Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC - "Causes of Back Pain; SMOKING"

I get this question a lot from my frustrated patients coming to my office in need of very serious relief. Sometimes the answer is obvious and very clear to an invidual; "...doc, I lifted a sofa and BAM!....stabbing pain..." However, often times the answer is as clear as mud; ".....doc, all I was doing was vacuuming?!?!... what gives?...". So, with this in mind, I thought I would talk about some common causes of back pain. Some obvious and some, not so much. I hope with these discussions it becomes clear that isolating the cause of back pain to one factor is extremely difficult indeed. But maybe with my help, you can start to eliminate some of these risk factors so you can be better armed!

Let's start with; SMOKING. Yes, that's right. Smoking is a risk factor and can often be an overlooked cause for back pain. Smoking can be very detrimental to your organs and the soft tissue in your body by the act of dehydration. If you need proof, take a really good look at smokers who have been at it for years. Ever noticed the wrinkles on their face, necks, hands, etc. making them look years older than they actually are? Well, smoking damages the skins inherent elasticity and as a result, it becomes very stiff and prone to showing wrinkles. 

Ok great doc, but what does that have to do with back pain you might be wondering. Well, I used the example of skin because, you can visibly see the effects. But make no mistake that smoking is having some dire effects internally as well. Namely on your spine and the intervertebral discs. These discs are the soft tissue structures literally wedged in between the individual bones or 'vertebrae' of your spine. Healthy discs act like shock absorbers for your spine, provide spacing in between your vertebrae allowing the nerves emanating from your spinal cord to leave the spine and travel to different areas of your body. Ever heard of a "Bulging Disc" or a "Herniated Disc". Well these terms describe something that may not be at first, obvious to most. These discs are not completely solid! Healthy discs, have a viscous, jelly-like material on the inside. This material is essential to the proper health and function of your spine. 

Smoking as you may have guessed it, acts to dry out the material prematurely. Losing this important component of the discs acts to weaken and deteriorate the spine as a whole. This opens the door for a myriad of problems like back pain, spinal stenosis, spinal instability and hypomobility. In fact, smoking can damage the spine and discs so much that often the last resort for back pain sufferers; Surgery, can not be performed on heavy smokers. 

I hope this article has helped. If smoking is a part of your routine, I would strongly suggest that you try to stop. Smoking already has a library of health problems associated with it, but if you didn't know it before, you can now add back pain to that list!

If  you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, why not stop by my office or you can also visit my website here; YOUR COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!

Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC - "Wy Medicine's Approach to Chronic Pain is Wrong; A Doctor's Perspective"

I  came across this article written by an MD about his view of how chronic pain patients are being treated, or "mis-treated" today. It is a very sobering report on how traditional medicine views and accordingly treats people who suffer from long standing pain. The standpoint of this doctor is something that does not surprise me at all. In fact, I tend to agree with just about everything he is saying in the piece. 

Dr. Abaci correctly states that pain is indeed extremely profitable for the drug companies. If you ever had any doubts, just take a walk down the drug aisle in your local pharmacy and you will see the assortment of pain killers available. They can range from the very common aspirin, to Advil, Tylenol, Aleve, Motrin, no name versions of these drugs and even 'specialty' versions like Robaxacet or Tylenol Back Pain. This is also just the tip of the iceberg, we haven't even touched on the variety of pain killers you could get with a doctor's prescription.

Here's an excerpt from his article; "Shouldn't the fact that chronic pain sufferers are now getting more access to the strongest pain killers on the planet and at higher dosages mean that we are now doing a better job helping them manage their pain? Guess again. In my 15 years of practice, I have yet to see a scientifically sound study that can show significant benefit from the long-term use of opioid medications for chronic pain in a large patient population."

However, Dr. Abaci, doesn't stop there. He correctly notes that more invasive options for sufferers of chronic back pain, ie. surgery also have a poor track record. He even questions the rationale behind surgery and wonders why more conservative options are not encouraged more.

