Back Clinic Chiropractic. This is a form of alternative treatment that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of various musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, especially those associated with the spine. Dr. Alex Jimenez discusses how spinal adjustments and manual manipulations regularly can greatly help both improve and eliminate many symptoms that could be causing discomfort to the individual. Chiropractors believe among the main reasons for pain and disease are the vertebrae’s misalignment in the spinal column (this is known as a chiropractic subluxation).
Through the usage of manual detection (or palpation), carefully applied pressure, massage, and manual manipulation of the vertebrae and joints (called adjustments), chiropractors can alleviate pressure and irritation on the nerves, restore joint mobility, and help return the body’s homeostasis. From subluxations, or spinal misalignments, to sciatica, a set of symptoms along the sciatic nerve caused by nerve impingement, chiropractic care can gradually restore the individual’s natural state of being. Dr. Jimenez compiles a group of concepts on chiropractic to best educate individuals on the variety of injuries and conditions affecting the human body.
� Sciatica, or sciatic nerve pain, is a collection of symptoms caused by the compression or impingement of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots, due to disk herniation, spinal health issues like osteoarthritis, spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis as well as intraspinal tumors and abscesses. Impingement or compression may typically occur along the spinal canal or intervertebral foramen. Health issues associated with the compression or impingement of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots may commonly occur in the lower back, pelvis, or buttocks. � �
Sciatica Symptoms
� The common symptoms of sciatic nerve pain include pain and discomfort which radiates along the lower back, down the buttocks and posterior aspect of the leg, into the knee and foot. The painful symptoms may affect one or both lower extremities and it may occur with or without low back pain. The pain and discomfort are described as burning, lancinating, or stabbing. Other common symptoms of sciatica include tingling sensations and numbness anywhere along the length of the sciatic nerve, particularly in the lower extremities. � Coughing or the Valsalva maneuver, a specific way of breathing which increases pressure in the chest, may worsen sciatic nerve pain symptoms. Moreover, the compression or impingement of the spinal cord and nerve roots can cause sensory, motor, or reflex deficits, among other health issues. Symptoms of sciatica may depend on which nerves are affected based on the segmental level of the spine. By way of instance, an L5 to S1 disk herniation may affect the ankle jerk reflex while an L3 to L4 disk herniation may affect the knee jerk reflex. �
Sciatica, or sciatic nerve pain, is a collection of symptoms rather than a single health issue, characterized by radiating pain, tingling sensations, and/or numbness which extends from the lower back and buttocks, down into the legs and feet. Sciatica is generally diagnosed through its symptoms and depending on the type of painful symptoms, a healthcare professional can safely and effective treat sciatic nerve pain. It’s important for patients to understand the symptoms of sciatica in order to continue with a diagnosis and follow-up with the appropriate treatment option. – Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insight
� Healthcare professionals have determined that straight leg raising may aggravate pain and discomfort which radiates down the length of the leg when gradually raised above 60 degrees or less. According to numerous research studies, this outcome measure is sensitive to sciatic nerve pain. Painful symptoms radiating down the affected leg when the contralateral leg is lifted, also known as crossed straight leg raising, is more common for sciatica. Furthermore, sciatica can ultimately be diagnosed through a series of tests and evaluations. � The straight leg raise test can be performed while patients are sitting with their hip joints flexed at 90 degrees. Then, their leg is carefully raised until the knee is fully extended. If the patient has sciatica, the painful symptoms will most often manifest as the leg is extended. The slump test can be performed like the straight leg raise test, but while the patient is slumping with the thoracic and lumbar spine flexed as well as the neck flexed. The slump test is more accurate but less specific, for disk herniation than the straight leg raise test. �
Sciatic Nerve Pain Diagnosis
