Chiropractic Pain Relief

Benefits Of Chiropractic Services

Dr. Simon Yu, D.C. offers gentle and effective chiropractic treatments that will help you alleviate pain and will restore as well as rehabilitate you to further your overall health and wellness. Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.

Here are just a few of the things Chiropractic Care can help with:

  • Personal Injury
  • Sports Injury
  • Arthritis
  • Carpal Tunnel
  • Chronic Pain and Depression
  • Headaches
  • Neck Pain
  • Sciatica
  • Pregnancy, Pre & Post Natal Care
  • Pediatric Care

 

Personal Injury

Worldwide Integrative Healthcare specializes in the handling of personal injury claim. We make it simple for you to access the care that you need, especially when you may be in pain and discomfort after an accident. Dr. Simon has years of experience in the handling of claims just like yours.

If you have been injured in an auto accident, don’t wait to seek a medical evaluation even if you feel you may have no injuries. Often injuries do not show up until days or weeks after an accident. A thorough chiropractic evaluation is essential to your health especially after an injury.Although the spinal column is well protected by muscles and interlocking joints, sudden traumas such as automobile collisions, sports injuries and slip and fall accidents may upset the spinal structure and cause spinal nerve stress or “pinched nerves.”

In addition to providing the medical care you need, we provide our patients with information such as: how personal injury cases are handled, whether you may need an attorney to represent you, what you can expect from the insurance adjusters, and what is a reasonable settlement for your case. If you have an attorney, we will work closely with their firm, or if you need a referral to an attorney, our office can provide a list of reputable personal injury attorneys that our office has worked with for the past several years.

Please bring any necessary items you have depending on your specific reason for seeking care with us. Insurance cards, Identification, your attorney’s contact information and if you were in an unfortunate “car accident” please bring your claim number and police report if applicable.

Sports Injury
Professional athlete? Weekend warrior? Couch jockey?

Dr. Simon provides sports medicine advice, health information, nutritional advice and chiropractic treatment for all of the above! He is a well-

known Bay Area chiropractor who routinely provides help with sports medicine, nutritional guidance and counseling for individuals of all ages and levels of fitness including: Olympic athletes, runners, stunt people, professional athletes, football players, tennis pros, marathoners, baseball players, and body builders.

Dr. Simon uses a pro-active approach to Sports Medicine to effectively:

  • Restore normal function
  • Provide pain relief
  • Aid in prevention of running injuries
  • Enhance physical performance

 

Being a competitive athlete his whole life, Dr. Simon has dealt with sports injuries both personally and professionally. He has competed internationally in running marathons, in long distance paddling, swimming and triathlons. Dr. Simon has competed as a body builder, and martial artist as well. Dr. Simon can help you get back doing the sport you love and jump back into your life with both feet.

Arthritis

Chiropractic has long given relief from symptoms of arthritis. Dr. Simon can help relieve your Arthritis pain! There is a vicious cycle of pain and loss of mobility that comes with arthritis. It works like this; You have arthritis and as a result joint pain, the joint pain causes you to move less, because you move less there is loss of mobility, as you lose mobility your arthritis worsens and you have more pain, the joint pain causes you to move less … and on and on.

Dr. Simon uses Chiropractic to work against arthritis to improve mobility and lessen pain. It works like this; You receive a chiropractic adjustment, the adjustment increases the range of motion in the arthritic joint, increased movement without pain means you will move more, when you move more arthritis is slowed or halted from progressing (some effects of arthritis are even reversed), you receive a chiropractic adjustment, the adjustment increases mobility … and so on.

So instead of following a negative feedback loop and getting worse and worse, Dr. Simon can use chiropractic to help you to follow a positive feedback loop and get better and better.
Carpal Tunnel
What Are the Symptoms?

Burning, tingling, itching, and/or numbness in the palm of the hand and thumb, index, and middle fingers are most common. Some people with CTS say that their fingers feel useless and swollen, even though little or no swelling is apparent. Since many people sleep with flexed wrists, the symptoms often first appear while sleeping. As symptoms worsen, they may feel tingling during the day. In addition, weakened grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist or grasp small objects. Some people develop wasting of the muscles at the base of the thumb. Some are unable to distinguish hot from cold by touch. Dr. Simon can help alleviate these symptoms s with Chiropractic Care.

