Why Nighttime Pain with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

17 Mar

Chiropractors are often asked, “Why does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) bother me so much during the night?” Let’s take a look!

The carpal tunnel is made up of eight small carpal bones that bridge the forearm to the hand. Without these eight little bones, the motion at the wrist would be very restricted and limited to bending a little bit up and a little bit down. Think of all the things you are able to do with a large range of motion at the wrist like tightening a small screw by hand, pulling on a wrench, using a hammer, working under the dash or inside the engine compartment of a car, threading a needle, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and even washing dishes. As you can see, we put our wrists in some pretty strange positions!

Look at the palm-side of your wrist and wiggle your fingers. Do you see all that activity going on? Now, move your eyes slowly towards the elbow as you keep moving your fingers. It is pretty amazing how much movement occurs near the elbow just by moving the fingers! There are actually nine tendons that travel through the carpal tunnel, and these tendons connect your forearm muscles to the fingers. That’s why there is so much movement in the upper half of the forearm when moving your fingers, and in people with CTS, these muscles are usually overworked and super tight. This is why chiropractors work hard to loosen those muscles during treatment! These nine tendons are covered by a sheath, and friction between the tendon and the sheath is reduced by an oily substance called synovial fluid. When we repetitively and rapidly move our fingers, the friction that builds up produces heat, and if the oily synovial fluid can’t keep up, swelling occurs.

Any situation where there is increased swelling in the body can also promote CTS. For example, during pregnancy, hormonal shifts can result in a generalized swelling similar to taking BCP’s (birth control pills). Hypothyroid results in edema or swelling referred to as “myxedema” that can cause or make CTS worse. Some of the inflammatory arthritis conditions such as rheumatoid, lupus, scleroderma, and more can also predispose one to developing CTS. Obesity by itself is a risk factor for similar reasons.

So, why are we so susceptible to CTS symptoms at night? The main reason is that we RARELY sleep with our wrist in a straight or neutral position. We like to curl up in a fetal position and tuck our hands under our chin, bending the wrist to the full extent (90°). By doing so, the pressure inside the wrist “normally” doubles, but in the CTS patient, the pressure can increase by six times! This pinches the median nerve against the ligament that makes up the floor of the tunnel as it travels through the carpal tunnel, which then wakes us up and we find ourselves shaking and flicking our fingers to stop the numb, tingling, burning, pain that commonly occurs with CTS! This is why we prescribe a wrist brace for nighttime use and it REALLY helps! DON’T JUMP TO SURGERY FIRST – TRY CHIROPRACTIC FIRST!

We realize you have a choice in whom you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend, or family member requires care for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, we would be honored to render our services.

Back Pain and Posture

16 Mar

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common ailments that chiropractors treat. That’s probably because MOST of us will suffer from low back pain that requires outside help at some point in our lives! Posture has long been studied as a potential cause of low back pain, and this month’s topic will take a closer look at some recent research discussing this issue.

A December 2014 study looked at low back posture in two groups of LBP patients and its relationship with problems associated with intervertebral disk diseases. Looking at a person from the side, have you noticed that the low back area has an arched or inward curve? This is called the “lumbar lordosis” (or, the “sway back” area), and this can be highly variable in terms of the angle or amount of arch. It normally differs between males and females. Degenerative disk disease (DDD) is a common condition affecting virtually all of us at some point in time. DDD results in narrowing of the disk spaces, which there are five total in the lumbar spine (twelve in the thoracic spine/mid-back, and six in the cervical spine/neck). One particular study evaluated a group of 50 patients with long-term intractable (chronic) low back pain with intervertebral disk disease and a group of 50 chronic LBP patients without DDD that served as a “control group.” Researchers measured the degrees of lordosis, or amount of curve (lumbar lordosis), by looking at the person from the side using two different methods in the two patient groups and compared the data. The group with degenerative disk disease had an overall reduction in the lumbar lordosis curve (less arched) using both methods of measuring. The authors concluded that the patients with intervertebral disk lesions had a straighter, or more flat curve (less sway back), when compared to those without disk degeneration. What they were unable to determine was which came first, the disk degeneration or the reduction in the lumbar lordosis?

