The causes of sciatica to patients in West Michigan can also vary and be misunderstood.  The most common assumption is that of a disc problem.  The intervertebral discs can bulge, protrude, rupture, herniate, but not really “slip” as many say.  Besides the disc, other structures can pinch or irritate the sciatic nerve.  The vertebral joints themselves can misalign, become irritated and therefore effect the nerves as they exit the spine.  These joints as well as the disc can degenerate over time (degenerative joint disease or degenerative disc disease) and cause narrowing of the space the nerves travel as they exit the spine.  There is even a type of sciatica that does not involve the spine directly.  As the sciatic nerve travels through the buttock region, to continue down the leg, there is a smaller muscle called the piriformis that can become taught or spasmed and compress the sciatic nerve.  Clearly it can be seen with the variety of possible symptoms and causes that a thorough exam must be performed.  This allows understanding of  the true cause of pain.

The final misunderstanding Zehr Chiropractic will discuss is that of the role of chiropractic.  Often medical doctors and lay people alike assume chiropractic care is not appropriate for disc problems.  This is not true with all forms of chiropractic care.  Zehr Chiropractic in Norton Shores, Michigan uses adjusting techniques that require no manipulation which could further damage the disc.  In some cases adjustments are not performed at the damaged disc level, this is because the real problem has not been corrected as the true cause does not lie there but elsewhere. So do not assume pain pills or surgery are your only options.  Also do not assume it will just “go away.”  At Zehr Chiropractic it is often observed that the patient has a long history of pain coming and going but at some point has decided to stay.  The disc problem is a symptom, like the pain, more than a cause in most cases.

Medically a pediatrician will only take an X-ray if something is seen visually and may not be until 11 or 12 years of age or later.  If a curve is present, nothing is typically done but to watch it.  If it progresses a brace will be used.  This rigid brace covers the whole torso and is worn 23 hours a day.  There is little to no literature to show this helps at all.  If a curve is bad enough then chest organ function becomes effected and the spine is wired to rods to straighten it surgically.  It is thought nothing else can be done.

The good news is these curves can often be corrected if caught early enough and the cause of compensation addressed.  The bad news is so few are aware that chiropractic is even an option which compared to bracing or surgery is much more comfortable, safe, effective and affordable.

One thing that may surprise you is where the compensation often lies.  The most dramatic improvements I have seen with scoliosis, and literal improvement of the curve, is from the top bone in the neck called the Atlas.  Your head sits on this bone and when it is out of alignment the whole body compensates, even to the point of pulling one leg shorter than the other.  Now you can see how the spine can become curved.  This makes correcting scoliosis sometimes easy.  Once the atlas is in place and the head is sitting straight, the rest of the body balances.  So have your children’s spines checked just like you would their teeth.  it could save them immeasurably down the road.

However, by checking her periodically she has had a pain free pregnancy.  She had to laugh the last time I saw her.  She was commenting that many of the women in her Lamaze class were complaining that their backs were KILLING them.  When asked why she was so “lucky” she simply said: “I have a chiropractor for that.  As long as I see him, my back doesn’t hurt.”

Of course, this prompted a bunch of questions.  “Is that safe when you’re pregnant? Doesn’t it hurt?  How can you stand the thought of someone cracking your bones?!  Can that hurt the baby?”  Then it was my turn to laugh.

There are so many misconceptions out there about chiropractic care, especially when it comes to safety.  Using the Activator Methods and Atlas Orthogonal techniques, our treatment is very gentle.  No cracking, snapping, or popping required.  The process is virtually pain free yet very effective.  We even use a specialized pillow that allows more room for the baby so our pregnant patients can lie down comfortably.  But why does pregnancy cause low back pain in the first place?

Don't you dare say I wasn't worth it!

The hips and lower back are at risk of developing problems during pregnancy because the added weight to the abdomen causes the spine to sway backwards to compensate.  This causes increased tension in the muscles and soft tissues and places more pressure on the joints of the spine.  This is further complicated by the fact that pregnant women release a hormone called relaxin which causes the joints to loosen up.  (It also loosens up arteries to allow for increases in blood pressure…cool, huh?).

