There are many causes that can be attributed to chronic knee pain such as Osteochrondtiris Dessecans, a Torn Meniscus or joint effusion, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupis and more. Clearly these serious conditions should be ruled out however, faultybiomechanics MUST also be a part of the differential diagnosis and many practitioners just don’t pay attention to their patients biomechanics, this is often overlooked.

We develop faulty Biomechanics through our daily activities of living mostlly due to bad habits. Many of us slouch, sit for hours with our legs crossed or stand on one leg while chatting to our friends. These things can attack our core musculature, alignment of the pelvis and low back,  the hips and the knees. There is something called Serial Distortion that is often a factor. Serial Distortion is caused when any joint is not doing its job. The joints above and below become affected and don’t perform as within their design parameters.

When we use improper mechanics, our bodies start to compensate or in other words, adapt to these stresses we are placing on ourselves. As a result, muscles, ligaments and tendons start to wear out at an accelerated rate and it is this wear and tear that patients experience as pain. If you are one of these people the pain will not go away until the Biomechanical stresses are corrected. Meaning you need to work on your biomechanics to attempt to get them closer to original design parameters.

When you have issues of posture and improper biomechanics, it takes time to correct and you have to know what it is you are trying to do to assist yourself and these practices need to be consistent daily alterations in your routine. Things that can help knees in particular are: Standing on both your legs evenly as opposed to standing on one leg. Engaging your core musculature both when standing and sitting. Thinking about stretching your body vertically as if there was a rod running through the top of your head into the earth. Trying to “Align” your back, hips, knees and feet in a straight line as much as possible when standing and walking.

There are a series of exercises meant to stabilize the knees which are also helpful that may be the source of a future article. There are both gym oriented ones and also ones you can do at home with the rubberband. You can also get this information from competent personal trainers orphysical therapists and these may also be available online.

The first step in correcting these issues is understanding that they exist. Then practicing these changes in mechanics on a daily basis. If you do there is a VERY good chance you’ll reduce or eliminate your chronic knee pain.

Dr. Camp can be reached at his San Francisco office at 415 922 2225.

How ? Sleep !

Many people have that idea that eight hours sleep is needed to get completely rested. In fact Americans are one of the most sleep deprived nations.

Current research shows that a minimum of six hours sleep is needed to retain information learned that day. So if you are studying or taking up a new skill, be sure you get at least six hours sleep on the days you are performing newtasks or learning new information.

It is when we are sleeping that the brain processes the days information. That’s when we analyze the information absorbed during the day and separate what we’ve learned that needs to be stored and what to let go.

If you don’t get a decent nights sleep, you won’t have the recall that your counterparts who ARE Sleeping well will develop. It takes hundreds of thousands of neural connections to create memories and its during sleep that the brain reactivates/repeats the neural activity performed each day reinforcing our memories.

Researchers are discovering that our brains are NOT inactive during the sleep cycle but in fact doing the work needed to learn and remember new activities.

Other than humans, there is NO animal on the planet that tries to push the envelope as per denying ourselves sleep to “Get things done.” Humans have something to learn from other species.

Bottom line….. as Dave Atell says, “Get some sleep !”

Dr. Ed Camp

1. Chiropractic is 100 percent natural.
Chiropractic has a long and time-honored tradition of healing that works with the human body by using natural treatments that encourage the body to heal itself. Ever since chiropractic was founded in the 1890s by D.D. Palmer, people have reaped the benefits of this all-natural method of easing symptoms and promoting healing. Chiropractic was decades ahead of most branches of medicine in emphasizing the importance of maintaining wellness rather than simply treating symptoms.

2. Chiropractic works.
You probably know this already because you have heard reports of relief from your family, friends and coworkers. Your chiropractor knows it, as well, because he or she watches patients come in suffering from a variety of ailments, then walk away after a series of treatments feeling much better. It’s common for patients to undergo treatment and emerge pain-free and ready to return to their normal lives. In addition, what every chiropractor and chiropractic patient knows to be true has been scientifically demonstrated through scientific research.

