headaches, Health, Neck Pain, Sports Injuries
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Friday, October 31st, 2008
Chiropractic care is a very safe form of medical treatment. That being said, it does carry some risks. Thankfully, through the use of thorough history taking, complete examinations and a focused approach I have not had any malpractice issues in my 15 years of practice.
Little did you know that a true risk to your health was located right in your backyard. Chances are that you have even invited your closest family members and your best friends to partake in your distribution of ill health.
You all probably figured out that I am talking about the barbeque. I first heard of potential cancer causing agents being generated by cooking food over charcoal way back in the 80s when I was in college taking Pre-Med courses. That was so long ago that at the time I had no idea that 20 years later I would be running a chiropractic practice in beautiful San Diego and reading an article about the evils of barbequing as if they were just discovered.
Many of us look forward to the weekend when we fire up the grill and throw on a burger or a steak. As millions of backyard chefs ponder whether or not the meat is done, perhaps they should be wondering if the meat is over-done. Research indicates that there is a link between eating grilled meats, especially those that are well done, and the risk for some cancers especially breast and colorectal.
The primary concern revolves around two types of carcinogens that can be found in high concentrations in grilled meats. One of these carcinogens is heterocyclic amines which are formed when beef, pork, poultry and fish, are cooked at high temperatures, as they are when grilled. Another type of carcinogens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are formed on the surface of meats by smoke and flame flares which occur when fat and juices drip down onto the heat source below and erupt in a flash flame.
Minimizing your exposure to carcinogens when grilling meats can be accomplished by follow these suggestions:
” Remove meat before it’s well done. Another strategy is to start the cooking process in the microwave, then finish on the grill.
” To reduce grill flare ups, use lean cuts of meat and trim any visible fat before grilling.
” Marinate your meat. Studies indicate that marinating reduces the build up of some carcinogens.
” Carcinogens are concentrated in the charred portions of meats. Trimming and discarding those pieces before eating will reduce the risks.
I don’t mean to cause any fears with this article. It is mostly FYI as the studies that I read did not even begin to examine the amount of over cooked meat that would have to be eaten in order to cause cancer. That being the case, if you plan to barbeque every weekend for years to come you might want to pay attention to this articles content.
More Coming Soon!
Dr. Jones
http://www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1/
San Diego Chiropractors
Tags: Cancer, Chiropractic, Fitness, Health
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Thursday, October 30th, 2008
Have you ever had an episode of low back pain? How about low back pain with sciatica? Neither of these is good.
Many patients are seeking back pain relief when they visit my San Diego based chiropractic clinic.
That is not unusual since most people consider chiropractors as back pain specialists. That being said, we treat patients for a variety of ailments including neck pain, headaches, sciatic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc. While all of these conditions sound like very different conditions, they are actually very similar.
Most of my patients that suffer with headaches also complain of neck pain or stiffness. In fact, many headaches are related to muscle tension that originates in the neck. The muscle tension or spasm in the neck triggers the headache. Therefore, by treating the neck with a combination of chiropractic adjustments, hot packs, ice packs, muscle stimulation and ultrasound; the muscle tension in the neck can be resolved preventing the headache.
This is just an example of how one problem in a specific region of the body can be responsible for symptoms in a separate area. Likewise, sciatica is most often related to irritation of joints and muscle spasms in the lower back. Similarly, carpal tunnel syndrome results from a process involving joints in the wrist and the surrounding muscles and ligaments.
All of the conditions that I listed above as well as many unlisted conditions follow the same path to becoming symptomatic. Either through some specific injury or ongoing trauma (such as keyboarding, mousing or improper lifting techniques), the joint becomes irritated and inflamed causing pain and muscle spasm. If the pain and spasm affects a specific nerve, the patient may experience additional symptoms such as sciatica or arm / hand pain.
Any pain that travels from the back or down down an arm or leg is an indication of a more advanced problem that requires immediate evaluation and treatment.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
http://www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1/
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Chiropractor, hand pain, Headaches, muscle tension, San Diego, San Diego Chiropractic, Sciatica
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Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
Have you ever had chiropractic care for injuries from an auto accident?
At my San Diego based Chiropractic Clinic I provide treatment for many patients with neck pain, back pain and headaches. In many cases, the cause of these aches and pains are related to auto accidents or other types of personal injury.
More often than not, the accident in question occurred years earlier and the initial symptoms were not taken seriously by the patient. Most people don’t take the time to seek treatment for themselves yet they scramble to get their cars fixed. This thought process extends into other injury / treatment scenarios as well. I once had an acquaintance who smoked but proudly proclaimed that she didn’t smoke inside her car because she didn’t want to ruin the interior!
I don’t know why so many of us carry these kinds of thought processes. In the case of auto accident injuries, the little bit of neck pain or the slight headache or the lower back pain is often overlooked or dismissed and minimized as being un-important. This is flawed thinking. Imagine if we treated other health conditions with such disregard.
The injury mechanisms in whiplash type accidents are complex. Muscles are stretched and torn, ligaments can sometimes partially tear or rupture, intervertebral discs can become herniated and spinal fractures can occur. These injuries can lead to a vast number of symptoms that can cause anything from slight irritation all the way to severe disability.
While the mechanism of injury in whiplash cases is complex, the typical resulting spinal injuries follow a well established path. Initially, the muscles and ligaments in the injured area are irritated. This irritation leads to inflammation. Inflammation is not only responsible for many of the initial symptoms that you experience but it is also responsible for scar tissue formation which can make your symptoms permanent or chronic.
Statistically, 25% of all auto accident / injury victims will suffer from some ongoing symptom related to their accident. Chiropractors are experts in dealing with the types of injuries that occur as a result of auto accidents. The best way to insure that you are not a member of this group of 25% is to get an examination and possibly treatment, if recommended by your chiropractor.
Your’s In Good Health
Dr. Jones
http://www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1/
www.JonesPainRelief.com
Tags: Auto Accidents, Back Pain, Chiropractic, Chiropractor, Headaches, Neck Pain, personal injury, San Diego Chiropractic
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