Chronic Pain and Depression

Pain serves an important function in our lives. When you suffer an acute injury, pain warns you to stop the activity that is causing the injury and tells you to take care of the affected body part. Chronic pain, on the other hand, persists for weeks, months, or even years. Some people, often older adults, suffer from chronic pain without any definable past injury or signs of body damage. Common chronic pain can be caused by headaches, the low back, and arthritis. Unfortunately, there is scant objective evidence or physical findings to explain such pain.

Until recently, some doctors who could not find a physical cause for a person’s pain simply suggested that it was imaginary— “all in your head.” This is unfortunate because we know that all pain is real and not imagined, except in the most extreme cases of psychosis. Emerging scientific evidence is demonstrating that the nerves in the spinal cord of patients with chronic pain undergo structural changes. Psychological and social issues often amplify the effects of chronic pain. For example, people with chronic pain frequently report a wide range of limitations in family and social roles, such as the inability to perform household or workplace chores, take care of children, or engage in leisure activities. In turn, spouses, children, and co-workers often have to take over these responsibilities. Such changes often lead to depression, agitation, resentment, and anger for the pain patient and to stress and strain in family and other social relationships.

How is depression involved with chronic pain?

Depression is the most common emotion associated with chronic pain. It is thought to be 3 to 4 times more common in people with chronic pain than in the general population. In addition, 30 to 80% of people with chronic pain will have some type of depression. The combination of chronic pain and depression is often associated with greater disability than either depression or chronic pain alone.

People with chronic pain and depression suffer dramatic changes in their physical, mental, and social well-being—and in their quality of life. Such people often find it difficult to sleep, are easily agitated, cannot perform their normal activities of daily living, cannot concentrate, and are often unable to perform their duties at work. This constellation of disabilities starts a vicious cycle—pain leads to more depression, which leads to more chronic pain. In some cases, the depression occurs before the pain.

Headaches & Chiropractic

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away?

There is a better alternative. A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.

Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.

Headache Triggers

Stress assessments and health screenings help reveal important physical information and unlock the door to improved health and well-being. We provide screenings at community events, schools, health fairs and places of employment. Contact us today to arrange a screening at your event or workplace. We provide this service throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.“The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck,” says Dr. Simon. “Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache. ”

Dr. Simon is an expert in finding those dysfunctions of the neck, and removing those dysfunctions. Dr. Simon often says, “If you get adjusted during a headache episode, we can get rid of at least 50% of your symptoms on the spot.” If you have a headache of any kind, give Dr. Simon and Chiropractic a try.

Neck Pain

Your neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. Incredibly, the cervical spine supports the full weight of your head, which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.

The neck’s susceptibility to injury is due in part to biomechanics. Activities and events that affect cervical biomechanics include extended sitting, repetitive movement, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging, and everyday wear and tear. Neck pain can be very bothersome, and it can have a variety of causes.

Here are some of the most typical causes of neck pain:

  • Injury and Accidents: A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash.
  • Growing Older: Degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease directly affect the spine.
  • Osteoarthritis, a common joint disorder, causes progressive deterioration of cartilage. The body reacts by forming bone spurs that affect joint motion.
  • Spinal stenosis causes the small nerve passageways in the vertebrae to narrow, compressing and trapping nerve roots. Stenosis may cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain, as well as numbness, when these nerves are unable to function normally.
  • Degenerative disc disease can cause reduction in the elasticity and height of intervertebral discs. Over time, a disc may bulge or herniate, causing tingling, numbness, and pain that runs into the arm.
  • Daily Life: Poor posture, obesity, and weak abdominal muscles often disrupt spinal balance, causing the neck to bend forward to compensate. Stress and emotional tension can cause muscles to tighten and contract, resulting in pain and stiffness. Postural stress can contribute to chronic neck pain with symptoms extending into the upper back and the arms.

 

Chiropractic Care of Neck Pain

During your visit, Dr. Simon will perform exams to locate the source of your pain and will ask you questions about your current symptoms and remedies you may have already tried. For example:

  • When did the pain start?
  • What have you done for your neck pain?
  • Does the pain radiate or travel to other parts of your body?
  • Does anything reduce the pain or make it worse?

