Interesting News

Chiropractic & Headaches

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

Migrane

​According to the World Health Organization, headaches are among the most common disorders of the nervous system affecting an estimated 47% of adults during the past year. Headaches place a significant burden on both quality of life (personal, social, and occupational) and financial health. They are usually misdiagnosed by healthcare practitioners, and in general, are underestimated, under-recognized, and under-treated around the world. So, what about chiropractic and headaches… Does it help?

Suffice it to say, there are MANY studies showing chiropractic care helps headache sufferers. For instance, in a review of past research studies using an “evidence-based” approach, chiropractic treatment of adults with different types of headaches revealed very positive findings! Researchers note that chiropractic care helps those with episodic or chronic migraine headaches, cervicogenic headache (that is, headaches caused by neck problems), and tension-type headaches (chronic more than episodic). There appears to be additional benefit when chiropractic adjustments are combined with massage, mobilization, and/or adding certain types of exercises, although this was not consistently studied. In the studies that discussed adverse or negative effects of treatment, the researchers noted no serious adverse effects.

In patients suffering from athletic injuries, particularly post-concussion headache (PC-HA), chiropractic care can play a very important role in the patient’s recovery. With an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related brain injuries occurring each year, approximately 136,000 involve young high school athletes (although some argue this is “grossly underestimated”).

Several published case studies report significant benefits for post-concussion patients after receiving chiropractic care, some of which included PC-HA from motor vehicle collisions, as well as from slips and falls. For example, one described an improvement in symptoms that included deficits in short-term memory as well as attention problems. In this particular study, a six-year-old boy fell from a slide in the playground, and after 18 months of continuous problems, underwent a course of chiropractic care. After just three weeks of care, his spelling test scores improved from 20% to 80% with even more benefits observed by the eighth week of care!

Another case study looked at a 16-year-old male teenager with a five-week-old football injury who had daily headaches and “a sense of fogginess” (concentration difficulties). He reported significant improvement after the second visit, with near-complete symptom resolution after the fifth visit (within two weeks of care). After seven weeks of care, he successfully returned to normal activities, including playing football.

Dizziness and vertigo are also common residuals from concussion and were present in a 30-year-old woman just three days following a motor vehicle accident. She also complained of headache, neck pain, back pain, and numbness in both arms. The case study noted significant improvement after nine visits within an 18-day time frame.

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 for neck pain or headaches, we would be honored to render our services.

Winnipeg’s Top 5 New Restaurants

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

BestRest2017_3

As a food lover it is always nice to see critics agreeing with your choices for top restaurants. This year my top 4 new restaurants in Winnipeg are all named as part of Ciao’s top 5. I have had the chance to try Cordova yet but it is certainly on my list….

Head over to Ciao Winnipeg (Link below) and check out their top 5 new restaurants in Winnipeg.

Ciao’s Top 5 New Restaurants In Winnipeg

 

CTS Exercises?

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

​CTS Stretch

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the leading cause of numbness to the middle three fingers and thumb and affects millions of Americans each year. There are MANY potential causes of CTS, and these causes can be unclear or multi-factorial. We have discussed the importance of night splints and what chiropractic can do for CTS in the recent past. This month, let’s look at what YOU can do for CTS.
“Self-help” concepts are VERY important as they empower YOU to gain control of your condition’s signs and symptoms, thus placing less reliance on those of us who manage (in this case) CTS. There is a time for “PRICE” or, Protect, Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate, such as when most activities make symptoms worse. This is the time for splinting, reducing activities of daily living (which sometimes includes work restrictions), and the use of ice cupping or massage. Patients should initiate movement or exercise-based approaches as soon as such activities can be tolerated. Here are four different exercises you can do:
1. Fist / “Bear Claw” / Open Wide Hand: This is a three-step exercise, and you can start or stop on any of the three “steps.” A. FIST:  Make a fist and squeeze as tightly as tolerated; B. BEAR CLAW: Starting from the fist position (A), open only the palm of the hand (keep your thumb and fingers bent but straighten the big knuckle joints at the base of the fingers); C. OPEN WIDE: Straighten and spread ALL your finger joints by opening up your hand as much as possible and feel for a good stretch in the palm. HOLD each position for one to five seconds (vary the “speed” of moving between the three positions – fast, medium, and slow; emphasize what feels best if you have a preference). Repeat five to ten times or until your hands feel looser.
2. “Church Steeple”: Place your hands together in front of you (“prayer position”) touching the pads of the thumbs and all four fingertips together and spread your fingers as wide as possible. Next, separate your palms as far as you can while applying pressure against your finger/thumb tips and repeat. Alter the speed and number of repetitions until your hands feel stretched out.
3. “Shake and Flick”: Simply shake your hands as if you just washed them and you’re shaking the water off to “air dry” them. Again, alter the speed and reps until they feel loosened up.
4. Forearm Stretches: Place one arm out in front, elbow straight, and fingers pointed straight, palm up (first set). Reach with the opposite hand and pull the fingers, hand, and wrist down and back towards you until you feel a strong “pull” in your forearm muscles. Hold until the forearm muscles feels stretched (5-10 seconds). Repeat this with the palm facing down for the second set to stretch the opposite (extensor) forearm muscles.
Do these on each side two to three times each (even the “good” side) EVERY HOUR (or as often as possible). Think about what you do on a daily basis and if you work in a repetitive manner (on the job or a hobby at home), try to do these exercises DURING THE REPETITIVE ACTIVITY to help keep your symptoms from getting out of control. If you can alter the position or speed of a work or avocational activity, do so for long-term prevention purposes!
If you cannot gain control of your CTS condition, you may need additional treatment options of which chiropractic offers a safe, non-surgical approach.
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 for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, we would be honored to render our services.

