Use Sunscreen and Eat yes…. Eat your way to healthy skin.

Most of my patients know I’m outdoors year round doing a variety of sports. I’m not sure if its climate change or age but it seems I’m more susceptible to the effects of the sun these days and as a result I’m using more sunscreen than I used to and doing everything I can to reduce my exposure. This includes wearing rash guards that have a stated SPF rating, hats and…. Eating right. Yes that’s correct eat your way to healthy food, here are ten foods now that help with skin repair and protection so you can eat your way to healthy skin. Here are the ten best foods to protect your skin.

Broccoli: This super-food, along with cabbage and brussel sprouts, contains isothiocyanates, enzymes that have been shown to be anti-carcinogenic. They are also believed to boost the production of protective enzymes that defend cells against UV damage.

 Tomatoes: “Lycopene, a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, has many sun-protecting benefits,” explains Los Angeles-based dermatologist, Dr. Annie Chiu. A German study recently examined the benefits of store-bought tomato paste. After only 10 weeks, subjects who ingested the paste experienced significantly less redness from the sun compared to those who did not.

 Coconut Oil: We’ve all heard about beauty products with coconut oil in them, but did you know that if you eat this must-try miracle food it can nourish your skin from the inside out? “Coconuts contains lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties, and the saturated fat in coconut oil also protects the skin from UV damage from the sun,” says Dr. Lipman.

 Goji Berries: Animal studies suggest that these berries “may provide significant protection against oxidative stress induced by UVA radiation and may reduce sunburn-induced inflammation and swelling.

 Indian Food: In much of the tasty Indian food. Curcurmin, which is found in the cuisine’s most common spice turmeric, is a polyphenol that may prevent UV exposure induced cellular damage and cell death.

Green Tea: Instead of coffee, opt for this antioxidant-rich beverage. “Green tea contains polyphenol antioxidants, which are UV protective,” says Dr. Chiu. A double-blind, placebo controlled study demonstrated that consumption of green tea over 12 weeks significantly decreased sun-induced redness in the skin.

Oranges: Vitamin C abundant produce protects against UV light exposure and can reduce inflammation associated with sunburns, explains Dr. Chiu. It is also known to decrease the activity of enzymes activated by UV exposure. Meaning: your skin’s collagen will stay strong and firm looking.

Mushrooms: Fungai is abundant in beta-glucan, which may provide photoprotective qualities by decreasing UV-induced oxidative stress, explains Dr. Chiu.

Dark Chocolate: Satisfy your sweet tooth with dark chocolate or cocoa, both of which are rich in flavonoids. “Flavonoids have powerful antioxidant activity that can help inhibit harmful UV-triggered chemical pathways that may lead to skin cancer,” says Dr. Chiu.

Collared Greens: Eat your leafy greens! According to Dr. Frank Lipman, an expert in integrative medicine, they contain beta-carotenes, which contribute to the growth and repair of body tissues and may also protect your skin against sun damage.

So if you are like me and outside all the time, PLEASE use sunscreen AND… for Gods sake, try to eat right as well. You’ll be glad you did.

Now get out there and get moving…. Thanks for reading, Dr. Camp

Surprise is a major factor in the severity of low speed impact injuries.

To be or, not to be, Whiplash Claims in the 2000’s

The most common “Issue” people face after an auto accident is the condition that was formerly called “Whiplash.” These days there is far more science around this painful and often debilitating injury. Thanks in part due to the work of Arthur C. Croft, Ph.D.(c), D.C., M.S., M.P.H., F.A.C.O. at the Spine Research institute of San Diego. In large part due to their work, we now call whiplash Cervical Acceleration/Deceleration Syndrome or (CAD).

These injuries have been under attack by the insurance industry due to the fact that they don’t like to pay for the necessary rehabilitation needed to restore accident victims to their former health and function. “Soft tissue injuries” can be extremely painful and include contusions, sprains and strains, radicular findings, (Numbness, burning, tingling in the extremities) and can often these types of injuries don’t appear for days or even weeks after the accident.

Sprains are injuries to ligaments and can affect multiple joints including the neck, low back, shoulders, elbows, hands, knees or ankles. Sprains can take up to a year to heal properly and often times cause some level of disability. Strains are injuries to muscles or tendons that can be very painful and can make it uncomfortable to walk or be in any position for an extended period of time without pain.