Relaxin allows the pelvis to stretch and increase the size of the baby’s living quarters since the uterus expands from the size of a tennis ball to a beach ball.  However, this also allows the joints to slip out of alignment because the ligaments are more lax, especially when you add the extra weight.  This leads to misalignment, inflammation, and pain in the lower back and sometimes into the leg (also known as sciatica).   Pregnant women already have a lot to worry about: eating right, getting enough rest, nesting, Facebook updates, doctor’s visits, gift registries, and the list goes on.  This doesn’t leave much time to nurse low back pain and sciatica, and drugs are not an option.  A visit to a chiropractor may be just the thing to help you keep your spine healthy and strong throughout your pregnancy.  If the labor and delivery process trigger  problems, a chiropractor may be able to help you with your postpartum back pain, as well.

Acid reflux medication accounts for a third of prescribed medications.  People also do not understand, or have no other choice, that these medications are only to be used for short periods (6 weeks) of time.  Yet I have patients who have been on these medications, like the purple pill, for years or even decades.

Besides the cost and side effects, people should be aware that there is a way to allow your body to function normally.  People do not make the connection to chiropractic and digestive trouble because there is not an understanding of how the spine effects the nervous system.  Either the stomach is producing too much acid or the muscles that keep the acid from going up your esophagus are not working correctly.  Both of these functions are controlled by nerves.  These nerves exit the spine just as those that control your finger movement.  We just don’t experience irritation to these nerves as pain, yet messages from the brain to the stomach are skewed and allow disfunction of the stomach.

At Zehr Chiropractic we take care to look for any source of nerve irritation that can occur in the upper neck where most of the nerves of the body have to travel.  More directly, there are four vertebrae located between the shoulder blades where the nerves to the stomach enter and exit.  Of these four there is one vertebrae that is most commonly found out of alignment when a patient is suffering from acid reflux, even with food getting caught on the way down.  With Zehr Chiropractic’s specific methods of correction, specific and painless adjustments are given to take the pressure off the corresponding nerve or nerves.

So if you are afraid of what to eat, when to eat or even where to eat due to acid reflux; if you are tired of paying for medication and their side effects, then Zehr Chiropractic may be able to help.  Some get relief immediately and some over a period of time, depending on severity.  Most get some significant improvement either way.

By the way, it will surprise many of you that acid reflux has become the new “colic” for babies.  Zehr Chiropractic has seen babies as early as two weeks old who have not stopped crying since birth and are not eating well.  Often mom is at the end of her rope and concerns of the baby refusing to eat become very real.  Often babies respond quickly with the baby and mom having their first hours of sleep and peace.

Another common explanation patients give is that they have headaches but just take over the counter medication and they are fine.  I have had patients who have been to head pain clinics across the state and in other states and come into Zehr Chiropractic with 14 different powerful medications.  I have even seen patients turn to alcohol or marijuana.  I have told patients I do not blame them for doing anything to get rid of their head pain, but if a person could save untold amounts of money and side effects, wouldn’t that be worth seeing if a chiropractor could work?

I commonly hear from patients who have headaches from once a month to daily for “no reason.”  I have also had many patients with migraine headaches that can last days and put that person out of commission, not able to work or take care of their family.  I have often said myself that I can handle about anything as long as my head does not hurt.  I too get headaches when not in proper adjustment or alignment.

A high percentage of headache patients at Zehr Chiropractic experience complete relief or at least great improvement of their headaches when the top bone in the neck is specifically and painlessly adjusted.  This is a speciality of Zehr Chiropractic in that we are the only office in West Michigan that focuses on this region.  Some patients experience immediate relief, some over a period of time.  There are patients who never have a headache again and those who get a headache when they are out of adjustment.  Rather than popping a pill, the upper bone in the neck (Atlas) can be adjusted to restore a headache free life.

So whether you just have the “occasional”, “normal” headaches or you have debilitating migraines and you want to be able to think more clearly, not miss out on family or work, consider Zehr Chiropractic as a possible end to this common complaint.

First of all, you experience pain.  At times, it can be extreme pain, depending on the location and severity of the hit.  Then, a feeling of numbness or tingling shows up in the elbow and runs down the edge of the arm down into the pinky.  If you squeeze your hand, you will notice a loss of strength.  How is this possible?  Why do these symptoms show up in the first place and what does it have to do with you?

When you hit the “funny bone” you are actually hitting a nerve, the ulnar nerve.  This nerve passes in between those two nobby bones in your elbow and travels down the arm into the pinky.  When you hit that nerve, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and weakness will result.

