Eighty percent of all Americans at some point will experience a back pain episode in which they will need health care to correct.
Having a regular spinal check up is a great way to prevent back pain episodes. If dysfunction is found within the musculoskeletal system your chiropractor can correct it with treatment and prescribe home exercises to help keep you in the lucky 20% that will not experience back pain.
If you are in the 80% who needs care for a bout of back pain, you will be happy to have already established a relationship with your chiropractor. Being treated by a chiropractor that already knows you has several advantages. You will have already developed trust in that practitioner and will likely be more comfortable. The chiropractor will already know you and your body. Knowing what is normal for your body and already having an idea of your health history and normal activities makes the treatment quicker and more thorough.
I recommend everyone find a good chiropractor that they trust. Maintaining spinal health and preventing injury is a critical
Did you know that chiropractic can and should be the first step to your fitness?
I know my patients would agree to this, but let me take the time to explain why.
What is fitness?
When I ask this question the common answers I get are: the ability to be active, maintaining ideal body weight, being able to handle physically demanding jobs.
How do we get fit?
Usually the first idea is exercise, then followed by maintaining a healthy diet and reducing stress.
If we all would like to be fit, and we all know that exercise will get us there, why don’t we do it as often as it is recommended?
This question typically leads to an assortment of answers. Top on the list is: I don’t have the time, I don’t have the energy, I don’t feel well, my back/knee/ankle/hip… hurts.
These excuses are all very real obstacles that occur and detour us from our fitness.
When someone says they don’t have time, what does that mean?
Is it you really don’t have time, or is it that you’ve just worked an 8-hour shift and simply don’t have the energy to do anything but spend your evening relaxing?
What if there was some system in our bodies that controls our energy level, our immune system, and the way we perceive pain?
There is, and it’s called the nervous system!
As a chiropractor, I specialize in removing irritation from the nervous system. When the nervous system is functioning properly, and signals are not being interrupted, we experience an increase in energy, a boost in the immune system, and a reduction in pain.
Having an optimally functioning nervous system is your first step to fitness, and a chiropractor is your first step to the nervous system. Achieve your fitness goals, and get adjusted.
Did you know that chiropractic can and should be the first step to your fitness?
I know my chiropractic patients in Vancouver, Washington would agree to this, but let me take the time to explain why.
What is fitness?
When I ask this question the common answers I get are: the ability to be active, maintaining ideal body weight, being able to handle physically demanding jobs.
How do we get fit?
Usually the first idea is exercise, then followed by maintaining a healthy diet and reducing stress.
If we all would like to be fit, and we all know that exercise will get us there, why don’t we do it as often as it is recommended?
This question typically leads to an assortment of answers. Top on the list is: I don’t have the time, I don’t have the energy, I don’t feel well, my back/knee/ankle/hip… hurts.
These excuses are all very real obstacles that occur and detour us from our fitness.
When someone says they don’t have time, what does that mean?
Is it you really don’t have time, or is it that you’ve just worked an 8-hour shift and simply don’t have the energy to do anything but spend your evening relaxing?
What if there was some system in our bodies that controls our energy level, our immune system, and the way we perceive pain?
There is, and it’s called the nervous system!
As a chiropractor in Vancouver, Washington, I specialize in removing irritation from the nervous system. When the nervous system is functioning properly, and signals are not being interrupted, we experience an increase in energy, a boost in the immune system, and a reduction in pain.
Having an optimally functioning nervous system is your first step to fitness, and a chiropractor is your first step to the nervous system. Achieve your fitness goals, and get adjusted today at Contemporary Chiropractic.
