Don’t Let Neuropathy Hold You Back From Enjoying Life! Presented by Whittier Doctor

Neuropathy affects every part of your life- walking, sitting, and even sleeping.

Maybe you’ve had multiple tests, only to find out no one has any idea what you have.  Maybe you’ve even been put on a drug with heavy side effects.

Do you have any of the following symptoms…

Pins and needles feeling, Numbness in the hands or feet, Tingling or burning sensations, Weakness in the arms or legs, Sharp shooting or burning pains

If so you may have a condition called peripheral neuropathy.

We help people with neuropathy and nerve problems live pain free.

This painful condition interferes with your body’s ability to transmit messages to your muscles, skin, joints, or internal organs.  If ignored or mistreated, neuropathy can lead to irreversible health conditions.

Why not get help by those trained to correct the major cause of peripheral neuropathy?

National data lists arm and leg neuropathy as the second most common nerve problem treated in physical medicine.  Often neuropathy is caused by a degenerating spine pressing on the nerve roots.  This can happen in any of the vertebral joints from the neck all the way down to the tail bone.

By using a multifaceted approach, we’re able to release the pressure that has built up on the nerve.  This allows the nerve to heal and the symptoms to go away.  You could soon be enjoying life…without those aggravating nerve problems.  Don’t live in pain when we may have the solution you’ve been looking for all along!

The immune system.  It’s a glorious thing that we all have, our own self-defense system.  We get sick when we are exposed to pathogens like bacteria and viruses- especially if they’re allowed to multiply uncontrollably inside them.  Luckily, our immune system detects and destroys any foreign substances that find their way inside the body, thanks to the brain and nervous system.  The immune system can be weakened however, and people who are diseased or very young or old are more likely to harbor infections.

Many studies have found that once someone has been exposed to a certain pathogen, it will be prepared to respond better to that same substance if it encounters it again.  This is what lead to the development of vaccinations.  A vaccination shot is actually a small dose of the actual pathogen, or parts of its structure in order for our immune system to react to it.  Researchers believe that if you get a small enough dose, you won’t get sick but your body will be more prepared to protect you if its exposed to the same bug again.  However, what the researchers failed to think about was the negative side-effects of vaccinations.

1.  You can actually get sick from the vaccinations, even as serious as allergic reactions, fevers, seizures, and even death.

2.  Other childhood diseases have seemed to increase since vaccination programs began, including autism, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

3.  We don’t even know if they’re effective.  Death rates from many of the diseases vaccinations were developed for were already declining greatly before they became available.

Chiropractic, or manual therapy is an all-natural health care solution that bases its entire philosophy on helping to improve the body’s innate ability to heal itself.  Removing irritation and interference in the nervous system caused by vertebral subluxations, allowing for proper regulation and control of all systems in the body.

The debate goes on but make sure to research the benefits versus the risks when it comes to vaccinations, get as much information as possible and talk to your doctor so you can make the best decision possible for yourself and your child!

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) gets its name from the location where the nerve irritation most often occurs- in the carpal tunnel of the wrist.  It’s a painful condition and is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome.  Many times people complain about the pain in their thumb and index finger, but sometimes it can also effect the entire hand, wrist and even the forearm.

Normal daily activities like typing, sewing, or knitting can eventually lead to this condition due to the repetitive contraction of small muscles in the hand.  Some people go to their doctors and choose surgery to help correct the problem, however the success rate for total correction of CTS has been estimated to be as low as 60%.  Surgery can be expensive and it can also cause side-effects like other nerve damage and delayed wound healing.

Manual Therapy Can Help!

Here at Whittier Spine Center, we believe in finding the cause of your pain and treating that, rather than just covering it up with drugs or surgery.  Abnormal neurological patterns in the neck can cause shooting pain in different muscles, including the ones that lead into the wrist and hand.  It’s critical to be aware of the mechanics of your neck and upper back and vertebral subluxations in these areas could be a big reason you could be experiencing CTS.

We also know how the alignment of the bones in your wrist and elbow could be contributing to this.  Pain and inflammation from joints not being properly aligned can lead to spasm of the muscles in the area of the subluxation and surrounding soft tissues irritation.

