You Can Get Rid of Your Pain

8 Nov

Our basic premise is that your body is amazing.  You get a do over. It doesn’t take that long, and it isn’t that hard if you know what to do.  In these notes, we give you a short course in what to do so it becomes easy for you and for you to teach others. We want you to know how much control you have over both the quality and length of your life.

This month, let’s talk about pain.  While no one therapy is 100 percent effective, there are effective ways to dial back and even prevent big pain. In fact, proven, non-drug therapies can slash your pain by 20 to 60 percent and let two-thirds of you with chronic pain slash pain-pill dosage too. Yes, the data are clear, chiropractic treatment is the least expensive and quickest way to return to normal function after back pain.

If you’ve got pain that won’t quit—headaches, nerve pain, digestive pain or aches in your joints—these eight tips can help you get the upper hand, brighten your mood, and improve your sleep:

#1: Quit smoking. A major cause of recurrent back pain (and all recurrent pain) is smoking and tobacco use! Tobacco users have a 300 percent greater rate of chronic lower back pain than nonsmokers. The cause of the back pain from tobacco is not known, but some research indicates that hydrocarbons from cigarette smoke increase inflammation and decrease blood flow. Researchers have also found that nicotine disrupts the flow of oxygen to the spine’s disks, and coupled with inflammation, can trigger disk degeneration (ouch!). Cigarette smoke (even secondhand smoke) also appears to kill off the cells that build bone, which affects bone density.  (So does smoking marijuana. One joint releases the inflammation from hydrocarbons of four cigarettes.)

So if you have chronic pain and you smoke, your best first step is to quit! (You’ll also reduce your risk for lung, esophageal, and many other cancers, COPD, stroke, and heart attack.) Need help?  Go to my.clevelandclinic.org and search for “smoking cessation.” Our email coaching program is 63 percent effective on the first try for at least seven months.

#2: Move gently. Exercise may be the last thing you want to do, but a gentle program like walking and yoga (ask your doc what’s best for you) can pay big dividends—like cutting your need for prescription pain pills and boosting the odds you’ll be back to work each by more than 50 percent.  Movement’s great for everything from that bum knee to headaches and pain associated with recovering from cardiac surgery.

#3: Watch your weight. Not only does an extra 10 pounds put 30 to 60 pounds of added force on your knees with every step, but added weight increases your odds for lower back pain, tension and migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, abdominal pain, and chronic widespread pain.  The good news? Losing weight takes that pressure off.

#4: De-stress daily. It’s not all in your head; tension makes pain feel worse. Progressive muscle relaxation by tightening, then releasing your muscles slowly from toes to head helps joint aches, headaches, rheumatoid arthritis pain, and inflammatory bowel disease. Massage and guided imagery also help you relax deeply and ease pain. There are at least eight more techniques you can try to see which works for you at ClevelandClinicWellness.com (look for StressFreeNow on the site).

#5: Meditate. Turning inward for a few minutes relaxes you—and helps you control your brain’s alpha rhythm, a brain wave that tunes out distractions like pain.  This also sharpens memory, which is good news because chronic pain can take a toll on your ability to remember names, dates, or where you left the car keys.  Try it: Close your eyes and breathe in and out at a natural pace, noticing how it feels. As thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations crop up, acknowledge them without judgment and return your attention to your breath, focusing on exhaling stress. After 10 minutes, start noticing your surroundings again, open your eyes, and go about your day refreshed!

#6: Make an appointment for more pain help. Therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy, acupuncture, and biofeedback, provided by trained practitioners, can also take the edge off pain. Ask your doctor for a referral.

#7: Use topical pain relievers. These halt pain signals before they reach your brain.

#8: Get a second opinion about your pain meds. Using strong pain relievers long-term may be a smart choice if you’ve got cancer pain or are suffering from pain at the end of life.  After major surgery, taking them while well-supervised by a pain management specialist may be essential, too.  But remember meditating or yoga learned beforehand decreases need for pain meds even after cardiac surgery by 50%.

