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Chiropractic Sleep Relief

10/1/2019

If you can't seem to get a good night's sleep, there's some good news. Booking a visit with a chiropractor won’t just soothe your achy back—it may also improve the quality of your shuteye. While chiropractors generally aren’t thought of as being experts on sleep issues, one-third of people who have a chiropractic adjustment report that they experience immediate sleep improvement.
Is this treatment right for you? If it’s pain that’s keeping you awake—whether it's back pain, neck pain or headaches—then maybe. Chiropractic care helps alleviate discomfort and improve relaxation and blood flow. So if a lower backache is what's causing you to toss and turn, then it may be worth a visit. But if it’s, say, anxiety that’s keeping you up, then you’re better off finding a different type of specialist, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Not only can a chiropractor diagnose and treat spinal problems to relieve discomfort, but he or she can also offer suggestions for getting better sleep. Your chiropractor may tell you which particular sleep position is best for you (most chiropractors discourage snoozing on your stomach) and whether a chiropractic pillow or a more supportive mattress might be the key to ending your restless nights.
And adults aren’t the only ones who can benefit. Forty percent of infants experience deeper slumbers after just one session with a chiropractor—a fact that every parent will love, considering that about one out of four babies has sleep troubles. And it’s likely that once your tot is sleeping well, you’ll get a better night’s sleep, too.
Intrigued? Luckily, chiropractic visits are covered by most health insurance plans, so there’s no harm in finding out whether the treatment works for you—especially if you’re someone who prefers natural treatments to medication. Your physician may be able to refer you to a chiropractor who is properly trained and licensed.

https://www.sleep.org/articles/chiropractic-sleep-relief/

Chiropractic Care for Pain Relief

9/1/2019

Chiropractic is a system of therapy focused on the structure of the body, particularly the spine. Chiropractors manipulate the body's alignment to relieve pain and improve function and to help the body heal itself.
While the mainstay of chiropractic is spinal manipulation, chiropractic care may also include other treatments, including manual or manipulative therapies, postural and exercise education, and ergonomic training (how to walk, sit, and stand to limit back strain). Chiropractors today often work in conjunction with primary care doctors, pain experts, and surgeons to treat patients with pain.
The most positive research on chiropractic therapy has focused on spinal manipulation for low back pain. As one of the alternatives to pain-relieving drugs, the American College of Physicians low back pain guideline recommends spinal manipulation along with heat, massage and acupuncture.
Chiropractic treatment may also help people with other musculoskeletal related pains.
"Spinal manipulation" is a generic term used for any kind of therapeutic movement of the spine. Most often it involves the application of quick but strong pressure on a joint between two vertebrae of the spine.
In addition to spinal manipulation, a chiropractor may advise you about changing your biomechanics and posture and suggest other treatments and techniques. The ultimate goal of chiropractic is to help relieve pain and help patients better manage their condition at home.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/chiropractic-care-for-pain-relief

Surprise: Chiropractors Can Treat These 5 Conditions

4/30/2017

1. Migraines and tension headaches

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate stress on your system.
Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet or the addition of vitamins.
Offer advice on posture, ergonomics, exercises and relaxation techniques.

2. Stress and anxiety

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Chiropractors can release muscle tension, one effect of chronic stress that leads to nerve irritation and creates uneven pressures on the body's bony structures, which can cause the spinal column to become misaligned. This, in turn, helps the body return to a more balanced, relaxed state.
Chiropractic adjustments can reduce spinal nerve irritation and improve blood circulation, which can help signal the brain to turn off the "fight or flight" response and begin the healing process.
A doctor of chiropractic can suggest nutritional supplements, like B complex vitamins, to help the body cope with stress.
A chiropractor can also recommend relaxation techniques and discuss posture and environmental changes to help you recover from chronic stress.

3. Fibromyalgia

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Chiropractors are trained as neuromusculoskeletal specialists, and one of the main focuses of chiropractic care is the positive impact it can have on a person's nervous system. Therefore, chiropractic adjustments can improve a FM patient's nervous system, which gives them a better chance for recovery.
Chiropractic care can treat pressure points, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches and pain from musculoskeletal injuries.
Chiropractors can also reduce a patient's overall pain through spinal adjustments that increase the mobility between spinal vertebrae, which have become restricted, locked or slightly out of proper position, thereby increasing cervical and lumbar range of motion.

