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Archive for May, 2010

The Role of Exercise in Building a Healthy Spine

I see many types of injuries as a Chiropractor in San Diego.  Some of the common injuries can result in neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, sciatica etc. 

Causes of these injuries range from auto accidents and work related injuries to injuries caused by domestic chores, house work and sometimes things as simple as sleeping in an awkward position.

Of these injured patients, I would say that at least 50% of them, for the moment, while they are in pain they ask “what can I do for myself to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?”  This question served as the inspiration for this article and I will address in this post.

To begin with, pain is a great motivator. 

When people are in pain they take a proactive approach to their health.  People often inquire about what kind of stretch or exercising that they can start right away.  Unfortunately, the best thing that you can do while your injury is new is to apply ice packs to the injured area and rest. 

Over my 15 plus years in practice I have seen a large percentage of enthusiastic patients ignore this advice and end up giving their conditions a major set back.  The time to start exercising and stretching your back for most of us is when it is out of its acute stage of pain.

My biggest struggles in practice have been dealing with my patients exercise and diet habits.  Exercise is one of the few things that a patient can do at home, outside of chiropractic care, to help prevent or diminish the chances of developing back pain.

After an injury, you should approach exercise cautiously – almost to a point where the exercise that you are performing feels like it is doing nothing.  If you can get through a few low intensity exercise sessions like this without aggravating your condition, you should slowly add resistance which allows you to build confidence and strength at the same time. 

Remember to follow a sensible approach to exercising after a back injury.  Be sure to exercise and stretch under the advise of a health care professional.  Strong and flexible muscles add strength and support to your spine and will provide much needed stability.

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.

Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic

ADJUSTABLE MOUSE PLATFORM Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Chiropractic San Diego Website to make an appointment
Better Health Steve Jones

Sacroiliac Joint and Hip Pain

The patients in my San Diego Chiropractic clinic often complain of “hip pain”.  When I ask them to point to the pain they almost always point to the area right next to the spine just below their beltline. 

That is the difference between a medical definition of the hip and that of a patient.  From a medical standpoint, the “hip” is the joint where the femur articulates with the acetabulum.  While I do see and provide care for those with pain in this joint, it is much less common to see pain in this “hip” joint versus the “hip” joints that most often trouble my patients.

The joint that my patients point to when they complain of hip pain is usually the sacroiliac joint.  The sacroiliac joint is formed from the ileum aka, hip bone and the sacrum which is a triangular shaped fusion of the bottom five vertebra in the spine.  The spine (and the weight of your upper body) sit directly on top of the sacroiliac joints making the stability of these joints extremely important. 

There is a network of ligaments and muscles that act to stabilize and move the sacroiliac joints.  Since the sacroiliac joints have to support some of the greatest forces that our bodies are subjected to, the muscles that act on these joints are some of the strongest in the body.  Because of the sacroiliac joints close approximation to the spine and the hip proper, the larger muscles that act on the sacroiliac joint are also movers of the hip and the lower lumbar spine.   

Since the sacroiliac joints are large joints that are supported by big muscles and strong ligaments, they are able to withstand much of the stresses that we ask of them.  However, they do break down with the constant postural stresses (sitting), poor lifting habits, falls and other injuries leading to pain and stiffness in the lower back.

Because of its size, once the sacroiliac joint is irritated, it can be difficult to treat.  Treatment always involves reducing inflammation, mobilizing the joint (restoring normal motion) then stabilizing the joint with stretches and exercises.  This is the course of care that I have followed with great results in my chiropractic office in San Diego.

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.

Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic

ADJUSTABLE MOUSE PLATFORM Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Chiropractic San Diego Website to make an appointment
Better Health Steve Jones

Pinched Nerves in San Diego

You are on my last nerve!

When I was a kid my mom probably said that to me a hundred times.  Now my patients in my San Diego chiropractic office complain of other types of nerve issues.   Sometimes, pinched nerves accompany neck pain, back pain and headaches.

Pinched nerves always result in pain traveling down either an arm or a leg resulting in what is called radiating pain.  Many patients come to my San Diego chiropractic office complaining of a pinched nerve but my exam reveals simple neck pain or back pain. 

