Your chiropractor in Grand Rapids has treated many men, women and children who suffer from the unusual side-to-side, or lateral, curvature of the spine termed scoliosis. If you aren’t familiar with the appearance of scoliosis, you might inadvertently confuse it with poor posture because commonly someone who has scoliosis gives the appearance of leaning to one side.
Even prior to seeing your chiropractor in Grand Rapids, there are quite a few ways for you to see the difference between poor posture and scoliosis. First of all, you would be able to see that one shoulder is higher than the other in a standing position, and that the scapula (shoulder blade) is raised or more prominent. You might notice a larger space between the arm and the body on one side if the person’s arms were hanging freely at his or her sides. Moreover, one hip may be higher or more conspicuous than the other. And lastly, the head will not be in plumb with the pelvis.
Scoliosis frequently is mild in nature, but it can be quite severe. In cases of the latter both pulmonary and cardiac functions can be compromised if the curve and rib rotation are severe enough. The cause of scoliosis in 85 percent of cases is unknown. This type of scoliosis (Idiopathic) tends to run in families and is believed to have a genetic component.
In general, Idiopathic Scoliosis occurs during adolescence when the body is completing the final major growth spurt. This type of scoliosis is most frequently found in girls. A scoliotic curve, if found, should be monitored for any progression. Your chiropractor in Grand Rapids will not only provide periodic examinations, but will suggest standing x-rays if needed.
As mentioned above, most (nearly 90 percent) of scoliotic curvatures are mild to moderate, and make a brace unnecessary. In these cases, regular chiropractic care is extremely helpful in both in decreasing and adjusting any compensatory musculoskeletal conditions that may occur.
You can trust me on this: I am all too familiar with the misery of back pain! I am an auto appraiser, which is to say that when someone wants to know how much their own automobile is worth, or the value of a car they would like to buy, I’m the person who spends innumerable hours bending over and looking under the hood and crawling, sliding, or otherwise placing my body under a car that may be parked on cold concrete, hot blacktop, or gritty, abrasive gravel. And, I let me tell you that the relationship that receives my highest appraisal is the one I have with my chiropractor, with the exception of my wife, of course! monthly maintenance appointments with her, instead of waiting for sudden mechanical difficulties (like not being able to walk upright), then I find that I’m ready to hit the road every day pain-free!
- An auto appraiser is your experienced set of eyes and can save you travel time and money, whether you are looking on e-bay or viewing a car “from afar.” After consulting with you by phone, your auto appraiser will completely look over in detail the automobile you want and will find out all the information you’ll need to help you decide if the automobile is for you and if the seller’s price is a fair one.
- A good auto appraiser can get an inspection on your damaged vehicle within forthy-eight hours of accepting an assignment if your car has been in an accident. He’ll write an estimate and then attempt to get that price at a repair shop.
- And, if that accident turned our vehicle into a total loss, and you’re displease with the settlement your insurance company is offering for your totaled car because you know that you can’t can’t get another car for the amount offered, then your adjuster can review all the facts.
A good auto appraiser won’t stop at cars. He’ll appraise semis and RVs as well. But, really what I want you to get from this article is that your auto appraiser often causes himself a lot of pain on your behalf to help keep your auto-related decisions pain-free!
More and more people are coming to the realization that chiropractic care is not just about back pain relief. Are you one of them? Did you know that chiropractors are at the health front when it comes to helping people who suffer from allergies? Yep, that’s right…advanced chiropractic care can actually help with allergy relief. And, if you have allergies, then you know that it’s nothing to joke about. Allergic reactions can go from just plain irritating to dangerous, life-threatening symptoms that can send an allergy sufferer to the ER.
