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June Newsletter: Can Chiropractic Care Help with Neurological Conditions?

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 01:26:39 GMT

Can Chiropractic Care Help with Neurological Conditions?

Do you need help managing migraines or Parkinson's disease, or wish your recovery from a concussion or stroke was a little easier? Chiropractic care can help with the symptoms caused by these and other neurological conditions and disorders.

The Benefits of Chiropractic Care

In addition to improving range of motion in your joints and relieving joint and soft tissue pain, chiropractic treatment can boost nervous system function. The nervous system consists of two parts: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The brain and spinal cord are part of the central part of the nervous system. A network of nerves forms the peripheral nervous system. Signals from the brain travel to the spinal cord and reach all areas of the body via nerves that branch out from the spinal cord.

The nervous system has many important functions, including helping you move, breathe, and feel pain and other sensations. Nerves also send signals to the organs and immune system and help them operate normally. If nerve signals can't travel freely through the nervous system, symptoms ranging from tingling and numbness to muscle weakness and paralysis can occur.

If you have a neurological disorder, condition, or injury, your nerves may be damaged or the transmission of nerve signals may be disrupted. Chiropractic care focuses on helping your nerves work optimally, which can relieve the symptoms of a variety of neurological issues, including:

Concussions. Concussions are brain injuries that happen when the brain suddenly moves back and forth inside the head or hits the side of the skull. After a concussion, you may feel dizzy, and develop headaches, sensitivity to light, seizures, or neck pain. Symptoms don't always happen immediately after a concussion, but may take a few days or weeks to become noticeable. In some cases, your symptoms may linger if the blow to your head changed the position of the vertebrae in your neck. Realigning the vertebrae with spinal manipulation, a chiropractic treatment that adjusts your spine, eases pressure on nerves and improves blood circulation, helping you heal faster.
Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's disease causes a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including tremors, muscle stiffness, slow movements, poor posture, and difficulty walking. In a case study published in the Journal of Medicine and Life in 2022, researchers discovered that nine months of chiropractic treatment improved hand deformity, joint motion, pain, and postural stability, and alignment in a 68-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease.
Migraines. Painful migraines seem to last forever and don't always improve with over-the-counter or prescription medication. Several chiropractic treatments could help you ease migraine pain and reduce the number of migraines you get. Spinal manipulation decreases pressure on the nerves in the neck and head and decreases pain and inflammation. Massage loosens tight painful muscles and increases production of endorphins and serotonin, nature's painkillers. Trigger point therapy breaks down hard knots in muscles that can trigger migraines.
Cerebral Palsy. Floppy or stiff limbs make movements difficult if you have cerebral palsy. Spinal manipulation treatment can reduce spasticity (rigid muscles), according to a case series published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine in 2016. Twenty-nine patients received chiropractic treatments, in addition to massage, physical therapy, reflexotherapy and other treatments, during the series. Spasticity decreased substantially after one spinal manipulation treatment in all patients, and improvements continued after the second treatment.
Neuropathy. Neuropathy occurs due to damage or pressure on nerves and can cause pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness. Spinal manipulation, massage, and other treatments relieve pressure on nerves by realigning vertebrae and loosening tight tissues that press on nerves.
Bell's Palsy. Chiropractic care can also be used to treat Bell's palsy, a condition that damages a nerve in the face and causes muscles to weaken or become paralyzed. A 40-year-old patient with Bell's Palsy noticed a 70 - 80% improvement in facial movement after chiropractic manipulation and low-level laser therapy, according to a 2013 Journal of Chiropractic Medicine Case Study.
Other Conditions. Chiropractic care may also be helpful for trigeminal neuralgia, vertigo, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, stroke, dystonia, radiculopathy, learning disabilities, restless leg syndrome, and other neurological conditions.

Ready to find out if chiropractic care could improve your neurological symptoms? Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Chiropractic Management of Bell Palsy with Low Level Laser and Manipulation: A Case Report, 12/2013

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3838725/

Journal of Medicine and Life: Chiropractic Care of Parkinson’s Disease and Deformity, 5/2022

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35815091/

NCBI: Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Changes in Muscle Spasticity in Patients with Cerebral Palsy after Spinal Manipulation: Case Series, 12/2016

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27857638/

Canadian Chiropractic Association: 6 Ways Chiropractic Care Can Help Manage Headaches, 6/1/2022

https://chiropractic.ca/6-ways-chiropractic-care-can-help-manage-headaches/

June Newsletter: How Chiropractic Treatments Can Improve Your Range of Motion

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 01:15:50 GMT

Improving your Range of Motion with Chiropractic Care

Poor range of motion affects your ability to move freely and easily. Range of motion problems can occur due to problems with the bones, muscles, and soft tissues in and around a joint. If you're struggling with a stiff, painful joint, chiropractic care offers an effective way to relieve pain and improve joint flexibility naturally.

Why Good Range of Motion Is So Important

Full range of motion in a joint makes it possible to raise your arm high enough to retrieve something from an overhead shelf, turn your neck when crossing the street, or walk without limping. If you have a joint restriction and ignore the symptoms, you may eventually face a "use it or lose it" situation. Poor range of motion could become a chronic or permanent problem, particularly if scar tissue forms around a joint.

Without full range of motion, you'll struggle to do many everyday things, from bending to pick up a dropped pen to swinging a golf club to getting up from a chair. Other muscles and joints must handle the load when one joint loses flexibility, which can lead to balance problems and increase your risk of injury.

Diagnosing Your Problem and Creating a Treatment Plan

Chiropractors understand how range of motion problems affect the entire body and offer treatments to improve flexibility and joint movement. Whether your issue is due to an injury, poor posture, surgery, muscle spasms, a dislocation, or another cause, chiropractic care offers an effective treatment option.

During a visit to your chiropractor, your doctor will assess these three types of movement:

Active. Active range of motion measures how well you can move your joint on your own.

Passive. Passive movement measures the range of motion when your chiropractor moves your joint.

Active-Assistance. Active-assistance measures joint movement when your active movement is combined with assistance from someone else or a device, such as a resistance band.

Your visit may also involve X-rays and other tests that help the chiropractor determine the cause and extent of your movement problems. The range-of-motion evaluation and tests help your chiropractor provide a diagnosis and create a treatment plan.

Loosening Tight Tissues with Heat

Your treatment may start with a heat pack placed over your stiff joint. Heat relaxes tight tissues, reduces stiffness and inflammation, and improves circulation.

Massage Relieves Pain and Stiffness in Joints

Massage breaks up scar tissue, eases muscle spasms, relieves pain, and relaxes and stretches tight muscles, tendons, and ligaments, making it easier to move your joint. Massage also increases blood flow and makes it easier for your lymphatic system to remove excess fluids that cause swelling.

Treating Range of Motion Problems with Manipulation Therapy

If a subluxation is responsible for your range of motion problem, your chiropractor may recommend spinal manipulation. Subluxations happen when one or more vertebrae in your spine become misaligned.

During spinal manipulation, your chiropractor realigns your vertebrae by applying a quick burst of pressure to your spine. The treatment improves range of motion, reduces inflammation and stiffness, and eases pain. When your vertebrae are correctly aligned, tension on muscles and soft tissues decreases, improving your range of motion.

You may notice an improvement after one session with the chiropractor, although you may need to schedule a series of appointments to experience the full benefits of chiropractic care.

Joint manipulation, another chiropractic therapy, may be helpful if you have restricted range of motion in the knees, shoulders, elbows, or hips. This therapy involves gently manipulating the joint to improve its alignment and extend its range of motion. Other therapies, including ultrasound, cold laser therapy, or electrotherapy may also be part of your treatment plan.

Exercise

Exercise is an important part of your chiropractic treatment plan. Performing the exercises recommended by your chiropractor supports your treatment and keeps your tissues loose and flexible. A 2009 research study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine compared the effects of spinal manipulation with stretching to stretching exercises alone in two groups of golfers. Full-swing performance was improved in golfers in the spinal manipulation and exercise group after four chiropractic sessions. Golfers who only performed exercises didn't show any improvements in their swings.