There are many causes of pinched nerves.  One of the worst scenarios involves a herniated disc in the spine that is putting pressure on the nerve.  Herniated discs don’t always mean that surgery is required but it usually results in stretched out, more intensive treatment plans. 

One of the more common causes of pinched nerves results from irritated and inflamed joints in the spine.  Poor lifting habits, awkward sleeping positions, poor posture and many other aggravating activities can inflame the ligamentous capsule that surrounds the joint.  As the capsule swells, it cause local muscle spasm and can cause compression or pinching of the nerve.

Like I wrote earlier in the article, pinching of the nerve causes radiating pain that travels down the leg, into an arm, down the back or sometimes up to the back of the head.  Either way, pinched nerves can make you absolutely miserable.

There are several things that you can do for a pinched nerve at home.  To begin with, pinched nerves almost always involve inflammation and swelling.  By applying ice packs to painful areas you can reduce the inflammation and relieve some of the pain.  In addtion to ice pack use, you have to acknowledge and respect your pain.  That means rest as much as you can – working through pain rarely works out well for the patient.  Try your best to stay out of painful positions and don’t “test” it. 

Chiropractic treatment is very effective at relieving the symptoms of a pinched nerve.  Instead of masking the pain with drugs, chiropractic care improves the mechanics of the joint which helps relieve the pain and improve your range of motion.  

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

www.jonespainrelief.com

Visit our Adjustable Economical Mouse Platform website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

Read More Articles on Chiropractic, Nutrition, Preventative Health, Back pain, Neck Pain and more

Liability – Personal Injury Cases

Even when all aspects of case are well managed, problems for reimbursement can ensue. If the liability for the automobile accident is disputed, the settlement will often be different when compared to an undisputed case.

For example, if the treated patient is found to be 20 percent comparatively negligent for not wearing his seat belt, the final award of $10,000 would now total $8,000.

This final award now reflects the 20 percent comparative negligence. In our opinion, it is not fair for the doctor to reduce his bill by any amount to compensate the patient for his negligence.

Labor Disability

There are times, most often in severe traumas, when a labor disabling status will be afforded to the patient.

To justify this status and the accompanying reimbursement for lost wages, the doctor must document what specific occupational activities are prohibited by the injury. Failure to document the need for temporary disability will cause the patient to lose financial compensation for his loss of earning.

Documentation

This is a broad classification which encompasses all written words concerning this accident. We are of the opinion that “travel cards” and “fill in the blank exam forms” are no longer sufficient in the current medical/legal system.

They tell what was done but not the reason. The literature is very clear as to how to properly document each of the patient’s office visits. The SOAP acronym is most often used:
“S” refers to the patient’s subjective complaints,
“O” refers to the objective evidence for care seen on each office visit,
“A” stands for the doctor’s assessment of the patient’s condition, and the
“P” pertains to the treatment plan of that visit.

This type of documentation is not only taught in the chiropractic schools, but is also recommended by most malpractice insurance carriers as the proper way to document each of the dates of service.

It should be mentioned that even the best attorneys can not adequately represent their clients interests without proper documentation from the doctor.

We hope this discussion has enlightened and provided a reasonable source of reference for both sides of these issues.

The doctor has a heavy burden. He must not only adequately treat the patient, but also assume the responsibility placed upon him by the legal system. The financial and personal rewards for his efforts will be more than adequate for the effort expended.

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.

Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic

ADJUSTABLE MOUSE PLATFORM Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Chiropractic San Diego Website to make an appointment
Better Health Steve Jones

An Introduction to Outcome Assessment(Part 1)
________________________________________
Mark van Hemert, DC, DACS

The design of this article is to give the chiropractic profession an introduction into the value and usefulness of clinical outcome assessment procedures. Using outcome assessment methods of case management gives the chiropractic profession an effective way to document the need for care.

This results in receiving the compensation for services they rendered.
In today’s environment of manage care, the attending clinician’s care is constantly being reviewed and challenged.

The chief areas of concern for the third-party payers is over-utilization and costs. Over-utilization is a problem in chiropractic, whether it be real or only perceived by outside reviewers.

