Currently viewing the category: "inflammation"

West Hollywood Chiropractic: Icing Exercises for Biceps

By On · Add Comment · In biceps tendon, icing, inflammation, shoulder impingement syndrome, sports injury, subacromial bursa, West Hollywood sports chiropractor

For twelve years I’ve been sports chiropractic in West Hollywood. I’ve seen my fair share of shoulder injuries and conditions. The one I see most is shoulder impingement syndrome, and I find the element most forgotten in this common sports injury is the biceps tendon.

Now you might think, “Wait…my doctor told me I have biceps tendinitis, but it just never got better.” Right–because biceps tendinitis is only 33% correct when it comes to impingement syndrome. Two other elements play a major role in this sports injury–the supraspinatus tendon and the subacromial bursa–and so solely focusing on the biceps will not solve the problem.

However…when a shoulder impingement is properly diagnosed, and all instructions are followed, as far as treatment and icing is concerned, then the element I find most responsible for any stubbornness to healing and persistence of pain is the biceps tendon.

The final solution is two-fold. First is icing and cooling down that inflamed tendon. In the video below, I show the best way to ice the biceps tendon. It’s important to get the long head tendon out to the surface–you’ll get the most complete icing that way. To do this you will need to externally rotate the arm. I instruct my clients to do this seated in a chair or couch, or anywhere in which the arm can be help up and rotated outward. This movement brings the long head of the biceps from the deep interior of the axilla (arm pit) out to the exterior, and the back rest can be used to hold the arm in place, because remember icing should be done for fifteen minutes, no more, no less.

Watch the video to see how to best ice your biceps-persistent shoulder impingement syndrome, and we’ll discuss the second step in a future post.

McKenzie Exercises for Low Back Pain Relief

By On · Add Comment · In back extension exercises, chiropractic, chiropractor, herniated disk, inflammation, low back pain, McKenzie exercises

People suffering from low back pain, specifically from herniated disks, might find temporary relief by doing McKenzie back exercises. These low back extension exercises utilize a light pumping action at the low back to help squeeze disk bulges back into the intervertebral spaces.

McKenzie exercises, unfortunately, do not work for everybody–in fact, possibly only ~ 50% of herniated disk low back pain sufferers will respond to extension (some respond better to flexion) movements. The only way to know is…to try. So gently get down to the floor (please work on breaking inflammation with several ice bag applications beforehand, otherwise you might not get back up without help), and push your upper torso upward, while leaving your hips on the ground. Do in a pumping action as demonstrated in the video.

Go slowly. If it is going to work, you’ll feel the improvement rather quickly. You can try two sets of ten pumps, but if the pain gets worse after several pumps, discontinue the practice.

It is of utmost importance to call a chiropractor right away if you are suffering from severe low back pain (especially with numbness and/or tingling). But you can try these low back exercises to see if they provide any pain relief. Low back pain is no fun and it can linger–don’t suffer; call your local neighborhood chiropractic office today.

Stretches for Chronic Whiplash Neck Pain

By On · Add Comment · In auto accidents, cervical acceleration-deceleration (CAD), chiropractor, chronic neck pain, inflammation, rear-end collisions, scalene stretches, West Hollywood sports chiropractic office, whiplash

The most common chronic neck pain condition I see in my West Hollywood sports chiropractic office is related to untreated or incompletely treated whiplash injuries. In cervical acceleration-deceleration (CAD) automobile accidents, the most common being rear-end collisions (a common occurrence in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills), the head is translated (accelerated) in one direction, usually backward, and then snapped forward (decelerated) in the opposite direction. This can cause small micro-tears of the scalene muscles at the front of the neck, leading to inflammation, spasmodic guarding, and severe pain.

Far too many people fail to get their whiplash neck injuries treated properly following a motor vehicle accident. Either they don’t see a chiropractor at all, or the treating chiropractor (watch out for mills, people) neglects this important area, primarily the scalenes. It is not uncommon for me to see people with 10+ years chronic neck pain from the scar tissue and adhesions built up in this area.