Are your joints stiff, tight and painful? Chiropractic treatment can ease your pain and improve your range of motion. Contact us to schedule your appointment.

Sources:

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Effect of Spinal Manipulative Therapy with Stretching Compared with Stretching Alone on Full-Swing Performance of Golf Players: A Randomized Pilot Trial, 12/2009

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2786229/

Arthritis Foundation: Chiropractic Care for Arthritis

https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/physical-therapies/chiropractic-care-for-arthritis

American Chiropractic Association: Neck Pain

https://www.acatoday.org/patients/neck-pain-and-chiropractic/

UC Davis Health: Flexibility

https://health.ucdavis.edu/sports-medicine/resources/flexibility

May Newsletter: Long-Term Benefits of Chiropractic Adjustments

Wed, 08 May 2024 01:32:02 GMT

Long-Term Benefits of Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic treatments improve pain and help you recover from injuries. Visits to the chiropractor also offer lesser-known long-term benefits.

Pain Control for Chronic Conditions

Chiropractic adjustments keep the vertebrae in the spine properly aligned, which reduces pain, enhances joint flexibility, loosens tight tissues, and decreases inflammation. Adjustments take seconds and involve quick pressure that moves the vertebrae back into their normal position.

Visiting the chiropractor on a regular basis can help you keep these and other painful conditions under control:

Arthritis
Bulging or Herniated Discs
Tennis or Golf Elbow
Bursitis
Spinal Stenosis
Sciatica
Plantar Fasciitis
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)
Fibromyalgia
Scoliosis
Nerve Pain
Chronic Back or Neck Pain
Better Nerve Health

Adjustments can also improve nerve function by decreasing pressure on nerves by misaligned vertebrae, tight tissues, or bulging discs. Good nerve function is essential for normal organ function and also helps your immune system work efficiently.

No Insomnia

Sleeping is difficult when you're in pain. Chiropractic adjustments relieve pain, helping you get the sleep you need. Adjustments also prompt your body to produce serotonin and endorphins, hormones that ease pain, reduce stress, and help you feel calm and ready for a good night's sleep.

Fewer Headaches and Migraines

Do you struggle with migraines or tension headaches? Adjustments, massage, and other treatments can reduce the intensity of your headaches and decrease the number of days you experience headaches or migraines each month. In a research study published in the European Journal of Neurology in 2017, participants who received cervical (neck) spinal manipulation saw significant improvements in migraine intensity and improved scores on the headache disability index compared to the control group.

Improved Control of Chronic Health Problems

Chiropractic could help you manage your chronic health condition or diseases. Do you have asthma and feel like you can't breathe as deeply as you would like? Spinal manipulation may offer relief by loosening tight breathing muscles. Treatments also improve functioning of your gastrointestinal system and may relieve gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) symptoms. Adjustments decrease pressure on nerves leading to the stomach and intestines, improving the function of the gastrointestinal system.

Flexible Joints and Tissues

Adjustments help your joints, muscles, and tissues move freely and easily. Poor flexibility or range of motion due to misaligned vertebrae or tight tissues increases your risk of injury and can affect your balance. Chiropractic treatments keep your joints and tissues limber, helping you avoid painful falls, strains, and sprains.

Better Sports Performance

Professional athletes, like Seattle Mariner's first baseman Ty France, rely on chiropractors to improve their performance. When a spinal misalignment, or subluxation, made turning his neck difficult, France turned to chiropractic care for relief. The subluxation caused him to open his shoulders when swinging the bat, according to a July 25, 2023 sportskeeda article. A chiropractic adjustment and advice from a hitting coach improved France's form.

Adjustments could be just as beneficial to your sports performance. Misaligned vertebrae can lead to imbalances that affect speed, fluid movements, balance, and reaction time. Regular adjustments correct subluxations, ease aches and pains, and ensure that you're able to compete at the highest level.

Posture Correction

Poor posture stresses your neck and spine, causing pain. Unfortunately, it's difficult to improve your posture when your muscles and tissues are tight and your vertebrae are misaligned. Monthly visits to the chiropractor eliminate tightness and misalignments, making it easier to maintain good posture.

No Text Neck Pain

Do you use a laptop, desktop, tablet, or phone for work or fun? Looking down at your device strains the neck, shoulders, and upper back, causing text neck symptoms, like pain, headaches, sore muscles, muscle spasms, and numbness and tingling in your hands and fingers. Eventually, text neck may cause disc degeneration or a hump on your back. Fortunately, chiropractic adjustments, massage, trigger therapy and other treatments can help you avoid the long-term complications of text neck. Your chiropractor can also show you exercises to strengthen your neck and back and offer posture suggestions.

Radiology Case Reports noted how successful chiropractic treatment was for a YouTuber with text neck. After nine months of adjustments and traction therapy, the young man experienced improvements in neck curvature and muscle tension.

Would you like to take advantage of the benefits of chiropractic adjustments? Contact our office to make an appointment.

Sources:

NCBI: Radiology Case Reports: Preventing the Progression of Text Neck in a Young Man: A Case Report, 3/2022

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8784282/

Sportskeeda: Fact Check: Did a Chiropractor Fix Ty France's Swing? Mariners Slugger Reveals Surprising Tweak to His Game, 7/25/2023

https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-fact-check-did-chiropractor-fix-ty-france-s-swing-mariners-slugger-reveals-surprising-tweak-game

European Journal of Neurology: Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Migraine: A Three-Armed, Single-Blinded, Placebo, Randomized Controlled Trial, 1/2017

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27696633/

Cleveland Clinic: Chiropractic Adjustment, 4/25/2022

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21033-chiropractic-adjustment

May Newsletter: Does Chiropractic Care Improve Athletic Performance?

Wed, 08 May 2024 01:29:16 GMT

Does Chiropractic Care Improve Athletic Performance?

Whether you're struggling with frequent injuries or you don't feel you're achieving your full potential, chiropractic treatment could boost your athletic performance. Chiropractic care can be a valuable addition to your training regimen no matter what sport or activity you enjoy.

Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect

Have your skills plateaued or declined recently? Increasing your practice hours might seem like the ideal solution, but performance isn't always directly related to practice hours. Common sports abilities, like running, jumping, catching, throwing, and swinging depend on flexible joints and full range of motion.

A subluxation, or misalignment of the vertebrae in your spine, could affect these abilities. Although subluxations can cause pain, that's not always the case. While you may not feel any pain, you might notice that you can't run quite as fast or that your throwing accuracy is off. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments tighten when you have a subluxation and can contribute to joint stiffness. Subluxations can also cause muscle imbalances that increase your risk for injuries when practicing or playing sports.

How You'll Benefit from Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractic treatments focus on relieving pain, improving the alignment of your vertebrae, and increasing flexibility and range of motion. Treatments also keep your nerves healthy, ensuring that messages from your brain to your muscles aren't disrupted by pressure from subluxations or tight muscles and tissues.

Your chiropractic treatment plan may include heat and ice, massage, trigger point therapy, soft tissue mobilization and manipulation, ultrasound therapy, flexion distraction, and spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustments). Spinal manipulation, the most well-known chiropractic treatment, realigns your spine with quick hands-on movements or a handheld activator. Adjustments aren't just for the back and neck. Your chiropractor also adjusts misaligned joints.

