Monday, March 29, 2010

Chiropractic Care for Arm and Wrist Pain

Chiropractic Care for Arm and Wrist Pain:  Case Review


Have you ever slept on your arm and had it fall asleep?  Imagine if it just felt like that all the time.

A few months ago I had a young lady come to my San Diego Chiropractic office with these complaints.  In addition to numbness and tingling, she had neck pain, shoulder pain, arm pain, wrist pain and hand pain.  She also complained of weakness in her left hand, which was resulting in clumsiness and was affecting her work as an executive secretary. 

These complaints are seen with regular frequency in my office.  The process is a familiar one and common with many musculoskeletal conditions that involve the nervous system.  Usually, postural stresses such as leaning over a desk or computer will eventually irritate a specific joint in the spine.  The irritation of the joint causes inflammation of the muscles and ligaments that surround that joint.  This inflammation will cause compression of the local nerves resulting in pain and muscle spasm.  If the nerve compression persists, numbness, tingling and weakness of the related muscles will follow.   

This patient was displaying signs and symptoms of long-term nerve root compression that involved her left arm and hand. 

We treated her with chiropractic manipulations that were delivered with the specific goal of eliminating the nerve root compression.  She was also treated with ice packs, hot packs, electrical muscle stimulation and ultrasound in order to address the soft tissue inflammation.   In addition to in office care she was given a set of stretches and exercises for at home therapy and advised to use ice packs daily for twenty minutes per session.

It took approximately eight weeks of active care, which is three treatment visits per week, to relieve 90% of her pain and 90% of her left arm weakness.   The rest of her symptoms will resolve with at home therapy and chiropractic care delivered on an as needed basis for flair-ups that will occur in the future.

This is just one example of the many different types of cases that resolve with chiropractic care in my office.



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


Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.

Better Health Steve Jones

Friday, February 19, 2010

Chiropractic Care and Back Pain

Chiropractic Care and Back Pain

Which is worse – neck pain or back pain?

I hear this question often in my San Diego chiropractic office.  Of course the answer is easy – if you have back pain, back pain is definitely worse than neck pain.  If you have neck pain, neck pain is definitely worse than back pain.

Another common question that I hear regarding low back pain is why sitting makes it hurt more than standing. 

This is a good question, which can be answered through physics.  I remember seeing a diagram in one of my office ergonomic books that exposed the different stress levels on the spinal disks with various body positions.

The diagram had drawings of a person standing, lying down, sitting and then sitting while hunched forward with very poor posture.  The disk pressure differences with these different postures was given as follows:

Standing upright 100%
Lying down          24%
Sitting upright     140%
Sitting hunched   190%

The explanation of the much higher disk pressures while sitting is explained by examining the structural changes that occur when we change from a standing to a seated position.

Our spines are supposed to have curves when viewed from the side.  The neck should have a nice sweeping forward curve, the mid-back should carry a backward curve and the low back should have a sweeping forward curve.  When these curves are present, the weight of your body is carried evenly across several different structures of the spine.  These curves help provide stability for your spine.

Once we assume a seated position, the natural forward curve in our low backs reverses which increases the pressure on the disks and either increases back pain or causes back pain.  If we stay in that seated position but flex our bodies forward at the waist (think bad posture – slumping over your keyboard or desk) the pressure in the disks elevates causing more damage and more pain.

Limiting the time that you sit will help your back pain in most instances.  This is advice that I hand out to my San Diego chiropractic patients everyday of the week.  I hope that it helps you as well.


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


Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.

Better Health Steve Jones

Causes of Neck Pain and Back Pain

Causes of Neck Pain and Back Pain


My chiropractic office, similar to many other practices all over the US, offers relief from back pain or neck pain. More than just a solution for back and neck pain, chiropractic care may alleviate symptoms or improve many ailments.

Because back pain and neck pain can be early signs of a severe problem, you should see a medical professional quickly. Ignoring back and neck pain could create other health problems that are more serious.

Some of the various conditions that cause back pain and neck pain can include everything from injury and infection to twisting or turning "the wrong way". Muscles, joints, ligaments, and vertebrae can undergo considerable trauma and resulting injury from auto and other types of accidents.

When back pain occurs as a tight feeling along the spine or muscle spasms, overuse or lack of use of the back muscles is the most likely culprit. Joints and ligaments become increasingly inflamed and swollen with advancing age.

A herniated disc happens if nucleus pulposus, the substance inside the disc, comes out of a torn annulus fibrosis, the substance outside of the disc, compressing the nerve root. Because the cervical and lumbar areas of the spine have the greatest range of motion, the discs here have a greater exposure to injury and repeated stress. The bottom two spinal vertebrae experience ninety percent of all herniated disc injuries.

When the spinal canal becomes narrow, spinal stenosis can occur, making the spinal cord irritated and injured. There are many conditions that can cause spinal stenosis including infections, tumors, trauma, herniated disc, arthritis, ligament thickening, the growth of bone spurs, and general disc degeneration. As people age, some vertebral degeneration occurs, sometimes leading to spinal stenosis.

