Suffering from CTS? Prompt Treatment is Best!
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Houston Chiropractor Comments: Many people suffer from CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and unfortunately, often ignore the initial symptoms of numbness or tingling in the hand(s). These early symptoms are typically not too alarming and hence, they often do not raise the level of concern until more intense symptoms occur; such as waking up from sleep due to numbness, dropping items, difficulty buttoning clothing, needing to switch hands when driving, difficulty writing, typing, knitting, as well as work related pain. There may also be fear of job loss associated with CTS, especially in these hard economic times with frequent lay offs, prompting CTS sufferers to postpone initial care. Unfortunately, delaying treatment is associated with a longer recovery time when compared to prompt management which usually results in a quicker, less complicated and more satisfying recovery.
There are many causes and contributing factors of CTS. The most prevalent cause is mechanical irritation from simply moving the hands too fast for too long, without enough rest. Another risk factor is age (over 50 years old). In this era of an aging workforce, this may be a significant issue. Fast, repetitive movements of the arms and hands are often a direct cause and can be appreciated by watching someone knit rapidly and/or performing line work using fast, repetitive movements. If the hands/wrists have to bend in awkward positions to accomplish a work task, or if a tool that is frequently used places pressure in the palm of the hand, these can also contribute to the onset or perpetuation of CTS. Other conditions can also contribute to CTS including inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid, diabetes, pregnancy, the use of birth control pills, obesity and hypothyroidism.
The management of CTS is case specific, and is dependant on which of the above mentioned causes or contributors are present. Management of any metabolic disorder such as diabetes or hypothyroid is important, especially compliance with taking appropriate medication, when indicated. The management of weight, hormone replacement therapy, and fluid retention all play a roll in CTS management. Ergonomic or job-related management strategies are very important and can include work station modifications so that unnecessary awkward arm/wrist/hand positions can be avoided. This may require moving the item being worked on to a less stressful position, using a different type of tool handle (screw driver, etc.), changing the height or reach distance at which the material is worked on, and taking “mini-breaks” every ½ to 1 hour when the lack of rest is a contributor. Frequently, the combination of pinching a phone between the head and shoulder, typing data into a computer where the monitor is positioned too high or off to one side, and excessive arm motions using a computer mouse can contribute to pinching the nerve in the neck and/or arm, resulting in CTS. Remedies for this situation include the use of a head set, repositioning the computer monitor so that it is in front of the worker, and using a trackball type of mouse to eliminate arm motion can be extremely helpful. Treatment strategies offered by chiropractors include the use of night splinting to avoid awkward wrist/hand positions during sleep. In addition, manual therapy to the wrist and the tight muscles in the front of the forearm, as well as other nerve constriction areas such as the elbow, shoulder, and neck, manipulation of the joints in hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and/or neck, depending on what is unique and needed for that patient, and the use of physiological therapeutics such as low level laser light therapy, electrical stimulation, and/or ultrasound have all been shown to offer beneficial effects. Nutritional recommendations include Vitamin B6 (150mg/day), magnesium, calcium, Co-Q10, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D3. Reducing glutens (wheat, oats, barley, and rye) is also very important due to the inflammatory response of these foods. Surgery is typically, the last treatment resort and is appropriate, “when all else fails.” We welcome you to our clinic and are proud to offer you a non-drug, non-surgical solution for CTS and its disabling symptoms.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Neck Pain, Headache and the Jaw Joint
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Houston Chiropractor Comments: Neck pain and headaches can be very disabling and can significantly alter a person’s normal pattern of living. Simple things like reading the newspaper, cooking, driving a car, and/or looking down when feeding a baby, can become almost intolerable. Canceling plans for the day or saying “no” to vacations can be very disheartening and often occurs because of severe neck pain and/or headache making these activities simply, “no fun.” The cause of the headaches associated with neck pain and dysfunction is usually due to the compression caused by the tight neck muscles squeezing the upper three nerve roots in the neck region, resulting in radiating pain into the head. Frequently, light and noise sensitivity, as well as nausea, can accompany a severe headache, which only adds to the activity limitations associated with neck pain. In fact, there are many experts who feel most headaches, even migraines, stem from the neck or are at least are very closely related. Since neck pain affects approximately two thirds of the population at some point during their lifetime, it becomes clear that headaches, in the absence of neck pain, are quite uncommon. 
