Top Chiropractor in San Leandro, CA

San Leandro Chiropractor

Sciatica Pain or Subluxated Sacroilliac Joint Pain

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sciatica painLast month I had two patients who came to my clinic because they thought they had sciatica pain. One of the patients has self diagnosed himself and the other patient was diagnosed by a medical doctor. Both of these patients had excruciating pain in their lower back, which radiated down to a lower extremity. It is very common that many patients will wait for their pain to go away with rest, anti-inflammatory and pain medication. As a result, pain symptoms will get worse and get to the point where pain medications will stop working.

The first patient was a male in his early 60’s. He came to my clinic on his crutches. The pain level was so intense that he was not able to support his upper body. The pain would shoot all the way down his right lower extremity past the knee level but did not effect his toes.  After thorough examination it was evident that his right SI (sacroiliac joint) was about 2 inches lower than the left SI joint. All of the nerves that were exiting from sacral foraminas (openings) were very irritated and inflamed. Every time this gentleman would place a load on his legs he would cry and I could see tears of pain on his face. After three sessions of full spine chiropractic adjustment, physical therapy (moist heat and electrical stimulation) and deep tissue massage from my CMT (Certified Massage Therapist) he was completely free of pain. I have recommended him to stop by once or twice a month for maintenance care in order to avoid future flare up and pain.

The second patient was a female in her early 50’s. She has had very similar symptoms as the patient I have mentioned above. Her medical Doctor diagnosed her with sciatica and prescribed her pain medications, which eventually stopped working. The examination finding were very similar to a patient I have mentioned above, except the part that the pain symptoms were on a left side. The pain intensity was so great that it would wake her up at night. The treatment parameters were the same  with addition of stretching to her lower back and some dietary changes. She was also advised on taking more frequent brakes from prolonged sitting that her job required. After 4 sessions she was pain free and was advised on a once a month maintenance care.

Sciatica Pain and Misaligned Sacroiliac Joint are two conditions that can be misdiagnosed or misunderstood by patients and other medical care providers. It takes much longer for a patient with Sciatica nerve entrapment to respond to a care. Often times Sciatic Pain is presented in athletes with intense training. In conclusion I would like to say that it is important to treat the cause of the problem instead of masking it with pain killers and anti-inflammatory medications. The sooner the cause is fixed the faster the road to recovery is.

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Backpacks, Children, Nook, Kindle and Bad Posture

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BACKPACKI wrote a post in September of 2010 – “Backpack Safety – Back To School and 14 Helpful Tips.” Millions of kids wear heavy backpacks that affect their posture, which results in interfering with a proper functioning of nervous system and thus leads to sick days and unnecessary pain. A post about “Relationship of Nervous System and Spine to Organs”, will provide you a better understanding of what I am talking about. A developing young organism must be free of any obstacles for proper development. It is even more true for young girls. These individuals are the future of this society. With advancing technology our future generation can save their posture by carrying all of their heavy load of books on an electronic book reader. I am talking about iPad, Kindle, Nook and probably some other electronic gadgets that are available on the market today.

These devices are not as expensive as they used to be. It is a very minor investment in the future of your kids. My boy is turning four next month and pretty soon he is going to go to school. Currently he is practicing on my iPhone to play with different apps.  Some of my patients are principles at schools and I have talked to them  about this issue. With budget cuts in every State in the United States and over 26 billion dollars deficit for 2011 in a State of California alone it is not an easy task to accomplish. Education budget cuts are growing every year and with bureaucratic system that the State make the transfer to electronic book reader is a distant possibility.

What is the solution to this problem? I think parents must take action in their own hands and provide their kids with these light readers that weight less than a pound versus full back pack of books which can weight up to 15 pounds and sometimes even more. The solution is easy the implementation is not. Below are comparison videos of the Nook from Barnes & Nobles and Kindle from Amazon that your child can use in school.

Getting the books you buy onto as many readers as possible is a matter of great interest to educators. Right now, there are basically three ways to leverage e-books to increase distribution of titles in schools.

When Amazon came out with the Kindle, the company realized that book-buyers would want to be able to load their purchases onto more than one reading device. So the company made it possible for customers to load their purchases onto as many as six devices, in most case, if the devices were registered to the same account. As schools began to implement ereader programs, educators saw the benefit of this policy: if a school purchases six or more Kindle, every book they buy can be distributed to six devices, effectively cutting the cost of an already lower-priced e-book by a factor of six. It is like buying six copies for the price of one. And with a little extra management, this “sharing” of books among devices registered to the same account has worked well. Here is how it works for two major booksellers:

Amazon Kindle: You can download up to six copies of each book to different platforms.

Nook/Nook Color: You can download each book within devices on an account, limit six.

I think parents should take advantage of this program and send their kids to school with Kindle or Nook, pen and notepad. Make a change now before it is too late. Currently there several models available on the market: Kindle 3, Kindle DX,  Nook Black & White, and Nook Color.

Patient Asks and Dr. Burt Answers the Question #19-#24

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PATIENT QUESTIONS AND DR BURT'S ANSWERSQuestion: Are there cures for plantar fasciitis?

Answer: There is a great treatment protocol that I have used on my patients with great success. It takes somewhere between 10-12 sessions in order to get a desirable results. An object with a round edge would be a perfect tool for this task and also a good massage lotion. I direct gliding force is applied along the plantar musculature. Most likely you will feel a lot of pain during the procedure. About 5 minutes would be more than enough. After the procedure your plantar musculature will be very swollen – which is what we want. During this inflammation process macrophage will destroy the calcified particles that were accumulated during the treatment. An ultrasound therapy would be a plus. It is important that you get this done every other day of the week for the best results.