� Sciatica is commonly diagnosed through its characteristic, painful symptoms. Once sciatic nerve pain is diagnosed, healthcare professionals should test a patient’s strength, sensations, and reflexes to determine any possible health issues. If painful symptoms persist for more than 6 weeks, or if there are neurologic deficits, imaging and electrodiagnostic studies should be performed. Structural and functional abnormalities which result in sciatica, such as spinal stenosis, can most accurately be diagnosed through MRI or CT scans. � Imaging and electrodiagnostic studies can help confirm the segmental level of the spinal cord and/or nerve root compression and/or impingement, which can exclude health issues that may mimic sciatica, such as polyneuropathy. These studies may help determine whether single or multiple regions of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots are being affected and whether the diagnosis correlates with MRI abnormalities. Abnormalities may not be obvious on imaging and electrodiagnostic studies for up to a few weeks after symptoms manifest. �
Sciatica Treatment
� Patients with sciatica, or sciatic nerve pain, can achieve relief from their painful symptoms through bed rest in a recumbent position with the head of the bed elevated about 30 degrees, also known as the semi-Fowler position. Treatment for low back pain can include nonopioid analgesics, such as NSAIDs and acetaminophen. Drugs and/or medications which decrease neuropathic pain, such as gabapentin or other anticonvulsants and low-dose tricyclic antidepressants, may also help relieve sciatic nerve pain, or sciatica, signs and symptoms. � Muscle spasm associated with low back pain or sciatica can be relieved through the utilization of heat or cold, physical therapy, and chiropractic care, among other alternative treatment options. Whether corticosteroids should be used to treat acute radicular pain remains controversial. Epidural corticosteroids can help achieve pain relief, however, these should not be utilized unless the patient’s painful symptoms are severe or persistent. Many healthcare professionals may utilize oral corticosteroids for these special occasions. � Surgery for sciatic nerve pain, or sciatica, is only recommended for cauda equina syndrome or for unequivocal disk herniation along with the presence of muscular weakness, progressive neurologic deficit and/or intolerable, intractable pain which interferes with regular physical activities in an emotionally stable patient which has not decreased after 6 weeks of conservative treatments. The standard procedure for sciatica caused by disk herniation is through classic diskectomy with a limited laminotomy. If the disk herniation is localized, a microdiscectomy may be performed, where the skin incision and laminotomy are smaller. Chemonucleolysis, which uses an intradiscal injection of chymopapain, is no longer utilized to help treat sciatic nerve pain. � Sciatica is a collection of symptoms caused by the compression or impingement of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. Understanding the symptoms of sciatic nerve pain is essential towards obtaining a diagnosis in order to follow up with the best treatment. The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal and nervous health issues as well as functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900�.
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topic Discussion: Severe Sciatica
Back pain�is one of the most prevalent causes of disability and missed days at work worldwide. Back pain attributes to the second most common reason for doctor office visits, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. Approximately 80 percent of the population will experience back pain at least once throughout their life. Your spine is a complex structure made up of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles, among other soft tissues. Injuries and/or aggravated conditions, such as�herniated discs, can eventually lead to symptoms of sciatica, or sciatic nerve pain. Sports injuries or automobile accident injuries are often the most frequent cause of painful symptoms, however, sometimes the simplest of movements can have these results. Fortunately, alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can help ease sciatic nerve pain, or sciatica, through the utilization of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, ultimately improving pain relief.
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Weighing an average of 10 pounds, the human head is heavier than most people think. The head can put a great deal of pressure on the neck when it is placed in different positions for prolonged periods � especially regularly looking down at your phone.
The damage caused to the neck from time spent staring at mobile screens has been given the name �Text Neck�, and it is a growing problem among not only teens but for everyone.
Regularly Looking Down at Your Phone Is Cause For Neck Injury
Your body is well-designed to bear the weight of your head when you maintain good posture � but tilting your head down to look at your phone is not good posture. In fact, for every inch you move angle your head downward, you double the pressure on your spine.
Looking at your phone can put an extra ten or twenty pounds of pressure on your neck. That would be worth noting even if you only did it occasionally, but most people spend hours looking at their phones throughout the day. That amounts to hours of excessive pressure on the soft tissues that make up your neck � pressure that will inevitably lead to inflammation and discomfort if left unchecked.