Another interesting and lesser-known relationship is the jaw (frequently referred to as the TMJ) and its association with neck function, especially the upper cervical vertebrae, as well as headaches. The muscles that move the jaw/TMJ are largely innervated by the 5th cranial nerve, also called the trigeminal nerve. Several studies have found that when stimulating structures innervated by the trigeminal nerve, neck and/or jaw pain was created and vise versa. Similarly, patients with jaw problems (called temporomandibular dysfunction or, TMD) often report neck pain. When we open our mouth wide, head-neck extension always occurs followed by head-flexion when we close the jaw. Hence, the neck is always moving when we chew, yawn, talk, and clench our teeth. In fact, all of these every day activities result in jaw, head, neck motion extending from the base of the skull and first cervical vertebra (occiput-C1) and continues down through the entire cervical spine. This was investigated in a study where the relationship between neck symptoms, jaw function – specifically active mouth opening, and pressure pain sensitivity in a trigeminal nerve innervated region after a spinal manipulation was applied to the upper neck vertebrae. Here, 37 female patients with neck pain were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups (control and experimental) and, before and after treatment, exams of mouth opening and pressure pain levels were measured. The group receiving the upper neck manipulation showed a significant increase in active mouth opening motion as well as improved pressure pain tolerance compared to the control/non-manipulation group in a sample of woman with neck pain. This study is very important as many people suffer from neck pain, headaches and TMD. In order to properly treat these patients, one must focus on multiple regions, not just the neck area. It has been demonstrated when we bite down, there is a corresponding tightening of two important muscles in the neck and upper back region. Similarly, studies show relaxation of muscles in the neck, upper back and TMJ after spinal manipulation to the neck is applied. Injuries to the TMJ are common but often not pursued by patients as often they’ll say, “my jaw clicks and snaps but I don’t think about it much.”
If you, a friend, or a loved one are struggling with neck pain in Houston, headaches, or TMD/jaw pain, we will properly assess your condition and administer the appropriate care that is required. We also coordinate services with other health care providers when necessary. This recommendation may represent one of most significant acts of kindness you can give to those that you truly care about.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
5 Stretches that Can Help Your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
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Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a debilitating disorder affecting the nerves that pass through the wrist and into the hand. In addition, compression can also occur in the neck region, making some patients’ problems more complex. At its essence, carpal tunnel syndrome is a disease of nerves but other tissues can also be affected. For example the joints of the wrist may lose their mobility through a combination of wrist braces or pain-avoidance behavior. Because the hand is used less, the shoulder and upper arm region may also get affected with tightness and weakness.
As pain continues, we may stop using a keyboard or playing certain sports or hobbies. All of this lack of activity makes muscles weaker and joint function further impaired. This is why it is important to maintain flexibility of your joints and muscles if you have this disorder.
Two good stretches for the forearm and hand involve stretching into flexion, which lengthens the tissues on the back of the wrist and moving your fingers backwards, stretching the palm and the front of the forearm. You can do these two stretches by using your other hand to bend the fingers backwards and pulling the back of the hand forward. If either of these motions causes more pain, then you should avoid them.
Three additional stretches involve the elbow, wrist and neck. For the elbow, extend your arm out, stretching the front of the upper arm. You can also rotate the wrist by twisting it until the thumb points down maximally and outwards maximally. Check to see if you have the same flexibility on both sides; your goal will be to create symmetrical side to side movements.
