How Can You Prevent Dowager’s Hump?

I have patients tell me on a regular basis that they are afraid of developing Dowager’s hump.  The hunched-over posture like the picture above.

Hunched-over bad posture is called forward head posture by chiropractors and orthopedists.  It can be caused by multiple things, including trauma, bad habits, depression, bone disorders and smoking, just to name a few.

The problem happens when the bones of the spine mis-align in a direction the body can’t self-correct.  The direction is straight forward.  The bones will not self-correct because there are no muscles pulling in the direction needed.  There are no muscles behind you that will pull a bone straight back.  So when an injury happens that pushes a bone of the spine forward, it gets stuck.  Muscles can’t pull it back into alignment.

Over time, people get more and more spinal bones out of alignment forward.  And, the bones creep farther forward.  At first, you feel like its harder to stand up.  Then, it gets to the point where you can’t stand straighter no matter how hard you try.

As you get into old age, the combination of the bones being out of alignment and weakness of the bones (osteoporosis) can cause fractures in the spine.  These fractures drive the person even farther forward, leaving them hunched over permanently.  This gives you the Dowager’s hump.

I’ve seen many exercise programs that attempt to correct Dowager’s hump, but they do little or nothing about it.  Anyone who puts out an exercise program for Dowager’s hump has an incomplete understanding of the problem.  You see, you have no muscles that pull in the direction needed to get the bones re-aligned.  If there were, the body would correct it on its own, or a even little exercise would work.  But it doesn’t happen.

How can Dowager’s hump be prevented ?

First, get your posture corrected by a chiropractor that is trained to correct forward head posture. (not all are)  Even if you have bad posture problems already, much can be done to get you standing straight, relaxed and pain free.

Second, do all the things you know are good for you.  Eat right, don’t smoke, take vitamins and exercise.  That will keep your bones from getting weak.

If you or someone you care about has posture problems, you can get a free no-obligation consultation from me, Dr. Paul Kramer at Pain Free Great Posture.  Just call Jennifer or Pat at 262-251-8306 and you can get an appointment.

For more information on how I treat posture and back pain, log on to: www.painfree-greatposture.com  or  www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

Does Stretching Help Back Pain?

Back pain sufferers are often told to stretch as a way to alleviate pain.  Stretching back muscles that are in spasm,can sometimes help relieve the spasm and alleviate some of the pain.

However, anyone that has tried stretching for back pain will tell you that the stretches only help temporarily.  They don’t solve anything.  This is also backed up by research.  There is nothing published that says stretching will help back pain beyond temporary, mild relief.  In fact, some research on stretching has shown that it may be detrimental.

Professional athletes like Dwayne Wade, Dean Karnazes and many pro tennis players, do not stretch at all.  This is due to the many published studies that show stretching decreases athletic performance.

Many of my patients are surprised when they find out that I don’t suggest stretching exercises.  My clinical experience agrees with the scientific literature that finds it to be detrimental.  I have found that people who do a lot of stretching, have really bad mechanical problems in the spine.  One of my early mentors, Dr. Fred Barge, wrote a book on scoliosis treatment in the early 1970’s.  In it, he observed that gymnasts have a high rate of scoliosis.  (A fact that has been confirmed later by other authors)

Here is why stretching the spine is bad:  Muscles around the spine get tight for a reason. They are trying to stabilize a weak mis-aligned area of the spine.  If the muscles didn’t contract, the bones would move further out of place, causing damage to nerve tissue, ligaments and discs.  The tight muscles eventually get tired and sore.  That’s when the patient feels pain.  Simply stretching the muscles to relieve the pain, does not address the cause.  The cause, is the bones being out of place.

The bones do not re-position themselves because there are no muscles that pull in the direction needed.  In short, there is no way to self-correct the problem.  The problem needs to be corrected from the outside by someone who is trained to do it. (ABC chiropractic) Then the muscles will relax, and the pain goes away.

If you start a stretching program and find that you get weakness, dizziness, shooting pains, numbness or headaches, it is because you have removed your body’s defense mechanism (tight muscles) and bones are now irritating nerves, ligaments and discs.  Stop immediately and see someone who is trained to fix the problem.

