Archive for the 'Conditions & Treatments' Category

Lower Back & Leg Pain

Published
by
Dr. Edward Gould
on June 11, 2010
in Cincinnati Chiropractors and Sciatica
. 0 Comments

It all started with lower back pain

I thought the pain would go away. Then over time, the pain started radiating down into my buttock and lower leg. Does this describe your problem? If so, know that you are not alone. This is one of the most common complaints I hear from patients while taking their history.

Pain relief is a phone call away. Call - 513-791-8110So why does this happen?

There are a variety things that can cause this. However, in each case, it is due to nerves being irritated or compressed. In the majority of instances this type of a problem begins as a mechanical problem. What do I mean by a mechanical problem? Simply put, our spine and pelvis are made up of many parts. Parts that not only fit together in a very specific way but also allow movement. Each part is connected to the other by ligaments. The ligaments not only hold everything together but allow a certain amount of motion. On occasion, due to trauma, repetitive activities or simply weakness due to a poor fitness level the parts of our spine and pelvis can shift outside of their normal position. When this happens, the ligaments become inflamed and due to their proximity to neurological structure put pressure on these structures. Where this happens will determine a patients pain pattern. In the leg, pain can occur on the front, side or back. It can occur in the upper leg, lower leg and foot. In fact, the term sciatica is often used for pain that radiates into the leg. Sciatica is actually graded due to severity. Pain into the buttock is called primary sciatica. Pain that continues through buttock into the thigh area, is called secondary sciatica. Pain that continues through the buttock and thigh area and into the lower leg and foot is called tertiary sciatica. As a general rule, the further down the pain goes in the leg the more serious the case.

Is this problem correctable?

In the majority of instances the answer yes! The first thing we need to do is to find out exactly where in your spine the problem is originating from. Once we find the problem area, we work on correcting the faulty position and mechanics. As you begin to heal, you will notice the pain will begin to retrace. I tell my patients it’s like playing the movie backwards. The last pain you had to show up will be the first thing to go away. Example: A person starts out with lower back pain that eventually goes into their buttock and then down the back of their leg to just above the knee. Once I begin treating them the pain will move up until it is no longer in the leg. Then it will move out of the buttock and only in the lower back. Finally, the lower back pain will be gone.

If you are suffering with lower back and leg pain and live in the Cincinnati area give me a call. Life is too short to be encumbered by pain.

I hope this post was helpful.

Yours in health,

Dr. Gould

Rib Head Pain

Published
by
Dr. Edward Gould
on February 3, 2010
in Cincinnati Chiropractors, Mid Back Pain, Rib Head Pain and Sports Injuries
. 0 Comments

Mid Back PainThis is a very sharp pain

Most patients describe it as knife-like pain. Why does this occur? A little anatomy will help you to understand this. Each rib actually attaches to the spine in two different locations. At each site of attachment, a joint is formed allowing movement. Yes, the ribs move. If it weren’t for this movement, we could not take a breath or bend in this area. Because of these joints, certain movements can create problems. Typically, “extreme” twisting of the upper body will cause these joints to become misaligned or subluxated. When this happens the ligaments that surround the joints (joint capsule) become stretched and on occasion pulled inside the joint allowing the capsule to be pinched. This is what causes that horrible knife-like pain. Treating this requires a thorough understanding of the anatomy in this area and the skill to adjust the rib head(s) back into their proper location.

Rib head pain, if not treated properly will become chronic.  If you are experiencing this type of pain and you live in the Cincinnati area, give me a call and schedule an exam.  Allowing this condition to become chronic is a mistake that all regret.

I hope this post was helpful.

Dr. Gould

The Causes of Disc Problems

Published
by
Dr. Edward Gould
on January 12, 2010
in Cincinnati Chiropractors and Disc Problems
. 0 Comments

Everyone knows someone that has a disc problem. At parties people often come up to me with questions about this topic. I usually turn it around and ask them a couple of questions to find out how much knowledge they have on the topic. Usually, their knowledge is very limited.

Below are some of the characteristics or facts about our discs.

• If it weren’t for our discs, we would all be roughly four inches shorter. Have you noticed your parents or grandparents getting shorter? This is why that happens they are simply losing disc height. By the way, Chiropractic care can help prevent disc height loss.

• Our discs act as shock absorbers, keeping the vertebra separated and also allowing our spine a wide range of movements. When we are young are discs are very resilient. As we age, they lose much of that resiliency which predisposes us to having disc problems.

What are the primary causes of disc problems?

From the time we are born, up to our later teens, each of our discs has an excellent blood supply. Like the rest of our body, there are arteries that take oxygenated nutrient rich blood to the disc and there are veins that take deoxygenated blood and waste away from the disc. For some “unknown” reason, the arteries and veins disappear (they become atretic) causing the disc to become avascular by our late teens. As you can imagine, this is not a happy time for the disc. A good analogy would be… The groceries stop being delivered and the sewer backs up.

Because of this, the disc is left with tunnels (where the vein and artery once resided) in the ligamentous outer rings of the disc called the annulus. These tunnels act as conduits for the “putty-like” center of the disc called the nucleus pulposus. This putty-like substance finds these conduits and can actually ooze through them during periods of high stress (lifting improperly, auto accidents, sports injuries, sneezing and coughing) which can lead to bulges, herniations and sequestered discs.

