San Diego Chiropractic Blog

For the most part, San Diego is a city of fairly fit and active people. Since I am a chiropractor in San Diego, I can’t help but notice that a fairly large portion of my patients are trying to lose weight.

Losing weight is not only a noble endeavor but a difficult one.

Losing weight is not only good for your cardiovascular health but also for your health in general. Losing extra weight is very important to your skeletal health as well. Every extra pound that you carry puts a little more stress through your spinal joints causing excessive wear and tear.

Excessive wear and tear results in arthritis, neck pain, back pain, headaches, sciatic pain, hip pain, knee pain etc. I am of the opinion that less pain is better.

Chiropractic care is an important part of your efforts to maintain your spinal health. That being said, you should not dismiss the importance of keeping fit as it directly relates to your spines’ ability to withstand the stresses of a long life.

Since I am sure that at least some of my patients’ problems are due to the fact that they carry excess weight, I thought I would give a few suggestions for successful weight loss.

1) Remember that weight control is your responsibility. Having a weight loss partner who agrees to “watch out for you” will only inspire you to cheat while they are not watching.

2) Don’t let a single failure in your diet degrade into a whole day of poor diet choices. If you blow a part of your diet, don’t view your entire day of eating as a failure and consume junk all day. Pick up your good diet choices the next time you have a meal.

3) Don’t start dieting prior to holidays or vacations where you will be tempted by overindulging making it difficult to lose weight.

4) Don’t weigh your self more than a few times each month. Losing weight takes time which isn’t compatible with Americans desire for instant results.

5) Cut back on salts, caffeinated drinks and soda. Even diet soda!

6) Drink plenty of water and try eating soup before meals to help reduce the number of calories you consume.

These are just a few simple ways to start trimming those extra pounds.

Both you and your spine will be better for it.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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Like many across the United States my Chiropractic Office in San Diego provides treatment for neck pain and back pain. Although chiropractic care helps many different conditions, it is often viewed as treatment for just back pain and neck pain.

When dealing with back pain and neck pain, it is important to have your pain evaluated by a healthcare professional. Dismissing back pain and neck pain as insignificant can lead to more significant health issues.

Many conditions can cause back pain and neck pain, ranging from injury and infection too twisting or turning “the wrong way”. Injuries such as those sustained in an automobile or other accident can damage muscles, joints, ligaments, and vertebrae.

Overuse or under use of the back muscles is by far the most common cause of back pain that manifests as tightening or spasm of the muscles that connect to the spine. Inflammation and swelling often occur in the joints and ligaments, especially in the cervical and lumbar regions, as people age.

A herniated disc occurs when the nuclear pulposus, the inner material of the disc, pushes through a tear in the annulus fibrosis, the outer material of the disc causing nerve root compression. The cervical and lumbar regions of the spine have the most mobility and the discs there are more likely to wear down or be injured. Ninety percent of disc herniations occur in the lower two lumbar vertebrae.

Spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal, can cause spinal cord irritation and injury. Conditions that cause spinal stenosis include infection, tumors, trauma, herniated disc, arthritis, thickening of ligaments, growth of bone spurs, and disc degeneration. Spinal stenosis most commonly occurs in older individuals as a result of vertebral degeneration.

A pinched nerve, or radiculopathy, occurs when something rubs or presses against a nerve, creating irritation or inflammation. Radiculopathy can result from a herniated disc, bone spur, tumor growing into the nerves, and vertebral fracture, and many other conditions.

Sciatica is a certain type of radiculopathy that involves inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Pain is experienced along the large sciatic nerve, from the lower back down through the buttocks and along the back of the leg.

A spinal tumor that originates in the spine (primary tumor) or spreads to the spine from another part of the body (metastatic tumor) can compress the spine or nerve roots and cause significant pain.

Infections of the vertebrae (e.g., vertebral osteomyelitis), the discs, the meninges (e.g., spinal meningitis), or the cerebrospinal fluid can compress the spinal cord and result in serious neurological deterioration, if it is not diagnosed and treated immediately.

Arthritis often affects the facet joints which are formed by two adjacent vertebra and direct or guide movement of the spine. As the joints degenerate, they loose their normal alignment, and the cartilage and fluid that lubricates the joints may deteriorate. Bone then rubs against bone, which can be very painful.

These are just a few of the conditions that can cause back pain and neck pain. Most cases of back and neck pains are due to mechanical causes and can be readily addressed by a chiropractor. The point is, however, neck pain and back pain is a warning signal that should not be ignored.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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In my San Diego based Chiropractic clinic, I hear wives tales regarding health and fitness all the time. The one that I hear most often doesn’t have anything to do with neck pain or back pain - it has to do with knuckle cracking. It seems that almost everyones’ parents have told them “Don’t crack your knuckles, they will get big and full of arthritis when you are older!” Believe it or not, this is not true. Cracking joints that are weight bearing ie, your neck, back, knees and ankles, etc can be harmful if you are not a trained chiropractor, but cracking your knuckles is only irritating to other people.