For more information on how I treat low back pain, log on to: www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

Barefoot Running Tips

Barefoot running has become increasingly popular in the last few years, due in large part to the book “Born to Run”.

The author, Christopher McDougall, details his quest to find a way to run without pain. You see, he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, a very painful type of tendonitis of the foot.  After he was diagnosed, he saw some of the top foot doctors in the country.  All of them prescribed arch supports for his feet, and recommended he stop running.  These recommendations only made his foot problem worse.

He then started studying the world’s top distance runners and found that many of them run barefoot.  Going against what the top doctors in America told him, he started to give barefoot running a try.  To make a long story short, he now runs 50 mile races without plantar fasciitis.

As someone who has made the transition to barefoot running myself, I can tell you that it isn’t an easy thing to do.  It can be painful until you get used to it.  Here are some tips that will make it easier for you:

• I recommend wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes, because they will protect your feet and at the same time allow them to move naturally as you run.
• Start by running on grass, pavement is too tough on your feet early on.
• It will take 2 to 3 months for your feet to toughen up enough to run on pavement. The bones on the feet de-mineralize and weaken as the result of wearing shoes with arch supports.  It will take a few months for the bones to harden up again.
• Concentrate on standing tall when you run, especially as you get tired.  Good posture is essential when you run barefoot.  If you lean forward too much, your feet will hurt almost immediately.
• During your stride, do not put your foot down until it stops moving forward.  You will avoid pounding your joints and it makes you run faster.
• Push off with your toes in the back of your stride.  You will run faster and feel better.  This sets up a kinetic chain that will actually help straighten your back and fix alignment problems in your body.  This is why so many people feel better after switching to barefoot running.

For more information on foot issues log on to: www.stopyourfootpain.com

For info. on all kinds of other health topics, log on to: www.painfree-greatposture.com

Does Weather Increase Back Pain?

Did you ever know someone who could predict the weather based on their aching joints?  They might be pretty accurate according to a recent scientific paper.

A study that appeared in the journal Spine on June 15, 2004 stated that there was a link between weather conditions and spinal pain.

26,862 patients were evaluated at 23 different centers across the US.  Patients were evaluated with an assessment tool called an SF-36, which is a survey that measures general health status. They found a positive correlation between barometric pressure and negative health status.

The article noted “The most commonly implicated climatic variables are high humidity, cold temperature, and low barometric pressure, interesting all indicative of impending storms.”

The research suggests that “abnormal impulses generated at injured areas could contribute to increased pain and paresthesias and that these impulses are sensitive to and aggravated by cold temperature.”

The weather doesn’t cause pain, but it does aggravate pain that is already there.  The best course of action is to get the underlying causes of the pain addressed so you don’t feel so bad when the weather shifts.

For more information on non-drug, non-surgical relief for chronic pain, log on to:  http://www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com.

Should I Use Ice Or Heat For My Sciatica?

Ice, Ice, Ice.  I can’t say that enough.  You should use ice for any acute injury.  This includes an acute flare-up of a chronic problem, like sciatica.

For a long time medical doctors have debated whether someone should use ice or heat.  Both can relieve pain.  In fact, in my clinical experience, pain is probably better relieved with heat.  But pain relief isn’t the most important factor in the decision of which to use.

You see, ice decreases circulation to an area.  If the area is injured, it will decrease swelling.  Heat increases circulation.  If you use it on an injured area, it will increase swelling.  Swelling causes further damage to the injured area and more pain.

Although heat does have a temporary soothing effect following an injury, it actually increases pain 30 minutes following the application. (1)

When people put heat on an injured area, in this case their back, the pain gets relieved somewhat.  After say a half hour, the injured person takes the heat off.  Then 30 minutes later the pain comes back worse than before.  So… they put the heat back on… the area gets more swollen, but the pain is somewhat relieved.  The person takes the heat off again and in 30 minutes or less, the pain comes back worse than ever.  Usually, the person will then decide to keep a heating pad on constantly, in order to not feel the pain.  This creates so much swelling that within 24 hours the person is incapacitated.  They can’t stand up, sleep, walk or drive.