The benefits of chiropractic care, especially from Contemporary Chiropractic in Vancouver, Washington, are so numerous. Of course we can help you get out of pain, but is there more to it? Chiropractic does wonders for the appearance of your body as well as the way you feel. Aligning the spine properly can help to regain, or maintain the normal curvature. In those that neglect their spine, the aging process will take its toll. As the years go by, our spine tends to make more of a c curve. It you aren’t sure what I mean, watch the movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The main character’s posture is an exaggeration, of course, but you get the idea. By keeping the spine and posture aligned, and most importantly making sure each vertebrae moves properly you can maintain the youthful curvature and therefore appearance of your spine. Not only will you look good, but you will feel good as well. Typically one will experience reduced pain and stiffness, improvement in flexibility, and a decrease in the amount of future back injuries. Feeling good encourages us to stay active, maintain a healthy body weight, and enjoy life. These are just a few examples of how chiropractic care may be the fountain of youth we all strive to find. Stay updated with our website to continue to learn more amazing benefits to chiropractic therapy.
It’s very common to hear about rib problems, but what does it mean when the chiropractor tells you that you have a rib out? It simply means that one or more of the ribs has shifted slightly from being in normal alignment.
The ribs are connected to the vertebrae in our back, curve around our sides, and then connect to the sternum (breast bone) in our chest. They form the rib cage that encircles and protects vital organs such as the lungs and heart. Each time we breathe in our rib cage expands and when we breathe out it repositions.
Coughing or sneezing forcefully may cause a rib to become misaligned. Other causes for shifting in ribs include injuries, lifting heavy items, twisting, and holding poor posture.
When a person has a rib out they usually complain of pain in the back, in between the shoulder blades, or in the chest. The pain usually intensifies when the person takes a deep breath in, as that requires the rib to move and expand with the rib cage. The pain felt can be a sharp pain or achy pain in those areas. It typically is not a feeling of pressure and should not affect the ability to breathe.
The best treatment for a misaligned rib is chiropractic manipulation. There are several ways to perform an adjustment on a rib. Some chiropractors adjust ribs with the patient laying on their stomach, some prefer the patient laying on their back, and some prefer using an instrument versus their hands. The adjustment should not hurt, however depending on how long the rib has been misaligned the muscles may be adapted and there may be slight muscle soreness until they become accustomed to having the rib in the correct position again. After having a rib adjustment the patient usually feels better immediately after, but occasionally it may fall back out of place. This may happen a number of times until the muscles become trained to hold the rib in the normal alignment. The best and quickest way for the body to hold the adjustment is to strengthen the muscles surrounding the rib cage. Exercises should be given by the chiropractor to strengthen associated muscles such as the pectoralis muscles, the trapezius, and rhomboids.
If you think you may have a rib problem and are experiencing symptoms in the back, chest, or both contact your chiropractor to learn the best treatment options for you. They will be able to give complete treatment to correct the problem, alleviate the symptoms, and prevent future episodes. It’s a great way to feel better without exposing your body to medications and unnecessary side effects.
Headaches are a common problem in pregnancy. They can be brought on for several different reasons. They can be due to hunger, a drop in blood sugar, food allergies, or fatigue. Sometimes stress of the mind or stress on the body can cause them as well, and sometimes it may be dysfunction of the neck and spine that trigger the headaches.
Determining the cause is always the first step in treating headaches. It’s simple to treat headaches that are caused by hunger, dehydration, or being tired, but it starts to become more difficult when stress plays a part in the headaches. Stress tends to cause muscles to become tight and joints to become stiff, leading to dysfunction typically in the neck and shoulders. These muscles and associated nerves are attached with those in the head and the problem eventually creeps up the spine and results in headaches.
Finding ways to reduce pain from headaches in pregnancy is usually very concerning to mothers. The pain may be unbearable at times, however many are not willing to take medication and risk the safety of their baby. Even if they do decide to take a medication, it is only temporarily removing the pain and does nothing to correct the problem. Inevitably the headache will return and in the long run the baby may be exposed to several doses of medications.
Chiropractic has always been a safe and effective way to treat headaches in pregnancy, and all people. It is an excellent option especially in pregnancy because of the very low risk for side effects. The least amount of medication the mother uses, the safer they baby is. When the root of the problem is addressed, healing can begin and medication will no longer be necessary.
