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Texting Neck?

5/25/2022

By Bruce

Yes, it’s real. When you hunch over a smartphone for hours at a time, texting, checking Facebook, writing e-mails, etc., you’re placing your body in an unnatural position. You might not notice it at first, but lots of people begin having neck pain and headaches that are the result of hours of looking down at the little screen.

We’re not getting rid of our smart devices anytime soon. They’ve become a regular feature of our lives and most people say they couldn’t live without them. But I take it as a good sign that tablets are losing popularity, with the exception of those that have the new detachable keyboards. This feature can help you spend less time hunching over. If you must use your smartphone for hours, take frequent breaks and straighten up. Raise your head, put your shoulders back and breathe deeply. Use the dictation feature if your phone has it. Long-term damage can come from “texting neck” but if you take some countermeasures this can be avoided. Since you’re probably reading this on a personal device, I’ll wrap it up!

Your Bed: Best Friend or Worst Enemy?

5/1/2016

by Bruce

Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t require sleep? Think of all the things we could get done with that 1/3 of our lives! But, since we do need sleep (most studies recommend between 7-9 hours per night for adults) it’s vital to have a mattress that does not sabotage your rest. Finding the perfect mattress can be a real challenge. Costs vary greatly, from only a few hundred dollars to several thousand for the latest memory foam models. Investing in the right one can make all the difference between waking up refreshed and energized, or starting the day tired and in pain.

I wish I could tell you how many chronic back and neck issues I have solved by adjustments, in connection with a change in the patient’s mattress. Every body type is different, but in general we all have pressure points at the hips and shoulders when we lie on a mattress. The pressure points can produce reduced circulation, numbness, pain, and misalignment of the spine. Old, worn mattresses are usually the culprit, but you can also be miserable on a brand new mattress that is either too firm or too soft. Many people buy inner-spring type mattresses, but those are rapidly becoming old-fashioned. If you are having bouts of tossing and turning, are waking up often with hip or neck pain, etc., it might be time to take a hard look at your current mattress. The importance of having a good night’s sleep is more than worth a modest investment in your sleeping surface. When you come in for your next visit, ask me about the important things to consider for your own unique circumstances. Let’s work to make sure your bed is your best friend, not an enemy you have to suffer with. Sweet dreams!

Exercise is Good…But These Four Work-Out Moves Can Hurt You

7/25/2015

By Bruce

Like so many of you, I go to the gym regularly…and I especially hike and do Yoga. Over time, I’ve learned to listen to my body, not over-do certain exercises, and to keep in shape without getting injured. So, when I see people doing certain high-risk exercises in the gym, I warn them that they might be doing more harm than good. Here are four common exercises that might leave you with more pain than gain:

#1: Upright Row

The Upright Row has the potential to really damage your shoulders. In order to do “The Row” your arms must be in "internal rotation." This is done by holding a barbell or dumbells in front and pulling the weight up to your chest, leading with your elbows. The result is that every time you raise the weight, a small tendon in your shoulder gets pinched by the bones in the shoulder. Over time the tendon wears down and gets damaged. You might not feel pain right away, but as the tendon gets weaker, the potential grows that it might snap. You don’t want that!

#2: Behind-The-Neck Press

Doing this requires maximum external rotation of the shoulders. Simply put, your shoulders aren’t designed for this. Even light weights used in this movement can cause damage to the Rotator Cuff muscles. Making it worse, most people also tilt their heads forward while doing this exercise, which often strains or even misaligns upper spinal vertebrae and connective tissue.

#3: Floor Sit-Up

The old fashioned all-the-way-up from full recline sit up. Don’t do it, because about half way through the move there’s an unbelievable amount of torque being placed on your lower back. Your spine gets yanked directly by your hip-flexors to pull the weight of your torso through the arc. Anyway, this style of sit-up only works your abs “isometrically” so your stomach muscles aren’t even doing most of the work. Do crunches, ball-crunches or cable crunches as alternatives.

#4: Stiff-Legged Dead Lift

If you do this traditionally, standing with both feet on the floor and not using excessive weight, no problem. This lift will strengthen your glutes, hamstrings and lower back. What you should not do is stand on a block or bench when doing the lift. This will make it much harder to hold an arch in your back while lifting. This then places excessive stress on your spine and connective tissue.