Question: What are the symptoms and treatments for the sciatica nerve?

Answer: Hi, You would probably want to read this post: “Sciatica Pain Relief and Chiropractic Treatment.”

Question: Whiplash injury questions please? I was in a car accident back about 8 years ago and I was wondering what is the proper treatment after the whiplash? Is it possible for the pain to increase many years later like a flare up? I’m experiencing horrible pain and I looked up whiplash injury and those are some of my symptoms

Any advice?

Thank you

Answer: All of your answers are in this post: “What is Whiplash?” Please read related posts below as well as they will provide all of the answers to you question. I hope you find a local doctor who will help you to resolve the complaints after your whiplash injury.

Question: Do the home ultrasound machines really work on torn MCL?

Additional Details: Doctor told me there was nothing he could do for me. I just have to let it heal. He said I should be back to “my normal” around spring time but I have to take care of two puppies and laundry downstairs so I’m looking for something that will help.

Answer: It is better to have Home Ultrasound units and apply it to your injured MCL than not having any therapy at all. The outcome will greatly depend on the severity of the tear. Your doctor should have sent you for MRI and at least physical therapy, instead of just letting it heal on its own till spring. I would highly recommend for you to get a second opinion ASAP.

Question: Do I have a herniated disk? I bent over yesterday and I got sudden pain in my lower back. It continues to hurt today. This has happened to me a couple other times, but over a year ago. I’m only 19 so it’s not like it’s an old age thing. My mom has had the same problem and she called it a slipped disk, or herniated disk. Is that what’s wrong? Why is it happening at my age?

Answer: Pain in your low back does not necessary mean that you have herniated disk. You could simply have a vertebral subluxation in your lumbar spine and that could be the cause of your problems.  Pick up the phone and have your mother pick up the phone have her call your local chiropractor. You can also read this post – “Low Back Pain and the Wonders of Chiropractic.” This article will help you to understand of what is going to happen when you go see your local chiropractor.

Question: What’s wrong with my ankle? I hurt it last night during my basketball game but I do not know exactly what happened. There is little to no swelling and slight bruising. The pain is mostly targeted on the outside top of my ankle. I can slightly put my weight on it.

Answer: If you cannot bear weight on that leg, it could be a significant injury.
You need immediate medical attention. Could be any number of problems, hairline fracture is a possibility. You MUST get X-RAY of your ankle ASAP.

Good Luck.

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7 Major Causes of Lower Back Pain?

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INTERVERTEBRAL DISCMillions of people are affected with lower back pain all over the world. It could be a minor and temporary pain and it could be as extensive as referring pain into upper and lower extremities. There are different factors and causes of lower back pain. Below is the list of 7 major causes of lower back pain.

SPRAIN AND STRAIN:

A deconditioned lower back and the one with previous injuries is more prone to soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains. An overstretched muscle is a definition of a sprain injury. An overstretched tendon is definition of a strain injury. Both injuries result in fibrotic tissue which is extremely painful if not properly and timely rehabilitated.

DISC PROBLEMS:

The IVD or intervertebral discs (look at the main picture) are serving a function in our spine as shocks or struts in a vehicle. Their job is to prevent the vertebral bodies of the spine from degeneration which in medical term is called osteoarthritis.  Lack of mobility between vertebral bodies will cause the IVD to dehydrate and eventually shrink in height. IVD does not have any blood supply and the only way it gets the nutrients is by the process called imbibition. In plain English – when two adjacent vertebras move they help to pump liquids with nutrients into the IVD. Common disc complaints involve the disc protrusion or bulging (which can be prolapsed or sequestrated) the later is a very bad one. Make sure that you schedule your appointment with your local chiropractor at least once a month. Our body just like the vehicle we drive, it requires maintenance.

MUSCLE IMBALANCE:

Muscle imbalance is the cause of a poor posture. Over the time certain muscles loose their function under overworking conditions or when they are under utilized. If this happens the inevitable result will lead to problems such as neck pain, shoulder pain, and lower back pain or even frozen shoulder.

EMOTIONAL:

Emotional problems linked together with neuromuscular system. Stress or emotional trauma would lead to muscular tension. Muscles such Upper Trapezius and SCM (Sternocleidomastoid) are innervated by cranial nerves (which are the nerves that are connected directly to the brain).

STRACTUAL PROBLEMS:

Scoliosis – an excessive sideways curve of either the upper or lower regions of the spine. Kyphosis – sometimes referred to as “hunchback”, this is an excessive outward curve of the upper back.

DISEASE:

Ankylosing spondylitis – a disease that causes inflammation in spinal joints and limb joints potentially leading to fusion of vertebrae Arthritis – especially osteoarthritis, involves cartilage that normally cushions joints breaking down. Osteoporosis – is a condition involving thinning of the bones. It commonly occurs in women after the menopause but can also affect men.

SCIATICA:

Sciatica is a nerve pain from the sciatic nerve, a nerve that runs from the spine through the buttock and down the back of the leg. Sciatica is often caused by a disc bulge or prolapse pressing on the spinal nerve. Other causes can include a narrowing of the nerve tunnel between the discs as a result of osteoarthritis. If you would like to discover how to completely cure sciatica naturally without drugs, surgery, physical therapy, exercise, or change of diet you might want to take a look at this report “Stop Sciatica.” (affiliate link)

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