Many times in accidents with minimal damage to the vehicle these types of injuries occur. In fact research has documented that vehicles colliding at as little as one point five miles per hour can cause severe injuries particularly in people with pre-existing conditions that reduce the shock absorbing properties of their spines such as a straight or reverse curve neck.

In many cases, these injuries do not show up immediately after the accident in fact often taking days or even weeks to fully kick in.  When they finally do however, they can be quite debilitating.

Its almost inevitable these days that when there is minor vehicle damage the insurance claims adjuster will argue that there was insufficient damage to the vehicle to justify a “Soft tissue injury.” This is just patently ridiculous and if you are the one suffering you will surely agree. Insurance adjusters are trained in how to minimize your injuries and claim that treatment was usurious and unnecessary. Oh would that we could transfer the pain of even one patient to these heartless people such that they could truly understand.

The allegation that insurance adjusters are making these days is that Doctors and Patients are in collusion to defraud the insurance companies with these bogus claims and copious treatment. It has been my experience that visits to my office may be considered by some as… somewhat entertaining, but I don’t believe that patients come for my sense of humor.

Let me repeat this concept again this time without sarcasm, patients don’t come to my office for fun or to get rich, they are in pain and the work we do together is designed to get them back to full function in the least amount of time. None of us are getting rich on the backs of the insurance carriers.

Cervical acceleration deceleration injuries can be serious and debilitating, do not allow yourself to become wrapped up in the games that insurance adjusters will undoubtedly play.  Don’t be victimized twice.

If you or a loved one have been in an auto accident, don’t talk to the adjuster yourself, they are not on your side. Get yourself an attorney immediately believe me the carriers have an army of attorneys trying to deny you treatment and payment for your pain and suffering due to your disability.

It is also important that your Doctor be it a Chiropractor or MD has had experience with personal injury cases, can and WILL provide adequate documentation/reports to support your case. Your health care practitioner needs to have the capacity to articulate this to your attorney such that together your attorney and doctor can prevail on your behalf on both liability and damage issues. This is not what you can expect from “Volume” practices as they just don’t allot the time necessary to do the work.

If you are in a car accident, it is best not to discuss your condition with any insurance adjuster from the responsible person’s insurance company. If pressured about your condition say, “Its too soon to tell” if you feel obliged to tell them anything at all.

As the effects of the injury may come days or weeks later, (Which I’ve seen time and time again) you don’t want to put yourself in the position of being unable to get the compensation you deserve for your injury by saying “I’m OK” at the scene of the accident, or a day or two after the accident. If you do and are one of the ones who had a delayed onset of symptoms, they will throw that comment back at you while trying to deny your claim.

The first thing to do after an accident is contact a doctor who works with soft tissue injuries and get yourself evaluated (OK I’m a Chiropractor and yes there are studies that indicate we are the most successful at treating these conditions so call me biased if you will.) Next find a personal injury attorney who can advise you of how to move forward and how best to document your claim for compensation.

Americans consume nearly 200 pounds of GMO’s each year.

According to the Environmental Working Group, Americans eat about 193 pounds of GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) a year and they think this is an underestimate.  None of us are surprised that corn and soybeans are virtually all GMO these days but WAIT… its worse than we thought.

2011 Data from the US Department of Agriculture was analyzed to investigate how much GMO’s Americans were eating annually.  Four foods were selected to asses how saturated the GMO’s are in our diets, Sugar Beets, Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil and Corn based products.

It’s been determined that 95 percent of sugar beats, 93 percent of soybeans and 88 percent of corn grown in the us are the top GMO foods.Its been estimated that the average American consumes 68 pounds of Beet Sugar, 58 pounds of Corn Syrup, 38 pounds of Soybean Oil and 29 pounds of Corn Based products each year. This means that the average American eats MORE than their body weight in GMO products.

This doen’t even begin to take into account all the other GMO foods that are available in your average supermarket. Some of the other GMO foods that we eat are insidious as most of us are unaware of the extend of GMO proliferation. The list includes: Apples, Coffee, Grapefruit, Oats, Onions, Papayas, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Popcorn, Strawberries, and Sugar Cane.

Farmers are not unhappy to feed GMO corn to their livestock, they fatten more quickly so even our meat products are now showing GMO residuals in their cells.

