Arthritis

Right between my shoulder blades, Doc…..

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

Your spine is made up of 24 bones stacked on top of each other with a soft “disc” between each segment to allow for flexibility. Normally, each joint in your spine should move freely and independently. Our examination of your spine has shown that one or more of your spinal vertebra is slightly misaligned and restricted. We call this condition “spinal segmental joint restriction”.

To help visualize this, imagine a normal spine functioning like a big spring moving freely in every direction. A spine with a joint restriction is like having a section of that spring welded together. The spring may still move as a whole, but a portion of it is no longer functioning.

Joint restrictions can develop in many ways. Sometimes they are brought on by an accident or an injury. Other times, they develop from repetitive strains or poor posture. Being overweight, smoking, strenuous work, and emotional stress can make you more susceptible to problems.

Restricted joints give rise to a self-perpetuating cycle of discomfort. Joint restriction causes swelling and inflammation, which triggers muscular guarding leading to more restriction. Since your spine functions as a unit, rather than as isolated pieces, a joint restriction in one area of your spine often causes “compensatory” problems in another. Think of this as a rowboat with multiple oarsmen on each side. When one rower quits, the others are placed under additional stress and can become overworked.

Joint restrictions most commonly cause local tenderness and discomfort. You may notice that your range of motion is limited. Movement may increase your discomfort. Pain from a restricted joint often trickles around your rib cage or up & down your spine. Be sure to tell your chiropractor if your symptoms include any chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual cough, indigestion or flu-like complaints.

Long-standing restrictions are thought to result in arthritis – much like the way a slightly misaligned wheel on your car causes premature wearing of your tire.

You should recognize that your problem is common and generally treatable. Chiropractic care has been shown to be the safest and most effective treatment for joint restrictions. Our office offers several tools to help ease your pain. To speed your recovery, you should avoid activities that increase your pain. Be sure to take frequent breaks from sedentary activity. Yoga has been shown to help back pain sufferers so consider joining a class or picking up a DVD.

Trigger points in the Quadratus Lumborum muscle.

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The quadratus lumborum muscle is a commonly overlooked source of low back pain and is often responsible for “pseudo disc syndrome”. This muscle originates on the inferior border of the 12th rib and lumbar transverse processes. It inserts on the iliac crest and iliolumbar ligament. The q.l.’s main actions are extension and lateral flexion of the spine. It also acts as a stabilizer of the lumbar spine. Trigger points in this muscle refer pain into the sacroiliac joint and the lower buttock. Pain can also spread anteriorly along the crest of the ilium into the lower abdomen and groin and to the greater trochanter.

Want a fancy new hip? Start with this!

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A “joint” is an area where two or more bones come together. These bones have a slick rubbery protective covering, called “cartilage,” on the areas where they meet. This cartilage serves as a friction reducer and shock absorber, thereby prolonging the health of our joints.

Osteoarthritis, or simply arthritis, occurs when your joint cartilage degenerates as a result of repetitive stress.

Over time, this cartilage can thin and crack, eventually wearing away, leading to a painful “bone on bone” situation. Thinning of your joint cartilage is often accompanied by the development of “bone spurs” and/or joint deformity further disrupting your joint function.

Hip arthritis is common, affecting up to one-third of the population. The likelihood of you developing osteoarthritis increases as you age, and appears to be at least partially inherited from your parents. It is more common if you have been overweight and if you were subjected to repetitive injury, including occupations & sports requiring prolonged standing or heavy physical exertion.

An early symptom of Hip OA is prolonged stiffness upon arising in the morning and following periods of inactivity. You might complain of the inability to put your socks on, shave your legs or climb stairs. Groin, thigh and buttock pain are common. In some cases the pain can radiate into your lower leg. Cracking and popping of your hip when moving is possible.

It is sometimes difficult for doctors to differentiate between hip osteoarthritis and lower back problems that can also cause hip pain. Your doctor will likely X-ray your hip to determine the extent of your arthritis (graded 1-4 based on severity).

Arthritis cannot be cured, but your symptoms can often be relieved. Treatment of hip arthritis may include exercises, especially water-based programs like “water-aerobics.” Your doctor may use physical therapy modalities and will likely stretch and manipulate your hip, as this has been shown to be effective at relieving symptoms.

Your doctor may recommend that you avoid aggravating activities, especially those requiring you to rotate your hip internally (i.e., pigeon toed” movements), and to maintain a healthy weight. You will be taught home stretching and strengthening exercises to help you recover. Taking 1500 mg of Glucosamine and chondroitin has been shown to help some arthritis sufferers.

In more severe cases, you may need to use a cane (in the opposite hand) to take weight off the arthritic hip. If conservative treatment fails to relieve your pain, your doctor might recommend consultation with an orthopedic hip specialist to consider joint replacement.

