Anyone who does a fair amount of commercial flying knows how uncomfortable airline seating can be. If you’re lucky enough to fly on a newer jet there’s quite a difference in the support you feel to your lower back. Older seats just don’t do the job. The materials break down with all the bodies they carry. The airlines have been contacted on this repeatedly but they claim their seating is just fine (you can imagine the expense of changing or remodeling all of the offending seats). Travelers would say otherwise. The problem is that the seats lose the ability to support the lumbar spine, or low back. The low back should have a forward curve under normal circumstances. This is called a lordosis. The curve helps to act as a shock absorber for daily activities and stresses. It should always be there when we are standing and gets straighter once the knees come up in front, as when we sit. So for humans, its even more tiring on the muscles of the low back when we sit than when we stand. The answer is to have a seat that is designed to support the natural curve of the low back even when we are sitting. It helps the muscles relax. We see many interesting designs for office chairs that will do this. Older airline seats can no longer provide enough support and the low back begins to ache before long into a flight.

The answer is to try to book a flight on a newer airline if possible. Jet Blue is usually pretty good about having new planes and the seating is rather firm and supportive. The next best suggestion is to try to procure a pillow or two and/or a blanket to fill in the space between your low back and the seat. Pillows and blankets on airplanes are pretty small these days, at least in the section I sit, or there may be a charge for such items. See what you have handy.  A sweater, casual jacket, something stuff-able will work. You should feel a mild forward push on your back. It’s a simple way to make a long flight more comfortable. This will have a positive effect on the upper back and neck as well. You may want to try this in your car as well, if it doesn’t have an adjustable lumbar support. Maybe we’ll see them in planes one day.

This past weekend I was enrolled in a continuing eduacation seminar. The last 4 hours of the day featured a most remarkable speaker. His name is Dr. Peter Thibodeau DC. He has practiced chiropractic in the Santa Cruz area for the past 40 years, or so. He teaches at no cost to the profession, which is amazing in itself. He was donating his time on behalf of the International Chiropractic Association, an organization that he has been involved with for many years. On this day he would share with us his thoughts and abilities on the art of chiropractic adjustive technique (Manipulation). At 67, Dr. Thibodeau is in tremendous physical and mental shape. He follows a rigorous daily exercise program that has him doing, among other things, pull-ups with 90lbs attached to his waist, one-handed pull-ups, dead lifts, heavy squats and bench presses. This is just a small part of his routine. He also does daily cardio in some form. I’m guessing he’s about 6′ 1″ and maybe 175 lbs and very lean. I mentioned he’s only 67, right?

He describes himself as “Overly enthusiastic”. I’d say that would be an understatement. The creed he lives by, and I heard it several times during his class is Eat Well, Think Well, Move Well. He definitely lives by all three. I have decided to make Dr. Thibodeau my role model. I’ve thought extensively how those three things sum it all up. Health can be that simple. However, it’s not easy. It takes effort.

As a chiropractor, It is my responsibility to see that people move well at a basic level, taking it to the spinal and joints. What we do is the following.

1. Chiropractors check the spine regularly to evaluate the motion of the joints
2. Good motion is essential for the health and nutrition of discs and joints because it permits the exchange of nutrition, fluid and wastes.
3. Without movement, discs and joints may degenerate quickly
4. Motion also reduces the formation of fibrosis (Scar Tissue)
5. Fibrosis occurs in motionless joints and can lead to stiffness and degeneration

Having My own spine adjusted on a regular basis is part of what I do to continue to “Move Well.” If we are interested in setting goals with regard to our health, we would do well to consider these three areas and chiropractic care should play a part.

Whether we are getting all the nutrition we need from the food we eat is highly debateable. In an ideal world where everyone ate right in the right amounts and exercised routinely I suppose there would be little need for supplementation. Evidence suggests that much of the “good” food we eat is lacking in nutritional value. They don’t grow em like they used to. We are now seeing large numbers of the mainstream medical profession admitting it wouldn’t hurt for most people to be taking a multiple vitamin daily just to be sure. Beyond that, you won’t find much nutritional counseling from your doctor.

