Is There Light at the End of the Carpal Tunnel?

Dr. Steven Warfield

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is another debilitating malaise of the modern age.   The condition wasn’t even reported until the late 1880’s and the first surgery performed to correct it wasn’t until 1933.  This repetitive stress injury which was literally borne of the industrial revolution is still alive and well in today’s technological age.  Literally anyone who uses a computer, hand tools or works on an assembly line can succumb to this painful condition.  Studies have also linked CTS to everything from rheumatism and arthritis, to diabetes, hypothyroidism, menopause and pregnancy.

While the causes of the affliction are many, the underlying problem centers on the bones of the wrist (named carpals) which form a tunnel through which the median nerve travels from the forearm to the hand.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is any injury pertaining to this area of the body.  While most people who have CTS only experience it in one wrist, some people have both wrists involved. 

Everyone from hairstylists and dental hygenists to electricians, roofers, golfers and tennis players can experience Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Caused predominantly by repetitive tasks (such as using a computer keyboard or mouse), symptoms can

English: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Animated explanation. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 include everything from pain or numbness in the index, middle finger and thumb, to tingling in the hand or pain that radiates from the wrist to the arm.  It can also cause sufferers to lose fine muscle control in their hands, causing them to have problems gripping objects.  Once CTS takes hold, the condition can be further aggravated by continuing the repetitive motions that caused it in the first place.  This in turn causes swelling in the tendons of the wrist which then pinch the nerve in the carpal tunnel.  While many people combat the discomfort of CTS with pain killers, if left untreated the syndrome can become so acute that surgical intervention can be the only solution.

Signs of CTS:

1.      Being awakened in the dead of night by painful tingling in the hands.

2.      Daytime tingling in the hands.

3.      Inability to hold objects.

4.      Loss of strength in the hands or thumbs.

5.      Shooting pain radiating from the hand up the arm.

Can Chiropractic Care Cure CTS?

Any chiropractic treatment for CTS will be based on the severity of the condition.  Along with adjustment and manipulation of the hand, wrist and forearm, chiropractic treatment for CTS can also 

A rigid splint can keep the wrist straight. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

include joint and soft tissue manipulation of the shoulder and neck along with a regimen of exercises of the neck, arm and hand.  (Arm, wrist and finger stretches before beginning repetitive tasks are highly recommended.)  Your chiropractor can also recommend dietary supplements and vitamins that are known to reduce inflammation. Massaging the area and putting ice on your wrist may also help alleviate the symptoms.  Immobilization of the affected wrist(s) may also be recommended while you sleep.

Women are more than twice as likely to develop CTS as men.  People in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s are most vulnerable to contracting CTS.

Most importantly, your chiropractor can also help you modify your environment to minimize the factors that tend to aggravate the condition.  If your computer keyboard or mouse is to blame, there are modifications that can be made to your system, including a padded wrist rest or an adjustable keyboard table.

Above all, the most important factor to seeing the light at the end of the Carpal Tunnel is to take corrective action and seek treatment before the condition completely derails your active lifestyle. 

  Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractic-jacksonville-fl.com

Above the Curve – How the US spends its healthcare dollars on spinal treatment

By Dr. Steven Warfield

While it’s common knowledge that healthcare costs in the US have skyrocketed during the past few years, most people have no idea how these costs break down for care associated with back and neck conditions.  While from 1999 to 2008, the costs of healthcare rose an astounding 95%, annual expenses for chiropractic care when adjusted for inflation were relatively stable.  This is a good thing, since more than 50% of adults will experience a back or neck injury during their lifetime.  In fact back pain is the second most common reason that adults in the US seek medical care.  (Upper respiratory infections top the list.)

While it’s hard to put an exact dollar figure on the costs associated with spinal issues, it is widely accepted that somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 billion will be spent this year alone on the diagnosis and treatment of back and neck pain.  Everything from x-rays and MRIs, from surgery to physical therapy are attributable to back and neck injuries.  Not to mention prescription and over-the-counter pain killers.  (Don’t even get me started there.) However, these costs do not include the $10-$20 billion in earnings that will also be lost due to missed days at work while convalescing.  When you add everything up, this brings the total cost for spinal treatment at well over the $100 billion mark.

While these numbers seem alarming, so is the incidence of spinal injury.  While slip and fall or automobile accidents are responsible for a significant amount of back and neck problems, these are by no means the only culprits.  Everything from overdoing it at the gym, to playing golf, tennis or some other sports-related activity can result in spinal pain.  So too can activities around the home or work.  In fact, one of the most common ways to throw your back out is to simply lift something the wrong way.  Puttering around in the garden is also another way in which to injure your back.