The shoulder and neck are often neglected in carpal tunnel stretches but are critical because the nerve that goes through the wrist starts in the neck area and passes through the shoulder. Put both hands over your head and “reach for the stars.” You might also rotate your shoulders by moving your arms in large circles. This stretch will also affect the neck. It’s important to do your stretches slowly. Little by little the nerve will have more flexibility as it courses down the arm and this may help your hand symptoms.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Low Back Pain and Excessive Weight
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Two things that are epidemic in the U.S. are low back pain and obesity (being overweight). The two go hand-in-hand and while excessive weight may not be the only cause of your pain, it does makes matters worse by aggravating your pain through increased loading the disks of the low back. In addition, most people with low back pain or who are excessively heavy are also very inactive.
The first step is to perform movements that don’t increase pain. For most people, walking can still be done. If your back hurts when you walk or you are so heavy, that walking causes your knees to ache, then you may need to start by walking in a pool. The important thing is to get moving because weight-loss will be helped if you can burn more calories. Walking will also improve the strength of your low back muscles, which may lessen your pain, making exercise more possible.
Over the years, the gradual increase in our waist size just sort of creeps up on us. When our back begins to give way, we then realize what a barrier being overweight has become.
Getting rid of your excessive weight is a simple formula of burning more calories than you consume. But, losing weight is not easy. Your genes will tell you to consume more because eating less than you need in a given day is not life sustaining. If you ate 500 less calories than you need each day, after a year or so, you’d be down to 80 or 90 pounds (depending on where you began) and eventually you would die. This is what you are up against when you’re losing weight. The body tells you “don’t do this” and gives you the craving to eat what you need. Despite this self-preservation mechanism, losing weight is possible and getting down to a proper weight is doable. For some people, psychological issues may be more at play. Do you eat to cover up or distract you from pain or anxiety? Are you really hungry, or has eating become a way to compensate for something more painful or difficult to confront?
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
How Can Exercise Help Your Headache?
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Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: For many patients with health conditions, exercising seems to be the furthest thing from their mind. For migraine sufferers, exercise itself can be a provocation for initiating a headache episode. And if you already have a headache, just the idea of going for a three mile run will likely increase your pain, not lessen it.
But exercise is an integral component to overall health and that includes people who suffer from headaches too.
The key is to exercise when you are headache free, to manage your exercises so that your spine is not excessively stressed, and make sure you have good flexibility of your spine before you begin loading it with exercises.
This is where chiropractic enters the picture. Your spinal flexibility is integral to maintaining good posture and assuring nerve impulses transmit freely from your brain to distant areas of the body. If you have a spinal problem, or subluxation, this may interrupt the free transmission of nerve impulses and make you susceptible to headache.
You may want to consider getting adjusted before a strenuous exercise to make sure you have good spinal flexibility. After performing a strenuous activity, it may also be a good time to have your spine checked. Little by little, your spinal muscles will regain strength and you may find your headaches a less dominate part of your life.
Other points to consider are getting adequate rest/sleep and to avoid overtraining because sleep deprivation can provoke a headache. You will also need to pay attention to water intake. Being dehydrated may also be a trigger for people with headaches. The bottom line is this: if you get the spinal care you need, if you watch strenuous movements that strain the spine, and if you get adequate rest and sleep, then you can begin exercising again despite your chronic headaches. Many patients with headaches say that stress is a trigger for their pain. Regular exercise can be a great way to deal with the stresses of work. Exercise is also key to your maintaining a healthy weight.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Quality of Life with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
NASA Area Chiropractor comments: We sometimes take our hands for granted and fail to realize just how important they are to everyday life and indeed, living our life. Hands tell us who we are through our gestures and unique talents. If you think about all they do, everyday, from tying our shoes to generating income, it is staggering. Our hands also occupy a big place in our brains. The nerve cells in the brain are devoted, to a large degree, to hand function. It takes a lot of brainpower to play a guitar or piano, to write an essay, or to caress a friend with a loving touch.
So when hand function is diminished, the loss can be devastating. Such is the case with carpal tunnel syndrome. To anyone who suffers from this disorder, the loss is obvious. When quality of life 
is studied in those with carpal tunnel syndrome, there are many aspects that are affected. Researchers (J Hand Surg Am 24(2):398) have learned that physical functioning is greatly affected. A person may not be able to work or engage in the hobbies they once loved. What’s more, there is also diminished mental quality of life, and reductions in vitality in these patients.
