April's Chiropractic Tip: "Text Neck" and Forward Head Posture

Texting is not only dangerous while driving, but can also wreak havoc on your neck. As a Greensboro chiropractor, Dr. Spell is seeing more people with neck pain lately due to their texting habits.  Looking down while texting creates a forward head posture, and can cause headaches, neck pain, and shoulder pain. The prolonged forward bend of the neck causes the muscles to fatigue and eventually strain.

Computer monitors present a similar problem for many people, as they end up giving forward head posture to the user. Just like the bad posture seen while texting, many people sit with their head and shoulders lurched forward for hours at a time, creating the perfect setting for neck pain, shoulder pain, arm and hand numbness, and headaches.  

Improper posture while texting and using a computer is similar to wearing a back pack all day...eventually, your muscles will tire and give out. Muscles can only work so long without giving them a break. So text and sit at the computer with your head and shoulders upright, in a neutral position. This will put less strain on your neck muscles, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of technology pain free!

March's Chiropractic Tip: Chiropractic and Soft Tissue Therapy

As patients today are experiencing more inflammatory processes due to stress, diet, lifestyle and other triggers, Central Chiropractic turns to soft tissue (muscles, ligaments and tendons) mobilization through therapeutic devices and exercises to help treat chronic pain.

Pain in the nerve fibers, tissues, muscles, ligaments, fascia and tendons can cause a patient to experience pain or restricted motion in the spine.

Without treating soft tissues, the same painful condition in the joints of the body can be experienced over and over again...meaning patients experience relief after a procedure, only to have the pain return in a matter of days. Treatment time and visits can often be decreased by searching for the functional “why” instead. For example, the “what” or diagnosis is neck misalignment that won’t heal with traditional chiropractic treatment recommendations such as adjustments with ice or heat at home, but as we dig deeper into the muscle interactions, we find that this problem could be related to chronically spasmed back muscles that cause the neck to turn to one side incorrectly.

When you consider the fact that all our muscles are connected somehow by the skeletal system, it’s easy then to understand how chronic pain could actually be caused by a problem elsewhere, with far-reaching functional implications to the skeletal system.

Tools such as electro-stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, intersegmental traction, and exercise can assist chiropractors speed up the treatment process. 

Once the “why” has been identified, these tools can then help patients recover faster by implementing tissue proliferation and boosting blood flow to the area, resulting not just in pain relief but also increased range of motion. That is an important distinction, particularly for the active person who wants to be able to participate fully in his or her sport or activity of choice.

At your next visit with Dr. Spell at Central Chiropractic, be sure to ask about the benefits of therapeutic devices and exercise...it might be the key to fast and long lasting health for your condition!

January's Chiropractic Tip: Chiropractic Adjustment vs. Spinal Injections for Disc Herniations

Outcomes in patients with MRI-confirmed lumbar disc herniations treated with chirpractic adjusments were recently compared to patients that recieved spinal nerve root injections. 102 patients were included (average age ~ 47, 62.7% were male).  Subjects received either chiropractic adjustments or contrast fluoroscopy- or CT-fluoroscopy guided injections of Kenacort and Ropivacaine.  A follow-up was conducted up to 3 months in this study as well.  Pertinent results of this study include:

•  The average number of adjustment treatments was 11.2 (ranging from 5 to 20).
• Only 1 adjustment patient reported being worse after treatment compared with 3 injection patients.
• No adjustment patients required surgery during the study period, while 3 injection patients received a second injection and 3 had surgery.
• In the adjustment group, 76.5% of patients were “improved” (Odds Ratio & Confidence Intervals in the review) while 62.7% of the injection patients were “improved”.

The results: chiropractic adjustment is as effective (if not better) than injections. 