Kid’s Stuff

If you are a parent, caring for young children can present something of a minefield.  Whether it’s tripping over toys, or simply the strain of picking up your child, when it comes to back and neck strain, childcare is not kid’s stuff.  Even during play time, many times adults will overdo it in their zeal to compete with or corral a tot.  Not to mention the fact that toting baby paraphernalia slung over one shoulder is sufficient to cause spinal wear and tear that can ultimately result in a trip to the chiropractor.

Other than covering yourself in bubble wrap and refusing to get off the sofa, what can the average person do to enjoy an active lifestyle while avoiding back and neck strain.  (Let me count the ways.)

1.      Make sure your bedding provides sufficient support for your back and your neck.  This means checking everything from your mattress to your pillows. 

2.      Chair Check – Does your office chair have an adjustable lumbar support and more importantly is it properly adjusted?  If you routinely find yourself slouched behind your desk then it is time to either adjust or replace your chair. 

3.      Your computer is not your friend. Especially if you spend all day sitting in front of one.  Most desktop computers and all laptops and tablets force the user to lean forward to type while viewing the screen.  My advice is to get an external monitor for your laptop and to raise the level of the monitor at least a foot above the desktop.  This will allow you to sit upright and avoid the condition called shoulders forward that is primarily caused by the modern workplace.

4.      Lift with the legs as opposed to the back.  If you must lift something off the ground, the correct way to do so without straining your back is to squat down, grasp the item and then stand straight up. Do NOT lean forward, grasp the item and then straighten your back.  This is the surest way I know to strain your back.

5.      Hire a Coach – If you haven’t been to the gym in ages, or played a round of golf or game of tennis in more than a year, the last thing you want to do is go at it full bore.  Especially if you are over forty.  At least not without supervision.  Today there are scads of professional trainers who make their living by evaluating and supervising sports-minded people.  (Another person to consult regarding exercise would be your chiropractor, since he or she has been trained in everything from stretching routines to nutrition.) 

6.      Don’t let your green thumb turn you into a dead duck.  Aside from the fact that many garden implements can be considered lethal weapons, just the act of digging, pruning and/or planting is a hotbed for back and neck strain.  (So is shoveling snow, although we don’t have that problem here in sunny Florida.)  The secret to getting the most out of your gardening is to take it a little at a time, make sure you stay hydrated and be extra cautious around tasks that involve climbing trees and operating power tools.

While health costs in the US are predicted to do little but rise, that doesn’t mean that with a little common sense you can’t enjoy good health and save yourself an unnecessary trip to the doctor.  That in itself is priceless. (Or failing that I can probably get you a good price on bubble wrap.)

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org 

or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com

Roughing the Public - The Ugly Truth About Sports Injuries

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Have you read the sports page lately?  If you have you will have noticed that a lot of attention has been given to concussions and other sports injuries in the NFL.  In fact, a recent lawsuit brought against the NFL by a number of former players received $765 million in damages for job-related injuries that resulted from the excessive amount of concussions that players in the league were subjected to during the course of their careers.  As a result, the league has changed the rules to try to mitigate these kinds of injuries.  Helmet to helmet hits are now penalized and players who take a blow to the head are often sidelined, or even taken to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion.  Some pundits have even called for sensors to be installed in helmets that could document the punishment that is inflicted upon players.  While some fans claim that the changes that have been handed down are an impediment to the game, many more, including a number of former players would agree that these safeguards are warranted, since the damage that was done to some retired NFL players were life changing.

While the controversy continues to rage over how and why to handle these kinds of high profile sports injuries, what the majority of the public has failed to realize is the fact that sports injuries aren’t only incurred by professional athletes.  Everyone from weekend warriors to retirees and even school children are susceptible to injuries resulting from sports activities.  As far as the statistics go the relevance and costs associated with sports injuries is on the increase.

Bad News for Boomers

A recent article onactive.com reported that “While many baby boomers people between the ages of 37 and 55 are exercising more, many end up in hospital emergency rooms suffering from sports related injuries, according to Yale orthopedic surgeon, Robert A. Stanton, M.D., who wants to raise awareness about this growing problem and offer preventative strategies. Statistics show that most sports-related injuries affecting this age group come from bicycling, running, skiing and in-line skating. Although the injuries were relatively minor, Stanton said the bruises and sprains added up to nearly 90,000 injuries in one year a 42 percent increase in the past decade.”’

While these statistics might come as a surprise to some adults, they certainly don’t to ER doctors who have to deal with the carnage first hand.  Worse still is the fact that so many of the injuries that are dealt with in ERs across the country are preventable. 