Our clinic treats patients with carpal tunnel symptoms in a comprehensive manner. We try to find the cause of the nerve compression. Sometimes it’s at the wrist and sometimes the neck is affected creating radiating pain down into the hand. Sometimes both the wrist and neck are affected (this is called double crush syndrome). In any case, getting back on to the road of recovery begins with an accurate diagnosis. Our treatments are specific to the cause of your problem. If the problem has been long term, then you may need rehabilitative exercises to restore the strength of your arm muscles and some patients will require different stretching techniques to help loosen tight muscles. If your neck is out of alignment or has poor posture, this may also need to be corrected for full recovery to occur. Eating the proper foods that do not add to wrist inflammation may also be a part of your care plan.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Car Accident Insurance: Are You Covered?
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Houston Area Chiropractor Comments: Most states require drivers to carry various types of insurance to protect themselves as well as others who may be involved in an unfortunate accident. Drivers, and the banks that may carry the car’s loan, generally think of the vehicle first when deciding on appropriate coverage. While it’s difficult to think about, you need to also consider injuries to you and your passengers, and potentially other drivers and passengers, should you be determined to be at fault. Some drivers also carry medical insurance (med pay) or personal injury protection (PIP), which can be accessed for care in the event of an accident.
Some items to consider are that vehicle repairs can be quite costly, as can health care. If you are the cause of a multi vehicle accident, minimal amounts of insurance may not cover the costs of repairs for expensive new vehicles. In terms of health care, an ambulance ride with minimal interventions could cost $1000-$1,500 dollars. If you spend a few hours or a day in an emergency room, this could run into the thousands, especially if advanced imaging such as MRI or CT scans are needed. This is just the beginning of your evaluation in a severe accident. Then, there are the costs of care over perhaps months, disability from being able to work and other costs. If a few passengers are involved, the costs can soar.
It’s important to discuss these issues with your insurance agent. Is your med pay / PIP adequate? Sometimes med pay premiums are a cost-effective way to get some additional piece of mind. A $1,000.00 med pay allowance will not last long in today’s health care environment. Clear lake chiropractor care, while very cost effective compared to medicine or surgery, can still run into the thousands if severe injuries have resulted from the accident. You may also need to consider uninsured and underinsured coverage should another driver be at fault and not adequately insured.
If you’ve been involved in an accident, our clinic can assist you in getting well. Most patients have a lot of questions about how chiropractic care works and the treatment techniques used in our office. It’s important to get evaluated right after an injury to get you feeling well as soon as possible. Doing self-care when the trauma is substantial can lead to more problems if a serious injury is not discovered.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Do We Under Treat Headaches?
Doctor of Chiropractic Comments: With all the different types of pain relievers available at the corner drug store, you’d think headache sufferers would have a solution to their problem. But, such is not the case, and headaches continue to be a great burden on society, afflicting millions of people and causing economic and social losses, in addition to personal pain. What’s more, it seems general medical physicians may under-diagnose this common problem.
A study from England (Br J Gen Pract 2008; 58(547):102) has highlighted this widespread issue. The researchers studied over 91,000 adult patients who had recently reported a headache. Amazingly, seventy percent of these patients were not given a diagnosis. It was suggested by the authors that general medical physicians have difficulty in diagnosing headache presentations.
Causes of Headaches
It’s important to diagnose the cause of a headache. The spine is often overlooked as having the potential for causing a headache. Too often, headaches are thought to have their cause in the head. While this is where the pain is most prominent (as opposed to the neck), neck symptoms, such as muscle tension, knots and painful tissues, also contribute to the pain picture. If your neck mobility is also reduced, this can also be a indicator that the neck could be the source of the head pain.
When bad neck posture is present, this can manifest as a forward head posture. Patients who have had previous whiplash injuries can often show this type of posture. Sprains of the small vertebral joints can be enough to produce head pain and need to be addressed. When the headache is thought to originate in the neck, it is called “cervicogenic.”