If you often walk out of the gym in pain, something isn’t being done correctly. A work out should leave you energized, not agonized. Come in to see me for an exam and we’ll work out an exercise routine that will really get you on the path to greater strength without injury! Happy summer.

What’s So “Funny” About Banging Your Elbow?

7/25/2015

By Bruce

Whoever named it “The Funny Bone” had to have been joking. Right? That one spot on your elbow, that if you bump it just right, sends shooting pains and tingling down your arm and into your fingers. It hurts!

Well, the real name for the spot is the “Ulnar Nerve.” It starts in your neck and runs all the way to your pinkie. Most of the way, it’s protected, but right at your elbow, the Ulnar is right under the skin, passing through something called the cubital tunnel. That’s why just the right pressure from a bumped elbow can cause all that temporary pain. Temporary means just a few seconds to around a minute, but usually soon forgotten.

On the other hand (no pun intended) there are a few unfortunate people who suffer from pain or irritation of this area all the time, with a condition called Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. This can be caused by something as simple as repeatedly sleeping with your elbow bent under your pillow, or progressive physical activity that focuses pressure on your elbows. If it gets bad enough, it can cause your pinkie to curl up and stay that way! Fortunately there are ways to treat this: splinting, adjustment, physical therapy and even surgery in extreme cases. If your “funny bone” is making you miserable, let’s do some x-rays and get the problem solved.

About Those Worn-Out Running Shoes

3/15/2015

by Bruce

Once you have a pair of running shoes that feel good and are familiar, there’s a tendency to put off buying new ones until the current pair looks about to fall apart. This is more than a style issue: old running shoes no longer do a good job of cushioning shock, correctly distributing your weight, or protecting your ankles from sprain. I don’t sell running shoes (or have stock in Nike or New Balance!) but I strongly recommend that you only run in newer shoes that can still perform as designed. Did you know that many kinds of back and knee pain are caused by wearing the wrong- as in old and worn out -shoes? It’s true, and you might be surprised how much more you’ll get from your running routine if you’ve got good shoes on your feet. You may have heard about “pronation” or “turn in. ” This is a natural tendency of the foot to roll in from the ankle as you place load on it. Like when you run. A little pronation isn’t serious, but too much will cause knee pain or even more long lasting damage. Good shoes, properly fitted, can help control this and other potentially injurious problems with your gait.

When you’re here at the clinic getting an adjustment or evaluation, talk to me about your exercise preferences. If running is in the mix, we’ll talk shoes, and I might be able to tell you some details about your own physical characteristics that will let you head to the athletic shoe store with a lot more knowledge about what shoes to buy for pain-free jogging. See you on the trails!

Will Back Pain Heal Itself?

3/15/2015

by Bruce

I see many patients who describe their back pain as being “coming and going” or only bothersome when they overdo exercise. But when we go through our check list of questions, most people admit the pain is there more often than not, and they’re confused about what’s actually causing it. I need to do an examination and get some x-rays before I can give you a clear opinion about the cause, depending on your own individual circumstances. But I can tell you without question that quite often serious or chronic back pain (or other joint pain) will not go away by itself. That’s the same as saying your broken car will not likely repair itself without a trip to the mechanic. Back pain in particular can be a “mechanical” problem. Something is misaligned; there is damage to a joint, connective tissue, or the spinal column vertebrae and discs. With chiropractic adjustments, I have seen countless patients who thought they would have to just live with a problem or even get surgery, relieved of their pain. Once we figure out what’s causing the pain, we can go to work on solving that issue. There isn’t a 100% guarantee, because there are pain sources that won’t respond to adjustments, such as infection, fractures, or cancer. But the great majority of patients with symptoms of moderate or even severe back pain will show rapid improvement after adjustments.

Some studies have found that about a third of people with lower back pain have had the issue for over thirty days. And only about 9% of those who went untreated were pain free five years later. What might be a simple problem to fix, if addressed early on, can become much more troublesome and even chronic if left untreated.