According to this article featured in the Washington Post, the pressure you put on your neck by bending and staring at your phone is much like bending your finger back as far as it will go, and then keeping it in that position for approximately an hour. Day after day, such stress is bound to lead to complications.
Resulting Injuries from Text Neck
The strain put on the neck by text neck is enough to cause mild to severe injuries, including:
Sore muscles
Inflamed Tissues
Pinched nerves
Herniated discs
Elimination of the natural curve of the neck
These injuries can cause considerable pain and discomfort and may lead to further health complications. They can lead to neck and back pain that can last for years.
Tips to Avoid Text Neck
Smartphones offer numerous benefits and opportunities for enjoyment, so it is unlikely that most people will stop using them. Luckily, there are things you can do to protect yourself, including:
Work Your Eyes, Not Your Neck
One of the simplest ways to avoid text neck is to look down with your eyes instead of tilting your head down. While it may not be practical to always use this technique, it is certainly useful in many circumstances. Your eyes can tilt down with little effort and can allow you to lessen the tilt of your neck as you use your phone.
Strength Train your Neck & Shoulder Muscles
You will inevitably do some head tilting as you use your phone throughout the day. Strengthening the muscles that support your head is one way to protect your delicate neck tissues and maintain mobility. Simple exercises like turning your head each way repeatedly and using your hands to provide resistance can make your neck much stronger. Your shoulders also provide a lot of support for your neck. Shoulder exercises can increase the stability of your neck as well.
Have an Awareness of Your Head Position
Just maintaining awareness of how your head is tilted as you use your phone can help you avoid excessive tilting. Practice looking at your smartphone with your head upright to remind yourself of what good posture feels like, and pay attention during the times you deviate from good posture.
Chiropractic Treatment
If you are experiencing neck pain from text neck, or from any other type of injury, chiropractic can help. Please contact us now to schedule your appointment and get some relief!
Ms. Hermosillo participates in fitness classes and follows healthy lifestyle habits. She participates in a variety of physical activities to achieve tip-top health. As a result, however, Ms. Hermosillo began to experience neck pain and back pain.
The symptoms were beginning to affect her life both professionally and personally. Ms. Hermosillo heard about local 20+ year El Paso, Texas chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez that brought unbelievable relief of her symptoms! El Paso Back Clinic follows a safe and effective treatment focusing on a variety of health issues associated with the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Ms. Hermosillo recommends Dr. Jimenez for personalized spine therapy for neck pain, back pain, and other conditions.
El Paso Back Clinic
We are blessed to present to you�El Paso�s Premier Wellness & Injury Care Clinic.
As El Paso�s Chiropractic Rehabilitation Clinic & Integrated Medicine Center,�we passionately are focused on treating patients after frustrating injuries and chronic pain syndromes. We focus on improving your ability through flexibility, mobility and agility programs tailored for all age groups and disabilities.
We want you to live a life filled with more energy, positive attitude, better sleep, less pain, proper body weight and educated on how to maintain this way of life.
Only the best for you!
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Sitting for long periods is associated with early death � upsetting news for the millions of Americans who spend extensive time sitting as they work and as they relax after work. A recent study conducted at Columbia� University has found that prolonged sitting destroys your health. Regular exercise, although great for you, failed to significantly reduce the risks associated with prolonged sitting.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize the time you spend sitting. Experts recommend taking a movement break every 30 minutes to protect your health.
The Sitting Study
The study used hip-mounted accelerometers to measure how much time study participants � nearly 8,000 individuals � spent in sedentary positions. Over four years researchers tracked participants and recorded the number of deaths among participants. The study found that increased sedentary time leads to an increased risk of death from any cause. The risk of death went up regardless of how old the participants were or how often they exercised.
The study found that participants who sat less than 30 minutes had a 55% lower risk of death in comparison to participants who sat for longer periods of time.
Why Does Sitting Ruin Your Health?
