Can sleeping on your stomach cause neck pain?Does Your Neck Hurt?

Do you regularly sleep on your stomach?

This is the one habit that is the most harmful to the health and function of our spine and our nervous system.  When the head is turned to the side and then the weight of the body is placed upon it...the muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, discs, nerves, etc. are compressed.  The application of this stress of stomach sleeping will lead to an acceleration of degeneration of the discs and joints.  Some of the worst degenerative disc disease that we have seen in the spine is in those that have spent their life sleeping on their belly.

We Spend a 3rd of Our Lives Sleeping!

So if you shouldn't sleep on your stomach...how should you sleep?  Flat on your back is best.  Some people will find that placing a pillow underneath the knees will be more comfortable.  You should always sleep with only one pillow under your head though so the neck is in a relaxed position.  If you are unable to sleep on your back then the next best option is on your side.  When you are sleeping on your side, you want to make sure that your head and neck are in as an aligned position as possible.  You should only use one pillow that is thick enough to support between your shoulder and your head.  Most people have a pillow that is too thin to sleep on your side...so there head is side bent all night.  The most vulnerable position for the neck to be in is side bent or extended.

To break the habit of stomach sleeping sometimes you have to get creative.  Some people have even sowed a tennis ball that they had cut in half to a t-shirt and wear that when they slept!  But most people don't have to go to that extreme...just understanding the importance of spinal alignment and knowing that stomach sleeping will destroy the spine is enough.

How long have you been stomach sleeping?

Have you ever had your neck thoroughly evaluated to see what your sleeping position has done to it?

To find an upper cervical doctor in your area go to www.upcspine.com or if you are in the Redwood City, California area to schedule your evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

 

nuccaHow do I know if I’m a candidate for NUCCA?

Many people hear about NUCCA Care and are wondering if they can be helped by this extraordinary type of care. The first step is a consultation where your history, especially any history of head or neck trauma will be discussed.  Next, an examination will be performed.  If after an examination it is determined that the patient is demonstrating significant body imbalances such as head tilting to one side, one shoulder being lower than the other, one hip being lower than the other, rotation in the pelvis etc.

Then the NUCCA Doctor will take extremely precise x-rays of the head and neck to determine the severity and type of the spinal misalignment.  The Doctor will then analyze the x-rays and determine a specific upper cervical correction formula that will work to bring your spine back into alignment.  After the first upper cervical correction the Doctor will take two post x-rays to determine the response of the body to the initial correction.  After the initial evaluation the doctor will be able to estimate the number of corrections needed and the length of time necessary for the spine to be stabilized.

 Self Assessment

To see if you possibly would be a good candidate for NUCCA Spinal Care you can start by asking yourself a few questions and doing a few simple tests:

Frequently body imbalance precedes pain and sickness…so even if your accident, fall, sports injury, or other trauma occurred years prior it may be related to your current health condition.

These are signs of body imbalance and you should be further evaluated for head/neck misalignment!

Will NUCCA change your life?

NUCCA Spinal Care is the missing ingredient for so many people.  Our bodies are designed to be balanced beginning with our head and neck.  Without a properly balanced body all the exercise, nutrition, stress management will be lacking an extremely important ingredient…a properly functioning nervous system.  The nervous system controls every cell in our body.  The brain, brain stem, spinal cord, and nerves that go throughout our bodies work like an intricate network communicating health and healing messages to the body.

If the spinal column is not properly aligned then those messages from the brain will be interfered with.  If the message is going to your heart…the heart will not function as well, if the nerve message controls the stomach and it is interfered with the stomach will not work the way it is designed.  Nerve interference is a very serious and detrimental consequence of body imbalance.  Evaluate your own head/neck alignment or get checked by a NUCCA Doctor as soon as possible.

Don’t wait another day!  It could make all the difference for you and your future!

To find a NUCCA doctor in your area go to www.nucca.org or if you are in the Redwood City, California area To schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

Neck pain and migrainesSevere Migraine and Neck Pain

Neck pain can be an early sign of a migraine or may show up after the episode, leaving sufferer's with a throbbing pain at the back of the neck. According to an online survey generated by the National Headache Foundation, 38% of migraine patients said they always experience neck pain and 31% said they frequently had neck pain along with their migraine headaches.