Said Doctor Stanton, clinical instructor of orthopedics at Yale School of Medicine. "By following preventative steps, such as warming up, wearing bike helmets and knee pads, and increasing the rate of activity by only 10 percent per week, baby boomers will have fewer injuries."

Of course, sports injuries are not only relegated to baby boomers.  In fact, the age group with the highest rates of hospitalization and death due to traumatic brain injury are not pro athletes but senior citizens.  Unlike past generations, senior citizens today are more active and mobile than those that came before them.  With the advent of motor vehicles, the incidence of severe trauma many times occur with the start of an engine.  And I don’t just mean the four-wheel kind.

A recent report by AARP cited an explosion in the number of older people riding motorcycles.  “It’s not uncommon for us to see a 65-year-old guy and his 58-year-old wife ricing on the back of a Harley,” reported Dr John Morris, chief of trauma at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

http://www.aarp.org/health/medical-research/info-08-2010/health_discovery_seniors_still_have_game_but_injuries_take_a_toll.html

Sports Injuries are Not Kid Stuff

While the elderly are seeing an explosion in sports injuries, the same holds true at the opposite end of the spectrum.  USA Today reported that 1.45 million kids per year have serious sports injuries.  These include everything from strains and contusions, to fractures and concussions.  These injuries result in costs of nearly a billion dollars per year and involve twenty percent of kids who are taken to the emergency room. 

As you might guess, a number of these injuries are the result of participation in organized sports.”Using data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the report focused on pediatric sports injuries related to 14 common sports activities, including football, cheerleading, soccer and basketball. More than 46.5 million children played team sports in 2011, says the report.  It finds that in 2012, 12% of all ER visits (163,670) involved a concussion, the equivalent of one every three minutes. Nearly half (47%) were in kids ages 12 to 15.”

While these statistics sound alarming, the truth of the matter is that many of these injuries are preventable.  By doing things like stretching before exercising or participating in sports, by using protection such as pads and helmets when biking or skateboarding and by taking yourself out of the game and seeking treatment when you or someone you know overdoes it on the playing field, we can all reduce the incidence and severity of sports injuries.  The real cost of sports injuries does not only come from the time and money that it costs the public to recover from an injury.  It also costs in terms of time missed from work.  The ugly truth about sports injuries is that they don’t have to sideline your life if you use common sense. 

If you are feeling less than picture perfect after your next golf game, tennis match or other athletic event, consult your local chiropractor.  They are experts in not only mitigating pain and helping patients recover from injury.  They can also offer a wealth of knowledge when it comes to everything from stretching exercises to nutrition. 

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com

The Ghost of Christmas Diets Past

By Dr. Steven Warfield

We’ve all tried them at one time or another.  Sometimes they work in the short term only to come back with a vengeance a month or so down the road.  And sometimes they don’t seem to work at all.  What I am referring to are Christmas diets.  These are begun with the best of intentions around Thanksgiving only to be tossed out as most people’s first New Year’s resolution.  The reasons that Christmas diets are almost always doomed to failure has more to do with the essence of the diet plan than it has to do with the myriad of holiday treats that abound during this time of the year. 

Forget Fad Diets

Doing a quick sweep of the web I found a number of fad diets being touted in 2013.  Everything from juice fasts and Baby Food Diets to Hot Yoga Workouts, body wraps and Alkaline Diets are making the rounds trying to entice you to give them a whirl.  The problem with most of these regimens is that they are just that: Regimented.  Unless you can strictly adhere to their many rules chances are that the only thing you are likely to shed with these diets is up to $75 per day in fees. 

Worst of all is the fact that while some fad diets will help you lose a few pounds in the short run, their long term prognosis is that you will put the weight back on once you stop dieting.  Some of these diets can be downright dangerous since they tend to adversely influence blood chemistry.  (People with diabetes, compromised livers or those taking heart or cholesterol medications should consult their physician before starting a diet.)  Restricting food intake also disrupts your metabolism, which convinces the body that famine conditions have been encountered.  This means that once you cease dieting your body has now calibrated the digestive tract to squeeze every ounce of nutrition out of the food that you eat.  This is the prime reason that most diets are doomed to failure.

If your diet urges you to forego certain kinds of food, then this can also result in nutritional deficits that can have a negative impact on your overall health.  Typical low carb or low fat diets can cause lethargy and/or mood swings that can take a toll on you as well as those around you.  Immune response can also be adversely affected by poor nutrition resulting in an increased risk of catching a seasonal cold or the flu.  Everything from reduced muscle tone to hair loss can be attributed to less than optimal nutrition.