A study was just released that examined 7 common medical myths that are being circulated today. They are as follows:

Two US researchers took seven common beliefs and searched the archives for evidence to support them.

Despite frequent mentions in the popular press of the need to drink eight glasses of water, they found no scientific basis for the claim.

The complete lack of evidence has been recorded in a study published the American Journal of Psychology, they said.

The other six “myths” are:

Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.

The majority of eye experts believed it was unlikely to do any permanent damage, but it might make you squint, blink more and have trouble focusing, the researchers said.

Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser.

It has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair regrowth, studies say. But stubble lacks the finer taper of unshaven hair, giving the impression of coarseness.

Eating turkey makes you drowsy.

It does contain an amino acid called tryptophan that is involved in sleep and mood control. But turkey has no more of the acid than chicken or minced beef. Eating lots of food and drink at Christmas are probably the real cause of sleepiness.

We use only 10 per cent of our brains.

This myth arose as early as 1907 but imaging shows no area of the brain is silent or completely inactive.

Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.

This idea may stem from ghoulish novels. The researchers said the skin dries out and retracts after death, giving the appearance of longer hair or nails.

Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.

Despite widespread concerns, studies have found minimal interference with medical equipment.

The research was conducted by Aaron Carroll, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, and Rachel Vreeman, fellow in children’s health services research at Indiana University School of Medicine.

I hope that you enjoyed this information. Happy Holidays!

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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Lower back pain is one of the most frustrating things for patients to deal with. I have had what I consider bad lower back pain, bad neck pain and other injuries that get my full attention. Of all of these conditions, I think that lower back pain has been the worst spine complaint that I have had. Since I became a chiropractor in San Diego, I have taken informal surveys of my patients regarding the area of their backs that create the greatest level of disability when aggravated and more often than not the answer is lower back pain.

Chiropractic care for lower back pain is pretty straight forward. Usually low back pain is accompanied by muscle spasms which have to be addressed first. Most low back pain patients do very well with treatment that begins with the application of hot packs and electrical muscle stimulation. Electrical muscle stimulation sounds intimidating to some people but it is a very comfortable, relaxing form of therapy that is excellent at soothing muscle spasms.

Once the muscles have been relaxed as much as possible, the affected joints of the lower back can be adjusted. Much like the sound of electrical muscle stimulation, some people find the sound of having their joints manipulated intimidating. In fact, the overwhelming majority of even first time chiropractic patients find the joint manipulations to be comfortable and soothing to their back pain.

Chiropractic care is delivered as a series of treatments rather than a single session. That is not to say that you may not attain 100% relief with one session, but you shouldn’t count on it. The rule of thumb in regards to how much care you may need for a low back issue is that you must allow for one week of active care (2 to 3 visits per week) for each month that you have had a particular problem. This level of frequency and consistency will ensure the greatest level of recovery with chiropractic care.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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I have been practicing chiropractic care in San Diego for the last 15 years. In that time I have seen many different types of lower back injuries that all generate some level of back pain or disability. Back pain severity can range anywhere from a mild ache to an intense, severe bout that can cause total disability.

For most of these people, the joint most likely to be involved is the sacroiliac joint. We have two sacroiliac joints. They are located just to the left and right sides of the spine at your beltline. These joints are both the largest and the strongest joints in your spine. They have the largest muscles and the strongest ligaments to provide for their movement and support. These joints also have a close relationship with the bottom two vertebra of your lumbar spine. The sacroiliac joints are attached to the L4 L5 vertebra with ligaments that essentially create a situation in which the health of each of these joints is dependent on the health of the other adjacent joints.

The L4 L5 S1 and sacroiliac joint complex is very durable while allowing a great range of motion. This joint complex, however, is also subjected to incredible levels of stress as a result of poor posture, sitting, sports injuries and improper lifting techniques. Patients who sustain injuries in this area are dumbfounded that they cannot recall any particular injury that “threw their back out”.

Like any other joint in your body, the sacroiliac joints weaken and eventually are injured by ongoing low levels of stress. We often see people who have suffered a severe back injury involving the sacroiliac joints following an activity such as picking a sock up off the floor or some other mundane task. An injury following a task such as this indicates a long standing problem that should be addressed by a competent chiropractor.

Low back injuries that are not promptly addressed with formal therapy can easily become chronic leading to more severe aggravations in the future.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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Being a practicing chiropractor in San Diego for the last 15 plus years has given me the opportunity to manage hundreds of cases of lower back pain. I would say that of these cases of low back pain, at least 75% of them are the result of a sedentary lifestyle and lack of core strength.