This perception can only be overcome on a case by case basis by objectively proving that care provided was reasonable and necessary. Á Due to the acceptance of the Mercy guidelines

(Guidelines for Chiropractic Quality Assurance and Practice Parameters) by the insurance industry, the document is the authoritative reference to counter the insurance industry’s attempt to limit quality and the quantity of care.

The primary reason the Mercy guidelines carry a high level of acceptance and credibility by the insurance industry, is because its ratings are based on scientific evidence.

A synopsis of today’s situation reveals that the care rendered by the attending clinician is constantly being challenged by the third-party carriers. IME opinions of excessive care or no permanent impairment are detrimental to the patient’s medical/legal case.

Cases that involve acute injury with associated liability frequently require the intervention of the court system or workers’ compensation system to resolve the case.

This inherent intervention leaves the door wide open for the probing eyes and opinions of the IME. Due to a lack of knowledge and documentation by the attending physician, patients receive inadequate medical care and inferior documentation of their injury, rational for therapeutic care, determination of maximum improvement, and final impairment.

Third-party carriers are aggressive in their review of care to determine the point of maximum improvement. Many clinicians feel that if patient care is within the guideline numbers, their fees will be paid.

However, the therapeutic necessity of care is frequently being challenged. A lack of knowledge of the practice guidelines does not substantiate the patient’s contractual right to receive care to the maximum ability of the injury to respond to active care and improved function.

power… the 1980s witnessed a shift in power from the providers of health care to the payers of it … and those practitioners whose services are labeled worthless could face financial ruin … chiropractors are especially vulnerable.”

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.

Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic

ADJUSTABLE MOUSE PLATFORM Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Chiropractic San Diego Website to make an appointment
Better Health Steve Jones

Back Pain, Neck Pain and Posture

Back pain and neck pain can strike anyone at any time. In my chiropractic clinic in San
Diego, California, we see patients that have injured their backs or necks from lifting
boxes, operating heavy machinery, sports injuries, auto accidents and falls. Many nonchiropractic.

Patients or new chiropractic patients would be surprised to find that the most
common type of injury that we see in our office is not from lifting 90 pound sacks of
concrete but from postural stress.

Postural stress is the “silent killer” when it comes to our spinal health. Postural stress
occurs during both seated and standing positions. Postural stress occurs any time that
your spine looses its’ natural curves and / or moves forward beyond its neutral balance
point.

An example of a posturally stressful position for your neck would be when you are sitting at the computer leaning your neck and head forward while either keyboarding or reading the screen. Assuming a posture in which your head and neck are extended out in front of your body reverses the normal curve of your neck and shifts your head forward of its balance point.

When we assume postures that cause stress on our spines, the stability that is inherent in our structure when postural boundaries are respected is lost. Postural stress exposes our aligaments and muscles to prolonged periods of stretching which results in fatigue,
irritation, inflammation, back pain and neck pain.

Treating postural stresses resulting neck pain and back pain requires a multifaceted
approach. Chiropractic care will relieve the pain and stiffness. This may take several
treatments based on the length of time that you have been in pain and the severity of your symptoms. Concurrent to chiropractic care, you must do everything possible to remove the causes of the postural stress. A thorough workstation analysis can reveal hidden sources of postural stress. Applying ice packs to the specific areas of neck pain and back pain in twenty minute sessions is also helpful.

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs. www.JonesPainRelief.com or www.ErgoNav.com

Picking up On Repetitive Stress Trauma:

I ended my last post with discussing the contributing factors of work duties with the development of Repetitive Stress Trauma.  The reason that work is such a heavy contributor to these types of injuries is the frequency and consistency of the exposure to the aggravating activity.  Most of us work at least 5 days a week, usually consecutive days and we do the same things each day for the most part.  This kind of continual stress exceeds the body’s ability to recover and heal.  Without adequate rest / recovery, a portion of us are susceptible to developing a repetitive stress injury. 

Typical activities associated with the onset of Repetitive Stress Trauma include repetitive gripping, reaching, twisting, pushing, pulling and the use of computer input devices including both the keyboard and the mouse.  Often times, these activities are performed in ways that dictate the use of poor posture and awkward body positions.