You may be wondering at this point just what chiropractic treatment can do to help allergy sufferers. Well, let me start by saying that even though chiropractic care doesn’t actually treat allergies, as such, many chiropractic patients have noticed that they experience relief, even freedom, from their allergy symptoms after a chiropractic treatment. Hm-mm, there does seem to be a correlation here, but what is it? For the answer, we most look at the amazing activity that take place in the body as the result of chiropractic manipulation. A chiropractic adjustment affects the entire nervous system! And in this inclusion, it affects the autoimmune system, which is the source of a person’s allergic responses. When there’s a disturbance in the nervous system, along with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose task it is to help a person to adapt and respond appropriately to your environment, can become under-active or overactive. In the case of of allergies, it becomes overactive. Since chiropractic adjustments are for the purpose of lessening or completely eliminating disturbances in the nervous system. In other words, chiropractic adjustments bring back balance and harmony to the whole body. So, along with a variety of corrections, the adjustments provide homeostasis to the autoimmune system as well. A healthy immune system responds appropriately to so-called allergens in the environment.
So, even though an advanced chiropractor doesn’t actually treat allergies, that doesn’t mean that a person’s allergies won’t get better or go away through chiropractic treatment. You could say that relief from allergies is merely the by-product of a well-adjusted nervous system.
I am aware from more than twenty years experience as a Chiropractor in Wichita helping individuals suffering from sciatic pain that the affliction can be extremely disabling. Sciatica sufferers are sadly all too familiar with the deep radiating pain that accompanies their waking hours each day and inhibits almost all of their daily activities.
Here’s how you can ascertain if your low back pain is caused by sciatica. You are more than likely experiencing sciatica if your pain travels from your low back, through one or both sides of your buttocks, down the large sciatic nerve in the back of one or both legs, and possibly shoots into one or both knees. In addition, sitting, as well as motion, can be painful. Commonly lying down will lessen, or perhaps even temporarily get rid of the pain. However, it’s important for you to know that sciatica cannot be corrected without appropriate management.
Radiculopathy
A radiculopathy is a medical term used to describe a condition where a disc has protruded from its natural position in the vertebral column and is creating pressure on the radicular nerve, or nerve root, that forms part of the sciatic nerve in the lower back. Such pressure can generate excruciating pain.
Prolonged sitting, especially in an improper position, can create imbalances in the muscles enclosing the spine and additional pressure on the intervertebral discs. More often than not, a specific event or injury doesn’t cause sciatica, more often sciatica has a tendency to evolve over time as a consequence of everyday wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Eventually the lower spine can lose its normal functioning capabilities during everyday stresses.
When this takes place, the intervertebral disc undergoes small fissures or cracks that then permit the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. Pain is created as the disc pushes on sensitive tissues. This condition is frequently called a ruptured, or slipped, disc. Sciatica is the result of the disc pressing on the spinal nerve. Fortunately, most disc problems, including sciatica, can be totally alleviated with chiropractic treatment and therapy that frequently includes postural exercises.
Periformis Syndrome
Another cause of sciatic pain is periformis syndrome. Periformis syndrome develops when the periformis muscle, for whatever reason, goes into spasm and irritates the sciatic nerve, which runs “deep to the muscle.” In addition to chiropractic treatment, this type of sciatica can be significantly relieved by sciatica stretches that your chiropractor will suggest.
If you are experiencing sciatic pain, it is essential for you to seek chiropractic attention. If you are in the Wichita area, as your Chiropractor in Wichita, I invite you to come in to see if I can get you out of pain and help you to get your life back!
When it comes to back pain and pain in other parts of the body because of arthritic changes, there is a variety of treatment options from which to choose, including going to a San Jose chiropractor However, quite a few men and women who are experiencing painful arthritis and back pain still think that they must go to a medical doctor in order to find a cure for their condition. However, you might be surprised to know that very few medical doctors are adept in helping individuals eliminate, or naturally decrease the problem of back pain due to arthritis. Medical doctors are trained to treat symptoms through medication, rather than finding and treating the cause of the pain you are feeling. And, even though particular medications may ease the symptoms of arthritis, there is a lot that you can do not only for pain relief, but to genuinely slow down arthritic changes in your body.
