Back Clinic Spinal Hygiene. The spine is the protective housing for the nervous system, a system so powerful that it controls every function in the human body. The nervous system tells your body to breath, tells your heart to beat, tells your arms and legs to move, tells your body when and how to produce new cells and it even has the power to control healing. A damaged or misaligned spine can dramatically interfere with the signals constantly being sent through the nervous system, eventually resulting in bodily pain, internal deterioration and loss of many of the everyday functions we take for granted.
Spinal hygiene is extremely important, yet 89 percent of the world’s population does not realize the importance of maintaining proper alignment of the vertebrae through chiropractic adjustment, as well as protecting the spine from injury through healthy living practices. Instead we neglect our spines. As children we start our lives with tumbles and trips that jar our spines, we grow into adults with poor posture, we lift things that are too heavy, carry overloaded back packs, and we suffer injury through car accidents, sports impacts and stress.
Get in on the health trend of the future-today. Join the growing percentage of the population that enjoys greater health and wellness through regular care of their spines. Talk to your chiropractor today about ways you can improve your spinal hygiene.
Most people stretch and hardly pay any attention to it. Throughout the day a person may stretch upon waking or after they�ve been sitting in the same position for a while. They might do some stretches before working out or as part of physical therapy. Stretching often makes us feel better but it might be surprising to discover that it is actually beneficial to optimal body function.
As a person ages their muscles begin to tighten. This is a natural part of the aging process. However, it can cause inhibit range of motion and joint stiffness, making normal day to day activities more difficult. After certain injuries stiffness can set in, causing pain and decreased flexibility.
What many chiropractic patients may be surprised to learn is that stretching is a great complement to chiropractic care. When combined with simple stretches and low impact exercises, chiropractic patients often find that their injuries heal faster, their pain is reduced, and they simply feel better and more energetic. If that isn�t enough to convince you to incorporate stretching into your daily wellness routine, maybe these four compelling benefits will.
STRETCHING
Helps Keep The Spine Aligned
When you stretch the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and lower back it will improve your posture by helping to keep your spine in better alignment. When your muscles are not stretched properly they begin to draw up � and it usually isn�t in a uniform or symmetrical manner.
This means that muscles on one side of your spine may draw up more than the muscles on the other side. This can result in your body being pulled to that side, causing your spine to be pulled that way. Stretching prevents this from happening and when combined with consistent chiropractic care it can ensure good spinal health.
Improves Flexibility & Range Of Motion
Most people know, on some level, that stretching improves flexibility and range of motion. However, many do not act on that knowledge and they often wind up at the doctor�s office complaining of back pain. Stretching will make you more flexible which, in turn, will make you less prone to injury.
Your muscles will be able to work as effectively as possible. It is important that you don�t overdo it though. Some people take terrible risks when they stretch, thinking that if they force their bodies into certain positions or if they �bounce� to get a deeper stretch then they will be more flexible. Actually, the reverse is true. Stretching in an unsafe way such as bouncing or forcing your body far beyond its limits will result in injury including pulled muscles and muscle tearing.
Helps Relieve Stress & Detoxify The Body
When you stretch, two very significant things happen. First, your blood flow increases as blood is rushed to the muscles, your organs, and your brain. Secondly, it moves oxygen through these areas. As a result, toxins that have accumulated in your soft tissues are dispelled.
The simple stretching that relieves tension in muscles, combined with the detoxifying effect will help you feel less stressed. Stretching is a great stress management exercise, one you can do just about anywhere. You don�t need any special equipment and you can even do it right at your desk while you are working. A bonus is that you�ll feel the de-stressing effects instantly.
It relies on the body�s natural ability to heal itself by releasing the tension and easing the stiffness of the muscles in that area. The stiffer those muscles are, the more they will hurt when you try to move. By relaxing them through stretching you will find that you move much easier and with less pain.
Stretching has so many great benefits. Talk to your chiropractor about a customized stretching plan that you can do at home. You�ll love what it does for you. If you don�t have a chiropractor, give us a call at (915)850-0900. We�re here to help!
Hydration: There is no denying that a healthy diet is integral to overall wellness and staying hydrated is absolutely vital. Every organ, every cell in your body contains water. In fact, when you don�t drink enough water and keep your body properly hydrated, it does not function as it should.
The health of your spine and back depends heavily on whether you are properly hydrated. In fact, if you don�t drink enough water plain, pure water, it could affect your back, causing pain and limiting mobility.
