Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Can it Be Prevented?

15 Aug

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a VERY common condition where the median nerve is compressed or squeezed as it passes through the wrist. One reason that it’s so common is because MANY daily activities require fast, repetitive use of the fingers, hands, and arms, and the friction of the rapidly moving muscle tendons inside the tunnel results in swelling and compression of the nerve. So, can CTS really be prevented?

There are many factors associated with CTS, and some risks can be prevented. For example, some conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and IBS increase the risk of CTS. Therefore, it would be safe to assume those who better manage such conditions would have a lower risk for developing CTS.

Due to the many factors associated with CTS, there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to treatment and prevention of CTS. With that said, here are some VERY effective methods:

1) Ergonomic workstation modifications: Altering the work space (monitor height, keyboard/mouse style, different chair, chair/desk height, etc.) to reduce the number and speed of movements needed to perform commons work tasks.

2) Rest periods: Insert “micro-breaks” into a busy task. Combine breaks with stretching exercises of the wrist/hand/fingers and vary job tasks between fast and slow repetitive types.

3) Exercise: Shake the fingers and hands, lean back in a chair with the arms/shoulders stretched back (“Brugger’s Exercise”), move the neck (chin tucks, rotations, etc.), bend the hand/wrist backwards on a wall or the desk’s edge, self-massage and deep tissue release of the forearm and hand muscles. Do regular aerobic exercise (walking, swimming, biking, etc.) several times each week.

4) Posture: Sit up straight, elbows about 90° on height-adjustable arm rests or comfortably at the sides, forearms parallel to the floor; knees level or slightly lower than the hips, feet flat on the floor or on a footrest or box, if needed. Place typing materials at eye level / avoid prolonged head/neck rotation. Use a wrist rest for the keyboard and mouse, and use a headset when on the phone.

5) Reduce hand tool forces: Choose a tool that allows the wrist to remain neutral. Avoid side to side and flexion/extension wrist positions—especially if they’re prolonged! Tool handles should NOT dig into the palm of the hand or the wrist, and should not have sharp edges. A textured handle can improve grip. Minimize vibration from power tools. Wear shock absorbing gloves. Avoid cold work environments and cold tools.

6) Diet: Cut down on caffeine and smoking. Avoid obesity—a known risk factor of CTS! Consider an anti-inflammatory diet (Paleo, Mediterranean).

7) Splints: A wrist cock-up splint at night prevents prolonged faulty positions and REALLY helps!

This is a partial list of preventative measures that can REALLY help. Doctors of chiropractic treat the WHOLE person and can teach you the right exercises, ways to modify your diet, offer manual therapies and modalities, and help guide you in your self-management of CTS, as this can be a lifelong affliction. A multi-modal treatment approach generally works best!

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.

Best Exercises for Chronic Low Back Pain (Part 1)

11 Aug

Based on simple statistics, we’ve ALL had (or at least will have) some form of low back pain (LBP) at some point in our lives. The term “chronic” applies to LBP that’s been present for at least three months. It has been consistently reported that LBP becomes increasingly difficult to resolve when it persists for three or more months. This month’s topic is about which exercises have been found to BEST address chronic low back pain (cLBP).

Many studies have investigated the effects of stabilization exercises in patients with chronic low back pain. In a review of six recently published studies that followed patients over a four to sixteen week time frame, investigators noted that participants who engaged in exercise (the use of a Swiss ball, floor or “land-based” exercises, sling exercises with some focusing on the abdominal muscles while others looked the extensors) reported improvements in pain and disability that were not seen among those in the non-exercise control groups. Additionally, one study also looked at changes in bone density between both groups and found increased bone density in the exercise group and a reduction in bone density among participants who refrained from exercise. Another study reported waist isometric strength increases in their exercise group.

One study found the cross section of the multifidus (MF) muscles—the deep low back, fine motor muscle groups that is considered to be one of the most important targets for low back strengthening—significantly increased after eight weeks of exercise. Another study observed the same effect for the deep transverse abdominis muscles.

These and other studies clearly show that core stabilization exercises can improve pain and disability scores in patients with cLBP, while those who do not exercise do not improve and in fact, may actually worsen! So, what are core stabilization exercises?

Here are some Swiss ball options (try 5-10 times and increase reps/hold times as you improve your strength):

1) Sitting pelvic tilts – This can be done with both feet (or eventually one foot when you’re ready for an added challenge) on the floor while rocking the pelvis front to back, left to right, or in a circular or “figure-8” manner.

2) Bridge – Start sitting and then walk out so the ball is between the shoulder blades. Keep your trunk parallel to the floor. Push your heels into the floor to activate the hip extensors (buttock muscles) and then walk back up to a sitting position. You can further challenge your balance and hip extensor strength by raising one leg.

3) Sit-ups – Start sitting and roll halfway back and hold it for different lengths of time.

4) See-Saw – Hug the ball and roll out into a push up position. Position the ball under your pelvis and lift one leg at a time towards the ceiling. Alternate between the left and right legs. You can do BOTH legs together once you get used to this to make it more challenging.