Aside from effective chiropractic care to relieve the chronic neck pain caused by an auto accident, the scalene muscles need also be worked. But you can help your cause at home by doing the stretches outlined in the video below. The scalene muscles attach from the front of the cervical spine to the collar bone, so when tight, they can cause a forward head carriage, impingement on the nerves going into the arms (causing numbness and tingling), and neck pain.

Watch the video below for the best stretches for the scalene muscles to relieve pain from a whiplash neck injury.

Conservative First, Surgery Last

By On · Add Comment · In alternatively activated macrophages, artificial joints, autoimmune, biomechanical dysfunction, inflammation, joint degeneration, joint replacement, Th2, titanium

There goes the universe again–humbling man; showing him that, while his attempts to control nature may be noble, he still can’t do better when it comes to running living organisms. Take joint replacements, for example, long seen as modern orthopedic miracles (and in some ways they are), they are now being implicated in creating a painful inflammatory condition that could destroy bone and loosen the new joint.

According to new research, the titanium used to make artificial joints can lead the body to enter into an autoimmune inflammatory response, called Th2, that activates “alternatively activated macrophages,” a group of immune cells thought to be responsible for the bone destruction in the inflammatory condition.

The researchers believe that titanium chips slough-off the artificial joint surfaces, causing an allergic-type reaction, the type of inflammation associated with allergens and parasitic worm infections. The study was carried out in mice and results were published in the Journal of Immunology.

These new findings bring up two important points for me. One: I still believe joint replacements are too quickly recommended. Although joint degeneration is a real phenomenon, what causes it is of some misunderstanding by the medical profession. Joints don’t just break down. Often other biomechanical dysfunctions predispose to joint wear-and-tear, and by correcting them, the joint can readily be saved. In other words, too many replacements are happening instead of rehabilitating, and allowing self-healing. This is another paradigm problem, whereby orthopedic medicine believes joint breakdown to be random and arbitrary, and joint reconstruction a common necessity.

Two: I think that the researchers are somewhat off-base with their analysis, particularly that “alternatively activated macrophages” are responsible for bone breakdown. It is my understanding that alternatively activated macrophages are involved in the “resolution of inflammation and promotion of wound repair due to their anti-inflammatory, fibrotic, proliferative, and angiogenic activities,” which would make sense to me, as I would think the body would attempt to heal the area. The body sees titanium as foreign, and develops an allergic response to it. Classic macrophages, not alternatively activated macrophages, likely breakdown bone and promote the inflammatory response. The presence of alternatively activated macrophages is the organisms attempt to heal, the natural response of a living organism.

To my mind, why not just look to correct the underlying causes of joint breakdown? Chronically tight muscles, excess weight, foot dysfunction, chronic subluxations–all can lead to increased joint breakdown. But each one of these causes is ignored by some in the orthopedic profession. Why? Part of the reason has to do with everything looking like a nail to the hammer-wielder. In other words, professionals rely on what’s in their arsenal first and foremost. Unfortunately for you and me that means the cultural health authority always having scalpel ready for business.

The other reason is that–in the short term, at least–surgery is much easier than hard work required in rehab (About 773,000 Americans have a hip or knee replaced each year). For doctors and patients alike, easier is more attractive; and when the other causes are ignored (or denied), what better way to explain failure than the “no guarantee” nature of all surgical procedures.

My philosophy is simple and valuable in the long term. Always try conservative first, get the body back into operable biomechanical condition, and let the body do it’s own self-healing. The presence of alternatively activated macrophages should be proof enough that the body will always attempt healing, even in severely challenging situations (like having a foreign metal put into your body). If after a good-old-college-try at conservative care and self-healing doesn’t do the trick, then get the surgery. Conservative first, surgery last. Simple.

Loss of Service, Love and Affection

By On · Add Comment · In amputation, circumcision, inflammation, penis amputation

Here’s a curious case of circumcision whereby a man loses his entire penis to a doctor on a cancer trip.  Put yourself in someone’s shoes: You go to the hospital for a circumcision that’s supposed to help you with inflammation (??? new one for me, but I’ll roll with it).  You’re given your nighty-night nod by the anesthesiologist, only to wake up hours later sans member.  Doh!