Hydration
Overview Of Spinal Construction
To understand water�s role in spinal health, you first need to understand how the spine is constructed. The row of bones that make up the spine are called vertebrae. Between each vertebrae is a disc. This disc works like a shock absorber so as you bend, flex, and move about the disc provides a buffer so the bones do not rub together.
Each disc is comprised of two parts. The center of the disc is the nucleus pulposis. It is made up mostly of water. The nucleus pulposis is surrounded by a tough, flexible ring that contains a gelatinous substance. It protects the inner area which is the cushion for the vertebrae. Two factors that further complicate the rehydration of the discs are aging and sedentary lifestyles.
How Water Is Good For Your Back
As you go about your daily activities, each time you move, the spine compresses the disc, squeezing out the water within. Even walking or sitting upright can cause this as gravity causes the spine to compress. When the disc does not have adequate water, the result is pain and lack of mobility as well as increased risk of spinal injury.
When you are not properly hydrated your body cannot replenish the water in the discs, causing them to remain compressed. Beverages like soda are not adequate for effective hydration. You need to make sure that you drink enough water every day.
For years we were told that 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day was the rule for proper hydration, and that works for many people. However, an article in the Harvard Health Letter suggests that the body can be properly hydrated with 30 to 50 ounces of water a day. The article goes on to suggest that water can also be found in foods like spinach, watermelon, soups, and lettuce are also good sources for hydration.
Spinal Problems Caused By Dehydration
When the body is dehydrated the discs remain compressed instead of refilling. When that happens the overall function of the spine is compromised. Your constant back pain may actually be caused by dehydration. When the discs cannot refill they can�t do their job. This leads to immobility and a compromised range of motion.
Hydration also plays an important role in how the cerebrospinal fluid moves and works. While it does require more than water to function properly, water does play an important role. When the body is dehydrated this fluid cannot move as it should which can even affect brain function.
On a larger scale, when the body is dehydrated it begins to retrieve water from other parts of the body so it can reroute it to the vital organs and sustain life. The extremities are the first places it pulls water from and the spine is another. When it deprives the spine of water in order to supply the organs then you remain in a constant deficit which can cause pain and mobility problems.
How The Spine Rehydrates
As the body rehydrates itself, it does not assign the spine as a priority. The vital organs take precedence so the spine basically gets what is left over. If there is already a deficiency present, then there is nothing left over to rehydrate the spine.
When there is adequate water in the body, normal activity and movement aids in the rehydration of the discs. The most significant rehydration occurs while you sleep though. When you lie down and rest your body is best able to initiate the process of rehydrating your spinal discs via osmosis.
Chiropractic care is another way to adjust the spine and encourage the refilling of the discs. That depends, of course, on proper water intake. Be good to your spine; it�s the only one you have.
Parents of children suffering from ear infections are all too familiar with this cry. Tugging at their ears, crying, and trouble sleeping are all signs of an ear infection in your little one.
Children are more susceptible to ear infections than adults because of their smaller Eustachian tubes, and their less effective immune systems. Unfortunately, chronic ear infections can quickly become a painful, ongoing problem.
Parents have a variety of options at their disposal to treat their child’s ear infections. Drops, antibiotics, and ventilation tubes placed by surgical procedure are all commonly used treatments for chronic infections. Chiropractic care is another option available and is rapidly gaining acceptance and popularity for the effective treatment of ear infections.
According to HealthyChild.com, ear infections are the reason for 35% of pediatrician visits, and ear pain is the number one reason a child visits a chiropractor. Children who suffer from recurring ear infections benefit from chiropractic care in several ways that are not available through other, more traditional forms of treatment.
Here are a few of the benefits chiropractic care offer for ear infections are:
Ear Infections: It Is Non-Invasive
Unlike the surgical procedure that is often used to combat ear infections by inserting tubes in the child’s ears, chiropractic adjustments provide a non-invasive form of treatment.
This treatment option works well because a little one’s spine may be moved out of alignment from the birthing process, or from any number of spills he or she makes learning to walk, run, or navigate stairs. An experienced chiropractor can map out a treatment plan that includes gentle adjustments of the child’s neck and spine. The goal is to decrease fluid build up within the ear canals that bring on ear infections and pain.
It Is A Painless Option Of Treatment
The last thing parents want in any medical treatment is to cause their child more pain. A negative experience at a doctor’s office can create a fear that lasts for years to come.
Children with ear infections have nothing to fear from visiting a chiropractor. During a chiropractic visit, the child will participate in adjustments that are pain free. The treatments will be able to reduce the pain in a short amount of time in many instances, and reduce the chance of dealing with another ear infection down the road.
