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December 11, 2010
Are you spending money taking vitamins and supplements, but don’t feel a difference in your health?
This is a very common complaint for many people. Usually the problem is that they are not taking the correct supplement/vitamin for their complaints, they are taking poor quality products, or they are taking products that have been produced in a laboratory which contain synthetic nutrients and are not getting the full benefits from them.
How can you be sure you are taking the right product for your complaints?
Talk to your chiropractor, nutritionist, or naturopathic doctor. These providers should be considered your health and wellness specialists. They can thoroughly evaluate your condition and make an appropriate recommendation. Do not take advice from someone who is not trained in nutrition and do not waste time trying all the products on the self.
How can you choose a better quality of product?
Talk to your chiropractor, nutritionist, or naturopathic doctor. They have likely spent time reviewing different products and by experience could recommend to you the best. Typically it is better to buy product from a professional rather than from your drug store. Make sure there is an expiration date, and don’t buy in bulk quantities.
Why are whole food products better than synthetic, laboratory prepared products?
In the laboratory the active ingredient of the vitamin can be isolated and recreated to put in vitamins. The active ingredient is only part of what the body really needs to absorb and use the vitamin. Vitamins created from a whole food source have several other components that the body needs to properly use the vitamin such as antioxidants, enzymes, minerals, etc… If you are not taking a whole food source vitamin, you are not getting the necessary components for your body to maximally use the nutrition; therefore you will not feel the results.
How do I know if my vitamins are synthetic and have been made in a laboratory?
The product should state, “Made from whole food sources.” If the product claims to have over 100% of the daily-recommended value, for example 200% of vitamin C, then it must by synthetic. No whole food source found in nature contains 200% of the daily-recommended value of Vitamin C. If you are not certain, make sure to consult your health and wellness specialist.
To read more about whole food supplements visit Standard Process at www.standardprocess.com
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November 15, 2010
Do you have an abnormal side curve like scoliosis or another abnormal spinal curve, for example hunchback posture or forward head posture? Chiropractic can help you. Some people are born with curves such as these and in that case they are called “structural” curves. The appearance of a structural curve is very hard to correct, however treatment will help to reduce discomfort and other symptoms. The types of abnormal curves that we accumulate over time due to stress, bad posture, injury, and in other ways are referred to as “functional” curves. These curves, as well as their symptoms, can be corrected and treated by chiropractic care. Simply adjusting the joints into the proper position, which allows proper function and movement, will help. Likely there will be muscle imbalance with some muscles being tight and short and others being stretched and weak. Chiropractic techniques and/or massage techniques and exercises can be used to address the muscular component of the problem and to support the adjustment.
The normal healthy spine is straight with shock absorbing curvature. If you have an access curvature or an abnormal curvature in your spine see your chiropractor. An unhealthy spine can lead to back pain, neck pain, headaches, hip pain, knee pain, ankle pain, stiffness, early degeneration, and many other problems.
Please visit our website for more information about chiropractic treatments and the conditions we treat, www.vancouverwashingtonchiro.com.
For more information about scoliosis and abnormal spinal curvature visit the American Chiropractic Association, www.acatoday.org.
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August 27, 2010
Do you have foot pain at the sole or heel of your foot? Does it hurt worse in the morning or after resting your feet? Do you have tight calf muscles? You may have plantar fasciitis.
Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia of the foot. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue at the sole of the foot. The inflammation causes pain, swelling, stiff joints, and tight muscles.
Inflammation could be caused by poor footwear, prolonged standing, injury, being overweight, having a muscle imbalance, and/or several other possibilities.
Plantar fasciitis can be mild to severe. It can greatly affect your daily activities and impact your ability to walk. If this sounds like what you are suffering of, get it diagnosed by your chiropractor. It is important to have a diagnosis because other conditions can mimic plantar fasciitis. Do not bear through the pain as that will only lead to a more chronic condition that could become debilitating. The sooner you seek treatment the more successful the healing process will be.
The preferred treatment modalities very depending on the person and the stage of the condition. Typically the use of ice is included to decrease the inflammation. Stretching of the plantar fascia and other muscles associated along with correcting muscle imbalances will contribute to the healing and prevention of future episodes. Purchasing proper footwear for your foot is essential. Make sure you have an adequate arch support, the bottom of the shoe must be cushioned, and a small elevation of the heel is recommended. Chiropractic manipulation will be needed to improve joint function of the several foot bones and to reduce muscle spasm of the intrinsic foot muscles. Your chiropractic will also assign home exercises to help healing and reduce pain when not in the office.
With these proper treatment modalities you can expedite the healing process and pain can be relieved more quickly.
Please visit my website at www.vancouverwashingtonchiro.com for more information on other conditions we specialize in at Contemporary Chiropractic.
