Dr. Steve Alff’s Blog On Health

Approximately 2/3rds of employees from industrialized countries use a computer on a daily basis and one of five spend at least 75% of their total work time behind a computer. It’s no wonder so many suffer from neck, shoulder, arm pain, including carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). There are many reasons for the presence of CTS in office workers who utilize a computer. The following is a partial list of causes:
• The computer screen is not positioned correctly in front of the worker forcing the neck to be rotated to the side or the head has to look up or down too far.
• The mouse and/or keyboard is placed on top of a counter, too high to operate without significant bending of the wrist, often against the sharp edge of the counter.
• The shape of the keyboard is flat, forcing the hands and wrists to pronate (roll inwards) too far. This places more pressure on the nerves in the forearms.
• The use of a mouse usually requires the entire arm to move, frequently running off the mouse pad requiring repositioning.
• Paper work data that needs to be entered in the computer is placed too far off to the side and sustained neck rotation is required during the data entering process.
• The chair and computer desk do not fit the person’s height (either too high or too low) and/or the feet don’t touch the floor.
• There is too much glare from windows or overhead lighting making it difficult to see the screen.
• In the aging worker, poor eye sight requires the use of magnifiers which can be quite distorting when the head is moved, even a small amount.
• There are often other medical conditions that the computer operator may have that increase the likelihood of developing CTS such as obesity, hormone replacement therapy, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroid, the use of birth control pills, and others.

Therefore, the treatment of CTS must be multi-factorial and sometimes address one or more additional health issues that may co-exist. There are also frequently, many similar overuse types of conditions present in addition to CTS such as neck strain, thoracic outlet syndrome, nerve compression at one or more locations such as the neck, shoulder, elbow, forearm as well as at the carpal tunnel of the wrist. Each patient’s case is unique and a careful history is usually needed to uncover these potential contributing conditions so they can all be properly managed in addition to CTS. Because we spend a lot of our daytime hours at work, a careful work related history is important to identify potential “ergonomic” (design) culprits that can be fixed with simple workstation adjustments. These may include mouse/keyboard placement to an under the desk pull out tray to eliminate the need to overly bend the wrists and eliminate the pressure from the counter top edge. Raising a chair and placing a box under the feet while sitting (for shorter workers), switching to a track ball mouse so only thumb movement is needed to move the pointer (or a touchpad as found on most laptops), an ergonomic keyboard (curved, not flat), moving the screen in front and slightly down from eye level, prop paperwork on a stand-up tray close to the screen so only eye movement is needed, wearing appropriate quality eye glasses possibly with bi- or trifocals, are some potential work station remedies. Treatment that addresses all the contributing issues frequently includes neck, mid-back, shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist/hand. Chiropractic care is especially well suited to address these issues because of the whole body treatment approach utilized. We are also well trained in evaluating the work related and will work with your employer to cooperatively improve problems that may be perpetuating the condition. If you or a loved one is suffering with carpal tunnel syndrome, sharing this information may be one of most significant acts of kindness that you can give to those that you care about.

YOU MAYBE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE
FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 805-648-7987

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Headaches are a very common problem seen in chiropractic offices. Most types of headaches are manageable without requiring an extensive workup. Headaches can vary from mild and barely noticeable to extreme, so much so that it results in total disability restricted to bed rest in a dark, quiet room.

