Everyone knows that exercise is great for overall wellness, better health, and a healthy body. Many chiropractors will often recommend regular exercise to their patients who need to lose weight, want better mobility, or are seeking relief from depression. Some chiropractors are turning to Pilates to help their patients get stronger, more flexible, and more mobile.
What is Pilates?
In the early 20th century Joseph Pilates developed the exercise program to help World War I soldiers improve their physical fitness. It was used to rehabilitate patients who had been injured. By incorporating resistance, stretching, and target strengthening exercise, Pilates uses resistance bands, individual machines, and floor work to reshape and rehabilitate the body. Dancers, gymnasts, athletes, and celebrities use Pilates to stay in shape. However, anyone can do it for a healthier, more supple spine.
Care of the spine is at the core of Pilates. By keeping it in a neutral, or natural, position, this exercise can prevent back pain as well as help ease it. When done correctly, Pilates can:
Improve muscle control and movement efficiency through mental focus.
Make you more mindful of your body�s position, specifically, remaining aware of the spine�s position and keeping it neutral
Improve centering and mental focus through special, breathing techniques
Support and improve posture by strengthening the abdominal and back muscles.
Benefits of Pilates for Chiropractic Patients
The benefits of Pilates tremendous, but for chiropractic patients, it is even more so. By regularly incorporating Pilates into your exercise routine, you can enjoy these incredible benefits.
You can adapt Pilates to your fitness level and needs. Whether you are just starting a fitness program or you�ve been working out for years, Pilates can be tailored to your fitness needs and level.
It helps you strengthen your core. The deep muscles of your abdomen, back, and pelvic floor make up the core muscles of your body. Many of the movements focus on these muscles, making a body that is strong and the frame is supported.
Allows you to strengthen your muscles without bulking up. With Pilates your muscles get strong, but it also stretches the muscles so that they are lean and long. You will look toned and tight but not bulky and muscular.
It focuses on whole body fitness. Many types of exercise only work certain parts of the body, but this focuses on entire body fitness. It works every part of the body so that the muscle development is balanced.
It helps to improve your posture. It strengthens your body and helps to keep your spine in proper alignment due to a strong core. As a result, your posture naturally improves. By incorporating it into your exercise routine, you will find yourself standing taller, stronger, and more graceful.
You can become more connected through your mind and body by increased awareness. Pilates engages your mind and increases body awareness. It unites the mind, body, and spirit for complete coordination. Each movement is done with full attention.
It improves your flexibility. Pilates is a gentle but powerful exercise that works to safely stretch the muscles, making them longer, and increasing the range of motion in the joints.
It can protect you from injuries. By strengthening your body, Pilates can help protect you against injury. It conditions your whole body so that your muscles and strength are balanced. This reduces your risk of injury.
You get a natural energy boost. Just like with any exercise, it will give you an energy boost. However, it is increased even more thanks to the focused breathing and increase in circulation stimulating the muscles and spine.
It can help you lose weight and attain a lean, long, healthy body. It tones and strengthens the body, and if you do it regularly, it will reshape you. The body is more muscular and more balanced. It also helps you move with more grace and ease.
Chiropractic care is a respected, effective treatment for a variety of conditions as well as for promoting overall wellness. Every day patients seek it out to manage their pain, find relief from health issues, and recover from injuries. But did you know that pro athletes also utilize chiropractic for injuries, soreness, and to keep them playing at optimal levels?
What many may not realize is that an estimated 90 percent of top athletes use chiropractic to step up their game. You don�t have to be an athlete to step up your own game with chiropractic care. Here are three benefits that the pros enjoy � and so can you!
Chiropractic is an effective treatment for pain management.
Chiropractic has long been regarded as a natural, non-invasive, drug-free approach to pain management. Numerous studies have proven its effectiveness in treating pain for some conditions and injuries. Many pro athletes utilize this option to manage their pain from overtaxed muscles and ligaments to activity related injuries.
When the spine not correctly aligned it can put pressure or stress on other areas of the body. Spinal adjustments can help relieve pain in ligaments, joints, discs, and muscles. However, chiropractic techniques can be used for all parts of the body, including arms, hands, fingers, feet, hips, and knees.