One of the things that you can do to ameliorate your arthritis and back pain is to go to see a San Jose chiropractor. Chiropractors are doctors who specialize in treating the muscular and skeletal system, and arthritis is a joint affliction. Chiropractic care has assisted many people in slowing the process of arthritis by getting their joints moving. Movement is very important for joint health. A good chiropractor is an expert at treating back pain, even when it is caused by arthritis
If you have never gone to a chiropractor before, you might be a bit concerned about what is going to occur once you are in the office. It might help to give a quick overview about what you can expect. You will be asked about your medical history, which will conceivably include a family history of arthritis. The chiropractor will want to know about your current lifestyle and may offer certain changes that will be beneficial for reducing the inflammation caused by arthritis. And, finally, you will receive a detailed examination. After the examination is complete, the chiropractor will let you know if chiropractic treatment can help your back pain, as well as relieve your painful arthritic symptoms. After that you will be told about the particular treatment you will need.
Chiropractic treatment is not only painless, but relieves pain gently and naturally. And, the best benefit of going to a chiropractor for your back pain and arthritis is that you can feel assured that the reason for your pain is being addressed, and that the healing you experience is not hiding the symptom of pain, but truly taking care of the origin of your affliction.
It will probably not surprise you that in order for we, humans, to survive, we must have air and water (in that order). And, I would guess that you, along with most other adults, haven’t tried to hold your breath to see how long you could go without breathing (or in order to see if mom or dad would give in and give you what you wanted) since you were a child. But, how often do you forgo the other necessity of life…drinking water? And, not just drinking water, but drinking enough water. Water is absolutely essential for the human body to function optimally. Every cell, tissue, organ and system in your body relies on the water you drink. For instance, did you know that your saliva, and the fluids surrounding your joints, are fundamentally water? So, in addition to generating dry mouth, dehydration often causes make your joints ache. Moreover, your temperature and metabolism, as well as your blood circulation, are regulated by water. And, there are many more wonderful reasons to drink sufficient water, like the improvement of nutrient absorption and toxin removal, as well as the reduction of heartburn, hypertension, exhaustion, headaches. Even back pain has been attributed to staying well-hydrated. As a Highland Chiropractor it is my practice to ask my patients with back pain and joint pain if they are drinking sufficient water each day, and I advise all of my patients to drink plenty of water on a daily basis.
Obviously, it’s not a subtle point I’m making. Drinking enough water is essential for good health in all the areas described above one day researchers may find even more. Now, none of us would be foolish enough to try to go through the day without breathing, yet unfortunately many of us go through our day either not drinking water at all or not drinking a sufficient amount. Every human body requires good hydration no matter what physical activity a person may engage in throughout the day. Athletes (who should know better!) are decidedly at risk when it comes to functional challenges caused by dehydration. “Physiologically, the core body temperature of an athlete could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are,” says Researcher, Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services.
People often ask how much water is sufficient. Chiropractors like me, your Highland chiropractor, agree with most health care professionals in advising at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of water daily for most of our patients. However, we advise even more for our patients who are athletes, or for patients who carry around excess weight or exercise or work where it’s hot. So, what is the key in determining if you’re drinking “enough” water? It’s simple! The color of your urine will let you know. If you’re well-hydrated, your urine will be a light, pale yellow!
Your Ventura Chiropractor is well aware that everyday life can be miserable when you have allergies. Unwelcome symptoms such as itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash can be the consequence of a simple walk in the park, a play date with Fluffy, a seafood pasta, or even something as small as a nut.
To make the situation worse, for some individuals, and perhaps you’re one of them allergic reactions can go from just plain irritating to dangerous and life-threatening as the air passageway becomes constricted and breathing becomes difficult. This progression of symptoms can frequently produce a state of panic.
In fact, if you are one of the many individuals who suffer from allergies, it may even seem to you that, from time to time, your environment is an intensely unfriendly place and that the world around you is, literally, out to get you!
Why does your body react, or rather overreact, to the environment with so intensely while other individuals appear to be unaffected? It’s a good question. The answer is that some people, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that virtually “freaks out” when you are confronted with common substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.