The ability to track the treatment or care approach being received is difficult. This is because there are not any good, reliable tests for most types of headaches, especially the most common tension-type of headache. Even vascular headaches such as migraine and cluster varieties are not associated with reliable tests that can track progress or change. One inexpensive, reliable method that is self-administered is called the “Headache Disability Index” (HDI). This is a 25-question form that the headache sufferer completes and a total score is calculated. In the list of 25 questions, there are three choices for scoring: a “YES” response = 4 points, a “SOMETIMES” response = 2 points, and a “NO” response is not worth any points. The highest possible score = 100 (4 points x 25 questions). Therefore, if the patient’s headache total score, for example is 38 points, the percentage is 38%. When patients present for chiropractic treatment, this method of assessment is often utilized and can be very helpful to determine the effectiveness of the care being provided, especially because of the lack of special tests that exists for most types of headaches. Here is a list of questions that are included in the HDI:

E1. Because of my headaches I feel handicapped. F13. I am concerned that I am paying penalties at work or at home because of my headaches.
F2. Because of my headaches I feel restricted in performing my routine daily activities. E14. My headaches place stress on my relationships with family or friends.
E3. No one understands the effect my headaches have on my life. F15. I avoid being around people when I have a headache.
F4. I restrict my recreational activities (e.g. sports, hobbies) because of my headaches. F16. I believe my headaches are making it difficult for me to achieve my goals in life.
E5. My headaches make me angry. F17. I am unable to think clearly because of my headaches.
E6. Sometimes I feel that I am going to lose control because of my headaches. F18. I get tense (e.g. muscle tension) because of my headaches.
F7. Because of my headaches I am less likely to socialize. F19. I do not enjoy social gatherings because of my headaches.
E8. My spouse (significant other), or family and friends have no idea what I am going through because of my headaches. E20. I feel irritable because of my headaches.
E9. My headaches are so bad that I feel I am going to go insane. F21. I avoid traveling because of my headaches.
E10. My outlook on the world is affected by my headaches. E22. My headaches make me feel confused.
E11. I am afraid to go outside when I feel that a headache is starting. E23. My headaches make me feel frustrated.
E12. I feel desperate because of my headaches. F24. I find it difficult to read because of my headaches.
F25. I find it difficult to focus my attention away from my headaches and on other things.

YOU MAYBE A CANDIDATE FOR DRUG FREE RELIEF! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION WITH ME, DR. STEVE ALFF, D.C. AT THE VENTURA SPINAL CARE CENTER, CALL 805-648-7987.

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I was doing some research online the other day and found some information that I thought worthy to share with you.

I know that many of my patients are either parents or grandparents, and if you aren’t, this is still important information to know.

A recent study done late last year at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic has shown that chiropractic care provides a lot of benefit for children who have colic.

If you’re not sure what colic is, it’s generally defined as persistent crying, not likely to be soothed by a caring parent, mainly occurring in the late afternoon and evening in infants who are well fed and healthy.

Colic is a condition with no known treatment protocols that have been proven to be entirely effective, so having a study that shows positive results with chiropractic care makes chiropractic a reasonable option that parents may want to try.

By the seventh day of the study, crying was significantly reduced by about 2 hours on average. Four weeks later, colic had disappeared in 82% of the infants undergoing chiropractic care.

Pretty cool, huh?

The bottom line is that a properly functioning nervous system is just as important in infants as it is in adults. Stress and other imbalances have a negative affect on our bodies. In children this can cause colic and other symptoms. And as you can see by the results of this study, chiropractic care is proven method of helping children get healthy safely and naturally.

So if you know someone who has a child with colic and it’s not getting better, send them this article and have them give me a call and I’ll be happy to help them out.

Have a great day!

Dr. Steven Alff, D.C.