Typically chiropractors will use some sort of soft tissue modality such as massage, heat, or stretching to loosen the tight muscles where the stress is held. Manipulation should be performed following the muscle work to loosen stiff joints and remove nerve interference, which may directly cause a headache. The adjustments should not hurt, and typically afterwards the intensity of the headache will begin to decrease and eventually be eliminated. With most patients, it takes multiple treatments to eliminate the headaches completely. The treatment must train the muscles to relax and the joints to move properly and remove any irritation of the nervous system. Length of treatment plans vary upon condition, how long the patient has had the condition, and the lifestyle of the patient.
If you are experiencing headaches and would like to take a conservative approach for treatment contact your chiropractor. Keeping the body free of medications is safer for both the mother and the baby. Chiropractic focuses on correcting the dysfunction to effectively eliminate the pain and prevent reoccurrences. Stay updated with our postings to learn about more ways that chiropractic and help you and your family.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder, and typically affects those 50 years and older. It is a disease process that leads to excessive wearing of the cartilage cushions between joints and of the bones that form the joints. As it progresses more and more cartilage begins to wear away and as a result bone on bone wearing occurs and spurs (abnormal outgrowth of bone) form.
The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain and stiffness in the joints usually worse in the morning or after standing up from a sitting position. Many people also complain of an increase in symptoms with rainy weather or with humidity changes. Osteoarthritis can have a major impact on a person’s quality of life if it begins to prevent them from performing their normal activities or the activities they enjoy.
The more accepted treatment options for osteoarthritis tend to be those that take away the pain rather than work to improve the physical dysfunction. Over the counter medications and anti-inflammatory are the most popular and may give some temporary relief. Too many of these drugs can cause gastrointestinal problems and have other complications. Prescription medications may be available for some, but these usually come with even more side effects. For instance steroidal injections can relieve inflammation and pain, but are not guaranteed to work and are hazardous to bone, tendon, and ligament health.
Chiropractic is a very effective, conservative treatment for osteoarthritis. The treatment always depends on the person and severity of the condition. Some patients may need x-rays to determine the amount of cartilage and bone destruction. Since there is wear and tear on the joints and many times the cartilage has worn away and the cushion between the bones is lost, traction of the joint can be very helpful. Traction is a gentle pulling force used to lightly stretch the joint and re-create the normal amount of space between the bones of a joint. This treatment does not hurt and usually feels good to the osteoarthritis patient. Manipulation may also be performed depending on the patient’s condition. If indicated, adjustments can restore the normal motion of the joint, reduce stiffness, and reduce pain. Other modalities such as heat or ice over the joint may also be used.
Proper nutrition is a very important part of a chiropractic treatment plan for osteoarthritis. Many supplements are available such as fish oils, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and others. Also, an anti-inflammatory diet is very helpful. The elimination of certain foods can reduce inflammation in the body, which may reduce pain and allow healing. Each person’s condition and health history is different, so consult your chiropractor to find out which supplement would be best for you.
Once a person is diagnosed with osteoarthritis, chiropractic treatment becomes very important to delay the progression. Unfortunately once the disease begins, chiropractic can’t reverse the degeneration, but can help stop it. The more severe cases, those that are not physically treated, can lead to joint fusion. This happens when the stiff joints are not moved and bone spurs form. The immobile joints then become prone to degenerative disc disease because the disc is not able to receive proper nutrition. Nutrition is delivered to the disc by normal spinal movements pumping blood in and out of the area. If the disc is deprived of nutrients, it will begin to degenerate leading to a decrease in size and therefore is less effective in cushioning and absorbing the shock between the joints. With less disc size comes less room for spinal nerves to exit the vertebral column, which increases the likelihood for nerve compression. If nerve compression occurs the patient will acquire leg symptoms such as pain, numbness, or tingling.