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August 20, 2010
First of all, it is important to understand the “crack” heard during an adjustment is not the sound of destruction. No harm is happening to your body, and in the hands of a trained professional manipulation is very safe. For more details about what the “cracking” noise actually is, visit my website at www.vancouverwashingtonchiro.com. For information on the safety of a chiropractic adjustment visit the American Chiropractic Association at www.acatoday.org. If understanding the manipulation does not convince you to get a manual adjustment, there are other modalities chiropractors use that will help you. The most common is a small hand held device called an Activator. In appearance it may remind you of a syringe for administering immunizations, however there are no needles involved and there is no pain associated with the treatment. It is spring-loaded and delivers a lighter, quicker, and a more shallow impulse to the joint. The impulse puts additional movement in the joint and stimulates sensory receptors to reduce pain. The adjustment tool has little to no risks and is safe for people of all ages and with nearly any condition. If you would like to learn more about the activator visit the Activator Methods website at http://www.activator.com/default.asp.
The activator is only one example of an instrument to assist with adjusting. There are other instruments that can be used. Doctors of chiropractic are skilled body workers that not only use manipulation, but several other neuromusculoskeletal techniques to treat conditions. Even if you do not want to hear the “crack,” a chiropractor can still help you. Visit my website to read more about the conditions I treat and the modalities other than manipulation that I use. I offer free consultations to all new patients. Feel free to schedule an appointment. I would love to discuss your conditions and what I can do to help you.
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August 18, 2010
Scoliosis is an abnormal “S” shaped curve that appears in the spine. This can be inherited or arise secondary to developmental complications. The curvature can be so minute that it goes undetected, or very significant where a back brace or surgery may be warranted. In both cases, the scoliosis will cause misalignment in the spine and can create pain and dysfunction from the feet up to the head and anywhere in between.
It is important to have your children screened for scoliosis by a chiropractor. If detected early a treatment plan can help to realign the spine, prevent dysfunction, and prevent the progression of the curve. Spinal manipulation, muscle work, and specific exercises are essential to correct the curvature and prevent chronic pain into adulthood. Depending on the severity of the curve, periodic x-rays may be necessary to track the degree of the curve especially in children and adolescents. As their spines grow, a small curve can turn into something much more significant if not properly managed.
To learn more about the chiropractic treatment for scoliosis go to the American Chiropractic Associations publication on scoliosis at http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=2189.
Visit my website at www.vancouverwashingtonchiro.com to learn more about chiropractic treatments for back pain, neck pain, and other joint pains.
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August 4, 2010
Car accidents are an unfortunate occurrence that happens to almost everyone at some point. Some may be avoidable, and some may not, but regardless of what happened it is important for both parties to regain their pre-injury status as quickly as possible. Chiropractic care is one of the most successful conservative care options for those that find themselves in this situation.
I’d like to answer some of the most common questions I get from individuals seeking post-trauma care for their injuries.
Why is there pain?
With high impact injuries, like motor vehicle accidents, pain comes from a combination of things. The soft tissues, muscles and ligaments, undergo some degree of tearing. The amount depends of the severity of the impact. The tearing brings inflammation and pain. Also after a high impact force the muscles will reflexively tense and spasm in order to offer more support and protect the spine. Muscle spasm and tightness can also be painful.
Can healing occur without treatment?
Yes if can, but it’s usually in the form of scar tissue. Scar tissue is a quick fix for the body and can cause adhesions between structures making movement and activities difficult in the future. As chiropractors we work to break up scar tissue and provide treatment that can realign the fibers to give a normal range of motion and reduce stiffness.
Seeking chiropractic treatment with rehabilitation will allow quicker and safer healing. It is important to understand which muscles in the body have been injured, which are weak, and which are tight. Proper healing also requires specific stretching and exercises on those identified muscles. These should be included in the treatment and rehabilitation process.
Why choose chiropractic?
Your chiropractor can provide services that include examinations to provide an accurate diagnosis and create an effective treatment plan, manipulation to increase healing by positively effecting the nervous system, properly aligning the joints, and reducing muscle spasm and tightness, educate you on the proper rehabilitation for your injuries, and many other services such as massage and nutritional support.
If you have been injured in a car accident and you would like to get well as quickly and efficiently as possible seek out chiropractic treatment. Visit the American Chiropractic Association for more evidence to support the effectiveness of chiropractic care in all people, http://www.acatoday.org/level1_css.cfm?T1ID=13. Visit my website to learn other ways in which chiropractic care can help you and your family, www.vancouverwashingtonchiro.com. Feel free to schedule a free consultation with me to personally discuss your health and wellness goals.
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July 29, 2010
To best answer this question we must weigh the risks versus the benefits. We can compare the chiropractic adjustment to simple Ibuprofen, as both may be used to reduce pain.
Let’s begin with the risks of each option.
Side effects of an adjustment: The most common side effect of an adjustment is post-treatment soreness, which should not last longer than 24 hours. It’s comparable to the soreness you feel after exercise.
Side effects of plain Ibuprofen (an NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug): nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulceration/bleeding, raised liver enzymes, diarrhea, constipation, epistaxis, headache, dizziness, priapism, rash, salt and fluid retention, and hypertension. If you are not up on medical terminology, I can assure you some of these are very nasty symptoms… (Ibuprofen side-effect information collected at Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibuprofen#Adverse_effects)
Uncommon risks of adjustments: One statistic states there is one death per every 3.3 million adjustments given, however the records indicate that most of these adjustments were not administered by a chiropractor. In other words, never let someone other than a chiropractor manipulate you…
Uncommon risks of NSAIDs: The same resource reports 132,000 deaths per 3.3 million NSAID users.
