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San Leandro Chiropractor

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Treatment Techniques – Part 2/3

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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome treatment techniques

TOS

There are different treatment methods available for thoracic outlet syndrome such as exercises, treatment therapy and even surgery.  There are other non-conventional treatments available too, such as the Chinese acupuncture.

Chinese acupuncture needles

The Chinese acupuncture technique uses microcurrent device that are polarized at 50 to 75 microamperes, and zimmer pads. It uses point combination in treatment of TOS. PC6, SI3, ST41 and Liv4 are point combinations used.

The treatment takes 4 weeks with 2 to 3 sessions each week. The acupuncturist would insert the acupuncture needles subcutaneously and place stimulation pads (microcurrent) on top of each of the needles.

The polarized acutron mentor pads are applied on top of the needles directly. It has a positive and negative pad; the positive pad’s applied on the scalene muscle insertion (anterior) and the negative pad on the PC6 or the SI3. The electric stimulation usually cannot be felt by the patient as the microcurrent is sub-sensational. Some patients are more sensitive though and they can feel a tingling or vibrating sensation on the area but it’s quite subtle.

After 8 treatments, patients notice some improvement. The pain and burning or tingling sensation is minimized and the patient’s requirement for pain medication is also decreased or even stopped. Daily activities that require strength on the upper extremities are easily performed compared before the patient had the treatment.

With acupuncture therapy, the patient is still required to do some stretching exercises at home. These exercises are targeted on improving and recovery of the scalene muscles and tendons. It should be performed 3 times a day with at least 5 repetitions each time. Posture should also be improved to gain the proper biomechanics of the body.

Home exercises

A treatment plan for thoracic outlet syndrome or TOS requires a home exercise program to increase the speed of recovery. These exercises must be performed carefully and slowly. Each stretch position must be done to a point that you stretch without experiencing pain. Once you feel pain that means it’s too much and the patient must decrease the length of the stretch to a point that it is still painless. As you progress, you can extend the length of the stretch with pain as an indicator of your limit.

Corner stretch, neck stretch, shoulder rolls, thoracic extension, and overhead raise are just some of the home exercises prescribed by the medical professional to be exercised by the patient suffering from TOS.

Chiropractic Approach

Proper treatment of thoracic outlet requires an accurate understanding of the postural factors involved. Most recent treatment programs consider evaluation of joint mobility and muscular imbalance.

Once diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome is made by a Doctor of Chiropractic, a specific treatment program is designed for the patient.

More specifically, chiropractic management will focus on joint mobility in the cervical (neck) and thoracic (upper back) regions of the spine. Frequently, patients with thoracic outlet will have joint tightness in these areas which is treated with spinal manipulative therapy, stretching and rehabilitation in the office.

Keep in mind; there are other conditions that may cause similar symptoms. In either case, if you are currently suffering from similar symptoms, be sure to consult your chiropractor.

A chiropractic doctor might also advice you exercise routines and they may even prescribe you with their own exercise programs. Make sure you consult with the doctor before doing any of the home exercises to make sure that what you’re doing is actually going to improve and not worsen your condition.

The home exercises treatment technique combined with a proper treatment therapy from a medical professional is the best way to increase the speed of recovery and to diminish the pain suffered by TOS patients.

If you have any additional information, please write about it in our comment section.

Hospital Emergency Room vs. Chiropractic Office Experience

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Hospital EmergencyOften times when you call your doctor and no one answers the phone the message will usually say: ” In case of emergency call 911.”  The only reason why our patients call us first is because they want to avoid prolonged and painful hours at E.R. waiting room. Some of my patients had to wait for eight hours before they were seen by a doctor or a nurse.  These patients arrived to a Hospital E. R. in order to get an immediate pain relief. However, the E.R. works differently than the way I operate my clinic, or many other private practice doctors, when someone wants to get an immediate pain relief.

Last Friday my wife called me at 6.45pm. I was finishing up with my files for the day. She informed me that our three and a half year old boy got inside of the bag which was hidden in a kitchen cabinet. Inside of the bag was a bottle of Resveratrol that my wife is taking as a daily nutrition supplement. We were not sure either he ate or he threw the pills in a toilet, like he has a tendency to do with everything else. Regardless of what happened my wife took him to a local Hospital E.R.

Hospital

I have arrived to a Hospital E.R. at 7.00 pm. When I walked into the ER the nurse was checking the vitals of our son. She has informed us that we are on a fast track and will be seen by a specialist in 20-30 minutes. She also informed us that while we are waiting she is going to check with Poison Control about how toxic the supplements are to a Child.

Two hours later she informed us that the supplements are not toxic at all and the child will be fine. However, she insisted for us to stay and have blood and urine analysis done. We agreed.

BabyThey called us in at 9.30 pm,  that was already two hours behind the promised schedule. Taking blood from a child was a nightmare. They had to do it two times. It was a traumatizing experience for me watching it and holding him.

Nurse informed us that the lab work will take about 20 minutes and they will know what is going on. That was around 10.00 pm. While we were waiting a nurse suggested that we provide a urine sample as well.  We stayed at the hospital till 11.30 pm and waited for the lab results.

EmergencyA simple procedure took four and a half hours. If I had to take this amount of time in my office to treat patients with the pain I would be out of business by now. I don’t understand how cone these Hospitals prosper and at the same time run so inefficient. My only assumption is that Hospital Administration knows that they are they only game in town and patients have no place to go but to stay and wait. This is not the case with

Chiropractic care in my clinic. If I don’t provide the best possible care to my patients in a timely manner these patients will go to another Chiropractor. I want to assure you that there are more Chiropractic offices in five miles radius of my practice than there coffee shops.

