Get Better Sleep With Nutrition
Some time ago I did an article on my nutritional state. I am doing this for several reasons.
I want to get healthier. I had a fantastic educational experience in nutrition 18 years ago while in Chiropractic College; to my dismay implementation of my nutritional education has been absent from my San Diego chiropractic office. I take responsibility for this; as my focus has been on helping patients with specific complaints of neck pain, low back pain, headaches and the like.
Secondly, before I implement anything into my patients’ care I like to be on board with it so I can have first hand experience with its benefits. Nutrition is no different. I have been hit and miss with my diet and supplements for years – it is time for a change.
To recap my first post on this topic, I had a hair mineral analysis performed approximately one month ago. The results revealed deficiencies in many nutrient minerals. Some of the minerals that I was deficient in have the ability to cause anxiety and may affect my ability to sleep soundly. Both anxiety and insomnia are conditions that I have struggled with for years.
The lab that I used for my hair analysis not only provided a report regarding my deficiencies, but they also gave me a supplement recommendation list that I could use to restore proper mineral balance in my system.
As of the date of this post, I have been taking my supplements as advised by the lab for about ten days. At this point I feel a bit clearer headed and I have slept soundly for over 7 hours per night over the last three nights. I know that three nights good sleep is not a fix, but it is unusual. In a typical month I usually only get two or three good nights sleep.
Three good nights sleep in a row is a record for me and enough evidence to justify continuing with my nutritional supplements.
In a few weeks I will post again on this topic to let you all know how I am progressing.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Why Do I Have Back Pain? A Chiropractic Overview
Why Do I Have Back Pain? A Chiropractic Overview
The other day I had a new patient walk into my San Diego, California office asking for chiropractic treatment. He was bent over 45 degrees at the waist, complaining of lower back pain and saying “Doc, Why do I have back pain? I have no idea how I got this way but I am having trouble standing up and sitting down, can you help me?” This is a common new patient presentation in our office. More often than not, the typical back pain patient can’t recall a specific cause of their back pain. Sometimes the pain has advanced enough to affect the nervous system resulting in sciatica nerve pain.
Patient’s like this always want an explanation as to how they got the way they are. Most of my patients have followed a typical course on their way to experiencing back pain.
The joints, muscles and ligaments that allow movement, move the body and provide stability in the low back are among the biggest and strongest in the body. This being the case, it usually takes a significant single injury to damage these structures. A hard fall, car accident or a long day of strenuous lifting are examples of single events that can cause back pain all by themselves.
However, most cases of back pain are caused by cumulative stress. Cumulative stress comes from postural stress (excessive sitting), poor lifting habits, awkward sleeping habits, etc. Cumulative stress also known as repetitive stress takes place over months or sometimes years.
The bottom line is that most back injuries arise from events that seem small and insignificant by themselves but after months or years of exposure to these stresses lead to irritation of the joints and muscles resulting in back pain.
Once the joints, muscles and ligaments of the lower back have been exposed to extended periods of stress, they become very vulnerable to injury. This process follows a predictable path. The joint is stressed by some activity, the stress irritates the soft tissues of the joint, the irritation causes inflammation and the inflammation causes pain and scar tissue formation. Scar tissue limits joint motion, causes pain in the joint and is often sensitive to changes in weather. We all know someone that knows better than the weather man as to when it is going to rain. It is scar tissue build up and arthritis that causes joint pain when it is going to rain.
Once this process has begun, a severe case of back pain can arise from something as simple as picking a sock up off the floor or reaching for a cup of coffee.
Unfortunately for the patient, the little things that they do on a regular basis that stress their backs don’t become apparent until after they are in pain. I always advise my patients to pay special attention to the specific activities or movements that aggravate their backs while they are in pain. These are the activities that are often responsible for the cumulative stress that I discussed at the beginning of this article.
Joints are complex structures that in most cases are very durable and work without pain. However, the process described above can happen silently, over time, resulting in severe back pain and / or sciatica for the person who has ignored proper back care through the course of their lives. Chiropractic care from a licensed chiropractor can be very effective in relieving your back pain. Chiropractic care is a safe, effective and affordable form of treatment that has a history of success with relieving low back pain.
Key: chiropractic,back pain,chiropractor,sciatica,low back pain,chiropractic treatment,nerve pain
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
The other day I had a new patient walk into my San Diego, California office asking for chiropractic treatment. He was bent over 45 degrees at the waist, complaining of lower back pain and saying “Doc, Why do I have back pain? I have no idea how I got this way but I am having trouble standing up and sitting down, can you help me?” This is a common new patient presentation in our office. More often than not, the typical back pain patient can’t recall a specific cause of their back pain. Sometimes the pain has advanced enough to affect the nervous system resulting in sciatica nerve pain.
Patient’s like this always want an explanation as to how they got the way they are. Most of my patients have followed a typical course on their way to experiencing back pain.
The joints, muscles and ligaments that allow movement, move the body and provide stability in the low back are among the biggest and strongest in the body. This being the case, it usually takes a significant single injury to damage these structures. A hard fall, car accident or a long day of strenuous lifting are examples of single events that can cause back pain all by themselves.
However, most cases of back pain are caused by cumulative stress. Cumulative stress comes from postural stress (excessive sitting), poor lifting habits, awkward sleeping habits, etc. Cumulative stress also known as repetitive stress takes place over months or sometimes years.
The bottom line is that most back injuries arise from events that seem small and insignificant by themselves but after months or years of exposure to these stresses lead to irritation of the joints and muscles resulting in back pain.