 "In no way are the problems with pain management strictly limited to the misguided use of pills. For example, over the last two decades there has been an exponential rise in the use of spine surgery and interventional procedures for the treatment of lower back pain. Rapid growth has taken place in the use of more complex and costly spinal fusion surgeries, and there is cut-throat competition among the manufacturers of the hardware used in these procedures. Medtronic alone makes $3 billion annually off of its spinal device unit. Again, research has consistently shown that such treatments are no more effective for low back pain than much lower cost alternatives such as aggressive rehabilitation."

The underlying message is that patients who suffer from chronic pain should be taking a more interdisciplinary approach including a comprehensive rehab program. Including professionals like; Chiropractors, massage therapists, physiotherapists, family doctors and specialists, has been shown to result in the best recovery for chronic pain sufferers. If you're interested in reading all of Dr. Abaci's article, follow the link here!

All of my patients, regardless of severity are encouraged to move and be active from day one. The three main goals of Chiropractic treatment in my office are; 1) Relieve the patient's discomfort and pain. 2) Increase the patients mobility, flexibility and function and 3) Help the patient become stronger and more independent by teaching them about proper exercises, home care and lifestyle tips.

From my experience, this approach results in the best results in the long term and less dependence on doctors and medications. Surely, your overall health will not be found in a bottle of pain killers. If you are in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, stop by and see what Chiropractic can do for you. Or visit my website hereCOMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!, 

Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC - "Chiropractic Case Studies; SIDNEY CROSBY"

With the hockey pre-season now completed, and being a Chiropractor in hockey crazed Vancouver, (Go Canucks Go!). I came across this article in the bible of all things sports related; Sports Illustrated. This article focused on one of the games undisputed super stars, who has for the better part of a year now, battled the effects of a concussion. The struggles that Sidney Crosby has endured has been well documented and argued tirelessly. But the prevailing question and concern lately has been the apparent progress, or maybe more correctly, the lack of progress Sidney has shown in recent months.

That's why Sidney Crosby has started looking at other methods of treatment and care that could help his recovery. Interestingly enough, Sidney Crosby has started working with a Chiropractor recently. The symptoms of a concussion are numerous and all are significant for a world class athlete like #87.  Headaches, nausea, visual disturbances, auditory deficits, balance and even changes in mood are hallmark symptoms people who have suffered a concussion will experience. However, along with these symptoms, Crosby was dealing with a nagging sense of being in a constant 'fog'.  One realizes how detrimental this symptom alone could be to a superstar playing hockey, where split second decisions determines winning and losing. This apparently was one of the most stubborn and concerning symptoms reported by Crosby and specialists alike.

Then in early September, Crosby enlisted the help of Dr. Ted Carrick a Chiropractor, to see if he could help. Lo and behold, Crosby has been showing significant signs of improvement since working with Dr. Carrick in the few short weeks since. In fact the improvements have been so substantial that Dr. Carrick accompanied Sidney Crosby and other specialists during a media news conference to officially update the world on Sidney's progress. 

Here's an excerpt from the official news conference in September of 2011. Dr. Carrick makes a statement at 7:42 into the clip. Sidney Crosby Concussion News Conference

I think this story alone is a wonderful endorsement for Chiropractic and it's effectiveness. Here in this situation, you have a very high profile athlete who has at their disposal, the best medical specialists on the planet. Now with the available resources even he was frustrated with his apparent lack of progress with the recovery process. So he does what you and I would do in a similar situation; he found a second opinion. The result, I believe speaks for itself. Crosby had this to say about his treatment so far and his decision to seek Chiropractic care,  
"When someone came along and invented the airplane, people must have thought they were out of their mind. Who thinks he can fly? I'm sure people thought that person might have been stretching it a bit... . At the end of the day, as long as the person getting the care is comfortable, I think that's what's important."

The facts of the story are that Crosby has been struggling with the after affects of a serious concussion since at least early 2011, some would argue even longer.  Under medical supervision and with the help of the world class specialists, his progress was modest at best. Some would even argue that his progress up until September was disappointing. Since working with Dr. Carrick, a Chiropractor, Crosby's progress has made some significant improvements. So stunning in fact that Crosby has started participating in non-contact drills again. 


This goes to show what millions already know. Chiropractic can be very effective with patients suffering from head and neck injuries. Even a serious concussion like the one suffered by Sidney Crosby! If you have any questions visit my clinic by Commercial Drive in East Vancouver or visit the website;COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC