My, how you've grown

Children tend to grow a bit faster in the spring than during any other time of year


Kids don't grow at a constant rate. As you may have recalled from your own childhood, kids alternate between weeks or months of slow growth and the occasional "growth spurt". While this can be difficult to predict, these tend to occur more in the spring. 

Other major trends in growth spurts are the major growth spurts from age 8 to 13 for most girls and the growth spurts from age 10 to 15 for most boys. Of course, the biggest growth spurt by far is the one at the first year of your life. You can expect a baby to grow roughly 10 inches before its first birthday.


More information on how kids grow in KidsHealth.


Growing Pains

Growing pains occur during the very active years of adolescence. Jolts, twists and stresses of energetic play can result in subluxations (misalignments) in the spine, which affect the nerves controlling the legs, knees, pelvis and hips. All of these nerve problems can manifest themselves in leg pain. Studies into growing pains have identified a number of conditions that may contribute to growing pains, including rapid growth, overexertion, rheumatic conditions, infections, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, orthopaedic problems and underlying poor health [1]. 

If your child has been diagnosed with growing pains, it is recommended that they visit a chiropractor. A physical assessment can ensure that any leg and back pains are not the result of underlying spinal problems such as scoliosis. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine away from the normal accepted curves of the spine.

This causes strain on joints and if these spinal misalignments are left untreated can lead to premature degeneration, bad posture and gait (walking), painful movement and permanent spinal distortion. Children tend to experience more incidents of back pain than older generations although not as many children undergo treatment for these complaints. Around 84% of back complaints in children extend into adulthood and become a chronic problem.

Treatment in the early stages as a child has greater improvement in pain and mobility than if the problem becomes chronic into adulthood. Children have faster healing capabilities and more mobility and flexibility in the joints to accommodate this. It is also important for children to maintain their flexibility during growth spurts. The chiropractor at Back on Track Chiropractic can recommend appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises to reduce overall muscle tension. This will allow children to perform in regular childhood activities free of pain and tension.

Chiropractic is a safe and natural way to easy the pain and discomfort associated with growing pains. 

1. "Growing pains" in young children: A study of the profile, experiences and quality of life issues of four to six year old children with recurrent leg pain A. Evans, S. Scutter, L. Lang, B. Dansie 16(3), 120-124 

Warning Signs

Heart Disease:

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or pain in chest lasting more than a few minutes
• Pain spreading to shoulders, neck or arms
• Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath

Stroke

• Sudden confusion, speaking or understanding
• Blurred vision in one or both eyes
• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially side of the body
• Sudden severe headaches 
• Loss of balance or coordination, dizziness, trouble walking

How many chiropractic adjustments do you need?

There are hundreds of chiropractic techniques out there. Some claim to fix serious problems in a single visit. Some chiropractic techniques have treatment programs that take several years...and everything in between. It can be very confusing for the consumer...and that's an understatement.

I have personally benefited from both long term corrective type care and short term relief care. I have never tried the one visit method...somehow this does not seem possible...but there are patients that swear it has worked for them.

I have focused primarily on tailor-made treatment programs based on individual needs. Sometimes this is very short term treatment...just a few visits...and sometimes it's longer term...a few months.

There is no cook book answer...everyone is different.  A patient that was involved in a car accident certainly needs more chiropractic adjustments than a patient that slept funny. 

A patient with a herniated disc in the neck will require more adjustments than a patient with a sprain.

I would consider your age, your over-all level of physical conditioning and health, whether or not there are multiple areas of involvement (eg: neck, mid back, low back), and if the problem is new or chronic.

Managing chiropractic treatment programs is an art. I also learn from my experience helping previous patients with similar conditions.

I also modify the treatment as a patient improves...or not. Yes, chiropractic has a fantastic success rate, as well as patient satisfaction rate...but some people do not respond. We have to decide when chiropractic is not working. We refer out at this point for a second opinion.

Anyway...how many visits you need depends on many factors...but in the end, it's up to you to decide how you wish to use chiropractic. It's not an all or none treatment. Typically, you will benefit from whatever you do...even if it's only one or two sessions.

Personally, I use chiropractic adjustments as a component of an over-all health program which includes exercise, plant based nutrition, plenty of rest, good ergonomics, and lots of water.

The more attention you put on these other components of health, the less you have to lean on chiropractic. But if need be....chiropractic can pull a heavy load for you...naturally!

Can a Chiropractor Really help Neck pain?

Neck pain is a very common problem affecting up to 70% of the adult population at some point in life. Though there are specific causes of neck pain such as arising from a sports injury, a car accident or “sleeping crooked,” the vast majority of the time, no direct cause can be identified and thus the term nonspecific is applied. There are many symptoms associated with patients complaining of neck pain and many of these symptoms can be confused with other conditions. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what neck related symptoms are most likely to respond to chiropractic manipulation before the treatment has started? This issue has been investigated with very favorable results!