Source: www.mycentraljersey.com, March 16, 2009

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I attended a conference on nutrition recently and now I’m afraid to eat anything. Honestly, when YOU learn what the big food companies like Monsanto , Dow ,and Dupont are doing to our food supply you too will be much more aware of what you are shoving in your mouth! I imagine that you have heard about Genetically Modified (G.M.) foods. This is when one of our “brilliant” genetic scientist’s combines the D.N.A. of say, a corn seed with the D.N.A. of say, a flounder (that’s a kind of fish). And, why you may ask would anyone want to do this?Well, maybe this particular fish is very resistant to cold weather ; and our all wise multi-national food company wants their corn seeds to be more resistant to cold weather too.So, let’s just “pretend” we know what we are doing by “creating” a new corn seed ; one that has a fish’s D.N.A. surgically injected into it! I’m talking “Frankenstein Monster Seeds” now. Who knows what effect these mutant seeds would have on our bodies if we were to consume these “monster” seeds. Well guess what; if you are an average American you ARE eating G.M. corn, wheat , and soy products in most if not all of the packaged foods you consume. Are these foods safe to eat? What do you think? I learned that the big food companies have manipulated our Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) so that NONE of these monster seeds have ever been tested to assure that they are actually safe to eat. I learned that there has only been one significant study done on the effects of G.M. foods on the health of the consumer . It was performed byArpad Puszta, M.D. a Hungarian resercher working in Scottland. He studied the effects of G.M. potatoes fed to rats. He found that after only 110 days, the rats developed critical changes in the structure of the gastro-intestinal tract and suppression of the immune system. So, what happened to Dr. Puszta for making such important discoveries? He was fired from his job after 35 years of service and ostrasized by the big food industries! Fortunately, the European countries took Dr. Puszta’s study seriously:G.M. foods are banned in many European countries. But, not here in the good old U.S.A.! So, what CAN we eat! My advice to you is to stick with Organically grown foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Stay away from any packaged foods ; they nearly all contain G.M. foods like soy products and high fructose corn syrup. I know that this is easier said than done ,but after this weekends seminar, I am

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS):
Management Strategies

Many patients ask whether I treat conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. Once it is clear that we do indeed treat this common condition, the discussion turns to the topic of the different treatment strategies that exist. Usually patients are surprised to learn that chiropractic approaches are very effective for this condition.

In fact, questions about CTS frequently do not occur until after a few visits addressing other complaints, as patients often do not associate chiropractors as a treatment option for CTS.

Interestingly, it is the rule rather than the exception that carpal tunnel syndrome is accompanied with other conditions also caused by repetitive types of activities such as work duties and/or hobbies. Therefore, a very important treatment strategy is educating the patient about the causes of CTS and other repetitive motion injuries that usually accompany CTS.

It is important to include information regarding four common aspects that relate to causation, which include: 1. Force, 2. Repetition, 3. Faulty posture, and, 4. No rest time. The net result of these four items is overuse injuries referred to as cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs).

One of the leading types of CTDs is carpal tunnel syndrome. However, because over utilization typically precedes the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome, other types of conditions affecting the entire upper extremity such as tennis elbow, shoulder bursitis, as well as neck pain secondary to muscle guarding must be included in the evaluation process.

Once all the conditions are identified, the next important aspect in the management process is gaining an understanding of the patient’s work and/or hobbies as a successful outcome is dependent on identifying faulty workstations and modifying the work environment so that repetitive forces in awkward positions can be corrected.

The most successful management approaches stem from discussions with the patient regarding these important aspects of the condition, as the most effective treatment approach may be totally ineffective without rectifying a faulty workstation.

An example of a common workstation cause includes placing a computer keyboard on top of a desk instead of underneath the desk in a pull out type of drawer. This is because any extreme position of the wrist when it has to bend to 90 degrees creates significant pressure inside the carpal tunnel as the nine tendons inside the tunnel slide back and forth during finger movements. If the forearms are resting on the edge of the desk while typing on the keyboard, this adds to the pressure and increased friction to the sliding tendons resulting in tendonitis, or inflammation of the tendons. Because the carpal tunnel is a small confined space where a nerve and 9 tendons pass from the forearm into the hand, even a small amount of swelling will result in excessive pressure inside the tunnel, pushing the nerve upwards into the roof of the tunnel or, the ligament that crosses the wrist. This results in numbness, tingling and eventually weakness and complaints such as difficulty in buttoning shirt, picking up small objects like pins, or unscrewing jar are common.