Chiropractic helps in preventing injury and enhancing performance.
Doctors of Chiropractic understand that when it comes to treatment, there is not a one size fits all option. Every patient is different, and they will tailor a custom plan that benefits the entire body based on lifestyle, activity level, age, health conditions, and other factors.
The first appointment will include a variety of evaluations that help the doctor determine the best course of treatment for you, including the activities you engage in and the frequency. This way he or she can get an idea of your risk of injury and the areas to concentrate on in your treatment. So, whether you are a pro football player or a weekend warrior, chiropractic can improve your performance and help protect you from injury.
Chiropractic helps in treating many types of injuries.
For pro athletes, injuries are just part of the game. High impact sports like hockey, football, and wrestling tend to result in injuries, but even non-contact sports like baseball, cycling, and golf can lead to injuries as well.
Low impact, as well as low impact athletes, find great value in routine adjustments and spinal alignments. This alone helps to lower their risk of injury as well as improve flexibility and enhance performance. It can help reduce the stress and strain that all types of physical activity place on the body, whether you are a pro golfer or football player, or if you enjoy working in your garden or are a stay at home mom running after kids all day.
Sports equipment with a football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis and golf ball and badminton hockey puck as recreation and leisure fun activities for team and individual playing.
Some of the top names in pro sports rely on chiropractic to treat injuries, manage pain, and enhance athletic performance. You might recognize some of the names: Barry Bonds, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lance Armstrong, Evander Holyfield, Tiger Woods, Joe Montana, and Martina Navratilova are just a few. You don�t have to be an athlete, though, to reap the same benefits that the pros do. You can get them by scheduling an appointment with a chiropractor.
Chiropractic care is a safe, useful healthcare option that is appropriate for all ages and activity levels. Your Doctor of Chiropractic will sit down with you and work with you to create a treatment plan that is tailored to meet your unique needs.
Because this type of treatment focuses on the root of the problem instead of just managing symptoms, your treatment plan will usually involve not only adjustments and chiropractic techniques, but dietary recommendations, exercises, and lifestyle modifications as well so that you enjoy whole body wellness.
Most people don�t even think about visiting a chiropractor until they�ve sustained an injury or need a quick adjustment to help ease the pain. They typically see it as a treatment for injuries or conditions that they�ve already endured, not as a preventative health care option. And while chiropractic care is an exceptional way to treat existing conditions and injuries, that is only half of the picture. It is also a viable health care approach that is effective in improving overall wellness. There are some very compelling reasons to incorporate chiropractic into your everyday life. Chiropractic can:
Help lower your risk of injury
When the spine is out of alignment, it can put stress on other parts of the body including ligaments and joints. Regular chiropractic care helps keep the spine aligned thus reducing your risk of injury.
Elevate your mood
Chiropractic treatment can help to balance your hormones. It increases the feel-good hormone dopamine while decreasing the stress hormone cortisol. It makes it an excellent drug-free option for patients who suffer from anxiety, depression, or mood swings. As part of your treatment, your chiropractor may also recommend dietary and lifestyle changes that can help even more.
Makes you feel more energetic
When your spine is out of alignment, your entire body suffers. You can feel stiff, sore, and fatigues. Most patients report feeling invigorated after their treatment. They can move more naturally and have much more energy. Part of this is due to the effect the treatment has on the body as well as the hormones that are released that provide a boost in your mood.
Help you sleep better
More than 60 percent of people in the United States, both children, and adults report having problems with sleep. Studies show that chiropractic can help with insomnia allowing you to get better, more restful, and more beneficial sleep.
The combination of pain alleviation, increased flexibility, and overall wellness, as well as stress relieving properties, allow your body and mind to relax so that you can fall asleep easier and stay asleep. Incorporating chiropractic care into your everyday routine can help you get a better night�s sleep.
Strengthen your immune system
Studies show that patients who receive regular chiropractic care have a significantly stronger immune system than patients who don�t see a chiropractor. One of the most significant studies to date that explored the connection between regular chiropractic care and a healthy immune system conducted by Dr. Ronald Pero, Ph. D. of New York�s Preventive Medicine Institute where he was the chief of cancer research. He was also a professor of medicine at New York University. The study, which spanned several years, found that patients who received chiropractic care on a regular basis had a 200 percent greater immune competence than non-chiropractic patients.