Because the direct blood supply in no longer available, the disc now relies on segmental motion to pump nutrients in and waste products out. To do this, the disc employs a process called imbibition. Imbibition can be explained by watching someone play an accordion. When an accordion is pulled apart, air rapidly is pulled into the bellows of the accordion. As the accordion is squeezed, air is forced through and out of the instrument to make the sound. That same motion occurs in a disc. When we bend backward the disc is elongated causing nutrient rich fluid to be pulled into the disc from the top and bottom of the vertebra that it is attached to. Conversely, when we bend forward the disc is compressed causing waste products to be forced out of the disc into the ends of the vertebra. This process happens hundreds of times each day. As long as there is normal motion at each disc level this pumping action is adequate to keep the disc healthy.

Misalignments or subluxations are the true enemy of the disc. When your spine becomes subluxated the disc’s normal pumping motion is reduced or in severe cases, completely eliminated due to loss of motion. If the subluxation is not corrected, degenerative processes begin leading to osteoarthritis. Once this happens, the areas above and below the affected area have to compensate for the osteoarthritic area. Over time these areas will begin to become problematic also.

I have successfully treated many individuals in the Greater Cincinnati area that had disc problems. Like most neuromuscular problems, it is best to seek out treatment early. The longer you wait the more difficult your case becomes.

Tired Painful Feet

Published
by
Dr. Edward Gould
on April 26, 2009
in Cincinnati Chiropractors and Foot & Ankle Pain
. 0 Comments

The Importance of Proper Foot Care

Did you know there are times when your feet and ankles need to be adjusted?  Yes, misalignments and fixations can and do occur in your feet.  Far too often foot pain is ignored as simply being tired feet.

Your feet are a very unique, dynamic and complex structures. Each foot contains 26 bones and 33 joints. Together the feet make up more than 1/4 of all the bones in your body.

The average person will take between 8000 to 10,000 steps per day and cover approximately 115,000 miles in a lifetime.  Walking is a natural activity and should not cause discomfort.

Even if your feet do not hurt, an underlying foot problem can cause discomfort or pain in your leg, hip, back and neck due to structural compensations. What exactly do I mean by structural compensations? By design your feet are the foundation of your body.  So how can foot problems cause a headache or neck pain?

Have you ever noticed how a foundation problem in a house can cause cracks to form in the walls or cause doors and windows to not open properly?  This happens because the house is actually shifting or “compensating” due to the changes in the foundation.  Your body actually will do the same thing.  In your body, the muscles, ligaments and skeletal structures will shift to overcome the stresses that originate in your feet. It is this shifting that ultimately leads to soft tissue swelling and pain in other areas of your body.

Foot Problems Commonly Cause:

  • Foot Pain
  • Ankle Pain
  • Leg Length Deficiencies (Short Leg)
  • Shin Splints
  • Knee Pain
  • Weak Ankles
  • Low Back Pain

If you are currently experiencing any of the above symptoms, give me a call so that we can schedule an examination and begin correcting your foot problem.

Yours in Health, Naturally!

Dr. Gould

Painful Neck & Arm

Published
by
Dr. Edward Gould
on February 16, 2009
in Arm & Shoulder Pain, Cervical Brachial Syndrome, Conditions & Treatments and Workers' Compensation
. 0 Comments

Relief is just a phone call away. Call: 513-791-8110You wake up with a stiff neck, thinking you have slept wrong. You confidently say to yourself… Maybe it will go away. As the day goes on, you notice that your shoulder and arm begin to develop a peculiar ache. Well, it has been two days and not only has the pain not subsided but it has increased to the point where you are unable to sleep. Your posture and wincing, alert everyone that you are in pain. People start coming up to you with home remedies and suggestions. Slowly you realize that this problem is bigger than any pain medication you currently have in your medicine cabinet.

Why am I hurting?

There are a variety things that can cause this. However, in each case, it is due to nerves being irritated or compressed. In many instances this type of a problem begins as a mechanical problem. What do I mean by a mechanical problem? Simply put, our spine is made up of many vertebra. These vertebra fit together and move together in a very specific way. Each vertebra is separated from the other by discs and connected to one another by ligaments. The ligaments not only hold everything together but allow a certain amount of motion in a variety of directions. On occasion, due to trauma, repetitive activities, sleeping incorrectly or simply weakness, the vertebra in your spine can shift outside of their normal position or location. When this happens, the spinal ligaments can become inflamed and press on the nerves that exit your spine. Where this happens will determine where you feel the pain. The pain can radiate up into your head, your upper back or down into your arm. Below is and example of pain patterns caused from problems in your neck. You have seven vertebra in your neck C1 is the top vertebra and C7 is the lowest vertebra.

Relief is just a phone call away. Call: 513-791-8110

Is this problem correctable?

In the majority of instances the answer yes! The first thing we need to do is to find out exactly where in your spine the problem is originating from. Once we find the problem area, we work on correcting the faulty position and mechanics. As you begin to heal, you will notice the pain will begin to retrace itself. Like playing a movie backwards until you are only left with neck pain which over time will also go away.

If you are suffering with neck and arm pain and live in the Cincinnati area give me a call. Life is too short to live with pain.

Yours in health,

Dr. Gould