Scott Swanson Chiropractic – Conveniently Located near the Mission District of San Francisco

We all lead busy lives, especially in San Francisco. My goal as a San Francisco chiropractor is to deliver the best chiropractic care in the city of San Francisco and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. If you live or work near the Mission district, my office is very convenient to you!

I encourage you to contact me for an initial free consult. I will discuss your pain or chiropractic issues and work with you to create the best chiropractic treatment plan for your individual needs.

View Larger Map

Chiropractic Approaches to Pain Management

As a trained chiropractor, I offer the wide range of proven chiropractic pain management approaches. You and I would need to sit down together to decide which method is appropriate for your particular need. These approaches include:

Acupressure
Kinesio-Taping
Traction Therapy
Trigger Point Therapy
Activator Therapy
Application Of Heat Or Ice
The Graston Technique

The last of these, “The Graston Technique,” has an incredible track record. Fully 87% of patients nationwide (including many professional athletes) who have been treated with the technique have had their condition resolved. That’s a lot of pain ended, sometimes forever.

Like all Chiropractic treatments, The Graston Technique is non-invasive. It involves the use of special instrumentation against the skin to directly address pain in soft tissue lying beneath. That includes pain you may have in muscle, ligaments, tendons and other areas.

If you are currently hurting in the areas mentioned above, call my office now at 415-578-5375 and let’s sit down and discuss which chiropractic treatment is right for you.

Getting to My Office

My office is conveniently located at 155 Valencia St. Suite B, San Francisco, CA, just south of Market and north of Highway 101. If you live in the Mission district, I am very convenient to you. there are many public transit ways to get to my office and of course you can always drive. We have quite a few young professionals, artists, and others who live or work in the Mission, and find that our offices are very convenient to them before, during, or after work.

About the Mission District of San Francisco

The Mission has a history of welcoming different ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Originally, the area was inhabited by a tribe called the Ramaytush who died of smallpox and various other ailments when the Spanish settlers coaxed them into the rancherias surrounding the Mission Dolores (established in 1776). Yankee squatters followed the missionaries in the 1840s, then came a wave of German and Scandinavian immigrants in the 1860s, and rich local merchants who built the Victorian mansions on South Van Ness and Liberty Hill in the 1870s.

After the 1906 quake destroyed so much of San Francisco, Irish and Italians relocated to the quickly expanding Mission. The neighborhood was far enough from the devastated downtown and populated enough to support a growing number of stores, restaurants and bars. Since the turn of the century there’s been a steady trickle of Central American immigrants to the Mission. Beginning in the 1950s, the Latino population in the Mission has doubled every 10 years, infusing the neighborhood with much of its current flavor. In addition to the taquerias, pupuserias, Salvadoran bakeries, and auto repair shops, note the abundance of cafes, thrift shops and used bookstores. These are the establishments that cater to the college grads, artists, and subversives that had been drawn to the Mission for its cheap rents. Until recently that is, because with the Internet boom, all rents in San Francisco have shot-up.

Source: http://www.mapwest.com/neighborhoods/htdocs/mission_district.html

The 100th San Francisco Bay to Breakers run takes place Sunday, May 14, 2011 start time is 7am. We researched what runners and spectators most commonly seek, and have organized a guide to start times, maps & routes along with other details related to the Bay to Breakers 2011.

For 2011, the Bay to Breakers Expo, will be at the SF Design Center, 635 8th street at Brennan and the race starting line will be at Beale and Mission.

Important — There is no race day (Sunday) registration or packet pick up for the Bay to Breakers, and registration is sold out. My advice is to go on Saturday, visit the Expo, then go to to the start line and familiarize yourself with the area. This way you are less likely to run into difficulties race day morning.

San Francisco Weather — San Francisco weather is expected to be in the high 50′s and currently there is rain in the forecast. Be prepared for wet weather just in case, but there’s no guarantee it will rain on race day. I would check online weather information for San Francisco on Saturday night, just to be certain.

The Bay to Breakers race ends at Ocean Beach and it can be quite chilly and windy. It is strongly advised that runners dress in multiple layers so they can be warm before the race. Since you want to get to the starting area early, expect lots of time standing around in early morning hours before the race begins.

Other bits of information: MP3 players and iPods are not allowed to be worn during the race.

Dr. Scott Swanson, San Francisco Chiropractor, has quite a few clients and friends running in Sunday’s race. He has worked with some of the worlds elite distance runners and himself runs the Bay to Breakers. He’ll be cheering you on at the finish line.

Congratulations to all the runners that have been training for this year’s race, your hard work and discipline is about to pay off, see you on Sunday! Have fun!