Once the workstation is properly modified and the patient is properly educated so that excessive, repetitive forces can be minimized, treatment approaches addressing each individual injured region from the neck to the hand will be much more effective. We encourage you to ask us about managing your carpal tunnel complaints and look forward to helping you, your family or friends who have this problem.

YOU MAYBE A CANDIDATE FOR DRUG FREE RELIEF! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 805-648-7987. Dr. Steve Alff, Ventura Spinal Care Center, Ventura, CA

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There are many patients who suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). In fact, CTS is one of the most common work related injuries. In spite of multiple studies that show the benefits of chiropractic treatment with patients suffering from CTS, many medical doctors are unaware of the studies and still tell their patients that chiropractic treatment is either ineffective, or may actually harm them. This unsupported ill advice can easily result in the patient not even considering chiropractic care as a potential effective form of treatment. This can be especially damaging to a patient who cannot tolerate anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen, Aleve, or aspirin. In fact, side effects secondary to stomach pain (gastritis and/or ulcer) can be quite common, especially at the recommended dose of 2400 mg / day. Moreover, if poor tolerance to these medications exists and a unsatisfying response to conservative medical treatment occurs, the “next step” offered to the patient may be surgery. Surgery that may have been avoidable had chiropractic treatment been considered on an equal par to non-surgical medical care.

There are several studies available that will enlighten those who simply are not aware of the effectiveness of chiropractic care in the treatment of CTS. In 1998, a 91 patient group was divided in half and treated for 9 weeks by either a non-surgical medical approach or by a chiropractic treatment approach. The medical approach included the use of 800 mg of Ibuprofen, 3x/day for 1 week, 2x/day for 1 week, and 800mg as needed to a maximum of 2400 mg/day dose for 7 weeks, as well as the use of a nighttime wrist splint. The chiropractic group utilized manipulation of the bony joints and soft tissues of the spine and upper extremity for 3x/week for 2 weeks, 2x/week for 3 weeks, and 1x/week for 4 weeks, in addition to ultrasound over the carpal tunnel and a wrist splint at night. It was reported that BOTH the medical and the chiropractic patient groups did equally well stating, “significant improvement in perceived comfort and function, nerve conduction and finger sensation.”

In 2007, two different chiropractic approaches were compared and found to both be equally effective in improving nerve conduction, wrist strength, and wrist motion as well as patient satisfaction and daily activity function. These improvements were maintained for 3 months in both groups equally as well. Another study reported significant improvements in strength, range of motion, and pain after chiropractic treatment was given to 25 patients diagnosed with CTS. The majority of the patients reported continued improvements for 6 months or more. There are other studies but I think the point is obvious – chiropractic treatment helps patients with CTS.

The type of treatment that one may receive when being treated by a chiropractor includes manipulation of the bony joints of the neck and upper extremity. The objective of this is to improve the mobility of the joints and loosen the muscles through which the nerves pass, particularly, the median nerve that runs through the carpal tunnel and innervates the 2nd to 4th fingers. There are several exercises of both stretching and strengthening types that strive for similar goals. Physical therapy modalities such as low-level laser therapy have reported beneficial results. Other modalities such as ultrasound, interferential current (IFC), ice massage/cupping over the tunnel, and others may also be utilized. Nighttime wrist splints or braces also help to keep the wrist straight so that prolonged bending of the wrist at night is not possible. There may be other treatment approaches that I may suggest on an individual case basis.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR DRUG FREE RELIEF! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 805-648-7987. My purpose is to transform your health so you don’t have to live a lifetime of taking toxic medications or having risky surgery.
Dr. Steven Alff, D.C.
Ventura Spinal Care Center

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I came across a really cool chiropractic success story and I wanted to share it with you. It’s really cool.

12 years ago, a man named Doug Harkey, had a problem with his left eye. One day it instantly stopped working and he became blind in that eye. Recently, Doug was making a routine visit to his chiropractor. But the results from this “normal” chiropractic adjustment were anything but normal. After the chiropractic adjustment, Doug was no longer blind in his left eye.

