What is a “Crick?”

How often have you heard someone say that they woke up with a “crick” in their neck? As a chiropractor, I commonly see patients come into the office with a “crick” being their main complaint. But what exactly is a “crick?”

When people think of a crick, most think about waking up one morning with a stiff neck. 

The most common symptoms associated with a crick are neck pain and decreased cervical range of motion. The severity of pain and restricted range of motion can vary greatly. Some people might complain of mild neck stiffness, while others might have severe pain and can not move their neck at all.

In most cases, what is actually causing the crick is a misalignment in one of the vertebra of the neck. When the vertebra shifts out of position, it can start to put pressure on a nerve, causing pain. This misalignment may also cause the the muscles of the neck to be pulled, which can lead to muscle spasms and decreased range of motion.

A chiropractor may treat this problem in a number of ways. 

The most common treatment from a chiropractor would be an adjustment. The chiropractor will find the areas in the spine that are misaligned and use their hands to correct the misalignment. They may also use electric stimulation to help with the muscle spasms. Some chiropractors may also perform deep tissue work to the muscle to help relieve spasm and increase range of motion.

Although chiropractic treatment is effective in treating the common “crick,” it is important to also correct the cause of the problem as well. Most commonly, a “crick” occurs after sleeping in an incorrect position. First and foremost, never sleep on your stomach, this is the position most likely to cause neck pain.

If you sleep on your side, make sure that your pillow is neither too high or too low. A good general rule is that your pillow height should be equal to the distance between your ear and your shoulder. Pillow height is also important if you sleep on your back. Usually, a single pillow is sufficient to keep your head in a neutral position while on your back.

The next time you, or someone you know, wakes up with a crick, be sure to see a chiropractor as soon as possible. Also, make sure that you sleep in a proper position in order to decrease your risk of future issues.

 Dr. Kevin Wafer is a chiropractor in Houston, TX and a graduate of Texas Chiropractic College. For more information visit http://www.westhoustonchiropractor.com. His bio page is located here.

The Tree Of Life?

I like to use the example of an apple tree with my patients to describe the importance of the spine and how it’s considered the “life flow” of the human body. When that life flow is interrupted by compression on the nerves it causes dysfunction.

Chiropractic adjustments are done to remove the compression or interference and allow the body to function, grow and heal properly on its own. FYI, the body is self-healing.

Imagine that your spine is a big apple tree.

The roots of the tree represent the most important part of the tree, your brain. Without the roots the tree dies and the creation of a new tree starts with the roots. In the human body, the brain and spinal cord are the first things created and from there the rest of the body is formed.

Furthermore, the trunk of the tree represents your spinal cord down your back. When there is damage to the trunk, the results are usually permanent which is very similar as in the spinal cord. Many times I’ve seen symbols of love drawn on trees from lovebirds who decided to share their love with the world.

Fact is, you can come back to that same tree 10 years from today and that same carving is still there. If there is enough damage to the spinal cord, as in the case of Christopher Reeves. The true Superman became paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury.

The nerves in your body are just like branches in a tree.

They branch off from the trunk and stretch in different directions. Just like a branch, your nerves are the most vulnerable. Tree branches are cut, broken, bent, sometime sat on and on climbed.  Nerves of the body are often compressed by misaligned vertebra which causes interference.

Last but not least the apples represent the organs of the body such as the heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, just to name a few. When there is compression to the spinal cord or spinal nerves it causes dysfunction to the organs.

Your nerves supply your body’s communication channels

The nerves supply the bridge of communication to the organs and tell them how to heal, how to work, when the heart should beat, when the lungs should breathe, when the stomach should digest, what is hot, what is cold, look here, step there, and on and on.  If that communication is disrupted how will your body or “life flow” function at 100%? The answer is “it doesn’t.”

If you notice, the American Medical System usually focuses on examining and treating the rotten apples instead of figuring out why the apples are rotting in the first place. They’ve started cutting off the rotting part of the apple and saying “it’s healed”, they’ve created fake apple pieces and glued them to the apple to make them look appealing, and the most popular is poisoning the apple, filling them with medications that makes the apple feel and appear healthy. 

Why not first examine to see why there is pain and symptoms, locate where it’s coming from and fix the problem instead of masking the problem. My solution is to find a chiropractor, get evaluated and get to the “root” of the problem.  

Dr. Bryen Brown is a chiropractor in Houston, TX and a graduate of Texas Chiropractic College. For more information visit http://www.corechiropractic.net. His bio page is located here.