Make sure you consider the ergonomics of your workstation, take regular breaks and stretch tight muscles when your job or hobbies involve repetitive tasks, and turn to the pros when CTS symptoms start to show up.  The sooner you address the problem, the sooner you can resolve it!  We will perform special tests to discover the actual cause of your pain, and manual therapy done as soon as possible can decrease the chances of it becoming a very painful, chronic problem.

Sleep apnea.  It’s a condition which will literally keep you awake at night.  It affects about 18 million people in North America and obese people are at greater risk to develop this condition.

There are two types of sleep apnea, obstructive and central.  Obstructive is the most common form and it occurs when your airway is blocked because soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses during sleep.  When this happens, the brain alerts you by waking you up.  Some people may even wake several hundred times throughout a single sleep cycle.  Central sleep apnea, on the other hand happens when the brain doesn’t send signals to the muscles to breathe but the airway isn’t actually blocked.  This condition indicates a problem in the respiratory system.

Did you know that without enough restful sleep you increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and hypertension?

The risk factors associated with your chances of developing this condition are obesity, over 40 years of age, a large neck size, nasal obstructions, gastrointestinal reflux, or family history of sleep apnea.  Men are also more likely to develop it than women.

Here are some signs you may have this condition:

- Snore loudly

- Gasp for breath while sleeping

- Awake frequently

- Suffer morning headaches

- Sleepy during the day

- Concentration and memory problems

- Feel depressed

You may be able to treat mild sleep apnea with a few lifestyle changes.  Avoid consuming alcohol, smoking, taking sleeping pills and sleeping on your back.  Losing weight may also help.

If you frequently awake during sleep, speak with your doctor.  Even if you are not diagnosed with sleep apnea, you want to address your insomnia as it can have a profound impact on your health now and in the future.

Pregnancy can be overwhelming at times.

While it’s one of the greatest things to ever happen to you, your body goes through some difficult changes–like back pain, shoulder stiffness, sciatica and pelvic problems just to name a few.

If not addressed, these conditions can have a negative impact on your lifestyle and can make your delivery much more difficult.

Chiropractic care has a long, proven track record in helping pregnant women during this constantly changing, yet delicate time. Here’s what one study had to say about chiropractic and pregnancy…

“84% of patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy [chiropractic care] reported relief of back pain during pregnancy. There was significantly less likelihood of back labor when spinal manipulative therapy was administered during pregnancy.” — JMPT 1991

This confirms that not only is chiropractic care the best, natural drug-free solution to your back pain, but it will make your back labor much less painful.

Add to this what childcare experts and authors Dr. William and Martha Sears state in their highly praised The Pregnancy Book, ” chiropractic care in pregnancy can help to…

“avoid or relieve back pain and also prepare your back and pelvic structures for the stresses of labor and birth.”

Furthermore, it’s vital to both mother and baby that the pelvis be in proper balance and alignment during pregnancy. If the pelvis is out of place, it can cause “intrauterine constraint”, restricting the room available for the growing baby.

A bad pelvic alignment can also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best position for delivery.  One such position is called “breech” presentation where the baby is not positioned headfirst- making the delivery difficult and even dangerous for mother and child. But scientific studies have proven a special chiropractic technique has extraordinary success with helping breech babies.

One study (J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2002 ) confirmed that this unique approach helps the mother’s body turn the baby. Of 112 cases studied, 102 of them turned correctly after this gentle procedure was performed…

That’s A Success Rate of 92% in Helping Turn Breech Presentations

 In fact, many medical and healthcare associations recommend chiropractic care for pregnant mothers. The American Pregnancy Association said the following about chiropractic…

“Potential benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:

• Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
• Controlling symptoms of nausea
• Reducing the time of labor and delivery
• Relieving back, neck or joint pain
• Prevent a potential cesarean section

As you can see, chiropractic care during pregnancy is well established and a safe method of care!

Living with headaches is tough.

Day after day of being miserable, irritable, and looking a lot older than you really are.  The frustration of knowing that your friends and family don’t understand what you’re going through.

Add this to doctors’ visits, MRI’s and CT scans- which only come back with “normal” results.

And that’s not all…trying one medication after another, feeling like you’re on a merry-go-round of drugs.

All this is enough to make anyone want to scream!

IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS:

1.  Approximately 22 million women are affected by migraines in the United States.

2.  Medical science has discovered that most headaches are caused by damaged structures around the neck, like joints, ligaments, muscles, and cervical discs, all of which have complex nerve endings.