It Treats The Underlying Cause
Other options of treatment may decrease the symptoms of an ear infection, but never get to the actual root issue. Chiropractic care strives to return the body in its entirety to its normal function.
This is the main building block concept for chiropractic in general. By re-aligning the spine, the body as a whole can be healthier and more resistant to infection and disease. Chiropractic care helps adjust the child’s body back to a normal state, thus providing a way for it to heal itself and fight off future ear (and other) infections better than simply using drops and antibiotics.
If your child is susceptible to ear infections, there are steps you can take to minimize the chances of an occurrence in the first place. Frequent hand washing to prevent the spread of germs and avoiding cigarette smoke are two simple ways to combat ear infections.
Chiropractic treatment continues to show promise in treating the underlying issues that cause a child to suffer from ear infections. If you are looking for a treatment that is pain free, not intimidating to the child, and an alternative to invasive surgery, enlisting the help of a chiropractor is a fantastic option.
So if your child is experiencing chronic ear infections, give us a call. Our Doctor of Chiropractic is here to help!
Doctors Of Chiropractic Ensure Patients Have Strong Posture
This article is copyrighted by Blogging Chiros LLC for its Doctor of Chiropractic members and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without the prior written permission of Blogging Chiros, LLC.
It’s a warm sunny day with a bit of a breeze, you are on the back nine about to sink a putt. When you swing, your back seizes up with severe pain. The beautiful day of golf turns into painfully riding in the golf cart back to the clubhouse, and you limping painfully to your car.
If you have ever strained your back during a golf game, you are not alone. It’s estimated of the 30 million golfers in the United States, 80% have experienced some sort of back pain. As fun as it is, swinging at golf balls puts an individual’s body in an awkward position, opening up the opportunity for injury.
While some golfers suffer through the pain by popping over-the-counter medications, others back away from playing as often, or stop altogether. There’s another way to combat back injuries caused by golfing, without meds. It’s not a magic wand, it’s chiropractic care!
Golfers are increasingly finding chiropractic care to be a valuable tool to help them deal with back injuries. Here are FORE! ways chiropractors can help injured golfers get off the couch and back on the green.
Golfers: Consistent Adjustments Can Avoid Injuries In The First Place.
Golfing, or any activity, is more enjoyable and causes less chance of injury if an individual’s body is in top condition and operating normally. Periodic spinal adjustments keep the body functioning at maximum capacity, and reduce the chances of being injured. If the neck and back are aligned correctly, awkward positioning such as a golf swing will have a less negative impact.
Chiropractic Treatment Can Reduce A Golfer’s Pain.
Back injuries can be extremely painful, and many turn to pain medications to gain relief and comfort. By treating the origin of the pain instead of just the symptoms, a chiropractor helps their patients manage the pain through manipulations, instead of drugs. Over the course of a few treatments, pain is often drastically diminished and much more manageable.
A Golf Injury Can Heal Quicker With Chiropractic Care.
Injuries to the back or neck can heal faster when chiropractors treat them than on their own. An experienced chiropractor can adjust the spine, and also work on the joints and surrounding tissue that can cause pain and hinder healing. Chiropractic evaluation considers the body as a whole. By treating the entire body, it promotes quicker healing of the injury.
Increased Mobility Can Be Gained With Chiropractic Visits.
Golfers who play often as well as those who only play a few times a year know mobility is essential to a good golf game. Stiff joints and a weak back not only mess with the golf game, but can be the very issues that end up causing an injury.
A chiropractic treatment schedule keeps the body loose and strong, and working in optimum fashion. This prevents injuries and increases the chances of playing the game of your life.
Golfers need to realize the sport can cause serious injuries just like “rougher” sports like football and rugby. It’s a good idea to stretch before playing, stay hydrated, and avoid overexertion.
If you are a golfer, chiropractic care is a valuable tool in staying healthy. Regular adjustments and manipulations keep your body on track and performing with maximum mobility at the top of your game. If you do suffer an injury, a chiropractor can help you manage your pain and decrease the time it takes to heal.
Professional Golfer Zach Johnson Trusts Chiropractic Care
Contact us today for more information on how we can help reduce the chance of injury for golfers, and promote healing.
This article is copyrighted by Blogging Chiros LLC for its Doctor of Chiropractic members and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without the prior written permission of Blogging Chiros, LLC.
Question: I work at a desk all day and have started to feel pain in my neck, back, shoulders and arms. Can chiropractors help with sitting posture and general posture?