We are learning more and more about the risks associated with eating GMO foods some of the symptoms of which are as obvious as weight gain and others  as insidious as cellular mutation. Why are we being exposed to this….. one word… Profit ! (Or if you have been following this Monsanto)

Children are particularly at risk as they eat far more sugar than adults. Is it any surprise that our youth are becoming obese?

Hispanic Americans are also at risk as they eat two to three times the corn four that other cultures do.

GMO’s have been accused of harming people and the environment and its been implied that there are adverse effects in humans particularly in the liver and kidneys and GMO’s may contribute to fertility problems as well.

The Environmental Working Group has also stated that in America it is very difficult to examine this issue as it would appear the USDA is in league with Monsanto and as such derails studies on patented GMO’s.

With our Government impinging more and more of our rights, we need to stand up as a society and insist that we have GMO labeling so we can decide for ourselves if we want to consume GMO products. Why are they fighting this seemingly simple request, they forced fast food to list calories and ingredients. The reasons stated above, GMO’s are insidious, profitable and our Government is essentially on the payroll of these monstrous corporations who produce GMO products.

Pay attention people no one else is looking out for you.

As always, thanks for reading, Dr. Camp

‘Smart’ Utility Meters Causing Sleep Trouble, Headaches, Heart Problems

Smart meters—utility meters that use radio frequencies (RF) to report data to utility offices for billing and other purposes—may be harmful to your health.

Just ask Joe Esposito, on whose home the Public Service Company of Oklahoma slapped a smart meter despite his explicit wishes it not be installed. Shortly after installation, Esposito began to experience tooth aches, constant tingling, and aches in his leg that kept him from sleeping.

After watching a video by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt called “Smart Meters & EMR: The Heath Crisis of Our Time,” Esposito put up lead sheeting around the meter. He began immediately to sleep well, to feel no pain in his leg, and relief from his other symptoms. He even experimented on himself by removing the lead once in a while, noting that the pains and sleeplessness returned upon doing so.

Esposito is not alone in this experience; a survey by Dr. Ed Halteman, PhD, found that the many of the 318 residents of a surveyed area with smart meters installed in their homes experienced:

• Sleep problems (49 percent surveyed)
• Stress (43 percent)
• Headaches (40 percent)
• Ringing in the ears (38 percent)
• Heart problems (26 percent)

Admittedly, symptoms like stress and sleep problems come from many factors. Halteman noted, however, that sleep problems doubled after smart meter installation.

Industry Bias is Showing

It’s no surprise that the study by the industry group, the Electric Power Research Institute, found smart meter radio frequency emission levels well within federal safety guidelines. Even the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) study found emission levels to be in “full compliance with Federal Communications Commission regulations by a very wide margin.” Their bias—like anyone else’s—is patent.

Many other studies back up Halteman’s findings, however. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine’s report, “Electromagnetic and Radiofrequency Fields Effect on Human Health” warns of medical conditions that may make some people more susceptible to RF and EMF. The AAEM also requested “an immediate and complete moratorium on [the Public Utilities Commission of California’s smart meter] use.” They add that existing FCC guidelines for RF safety used by the PG&E  and Electric Power Research Institute studies “only look at thermal tissue damage and are obsolete, since many modern studies show metabolic and genomic damage from RF and ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) exposures below the level of intensity which heats tissues.”

Radiation Unsafe at Any Dose

In 2011, the World Health Organization stated that cell phone radiation may have a carcinogenic effect, and a Swedish study has found that 10 years of cell phone use leads to an average of 209 percent risk of brain tumor development. The Wi-Fi emitted from laptops is also a point of contention, which is why we advise against its use directly on the lap.

Radiation is unsafe at any dose, and it would be little more than arrogance to think that our careless leaps and bounds into greater technology could not come without (potentially) ugly consequences.

A stroke can strike anyone, anywhere. Know the signs you may save a life.

This is a simplified way to check someone for the possibility of a stroke and could save someone’s life.

There are many stories like this one:

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) …she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, she went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Later that evening, her husband called telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital and at 6:00 PM had passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps she would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It is common knowledge within the health care industry that if a stroke victim receives help within 3 hours the effects of stroke can often be totally reversed. The trick is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within that 3 hours.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

There are things to look for when you suspect someone has had a stroke. Often but not always, there will be a one sided weakness, or the face may droop on one side. These signs are not always present however. A good simple screening is to do the following the mnemonic of which is STRT. (To the hospital if you find any of the following difficult.)