Nutritional needs of the athlete or the very active are different than the average individual. Those who push their bodies to their limits require some compounds in great amounts due to the faster turnover of connective tissues. There is a much faster breakdown and rebuilding of muscle tissue, tendon and supportive tissues. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are needed in greater amounts to increase muscle size and health. We’re not talking steriods here, but even they have their place in the promotion of healing tissues if done under proper medical conditons. 

Nutrition for the athlete can be confusing. There are hundreds of supplements on the market with questionable value. How do you sort it all out? One of the best sources I have found for sound nutritional advice is Active Nutrition in Pleasanton. They are a wealth of sound nutritional information and quality products. Phil Rennick is the general manager and knows intimately every product he sells. Their philosophy is to “Treat our customers like friends and provide the best products possible.” This has been my experience. I can recommend Active Nutrition to anyone looking for anything from multiple vitamins to protein powders.

The products and information they provide compliments the treatment we offer as chiropractors and I am happy to refer not only my patient/athletes to them, but anyone looking to improve their health through good, sensible nutrition.

There should be no anxiety over your first visit to a chiropractor. I know what you’ve heard. All that popping and cracking, twisting and bending. It would put anyone off from seeking care. That should not be the case. You shouldn’t fear. There’s nothing painful about chiropractic treatment. Just the opposite is true. Chiropractic produces pain relief and improves health.

Let’s talk about your first visit. There will be some paperwork, much like an office visit at any doctor’s office. All of our patient information forms can be copied from our office website. To have these filled out in advance will save time. After reviewing your information the doctor will sit down in consultation with you. Eighty percent of a diagnosis is made from information taken from a patient history. From there, a thorough exam is performed, concentrating on the area of complaint. If there has been a history of trauma, infection or moderate degeneration (arthritis for example) then x-rays may be taken.

Once all information about your condition is gathered, the doctor will arrive at a diagnosis and will again sit down with you and present an outline for you treatment. Length of treatment is an individual thing, depending on factors like overall physical condition, degree of injury, age and compliance. You may receive treatment at the time of your first visit. This may not always be the case. Your doctor may have you return home for 24 hours to apply ice or follow home care procedures prior to beginning care. When the time is right, you most likely will be given exercises to do at home to help expidite healing and keep surrounding tissues flexible.

That doesn’t sound so bad. Much like it would be at most other doctor’s offices. Next, we’ll talk about what to expect with a typical chiropractic office visit once treatment has begun.

When asked for a definition of health, a common response is “the absence of disease.” In truth, health is a continuum that goes far beyond just the absence of disease or symptoms. It looks something like this.

1. Optimal Health/ Optimal Fitness
2. Fitness
3. Wellness
4. Good Function
5. No Symptoms
6. Minor Symptoms/ Dysfunction
7. Moderate Symptoms/ Dysfunction/ Pathology
8. Severe Symptoms/ Pathology/ Disease
9. Death

Where do you think you are on the list? It becomes apparent that the absence of disease or symptoms only gives one’s health a “C” grade at best. A “C” is passing. A “C” is just getting by and is OK for some. To get a “C” in anything you don’t have to put forth much effort. The problem we have is that this health continuum is like standing on a slowly-moving down escalator. If we stand still, we will lose ground. As we age it becomes easier to move down the list if we stop where we are. Soon we are no longer acheiving a passing grade with our health.

Where ever we currently find ourselves on the list, it takes consistent daily effort to even maintain our position and even greater effort to move up to the next level.

To do that we need to turn our attention to, and focus on the areas where we are deficient. Diet, exercise, rest, and attitude are a begining but any positive change will do little good unless we commit to moving forward and not turning back. Going back and forth with our eating habits, for example, can actually be harder on our systems than if we had made no change at all. It all amounts to a lifestyle change- not easy for most, but well worth the effort.

Chiropractic care focuses on a natural approach to to improve one’s health.

1. Chiropractic uses natural and conservative methods to promote the body’s own healing capacity.
2. It encourages healthful living and good nutrition, exercise, stress management and posture.

If you are interested in taking that first step, chiropractic is a good option. We can help you make the changes that will move you up the health continuum.