It is very common for a tightness in the shoulders and neck to cause a cervicogenic headache (or migraine), which is a condition connected to the cervical spine. This occurs because tightness in the neck muscles and joints stimulates nerves in the neck that extend into the head, resulting in the pain traveling to the head, causing a headache. When it comes to the neck and migraine, the same process takes place except that when the signals reach the head it causes a migraine for those who are prone to getting them.

Muscle tightness and neck pain are usually signs of mental or physical stress and posture, all that can be effectively addressed naturally without drugs. Instead of simply opting for medication to treat migraine neck pain, take a look at your overall health and see if any changes need to be made, including finding time to relax, exercise and to learn stress relieving techniques.

Migraine Medication Management

Medication management of migraine and neck pain generally starts with analgesics like aspirin, acetaminophen and NSAIDs, however the results vary from patient to patient. Sometimes a combination of medications is prescribed, however, this approach has the potential for causing rebound migraine. If this approach fails, a cautious use of an opioid can be prescribed, using a sustained release medication around the clock for unrelenting headaches in the hopes of preventing a rebound effect. Invasive practices may also be considered and they include trigger point injections, facet joint blocks, occipital nerve blocks, nerve root blocks, segmental nerve root blocks, etc. it is important to be aware that all of these pharmaceutical approaches have side effects, and do not address the underlying cause of the migraines only attempt to relieve symptoms temporarily.

Natural Migraine Alternative

Symptoms of cervical spine dysfunction usually include tension and migraine headache (cervicogenic headache). Upper cervical chiropractic care is focused on finding and correcting any alignment issue in your neck that can cause not only migraine neck pain, but a number of other chronic health problems and conditions. Because the human response to trauma and injury is to realign the body, down to even the pelvis and hip area, tension is placed on the spine as well as the cranial nerves, nervous system and also affects blood flow. Gentle and safe upper cervical corrections can relieve and even eliminate neck pain, getting the neck and spine back into the correct positions, without jerking or twisting your neck during the procedure.

Correcting underlying neck injuries will frequently decrease or eliminate migraine headache pain. The best and safest approach available to address severe migraine and neck pain is upper cervical chiropractic and positive lifestyle changes that include following a healthy diet plan, getting a proper amount of sleep, exercise and finding a way to reduce tension.

What to Do Next

To find an upper cervical specialist in your area go to www.upcspine.com or if you are in the Redwood City, California area, to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

Back surgeryUnable to Return to Work and Now in More Pain

Are you considering having back surgery?

Have you already had back surgery and are still struggling with symptoms?

Research is now revealing that back surgery fails a startling 74% of the time!

In the study, researchers reviewed records from 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation database who had diagnoses of disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of the limbs. Half of the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of curing low back pain. The other half had no surgery, even though they had comparable diagnoses.

After two years, just 26 percent of those who had surgery had actually returned to work. That’s compared to 67 percent of patients who didn’t have surgery. In what might be the most troubling study finding, researchers determined that there was a 41 percent increase in the use of painkillers, specifically opiates, in those who had surgery.

“The study provides clear evidence that for many patients, fusion surgeries designed to alleviate pain from degenerating discs don’t work”, says the study’s lead author Dr. Trang Nguyen, a researcher at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

So 3 out of every 4 people who get back surgery were unable to return to work. And of those patients, nearly half of them are likely and more pain as we can see from the increased amount of painkillers that they are taking since the surgery.

Why Are so Many Surgeries Failing?

Frequently, spinal pain will begin with an accident or injury to the head, neck or spine. These injuries will frequently lead to misalignments in the spinal column. The most common place for the spine, the misalignment is the upper neck. This is because the upper neck is the most movable and therefore the most vulnerable to injury.

When this upper neck area is misaligned it will throw off the delicate balance of the head and the neck. This will lead to head tilt. With as little as three quarters of a degree of tilt the brain will begin to make changes in the posture of the body.

These changes are a result of a reflex built into the brain to always keep the eyes and ears level with the horizon. Once the position of the head is changed the shoulders will begin to slightly tilt, then the hips and eventually it will result in muscular imbalances throughout the entire body and changes in posture from the head all the way down to the toes.

These resulting compensations from the original misalignment in the upper neck are frequently surgeons, physical therapists and general chiropractors focus.

An upper cervical specific chiropractor is focused on correcting this initial misalignment in the upper neck that is the root cause of these other postural changes.

