PAIN CENTER OF GWINNETT

By: Dr. Ray Alexander, DC - Lawrenceville, Ga.

Is Your Pillow Right For You?

Soft pillow, hard pillow, one pillow, two pillows, feather pillows, down, pillows, foam pillows!!  Go into any bedding store and you know there are a seemingly endless variety of pillows.  Many people have very specific preferences for the type of pillow they choose.  This may be because of habit, what they used in childhood, because of allergies, etc.  But how many of you choose your pillow for your neck and your spine?   As we all know, the neck has a slight curve.  When you sleep on a standard type of pillow it usually supports your head but not your neck.  This can cause the vertebrae in your neck to straighten out in an unnatural way.  This in turn can aggravate whiplash, arthritis, tension headaches, and other shoulder problems.

By using a cervical pillow you provide proper support for your neck.  Your head rests in the the “dip” in the pillow and your neck is supported by the “curb”.  These pillows have one side that has a larger “curb” and one side with a smaller “curb”.  That allows you to choose which side is most comfortable.  It will support your neck whether you sleep on your back or on your side.  A cervical pillow is especially important for support when you are recovering from an acute injury but provides benefits for all necks.  It will also help cervical chiropractic adjustments hold better.

Could a Cervical Support Pillow Help You?    Take this easy test* to find out…

Do you feel pain or stiffness in your neck, back, arm, or shoulder when you wake up?    _____Yes      _____No

Do you get frequent tension headaches?   _____ Yes    _____No

Do you suffer from arthritis?   _____Yes    _____No

Have you been in a whiplash accident, or have you had any prior injuries to your neck, shoulder, or back?   _____Yes   _____No

Do you weigh more than is recommended for your height and build?  ___Yes     _____No

Do your hands or arms frequently “fall asleep”during the night?     _____Yes    _____No

Do you sleep on a mattress that is more than five years old?    _____Yes    _____No

Do you toss and turn throughout the night, trying to get comfortable?      _____Yes    _____No

Do you clench or grind your teeth while sleeping?   _____Yes    _____No

Do you snore loudly on a regular basis?   _____Yes    _____No

*Questionnaire provided by Foot Levelers

Is a cervical pillow right for your?  If you answered YES to any of these questions, a cervical support pillow may help relieve your symptoms.  Ask at your next chiropractic visit  if a cervical support pillow is right for you.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 678-407-8230.  Dr. Ray Alexander and The Whole Life Health & Chiropractic Center would be happy to provide information on our cervical pillows.

This is part of a series of articles on CHIROPRACTIC MADE EASY.  Follow this link for other articles Chiropractic Made Easy by Dr. Raymond Alexander, DC. - Lawrenceville, Ga.

Fifty years ago a serving of broccoli was full of calcium and iron. Broccoli is still touted as being a good source of calcium. But is that still really true? Multiple studies show that the amount of nutrients in today’s fruits and vegetables, with the exception of pumpkins and carrots, has decreased significantly over the past 50 years. The amount of calcium and vitamin A in broccoli has dropped between 50-63% and iron has decreased about 34%. In fact, the nutrients found in vegetables in today’s supermarket are anywhere from 5% to 40% lower in vitamins and minerals (including magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc). There are many nutritionists who believe that the recommended intake of vegetables should increase from 5 servings to at least 10 servings a day to make up for the reduced nutritional value.

So why this steep drop in nutrients? There are several factors, primarily related to “modern” farming methods.

1.  Many of the nutrients in vegetables come from the soil. Large agricultural growers do not rotate crops or give their fields a rest period so the soil can regenerate. That leads to nutrient poor soil.
2. Foods are genetically engineered to produce larger products that grow faster but most of the larger size comes from bulk that does not contain nutrients. Also, because they grow faster they have less time to take up nutrients from the soil.
3. Use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides further rob our fruits and vegetables of nutrients.

