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Archives for 2016

Neck Pain, The Eyes, and The Ears (Balance)

The Posterior Cervical Sympathetic SyndromeThe Syndrome of Barre-LieouThe blood flows to the brain through two arterial systems:Anterior Circulation (branches from the internal carotid arteries)Posterior Circulation (branches from the vertebral arteries)The dividing line between the Anterior and Posterior circulation of the brain is the Posterior Communicating Arteries.The diameter of the blood vessels is controlled by post-ganglionic sympathetic efferent neurons (1). As [..]

Circadian Clocks and Low Back Pain

According to the National Institutes of Health, circadian rhythms include physical, mental, and behavioral changes that roughly follow a 24-hour cycle, responding largely to environmental light and darkness. Most living things possess this trait including animals, plants, and many microbes. So how does this relate to low back pain? Recent studies reveal that the intervertebral [..]

Head Tilt and Headaches – Are They Connected?

We’ve all seen people working on laptops in airports, airplanes, coffee shops, on the train, walking down the street…you name it! So how does this affect one's neck, and does it contribute to headaches? A 2016 study compared females with posture-induced headaches vs. healthy, age-matched female control subjects to see if there was any significant [..]

A “Self-Help” Guide to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) has a bad reputation for coming and going, sometimes for years, depending on many factors such as 1) age; 2) profession (fast, repetitive, with forceful gripping); 3) general health (diabetes, hypothyroid, and inflammatory arthritis (like rheumatoid), pregnancy, on birth control pills, or taking hormone replacement therapy); 4) hobbies (worse if it’s [..]

A Pain in the Hip?

When you ask people to point to their hip joint, it’s very interesting to see the vast number of places where people point—the low back, side of the pelvis, front of the pelvis, in the groin, and more! If one were to draw a line between the back and front pocket, that’s basically the hip [..]

Walking vs. Running – What’s the Best?

The focus on aerobic exercise is all around us. You can’t pass a magazine stand without being inundated with cover pictures of people walking, running, cycling, or doing some form of exercise. So the question begs, is walking good enough? Let’s take a look! A GREAT plus about walking is that it can be done [..]

Mattresses and Back Pain

Patients often ask their doctor of chiropractic, “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 [..]

Reducing the Risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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 [..]

The Many Causes of Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is a REALLY common problem that can arise from many causes. There are actually several joints that make up the shoulder, so shoulder injuries can be quite complex! Probably the most common source of shoulder pain arises from the muscle tendons and the bursa—the fluid-filled sacs that lubricate, cushion, and protect the sliding [..]

What About Taking Opioids to Manage Pain?

In the United States: 1) seniors represent over 13% of the population but consume 40% of prescription drugs and 35% of over-the-counter drugs; 2) on average, people 65-69 years old take nearly 14 prescription drugs per year, and those 80-84 take an average of 18; 3) 15-25% of drug use in seniors is considered unnecessary [..]