Workplace Safety: September 2009

Sep 30, 2009

Repetitive Stress Trauma

Repetitive Stress Trauma: An Introduction

Repetitive Stress Trauma or RST is described entirely by the words that make up the phrase. Repetition implies that the injury is the result of more than one exposure. Typical RSTs result from weeks, months or years of performance of a repetitive task with a specific body part. Stress is the result of inadequate recovery time in between exposures to the repetitious task. Trauma, of course signifies bodily injury as a result of the repetitive stress.

Health care workers primarily view Repetitive Stress Trauma as an occupational or work injury. This thought is based on government statistics which indicate that those who work are more likely to develop an RST injury. While these statistics can’t be denied, they also need to be taken into proper context. In my San Diego based chiropractic clinic, we see many patients with RST injuries. Most of the time, most of the trauma is related to work, more specifically to computer work. Additionally, many of these injured people spend upwards of six hours per day on their computers while at work only to come home, eat dinner, and then sit at their own computers for hours on end as well. It doesn’t matter where the stress comes from, the injury remains the same. That being said, in my 15 years of experience in dealing with RSTs I have found the primary source of irritation to be the work environment.

At this point I will go off on a tangent for just a moment … or more. One of the services that my office offers is ergonomic evaluations. Since most of my patients are in computer related occupations, most of my evaluations are on computer set-ups. Typically, when I question my patients about their work stations I hear the following, “Well, it is pretty good except for FILL IN THE BLANK.” At this point I usually suggest that I come to their place of work and evaluate their work station. They are usually way out of the ideal ergonomic set-up. I see keyboards, mice, monitors and phones positioned in ways that will certainly lead to a worsening of their condition.

RSTs, ergonomics and permanent disability are important topics. As such, I will end this article at this point and be back tomorrow or Tuesday with a continuation of what I have started. This topic will be covered over the next three or four posts. Stay tuned.

More soon.
Doc

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. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

www.jonespainrelief.com

Visit our Adjustable Economical Mouse Platform website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

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Work Station and Reaching

Work Station and Reaching:

Have you ever noticed how tight your neck, upper back and shoulders are after a long day of sitting at the computer?

There are a number of factors that contribute to this tightness. Simply the stress of deadlines, an overbearing boss or an annoying co-worker can make your shoulders rise up and your head push forward. And this stress is the result of just the emotional stress of work. When you add the real physical strains of a poorly designed work station on top of the emotional stresses that already exist you have a perfect recipe for a repetitive stress injury.

A large part of designing an ergonomically friendly workstation revolves around limiting the “reach” for items that are frequently accessed.

The distance that you have to reach for any object in your workspace can have major implications on your health. In general, workers should have the items that they use on a regular basis through the day such as the mouse and keyboard for computer users or the telephone for a receptionist or a sales person, positioned close to their bodies so as to avoid awkward or overreaching.

As a general rule, the best positioning for your keyboard and mouse allows you to operate them while your shoulders hang straight down at your sides and elbows are slightly extended. This position reduces the stress of overreaching and allows for completion of your tasks with less muscular effort.

There are many ergonomic apparatus that allow for proper placement of your computer input devices. Pull out keyboard trays, split keyboards, mouse platforms and even foot controls help reduce the ongoing stresses of computer input.

Even with these devices, it takes awareness to maintain an ergonomically friendly work environment. Adjustable Economical Mouse Platform

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. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

Sep 23, 2009

Chronic Pain vs Acute Pain, Whats the Difference

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists longer than 90 days beyond the course of the natural expected healing time. As a chiropractor in San Diego, I get calls from both new and established patients on a regular basis who complain of back pain, neck pain, etc. One of the factors that comes into play when planning a chiropractic treatment program is the duration of the patients pain. In genereral, the longer that a patient suffers with a painful condition, the longer / more intense the treatment is needed in order to fix it. Acute or recent episodes of pain respond much quicker than do chronic conditions.

Pain is very difficult to quantify by any practitioner. Pain is subjective in nature and completely defined by the person experiencing the symptoms, the fact that chronic pain can exist without an obvious cause makes it much more difficult to treat.