Besides, not all fats are bad for you.  Beneficial fats such as omega-3fatty acids that are contained in Salmon, flax seeds, walnuts and shrimp are vital to your health.  They are known to reduce inflammation, fight cancer, maintain cell vitality, decrease the risk of blood clots and fight hardening of the arteries.  People suffering from medical conditions such as depression, Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease or joint pain need to consume foods rich in omega-3 as part of their treatment. 

A blog entitled The World’s Healthiest Foods states that, “Research indicates that omega-3s may be better absorbed from food than supplements. Norwegian researchers compared 71 volunteers' absorption of omega-3s (EPA and DHA) from salmon, smoked salmon, cod (14 ounces of fish per week) or cod liver oil (3 teaspoons per day). Cooked salmon provided 1.2 grams of omega-3s daily, while cod liver oil provided more than twice as much: 3 grams of omega-3s per day.”

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84

Other nutrients found in food such as Vitamin C and D are also vital to your health and well being.  Even those who do not diet find it hard to maintain a sufficient level of Vitamin D during the winter months.  It is a fact that health care professionals such see a significant uptick in the incidence of health-related problems during the fall and winter months.  This includes everything from colds to higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, autoimmune issues, depression and even heart attacks.  Since the Sun is responsible for the production of Vitamin D, during the times of year when people’s exposure to sunlight is reduced this is the prime reason for Vitamin D deficiency.  The other is due to avoiding food that contains Vitamin D.

Foods Highest in Vitamin D

1.      Fish Oil and Cod Liver Oil

2.      Salmon, Catfish, Mackerel, Sardines, Halibut, Tuna and Herring

3.      Oysters and Shrimp

4.      Milk, Soy Milk

5.      Orange Juice

6.      Cereal and Oatmeal

What’s the Correct Way to Diet?

The reason that most diets fail has to do with the feast and famine repertoire to which dieters subject themselves.  Particularly during this time of year when everything from Christmas cookies to pumpkin pie beckons, the urge to splurge is nearly as irresistible as gravity.  So if you are looking for a way to avoid the roller coaster effects of dieting, here are a few items to stick in your Christmas stocking.

·         Eat More Often – While this tip sounds counterintuitive, the reason you put on weight is due to the fact that when you burn less calories than that contained in the food you consume then weight gain is inevitable.  Therefore the secret to shedding pounds is to divide your calorie intake into smaller and more frequent packets.  This way you will avoid the risk of having hunger pains that can lead to binging.  Studies have shown that people who eat four to five small meals per day are better able to control both their appetite and their weight.

·         Keep Treats at Arm’s Length – Trying to go cold turkey is one of the worst ways to curb any habit. (Ask any smoker who’s tried to quit this way.)  The problem with total denial is that it leads to binging.  Instead of a complete ban on goodies, allow yourself an occasional treat.  Better yet, have a treat when you are out and about.  For instance when you are shopping at the mall you could buy a cookie then go about your shopping, which will enable you to walk off some of those calories.  Portion control and exercise are the keys to handling holiday treats.

·         Protein is Your Friend – Diets high in protein and moderate in carbs not only 

      help you shed pounds, it can also help you preserve muscle mass and encourage the body to burn fat.  So the next time you need a snack, reach for nuts, cheese or yogurt instead of chips or cookies.  Your bathroom scale will thank you.

·         Exercise is Key to Weight Loss – Exercise can spell the difference between taking the weight off and keeping the weight off.  Now I realized that a lot of people have an aversion to exercise.  Just remember that exercise is not a four-letter word.  It also doesn’t necessarily equate with a visit to the gym or the hiring of a personal fitness trainer.  Everything from daily walks to bike rides around the neighborhood can help burn calories and fat.  The trick is to find an activity that you enjoy.  This way you won’t throw in the towel after a couple of days.

The single most important piece of advice I can give to anyone who really wants to lose weight is not to go it alone.   Also don’t fall for the next magazine article or TV spot touting the latest, greatest diet ever.  What you need in order to formulate a diet that really works is to speak to people who truly understand the big picture when it comes to dieting.  What you don’t need is to listen to a pitchman or someone trying to sell more magazine subscriptions.

If you are looking to lose weight over the long haul then your local chiropractor can help steer you in the right direction.  Not only does he or she have years of training and experience in nutrition and exercise, but they can also tailor a plan to your individual wants and needs.  This way when the season of giving rolls around in years to come you won’t be forced to wrestle with the Ghost of Christmas Diets Past.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com