 

Sciatica

Sciatica describes persistent pain felt along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back, down through the buttock, and into the lower leg. The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the body, running from the lower back through the buttocks and down the back of each leg. It controls the muscles of the lower leg and provides sensation to the thighs, legs, and the soles of the feet.

Although sciatica is a relatively common form of low-back and leg pain, the true meaning of the term is often misunderstood. Sciatica is actually a set of symptoms—not a diagnosis for what is irritating the nerve root and causing the pain.

Sciatica occurs most frequently in people between the ages of 30 and 50 years old. Most often, it tends to develop as a result of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine, not as a result of injury.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

The most common symptom associated with sciatica is pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, from the lower back and down one leg; however, symptoms can vary widely depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected. Some may experience a mild tingling, a dull ache, or even a burning sensation, typically on one side of the body.

Some patients also report:

  • A pins-and-needles sensation, most often in the toes or foot.
  • Numbness or muscle weakness in the affected leg or foot.

 

Pain from sciatica often begins slowly, gradually intensifying over time. In addition, the pain can worsen after prolonged sitting, sneezing, coughing, bending, or other sudden movements.

An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure

While it’s not always possible to prevent sciatica, consider these suggestions to help protect your back and improve your spinal health.

  • Maintain a healthy diet and weight
  • Exercise regularly
  • Maintain proper posture
  • Avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest
  • If you smoke, seek help to quit
  • Use good body mechanics when lifting

 

Pregnancy | Pre & Post Natal Care
Chiropractic & Pregnancy | Greater Comfort and Safer Births

Dr. Simon is registered and certified in the Webster Technique.

Chiropractic care in pregnancy is an essential ingredient to your prenatal care choices. A large percent of all pregnant women experience back discomfort/ pain during pregnancy. This is due to the rapid growth of the baby and interference to your body’s normal structural adaptations to that growth.

Preexisting unnoticed imbalances in your spine and pelvis become overtaxed during these times. The added stresses lead to discomfort and difficulty while performing routine, daily activities. Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can relieve and even prevent the common discomforts experienced in pregnancy.

Specific adjustments eliminate these stresses in your spine, restore balance to your pelvis and result in greater comfort and lifestyle improvements.

Low Back Pain & Sciatica

If you are pregnant and suffering from low back pain you are not alone! Roughly one half of all mothers-to-be suffer from low back pain and doctors now agree that pregnancy related low back pain is associated with a condition called sacroiliac joint dysfunction (often referred to by chiropractors as SI subluxation).

A subluxation is a misalignment of a joint and it creates irritation to the nerves and tissues in the surrounding area. The sacroiliac joints are created by the joining of the sacrum (the triangular bone that sits above our tailbone) and the bones that are on either side of the sacrum known as the innominate bones (the area many people consider the hips).

Many hormones increase rapidly during pregnancy and some of these hormones relax the muscles, ligaments, and joints in the body. This allows the pelvis to open during delivery so that the baby’s head and shoulders can pass through the birth canal. Yet, it is this relaxation combined with weight gain, postural changes and stretching of the stomach muscles that also disturbs the proper alignment of the spine and pelvis producing subluxations during pregnancy. It is these factors that increase the stress on the joints, nerves, and discs of the low back and pelvis and create pain.

Sciatica

Is a common symptom that occurs during pregnancy, causes pain, tingling or numbness from the low back to the back of the leg and foot. Sciatica often occurs because of subluxations in the low back or pelvis along with muscle spasms in this area. Most cases of sciatica will quickly disappear with Chiropractic care.

Headaches

Due to the changes in a pregnant woman’s posture, extra stress often occurs in the neck and the midback. Subluxations of the neck are often the cause of neck pain and headaches during pregnancy. Most headaches of pregnancy are muscle-tension type headaches where the pain feels like a tight band across the forehead and it is accompanied by spasmed muscles in the neck or shoulders. Chiropractic adjustments are the best and safest way to alleviate this type of headache.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome causes painful tingling, burning and numbness into the wrist and hand and it occurs in approximately 20% of all pregnancies. Subluxation of the wrist bones often occurs during pregnancy because of hormonal changes and swelling of the wrist and hands and Chiropractic adjustments can help.

