Archive for the ‘Chiropractor San Diego’ Category

Tension, Cluster, Toxic and Migraine Headaches Explained

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

Types of Headaches

Headaches is one of the major afflictions for which new patients visit my chiropractic office in San Diego. This condition may seem like a minor health issue to those of us who do not suffer from chronic or severe headaches. But they can have a major role as to how the patient and the population are generally affected. Over ten million visits to the doctor in the United States were caused by headaches in 2007 alone, while being a popular excuse for calling out of work and school.

Medications from the doctor offer relief for a little while, but don’t do anything to help the origin. Chiropractic care, on the other hand, works directly at righting the root causes that trigger a multitude of headaches. This piece will delineate the five basic kinds of headaches — tension, toxic, sinus, cluster and migraine — so you may have a better understanding of which kind of headache you might be experiencing.

Tension Headaches

The most common type of headache, by far, is tension headaches. Roughly 4 out of 5 people are subject to tension headaches from time to time, while five percent are subject to tension headaches every day. Tension headaches affect women twice as much as men.

The duration of anywhere from 30 minutes to several days is average for tension headaches. Band-like pain, pressure, or throbbing of the head are the most common symptoms related to this type of headache.

There can be a significant increase in severity with the frequency of the headaches. Emotional stress, depression, not enough rest, poor posture, and/or chiropractic subluxation causing pressure on the nerves are some of the multiple causes for tension headaches. More frequently than otherwise, this kind of headache normally happens due to a mixture of the above mentioned causes.

Toxic Headaches

This is a rare occurrence of a headache in the medical community. Despite this fact, it is often straightforward to identify this category of headache, when occurring as a result to toxin exposure.

Sinus Headaches

Sinus headaches are not unusual, and the pain is localized to sinus cavities around the forehead, eyes, nose, and cheeks. Rather than relieving sinus headaches long term, many medications used for this purpose ironically may exacerbate and prolong sinus conditions.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are one of the most intense sort of headaches and are normally one-sided. Luckily, though, they are quite unusual and less than 0.1% of people suffer from them. They generally begin prior to age 30 and happen in time periods ranging from 14 days to three months.

These headaches usually occur one to three times per day, lasting for 30-90 minutes. The patient usually awakens from them one to two hours after retiring.

When the cluster period is over, these headaches may disappear for months or years, but the headaches reappear later on. These attacks are considered to be tied to circadian rhythms in the pineal gland and hypothalamus, which controls the resting and awake cycles. This type of headache often occur with spring or fall changes in season.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches, vascular in nature, are caused by variations in the arteries inside and outside the brain. Approximately 28 million Americans suffer with migraines, however approximately 13 million Americans don’t have a diagnosis now. Migraines affect more women than men. Of the ones who have been diagnosed, 25 percent experience at least four episodes per month; 35 percent endure 1-4 attacks per month, and the final 40 percent go through one attack per month or less. Migraines can commonly last from four hours to three days.

There is a family history of migraines in four out of five sufferers from migraines. Children who have one parent who gets migraines have a 50 percent chance of getting them, and if both parents get them, they have a 75 percent chance.

Understanding migraine headache triggers may help avoid future headaches; common trigger factors include weather changes, caffeine, chemical exposure, fatigue or insomnia, and missed meals. Signs may include an aura in the form of light, noise or odor sensitivity; nausea or vomiting; and stomach distress or pain. Additional symptoms of paleness, dizziness, a mild fever, or an upset stomach may manifest in a child with a migraine.

Written by the best San Diego Chiropractor

Tips for a Healthy Spine

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

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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Neck Pain, Back Pain and Chiropractic

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Which is worse - neck pain or back pain?

I hear this question often in my San Diego chiropractic office. Of course the answer is easy - if you have back pain, back pain is definitely worse than neck pain. If you have neck pain, neck pain is definitely worse than back pain.

Another common question that I hear regarding low back pain is why sitting makes it hurt more than standing.

This is a good question, which can be answered through physics. I remember seeing a diagram in one of my office ergonomic books that exposed the different stress levels on the spinal disks with various body positions.

The diagram had drawings of a person standing, lying down, sitting and then sitting while hunched forward with very poor posture. The disk pressure differences with these different postures was given as follows:

1) Standing upright 100%

2) Lying down 24%

3) Sitting upright 140%

4) Sitting hunched 190%

The explanation of the much higher disk pressures while sitting is explained by examining the structural changes that occur when we change from a standing to a seated position.