Well, guess what? The same thing can happen throughout the body if the bones of the spine become misaligned.  Imagine that there is a small opening for those nerves to exit to get into your abdomen, arms, and legs.  If the bones become misaligned, that opening gets smaller, muscles tighten up, and inflammation sets in.  These factors can irritate those nerves, which will cause symptoms just like what is experienced with hitting your “funny bone.”  The difference is that these symptoms don’t go away within a few minutes because the pressure is constant until the problem gets fixed.

If the misalignment is in the neck, the numbness and tingling can travel to the head, shoulders, and arms.  If the lower back is involved, the symptoms will travel into the buttocks and legs.  Doctors of Chiropractic treat numbness and tingling in the extremities on a daily basis because the cause is usually a pinched nerve in the neck or back.  At Zehr Chiropractic, we commonly find and correct misalignments in the spine which can alleviate this problem so the healing can begin, without drugs or surgery.   Because there is nothing funny about nerve damage.

When people talk about their “back” they are really talking about the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and nerves related to their SPINE.  When someone is experiencing back pain, they really should call it spine pain.  Medical tests are usually negative but the most common cause of spine pain is misalignment of the bones that make up the spine, something that medical doctors just don’t check for.

When spinal bones become misaligned, a lot of things happen.  Muscles tighten up to protect the area.  Swelling occurs to bring healing factors to the area.  The spine will bend and change its shape in order to compensate.  All of these things cause more discomfort, creating a vicious cycle.

Unfortunately, the most common treatment does nothing to take address the actual cause of the problem.  If the cause of the problem has to do with the misalignment of bones, then why do people take pills (both over the counter or prescription)?  They are clearly only covering up the symptoms, which allows the problem to stick around, only to get worse with time.

Doctors of chiropractic are well equipped to treat back pain because they find and correct vertebral misalignments.  By realigning the spinal bones, the muscles are allowed to relax, the pain and inflammation decreases, and the range of motion improves.  The best part?  Chiropractic care doesn’t even have to hurt in order to work!  Zehr Chiropractic specializes in state-of-the-art treatments that do not involve twisting or racking the spine.  We offer a pain free alternative for Muskegon area residents who are suffering with pain.  So, if you’re tired of making excuses.  If you’re tired of popping pills and putting off that yard work.  If you’re tired of having back pain affect your life, Zehr Chiropractic may just be worth checking out.

The vertebral discs are made of a thick, jelly-like substance and they act like a spacer between the bones of the spine.  An MRI will show if the disc has protruded backwards into the spinal canal.  When the case is severe (called a herniation) surgery is often recommended.  However, when the protrusion is slight, doctors will tell you it is just a “bulge” and send you away with pain medications and maybe a prescription for therapy.

But did you know that there are people walking around all the time with disc bulges that have no pain whatsoever?  It’s true.  According to research, more than 20 % of young adults are walking around with disc bulges, yet their backs don’t hurt!  Disc bulges can be completely benign, not causing any pain at all.  But if you have pain and a doctor sees a slight bulge on MRI, they will often blame the bulge and tell you to live with it.

However, the disc bulge itself may be caused by abnormal pressure on the joints in the back because of spinal misalignments.  If the bones of the spine are out of alignment, this puts pressure on the joints, discs, muscles, and nerves of the spine, which can cause the disc to bulges under the pressure.  Spinal misalignments can also cause back pain, neck pain, extremity pain, numbness, headaches, etc.

At Zehr Chiropractic, we have successfully treated a lot of people with diagnosed disc bulges.  Our gentle, non-invasive treatment will not harm the disc.  In fact, taking pressure off the joints will often treat the underlying cause of the disc bulge.   If treated early enough, our patients can avoid a future full of pills, injections, or surgery.

So, if you’ve been told that all your pain is due to a bulging disc and that there is nothing that can be done, you may benefit from a chiropractic evaluation to see if you can be helped.

The digital age and its effect on the spine

Norton Shores Michigan Chiropractor – As our workforce becomes more specialized and high tech, more and more people are forced into long hours in a seated position.  While we have been brought up to desire a “cozy desk job,” it may surprise you to find out that sitting at a desk all day may be the worst thing you can do to your spine and your overall health.

Technology is pretty sweet.   You have a smartphone with apps that will do everything but chew your food for you.  You can find dates, order food, and shop for more gadgets with the press of  touchscreen button.  You can have instant access to every single album, bootleg, and live performance for every band you listened to in high school.  You can even show off pictures of your kids.  However, there are some drawbacks to our high tech society:  staggering rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, ADHD, sleep disorders, depression, back pain, and headaches, to name a few.  We truly are sicker than ever.  As a chiropractor, I can tell you from experience that our spines are truly as unhealthy as ever.  Is sitting to blame? Partially.