One of the most common conditions I treat in my office is sciatica.  Sciatica often starts suddenly with pain in your lower back that radiates down from your buttock to one or both thighs and into your leg.  You may have pain when you sit, sneeze or cough.  You may also feel weakness, “pins and needles”, numbness, or a burning sensation down your leg.  Take a look at Freehold Chiropractor Russell Brokstein’s recent blog post on sciatica.

Sciatica symptoms may result from general wear and tear, plus any sudden pressure on a disc (such as lifting and twisting).  Most commonly, this occurs when a protruding or herniated disc irritates the sciatic nerve.  Sciatica can be a major source of disability and impairment.  About 20 percent those with sciatica  experience symptoms for more than six weeks.  Several recent studies identify chiropractic as and effective treatment for this painful debilitating condition.

Medical doctors recently published the results of a study involving sciatica treatment in, The Spine Journal.  In this high quality study, 102 patients with acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion were randomized to active and simulated manipulation.  Treatments were administered 5 days per week by experienced chiropractors for up to 4 weeks.

Chiropractic care delivered a significant pain reduction benefit compared with simulated manipulation, and no patient experienced an adverse event.  These significant findings have important implications for the treatment of sciatica.  Practitioners managing patients with acute back pain and sciatica with protruding discs should consider chiropractic care as a first line treatment.

For a consultation and evaluation of your sciatica at your San Francisco Chiropractor contact us:

Scott Swanson Chiropractic,
155 Valencia St Suite B
San Francisco CA 94103
415-578-5375

To find out more about Freehold Chiropractic and Dr. Russell Brokstein:

Dr. Russell Brokstein
Hometown Family Wellness Center
9 Broadway
Freehold, NJ  07728
732-780-0044

I was reminded today by Omaha Chiropractor Tyler Bakers’s blog, one of the easier conditions for me to treat in the office is tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis.  Tennis elbow is an inflammation on the lateral side of the forearm near the elbow. There may be a partial tear of the tendon fibers (sharpey’s fibers), which connect muscle to bone.  Most often I see chronic cases which have developed into a tendonopathy which is when all inflammation is gone yet there is still pain because of scar tissue infiltration.

Tennis elbow is due to repeated motions of the wrist or forearm. The injury is classically associated with tennis playing, but any activity that involves repetitive use of the wrist (like using a computer mouse) can lead to this condition.

Treatment should be aimed at breaking up scar tissue, increasing circulation in the area to promote healing and stretching the extensors muscles of the wrist.

Graston Technique is a form of manual therapy which comprises soft tissue mobilization and incorporates the use of stainless-steel instruments. The goal of the therapy is to separate and break down the scar tissue, as well as stretch connective tissue and muscle fibers.

Using a cross-friction massage, which involves brushing or rubbing against the grain of the scar tissue, the practitioner re-introduces small amounts of trauma to the affected area. This temporarily causes inflammation in the area, which in turn increases the rate and amount of blood flow in and around the area.

If you have tennis elbow give your San Francisco Chiropractor a call:

Scott Swanson Chiropractic,
155 Valencia St Suite B
San Francisco CA 94103
415-578-5375

To read more about Omaha Chiropractic or read Dr. Tyler’s blog you will find his contact information:

Tyler Baker, D.C
Active Motion Chiropractic
13027 Arbor Street
(402) 334-2244
www.activemotionchiro.com

http://www.activemotionchiro.com/Blog.html

Orem Utah Chiropractor Dr. Ned McArthur’s chiropractic blog post, “Neck Pain and Car Accident Injuries” notes, “Research shows that under standard medical care that only about 50% return to pre accident status and 10-12% will develop chronic or on going symptoms.”  It is so unfortunate how many times patients are told in the ER they will be fine and just to rest.  They end up taking painkillers for a long period of time.  Eventually those patients end up at my office saying, “I thought it would go away”.

Dr. Ned’s post reminded me that chiropractic is currently the “Only Proven Effective Treatment” for chronic whiplash. A study (one of my personal favorites) published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine not only points out the superiority of chiropractic care for chronic whiplash patients, but also examines which chronic whiplash patients responded best to chiropractic care.

In their discussion, the authors made these observations:
“Woodward found improvement in chronic symptoms in 26 of 28 patients (93%) following chiropractic treatment. Our results confirm the efficacy of chiropractic, with 69 of our 93 patients (74%) improving following treatment.”

“The results from this study provide further evidence that chiropractic is an effective treatment for chronic whiplash symptoms.”
Khan S., Cook J., Gargan M., Bannister G., “A Symptomatic Classification of Whiplash Injury and the Implications for Treatment”, Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine 1999; 21(1); 22-25.