Today, more than ever, unless you are willing to double the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat (and that’s given you are eating the types and amounts of fruits and vegetables recommended) it is vital to take nutritional supplements. But make sure you are getting your money’s and nutrients worth when you choose your supplements. There are 2 basic types: Whole food supplements and Isolate-based supplements. The best way to describe the difference is through an example. A whole food form of vitamin E will contain the entire vitamin E complex made up of hundreds of nutrients. The isolate-based form may only contain one element of the complex, for example, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate. When you look at the label of a supplement you should be able to recognize and pronounce the ingredients.

 Here’s a partial list from a whole food vs an isolate package:

Whole Food: Whey (milk) & rice protein powder, flax meal & buckwheat juice powder, calcium citrate, grape seed extract,

Isolate: Calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, potassium chloride, dl-apha tocopherol acetate, croscarmellose sodium.

So when you buy supplements let the label, not the price, be your guide. If you pay 25% less but get 75% less nutrients are you really getting a good deal? If you can’t find the quality you want and need, stop by our office anytime. We offer only the highest quality, nutrient rich whole food supplements. Don’t know exactly what you should be taking? Schedule time with Dr. Alexander for a FREE, no obligation Nutritional Consultation. Based on your discussion with him, he will be able to determine which nutritional supplements will meet your unique, individual needs. If you are interested in a full body purification, ask Dr. Alexander about our detoxification program–

Remember, our goal is 

 “Health for Your Whole Life” 

Call Laura @ 678-407-8230 at The Whole Life Health & Chiropractic Center for a copy of “Choosing the Best Supplement for Your Body and Your Health” 

By: Dr. Ray Alexander, DC - Lawrenceville, Ga.

Maybe the best way to discuss Tennis Elbow is to share a story with you.

I had a patient come in recently complaining of pain on her outside forearm and elbow.  She said it had been sore for awhile but didn’t think too much of it until it got to the point where turning a door knob, brushing her teeth or even picking up a cup of coffee was painful and hard to do.

When she first came in we chit chatted for a few minutes and she was telling me with a great deal of pride how their house renovation was going and about how relieved she was that she had finally finished painting “every single room in the house”.  But now she was getting really frustrated because she had so much left to do but this elbow, arm, hand, etc. pain thing was getting in the way and she was really worried that it was something really serious and even permanent.

I examined her arm and elbow, asked her to move her arm and wrist to do some muscle testing, and talked about exactly where the pain was.  I took an x-ray just to make sure there was nothing structural going on and then

I gave her my diagnosis…Tennis Elbow.

She gave me a rather skeptical look and said,

“With all the work I’m doing do you think I have time to put on a cute little tennis skirt and fritter away my hours on the tennis court?  Wish I could but, no way!” 

“Well”, I said, “if you had told me your elbow hurt on the INSIDE of your elbow I would have said you had Golfers Elbow.” 

Now she just laughed and said, “Oh, good one Dr. Alexander.  Alright, what’s really the problem?”

“Technically you have a condition called lateral epicondylitis.”

I could tell by the look on her face that that sounded serious and now she was concerned.  All she said was, “Oh. Can you fix it?”

First, let me explain…

Lateral epicondylitis is commonly referred to as Tennis Elbow.  That’s because it is a common injury in tennis players, in fact over 50% of tennis players eventually suffer from tennis elbow. Mainly from:
• One-handed backhand especially with poor form
• A late forehand swing resulting in bending the wrist significantly
• Snapping and turning the wrist while serving with full power
• Using a new steel racket

But in reality, tennis players make up only about 5% of the total number of people who suffer with “tennis elbow”.  It can be caused by such diverse activities as:
• excessive use of a hammer, screwdriver, or other hand tools
• painting,  
• bowling,
• raking
• house or office cleaning (because of vacuuming, sweeping and scrubbing).
 
It affects
• Mechanics
• assembly-line workers
• baseball player
• even golfers. 

Basically any activity that requires excessive constant gripping or squeezing can cause “tennis elbow”.

With the constant repetitive movement you start to get tiny tears in the muscles or tendons.  If you continue the same activity, the tears do not have time to heal.  This can lead to inflammation and pain.  It also destabilizes the elbow which can allow the elbow joint to move from its correct position causing more pain and a vicious cycle begins.