Manage your pain
Chronic pain, as well as pain from injuries or certain conditions, respond very well to regular chiropractic care. Any discomfort can negatively impact your quality of life, but pain medications can have unpleasant side effects that can be debilitating. It doesn�t help that many pain medications are highly addictive.
Treatments offer a natural remedy for pain that is medication free. What�s more, regularly scheduled therapies work to fix the cause of the problem so that the issue gets permanently resolved.
Make you feel better without medication
Chiropractic treatments are non-invasive and drug-free. It uses the body�s healing properties to address issues naturally and achieve results. It is low risk and very useful, treating the cause of problems, not just the symptoms the way pain medication does.
When you look at all of the benefits of regular chiropractic care and realize that those results can be achieved naturally, it�s easy to see why more people are incorporating it into their health care routines.
If you sit behind a desk all day with little or no activity, you could be compromising your physical health, mental health, and brain health which could impact your productivity at work. From a physical standpoint, it isn�t healthy to remain in one position for too long. It can lead to various health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Experts advise movement. By getting up and walking around every hour or so or do exercises at your desk.
Healthy brain function can�be impacted by inactivity if you sit at work without moving for long periods of time your brain could suffer. The lack of activity could cause it to enter into a state of slumber which can lead to a decrease in brain processing speed and short-term memory loss.
It can also impact a person�s ability to learn or retain new information. It is so important to create an organizational culture that encourages moving around as part of their workday.
Create written policies that encourage and advocate movement during work hours. Incorporate moving workstations, moving meetings, flexible scheduling, more breaks when meetings run long, and a movement-friendly dress code.
Provide information and training to all employees and leadership underlining the importance of the policies and explaining the importance of movement as well as what they can do to support the initiative.
Places
Create workspaces that are conducive to movement, adjusting workstations so that they encourage active movement and incorporating dynamic change into current processes and workflows while minimizing the time employees spend sitting.
Seek out software and applications that encourage users to stretch or get up and move while they are working. Make stairwells more accessible and appealing, improve common areas, and promote collaboration that requires moving to various workstations or common areas.
People
Identify employees who are good role models for movement and train them for leadership roles so that they can encourage other employees to move a part of their workday. Train them in the policies regarding movement and task them with helping to create a culture of health and mobility within the organization.
Organize groups to walk during breaks or meet in common areas for light stretching and other types of movement. Sponsor contests and competitions with prizes for employees who achieve set goals.
Permission
Educate all employees and all levels of management or leadership on the benefits of movement and how it can positively impact personal production and performance as well as organizational outcomes. Stress that moving during the work day should become a regular activity and must be welcomed and allowed. Emphasize that it is the task of all employees to make a culture of movement the norm as opposed to the exception.
The benefits of moving around in the workplace extend far beyond healthier employees and increased production. Employees perceive themselves as valuable to the organization and morale is increased. Employee engagement�improves�on the job, and they invest more in their work as opposed to just doing a job. They are happier, empowered, and more productive at work and take more of an active role in business outcomes as well as their health.
Of course, employees will also enjoy individual benefits such as increased blood flow, as well as improved problem solving, better alertness, and enhanced creativity. A workplace that incorporates movement into its culture is a healthier, happier place to work with more robust, and more satisfied employees. You can�t afford to not implement this simple, effective strategy into your own organizational culture.
Costochondritis, also called Tietze syndrome, is often misdiagnosed due to the varied symptoms. It involves the ribs and, depending on the area affected, the pain, discomfort, and other symptoms can mislead doctors to underdiagnose or misdiagnose.
Patients may experience pain in the side, back, and chest which means it can mimic several different conditions, including heart attack, gastrointestinal problems, and lung disease. This can lead to anxiety and increased stress. It is also a chronic problem for some people, causing pain that can range from moderate to intense.
What Is Costochondritis?
The body is constructed so that the ribs protect the lungs. The first seven pairs connect to the sternum in the front and at two areas in the back along the spine while the lower five pairs are connected in the front by cartilage and in the back along the spine.