Regular visits to the chiropractor may help you:

Improve Your Speed. A 50-year-old racewalker preparing for a world championship saw a 2 1/2 minute improvement in his personal best time four days after chiropractic treatment, according to a case study published in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia in 2010. The racewalker received spinal manipulation and adjustments to the tibiofemoral joint in the knee.
Be More Flexible: Tight, stiff joints and muscles make it difficult to run easily, extend your arms to catch a ball, or swing a golf club, tennis racquet, or baseball bat. Chiropractic treatments, like adjustments, massage, and soft tissue mobilization, improve flexibility and range of motion. Treatments also break apart scar tissue that can affect joint mobility after an injury.
Increase Your Strength. Keeping your spine properly aligned is essential for good muscle and nerve health. You may find it's easier to make gains with your strength training program when you receive regular chiropractic adjustments. It's certainly no surprise that many professional sports teams take advantage of the many benefits of chiropractic care. In fact, the Palmer College of Chiropractic Medicine notes that about 90% of professional athletes use chiropractic to reduce injuries and enhance performance.
Enhance Your Balance. Good balance is essential for any sport. Without it, you may be more likely to fall and break a bone, sprain a ligament, or strain a muscle. If you play soccer, basketball, or football, poor balance may affect your ability to quickly pivot when the direction of the action changes. Balance issues also make it harder to score, block an opponent, or recover from a hit or bump. Adjustments, massage, and other treatments prevent balance issues and help you optimize your performance.
Quicken Recovery Time. Chiropractic treatment helps you heal faster by keeping your spine properly aligned and your soft tissues loose and flexible. Adjustments, ultrasound therapy, massage, electrical stimulation, and other treatments ease pain naturally, reduce scar tissue, relieve inflammation, and promote healing. Your chiropractor can help you recover from sprains, strains, plantar fasciitis, shoulder injuries, tennis or golf elbow, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, bursitis, and back, neck, shoulder, leg, hip, knee, or ankle pain.
Sleep Better. A good night's sleep is crucial if you're an athlete. While you sleep, your body repairs tissues and replaces damaged cells. Unfortunately, it may be impossible to sleep well if you're in pain. Chiropractic treatment relieves aches and pain, helping you get the sleep you need.

Chiropractic care isn't just for professional athletes. Why not up your game with a visit to the chiropractor? Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

Chiropractic Journal of Australia: The Effect on a Racewalker's Sports Performance with Chiropractic Treatment: A Case Report, 8/2010

https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/312/files/The-Effect-on-a-Racewalkers-Sports-Performance.pdf

Chiropractic Economics: Top 7 Ways Chiropractic Boosts Sports Performance, 7/2/2019

https://www.chiroeco.com/sports-performance/

Palmer College of Chiropractic: Why Do Athletes Often Rely on Chiropractic Care?, 7/8/2022

https://www.palmer.edu/palmer-blog/why-do-athletes-often-rely-on-chiropractic-car

April Newsletter: How Therapeutic Exercises Can Help You Heal

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 02:03:13 GMT

How Therapeutic Exercises Help You Heal

Wondering if you really need to do the exercises your chiropractor recommends? Therapeutic exercises are an important part of your treatment plan and help enhance chiropractic care.

The Benefits of Therapeutic Exercises

Getting better as quickly as you can may be your goal, but healing will take longer if you don't stretch and strengthen your muscles. Therapeutic exercises can help you:

Improve Treatment Effectiveness. Adding therapeutic exercises to your chiropractic treatment plan can make the treatment your chiropractor uses more helpful and speed healing.
Relieve Pain Naturally. Chiropractic care relieves pain in your joints, muscles, and soft tissues without medication. Spinal manipulation, massage therapy, soft tissue mobilization, and other treatments increase your body's production of hormones that relieve pain. The exercises you perform at home also trigger your body's natural pain relief process and help keep aches and pains under control while you heal.
Increase Circulation. White blood cells and nutrients circulate in your blood and help your body repair itself. Unfortunately, blood flow can be restricted if you have a subluxation or injury. Poor blood flow slows the flow of nutrients to injured areas and can be a factor in slow healing. Chiropractic treatments improve blood flow, giving your tissues the help they need to heal.
Decrease Inflammation. Therapeutic exercise may also decrease inflammation, a key factor in pain and stiffness. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers noted that moderate exercise decreased inflammation and healing time in an experiment conducted with mice.
Become More Flexible. After an injury, tension in muscles and soft tissues often increases, particularly if you can't move a joint normally due to pain or stiffness. Your chiropractor may use spinal or joint manipulation combined with soft tissue mobilization or manipulation to improve your range of motion and flexibility. Performing therapeutic exercises at home will enhance those treatments and gently stretch tight tissues. When combined with chiropractic care, these exercises help you regain flexibility and range of motion more quickly.
Strengthen Your Muscles. Muscles become weaker when you don't use them. Unfortunately, injuries can affect your ability to move your muscles or may make movements painful. After days or weeks of reduced movement, your muscles may start to weaken. Performing the exercises your chiropractor recommends helps you safely improve muscle strength. Stronger muscles provide the support your joints need and help you avoid new injuries or subluxations.
Improve Balance. Balance issues can occur whether your condition was caused by an injury, condition, poor posture, or another cause. Tight or strained muscles can pull on the vertebrae in your spine, causing a misalignment called a subluxation. If you favor one side of your body, muscles on that side may become too strong, while others become too weak. This imbalance can lead to pain, strains, sprains, and falls. Exercises restore your body's natural balance when combined with spinal manipulation and other chiropractic treatments.

The therapeutic exercises your chiropractor suggests will depend on your diagnosis.

If you have low back pain, your chiropractor may recommend exercises that stabilize the back, strengthen your core, decrease pain, and improve your posture. A study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy evaluated the effects of spinal stabilization exercises versus general exercises for participants with low back pain. After performing planks, side planks, abdominal bracing exercises, and other exercises for eight weeks, the spinal stabilization group reported a significant improvement in functional movement over the general exercise group. Both groups also noticed improvements in pain intensity and disability level.

Therapeutic exercises offer an excellent way to make the most of your chiropractic treatment. Ready to make your next appointment? Give us a call to schedule your visit.

Sources:

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Exercise May Play Role in Reducing Inflammation in Damage Skin Tissue, 11/08/2007

https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/206467

International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy: Effectiveness of Spinal Stabilization Exercises on Movement Performance in Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain, 2/1/2023

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9897033/

SPINE-health: Exercise and Chiropractic Therapy, 3/14/2013

https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/exercise-and-chiropractic-therapy

Healthline: What Are Lumbar Stabilization Exercises?, 6/21/2018

https://www.healthline.com/health/lumbar-stabilization-exercises

April Newsletter: How Your Chiropractor Can Help with a Rotator Cuff Injury

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 01:58:38 GMT

How Your Chiropractor Can Help with a Rotator Cuff Injury

Your shoulder pain could be caused by an injury to the soft tissues in your rotator cuff. Rotator cuff injuries often occur in athletes but can affect anyone. No matter the cause of your injury, your chiropractor offers treatments designed to relieve pain and increase range of movement.

Causes and Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Injuries

The muscles in the rotator cuff stabilize your shoulder joint, allowing it to move easily. Rotator cuff injuries occur when a tendon that connects the shoulder muscles to the bone tears or becomes strained or inflamed. An injury can also happen if the bursae in the shoulder become inflamed. Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that help the tendons and bones move smoothly.

You may be more likely to develop a rotator cuff injury if you:

Do Repetitive Work. A job or hobby that involves repetitive motions increases your risk for a rotator cuff injury. Hair stylists, painters, construction workers, and people who lift heavy objects are at risk, as are weightlifters, tennis players, and baseball players.
Are 40 or Older. Blood supply to your tendons decreases as you age, making it harder for your body to repair damage. Your risk for developing a rotator cuff injury continues to increase as you get older. According to MedlinePlus, most people have rotator cuff tears by age 80.
Have an Accident. A fall or injury can damage your rotator cuff.
Have a Family History of Rotator Cuff Issues. You may be more likely to develop rotator cuff issues if your family members have had these injuries.

Rotator cuff injuries are painful and may make it difficult to raise your arm. Your arm may also feel weak, or you might notice numbness or tingling in your arm or hand.