S * Ask the individual to SMILE if they can’t or if one side of the mouth droops you may have a stroke on your hands.

T * Ask the person to TALK, if they have had a stroke they may be unable to articulate words without slurring and may not be oriented to time and place. This is why you hear people in the media ask, “What year is this and who’s the president.”

R * Ask him or her to RAISE their arms overhead. If one arm is unable or obviously lags behind, again this is a sign that you may be dealing with a stroke.

T * Have the person stick out their TOUNGUE. If it deviates to one side or the other this is a sign of stroke.

If he or she has trouble with ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher and mention you suspect a stroke.

With the law of averages, if everyone who gets this article sends it to 10 people, you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

I have done my part. Will you?

I sleep OK but I always wake up tired.

Its pretty common that my patients tell me everything is worse in the morning. They state that they sleep all night but still wake up groggy and aching. There are a few things that can sabotage your sleep without totally waking you up. Here are some of the signs that you have a sleeping disorder.

1) You think you sleep well but wake up with a bad taste in your mouth. Sleep studies have indicated that twenty five percent of people who say they sleep poorly have sleep related acid refulx and are unaware of the condition. This causes people to partially awaken even when there are no signs of heartburn or incomplete digestion.

What to do: Avoid not eating for at least two hours before bedtime. Try to reduce acid causing foods in your evening meals such as fatty meats, citrus fruits, tomatoes, spicy foods and heavy sauces. I can’t believe I’m saying this but….. there is evidence chewing gum increases saliva production which neutralizes stomach acid. Stay away from aspirin and other pain killers just prior to bedtime as they are also hard on the stomach. Sleeping on your left side can also reduce symptoms where sleeping on the right can make them worse due to the fact that this slows down the time it takes acid to clear our of your esophagus. Um…. Uh… losing weight helps too. If all else fails, try taking an over the counter antacid at bed time.

2) Waking up too often to use the bathroom. Its estimated that sixty five percent of older adults are sleep deprived due to frequent urination. (Nocturia) When we are younger we produce antidiuretic hormones that allow us to sleep through the night production of which decrease with age. This causes a person to have to get out of bed frequently often being unable to fall back asleep for hours at a time. In many cases we toss and turn before we actually wake up which causes fitful less effective sleep.

What to do: Don’t drink any fluids at least three hours before bed. This includes foods like soups or fruits that contain lots of water. Try to drink less tea or coffee as these irritate the bladder and function as a diuretic. Alcohol is also a diuretic and causes a need to urinate. DO go to the bathroom before bed and relax long enough to fully empty the bladder.

Conditions that can cause frequent urination: Men need to be checked for conditions that cause urination such as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and protate tumors can also cause frequent urination. Diabetes can also be a contributing factor.

If all else fails a prescription antidiruetic can cut down on nighttime urination particularly if there is no identified organic cause.

3) You wake up tangled in your bedcovers. This can be a sign of restless leg syndrome or “Periodic limb movement disorder.  These conditions cause a loss of deep, restful, REM sleep by keeping you partially aroused.

What to do: Try modifying your diet to make sure you are getting enough Iron, and B-vitamins particularly Folic Acid as deficiencies in the above have been linked to restless leg syndrome. See your doctor to look for underlying conditions that cause these conditions. Diabetes, arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, anemia, thyroid disease and kidney problems all can contribute.

4) Waking up with dry mouth or horrible morning breath. Mouth breathing and snoring both disrupt sleep by compromising breathing. If you sleep with a significant other, ask them if you snore, gasp or have overloud breathing. This can indicate you are getting insufficient air to fully relax while sleeping. It can also be a sign of more serious conditions.

What to do: Try snore stopping nose strips or a saline nasal spray to irrigate your nasal passages. Reduce alcohol consumption as alcohol is a sedative that can relax the muscles of the nose and throat contributing to snoring. Sleeping pills can have the same effect. Again, losing just ten pounds can eliminate snoring. If none of these suggestions works, talk to your doctor to eliminate the possibility of sleep apnea.