Ribs are meant to protect the organs, including the lungs and they are on hinges so that the lungs have room to expand during respiration. Costochondritis occurs when one of those hinges doesn�t work or the cartilage becomes inflamed. The condition is accompanied by pain and sometimes swelling in the affected area.
Symptoms Of Costochondritis
While swelling may occur in some cases with costochondritis, the primary symptom is pain in the chest area. This pain may become worse when coughing or taking a deep breath and is typically characterized as sharp or aching, although some patients do describe pressure or tightness in the chest area. It often occurs on the left side of the sternum and typically affects several ribs instead of just one. The area is also usually sensitive to touch and pressing on it will increase the pain.
Because the pain occurs in the chest area, many people believe that they are having a heart attack. It is important to note that anyone who experiences chest pain or tightness should seek emergency medical attention immediately in order to rule out heart attack or other life threatening conditions.
How Is Costochondritis Diagnosed?
Usually when a patient seeks treatment for costochondritis, there is no clear cause. However, there are some conditions and activities that have been linked to it and could be the cause or aid in creating the condition. Typical causes of costochondritis include:
Physical strain such as severe coughing, strenuous exercise, and heavy lifting. People with bronchitis and pneumonia sometimes get costochondritis because of the intense coughing. It is also common among body builders, caused when they strain to lift extremely heavy weights.
Injury such as getting hit in the chest.
Joint infection such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi that cause illnesses like aspergillosis, syphilis, and tuberculosis can infect and inflamer the rib joints.
Arthritis such as ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis have all been linked to costochondritis.
Tumors including cancerous as well as noncancerous can cause costochondritis. When cancer moves through the body from the lung, thyroid, or breast it can cause inflammation in the rib joints.
People over 40 years old and women are the high-risk categories for costochondritis. Young adults and teenagers are more prone to the connected condition, Tietze syndrome, which is equally frequent in both women and men.
Chiropractic For Costochondritis
There is no standard treatment for costochondritis other than managing symptoms. However, chiropractic has proven to be exceptional for managing pain. Chiropractic treatment for the condition involves a gentle approach with anterior thoracic chiropractic adjustments along with treatment for the soft tissue around the affected area and extending along the nerve path.
The chiropractor may also recommend alternating heat and cold directly on the painful areas. Light massage may also work and the chiropractor will show them how to do this at home for continuing self-care. With regular chiropractic treatments and diligent self-care at home, patients can lessen the occurrences of costochondritis and greatly reduce or eliminate the pain.
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Many headaches that people classify as migraines are actually not migraines at all. Two of the most common headaches confused with migraines are sinus headaches and occipital neuralgia.
The condition can be debilitating but there are treatments, including chiropractic, that are very effective. Understanding occipital neuralgia can help patients better manage it so they can minimize the pain and symptoms of the condition.
What Is Occipital Neuralgia?
Occipital neuralgia is a neurological condition that affects the occipital nerves which run from the top portion of the spinal cord, through the scalp, transmitting messages to and from the brain. There are two greater occipital nerves, one on each side of the head, from between the vertebrae located in the upper neck through the muscles that are located at the base of the skull and back of the head.
While they do not cover the areas on or near the ears or over the face, they can extend over the scalp as far as the forehead. When those nerves are injured or become inflamed, occipital neuralgia is the result. A person with this condition may experience pain at the base of their skull or the back of their head.
What Are The Symptoms Of Occipital Neuralgia?
Pain is the prevalent symptom of occipital neuralgia. It often mimics the pain of migraine headaches or cluster headaches and is described as throbbing, burning, and aching.
There may also be intermittent shooting or shocking pain. Typically, the pain begins at the base of the skull but may radiate along the side of the scalp or in the back of the head. Other symptoms include:
Pain is experienced on one side (but sometimes both sides)
Pain behind the eye of the side that is affected
Tenderness in the scalp
Sensitivity to light
Pain triggered by neck movement
What Causes Occipital Neuralgia?
Irritation or pressure to the occipital nerves are what actually cause the pain. This may be due to tight muscles in the neck that squeeze or trap the nerves, injury, or inflammation.
