Top Chiropractor in San Leandro, CA

San Leandro Chiropractor

Healthy Neck and Ergonomic Office Chair for a Professional

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bad postureMillions of people all over the word wonder how to eliminate their neck problems. Many people ignore the basic principle of a good posture, thus inviting stiff cervical spine pain which slows down productivity and degrades the quality of life. Individual won’t even realize how often he or she will be slouching during a day or sitting wrong. For those of you where living depends on sitting for prolonged hours in front of the computer, chronic neck pain due to strain and overuse of  muscles is inevitable. It is important to catch yourself slouching and prevent doing it in the future. If you find yourself in the situation where pain during working hours in front of the computer becomes a daily occurrence, stretches and exercises for your neck is a must. Additional exercises such as Isometric Neck Exercise would be a great addition to keep your spine healthy.

Another great way to keep your neck healthy is by using an ergonomic desk chair. An ergonomic desk chair should help increase back and neck support to help improve posture and prevent slouching. Employees frequently experience back pain because they sit in their chairs for long periods of time. This increases stress in the spine, neck, arms, shoulders, and legs as well as in various muscles. A chair that isn’t ergonomically friendly can also aggravate existing conditions. READ MORE…

If you get to the point that exercises and stretches do not help to coop with pain and work productivity it is time to visit a health care professional who specializes in soft tissue rehabilitation. Local Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, Physical Therapy and CMT comes to mind.

Pain is a warning sign that there is something wrong with your neck or other body part that is hurting. Ignoring the warning signs can be the cause of the osteoarthritis in your vertebral joints. Osteoarthritis is irreversible condition that will only get worse when a person ages. Overuse of neck muscles can aggravate neck arthritis, take ample rest. Check these simple but a very helpful charts – Helpful Hints For a Healthy Neck and Exercises For Cervical Strain.

Question: if you have any additional tips and advices please feel free to leave them in our comment section.

The First Scoliosis Coil in the Country – East Bay Upright MRI

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The First Scolisos Coil - East Bay MRI
East Bay MRI - Hayward, CA

East Bay Upright MRI has acquired a coil that take a full image of the entire upright spine – it takes only eight minutes to complete this process. This radiation free evaluation can also monitor the success of treatment provided by a Doctor. The only way that evaluation of scoliosis can be accurate is when the patient is in upright position. Conventional, recumbent MRI machines can not deliver necessary results. This radiation-free application can be performed in the same amount of time and at the same cost as diagnosis and monitoring by X-RAY. Coil MRI sees curvature of  the vertebrae and the soft tissue as well. There are sagital and axial views of the entire spine – with no radiation exposure whatsoever. The 3 plane visualizations are achieved by 3D acquisition with curved multi planar reconstruction. Both Cobb angles and angular rotation of the vertebrae are measured, including the spinal cord, intervertebral discs, nerve roots and spinal ligaments. The National Cancer Institute reported a study in 2000 of 5466 women that demonstrated with scoliosis experienced a 70% greater risk of developing breast cancer that resulted from their protracted exposure to diagnostic X-RAY.

This is what a practicing neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Afertzon, M.D. has to say about this technology: “This technology offers unique advantages in scoliosis imaging. It can show dynamic properties of the scoliotic curve in lateral bending. It is also becoming a unique tool in screening and following pediatric patients with scoliosis. It offers precise three dimensional data preferable to regular x-ray and saves our young patients from significant radiation exposure caused by numerous follow-up X-RAYS.”

Multi positional Technology MRI benefits

  1. Patients are scanned upright in weight-bearing positions, in positions of pain or other symptom, and positions of flexion, extension, lateral bending and rotation. This is made possible by the upright MRU’s unique configuration that includes a spacious vertical gap.
  2. A seat can be attached to the bed so patients can be scanned in an upright seated position.
  3. The bed rotates from upright to horizontal so patients can also be scanned recumbent.
  4. Recumbent-only MRI can underestimate the maximum degree of the pathology and miss its dynamics nature
  5. Large patients can be scanned. The is rated for up to 500 pounds
  6. Patients that can not lie down can be scanned, such a patient wit severe kyphosis.
  7. There is unparallel patient comfort because there is nothing in front of the patient’s face except for a 42-inch flat-screen television

Question: What is your opinion about Upright MRI? Please leave your feedback in a comment section.

Back Packs Safety – Back to School and 14 Helpful Tips

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BACKPACK1It is not a secret that heavy back (BP) packs for school children are the leading cause of lower back and shoulder pain. I have seen too many children in my almost ten years of my practice suffering from this problem unnecessary. About 40,000,000 students go to school every day. It is crucial that every child carries their schoolpacks properly in order to avoid neck, lower back and shoulder pain.

Make sure the backpack is the right size for your child. The proper size is equal to 75% of your child’s back, meaning the space between the waste and the shoulder blades.
* A child’s back pack weight should never exceed 15% of their body weight according to The Congress of Chiropractic State Association. So this little chart should be helpful.
50 pound child carrying copacity should be no more than 7.5 pounds
80 pound child carrying copacity should be no more than 12 pounds
100 pound child carrying copacity should be no more than 15 pounds
130 pound child carrying copacity should be no more than 19.5 pounds
150 pound child carrying copacity should be no more than 22.5 pounds
* Choose a backpack with padded shoulder straps that sit on both shoulders. BP with one strap such as messenger bags distribute all the weight on one shoulder instead of evenly on both shoulders. Also, bak pack without padded shoulder straps can cause pressure on the nerves that surround the child’s armpits.
Safety tips on how to avoid backpack injuries