There are MANY other Swiss ball exercises, but these are some good ones to start with. Next month, we’ll look at similar floor or land-based pelvic stabilization exercises!

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.

Positive Emotions Can Improve Memory

9 Aug

The way we understand learning has changed quite drastically over the years.  One big change has been moving away from stressful, pressured rote memorization to a cognitive and fun thought process.  The process of thinking through a situation and actively coming up with a solution is much different than simply memorizing dates and names.  The results are also much different when the student is actively engaged because they are having fun and being rewarded, versus being forced to achieve a result out of fear of punishment.  While this all makes sense, is there any proof?  Well, a new study adds evidence to the power of positive emotion in learning.

According to Science Daily:  “Combining a positive emotional component with a given stimulus promotes memory for future stimuli of the same type, report scientists.  Rewarding learning today can improve learning tomorrow; this is one of the conclusions reached by researchers from the Cognition and Brain Plasticity research group of the Institute of Biomedical Research of Bellvitge (IDIBELL) and the University of Barcelona (UB) in their last work on the impact of emotions on the way we remember things. The study, published in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory journal, demonstrates for the first time in humans that the effects of the association of positive emotions in the process of acquisition and consolidation of memories extend selectively and prospectively over time.”

Here is what lead researcher Dr. Javiera Oyarzún had to say, “Our brain works as a sorting machine. Every time we expose ourselves to a stimulus, our brain sorts it out in a category, such as people, animals, objects, etc. This way, whenever we receive new information we can integrate it with similar available information thanks to our ability to generalize, and then anticipate our responses to similar stimuli that may occur in the future.  When storing these stimuli, it is known that emotionally charged events are remembered better than neutral events. For example, we usually do not remember the details surrounding our usual way back home, but if during that time we receive a phone call with good news, or we witness a car accident, we will remember those details with much more precision.” 

In one part of the experiment, researchers showed subjects pictures in different categories. For one particular category, the participant received a reward every time it was shown to associate those particular images with a positive action. As expected, the participants remembered images linked to rewards much better. However, the positive effects that rewards have on memory were not seen until about 24 hours later, suggesting that sleep may play an integral part that is necessary for the memory enhancing effects to take place.  So, is it better to tell a child to get an “A” or he or she is grounded or if they get an “A” they will get something they really want?    According to this study… the latter is probably the way to go.

The Health Benefits of Honey Go Far Beyond Soothing a Sore Throat…

8 Aug

Most people have experienced the soothing effects of sipping on a warm cup of tea with honey while suffering from a cold, but the health benefits of honey extend beyond relieving the ache of a sore throat. Here are a few facts about honey:

  • There are over 300 different types of honey in the United States Variations come from the different types of flowers from which the bees collect their pollen. A few of the different types are, buckwheat, orange blossom, tupelo, wildflower, sage, blueberry, alfalfa, clover, and eucalyptus. Different floral sources result in an array of colors and flavors ranging from light and mild in flavor to dark and robust.
  • Honey may hold the key to finding new antibiotics. Researchers have discovered that bees create a protein called defensin-1 that they add to the honey. Scientist hope that the same compounds in honey can one day be used to “treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.”
  • Honey contains antioxidants. Eating foods with antioxidant properties is important because “Antioxidants— substances that slow the oxidation of other substances—counter the toxic effects of free radicals, which can cause DNA damage that can lead to age-related problems such as arthritis, strokes, and cancer.”

So, if you are interested in adding honey to your diet, there are a few things to keep in mind… Honey should never be given to an infant under twelve months old. Look for local honey sources (farmers markets are a good place to start), but know that unprocessed honey can cause an allergic reaction. And if you have a bee hive in or around your home, know that calling a professional to move the colony to a safe place for both bees and people is an option.

There Are Miracles Performed Every Day!

4 Aug

There is no doubt that we live in a very turbulent time.  If you open the newspaper, go online, or turn on the television, the news typically only shows the darkest side of society.  You’ve heard the term, “If it bleeds, it leads.” News editors know that ratings (and their profits) go up the more they focus on violence, mass shootings, racism, and hatred.

But while a lot of bad stuff happens in the word, there is also much, much, much more good occurring at the same time.  Here is a perfect example…

On April 28th, 2016 an incredible act of heroism took place and you probably didn’t see it on the news.  It was posted on Facebook and was shared tens of thousands of times at the time this article went to press.

Nicole Morgan was out with a friend and her six-year-old son, Mickey, buying sunglasses when she put her bag on her shoulder and felt a sensation like she had been burnt with a hot poker.  She had just been stung by a bee.

It was not a big deal.  She had been stung before.  She was not allergic as far as she knew, and she scraped off the stinger that was still in her shoulder.