If you are in or near San Francisco and have been in a car accident call my office:

Scott Swanson Chiropractic
155 Valencia St Suite B
San Francisco CA 94103
415-578-5375

If you would like to contact Dr. Ned  at his Orem Utah Chiropractic office see below:

Ned McArthur
Orem Chiropractor
560 S. State #C2 Orem, UT 84058
801-225-1311

Patients who come to my office frequently ask if they should be taking NSAIDs like Tylenol or aspirin.  First off I let them know these commonly used drugs increase your risk for cardiovascular events.  Second it depends on their goals.  Several studies have shown NSAIDs are so good at retarding inflammation they slow the natural healing process.  If your only goal is to reduce inflammation and pain they work well.  However if you want to heal as fast as possible it is best not to take NSAIDs.  Also many people are not aware they are only to be taken for a very short duration.

Mission Viejo Chiropractor Dr. Harriott’s blog post references a new study identifying another risk from taking NSAIDs, hearing loss.  The American Journal of Medicine published a study in March 2010 in which study participants were drawn from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which tracked over 26,000 men every 2 years for 18 years. A questionnaire determined analgesic use, hearing loss and a variety of physiological, medical and demographic factors. It concluded “Regular use of aspirin, NSAIDs, or acetaminophen increases the risk of hearing loss in men, and the impact is larger on younger individuals.”  Add these findings to other side effects and in my opinion unless you are in severe pain it’s not worth it.

Scott Swanson Chiropractic,
155 Valencia St Suite B
San Francisco CA 94103
415-578-5375

If you would like to read more of Mission Viejo Chiropractor Edward Harriott’s blog or visit his office see below:

Mission Viejo Chiropractic
24896 Chrisanta Dr. #120
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949)360-1112

Today while reading an article about choosing the right mattress on a blog by Johnson City Chiropractor Dr. Kevin Fielden I realized patients ask me this question all the time. His article is very extensive in the tips it gives, it is worth the read.

When patients ask me which mattress is best I give a few key pieces of information.  Despite all the claims and testimonials research has not proved one mattress is better than another.  You can spend a lot of money on a mattress but it may not be any better than a much cheaper one although I’m sure it will last longer.  Firmer is better:  studies have shown mattresses that are more firm generally help people with back pain so do not invest in a water bed!

A big part of finding the right mattress is personal preference.  You can go out and lye on a mattress for five minutes and see if it feels comfortable but there is nothing better than getting a full night’s sleep on it.  Feeling better in the morning is the only real outcome that is successful in finding the right mattress.  Purchase from a store that will allow you to return the mattress if you find you do not like it.

Be aware of advertising gimmicks.  Claims that a mattress is “orthopedic” or “medically-approved” should be viewed skeptically. There has not been extensive medical research or controlled clinical trials on the topic of mattresses and low back pain. The individual must determine whether or not extra features on a mattress make it more comfortable or supportive.

Scott Swanson DC
Scott Swanson Chiropractic
155 Valencia Suite B
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 578-5375

If you want to reach more from Dr. Fielden’s Johnson City Chiropractic blog, feel free to visit it. If you need a chiropractor in Johnson City, you can find him at:

Advanced Care Chiropractic and Rehab

Johnson City TN 37615

423-929-2225

www.929-back.com

http://929-back.com/blog/

Tuesday afternoons I get off of work early and have some personal maintenance time. Today I swam a mile at aquatic park, did an interval workout on the stationary bike and went to Berkeley Bowl. After cooking up some meals for the rest of the week I read a few blogs I keep track of and while reading Woodbridge chiropractor Carmelo Caratozzolo’s blog I noticed this post with a recipe of roasted root vegetable stew.

In a recent study linking diet and depression researchers defined 2 primary dietary patterns: “whole food oriented” (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish) and “processed foods oriented” (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). It’s not hard to guess which group was at risk for depression.  Start taking care of yourself and cook some good food!

Here is one healthy soup I cooked up today for the rest of the week.

Quick Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
12-16 ounces lean ground beef ( I prefer Prather Ranch in Marin for grass fed orgainic)
1 28oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the beef and saute until brown. Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.

As a San Francisco chiropractor, I do the best to educate each and everyone of our patients about the benefits of living a drug free lifestyle through regular chiropractic care and diet. This is just another example of why chiropractors can be such an essential part of a long and healthy life.

Scott Swanson

Scott Swanson Chiropractic

155 Valencia Suite B

San Francisco, Ca 94103

415-578-5375

If you want to read more from Dr. Caratozzolo’s Woodbridge chiropractic blog, feel free to visit it. If you need a chiropractor in Woodbrige, you can find him at:

ACT Wellness Center by Accredited Chiropractic

2894 Garber Way, Woodbridge, VA 22192

703-491-9355

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!