I see the difficulties that my chronic pain patients have with their conditions on a daily basis. Aside from the actual pain that they experience, those who suffer with chronic pain often limit their activities for fear of exacerbating their conditions. They also have a much harder time focussing on mental tasks as the pain is a constant source of distraction. The more severe the pain, the more difficulties these people have with attention demanding tasks.

While we strive to avoid pain, pain is a wonderful tool of the nervous system. Pain lets us know of actual or potential tissue damage with an unpleasant sensation that directs our attention to the affected area so that we can either immediately take action to stop the process or focus on healing the injured body parts. Chronic pain sensations are a bit more insideous.

Chronic pain often involves a decrease in the sensativity of the nerve fibers that send messages of pain from the damaged area. With a decreased sensativity (threshold), the nerve is much more likely to transmit painful sensations to the brain then a healthy nerve / tissue combination. This activity within the nervous system is know as a wind up phenomenon and it is very difficult to stop once it has been established. In some other cases, nerve fibers that normally don’t carry painful sensations not only begin to transmit pain signals but it is thought that they may actually generate the signals themselves.

In my office, chronic pain is often the result of untreated sprain / strain type injuries of the joints. In untreated or under-treated sprain / strain injuries, the joint or the muscles that move the joint are laden with scar tisuue that acts to either limit or alter motion of that joint. With time, the awkward, unnatural biomechanics of the scar tissue laden joint results in irritation, inflammation and finally pain and spasm. While chiropractic care is often successful at re-establishing “clean” biomechanics of a joint, it is always better to get the care in the beginning of an injury versus waiting for that injury to become chronic, with a requiring more care with a decreasing chance of complete recovery.

Because of the possibility of an acute painful condition becoming a chronic one, I always encourage my patients to take care of themselves immediately when they first start to experience pain. I have practiced chiropractic care for almost two decades now and I can say that chronic painful conditions of the spine are devastating. Not only do they make you expereince pain, but in most instances they limit your physical activities creating a situation that can easily degrade from inactivity secondary to pain, to deconditioning and eventually to obesity and ill health in general leading to a dissatisying lifestyle.

The bottom line on chronic pain is this – avoid it if you can. Don’t ignore your pain. Painful acute conditions that are left untreated can easily spiral into a chronic condition that has the potential to alter your lifestyle in a negative way.

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

www.jonespainrelief.com

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Sep 19, 2009

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome What to do about CTS?

What to do about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Initially, treatment involves resting the affected hand and wrist and avoiding the activities that caused or may worsen symptoms. Night time immobilization of the wrist in a splint to avoid further damage from twisting or bending is often helpful.    Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonprescription pain relievers, can ease the pain.   Ice packs, prednisone and / or lidocaine (injected directly into the wrist) can relieve swelling and pressure on the median nerve and provide relief.

Stretching and strengthening exercises are very important for people whose symptoms have improved. If symptoms persist for 6 months or longer, your physician may recommend surgery to sever the band of tissue around the wrist (flexor retinaculum) to reduce pressure on the median nerve.

The recurrence rate of carpal tunnel syndrome following treatment is high. The majority of patients never recover completely. Reports show that the majority of Carpal Tunnel Release Surgeries are authorized again within 24 months of the initial procedure.

The best way to treat carpal tunnel syndrome is to prevent it. Eliminating as many repetitive tasks as possible will help stave off the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The following suggestions can go a long way in preventing the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome:

1)    Take frequent breaks, rest from repetitive tasks is vital
2)    Use correct posture, postural stress can affect the nerves as they exit the spine
3)    Eliminate repetitive over-reaching. Stretching for a mouse or phone on a regular basis generates postural stress.
4)    Stretching and regular exercise are of great help
5)    Ice pack application on aggravated wrists helps.
6)    Rotate your job duties when possible, ie don’t keyboard or mouse for hours on end if you can also be working on dictation or some other task that gives you a break from the computer.

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. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

Sep 16, 2009

How Does Ergonomics Affect You?

Those of you have read my blog posts both here and at www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1 know that ergonomics is the study of how we can manipulate our work environment to both improve work performance and reduce injury-causing fatigue.