5) You sleep fitfully, feel exhausted all the time and… may wake up with a sore throat. This may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea or a milder form upper airway resistance syndrome. People with these conditions actually stop breathing periodically throughout the night. Eighty seven percent of the people diagnosed with sleep apnea are unaware they have the problem. These conditions affect sleep by causing the blood oxygen levels to drop, this causes the person to start to wake up though not always completely resulting in fitful sleep. They often don’t even know this is happening which is why it remains so commonly undiagnosed.

What to do about it: The over the counter method include oral appliances that alter the position of the mouth by moving the jaw forward to open the airways. A common way is to use a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device during sleep. This is prescribed after a sleep study is done to determine your oxygen levels during sleep. There are also surgical approaches such as removing excessive tissue from the throat or minimally invasive procedures to firm up the soft palate.

6) You get a full nights sleep but are always tired or get sleepy at work or while driving. This can imply that you have gotten out of sync with night and day (Circadian rhythm). Staying up late under bright lights, working night shifts, using computers or watching TV in bed or just too much light in the room in which you sleep can cause this to occur. Light is particularly disruptive to our sleep rhythm, particularly the flickering blue end of the spectrum like those from computers and TV’s.

What to do: Try to get on a regular pattern of sleep that is as close as possible to the regular cycle of night and day. Getting up early and taking a brisk walk in sunlight can help night owls to reset their internal clocks. Do this a few days in a row and you’ll be less likely to have that second wind experience late at night. Try to eliminate all screens be it TV or computers at least an hour before bedtime. Also try to eliminate light from your bedroom even the small ones like the smoke detector or digital clocks on your nightstand. Try blackout curtains if you have streetlights outside your windows.

All of the above can work alone or in concert with one another to rob us of our sleep. This can have very deleterious effects on our concentration, ability to handle stress, and general attitude.

I hope some of these suggestions are helpful to you if you are a sufferer.

As always thanks for reading.

Why your current Chiropractor might WANT you under the care of a structural specialist.

One of the most common things I treat is something called anterior head translation. This takes place when the ligaments of the posterior aspect of the neck become stretched. That happens to people through two mechanisms, the first “Plastic Deformation of Tissue” the second “Visco-Elastic Deformation of tissue.” Plastic deformation is the slip and fall, car accident, years of contact sports or sports where you fall a lot. Visco-Elastic is where you sit staring at a computer all day or reading for hours at a stretch with your head looking down or forward. These two actions can cause a structural shift that no amount of traditional Chiropractic can deal with.

Before we talk about “Deformation of Tissue” we should define what normal is. The spine is supposed to have four curves on the coronal plane. (Looking at the body from one side through the shoulder coming out the other side shoulder.) When we look at the body on the sagital plane (Front to back) there should be NO curves though its common for some people to have lateral deviation known as scoliosis to varying degrees. The picture to the right represents the “Normal” spine,

If your spine doesn’t have these dimensions, you have a primary structural problem that leads to, which you probably already guessed – secondary conditions or symptoms.

The most common structural shift which I deal with almost every day is Anterior Head Syndrome or A.H.S. for short.  The picture below represents A.H.S.  Normal alignment is when the skull is over the thorax or in simpler terms.. Your head needs to be balanced over your shoulders.

Simple physics demonstrate that for every half inch of anterior translation there is ten times the stress on the muscles that hold the head up in gravity. When you look at the picture above think of it this way, the head is a twelve pound weight, the neck is a six inch lever arm that is exerting stresses into the rest of the system. The more forward the translation, the more stress it is causing on the bones and muscles mandatory for support of the skull.

If your friends or family are telling you…. “Dude… your head is sticking out” or, “Cheese, you’re starting to look like the hunchback of Notre Dame”, you probably have Head Forward Posture.

Other things that may tip you off to the fact  that you are a candidate for Corrective Care are:

1)     I store my stress in my shoulders. (Muscle tension and or spasm in the traps or between the shoulder blades.

2)      The formation of what’s known as “Dowagers Hump” Though this can also be caused by a genetic disposition of fat right at the top of the shoulders.

3)      Numbness and tingling in a hand or hands.

4)      Alteration of grip strength.

5)      Degeneration of the spinal vertebra (Though this takes time to develop.)

6)      Degeneration of the vertebral disc’s.

