Archive for Chiropractic Santa Barbara
Chiropractic Santa Barbara Warns About Your Cell Phone and Repetitive Stress Injury
Posted by: admin | Comments (0)Chiropractic Santa Barbara is concerned about all of your joints, including your elbow joints, and wants you to know about a new study that could help you to avoid elbow pain. We all know how “irritating” it can be when someone is talking loudly on a cell phone (as long as that person isn’t us!). Honestly, doesn’t it seem as if you can’t even take a quiet walk along the beach or in the park without someone walking by shouting into their cell phone? You could say, in fact, that nowadays the excessive use of cell phones has become a pain in our psyche. Well, the detrimental effects of excessive cell phone use apparently doesn’t stop with “pain in the brain.” A new report outlines the prevalence of “cell phone elbow,” an affliction in which users experience pain and numbness in their elbow due to extensive cell phone use. The idea is similar carpal tunnel syndrome, and the effect on the muscles and tendons concerned is essentially the same except a different nerve is pinched. Instead of being located in the wrist, cell phone elbow (“cubital tunnel syndrome”) cell phone elbow originates in the elbow region and results in pain or numbness in forearms, as well as tingling in pinkie and ring fingers. According to a study from the Cleveland Clinic, doctors are seeing more and more individuals experiencing these symptoms.
What exactly produces the problem? Holding a cell phone to the ear causes the elbow to bend, thereby stretching the nerve between muscles and tendons. When the arm is bent for long periods of time, the nerve gets inflamed. “Repetitive, sustained stretching of the nerve is like stepping on a garden hose,” said Dr. Peter J. Evans, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Hand and Upper Extremity Center. “With the hose, you’re blocking the flow of water. With the elbow, you’re blocking the blood flow to the nerve, which causes it to misfire and short circuit.” The first symptom of cell phone elbow is usually pain just below the elbow in the forearm. This is usually followed by the sensation of pins and needles in the pinkie and ring finger. In the most severe case those fingers can curl up and become difficult to use.
The good news is that the condition is easily preventable and treatable. Users are simply encouraged to avoid holding their phone in one position for too long in order to reduce the amount of strain on the affected muscles. For those who are already feeling strain, it is advisable to do simple stretches in order to help prevent some of the damage.
And, of course, a quiet walk in the park or along the beach with your cell phone turned off or, better yet, left behind, would not only go along way in reducing cell phone elbow, but it might do a lot to improve the health of your psyche as well!
This study was published in the May issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.
1809 Cliff Dr. Santa Barbara, CA, 93109 USA
mesachiropractor@gmail.com • 805-963-2069
Technorati Tags: carpal tunnel syndrome, cell phone overuse, Cleveland Clinic, elbow
Chiropractic Santa Barbara is concerned about your overall wellness as a woman. At one time or another, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) impacts and estimated 90% of women and nearly 20% of those women afflicted experience severe to debilitating symptoms. Telling a woman that her PMS is “just in her head” can be not only just plain hazardous, it’s also just plain non-factual! There are physiological causes of PMS in most cases, including one that you might find surprising — spinal misalignment. That’s right. Your back could actually be the culprit. Spinal misalignment, expressly in the lower back, can commonly generate a wide variety of female health conditions in addition to Premenstrual Syndrome, such as pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence, and even infertility.
Are you wondering how chiropractic can ease the symptoms of PMS? chiropractic treatments get rid of nerve disturbance in your body. Every cell, fiber, tissue, organ, and system in your body is instructed and regulated by your nervous system. This includes your reproductive system. If your reproductive system isn’t performing correctly due to nerve interference, it can cause a myriad of symptoms such as those connected with PMS. You would most likely experience agitation, pain, heavy bleeding, or severe cramping if your reproductive system were overactive. Missed periods or infertility can be caused by an under-activity reproductive system. The good news is that if nerve impedance is causing your PMS symptoms, then chiropractic care can assist because adjustments restore unimpeded activity to your nervous system and, therefore, assisting it in functioning more normally.
In conjunction with improved general health, many women experience an improvement in their reproductive health, as well, while under chiropractic care. So, if you’ve been thinking that your PMS is just in head, think again! And, make an appointment to see your Santa Barbara Chiropractor as soon as possible. Chiropractic management offers an all natural answer for PMS that could assist you in avoiding periodic misery, without medication, and keep you symptom-free and energetic all month long.
Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, cramping, heavy bleeding, PMS
chiropractic Santa Barbara believes that overall wellness is possible at any age: Doesn’t it seem that healthy lifestyle information is everywhere you look these days? There are magazines and TV shows all about healthy foods and beneficial exercises. There are even recipes for nutritious meals in the newspaper. But, even though more Americans today are aware that eating nutritious meals, getting exercise, and keeping their body weight down is essential for health and longevity, a new study reported in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Medicine has found that the number of middle-aged and older Americans who have adopted a healthy lifestyle has actually declined substantially in the past two decades. Using data from a large government health survey, researchers found that in 2006, only 26 percent of Americans ages 40 to 74 said they ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. That’s down 16 percent from the 42 percent who responded in the 1988 survey! When it came to exercise, the same kind of decline was reported. Only 43 percent said they worked out at least 12 times per month, versus 53 percent in 1988. Not surprisingly, the rate of obesity in the United States went in the opposite direction, from 28 percent in 1988 to 36 percent in 2006.