When a person ices an injury, the pain may not be relieved as much, but the swelling is reduced.  It may not relieve the problem completely, but it will make the injured area much easier to treat.  In fact, patients who use ice instead of heat were found to heal in less than half the amount of time.  (2)

Why do medical doctors and nurses continue to tell patients to use heating pads ?  I have no clue. The research on this is clear. And, the research is coming from the medical profession not chiropractic.

I had a sciatica patient recently who used a heating pad on her back 24/7 at the advice of her medical doctor.  After a month of this, she couldn’t walk without assistance.  She had called her medical doctor’s office to get an appointment, but they said she would need to go to pain management.  Why pain management ? To get a shot to REDUCE THE SWELLING.

Anyway, my advice is to use ice and if the problem isn’t going away, see doctor who understands musculoskeletal problems like sciatica.

Should you never use heat ?  I respond to this question with a hesitant no.  There are some indications for heat, but in my opinion, you should be examined by someone prior to using it.  And, the application of heat, like ice, should be staggered.  20 minutes on, an hour or two off.  You should never use the constant heat of a heating pad.  And, if you notice that when you take the heat off, the pain is worse a short time later, stop using it.  The heat is making the area more swollen.

In fifteen years of practice, I have seen only one person get in trouble using ice.  He put an icepack directly on his skin and he got frostbite.  (so always have a towel or clothing between skin and an icepack)  In those same years, I average seeing two patients a month, that have over used a heating pad to the point they can’t stand up.

For more information on how I treat back pain, log on to: www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com.

(1)   McDonald, Lundgren, Thieme, A Practical Guide to Therapeutic Modalities, p.40
(2)   Hocutt, Jaffe, Rylander, Beebe, Am Journal Med 10:316-319, 1982

I Hurt My Back After Shoveling Snow- Ice or Heat ?

I am asked this question all the time.  Should I use ice or heat if my back is hurting. ? The answer is “ICE”.

Ice reduces swelling.  When muscle or ligament tissues are injured, blood vessels get injured as well.  The injured blood vessels let blood leak out and it causes swelling.  The swelling gets bigger and bigger until the amount of pressure outside the injured blood vessel equals the pressure inside.  The swollen tissue gets stretched, it can be damaged further and the amount of pain increases.

Ice causes the muscles surrounding larger blood vessels to contract.  This allows less blood to get to the cold area.  Less blood means lower blood pressure at the site where there is an injury.  This means that less blood will leak out of the injured vessels and therefore less swelling.

Heat increases circulation and can cause swelling in injured tissues.  Heat makes larger blood vessels expand.  This increases the pressure in the injured area and causes more blood to leak out of injured vessels.  More swelling, more pain, no fun for the patient.

Whenever someone sprains an ankle, injures a shoulder, breaks a bone, etc. they always put ice on it to control swelling.  If you didn’t use ice, or worse if you used heat, a sprained ankle could swell to the size of a softball in no time.  But, for some reason, people like to treat the back differently.  Patients are often told to use heat; probably because it feels better when it is applied; especially during cold winter months.  This is bad advice.  Heat makes the back swell and it can take weeks for the swelling to go down.  People who use heat, often end up having to go to the emergency room because the pain gets so bad they can’t walk.

So, even if it doesn’t feel good after you have been shoveling snow, use ice.

For more information on back pain log on to: www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal Stenosis means narrowing of the spinal canal.  Narrowing of the spinal canal can cause many different symptoms.  These symptoms include, low back pain, neck pain, pain in the arms and legs, numbness in the arms and legs, muscle cramping and weakness.  These symptoms come from a common cause, so it is helpful to understand why they happen.

The spine contains the spinal cord.  The spinal cord is made of soft nerve tissue.  The nerve tissue sends messages from the brain out to the body and from the body to the brain.  When the spinal canal narrows, it can compress the spinal cord.  When the cord is compressed, the messages going back and forth from the brain and body get altered.  This causes pain, weakness and numbness in the affected area.

The next logical question is, “what can be done about it ?”  From a medical standpoint, surgery is recommended to open up the spinal canal.  Usually a piece of a spinal bone or spinal disc is removed in order to create more space for the spinal cord and nerve tissue.  It sounds easy, but these procedures do have serious risks and have a low success rate.