Obviously, the cost of injury drives the study of ergonomics. This is a good thing. Most employers, especially those who run large corporations are detached from their employees – both physically and emotionally. Were it not for the actual cost of employees’ injuries, many employers would not know or care about their workers’ ergonomic situation.

In the world of ergonomics, there are six separately identifiable variables that affect work performance and fatigue. These six variables are:

1)    Workload
2)    Each Individuals Physiological Response to the Workload
3)    The Individuals Size & Strength Capabilities
4)    Biomechanical Variances
5)    Human Factors
6)    Work Organization

The questions that should be answered by examining the variables listed above are not limited to but include:

1)    Can You Perform a Task Once Without Injury
2)    Do You Physically Fit Your Workplace
3)    Are You Strong Enough
4)    Can You Perform the Task For Seconds to Minutes Without Fatigue or Injury
5)    Will Injury Occur if the Work is Performed Over Months or Years
6)    Do You Have the Mental Capacity to do the Work

These variables directly affect an individual’s ability to perform certain job duties with or without producing an injury.

The reason that I have decided to include this dry and academic sounding material in this blog is to help provide some very general guides that can be used to evaluate your fit for your work duties.

I have patients who were injured at work who are not good fits for their work. They either lack the strength, the height or the endurance to effectively perform their work tasks.

If you find yourself in such a situation you should ask for or pay for an ergonomic analysis of your work environment. Many large companies either have an ergonomics department or have access to an ergonomic specialist.

Writers Bio

Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
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 is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

Back Pain & Sitting

Sitting Postures and Back Pain

Sitting is a pain in the @#$%&! Or at least a pain in the back.

Our spines do not like sitting as a rule. If you remain seated in the same position for a long enough period of time you will experience some level of discomfort.

Although there are many reasons that sitting eventually causes discomfort, one of these reasons cannot be avoided. The natural center of gravity for a sitting human being is approximately 1 inch in front of the belly button. In order to park our upper bodies over our center of gravity we have to either lean forward eliminating the support of our backrests or slide our butts downward and forward assuming a slumped position. Often these postures are accompanied by crossed legs or feet and leaning our elbows on the desk or our armrests in order to promote stability of the spine.

Poor posture often results from chairs and work stations that are void of proper ergonomic considerations. Postural stress causes discomfort in the neck, back and arms resulting in fatigue and fidgeting. It comes as no surprise that these consequences of poor posture have a negative effect on your mood, your concentration and your productivity.

In the long run, poor posture can cause chronic back pain, neck pain and a host of syndromes that affect the upper extremity as a whole.

I found an excellent definition of poor posture in a book called “Backs” by Leonard Ring in which he defined poor posture as “a faulty relationship of the various parts of the body which produces increased strain on supporting structures”.

As important as proper sitting posture is for a younger person with an otherwise healthy back, it is of much greater importance to those who are older and may have some level of arthritis in their spines or a history of injury. Arthritis weakens the joints in the back and makes it more sensitive to the stresses of prolonged sitting when using good posture and much more likely to suffer consequences in situations that involve poor posture. A history of back injuries is also detrimental to the spine during sitting positions especially when it is exposed to the stress of poor posture. All of those old gymnastics, football, hockey and general horseplay falls and jolts have a cumulative effect that decreases our ability to endure stressful postures.

The bottom line is that there are many good sources on the Internet that describe the characteristics of proper sitting positions. The more stress that you can eliminate from your sitting postures the happier your back will be.

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. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

Sep 15, 2009

Prognosis & Fees Personal Injuries Personal Injury Case

Prognosis Personal Injury Case:
The need for future care and the amount of settlement for that care is based on an accurate prognosis. Due to overuse, the term "guarded" has lost most of it's meaning in the medical/legal world.

We contend a more accurate system will benefit the patient, insurance carrier, representing attorney, treating doctor, and most important, the profession as a whole.

The prognosis should encompass facts from the history of the accident, physical examination, and the radiographic studies.

Personal Injuries Lawsuit Fees:

As one might imagine, this is also a hotly debated subject. We fully believe the doctor has the prerogative to charge any fee he chooses for the level of service rendered.