Finding out that sitting for extended periods so greatly increases your risk of death is startling for many people. The next question is, �Why?� Unfortunately, the exact reasons are far from clear. The study was not meant to uncover the reasons why, so there is limited information to explain what occurs in the body to increase the risk of death. It will take further studies to provide an answer.
Methods to Protect Your Health
Although the exact reasons why sitting increases the risk of mortality are not yet clear, the recommendation to take a break from sitting every 30 minutes does offer an actionable step to protect your health. There are several other ways you can limit your sitting, including:
Sit & Standing Desks
There are a number of different desks designed to be used from a standing position, including stationary standing desks and sit to stand desks � both manually operated and motorized. Standing desks allow you to work exactly as you would at a sitting desk, only while standing. They take some getting used to, but most people who try them out find that they are an easy way to minimize time spent sitting.
When you purchase a standing or sit to stand desk, it may take some time to build up your stamina to use the desk for extended periods of time. Try standing for short periods, then sitting, then standing again to avoid excessive fatigue.
Apps
A number of apps are available to help you track your activity and make gradual lifestyle adjustments to increase your activity levels. Apple�s Health app includes an Activity monitor and coach that collects data from your iPhone, Apple Watch and third-party apps to let you know how much you are moving and to remind you to move more. You can set reminders on your app to tell you to move � such as every 30 minutes � as a way to ensure you avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time.
Timers
The simplest way to avoid sitting for more than 30 minutes is to set a timer on your phone or use a separate timer, to go off after 30 minutes of sitting. Once the timer goes off, engage in brisk walking or some other activity to get your heart rate up for five minutes. Then you can go back to sitting � after you set your timer again.
Helping You Stay as Healthy as Possible
Our chiropractic team is dedicated to helping you enjoy a long and healthy life. Please contact us to schedule an appointment for a comprehensive exam and targeted health advice from an experienced chiropractor.
Individuals from all walks of life offer testimonials about their back pain and how their lives suffered from it. Each testimonial describes what they went through being affected by piriformis syndrome and how it limited their ability to take part in their jobs and home life. The patients clarify how El Paso, chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez helped them find relief from their debilitating symptoms. They are all thankful for the treatment Dr. Jimenez has provided, and recommend his team for any type of injury you may have.
El Paso Back Clinic
We are blessed to present to you�El Paso�s Premier Wellness & Injury Care Clinic.
As El Paso�s Chiropractic Rehabilitation Clinic & Integrated Medicine Center,�we passionately are focused on treating patients after frustrating injuries and chronic pain syndromes. We focus on improving your ability through flexibility, mobility and agility programs tailored for all age groups and disabilities.
We want you to live a life filled with more energy, positive attitude, better sleep, less pain, proper body weight and educated on how to maintain this way of life.
I assure you, I will only accept the best for you�
If you have enjoyed this video and we have helped you in any way, please feel free to subscribe and recommend�us.
The effectiveness of chiropractic care for headaches has been proven by many research studies, which is good news for the 90% of Americans who suffer. Chiropractic is not only excellent for treating headaches, but is gentle, non-invasive, does not require medications, and is known for being free of side effects.
Chiropractic A Gentle, Effective Treatment
Headaches can range from mild to debilitating, and all the stages in between. Some people suffer from headaches only occasionally, while others are constantly dealing with headaches. Unfortunately, standard medical care can only do so much to treat headaches � and the treatments often come with side effects, such as those caused by pain medications.
Chiropractic takes a different approach than traditional Western medicine. Instead of treating the symptoms, chiropractic attempts to get to the source of the problem. Using non-invasive treatments, chiropractic works to help the body heal itself � which it can do surprisingly well when the conditions are right. Chiropractic strives to create these ideal conditions.
Headache Types
The two most common types of headaches most people suffer from include:
Tension
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. The pain of a tension headache can range from fairly mild to severe. Although some headache sufferers describe tension headaches as similar to having a painful band around their heads, the symptoms of tension headaches can vary significantly from individual to individual. Symptoms of tension headaches include:
Pain that is constant, not throbbing
A feeling of tightness in the temples, forehead, back of the head, side of head or combination of these
Neck pain and stiffness
Tension headaches, as the name indicates, are caused by tension in the body � often in the neck and upper back.