References:

1. Peterson CK, Schmid C, Leemann S et al. Outcomes from Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Confirmed Symptomatic Cervical Disk Herniation Patients Treated with High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study With 3-Month Follow-Up. Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics 2013; 36: 461-467.
2. Peterson CK, Leeman S, Lechmann M, et al. Symptomatic magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed lumbar disk herniation patients: a comparative effectiveness prospective observational study of 2 age- and sex-matched cohorts treated with either high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulative therapy or imaging-guided lumbar nerve root injections. Journal of Manipulative& Physiological Therapeutics 2013; 36(4): 218-225.

December 2013 Chiropractic Tip: Disc Herniation of the Neck & Chiropractic

A recent study in which 50 patients (68% male, average age of 44 years old) with neck pain and moderate to severe arm pain and MRI-confirmed cervical(neck) disc herniations received chiropractic care (treatments were performed 3-5 times a week for the first 2-4 weeks, and then 1-3 times a week thereafter until the patient had reduced symtpoms).  A follow-up was conducted after 3 months.  Pertinent results include:

• Two weeks after the first treatment, 55.3% of all patients reported that they had significantly improved. At this point, no one reported worsening of their symptoms.
• At 1 month after the first treatment, 68.9% of individuals were significantly improved, with only one patient reporting being slightly worse (this patient was in the subacute/chronic group).
• By 3 months,  85.7% of patients noted significant improvement.

The results speak for themselves....if you or someone you know is suffering from a disc hernation, make sure Chiropractic care is considered. It' safe, effective, and involves NO DRUGS OR SURGERY!!!

Reference:

Peterson CK, Schmid C, Leemann S et al. Outcomes from Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Confirmed Symptomatic Cervical Disk Herniation Patients Treated with High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study With 3-Month Follow-Up. Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics 2013; 36: 461-467.

November 2013 Chiropractic Tip: Joint Pain & Herbs

  Source:  http://dailyhealthpost.com/top-10-herbs-for-joint-pain/

A debilitating condition, joint pain can be experienced as a result of ageing, over-use, or autoimmune diseases attacking the joints and their surrounding tissue. If you have tried all available traditional medications yet failed to get the results you expected, this would not be surprising as many drugs only alleviate the symptoms without targeting the underlying cause.

 Several alternative herbal treatments have been researched – and lab studies suggest that these may even have the potential to address both symptoms and origin in lab studies. Below are 10 herbs considered useful for managing joint pain:

1. Arnica

This is a popular herb present in various commercial ointments externally applied to the skin. When applied as a balm or cream, arnica has been shown to serve as a natural pain reliever to alleviate soreness and stiffness.

The evidence of arnica’s clinical value is rich that when a study was conducted to compare its effects with ibuprofen in 204 patients with active hand osteoarthritis, there was no difference found in pain and hand function improvements between ibuprofen and arnica tincture after 3 weeks of treatment. This study suggests that arnica formulation is comparable to ibuprofen in treating hand osteoarthritis, yet without the potential side effects of ibuprofen.

2. Ginger

Ginger is traditionally known to aid nausea but research has also found convincing evidence of its success in combating arthritis. Its active ingredients, gingerols, possess anti-inflammatory characteristics responsible for its medicinal actions. Ginger has been found to relieve pain by preventing cytokine formation, an immune chemical that triggers inflammation. Consequently, one 3 year study discovered that 75% of the participants with rheumatoid arthritis experienced improvements in pain and swelling after using powdered ginger.

3. Stinging Nettle

Its name may sound daunting but once you have infused this herb in tea, skin rash that would be brought about by this plant’s hairs will naturally be neutralized. After concocting tea made from dried or fresh leaves of stinging nettle, it may be used to alleviate pain linked to joint pain, arthritis and gout. Exploratory studies that investigated the value of stinging nettle as a useful, safe and cheap therapy in treating joint pain have discovered nettles as being very effective to the extent that some subjects believed they have been cured by it without any major side effects.