They stopped in another store, and that’s when things started going bad…

She was disoriented, having trouble breathing, and could not move. She thought she was going to die. Panic had set it, and it was the panic on her son’s face that may have saved her life. Here are her exact words as posted on Facebook about what happened next…

“That was of course until another man came running towards me and knelt down next to me and asked what had happened and if he could help. I told him that I had been stung by a bee and that I needed to get to the hospital and then I became unconscious (this took all of about 4 minutes from the start of the anaphylactic shock in Pick n Pay to the point where I became unconscious in the walk way at Cedar Square). This man was Obakeng Seutane. He dispersed the crowd that had gathered around me and put my hands behind my head to help open up my constricted wind pipe and then calmed my son down. He then told Mikey that he was going to take me to the hospital and got me up with the help of another man and carried/dragged me down the passage towards his car. He put me in the backseat and strapped me in (God only knows how, as I was still unconscious throughout). He put my son into the front seat, introduced himself and explained to Mikey that he was going to have to drive very fast to get his mom to the hospital (Life Hospital). Once there, I was put into a wheel chair and taken to emergency where I was administered adrenaline shot, after adrenaline shot, after adrenaline shot into my chest and various different antihistamines.”

After a lot of treatment, things got better. She wrote,  “Although I had ‘regained consciousness’, I am unable to recall anything at all from the time I fell unconscious at Cedar Square until I woke up in ICU at 19:30 that night and remember thinking to myself, Wowee, I am actually here! I am alive!!! All thanks to my son, whose terrified face caught Obakeng’s eye as he was walking past on his way to gym with his earphones on and decided that we needed his help!”

Nowadays, people tend to walk around while looking down at their smart phone and when they notice someone who needs help, they move along thinking someone else will step up. Perhaps this story will inspire more people to pay attention to their surroundings and offer aid when it’s needed.

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!

Study Shows Many People with Migraines Have These Vitamin Deficiencies…

2 Aug

You are what you eat.  We’ve all heard that statement over the years.  And it makes complete sense since the foods you consume are the building blocks your body uses to create its cells.

Eat junk and your body struggles to do its job.  It has to work harder just to keep you healthy— much less perform optimally.  Eat a poor diet long enough and you can develop any number of diseases and quite possibly shorten your life.

Eat the right nutrients and your body has a much easier time keeping you healthy, energetic, and feeling great.

However, this does not mean that if you eat correctly, then you will never get sick. There are a lot of other factors that play a role in your longevity. But if you do eat right, then you’re giving yourself a much better chance at living a long and healthy life.

As obvious as this sounds, until recently, nutrition was often misunderstood and completely overlooked by doctors and scientists studying the disease process.  Believe it or not, many “experts” used to say nutrition played little to no role in many health issues and diseases.

It was common to hear sayings like, “Supplements are a complete waste—they are nothing more than expensive urine.”

While some are still ignorant as to the importance of proper nutrition, most doctors and researchers today understand the power of eating correctly and getting your body all the nutrients it needs.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for top athletes to hire nutrition specialists to design their diet so as to optimize their training, recovery, and performance.

On the other end of the spectrum, researchers are finding that improving the diet of the sick can help improve their quality of life and ability to function on a day to day basis.

For example, a team of researchers at the  Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have found that a high percentage of children, teens, and young adults who suffer from migraines appear to have mild deficiencies in vitamin D, riboflavin, and coenzyme Q10.

In particular, they discovered that patients in the study with more severe riboflavin and coenzyme Q10 deficiencies were more likely to have more than 15 migraine episodes per month.

Dr. Suzanne Hagler, a Headache Medicine fellow in the division of Neurology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and lead author of the study writes, “Further studies are needed to elucidate whether vitamin supplementation is effective in migraine patients in general, and whether patients with mild deficiency are more likely to benefit from supplementation.”

While putting the right foods into your body is important, you also need to know that putting the right thoughts into your head may be just as important.

Why?

Because having a positive mental attitude is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy and feel great.

There is plenty of evidence that stress makes you sick.  In others words…

Stress Kills

But relieving stress is not as easy as eating properly.  Eating properly is about willpower.  Once you know what the proper foods are for you, you can stick to it.

Stress is a different ball game.  Many times, reactions to environmental stimuli have become practiced behavior and occur automatically— without you thinking about it or making a conscious decision.

Some top animal behaviorists believe that when a dog is aggressive and blows up at another animal or dog, they get a surge of dopamine.  Dopamine is very addictive, and these dogs seek out this “dopamine fix” in the future.

What’s worse is, just the sight or smell of another dog can trigger the dopamine surge and the aggressive behavior.  This is not a cognitive process by the dog.  In other words, the dog doesn’t decide to be aggressive, he is a slave to the effect of dopamine.

Of course, humans are not dogs, but many believe humans go through similar processes.

It seems as through when humans experience their stress triggers, chemical reactions take place to produce stress.

This is why just yelling at a dog or a person to calm down is not the answer.  It is not that easy.

What’s the answer?  Your perception of the stimuli or event must be modified.

World famous exotic animal trainer and behaviorist Kayce Cover has developed a technique to do this for dogs called, “Perception Modification.”  It deals with completely changing the way dogs view a trigger so they no longer react, have stress, fear, anxiety, and aggression.

Humans need to do the same thing.  We must not try to just deal with the things we do not like. We must change the way we perceive them so we actually like them.  As Wayne Dyer said, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.

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