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 or mousing), 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.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Role of Exercise in Building a Healthy Spine
The Role of Exercise in Building a Healthy Spine
I see many types of injuries as a Chiropractor in San Diego. Some of the common injuries can result in neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, sciatica etc.
Causes of these injuries range from auto accidents and work related injuries to injuries caused by domestic chores, house work and sometimes things as simple as sleeping in an awkward position.
Of these injured patients, I would say that at least 50% of them, for the moment, while they are in pain they 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.
Over my 15 plus years in practice I have seen a large percentage of enthusiastic patients ignore this advice and end up giving their conditions a major set back. 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.
Remember to follow a sensible approach to exercising after a back injury. Be sure to exercise and stretch under the advise of a health care professional. Strong and flexible muscles add strength and support to your spine and will provide much needed stability.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
I see many types of injuries as a Chiropractor in San Diego. Some of the common injuries can result in neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, sciatica etc.
Causes of these injuries range from auto accidents and work related injuries to injuries caused by domestic chores, house work and sometimes things as simple as sleeping in an awkward position.
Of these injured patients, I would say that at least 50% of them, for the moment, while they are in pain they 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.
Over my 15 plus years in practice I have seen a large percentage of enthusiastic patients ignore this advice and end up giving their conditions a major set back. 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.
Remember to follow a sensible approach to exercising after a back injury. Be sure to exercise and stretch under the advise of a health care professional. Strong and flexible muscles add strength and support to your spine and will provide much needed stability.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
Pinched Nerves
Pinched Nerves
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 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 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 usually involve inflammation and swelling. By applying ice packs to painful areas, you can reduce the inflammation and relieve some of the pain. In addition 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 nd 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.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
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 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 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 usually involve inflammation and swelling. By applying ice packs to painful areas, you can reduce the inflammation and relieve some of the pain. In addition 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 nd 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.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Four Steps to Neck Pain Relief
Four Steps to Neck Pain Relief:
My San Diego chiropractic office sees a regular flow of patients with neck pain. I use a variety of chiropractic adjustments and physiotherapy modalities to help relieve the pain and stiffness that accompanies neck pathologies. In addition to treatment that I perform here in the office for neck pain, there are many steps and procedures that can be taken by the patient outside of my direct care.
Here is a list of four pro-active steps that you can take to avoid neck pain.
1) Avoid activities that instigate neck pain
2) Stretch
3) Exercise
4) Watch Your Posture
Let’s begin with number one. This sounds simple, but avoiding activities that instigate neck pain seems to skirt peoples’ minds. It is kind of like that old doctors’ saying, “if it hurts don’t do it!” You would be surprised by how many of my patients come in with neck pain, or hip, arm, back, etc pain and say, “you know doc, every time I do (fill in the blank) I hurt my neck.” It is the strangest thing but it happens over and over.
Stretching is also very important in relieving neck pain. With stretching, it should be done as a prevention, not a cure. This means that by stretching daily, you can help prevent a neck pain crisis. Usually, stretching during a neck pain crisis will aggravate your symptoms rather than relieve them. Stretching on a consistent basis can go a long way towards improving your health. I recommend / hand out specific exercises to my patients on a regular basis. The patients who do their exercises seem to do much better than those who don’t.
Exercise is also very important. By the time we reach adult years, we have usually suffered at least one significant sprain / strain type injury. These injuries happen as a result of falls, whiplash, heavy lifting and various sports injuries. Sprain / strain type injuries can damage the ligaments in the neck resulting in a weak link. For many people, the only way to add stability to their necks is with exercise. Just like stretching, however, exercise must be habit that is begun for an episode of pain. Exercising muscles that span a dysfunctional joint is a sure fire recipe for further aggravation.
One of the more difficult ways to prevent neck pain is by watching your posture. Posture is a difficult thing to control because we tend to do our work in front of us which makes it easy to tilt our heads down and round our shoulders forward. This posture causes anterior weight bearing and creates a tremendous amount of stress on the neck and upper back. Proper ergonomic set ups at both work and home do a great deal to help us with posture. The most important item concerning posture is to simply be aware of it and to straighten up whenever we think of it.
More coming soon!
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
My San Diego chiropractic office sees a regular flow of patients with neck pain. I use a variety of chiropractic adjustments and physiotherapy modalities to help relieve the pain and stiffness that accompanies neck pathologies. In addition to treatment that I perform here in the office for neck pain, there are many steps and procedures that can be taken by the patient outside of my direct care.
Here is a list of four pro-active steps that you can take to avoid neck pain.
1) Avoid activities that instigate neck pain
2) Stretch
3) Exercise
4) Watch Your Posture
Let’s begin with number one. This sounds simple, but avoiding activities that instigate neck pain seems to skirt peoples’ minds. It is kind of like that old doctors’ saying, “if it hurts don’t do it!” You would be surprised by how many of my patients come in with neck pain, or hip, arm, back, etc pain and say, “you know doc, every time I do (fill in the blank) I hurt my neck.” It is the strangest thing but it happens over and over.
Stretching is also very important in relieving neck pain. With stretching, it should be done as a prevention, not a cure. This means that by stretching daily, you can help prevent a neck pain crisis. Usually, stretching during a neck pain crisis will aggravate your symptoms rather than relieve them. Stretching on a consistent basis can go a long way towards improving your health. I recommend / hand out specific exercises to my patients on a regular basis. The patients who do their exercises seem to do much better than those who don’t.
Exercise is also very important. By the time we reach adult years, we have usually suffered at least one significant sprain / strain type injury. These injuries happen as a result of falls, whiplash, heavy lifting and various sports injuries. Sprain / strain type injuries can damage the ligaments in the neck resulting in a weak link. For many people, the only way to add stability to their necks is with exercise. Just like stretching, however, exercise must be habit that is begun for an episode of pain. Exercising muscles that span a dysfunctional joint is a sure fire recipe for further aggravation.
One of the more difficult ways to prevent neck pain is by watching your posture. Posture is a difficult thing to control because we tend to do our work in front of us which makes it easy to tilt our heads down and round our shoulders forward. This posture causes anterior weight bearing and creates a tremendous amount of stress on the neck and upper back. Proper ergonomic set ups at both work and home do a great deal to help us with posture. The most important item concerning posture is to simply be aware of it and to straighten up whenever we think of it.
More coming soon!
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
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