The latest research on spinal surgery is saying that it should only be attempted after six months of conservative (non-surgical) treatment is done.  If the conservative treatment doesn’t help, then surgery can be attempted.

Chiropractic care can be very helpful for spinal stenosis cases.  You see, part of the problem in spinal stenosis patients is that their spinal alignment causes the spinal cord to be stretched. In areas where the canal is narrowed, this creates more pressure on the cord.  Re-aligning the spine takes the stretch off the cord and allows it to move freely in narrowed areas of the spine.  Removing the stretch relieves a lot of the symptoms and can allow the patient to avoid surgery.

For more information on non-surgical, non-grug solutions for spinal stenosis, log on to: www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

What Many People Don’t Know About Chiropractic And What We Can Do For YOU

Dr. Paul Kramer here.  In just a moment I’m going to tell you some very interesting information about Chiropractic that most people do not know – but more importantly – what it can do for you and how it might even change your life.

This is really good stuff… especially if you have back pain now or have ever had back pain in the past.

But first, there is something else you should know about.  I think you’ll really like it.

Did you the use of Aspirin dates all the way back to around 400 B.C.?  It’s true.  The father of medicine, Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C. and 377 B.C., left historical records that included the use of the bark of the willow tree to treat fever, headache and various pains.

It wasn’t until 1829 that scientists started figuring out what was going on.  That’s when they discovered a compound called salicin in the willow plant was responsible for the pain relief.

In that same year, scientists were able to turn salicin into salicylic acid.  The problem was that salicylic acid was very rough of the stomach and mouth… which limited its use.  Then, in 1853 a German scientist named Charles Frederic Gerhardt buffered (neutralized) the harshness of the acid by coating salicylic acid with sodium and acetyl chloride.  Although it worked, it was time consuming and Gerhardt stopped working on it because he didn’t think it was worth it.

OOOOPS!

In 1897 a German pharmacist working for a German pharmaceutical company Bayer, started looking for a solution for his father’s rheumatism.  His name was Felix Hoffmann and he “re-discovered” Gerhardt’s work and in 1899 patented a “new” pain reliever under the name Aspirin.

As a quick and interesting aside: During that same month, Hoffmann synthesized heroin by accident.  His discovery of heroin obviously didn’t end up working out as well as aspirin! But, one of the truly remarkable thing about all this is:

Scientists did not have a clue how aspirin worked until 1971!  In that year, John Vane theorized how it worked for which he was awarded a Nobel prize in 1982.

Today, over 70 million pounds of aspirin are produced annually all over the world making it the world’s most widely used drug… and scientists still theorize about the exact mechanisms of aspirin.

So what’s all this have to do with Chiropractic and your back pain?

Here’s what:  Believe it or not – Chiropractic and aspirin have many things in common.

First — they can both be traced WAY back in history.

In fact, Hippocrates, who used a form of aspirin back in 400 B.C., also used a form of spinal manipulation.… and so did ancient Egyptians and many other cultures.

But, it was not until 1895 that D.D. Palmer invented “Chiropractic.”   Chiropractic was new and different because Palmer theorized the nervous system controlled every function of the body and Chiropractic adjustments (specific spinal manipulations) removed interference to blocked or pinched nerves.  This, in turn, not only relieved pain… it helped the entire body function better and heal from all sorts of illnesses and diseases.

Just like willow bark and eventually aspirin, spinal manipulation got results and became very popular… but the mechanisms were not understood.

But here’s were Chiropractic & Aspirin differ –in a very big way…

Doctors and scientists had no clue how aspirin worked – but it was hailed by the medical community as a wonder drug and mass-produced.

Doctors and scientists were not sure how Chiropractic worked – so it was branded unscientific and quackery.

Seems a little unfair – don’t you think?

Thank goodness in many areas, research has finally caught up with Chiropractic!

For example, Chiropractic’s ability to help relieve back pain is well researched.  It is a safe, effective and cost-effective way to relieve back pain.

How Does Chiropractic Work?…FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK:

Many times when you have back pain it is caused by a spinal joint sprain – or “subluxation.”  Ligaments and discs hold two bones together to form a joint.  A sprain occurs when a joint is over stretched.

