San Diego Chiropractic Blog

Many problems with the neck and upper back affect the shoulder and visa versa. There is a good reason for why this happens and I will use this post to explain it.

There is that old saying regarding the human body that goes something like “everything is connected”, of course in this instance we are talking about anatomy - specifically a kinematic chain.

In a kinematic chain, the function / health of adjacent joints are dependant on each other. A simple example of a breakdown among joints in a kinematic chain and the resulting consequences would be a person who sprains their ankle, limps on that ankle for several days and then develops knee pain secondary to the limp caused by the injured ankle. If the limping or gait impairment continues for any period of time, the irritation can involve the hip and eventually the low back. The ankle, knee, hip, sacroiliac joints and the joints of low back all form a kinematic chain.

In a similar yet more complicated arrangement, the vertebra of the cervical and thoracic spine are intertwined with the shoulder joints. The shoulder is made up of a series joints that allows for a tremendous amount of movement in a number of planes. Compared to the knee, for example, that only allows for about 120 degrees of flexion and very little rotation and translation, the shoulder is incredibly mobile. While, like the shoulder joint has ligaments and a joint capsule that tie the humorous to the scapula and the clavicle, the primary source of stability of the shoulder joint is the muscles, many of which attach into the cervical and thoracic vertebra.

Regarding the spine - in particular the cervical and thoracic spine - the joints found in the spinal column have considerably less motion than do most other joints in the body. That being said, the cervical spine displays the greatest amount of motion found in the spine while the thoracic spine is the most limited in its flexibility. Many of the big muscles of the neck and upper back insert onto the scapula and the clavicle links these two joint complexes together.

In many cases, shoulder pain or dysfunction can result in spasms of the larger muscles that help stabilize the shoulder - most of these muscles originate from the vertebra of the neck and upper back. The stress of this spasm can cause pain or dysfunction in the neck and upper back. Because of the shared muscles between the neck, upper back and shoulder girdle, the exact opposite scenario can occur with a primary spinal problem causing muscle spasms that have a negative effect on the shoulder.

Both the shoulder and the neck joints display complex, compound movements. Adjacent joint complexes like these that share major muscle groups make for an increased likelihood of pain / dysfunction spreading to include the second joint or in this case, joints.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com

Migrain headaches are a common complaint in my San Diego Chiropractic Clinic. Researchers and medical professionals have developed many different theories regarding the cause of migrains.

Many chiropractors, my peers, believe that in some instances migrains are caused by misaligned vertebra that pinch certain nerves in the upper cervical portion of the spine. I see patients’ migrain headaches respond favorably to chiropractic care in my clinic on a regular basis. That being said, misalignments of the upper cervical vertebra don’t explain all cases of mirgain headaches because all of my patients don’t get better.

Other different theories about the cause of migraines include:

Vascular pressure changes in your brain; from initial blood vessel constriction and a drop in blood flow, followed by dilation and stretching of blood vessels, which activates pain-signaling neurons. These dialations and constrictions can include blood flow increases of up to 300%.

Changes in your serotonin levels; when levels drop, blood vessels including those in your brain become swollen and inflamed, which can lead to migraine pain.

Neurological disorders; related to nerve cell activity that crosses your brain, causing pain. In this case, it is thought that the release of neurotransmitters across the cortex of your brain can directly stimulate the trigeminal nerves found in your brain stem, setting off a chain reaction that ends in the pain signals of a migraine.

A nervous system disorder involving your brain stem. Your brain stem is your control center for alertness, perception of light, noise and smell, cerebral blood flow, cardiovascular function and pain sensitivity — many, if not most, of which are part of the symptoms of a migraine attack.

Typically a person who experiences migrains often can identify a “trigger” that they can point to as the culprit of their headaches. If you have migrains and have not attempted to identify your triggers you should. The following is list of some common migraine triggers.

Allergies: Including food allergies / sensitivities and chemical sensitivities.

Dehydration and / or hunger

Changes in sleeping patterns: Both missing sleep and oversleeping can trigger a migraine.

Stress: Emotional stress or trauma can trigger a migraine.

Physical exertion: Intense exercise has been known to bring on migraines.

Hormones: Some women experience migraines before, or during their periods, during pregnancy, or during menopause.

Other factors: Bright lights, fluorescent lights, loud noises and strong smells (even pleasant ones) can trigger a migraine. Weather changes, seasonal changes, and changes in altitude can also act as a trigger for a migraine.

All of the above causes of migraines are significant and some are downright scary. New research studies, however, point to a few potential cures of migraines that just may work for you. A recent study found that vitamin supplementation of vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid has the potential to reduce the frequency and severity of migrains.

