“Pain can be the spark that ignites a life long passion!”

In my case, obsession might be more accurate. I was first given the diagnosis of the back condition Sciatica in 1991.

I quickly found out that diagnosis was not really telling me where or what my problem was but was merely describing the miserable pain, numbness and tingling I felt going down my right buttock and into my calf and foot.

It took 3 medical doctors to give me the diagnosis. As far as treatment to end my suffering was concerned, they could only offer me anti-inflammatories and pain medication. These treatments were failing.

One medical doctor even mentioned surgery…

I had gone from athlete and running a successful martial arts center to not being able to sit or walk without severe pain, let alone teaching my 8 classes a day. The pain and depression quickly turned to frustration.

The frustration was increasing rapidly because it became very clear that medical doctors, physical therapists and chiropractors alike did not really have a good knowledge about sciatica, how to diagnose, and most importantly how to treat it effectively.

During this time as well as forever into the future, I developed an obsessive commitment to understanding this problem. It led to my Doctorate degree in Chiropractic as well as a post-doctorate degree in the study of Neurology. I have since founded the Southern California Spine Center, a specialty center for treating Sciatica and many other moderate to severe back conditions.

My obsession to serve those who suffer with back pain has continued to drive my self-studies into thousands of hours of reading research on the subject of sciatica, spinal problems, low back strengthening and low back rehabilitation.

When I say you’re in the best hands here, I mean it.

“I injured my back in a motor vehicle accident. The pain did not allow me to continue my daily activities or pick up my grandbaby. I went to therapy for 9 weeks straight prior to visiting the Southern California Spine Center…it did not help. I was depressed and feared that I would not get any better. After 2-3 treatments on the DRX 9000 I have referred in 3 friends already!”

~ Melissa J.
San Diego, CA

After treatment, the stiffness in my back has dramatically decreased. If you suffer from lower back pain, the DRX 9000 and Dr. Mike’s rehab program is something you should definitely try!”

~ Rick H.
San Diego, CA

Now that I have completed Dr. Mike’s program, I can stand, walk, and sit for hours without any pain! My quality of life has improved 100%! I am now returning to work and I am going to take some classes. I’ve even joined a gym so I can continue working out.

This was really a life saver for me; I wish I would have done it sooner!”

~ Jeri B.
San Diego, CA

Please click around our website to learn more about what we do and the conditions we treat. I hope to see you in our office soon so that I can help you end your pain and start living a life you love.

Yours in health,
Dr. Michael Mountain
Southern California Spine Center
619-692-0712

P.S. Call my assistant Amy at 619-692-0712 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. Our office is conveniently located in the San Diego neighborhood of Mission Valley.

In the past, when prescribing bed rest for chronic lower back pain treatment, doctors used to advise patients to rest until the pain eased. However, it is now known that this advice was not helpful. You are more likely to develop even more chronic back pain if you stay in bed for more than a few hours. Here is a rule of thumb for you to follow: just as soon as you can move around in bed without severe pain, former back sufferers suggest, try walking for a few minutes. As a rule, it’s best not to do anything that causes a lot of pain (for obvious reasons). Gradual increments are the key.

The next time you’re up, don’t walk until you drop. If you do too much right away, you risk a serious setback and aggravate your chronic back pain even more.

If your pain has been around longer than 2-3 days, you may have developed a serious condition that needs attention.

Get Local San Diego Help

Our office is conveniently located in Mission Valley. Our staff is friendly, and our primary concern is getting your life back to normal. Come on in for a free consultation, where we’ll evaluate your condition and advise you on how to get back on track and get rid of your pain.

Call 619-692-0712 immediately!

Want more information?