The takeaway here is that you need to pay attention to your body’s pain signals. If you’ve got back pain, and it’s recurring or requires pain relief medication like Tylenol or stronger, make an appointment and come see me. Let’s get some answers for your questions, and some long lasting natural relief for your back pain. Because very often, it’s not going to go away on it’s own.

Good Posture is a Conscious Decision

11/16/2014

by Bruce

Everybody does it: you walk past a store window, see your reflection, and you get a quick snapshot of what you really look like when you’re just being yourself. So, most people might think “my hair looks a little off today” or “I really like this sweater”…but do you ever think “I am NOT standing up straight”? Well, you should. I know, it sounds like nagging, but you really have to make a daily effort to have good posture. It’s more than a “looks thing”... bad posture can really take a toll on your overall health. For one thing, slumping can worsen your mood, even contribute to depression. But it’s the physical effects that are most problematic. When you walk or sit in a crunched position, your internal organs are bunched up, and your blood flow is restricted. No wonder you feel a little off when you slouch. Digestion, breathing, cardiovascular performance: all are hampered when you don’t have good posture. So I want you to think about it, literally, and see what a difference it can make in just a few days.

Imagine a line running from your tailbone to the top of your head. That’s the line you want to feel lengthening as you walk, sit or exercise. The middle of your chest is the pivot for this line. Here’s how you get it right: keeping your head centered over your shoulders, move your shoulders back and extend your head toward the ceiling without lifting your chin. You should feel your whole frame lifting, taking the pressure off your heart, diaphragm and digestive tract. Yes, it takes effort to do this on a consistent basis. You have to remind yourself, and it can be tiring to constantly train your back to line up. But if you do it every day, pretty soon you’ll become used to it, and your posture will improve.

I’ve been practicing chiropractic medicine for a long time, and I can say that “natural” perfect posture is extremely rare. More often, when you see someone with that confident position, shoulders back, head up, and a straight spine, it’s because they worked to make it that way. Bad posture isn’t something you have to live with. Make the daily decision to improve your posture, and you’ll be amazed at the benefits.

What's In Your Bones?

11/16/2014

by Bruce

Ever looked at pictures of an ancient skeleton and wondered “What are those bones made of, so that they can last that long?” Any archaeological dig of a prehistoric civilization usually turns up lots of human bones…often still in pretty good shape. So the conclusion might be “well, whatever they are made of, it’s really tough stuff”.

Well, turns out that living bone is a whole lot different from the stuff remaining in those ancient relics.

A misconception is that bones are mostly minerals, like calcium. The fact is that while we’re alive, your bones are a combination of dynamic living tissue, with a mineral foundation. Collagen, in fact, is the main component of living bones. It’s what the flexible framework is made of −yes, bones are somewhat flexible, but as we all know, they can break. Calcium is the other component, and it’s the part that can still exist thousands of years (under the right conditions) after the skeleton’s original owner departs. A fascinating part of the story is that bone tissue is constantly being renewed throughout your life. Through a process known as resorption and formation, special cells break down old tissue, while hormones help create new tissue, ”new bones”. The formation of new bone tissue peaks around age thirty…and that’s when you can start to consider what “osteoporosis” might mean for you. Osteoporosis can create thinning and weakening bone tissue; sometimes so severe that a person can suffer broken limbs from only minimal pressure on the bone. The best strategy is to promote bone strength all through your life, and avoid the problems associated with thinning bones in later years. And the good news is, it’s really not that difficult to do.

So let’s simplify the matter: if you want to keep strong bones, you need to eat a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, regularly perform weight-bearing exercise (pump some iron!) and otherwise follow a healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake. That’s the ideal. Of course, no one is perfect, but if you’re doing things mostly right, you’ll probably enjoy having healthy bones your whole life. Next time you’re in to see me at the clinic, ask about bone density testing and whether you’re at risk for any unusual bone health problems. See you soon!

The One Place You Should Not Conserve Water

7/26/2014

by Bruce

Unless you’ve been under a rock- a dry one- you certainly know that we are now in Stage 2 drought conditions here in Santa Barbara. The signs are everywhere: brown lawns, withering bushes, dying trees, empty fountains. Kind of depressing, so I won’t go on. We all want things to change, we hope rain is coming, but in the meantime we’re all doing our part by cutting back on water use everywhere we can.