For example, a charge of $5,000/visit can be made and reimbursement can be sought. However, it should be realized an uphill battle for total reimbursement will ensue. In other words, the fees charged may only be paid at the end of expensive litigation and in all likelihood will not be the amount billed.

We strongly suggest the doctors use fees which are both usual and customary to their geographic location.

Relative value studies can be a key to determine these fees. Use of these accepted relative value guides is a powerful weapon for the attorney when he argues the reasonableness of the charges as they are able to show the fees fell within an accepted range and do not represent an unreasonable amount on the doctor's part.

The treating practitioner should realize both the legal and insurance communities consider all aspects of the personal injury case to be negotiable. This would certainly include the fees charged by the doctor.

Read More of this article

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. www.JonesPainRelief.com

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

End Points of Care Personal Injury Case

End Points of Care for a Personal Injury Case

In our experience, this is often the most debated aspect of the personal injury case. The attorney is again forced to justify the length of his client's care, and thereby support the amount billed as well. The care rendered should be reasonable and fall within reasonable guidelines for treatment duration.

In our opinion, when one or more of the following occurs, the patient has reached the maximum point of medical/chiropractic improvement from the type of care rendered.

1.    If the patient's condition gets worse under the care rendered.

2.    When the patient's subjective complaints have clearly reached the upper and lower limits. An example is when the patient's subjective complaints have reached a point where the treatment rendered only "makes them feel better" for a few days and then they are the same as before the visit.

It is clear that the feeling of being "better" for a few days is only temporary and the patient has more than likely reached the clinical limitations of matter from the type of care rendered.

This is not to say the patient does not have complaints, or that the care does not make him feel good, only that further treatment will more than likely be of very little clinical benefit. Thus, the criteria for determining the end points of care.

3.    When the patient fails to make clinical progress between lengthening dates of service. All care is based on achieving a preinjury status.

If the patient fails to make progress between visits over an expected period of time, the clinical potential for further healing is remote.

Treatment, after these points have been achieved, increases the total amount of services rendered and makes a timely settlement more difficult.

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Narrative Reports for Soft Tissue Injuries personal Injury Cases

Narrative Reports for Soft Tissue Injuries personal Injury Cases

In our experience, this is far and away the greatest downfall in the well managed soft tissue case. We, as a profession, have become dependent on the computer generated narrative report.

In our opinion, and that of the legal community as well, these types of reports often do not represent original thought or an accurate depiction of the patient's condition. The various legal arenas involved in personal injury suits take a very dim light as to the veracity of these types of reports.

The narrative report must also be an accurate reflection of the treatment rendered. All sections of the report should correlate to eliminate inconsistencies, and above all should represent accurate and original work. Remember, the attorney will use the report as a settlement tool. It should contain answers, not new problems.

The quality and accuracy of the narrative report should not be underestimated.

It alone represents months of care, the patient's basis for future medical considerations, prognosis, and most important of all, reimbursement for the services rendered. "He who botches the report, botches the case."

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Special Tests for Soft Tissue Injuries

Special Tests for Soft Tissue Injuries

The use of special imaging and diagnostic procedures are becoming more popular in the clinical management of patients. Attorneys will be placed in the position of justifying the expense and use of these tests to the claims adjustor or judge. The doctor should consider the following questions before ordering such tests:

What is the clinical criteria for performing the test? If based solely on the patient's subjective complaints, this represents a very poor criteria.

Is the test both sensitive and specific for the condition? Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), for example, represent procedures which are both sensitive and specific. However, their use is often inappropriate in an uncomplicated soft tissue injury. Thermography, in comparison, is very sensitive, yet due to vast testing and interpretation variables, often renders the use of this test questionable.

Is the testing procedure well accepted in the scientific literature? For example, the timely use of paraspinal EMGs producing $900 to the incurred bills, in our experience, will bring the settlement process to a halt. The treating doctor may contend that the use of this special procedure was clinically necessary, but the insurance carrier will only reimburse those procedures proven in the clinical and literary arenas.