However, much of the time doctors are unable to determine the cause. There are several medical conditions linked to occipital neuralgia:
Tight neck muscles
Diabetes
Trauma or injury to the back of the head
Gout
Tension in the neck muscles
Whiplash
Inflammation of the blood vessels in and around the neck
Infection
Neck tumors
Cervical disc disease
Osteoarthritis
What Are The Treatments For Occipital Neuralgia?
Occipital neuralgia treatment focuses on pain relief. It often begins with conservative treatments that include:
In more severe cases the patient may be prescribed a stronger anti-inflammatory medication, muscle relaxants or in some cases an anticonvulsant medication.
If these therapies are not effective or do not bring about the desired level of pain relief, then doctors may recommend percutaneous nerve blocks and steroids. Sometimes surgery is recommended in cases where the pain is severe, chronic, and is unresponsive to more conservative treatments.
Chiropractic For Occipital Neuralgia
Chiropractic was once considered an �alternative� treatment for occipital neuralgia, but now it is often a regular part of recommended patient care. The advantage of chiropractic over medication or surgery is that chiropractic does not come with the side effects of drugs or the risks of surgery.
Another advantage is that chiropractic seeks to correct the root of the problem, not just manage the pain like other treatments.
Chiropractic treatment for occipital neuralgia may include lift adjustments, heat, massage, and traction. This will bring the body back into proper alignment and take the pressure off of the nerves as it loosens the neck muscles.
The patient stands a better chance of staying pain free when taking this treatment route.
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The Nervous System: At its very foundation chiropractic helps improve�nervous system function by making adjustments to the spine. Over time, more and more studies are proving that it is extremely effective and as a result many health conditions are improved and even healed completely.
Function Of The Nervous System
The nervous system is a complex network of nerves, spinal cord, and brain that reach and affect every part of the body. The core of the nervous system is the spinal cord which receives and transmits information in the body.
It is responsible for organ function, movement, and experiencing the senses sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The brain receives the information that is carried by the nervous system. It processes the information and helps the body react appropriately.
When you look at a cat, the image is transmitted through the nervous system, processed in the brain, and translated to the image of a cat as you understand it. It happens so quickly; there is no pause or lapse of time in a healthy nervous system. The transmission of the message is instantaneous.
How Chiropractic Helps Improve The Nervous System
When the spine is not aligned or the body is out of balance it can impact the function of the nervous system, causing chronic pain, difficulty in mobility, and a wide range of health conditions. Chiropractic adjustments open the pathways of the nervous system allowing the information to flow unobstructed.
It goes far beyond just the spine though. The chiropractor may adjust the arms, legs, neck, and hips in addition to the spine which all work together to provide a healthy, functioning nervous system. Regular chiropractic care can help keep the nervous system unimpeded and working as it should.
Improved Nervous System Means Improved Immune & Endocrine Systems
The nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system are inextricably linked so when one is impacted, the others are impacted as well. This occurs because all three systems share certain molecules that carry message between them, allowing them to communicate or work together. It is this connection that makes chiropractic an effective treatment for immunity.
While the immune system protects the body from disease, the endocrine system is responsible for producing certain hormones. These hormones are responsible for regulating tissue function, sleep, metabolism, sexual function, mood, growth and development, as well as other vital functions.
This is why chiropractic treatment can often help with depression and insomnia; it is even an effective treatment for infertility. When you look at the nervous system from this perspective it is easy to see how far reaching it is and how much it impacts the entire body.
Benefits Of An Improved Nervous System
There are many chronic and even degenerative health conditions that are impacted by the nervous system. Studies have shown that chiropractic is a very effective treatment for numerous neurological conditions including:
Vertigo
Cerebral palsy
Ataxia
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson�s
Epilepsy
Tourette�s Syndrome
Autism
This makes chiropractic more of a global treatment in many cases. A patient may seek treatment for pain or limited mobility but will often experience many other benefits due to the positive effects that the treatment has on the nervous system.
When there is a communication breakdown between the brain and the body�s tissues, organs, and cells it can lead to a variety of health problems. Chiropractic provides a safe, effective treatment for improved nervous system function.
In some cases, a patient may need regular chiropractic treatments that may be once a week or several times a week. The type, frequency, and intensity of the treatment is dependent upon the patient and their condition. Chiropractic treatment positively affects the nervous system and as a result, positively affects the entire body.
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