• Learn about our Superior Chiropractic Care program
• Learn about DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression in San Diego
• Learn about our exclusive Spinal Rehabilitation Program which strengthens your back using an unparalleled plan and the latest technology

Back spasms can be uncomfortable and painful

How to cope and treat Back Spasms

A muscle spasm can occur due to a variety of reasons. A spasm is a powerful contraction or stiffening of the muscle. When a muscle goes into spasm, the person is unable to stop the forcible tightening of the muscle and surrounding tissue. Muscle spasms can be brought on by injury, advanced degenerative process or most commonly, oxygen deprivation.

The back’s muscles and any of the ligaments can be injured or irritated. What causes trouble may be a sudden movement in the heat of a tennis match or a game of touch football, or a fall, twist, or sudden muscle contraction to avoid a fall.

Muscle spasms can also happen without muscle injury, as a reflex phenomenon from irritated deeper structures, including torn ligaments, infections, tumors, or chronic disc irritation, or herniation. The way you move, your posture, and other tests permit the doctor to separate a primary muscle spasm from that caused by some underlying disease.

Many so-called disc abnormalities are actually a combination of the aging process and cause no symptoms. Although pain from an abnormal disc may come on suddenly, the process by which it was caused generally occurs gradually, sometimes taking years to develop.

Discs begin to dry up, or become desiccated, starting in young adulthood. The most likely places for changes to begin are the discs at the junctures called L4-L5. No one knows exactly why these two discs are the most vulnerable, but one speculation is that it is due to the sheer stress accentuated by the presence of the lumbar curve.

Treating Back Spasms

A relatively new technology called “DRX9000 treatments” are a form of spinal decompression that are becoming more and more popular as an alternative to spinal fusion and other invasive procedures.

With our sedentary lifestyles one of the most common medical ailments today are lower back problems which can include back muscle spasms. Statistics say that the majority of us will have a bout with lower back problems at least once in our lifetime.

There are many surgical and invasive techniques that are used to treat degenerative disc diseases and related back problems today. Back fusion surgery, lumbar compression surgery, lumbar steroid epidural injections, and spinal decompression surgery are all options with various degrees of success. During a recent study, the DRX 9000 was shown to be effetive 88.9% of the time, with patients reporting great success. We have been treating patients at our Mission Valley office using the DRX 9000 and have seen amazing results take place. Whether your back needs Spinal Decompression or a custom-tailored Chiropractic care plan, we’ll consult with you and give you nothing but the best.

• Click here to learn more about Spinal Decompression with the DRX 9000
• Click here to hear what our patients have to say
• Click here to learn about our Chiropractic treatment programs
• Click here to get a Free Online Consultation

The key to recovering from abrupt, intense back pain that subsides after a while is maintaining the normal curvature of your spine during activities. Supporting the natural curve of your back will help shorten your recovery time and prevent pain and injury from reoccuring.

Just Say "No" To Back Pain

It’s very common for people to experience back pain while:

• Sitting
• Driving
• Standing
• Stooping
• Squatting
• Kneeling
• Sleeping / Lying Down

For prolonged back pain sufferers, the best way to prevent and cure any back condition is to seek medical help as soon as possible from a qualified physician. We’re here to help you by evaluating your situation and offering our suggested treatment, which may include:

• Superior Chiropractic Care
• DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression
• Spinal Rehabilitation Therapy & Back Muscle Stregthening

Click the links above for more information or call our office at 619-692-0712 to schedule a free consultation.

Lordosis is found in all age groups and primarily affects the lumbar spine. When found in the lumbar spine, the patient may appear swayback, with the buttocks more prominent and in an exaggerated posture. Lumbar lordosis can be painful, too, sometimes affecting movement.

Contributing Factors

Some common causes which can affect the structural integrity of the spine include discitis, kyphosis, obesity, osteoporosis, and spondylolisthesis.

Treatment of Lordosis

Surgery is often considered in “extreme” cases. Until recently, surgery was one of the only ways to remedy Lordosis…  however, Chiropractic treatments or DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression may be effective at treating Lordosis cases.

No matter where in the United States you are, you will benefit from the information found on this website - and it will inspire you to reach a new level about your back pain, sciatica, disc herniation, spinal stenosis or other condition - and equip you with the tools and decision-making skills required to return your life to a wonderful pain-free experience.