How will a "positive" or "negative" test alter the form of care rendered? A "positive" paraspinal EMG finding, in our experience, has never produced a change in the type of care rendered. For that matter neither has a "negative" result.

Is the test timely? The thermogram, for example, would be expected to be "positive" on the first days following the trauma, thus, negating the clinical criteria for performing said test during the acute stages of injury. For the above reasons, plus the high fees associated with these procedures, we feel the improper use of these tests often produces prolonged reimbursement to all parties; patients, attorneys, and doctors.

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Orthopedic Supports for Soft Tissue injuries

Read first

Repetitive Stress, Treatment and One Specific Ergonomic Improvement 2

Repetitive Stress, Treatment and One Specific Ergonomic Improvement 1

First Read http://work-injury-workplace-safety.blogspot.com/2009/09/repetitive-stress-treatment-and-one.html

Continued.....

There are several benefits to this type of design. First of all, a mouse platform that attaches to the armrest of the chair is natural and provides a constant distance between the mouse and the user. With this design, the mouse is at your finger tips while your forearm comfortably rests on the armrest. The other important feature of this design is that it allows the operator to sit back in his / her chair which allows for much needed low back and neck support.

He purchased many of the mouse platforms that attach to the chair and started his evaluations of the available products. This seemed like such a reasonable solution to such a common problem yet these products were not readily available. He soon realized why. Many were expensive and had complex attachment procedures. Furthermore, they were big. It was difficult to get close to your desk because they protruded off the end of your armrest by 8 to 10 inches. Lastly, they were not adjustable. How could these platforms be considered ergonomic without the ability to rotate or tilt the platform itself?
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After two years of development design and many different prototypes, he felt as though he had a solution. Dr. Jones had developed a mouse platform that had a flexible attachment to the armrest of the chair, a smaller platform that didn’t intrude on the operator’s workspace and a platform that would not only laterally shift side to side, tilt side to side and tilt forward, but it would also tilt down and out of the way when having an attached product at the end of your armrest was not convenient.

While he recognizes that this product is not a solution for all ergonomic issues for everybody, it is a valuable component of an ergonomically friendly work environment.

When combined with a keyboard tray and a supportive chair with armrests that adjust up and down, this product makes for a very comfortable computer posture.

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Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

http://jonespainrelief.com
Visit our Ergonomical Device Website to learn more or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

Repetitive Stress, Treatment and One Specific Ergonomic Improvement 1

Repetitive Stress, Treatment and One Specific Ergonomic Improvement

Dr. Steve Jones practices in San Diego, California. This article will relate his struggles to find appropriate and effective treatment for repetitive stress injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and symptoms including hand pain, wrist pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and elbow pain that were not extensive enough to warrant a specific diagnosis) and why his efforts eventually led prevention vs. treatment.
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Back in the middle part of the 1990’s, his practice started undergoing an unexpected transformation. He started seeing a tremendous number of people complaining of upper extremity pain that was obviously related to long hours of computer work.

While he had studied carpal tunnel syndrome in school and had seen these patients in the past, the overwhelming numbers of these patients that were presenting to his office inspired a desire to learn more about these injuries.

Standard conservative treatment for most types of repetitive stress injuries of the upper extremity involved some combination of wrist splints, elbow straps, massage, joint manipulations, ultrasound therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, trigger point therapy and icing. Treatment for more advanced or debilitating cases could include cortisone injections and various types of nerve decompression surgeries.

These treatments worked some of the time. Most of the time treatment would provide temporary relief for short periods. Many of those who would obtain relief from treatment would have periods of relief that would be punctuated by seemingly unprovoked exacerbations that would cause anger, frustration and depression in both the patient and Dr. Jones (I am sure that he was not the only doctor who was frustrated by treating these conditions).
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For many of those patients who suffered with repetitive stress injuries, the end result of treatment was some level of disability followed by the loss of their employment.

Carpal tunnel surgery is questionable, statistics that show that approximately 95% of all carpal tunnel surgeries are reauthorized one year after the initial surgery date. How hopeless does that sound?