Treating Your Rotator Cuff Injury with Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care p rovides a natural way to treat your rotator cuff injury. Treatments could decrease your reliance on pain medication and help you avoid surgery. Your chiropractor offers several helpful treatments for rotator cuff injuries, including:

Spinal Manipulation. Spinal manipulation may be recommended if vertebrae in your spine are misaligned. The hands-on treatment realigns the vertebrae, decreasing pressure on the muscles and tendons in your shoulder. Patients who received spinal manipulation during a study published in Manual Therapy, Posturology & Rehabilitation Journal reported decreased pain and a significant improvement in abduction movement in both shoulders. Abduction involves moving the shoulder away from the body. Spinal manipulation may also decrease inflammation and reduce pressure on nerves.
Heat and Ice. Heat and ice are helpful therapies that ease pain or inflammation in the shoulder.
Massage. Massage relaxes stiff muscles and improves the range of motion in your shoulder. During massage therapy and other chiropractic treatments, your body's production of pain-killing endorphins and serotonin increases.
Ultrasound Therapy. Ultrasound waves heat the deep tissues in your shoulder, which promotes healing while easing pain and inflammation.
Trigger Point Therapy. Trigger points are hard knots that may form in the muscles after a rotator cuff injury. The knots often cause radiating pain. During trigger point therapy, your chiropractor applies steady pressure to loosen the muscle fibers in the knots. Trigger point therapy and massage also break up scar tissue that can limit shoulder mobility and flexibility.
Exercises. Your chiropractor may show you a few exercises you can do at home to support your treatments. The exercises strengthen the muscles in your rotator cuff without straining them. When your muscles are stronger, you may be less likely to re-injure your rotator cuff. In a study published in the International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, researchers revealed that shoulder exercises combined with spinal manipulation decreased pain intensity and disability after the first two weeks and from the fourth to sixth week.

Wondering what you can do about your rotator cuff symptoms? Relieving your pain can be as simple as scheduling an appointment with our office.

Sources:

MedlinePlus: Rotator Cuff Injuries, 1/8/2024

https://medlineplus.gov/rotatorcuffinjuries.html

Manual Therapy, Posturology & Rehabilitation Journal: Effect of Spinal Manipulation on Shoulder Pain and Range of Motion in Individuals with Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy, 11/12/2016

https://www.mtprehabjournal.com/revista/article/view/1036

Science Direct: International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine: Spinal Manipulation Combined with Exercise Therapy Could Be More Effective than Exercise Therapy Alone for Shoulder Pain and Disability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, 12/2023

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1746068923000329

Cureus: Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment for a Chronic Rotator Cuff Tear: A Case Report, 9/30/2023

https://www.cureus.com/articles/184463-osteopathic-manipulative-treatment-for-a-chronic-rotator-cuff-tear-a-case-report#!/

March Newsletter: Chiropractic Care for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner's Knee)

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 02:21:03 GMT

Treating Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner's Knee) with Chiropractic Care

It may be known as "runner's" knee, but you don't have to be a runner to develop patellofemoral pain syndrome. This common knee condition affects more than 22% of Americans every year, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in PLOS One in 2018. Luckily, chiropractic care can help you manage your pain.

What Is Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome?

Patellofemoral pain syndrome affects the front of the knee, including the area in and around the kneecap. The condition may occur due to:

A Misaligned Kneecap
Overuse Injury
Gait Problems
Activities That Involve Frequent Jumping, Running, or Squatting
Tight Achilles Tendon or Hamstring
Weakness in the Thigh Muscles
Excessive Pronation (Rolling the Feet Inward When Walking)

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, you may be more like to develop patellofemoral pain syndrome due to abnormal tracking (movement) of the kneecap or leg alignment issues.

Any type of activity that bends or stresses the knee, like jumping, squatting, running, climbing, or even walking up a flight of stairs can trigger or worsen your knee pain and cause grinding or popping sounds. Pain can also be a problem when sitting due to the stress on the knee. In some cases, the knee can become stiff, weak, or unstable.

Easing Your Pain with Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractors focus on treating your pain and preventing it from returning. During your visit, you'll receive a thorough examination that will help your chiropractor diagnose the reason for your knee pain. As part of the diagnosis process, you may receive an X-ray or other tests.

Sometimes knee pain has unexpected causes. For example, a misalignment in the vertebrae in your lower spine could trigger an imbalance in your thigh muscles. If your muscles aren't balanced properly, your kneecap may become misaligned. Realigning the vertebrae with spinal manipulation not only relieves pain but may also reverse the imbalance and help improve muscle strength.

Spinal manipulation, one of many helpful treatments your chiropractor offers, restores the alignment of your vertebrae. Adjusting misaligned vertebrae offers many benefits, including natural pain relief, inflammation reduction, improved blood flow, and enhanced flexibility. The treatment only takes seconds and involves moving the vertebrae back into place with quick thrusts of the hand or an activator.

In a research study published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders in 2008, researchers reported that patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome had greater improvements in pain and function after spinal manual therapy (spinal manipulation) over those who only performed exercises.

Other chiropractic treatments that may be part of your patellofemoral pain syndrome treatment plan include:

Joint Alignment. This treatment may be used to gently realign your knee joint and reduce stiffness.
Soft Tissue Therapy. Massage and other soft tissue therapies relieve stiffness and soreness, help improve flexibility, and improve muscle imbalances.
Ultrasound Therapy. Soundwaves produced during ultrasound therapy heat the deep tissues in and around your knee. The therapy improves pain and spurs healing.
Orthotics. Properly supported feet are essential for good knee and leg alignment. If you have excessive pronation or another issue that affects the feet, your chiropractor may recommend orthotics. These custom-designed shoe inserts keep your feet aligned correctly when you wear shoes, in addition to improving support and comfort.
Exercises. Your chiropractor may also recommend exercises to strengthen the muscles that support your kneecap.

Ready to say goodbye to patellofemoral pain syndrome? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

PLOS One: Incidence and Prevalence of Patellofemoral Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, 1/11/2018

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5764329/

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, 10/2020

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders: Effectiveness of Local Exercise Therapy Versus Spinal Manual Therapy in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Medium Term Follow-Up Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial, 5/15/2021

https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-021-04310-9

WebMD: Runner’s Knee: What You Need to Know, 12/15/2021

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/runners-knee

March Newsletter: Chiropractic Care for Neuropathy

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 02:15:36 GMT

Chiropractic Care Could Ease Your Neuropathy Symptoms

Finding a treatment that keeps your pain under control can be difficult when you have neuropathy. Whether you're experiencing pain, burning, tingling, or numbness, your chiropractor can help relieve your neuropathy symptoms.

What Is Neuropathy?

Neuropathy happens when one or more nerves are damaged due to illnesses, injuries, toxins, or infections. The damage affects the normal transmission of nerve signals between the body and the brain. Neuropathy types include:

Peripheral Neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy, one of the most common forms of neuropathy, affects nerves outside the spinal cord and brain. An estimated 20 million Americans have the disorder, although the actual number may be higher, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Peripheral neuropathy symptoms are often felt in hands, feet, arms, or legs. Diabetic neuropathy, a type of neuropathy caused by high blood sugar, is a common type of peripheral neuropathy.
Focal Neuropathy. Focal neuropathy affects just one nerve and may happen if swollen tissues, a bone spur, or a misaligned vertebra presses on a nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common type of focal neuropathy.
Autonomic Neuropathy. This form of neuropathy affects important bodily functions, like blood pressure, heart rate, bowel movements, and urination. It can be caused by injuries, diabetes, or other diseases, like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's Disease.
Cranial Neuropathy. Cranial neuropathy occurs when nerves in the brain are damaged. Bell's palsy, a condition that causes weakness or paralysis of facial muscles is a type of cranial neuropathy.

Neuropathy Symptoms

Symptoms vary depending on the type of neuropathy but may include:

Pain, Which Can Be Severe
Tingling
Numbness
Burning
Weakness
Muscle Cramps or Twitching
Poor Coordination
Loss of Sensation
Loss of Bladder or Bowel Control

How Your Chiropractor Can Help

The treatments chiropractors provide relieve pressure on the nerves by keeping your spine and joints properly aligned and reducing tension on soft tissues. If you're experiencing tingling, pain, burning, and weakness in your arm, hand, foot, or leg, a misaligned vertebra, tight muscles or tendons, or a bulging disc could be to blame.