Osteoarthritis of the Hand

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The bones in your hand have a slick, protective covering called “cartilage” on the joint surfaces that touch each other. This cartilage serves as a friction reducer and shock absorber, thereby, helping to extend the life of your joints. “Arthritis” means that your cartilage has begun to thin or crack and may eventually wear away –impairing your strength and dexterity. Painful hand arthritis affects

up to 1 in 4 people. This degeneration has a tendency to affect specific joints, especially those of your index and middle fingers and the base of your thumb.

Your chance of developing arthritis increases with age. Hand arthritis is 2 1/2 times more common in women. Arthritis occurs more often in joints that have been previously injured and in patients who perform repetitive movement of the hands- particularly labor and manufacturing jobs. Other risk factors include obesity and the presence of arthritis in your parents. Contrary to popular opinion, knuckle cracking does not increase your risk of arthritis, regardless of duration or frequency.

Symptoms usually begin slowly and progress into longstanding hand pain that comes and goes. Your symptoms are likely aggravated by activity and relieved by rest. Hard, bony enlargements often develop along the joint lines, especially in women. You may notice morning stiffness that subsides fairly quickly. Be sure to tell your doctor if you notice lasting morning stiffness or swelling, as this could be a sign of a different type of arthritis.

The American College of Rheumatology recommends the use of non-drug treatments (like the type provided in this office) for hand osteoarthritis. Patients with thumb osteoarthritis may benefit from a nighttime splint. Topical creams, especially those including “capsaicin” may help relieve symptoms. You may find relief by warming your hands with a hot pack or “paraffin bath” when they feel stiff. Some patients report benefit by taking Glucosamine Sulfate. The mainstay of treatment includes exercises to help improve your mobility and strength.

Trigger points in the lateral pterygoid

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The lateral pterygoid muscle plays an important role in prober jaw function. It originates on the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and the lateral pterygoid plate, and inserts on the condyloid process of the mandible. It’s action is to pull the head of the mandibular condyle out of the mandibular fossa while opening the jaw. When trigger points develop they refer pain into the temporal mandibular joint and maxillary sinus. This referral is commonly mistaken for TM arthritis. In addition to the referral pain, trigger points in this muscle can also effect proper movement of the jaw.

There is nothing great about greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Nothing at all.

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Your hip typically has about six small fluid-filled sacs called “bursa” that act as cushions between tendons and bone. One of the most common causes of hip pain is a condition called, “hip bursitis” which means that one or more of your bursas have become painfully inflamed. The broader (more accurate) diagnosis of “Greater trochanteric pain syndrome” (GTPS) describes an uncomfortable collection of problems affecting the outermost portion of your hip. GTPS can include swelling of one or more of the fibrous tendons that attach your muscles onto your hip – a condition called, “tendinitis.” In addition to bursitis & tendonitis, GTPS may originate from tightness in the muscle that travels over your hip en route to your knee- resulting in compression and irritation to your hip.


Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is most common in middle age to elderly adults and is 2-4 times more common in females. Sometimes the problem affects both hips at the same time. Approximately 1/3 of patients with GTPS have lower back pain. Patients who have arthritis in their hips and knees are more likely to suffer from ongoing complaints.

Your symptoms probably include a persistent pain on the outside of your hip, buttock, and upper thigh. Your discomfort may be aggravated by sitting with your leg crossed, arising from a seated position, prolonged standing, climbing stairs, and high-impact activities, like running. Sometimes patients find it difficult to sleep, since lying on the painful hip usually increases symptoms.

For adults, x-rays may or may not be needed to confirm the diagnosis, but children and adolescents usually require films to rule out more serious childhood diseases. Be sure to tell your doctor if you notice that you have a fever, leg numbness, pain radiating significantly beyond your knee, or pain in the front of your groin crease (the area where you leg meets your pelvis.)

Conservative treatment, like the type provided in this office, is successful in about 90% of cases. If you have acute pain, you may need to temporarily limit or discontinue activities that increase your discomfort. Using ice or ice massage at home may help. Some patients find temporarily relief by applying sports creams. Very commonly, patients with pain on the outside of their hip suffer from weakness in one of their buttock muscles, called the “gluteus medius.” When this muscle lacks strength, it is unable to protect your hip during normal activities, like walking. Research has shown that strengthening your hip has a dramatic effect on your progress.

Athletes should avoid running on a banked surface, like the crown of a road or indoor track. Be sure to reverse directions each mile if you run on a circular track. Avoid running on wet or icy surfaces, as this can cause increased tension in your hip. Runners with a “lazy” narrow-based running gait will benefit by increasing their step width to minimize stress on their hip. Cyclists need to make sure that their seat is not positioned too high. Overweight patients should consider weight reduction programs.

Trigger points in the gluteus medius muscle

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The gluteus medius muscle plays an important role in hip and pelvic stability. It originates on the gluteal surface of the ilium, deep to the gluteus Maximus. It inserts on the greater trochanter of the femur. It’s main actions are to abduct the hip and to assist in internal rotation of the hip. It also maintains pelvic stability during walking and running. Trigger points in this muscle will refer pain into the sacrum, the iliac crest, and down the lateral hip and into the thigh. This muscle is often a cause of lower pack pain.