3. Chiropractic is affordable.
Many forms of insurance cover chiropractic care. Insurance companies have become more and more aware that proper treatment provided in a timely manner can prevent minor issues from becoming major problems. In fact, in addition to paying for treatments geared towards treating conditions, your insurance plan may allow you regular chiropractic visits designed to keep you at your most healthy. If you’ve been putting off calling your chiropractor for an appointment, don’t wait. Call your Reston chiropractor and ask to speak to someone who can help you determine your plan’s coverage.

Today, more than ever, there are many good reasons to choose chiropractic care. Your chiropractor has state-of-the-art equipment and proven therapeutic techniques, along with a patient-centered approach designed to treat your symptoms and help you maintain your health.

One of the newer games the carriers like to play is this. I’d call to verify patients benefits and they would tell me certain material information about a patients coverage, then later deny everything they told me. But, I take notes…. Let me assure you when a patient suddenly has a substantial bill they owe, they don’t get mad at the carrier. They believe somehow the Doctor has misinformed them on purpose. This is what the carriers want you to believe. As a result, I’ve removed myself from this section of the game. I have created a form that has the questions you need to know about your coverage that you can use yourself to verify what you do indeed have coming to you. If the companies misinform you about your benefits, they have a serious problem provided you keep these notes in your files. YOU have a contract with them and a reasonable expectation that they will be honest with you about your coverage. If they are not, you have an insurance commissioner to whom you can go with your complaints. Its their job to see insurance companies toe the line.

Here is the form I hope it helps you understand your own coverage:

1) Is Dr. insert your Dr. Here: NPI# ask your provider for his or her NPI in your provider network ? ___________

2) Do You have an out of network provider provision, if so, what are the terms? _________________________________________________________________________

3) Do I need a referral from a primary provider before I can see a Chiropractor ? _______

4) Are there limitations as to the number of visits I am entitled to ? __________________

5) Does my plan cover examinations and X-Rays ? _______________________________

6) Do I have a deductible ? ___________ if so, how much has been met ? ____________

7) Are there limits to dollar amounts of coverage for complimentary care services, if so, how much of that have I used ? _______________________________________________

Do I need pre authorization for Chiropractic Care ? If so whom do I contact for that ?
_________________________________________________________________________

9) Is my policy subject to Utilization Review ? ___________________________________

10) Who would handle that ? _________________________________________________

11) Do you administer your own Chiropractic benefits or do you use ACN or ASHP ? ________________________________________________

12) What is your name and how would I reach you if I have any questions ?

_________________________________________________________________

Completed by ____________________________________ Date ____________

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Question eleven, the two companies mentioned are self created middle men who provide Chiropractors to many of the big carriers. They have a network of Doctors willing to accept $17 a visit (Plus a $10 co-pay) per visit no matter how long they spend with a client or what they do for them. I question the ethics of any practitioner who accepts it. So, if you have a $27 spine go to one of them, if you value your health more than that…. You might want to go to a practitioner who provides excellent service for fair compensation.

One of my mentors once said, “Insurance companies aren’t inherently evil, they are just greedy and amoral.” Yes that about sums up my experience. I hope this form will help you make your experience a little better than mine has been.

by H. Edward Camp DC Chiropractor in San Francisco Healing San Francisco One Spine at a Time!

“Shoulders back, get that head up and suck that gut in mister.” Oddly enough that old “Parade rest” as it was known is how we should stand and walk. The sad thing is that if you do that, people almost look at you in an odd way. That’s because bad posture is so rampant, people with good posture stand out. In fact they would be perceived as healthier an more vigorous were you to question people observing them.

My Dad instilled this in me to the point that I’ve even been asked “To what branch of the service did you belong?” (Thanks Dad!) What Dad didn’t know when he instilled the idea of good posture in me was that he set the seed for a personal crusade that carried into my Chiropractic career.