Dr. Jones had always been a compassionate, attentive doctor who listened to his patients. He would pay careful attention to their complaints and as a result he started to notice certain common threads that linked his repetitive stress patients.

Most of these complaints involved ergonomic issues that were easily fixed. Some of these things included: having the computer monitor off to one side instead of placed in front of the patient, using the key board at the wrong height, and having a chair without armrests or postural correct supports. Most of these issues were easy enough to fix. The most common source of irritation that he was told of, however, was the neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist pain associated with mousing.

Continued......

Repetitive Stress, Treatment and One Specific Ergonomic Improvement 2

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

http://jonespainrelief.com
Visit our Ergonomical Device Website to learn more or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

Sep 13, 2009

Stretching and Chiropractic

Stretching and Chiropractic - Try to be More Flexible in 09-10

The headline of this article could be interpreted in a variety of different ways. For the purposes of this blog post it will address our physical flexibility. Flexibility is an important measure of our physical fitness. Flexibility is just as important to our overall health as is strength, endurance, aerobic capacity and body composition.

One of the big problems that I encounter with my patients in my San Diego Chiropractic office is a lack of flexibility in the joints. Strong muscles that span flexible joints are ideal for everything from mundane household chores to weekend athletic adventures. A lack of stretching catches up to us when we perform movements beyond the normal for our lifestyles or activities. In some cases, an extreme movement can be something as simple as reaching to the table behind you for your cup of coffee. Neck pain, back pain, arm pain and leg pain can all occur as a result of injuries due to inflexibility.

As a general rule, as our bodies age, our physical fitness degrades. Regarding flexibility, we tend to loose it. That is why it is very important to develop flexibility when we are younger and maintain it as we get older. Even those of us in our forties or older must try to regain some and maintain most of our flexibility even though we are not 20 something anymore.

I always tell people to think about how much strength, endurance or in this case flexibility that they have lost in the last 10 or 20 years. I know that I am not as physically fit as I was when I was 20 or even 30 years old. There is no way that I want that same trend to continue over the next 20 years. In order to prevent the atrophy of our bodies we have to maintain them through stretching and exercise.

In addition to perhaps regaining the ability to touch your toes, becoming more flexible will also help in the following ways.

1)    Helps Relieve Stress: Flexible muscles are loose and relaxed muscles. Loose, flexible muscles are less likely to tighten up during stressful, tense situations.
2)    Helps Improve Posture: Loose muscles help your body maintain better posture. Avoiding unnecessary postural stress will help you feel better.
3)    Helps Increase Circulation: Increased circulation comes as a result of consistent stretching. Improved circulation helps bring nourishment to your muscles while removing toxic build-up of lactic acid and other waste products.
4)    Helps Improve Coordination: Stretching will improve your joints range of motion providing for better balance, mobility and coordination. Improved coordination will help us with all athletic activities and help prevent falls as we age.

I always recommend stretching in the form of Yoga. Stores like Target have many instructional DVDs on Yoga. Linda and I have always found that Rodney Yee produces better than average DVD courses on Yoga. If you are not experienced in Yoga you will need to start with a beginners course, many people look at Yoga and assume that it is easy. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Yoga is not only a great stretch but an excellent work out and you can hurt yourself if you over-do it.

Some guidelines for safe stretching include:
1)    Warm up Before You Begin
2)    Don’t Bounce While Stretching
3)    Avoid Pain While Stretching – It Should Feel Like A Good Stretch – Not A Painful One
4)    Stretch Both Sides
5)    Stretch Both Before and After Exercise

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.

Better Health Steve Jones

Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic

(619) 280 0554

http://jonespainrelief.com

Visit our Ergonomical Device Website to learn more or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

Causes of Back and Neck Pain

The Causes of Back and Neck Pain and Chiropractic Treatment

My Chiropractic Office in San Diego California is like many across the United States. While chiropractic care helps many different conditions, it is often viewed as treatment for back pain and neck pain. Determining the specific causes of neck pain and back pain for each chiropractic patient is vital prior to the onset of any treatment.

When dealing with back and neck pain, it is important to have your pain evaluated by a professional. Simply dismissing back or neck pain as typical and unimportant can be a very bad mistake.