  1. Wear both shoulder straps evenly to properly distribute BP weight.
  2. Get the correct size BP for your child.
  3. The BP should not extend below the lower back. Bigger is not better.
  4. Lighten the load and put the heaviest items in the BP first keeping them the closest to the body.
  5. Lift the BP with your legs and not with your back and place it on one shoulder strap at a time.
  6. Do not leave BP on the floor to avoid someone tripping on them.
  7. Choose a quality BP that has wide well-cushioned shoulder straps with a lumbar support/padding.
  8. Talk to teachers about reducing the need to bring home textbooks or if at all possible have an extra set for home use.
  9. Bend at the knees.
  10. Using both of your hands, check the weight of the BP.
  11. Never sling the BP onto one shoulder and avoid swinging the BP.
  12. Use both shoulder straps at all times. Make them snug but not too tight. Carrying on one shoulder can cause long-term neck, shoulder, back, and postural problems.
  13. Use the stabilizing waste strap if the BP has one present.
  14. Look for signs that BP is poorly fitted or overloaded on a daily basis. A couple signs that the BP is overloaded or not being worn properly is pain, red marks from the  straps, or poor posture.

Being a Safe Backpack Advocate

School’s authorities and children’s  parents must work together in resolving heavy BP issue. The following things can be done by school’s authorities:

  1. allowing students more time in between classes to use lockers
  2. purchasing paperback books
  3. implementing school education programs about safe backpack use
  4. purchasing books on CD-ROM or putting some curriculum on the school’s website, when possible

Adjustment of the backpack would be necessary if one of the following things happened:

  1. Your child struggles to get the BP on or off have back pain and  lean forward to carry the BP
  2. If your child has back pain or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, talk to your family doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist.

Some  Facts were taken from The Founders of  Backpack Safety America International TM. Visit them at www.backpacksafe.com

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) endorses the use of Air Pack brand backpacks which are available at www.airpacks.com

Please Leave some comments with your favorite back to school story!

96 Tips For a Perfect Posture

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COLLUMNThe spine, same as our feet, gets the hardest job in our body as it is used in practically every movement we make and it takes pressure from other body parts such as from the neck, shoulders, head and our arms. As we walk, stand, sit, carry a heavy object or dance, our spine takes the pressure to keep our body erect but at the same time it also has to have the flexibility to make other kinds of movements while keeping our balance.

One of the following can be noticed when one has a bad posture: high shoulder, a forward stooping head, a rotated trunk (torso), a hunch back, a high hip, and a side-bent neck and one of the feet will be externally or internally rotated.  Abnormal  posture can result from trauma (like a car accident or fall), repetitive movements (turning your neck towards the monitor), and certain bad postural habits  (sleeping on your stomach).

The human body is often in a state of strain which causes a loss of proper balance between parts of the body and gravity. Such imbalance of posture distortion usually indicates internal body changes before  any  body functions appear disturbed.

All parts of the body are situated so this so this that they can interact efficiently with one another as well as with gravity. The body is able to repair itself and adjust to the many forces to which it is subjected, both internally and externally. This relationship produces a feeling of youth, energy and vitality.

By having correct posture, we are keeping our spinal vertebrae from being misaligned or subluxated.  Our spine is not only reliant on the strength of our back muscles but it also relies on its two arches (lumbar and cervical lordosis) which is why correct posture is vital. If we have poor posture, these natural arches would disappear and there’s going to be nothing left  that can absorb shock in our back. Once this happens, a person will experience pain in the neck and lower back. This paves the way for vertebral osteoarthritis, herniated disc and excessive pressure on the peripheral nerve. Osteoarthritis and herniated disc caused by uneven weight distribution on the vertebral bodies of the spine. Poor posture can lead to difficulty breathing by interfering with proper ribcage expansion, muscle soreness along the back of your neck, shoulders and upper back, as well as lower back pain.

When you already have poor posture, you can start practicing the correct posture by keeping yourself aware of the correct positions to maintain a good posture. There is a correct sitting position where you sit while keeping your back straight and your buttocks should be touching the back of the chair. When you want to lift a heavy object, you have to maintain your back straight and bend your knees & hips to lift the object up. You can start doing your research as to the correct positions to maintain a healthy spine. Also, muscle strengthening exercise is a must for a spine, for a better support of the spine.  Improper posture weakens muscles of the spine because they are not being used. By providing musculature the strength it needs, one can achieve a better maintenance of a good posture.

Also remember that this is not going to be a quick solution as it will take time especially with muscle strengthening. You may want to correct your posture now but won’t take it to heart and practice it daily then you won’t see real results. There should be a lifestyle change so that your body will get used to the correct posture that eventually you don’t even have to think about it.

You are probably wondering by now where  is the part about 96 tips for a perfect Posture. Below are the 5 links that  brings up total to 96 tips. Without further ado:

  1. 10 Tips for improving Posture and Ergonomics, by Dr. Kelly Andrews, D.C.
  2. 13 Tips on Getting a Good Posture, by  Celestine Chua
  3. 20 Tips from Yoga to Go, by Nancy Wile, Ed. D
  4. 32 Tips on how to Improve your Posture, by Savialeigh, Ben Rubenstein, Krystle C and many others
  5. 21 Tips on How to Maintain Good Posture, by ACA

To help you out, try finding ways to get yourself reminded of keeping a good posture. Perhaps you can put post-it notes on places that you would see on a regular basis. Like on your computer, put a small post-it note that says “stop slouching” or other reminders. You can also use an alarm that is set every 30 minutes or so to keep yourself aware and maintain a good posture.  I phone or any other smart phone has a build in calendar that can be set up as whatever time frequency you desire. I think it is one of the best ways to remind yourself about good posture habits. No one ever leaves a house without a cell phone in our days. These are simple solutions that really work as you exert an effort to inculcate the correct posture into your lifestyle.

POSTURE BLOG2

Question: Have You Checked Your Posture Lately?  Do You Have Any Tips on How to Keep a Good Posture?