Our spines are supposed to have curves when viewed from the side. The neck should have a nice sweeping forward curve, the mid-back should carry a backward curve and the low back should have a sweeping forward curve. When these curves are present, the weight of your body is carried evenly across several different structures of the spine. These curves help provide stability for your spine.

Once we assume a seated position, the natural forward curve in our low backs reverses which increases the pressure on the disks and either increases back pain or causes back pain. If we stay in that seated position but flex our bodies forward at the waist (think bad posture - slumping over your keyboard or desk) the pressure in the disks elevates causing more damage and more pain.

Limiting the time that you sit will help your back pain in most instances. This is advice that I hand out to my San Diego chiropractic patients everyday of the week. I hope that it helps you as well.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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Symtoms of Dehydration and Chiropractic Treatment

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Dehydration is a common problem among adults. I have read studies that indicate that at any one time approximately 75% of American adults are suffering with mild symptoms that result from being dehydrated. Being a chiropractor in San Diego, a desert community, we see many people suffering from ailments ranging from neck pain and headaches to lower back pain with sciatica that all carry some link to dehydration.

The human body is approximately 65% water. By definition, dehydration occurs as the result of excessive loss of water from the body. This occurs as a direct result of not taking in enough water. That is a very superficial explanation of dehydration. In reality, it’s a bit more complicated than that since the body loses electrolytes as well as fluids.

Dehydration is a major issue with our health. A common scene in professional sports is that of the athletes becoming dehydrated and “cramping up”. This cramping of muscles affects us normal people as well. We suffer from back spasms and similar symptoms as a result of dehydration.

Another common symptom of dehydration is headaches. Dehydration has long been known to be a trigger of Migraine type headaches. Many people mistakenly think it occurs only in hot weather and that you’re not dehydrated if you’re not thirsty.

Dehydration Facts:

” It takes an average of 64 to 80 ounces to replace the water our bodies lose in 24 hours.

” Under normal circumstances, how much water we need depends a great deal on the volume of our perspiration and urine output.

” Our bodies’ need for water increases under circumstances such as:

” warmer weather or climate

” living at high altitudes

” increased physical activity

” when experiencing vomiting or diarrhea

” when fevered

” when you have a cold or the flu

” if you have a chronic disease such as uncontrolled or untreated diabetes, kidney disease, alcoholism, cystic fibrosis, or adrenal disorders,

” if you are taking some medications. Always check your prescription information.

” during long air flights

” Losing as little as 1 to 2% of body weight can result in dehydration.

” Losing 3 to 5% can negatively impact reaction time, concentration and judgment

” Losing 9 - 15% results in severe dehydration and is life-threatening.

Dehydration Symptoms:

” Excessive thirst

” Fatigue

” Muscle weakness

” Headache (or, in the case of Migraineurs, Migraine)

” Dizziness

” Less frequent need to urinate and decreased output

” Darker colored urine (should be nearly clear to pale yellow)

” Confusion

” Increased heart rate and respirations

” Skin that doesn’t snap back when pinched and released

” Children may exhibit additional symptoms:

” Absence of tears when crying

” No wet diaper for three hours or longer

” Irritability

” Lethargy

” Fever

When caught early, dehydration can usually be treated at home. Common treatments include:

” Mild dehydration: rehydration by drinking fluids including sports drinks, which rehydrate by providing not only fluid, but also electrolytes and salt. In children, products such as Pedialyte may be recommended as it also contains carbohydrates to help absorption in the intestinal tract. Coffee, tea, and soda should not be used for dehydration as the caffeine in them can actually be dehydrating.

” Moderate dehydration: rehydration may suffice, but IV fluids may be required.

” Severe dehydration: Immediate action must be taken, treating the situation as a medical emergency. Hospital treatment is necessary for IV fluids to rehydrate more quickly and efficiently and to allow observation.

As with most ailments, it’s better to prevent dehydration than to treat it. Here are some preventative steps you can take:

” Drink plenty of fluids and eat foods high in water. Fruit contains the most water, followed by vegetables, meat, then grains with the least.

