Low Back Pain and Your Emotions
Clear Lake City Doctor Comments: This article discusses how anger and emotional expression may affect your back pain. For years many medical doctors thought back pain was more of an issue in the brain than the spine. Research has shown this to be the case in many who are disabled from work. But mechanical sprain injuries of the spine are also critical to body function and how much pain you may experience. You just cannot separate the brain from the body and expect to tackle a difficult problem like low back pain.
Researchers at Duke University looked at this complex problem by measuring the amount of emotional expression, anger, and back pain in patients. The studies included 61 persons with chronic low back pain. The results were quite interesting. Patients who reported greater conflict with regard to expressing emotions may be experiencing higher pain and anger.
Have you ever considered that how you express your emotions could affect how much the back hurts? Do you hold on to angry thoughts and feelings? Ignoring these issues does not make the problem go away. And covering-up your emotions with a cocktail of medications doesn’t seem like a good long-term solution, especially with the unhealthy side effects that can sometimes occur.
Of course there is a difference between “blowing up” at someone and expressing emotions appropriately. Have you tried opening up to someone? A friend or counselor can help show how your emotions can be dealt with constructively. Some patients have severe emotional conflicts and may require psychological support. Others can become more “in tune” with the emotional side of life through simple awareness. Does your back flare up around emotional periods of your life? We can help with the mechanical stresses of the spine, but to maximize your potential you have to consider emotions and the brain. By integrating a mind-body approach to health, the complexity of back pain is addressed more fully. This may get you more engaged with life, more active, and with a healthy outgoing attitude.
Being in chronic pain is no fun, for us, as well as our friends and family. So if you think your emotions (or lack of emotions) may have something to do with your back pain, consult a competent health care provider who addresses the whole person. When patients can confront these issues in a calm and supportive environment, the need for medications if often reduced.
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!
Headache Triggers and Causes
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: We often think headaches are caused by different stressful triggers. It could be long days at work, or staring at a computer screen all night, or the aggravation of a long commute in a traffic jam. Some of us get headaches after drinking red wine, or eating certain foods. While these triggers make headaches develop and worsen, they are not the underlying cause of the problem. Some people get headaches after exercise or working in the garden but these activities cannot be considered the cause-they are aggravating factors.
What is often overlooked is: why are your defenses no match for these minor life stressors? Why do you get the headache and your friend who has the same experiences does not? Even in the case of the flu you have to consider the strength of the person’s immune system more so than the virus. Older adults who get the flu tend to have a worse problem than someone younger.
In the same way you have to look at symptoms such as head pain. Serious causes such as tumors or strokes have to be ruled out, but these types of problems are very rare. Headaches are common in society today. Have you seen the pain reliever aisle at the supermarket recently? I think over-the-counter medications are one of the new ‘food” groups.
But consider common causes for headaches. Is there a spinal problem that causes the neck to go forward creating tightness and muscle tension? What is the underlying weakness that needs to be corrected? We rarely look at the causes of things. Our healthcare system is more concerned with covering up bothersome symptoms with medications. A more long-term and natural solution is to seek out the underlying cause of a problem and get it fixed. In many cases it is the spinal injury that is producing weakness that causes the headache. Getting these problems corrected can get you back in the game and improve your quality of life. Imagine a future where exercise will no longer be a headache trigger, but a way to further strengthen your body.
Pain is an expression by the body of a problem. It is a signal to your brain that something is wrong and action needs to be taken. Rather than masking the symptoms, why not consider consulting a doctor of chiropractic to see if there is an underlying spinal cause?
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!
Headaches: A New Perspective on an Old Problem
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: It’s remarkable to consider how many different types of pain relievers there are for headaches. Not just the corner drug stores but also supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations keep an abundant supply. Aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen, is consumed daily in America by the truckloads.
Have you ever thought about how we approach a health problem or symptom? Too often it’s a knee-jerk reaction were we pop a pill for whatever ails us. Rarely do we ask why there is a headache? What is causing this headache?