Recent studies have also found that 42% of those suffering from migraine headaches are also suffering from a vitamin D deficiency.

It follows that supplimentation of B6, B12, folic acid and vitamin D may provide significant migraine relief for a portion of you reading this post.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

Personal Injury Doctor San Diego

Have you ever noticed how tight your neck, upper back and shoulders are after a long day of sitting at the computer?

There are a number of factors that contribute to this tightness. Simply the stress of deadlines, an overbearing boss or an annoying co-worker can make your shoulders rise up and your head push forward. And this stress is the result of just the emotional stress of work. When you add the real physical strains of a poorly designed work station on top of the emotional stresses that already exist you have a perfect recipe for a repetitive stress injury.

A large part of designing an ergonomically friendly workstation revolves around limiting the “reach” for items that are frequently accessed.

The distance that you have to reach for any object in your workspace can have major implications on your health. In general, workers should have the items that they use on a regular basis through the day such as the mouse and keyboard for computer users or the telephone for a receptionist or a sales person, positioned close to their bodies so as to avoid awkward or overreaching.

As a general rule, the best positioning for your keyboard and mouse allows you to operate them while your shoulders hang straight down at your sides and elbows are slightly extended. This position reduces the stress of overreaching and allows for completion of your tasks with less muscular effort.

There are many ergonomic apparatus that allow for proper placement of your computer input devices. Pull out keyboard trays, split keyboards, mouse platforms and even foot controls help reduce the ongoing stresses of computer input.

Even with these devices, it takes awareness to maintain an ergonomically friendly work environment.

For a nice selection of high quality ergonomic office products you can visit www.comfortkeyboard.com.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com

Why do I have back pain?

Being a chiropractor in San Diego, I hear this question all the time. Back pain and neck pain are the two most common complaints that my patients experience. The fact that my practice is in San Diego probably decreases the frequency of these complaints compared to what doctors in other parts of the country deal with. People in San Diego tend to be more active which actually lowers the incidence of low back and neck pain.

Over fifteen years ago when I first started practicing chiropractic care in San Diego, most of my low back pain patients and neck pain patients for that matter were not related to office work. Most of the cases that I had when I first started practicing were do to injuries like car accidents and falls or heavy work.

In the mid to late nineteen nineties, I started to see a trend in injury mechanisms among my patients. They were starting to attribute their pain to long hours of sitting at the computer.

Sitting all day at the computer not only causes back pain but it also causes neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, pinched nerves and various arm problems.

Lower back pain is primarily due to poor sitting posture. When we are standing up with good posture, our lower backs have a sweeping forward bowing curve that resembles a stretched out letter “c”. This shape distributes our bodies weight evenly throughout the spine. When we sit, this curve reverses, greatly increasing the stress on the joints and discs in the spine.

With time, this postural stress results in irritation and inflammation resulting in pain and muscle spasms.

Once the low back has reached a point of pain and spasms, chiropractic care is necessary to relieve the pain, improve the biomechanics of the spine and relax the muscles.

In addition to chiropractic care for back pain, the patient must seek out an ergonomic chair and have it adjusted properly for their body. In many cases, I suggest a complete workstation analysis to help prevent future problems with other computer related stresses.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com

Approximately 25% of all people injured in whiplash accidents never make a complete recovery. Residual problems such as headaches, neck pain, back pain, numbness and tingling sensations are common ongoing complaints.

My Chiropractic office in San Diego treats patients for whiplash injuries throughout the year. During the rainy season, however, these injuries are much more common.

Whiplash injuries primarily do damage to the soft tissues that move and support the spine. During the whiplash accident, muscles and ligaments are stretched and torn. Muscles and ligaments that are damaged by whiplash accidents go through a process that involves irritation, inflammation and scar tissue formation. Our bodies tend to over produce scar tissue which causes problems in the future. Excessive scar tissue formation causes restrictions in range of motion, impingement of nerves and pain with cold weather.

Because of the nature of this healing process, chiropractic treatment is especially effective in treating whiplash injuries. Scar tissue builds up in a disorganized web of fibers and often hampers the range of motion of the joints of the spine. Chiropractic adjustments improve range of motion by breaking down scar tissue that is not needed and would only serve to limit normal motions of the spine.

The spine is like any other mechanical structure in that the closer that it moves to the way it was designed to move the fewer problems you will encounter with it. For us, this means a reduced chance of experiencing the symptoms that I referred to in the opening paragraph of this post.

The bottom line is that residual symptoms are common after whiplash injuries and they can range from being a slight annoyance to a source of significant disability.

Chiropractic adjustments combined with therapies such as electrical muscle stimulation, hot packs and ultrasound are very effective in treating those suffering from whiplash injuries.