Or…you’re a well-known and respected urologist, hired to perform a geriatric foreskin-ectomy, and given full permission to take control of any serious situation you come across.  During the procedure cancer is detected.  To save the life of the patient–you remove the cancer…one penis at a time.  Patient wakes up, checks what he thinks is the new chop top, and finds he has been removed from the club; wife’s even more pissed.  Who’s in the right or wrong?

Deborah and Phillip Seaton

Well, it’ll be up to the Shelby County Circuit Court in Kentucky, which will be entertaining the trial between Phillip Seaton of Waddy and his wife, Deborah, against Dr. John Patterson of Louisville.  The lawsuit alleges that Patterson removed Seaton’s penis without consulting either Phillip or Deborah Seaton.  The Seatons say they would have liked the opportunity to have a second opinion, and who can blame them?  They are seeking unspecified damages from Patterson for “loss of service, love and affection.”

The doctor’s attorney, however, states that his client had full authorization “to perform any medical procedure deemed necessary” and that the doctor found cancer in the organ during the surgery.  The attorney has said that Patterson “had no reasonable option” but to remove the cancer.  The Seatons’ attorney says the situation was not an emergency.

Dr. Patterson (right) and his attorney

Interestingly, Jewish Hospital, where the full-shaft circumcision was performed actually settled with the Seatons for an undisclosed amount.  Hmmm…maybe they know something we don’t…like ain’t no man scorned than he who wakes up without a penis.

So what do you think?  Case of irresponsible amputation, or modern medical heroism?  Should a doctor do what he can to save a life (even if not immediately urgent), or is it up to the individual?  It’s not very different from euthanasia or other medical dilemmas.  I know what I think, but I’m curious to hear other peoples’ opinions. 

Ice, Ice Baby

By On · Add Comment · In frozen peas, ice, inflammation, injury, Los Angeles sports chiropractic, Polar Ice, pre-made ice packs

This post is inspired by something I encounter regularly in my Los Angeles sports chiropractic office: Getting the right ice-bag for the job.  Ice is ice, right?  It all decreases or prevents inflammation, yes?  No!

I’m writing this to explain it clearly–you gotta get the ice right. 

$2 Ice Bag

Many doctors (god bless ’em) recommend using a frozen bag of peas…  Look at the photo on the right.  Look how stupid that man looks with frozen broccoli on his knee.  Looks like he’s in a hotel.  Looks like he’ll be throwing away that bag of broccoli.  Looks like he wasted food and two dollars.  Disposable culture gone wrong.

Doesn’t every hotel have an ice machine?  Duh!  Fill a plastic bag with ice–it works like a charm.  Plain and simple: frozen vegetables are not good ice packs.  They do not retain the cold long enough, and once defrosted, you’ve got to eat or toss.  Nobody has broken an inflammation with a bag of frozen vegetables.

Home-Made Ice Bag works fine 

In fact, I like a home-made ice bag just fine.  They do the trick as it needs to be done.  The only knock I have against them is that they are a pain in the arse to make if you have to ice a lot, and so many people neglect their icing as a result.  So, as a matter of convenience, I don’t think these are the way to go.

As far as I’m concerned, a pre-made ice-pack is best addition to your ice-bag arsenal.  The gel material inside these babies freezes into ice crystals, yet it still retains it’s gel-like properties, allowing the cold-pack to contour to your body–invaluable when talking about icing a knee or shoulder with their sharp curves.  Keep the bag in the freezer when not using it, and it will always handy when needed.  I have several ice-packs of different sizes in my freezer, some have been with me for more than ten years.  No kidding.

First two sizes ideal; last fairly useless

In those instances where you need to ice several times a day, nothing is more convenient than having a freezer full of pre-made ice packs.  You can even nail the injured area with ice several times in the same hour really making mince-meat out of the inflammation.  But be cautious: bags that are too small will not remain cold for very long, and therefore I don’t find them very useful.

Crappy Short-Acting Pre-Mades

Another no-no, as far as I’m concerned is using the crappy little packs they hand out at hospitals.  Sorry, they may be inexpensive for the hospital, but they’re darn-near worthless otherwise.  We were sent home with a few after the birth of each of my daughters.  I was actually offended.  What the heck are these going to do? I wondered.  We tried them.  They sucked.  End of story.