Below are some resources to get you started:

• Thinking Surgery? Think again!
• Disc Herniations
• Spinal Stenosis
• Sciatica and the Sciatic Nerve + Pain
• Patients Review Back Pain Treatment Options
• Case Study: A Look Into A Real-Life MRI
• Spinal Decompression with the DRX 9000:
  The 21st-Century New Alternative to Back Surgery
• Southern California Spine Center Contact Info + Location Map

The answer is: sometimes.

It is reasonable to consider spine surgery if the pain has not diminished after several months of non-surgical treatment, if your pain does not respond to narcotic medications, or if you are unable to complete basic daily activities.

Don’t really want spinal surgery? We have good news for you!

In many cases, DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression can be performed instead of back surgery (or even after a failed back surgery). The DRX 9000 is a machine which performs a non-invasive procedure, basically involving the gentile stretching of your spine to allow your back condition to naturally heal itself over the course of approximately 20 short treatment sessions. It’s not painful, and people report long-term success, living their lives pain free again once completed. DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression should not be confused with Traction, which is a different procedure offering less-impactful results.

To learn more about DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression click here to view details.

This website was created for people suffering from back pain, sciatica, leg pain, herniated disc(s), degenerative disc disease, bulging disc(s), tingling, numbness, arm pain, neck pain, spinal stenosis, and failed low back syndrome.

During a recent study, DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression was proven to deliver an 88.9% success rate in patients who participated. Real people just like you have been able to eliminate their back pain and return to a life they love without surgery or a life filled with drug treatments and pain killers.

If you or your family members have been struggling with these debilitating conditions with little or no relief, then I invite you to ask the following questions:

• Are you limited in daily activities?
• Have you had repeated injections or epidurals with little or no relief?
• Are you currently dependant on medications on a daily basis?
• Are you considering surgery and are uncomfortable with that choice?
• Have you already tried chiropractic or physical therapy?
• Have you been out of work due to pain?
• Have you given up the activities that you enjoy due to pain?
• Have all the options really been presented to you?

If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then you know that non-surgical spinal decompression therapy is a very real treatment option.

Learn more about San Diego’s Leading DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression Treatment Center: The Southern California Spine Center located in Mission Valley ]]> http://www.southerncaliforniaspinecenter.com/spinal-decompression/feed/ http://www.southerncaliforniaspinecenter.com/back-chronic-pain-san-diego/ http://www.southerncaliforniaspinecenter.com/back-chronic-pain-san-diego/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:49:06 +0000 Dr. Michael Mountain http://www.southerncaliforniaspinecenter.com/?p=471 When chronic back pain does not respond to more conventional approaches, San Diego patients may consider the following options:  

• Traction involves the use of weights to apply constant or intermittent force to gradually “pull” the skeletal structure into better alignment. Traction is not recommended for treating acute low back symptoms and is frequently found to be ineffective. 

• DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression is a relatively new treatment that has been proven to be very effective at treating a variety of conditions including chronic back pain, low back pain, sciatica, spinal stenosis, herniated discs and other conditions.
  
• Click here to learn more about DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression

If you suffer from chronic back pain, it usually becomes a lifelong burden for you. Some people suffer for months, years, decades or even an entire lifetime. Unfortunately, many people never find a cure for their chronic pain… the medical system fails horribly, forcing people to suffer for such a long length of time, with no hope of finding the cause and cure for your common back ache.

Fortunately, hope is now here. Let’s go into looking at your back pain experience…

Curing Chronic Back Pain

Chronic pain is very common in many back and spine conditions. The cure for chronic pain is to effectively diagnose and treat the exact underlying cause appropriately. Unfortunately, many back pain conditions throughout the US and around the world are misdiagnosed and therefore the treatment does not resolve the true cause, nor the pain…

Who is most likely to develop chronic back pain?