When something rubs or presses against a nerve creating irritation or inflammation, a pinched nerve, also known as radiculopathy, occurs. The causes of radiculopathy vary. Some causes of radiculopathy are bone spurs, herniated discs, fractures of the vertebrae, tumors, and a host of other diseases and conditions.


The specific type of radiculopathy that irritates the sciatic nerve is known as sciatica. When the sciatic nerve is inflamed, pain shoots down the lower back through one side of the buttocks and continues down the back side of the leg.

Compressing the spine or nerve roots can cause significant pain and can be an indicator or symptom of a spinal tumor that originates in the spine (primary tumor) or reaches the spine from a different part of the body (metastatic tumor) can press on the spine's nerve roots and be very painful.

Ailments of the vertebrae (vertebral osteomyelitis), disc problems, spinal meningitis, or cerebrospinal fluid can press against the spinal cord and cause bad neurological damage if it isn't identified and treated right away.

Facet joints are formed by two adjacent vertebra and direct the movement of the spine; these joints are often areas that are affected by arthritis. As the joints deteriorate, they get out of alignment, and the cartilage and fluid that should keep our joints "greased" may deteriorate as well. Bone rubbing against bone can be very painful.

These are among the many causes for back pain and neck pain. Chiropractors often relieve uncomfortable back pain and neck pain, because the associated causes are usually mechanical in nature. This is the point; do not ignore the warning signal that is head and back pain


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


Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.

Better Health Steve Jones

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Chiropractic Explained

Chiropractic care for beginners

My Chiropractic clinic in San Diego primarily serves those who have had experience with chiropractic treatment over the course of their lives.  Many of them come for treatment not because they have a particular ache or pain but because they simply like the way they feel after a treatment.  I don’t want to imply that chiropractic care is addicting like smoking is, but after you have experienced the improved range of motion, increased athletic performance and decreased muscle tension that results from chiropractic care, many simply want that feeling to be the norm.  Other patients come specifically for treatment of neck pain, back pain, headaches, etc.

One thing that most of these patients have in common is that they usually know someone who could benefit from chiropractic care but that person is hesitant.  They are hesitant to come for treatment either because they don’t “believe” in chiropractors or because they are afraid.

Those who don’t believe in chiropractic care are easy to convince of the benefits of chiropractic treatment.  Many of these people hold on to the untruths spread by the American Medical Association (AMA) regarding chiropractors.  Between the 1960s and the mid 1980s, the AMA spent nearly $100,000,000 on an anti-chiropractic campaign.  While most of the information that the AMA dispersed regarding my profession was false and based on the poor behavior of just a few doctors, some people continue to hold on to those false ideas. 

That being said, chiropractic treatment has a direct and immediate beneficial effect on the joints of the spine.  This benefit is a combination of increased joint motion, relaxed muscles and decreased tension and is hard to overlook even by the most pessimistic skeptic. 

Those who are fearful of chiropractic care are more difficult to convince of the benefits of treatment.  They are afraid that they might get paralyzed or have some other life changing occurrence as a result of care.  In reality, chiropractic care is very safe.  The only “side effect” that we have personally seen regarding chiropractic care is that the patients feel better. 

The safety of your doctor’s office can be determined by the cost of their malpractice insurance.  Chiropractors insurance rates for the same level of coverage is less than 1/10 of most MDs.  What that means to patients is that despite the fact that some people don’t like the thought of having their joints “cracked”, a chiropractor’s office is a very safe place to receive treatment.     

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


Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.

Better Health Steve Jones

Friday, January 29, 2010

Sleeping Nutrition Update:

Chiropractic and Nutrition Update:

Ever since I started practicing in San Diego I have had trouble sleeping. I have addressed this in several blog posts over the last few weeks.

As many of you know, lack of sleep makes days difficult and nights dreadful.

I had always assumed that my lack of sleep was secondary to stress from my business / practice. It seemed like a reasonable assumption. I spend my days treating patients who I truly care about for neck pain, back pain, headaches and other aches and pains. While I love my job, having patients depend on you for their well being is stressful and I do think of these things at night.

There was also a time when I decided that my lack of a good nights sleep was due to caffeine. As a result of this assumption I completely weaned myself off of coffee for about five years. This didn’t really help me sleep any better but I was much calmer. Until I eliminated caffeine from my diet I didn’t realize how anxious it made me.

As you probably read in prior posts, I ended up having a hair mineral analysis that was a telling study. My results showed a deficiency in several nutrient minerals that have an impact on sleep.

For the last six weeks or so I have been supplementing these minerals with very exciting results. Up until last night I have been sleeping for three or four hours per night longer than I used to.

What a huge difference!

Instead of feeling run down and tired I actually have energy. My anxiety has decreased and my paper work shuffle at work is much more efficient.

I still have great concerns about my patients’ neck pain, back pain and headaches, but I think about them during the day now, not at night.

Last night I had a horrible sleep and today I feel wiped out. It made me wonder how I used to live with nights like that on a regular basis.


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


Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.