It is very well established that there are many causes for headaches. Chemical imbalances in the body can of course cause head pain such as in dehydration or intoxication.
But in large part, the pill stock in gas stations isn’t targeted to the occasional hangover, it supplies the masses who suffer with tension headaches, migraines, and headaches due to mechanical neck disorders (e.g. whiplash). So what is the pill actually doing chemically? This varies from pill to pill. The side effects can range from stomach bleeding, to liver and kidney problems. Most people who take these medications have pain for years and decades. It is long-term use that is especially detrimental to the body. Headaches are a chronic disease and it is likely there will be triggers for you for many years to come.
Prescription NSAIDs and pain pills are usually much more powerful unless you’re doubling up on over-the-counter drugs. With prescription patches and pills it is easy to get addicted if taken over the long run.
But there is a different way to see the problem than the chemical approach. Although the mode of action of these different drugs changes, an important fact remains that they do not treat mechanical problems of the neck. If your headache is being caused by a joint injury in the neck, no amount of drug can correct this postural fault.
How would I know if my headache is really a spine problem? It could be that you notice stiffness in the neck or maybe it’s harder to look over one shoulder. If your headaches are accompanied by a lot of shoulder and neck stiffness and tension, this is a sign of a spine cause. In some cases though, the spine symptoms are very mild, so it is easy to see why patients rarely make the connection in their minds.
A thorough examination is needed to determine if your headache is being caused by a spine injury. X-rays are often used to precisely determine the positions of your spinal vertebrae. They also show the condition of the discs, and any degeneration from older spine injuries.
Several clinical trials have shown chiropractic adjustments are effective for patients with tension-type and migraine headaches. After the spinal problem is corrected, we can show you ways to prevent future problems.
By identifying the cause of your headache, you’ve changed your thinking to looking past the pain and asking why? Now take the time to fix your problem.
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!
Whiplash and Muscle Weakness
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Whiplash involves the stretching of nerves, muscles, and ligaments. The forces are so great during even low speed collisions, that the muscles cannot resist the forces. The injury of whiplash produces inflammation to repair the damaged tissues. During this time, fast movements of your head and neck will result in pain, so most patients become overly cautious and move their neck very little. Unfortunately over time, because of the lack of muscle use, you become weak. This sets up the difficult combination of both damaged ligaments and weak muscles. Now there is little strength and support for the neck. This may make you very vulnerable to a future injury. Even slight movements can produces flare-ups when the muscles are too weak. The patient may feel their head to be heavy. Sometimes patients’ injuries can be so severe that dizziness develops due to the asymmetrical muscle and nerve activity. This is called cervicogenic vertigo. If you get dizzy when you move your head, then you may have this condition.
While it may seem intuitively obvious that addressing weak neck muscles are important to a full recovery, few patients will do them unless prompted and explained by their doctor. Specific muscles need to be strengthened in a way that does not cause further damage to the ligaments. If the muscles are tight in certain areas, then stretching or deep tissue massage, or trigger point therapy, can help to loosen areas and decrease pain.
But the most important thing you can do on a daily basis is to keep exercising. Studies have shown this to be effective in whiplash treatment when there is a mechanical neck disorder. A specific exercise program can be prescribed by a doctor of chiropractic. Special attention should be made to your posture and x-rays, and how specifically you were injured. Only in this way, will the treatment be effective and not risk further trauma.
Exercises such as rolling the head around the shoulders should be avoided since the neck is not a ball and socket joint like the shoulder. In some directions, the joints will have excessive laxity and the muscle exercises should be done in the neutral position versus at the end range or limit.
Because the ligaments are so badly damaged in whiplash, it’s important to maintain the supporting muscles (both strong and flexible), to keep the spine stable and pain free.
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!
