Month: July 2017

I have seen a lot of things that could injure one’s neck. But I never dreamed that “over texting” would be added to the list.

However, a recent study indicates that 79% of the US population have their cell phones with them all the time, with only two hours of their waking day without the cell phone in their hand. That can lead to a lot of looking down over the course of weeks, months, years and ultimately a lifetime.

Ideally, the head- which weighs about the same as a bowling ball- should be back directly over the shoulders and upper back. If this is the case the neck, shoulders and upper back can comfortably carry the weight of our skull. However, if the head is carried in a forward posture, as when we are looking down at our cell phones, it causes stress and strain to our upper back, shoulders and neck.

I personally have asked my patients how many texts they send and receive in a day. I was stunned to hear numerous times that many, especially teenage girls, may approach one hundred! Certainly, that amount of forward head posture can lead to chronic postural positions that could lead to the, infamous, text neck.

Symptoms of text neck include upper back pain ranging from chronic, nagging pain to sharp, severe upper back in muscle spasms. Tension across the shoulders is another common finding. Of course, tension headaches in the back of the skull, temples, forehead, and behind the eyes commonly occur from neck problems. Migraine headaches are also a sequela of matters of the neck.

The best solution to avoid text neck is to improve upper body posture. If one were looking from the side, regarding posture, the opening of the ear should be on the same vertical line as the middle of the shoulder. Most people have a posture with the ear opening being forward of the vertical line. We tend to get tight in muscles of the front of the neck and chest and weak in muscles in the back of the neck and between the shoulder blades. It is wise to gently stretch the small muscles in the front of the neck by gently extending the head backwards a number of times and to stretch the pectoral muscles on each side by doing stretches that one commonly sees swimmers using.

Of course, spending less time texting and using handheld and computer devices should be encouraged. If one is using mobile devices and computers periodic rest breaks involving standing and walking are essential.

Text neck appears to be with us in the foreseeable future. Hopefully, with the above advice, you can avoid being included in the text neck statistics.

Click these links to learn more about avoiding neck pain and about Dr James Schofield‘s Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic office.

On June 3rd and 4th 2017 Dr. Schofield attended ongoing training in proper observance of insurance, Medicare and HIPAA privacy protocols. The training took place in Tampa Florida. The government has been directing doctors to maintain practices of awareness in this ever changing sphere.

To learn more about Dr James Schofield visit his website http://www.northhillspachiropractor.com/

I will never forget something that happened when I first began my chiropractic practice over 30 years ago.

It began when a young man named Arthur entered my office. Arthur was the very first patient I treated who came to me as a result of injuries he suffered from an auto accident. Four months earlier he had been knocked unconscious due to a traumatic automobile collision. He was taken by ambulance to an emergency room where he regained consciousness and was soon well enough to be released. Following this he began to have symptoms typical of accident trauma, developing neck pain, back pain and headaches.

However, what I remember most about Arthur was that he said: “I don’t feel like I’m firing on all cylinders.” I wasn’t sure what he meant until he explained further. He was finishing his PhD and would soon be starting medical school at Johns Hopkins. Obviously, he was brilliant but following the accident he didn’t feel that he could mentally concentrate, study or focus normally. That helped me understand why he wasn’t “firing on all cylinders.”

Arthur had suffered a concussion. 85% of concussions will be better in 7 to 10 days. If symptoms persist, as in the case of the remaining 15% (and Arthur) it is called Post Concussion Syndrome.

Interestingly however, studies reveal damage to the neck also occurs during a head injury, playing a major role in Post Concussion Syndrome.

I’ve come across this many times in practice. The good news for Arthur was that after having chiropractic treatment he was back “firing on all cylinders” and performing normally.

Let’s investigate this further.

Many symptoms of both concussion and upper neck injuries such as whiplash are similar. Those injured may have headaches, lightheadedness, nausea, concentration problems and fatigue.

It has been determined in research studies that damage to the neck also occurs during a head injury. In fact studies reveal that it is practically impossible to have a concussion without also injuring the neck. Some researchers are linking both the brain injury and the neck injury and terming it “Cervicogenic Post Concussion Syndrome.” Cervicogenic means “from the neck.”

When undergoing treatment for this type of problem it is not only important to treat the concussion through ongoing brain rest but it is also vital to have possible injury of the upper neck evaluated properly so that this potentially important anatomical area is not missed.

Chiropractors are healthcare specialists that are trained to examine and treat upper neck problems that occur from trauma that one would find in sports and in accidents like whiplash.

Published studies show that chiropractic management of patients with Cervicogenic Post Concussion Syndrome result in rapid and sustained improvement of signs and symptoms, allowing the patient to return to full recovery.

All patients suffering from Cervicogenic Post Concussion Syndrome should be evaluated by a chiropractor for cervical spine evaluation and treatment.

For more information about Dr. James Schofield visit this website. Learn more about treatment of neck injuries and related Post Concussion Syndrome.

Many of Dr. Schofield’s patients who have neck pain, lower back pain, sciatica and herniated discs may require an MRI or have already had an MRI. By analyzing the MRI Dr Schofield is better able to diagnose his patient’s condition and render effective treatment.

Solutions for neck and lower back pain, herniated discs and sciatica offered by a chiropractor are both safe and natural. Many of these types of conditions are successfully treated without the use of drugs or surgery.

Research studies show that chiropractic care has been helpful in improving 90 percent of lower back disc herniation and sciatic leg pain conditions.

Dr. Schofield attended postgraduate training on June 3, 2017 in Tampa Florida.

Visit here for more information about Dr James Schofield and for non-surgical treatment of sciatic nerve pain click here.

Welcome to my first blog post! To be fair I have been blogging for number of years at another website. When I discontinued using that website I lost control of those old posts. So now with this blog site I hope to have personal control over owning the information I’d like to pass on.
I like to read research regarding health topics. Yes, it can be pretty dry and academic. But, I feel I have an ability to “translate” medical academic research into everyday English in my blogging. Anyone having an interest in improving or maintaining their health, naturally, can benefit from these posts.
I believe that being healthy is easy. With modern medical devices, super-pharmaceuticals and involved surgical techniques we might be led to believe that being healthy is complicated and difficult. While none of us would want to be without lifesaving emergency medicine going back to simple basics, has been and still is the only way to be truly healthy, to feel and look younger, to be the weight we desire, to reduce stress, increase energy and decreased fatigue, and have resistance to sickness and injury.
I hope you will follow and enjoy these continued essays and thoughts.
Dr. James J Schofield