But for the rest of you, whether you’re stuck on pain meds or just started taking them, it’s the right time to see your chiropractic pain management specialist to learn about your options. Intercepting pain fast can stop it from becoming chronic. Finding new options can, at any time in your journey to control pain, put you back on the road to living the life you love.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to send questions—to youdocs@gmail.com, and some of them we may know enough to answer (we’ll try to get answers for you if we do not know).

Young Dr Mike Roizen (aka, The Enforcer)

 

NOTE: You should NOT take this as medical advice.

This article is of the opinion of its author.

Before you do anything, please consult with your doctor.

You can follow Dr Roizen on twitter @YoungDrMike (and get updates on the latest and most important medical stories of the week).  The YOU docs have tow newly revised books: The patron saint “book” of this column YOU Staying Young—revised and YOU: The Owner’s Manual…revised —yes a revision of the book that started Dr Oz to being Dr Oz.  These makes great gifts—so do YOU: ON a Diet and YOU: The Owner’s Manual for teens.  And, the new book by Dr Mike Roizen: This is YOUR Do-Over

Michael F. Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. His radio show streams live on http://www.radioMD.com Saturdays from 5-7 p.m. He is the co-author of 4 #1 NY Times Best Sellers including: YOU Staying Young.

Can You Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

3 Nov

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common of the many “entrapment neuropathies”— nerve pinches in the arms or legs—likely because we use our hands and fingers repetitively for long time frames at work and during many of our hobbies. In addition, the wrist is a very complicated joint because it’s not a simple ball-and-socket or hinge, like the hip, elbow, or knee.

The wrist is made up of eight small “carpal” bones that are all shaped very differently and fit together a bit like a puzzle. These eight bones are lined up in two rows of four bones that form the “roof“ of the tunnel.

The shape of the tunnel changes with different activities, and the contents within the tunnel have to accommodate for this. Nine of the tendons that allow the hand to move the fingers also travel through the tunnel. Look at the palm-side of your wrist as you wiggle your fingers. See all the activity going on there? The median nerve travels through the tunnel as well, just under the “floor”, which is a very strong ligament that stretches from the pinky to the thumb-side of the tunnel.

Virtually ANY condition that increases the pressure inside the already tightly packed tunnel can create CTS symptoms like numbness, tingling, burning, etc. Over time, grip strength may weaken, causing one to accidentally drop objects.

To add to the causation list of CTS, conditions like obesity, pregnancy, diabetes, hypothyroid, rheumatoid arthritis (and other “arthropathies”), taking birth control pills (BCPs), and more can cause CTS without any increase in hand/wrist activities!

So HOW can we prevent CTS? First, consider your job and your “workstation.” There are ergonomic keyboard and mouse options that can help you maintain a “neutral” wrist posture. If you have to bend your wrist a lot to do your work tasks—like placing items in a package, assembly work, etc.—see if you can change the angle of the package or assembly set up that allows your wrist to be straight, NOT BENT! Also, sit/stand up straight, chin tucked back, and DON’T SLOUCH!

A “night splint” forces the wrist to stay straight and can REALLY help! Managing your weight and health (manage your diabetes, thyroid, and medications that increase swelling like BCPs) is VERY important! There are also natural anti-inflammatory vitamins and herbs like ginger, turmeric, and bioflavonoid you may want to consider—your doctor of chiropractic can help you with this!

Chiropractors can manage CTS very well and can frequently help patients avoid the need for a surgical release. The “KEY” is to not wait—get treated early on!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

What’s the Best Mattress for Your Back?

1 Nov

Have you ever wondered “What type of mattress is best for my back?” Between the many types of mattresses available on the market—foam, coiled, water, as well as combinations of all these, not to forget further options between soft, medium, or firm—where do we begin? All of these variables make finding the right one truly difficult!

An orthopedic surgeon survey found that 95% of the surgeons polled believed that the mattress played a role in back pain management, and 76% recommended a firm mattress. But is this supported by research?