Meditation goes mainstream!

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With growing evidence that meditation has significant health benefits, a 2016 study by a team of researchers from the United States, Spain, and France sought to explain how and why meditation actually works.

The study investigated the difference between “mindful meditation” in a group of experienced meditators vs. “quiet non-meditative activity” in a group of untrained control subjects. After eight hours of mindfulness practice, the meditation group showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, which in turn correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation.

According to researchers, this is the first time a study has documented a rapid alteration in gene expression within meditating subjects. Interestingly, the researchers observed these changes in the SAME genes that anti-inflammatory and pain-killing drugs target! Thus, they speculate that mindful-based training may benefit patients with inflammatory conditions! This and prior studies have prompted the American Heart Association to endorse meditation as an effective cardiac preventative intervention.

Meditation has been found to be helpful for many conditions including stress management, lowering high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression. You can incorporate meditation into your life with three simple meditation exercises! The initial advice is “…go slow and be compassionate and gentle with yourself.” Your mind will try to wander (called our “default mode”) which consumes about half of our day, so try to focus (called “focus mode”)!

1)  WALKING MEDITATION: At a slow to medium pace, focus on your feet. Notice how your heel hits the ground and then feel the roll of your foot followed by the big toe pushing off prior to the swing phase. Feel for stones under the foot and other interesting sensations. If your mind starts to wander (default mode), gently bring your attention back to your foot (focus mode). You WILL get better with practice, and you’ll soon find it much easier to “focus” during stressful situations!

2)  NOVEL EXPERIENCES: It’s much easier to lose focus on the people you see everyday vs. those seen only one time a month. The next time you arrive home from work, pretend you haven’t seen your spouse/friend in 30 days. Give them your undivided attention. Then, try this on co-workers and other people you see every day. Believe me, they WILL notice a difference!

3)  GRATITUDE EXERCISES: When you’re not in their presence, focus on a person’s face and send them a “silent gratitude” for being in your life. Try this on family members, friends, co-workers, and others!

Can Chiro help me?

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

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​Chiropractic is the most widely accepted and most frequently used type of “alternative” healthcare in the United States. This is largely due to the fact that it works, and because of that, there has been a steady increase in acceptance by the public, third-party payers, and the Federal government. Since the mid-1990s, a number of outside (non-chiropractic) observers have suggested that chiropractic has now entered mainstream healthcare.

One can position chiropractic as being BOTH alternative and mainstream. It is “alternative” since it approaches healthcare from an entirely different direction compared to the primary care medical profession. Chiropractic is non-surgical and promotes diet and nutritional approaches vs. drugs and surgery. Chiropractic is also arguably “mainstream” as it has evolved into a strongly utilized form of primary care through popular acceptance and utilization by the public.

So, what role does chiropractic play in today’s health delivery system? This question is still being debated, but there appears to be three camps: 1) Specialist—limited to musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints on an interdisciplinary primary healthcare team; 2) Primary healthcare “gatekeepers” that focus on ambulatory MSK complaints; 3) Generalist primary healthcare provider of “alternative or complementary” medicine that manage and/or co-manage both MSK AND non-MSK conditions.

Looking at this from the patient or “consumer” perspective, chiropractic already plays an important role in the healthcare delivery for many patients. In 1993, a report claimed 7% of American adults had received chiropractic care during the prior year. According to a 2015 Gallup poll (that included 5,442 adults, aged 18+, surveyed between 2/16/15 and 5/6/15) entitled, Majority in U.S. Say Chiropractic Works for Neck, Back Pain, “Chiropractic care has a positive reputation among many US adults for effective treatment of neck and back pain, with about six in 10 adults either strongly agreeing (23%) or agreeing somewhat (38%) that chiropractors are effective at treating these types of pain.”

The “highlights” from this Gallup poll include: 1) Two-thirds say chiropractic is effective for neck and back pain. 2) Many adults say chiropractors think of the patient’s best interest. 3) More than 33 million adults in the United States (US) saw a chiropractor in the twelve months before the survey was conducted. That means roughly 14% of U.S. adults saw a chiropractor in the 12 months prior to the survey (vs. 7% in 1993). An additional 12% who responded to the Gallup pollsters saw a chiropractor in the last five years but not in the last 12 months. Overall, 51% of those polled had previously seen a chiropractor.

Whether or not you have personally utilized chiropractic, the educational process, licensing requirements, public interest, third-party payer systems, and interprofessional cooperation ALL support firm ground for which you can comfortably and confidently seek chiropractic care for your complaints.

We realize you have a choice in whom you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend, or family member requires care, we would be honored to render our services.

Where should you turn when back pain strikes?

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

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Where should you turn when back pain strikes?

https://tribunecontentagency.com/article/where-to-turn-for-low-back-pain-relief/

Chiropractic should be a first line defence when back pain strikes. We are special trained to recognize the cause of back pain and treat when appropriate. When the cause is outside the scope of our practice, we are able to educate you on where you should go next.