Many conditions can cause back and neck pain, ranging from injury to infection to simply twisting the wrong way.   Traumatic injuries such as those sustained in an automobile or other type of accident can damage muscles, joints, ligaments, and vertebrae.
Overuse or under use of the back muscles is by far the most common cause of back pain that manifests as tightening or spasm of the muscles that connect to the spine.   Inflammation and swelling often occur in the joints and ligaments, especially in the cervical and lumbar regions, as people age.

A herniated disc occurs when the nuclear pulposus, the inner material of the disc, pushes through a tear in the annulus fibrosis, the outer material of the disc causing nerve root compression.   The cervical and lumbar regions of the spine have the most mobility and the discs there are more likely to wear down or be injured. Ninety percent of disc herniations occur in the lower two lumbar vertebrae.

Spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal, can cause spinal cord irritation and injury. Conditions that cause spinal stenosis include infection, tumors, trauma, herniated disc, arthritis, thickening of ligaments, growth of bone spurs, and disc degeneration. Spinal stenosis most commonly occurs in older individuals as a result of vertebral degeneration.

A pinched nerve, or radiculopathy, occurs when something rubs or presses against a nerve, creating irritation or inflammation. Radiculopathy can result from a herniated disc, bone spur, tumor growing into the nerves, and vertebral fracture, and many other conditions.

Sciatica is a certain type of radiculopathy that involves inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Pain is experienced along the large sciatic nerve, from the lower back down through the buttocks and along the back of the leg.

A spinal tumor that originates in the spine (primary tumor) or spreads to the spine from another part of the body (metastatic tumor) can compress the spine or nerve roots and cause significant pain.

Infections of the vertebrae (e.g., vertebral osteomyelitis), the discs, the meninges (e.g., spinal meningitis), or the cerebrospinal fluid can compress the spinal cord and result in serious neurological deterioration, if it is not diagnosed and treated immediately.

Facet joints allow movement of the spine. The facet joints are formed by two adjacent vertebra and direct or guide movement of the spine.   As facet joints degenerate, they may not align correctly, and the cartilage and fluid that lubricates the joints may deteriorate. Bone then rubs against bone, which can be very painful.

These are just a few of the conditions that can cause back pain and neck pain. Thankfully, most cases of back pain and neck pains are related to mechanical causes and can be readily addressed by a trained chiropractor. The point is, however, pain is a warning signal that should not be ignored. The best place to have your back and neck pain evaluated is with a chiropractor.

Bio Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He recieved 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. Click the following links to find out how we can help you start feeling better today!

Visit our Ergo Nav Website to learn more or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

Better Health Steve Jones

Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554

http://jonespainrelief.com

Chiropractic, neck pain, San Diego, back pain, chiropractor, treatment

Sep 12, 2009

Ergonomic Basics Defining Your Workspace

Defining Your Workspace: Ergonomic Basics

Setting up your office space correctly definitely requires some expert input. That being said, many aspects of setting up your office space are based on common sense.

We all have specific items at work that we handle more frequently than others. In my work environment for instance, I use the mouse and keyboard more than any other object on my desk. At this point I will inject a shameless plug for my Ergo Nav. Since I use my mouse most frequently, I have it perched right at the end of my chairs' armrest. My Ergo Nav positions my mouse close enough to my body to avoid any reaching for the mouse at all. From an ergonomic standpoint, this positioning is ideal.

Visit the Ergo Nav site to see a demo of how it Reduces Wrist, Arm and Neck Pain For Computer Users

My keyboard is also within my immediate reach as are my writing instruments such as pens and pencils. All of the items that I have discussed so far are within my immediate reach area, which is also known as the "usual work space".

Most people only have a handful of objects that truly belong in their "usual work space". The actual dimensions of this space vary with the size of the worker, therefore, you have to keep the principals of good ergonomics in mind when determining the actual size of your "usual work space". As far as placement of mice, keyboards, pens, phones etc., within your "usual work space" you have to position these items in a way that avoids or limits hunching of the shoulders, flaring out of the elbows or forward flexion of the shoulders.

