pain - Top Chiropractor in San Leandro, CA

Chronic Lower Back Pain and 6 Natural Ways to Fix It

November 22, 2010 by drburt

Millions of people suffer from excruciating and immobilizing lower back pain form all over the world. It almost seems like world wide epidemic. A large percentage of these people have to go to work every day and concentrate on their tasks with agonizing and boring back ache. There are many different treatments available for lower back pain varying from modern medicine to great alternative therapies.

Chronic lower back pain causes:

Cancer, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, Biomechanical Misalignments, Unbalanced Musculature are the main reasons for lower back pain. Work or sport related injuries or automobile accidents could be the serious cause of lower back pain through out people lives. It can debilitate them for a very prolonged period of time. Sometimes even minor postural abnormalities, sudden jerks or movements, improper exercises and minor falls can be the result of chronic lower back pain

Natural Ways to Counter Severe Chronic Lower Back Pain:

Change Your Posture:

The 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). READ MORE …

Get a Good Mattress:

Many 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. READ AND WATCH MORE …

Get Good Pillows:

When we expect a good night sleep, the majority of us consider mattress characteristic and features, room temperature, room illumination, and noise. Hardly ever we will think about our pillows. There are a lot of options available nowadays. It is important to know that our cervical spine alignment is an important feature of our general well being. Selecting a head support which is equally comfortable to sleep with as well as be able to improve the quality of good night sleep, has to be a necessary foundation for a good nigh sleep. READ AND WATCH MORE …

Use Legs Not Back:

Normally when we lift a weight we put great pressure on our back. Instead, keep your lower back in arched position and lift the load. Bend the knees and put the pressure on your leg muscles. An upright torso while lifting weights can always avoid the risk of chronic lower back pain. READ MORE …

Exercise Routines:

Inclusion of a strict exercise regime for 30 minutes to one hour, everyday can alleviate chronic pain and prevent the occurrence of the same. If you are suffering from chronic lower back and hip pain, it is imperative that you take the advice of a fitness expert. Only a fitness expert can help you with an exercise routine, according to your body condition and physical ability. Body alignment exercises, Bowen therapy and exclusive exercises for the lower back can strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. MORE ABOUT EXERECISES …

Choose Comfort Over Style:

Ladies today choose stylish footwear that are high-heeled like stilettos. They can definitely accentuate your presence but they can damage your back, irreparably. A sturdy shoe and flat footwear can definitely look good on you and save you from many an endless chronic lower back pain treatment. You can stop chronic lower back pain by being cautious and rational. READ MORE …

Sciatica Pain Relief and Chiropractic Treatment

November 5, 2010 by drburt

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is not a medical condition in itself but rather a symptom of other medical problems. It refers to the pain, numbness, tingling or weakness felt in the legs as an effect of compression or injury of the sciatic nerve.

The pain is usually felt in the buttocks, lower back or at various parts of the patient’s leg including the foot. The pain is usually severe combined with weakness of the muscles as well as numbness and tingling sensation. This condition is usually felt only on one side of the patient’s body.

Treatment Options

The treatment for the symptoms depends on the problems that cause the symptoms. Sciatica can be caused by spinal disc hernia, spinal stenosis, pregnancy, piriformis syndrome and many other conditions. What’s important is that the patient gets a proper diagnosis of his or her problem in order to get the right treatment.

Treatments for this condition vary from taking pain medications to surgery. Anti-inflammatory medications and paracetamol are taken to relieve the pain experienced by the patient. If this isn’t enough, narcotics can also be used especially if the pain is already severe. Steroid injections provide short-term relief and benefits as well. Acupuncture, physical therapy, massage therapy and chiropractic care are also great treatment for sciatica. Some also benefit from yoga sessions and weight loss to reduce the pressure on the nerve roots of the spine.

Chiropractic treatment

Sciatica is treatable by chiropractic care and most of the time, it responds positively after spinal adjustments on the patient’s lower lumbar vertebrae as well as on the sacroillac joints. Some types of nerve irritation respond much faster while some takes a little while depending on the severity of the case and especially if the symptoms are already chronic.

A type of sciatica that is very difficult to deal with even for a chiropractor is when there is an actual herniation of the patient’s intervebral disc. This causes extreme pain that even taking narcotics and analgesics won’t give enough relief for the patient.

Before considering a chiropractic treatment to aid in your symptoms, you must know that most spinal adjustments done can only provide you with short-term relief to pain. It really depends on what causes the symptoms of nerve irritation and you must consult with your health professional regarding the matter. Your local chiropractor would tell you if your problem that results to sciatica symptoms can be improved through chiropractic care.

The best way to get real pain relief the pain in this condition is to relieve the sciatic nerve of the pressure. Correcting the root of the problem is the best solution in order to completely recover from the injury. If you only want pain relief then it will only be a temporary solution. Finding the real source and correcting it would get rid of the symptoms for a long time. By permanently relieving pressure off the sciatic nerve is the best solution to the problem.