These changes in posture can lead to symptoms of pain, sciatica and disc related problems, due to the uneven pressures that are applied to the discs, nerves and joints when the spine is not properly aligned.

Have you had surgery and are still having pain?

Are you considering surgery?

A natural alternative that addresses the root cause of your problem may be only a step away.

To schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

REFERENCES:

  1. Long-term Outcomes of Lumbar Fusion Among Workers' Compensation Subjects: An Historical Cohort Study
    SPINE (Phila Pa 1976) 2011 (Feb 15);   36 (4):   320–331
  2. Study Says Back Surgery Often Makes Things Worse
    The Daily Hit ~ Oct 14, 2010
  3. Back Surgery May Backfire On Patients In Pain
    MSNBC.com ~ Oct 14, 2010
  4. Why Do Spinal Surgery Rates Continue To Rise?
    Chiro.Org Blog Editorial ~ April 10th, 2010
  5. Findings from the: “United Kingdom Back Pain Exercise and Manipulation (UK BEAM) Randomised Trial”
    British Medical Journal 2004 (Dec 11); 329 (7479)

brachioradial pruritis and neck problemsBrachioradial Pruritus and Neck Problems

In part 1 of this series we had discussed a rare condition called Brachioradial Pruritis (BRP) and how NUCCA Spinal Care was able to get to the underlying cause of the condition and eliminate it by correcting problems in the neck.

BRP is an enigmatic condition with a controversial cause; some authors consider BRP to be a photodermatosis (sensitivity to sunlight leads to changes in the skin) whereas other authors attribute BRP to compression of cervical nerve roots (nerves in the neck).

Several dermatologists have done research into this condition that makes sense with what doctors are seeing in upper cervical chiropractic offices.  They sought to investigate the presence of neuropathy (nerve related problem) in patients with BRP.  They performed studies of the median, ulnar, and radial nerves (nerves leaving the lower portion of the neck that go into the arm) in consecutive patients with BRP, including measurement of sensory and motor function.

Included in the study were 7 patients, 5 men and 2 women, with an average age of 58.3 years (range: 42-72 years). Of the patients, 4 (57%) had abnormal responses on testing that were diagnostic for cervical radiculopathy, and 3 of these patients had prolonged distal latencies of the nerves tested, which may be interpreted as sensory motor neuropathy secondary to chronic radiculopathy.  The fourth patient had polyneuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus.

They authors concuded that BRP may be attributed to a neuropathy, such as chronic cervical radiculopathy. The possibility of an underlying neuropathy should be considered in the evaluation and treatment of all patients with BRP.

In another study the Medical charts of patients with BRP seen in the Division of Dermatology of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center between the years of 1993 and 2000 were retrospectively analyzed. On the basis of clinical index of suspicion, some patients had undergone radiography of the spine.  Of the 22 patients with BRP, 11 had cervical spine x-rays. The x-rays showed cervical spine problems that could be correlated with the location of pruritus in each of these 11 patients.  All 11 showed the connection!

The authors concluded:

"The main cause of brachioradial pruritus (BRP) is not known but there is evidence to suggest that BRP may arise in the nervous system. Cervical spine disease may be an important contributing factor."

NUCCA Spinal Care is focused on correcting structural problems with the alignment of the head, neck and spinal column.  When the spine is misaligned it will cause degeneration of the spine and interference with the function of the nerve system.  Frequently in our office looking at the x-rays of hundreds of patients with upper cervical misalignments we will see that a majority of the degeneration is in the lower cervical bones...C5, C6 & C7.  This is the area where the nerves leave the spine and go into the arm and hand.  By correcting the alignment of the spine the pressure can be relieved and the degeneration and nerve irritation can be stopped.

If you have itching or burning in your arms or have been diagnosed with Brachioradial Pruritis than an upper cervical evaluation is warranted.  To find an upper cervical specialist in your area go to www.nucca.org or www.upcspine.com or if you are in the Redwood City, California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

References:

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003 Jun;48(6):825-8.

J Am Acad Dermatol 2003 Apr;48(4):521-4

Why do my arms itch and burn?Brachioradial Pruritus

Are your arms itching and burning?

Is the only relief an ice pack applied to the area?

Does it get worse at night?

Do you have a history of head or neck injuries?  Car accidents?  Falls?  Other Traumas?