Can your Ventura Chiropractor help with your allergy symptoms? You may be surprised by the answer. Even though chiropractic care doesn’t treat allergies, many people notice that they experience ease from their allergy symptoms after getting chiropractic adjustments.
The reason for this is because chiropractic adjustments affect the complete nervous system, including the autoimmune system. When there’s a disturbance in the nervous system, along with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose responsibility it is to assist you in adapting and responding appropriately to your environment, can become under-active or overactive. The impairment is the latter (overactive) when it comes to your allergies.
Because chiropractic adjustments reduce or remove disturbances in the nervous system and bring back balance and harmony to the body, the adjustments bring that same balance and harmony to the auto-immune system as well. A vital immune system reacts appropriately to supposed allergens in the environment.
So, as explained above, your chiropractor doesn’t actually treat allergies. You could say, instead, that relief from your allergies is clearly a part of a well-adjusted nervous system. Make an appointment, today, to see your Ventura Chiropractor and get back into harmony with your environment.
Let’s face it, losing weight is difficult! As a Dallas weight loss specialist, I speak with many men and women who are in a daily struggle to lose weight. Simply saying to someone to stop overeating is ill-advised, and can even be, if expert nutritional counseling is not offered as well. Losing weight should be far more than merely a cosmetic issue. If a person isn’t feeling good, or isn’t getting what his or her body needs to function properly, then “looking good” is of little value. Work performance, family life, and social participation, in other words, the quality of a person’s life, is affected when he or she is unhealthy, regardless of weight issues. A “healthy” weight is about a healthy lifestyle, one that includes a nutritious diet, sufficient hydration, and getting regular exercise.
It couldn’t be more clear, then, that healthy weight loss is essential for active participation in all areas of your life. But, I’d like to take a moment to direct attention to one particular place in the body that is frequently the most visible indication of excess weight and obesity. You may have already guessed that I’m speaking of the body’s midsection. Take Santa Claus for instance. Though he may have been jolly once a year, with that extra weight around his belly he most likely suffered from painful musculoskeletal problems most of the year! I suppose at this point that I should mention that I’m also a chiropractor. That’s why I know from years of experience that men and women, like Santa, who walk around with too much weight in their belly, often endure back pain that is moderate to severe.
You may be wondering why so many overweight people experience back pain. Well, for one thing, the spine was not intended to bear excessive weight. Now, don’t get me wrong, the spine is elegantly structured. But, as with every other internal system of the body, one of its functions is to compensate when forced to perform in ways that are repetitive and/or “unnatural.” The spine begins to distort and compress as a person puts on extra pounds. This “reconfiguration” creates a lot of pain and discomfort. Furthermore, due to the spine’s magnificent compensating features, over time the excess weight will force the pelvis to tilt forward as a counterbalance. Such repositioning may pinch the sciatic nerve. In fact, sciatic nerve pain frequently accompanies the lower back pain from which overweight individuals suffer.
Weight loss takes the stress off of the spine and allows it to function normally. However, though excellent reasons to lose weight, decreasing back pain and sciatica are just two of the many healthy reasons to shed those extra pounds. As a healthcare professional, I believe that it is crucial that weight loss and weight maintenance take place in a natural, nutritious, and healthy way. But, as mentioned above, I understand, as a weight loss Dallas specialist, that losing excess weight is both difficult and, if done in a healthy manner, takes time even with the best of intentions. The good news is, you don’t have to lose it alone. In many areas around the country, there are centers like mine, and doctors like me, who have the expertise to help you lose the weight you need to lose in a way that will help you to feel good as well as look good. Don’t wait to lose that weight! Every day your body is compensating for those extra pounds and your health is at risk. Don’t let excess weight keep you from living your life fully.