Our spines are essentially a stack of bones that give use the ability to flex, bend and twist while at the same time provide protection for our spinal cord. Ligaments, which are tough fibrous bands of tissue help provide stability of the joints. Another major contributor of stability for our spines comes from the muscles. The muscles in our bodies, regardless of where they are located should be strong and flexible. Strong flexible muscles in our core help prevent injuries.

The trend in America is that we are becoming heavier and exercising less. In addition to this trend, or perhaps a contributor to this trend is the fact that so many people have work that revolves around the computer. I know that some of my patients sit at a computer station all day long - every day of the week.

Sitting at a computer has multiple ill effects on the health of our spines. The postural stress of sitting puts stress on the discs that separate our vertebrae. When we sit, the normal forward sweeping curve of our low backs round backward which displaces the weight of our bodies forward putting increased pressure on the discs. This posture also stretches the muscles that run down the back of the spine eventually causing what is known as a “stretch weakness”.

It is the loss of core strength combined with the postural stress of sitting at work for hours and days on end that leads to most of the back problems that I see at work. I always find it ironic that office workers who are in for treatment make comments about how I must see so many heavy laborers for back pain while my office is filled with computer jockeys.

The solutions to the problems described above are simple but require diligence. First of all, you have to take breaks if you sit all day. I had a seminar years ago where one of the speakers gave a simple solution to get you up and moving during the day. He suggested that you have a small, 8 oz glass of water on your desk that you drink from all day. With this plan, every twenty minutes or so you will have to get up to get more water or get up to go to the bathroom. These mini breaks in your day help relieve postural stress.

The second part of taking care of your back involves building strength in your core. This involves exercise. Walking, jogging, bicycle riding, crunches and various exercises on a Swiss Ball will all go a long way towards building core strength and reducing your chances of lower back injury.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com

Does acute or chronic back pain have you down? Looking for alternatives to what your current back pain management plan is? Read on!

Practicing chiropractic in San Diego has exposed me to a patient base that is more interested in their health then in other areas of the country. In addition to traditional chiropractic treatment for neck pain and back pain our office offers our patients a host of recommendations for self care of their pain that can become part of a healthy lifestyle.

In order to help control episodes of back or neck pain, immediately drink several glasses of water. In some cases, dehydration will cause muscular aches and back pain. The rule of thumb of drinking eight, eight ounce glasses of water per day is healthy in general. Incidentally, headaches can be caused by dehydration as well. If you have headaches on a regular basis, increasing your water consumption may give you relief.

Ice applications to the area of pain can also be beneficial. Ice helps reduce inflammation which not only causes pain but can trigger local muscle spasms that lead to functional losses. There used to be an old rule concerning icing that suggested ice for the first 48 hours and then apply heat after that. Modern clinical studies indicate that as long as you have pain, you have inflammation. Inflammation always responds better to ice than it does to heat. We recommend that our patients ice their back pain or neck pain 20 minutes at a time at least two times per day with at least a 20 minute break in between sessions. Ice with a soft gel pack through a thin piece of clothing. Lastly, watch for frostbite - if the skin over the area that you are icing turns red or brown and scabs over you did too much.

Try to not sleep on your stomach. Stomach sleeping puts your back into extension which compresses the joints that run down the back of your spine. You should either sleep on your back with your knees supported with a pillow or sleep on your side in the fetal position. Either of these two positions may be comfortable for you and allow for a better nights sleep.

Do not try to exercise out of the pain. Exercise is vital to strengthening your back and providing stability but it needs to begin when your original pain has subsided and or is no longer aggravated by physical activity. The joints in our spines are supported by the ligaments and muscles. Once injured, ligaments heal slowly and may never provide the support that they did before the injury. We can improve our muscle tone, however, through exercise to regain pre-injury stability.

One last bit of advice that I will mention in this article is nutritional supplementation. Nutritional supplements can not only help you heal faster but can help control pain and inflammation as well. Among the common supplements that we recommend are essential fatty acids, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, SAMe and vitamin C.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

San Diego Chiropractic Care
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Does acute or chronic back pain have you down? Looking for alternatives to what your current back pain management plan is? Read on!

Practicing chiropractic in San Diego has exposed me to a patient base that is more interested in their health then in other areas of the country. In addition to traditional chiropractic treatment for neck pain and back pain our office offers our patients a host of recommendations for self care of their pain that can become part of a healthy lifestyle.

In order to help control episodes of back or neck pain, immediately drink several glasses of water. In some cases, dehydration will cause muscular aches and back pain. The rule of thumb of drinking eight, eight ounce glasses of water per day is healthy in general. Incidentally, headaches can be caused by dehydration as well. If you have headaches on a regular basis, increasing your water consumption may give you relief.