Small bones called vertebrae give structure to your spine, In addition to protecting your spinal cord, the vertebrae make it possible to move, bend, and twist easily. Your vertebrae can become misaligned due to a fall or poor posture. Although your posture may be perfectly fine when you're standing, spending hours hunched over your laptop or a video controller could cause misalignments, also known as subluxations.

A misaligned vertebrae could press on a nerve, triggering neuropathy symptoms. As a result of the subluxation, muscles and tendons can tighten in response and exert pressure on your nerves. A bulging disc in your spine could also be to blame for your neuropathy symptoms.

Your chiropractor offers treatments that relieve pressure on nerves to ease your symptoms. Spinal manipulation treatment restores vertebrae to their normal positions while easing pain, improving circulation and blood flow, and triggering the release of hormones that act as natural painkillers. Realigning spine allows tight muscles and tissues to relax and withdraw from your nerves.

If a bulging disc is the source of your neuropathy symptoms, your chiropractor may recommend flexion-distraction treatment. During the therapy, you'll lie on a segmented table that moves as your chiropractor adjusts your spine. The therapy decompresses your spine, which reduces pressure on spinal discs and nerves. It can also relieve muscle spasms and improve your range of motion.

Massage therapy offers a simple way to loosen tight tissues while reducing pain and improving blood flow. Soft tissue mobilization can help reduce the symptoms of Bell's Palsy. During treatments, your chiropractor gently manipulates the face to improve movement and mobility. In a case study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine in 2013, chiropractic manipulation and low-level laser therapy improved facial movement by 70 - 80% in a 40-year-old patient. After the second treatment, the patient regained complete control of facial movement.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy, another helpful treatment for neuropathy, involves preventing pain by sending a gentle electrical current through the skin. The current blocks nerve signals from reaching the brain.

Wondering if chiropractic treatment can relieve your neuropathy symptoms? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Peripheral Neuropathy

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/peripheral-neuropathy

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Chiropractic Management of Bell Palsy with Low Level Laser and Manipulation: A Case Report, 12/2013

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3838725/

NCBI: Neuroreport: Spinal Manipulative Therapy Reduces Peripheral Neuropathic Pain in the Rat, 2/7/2018

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363337/

MedlinePlus: Peripheral Neuropathy, 4/25/2022

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000593.htm

Chiropractic Economics: The Extensive Benefits of a Chiropractic Flexion Table, 9/15/16

https://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic-flexion-distraction-tables/

February Newsletter: How Your Chiropractor Can Help with Degenerative Disc Disease

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 02:25:09 GMT

How Your Chiropractor Can Help with Degenerative Disc Disease

Wondering why you have a nagging pain in your back or neck? Your symptoms could be caused by changes in the discs in your spine, the rubbery structures that cushion the your vertebrae. Over time, spinal discs may break down, or degenerate, due to aging or injury. Chiropractic treatment offers an effective way to reduce pain, stiffness, and other degenerative disc disease symptoms.

What Causes Degenerative Disc Disease?

Years of moving, twist, bending, running, and jumping take a toll on your spinal discs and can be a factor in degenerative disc disease. One-third of people aged 40-59 have moderate to severe degenerative disc disease, according to research from Hebrew SeniorLife's Institute for Aging and Boston Medical Center. Unsurprisingly, this rate increases in people 60 and older.

Water inside the discs helps keep them plump and healthy. As the water content decreases with age, the discs become flatter and don't provide quite as much cushioning when you bend, lift, or move.

Cracks and tears in discs are more likely to happen as discs flatten and dry out. Herniated discs can occur if the inner, jelly-like center of the disc protrudes through a tear in the tougher outer layer. Bulging discs press on nerves, triggering pain.

Aging isn't the only factor in degenerative disc disease. The condition may also be caused by obesity. Excess weight stresses every part of your body, including your spine. Although losing weight is always helpful, the damage may already be done if you were overweight or obese for several years.

Your discs could also degenerate due to an injury or fall, smoking, or your job. If your work requires frequent twisting or heavy lifting, you may be more likely to develop degenerative disc disease. Has a family member of yours been diagnosed with the condition? If so, you may be at increased risk for back or neck pain due to degenerative disc disease.

Degenerative disc disease symptoms range from mild to severe and can come and go. Symptoms may include:

Back or Neck Pain
Neck or Back Stiffness
Trouble Bending or Twisting
Numbness and Tingling in Arms or Legs, Depending on the Location of the Problem Disc
Sciatica

Chiropractic Treatments That Relieve Degenerative Disc Disease Pain

Your chiropractor offers several treatments that will reduce pain and stiffness, including:

Massage Therapy. Massage loosens tight tissues and reduces inflammation in your back or neck. This therapy also boosts the production of natural hormones that ease pain and encourage relaxation.
Spinal Manipulation. Spinal manipulation realigns the vertebrae in your neck or back, improving mobility and decreasing pain and stiffness.
Flexion-Distraction Therapy. Conducted on a special moving table, this therapy stretches the spine, improves blood flow to the discs, reduces pressure on the discs and tissues, and decreases bulging if you have a herniated disc.
Ultrasound Therapy. Ultrasound therapy creates heat that soothes and relaxes deep tissues and improves blood flow while relieving pain.
Trigger Point Therapy. Trigger point therapy targets the hard knots in the muscles that can develop due to degenerative disc disease. Your chiropractor applies steady pressure that loosens and stretches the tight fibers in the muscle.

Chiropractic care may significantly improve your pain and quality of life, as illustrated by a report in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. The report detailed the effects of chiropractic care on a 74-year-old man with low-back pain and loss of feeling in his legs.

After two weeks of activator-assisted spinal manipulation treatment, the man reported that his back pain was gone. Activator-assisted spinal manipulation treatment involves using a small, handheld activator to realign the vertebrae.

Do you need help with your degenerative disc disease symptoms? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

Hebrew SeniorLife: One-Third of People Aged 40-59 Have Evidence of Degenerative Disc Disease, 5/18/2018

https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org/news/one-third-people-aged-40-59-have-evidence-degenerative-disc-disease

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Chiropractic Management of a Veteran with Lower Back Pain Associated with Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hypertrophy and Degenerative Disk Disease, 12/2012

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3706700/

WebMD: What Is Degenerative Disk Disease?, 10/25/2023

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/degenerative-disk-disease-overview

American Chiropractic Association: Neck Pain

https://www.acatoday.org/patients/neck-pain-and-chiropractic/

February Newsletter: Chiropractic Care for Fibromyalgia

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 02:23:08 GMT

Chiropractic Care for Fibromyalgia

Controlling pain can be a never-ending challenge when you have fibromyalgia. Medications don't always completely relieve symptoms or may cause side effects that make you feel worse. Chiropractic care decreases your pain and may even reduce fatigue and improve headaches.

Fibromyalgia and Pain

Everything hurts when you have fibromyalgia. Pain is hard to treat because you never know where you'll experience it next or how long a flare-up will last. Unfortunately, pain isn't the only symptom of fibromyalgia. If you have the condition, you may also experience:

Stiff Muscles and Joints
Sleep Problems
Headaches
Jaw Pain
Tingling and Numbness in Hands and Feet
Gastrointestinal Problems
Irritable Bladder
Migraines
Fatigue
Memory and Concentration Problems
Anxiety
Depression

Although inflammation may seem like a likely reason your joints and muscles hurt, that may not always be the case. In fact, the condition might be related to an issue with the nervous system, according to the American College of Rheumatology.

Pain involves a complex relationship between your brain and your nerves. Your nerves constantly send information to the brain via the spinal cord. Some messages help the brain identify the position of your limbs and keep you from falling. Others make it possible to feel heat from a hot oven and help you avoid a burn.

Nociceptors, nerve cells responsible for pain stimuli, also send signals to the brain. The brain determines if the stimuli are painful and decides how much pain you'll feel. If there's a problem during any part of this complex process, you may feel pain even if you haven't injured yourself.

How Chiropractors Treat Fibromyalgia

Chiropractors commonly treat conditions that affect the nerves and understand how nervous system problems may play a part in fibromyalgia symptoms. Improving the function of your nervous system with chiropractic could help you control and decrease common symptoms.