Numerous studies have shown that prolonged sitting can increase your risk for diabetes, obesity, cancer, and an untimely death!  But if you look at our great grandparents, they didn’t sit all day (and their generation was a lot healthier).  If you study primitive cultures, you won’t find too many people sitting perched on a tree stump for 8 hours per day.  You know what else you won’t see a lot of in primitive cultures?  Obesity, type 2 diabetes, headaches, arthritis, back pain, allergies, and depression.

Move It or Lose It

It turns out that moving is a good thing!  Movement helps maintain good muscle tone, range of motion, blood and lymphatic flow, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and mood, just to name a few.  The human body is pretty amazing that way in its design.  The more you use it, the better it works (unlike those worn-out slippers that you are reluctant to replace).

“But Doc, I can’t quit my job!  How am I going to support my gadget addiction and buy organic dog food for Princess?”  Don’t worry, my white-collar friend!  We’re going to help you limit the damage your sedentary desk job has done.  It’s time for Desk Jockey Boot Camp… (or Wingtip Camp?)

Step One: Get Your Fanny Out of the Chair!

You should make a goal of getting up a minimum of every 20 minutes.  Take a lap around the office (even better if you can find some stairs).  Go get a drink of water.  Bust out a set of pushups or squats.  This will get blood flowing to the muscles, help maintain blood sugar levels, and help prevent the muscle imbalance that results from sitting.  Getting up and moving also helps improve your mood and focus, which will make you more productive in the long run!

Step Two:  Feeeeeeel the Stretch

I won’t bore you with the biomechanical changes that occur from prolonged sitting, but suffice to say some muscles tighten up (while others get weak) and this causes dysfunction and pain.  There are certain muscles that need to be stretched in order to combat the effects of the sitting posture.

Torso and Upper Extremities:
Here is a nice list of stretches for the neck, back, torso, and upper extremities (courtesy of shelterpub.com)

You can follow the link by clicking the icon:

This program only takes a few minutes and can be done multiple times per day.  Shoot for at least once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

Lower Extremities and Pelvis:

Now that we’ve got the upper half of you covered, we can’t forget about the legs and hips.  They are often ignored but keeping these areas free of tension should be a priority.  One of the problems with prolonged sitting is that certain muscles tighten over time (quads, hip flexors, hamstrings).  Others get weak (core muscles, glutes).  You can visit my blog on strengthening the core here: core stability to prevent back pain.

Here is a set of stretches everyone should be doing at regular intervals throughout the work day:

Standing Quadriceps Stretch (leotard optional)

Hip Flexor Stretch

Hamstring Stretch

These should be held a minimum of 20 seconds per exercise per side.   Once in the morning and once in the afternoon would be a good starting point.  Adding to the upper extremity work, we are talking about roughly 15 minutes of stretching per day.  This is a small price to pay in order to stay healthy (and productive).  The return on investment could be huge if you can prevent serious musculoskeletal problems in the future.

Step Three: Eliminate Excuses

“Buh-buh-but I’m so BUSY!  There’s no way I could take time away from work!”  First of all, if you’re that busy, you certainly don’t have time to miss work due to back pain, neck pain, and headaches, so investing a bit of time now will save you a LOT of time down the road.  Besides, multiple studies have shown that getting physical activity increases your overall productivity because of the positive impacts on focus, concentration, and stress.

“When I get going on work, I get so carried away that I can’t remember to do my stretches!”  Well, technology got us in this mess, but technology can also get us out of it!  There are free programs that you can install on your computer (or smartphone) that will send you an alert to remind you to get up and move or do your stretches.  You can customize the message as well as the time intervals.  I like the “Big Stretch” program, available for free at cnet.com.

Step Four: Make Chiropractic Part of Your Healthcare Regimen

So, what if you already have back pain, neck pain, migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome, or tension headaches?   Well, if you have noticed that your job aggravates these conditions, it is likely that your long hours of sitting have caused real damage to the spine.  Chiropractors specialize in realigning the bones of the spine, relieving pressure off the nerves and muscles, improving range of motion and reducing pain.  If you live in the Muskegon area, I would love to help you.  If not, ask around and find a chiropractor who can help you.  Health is a lot like your work.  The longer you put things off, the worse things are going to get for you.