3.  Research has proven certain natural treatments have great success with headaches- even better than massage and medication- with no side effects.

Imagine being able to live life like a normal person again, pain free and without headaches- being able to play with your kids, enjoy time with friends, and not have to worry that your headache will hit you at just the wrong time.

Could This Drugless Treatment Be Your Headache Solution Too?

Numerous studies have shown the benefits of specific manual therapy with headache patients.

The Boline Study

This study compared two groups of headache patients, half went for specific manual therapy, the other half took amitriptyline, a medication often prescribed for the treatment of severe tension headache pain.  After six weeks researchers found that the non drug group of patients experienced almost no side effects.  And only the non drug patients continued to report fewer headaches when treatment ended.

The Duke Study

Medical experts concluded that spinal manipulations resulted in almost immediate improvement for headaches.  Patients also had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of headaches than a commonly prescribed medication.

Recurring Headaches Are Not Normal

No question…if you are having headaches then something is wrong.  Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong.  Finding the problem and fixing it has got to be top priority!  How many years can your body handle taking one pill after another?  That’s no way to live, not when there could be an easy solution to your problem.  Many of the pain medications available are quite addicting and can have drastic side effects.

If you’ve ever dealt with the pain of a migraine headache, then you know how debilitating it can be.  Your life is forced to stop and you can’t continue on with a normal day. Have you even missed a day of work or school because you were in so much agony, the only thing you could do was pop some pain medication and stay in bed with a warm cloth over your forehead?  It can last for hours, even days, can come and go, or even develop into a chronic condition.

Sadly, many people are far too familiar with this pain, suffering so terribly from chronic migraines that they may not even be able to hold down a full-time job.  Not surprisingly, migraine sufferers endure depression and anxiety at twice the rate of the general population.

Migraines occur in phases, unlike other headaches with the painful phase almost always combined with other bodily symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.

While researchers haven’t been able to pinpoint all the causes of migraines, they have been able to link them to many lifestyle, nutritional, and biochemical factors including stress, lack of sleep, changes in weather, chemicals, medications, alcohol, certain foods, liver problems, rapid change in hormone levels, and medical conditions like depression and hyptertension.

While the traditional medical treatment for migraines are prescription and over-the-counter drugs, these aren’t enough for all patients and can cause uncomfortable side effects.  So what else can you do to combat the pain of migraine headaches?  We suggest the following:

Dietary Changes

Meat, cheese, caffeine, nuts, wheat products, and citrus fruits have been found to trigger migraines.  Eliminate these foods from your diet and it may help.  Migraine patients may not have enough magnesium in their bodies so try increasing your intake of this mineral since it can help decrease the damage caused by stress, which as we mentioned before can be a trigger.  You can also increase your intake of antioxidants, which stop the development of free radicals caused by oxidative stress.

Behavior Therapy

Psychological counseling may teach patients strategies to help cope with their headaches as well as how to identify possible triggers and signs of an oncoming migraine.  Behavior therapy can also teach relaxation techniques and exercises for stretching the neck.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic adjustments have long been a tool for helping reduce and even eliminate migraine headaches.  Some patients acheive significant migraine relief with just a single adjustment, but most require several sessions to get the maximum benefit.  If you or a loved one suffer from migraine headaches, speak with your chiropractor about treatment options.

While pain medications can help mask the pain, they do not aid in preventative treatment, so try these options and let us know how if you have any success with these alternatives.  We think you will!

Osteoporosis is a disease defined by a person losing a significant amount of bone density compared to normal values.  There is no single cause for this disease.  Healthy bone development however, requires the adequate absorption of calcium and anything that can interfere with the metabolism of dietary calcium in the body can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.  The disease is usually not painful, so unless your bone mineral density is measured, you may not know you have it until you fracture a bone!  The wrist, hip, and spine are the most common fractured bones.

According to statistics, one in four women over the age of 50 is at risk for osteoporosis, and 80% of all fractures occurring in people over the age of 60 are osteoporosis-related.

Fractures caused by this disease are associated with considerable suffering and illness.  Hip fractures related to osteoporosis result in death in up to 30% of all cases!  One study of elderly women reported that the majority would choose death over having a hip fracture and being admitted to a nursing home!