An estimated 80% of all Americans over the age of 58 suffer from back, neck or hip pain due to osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) simply puts abnormal bone growth within a joint. This abnormal bone growth leads to swelling and pressure, which may cause pain. Th most common locations for OA include the neck, low back, hip and hand joints. If you have pain in any of these joints thay should be examined for the presence of OA.

Early doctors beleived OA was a normal “side effect” of the aging process. But physicians then began to find patients in their 30’s or even their 20’s developing OA for no apparent reason. It was later discovered OA does not form as the result of aging, rather it forms as a result of abnormal stresses placed on the joint. Abnormal biomechanics (motion) in a joint causes abnormal bone growth.

We now know restriction of motion in any of the 28 joints in the spine can lead to the formation and progression of severe osteoarthritis. This helps explain why OA can be found in a 26-year-old female two years following an untreated automobile accident. In fact even the stresses of everyday life can lead to abnormal joint motion.

Unfortunately, once the bone growth occurs, the process cannot be reversed. However, with modern techniques we can now prevent the start of OA in some individuals.

Doctors of Chiropractic are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of joints with abnorman motion. Through modern processes of physical therapy and gentle mobilization, Chiropractors are now helping hundreds of thousands of individuals prevent and treat osteoarthritis.

Arthritis can be debilitating. For those who would like to know if the joints of their spine are functioning correctly, they should contact their chiropractor who can evaluate and treat this condition.

It’s a typical sight. I pull up to my office on a Saturday morning and find someone waiting at the front door with their head all bent over to one side and it’s too painful to straighten out. It’s something they woke up with. They can’t really remember doing anything that would cause it. And for some reason it seems to happen on the weekend more than any other time.

This is usually something we call Cervical (neck) Torticollis (literally translated means turtle neck). It is usually the result of sleeping for an extended period where the head and neck are maintained in an awkward or compromised position. Muscles spasm due to being overly stretched, or a spinal bone may be subluxated (the bone locks in or out of position among other things) and the surrounding muscles spasm as a result. I’ve also seen this as a result of a variety of athletic injuries. For whichever reason, it’s painful to move the neck.

This condition responds well to chiropractic care and usually doesn’t require much treatment to get someone feeling much better, but a thorough exam is needed. Treatment could include the following:

1. Traction
2. Ice or Heat Therapy
3. Gentle Manipulation of the Spine
4. Electrotherapy applied to the Neck Muscles

Occasionally I recommend that the patient wear a support or collar if they are having difficulty holding up their head. Most of the time it’s not necessary.

So if you wake up on the weekend, or any other time, with a neck so painful and stiff that it won’t straighten out, chiropractic care may be the option of choice.

If we were to sprain an ankle, most of us would know to put ice on it. When it comes to back injuries there seems to be some confusion over whether to apply hot or cold. It’s a question I deal with daily and it’s something I address with my patients. So, what’s best to use and when? The rule of thumb is when an injury is new (acute), it gets ice. When it’s older than a few days (no longer acute), it gets heat. This is true with injuries involving joints, like sprains and strains. Now, there are exceptions. Textbook speaking, ice is good for 24 to 48 hours. From my experience I find that to stop using ice after 48 hours is usually premature. I usually reccommend several days beyond the 1 or 2, which is standard. Another day or two can’t hurt. However beginning heat too soon may make matters worse.

It’s best to get ice on an injury as soon as possible. It reduces swelling and numbs the pain. This is what we want with a new injury, but it’s effects usually don’t last more than a few days. When heat is applied it opens the blood vessels and promotes healing of the tissues.

A very important rule to using ice is, never take anything out of the freezer and keep it directly on the bare skin. There is nearly a 100 percent chance that you will get frostbite and you don’t need that on top of an already injured joint. Whether it’s ice cubes in a plastic bag or a sack of frozen peas there should always be at least one layer of fabric between the ice and the skin. It stays on for 20 minutes, then it comes off for 20 minutes. This cycle can be repeated as often as needed. Heat also needs a layer of material between the skin and the heat source. At least one layer of terrycloth towell works just fine. There are many ways to apply heat. Moist heat penetrates more deeply than dry. That includes soaking in water. And again, 20 minutes on and then 20 minutes off. If you use a heating pad, keep it on a low setting and don’t get in a position where you might fall asleep on it. As we age, our ability to judge how much heat we are getting is somewhat impared so we always want to go easy.