” Choose your beverages wisely. Caffeine and alcohol can be dehydrating. For some people, too much fruit juice can cause diarrhea, which can be dehydrating.

” If you’re planning a day with more significantly exercise than usual, begin hydrating the day before.

” Sports drinks can help maintain electrolyte balance, but be aware of the sugars in them.

” Plan outdoor activities for cooler parts of the day.

” If you’re organizing outdoor activities, provide shaded areas.

” When you’re ill, be sure to continue drinking fluids, and get additional fluids if you have a fever or are vomiting or have diarrhea. Call your doctor for help with vomiting or diarrhea if necessary.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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Running, Jogging and Chiropractic Care

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Over the years, my San Diego Chiropractic Center has provided treatment for hundreds of people suffering from back pain, neck pain and leg pain that is easily attributed to their running habits.

I have read countless times in various journal articles that running becomes detrimental if your distance is greater than 15 miles per week or further than 3 miles per run. The conclusions that these articles drew to is that running beyond the guidelines previously mentioned does the joints more harm than the aerobic benefit of the exercise does your body good. It seems that these studies indict long distance running as an exercise of diminishing returns.

That being said, for those of you who do run, there is good news concerning the health benefits of running. Researchers reported in the July 2001 issue of American Journal of Public Health that men in their 30s who jog a minimum of ten times monthly develop a bone density that is at least 5 percent higher than that of men who jog less frequently.

The study analyzed answers to questions in a health survey of over 4,000 men, including 954 joggers and 3,300 who did not jog at all. The study included results of hip joint X-rays taken of each man to determine bone density. The researchers then compared the findings from joggers with results from non-joggers.

Dr. Michael E. Mussolino, a researcher at the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention office said the results showed that, “The men who were jogging nine times a month were doing much better than those who were jogging only one to eight times a month. Even those who jogged eight or fewer times a month had a higher bone density than those who did not jog at all.” He also noted that the study showed that it does not require marathon-like running to build strong bones.

The National Institutes of Health estimates that 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 18 million are at risk of the disease. Eighty percent of these people are women. The NIH estimates that one out of every two women and one in eight men will break a bone as the result of osteoporosis within their lifetime. The report states that building dense strong bones in young adulthood is considered by experts to be an important factor in preventing osteoporosis.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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Nurition: Fact and Fiction

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

What if I told you that I sold a vitamin that would fix all that ails you?

This vitamin would do everything from grow hair on your head to clearing your heart of plaque build-up to restore your joints to those of a 20 year old!

As a chiropractor in San Diego, I am exposed to many myths regarding our nutrition and our health and the things that we can do to preserve it. Indeed we treat many patients for neck pain, back pain, headaches, and sciatica. That being stated, our patients’ nutritional needs are never overlooked.

The problem that we encounter when discussing nutrition involves patient participation. I have found that our patients have good intentions when it comes to nutrition but those good intentions are often negated by poor planning.

I found a list of the top ten nutrition myths on Healthcastle.com that I thought was both interesting and relevant.

I have heard all of these myths from my patients over the years. Good nutrition has to start with good information. This is a start.

1. Sugar Causes Diabetes. The most common nutrition myth is probably that sugar causes diabetes. However, if you do not have diabetes, sugar intake will not cause you to develop the disease. The main risk factors for Type 2 diabetes are a diet high in calories, being overweight, and an inactive lifestyle.

2. All Fats are bad. It’s a long-held nutrition myth that all fats are bad. But the fact is, we all need fat. Fats aid nutrient absorption and nerve transmission, and they help to maintain cell membrane integrity - to name just a few of their useful purposes. However, when consumed in excessive amounts, fats contribute to weight gain, heart disease and certain types of cancers.

3. Brown Sugar is better than White Sugar. The brown sugar sold at grocery stores is actually white granulated sugar with added molasses. Yes, brown sugar contains minute amounts of minerals. But unless you eat a gigantic portion of brown sugar every day, the mineral content difference between brown sugar and white sugar is absolutely insignificant.

4. Brown Eggs are more nutritious than White Eggs
Contrary to a widely believed nutrition myth, eggshell color has nothing to do with the quality, flavor, nutritive value, cooking characteristics, or shell thickness of an egg. The eggshell color only depends upon the breed of the hen.