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor, Dr. Alexander Jimenez provides insight into proper sitting posture and general posture through chiropractic.
Have people asked you about using a posture brace to help correct their sitting habits? Chiropractic patients with moderate posture problems, meaning that they may be chronic but are not tied to any spinal column or other medical condition, may benefit from a posture back brace to improve this condition. There are a number of great ones available, and you can see more information about some of the top ones here.
A patient such as this will almost certainly enjoy the quick referral as well as the relatively fast results, and chiropractors get an easy opportunity to help people, which explains why many enter the profession in the first place.
But if the patient does have an underlying chiropractic ailment, a back brace will probably do little if any good. These issues are usually easily diagnosed using a quick examination, and afterwards, treatment is relatively straightforward as well.
Diagnosing Conditions
All good exams begin with thorough health history, because in most cases, family history is among the most powerful indicators about current issues.
Next, observe the individual’s gait, as how someone walks shows a number of issues. For instance, those who stand or walk with their legs abnormally spread might have fallen arches. Because the bottom of the foot isn’t in appropriate contact with the floor, the whole body has been thrown off kilter, resulting in poor posture. While it isn’t really a chiropractic condition, fallen arches are, as simple as, a referral to an orthopedist.
Moreover, if the patient is experiencing pain, the location can be an indicator as to where the muscles may be weak and there is too much strain on the spine or a different region of the body. Muscle weakness is among the leading causes of poor posture. So, follow-up tests that measure muscle strength and range of movement are usually a good idea.
If the gait examination signals issues in a particular area of the body, the professional should concentrate further diagnostic efforts in that region.
Ultimately, one of the most simple and effective evaluations is just holding a yardstick or comparable object against the patient’s back, so the two of you can definitely see any abnormalities. This comprehensive approach generally describes some of the very frequent chiropractic posture issues, including:
Tissue Damage:
If the neck, lower back, mid back, or any other area is weak and/or inflexible, the individual will probably not see very much posture improvement until these conditions are adjusted and the muscles have been strengthened.
Kyphosis:
Hunchback is a degenerative spine condition that’s very prevalent in women over 60. While more advanced cases may be life threatening and may require spinal fusion surgery, most men and women respond well to therapeutic adjustments and other treatments.
Scoliosis:
This condition is much like genetically-induced kyphosis, since there’s no cure but there are several therapies available. In extreme cases, surgery may be necessary.
Un-Level Pelvis/Pelvic Tilt:
A pelvic tilt, a lower sacral base, and a femur head discrepancy can indicate a lower extremity source, but not�whether it is an anatomical or functional short leg. A clinical postural exam with lower extremity screening is the only way to make this determination.
Forward Head Posture:
The anterior positioning of the cervical spine. This posture is sometimes called Scholar’s Neck, Wearsie Neck, Hunch & or Reading Neck.It is a posture problem that is due to several factors including sleeping with the head raised too high, prolonged use of computers and cellphones, lack of developed back muscle strength and deficiency of nutrients like calcium. Potential negative effects include tingling and numbness in the arms, and a burning pain between the shoulder blades.
Treatment
As stated previously, back braces frequently mend postural issues, like slouching. As for structural problems, like scoliosis, more aggressive treatments are needed.
Conventional treatment consists of:
Heat
Massage
Stretching
Strength exercises
Supportive braces
There are a number of biofeedback tools that accurately evaluate patient progress.
As a chiropractor, your patients count on you to get much better. That almost always means accurately assessing the problem, which also means a quick and capable referral or an aggressive and well thought out therapy regimen.
The Narrative Of JFK Shows The Difficulty In Diagnosing & Treating Spinal Disorders.
At age 43, John F. Kennedy was the youngest president elected into U.S. workplace, and has been depicted as full of youth and vitality. But he was far from healthy, and spent most of his adult life fighting with many medical issues, including back pain which started during college and continued until his death, according to a recent review article from the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.
John F. Kennedy’s back pain is thought to have started following a football injury, while Kennedy was in undergraduate school at Harvard, clarified coauthor Justin T. Dowdy, MD, who is a neurosurgeon at Hot Springs Neurosurgery Clinic, in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Based on 10 years of study on Kennedy’s medical documents and reported symptoms, senior author T. Glenn Pait, MD, believes Kennedy had discogenic disease stemming from an accident in his childhood that began a cascade of problems in his low back. Dr. Pait is Director of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Kennedy was originally rejected when trying to enlist in the Army due to his medical issues, such as back pain, but was eventually accepted in the U.S. Naval Reserve during his dad’s connections. “This is a testament to his decision to serve his country,” Dr. Pait said. “Kennedy was originally given a desk job, but that was not enough for him, and he was later admitted into a patrol torpedo program.”