If you have been involved in an auto accident be sure to have your injuries evaluated and treated by a chiropractor. You will experience the immediate benefit of pain relief and the long range benefits of a healthy spine.

Here’s To Your Health

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com

Do you pay attention to your nutritional intake?

While most of us think that what we eat and the supplements that we take are important, most of us are hit and miss at best. I know that personally I have to dig deep within myself to avoid fattening and sugary foods. I also have to keep my supplements in plain sight or I will forget to take them.

Supplements are important for those who suffer from neck pain, back pain or any other type of joint pain. They are especially important for those who are recovering from injuries such as car accidents, work injuries and sports injuries. Nutritional support for injured muscles and ligaments is important during the various healing stages.

The following recommendations cover nutritional support for bone and joint health as it relates to sprain / strain injuries. That being said, these recommendations will also help you maintain your spinal health.

Nutritional support is a valuable asset to your chiropractic care.

The following supplements are considered very important.

Chondroitin Sulfate: 500 - 1000 mg daily - Nutritional support for strengthening joints, ligaments and tendons

Glucosamine Sulfate: Take as directed. - Very important for the formation of bone, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and synovial (joint) fluid

MSM: 500 - 1000 mg 3 X daily - This is a sulfer compound that reduces pain and inflammation. MSM is also important for joint and tissue repair

Calcium: 1500 - 2000 mg daily - Needed for repair of connective tissue. You should use two forms of calcium - calcium chelate and calcium gluconate. Very important for skeletal strength (especially for women but men should supplement as well.)

Magnesium: 750 - 1000 mg daily - Works in conjunction with calcium

Essential Fatty Acids: Take as directed - Promotes cardiovascular and cellular health.

Grape Seed Extract: Take as directed - A powerful anti-inflammatory

Manganese: 15 mg daily - Strengthens wounded ligaments and tendons

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com

My Chiropractic office in San Diego, California provides treatment for many patients who complain of lower back pain that is accompanied by leg pain. The term for this leg pain is sciatica and it implies that the leg pain is due to a compression of the sciatic nerve.

More often than not, sciatica is due to compression of the nerve at the point where it exits the spine. The typical scenario is that one of the five joints in the lower part of the spine will become misaligned, irritated and inflamed, putting pressure on the sciatic nerve and causing leg pain.

Because so many cases of sciatic pain are caused by spinal misalignments, in many cases this condition is effectively treated with chiropractic care.

Chiropractic treatment for sciatica can involve spinal adjustments, hot packs, ice packs, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, traction and specific stretches / exercises. Typically, chiropractic treatment for this condition requires a course of care rather than a single visit.

Although many cases of sciatica are due to simple spinal misalignments, there are other causes of this condition that must be examined. Some of the other leading causes of sciatic pain are as follows.

1) Bulging Disc: A bulging disc is also known as a slipped disc. This means the gel-like center of the disc bulges up against the nerve root. Disc bulges can cause pain, numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness. Typically, disc bulges generate pain with sitting, bending and twisting motions.

2) Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Spinal stenosis is a type of nerve compression that most often affects older people. Leg pain similar to sciatica can occur as a result of lumbar spinal stenosis. The pain is usually brought on by activities such as standing or walking and relieved by sitting down.

3) Spondylolisthesis: Spondylolisthesis is a disorder that is characterized by one vertebra slipping forward over the vertebra below it. When the vertebra slips and becomes displaced, spinal nerve root compression occurs and often causes sciatic leg pain. Spondylolisthesis has many possible origins including developmental (found at birth, develops during childhood) or acquired as a result of degeneration, trauma or physical stress.

4) Trauma: Sciatica can result from nerve compression caused by external forces from such things as motor vehicle accidents, falls, work injuries and sports injuries.

5) Piriformis Syndrome: Piriformis syndrome derives its name from the piriformis muscle and the pain that arises when the muscle irritates the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs beneath the piriformis muscle and develops pain when muscle spasms develop compressing the sciatic nerve. It may be difficult to diagnose and treat due to the lack of x-ray or MRI findings.

6) Spinal Tumors: Tumors are abnormal growths that are either benign or cancerous. Fortunately, spinal tumors are rare. When a tumor develops in the lower back, there is a possibility for sciatica to develop as a result of nerve compression.

More Coming Soon

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com

Being a Chiropractor in San Diego, my office provides treatment for many whiplash accident victims. One of the reasons for these accidents is wet weather driving. Since we don’t have rain throughout the year in this desert community, when it does rain, oil and debris that has been sting on the road all year long loosens resulting in a very slick driving surface.