Here are the Major Risk Factors for Osteoporosis:

- Age 65+

- Family history of osteoporotic fracture (especially if mother had hip fracture)

- Medical conditions that inhibit absorption of nutrients

- Early menopause (before age 45)

- Long-term (more than 3 consecutive months) use of glucocorticoid therapy

- Osteopenia apparent on x-ray

- Hypogonadism (low testosterone in men, loss of menstrual periods in younger women)

- Primary hyperparathyroidism

The best treatment for osteoporosis is prevention- beginning from childhood.  For those who have already developed the disease, medications for improving the absorption of calcium into the body and increasing dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D3  can help reduce the risk of fractures.

Tell your chiropractor if you think you may have osteoporosis.  Staying physically active can help both prevent and treat the disease.  So in order to keep active, a healthy musculoskeletal system is critical.  Alignment, posture and coordination all  play a roll in this.  With chiropractic adjustments being a positive influence on the nervous system, the assistance they provide in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis can truly make a difference!

So the flowers aren’t blooming anymore, the leaves are falling, the air is crisp and cool…..so why are you sneezing, wheezing, and itching your eyes???

Ragweed pollen, which is the main cause of hay fever, is the biggest culprit when it comes to allergies during the fall months.  Each ragweed plant can produce about a billion grains of pollen over a season.  This pollen can be airborne for days and travel hundreds of miles, so even if you don’t live near where ragweed grows you can still suffer from it.

Mold, an indoor and outdoor allergen found in damp areas, is another trigger.  Its spores are easily airborne.  Damp basements and bathrooms can grow mold as well as piles of leaves in your yard, or the pile of wet laundry you forgot to dry last week.

Lastly, I will tell you about my least favorite indoor allergen, dust mites.  Good thing they’re microscopic, because have you ever seen pictures of them?  YUCK!  Their main source of food is tiny flakes from HUMAN SKIN and each of us sheds enough to feed about ONE MILLION of them every day!  Dust mites travel through the air and into your nose, causing sneezing, wheezing, and a runny nose.

Ok, let’s move onto why we get allergies, because all this talk about what gets into our bodies is kinda making me sick.

So an allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction: when you react to a substance that is considered to be harmless to most other people.  When harmful substances are detected, special immune cells, called mast cells release histamines.  These chemicals sensitize the body to react, which then attempts to remove harmful substances by sneezing, coughing, etc.

Chiropractic may be able to help with allergies.  How, you ask?  Your body is constantly interpreting your environment.  In order to interpret, your body must first get information.  The nervous system is part of this information-gathering function.  If your nervous system is dysfunctional, then the information interpreted will be altered, and this makes you susceptible to abnormal reactions like allergies.

Chiropractic adjustments have incredibly beneficial effects on the nervous system.  Many chiropractic patients report a decrease in allergy symptoms when treated regularly for vertebral subluxations.  Misalignment or dysfunctional movements of vertebra can cause a focal irritation in the spine, which then creates an abnormal signal received by the central nervous system.  When this signal occurs along the same pathway necessary for the input of normal environmental messages, the body may not interpret the information correctly.  An allergic reaction can happen when this occurs.

If your allergies are bothering you and you can’t seem to find a way to get them under control, see if chiropractic could be your solution.  And because removing spinal subluxations has many wonderful positive effects on your nervous system, even if your allergies did not end up calming down as a result, you would still be doing something extremely good for your body.

So now I’d like to hear from you!  Do you suffer from allergies?  What kinds?  When are they at their peak and what have you tried in the past to get them under control?

We have been enjoying the coffee bean since the 15th century.  It wasn’t until just recently though that we actually learned some of the healthy benefits it may provide.  Coffee does have its drawbacks, but most research points to it as being generally good for your health.

The Pros

Amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are all found in coffee.  Researchers are still learning the impact of caffeine on delivering therapeutic benefits, although it seems to play a bigger role in Parkinson’s disease and cancer than other health conditions.  A study involving people in Finland and Sweden conducted over 20 years discovered those who consumed 3 to 5 cups daily were 65% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia  in mid-life compared to occasional or non-coffee drinkers.