Now lets look at the brighter side of things and talk about the benefits.
Benefits of chiropractic adjustments: Decrease pain, reduce muscle tension, reduce irritation of nerves, increase flexibility, increase motion, and positively affect every system in the body. Adjustments will fix the cause of the pain rather than covering up the pain signal.
Benefits of Ibuprofen: It is convenient. Once it starts to wear off and you feel the pain again, you can take another pill. It sounds easy, but can become a vicious cycle.
So, what is your conclusion after weighing the risks versus the benefits?
This is a very general comparison, but it seems conclusive that the risks are lower and the benefits are higher with chiropractic adjustments for relieving pain. Unfortunately we live in a society where to some people convenience means more than their own health. I would like to encourage those of you who have never tried chiropractic or who are unsure about it to take a look at our website for more details, www.vancouverwashingtonchiro.com. We do free consultations every day to simply educate the public on how chiropractic care works and how it can help them.
For more inclusive information of the risks of chiropractic visit the American Chiropractic Association Website and view the article titled “What are the Risks of Chiropractic Neck Adjustments.” www.acatoday.org/membersonly/ChiroRisks_Lauretti_06.pdf
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July 12, 2010
Whiplash is common in motor vehicle accident victims. Your head weighs an average of 8-12 pounds and the only thing holding it to your body is your neck. If your car is moving 10, 20, 30 or more miles per hour, then technically your body within the car is moving just as fast. When an object abruptly stops your car, your body then must stop. Unfortunately our necks tend to be weak and stopping our 8-12 pound heads from flying out the window takes work. The same issues occur if our car is stopped and is abruptly pushed, as in a rear-end collision.
The diagnosis whiplash is given depending on what happened in the accident. Were the head and neck “whipped” due to a rapid force? Those with whiplash typically have neck pain, upper back pain, headaches, arm pain, hand symptoms, earaches, jaw pain, and even sore throats. After a jarring force is placed on the body, the neck muscles struggle to support the head and protect the delicate spinal cord and structures within the spine. This can cause muscle and/or ligament tearing. After the accident, due to the strenuous protective tightening and spasm, the muscles must be trained to relax again and the joints must be aligned for proper motion. As a chiropractor and massage therapist, my job is to reduce the muscle spasms which are painful and don’t allow the joints to move properly, restore the normal joint motion which is imperative to allow healing and prevent degeneration, relieve nerve irritation to remove headaches and other referred pain, and to realign the body so it may heal itself naturally.
If you have had a whiplash injury call our office to schedule a free consultation. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have and to begin helping you reach your treatment goals.
For more information about whiplash, neck pain, back pain, and headaches visit our website at www.vancouverwashingtonchiro.com.
For more specific information about whiplash, visit the American Chiropractic Association publications at:
https://acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=3131, and
http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=2430.
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June 25, 2010
Our body’s alignment begins with the feet. In some instances our feet and ankles may be misaligned and causing back pain, neck pain, or even headaches. Recently we have added a new piece of equipment to our clinic. It uses a straight laser beam to assess the alignment in your feet, ankles, and knees. If you have tried chiropractic in the past but did not see the results you were looking for, it is possible that the origin of your problem was not identified. Treatment can be applied to the lower back, but if the low back symptoms are originating from the uneven feet, progression can be very slow. From now until June 30th, I would be happy to offer a free alignment check to anyone interested. Prevent yourself from injury and correct problems before they occur by making sure you are balance from the feet up. Call to schedule your free appointment today.
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June 11, 2010
The first step to getting rid of headaches is to find out what is causing them. You can try to do this on your own or with the help of your chiropractor.
Dehydration is a common cause for headaches. Make sure you are drinking enough plain water. I recommend half of your body weight in ounces daily.
Food allergies are a common cause for headaches. Do your headaches come on each time after you each certain foods? There is a long list of foods that are known to cause migraine headaches. Try omitting these from your diet.
Are you getting enough sleep? Six to eight hours per night is recommended for adults, but everyone is different in the amount of sleep their body requires. Make sure you wake up feeling rested.
Are you stressed? Many people hold their stress in their neck and upper backs. If this is you, try to find calming activities to participate in daily and visit your chiropractor. With stress comes muscle tension. When muscles are tight they don’t allow the joints to move properly which, in combination, you get nerve irritation or a “pinched” nerve. The nerves that exit the spinal cord at the neck travel down the arms and into the head causing headaches and/or arm pain when irritated. Chiropractic treatment is highly effective in relaxing the muscles, correcting joint dysfunction, and removing nerve irritation. Typically with chiropractic treatment headaches will first reduce in frequency, severity, and duration, then become absent. If you would like to learn more about headache treatment options feel free to post questions or call to set up a free in office consultation.
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This is a great post about exercise. It’s absolutely worth sharing!