Hence we have the perfect formula for the development of a Repetitive Stress Trauma.  Forceful Movements + High Repetitions + Poor & Awkward Postures + Lack of Recovery Time = Repetitive Stress Trauma.

This is not rocket science but it takes some thought to putting the pieces together.  It also takes some thought in unraveling the particular stresses that are or could cause you to develop symptoms.

More Soon,

Dr. Jones

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

www.jonespainrelief.com

Visit our Adjustable Economical Mouse Platform website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

Read More Articles on Chiropractic, Nutrition, Preventative Health, Back pain, Neck Pain and more

San Diego is known as being an environment that is full of allergens.  I have many patients in my chiropractic practice that specifically come to the chiropractor (me) for neck or cervical adjustments that help their allergies.

As it is, millions of Americans alter their summer activities because of allergies.  For some of us, allergies mean having to limit outdoor activities during some seasons.  Having the ability to do yard work, play golf, horse around with the kids or take a walk around the park should all be part of summer-time fun.  For a few of us allergy sufferers, it can mean complete misery.

We typically use anti-histamines (both prescription and over the counter) to help to reduce the severity of our allergy symptoms.  These anti-histamines are not without side-effects, especially in children whose allergies may be treated with a lifetime of medication.  The downside of long term anti-histamine use is that they do not resolve the cause of the allergies, but merely reduce to symptom severity.

For this reason, many people consider natural alternatives to anti-histamine medication as they are concerned about long term effects of the medication.  Allergies are caused by exaggerated immune responses therefore reducing allergies requires improving the health of the immune system. 

There are several ways to naturally boost immune system function:

Nutritional support is vital for a properly functioning immune system.  Without essential nutrients, the body cannot produce the cells need for immune function.  The body expresses inadequate immune system function with allergic reactions.  A good initial approach is to eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more water.  Eating whole grains and fresh fish will help you consume complex carbohydrates and essential fatty acids which are essential for a healthy immune system.  If food seems to be a source of your allergies, you may want to consider supplementing your improved diet with vitamins and minerals.

Exercise is also important in boosting immune function.  Aerobic exercise has been proven to help stimulate proper immune cells (Igg), and suppress histamine-producing immune cells (Ige).  Both of these cell types play critical roles in the immune response. 
Another critical way to improve immune system function is to improve nervous system function.  The nervous system regulates the immune system, therefore a properly functioning nervous system is better able to coordinated immune cell activity. 

Chiropractic adjustments have helped many allergy sufferers by improving the health of the nervous system.

The bottom line is that allergies are a response that we think we have no control over. However, through diet, exercise, and chiropractic adjustments you may be able to control your allergies the healthy way.
More Soon,
Doc

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

www.jonespainrelief.com

Visit our Stop RSI Economical Mouse Platform, website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractor Website to make an appointment

Read More Articles on Chiropractic, Nutrition, Preventative Health, Back pain, Neck Pain and more

 The Role of Exercise in Building a Healthy Spine

I see many types of injuries as a Chiropractor in San Diego.  Some of the common injuries can result in neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, sciatica etc.

Causes of these injuries range from auto accidents and work related injuries to injuries caused by domestic chores, house work and sometimes things as simple as sleeping in an awkward position.

Of these injured patients, I would say that at least 50% of them, for the moment, while they are in pain they ask “what can I do for myself to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?”  This question served as the inspiration for this article and I will address in this post.

To begin with, pain is a great motivator.

When people are in pain they take a proactive approach to their health.  People often inquire about what kind of stretch or exercising that they can start right away.  Unfortunately, the best thing that you can do while your injury is new is to apply ice packs to the injured area and rest.

Over my 15 plus years in practice I have seen a large percentage of enthusiastic patients ignore this advice and end up giving their conditions a major set back.  The time to start exercising and stretching your back for most of us is when it is out of its acute stage of pain.

My biggest struggles in practice have been dealing with my patients exercise and diet habits.  Exercise is one of the few things that a patient can do at home, outside of chiropractic care, to help prevent or diminish the chances of developing back pain.