For Ice Coolers

 Same with those packs for ice coolers or lunchboxes.  They’re usually too small and/or too hard.  Yeah, try icing a knee with one of those.  Your inflammation won’t go away, and you will stop icing.  I see these scenarios all the time.

Listen, for the inflammation of a joint or muscle, nothing beats ice.  It’s the guaranteed way to decrease the pain and inflammation associated with musculoskeletal injuries.  If you are active like me and many of my clients, you need pre-made ice bags in the freezer.  You’ll tweak something here or there, or have a full-on injury.  Icing immediately (or at least within the first 24 hours) saves many a chronic condition.

Use a barrier like a paper towel  

Also, don’t forget: Never put ice directly on your skin.  Use a thin material as a barrier–I like paper towels, but tee-shirts, thin jeans, and so forth, are okay.  Terry towels are too thick, so avoid using them.

Drop the frozen bag of peas nonsense, and grab a good pre-made ice pack from your chiropractor, physical therapist or online.  I wouldn’t get anything smaller than a 6″ x 12″ (for shoulders, knees, ankles, and so on) and I’d have at least three of those, and I would grab at least two 12″ x 12″ bags as well for larger areas (neck/upper back, low back, buttocks).  I use Polar Ice packs (see photo above), but there are many other decent ones on the market.

Beverly Hills Chiropractic: Bicep Stretches for Shoulder Pain Relief

By On · Add Comment · In Beverly Hills sports chiropractic, biceps stretch, biceps tendonitis, exercise, health, ice, inflammation, rotator cuff syndrome, shoulder impingement syndrome, weight lifting, yoga

Shoulder injuries are some of the most common conditions people walk into my Beverly Hills sports chiropractic office with, and treating them can be tricky.  I find that shoulder impingement, along with rotator cuff syndrome, has become increasingly problematic for people, especially as people pick up exercise as a lifestyle habit.  Now everyone knows that I think doing so is of mega-importance to achieving and maintaining great health, but it’s not without its challenges.

First, without proper form, most people lifting weights can cause injury to themselves.  So form is foremost, period.  This is true whether we’re talking about lifting weights, doing yoga, Pilates, or whatever.

Poor form during shoulder exercises can lead to impingement syndrome.  I find that in stubborn cases of impingement syndrome, the offending agent is an inflamed biceps tendon.  Please don’t take this to mean that the biceps is the primary problem in shoulder impingement syndrome–it’s one of three structures that can get inflamed–but it is the most often missed and neglected during the treatment process.

What you can do on your own to speed up the healing process for shoulder impingement syndrome is to ice and stretch.  Watch the video below to see the best home stretch for a biceps tendonitis.

When dealing with a stubborn shoulder injury (that means chronic, not one you’ve just hurt), go see a sports chiropractor right away.  But you can help your own case by icing and stretching your shoulder, particularly the biceps.  Enjoy.

Beverly Hills Sports Chiropractic: Exercises To Strengthen Inner Thighs

By On · Add Comment · In adductors, Beverly Hills chiropractic, iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS), inflammation, inner thigh muscles, IT band stretches, knee pain, sports chiropractor

Pain felt on the outer knee, especially in runners, can be due to iliotibial band frictions syndrome (ITBFS).  The iliotibial band (ITB) is the longest tendon in the body.  It is a conjoined tendon, which means it originates from two different muscles–the gluteus maximus (your butt) and the tensor fascia lata (front hip).  When tight, the ITB can snap across the knee joint, causing inflammation and ultimately pain.

Visiting a sports chiropractor is your best bet to relieving this painful knee condition.  In my Beverly Hills sports chiropractic office, I would treat your iliotibial band frictions syndrome with physiotherapy, myofascial release, chiropractic adjustments of the pelvis and knee, and eventually rehab exercises.

The best rehab exercises I know for fixing ITBFS are IT band stretches, and strengthening the inner thighs.  The adductors are the muscles of the inner thighs, and when weak, they are unable to counter the tight ITBs.  This imbalance is one factor leading to ITBFS.  To prevent outer knee pain, try the exercise I demonstrate in the video below.  All you’ll need are some simple yoga blocks, and squeeze away–guaranteed to remove knee pain and improve posture.  Please watch the video below to learn the best inner thigh strengthening exercises available.