The findings were based on data from the National Health and nutrition Examination Survey, a regularly conducted government health survey. Researchers focused on surveys conducted between 1988 and 1994 and between 2001 and 2006, which together included more than 15,000 Americans between the ages of 40 and 74. They looked at rates of five lifestyle factors involved in preventing a range of health risks: maintaining a normal weight, getting regular exercise, eating enough fruits and vegetables, not smoking, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol.
Though the study cannot tell us why healthy lifestyle habits are on the decline, lead researcher, Dr. Dana E. King, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said that one reason may be that these changes are just difficult to make. “People’s increasingly hectic lives may be making it hard to fit in regular exercise, or to sit down to healthier, home-cooked meals rather than eating take-out.” He suggested some simple steps can make a difference. “It’s not hard, for example, to take some fruit to work with you, instead of going to the vending machine.” (Parking a little farther away from your destination and walking a bit can help, too.) Most importantly, Dr. King stressed that “it’s never too late” for middle-aged and older adults to make lifestyle changes for the better. In fact, in an earlier study, King and his colleagues found that when middle-aged adults newly adopted a healthier lifestyle — including regular exercise and eating more fruits and vegetables — their risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying over the next several years fell by as much as 40 percent.
If you think about it, there aren’t many things in life that carry an “it’s never too late” guarantee. So, why not start today, no matter what your age may be? Your healthy future is depending on you!
Technorati Tags: cardiovascular disease, healthy lifestyle, middle-aged adults
chiropractic Santa Barbara knows that wellness is about many things, including what you put into your body. This new finding may surprise you: Are you ready for this? For years (and years) chiropractors like me, plus nutritionists and other health-conscious professionals have been advising men, women, and children to lay off the fast foods. Everyone is aware already of the artery-clogging, fat-producing effects of a fast food diet. So, tell you something you don’t know, right? Well, here it is: It’s not just the fast food, itself, that can shorten your life span, but the wrapper it comes in that is a risk to your health and longevity, as well!
Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.
PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.
“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?
For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001
Technorati Tags: diet, fast food, health, pollution
chiropractic Santa Barbara believes in healthy exercise, no matter what your size, and is excited about the following information from a great article about yoga for plus-size people: What a wonderful concept! I tell all my patients that “health begins right where you are today. You can’t wait for more time or less body weight.” However, up until now, yoga studios have not usually been purlieus for people of size. Striking a yoga pose has seemed to be an exclusive option for lithe, limber bodies. But, not anymore! Yoga classes for heavier people have been sprouting up all over the country with names like Buddha Body Yoga, MegaYoga, HeavyWeight Yoga, and Yoga for Round Bodies.
The ancient practice of yoga might be based on a philosophy of self-acceptance and non-competitiveness, but plus-size people usually feel too self-conscious to even try a yoga pose, much less try on a yoga philosophy. In addition, most yoga classes, even beginner courses, don’t address the needs of big bodies, says Michael Hayes, the owner of Buddha Body Yoga in New York. Poses considered standard for those who are fit or slim are often difficult or even impossible for heavier students.
So, if your body weight has been holding you back, and if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to start getting healthy and fit, it looks like that moment has arrived. Check to see if there’s a yoga class for plus-size people in town. If not, maybe you can start one!
For the complete article go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/health/nutrition/14fitness.html?_r=1&em
Technorati Tags: excess weight, plus-size, yoga
Chiropractic Santa Barbara wants you to know as much as possible about elbow pain. Tennis Elbow, the typical name for pain emanating from the outside, or lateral side, of the elbow happens when one or more tendons of the forearm muscles become irritated or inflamed. These tendons join to the bony protuberance close to the elbow joint, referred to the lateral epicondyle, hence the medical name, “lateral epicondylitis,” in essence inflammation of the epicondyle.
If the affliction is located on the inside, or medial side, of the elbow it is often called Golfer’s Elbow or medial epicondylitis. This, however, is not as prevalent as lateral epicondylitis. There are many whys and wherefores for epicondylitis – not just tennis and golf – as any activity or sport that requires repetitive gripping of objects can result in this problem.
Inappropriate wrist and arm posture while carrying heavy bags, knitting, chopping food, and/or using a computer can also cause “tennis” or “golfer’s” elbow. With sports, the condition occurs when a person, who is new to a particular game, uses an awkward technique, tries out new rackets or clubs, or adds to the intensity or duration of exercise without effective preparation. On occasion cases involving epicondylitis can be attributed to complications farther up the arm or even in the neck.
If an individual has a disc complication or spinal subluxation, the nerves that control the forearm muscles may become inflamed producing tense muscles and putting heightened strain on the tendon attachment(s). This creates a predisposition to elbow pain whatever the exacerbating cause. If ignored, joints of the elbow can become subluxated further, and even arthritis can be a complication of the condition.
Examination and treatment by a qualified chiropractor, such as your Santa Barbara chiropractor can fix the problem and eliminate future complications. Epicondylitis is a condition that rarely resolves of its own accord and so requires proper health management. A qualified professional such as a chiropractor can determine the exact cause of the problem and initiate the proper care and treatment. In a chiropractic clinic this might include modalities such as ultrasound, electro-therapy, massage, hot and cold therapies, bracing, and home stretching and exercises. Chiropractic care has proved, in the majority of instances, to be extraordinarily beneficial in the most comprehensive management of this problem.
Technorati Tags: chiropractic, elbow pain, golfer's elbow, Santa Barbara Chiropractor, tennis elbow