Kennedy’s back issues worsened when his naval boat was hit by a Japanese destroyer, and Kennedy drifted for 5 hours to a nearby island while towing an injured crewman to shore by holding the ring of the man’s life jacket between his teeth, Drs. Dowdy and Pait noted in their newspaper.
The review article refers to a series of 4 ineffective surgeries, including a sacroiliac (SI) and lumbosacral fusion. Various doctors who treated Kennedy had different theories about the reason for his back pain, also suggested a variety of different treatments ranging from trigger point injections and an exercise program (swimming and weight lifting), to massage and a back brace, to methamphetamine-containing shots. The exercise program, started later in his life, produced “dramatic” improvement, according to the researchers. The program consisted of weight lifting three times each week and everyday swimming plus massage and heat therapy.
“JFK’s narrative illustrates the difficulty and complexity in diagnosing and treating spinal disorders, especially in the context of chronic pain,” Dr. Dowdy advised SpineUniverse. “Our spines age as we age if it’s degenerative disk disease, pinched nerves, or spinal stenosis–imaging abnormalities are certain to appear later in life. Treating and preventing these disorders is just as much of an art as it’s a science, particularly in determining those individuals who will probably benefit from surgery.”
Dr. Dowdy noted that much progress has been made in how spinal conditions are diagnosed and treated as the time when Kennedy sought attention, such as “that the refinement of both less-invasive spine surgery methods and diagnostic imaging.” Dr. Dowdy also emphasized an important point that applies to any era: “the significance of having a trusted spine surgeon who is prepared and capable of supplying the right surgery in the appropriate conditions.”
John F. Kennedy’s story also suggests that “the most beneficial methods to prevent chronic back pain may be accessible and affordable,” Dr. Dowdy stated. “Often the most appropriate strategy for chronic low back pain is actively pursuing proper spine hygiene: maintaining healthy body weight, refraining from smoking, and pursuing a nutritious diet and exercise–especially workouts comprising yoga-style stretches,” Dr. Dowdy emphasized. “It boils down to pursuing a healthy and active way of life.”
“Individuals who suffer from chronic pain may hopefully be inspired to know that Kennedy remained physically energetic and driven to accomplish his goals despite his annoyance,” Dr. Dowdy concluded.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez takes a look at chiropractors and�how they can act as an antioxidant through their practice.
The practice of chiropractic truly works on the grounds the work removes blockages to the body�s natural health and healing abilities, although most folks link chiropractors with pain management. This consists of removing pressure from nerves that relay signals from the brain to the organs and systems of the body.
Chiropractic Care Benefits
In 2005, a landmark study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation (JVSR) found evidence that chiropractic care can reduce oxidative stress within the body.
Oxidative stress is the damage occurring when free radicals outnumber the body�s antioxidants. Oxidative stress damages all body cell components: lipids, proteins and DNA.
Oxidative stress plays a job in a whole host of diseases and ailments: Alzheimer�s rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, heart problems, Parkinson�s disease, disease and many others.
Thiols are compounds within the body that act as antioxidants, reacting with free radicals to neutralize them. Serum amounts of thiols report scientists of Biomedical Diagnostic Research, Inc reflect DNA�s ability to mend itself, and can be used to measure aging and disease status.
In a 2003 study published in the Journal of Anti Aging Medicine, the scientists found low serum thiol levels with nine distinct categories of disorder and human disease in people.
The study published in JVSR consisted of 76 participants: one group received short-term chiropractic care; a second group received long term chiropractic care; and the 3rd group received no chiropractic care.
After qualifying for age, gender as well as the usage of nutritional supplements, the participants that received chiropractic care for 2 or more years that were healthy had higher serum thiol levels than people that have disorder. Some of the chiropractic patients had serum thiol levels higher than what is linked with wellness that is ordinary.
Chiropractor Dr. Christopher Kent explained: �Oxidative tension, metabolically creating free radicals, is a broadly accepted theory of how we age and grow ailment.�
�Going through life,� we experience chemical, physical and psychological stress. These pressures change the function of the body’s nervous system. We hypothesized that oxidative stress could affect and DNA repair on a cellular level.�
�Chiropractic care seems to improve the power of the entire body to adapt to anxiety,� concluded Kent.
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It Treats The Underlying Cause