   But drought or not, the one thing you need to keep hydrated is…your body, of course. There are theories about how much water is enough, how much is too much, and you see people walking down the street with those mesh sling things holding a water bottle. A good rule of thumb is to simply stay “comfortable” with it, meaning if you feel thirsty (uncomfortable), you’re probably already slightly dehydrated. Your skin is a major area of water loss from your body, and when it’s hot (and dry) you’ll lose more that way than you might be aware of, even if you’re not visibly perspiring.

   I encourage everyone to keep a good source of drinking water stashed in all your daily places, like in your car, at your desk, and by your bed. If you make it inconvenient for yourself to get a sip of water, or make yourself have to take a detour, you might just put it off, and that’s when dehydration gets going. You’d be surprised how many people just grow accustomed to being slightly “dry” and they think the mild headache, drowsiness, or difficulty concentrating is “normal.” It’s not. Try it and see: when that afternoon slump hits, take a few good swigs of cool water, and you’ll almost certainly see a bounce. Ice water is okay, too, but merely cool is actually best.

   Yes, drinking boring old water over and over again can seem like a chore, so use other sources of valuable moisture as well: watermelon (90% water) is great, so is pineapple. Celery, cucumbers, tomatoes: all good. Oranges and grapefruit are fine too, but they add citric acid to your digestive system, so moderate those. Coffee and tea, once considered dehydrating, are now believed to add more moisture than they eliminate. The one no-no we still are clear about is alcohol. Beer, wine, and the harder stuff are all dehydrating.

   I’ve been hitting the hiking trails lately, so maybe that’s why I thought I’d visit this subject of hydration in this edition of my blog. The exercise is great, those views from the top are awesome as ever, but you’ve got to take your water. And for those of you, like me, who might have your dog along, don’t forget your best friend needs a drink as much as you! There are some cool lightweight doggy back-packs you can buy that let your pooch tote his own supply of H2O.

That’s all for now...see you at the clinic, and let’s all keep our fingers crossed for an early and rainy winter.

What is Arthritis?

7/26/2014

by Bruce

Happy summer everybody! I hope all my patients and friends are enjoying the outdoors and maybe a vacation? It’s a season when a lot of us are spending more time in recreational activities: hiking, swimming, (and one of my favorites, stand-up paddling). We live in a paradise, be happy!

Here at the clinic, it’s also a time when we start seeing more complaints about joint pain either during or after exercise. We take an x-ray, and no surprise, the blame often goes to arthritis. So what’s the low-down on this condition? What’s the best way to treat it? One of the main causes of arthritis is good old wear-and-tear. As you use your bones and cartilage, over time they tend to wear down, creating pain and stiffness in joints. Certain injuries might seem like they get better and the pain goes away…then later arthritis will appear in the joint where the original injury occurred.

Other causes can be obesity, infections, allergies, certain foods, autoimmune disease, even a physically demanding job. You’ve got a lot of company: statistics show about 1 in 5 adults have arthritis. It affects some younger people, too, even children. It’s also not a single disease; there are over 100 medical conditions classified as arthritis.

Okay, you’re saying, got it, Brad. So what can we do about it? Physical therapy (like chiropractic adjustments and deep tissue massage) is often effective in restoring some mobility and lessening pain. Studies have also shown that early use of physical therapy can delay the need for invasive treatments (like surgery) in more severe cases of arthritis. Every year more people are choosing to have hip replacements, knee replacements, and ankle replacements. These now have a pretty good record of success, but the recovery time can be long and painful, with severely reduced mobility. The “bionic” joints have their own set of problems, including not lasting forever. All moving parts, whether human or mechanical, eventually wear out. When you come in to see me, I can show you your x-rays and discuss exactly where your arthritis is and what the outlook could be. It really helps to be informed, and to understand how reducing your risk, along with following the best treatment methods, will have you feeling a lot less pain and moving more freely. Have a great summer!

Dr. Bruce Yong

Bruce is a long-time Doctor of Chiropractic in the Santa Barbara area. On this blog, our hundreds of patients and friends can get the latest news about what's going on here at the clinic, new healthcare and treatment options, and some personal details about what we've been up to!

Dr. Bruce Yong

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