Question: Have you or anyone you know experienced Sciatica? What kind of treatment have you had?

Cycling – Lower Back and Neck Pain

October 6, 2010 by drburt

Your body contacts the bicycle in three areas; your hands, your seat, and your feet. The relative positions of feet, seat and hands determine your comfort and efficiency on the bike. There are several variables that determine these positions; crank length, distance from crank center or bottom bracket to saddle, saddle angle, seat tube angle and saddle offset, distance from saddle to handlebar, relative height of saddle and handlebar width, and handlebar drop on road style handlebars. When these measurements are not taken seriously into consideration, pain and fatigue is inevitable during the ride.

Lumbar and Cervical spine pain is experienced very frequently by cyclists, and it can have numerous different causes. The most common cause of any type of biking ache is owing to an improper bike fit. After having your bike professionally fit which can be completed at professional bike shops and some chiropractic offices, use the following guidelines to create any essential adjustments:

1.Moving your saddle backwards could aid to reduce lumbar spine and knee pain but might increase neck and shoulder tension.

2.Handlebar height reduction could improve lower back and hamstring muscle stress nevertheless may trigger increased neck and shoulder stress, and hand numbness.

3.When the saddle is set too high, cyclist becomes unstable and the hips might rock slightly from side to side, placing a strain on the muscles that stabilize rider’s lower back. A leg length difference could produce a comparable kind of dilemma, which can be detected during a chiropractic exam.

Another cause of lower back pain is the tension placed on your spinal discs, joints, and muscles because of the continuous forward Position of cyclist. To neutralize these postural stressors, appropriate stretching prior, throughout, and following riding is very important. Standing up during prolonged riding, as well as alternately bending forward and arching backwards, will help to relieve lower back stress. Tilting your head from side to side will aid to stretch out your neck muscles while riding, but keep your eyes on the road at all times!

The 3rd major cause of neck and lower back pain in cycling is due to the “Multiple Micro Whiplash” syndrome trigerred by the ROAD SHOCK of the constant jarring forces experienced during riding. The following recommendations will assist to reduce these potentially injurious forces:

•Increase your cycling work out slowly to appropriately condition your body.

•Use a wider tire with less of inflation to decrease road shock.

•Change your hand positions regularly and unlock your elbows.

•Use padded gloves and a light helmet.

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Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction Physiology and Causes

October 1, 2010 by drburt

What is TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint, or often called as TMJ, is the joint of the jaw. We have two temporomandibular joints that work in unison, one on the either side of the jaw. It got its name because of the temporal bone and the mandible that forms the joint.

It is the most used joint in our body. It has 6 main components and they are the mandibular condyles, the capsule, the articular surface to the temporal bone, the articular disc, lateral pterygoid and the ligaments.

What is TMJ Dysfunction?

This condition is common and affects over 10 million Americans today. It is affecting the mastication muscles and the tissue components. It can be a medical or a dental condition or a collection of conditions.

What are the causes ?

There are different factors that can influence the inflammation of the Temporomandibular joints such as teeth grinding, a direct physical trauma that causes disc derangement, stress, hypermobility of the joint, hypomobility of the joint, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and many others.

What are the symptoms ?

Pain on the jaw and facial muscles is one of the first symptoms you would notice when you have TMJ dysfunction. It may even radiate to your neck and shoulders. You may feel this pain when you talk, yawn or chew. The pain is usually felt in front of the ear or on the jaw itself.

Ear pain, headaches, tinnitus and hearing loss may also be a symptom of Temporomandibular joint dysfunction. This can get confusing as some might think they have an ear infection or ear problem when in fact, the pain is radiated because of TMJ dysfunction.

You may hear a popping, clicking or grating sound when you move the joint. This is caused by an abnormal position of the disc. Others may also hear the popping sound.

Swelling of the mouth or the face can also occur due to inflammation.

Lock jaw whether opened or closed is also a common symptom of TMJ dysfunction.

Teeth may not align properly and no longer touch as you bite on food. Teeth can also start to loosen or get broken or become sensitive.

Swallowing may become difficult because the muscles on the jaw area start to spasm.

You may feel nauseated or have a headache or dizziness.

How is TMJ Dysfunction diagnosed?

A health professional can properly diagnose a dysfunction by beginning with a thorough evaluation of the patient’s medical history. After which the health professional would make a physical examination on the patient to identify the disorder.

A treatment program would then be specified by the health professional according to the severity of the disorder. Treatment programs may include lifestyle modification, techniques for self relaxation, proper education regarding Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, restoration of the jaw’s range of motion, mobilization of the soft tissue, joint mobilizations, nerve stimulation, rehabilitation, etc.

The treatment program would be a per-patient basis. Thus, you may have a different treatment program compared to another patient who is also suffering from TMJ dysfunction. Part 2 is going to be about specific treaments options for this debilitating codition.

Question: Have you or anyone you know had a TMJ Dysfunction ? What kind of treatment otions have you had?