4. Weak immune systems

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Chiropractic care is the only way to detect and eliminate subluxation, and chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce the stress on the nervous system, thereby boosting the coordinated responses of the nervous and immune systems.
One research group found that when an adjustment was applied to a subluxated area, the white blood cell count collected rose significantly.
Another study measured the effects of six months of regular chiropractic care on the immune system function of HIV patients. At the end of six months of care, the patients who had received regular adjustments showed a 48 percent increase in the number of CD4+ T cells, whereas patients who had not been adjusted showed an 8 percent decrease in CD4+ T cells.

5. Flexibility

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

A chiropractor uses spinal adjustments and manipulations to other parts of the body to realign the bones and joints so as to reduce pain, restore range of motion and improve flexibility, balance and coordination.
Your chiropractor can also recommend specific exercises that can be done at home to increase your strength and flexibility so that you're able to maintain and build upon the gains from your chiropractic adjustments.
Regular chiropractic care can reduce or eliminate the source of your back and joint pain, allowing you to resume your normal activities and to remain more flexible into your golden years.

Source: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/11/30/surprise-chiropractors-can-treat-these-5-conditions

8 Ways Chiropractic Benefits Athletes

3/31/2017

1. Solid Body Maintenance in Professional Football - It’s no secret that professional football is a beast of a game and injuries are frequent. Even if football players avoid serious injury, it’s a sure bet that stiffness and soreness are just par for the course. In a 2002 survey, thirty-one percent of football teams in the National Football League reported having a chiropractor on staff. Athletes reported using chiropractic care quite frequently, noting its effectiveness. [2]

2. Improved Mobility in College Football - Osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT, is one of the main forms of chiropractic therapy used in sports medicine. The main goal with OMT is to promote flexibility and pain-free movement. Football players often rely on OMT as a preventative measure against injuries. A 2012 Virginia Tech study showed that OMT positively impacted sports performance in both offensive and defensive Virginia Tech football players. Most football players also reported a self-assessed improvement in athletic performance after OMT sessions. [3]

3. Helpful for Hockey Injuries - Like football, ice hockey is a full-contact sport and injuries are common. Chiropractic has been shown to reduce painful symptoms of recurrent shoulder instability related to hockey injuries. [4]

4. Relief for Sports Hernia - Five to twenty percent of all sports injuries involve groin pain. However, it’s not always the result of a line drive baseball. One of the most common causes of groin pain in athletes is athletic pubalgia, commonly referred to as sports hernia. [5] A study showed that soccer players who experienced sports hernia were relieved of discomfort following 8 weeks of a combination therapy that consisted of chiropractic care and rehabilitation exercises. [6]

5. Increased Strength in Martial Arts - Although mainly used for alleviating muscular and skeletal complaints, it seems that chiropractic can also promote physical strength. [7] [8] [9] In one study, national level judo athletes showed a 16% improvement in grip strength after undergoing only three chiropractic sessions. [10]

6. Support for All Olympic Athletes - For years, chiropractors have worked with world-class Olympic athletes to improve their strength, endurance, and range of motion while training. Olympic athletes also receive chiropractic care at the games. One particular set of games often overlooked at the Olympics is the Paralympics. These games include professional athletes with some type of physical disability who also use chiropractic care to enhance performance and overcome minor injuries. [11]

7. Soothes Tennis Elbow - A whopping 50 percent of tennis players can expect to get tennis elbow during their lifetime, and one-third of tennis players will experience it in severe fashion. The main goals of chiropractic therapy for tennis elbow is to relieve discomfort and redness, promote healing, rehabilitate the injured arm, and avoid recurrence. [12]Specific joint manipulation performed by a chiropractor has shown to be effective for discomfort associated with tennis elbow.