Here’s how Doug describes what happened:

“My blind eye started watering after I left my chiropractor’s office and it watered for 45 minutes straight. It started making my good eye water too. I went to wipe my right eye – and I could see out of my left eye again.”

How cool is that?

The chiropractor told Doug that the adjustments he’d been receiving removed the nerve interference that had prevented his spinal column from properly communicating messages from his brain. Once full communication was restored, so was Doug’s eyesight.

It’s important to note that the chiropractor never once claimed that chiropractic care cured Doug’s blindness. What happened was the chiropractic adjustments eliminated the nerve interference that had prohibited his body from operating at peak efficiency. And when operating at peak efficiency, the body can do great things.

Just remember, your chiropractic care is about much more than relieving aches and pains. It’s about making sure body is operating properly. Most people don’t realize that chiropractic care can make your overall body work better. It’s important that you keep your spine, joints, nerves, and muscles healthy since it affects all the other areas of your health.

Email me if you have any questions. Have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon!

Sincerely,

Dr. Steven Alff, D.C.

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There is a huge effort being made worldwide by the big pharmaceutical companies to make ALL vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies and other natural supplementation to be assigned a prescription-only status.

That would mean that if you wanted to take Vitamin C or any herbal remedy or even an essential oil like lemon or lavender oil, you would have to get your Medical Doctor to prescribe it!

DON’T LAUGH!

This has already taken place in some European countries. The big drug companies are pushing through a very well financed program called Codex Alimentaris (Food Code), which will make all vitamins, minerals, herbals, essential oils and homeopathic remedies (which are non-drugs_ into prescription-only medications.

The European guidelines in some countries, like Sweden, are already so stringent that you can only purchase natural vitamin and mineral supplements in very small, non-therapeutic amounts, without a prescription from a Medical Doctor. This CONTROL of naturally occurring safe substances is exactly what the pharmaceutical companies wish to achieve through the Codex Alimentaris movement. And, they are succeeding!

If you do not want to lose your right to choose what you put into your body, if you are distrustful of the drug companies to make that decision for you, I implore you to go to www.thenhf.com (nhf stands for the National Health Federation), a non-profit agency that fights for your right to choose the health care you have to have.

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Chiropractic is a system of health care that releases one of the most serious forms of stress from your body: spinal nerve stress (the vertebral subluxation complex). Spinal nerve stress can affect your nerves, muscles, internal organs, discs, bones, brain and weaken your overall health. A doctor of Chiropractic can tell if you have spinal nerve stress and can release it.

Chiropractic has become the largest drugless health care profession in the world because it has helped millions of people recover from sickness, disease, and disability and minimize the use of drugs and surgery in their lives!

We get spinal nerve stress (subluxations) from stress! It may occur in infancy from a difficult birth or from childhood falls. Later in life, emotional tension or stress can gradually damage our spines or violent injuries from automobile accidents or sports can suddenly knock us “out of whack”. Nearly everyone gets spinal nerve stress. It is a “hidden epidemic” and it is for that reason that everyone should have their spines checked for this condition by a doctor of chiropractic every once in awhile - just as they get their eyes, teeth and blood pressure checked!

A lot of people don’t see a chiropractor because they are afraid they will be twisted into the shape of a pretzel with lots of twisting and cracking. I only use the Pro-adjuster, a state of the art computerized instrument that tells me exactly which vertebras to correct and does it effortlessly without any trauma or twisting, cracking to the patient. Most people get up from their adjustments and say “ahhhh”, that feels much better!

If you are suffering with any type of problem such as a cold, ear infection, PMS, spinal or disc problems, arthritic, insomnia, stress, vision problems, bed-wetting, colic, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, and more, please remember to see a chiropractor. The goal of the chiropractor is not the treatment of disease but rather than enhancement of health through the reduction of spinal nerve stress (vertebral subluxation complex)

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