Here’s something you would never think would contribute to “tennis elbow” and that is neck problems.  The nerves that run to your elbow pass through your neck.  If your neck bones, or vertebrae, are not in the correct position they can press on the nerve.  That in itself doesn’t cause tennis elbow but can lead to muscle weakness which makes you more susceptible to injury.

Back to your question…

CAN YOU FIX IT?

As a chiropractor, here is what I do, and why, to “fix” tennis elbow.

1. If your neck vertebra are not in the correct position, I will adjust your neck and put them back in their proper place.  This will help relieve the pressure on the nerve leading to your arm.
2. I will adjust your elbow so that the bones and joint are in their proper position. This helps relieve some of the stress on the muscles and tendons.
3. To aid in the healing process I will use ultrasound.  What ultrasound does is help improve blood circulation to the affected area.
4. Cold laser therapy is also used because it is very effective in stimulating new growth and healing of the cells in the muscles and/or tendons.
5. In some cases, electric muscle stimulation is used to help build up the muscle strength.

Here is what you will need to do.

1. Apply ice to the area to reduce any swelling.
2. Stop the activity that caused the problem, usually for several weeks.
3. In some cases you may need to wear a brace.

Can’t I just get a shot to fix it?

“Tennis elbow” is a painful and frustrating condition.  It requires patience to heal.  It is sometimes tempting to get steroid injections because they offer quick relief but studies have shown that while the initial relief is quicker, it is usually only a temporary fix.  Chiropractic adjustments and therapies offer a more effective long term solution because they address the cause of the pain and not just the symptom.

Prevention is the best approach.

To help avoid tennis elbow follow these guidelines.

1. Do exercises that strengthen the muscles of the wrist and forearm.
2. Stretch those muscles before and periodically during a repetitive activity.
3. Take 10-15 minute breaks every couple hours to give your arm a rest.
4. Learn the proper technique for whatever activity you are engaged in.

This is the third in a series of articles on CHIROPRACTIC MADE EASY.  Follow this link for other articles Chiropractic Made Easy by Dr. Raymond Alexander, DC. - Lawrenceville, Ga.

By: Dr. Ray Alexander, Chiropractor in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Leg Pain/Sciatica and Chiropractic

The pain is so bad I can’t sit or lay down!
What is it and what can I do about it?

 If you are experiencing intense pain, burning or tingling, numbness or weakness that runs through your buttocks and/or down the back of one leg and may or may not be accompanied by lower back pain, there’s a good chance you may be suffering from sciatica.  This debilitating condition makes it difficult to stand, sit, lay down, or walk.

The sciatic nerve runs from your low back down through the buttocks and along the back of each leg.  It is a large nerve about the size of a finger.  In most cases, sciatica occurs when a lumbar (low back) joint is out of alignment (position) or a disk herniates or bulges and there is pressure on the sciatic nerve.  Often this situation is caused by or further aggravated by improper lifting, sudden twisting or jarring of the back during a sports activity, sudden movements or just plain wear and tear.

When a disk herniates, the soft core of the disk protrudes or bulges into the spinal cord causing the nerves to send involuntary signals that cause a sensation of tingling, numbness, burning, or pain. As this pain can continue for serveral weeks to months, many people turn to dramatic procedures in the hopes of a “quick fix”.  These include localized injections and/or surgery.

There are several types of localized injections used, all of which simply mask the pain and do not treat the cause.  One type, called chemoneucliosis, can actually cause severe damage to healthy tissue if not administered properly.  Surgery should only be considered as a very last result or if you suffer sudden loss of bladder/bowel control or have severe numbness.  Most people who have back surgery find they have permanent limitations on their physical activity, many continue to suffer chronic pain and, in some, the condition returns or actually worsens.  Therefore surgery should  be considered only after all conservative options have been explored.

Chiropractic is almost universally recognized as an effective conservative treatment of sciatica.  Through a combination of techniques we commonly provide genuine, sustained relief from the pain of sciatica by relieving and eliminating the pressure that causes the pain in the first place.