Bottom line is if you still can’t decide what to use, think ice first. You’ll seldom go wrong.

It’s been my experience that most injuries to the lower back are not the result of moving a heavy object. In fact, more often the problem comes about due to moving something rather light. It could be picking up the newspaper or setting down the mail or cleaning off the kitchen table. There’s a reason for this. This discs between the vertebrae of the lower back are normally pretty durable. They act as a spacer and cushion between the bones to allow for necessary motion and to support the weight of the torso. They are composed of fibers arranged in layers which encircle the outer borders of the disc. In the center there is a thick jelly nucleus composed of protein. As tough as it is, it has a weakness. When the lower back is bent forward and twisted the fibers can be strained to the point of tearing. We may not be aware of this at first but with repeated tearing the disc will bulge. This can be painful and debilitating but if the bulge is large enough it can irritate the sciatic nerve and produce thigh pain, numbness and muscle weakness. This can call for surgical intervention if the injury is severe enough. Disc injuries can be treated conservatively if not in an advanced stage. Chiropractic treatment works well for cases that do not require surgery.

The goal of chiropractic treatment in dealing with this type of disc injury is 4-part.

1. Improve and maintain motion and flexibility
2. Restore and maintain function
3. Reduce chronic pain
4. Reduce the risk of reinjury and degeneration

So what can be done to help avoid disc injuries in the first place? Increasing lower back flexibility and strengthening the supporting structures is important. The idea is to avoid things that might injure the fibers around the edge of the disc. Almost without exception disc injury is the result of a forward bend at the waist coupled with a twist. These motions combined facilitate the tearing of disc fibers. Add that to a sedintary lifestyle and all it takes is reaching to put a plate in the dishwasher for a crisis of the disc to occur. It might only be a “tweek” or it might drop you to your knees. Either way you’re left wondering why such a small effort would result in such big pain.

A simple way to protect the discs in the lower back is to try to avoid the “bend and twist” by keeping the feet pointed in the same direction as the torso when lifting or moving anything. This means a bit of a shuffle at times, almost a small dance step. If you’re setting something down, turn the feet in that direction and move with the knees slightly bent. Don’t cut corners by twisting the body with the feet planted in one spot. Holding a weight out away from your body while bending and twisting will only increase the pressure on the disc as well as the chance for injury.

If a disc injury is treated properly, the connective tissues responsible for healing remodel for better flexibility and strength. This often takes 3 to 14 weeks but may take up to 1 year with severe injury. It’s no fun, so take care of your discs.

Can Chiropractors Help With Stress

One of the more common questions I’m asked by patients is “Do you think part of my problem could be stress related?” Whether a causitive agent or a complication to an existing structural problem, stress most certainly intensifies and complicates many of the conditions treated in our office. While no part of our body is immune to the effects of stress, in a clinical setting, I see it heaped upon the spine and the upper back and shoulders in particular.

Identifying the source of the stress is up to the individual and can be a challenge. It could be job-related, school or personal relationships to name a few. Think of how many professionals are dedicated to the relief of stress. Counselors, Medical doctors, Personal trainers, Massage therapists,Yoga instructors, Nutritional therapists- all work with people to relieve stress- and that’s only a brief sampling.

Chiropractic treatment goes a long way to eliminate the tension that is one result of stress. Chiropractors check for signs of tension and by performing spinal adjustments that-

1. Help relax muscles
2. Restore motion
3. Reduce stress on the joints

Relaxation and a sense of well-being are very common results of chiropractic care.

Whether stress is physical or emotional in nature, I find a most effective way to combat the effects of stress is through regular chiropractic treatment and exercise. Most of the spinal musculature affected by stress becomes vulnerable because the muscles aren’t capable of handling the constant abuse stress supplies. Strengthening the involved muscle groups helps to bring them up to the task and they become more stress resistant.

In our office we not only work to restore proper spinal joint mechanics but to strengthen the muscles of the spine as well resulting in less problems in the future.