Like many health conditions, low back pain is a chronic problem. Patients with low back pain typically suffer on and off for years. Back pain seems to come on when we overexert or do something out of the ordinary, such as moving boxes or when returning to a sport we have not tried since our […]
Headaches and Forward Head Posture
The head is a large and heavy part of a person. In a child, the head can account for a quarter of their total weight. In the adult, the head weighs 10-14 pounds (about 4.5-6.3 kg), and this load has to be balanced by the strength of the neck muscles. In normal upright posture, there […]
What is Fibromyalgia and What Can Be Done?
Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder. It is complex because different systems of the body are affected, and treatments need to be both comprehensive and specific. Fibromyalgia overlaps with other diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome, which shares many of its characteristics. The patient usually has general fatigue, and due to pain, may be impaired in […]
“What Is the Carpal Tunnel Whiplash Connection?”
Carpal tunnel symptoms typically come on slowly. Day after day we are able to type at the computer with no problem and then one morning a little tingling in the fingers develops. We shake our hands, stretch the fingers, and try to go back to the keyboard. But inevitably the tingling continues and seems to […]
“Why Does My Neck Hurt So Much But My Car Only Got a Dent?”
Whiplash pain can be much different from other types of injuries. When a car accident is severe, the pain will come on right away. If the injury produces a mild or moderate sprain, sometimes it takes a few days for the pain and inflammation to reach its maximum extent. Sometimes it is stiffness that is […]
“What Jobs Cause a Bad Back and What Can I Do About It?”
Back problems are commonplace in society. It is important to ask if there might be certain risk factors for back injury in your life that can be mitigated or avoided, if possible. While we cannot pick our genetic make-up or even our current occupation (for most of us), how we interact with our daily tasks […]
“I Keep Taking Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen and My Migraines Are Getting Worse, Not Better”
It is difficult to not know someone who suffers from chronic headaches or migraines. In a 2004 study, researchers found 18% of adults experienced a severe headache or migraine during the preceding three months. Migraine headaches, which are characterized by painful, disabling, and recurring symptoms, have no known proven cause, treatment, or cure. They occur […]
Vitamin C and Muscle Pain
Patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia use a variety of different complementary and alternative treatments to help manage their condition. Since medications and surgery are rarely indicated, the use of safer (less toxic) alternatives has become widespread. About 1/3 to ½ of patients report trying different treatments, such as exercise programs, chiropractic, and vitamin supplements. Sometimes patients […]
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the nerve (median), which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes compressed between the displaced bones of the wrist. Nerve signals originate in the brain and follow tracts down the spinal cord through openings between the neck bones (vertebrae). The nerves then travel down the arm and into the […]