If you have any of these symptoms, you may want to seek out a corrective course of Chiropractic care rather than the band-aid symptomatic relief approach. I’ve had an amazing amount of success with this process and it helps people who have had chronic pain more than you can possibly imagine.

If this makes sense to you feel free to call me at my office (415) 922 2225 for a complimentary consultation to see if this approach may be right for you.

As always thanks for reading, yours in Health,  Dr. Camp

Computer Ergonomics: The Truth About Raising Your Computer Monitor

Ergonomics experts have long said keep the top of your screen level with your eyes when working on your computer. This sets up bad posture that can deleteriously affect the health of you neck and upper back. Read More

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Head Forward Posture.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, we have all heard about it and many of you reading this may in fact have been diagnosed with it. I’ve even read articles from some angry neurologists angry in fact that people have even suggested that there may be another way to deal with it other than surgery.

Chiropractors have been helping people with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome very successfully for many years. Some better than others but there you go. As Dad used to say “There are more muskrats than minks out there son.” I think this is true in every discipline and yet I believe most practitioners are doing the best they can for people some are just better than others.

The nice thing about the Chiropractic approach is that should it fail you, the surgery is still an option for you. Where if you have the surgery first the Chiropractic method may still help but…. Hey…. You just had surgery for nothing.

No I’m not saying we are better than the other guys, just less invasive and more often than not successful at helping people with these issues. Not only that but our treatment is far less expensive too though many insurance companies won’t pay for this type of care. I do however think its worth checking out prior to jumping on the surgery band wagon.

The following are quotes from an article talking about something we Chiropractors have known for years. I like to think it’s a huge advance to see the other side even talking about it, let alone researching it. You go guys, its about time you get on board.

J Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 2009 (Sep);   39 (9):   658—664 Ana I. De-la-Llave-Rincón, César Fernández-de-las-Peñas, Domingo Palacios-Ceña, Joshua A. Cleland

Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.

STUDY DESIGN: Case control study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the amount of forward head posture (FHP) and cervical range of motion between patients with moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and healthy controls. We also sought to assess the relationships among FHP, cervical range of motion, and clinical variables related to the intensity and temporal profile of pain due to CTS.

BACKGROUND: It is plausible that the cervical spine may be involved in patients with CTS. No studies have investigated the possible associations among FHP, cervical range of motion, and symptoms related to CTS.

METHODS: FHP and cervical range of motion were assessed in 25 women with CTS and 25 matched healthy women. Side-view pictures were taken in both relaxed-sitting and standing positions to measure the craniovertebral angle. A CROM device was used to assess cervical range of motion. Posture and mobility measurements were performed by an experienced therapist blinded to the subjects’ condition. Differences in cervical range of motion were examined using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. A 2-way mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate differences in FHP between groups and positions.

RESULTS: The ANOVA revealed significant differences between groups (F = 30.4; P<.001) and between positions (F = 6.5; P<.01) for FHP assessment. Patients with CTS had a smaller craniovertebral angle (greater FHP) than controls (P<.001) in both standing and sitting. Additionally, patients with CTS showed decreased cervical range of motion in all directions when compared to controls (P<.001). Only cervical flexion (rs = -0.43; P = .02) and lateral flexion contralateral to the side of the CTS (rs = -0.51; P = .01) were associated with the reported lowest pain experienced in the preceding week. A positive association between FHP and cervical range of motion was identified in both groups: the smaller the craniovertebral angle (reflective of a greater FHP), the smaller the range of motion (r values between 0.27 and 0.45; P<.05). Finally, cervical range of motion and FHP were negatively associated with age in the control group but not in the group with CTS.

CONCLUSION: Patients with mild/moderate CTS exhibited a greater FHP and less cervical range of motion, as compared to healthy controls. Additionally, a greater FHP was associated with a reduction in cervical range of motion. However, a cause-and-effect relationship cannot be inferred from this study. Future research should investigate if FHP and restricted cervical range of motion is a consequence or a causative factor of CTS and related symptoms (eg, pain).

In other words, to those of us who have been treating people with  forward head posture for years, it is CLEAR to us that Forward Head Posture is in fact a major causative factor in people with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Its amazing to me that research on this issue has been this late in coming.

Historically speaking, Chiropractors (And not all of them for that matter.) have been working at correcting head forward posture for years. Don’t you think this should be the starting point if you are suffering with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as opposed to the treatment of last resort ?