Pressure on your nerves could be making your fibromyalgia symptoms worse. It's difficult for signals to travel back and forth to the brain when nerves are compressed. If the nerves to your stomach are compressed, you might experience indigestion or other stomach issues. Pressure on the nerves that serve your soft tissues could increase the pain you feel in your muscles.

Tight muscles or tissues or subluxations are possible causes of increased pressure on the nerves. A subluxation occurs when a vertebra in your spinal column becomes misaligned.

Chiropractors offer several treatments that could ease your symptoms, including:

Spinal Manipulation. Spinal manipulation involves adjusting the position of misaligned vertebrae with an activator or quick, hands-on movements. Realigning the vertebrae eliminates pressures on the nerves, improves range of motion, and may ease pain and other fibromyalgia symptoms. Australian researchers noted the positive effects of chiropractic in a study published in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia. A woman who received spinal manipulation treatments during the study reported less pain and fatigue, better overall health, and improved sleep quality after the treatments.
Massage and Soft Tissue Manipulation. Chiropractors use these therapies to gently relax sore muscles and tissues. Massage and soft tissue manipulation ease pain, reduce stiffness and tender spots, and improve flexibility. These therapies can also be helpful if tight neck and shoulder muscles contribute to your headache pain.

Chiropractic treatments prompt the body to release endorphins and serotonin, hormones that naturally ease pain. The hormones also help you feel relaxed, which could improve sleep quality and duration.

Regular visits to the chiropractor will help you keep your symptoms under control. As part of your treatment plan, your chiropractor may also recommend exercises that will ease pain and stiffness and strengthen your muscles.

Ready to find out if chiropractic can reduce your fibromyalgia symptoms? Contact our office to schedule a visit with the chiropractor.

Sources:

American College of Rheumatology: Fibromyalgia, 2/2023

https://rheumatology.org/patients/fibromyalgia

Chiropractic Journal of Australia: Chiropractic Treatment for Fibromyalgia, 3/13/2018

https://www.cjaonline.com.au/index.php/cja/article/view/193

CDC: Fibromyalgia, 5/25/2022

https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/types/fibromyalgia.htm

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease: Fibromyalgia

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/fibromyalgia

January Newsletter: Natural Pain Relief: How Chiropractic Can Help Your Back Pain

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 02:31:18 GMT

Natural Pain Relief: How Chiropractic Can Help Your Back Pain

Drug manufacturers make billions of dollars selling pain medication, thanks in part to the many Americans who suffer from back pain. Pain remedies don't have to come from the drugstore. Chiropractic treatment eases back pain naturally, without any of the side effects that can occur from taking prescription or over-the-counter medications.

Are You Struggling with Back Pain?

Poor posture, falls, injuries, and aging all take a toll on your back, causing aches and pains that may linger no matter how many remedies and medications you try. At best, pain medication offers temporary relief from symptoms. Unfortunately, some drugs are addictive or cause nausea, dizziness, and other negative side effects.

Back pain happens for a reason. It could be that you have a bulging disc in your spine or a sprained or strained muscle. In some cases, back pain occurs when one of the vertebrae in your spine becomes misaligned. The misalignment, called a subluxation, also affects surrounding tissues, causing tightness and inflammation that make movement painful.

Chiropractic treatment doesn't just address your symptoms. It treats the cause of your pain. Once your chiropractor determines why your back hurts, he or she creates a treatment plan designed to ease your symptoms and prevent your symptoms from returning.

Relieving Back Pain with Spinal Manipulation

Your treatment plan for back pain will probably include spinal manipulation treatment. The therapy realigns the vertebrae in your spine, relieving pain and stiffness and increasing mobility. Although you may have heard people refer to this treatment as "cracking" the back, there's no cracking involved. In fact, the popping sound you may hear is caused by the release of gas bubbles that were trapped in your body's tissues.

During spinal manipulation, your chiropractor uses quick hands-on pressure or an activator to move your vertebrae back into place. Once the natural alignment of the spine is restored, you'll notice a reduction in pain, more freedom of movement, and less stiffness.

Spinal manipulation offers a proven way to treat back pain. The therapy is as effective as medical care and physical therapy, according to Frontiers in Pain Research. Regular spinal manipulation treatments keep your spine aligned and your tissues flexible. This therapy may also prevent imbalances that lead to falls, strains, and sprains.

Beyond Spinal Manipulation: Other Chiropractic Therapies That Treat Back Pain

Wondering what other treatments you can expect to receive at the chiropractor's office? Your visit may start with heat therapy. In addition to feeling good, heat loosens tight tissues and improves blood flow.

Massage is often used in back pain treatment at the chiropractic office. This therapy loosens tight tissues and releases pain-killing hormones, like endorphins and serotonin, that reduce pain while improving your mood.

Another type of hands-on treatment, spinal mobilization, might be used to gently stretch your spine. Spinal mobilization also relieves painful tension in the muscles between your vertebrae.

If your back pain is being caused by a bulging disc, your chiropractor might recommend relieving pressure on the disc with flexion-distraction. The therapy is performed on a special table that moves as your chiropractor manipulates your spine. Flexion-distraction stretches and decompresses the spine, offering an effective, natural pain relief method.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is another good option for back pain relief. Small electrodes placed on your skin deliver a gentle electrical current. The current stops pain signals before they can reach the brain, preventing you from feeling pain.

Depending on your symptoms, your treatment plan may also incorporate cold therapy or ultrasound therapy to heat and relax deep tissues. Your chiropractor can offer tips to improve your posture and recommend exercises and stretches that will help you extend the results of your chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractic treatments offer many benefits, including:

No Negative Side Effects
All-Natural Pain Control
Long-Lasting Results
Reduced Inflammation
Less Inflammation and Stiffness
Increased Range of Motion
Improved Posture

Have you been looking for an effective treatment for your back pain? Chiropractic care may offer the answer. Contact our office to schedule your appointment.

Sources:

NCBI: Frontiers in Pain Research: Clinical Effectiveness of Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Spine Pain, 10/25/2021

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8915715/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Back, Lower Limb, and Upper Limb Pain Among US Adults, 7/2021

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db415.htm

HealthCentral: Chiropractic Care and Back Pain: Non-Invasive Treatment for Bulging, Ruptured, or Herniated Discs (Slipped Discs), 5/10/2019

https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/herniated-disc/chiropractic-care-back-pain-non-invasive-treatment-bulging-ruptured-or?legacy=spu

January Newsletter: The Role the Feet Play in the Kinetic Chain of the Body

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 02:29:47 GMT

Feet Are a Crucial Link in Your Body's Kinetic Chain

Your feet play an essential role in the structure and stability of your body. If they're not strong, you're more likely to develop a variety of aches and pains throughout your body. In fact, feet are one of the most important links in the kinetic chain.

What Is the Kinetic Chain?

A train can derail if just one car starts to wobble on the tracks. Since each car is linked, any unusual movement in one car sets off a chain reaction that affects the other cars in the link.

The body works much the same way. Every body part is part of a linked system called the kinetic chain. The links in the chain work together to provide support and stability and allow easy movement. An issue with one link in the chain can lead to problems that affect other areas.

What Is the Role of the Feet in the Kinetic Chain?

Your feet serve several important roles, including:

Supporting Your Weight. Strong arches distribute your weight evenly over the surface of your feet.
Keeping Your Bones Properly Aligned. Your feet serve as the foundation for your body. Without a strong foundation, the bones in your legs, hips, and back may become misaligned.
Absorbing Shock. Feet absorb shock when you walk, run, and move. If there's a problem with your feet, the other body parts in the chain must absorb more shock than they should, which can lead to pain and injuries.

A problem with your feet, such as flat feet or high arches, can alter the alignment of the bones in your legs, hips, and back. Excessive pronation, a common foot problem that occurs when your feet turn inward too much, may also be to blame for your aches and pain. Any foot issue may force the other links in the kinetic chain to rearrange themselves to compensate. Unfortunately, this may cause misalignments that affect your posture, balance, and gait.