You may have a condition known as Brachioradial Pruritus.  According to Medscape, Brachioradial pruritus is a nerve related itch syndrome of the upper extremities. It is typically localized to the skin on the forearm, but involvement of the upper arms and shoulders is also common.  It may be one sided or both sided. Scratching reportedly only makes the discomfort worse, and most patients discover that application of cold packs is often the only therapy that provides symptomatic relief.

This was the case for a 37 year old patient with BRP, Jennifer.  She would sit up all night with ice packs on her arms in order to get some relief.  This case was published as a Case Study in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research on the resolution of her condition utilizing Upper Cervical Chiropractic for the correction of structural misalignments in the neck.  This particular patient had a fall on a staircase where she hit her head about 8 years before the symptoms began.  As a nurse she was able to diagnose herself as having Brachioradial Pruritis a somewhat rare condition that Dermatologists typically see and have little answers for.

Jennifer went the Dermatologist route at first and had no results.  She just continued to suffer until the cause was identified and then she was on the path to recovery.

Dermatologists are frequently baffled by this condition and maybe for good reason, much of the research available points to the neck as a probable cause (see references below).  So if you go to a skin expert and they see itching skin then they will frequently prescribe some sort of topical cream or other medication to no avail.  But if the problem is being caused by an underlying neck condition as it was in Jennifer's case, a skin expert is going to have a hard time properly diagnosing or treating such a condition.

If the cause is pressure on the nerves as they leave the neck and travel into the arm then covering up the sensation with Benadryl or even ice packs are at best a temporary solution.

In the next blog we will look at additional research that is pointing BRP sufferers to the neck.

If you have been diagnosed with Brachioradial Pruritis or if you just have the symptoms described above then a structural evaluation of your neck would be appropriate.  Now the problem is not all neck evaluations are created equal.  Without a thorough understanding of the misalignments in the neck the problem could be unchanged or made worse.

So make sure that you go to an upper cervical specialist that will take the time and the effort to understand the misalignments with precise upper cervical x-rays and a thorough evaluation.

Many excellent upper cervical specialists can be found at www.nucca.org or www.upcspine.com  or if you are in the Redwood City, California area to schedule your evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

References:

Heyl T. Brachioradial pruritus. Arch Dermatol. Feb 1983;119(2):115-6.

Tait CP, Grigg E, Quirk CJ. Brachioradial pruritus and cervical spine manipulation. Australas J Dermatol. Aug 1998;39(3):168-70.

Back painDoes Your Back Hurt?

If you have back pain you know how debilitating it can be. Back pain is extremely common with 80% of people experiencing back pain at some point in their lives.

In fact, back pain is now the single leading cause of disability worldwide.

So if you have back pain, what can you do about it?

Well, here is 5 simple steps to help you conquer that nagging back injury.

Clean up Your Diet

Nutrition can play a major role in chronic conditions like lower back pain.  Minimizing your intake of processed foods containing trans fats, sugar, gluten, etc. can make a big difference in the amount of inflammation your body is producing.

Dietary changes don’t have to happen overnight. The important thing is to start. Pick one thing on the list and commit to doing that one for now. Cutting out processed foods is a good place to start.

Make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to chronic lower back pain, so make sure that your getting your 20 minutes of sun on your face and arms every day and also it may be necessary for you to take a vitamin D supplement.

Change Your Sleeping Habits

In my experience, regularly sleeping on your stomach can create severe damage in your neck and back. If you are a stomach sleeper make sure you make the change to your side or back as quickly as possible.

If you are a stomach sleeper, tonight, make the decision to begin to sleep on your side. It is very difficult to move from your stomach (the worst) to sleeping on your back (the best).  Remember, if your back hurts in this side sleeping position, you can place a pillow between your knees to alleviate pressure on the lower back.

Commit to a Regular Exercise Routine

A sedentary lifestyle of sitting around all day has been linked to lower back pain. The best exercise is the one that you will do consistently. Whether it is swimming, fast walking, Pilates, yoga or another exercise program, the key is consistency. Exercise has been shown to improve lower back pain.

Chiropractic Evaluation and Care

When the spine is not properly aligned due to accidents and injuries, lower back pain can frequently develop. Scientific research tells us that Chiropractic adjustments are effective for helping people with lower back problems.

Chiropractic care has also been shown to be more cost-effective than the medical approach of drugs or surgery.

In addition, chiropractic patients report a greater level of satisfaction with chiropractic care, compared to the medical approach.