8. Keeps Baseball Players Swinging - Baseball is a game that demands quick bursts of energy. Whether it’s running the bases or swinging the bat, these fast-moving activities often come with rotator cuff injuries, neck pain, back strains, and hamstring pulls. Studies have shown that chiropractic helps prevent hamstring and other lower limb injuries in baseball players. [13] Another study revealed that muscle strength and long jump distance was greatly improved in baseball players who received regular chiropractic adjustments. [14]

Receiving the Benefits of Chiropractic - There’s no question that chiropractic care is a fantastic method of mechanical maintenance that has repeatedly been shown to benefit the machine that is the body of an athlete (and soldiers!). Are you an athlete who incorporates chiropractic care into your health and wellness plan? Please leave a comment and share your experience of the difference chiropractic has made for you!

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/chiropractic-in-sports/

Trigeminal Neuralgia & Acupuncture

2/28/2017

Trigeminal neuralgia, a disorder of the trigeminal nerve, is a condition that produces intense, sporadic facial pain along one or more of the three branches of this nerve. The pain is severe and can last from seconds to minutes. Another name for this condition is "tic douloreaux" due to the fact that facial muscle spasms often accompany the pain. The pain can be triggered by normal activities such as eating, brushing of the teeth or even touching trigger points on the face during everyday activities such as washing the face or applying make-up. Wind, cold, heat, stress or fatigue may aggravate the condition. The pain is typically one sided, more common in women and more common in the over 40 population. The condition may become chronic and debilitating, often lasting for years.

The basic premise behind the theory of acupuncture is that energy flows thru the body on very specific pathways called meridians. When these pathways become blocked, pain and disease result. Inserting very fine needles into points on the pathways facilitates the smooth flow of energy and pain is relieved. There are many acupuncture points on the face that directly correlate to the three branches of the trigeminal nerve. One common approach to treat trigeminal neuralgia with acupuncture is to insert very fine needles into the corresponding facial points in an attempt to unblock the energy. Sometimes the needles are additionally stimulated with electricity to strengthen the treatment.

The basic premise behind the theory of acupuncture is that energy flows thru the body on very specific pathways called meridians. When these pathways become blocked, pain and disease result. Inserting very fine needles into points on the pathways facilitates the smooth flow of energy and pain is relieved. There are many acupuncture points on the face that directly correlate to the three branches of the trigeminal nerve. One common approach to treat trigeminal neuralgia with acupuncture is to insert very fine needles into the corresponding facial points in an attempt to unblock the energy. Sometimes the needles are additionally stimulated with electricity to strengthen the treatment.

In any case, acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating trigeminal neuralgia. And without side effects!

http://wholehealthcenters.com/conditions-acupuncture-treats/110-trigeminal-neuralgia-a-acupuncture

Chiropractic for Hip Pain

1/31/2017

How Chiropractic Can Help Hip Pain

After performing a careful physical examination and evaluating your familial and personal history, a doctor of chiropractic can work to determine the source of your hip pain. Your chiropractor will create a personalized treatment plan that could include chiropractic adjustments, exercise therapy, posture advice, stretching, massage, coordination with other health practitioners, and more. Treatments will aim to reduce inflammation, relax any existing muscle spasms, strengthen weakened muscles, and improve the mobility of the joint.
Depending on the cause of your hip pain, chiropractic adjustments could help.
Multiple studies have found that chiropractic adjustments are effective in relieving sciatica, a common cause of pain in the hip and lower back. In a study comparing the efficacy of chiropractic to surgery for sciatica, 60% of chiropractic patients with severe sciatica had substantially improved symptoms that enabled them to avoid surgery.2 Cases studies have also suggested that chiropractic can relieve pain associated with sacroiliac joint dysfunction and Piriformis syndrome, which both frequently result in hip pain.3-4
Some patients with hip osteoarthritis (HOA) have also benefited from chiropractic care. In one study, 83% of HOA patients improved within nine visits to a chiropractor. Treatment included axial manipulation of the hip, stretching, and full kinetic chain treatment ( manipulative therapy to the spine, knee, ankle, or foot when appropriate).5
Natural treatments of hip pain can allow patients to avoid the costs and risks of surgery and drugs. Contact a chiropractor to learn more about non-invasive relief of hip pain.

see full article: http://www.chironexus.net/2012/10/how-chiropractic-can-help-with-hip-pain/

Chiropractic for Plantar Fasciitis

12/31/2016

Chiropractic care can help.