5. Avoid seafood to lower blood cholesterol. I still can’t believe it, but I heard this nutrition myth from my own doctor! In fact, the dietary cholesterol found in seafood and other meats has little effect on blood cholesterol in most people. Saturated fats and trans fatty acids are the most important factors that raise blood cholesterol.

6. Avoid carbohydrate to lose weight. The key message that many low-carb diets convey is that carbohydrates promote insulin production, which in turn results in weight gain. Therefore by reducing carbohydrate intake, you can lose weight. Unfortunately, this is just another nutrition myth.

The truth is that low-carb diets are also often calorie-restricted! Followers only eat an average of 1000 - 1400 calories daily, compared to an average intake of 1800 - 2200 calories for most people. To lose one pound a week, you only need to eat 500 fewer calories per day in your normal diet. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you eat a high- or low-carb diet, you will lose weight if you decrease your caloric intake to less than needed to maintain your weight.

7. Avoid nuts as they are fattening. Yes, it’s true that nuts are quite calorically dense. But if you can restrain yourself from overeating them, nuts can be a part of a healthy diet.

It’s a nutrition myth that nuts should be avoided. In fact, nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the good fats) as well as plant sterols, all of which have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol.

8. Eating for 2 is necessary during pregnancy. Energy requirements vary among individuals. Unfortunately, the idea that pregnancy is an ice cream free-for-all is a nutrition myth. An extra snack before bedtime is often enough.

9. Skipping meals can help lose weight. Many people think that by skipping a meal, they will be eating less food and therefore lose weight. As we now know, this is a nutrition myth. People who think skipping meals means weight loss do not understand how our bodies work.

If you skip a meal, your body will think that you are in starvation mode and therefore slow down the metabolism to compensate. You then tend to overeat at the next meal.

10. Red meat is bad for health. I often hear people saying that they do not eat red meat. When I ask why they don’t, or even what they consider to be red meat, the answers vary dramatically.

It is true that some studies have linked red meat with increased risk of heart disease, partly due to the saturated fat content. In fact, even chicken can contain as much saturated fat as lean cuts of beef or pork. For instance, a serving of sirloin beef or pork tenderloin has less saturated fats than the same serving size of chicken thigh with skin. It is true that poultry like chicken and turkey is naturally lower in saturated fats. But it is only true if you don’t eat the skin.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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Low Back Pain and Chiropractic Treatment

Friday, February 27th, 2009

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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Low Back Pain and Chiropractic Care

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

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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San Diego Chiropractor on “Cracking Your Own Neck”

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

“Hey Doc, is it OK if I crack my own neck?”

In my San Diego chiropractic clinic, I treat many patients for neck pain, back pain and other joint pains. A few of these patients ask me if it is OK if they crack their necks and backs by themselves. A few of them will tell me that they have their kids or the wife walk on their back. And a few of them are in my office because either they cracked their back or neck by themselves or they had someone else do it for them which resulted in an injury.

The funny thing about some of these people who were injured by a non-chiropractic adjustment is that they are nervous about me adjusting them for their neck pain or back pain.

The truth about cracking your own neck or back is that it is not very safe. Usually people develop pain or stiffness in the spine because of an injury or some ongoing condition. Chiropractors are trained to specifically diagnose and provide treatment for these conditions or injuries.

Through the course of my fifteen year career, I have seen patients who have broken vertebra by adjusting their own necks and backs. I have seen broken ribs as a result of having someone walk on their backs, I have seen two patients who suffered mild strokes from cracking their own necks and I had one patient whose brother suffered paralysis from the chest down because his partner walked on his back resulting in a crushed vertebra and a seriously damaged spinal cord.

Some people crack their own joints daily for years without suffering obvious serious consequences. Even these people are doing themselves a disservice. In no normal situation should you feel as though you have to crack a specific joint every day. Those who do crack the same joints everyday for years will develop arthritis in those joints resulting in pain, dysfunction and possibly disability.

In most cases cracking or as we chiropractors call it “adjusting” a joint is fairly easy once the skills are acquired. However, the one of the most important things regarding the delivery of any type of health care is when not to deliver it. In every case that I have seen when a patient was injured by a non-chiropractic adjustment, the injured patient “thought” that they knew what was wrong.

Don’t make the same mistakes. If you need to get adjusted, go to the chiropractor!

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

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Chiropractic - Core Strength and Back Pain

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

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