Nature’s Anti-Inflammatories

When patients come into our office, they are almost always in pain. When they are in pain, commonly they are also dealing with inflammation. I am often asked if there is anything that they can be taking at home to decrease inflammation. Instead of prescription anti-inflammatories and NSAIDs, here are a few natural options that will help decrease inflammation and get you out of pain as quickly as possible.

Natural Anti-Inflammatories

The most commonly used, and probably most effective, natural anti-inflammatory is fish oil. Studies have shown that taking between two to four grams of fish oil daily can decrease inflammation, espeically in chronic conditions. Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil are the catalyst for decreasing inflammation. Although omega 3 fatty acids can be found in other sources, the most benefit has been shown with fish oil. Fish oil has also been shown to help with a number of other conditions ranging from heart disease to depression to asthma.

What About Turmeric?

Although fish oil works very well as an anti-inflammatory, its pain relieving ability has not been proven. However, when used in combination with turmeric, a natural pain reliever, the effect is improved. Turmeric, commonly found in curry, has shown to be even more effective than some NSAIDs when used to treat patients with arthritis. There is even research currently being done to test the anti-cancer properties of turmeric.

While fish oil is very good at decreasing inflammation in chronic cases, it has not been shown to help acute pain and inflammation. In acute cases, try bromelain, an enzyme naturally found in pineapple. Research has shown that bromelain can be effective as both an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever when used with other proteolytic enzymes.

Warning Before Starting

Before taking any of the above supplements, be sure to consult with your doctor. They can determine what supplement is right in your case, and make sure that you will not suffer any ill effects. As an alternative to medication, fish oil, turmeric and bromelain can help calm inflammation or help ease your pain.

Dr. Kevin Wafer is a chiropractor in Houston, TX and a graduate of Texas Chiropractic College. For more information visit http://www.westhoustonchiropractor.com. His bio page is located here.

The Benefits Of A Standing Desk

Leonardo Da Vinci used one. As did Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemmingway, Virginia Wolfe and Winston Churchill.

While these great figures didn’t have insights from recent scientific studies about sitting versus standing at work, they no doubt had good anecdotal reasons behind their decisions.

If you’re curious about the benefits of a standing workstation, or are debating whether or not to make the switch, this article highlights five reasons why we recommend the standing option along with a few tips for getting the most benefits from standing at work.

1) Increase your metabolism, decrease the chance of early mortality

As much as we’ve been told otherwise (or even instructed others), sitting still is not a good thing for us humans. In fact a recent Scientific American article, called Killer Chairs: How Desk Jobs Ruin Your Health goes as far as saying, “chairs are lethal.”1 A lack of movement for hours on end everyday takes a heavy toll on your body.

Sitting simply uses less energy than standing, and recent studies have made strong connections between sitting, weight gain and a host of associated health problems—such as diabetes, heart disease and even certain types of cancers—in addition to a greater chance of early mortality.

Tip: Once you have a standing desk, don’t always stand in the same position. For example, shift your weight from leg to leg regularly and move around when talking on the phone. Even if you don’t currently have a standing workstation, or are unable to get one, take regular breaks to stand up and move around.

2) Activate your core, improve torso support

When you are seated, it’s easy to slouch and let the chair do much of the work of holding you in an upright position. Standing enables you to engage your core and legs and thus keep your body more active throughout the day.

Tips: To reset your posture while standing, do the following:

• Position your feet under your hips in a neutral, comfortable position and slightly contract your glutes.
• Breathe in deeply to straighten your posture, then maintain the posture (keep your ribs up) as you exhale.
• Slightly pull your shoulders down and back (while keeping your eyes at a neutral level looking ahead)

3) Increased productivity from improved blood flow and alertness

How many naps have you taken standing up? Standing, or at least having the option to stand, can give you a much-needed energy boost throughout the day. Part of the reason is because your body has to work harder to stand so it’s not as easy to nod off. In addition, when you are standing you can move around more easily.

So if you are feeling tired, you can do little exercises or easily turn and engage co-workers to stay more alert. Many people report having more energy when they stand during the day rather than sit all of the time.

Tip: If it’s been a long time since you’ve done much standing, be sure to ease into the use of your standing work desk because your body will need time to adapt.

We recommend that people work their way up to standing approximately 70 percent of the time and sitting for the other 30 percent. We also recommend that you change positions before you get fatigued rather than waiting until you feel exhausted.

You may also want to consider standing on a comfort mat, such as the Imprint CumulusPROTM mat to reduce fatigue in your feet and legs. Initially, it may seem like standing is more tiring, but over the course of a week or two it will start to feel normal, so give it time. You may even be amazed how much more energy you start to have in other settings, such as standing around at a networking event or watching a concert.

