Posts by Dr. Tarr

Acute and Chronic Lower Back Pain: Difference in MD vs DC Treatment

Posted by Dr. Tarr on Jan 21, 2012 in Drug Free Treatment, Free Exam | 0 comments

Have you ever considered who is the best suited to treat back pain?  Since there are so many treatment options available today, it is quite challenging to make this decision without a little help.

To facilitate, a study looking at this very question compared the effectiveness between medical and chiropractic intervention.  Over a 4-year time frame, 2780 patients were followed with questionnaires. Low Back Pain patients were treated using conventional approaches by both MDs (Medical Doctors) and DCs (Doctors of Chiropractic).

Chiropractic treatments included spinal manipulation, physical therapy, an exercise plan, and self-care education.  Medical therapies included prescription drugs, an exercise plan, self-care advice and about 25% of the patients received physical therapy.

The study focused on present pain severity and functional disability (activity interference) measured by questionnaires mailed to the patients. It was reported that chiropractic was favored over medical treatment in the following areas:

• Pain relief in the first 12 months (more evident in the chronic patients)
• When LBP pain radiated below the knee (more evident in the chronic patients)
• Chronic LBP patients with no leg pain (during the first 3 months)

Similar trends favoring chiropractic were seen for disability but were of smaller magnitude.  All patient groups saw significant improvement in both pain and disability over the four year study period.

Acute patients saw the greatest degree of improvement with many achieving symptom relief after 3 months of care.

This study also found early intervention reduced chronic pain and, at year 3, those acute LBP patients who received early intervention reported fewer days of LBP than those who waited longer for treatment.

While both MDs and DCs treatment approaches helped, it’s quite clear from the information reported that chiropractic should be utilized first.

These findings support the importance of early intervention by chiropractic physicians and make the most sense for those of you struggling with the question of who to see for your LBP.

If you or someone you know suffers from low back pain, contact Heuser Chiropractic for a free examination and consultation.

Pet Owners’ and their sleep

Posted by Dr. Tarr on Jan 9, 2012 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

According to a recent survey, by WebMD, over 62% of pet owners allow their pets to sleep at night in bed with them. Although many of us have a hard time denying our pet a spot in our bed, it can lead to various health issues. Those issues can vary from neck to lower back aches in addition to disturbed sleep, allergies, and various other ailments. Over half of people who allowed pets in bed reported some type of sleep disturbance and this quality sleep is extremely important as your body repairs itself while you sleep. What one should do is either crate train one’s pet early on or simply take over the bedroom and not allow one’s pet to control how one sleeps.

Chiropractic can help with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Posted by Dr. Tarr on Dec 25, 2011 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a disease which is characterized by pain, numbness and tingling in the hand. It is often disabling, preventing many from being able to work. It is the most common nerve problem in the hands, and can affect almost anyone. To treat this condition, many choose surgery or injections which can be very invasive with harmful side effects. Chiropractic is an excellent alternative treatment that is safe and effective.

Some of the warning signs that may be related to carpal tunnel syndrome are numbness, tingling or weakness of the hands, neck tightness, swelling of the hands, abnormal sensation and clumsiness with use of the hands. Because the median nerve originates from the neck, it may become compressed anywhere along the course of its path. Misaligned bones of the neck, tight muscles of the neck, shoulder problems, cervical (neck) ribs, inflamed tendons and misaligned carpal (wrist) bones can all result in compressing the median nerve. This results in the symptoms associated with CTS.

The neck and wrist are both common areas for the median nerve to become irritated. When there is pressure in both areas, this is called a “double crush syndrome.” The neck is often overlooked resulting in wrist only surgeries. The patient continues to experience symptoms because the problem in the neck has not been addressed, only the wrist.

There are several causes of carpal tunnel syndrome. Occasionally it is congenital or with you from birth. It is usually caused from poor posture or ergonomics, repetitive movements done improperly over time, slips or falls, awkward hand positions from playing sports and work or hobbies such as bowling or racquetball. Incorrect posture while sitting at the computer can contribute to the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. There is a tendency to sit with the shoulders rolled forward and the head thrust forward. This can cause misaligned bones in the neck, resulting in irritation of the nerves that form the median nerve. This can cause referred pain, numbness or tingling in the hand. Maintaining good posture while sitting can help to the problem. This should include sitting upright with the shoulders relaxed and the head upright over the shoulders. The wrists should be in a neutral position and you should avoid continuously flexing or extending the wrists. The computer screen should be set at eye level and straight ahead to avoid continuously turning the neck.

Chiropractic can very effective in preventing carpal tunnel syndrome and treating it once it has developed. Chiropractic treatment directly releases pressure from the nerves by correcting misaligned bones. CTS may result from misaligned bones in the neck or wrist. Chiropractors have extensive education in dealing with the nervous system and muscular problems in the body. A Chiropractor can perform an X-ray, wrist and hand evaluation to determine the extent of the injury. Based on the result, the chiropractor will recommend a treatment plan which may include chiropractic adjustments to work on the misaligned bones and therapy to work on inflammation or injury to the soft tissue, such as ligaments and muscles. Research has shown chiropractic to be just as effective as medical treatment in helping with carpal tunnel syndrome. Chiropractic is a good alternative because it is natural and does not have the complications and side effects which are often found with medical treatment.