Pronounced as "plantar fash-ee-eye-tis". Plantar means "Foot". Fasciitis means "Inflammation". It is a condition that can lead to pain on the bottom of the foot.

Plantar Fasciitis is a serious and painful condition that occurs when the long, flat ligament along the bottom of the foot develops tears and inflammation. Serious cases of plantar fasciitis can possibly lead to ruptures in the ligament. This ligament is called the plantar fascia and it extends from your five toes and runs along the bottom of your foot, attaching to your heel. When you walk or run, you land on your heel and raise yourself on your toes as you shift your weight to your other foot, causing all your weight to be held up by your plantar fascia. Such repetitive force can pull the fascia from its attachment on your heel and cause damage and plantar fasciitis.

Many factors can cause plantar fasciitis to develop. When walking with a normal step, the plantar fascia ligament stretches as the foot strikes the ground. When walking with an abnormal step, or when putting repetitive pressure on the heel, the plantar fascia ligament can stretch irregularly, become stressed, and develop small tears. These small tears can cause the fascia ligament to become inflamed (plantar fasciitis).

The pain from plantar fasciitis can be described as a dull ache or sharp pain. Plantar fasciitis tends to worsen after standing or exercising for prolonged periods or after getting out of bed in the morning. Morning heel pain from plantar fasciitis is one of the most common symptoms. As the person walks, the fascia "warms up" and lengthens slightly, reducing the tension on the ligament and lessening the pain.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?
The repetitive stress of certain conditions or activities commonly leads to plantar fasciitis. Among those conditions that may cause plantar fasciitis:

Biomechanical factors, such as abnormal inward twisting of the foot (pronation), high arches, flat feet, or tight tendons along the back of the heel (Achilles tendon).
Excessive pronation has been found in about 85% of those who suffer from plantar fasciitis. Prontion can be responsible for added tension in the plantar fascia as the arch lowers during standing or walking.
Repetitive pressure on the feet, such as from jobs or activities that require prolonged walking or standing on hard or irregular surfaces. Running and exercise can also lead to wear and tear on the plantar fascia.
Aggravating factors, such as being overweight or having poorly cushioned shoes.
Natural process of aging which may cause tissue in the heels to weaken over time and/or promote wear and tear.
In rare cases, a single, traumatic injury to the foot such as from a motor vehicle accident can cause the onset of plantar fasciitis.

Chiropractic adjustments of your feet and appropriate lifestyle modifications can help restore function and relieve pain.

http://www.normandalechiropractic.com/chiropractic_plantar_fasciitis.html

Chiropractic for Knee Injuries

11/30/2016

When should I get Chiropractic treatment?

If knee pain is limiting your day-to-day or sporting activities.
You have been given painkillers or taken anti-inflammatories and been told to rest with no long-term improvement.
You have been told you have arthritis and there is nothing that can be done.
Knee pain or restricted motion.

Then Chiropractic treatment may be the answer.

The knee is a complex joint that relies heavily on ligaments and muscles for stability. When pain is perceived as coming from the knee, all the anatomical components need to be examined, and in addition to the knee joint, the low back, pelvis, hip, ankle and foot need to be examined due to the direct influence they have on the knee, and vice versa.

Our approach to assessing and treating the knee includes the evaluation of the other joints and muscles relating to the knee. This is for several reasons:

Pain can often be referred from other structures in the low back, pelvis and hip into the knee.
If other joints in the lower limbs are not working correctly they can put increased stress on the knee joint, resulting in injury over time. Therefore to resolve the knee pain, we may also treat other areas, to maximize long-term improvement.

What kind of treatment can I expect?
Of course, every patient receives a personalized plan for their specific condition, but typical treatment may include:

Reduce joint inflammation and reduce pain.

Avoid aggravating factors
Use of support
Ice to reduce inflammation, muscle spasm and pain
Soft tissue healing with ultrasound and interferential therapy

Normalize joint function.

Specific chiropractic manipulation techniques to areas of restricted movement in the knee and surrounding joints, to increase movement, improve the function and reduce pain.

Rehabilitation program.