Nearly everyone has low back pain sometime. Men and women are equally affected. It occurs most often between ages 30 and 50, due in part to the aging process but also as a result of sedentary life styles with too little (sometimes punctuated by too much) exercise. The risk of experiencing low back pain from disc disease or spinal degeneration increases with age.

What conditions are associated with low back pain?

Conditions that may cause low back pain and require treatment by a Chiropractic physician or other health specialist include:

• Bulging disc (also called a slipped disc). The intervertebral discs are under constant pressure. As discs degenerate and weaken, cartilage can bulge or be pushed into the space containing the spinal cord or a nerve root, causing pain. Studies have shown that most herniated discs occur in the lower, lumbar portion of the spinal column. When looking at an MRI showing a bulging disc, it will look like a balloon being squished out.
• Herniated Disc (also known as a ruptured disc). When viewed on an MRI, herniated discs look like a jelly doughnut, where the jelly has been squished out of the center of the disc.
• A much more serious complication of a ruptured disc is cauda equina syndrome, which occurs when disc material is pushed into the spinal canal and compresses the bundle of lumbar and sacral nerve roots that supply the genital region. Permanent neurological damage may result if this syndrome is left untreated - therefore symptoms of cauda equina syndrome (numbness around the genitals and rectum) are considered a medical emergency and you should visit your local Emergency Room (ER) immediately.
• Low Back Strains, Sprains, Muscle Imbalance, Muscle Weakness, Poor Joint Mobility and Scar Tissue. Some or all contribute to a type of low back problem we refer to as a functional low back condition. It makes up 85% of all low back complaints. Low back complaints of this type may begin with a traumatic injury or accident and develop into a functional condition that becomes chronic. They can also appear out of the blue having taken months or years to become painful and symptomatic. Check our Superior Chiropractic Care section for effective treatment of this type of condition.
• Sciatica is a condition in which a herniated or ruptured disc presses on the sciatic nerve, the large nerve that extends down the spinal column to its exit point in the pelvis and carries nerve fibers to the leg. This compression causes shock-like or burning low back pain combined with pain through the buttocks and down one leg to below the knee, occasionally reaching the foot. In the most extreme cases, when the nerve is pinched between the disc and an adjacent bone, the symptoms involve not pain but numbness and some loss of motor control over the leg due to interruption of nerve signaling. The condition may also be caused by a tumor, cyst, metastatic disease, or degeneration of the sciatic nerve root.
• Spinal degeneration from disc wear and tear can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal. A person with spinal degeneration may experience stiffness in the back upon awakening or may feel pain after walking or standing for a long time.
• Spinal stenosis related to congenital narrowing of the bony canal predisposes some people to pain related to disc disease.
• Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease marked by progressive decrease in bone density and strength. Fracture of brittle, porous bones in the spine and hips results when the body fails to produce new bone and/or absorbs too much existing bone. Women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis. Caucasian women of northern European heritage are at the highest risk of developing the condition.
• Skeletal irregularities produce strain on the vertebrae and supporting muscles, tendons, ligaments, and tissues supported by spinal column. These irregularities include scoliosis, a curving of the spine to the side; kyphosis, in which the normal curve of the upper back is severely rounded; lordosis, an abnormally accentuated arch in the lower back; back extension, a bending backward of the spine; and back flexion, in which the spine bends forward.
• Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple “tender points,” particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. Additional symptoms may include sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, and anxiety.
• Spondylitis refers to chronic back pain and stiffness caused by a severe infection to or inflammation of the spinal joints. Other painful inflammations in the lower back include osteomyelitis (infection in the bones of the spine) and sacroiliitis (inflammation in the sacroiliac joints).

How can my back pain be treated?

What can cause low back injuries?

A slipped disk (also called a herniated disk) happens when a disk between the bones of the spine bulges and presses on nerves. This is often caused by twisting while lifting. Unfortunately, many people don’t know what caused their slipped disk.