Dr. Alexander works to relieve the pain by correcting the problem at its source.  By helping to ease the out of place or misaligned vertebra back into it proper position or by working to relieve the pressure from a bulging disk, Dr. Alexander  helps people suffering with leg pain and sciatic return to a normal, active life.

This is the second in a series of articles on CHIROPRACTIC MADE EASY.  Follow this link for other articles Chiropractic Made Easy by Dr. Raymond Alexander, DC. - Lawrenceville, Ga.

By: Dr. Ray Alexander, DC - Lawrenceville, Ga.

With all the stresses encountered in everyday life, the last thing anyone needs is a headache.  For those who suffer from headaches, whether regularly or only occasionally, you know that a headache not only increases your stress level but makes you feel like you can’t “think straight” which in turn makes you feel more stressful which in turn makes your headache seem worse which in turn…Well, you get the picture.

People say “It’s just tension, I always get a headache when I feel stressed out”. Yeah, that may be true and there’s a reason for that.  Millions of people experience extra tension and stress everyday but a good percentage don’t get headaches.  Ever wonder why?

While some headaches are caused by conditions such as high blood pressure, low blood sugar, hormonal changes, hangovers, dental problems, etc. the vast majority of headaches actually originate in the neck.  By correcting the problem in the neck, the cause of the headache can be removed.  “Yeah, yeah, sure, you’re a Chiropractor, of course you say you can “fix” headaches and that they come from your neck, that’s what you work with.  But my neck is fine.”

Well, here’s why headaches often do originate in your neck…
Tension headaches and migraines are the most common types of headaches and can be triggered by stress or fatigue.  But how does the neck enter into it?  In most cases the underlying cause of a headache is a misaligned (out of place) vertebrae, usually caused by poor posture or an injury.
The sequence of events in a tension headache would go like this:

1. A misalignment or vertebra out of place, causes irritation to a spinal nerve;
2. Stress or fatigue trigger the neck muscle to contract;
3. Muscles put pressure on the misaligned vertebra which further irritates the spinal nerve;
4. The irritated spinal nerve sends out “warning” signals to the surrounding neck muscles to tighten up (spasm) to protect your misaligned vertebra;
5. These irritated nerves also send warning signals up to your head muscles which then tighten up too;
6.  The tightening muscles create a chain reaction.

Dr. Alexander helps get rid of headaches by putting the vertebra back in its proper position.  That takes the irritation off of the nerve that is sending the pain message to your head muscles and your brain.

Read what some of our patients have to say:

Dr. Alexander has helped me with my headaches.  I used to get a bad headache everyday.  Since I have been seeing Dr. Alexander I have had no headaches.— Derek A., Lawrenceville, Ga.

I suffered with severe headaches for over 15 years.  It was so bad people stopped asking if I had a headache and started asking if i didn’t have a headache.  I had my eyes checked.  I had my teeth checked.  I had sinus surgery…nothing worked.  After a few months with Dr. Alexander I felt great.  It’s almost 2 years later, I see Dr. Alexander 2x a month and I almost never have a headache. —Gina P., Lawrenceville, Ga.

Ten years ago I suffered from stress related/tension headaches.  I had missed work and called one Friday late in the afternoon.  Dr. Alexander saw me several times for 2 weeks.  I am now on a maintenance routine.  –  I was a non-believer in chiropractic services; however, I am a firm believer now.  My headaches are less frequent and I can visit and feel relief right away.  Thanks so much Dr. Alexander.—Sheryl J., Lawrenceville, Ga.

When I first came to Dr. Alexander, I was having severe headaches and I couldn’t turn my head to see while driving because of my arthritis in my shoulder.  I hurt all the time.  My lower back and hip made it very difficult to walk and stand up from sitting.  After one month of adjustments, I do not have any more headaches and my back pain is gone.  I also have very little stiffness and pain in my neck and shoulders.  I have never been to a chiropractor before, but now I would highly recommend chiropractic care to anyone with headaches and back pain.—Willie M., Lawrenceville, Ga.