Mark Houston McFarland, D.C.

Previously, we discussed osteoarthritis (OA) and degenerative disk disease (DDD) as causes of low back pain (LBP) in the geriatric population. This group of conditions often co-exist in this population, so we will continue with this topic… A unique condition associated with OA and DDD is called “spinal stenosis” (SS).  Stenosis means “narrowing,” and it [..]

This month we take a close look at manipulation of the joints of the lumbar spine and the relationship to Lumbar disc protrusion.  Often lumbar manipulation involves some degree of rotation. Lumbar spine manipulations that are primarily rotational in nature are often discouraged as it is assumed that such maneuvers are associated with an increased [..]

Where Does Back Pain Come From?In 1934, William Mixter, MD and Joseph Barr, MD, established that herniation of the lumbar disc could put pressure on the nerve root or the cauda equina, resulting in sciatica. Their paper on the topic appeared in 1934 in the New England Journal of Medicine (1) and was titled:Rupture of the Intervertebral [..]

One of the tenets of chiropractic care is to manage the health of and restore function to the patients entering our office, not limited to any one system of the body but rather THE WHOLE PERSON. With this primary care responsibility, knowledge and understanding of the patient who presents with either controlled or uncontrolled blood [..]

THE INFLAMMATION MODEL  A light bulb uses electrical energy to generate light. But, the electrical energy is not created by the light bulb. The electrical energy is created in a location far away and brought to the light bulb using electrical wires. Pain is an electrical signal in the brain. The pain electrical signal is [..]

Whiplash is an injury commonly associated with motor vehicle collisions (MVC) caused by a rapid forward and backward “whipping” of the neck. What varies between each case is the degree of injury and what anatomical parts of the neck are actually injured. Let’s take a look at the spine so we can better understand where [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) can’t occur in men because it’s a women’s disease, right? In fact, if a man claims to have FM, then he is simply lying (probably just trying to get out of working and/or on disability), right? Unfortunately, that's what MANY people (and even some doctors) believe!Though it is true that FM primarily affects [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) was first reported in the late 1800s and the first surgery to treat the condition was performed in 1933. In the beginning, CTS surgery was rarely performed, reportedly because the nerve pinch was present somewhere before the median nerve reached the wrist or carpal tunnel. In brief, possible compression sites include [..]

“Boy, my neck is killing me! Honey, where is the ibuprofen?” Isn’t this the FIRST thing people think of when they have an ache or pain? The general public does NOT usually think, “….Boy, do I need to see my chiropractor—my neck is killing me!” So, the question of the month is, which one is [..]

Low back pain (LBP) can arise from many causes. Nearly everyone has or will suffer from LBP at some point in time, though it is most common in the 30-year-old to 50-year-old group and it affects men and women equally. However, what about the elderly population and low back pain? Let’s discuss back pain unique [..]