Spine Health & Spinal Hygiene

Introduction

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC introduces Dr. Brian Self DC, as he explains the procedures of how to treat patients that are dealing with back pain by using the DOC decompression machine. The DOC decompression machine is used for spinal decompression therapy as it utilizes traction by gently stretching the spine to allow nutrients and oxygen back to the compressed spinal discs and increasing the disc height for many individuals that are suffering from a herniated or bulging discs. If you want to learn more about spinal decompression therapy, this link will explain the benefits of spinal decompression and how it can alleviate low back pain symptoms. By referring patients to qualified and skilled providers specializing in spinal decompression therapy. To that end, and when appropriate, we advise our patients to refer to our associated medical providers based on their examination. We find that education is the key to asking valuable questions to our providers. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer

Can my insurance cover it? Yes, it may. If you are uncertain, here is the link to all the insurance providers we cover. If you have any questions, please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900.

[00:00:02] Dr. Brian Self DC: So the first thing we’re going to do is lumber supine. OK, so before the patient gets on the table, a couple of things for them to know, you want everything out of their front and back pockets, keys, wallets, cell phones, everything in their pockets. Have them take their belts off if they’re wearing belts, and then have them use the restroom before they get on the table. I don’t let patients use their phones on the table. I prefer that they relax and fall asleep if they can. The more relaxed the patient is on the table, the better the treatment will be. So when we’re doing a lumbar supine, this would be good for heavier or older patients who can’t lay on their stomachs. Also, flexion-based conditions would be the best supine. So spondylolisthesis or stenosis, or anything where flexion makes it better and the extension makes it worse. When we’re doing a lumbar supine, we’re looking for this red line at the bottom of this thoracic cushion. So we’re going to line this one up where we want it. And then, these two red tabs are equal to the distance from the top of the iliac crest to the lowest rib. OK, so as the patient gets taller, this will slide up. So on our shortest patient, these two red tabs will be touching each other just like that as the patient gets taller; this thoracic harness will slide up. So the pelvic harness always stays; the thoracic harness will slide up as needed. So a two to three-inch gap would be for a patient that’s about five foot four to about six foot tall. A four-to-five-inch gap would be about six foot to about six foot seven. So the shorter patient, this thoracic harness comes down, the taller the patient, the thoracic harness slides up to make more gaps here. So once we know where we want these harnesses, let’s say I’m treating somebody who’s a normal male height. I will put these harnesses exactly where I want them, and then I will tighten this. So that this one is not going to move, and then I’m going to grab one seat belt in each hand, and then I’m going to lay this down one time with the red line right at the cushion where we talked about. So I’m going to lay it down one time. So I’m not messing with the velcro, and I’m going to velcro it right here to kind of hold it in place. And then what I’m going to do is I’m going to spin around and hold everything with my left hand, with my right hand. I’m going to point to where I want the patient to sit, which is right about here at this angle. If they sit too low on the table, then the top of their iliac crest will only be about right here when they lay back. If I have them sit right when they lay back, the top of their iliac crest will be about where you want it, the top of the pelvic harness. So hold all these, so they don’t move around too much. Have the patient sit about right here and then have them lay back. Now, once they lay back, then what you’re going to do is you’re going to take this with your right hands. I think it’s easiest to grab this with your right hand, bring it across, tuck it under, reach across it with your left hand, and then bring it straight across so it’s nice and snug. And with my right hand, I tuck my thumb underneath there so my hands are not in the way. Next, we’re going to do the seatbelt. And we’re going to bring this across now; the easiest way to tighten the seatbelt is not to grab this and pull hard this way because that will move the patient if they’re in pain, OK? The easiest way is to grab this with your right hand. Grab this one with your left hand and feed it through, so you’re feeding it with your right as you’re pulling it with your left hand. So you’re feeding that through to get that nice and snug. And then what we want is this metal ring to be centered on the patient, OK? Now, when the patient sits down on the harness, this will bunch up, and there will be a lot of extra fabric under their rear ends. So what you want to do is grab this and pull it this way. Pull it away from the patient to get all the extra fabric out so that it’s nice and tight. You will go through this ring and back up and attach it to the bottom here. OK. So again, this is all nice and tight now, with no extra fabric in there. And then what we can do is put the knee pillows under. If we want the knee pillows to be taller, we can rotate them like this. So if we want more flexion in the spine, we can use the taller position. OK? So always do your lumbar harness first, and then do your upper harness last. So on our upper harness, we’re looking to come around and down to make an X pattern. OK. You want the patient’s lowest rib to be right in the middle here. 

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

Introduction

The body is a well-tuned machine that makes sure that it moves constantly and functions appropriately. The body is also home to the organ systems, muscle tissues, skeletal joints, and cellular structures, where it’s their job to make sure that the body is working and getting the nutrients that it needs to keep everything working together. When different scenarios start to affect the body, it can cause different types of issues that can not only damage the body but also cause it to be dysfunctional. These scenarios can be done internally or externally to the body and can damage the organs, joints, or even the spine. In this article, we will be looking at what the spine does and what spinal decompression therapy is. By referring patients to qualified and skilled providers specializing in spinal decompression therapy. To that end, and when appropriate, we advise our patients to refer to our associated medical providers based on their examination. We find that education is the key to asking valuable questions to our providers. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer

Can my insurance cover it? Yes, it may. If you are uncertain, here is the link to all the insurance providers we cover. If you have any questions, please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900.