When choosing a chiropractic approach it is important to consider the goal of the approach. An upper cervical chiropractic approach is focused on long-term stability of the spine. The goal is not being adjusted, but staying in alignment. It is not about being adjusted, thousands of times. It’s about getting the spine back into a normal balanced position and keeping it that way as long as possible. Achieving postural balance and maintaining that position for long periods of time leads to improved posture, strength and spinal stability.

Connect the Musculoskeletal System

Along with chiropractic care some healthcare facilities offer physical rehabilitation exercise programs to supplement their chiropractic adjustments.

This type of physical rehabilitation is helpful in improving functional movement, such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting, etc.

Frequently these types of programs will focus on improving muscular strength, flexibility, balance, range of motion and overall mobility.

Now is the time for you to take a massive amount of action!

Without you taking control of your health and the decisions you make when it comes to your body, you will likely continue to suffer with chronic conditions like lower back pain.

Just to review, here are your action steps to get your back, feeling great:

  1. Change your diet
  2. Change your sleeping position
  3. Commit to a regular exercise routine
  4. Find a chiropractor who combines both specific chiropractic adjustments and lifestyle changes.

 

Dr. Pete TsigilerisTo schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

Shoulder weaknessCarpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

If you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, you are likely seeking relief. Some doctors may recommend surgery to correct the problem which can result in a long painful recovery and doesn't guarantee results. This is because CTS treatments may not be treating the underlying cause of your pain or other symptoms. This is where the double crush phenomenon comes into play. What is that?

Double crush phenomenon is when a neck problem ends up showing up further down the central nervous system, often in areas such as the shoulder, arm, or wrist. While researchers are still running trials, double crush syndrome clearly explains why carpal tunnel syndrome treatments don't always work. If the underlying cause of the problem is in the neck, then treatment needs to be focused there. This is where upper cervical chiropractic can prove beneficial.

Getting to the Root of the Problem

Upper cervical chiropractic addresses the top two vertebrae in the neck. These are positioned right where the brain meets the spinal cord. Injuries in this sensitive area can result in pains and problems all over the body. Before electing to take a surgery that could result in more pain and symptoms and not even fix your problem, why not look into upper cervical chiropractic to see if this non-invasive, natural approach can work for you? You may be surprised at how quickly and easily you can find relief by attacking your pain at the source instead of just dealing with the symptoms.

To find an upper cervical chiropractor in your area go to www.upcspine.com or if you are in the Redwood City, California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

Retinal migraineRetinal Migraine

Have you been experiencing strange symptoms in one of your eyes?

Seen flashing lights, suffered temporary blindness or seen patterns in your visual field?

Have you been to your medical doctor and received a diagnosis of retinal migraine?

Have you been told that medications are the only answer for your headaches?

The problem may actually be one of blood flow, and the solution may be traced to an accident or injury in your past.  But what exactly is a retinal migraine? Here are five signs that you can use to tell if you have retinal migraine…

  1. One eye: First, the eye symptoms tend to affect only one eye.
  2. Visual disturbances: So what’s going on in this one eye? There are a variety of disturbances which other migraine sufferers may be familiar with. This might include flashing lights, or patterns in your visual field. There may be an area where your vision is impaired (ie dark spots), or even loss. Even temporary blindness in one eye is possible with retinal migraine.
  3. Temporary: Permanent vision loss is another matter. With retinal migraine the symptoms are reversible.
  4. Headache: A headache typically starts during the visual disturbances, or within an hour after they stop. The headache typically lasts between 4 hours to as long as 3 days, is often one-sided and pulsating, and usually either includes sensitivity to light and/or sound, nausea, or both.
  5. Repeated: In order to actually be diagnosed with retinal migraine, you need to have had at least 2 attacks.

Researchers suspect decreased blood flow to the eye or optic nerve may be to blame for the unique symptoms of retinal migraine. This decreased blood flow can be a result of trauma to the upper neck. Accidents and injuries affecting the head and neck can lead to misalignments which can change blood flow from the brain to the body.

A doctor trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (N.U.C.C.A.) is able to closely examine the anatomy of the upper neck with both physical examination procedures and specific x-ray protocols. By identifying these specific misalignments the NUCCA trained doctor may be able to find the missing link and underlying cause of the retinal migraine.