The area beyond the "usual work space" is considered the "occasional work space" and should contain objects that are only occasionally used. In my circumstances, the "occasional work space" contains my cpu, monitor, printer and my phone. Most of the time I have an assistant to answer my phone and I may only make a handful of calls each day. My monitor only requires that I turn it on and off once a day – the same being the case with my printer and the computer itself. My desk space is limited so the items that I have covered are the only items in my space. Staplers, files and paper are needed infrequently enough to not deserve the chance to clutter my work area.

Ergo Van Site San Diego Chiropractic Website to read more about workplace injuries and Repetitive Stress Syndrome
and how I can help you set up your workspace and work with any pain you may already have

Better Health

Steve Jones San Diego Chiropractor

Call Steve at
(619) 280 0554

Computers do they harm Students

Do Computers Help or Harm Our Students

Computers speed our daily tasks in ways that we could not have imagined ten years ago. That being said, most every improvement in our lives is a double edged sword (pardon the cheesy analogy).

Computer work gives me a pain in the neck! It probably gives you a pain in the neck too.

I graduated college in 1991 and at the time I can say that I made it through school without ever owning or even barely using a computer.

I bought my first computer in 1995 and didn’t really start spending more than a few hours on it daily until maybe 2003. In this relatively short period of computer use, I have developed postural stress issues despite my efforts to keep it at bay. I even developed an ergonomic mouse platform in order to help eliminate the stresses of mouse reach and I still fall victim to postural stress.

I began practicing chiropractic in San Diego in 1993 and at that time my practice consisted of patients suffering from typical complaints. It was unusual to get patients that complained of neck pain, back pain, headaches or sciatica that wasn’t a result of some specific injury, auto accident or work injury.

Now my chiropractic patients are different. I still practice in San Diego and my patients still complain of neck pain, back pain, headaches and sciatica but these symptoms begin with a different type of injury.

And it is scary!

Most of the injuries that I see today are due to sedentary tasks. Most of these tasks involve computer use and postural stress. The scary thing about these injuries is that I hear from my patients with kids that their kids are using computers both at home and in school.

I know how computer work has affected me with less than 5 years of moderate use. Students of all ages are using computers for everything.

By the time today’s’ kids are in their 30s or 40s, they will have had over 20 years of exposure to the postural stresses associated with computer use. Considering the frequency with which I see computer related stress syndromes now, it is hard to imagine how much of these disorders will be seen in another 20 years.

The health of tomorrows computer users will rely on ergonomically designed work stations combined with stretching, exercise and chiropractic therapy to help relieve the effects of computer related postural stress.

Visit our Ergo Nav Website to learn more or Buy Ergo Nav

Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment

Better Health Steve Jones

Call Steve Jones at
(619) 280 0554

http://jonespainrelief.com

Workplace Safety

Sep 30, 2009

Repetitive Stress Trauma

(619) 280 0554

Work Station and Reaching

(619) 280 0554

Sep 23, 2009

Chronic Pain vs Acute Pain, Whats the Difference

(619) 280 0554

Sep 19, 2009

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome What to do about CTS?

(619) 280 0554

Sep 16, 2009

(619) 280 0554

Back Pain & Sitting

(619) 280 0554

Sep 15, 2009

Prognosis & Fees Personal Injuries Personal Injury Case

(619) 280 0554

End Points of Care Personal Injury Case

(619) 280 0554

Narrative Reports for Soft Tissue Injuries personal Injury Cases

(619) 280 0554

Special Tests for Soft Tissue Injuries

(619) 280 0554

Orthopedic Supports for Soft Tissue injuries

Sep 14, 2009

Repetitive Stress, Treatment and One Specific Ergonomic Improvement 2

(619) 280 0554

Repetitive Stress, Treatment and One Specific Ergonomic Improvement 1

Repetitive Stress, Treatment and One Specific Ergonomic Improvement 2

(619) 280 0554

Sep 13, 2009

Stretching and Chiropractic

Causes of Back and Neck Pain

Sep 12, 2009

Ergonomic Basics Defining Your Workspace

Computers do they harm Students

Blog Archive

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