Neck problems have also been implicated in certain cases of tension-type, as well as migraine headaches, but how this occurs exactly is still being investigated.
Whatever their cause, headaches have a devastating impact on our quality of life and need to be effectively treated. Chiropractic care has been shown in several studies to reduce headache pain and is an important non-drug option for patients. While drug treatments can be quite effective for some patients, one also has to consider long-term side effects when considering this management approach.
If you would like to discuss your headache symptoms, we can consult with you to see if this type of care is appropriate.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Low Back Pain: An Ice Pack or the Hot Tub?
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Back pain doctor comments: Many patients do some self-care when they first hurt their lower back, hoping this will keep them out of a doctor’s office. Home remedies sometimes make the pain go away and sometimes they don’t. It depends on what you try. When the back is first hurt, it’s often a sprain/strain type of injury with accompanying muscle spasm. When a nerve in the low back gets pinched or irritated, the body will protect the delicate nerves by keeping you from moving and risking further nerve injury. The easiest way for the body to do this is to cause the back muscles to spasm and splint the injured area.
Is Heat or Cold Better for Lower Back Pain?
Muscle pain can be quite severe and heat can sometimes soothe muscle pain. For this reason, many patients take to the heating pad or the hot tub to try and get some relief. This should be avoided in an acute injury because inflammation is present. With inflammation, there is increased heat and the additional heat you provide is like adding gasoline to a fire. The results are usually not good. You will probably feel good for 20-30 minutes and then the pain will return.
A better choice with an acute injury is to ice the area, but this also needs to be done with some caution. The simplest ice pack is ice cubes placed in a plastic bag. While effective, you can cause a frostbite injury if you leave the pack on for too long. When you first ice the area, you will go through several phases before some pain relief is achieved. At first the pack will feel cold. The next phase is a burning sensation and the ice will almost feel hot. This is followed by an aching or throbbing sensation. Just before the area is numbed, a very sharp pain will be experienced followed by the relief you desire. This can take from five to ten minutes to go through all of the phases. Once numbness is achieved, the pack should be removed. This will be about 20 minutes. You should most definitely not fall asleep while the pack is on.
Treatment for Lower Back Pain in Houston
If this simple procedure does not solve the problem, it’s best to get your spine checked by a doctor of chiropractic.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
A Possible Link Between Headache and High Blood Pressure
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Houston Area Chiropractor Comments: Headaches are one of the common pains we get. High blood pressure is also very common, affecting about 50 million Americans. Could they be linked? Yes, but not in the way you may think. Some doctors question whether taking pain pills actually corrects the cause of the headache. But there are also other, perhaps more seemingly silent concerns.
Is simply cutting the fire alarm when the house is on fire ever a good idea? If your headache is coming from a problem such as a sprained and subluxated neck, is taking a pill going to do anything to help the joint injury?
We all see the TV commercials and the long pill aisles at the supermarket. We must be consuming quite a bit and that is true. But could our excessive use of these drugs be causing another problem, one that may not be explained on the pill bottle label?
Researchers have looked at over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) and ibuprofen (e.g. Advil), to see if taking them over the long-term elevates the risk for developing high blood pressure (Hypertension 2005;46:500. Women’s Health Study I and II) The study investigated 5,123 women between the ages of 34 and 77 and followed them over many years.
Compared with women who did not use acetaminophen, the relative risk for those who took >500 mg per day was 1.93 (1.30 to 2.88) among older women. and 1.99 (1.39 to 2.85) among younger women. A relative risk of 1.93 is a 93% increase in risk. The range was a 30% increase to a 185% increase.
For nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen), the risk of developing high blood pressure in older women also increased, ranging from a 78% to a 161% elevation. For younger women, the increased risks ranged from a 10% increase to a 132% increase.
Aspirin use was not associated with developing high blood pressure. The authors concluded that because acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used, they might contribute to the high prevalence (percent of the population with this disease) of high blood pressure in the United States.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