There are many studies about posture and it’s relationship to chronic pain. The most obvious one being headaches (Migraines which I’ll address in another article). Today I’m going to address how posture affects low back pain. Many of you are now going “WHAT” yes… I said it, low back pain.

When you look at a person from the side, their earlobe should be approximately over their acromion process. This is the bump located on top of your shoulder near the front. If you look at yourself and the earlobe is in front of your shoulder, you have head forward posture.

All of us these days work mostly in front of our bodies such that we are often curved both forward and downward. Most of us are also in semi sedentary professions where we lose muscle tone over time. There are ligaments in the posterior neck that that run from the base of the skull to the belt line.

Lets go to imagination land if you’ll join me there. Look at someone in your mind with perfect posture. Shoulders back, head up, and gut tight. Now imagine their head ALONE moving forward. Can you see that they would be in essence standing on their toes? This is due to the shifting of the center of gravity of the body forward.

Our mind body connection is very powerful. The brain doesn’t like to be walking around imbalanced with weight forward of the center. As a result when people develop head forward posture the pelvis tends to roll under to balance us in gravity.

As stated earlier in this essay, there is ligament attached to the skull and beltline. When the head moves forward and the pelvis rocks under to compensate, you have a patient who presents with chronic low back pain.

Kind of doesn’t make sense at first but take my work for it treating the low back on this patient and not addressing the head forward posture is similar to the Dutch Boy with his finger in the Dyke. Just holding back the water.

People often told (Usually when buying athletic shoes.) that they are an “Over pronator” or an “Over supinator” this can possibly be the case but not always. One has to question the knowledge and training of the person giving them this commentary.

The foot is supposed to pronate and supinate during the various phases of gait. Pronation and supination takes place mostly in the forefoot and is a necessary part of out gait cycle.

When pronation and supination are inhibited say by a overly stiff shoe or a hard inflexible orthotic designed to prevent one or the other motion, the capacity for the tibia to rotate on the femur is inhibited. When one looks at the anatomy of the knee the two sides of the femur are not the same dimension. They function as a Cam and as such when the tibia moves through its range of motion one side travels farther than the other. This is why pronation and supination are very important.

If for some reason pronaiton and supination are inhibited, tibial rotation that is necessary for proper knee function is also inhibited. Then eversion and antiversion of the hips become affected and so on up the kinetic chain.

What I am trying to illustrate may be lost on people without a working knowledge of anatomy so let me simplify the concept. When you inhibit any joint from having its proper range of motion, the joints above and below become affected. This is known as serial distortion and you want to avoid this whenever possible.

If you are undergoing gait analysis be careful who is performing this and please be your own best advocate by paying attention to maintaining the normal joint motion needed to avoid these problems that move both up and down stream from where one may inhibit any specific joint.
By Edward Camp DC  Chiropractor in San Francisco

Gum disease or periodontal disease is marked by an inflammation of the gums. The gums holding your teeth in place become red and swollen. They also might bleed when you brush your teeth or use a floss to clean between teeth. The early stage of periodontal disease is known as gingivitis and is reversible with professional care followed by good oral hygiene at home.

The mouth is particularly prone to attacks from microorganisms. A thin sticky film full of bacteria known as plaque is constantly forming around the teeth. It is the bacteria in the plaque that leads to the inflammation of gums and gingivitis.

If gingivitis is not treated properly it can progress to the more serious periodontitis. The plaque spreads and extends below the gum line. Toxins produced by the bacteria cause gum irritation and evoke an inflammatory response from the body.

The inflammatory response can mean that the body begins to destroy its own tissues, in this case the tissues and bone that support the teeth. Pockets begin to form between the gum and teeth providing even more space for disease causing organisms. The pockets can deepen destroying more tissue and bone, and ultimately lead to the tooth becoming loose.