This study points out several important points. When treating patients with low back pain, some patients feel better when placed in a bent forwards position, or they favor a flat low back curve. Others have the opposite response, or their position of preference favors a more curved (arched) lower spine. The reason for this difference is that LBP is generated from different tissues in the low back, and some tissues favor or feel better in one position and typically feels worse in the opposite direction when injured. The intervertebral disks in the spine lie between the vertebral bodies and serve as “shock absorbers” for the spine and trunk. The center, or “nucleus,” of the disk is liquid-like and is usually well contained inside the disk, held by a tough, outer fibrocartilage material (the “annulus”). The disk is approximately 80% water, and as we age, the water content gradually reduces and the disk spaces narrow, thus limiting the mobility of that part of the spine. More importantly, DDD usually narrows the size of the canals through which the spinal cord and nerve roots travel. When we bend forward, these canals open up wider placing less pressure on the nerves and/or spinal cord. This is why we often see elderly people leaning on grocery carts when shopping, as it hurts less and they can walk longer / farther. Those with herniated disks tend to be the opposite, as they favor bending backwards as this position shifts the nucleus or liquid center forwards and away from the nerve root thus reducing the pinched nerve resulting in less or complete elimination of radiating leg pain.

We realize you have a choice in whom you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend, or family member requires care for back pain, we would be honored to render our services.

Did Ohio State Eat a “Magic Diet” to Lose Weight and Beat Oregon for the National Championship?

12 Mar

Whether you are into football or not, you will like this information.  Why?  Because if you are like most people, you would love to know how to lose a few pounds…  and that’s exactly what Ohio State’s players did.  In fact, the coaching staff told players to lose about 5 lbs. (~2.2 kg) in the ten days before the National Championship game.  They even made them weigh in to prove they did it.  What was the “secret” to the weight loss?  According to Ohio State defensive-line coach Larry Johnson, “I told them: I don’t want you to starve.  Just eat less.  I should launch my own weight loss program.” 

One of the Ohio State players, Adolphus Washington, said it boiled down to eating less and running more.  According to the Wall Street Journal, “Washington, who weighs 295 pounds, stayed after practice between the Alabama and Oregon games for more cardiovascular exercise and swore off sweets, including Honey Buns, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Snickers’ bars Johnson keeps in his office.” 

How crazy is this?  Who would have known that eating less, cutting out junk food, and exercising more is the “secret” to losing weight?

3 Things That May Be Stalling Your Metabolism!

10 Mar

If your metabolism isn’t what it used to be, you may need to do some dietary detective work.  For example, when you eat may be as important as what you eat, so intermittent fasting may give your metabolism the boost it needs.  And, while sugary beverages and sports drinks are best avoided, organic coffee and green tea may actually help your metabolism as long as you’re not adding sugar to them.

Needless to say, exercise (and high intensity exercises in particular) cannot be overlooked if you want to rev up your metabolic engines.  If you are already fit, it’s possible that you are simply spending too much time sitting, which can be remedied by getting out of your chair to move more often.

Also, chronic low-level inflammation can stall your metabolism, which may result from food sensitivities, poor sleep, stress, and other lifestyle factors.

Study Shows Riding in a Car with a Smoker Is Bad for Your Health…

9 Mar

Everyone knows smoking is bad for your health.  Very bad.  Most people also know that secondhand smoke is harmful.  The problem is that many people think they are safe from secondhand smoke when they are not.  In other words, you are probably getting a lot more secondhand smoke than you think.  For example, one study showed secondhand smoke can actually be obtained from a smoker’s clothes.