West Hollywood Chiropractic: Exercises for Knee Pain Relief

By On · Add Comment · In inflammation, instability, knee pain, knee stretches, knee surgery, orthopedist, rehabilitation, sports injuries, torn meniscus, West Hollywood sports chiropractor
Got a call from an old friend the other day, said he tweaked his knee pretty badly.  He said he was trying to avoid surgery, but his doctor thought it might be necessary because he probably tore his meniscus.  I asked what tests and diagnostic imaging the doctor had done and he said, “None–I just showed her where the pain is.”

“Listen, I’m not saying you don’t have a torn meniscus, because I wouldn’t know that without seeing you and doing some tests to make that evaluation; but by the way you’re describing it, it might not be,” I told him.

He asked if there were any stretches one could do to rehab a knee.  My response was that seeing a doctor that understands sports injuries was the probably the wisest thing to do, and preferably an orthopedist or West Hollywood sports chiropractor; but I told him I would cut a video showing some preliminary stretches that would be part of a knee rehab regimen.

I want to caution anybody watching this video that doing these stretches with a recent knee injury is not advised without the supervision of a doctor.  However, saying that, once inflammation has been controlled and any instability stabilized, stretching the muscles I show in the video should do wonders to open the knee joint up, preserving the knee.

Finally, these stretches are good for non-injured people too, so if you are looking for an excellent knee-opening regimen, try the stetches in the video; I guarantee with a little diligence, you’ll be truckin’ like an old pro.  There ya go, Pauli.

Tylenol or Ice?

By On · Add Comment · In anti-inflammatory, bursitis, cryotherapy, ice, impingement syndrome, inflammation, Los Angeles chiropractic, musculoskeletal injuries, sprained ankles, tendonitis

This is a post about anti-inflammatories/pain killers and ice.  You want to know which is better, then read on:

It’s not uncommon for patients coming into my Los Angeles chiropractic clinic to ask me whether they should use anti-inflammatories or not.  First I start with the usual, “I’m not a medical doctor, so blah, blah, blah, blah…,” and then I say, “Let me explain the difference.”

An anti-inflammatory (Motrin, Advil) works by dispersing throughout your body–you ingest it, it goes into your bloodstream, and is carried to every nook and cranny of your body indiscriminately.  What this means is that some goes here, some goes there, but overall it does the trick for reducing some types or degrees of inflammation.

Ice, on the other hand, is like a blast of cold–cryotherapy it’s called–going right to the source.

Anti-inflammatories are good for:

  • fever
  • tooth aches
  • um…um…um………can’t really think of anything else

Ice is outstanding for many musculoskeletal inflammations including:

And the list could go on, but you get the point.

I cracked a tooth in 2008 and don’t know what I would have done without Motrin (couldn’t rightly ice my tooth).  And I had the flu last Christmas–once again, Tylenol was a savior.

So what’s better?  Well it depends.  But for musculoskeletal injuries and inflammations…my money’s on ice.

Got Germs?

By On · Add Comment · In bacteria, C-reactive protein (CRP), children, Filipino, germs, infectious diseases, inflammation, sick, virus
Don’t let me say I told you so, but…

A recent study proves that we must be exposed to germs as kids or risk getting sicker as adults. Duh! Told you so.

This, oh-my-god-don’t-come-near-me-if-your-sick stuff is pointless, and detrimental in the long run. Consider getting sick as updating your computer virus scan–same idea. Check it:

A recent U.S. study that followed thousands of participants from birth (in the 1980s) to 22 years of age showed that although Filipino children were exposed to many more infectious diseases than their American counterparts, they had much less inflammation as adults. Inflammation was measured by the concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) which is an indicator of the body fighting off infection.

According to Thomas McDade, lead author of the study, “CRP concentrations are incredibly low in Filipinos compared to people in the United States and that was counter to what a lot of people would have anticipated because we know that Filipinos have higher exposure to infectious diseases.” The take home lesson, McDade stressed is the importance of being exposed early in life to common microbes and bacteria.

Why? Again, exposure to infectious agents updates the virus scan. Says McDade, “These bacteria and microbes may never result in outright clinical disease but they do play an important role in promoting the development of regulatory networks.”