Regular visits to your chiropractor may be able to help you prevent osteoarthritis. Correcting dysfunctional joints allows proper movement and can reduce your risk of the disease. It will also help keep discs stay healthy and prevent other causes of joint pain. If you suffer from osteoarthritis, speak with your chiropractor to learn how they can help you conservatively control your symptoms and prevent the progression of the disease.
The most common injuries acquired on the job are repetitive strain injuries. These are injuries which result from doing the same activities over and over. One of the most common repetitive injuries is tennis elbow, known in the medical dictionary as lateral epicondylitis. With this condition the patient feels pain at the elbow and in the muscles of the forearm and wrist. Stiffness may be felt with wrist and elbow movements, and there may be pain or weakness with gripping. Some examples of activities that may be the cause are hammering, using a screwdriver, playing certain sports, or even using a computer mouse. The reason why the patient feels pain is due to inflammation that develops when over working the muscle and tendon. The muscles also becomes fatigued leading to weak and/or painful gripping, and eventually scar tissue and adhesions form in the muscle and surrounding tissue resulting in stiffness.
Chiropractic care is very effective in treating tennis elbow. Before beginning any treatment the chiropractor must ask specific health and lifestyle questions and perform a physical examination to be sure of the diagnosis and to determine the cause. To effectively break up the scar tissue in the area some sort of soft tissue modality should be performed. The muscles of the area should be stretched and stripped of adhesions to increase blood flow and tissue healing. Using instruments can enhance the deep tissue massage and muscle stripping necessary. This will effectively break up the scar tissue and realign the soft tissue fibers for optimal function. Manipulation of the elbow is necessary because once scar tissue is formed and is causing stiffness in the joint; manipulation will restore the normal motion of the elbow and play a part in pain reduction and healing. Ice is typically the most recommended modality to reduce inflammation, and will also help to reduce pain. On occasion, depending upon the stage of the condition, it may be helpful to use heat and ice. The heat will bring in fresh blood to the area, which carries necessary healing nutrients. The problem with using heat too much or for to long is that with the increase in blood flow, there is also an increase in inflammation. Therefore, if heat is used it should be followed by chiropractic treatment, soft tissue modalities, and then ice to reduced any inflammation occurring during the treatment and to push blood carrying any debris away. The patient should be given specific stretching and exercises to do at home, and instructions on how to properly use heat and/or ice for their condition. The patient should also attempt to determine the cause of the problem and attempt to improve ergonomics and biomechanics to prevent the problem from reoccurring. Many times there is no other option for the patient and they may be required to obtain a new job or alternative duties at their job. If the cause is not addressed, there is less off a chance for improvement, and the relief may only be temporary until they perform the action again.
The body responds with pain when there is something wrong and to alert our brains that we need to stop. With this condition the pain signal is to alert the body to stop the repetitive action before more severe destruction occurs, such as arthritis and degeneration of the joint. Therefore by addressing this problem with treatment and solutions to solve it, you are preventing more severe problems within that joint. Listen to your body and its pain signals; visit your chiropractor for natural conservative and effective treatment options for tennis elbow.
Whiplash is an injury resulting from accidents in which impact is involved, such as a motor vehicle accident. It is based on the idea that the body as a whole is moving at a certain speed when some sort of impact stops the body, but the head continues to move at that speed. The neck is then responsible for stopping the motion of the head, which causes tearing of the muscles and ligaments in the neck and upper back. When a person is involved in such accident the muscles around the neck and spine tighten up to form a splint around the vertebrae. They do this reflexively to prevent any injuries to the spinal cord, which is housed within the vertebral column, and is responsible for all function of life. Following the injury, the muscles have difficulty relaxing, resulting in stiffness of the neck. The patient also experiences pain that comes from inflammation due to the tearing of the muscle fibers and surrounding tissues.