If you don't correct the problem, you might develop ankle, knee, hip, or back pain. A kinetic chain issue can also cause:

Sore Muscles
Calf Pain
Falls and Injuries Due to Balance and Gait Problems
Leg Weakness
Stress Fractures
Plantar Fasciitis
Achille Tendinitis

One side of your body may become unusually weak or strong as it struggles to realign itself. This can cause imbalances that pull on muscles and tissues and force the vertebrae in your spine out of alignment.

What You Can Do to Keep Your Feet Strong and Healthy

Protecting the kinetic chain starts with good foot care. Keep your feet in top shape by:

Choosing Shoes Carefully. Look for comfortable shoes that offer arch support and provide plenty of room to wiggle your toes. Shoes like flip-flops are fine for occasional wear but shouldn't be your primary footwear choice. The American Podiatric Medical Association notes that flip-flops don't offer enough arch support or shock absorption.
Visiting Your Chiropractor. If nothing you do eases your back, hip, or leg pain, a problem with your feet may be to blame. Your chiropractor will perform a thorough examination to determine if a foot issue is the cause of your pain or a contributing factor. He or she can also provide a variety of treatments that will relieve your painful symptoms, such as spinal manipulation to realign misaligned vertebrae, massage to relax tight tissues, or ultrasound to warm and soothe deep tissues.
Using Orthotics. During your visit to the chiropractic office, your chiropractor may recommend orthotics. These custom prescription shoe inserts keep your foot properly aligned when you wear shoes, add extra cushioning, and provide arch support. Orthotics improve your comfort, help you avoid injuries, and keep your kinetic chain balanced. The inserts can be particularly helpful if you're a runner. In a study published in the World Journal of Orthopaedics, researchers reported that people who wore orthotics when running were more comfortable, ran 0.3 mph faster, and were 2.22 times less likely to experience injuries.

Wondering if your pain could be caused by a kinetic chain issue? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

American Podiatric Medical Association: Avoid a Flip-Flop Fiasco

https://www.apma.org/flipflopFAQ

World Journal of Orthopaedics: Does Orthotics Use Improve Comfort, Speed, and Injury Rate During Running? a Randomised Control Trial, 5/18/2023

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10251264/

National Institute of Health: Focus on Your Feet, 3/2023

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2023/03/focus-your-feet

Harvard Health Publishing: Feet: How Your Feet Work – and Three Steps for Keeping Them Healthy, 8/1/2009

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Special-section-Feet-How-your-feet-work---and-three-steps-for-keeping-them-healthy

Chiropractic Economics: As a Chiropractor, You Need to Be Supporting the Kinetic Chain, 11/2/2018

https://www.chiroeco.com/kinetic-chain-orthotics/

Ace Fitness: What Is the Kinetic Chain, 1/8/2019

https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/ace-answers/exam-preparation-blog/2929/what-is-the-kinetic-chain/

December Newsletter: Chiropractic Care for Hip Pain

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 02:35:27 GMT

Not Sure What to Do About Your Hip Pain? Chiropractic Care Could Be the Answer to Your Problem

Gritting your teeth and ignoring the pain aren't the only options available when your hip aches. If hip pain has begun to affect your life, it's time to consider chiropractic care. Your chiropractor offers several treatments designed to improve hip function and reduce aches, pain, and muscle spasms.

What Causes Hip Pain?

Although falls are one cause of hip pain, several other issues can trigger pain as well. Exercise may stress or strain hip flexor muscles and soft tissues, as can a change in your gait or posture. If you've recently taken up running or another sport, you may be more likely to experience muscle spasms or tight, sore muscles around your hips. Thirty to forty percent of adults who play sports have chronic hip pain, according to UpToDate.

Age can be another factor in hip pain, even if you've never fallen. UpToDate estimates that 12 to 15% of adults over 60 experience hip pain.

The type of work you do could be to blame for your pain. British researchers discovered that people who sat or stood for prolonged periods, walked long distances over rough ground, lifted or moved heavy weights, or jumped were more likely to experience hip pain.

In some cases, hip pain occurs due to an issue with the arches in your feet. Your arches support your weight and help keep your ankles, knees, hips, and back properly aligned. If your feet turn too far in or are flat, or you wear shoes that don't support your feet adequately, the alignment of your legs, hips, and back can be affected.

A spinal misalignment, or subluxation, could also be to blame for your hip issues. Subluxations affect the vertebrae, the small bones that make up your spine. Spinal discs between the vertebrae give the spine its flexibility and allow you to bend, twist, and move easily.

Sometimes the vertebrae become misaligned, causing pain that can extend from your back to your hips and pelvis. Subluxations may also affect the ball-and-socket hip joint, causing pain every time you walk or move your hips.

Other causes of hip pain include:

Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Bursitis
Sciatica
Tendinitis
Overuse Injuries
Stress Fractures
Weak Core Muscles
Inguinal Hernias
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Fibromyalgia

Using Manipulation to Treat Hip Pain

Chiropractors treat the source of pain rather than focusing primarily on symptoms. After a thorough examination that may involve X-rays or other tests, your doctor prepares a treatment plan. The specifics of your plan will depend on the cause and severity of your pain but may include spinal or joint manipulation.

If your hip pain is due to a subluxation in your spine, your chiropractor might recommend spinal manipulation. Using quick thrusts, he or she relieves pain by moving misaligned vertebrae back into their normal position. Manipulation can also be used to realign your hip joints. Joint manipulation relieves pressure and pain on surrounding muscles and tissues while reducing inflammation and irritation, improving blood flow, and restoring normal range of motion.

Dulling Pain with Hot and Cold Therapy

Both heat and cold offer natural pain-relieving properties. Cold packs reduce inflammation and dull pain, while heat soothes sore, tight muscles, taking the edge off pain. These therapies may be used before and after your chiropractic treatment.

Improving Foot Alignment with Orthotics

If your chiropractor determines that an issue with the arches in your feet causes or contributes to your hip pain, orthotics may be recommended. The custom-designed shoe inserts support your feet and keep your legs, hips, and back properly aligned.

Soothing Tight Tissues with Massage Therapy

Massage loosens and relaxes tight muscles and tissues and reduces muscle spasms and stiffness. This therapy, like many other treatments your chiropractor provides, prompts the body to produce natural pain-killing hormones.

Other Therapies

Your treatment plan may also include ultrasound, trigger point, or electrical stimulation therapies. Ultrasound relaxes tight muscles and tissues, boosts blood flow, and improves pain. Trigger point therapy breaks up knots that can cause hip pain, while electric stimulation prevents pain signals from reaching the brain.

Do you suffer from frequent hip pain? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor to discuss treatment options.

Sources:

UpToDate: Approach to the Adult with Unspecified Hip Pain, 6/14/2023

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/approach-to-the-adult-with-unspecified-hip-pain

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases: Hip Pain Onset in Relation to Cumulative Workplace and Leisure Time Mechanical Load: A Population- Based Case-Control Study, 4/1/2003

https://ard.bmj.com/content/62/4/322

WebMD: Hip Pain: Causes and Treatment, 3/8/2022

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/hip-pain-causes-and-treatment

Prevention: How a Chiropractor Can Help Relieve Your Nagging Hip Pain, 11/14/2020

https://www.prevention.com/health/a34285910/chiropractor-for-hip-pain/

December Newsletter: How Wearing High-Heeled Shoes Can Lead to Scoliosis

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 02:33:36 GMT

December Newsletter: How Wearing High-Heeled Shoes Can Lead to Scoliosis

Aching feet aren't the only downside to wearing high heels. If heels are your go-to shoe, you may be at risk for developing scoliosis, a painful condition that affects the curvature of your spine. Choosing lower-heeled shoes and visiting your chiropractor could lower your scoliosis risk or help ease your pain if you already have the condition.

What Is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis occurs due to an abnormal curvature of the spine. When viewed from behind, a normal spine looks straight, although it actually it has a few curves that support your body. If you're diagnosed with scoliosis, your spine may look like a "C" or "S" instead of a straight line.