Does this story sound familiar to you or am I the only one who spent many hours in a Hospital E.R? Please tell me about your Hospital E.R. Experience in a comment Section. Thank you.

Mattress Advice From Your Chiropractor

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MATRESSMany patients have been asking my professional advice on which mattress they should buy. There is not a definite answer for  every patient. Every single one is going to need a different one in order to get a good night sleep for years to come. Below are some tips and tricks that you can use when buying a new mattress.
  • A mattress should provide uniform support from head to toe. If there are gaps between your body and your mattress (such as at the waist), you’re not getting the necessary support that your body requires.
  • If you do have back pain and your mattress is too soft, you might want to firm up the support of your mattress by placing a board underneath it. But do this just until the pain goes away; such firmness is not good for “routine” sleeping.
  • Every few months, turn your mattress clockwise, or upside down, so that body indentations are kept to a minimum. It’s also good to rotate the mattress frame every so often to reduce wear and tear.
  • If you’re waking up uncomfortable, it may be time for a new mattress. There is no standard life span for a mattress. It all depends on the kind of usage it gets.
  • Be aware that changes in your life can signal the need for a new mattress. For example, if you’ve lost or gained a lot of weight, if a medical condition has changed the way you sleep, or even if you have changed partners, it could mean that it’s time to find a new mattress that will accommodate those changes and help you sleep more soundly.
  • If you’re not in the market for a new mattress, and your current mattress is too firm, you can soften it up by putting a 1- to 2-inch-thick padding on top of it – usually available at mattress and bedding stores

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Chiropractic, Busy Business Executives, and Other Healthy Tips

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executives and chiroprctic

Chiropractic Busy Business Executives,  and Other Healthy Tips

When it comes to pain and discomfort our bodies react the same way either it is a blue color worker or  top notch business executive. Pain is a neurological signal that tells the body that there is something wrong with it and it is time to take care of the problem. However, with constant deadlines, business meetings, prolonged flight hours, and sleeping in an uncomfortable bed on regular bases will take a toll on people who are in a constant stress mode. I am talking about business peoples who are on the go all the time.

Business Executives are bombarded with deadlines at all times. As we all know deadlines are extremely stressful and often times force to push the body to a limit. During these periods of time large amounts of coffee is being consumed and lack of sleep is a final result of this wishes cycle.  Coffee is a great way to keep one awake but there is a price tag that comes with it. During coffee consumption two things are happening to a body.

  1. It drains the adrenal glands. These are small glands that are located one on top of each kidney. These glands are responsible for production of the  adrenaline that is only designed to be produced during the “fight or flight” reflex. As a result your heart rate and the rest of the internal body parts work several times faster than in normal working conditions. This process drains to much energy and requires more coffee consumption and more adrenaline production.
  2. Caffeine is diuretic. It completely dehydrated your body. Does it ring a bell that you need to go pretty soon right after you have a cop of coffee? If this process goes for a frequent period of time (I am talking about months) eventually person will collapse due to the over exhaustion. This process also Producess extra stress on a muscloskeletal system.

The other stressful part of being Business Executive is being involved in a prolonged international flights. Sometimes it takes up to 24 hours to travel from one part of the world to another. Of course, flying business class help a lot but it is not the same as sleeping in your own bed. Also the other factor is a huge time difference that a person has to adapt to. Sometimes it takes up to two weeks to adjust to a new time zone. By the time you get used to a new time zone it is a time to fly back or fly to different part of the world. This schedule will alter the sleep cycle of the human body. My teacher used to say:” Sleep is your weapon.” He was always saying get as much sleep as possible before the exam. Your mind and body will function at its physiological maximum potential.

Everyone who travels has to stay in a Hotel. Often times, it does not matter how expensive the hotel is and how good the room looks like inside. Nothing can replace the mattress you sleep on and your home environment. I think everyone can relate to this experience. In the morning your neck or your back is sore, twisting and turning all night because one can’t find a comfortable position.

When you get up you feel like you have been hit by a truck or you drank with your bodies all night long. I think the story sounds familiar to many. The next most probable step would be have a breakfast with COFFEE. Have you noticed a pattern here? It is back to the COFFEEE again.

Let’s find a solution to these problems:

Instead of reaching for your morning cup of coffee, you can do your body a big favor by eating a healthy breakfast instead. A good breakfast, maintained by a healthy lunch, will keep you energetic all day. You can read News Target’s page on breakfast to learn to distinguish between the good and bad breakfast foods, but whatever you do, don’t wash it down with a cup of coffee.

How to Survive Overnight Flights:

What is “economy class syndrome?” I thought it referred to dark circles under the eyes, cramped legs and sore necks that are part of the joy of long haul flights. Recently I learned that “economy class syndrome” is a more serious condition, described as “ deep-vein thrombosis, or the formation of a blood clot, usually in the legs, a rare but fatal condition that occurs as a result of sitting  for long periods of time, immobile, on international flights.” Read More …

Sleep better in hotels with these 10 tips

Trying to sleep when you travel is a challenge – sure, some people may be born with the ability to sleep anywhere, but others (myself included) need a little more comfort to grab a good night’s sleep. In this list, you’ll find ten tried and tested tips for getting a better night sleep in a hotel room.  Best of all – most of these tips don’t involve spending (too) much. So, check out these ten tips, and with a bit of luck, your next hotel stay will be a more relaxing experience! Read More …

When you travel for business to a different part of the world chances are that you will land in a major metropolitan city. Doctor of Chiropractic who had training in accredited Chiropractic school is available for you in these big cities. Chiropractic adjustment of the entire spine will enhance the performance of your nervous system and therefore your entire system will function much better. You will feel more energetic and will not have the need for coffee. Here is a list …

Question: Did you find this post useful? What healthy tricks do you use when you travel to a different part of the world?  Read More