Mid-back & Rib Pain

Pain in the midback that radiates into the ribcage is often due to subluxations that cause the nerves between the ribs to get irritated. Chiropractic adjustments remove the subluxations to decrease the pain.

Breech Deliveries

The late Larry Webster, D.C., Founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, developed a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment, which enables chiropractors to establish balance in the pregnant woman’s pelvis and reduce undue stress to her uterus and supporting ligaments. This balanced state in the pelvis makes it easier for a breech baby to turn naturally. The technique is known as the Webster Technique.

It is considered normal by some for a baby to present breech until the third trimester. Most birth practitioners are not concerned with breech presentations until a patient is 37 weeks along. Approximately 4% of all pregnancies result in a breech presentation.

The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported in the July/August 2002 issue an 82% success rate of babies turning vertex when doctors of chiropractic used the Webster Technique. Further, the results from the study suggest that it may be beneficial to perform the Webster Technique as soon as the 8th month of pregnancy when a woman has a breech presentation.

Currently, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association recommends that women receive chiropractic care throughout pregnancy to establish pelvic balance and optimize the room a baby has for development throughout pregnancy.With a balanced pelvis, babies have a greater chance of moving into the correct position for birth, and the crisis and worry associated with breech and posterior presentations may be avoided altogether.

Optimal baby positioning at the time of birth also eliminates the potential for dystocia (difficult labor) and therefore results in easier and safer deliveries for both the mother and baby.

Originally Published in I.C.P.A. Newsletter May-June 2002, Jeanne Ohm, D.C.

Pediatric Care

One of the most common reason parents seek care for their child is trauma from an injury of some sort. These misalignments may or may not result in immediate pain or symptoms. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify potential spinal injury from these traumas, make the correction early in life and help avoid many of the health complaints seen later in adults. Proper spinal hygiene is an important key to better health.

Another sought out reason for care is the resolution of a particular symptom or condition. Parents seek care for conditions such as colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies and headaches (to name a few) because they have heard from other parents that chiropractic care can help. It is important to understand that the doctor of chiropractic does not treat conditions or diseases. The expertise of the chiropractor is in checking the child’s spine for misalignments that impair nervous system function therefore affecting overall body function. The bones of the spine, the vertebrae, house and protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and carries information from the brain to the body parts and back to the brain again. Subluxations interfere with the nerves’ ability to transmit this vital information.

The nerve system controls and coordinates the function of all the systems in the body: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal, eliminative and immune system. Any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference. The chiropractic adjustment restores nerve system function allowing the body the ability to express a greater state of health and well-being.

When?

More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children. Many spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth. Even so called ‘natural’ birthing methods can stress an infant’s spine and developing nerve system. The resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by spinal and cranial misalignment can be the cause of many newborn health complaints. Colic, breathing problems, nursing difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic reactions and chronic infections can often be traced to nerve system stress.

Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked right away. As the infant grows, learning to hold up the head, sit, crawl and walk are all activities that affect spinal alignment and are important times to have a child checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic who specializes in pediatric care like Dr. Simon.

As the child begins to participate in regular childhood activities like skating or riding a bike, small yet significant spinal misalignments (subluxations) may occur. If neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid growth may lead to more serious problems later in life. Subtle trauma throughout childhood will affect the future development of the spine leading to impaired nervous system function. Any interference to the vital nerve system will adversely affect the body ’s ability to function at its best.

Does it Hurt?

Dr. Simon specializes in adjusting children and uses very specific, and gentle techniques to care for them. On the very young, the adjustment is as light as a finger touch. Dr. Simon has taken post-graduate classes on specific techniques for pregnant mothers, infants and children to enhance his skill in handling these precious patients.

How?

At Worldwide Integrative Healthcare, we offer complimentary consultations, giving parents the opportunity to meet Dr. Simon and to find out about chiropractic for their children and discuss their individual needs. Dr. Simon will take a case history and perform a chiropractic exam to determine if spinal subluxations exist. Dr. Simon’s adjusting procedures are modified to fit a child’s size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal structures.

Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and look forward to subsequent visits. They also report that their children experience a greater level of health while under regular chiropractic care with Dr. Simon.

Contact us today