Designated Doctors In The Texas Worker’s Comp System
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: Recently I was asked again to co-chair a conference in Dallas, Texas to help teach all types of doctors (medical, osteopathic and chiropractic) how to become Designated Doctors in the Texas Dept. of Insurance, Division of Worker’s Compensation. The course was co-sponsored by the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (AADEP) http://www.aadep.org/ and the Texas Council of Chiropractic Orthopedists (TCCO) http://www.texascouncilofchiropracticorthopedist.org . The Designated Doctor Training Seminar is designed to provide doctors and other health care providers with methods of determining maximum medical improvement (MMI) and of calculating the appropriate impairment rating using the AMA Guides, Fourth Edition, to follow the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (Division) approved core curriculum for doctors seeking full authorization to perform the new functions of the DD under HB7 and for health care providers performing ROM, sensory, and motor testing for those doctors, to fulfill the MMI and impairment rating requirements per the new Rules of the Division to introduce the use of ODG and MDA and to introduce the issues involved in determining causality.
The 2005 legislature made significant changes in the Texas workers’ compensation system with HB7. The TDI Division of Workers’ Compensation has new Rules that require the Designated Doctor to have completed new training in order to be and stay on the Designated Doctor lists. In addition, the Designated Doctor role was expanded in HB7 to include determining and resolving issues regarding MMI, the impairment rating, return to work, causality, and treatment.
While there is a substantial amount of material to cover over a 2 day period, the course went very well. Being able to be well versed in the AMA’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fourth Edition takes time and a concerted effort. As always, the seminar was well received with many interesting questions and discussions. To all doctors who wish to be on the approved doctors list with TDI-DWC, study the AMA Guides and take the course and you will have a good understanding of how to help the injured workers in Texas.
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!
Are Physical Therapists Like Chiropractors?
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: This is a fairly common question that I get asked in my office. While the simple answer is no, physical therapists do have some similarities in treatment to chiropractors. First and foremost, each individual practitioner in each profession treats in his/her own unique way so the comments below are generalities.
Doctors of Chiropractic (DC’s) diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system which affect the nervous system and therefore one’s general health.
Chiropractors aim to maintain, restore, maximize and develop one’s functional ability through specific spinal adjustments, physical modalities and rehabilitative or therapeutic exercises. Physical therapists use rehabilitation therapy and general mobilizations, usually under the orders of a doctor, to help restore a patient to their pre-accident or illness status. Chiropractors use a holistic approach to treatment that focuses not only on the physical, but the psychological, social and emotional well being of the individual through diagnosis, treatment and intervention. The chiropractor then will typically give the patient home based exercises and stretches to prevent a reoccurrence after care is completed.
Chiropractic doctor’s practice combines aspects from both alternative and mainstream medicine. Most chiropractors work with the patients other doctors to coordinate the necessary care of the patient based on the diagnosis that we determine thru our own specific examination. Depending on the specialty of the chiropractor, he/she may have a more nutritional, neurological, sports or in my case orthopedic type of practice.
Physical therapists (PT’s) on the other hand practice in different settings such as outpatient clinics, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, extended care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, hospices, education and research centers, occupational environments and fitness centers. Care is typically directed by the diagnosis and orders of a doctor, though some PT’s are currently allowed direct access.
Chiropractic doctors and physical therapists are both currently using evidence based research to expand their knowledge and further help our patients. Hopefully in the future DC’s, PT’s and other providers of physical medicine will work together for the greater good of our patients with all providers knowing the strengths and limitations of their care.
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 Natural Solution To Back Pain
Houston Back Doctor Comments: Getting your health back after a spine injury can be problematic if you do not approach it holistically. What is meant by holism? In general it is caring for the person as a whole vs. individual parts, and using techniques that assist different bodily systems. It can be treating the mind as well as the body. It is well known that depression is an important risk factor for back pain.
When dealing with a mechanical spinal problem, the doctor needs to consider the condition of the disks and ligaments, scar tissue, muscle strength, posture, movement, and alignment. A simple prescription, while effective at reducing pain, is not a good solution in the long run. For example, the scar in muscles that is formed after injury when NSAIDs (ibuprofen) are used is much weaker. The patient needs to also consider the side effects of stomach or gastrointestinal bleeding that can come with long-term use. Leaving joints problems to sit for years while masking the pain, will just make future rehabilitation more difficult and less effective.
