Low Back Pain: Could Your Feet or Hips Be at Fault?
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Houston Chiropractor Comments: The body is an interconnected whole and needs to be looked at as such in order to get at the root of a spinal problem. We are all familiar with low back trauma, bending and stooping in awkward positions to lift something from a trunk, or the slip and fall on ice. In these examples, it’s easy to see how the trauma preceded the low back pain.
But sometimes pains in the low back are not so easy to figure out. One area of the spine could be compensating in posture for another, inhibiting a vertebral joint’s ability to fully recover. Or maybe you’re suffering from the cumulative affects of microtrauma over time.
Such is the short leg; about 1/10 people will have an anatomic difference in leg length of up to one centimeter. This short leg causes the pelvis to incline to one side providing an uneven support for 
the base of your spine. It’s a little like walking with one foot in a small ditch. The uneven pelvis then causes a lumbar scoliosis, which must be further compensated from above.
But a short leg can also be functional, due perhaps to a small or collapsed arch of the foot. This can account for up to 5 mm of leg length difference. Do you have a history of having flat feet or have you ever sprained one of your ankles? The sprained ankle can damage ligaments to such a degree that the normal arch of the foot can no longer be maintained.
Depending on the degree of the problem we may be able to help your low back pain by correcting a problem in the foot. Many in-shoe orthotics are available to correct a fallen arch. If the problem is very severe, you may also need a visit to a podiatrist.
In any case, it’s important to consider the foundation of a spinal problem, and it can be as simple a problem as bad foot posture that is affecting how your low back functions. Also, problems in the sacroiliac joint or hips can affect how the lower spine moves.
So pay attention to where the pain is located, but also consider that other joints nearby may be affecting your recovery as well.
As a doctor of chiropractic, my office is fully equipped to handle problematic low back conditions that don’t seem to clear up in response to what you’ve tried in the past. Have your feet been checked? Has someone looked at your posture carefully?
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!
Scoliosis
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Scoliosis
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: Scoliosis is not a specific disease, but instead a term used to describe any curvature to the spine. Scoliosis is typically noted during the childhood growth period (age 9-15), in females, and in people with a family history of scoliosis.
Types of Scoliosis
- Idiopathic – from an unknown cause
- Functional – as a result of a problem that is located in another area of the body
(ie. A short leg) - Degenerative – due to arthritic changes in the spine
- Neuromuscular – caused by conditions affecting the muscular system such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy.
- Other – caused by tumors or other conditions
Parents can do a quick check at home by looking to see if the ears, shoulders and pelvis are level. If they are not level, further examination is needed. Standing behind the person who has removed their shirt, have them bend forward. Look to see if the ribs are the same height on both sides and if the spine is bending in a straight line. If either of these things are present an examination is warranted. Diagnosis is made via a physical examination and x-rays.
Treatment for scoliosis can be thru exercise, chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy, bracing, or in severe cases, surgery. The earlier that physical care is started, the better the long term prognosis. We have been able to get good results in our office using a combination of spinal manipulation, physical therapy and spinal exercises.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment for Scoliosis Treatment in Houston by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Dr Beecher’s November 24 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, November 24th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Traumatic Brain Injury in Older Adults Associated with Dementia Risk. After reviewing the available data on nearly 52,000 individuals in California who had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), researchers believe the data indicate that such persons may have a 1.45 times greater risk for a dementia diagnosis later in life. In particular, the risk was greatest among older individuals (ages 65 and up) who suffered a mild TBI, and those between ages 55 and 64 who suffered a moderate-to-severe TBI. JAMA Neurology, October 2014
Health Alert: Biggest Cause of Fatal Allergic Reactions is Medications. More than half (59%) of allergy-related deaths are caused by medications, as reported in a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In 40% of cases in which a specific drug was identified, it was an antibiotic. The next most common allergy-inducing drugs were radiocontrast agents, followed by chemotherapy medications. The researchers say that the number of fatal drug reactions nearly doubled between 1999 and 2010, and this increase could be due to increased medication use, more tests with contrast material, and to some degree, coding changes entered by hospital personnel. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, September 2014
Diet: Fried Foods Increases Risk of Gestational Diabetes. Research involving over 21,000 single-child pregnancies reveals that regularly eating fried food before conception increases the risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy. Investigators found that those who ate fried food one to three times a week before becoming pregnant had a 13% higher risk of gestational diabetes. Those who ate fried foods four to six times a week were at a 31% increased risk, and the risk more than doubled in women who consumed seven or more servings per week. Diabetologia, October 2014
Exercise: Yoga Pose Improves Spine Curvature in Scoliosis Patients. Performing a single yoga pose for 90 seconds three times a week may reduce spine curvature in patients with scoliosis in as little as three months. In a recent study, scoliosis patients who did the side plank pose on the side their spine was curved toward experienced a significant improvement in their spinal curvature. Researchers found that spinal curvature improved by about 32% in all patients and it improved by 40.9% for the patients who performed the pose for at least three days a week. Among these patients, adolescents saw a 49.6% improvement in curvature, while adults saw a 38.4% improvement. The authors of the study conclude that asymmetrically strengthening the convex side of the primary scoliosis curvature with a side plank exercise performed daily appears to reduce curvature. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, September 2014
Chiropractic: Spinal Manipulation Helps Child with Chronic Headaches. A recent case study involved the chiropractic treatment of a 6-year-old boy who had experienced chronic headaches for previous two years. Past medical care consisted of ibuprofen, which provided minimal relief. After ten chiropractic treatments to address joint dysfunction found in the boy’s neck, the patient had complete resolution of his headache symptoms. This finding supports the use of spinal manipulation in the care of children with cervicogenic headaches. The Journal of Headache and Pain, September 2014
Wellness/Prevention: RNA Biomarker Could Be New Screen for Prostate Cancer. Screening for prostate cancer currently involves testing a blood sample to see whether or not high concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are present; however, many researchers consider this method to be imperfect. Soon, the PSA screening test may be a thing of the past as scientists have observed higher levels of a biomarker known as lncRNA in urine samples of prostate cancer patients when compared with samples provided by men without prostate cancer. Researcher Dr. Ranjan J. Perera explains, “We have identified a set of lncRNAs that appear to have an important role in prostate cancer diagnostics. The findings advance our understanding of the role of lncRNAs in cancer biology and, importantly, broaden the opportunity to use lncRNAs as biomarkers to detect prostate cancer.” The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, October 2014
Quote: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” ~ Alice Walker
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