4) Improved posture

Sitting all of the time leads to potentially harmful adaptations throughout your body, but especially in your hips, lower back and neck. When your legs are in the 90 degree seated position for hours on end, the muscles, tendons and ligaments on the front of your hips and legs adapt by shortening.

At the same time, your glutes get weaker because they don’t need to do any work. If you add slouching to the equation, then you may be gradually reversing the proper curvature throughout your spine. Standing, on the other hand, helps keep your hips open and forces you to use muscles throughout your body to maintain proper posture.

Tip: Just like with a seated desk, proper ergonomics are important for a standing workstation, so make sure your station is set up so that you can stand comfortably with proper posture. Ideally, you want your monitor to be at eye level directly in front of you, and your keyboard positioned so it is a natural extension of your arms when they are at 90 degrees.

5) Less pain and improved mobility

If you are not used to standing, then you probably associate being seated with being comfortable. It’s understandable because your body prefers what it’s used to. But if you consider the points about posture and energy above, then you start to realize that what your body is used to and what is good for your body are two very different things.

In fact, some of your aches and pains at the end of the day may be more associated with sitting and a lack of movement than many other factors. Once your body starts to adapt to standing, some of your nagging aches and pains may decrease or even disappear as joint mobility and muscle strength improves.

Tip: Incorporate easy exercises or light stretches into your standing routine at work. For example, when you are doing light reading, try balancing on one leg for a few seconds and then switch to the other leg and repeat for 10 – 15 reps. Focus on maintaining proper posture throughout the reps.

Stand up for your health

If you research the benefits of standing desks, you will also find articles that suggest avoiding them. Some may suggest that it’s hard to concentrate on difficult tasks while standing, or that the leg and foot pain associated with standing isn’t worth it, in addition to other considerations. Even with these implications, the benefits of standing versus sitting can be dramatic.

Also keep in mind that you don’t have to stand all of the time. Many stand up desks raise and lower and you can keep a stool nearby for when you need a break or some extra brainpower. The important thing is to figure out what works for you.

Do You Really Get Migraines? Or Is It Just A Bad Headache?

When I am consulting with patients, one question I always ask is if they have any problems with headaches. One of the most common responses I get from this question is “I get a migraine every so often.” I have quickly learned that most people really do not know what a migraine headache actually is, they just associate a bad headache with a migraine.


True migraine headaches are separated into two categories, classic migraines and common migraines.

Common migraine make up about 80% of all migraine headaches. All migraines start with a prodrome. The prodrome usually occurs one or two days prior to the actual headache. This period is usually described as a feeling of impending doom in which the person can tell that they will be suffering from a headache soon. The prodrome period is usually associated with depression, irritability, neck stiffness and sometimes food cravings.

Although symptoms of a migraine headache can vary greatly from person to person, there are a few ways to distinguish migraine symptoms from other types of headaches. Migraines usually are described as either pulsating or throbbing in quality and can be on either one or both sides of the head.

During a headache, migraine sufferers complain of extreme light sensitivity, and sometimes also have a sensitivity to sounds and smells. Routinely, when experiencing a migraine, patients will feel the need to lay down in a dark, quiet room to avoid any light or sound.

True migraines are also associated with nausea and vomiting. 

Other common symptoms of a migraine include blurred vision and light-headedness that can lead to fainting. The length of a migraine can differ from person to person, or by episode, but they generally last between four and seventy two hours.

The final phase of a migraine is known as the postdrome. This is the period after the headache has stopped. This period is usually characterized by a feeling of exhaustion. Although rare, some people report experiencing mild euphoria during this time.

The symptoms above characterize all migraine headaches, whether they are classic or common migraines.

Classic migraines are differentiated from common migraines by an aura. The aura gradually builds prior to the attack of a migraine and generally lasts for about an hour. An aura is a nervous system disturbance most commonly associated with visual disturbances. This can include seeing various shapes, flashes of light and sometimes loss of vision. Less commonly, an aura can include numbness or tingling in the arms or legs or problems with speech.

Although the cause of migraines headaches is not exactly known, most believe that they are most likely caused by changes in blood flow to the brain, or by nerve interference. Chiropractic care has shown to help relieve migraine headaches, this may be related to relieving pressure from the nerves that start in the upper cervical spine and travel around the back of the head to the forehead.

Now that we have discussed what distinguishes a migraine headache, do you think you still suffer from migraines? 

If your headaches are not accompanied by the symptoms discussed above, you probably get a different type of headache other than a migraine. In my next blog post, I will discuss other types of headaches and their associated symptoms.

Dr. Kevin Wafer is a chiropractor in Houston, TX and a graduate of Texas Chiropractic College. For more information visit http://www.westhoustonchiropractor.com. His bio page is located here.