Obviously, you don’t have to be a chiropractor to know that men and women are different! And, all those wonderful differences are what make the world go round, right? For example, I happen to have more female patients than male patients for the simple reason that women tend to take their health and wellness more seriously than most men do. But, of course, there’s much more that separates “Mars From Venus”! Men and women look differently, think differently, act differently, talk differently, and move differently, and they use different muscles when they move, even when they are doing what appears to be the same movement. For instance, according to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, when men and women kick a soccer ball, there are significant differences in knee alignment and muscle activation that occur. That right! Even a soccer ball can be manhandled or treated with a feminine touch! But, back to the study…the new data reveals that males activate certain hip and leg muscles more than females during the motion of the instep and side-foot kicks, the most common soccer kicks. And, I know from my professional experience with athletic female patients that female soccer players are more than twice as likely as males to sustain an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, which is extremely painful and usually requires extensive physical therapy, surgery, or both.
This is an important study because soccer is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States (for children as well as young adults) with approximately 20 million registered players. This number has been increasing by more then 20 percent annually, according to statistics from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). And, women are playing this sport on more competitive levels, just like the men (only differently).
Robert H. Brophy, MD, the author of the study and assistant professor of orthopedics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said that the tests he and his colleagues performed, using video cameras, retro-reflective markers and electrodes simultaneously, revealed that male players activate the hip flexors (inside the hip) in their kicking leg and the hip abductors (outside of the hip) in their supporting leg far more than females (more than twice as much, in fact). So, what causes the injury? Well, since females have less activation of the hip abductors, their hips tend to collapse into adduction (go in) during the kick. This can increase the load on the knee joint in the supporting leg and potentially put it at greater risk for injury.
So, what did the researchers conclude? “Activation of the hip abductors (in females) may help protect players against ACL injury,” said Dr. Brophy.
And, may I add that as a chiropractor, I support regular chiropractic care and a good stretching regimen, both of which can help to keep the musculoskeletel system in good alignment, keep joints mobile, and muscles limber.
Your Corona Chiropractor provides a valuable non-invasive, drug-free approach to relieving hip pain and often eliminating it altogether. Whenever possible, surgery should be seen as a final option. Therefore, before you schedule a surgery to replace that hip, consider the following questions: Does hip pain wake you up in the night and make a good night’s sleep unattainable? When you arise in the morning, and/or when you step out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it difficult at first to move your legs? Do you feel pain whenever you rotate or twist them or when you cross your legs? If you’ve answered “yes” to any or all of these questions you probably have asymmetries and alignment problems in your lower extremities that are not only causing your hip pain, but can lead to osteoarthritis in your hips in the future if not treated. The good news is that whether or not degenerative changes have already taken place, chiropractic treatment can help!
You may be getting older and it may be true that your hip joints aren’t what they used to be. Even so, are you aware that your hip pain (and related problems), which normally are thought to be age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be produced by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In the majority of cases, as opposed to being the original source of your pain, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is frequently the outcome of a previous injury (or injuries) to your hips.
Hip problems frequently have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, like walking for example. If you tend to walk “pronated” like a duck, with your toes pointing away from your body, sooner or later you will experience pain in your hips as a result of the asymmetrical pressure on your hip joints as your body attempts to compensate. Fortunately, you can make changes in your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can show you how to do it.
Furthermore, you may have developed gait changes as the result of an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical changes create hip pain. Of course, if not remedied, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, namely, the wear and tear that leads to degenerative changes.
Other circumstances that can occasionally injure the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that makes it necessary for you to move your body in unfamiliar ways. Also, carrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can cause hip pain. Even your sitting position or driving for prolonged periods of time on a regular basis can cause hip injury and pain.
Isn’t it good to know that not every pain is caused by “old age,” even though we may suffer from more pain due to the progressive activity of untreated injuries.
And important aspect of the chiropractic management of your hip problem, in addition to your adjustments, your Corona Chiropractor will recommend special rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also study your gait and may offer simple pattern changes.
Your hip pain won’t disappear on its own. Hip pain means that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If put off, there is a good possibility that you will eventually require that hip replacement surgery. So, don’t put off until tomorrow, what truly needs to be done today. Your chiropractor in Corona can get you out of pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!