Pain is a signal for your body to avoid certain movements and can be very protective. While muscle pain is expected during rehabilitation, if there is ligament or joint pain, then you’re pushing it too hard.
Exercise and stretching without attention to joint injuries, will also not work over time. It’s hard to maintain exercise when there is joint pain. Chiropractic care can keep the spine and other joints flexible while you also approach the other aspects of spine function with specific exercises and stretching.
Maintaining a healthy body weight is also part of any holistic approach. If you’re overweight, this adds tremendous stress to your spine. In some cases it may be important to first get your weight down, before commencing an exercise program, or weight training.
In addition to proper weight control you have to also consider sound nutrition in terms of vitamin and mineral consumption. Most patients need to do better at eating green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and other nutritious foods. One has to avoid harmful fats, and chemicals/preservatives that are often present in highly processed foods. Supplements such as manganese and glucosamine chondroitin may help joint health. Although there are few studies on how effective these supplements help, the downside or side effects are quite minimal.
As a doctor of chiropractic, I can advise you on integrating a holistic approach with spinal joint care, strength training, flexibility, and sound nutrition.
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!
Torticollis and Whiplash
Doctor of Chiropractic near NASA states: Torticollis is a condition where a joint or disk is injured and you can’t move your neck. Sometimes the head is bent or turned a little to one side. And sometimes you’re straight but can barely move in any direction. This type of problem is usually caused by a disk injury. Whiplash can cause this condition or it can come on by sleeping in an awkward way.
The spine is meant to move a lot, especially the neck. This is so we can quickly look around, above, and below. When the spine cannot be moved without intense pain, it’s a sign of both a joint and nerve problem. The nerve may be pinched or compressed, stretched, or irritated by chemicals from inflammation/swelling. To protect the nerve, the body puts a splint on it with muscle spasm. This keeps you from moving your head.
If the joint injury is reduced, by aligning the bones of the spine, the healing and scar tissue will stabilize the area in alignment. If the joint is left out of alignment or is hypermobile, this can lead to future degeneration. To get the joint moving and functioning normally again, you need to have motion through the joint adjustment, and exercises to keep activated. One study showed that patients, who wear foam collars after whiplash, do worse than patients who were actively mobilized without collars. It may at first seem counterintuitive to move when pain is there, but it’s all about moving within your pain tolerances. Usually small motions are still preserved. Instead many patients wear collars or do not move their neck enough. This causes the muscles to become more inflexible and contracted. Overtime it can lead to substantial weakness and even atrophy (wasting away).
So even in the early stages of a whiplash, when the neck can barely move at all, small movements that are not painful are encouraged. The specific adjustment will reduce the irritation to the nerve that is signaling the muscles to spasm. Once the nerve is freed, then the muscle will usually release. Greater ranges of movement will follow as the body allows. This should not be hurried because the nerve and disk is at risk for re-injury in the very early stages of healing.
Medications and surgery will not correct the alignment of the spine. When the joint is sprained, it needs to be re-aligned to reduce the tension on the ligaments and disk. We can guide you through this process so the range of motion returns quickly.
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 Failed Back Surgery
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Back surgery is quite common in the US with hundreds of thousands of operations each year. Sometimes these are laminectomies and diskectomies and other times the spine is fused together so certain joints no longer move, a critical spinal function. The conservative medical approach/thinking is rest, medications, exercise, and physical therapy. If these fail, then epidural injections are often used. If there is little relief, at this point in the patient’s course, chiropractic care is usually not considered, and many patients follow the medical trajectory toward surgery.
Although most surgeons wouldn’t consider an operation to be effective for back pain, most patients think this is the primary concern for the surgeon. In reality, the surgery is more indicated when the nerve root is compressed and there are neurological signs such as muscle wasting, foot drop, or numbness. If back pain is the primary problem and not leg pain or numbness, then surgery should generally be avoided.