Ice applications to the area of pain can also be beneficial. Ice helps reduce inflammation which not only causes pain but can trigger local muscle spasms that lead to functional losses. There used to be an old rule concerning icing that suggested ice for the first 48 hours and then apply heat after that. Modern clinical studies indicate that as long as you have pain, you have inflammation. Inflammation always responds better to ice than it does to heat. We recommend that our patients ice their back pain or neck pain 20 minutes at a time at least two times per day with at least a 20 minute break in between sessions. Ice with a soft gel pack through a thin piece of clothing. Lastly, watch for frostbite - if the skin over the area that you are icing turns red or brown and scabs over you did too much.

Try to not sleep on your stomach. Stomach sleeping puts your back into extension which compresses the joints that run down the back of your spine. You should either sleep on your back with your knees supported with a pillow or sleep on your side in the fetal position. Either of these two positions may be comfortable for you and allow for a better nights sleep.

Do not try to exercise out of the pain. Exercise is vital to strengthening your back and providing stability but it needs to begin when your original pain has subsided and or is no longer aggravated by physical activity. The joints in our spines are supported by the ligaments and muscles. Once injured, ligaments heal slowly and may never provide the support that they did before the injury. We can improve our muscle tone, however, through exercise to regain pre-injury stability.

One last bit of advice that I will mention in this article is nutritional supplementation. Nutritional supplements can not only help you heal faster but can help control pain and inflammation as well. Among the common supplements that we recommend are essential fatty acids, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, SAMe and vitamin C.

Yours In Good Health

More Coming Soon Here’s To Your Health Yours In Good Health
Dr. Jones

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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.

Yours In Good Health

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Dr. Jones

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Do you know what and what not to do after an auto accident?

It is that time of the year again. You know, when the roads are wet with rain and half the people on the road drive like it is dry (FAST) and the other half slow down to half the posted limit. People who live in San Diego only see an average of 11 rainy days per year. That is about 3 percent of the time. Until your car loses traction and you hit another vehicle, most don’t realize how quickly and easily it can happen. While an accident usually starts and ends in matter of seconds, the neck pain, headaches, back pain, etc. can continue for weeks, months or sometimes, years.

In addition to the typical physical aches and pains associated with auto accident injuries, there are legalities to consider as well. Sometimes there are disputes as to who is the guilty party that is responsible for the accident. Many people will deny their responsibility even though their role in the accident is obvious. If you have been involved in an automobile accident, there are a number of things you can do to preserve your legal rights.

The following is a summary of some of the most important things you can do to protect your legal rights after an automobile accident:
1. Do not leave the scene. If you leave the scene of an automobile accident, you may be criminally prosecuted. You are required to provide your name, address, driver’s license and auto insurance information to the other driver.
2. Assess yourself for injuries and then, if you are able, help the injured if there are any. If someone has been injured in the accident, you should call for an ambulance / paramedics and assist them to the extent you are qualified. Before calling for the ambulance, be prepared to give an accurate location of the accident and a count of the number of individuals injured.
3. Avoid additional collisions. Make sure your vehicle is not presenting a safety hazard to other motorists. If possible, it should be moved so that it is not obstructing traffic. You can further warn oncoming traffic to proceed with caution by setting flares, turning on your hazard lights, and raising the hood and trunk of your vehicle.
4. Notify the police. Typically the police will prepare a report that contains specific information regarding the accident and the parties involved. While you may not be required to call the police, the accident reports they produce could be helpful to you later.
5. Do not admit liability. You should not admit responsibility for the accident to the other drivers, passengers, or to the police for that matter. You may convey facts concerning how the incident occurred; however, it is best not to comment on your responsibility (or liability) for the accident. This is a legal matter that is not always readily and easily ascertainable.
6. You should get the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of any individuals involved in the accident, as well as any witnesses to the accident. You should also obtain the name of the insurance company and policy number of the other drivers involved. If possible, you may take photographs to document the accident scene including skid marks, road obstructions, and damage to the vehicles.
7. Notify your insurance company. If you do not give your insurance company prompt notice, your policy may provide that the insurance company may deny coverage for your claim. Accordingly, you should give your insurance company notice by way of telephone and by written notice that provides you a means of proving such notice was given, such as by facsimile or by certified mail. You should provide your insurance company with all information they request concerning the facts of the accident.
8. Consult a chiropractic doctor to evaluate your neck and back for injuries. Some injuries may not manifest themselves until some period of time after the accident; the fact that you do not immediately feel as though you have been injured does not necessarily mean that no injury has occurred. You should consult your insurance agent to see if the cost of seeing a doctor in connection with the accident is covered by your insurance policy. You should not settle your claims for injuries arising from the accident until you have been advised by your chiropractic doctor as to the full extent of your injuries.

I hope that you find this information helpful. Drive safe!

Yours In Good Health

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Dr. Jones

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