What Does The Spine Do?

The spine is located in the back and makes sure that the body is not falling apart as it is the body’s central support structure. Research studies have shown that as part of the musculoskeletal system since the spine is connected to different parts of the muscle tissues that make sure that the body is moving. The spine’s primary function is to help the body sit, stand, walk, twist, and bend as it is in motion. A healthy spine will have these natural curves that will absorb shocks that the body encounters and protect the spine itself from injury in an S-shaped curve. Other research studies have shown that the spine comprises bone, cartilage, ligaments, nerves, and muscles that play an integral role in how the spine is formed and how it functions. The many different parts that make up the spine include:

• Vertebrae
• Facet joints
• Intervertebral disks
• Spinal cord & nerves
• Soft tissues

When back pain or spinal injury starts to affect the back and the spine, many back issues will begin to affect the spinal health over time. This is due to the spine’s vertebrae and disks wearing down due to age, and that can cause the individual pain. There are ways to lessen the pain from the spine, and that is through spinal decompression therapy.

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

In the human body, the spine functions to balance and support an upright posture but, when there is a spinal misalignment as a result of an injury or underlying condition, the health of the spine can be greatly affected, an individual’s posture may appear abnormal and can often lead to further complications.

Although there are many treatment options for restoring an individual’s spinal health and reducing common symptoms of back pain and an improper posture, maintaining a healthy spine can most importantly be achieved through prevention. Chiropractors often diagnose and treat a great amount of people whom experience a back injury or aggravate prior spinal conditions. In order to maintain a healthy spine free of back pain and other symptoms, following several preventive measures can make a great difference.

One of the biggest causes for spine complications is overexerting physical fitness. The best way to avoid an injury is to forget instantly resuming into your previous workout routines especially after a long period of little to no physical activity. Foremost, in order to maintain overall spinal health, it’s important to start building your physical fitness slowly. Individuals often tend to overestimate their fitness levels once they resume physical activity. By starting slow, an individual is allowing the body to first regain its previous strength, stamina, and agility. 

After performing any physical activity its also important to stretch. A chiropractic doctor or physical therapist can also help by recommending the appropriate stretches according to each individual to efficiently warm up and stretch the muscles and joints as to not cause an injury or aggravate an underlying condition.

Introduction

The spine is encompassed by ligaments, the spinal cord, nerves, and discs that ensure that the entire body is upright and allow it to move, bend, twist, and turn. The spine also holds parts of the musculoskeletal system as the muscles make sure that the muscles are doing their job correctly. When a person suffers from an injury or a pulled muscle on the back, it can cause unwanted symptoms that can affect the back and affect the entire body. When the spine gets injured, it can also cause many individuals to be in pain, affecting their daily activities. Many treatments can relieve the painful symptoms of back and spinal injury, including spinal decompression. In this article, we will be looking at sensory nerve dysfunction and how the effects of spinal decompression therapy can alleviate sensory nerve dysfunction. By referring patients to qualified and skilled providers specializing in spinal decompression therapy. To that end, and when appropriate, we advise our patients to refer to our associated medical providers based on their examination. We find that education is the key to asking valuable questions to our providers. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer

Can my insurance cover it? Yes, it may. If you are uncertain, here is the link to all the insurance providers we cover. If you have any questions, please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900.

What Is Sensory Nerve Dysfunction?

As part of the central nervous system, the sensory nerves send information from the peripheral nervous system to the spinal cord to the brain. These nerves make sure that the body feels something that a person is touching. When there is an injury affecting the peripheral nerves, it is known as peripheral nerve injury. Research studies have shown that peripheral nerve injury is when there is nerve damage to the body, affecting the brain’s ability to communicate with the muscles and organs. When the sensory nerve becomes damaged from an injury, this will cause many individuals to have a tingling sensation on their hands and feet.

Other research studies have also stated that neuropathic pain can damage the sensory nerve receptor that sends the signals from the spinal cord to the brain. It can cause many symptoms that can be altered and disorder the sensory nerves to develop neuropathic pain symptoms. Since the nerves from the central nervous system send the information from the spinal cord to the entire body, nerve pain damage can disrupt the signals and cause the individual to fall, causing injury to the body, especially on the back. Research studies have shown that many individuals suffering from peripheral nerve damage can result from traumatic injury, metabolic problems, exposure to toxins, and inherited causes that cause the nerve signals to be disrupted.

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

Upright’s wearable device connects to your back and helps improve your posture. Thankfully, we had the chance to test it out

If the opening of this article hasn’t already prompted you to straighten your back, give it a go right now. Try keeping your back straight for the rest of this article. Unfortunately you may find that after five minutes or less, you will be longing to slouch again. If this is the case, Upright has the product for you. 

As well as causing back pain in the short and long term, slouching affects your body language, mood, self confidence and more. It is estimated that as many as 80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives.

Vast research demonstrates the benefits of good posture. It was found that “adopting an upright seated posture in the face of stress can maintain self-esteem, reduce negative mood, and increase positive mood compared to a slumped posture.” Furthermore good posture can improve mood and energy levels and increase lung capacity by as much as 30 percent.

Oded Cohen founded Upright when he couldn’t find an adequate solution for his mother’s slouching. So in July 2012, he started Upright in Israel, with a mission to eradicate bad posture. In May 2014, Upright launched an Indiegogo campaign and raised $155,244 from over 2,000 backers.