But most patients with leg pain will also have low back pain, and this low back pain can be quite severe. The patients that have this continued pain or numbness are called surgical failures. The term for this is failed back surgery syndrome. Entire medical conferences have been devoted to the topic/problem. Patients are left with few medical options after a failure and re-operation is especially problematic. The patient may be prescribed an opiate patch, or perhaps an implanted spinal cord stimulator, or both. These devices send electrical impulses through tiny wires that carry the signal to different areas of the spinal cord.
Sometimes these approaches work, but too often they don’t. By their nature they cannot correct a joint problem. If you had a joint/disk injury before the surgery, it is likely it is still there. Post surgical cases should be evaluated by a chiropractor to see if there is an underlying joint problem that the can be adjusted specifically.
There may be some natural alternatives to electrical implants and long term opiate medications for pain control. Certain physiotherapy, ice and exercise can be incorporated into a comprehensive drugless management program. Even counseling and behavior therapy can help to lessen the need for medications. Usually patients can be safely adjusted after the initial surgery has healed (about six weeks). It is important to consider all options before repeat operations. Active rehabilitation combined with specific chiropractic care can be the solution for many patients.
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!
Whiplash – What Can Be Done To Help?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Whiplash occurs when the neck is suddenly and forcefully jerked, and is typically associated with car crashes. The speed at which the neck is forced upon impact is faster than we can contract our muscles in attempt to stop the forceful movement. This results in muscle, tendon, and/or ligament over-stretching, even tearing. Symptoms include stiff and painful neck movements, weakness or, the head “feels heavy” making it challenging to “hold up” as well as headache, and sometimes dizziness, ear noises, TMJ or jaw pain, and “mental fog.” What should be done if a whiplash injury occurs?
The amount or degree of damage to the soft tissues – that is, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and disks of the neck — will be the deciding factors as to how much rest vs. activity should be initially performed. If there are no fractures, dislocations or other injuries resulting in an unstable cervical spine (neck), studies have shown rest and a soft collar is actually harmful when compared to early return to activity and exercises. Chiropractic treatment, which essentially exercises the joints of the neck, has been shown to speed recovery when performed sooner rather than later after a whiplash injury. A handy way to classify the injury includes four categories: 1) Pain with no significant abnormal clinical findings; 2) Pain with mild clinical findings and range of motion loss; 3) Pain with neurological injury (resulting in radiating arm pain); and 4) Pain associated with fracture and/or dislocation. Those suffering with category 1 or 2 injuries should minimize rest, collar use, proceed with life’s activities and not be afraid to do desired activities. More aggressive exercise and, utilizing chiropractic adjustments as soon as possible are very effective in the first two categories of injury. Category 4 (fractures and dislocations) injuries require the use of a rigid collar usually for 4-6 weeks as rest/protection is imperative. Category 3 demands careful monitoring by your chiropractor as neurological problems like arm pain and numbness, muscle strength weakness, must be watched during the healing process. The use of ice is helpful with all four categories of injury and exercise training is important and can be started sooner in the first two categories of injury.
What can you do if you sustain a whiplash injury? The first order of self-help is the use of ice. This is a much better choice over the use of heat as ice reduces swelling and pain while heat can increase swelling because it brings in more blood flow into an already swollen area. The heat may feel good during its use but most patients report the pain either returns shortly thereafter or feels worse. Ice should be used for 20 minutes on followed by 40 minutes off. The old adage of “ice for 24 hours followed by heat” does NOT apply here as ice can be performed for as long as there is pain and/or inflammation. The good news is that you will never hurt yourself by using ice but, you can make it hurt worse by using heat too soon so, when in doubt, use ice! The next, very important, recommendation is to utilize exercises to stretch and strengthen the neck and upper back region. The “general rule” of exercise is slow repetitions staying within “reasonable” boundaries of pain. That is, a good, stretch type of pain is encouraged while avoiding sharp pain. We have discussed several very practical neck stretches and strengthening exercises previously and we will again address this in the future. Posture correction of chin tucks, keeping your head back over your shoulders is very helpful as well. We realize that you have a choice in where you choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, chiropractic care is a logical first choice.
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!