When appropriate, we may introduce exercises to improve strength, endurance and stability, and to prevent new injuries.

http://www.normandalechiropractic.com/chiropractic_knee_injuries.html

TCM Acupuncture for Anxiety and Mood Disorders

10/31/2016

The increased stresses of the world, whether personal, occupational, or societal, can have a detrimental effect on one’s health. When one is not able to deal with stress, anxiety can develop and the symptoms of anxiety can overwhelm them. Acupuncture remains an effective treatment for anxiety. Research has shown acupuncture’s effectiveness and offers explanations on how this natural therapy can biochemically help control anxiety.

The human body has developed an ingenious way to deal with the stresses that we encounter. With stress, the body is programmed to turn on the necessary systems and shut off secondary ones. The body’s “fight or flight” mechanism (also known as the sympathetic system) turns on when stress is presented. Blood and energy is diverted to the systems that are required to fight or flee – such as the muscles of the body, the heart, and the cardiovascular systems. There are increases to the heart rate, energy is released from fat, and muscles become ready for quick action. In addition, secondary systems such as the digestive and reproductive are shut off because they are determined not to be necessary in this stressful situation.

Acupuncture remains an effective, natural, and safe treatment for people suffering from anxiety conditions because it is able to calm the sympathetic system by allowing the body to release neurotransmitters that can control a person’s stress level.
Acupuncture was developed about 2500 years ago and is centered around the development of Chinese society and Traditional Chinese Medicine which states that there are pathways or meridians in the body where energy or chi travels. Any disease, pain, or dysfunction is due to a blockage in these meridians. In the case of anxiety, when emotions are held over long periods of time, or when they result from a traumatic event, they can become the cause of illness. This will block the flow of chi. Fine needles are placed into specific acupoints which remove the blockage and allow the energy to flow again. With proper energy flow, the person’s health returns.
Since ancient times, acupuncture has been known as an effective treatment for stress and its disorders. There have been numerous references to the effects of the emotions on the body and psychosomatic illness, a relatively new concept in the West, but one that was recognized and written about 200 years B.C. Based on these references, acupuncture was found to be the treatment of choice.

Acupuncture remains an effective treatment for those suffering from anxiety, without the side effects seen with various drugs. With it’s effect on decreasing anxiety, acupuncture can help secondarily with the treatment of psychosomatic disorders. Research shows that there is a positive response of anxiety to acupuncture and that it should be considered a treatment for those suffering from this debilitating disorder.

-James Pascual, DAC, DC

Read Full Article: http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/tcm-acupuncture-for-anxiety-and-mood-disorders/

Chiropractic for Fibromyalgia

9/30/2016

How Do Chiropractors Treat Fibromyalgia?Based on the general and tender point evaluation, the chiropractor will make adjustments to the neck and spine. Manipulations are done using the hands and consist of a short, sharp thrust that may cause a popping sound (thus the common saying that a chiropractor "cracks" the back). The goal of these adjustments is to correct misalignment of the spine. Once the spine is correctly aligned, pain symptoms in any parts of the body, not just the spine and neck, should be reduced or disappear. When pain is reduced, other problems, such as disrupted sleep, fatigue, and depression, tend to disappear.

Patients usually see their chiropractor more frequently at the beginning of the treatment period in order to relieve pain. This is followed by regular but less frequent appointments to maintain gains made in healing. In chronic disorders such as fibromyalgia, treatment may be long term. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but chiropractic treatment has helped many people by reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.
What is Fibromyalgia?Fibromyalgia is a syndrome, and not a specific disease. This means that people who have fibromyalgia exhibit a specific constellation of symptoms. The disorder is diagnosed by elimination when no other explanation can account for the symptoms. To have fibromyalgia, the individual must have widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body that lasts more or less continuously, for at least three months. The patient must also have pain in at least 11 of 18 tender points. A tender point is a pre-designated spot that is painful when 4 kg of pressure (about 9 lb, or enough to make the nail bed of the finger whiten) is applied.
Individuals with fibromyalgia may also experience other symptoms including:

Morning stiffness
Poor sleep or sleep disorders
Chronic headaches
Myofascial pain syndrome
Restless leg syndrome
Menstrual irregularities
Muscle twitches and/or muscle weakness
Fatigue
Depression
Anxiety

http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Chiropractic-for-Fibromyalgia