Migraines
Migraine headaches, while less common than tension headaches, are still a major issue for a large portion of Americans. It is estimated that approximately 13 percent of the population suffers from migraines.
Symptoms of migraines include:
Throbbing pain
Pain is often on one side of the head
Sensitivity to light
Nausea
Vomiting
Migraines are still not fully understood by the medical community. Research has shown what happens in the brain during migraines, and there are a number of triggers that are known, but research is ongoing to determine exactly what is happening and what causes these debilitating headaches.
How Chiropractic Helps
Research has shown that chiropractic can help headache sufferers, particularly those that suffer from tension headaches. There are a number of ways that chiropractic can improve symptoms, including:
Adjustments
The spine and the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that surround it are prone to injury and misalignment, which can cause significant tension, nerve pain, and associated health issues. Subluxations, also referred to as spinal misalignments, can put pressure on nerves and cause muscles to tighten and even spasm. All of this can lead to considerable tension. Tension can result in headaches.
Chiropractic adjustments realign the spine, relieving pressure on nerves and helping muscles to relax.
Lifestyle
While chiropractic adjustments can do a great deal to help relieve tension headaches, migraines are often most effectively treated through lifestyle adjustments. Changes in diet and avoidance of known triggers are considered the best way to avoid migraines and minimize symptoms.
Chiropractic care includes lifestyle advice to help patients navigate their health issues effectively, including migraines.
No matter what the season is, there’s always time to get outside and be active, as long as, the weather cooperates. Hiking is great exercise while getting to take in nature in the process. Now add chiropractic maintenance into the mix, and you have a formula for optimal wellness!
The Benefits
Hiking is a great cardio workout that can help improve your blood sugar levels as well as your blood pressure. It can also decrease your risk of heart disease.
What�s more, walking qualifies as a weight-bearing exercise so it helps guard against osteoporosis by improving bone density. If you hike on a regular basis, you will find that your weight is better managed, your core is stronger, your mood is better, and your balance is improved.
As you hike, anxiety and stress will melt away. You will look better, feel better, and function better. The good news is, the more you do it, the more benefits you�ll see.
The more you work, the more you can work. As your body gets stronger, you will find that you can go farther and even challenge yourself on some of the more difficult trails. Just the act of moving will make you feel better, but get ready to get hooked!
Chiropractic/Hiking Mean Healthy Results
Incorporating regular chiropractic care into your life helps keep everything working as it should. When you are backing that care with cardiovascular exercise, you greatly increase the benefits of both.
Chiropractic care is also focused on whole-body wellness, so your chiropractor may recommend certain lifestyle changes or a special diet to support your hiking routine. If you get hurt, or even sore, from your hikes, chiropractic can help manage the pain or eliminate it completely.
You will heal faster so you can get back on the trail sooner. What�s more, chiropractic will increase your performance faster and your body will work much more efficiently. Combining the two creates a powerhouse that will provide you with fantastic health benefits for a very long time.
Hiking Tips
When you set out to hike, you might feel great and want to get started right away. However, there are some things you need to pay attention to so that you can be sure your hike is productive and safe. There�s nothing like a knee, ankle, or back injury to mess up a great hiking routine. Stick with these tips to avoid any problems.
A good warm up before your hike will improve your performance on the trail and reduce your risk of injury. Take a few minutes to warm up your muscles and stretch a little. Your body will thank you.
Choosing the right shoes will greatly improve your hike. Look for footwear that is supportive, fits well, and allows your foot and ankle to work as they should. You will feel a good pair of shoes all the way up to your back � same as you�ll feel bad ones.
Don�t try to conquer the toughest trail right off the bat. Start slow and work your way up to more challenging trails and longer hikes. For instance, you may want to start on a fairly level surface and gradually work up to areas with uneven terrain or even hills.
If balance is an issue (or even if it�s not), you may want to add poles. They can help keep you balanced but do double duty by providing a great upper body workout.
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