What to Do Next

To find an upper cervical chiropractor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or www.upCspine.com or if you are in the Redwood City, California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.

Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.

Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

Upper cervical chiropracticChiropractic Has Never Been about Bad Backs

In 1895 Daniel David Palmer came on the health care scene as, medicine was leaving an era of proclaimed cure-alls to pursue more scientific investigation into the treatment of disease.

According to the Palmer Chiropractic College’s website:

“D.D. Palmer reasoned that the body had an ample supply of natural healing power transmitted through the nervous system. If a single organ was sick, it must not be receiving its normal nerve supply. That led to the premise of spinal misalignment, or subluxation, and from there to a procedure for adjusting the vertebrae. D.D. performed his first adjustments in 1895, relieving one man of deafness and another person of heart trouble. Arrangements were made to train others in the application of the chiropractic principle. The Palmer School and Cure was founded in 1897 and was later incorporated under the laws of Iowa. The school later became the Palmer School of Chiropractic.”

So as you can see, there was never a mention of bad backs. On the contrary, the first 2 people to receive a chiropractic adjustment had hearing problems and heart problems.

Now, I’m not claiming that chiropractic care is a cure for all deafness or all heart problems. But, over the past hundred plus years chiropractic patients have seen amazing changes in their health, including resolution of hearing, heart problems, and even breathing conditions such as influenza and pneumonia.

How the 1918 Flu Epidemic Saved Chiropractic

According to Wikipedia, the 1918 flu epidemic, was devastating. It infected 500 million people across the world and killed 50 to 100 million of them, which was 3 to 5 percent of the world's population at the time making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history.

During that time, chiropractic was a fledgling healthcare approach that was having little impact on the world. But that all changed when people started to notice that chiropractors, their families and their patients weren’t dying from the flu like everyone else.

Disease statistics from across the country revealed that chiropractic patients were surviving at remarkable numbers. And as a result of that, chiropractic practices and schools began to flourish.  This also resulted in licenses to practice chiropractic being granted in Texas and other states.

Here’s an example from the statistics:

Influenza Cases Deaths
Medical treatment 10,000 950
Chiropractic care 10,000 25
Pneumonia Cases Deaths
Medical treatment 10,000 6400
Chiropractic care 10,000 100

 

You can see the incredible difference chiropractic care was making in the immune systems and health of people from that time.

Just to summarize, if you had pneumonia or the flu and were treated by a medical doctor in 1918, you had a 36% chance of dying.

If you were under chiropractic care, you had less than 1% chance of dying.

For another example, in Oklahoma 233 patients who medical doctors had done everything they could for and basically were told they had no hope of recovering. Of those 233, all but 25 were saved with chiropractic care.

So even the worst of the worst were seeing the benefits of chiropractic care and that continues today.

How Upper Cervical Chiropractic Patients See Such Amazing Results

Birth injuries, falls, car accidents, sports injuries, and other traumatic injuries lead to a tearing loose of connective tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) that holds the spine in place.

This allows the spine to breakdown and lock into a stressed position. In this stressed position your posture will begin to change. Your head will tilt to one side, your shoulders will be uneven, hips will be uneven, and your weight will not be evenly distributed into both legs.

Once the spine is locked into this stressed position, the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, discs will begin to progressively deteriorate. The longer your body is in this position, the worse it gets.

This can lead to conditions such as degenerative disc disease, arthritis, herniated discs and more.

When your body frame is in this misaligned position, it will also cause irritation of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves that go throughout your body.

Nerves control every cell, organ, tissue, muscle in your body. When your spine is misaligned, your body must adapt to this stressful situation. This can lead to a variety of different conditions, including; migraine headaches, numbness, tingling, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, sciatica, and much more.

So I hope you can see the chiropractic care is about much more than bad backs.

Do many people with back and neck problems find amazing results with chiropractic care?

Absolutely!

But, upper cervical chiropractic care is not mainly about your back, it is mainly about your health and your life!

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Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/

NUCCA chiropractor in Redwood City

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Advance Spinal Care
The Redwood City chiropractor who offers fast track resolutions to chronic pain with technically advanced NUCCA chiropractic, upper cervical diagnostic methods and treatment protocols.
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Advanced Spinal Care
643 Bair Island Rd Ste 208
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 595-0500
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Tue/Thur: 11:30am-5:00pm
Wed: Closed
Fri: 1:00pm-5:00pm
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