Coffee could also cut the chances of developing liver cancer.  A Japanese study showed people or have a history of liver disorders and other conditions such as diabetes or obesity cut their risk of liver cancer by 50% when they consumed at least 1 cup of coffee daily.  Men who drink moderately high levels of coffee may decrease their risk of aggressive prostate cancers by 60%!  These are all quite intriguing discoveries, aren’t they?

The Cons

Sadly, coffee may harm other areas of your health.  Caffeine can be addictive and can cause irritability, nervousness, tremors, heartburn, and even insomnia.

Caffeine causes your blood pressure to rise.  If your blood pressure is already medium to high, you may want to consider drinking decaffeinated coffee instead.  Caffeine can also be a risk to your bone health, as it can hinder calcium absorption and increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.  In one study, women who drank more than 2 cups of caffeinated beverages a day were 69% more likely to have a hip fracture over the next decade than women who did not drink these products.

So the research continues.  Not only do more clinical trials on coffee need to be conducted, but the differences between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee should be studied.  It’s too early to recommend coffee specifically for disease prevention, but hopefully we can find out about more pros than cons.

Coffee Talk

What are your thoughts?  How many cups of coffee do you consume each day?  Has coffee helped or harmed your health?

We spend about 33% of our life in bed! That’s a lot of time and if we “do it right”, our sleep will     restore and rejuvenate us like clockwork.

Let me explain how to sleep because there’s more to it than just plopping yourself into the bed and covering up with blankets. There are good sleep habits and bad sleep habits just like there is good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL).

It’s possible to have bad sleep habits for years without bad consequences. The problem with bad sleep habits is that you could be wearing down the joints in your neck. The constant wearing down of the joints is risky because once there’s a trauma to the neck; those joints “give out.” In chiropractic medicine, we call this degenerative joint disease.

Why Take a Risk When Bad Habits are Easily Changed?

The good news is that simply by changing some bad habits, you can stop any joint damage from occurring in the future.

Sleeping on your stomach is a bad habit because it forces your neck in one position – to the side – for long periods of time. While your neck is turned to the right or left, several of the muscles (and joints) in your neck are working hard to keep your head in that position. Other muscles are working hard to balance the positioning muscles. Neck muscles that are tight for several hours can cause pain, inflammation, and headaches. It’s certainly no fun to wake up with a headache.

Here’s another way to think about it:  when you’re working out at the health club, how would your legs feel if you did leg presses for over an hour? Would you be able to walk home or to your car? It would be very difficult after stressing them so much. It’s the same with your neck.  You’re doing something similar when you sleep on your stomach and turn your neck to the side.  Now that doesn’t mean sleep on your stomach and put your head straight down into the pillow! You’ll suffocate! So what’s the alternative?

Dr. Weiland’s Sleep Instructions

Sleep on your back or side instead. When sleeping on your back, lie flat with a pillow under your head and neck and a pillow under your knees. Do not ever sleep with more than one pillow under your head. Your neck should not be pushed up so that your chin moves down toward your chest. A pillow should support your neck according to its natural C-shaped curve, allowing your head to rest in a neutral position.

When you sleep on your side, support your head and neck with pillows in such a way so your spine will remain in a straight line. Your legs should be at a 35 to 45 degree angle and not drawn up in a knot or in the fetal position. You may feel more comfortable with a pillow between your knees to keep your pelvis from being tilted.

Let’s Check Out Your Pillow

The type of pillow you use at night on Sunday can make a big difference in how good you will feel on Monday. Do not use a regular foam pillow. A shaped cervical pillow or a feather pillow is best because the curve of the pillow supports your neck. When your neck is supported, then all the muscles, tendons and joints can relax. As they’re relaxing, the blood sends in healing, rejuvenative and restorative nutrients. You wake up refreshed.

It’s a bad habit to lie down on the couch, especially with your head propped up on the armrest. Propping up your head results in a cervical curve angle that stresses out the joints and the muscles of your neck. Every time you engage in this type of activity, you are willingly creating stress in your neck. Decide that your body wants to be loved and cared for, and never engage in this activity again.

Decide that your body wants to be loved also if you read in bed. If you prop yourself up on your elbows or lie flat to read, this movement stresses out your shoulder joints and puts undue stress on your neck muscles and joints as well. Don’t do it!

The best way to sleep is on your back. When it’s time to rest or sleep, sleep on your back or on your side on a firm bed and don’t settle for anything else.

Make these changes and in just one month you will improve your health dramatically!