In an Oklahoma State University study, researchers provided 59 healthy people whose beds were at least five years old with new beds featuring a medium-firm, foam-encased spring mattress. ALL the study subjects said they had less back pain, less shoulder stiffness, improved sleep quality, and greater comfort after 28 nights on the new beds. However, when these researchers reviewed prior studies that compared foam vs. coil vs. water beds, the reviews were mixed, raising the question, “Would any new bed be better than an old one?”

Several studies have measured the difference between mattresses—including a chiropractor-led study that looked at two factors: spinal distortion and maximum pressure. The researchers concluded that the two goals of a mattress were to exhibit LOW maximum pressures and LITTLE spinal distortion.

Another study, this time from a team of South Korean researchers, found that participants gave the highest ratings when their spinal curve while lying down was similar to their standing spinal curve. This prompted a six-day/night follow-up study where researchers measured brain waves, eye movements, heart rhythm, chin movements, and body temperature overnight in a sleep laboratory. They found that sleep efficiency and deep sleep percentages were higher AND the participants woke up less often when the participant rated the mattress as “comfortable”.

A Spanish study found a connection between higher comfort scores how well the pressure of a user’s body distributed over the mattress.

Another study that included 313 adults with chronic low back pain divided participants into two groups that slept on either a medium-firm or a firm mattress for 90 days. The study found that those on the medium-firm mattress had the best outcomes for pain in bed, pain on rising, and disability.

So after ADDING up ALL these findings, it appears that doctors should recommend a mattress that does not distort the spine, distributes weight evenly, and is medium-firm in density.

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

What Is Causing My Knee Pain?

24 Oct

It’s easy to focus on the knee when it hurts, but is the pain truly arising from the knee? There are many studies that link knee pain to problems with the lower back, hips, ankles, and feet. This month, let’s focus on the role the foot and ankle play in preserving knee health!

Because we are all bipeds—we walk on two legs—EVERYTHING from the ground up affects the rest of the body. The first “link” of this “kinetic chain” is our feet, and the last link is the head.

If any of the links are altered lower down in the kinetic chain, it will affect the links that follow—usually in a negative way!

For example, a flat foot and/or pronated ankle (where the foot and ankle rolls inward) can create a “knocked knee” effect. The next time you’re in the mall or grocery store, look at people from behind and watch how many roll their ankle(s) inwards when they walk. This is especially noticeable among those wearing shorts and flip flops. It’s estimated that 80% of us are over-pronating by the age of 30, and many of us are born with congenital flat feet, so this behavior is not uncommon in kids.

There are many tissues in the knee that can generate pain. In the over-pronation scenario, the medial, or inside compartment, of the knee is overloaded by opening up excessively while the lateral, or outer compartment, over-compresses or jams together. We often find medial and/or lateral compartment pain in the over-pronated ankle/knocked-knee side.

The front of the knee houses the knee cap that glides in a groove, and the knocked-knee results in overloading on the outside of the knee cap/groove creating a condition called lateral patellofemoral pressure syndrome and/or chondromalacia patella.

When you present for a chiropractic evaluation, your doctor will pay great attention to your gait or walking rhythm and look for over-pronation vs. supination (an outward shift of the ankle), the degree the knee “knocks” inwards (genu valgum) vs. outwards (genu varum or “bow-legged”), respectively. You can correct the pronation effect and unload the compartment that is literally getting “beat up” (hopefully BEFORE arthritis occurs) by placing a medial (or lateral) heel wedge into a foot orthotic.

The next topic is exercise! It is SO important to keep the muscles around the knee stretched and strong! There is ONE particular muscle (vastus medialis oblique or VMO) that connects our upper/inner knee cap to the medial/inside leg. It is the ONLY muscle that counteracts the outward pull by the other quadriceps muscles that attach to the kneecap. Your doctor of chiropractic can show you how to specifically exercise and isolate the VMO, if necessary.

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

 

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

 

Can We Be “Too Clean?”

20 Oct

The concept of cleanliness has been a topic of great debate for many years. On one side of the fence, frequent cleaning reduces the number of bacteria and viruses that cause illness. On the other side, some experts argue that our body’s immune system has to work harder when regularly exposed to pathogens and allergens, which can improve our autoimmune response against the various bugs we might encounter during our day-to-day lives. So, what does the evidence say?