The condition is often diagnosed in teenagers, but people of any age can develop scoliosis. Any activity that stresses your spine or the tissues that support it, like wearing high heels, can increase your risk for developing scoliosis.

In addition to a curved spine, one side of the rib cage or one shoulder may protrude more than the other. Additional symptoms include:

Back, Neck, Hip, Rib, or Shoulder Pain
Headaches
Uneven Shoulders or Hips
Sciatica
Weak Muscles
Muscle Spasms and Soreness
Numbness in Legs, Feet, Hands, and Arms
Difficulty Standing or Sitting for Long Periods
Leg Length Differences
Posture Changes

How Can High-Heels Cause Scoliosis?

Wearing high heels changes the way you stand and walk and changes your center of gravity. Heels are designed to slope downward, increasing pressure on the front of your feet. The slope may cause foot pain, alter the alignment of your knees, hips, and back, and cause you to arch your back when walking. Muscles and tissues that support your spine may tighten as a result of your new posture. Eventually, the changes could cause spinal misalignments or affect the curvature of your spine.

High heels also stress the tissues and joints in your knees, hips, and back. Frequent high-heel wear could increase your risk for scoliosis and other conditions, like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and knee and hip arthritis.

In a study published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, researchers reported that wearing high heels could affect the spinal muscles and the pelvis. An increase in spinal muscle activity may cause muscle overuse and low back problems, while a lower pelvic range of motion tightens tissues in the pelvis and lower back.

European researchers noted women who wore high heels tended to bend their knees and ankles more than normal. In some cases, the changing center of gravity that occurred with high heel wear affected the curvature of the vertebrae in the neck, according to the study, which appeared in the European Spine Journal.

What Can Your Chiropractor Do to Help?

Chiropractic care offers several benefits that could help you avoid scoliosis or reduce painful symptoms. Treatment options may include:

Heat and Ice Therapies. Ice decreases pain and inflammation, while heat relaxes tissues. These therapies may be offered before or after other chiropractic treatments.
Spinal Manipulation. This treatment improves pain by correcting misalignments in your spine. When your spine is correctly aligned, tight muscles, ligaments, and tendons relax. The treatment can also improve the range of motion and flexibility of your back.
Massage. Massage stretches and soothes tight muscles and tissues and eases pain and spasms. Have you ever noticed that you feel incredibly relaxed after a massage? The hands-on therapy spurs the production of hormones that relieve pain naturally, while enhancing relaxation and improving mood.
Ultrasound. Ultrasound isn't just a diagnostic tool. Chiropractors use ultrasound waves to heat and relax deep tissues. The therapy also improves blood circulation and lowers inflammation.
Other Therapies. Your chiropractor may use soft tissue mobilization or myofascial tissue release to release knots in muscles, or recommend transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to stop pain signals from traveling to your brain.

You can also take a few steps to ease your symptoms, including:

Performing the Daily Stretches and Exercises Recommended by Your Chiropractor
Choosing Shoes with One- to Two-Inch Heels and Limiting High Heels to Special Occasions
Wearing Platform Shoes That Distribute Pressure More Evenly Than Stiletto Heels

Are you struggling with scoliosis pain? Call our office to schedule a convenient appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

PubMed: American Journal of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation: The Effect of Walking in High- and Low-Heeled Shoes or Erector Spinae Activity and Pelvis Kinematics During Gait, 5/2012

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22311060/

European Spine Journal: Influence of High-Heeled Shoes on the Sagittal Balance of the Spine and the Whole Body, 11/2016

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27206516/

American Association of Neurological Surgeons: Scoliosis

https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Scoliosis

Scientific Research: Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation: Chiropractic Rehabilitation of a Scoliosis Family: Results from a 9-Year Follow-Up, 2/2017

https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=73851

American Osteopathic Association: A Dance Medicine Doctor Tackles High Heel Harm

https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/the-real-harm-in-high-heels/

November Newsletter: Tips for Chiropractic Adjustment Aftercare

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 02:37:21 GMT

Tips for Chiropractic Adjustment Aftercare

You've just arrived home from your visit with the chiropractor and feel wonderful. Your headache is gone, your neck and back feel great, and your limbs are loose and limber. Unfortunately, that amazing post-care treatment feeling tends to fade after a few days. If you'd like to extend your adjustment effects, try a few of these aftercare tips.

Take It Easy

Although you may feel like you could do absolutely anything after your adjustment, participating in strenuous exercise or activities could undo the results of your treatment and delay healing. Strenuous activities, like weightlifting or replacing the toilet in the guest bathroom, could cause misalignments, or subluxations, in the vertebrae in your back. When the vertebrae aren't correctly aligned, stress on your soft tissues and nerves increases, causing pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. If you want to maximize the effects of your treatment, it's best to avoid vigorous activity for a day or two. Less stressful forms of exercise, like walking or swimming, are best soon after your treatment.

Do Your Exercises

Your chiropractic treatment plan probably includes exercises and stretches designed to enhance and prolong the effects of your treatment. Stretches keep your muscles, tissues, and joints limber, while exercises strengthen the muscles that support your bones and joints. Performing the stretches and exercises every day is a simple way to prevent or reduce joint and muscle pain. Regular exercise also improves blood flow, prevents scar tissue formation, and could improve your stamina and balance.

Drink Up

Chiropractic adjustments may release toxins that trigger pain and inflammation. Once the toxins are released, they're naturally eliminated from the body. Drinking water speeds the removal of toxins from your body, preventing lingering pain or stiffness. Not sure how much water you should drink? Harvard Health Publishing recommends drinking four to six cups of water per day, although the ideal water intake varies depending on activity level, air temperature, and age.

Focus on Your Movements and Posture

Painting the ceiling, weeding your garden, or other chores that involve holding your body in the same position aren't recommended after a chiropractic adjustment. These types of activities stress the muscles, which then tug on your vertebrae and move them out of alignment. Paying attention to your posture when you're sitting, standing, and walking will help you avoid painful subluxations.

Smooth, fluid movements are important after an adjustment. Jerky or abrupt movements can also lead to strained or stressed tissues, joint pain, or subluxations.

Stay Away from That Comfy Chair

Sitting may seem like the ideal way to take it easy after your chiropractic visit. Unfortunately, the longer you sit, the more likely it is that you'll experience a return of pain. Sitting, particularly if you don't pay attention to your posture, can strain muscles in your neck, upper back, and shoulders, causing subluxations.

Sitting may also shorten the muscles in your pelvis and hips, causing them to tighten and trigger lower back pain. You can reverse the negative effects of sitting by getting up and walking or stretching periodically for a few minutes. Try to stretch or walk every 30 to 60 minutes.

Nurture Your Body with Healthy Food

Chiropractic treatments naturally reduce inflammation, a key factor in pain. After an adjustment, the last thing you'll want to do is eat foods that boost inflammation. According to WebMD, these foods can cause inflammation:

Whole Milk
Cheese
Butter
Margarine
Fried Foods
Fatty Meats
Processed Meat, like Hot Dogs, Bacon, and Lunch Meat
Sugary Foods and Drinks
Coffee Creamer

Stick to foods that won't increase inflammation, like fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken, poultry, fish, and lean meat. Substitute whole grain bread and pasta for varieties made with white flour. Reduce or eliminate sugar in your diet, and stick to low-fat, high-fiber foods. Although a piece of birthday cake or sugary soda or fruit drink is fine for an occasional treat, indulging in high-sugar foods on a regular basis keeps inflammation high.

In addition to following aftercare recommendations, scheduling regular chiropractic visits will help you avoid pain and flexibility issues. Get in touch with our office to schedule your appointments.

Sources:

Harvard Health Publishing: How Much Water Should You Drink?, 5/22/2023

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink

Yale Medicine: Why Is Sitting so Bad for Us?, 8/28/2019

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/sitting-health-risks

WebMD: Natural Anti-Inflammatory Diet, 11/24/2022

https://www.webmd.com/diet/anti-inflammatory-diet-road-to-good-health

Mayo Clinic: Why You Should Strengthen Your Core Muscles, 9/22/2022

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/core-exercises/art-20044751