While periodontitis is progressing, you might find symptoms like:

• Constant bad breath
• Pus forming between teeth and gums
• Changes in the position of teeth, e.g. teeth moving away from each other
• Loose teeth

Preventing periodontal diseases is not particularly difficult though it requires following a regular routine including:

• Brushing the teeth twice a day, once in the morning and again at night before going to bed
• Cleaning the space between teeth through flossing or otherwise, again twice a day
• Dental checkup and occasional professional cleaning at periodic intervals

Tobacco use can worsen the condition and lead to far more serious conditions. Stop it once and for all.

A subluxation is a misalignment of the bones that house and protect the spinal cord. Any misalignment puts unnecessary pressure on the nerve system and cuts off the nerve supply to different parts of the body. Vertebral subluxations that are left undetected and unadjusted for many years can lead to symptoms of pain, diseases, and an unhealthy expression of life.

How do I know when I am subluxated?

It can be difficult for you to know without visiting a chiropractor whether or not you are subluxated. Sometimes they cause pain, but often the nerves that have been affected by the misalignment are damaged and cannot carry pain signals.

Subluxations can exist for years without warning signs, but if left untreated they can negatively impact organ function and lead to a deterioration of your health.

Chiropractors are trained to detect the subluxations with their trained hands and correct them properly.

How did I get subluxated?

A person can become subluxated in a wide variety of ways. Simple things like how you sleep, sit, and stand can contribute to subluxations. Some subluxations can even be developed during birth.

Normal childhood activities like falling from a bike, sledding, playing ball, or anything else that results in a jarring impact cause subluxations in children.

Why do subluxations take so many chiropractor visits to cure?

Because most subluxations have persisted so long, the muscles around the misaligned bones have conformed to these incorrect positions. Muscles try to return to these positions and resist chiropractic adjustments at first.

As with a workout routine, the muscles need to be trained. In the case of subluxations, your chiropractor will train them to conform to an aligned position, which takes time. Over time the adjustments to “hold” for longer and longer periods. Eventually the visits will taper off until you only need minor fixes every once in a while.

Will this cure my back/neck pain?

While correcting subluxations might bring you relief from pain, the general aim of the chiropractor is not to merely fix painful backs and necks, but to enable the body to express a full range of movement, without interference from misalignments. Correcting subluxations contributes to overall wellness and health because the body is able to function as it was meant to. Without the nerve blockages subluxations cause, the body can boost its immune system and more effectively fight disease and illness. Relief from back and neck pain, which are the most common symptoms that bring people into a chiropractor’s office, might come about from the adjustments, but there are no guarantees.

This post sponsored by Dr. Phillip D. Golinsky, Reston VA Chiropractor

 Everyone focuses so much attention to the pain the mother experiences during childbirth that we forget the physical trauma the baby goes through as well. This article is presented by Alexandria, VA Chiropractic, Virginia Family Chiropracitc.  The baby’s neck is stressed significantly, and clamps, forceps, and vacuums add additional stress.  The neck muscles are weak (remember they can’t hold their heads up!) and it’s not difficult for the nerves that branch off the neck to be injured.

 A common feeling amongst adults who have received chiropractic treatment is that they didn’t realize they were in pain until it was gone.  This is of course after years of walking around with alignment problems and aches that zap our energy and sense of physical wellbeing.  By starting your children with a chiropractor early, you can prevent these problems from occurring, to say nothing of these issues building and growing over time.

Think about learning how to walk.  How often does a child fall during this process?  Several times a day?  This physical stress can cause spinal trauma. Alexandria Famliy Chiropractic, a Alexandria Chriopractor can treat your entire family.

 As children get older,  there are so many ways they’ll benefit from chiropractic care, such as healthier immune systems, more energy, and better sleep, just to name a few. Chiropractic care is about teaching the body to heal itself.  When it comes to starting that process, the younger the better.