Once the joints, muscles and ligaments of the lower back have been exposed to extended periods of stress, they become very vulnerable to injury. This process follows a predictable path. The joint is stressed by some activity, the stress irritates the soft tissues of the joint, the irritation causes inflammation and the inflammation causes pain and scar tissue formation. Scar tissue limits joint motion, causes pain in the joint and is often sensitive to changes in weather. We all know someone that knows better than the weather man as to when it is going to rain. It is scar tissue build up and arthritis that causes joint pain when it is going to rain.
Once this process has begun, a severe case of back pain can arise from something as simple as picking a sock up off the floor or reaching for a cup of coffee.
Unfortunately for the patient, the little things that they do on a regular basis that stress their backs don’t become apparent until after they are in pain. I always advise my patients to pay special attention to the specific activities or movements that aggravate their backs while they are in pain. These are the activities that are often responsible for the cumulative stress that I discussed at the beginning of this article.
Joints are complex structures that in most cases are very durable and work without pain. However, the process described above can happen silently, over time, resulting in severe back pain and / or sciatica for the person who has ignored proper back care through the course of their lives. Chiropractic care from a licensed chiropractor can be very effective in relieving your back pain. Chiropractic care is a safe, effective and affordable form of treatment that has a history of success with relieving low back pain.
Key: chiropractic,back pain,chiropractor,sciatica,low back pain,chiropractic treatment,nerve pain
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Treating Lower Back Pain
Being a practicing chiropractor in San Diego for the last 15 plus years has given me the opportunity to manage hundreds of cases of lower back pain. I would say that of these cases of low back pain, at least 75% of them are the result of a sedentary lifestyle and lack of core strength.
Our spines are essentially a stack of bones that give use the ability to flex, bend and twist while at the same time provide protection for our spinal cord. Ligaments, which are tough fibrous bands of tissue help provide stability of the joints. Another major contributor of stability for our spines comes from the muscles. The muscles in our bodies, regardless of where they are located should be strong and flexible. Strong flexible muscles in our core help prevent injuries.
The trend in America is that we are becoming heavier and exercising less. In addition to this trend, or perhaps a contributor to this trend is the fact that so many people have work that revolves around the computer. I know that some of my patients sit at a computer station all day long – every day of the week.
Sitting at a computer has multiple ill effects on the health of our spines. The postural stress of sitting puts stress on the discs that separate our vertebrae. When we sit, the normal forward sweeping curve of our low backs round backward which displaces the weight of our bodies forward putting increased pressure on the discs. This posture also stretches the muscles that run down the back of the spine eventually causing what is known as a “stretch weakness”.
It is the loss of core strength combined with the postural stress of sitting at work for hours and days on end that leads to most of the back problems that I see at work. I always find it ironic that office workers who are in for treatment make comments about how I must see so many heavy laborers for back pain while my office is filled with computer jockeys.
The solutions to the problems described above are simple but require diligence. First of all, you have to take breaks if you sit all day. I had a seminar years ago where one of the speakers gave a simple solution to get you up and moving during the day. He suggested that you have a small, 8 oz glass of water on your desk that you drink from all day. With this plan, every twenty minutes or so you will have to get up to get more water or get up to go to the bathroom. These mini breaks in your day help relieve postural stress.
The second part of taking care of your back involves building strength in your core.
This involves exercise. Walking, jogging, bicycle riding, crunches and various exercises on a Swiss Ball will all go a long way towards building core strength and reducing your chances of lower back injury.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
Our spines are essentially a stack of bones that give use the ability to flex, bend and twist while at the same time provide protection for our spinal cord. Ligaments, which are tough fibrous bands of tissue help provide stability of the joints. Another major contributor of stability for our spines comes from the muscles. The muscles in our bodies, regardless of where they are located should be strong and flexible. Strong flexible muscles in our core help prevent injuries.
The trend in America is that we are becoming heavier and exercising less. In addition to this trend, or perhaps a contributor to this trend is the fact that so many people have work that revolves around the computer. I know that some of my patients sit at a computer station all day long – every day of the week.
Sitting at a computer has multiple ill effects on the health of our spines. The postural stress of sitting puts stress on the discs that separate our vertebrae. When we sit, the normal forward sweeping curve of our low backs round backward which displaces the weight of our bodies forward putting increased pressure on the discs. This posture also stretches the muscles that run down the back of the spine eventually causing what is known as a “stretch weakness”.
It is the loss of core strength combined with the postural stress of sitting at work for hours and days on end that leads to most of the back problems that I see at work. I always find it ironic that office workers who are in for treatment make comments about how I must see so many heavy laborers for back pain while my office is filled with computer jockeys.
The solutions to the problems described above are simple but require diligence. First of all, you have to take breaks if you sit all day. I had a seminar years ago where one of the speakers gave a simple solution to get you up and moving during the day. He suggested that you have a small, 8 oz glass of water on your desk that you drink from all day. With this plan, every twenty minutes or so you will have to get up to get more water or get up to go to the bathroom. These mini breaks in your day help relieve postural stress.
The second part of taking care of your back involves building strength in your core.
This involves exercise. Walking, jogging, bicycle riding, crunches and various exercises on a Swiss Ball will all go a long way towards building core strength and reducing your chances of lower back injury.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs.
Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554
San Diego Chiropractic
Ergonomic Office Equipment Website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav, the Ergonomic Mouse Pad
or Visit Ergonomic Blog, "Ergonomically Yours" And read the latest News in the Ergonomic World.
Better Health Steve Jones
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