Better Health Steve Jones

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

San Diego Chiropractic Care For Auto Accidents

San Diego Chiropractic Care For Auto Accidents

How long has it been since you were involved in an auto accident?

If so, did you get evaluated by a chiropractor? If not, you should have. It is never too late.

My San Diego Chiropractic Office treats many individuals for neck pain, back pain and headaches that are related to auto accidents. While many of our patients are treating for accidents that occurred recently, in many cases the auto accidents in question occurred years earlier and the initial symptoms were not taken seriously.

I have always found it a bit odd that in general people don’t take the time to seek treatment for themselves yet they scramble to get their cars fixed.

I don’t know why so many of us carry these kinds of thought processes. In the case of auto accident injuries, the little bit of neck pain or the headaches or the low back pain is often overlooked or dismissed and minimized as being un-important. This is flawed thinking. Imagine if we treated other health conditions with such disregard.

The injury mechanisms in whiplash type accidents are complex. Muscles are stretched and torn, ligaments can sometimes partially tear or rupture, discs can become herniated and spinal fractures can occur. These injuries can lead to a number of different symptoms that can cause neck pain or back pain that ranges in intensity from a slight irritation all the way to severe disability. Back pain and neck pain are bad enough in the short term and much worse in a long-term chronic situation.

While the mechanism of injury in whiplash cases is complex, the typical resulting spinal injuries follow a well-established path. Initially, the muscles and ligaments in the injured area are irritated. This irritation leads to inflammation. Inflammation is not only responsible for many of the initial symptoms that you experience but it is also responsible for scar tissue formation which can make your symptoms permanent or chronic.

Statistically, 25% of auto injury victims will continue to suffer from ongoing symptoms related to their accident. I see this statistic play out in my San Diego chiropractic office on a regular basis.

Chiropractors are experts in dealing with the types of neck pain, back pain and headaches that occur as a result of auto accidents. The best way to insure that you are not a member of this group of 25% that never fully recover from their auto accident injuries is to get an examination and treatment as recommended by your chiropractor.

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

Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.

Better Health Steve Jones

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Nutritional support for Back Pain

Nutritional support for Back Pain

As a practicing chiropractor in San Diego, California, my office provides care for patients with back pain on a regular basis. I have always believed in a multifaceted approach in dealing with back pain. During my 18 years of experience, the patients that have taken specific nutrition supplements for the repair and care of their spines have always made faster and more complete recoveries than those that take a more passive role in their care.
Many supplements have positive effects on neck pain, back pain, arthritis and other spinal problems.

Nutritional support can help reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, support a healthy nervous system, strengthen joints and build strong bones. Aside from helping you recover from an episode of back pain, providing your body with supplemental nutritional support should be part of your normal routine.

Over the years I have put together the following list of nutritional supplements that I recommend to all of my patients with back pain.

The following supplements are considered essential when providing nutritional support for back pain.

Calcium – 1500 – 2000 mg daily
Magnesium – 700 – 1000 mg daily
Vitamin D – 400 IU daily
(all of the above are needed for strong bones and bone health)

DL-Phenylalanine – Take daily every other week as directed on label
(a natural amino acid that helps alleviate pain)

Silica or Horsetail – 3 times daily as directed on label
(both of these supply silicon which improves calcium intake)

Vitamin B 12 – 2000 mcg daily
(aids in calcium absorption and digestion – best if taken in sublingual form)

Zinc – 50 mg daily
Copper – 3 mg daily
(zinc is required for protein synthesis and collagen formation and copper is needed to form elastin and is needed for a healthy nervous system)

Chondroitin Sulfate – 500 – 1000 mg daily
(nutritional support for strengthening joints, ligaments and tendons)

Essential Fatty Acids – Take as directed
(essential fatty acids increase production and activity of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, helps control arthritis pain and inflammation)

Glucosamine Sulfate – Take as directed
(important for the formation of bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and joint fluid)

MSM – 500 – 1000 mg three times daily
(a sulfur compound needed for reducing inflammation in the joints)

SAMe – 400 mg twice daily
(a deficiency results in the inability to maintain cartilage health – also helps reduce pain and inflammation)

If nutritional support for a healthy back is something that interests you, I would recommend asking your doctor about beginning a nutritional supplement program. Neck pain, back pain and arthritis are just a few of the many spinal problems that will benefit from a nutritional supplement. Doing a little research for yourself in this area is definitely a worthwhile expense of your time as well.

Finally, if you do see the benefits of nutritional supplements for neck pain, back pain, arthritis, etc, and you should – pain is a great motivator, after you have purchased your supplements you have to take them. Nutritional supplements have a shelf life with specific expiration dates. It is easy to take the action step to purchase supplements but much more difficult to establish the routine in which you will take them. For many people, the specific nutritional supplements for joint problems have to be taken consistently for at least 90 days before the benefits will be realized. Be patient, regaining your health is a process that takes time.


Nutrition,Chiropractic,Neck Pain,Back Pain,Arthritis,Nutritional Supplement,Spinal Problems



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


Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.

Better Health Steve Jones