I know, I know, dude…I’ve been telling them. You’ve got to get sick. It’s healthy, get it? Sick is health. I know it doesn’t make complete sense, but life is tricky. So is health. To be truly healthy, you’ve got to be sick sometimes. No biggie. Swine flu, bring it on. Rhinovirus, bring it on. Chicken pox, bring it on. Kids and adults have gotta be prepared.

Here goes another cool way to think about it: McDade, who has a two-and-a-half-year-old son, likened immune system development to the way Americans promote brain development in infants and toddlers by exposing them to “all sorts of cognitive and social stimuli. There’s rapid brain growth early in life and there are lots of neurological connections being formed, and you need to engage with your environment in order to promote those connections.”

So observe the ten-second-rule: Your kid drops food on the floor, you’ve got ten seconds, have Pumpkin pick it up and eat it. On second thought, drop the rule altogether–just let Pumpkin eat. It’s for her health.

Oh, and I told you so.

Hypno-Colon Relief

By On · Add Comment · In bowel, colon, hypnosis, inflammation, mental, ulcerative colitis, visualization

You are getting sleepy, sleeeeepy….

Ever tried hypnosis? Good stuff I tell you. I’ve done it several times and I got it right away. Hypnosis is the practice of taking the mind through mental and visual processes to help control the physical and material plane. Huh? Let me rephrase that: If you’ve got a physical problem, hypnosis can help guide you mentally to change your physiology. And, if you want to create or change an experience in your life–quit smoking, lose weight, gain confidence, reduce fears–hypnosis can also help there by guiding you through visualizations and help change mental patterns. Think it’s BS? Well check this out:

British researchers have found that hypnosis may help reduce bowel inflammation seen in ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a disease that causes chronic inflammation in the lining of the colon and rectum, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. Although the standard medical treatment is drugs, a small study suggests that hypnosis may aid in the healing process.

In the study, scientists looked at 25 people with ulcerative colitis. Seventeen were taken through 50-minute session of “gut-focused” hypnotherapy aimed at relaxation and relief of inflammation, while eight simply listened to music of their choice for the same period. What they found was astounding: blood levels of IL-6–a marker of inflammation in the body–fell by 53 percent in the hypnosis group, whereas music listeners showed no substantial change. And they found a decrease in other chemical markers of inflammation as well.

The researchers were not sure why hypnosis eased inflammation but think that it might have direct effects on colon activity or it might affect people’s pain tolerance or perceptions of their symptoms. To me it’s quite simple: you cannot separate the body from the mind. In fact, all physical processes–both health and illness–have their origins in the mind. Trip on that for a minute. And if that’s true, then they must have mental solutions (components) as well. That’s my belief, anybody disagree?

I know two very talented hypnotherapists that I love to send clients to, one in Los Angeles and one in The Valley. Check them out–they work magic.

Probiotics Help Fight Respiratory Illness

By On · Add Comment · In antibiotics, Bifidobacterium, colitis, diarrhea, digestive, good bacteria, immune system, inflammation, Lactobacillus acidophilus, lactose intolerance, probiotics, respiratory illness, supplement

Everybody knows about harmful bacteria, like E. coli, Staph aureus, Neisseria gonorrhoea and others, and how they wreak havoc on our health. But not all bacteria are bad–good bacteria reside in our gut and other places, and not only keep harmful bacteria from settling in and colonizing, but can also ward-off illness.

According to a new study out of Australia, long-distance runners taking probiotics (a supplemental mixture of “good” bacterial colonies) showed a boost in immune system function and had less respiratory illness than runners taking a placebo. These results show one potential major benefit of supplementing with probiotics.

Probiotics are bacterial and yeast mixtures with such recognizable names as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium. Most people take them following a round of antibiotics to help replenish the numbers of helpful bacteria in the digestive system. The many benefits attributable to probiotics are:

Taking probiotics, then, is a great way to enhance the health, especially of the digestive system. But as you can see, supplementing with these essential microorganisms has even wider-reaching effects than that. I take them regularly myself, and find them a useful supplement to eating yogurt, another great source of Lactobacillus and Bifidus cultures. So don’t fear all bugs; some microbes are necessary for life–our life. Now that’s symbiosis!

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