After an injury, you should approach exercise cautiously – almost to a point where the exercise that you are performing feels like it is doing nothing.  If you can get through a few low intensity exercise sessions like this without aggravating your condition, you should slowly add resistance which allows you to build confidence and strength at the same time.

Remember to follow a sensible approach to exercising after a back injury.  Be sure to exercise and stretch under the advise of a health care professional.  Strong and flexible muscles add strength and support to your spine and will provide much needed stability.

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.

Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic

ADJUSTABLE MOUSE PLATFORM Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Chiropractic San Diego Website to make an appointment
Better Health Steve Jones

Nutrition Update – Still Sleeping!

I did a post on regarding a new supplement program that I had started sometime around the middle of March.

I am ecstatic about the results so far!

In my last post I had touched on some health issues that have been plaguing me for years.  The issues that I mentioned were insomnia and anxiety.

To back track just a little bit, I had read quite a bit about hair mineral analysis over the years and out of curiosity finally had one done.  My results revealed deficiencies in several minerals that can cause not only insomnia but anxiety.

I had begun taking the minerals that I was deficient in and as of this last Monday I had three consecutive good nights sleep.  It is now Friday, April 04, 2008 and I have now had seven (7) great nights sleep. 

For the first time in years I don’t feel like I need a cup of coffee to get me started in the morning and I don’t feel myself running out of energy in the mid-afternoon.

I am not sure at this point how I am doing with my anxiety levels.  I definitely feel less anxious than I did.  That being the case, I am reasonably sure that the only stress that has reduced in my life is the stress that I used to have when I was trying to sleep. 

Either way, I am sleeping better, MUCH BETTER, and my anxiety level seems to be lower.

I realize that I have only been doing this for a few weeks but this is encouraging.  My results thus far really makes me want to look at the rest of my health habits a bit harder.  Maybe a few adjustments in my diet such as eliminating a bit more refined sugar and simply resisting the urge to succumb to unhealthy cravings could help me attain a level of health that I have not had in years.  

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

www.jonespainrelief.com

Visit our Stop RSI Economical Mouse Platform, website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractor Website to make an appointment

Read More Articles on Chiropractic, Nutrition, Preventative Health, Back pain, Neck Pain and more

Posture and Back Pain

Have you ever hurt your back and scratched your head wondering – how did this happen when my back has felt fine until now?

Patients present to my San Diego Chiropractic clinic on a regular basis with neck pain, back pain and other related symptoms that not only lack a history of pain in that area but have no recent injury or accident to explain their current painful symptoms. 

This is frustrating for the patient yet a typical presentation for me.

When patients come in for care with this type of history recent injury, my inquiries usually lead to a situation that involves excessive postural stress for that patient.

Ongoing postural stress affects our body much like the old analogy of the straws on the camels back.  Our bodies are capable of compensating for quite a bit of stress before symptoms appear.  This is good and bad. 

The good part of this situation is that if we didn’t compensate for all the little stresses that we are subjected to, we would be uncomfortable all the time.  The bad part about compensation is that we often are not keen enough to recognize when our bodies are being exposed to ongoing low levels of stress. 

Once the stress levels build to a certain point, the body part in question reacts with irritation, inflammation and muscle spasm.  This combination produces pain and tightness and usually is the reason that patients call my office.

Postural stress can place an amazing amount of stress on your spine.  One of my reference books has a chart that describes how different body positions affect the amount of pressure on your discs in the low back.  The differences are amazing.

When standing straight up with ideal posture, the pressure in the discs of the low back is 100%.  When lying flat on your back the pressure is at 24%.  While sitting straight with good posture, the pressure is at 140% but when slouching forward with poor posture the disc pressure goes to a staggering 190%.

Considering that most of us sit for a good portion of the day, simply sitting becomes a significant source of stress for the lower back. 

This kind of ongoing stress combined with an awkward twist or bend can generate a crisis for the low back leading the patient to wonder exactly how turning to pick that cup of coffee off the desk behind him / her lead to such a severe back spasm.

Writers Bio

Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

www.jonespainrelief.com

Visit our Adjustable Economical Mouse Platform website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

Read More Articles on Chiropractic, Nutrition, Preventative Health, Back pain, Neck Pain and more