It is important to have this condition evaluated to rule out any serious injuries that may be associated with it such as fracture or nervous system damage. Chiropractors specialize in musculoskeletal conditions and are trained to evaluate these injuries using physical examination, x-rays, and orthopedic tests. Most cases of whiplash are successfully treated with individualized chiropractic treatment plans.
Typically a chiropractor will begin to work within the patient’s pain tolerance and use specific techniques to loosen the muscles. This allows for more motion, a reduction of pain, and the ability to adjust the spine. Adjusting the spine can be performed using several different techniques, but is usually necessary for the healing process. Muscle tightness and splinting cause the joints to become stiff, and once the muscles are trained to relax, manipulation can be used to train the joints to move properly. Without restoring proper movement to the joints they continue to stiffen and become prone to uneven wearing and degeneration. Stiff joints also lead to disc degeneration by depriving it from nutrients, normally acquired by the pumping action of a properly moving spine. Once the muscles, joints, and discs are treated the last component of care would be to strengthen the muscles surrounding the neck with rehabilitation exercises. Research has shown that a strong group of core muscles surrounding the neck lowers the chance of having chronic pain and reoccurring injuries.
These are the basic components of a successful chiropractic treatment plan for whiplash. If you, or anyone you know, has experienced whiplash get it evaluated by a chiropractor. They specialize in musculoskeletal conditions and can give you quality care to correct the structural problems and prevent reoccurring symptoms in the future.
Pain is a common complaint for almost everyone at some point, but even though it is common it is never normal to feel pain. Pain is the communicator our bodies use to alert the brain that there is something wrong. In some cases it may be difficult to determine where the pain is coming from and what the cause is, however nobody should live with pain forever. There are many different treatments out there to try, and one should always begin with the most conservative.
Common reasons for pain are, tissue damage from injury, irritation or impingement on a nerve, or pain resulting from internal organs. If the pain is coming from an area of the neuromusculoskeletal system you should first consult your chiropractor. They specialize in the conservative treatment of these systems, and have many different techniques to offer. The following are examples of common ways neuromusculoskeletal pain is treated conservatively and non-conservatively.
Chiropractic manipulation reduces pain by allowing tight overworked muscles to relax, inhibiting pain fibers through a nervous system reflex, and releasing endorphins (the body’s natural pain reliever). Adjustments are usually painless and are performed by using a quick controlled force, which promotes proper joint movement. Sometimes a popping noise is heard, indicating an exchange of gas within the fluids of the joint capsule, but does not necessarily determine the success of the adjustment.
Soft tissue manipulation/massage also reduces pain by encouraging muscle relaxation. It works well to increase the blood circulation to the injured area. Blood coming from the lungs carries oxygen and healing nutrients, and by increasing the blood flow to the injury the healing process increases as well.
Ice and/or heat to the injury can also decrease pain and increase the healing process. Heat promotes muscle relaxation and increases blood circulation to the area. Ice is applied to decrease inflammation that causes pain and has a numbing effect.
Stretching can reduce pain by allowing the muscles to relax and the joints to move. Nerves can occasionally be pinched due to tight muscles, for example in certain cases of sciatica (pain down the leg). Chiropractors can use stretching techniques that break up scar tissue and adhesions, which can trap nerves and lead to pain.
A less conservative way of pain relief is medication. This can mean instantaneous relief of pain for some, but has many side effects and does the least to correct the problem. In certain cases it may be necessary, however a chiropractors focus is to correct the dysfunction and to eliminate the need for pain medications as soon as possible, as dependence on medications can worsen the problem.
An even less conservative way of pain relief is surgery. Surgery has by far the most risks and is the most expensive of all the treatments. This should be a patient’s last resort in dealing with their pain.
Chiropractors can efficiently evaluate any pain complaint you may have. They can offer these effective conservative treatments or if necessary refer to a medical provider for other options.
When treating pain it is important to realize it is never normal and there is always a reason. Visit your chiropractor for an evaluation and an individualized treatment plan to begin conservatively treating the cause of your pain.
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