That’s why the results of a new study published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention are not that surprising.  The study looked at 14 non-smokers who sat in an SUV with a smoker for one hour.  During that hour, the smoker smoked three cigarettes.  The front and back windows were cracked and the smoker sat in the driver’s seat while the non-smokers sat in the right rear seat.  According to the study, tests conducted on the non-smokers showed elevated levels of butadiene, acrylonitrile, benzene, methylating agents, and ethylene oxide.  According to UCSF Professor Dr. Neal L. Benowitz, the chemicals are “thought to be the most important among the thousands in tobacco smoke that cause smoking-related disease.”

Lead author Dr. Gideon St. Helen writes, “This tells us that people, especially children and adults with pre-existing health conditions such as asthma or a history of heart disease should be protected from secondhand smoke exposure in cars.” 

Here is something that should be mentioned:  The study was performed on a vehicle that was not moving.  Obviously, more research should be done with a moving vehicle to get more realistic results.  But the real question is: why expose yourself or your children to ANY level of secondhand smoke?

If You Were Diagnosed with Cancer and Given Just Months to Live, What Would You Do?

5 Mar

Find Out What This Teenager Did That Changed Countless Lives…

Zach had plans.  Big plans.  But don’t take my word for it… let’s hear it directly from him…

“I think every teenager out there feels invincible.  And they’ll never admit that… It’s not the kind of invincible like Superman – it’s the kind of invincible like… I’ll see you in five months.  I thought I was invincible.  I was ready for college pretty much.  I was planning out way ahead.  Then… yeah… turns out sometimes you can’t do that.

“My name is Zach Sobiech.  I’m 17-years-old and I have osteosarcoma.  I’ve been told I have a few months to live… but I still have a lot of work to do.  I want everyone to know – you don’t have to find out you’re dying… to start living.”

That was the opening to a video called My Last Days that has gotten over 13 million views on YouTube.

One of the most important things you can ever discover about people and life is displayed in Zach’s video and story.  What is it?

It is that there are basically only two kinds of people in the world.  When times are tough – really tough – they either stand up and fight until the end… or fold up like a house of cards.  You never really know which person you are until you are faced with a REALLY tough situation.

When a 17-year-old kid is given a few months to live, it would probably be easier to pack it in and give up.  But when faced with the ultimate test, Zach proved he was a fighter until the end.

One of the things Zach did was make music.  It was his way of sharing and making others happy.  He wanted to make as much as he could and bring happiness to as many people as possible.

His song Clouds became a huge hit, and his video has over 11 million views at the time of writing.

But Zach’s message was much more important than an entertaining song.  For example, in the video about his life, Zach’s mother mentioned a guy playing basketball and how he had a really funny way of running.  Zach responded that he was really good at x, y, and z and he listed several things the man was good at.  While many people who are completely healthy and feeling great can’t find something nice to say about someone and can only point out the negative, Zach always pointed out the positive.  He always saw the beauty in the same exact world others constantly see as ugly.

How is it a grown adult with a wonderful life can only see the negative while a 17-year-old dying of cancer sees the positive, the good, and the beauty?

The answer to that is choice.  Zach simply chose to see the beauty, while others simply choose to ignore it.

There is an old saying that goes something like this, “When you change the way you see things, the things you see change.”

Zach made the decision to change the way he saw things.  Maybe he did this because he was faced with what many see as the ultimate tragedy.  Perhaps Zach saw it as the ultimate opportunity.  The opportunity for him to live as much as he could as fast as he could.  But even more important was to get the message out to as many people as he could to do the same.

Let’s face it, life is short.  No matter if you are 17 or 80, it goes by in the blink of an eye.  No matter how successful you are – or how much money you have – time is the one thing you can never get any more of.

So, don’t waste any of it.  Start changing the way you see things so the things you see change.  Make the decision to see and live the life you want to live.  Do it today, because no one is guaranteed tomorrow.

 

We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don’t be a stranger. You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!

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