Treadmill Conversion Time

Posted by Dr. Tarr on Dec 12, 2011 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

With the weather starting to become more frigid, people are starting to trade in their neughborhood and woodsy trails for warmer indoor weather with the treadmill.  Sometimes though those treadmill readings can be confusing showing one reading but not another.  So here is a handy little treadmill  conversion chart.

Prolonged Sitting Can Do What?

Posted by Dr. Tarr on Dec 3, 2011 in Drug Free Treatment, Uncategorized | 0 comments

We have all heard that sitting for prolonged periods of time can cause low back problems, tension in the neck and shoulders and even other issues like headaches, but what might surprise you is some recent news that suggests that prolonged sitting can increase your risk of heart attack by 54%!  The Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana just released the findings of some research that analyzed thousands of individuals and concluded that those who sit for most of the day are 54% more likely to die of a heart attack.  As a Colorado Springs chiropractor this gives me yet another reason to encourage my patients to get up and take more frequent breaks, if not altogether standing for most of the day.  In an article I found online they offered some great advice on things you can do to reduce your sitting time and help you to reduce your risk of heart attack.  I am posting this article  from Men’s Health right here:

We stand around a lot here at Men’s Health. In fact, a few of us don’t even have office chairs. Instead, we write, edit, and answer e-mails—a lot of e-mails—while standing in front of our computers. All day long. Why?

It all started last summer, when Assistant Editor Maria Masters came across a shocking study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (one of dozens of research journals we comb each month as we put together the magazine). Scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over about 13 years, and found that people who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks.

That’s right—I said 54 percent!

Masters immediately called the lead researcher at Pennington, a professor named Peter Katzmarzyk. Turns out, this wasn’t the first study to link sitting and heart disease. Similar research actually dates back to 1953, when British researchers found that (sitting) bus drivers were twice as likely to die of heart attacks as (standing) trolley operators.

Here’s the most surprising part: “We see it in people who smoke and people who don’t,” Katzmarzyk told Masters. “We see it in people who are regular exercisers and those who aren’t. Sitting is an independent risk factor.”

In other words, it doesn’t matter how much you exercise or how well you eat. If you sit most of the day, your risk of leaving this world clutching your chest—whether you’re a man or women—as much as doubles.

This raised a rather obvious question: Why? Truth is, the researchers aren’t sure. But Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., one of Katzmarkzyk’s colleagues, suspects it has to do with an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which breaks down fat in the bloodstream and turns it into energy. Hamilton found that standing rats have ten times more of the stuff coursing through their bodies than laying rats. It doesn’t matter how fit the rats are; when they leave their feet, their LPL levels plummet. Hamilton believes the same happens in humans.

Still sitting? Then you should know that your office chair also:

1. Screws up your posture. The fascia, the tissue that connects individual muscles into a full-body network, begins to set when you stay in one position for too long, says Men’s Health advisor Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.C.S., a physical therapist in Indianapolis. If you’re hunched over a keyboard all day, this eventually becomes your normal posture.

2. Makes you fatter. This happens for two reasons. First, you burn 60 more calories an hour when standing versus sitting. But more importantly, says Hartman, when you spend too much time sitting, your largest muscle group—the glutes (a.k.a. your butt)—become lazy and quit firing. This is called gluteal amnesia. And it means you burn fewer calories.

3. Causes lower back pain. Weak glutes push your pelvis forward, putting stress on the spine, says Hartman. Here’s the other unseemly thing that happens when your pelvis tilts forward: Your belly protrudes, making you look 5 months pregnant.So what’s a desk-bound worker to do? First, Hamilton suggests you change how you think about fitness. We have a tendency to segment our lives—work, home, and downtime. Exercise falls into the last category, something we squeeze into our busy schedules when possible. But if you stop thinking about exercise as an activity, and instead think of it as a lifestyle, it’s easier to make healthy choices throughout the day.

In other words: Stop trying to be fit, and start trying to live fit.

Second, of course, is to stand more throughout the day. These strategies will get you up on your feet more often:

Strategy #1: Take two breaks an hour. Grab a drink from the water fountain. Pop over to the cube next door to say hi. Or simply stand and stretch for a minute. A European Heart Journal study of 5,000 men and women found that the quarter who took the most breaks during the day were 1.6 inches thinner than the quarter who took the least.

Strategy #2: Stand during phone calls. It may seem like a small thing but, as Hamilton told Masters: “Small choices will help move you in the right direction. . . . It all adds up, and it all matters.”

Strategy #3: Ask HR for a standup desk. Australian researchers found that workers who log more than 6 hours of seat time a day are up to 68 percent more likely to be overweight. If you make the changes above and your waistline isn’t shrinking, a standup desk may be the answer. Make sure the screen is at arm’s length, and the top at eye level. Position the keyboard so your elbows are bent 90 degrees.

So if you are looking for a great Colorado Springs chiropractor to help with your situation give us a call today or set up an appointment.