The ability to predict a favorable response to treatment has been termed, “clinical prediction rules” which in general, are usually made up of combinations of things the patient says and findings from exams. In a large study, data from about 20,000 patients receiving about 29,000 treatments, was collected and analyzed to find out what complaints responded well to chiropractic treatment. The results showed that the presence of any 4 of these 7 presenting complaints predicted an immediate improvement in 70-95% of the patients: 1. Neck pain; 2. Shoulder, arm pain; 3. Reduced neck, shoulder, arm movement; 4. Stiffness; 5. Headache; 6. Upper, mid back pain, and 7. None or one presenting symptom. Items not associated with a favorable immediate response included “numbness, tingling upper limbs,” and “fainting, dizziness and light-headedness in 4-12% of the patients. The “take-home” message here is that was far more common to see a favorable response (70-95%) of the patients compared to an unfavorable response (4-12%), supporting the observation that most patients with neck complaints will respond favorably to chiropractic treatment.

So, what do we do as chiropractors when a patient presents with neck pain? First, after gathering preliminary information such as name, address and insurance information, a history of the presenting complaint is taken. This consists of information including what started the neck complaint (if you know), when it started, what makes it worse, what makes it better, the quality of pain (aches, stiff, numb, etc.), the location and if there is radiating complaints, the severity (0-10 pain scale), timing (such as worse in the morning, evening, etc.), and if there have been prior episodes. Various questionnaires are included that are scored so improvement down the road can be tracked and a past history that includes a medication list, past injuries or illnesses, family history and a systems review are standard. The exam includes vital signs (BP, pulse, height, weight, temperature and respiration), palpation, range of motion, orthopedic and neurological examination. X-ray and/or other “special tests” may also be included, when needed. A review of all the findings are discussed and after permission to treat is granted, a chiropractic adjustment may then be rendered. A list treatment options may include: 1. Adjustments; 2. Soft tissue therapy (trigger point stimulation, myofascial release); 3. Physical therapy modalities; 3. Posture correction exercises and other exercises/home self-administered therapies; 4. Education about job modifications; 5. Co-management with other health care providers if/when needed.

Herniated Disc: Do You Have a Pinched Nerve or Disc Pain? What Next?

Two Causes of Pain: Pinched Nerve vs. Disc Pain

In identifying the cause of the patient’s pain, there are two general types of spinal disc problems physicians classify as the cause of the pain:

• Pinched nerve – When a patient has a symptomatic herniated disc, it is not the disc space itself that hurts, but rather the disc herniation is pinching a nerve in the spine. This produces pain that is called radicular pain or radiculopathy (e.g., nerve root pain) leading to pain that may be referred to other parts of the body, such as from the low back down the leg or from the neck down the arm. Leg pain stemming from a pinched nerve in the lower spine is usually described as sciatica. On Spine-health, this type of condition where there is nerve root pain is referred to as a herniated disc. Other causes of a pinched nerve may include spinal stenosis and bone spurs from spinal arthritis.
• Disc pain – When a patient has a symptomatic degenerated disc (one that causes low back pain and/or leg pain), it is the disc space itself that is painful and the source of pain. This type of pain is typically called axial pain. On Spine-health, this type of condition where there is actual disc space pain is referred to as degenerative disc disease.

Either of the above two conditions can occur in the neck, upper back or lower back. They tend to be most common in the lower back because the lower back bears the most torque and force on a day to day basis.

It should be kept in mind that all the terms – herniated disc, pinched nerve, bulging disc, slipped disc, ruptured disc, etc.– refer to radiographic findings seen on a CT scan or MRI scan. While these test results are important, they are not as meaningful as the patient's specific symptoms and the doctor's physical exam results are in determining the source of the back pain and then evaluating potential back care and pain treatments.

My Take: It's a known fact that most of us have bulging or herniated discs and don't even know it. Most of the people that have herniated disc will live and die with them and never have problems.

Then, there is the group of patients that we know have herniated discs...and it's a big big number. But just because they have a lumbar disc herniation or a herniated disc in the neck, it does not mean they need surgery. Chiropractic, physical therapy, exercise, and sometimes just time will help most.

The problem lies with the sub-set of herniated disc patients that become chronic (back pain that lasts over 3 months) and do not respond to conventional conservative therapies. I estimate this to be 10-15% based on my 18 years clinical experience working with herniated disc patients in San Francisco.

Chronic back pain secondary to disc herniations, whether it be a pinched nerve (radicular pain) or axial pain (degenerated disc) is a major problem in the US, and conventional medical treatment options are limited primarily to epidural injections or surgery.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here are a few thoughts to take into the New Year. 

1. It only makes sense focusing on things I can control.
2. Most people focus on the negative. Beware; it's contagious.
3. Taking time off and taking good care of myself isn't a cost, it's an investment with high dividends.
4. Fight for what's right.
5. Nurture the relationships that matter.
6. Manage people's expectations makes them happier than attempting to solve all their problems.
7. Competition and controversy is a form of flattery.
8. Even though people can fix/improve their situation, many choose to justify it; it requires less integrity and work.
9. Simple and conservative is best.
10. There are bad people in this world. The faster you identify them and stay away from them the better. Go with your gut.

6 Cancer-fighting Super Foods

Take a look at this blog post: 

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/6-cancer-fighting-superfoods-2428408/