In a recent study, researchers found that children who bit their nails or sucked their thumb— habits frequently discouraged by parents—were half as likely to have allergies at age 32! It’s suspected the children’s immune systems strengthened due to frequent exposure to the bacteria that were under the nails or on the hands.

This new discovery—coined the hygiene hypothesis—may explain why allergies are more common now than they were during the Victorian era—a time when hygiene was much worse.

There has been a steady rise in allergies over the past twenty years, yet no one can fully explain why. For example, in the United Kingdom, one-in-four people suffer from an allergy at some point in life, with an increase in the number each year. Though some research supports germ exposure concepts, experts stress that other VERY important factors including diet, exercise, environmental factors, antibiotic use, and a family history of allergies may also play a larger role in allergy development.

Of course, maintaining good personal and home hygiene standards is very important! Avoiding and preventing the spread of infection to others by covering your mouth when you sneeze (especially if you’re sick) or washing your hands after using the toilet are solid practices! The KEY is NOT to be obsessive about cleanliness!

The available evidence seems to support the following:

  • Children raised on a farm develop fewer allergies (possibly due to farm animal exposure).
  • Chemicals found in household cleaning products are NOT linked to a rise in allergies.
  • The frequency of bathing or showering is NOT linked to increased allergy risk.
  • Antibiotic use IS linked to allergy (by disturbing the body’s balance between good and bad bacteria).
  • Vaccines are NOT directly linked to the rise in allergy.
  • Diet changes, especially in childhood, have been linked to the rise in allergy. Introducing “high allergy” foods like nuts, seeds, milk, soy, wheat/gluten, and egg AFTER at least six months of exclusively breastfeeding (during the weaning process) can reduce the number of children developing allergies in later childhood.
  • Chiropractic adjustments support the immune system and may offer relief for some children suffering from allergies.

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Collisions & Concussions – New Data!

17 Oct

Are you of the belief that you have to hit your head in order to have a concussion or that concussions are easily diagnosed and managed? If so, then you are not alone! In fact, traumatic brain injury (TBI)—the proper term used when bleeding occurs within the skull occurs—and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)—the term applied when no bleeding occurs—remains poorly understood by many healthcare providers. This is partly due to not having any definitive method of testing that yields an accurate diagnosis.

Another problem is the under-reporting of concussion, as close to 40% of people who experience an mTBI do not report it to their doctor. Because of the significant negative consequences regarding the outcome and whole life ramifications associated with concussion, the importance of improving on the ability to diagnose or identify and treat concussion is huge!

We know that mTBI results from the transfer of energy from environmental forces to the brain by a sudden acceleration followed by a sudden deceleration that literally slams the brain into the inside bony skull.

The clinical work-up must include a review of body systems, with a special emphasis on the nervous system, including cognitive and behavioral symptoms. A partial list of post-concussion syndrome symptoms includes headache, balance problems, nausea and/or vomiting, vision problems, dizziness, brain fog (problems with attention, concentration, and speed of mental processing), memory problems, fatigue/drowsiness, light/noise sensitivity, and more.

The good news is that many mTBI sufferers fully recover, but the bad news is up to 25% do not! Promising newer technologies such as Diffuse Tensor Imaging can identify injury to the neural structures (axonal shearing) in those who’ve experienced a head trauma (such as from a car accident, sports injury, or slip and fall). The Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2) has been adopted by numerous sports leagues and others, but many healthcare practitioners do not utilize a structured tool such as this.

One promising tool is a blood test that measures brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF)—a chemical hormone that helps maintain the health of neurons (nerve cells)—which can help diagnose mTBI conclusively and with good reproducibility! Blood levels of BDNF typically are low in patients with TBI or mTBI, and studies have shown patients with very low levels of BDNF are more prone to an incomplete recovery.

Put simply, this type of blood test can help a doctor diagnose, determine the severity, and determine the likelihood of recovery of TBI/mTBI! Doctors of chiropractic are frequently sought out by those with mTBI and understand the importance of careful management of this common and often poorly identified condition.

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

 This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

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