Auto accidents are serious! You may not be aware that approximately 25% of all auto accident victims never make a full recovery. That could mean a lifetime of neck pain, low back pain, headaches, etc.

The best defense for accident prevention in wet weather is defensive driving. The following paragraphs were found on the National Safety Council website and specifically target safe wet weather driving techniques.

“Losing control of your car on wet pavement is a frightening experience. You can prevent skids by driving slowly and carefully, especially on curves. Steer and brake with a light touch. When you need to stop or slow, do not brake hard or lock the wheels and risk a skid. Maintain mild pressure on the brake pedal.

If you do find yourself in a skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas, and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. For cars without anti-lock brakes, avoid using your brakes. This procedure, known as “steering into the skid,” will bring the back end of your car in line with the front. If your car has ABS, brake firmly as you steer into the skid.

While skids on wet pavement may be frightening, hydroplaning is completely nerve-wracking. Hydroplaning happens when the water in front of your tires builds up faster than your car’s weight can push it out of the way. The water pressure causes your car to rise up and slide on a thin layer of water between your tires and the road. At this point, your car can be completely out of contact with the road, and you are in danger of skidding or drifting out of your lane, or even off the road.

To avoid hydroplaning, keep your tires properly inflated, maintain good tread on your tires and replace them when necessary, slow down when roads are wet, and stay away from puddles. Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you.

If you find yourself hydroplaning, do not brake or turn suddenly. This could throw your car into a skid. Ease your foot off the gas until the car slows and you can feel the road again.

If you need to brake, do it gently with light pumping actions. If your car has anti-lock brakes, then brake normally; the car’s computer will mimic a pumping action, when necessary.

A defensive driver adjusts his or her speed to the wet road conditions in time to avoid having to use any of these measures. Reprinted with permission from the National Safety Council”

If you do happen to get into a fender bender, get to the chiropractor ASAP. From a statistical standpoint, the best way to avoid becoming one of the 25% of auto injury patients that never fully recover is to undergo an examination with a licensed chiropractor and follow up with any recommended treatment as soon as possible.

Drive Safe, More Coming Soon!

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com
Auto Accident Personal Injury
Car Accident Whiplash Injury

Are You A Runner?

I used to be. I ran all through high school, college and up to about six months ago. I was finally forced to stop because of ongoing ankle pain, knee pain, low back pain and sometimes even neck pain. I was pain free and healthy if I kept my running to grassy areas or on the beach. A serious lack of free time kept my runs on asphalt and concrete which finally took their toll. I have read that with each stride a 200 pound runner can generate over 2000 pounds of impact force through the legs and into the low back. I suppose that 30 years of running was all I could take.

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 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.

The bottom line is this, if you are a runner, run smart. Keep your runs fairly short and off of hard surfaces. Running is like most other things in life. Running can be healthy but if you take it to an extreme it can become detrimental to your well being.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com

You are on my last nerve!

When I was a kid my mom probably said that to me a hundred times. Now my patients in my San Diego chiropractic office complain of other types of nerve issues. Sometimes, pinched nerves accompany neck pain, back pain and headaches.

Pinched nerves always result in pain traveling down either an arm or a leg resulting in what is called radiating pain. Many patients come to my San Diego chiropractic office complaining of a pinched nerve but my exam reveals simple neck pain or back pain.

There are many causes of pinched nerves. One of the worst scenarios involves a herniated disc in the spine that is putting pressure on the nerve. Herniated discs don’t always mean that surgery is required but it usually results in stretched out, more intensive treatment plans.

One of the more common causes of pinched nerves results from irritated and inflamed joints in the spine. Poor lifting habits, awkward sleeping positions, poor posture and many other aggravating activities can inflame the ligamentous capsule that surrounds the joint. As the capsule swells, it cause local muscle spasm and can cause compression or pinching of the nerve.

Like I wrote earlier in the article, pinching of the nerve causes radiating pain that travels down the leg, into an arm, down the back or sometimes up to the back of the head. Either way, pinched nerves can make you absolutely miserable.

There are several things that you can do for a pinched nerve at home. To begin with, pinched nerves almost always involve inflammation and swelling. By applying ice packs to painful areas you can reduce the inflammation and relieve some of the pain. In addtion to ice pack use, you have to acknowledge and respect your pain. That means rest as much as you can - working through pain rarely works out well for the patient. Try your best to stay out of painful positions and don’t “test” it.

Chiropractic treatment is very effective at relieving the symptoms of a pinched nerve. Instead of masking the pain with drugs, chiropractic care improves the mechanics of the joint which helps relieve the pain and improve your range of motion.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

www.JonesPainRelief.com