Fibromyalgia and Sleep

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

​Is there a connection between fibromyalgia (FM) and sleep disturbance? Let’s take a look!

FM is a condition that causes widespread pain and stiffness in muscles and joints. Patients with FM often experience chronic daytime fatigue and some type of sleep problems like getting to sleep, staying asleep, and/or feeling restored in the morning upon waking. The National Institutes of Health estimates between 80-90% of those diagnosed with FM are middle-aged women, although it can affect men and happen at any age. As little as 10-20 years ago, it was hard to find a doctor who “believed” in FM, and it was common for the patient to be told that their pain “was all in their head.” FM has now been studied to the point that we know it is a real condition, and it affects between 2-6% of the general population around the world.

It is well established that sleep disturbance frequently occurs after surgery, which usually normalizes as time passes. One study used a group of healthy women who were deprived of sleep (particularly slow wave sleep) for three days to see if there was a link between sleep disturbance and pain. Results confirmed that the women experienced a decrease in pain tolerance and increased levels of discomfort and fatigue after three days—the same symptoms found among FM sufferers!

Fibromyalgia may have NO known cause, or it can be triggered by other conditions such as repetitive stress injuries, car crash injuries, and other forms of trauma. FM also appears to run in families though it’s still NOT clear if this is a true genetic link or caused by shared environmental factors. Some feel FM is a rheumatoid condition, and though FM is NOT a true form of arthritis, it has been found that people with arthritis are more likely to have FM.

FM sufferers frequently suffer from conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine headaches, arthritis, lupus, and major depressive disorders. Approximately 20% of FM patients have depression and/or anxiety disorders, and a link between chronic pain and depression exists and seems to play a role in people’s perception of pain.

Because conditions such as sleep apnea can result in symptoms similar to FM, it’s recommended that patients suspected of FM keep a sleep/sleepiness diary in order to rule out sleep apnea as a cause for their condition.

There are many “tips” for improving sleep quality, which we will dive into next month, as these may prove VERY HELPFUL in the management of FM!

If you, a friend or family member requires care for Fibromyalgia, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!

Non-surgical Options

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

​CTS SUrgery

Continuing with our information on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, today we will look at non-surgical treatment approaches for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) aim to remove pressure on the median nerve where it’s pinched. In a recent review of the literature published on “passive modalities” (non-surgical treatment approaches) for CTS, researchers reviewed studies published between 1990 and 2015 for information on which non-surgical treatment approaches work best. Topping the list is the use of various types of night splints – wrist braces worn at night to prevent bending of the wrist during sleep. The evidence found that night splints were less effective than surgery in the short-term (up to six months) but more effective over the long-term (at 12 and 18 months)!
They did not find studies with a “low risk of bias” (no randomized controlled trial-types of studies) regarding other passive modalities such as ultrasound and electrical stim and hence, they conclude that better quality studies must be conducted before conclusions can be made regarding most of the passive modalities frequently utilized in the management of CTS.
A 2010 study found mobilization treatments and exercises (tendon gliding & nerve gliding) were helpful WHEN patients complied with the treatments and the recommended exercises. Manual therapies, or “hands-on” treatments, are a feature of chiropractic care. Chiropractic treatment for patients with CTS also includes night bracing in addition to manipulation, mobilization, exercise training, nutrition, and ergonomic / workstation modifications, and whole body health awareness.
Doctors of chiropractic understand these non-surgical approaches have limitations. This is why they work with allied healthcare providers when pharmaceutical and/or surgical intervention is appropriate. They may also frequently consult with neurologists for tests such as EMG/NCV (an electrical test that measures the degree of nerve damage) to better understand the patient’s condition. In short, chiropractic offers a multi-modal approach of care, and chiropractors will work with others in the patient’s best interest.
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 for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, we would be honored to render our services.

8 Safety Tips to Prevent Falls

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

8 tips

When the rain and snow starts to fall, so do people. In fact, falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries in adults 45 and older. Protect yourself from a life-changing injury this winter with these 8 safety tips.

1. Choose the right shoe. Shoes and boots need to fit properly and have soles with good traction. Snow boots or hiking boots will provide the best protection for the worst type of weather.

2. Leave early. Falls are more likely to happen when you’re in a rush. Allow yourself plenty of time to get to where you’re going.

3. Walk like a penguin. Take short steps and walk as flat-footed as possible on icy or slippery ground.

4. Keep your hands free. You’ll need them to help you balance, so avoid carrying heavy loads and keep those hands out of your pockets.

5. Remove snow and ice from walkways frequently. Don’t wait for it to melt. That could take awhile. Apply ice melt and ask for help if you need it.

6. Keep the lights on. If you have exterior lights on your home, use them to help see where you’re walking at night.

7. Advocate for your safety. If the entrances or sidewalks do not look safe outside of a business or a local venue, speak up and let someone know.

8. Keep your cell phone with you. Even if it’s just on a trip to the mailbox, bring it. In the event that a fall does occur, you may need it to call someone for help.

 

Stay vigilant and remember these tips during this winter season. If you are injured from a fall, count on our office to help get you back on your feet quickly.