4. Cayenne

Researchers discovered how the interesting mechanism behind rubbing cayenne works to relieve joint pain; cayenne, through the presence of its active ingredient capsaicin, acts as a counterirritant to the pain by producing mild irritation to distract your nerves from the more severe joint pain. Eventually, repeated application of cayenne pepper can significantly reduce arthritic pain. Because of cayenne’s anti-inflammatory properties, experts believe that it can also ease gout and gut-related pain like ulcers.

5. Boswellia

This tree commonly found in India attributes its therapeutic value to its gum which promotes anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and analgesic activities. A 2003 randomized controlled study that evaluated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of boswellia extract in 15 patients with osteoarthritic knees concluded that this herb can decrease knee pain and frequency of swelling, increase knee flexion and walking distance after 8 weeks of usage with minimal side effects. Moreover, boswellia is believed to prevent invasion of inflammatory white cells into damaged issue making it a natural pain killer for osteoarthritis, gout and possibly, other types of arthritis as well.

6. Burdock

According to research, when it comes to joint pains, increasing your intake of foods and supplements rich in essential fatty acids can really of great help. Aside from its sterol and tannin content, burdock contains high levels of essential fatty acids which are known for their anti-inflammatory effects.

Burdock root contains analgesic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing inflammation and pain associated with arthritis and other degenerative diseases. Studies show that burdock root helps in eliminating the discomforts caused by arthritis such as stiffening, swelling, tenderness, pain when moving. Though generally safe to use, some have said that burdock should not be used long-term.

7. Flax

For over 7,000 years, flax has been widely cultivated because of its powerful healing compounds. This potent herb is known for its Omega 3-ALA content which is noted for its ability to fight against inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acids actually limit the inflammatory reactions caused by gout and joint pains. The use of flaxseed of oil proves to be effective in lessening the intensity of severe and sudden pain and swelling of the joints.

8. Turmeric

Known for its anti-inflammatory effects, turmeric is a powerful herb that aids in the treatment of a wide range of health conditions including gout, arthritis and joint pains. This excellent pain reliever works because of its curcuminoids and curcumin contents that help in reducing inflammation.

In a study conducted at the University of Arizona, it was found out that intake of turmeric really helps in dealing with inflammation. Results showed that turmeric reduced swelling to a certain degree. Researchers concluded that turmeric works by blocking down the production of protein on genes that tell the tiny blood vessels to swell and grow.

This famous yellow-orange spice is used to help people suffering from achy and sore joints. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study in 2009 which compared the effects of curcumin, an active ingredient of turmeric, and ibuprofen to 107 subjects who were suffering from knee osteoarthritis. Results showed that curcumin was as effective as ibuprofen in improving knee function and in alleviating pain.

9. Licorice

Licorice is probably one of the most popular herbs for joint pains. It works by resembling the activities of the body’s natural cortiscosteroids that help in relieving inflammation. Licorice also works by eradicating free radicals on the affected areas as well as in inhibiting the production of enzymes that contribute to inflammation. When used as a supplement or tea, licorice helps in controlling the body’s production of cortisol hormones which eases the pain associated with arthritis and joint pain.

10. Feverfew

A native herb from the Balkan Peninsula and Europe, feverfew also proves to be an excellent herb in relieving joint pain. Research showed that this herb is capable eradicating inflammation in tissues and joints which normally cause pain. Its parthenolide content inhibits the release of histamine, serotonin and other inflammatory agents that trigger the spasm of the blood vessels, and promote inflammation. Like aspirin, feverfew works by reducing the inflammation and intensity of pain throughout the body.

Notes: Do not expect these herbs however to instantly cure joint pain overnight. Conversely, herbs generally do take longer to work than traditional medications especially if you are taking them internally for joint pain relief. However, their cumulative effects are also more effective and longer-term, aside from being safer given the right dosage. Be diligent also in understanding the safety and contraindications of the herbs you are considering. If in doubt, or if you are taking prescription meds already, it’s best to consult a physician before taking herbs