This can happen due to small micro traumas over several years or one acute event like a car accident, sports injury or slip and fall.  When the ligament becomes stretched and injured joints do not function properly, delicate nerve fibers can be injured.

Over time, even if untreated, pain can go away even though the spinal joint is not functioning properly.  This can lead to flare-ups in the future and degeneration as the joint moves improperly and wears out.  This is why something small – like bending over to pick up a pencil – can cause severe back pain.

Chiropractic adjustments and treatments are designed to re-align spinal bones in order to take pressure off ligaments, discs and nerve tissue..  This allows the spine to heal better.

Here’s a simple way to look at it:

If you broke your arm and didn’t get  the bone set properly – it would heal out of place and crooked.  The pain might go away in the short term – but there would most likely be big problems in the future.  The best thing to do is put everything in place and then let it heal properly.

Chiropractors are experts at getting your spinal bones and joint “in place” and working properly so they can heal correctly.

Chiropractors are also experts at keeping spines functioning properly to minimize future problems – much like periodic Dental check-ups and cleaning prevent tooth decay and loss down the road.

So, if you have back pain, you might want to try something that has a history starting in 400 B.C. with the father of medicine – Hippocrates – and has been practiced, improved and proven to help back pain.

If you do, just give us a call at 262-251-8306 and we will help you in any way that we can; conservatively and affordably!

Or log on to www.newbcakpainreliefinfo.com

What is the Best Mattress for Your Back?

Contrary to what to what most mattress store salesmen will tell you, firm surfaces are better for your back.  Soft mattresses allow your body to slump and curve into positions that put stress on the discs and joints.  As a result, you will wake up with pain.

Almost all the mattresses out there are too soft.  I think the basic reason everything is made so soft is that soft materials cost more and it justifies the expense of a mattress.  Firm mattresses are usually cheaper.

Good firm mattresses are often ruined by putting a pillow top on them.  Don’t use pillow tops.

All the exotic foam mattresses like Swedish, memory or tepur are too soft as well.  Many people who get these will have relief from pain when sleeping, but will wake up groggy and dizzy.  They will feel this way until their spine starts to tighten up as they get active.  Once it does this, they won’t feel groggy, but they will feel pain.  This is an effect of having too little support for the spine during sleep.

What is the best mattress?  Anything that’s firm.  I tell my patients to go to the store and ask for the firmest mattress they have.  In today’s world of mattresses, that will do it.  I haven’t found any that are too hard.  I often tell my back pain patients to sleep on the floor and 90% of them are surprised to find out how comfortable it is.

If you feel that the surface is too hard adjust your pillow height until the pressure is relieved.  If you are a side sleeper you will need your pillow to be higher.  If you sleep on your back, the pillow must be very flat.  Sometimes even just a few layers of a towel is all you need.

You should never undergo any type of treatment on your spine without addressing your mattresses and pillows.  Any treatment will be doomed to fail if you don’t let your spine properly rest and heal.

To find out more about how I treat back pain, log on to www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

How Do I Know When My Mattress Is Going Bad?

There are a few ways to know if your mattress is going bad.

First, if it is more than ten years old, stick a fork in it, its done.  Its shot, its gone.  I don’t care what its was made out of, it won’t last ten years.

Second, if its between five and ten years old, it is suspect.  It might still be good, but you need to evaluate it a little closer.  Does it look like its sagging?  Are there pits in it?  Do you feel pain in the morning?  If so, something is wrong with the mattress.

Sometimes you can flip it, sometimes you can put a board between the mattress and box-spring, you can even try switching sides with your partner.  But, these are stopgap measures that will get you by until you can get a better mattress.

What kind of mattress should you get?

The firmer the better.  As firm as you can. This flies in the face of every mattress salesman in the country, but my clinical experience, the clinical experience of other doctors and the research shows that a firm surface is best.

Most of the stuff on the market today is way too soft.  The exotic foams they use make it like sleeping on a bag of marshmallows.  Not good for the spine.

For more information on pillows, mattresses and spinal health log on to my web-site www.painfree-greatposture.com.

For more information on back pain, log on to www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com.