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While chiropractic care can help with any number of symptoms and problems, we have listed out some of the more common conditions that you may recognize in yourself or others. If you are experiencing any of these problems, please contact us for an appointment today. Call us at (781)231-3492.
Allergies
Millions of people who suffer from a wide variety of conditions, allergies included, have benefited from chiropractic care even though chiropractic is not an allergy treatment. Why? Because chiropractic is a method of healthcare that permits your body to function at its best. That is especially important if you suffer from allergies.
Your immune system recognizes and destroys anything that is not supposed to be in you. A healthy immune system means high resistance to disease and infection, better ability to deal with stress and greater health and well-being. By releasing stress on the nervous system, chiropractic permits the immune system to function more effectively-something all allergy sufferers need. A nervous system without stress functions more efficiently.
Recent understandings in psychoneuroimmunology reveal that when the nervous system functions better, the immune system benefits.
Chiropractors correct a basic cause of body malfunction to improve the function of your immune system. Please note that the chiropractic approach is to remove vertebral subluxations, a common spinal distortion that puts stress on your nervous system. Freed of nervous system stress, your body will work more effectively to neutralize the allergy causing chemicals in your environment.
Disc problems
The disc is a small cartilage pad that is situated between spinal bones. The soft jellylike center is contained by layers of fibrous tissues. Each disc serves as a connector, spacer, and shock absorber for the spine. When healthy, discs allow normal bending and turning.
Since spinal discs have a very poor blood supply, they depend upon the circulation of joint fluids to bring nutrients and expel waste. If a spinal joint loses its normal motion, and this pumping action is impaired, the health of the disc deteriorates. Like a wet sponge, a healthy disc is flexible. A dry sponge is hard, stiff, and can crack easily. This is how many disc problems begin.
This is why receiving chiropractic spinal adjustments are so vital. Chiropractic spinal adjustments provide motion to degenerated discs so that they can receive the vital circulation that they need.
Because of the way each disc is attached to the vertebra above and below it, a disc cannot "slip" as commonly thought. However, trauma or injury to the spine can cause discs to bulge, herniate, or worse, rupture. This can be quite painful, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots, interfering with their function.
The chiropractic approach to disc problems is to help restore better motion and position to the spinal joint. Besides reducing disc bulging, better spinal function helps reduce inflammation and pain, and begins the process of healing the surrounding soft tissues. While results cannot be guaranteed, many patients have avoided needless surgery or a dependency on pain pills, by choosing conservative chiropractic care.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a strain/sprain injury to the neck which is most commonly caused from automobile accidents, however it can also be caused by other types of trauma to the neck. When the head is suddenly jerked back and forth beyond its normal limits, the muscles and ligaments that support the spine and head can be overstretched or torn. The soft, pulpy discs between spinal bones can bulge, tear or rupture. Vertebrae can be forced out of their normal position, reducing range of motion. The spinal cord and nerve roots in the neck can get stretched and irritated. While the car may only be slightly damaged, occupants can suffer considerable soft tissue injury.
The resulting instability of the spine and soft tissues can cause headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, pain in the shoulder, arms and hands, reduced ability to turn and bend, and even low back problems. As the body attempts to adapt, symptoms may not appear for weeks or even months later.
The chiropractic approach to these types of injuries is to use specific chiropractic adjustment to help return spinal function. After a thorough examination and case history, the doctor will recommend a series of visits to help restore proper motion and position of the spinal bones. If caught early enough, inflammation can be reduced and scar tissue can often be minimized.
Consult a Chiropractic Doctor before enduring constant headaches, depending upon addictive pain medication, or submitting to surgery.
Osteoarthritis
Arthritis is a condition characterized by the gradual breakdown of joint cartilage, most common in the weight bearing joints of the body such as the knees, hips, and back. It is also common in the neck and hands. As the joint is broken down it can lead to joint stiffness and increased strain on the muscles in that area. Additionally, as joint function changes it can lead to movement compensations and place strain on other areas of the body as well. Although degenerative changes are common with age, they do not automatically result in pain. Research now shows that it is not the degeneration of the joint that is responsible for pain but the effect the degeneration has on joint function.
Chiropractic focuses on restoration and maintenance of function by emphasizing joint movement and increasing the ability of the muscles to support and stabilize the affected joints.
Joint Dysfunction
Joints of the body need to move. When this movement becomes restricted and normal motion is altered, several problems arise. Most commonly, joint dysfunction results in pain, stiffness, muscle tightness, cartilage breakdown/degeneration, and movement compensations leading to undue stress on other areas of the body. Joint dysfunction is common in the spine and the extremities and can commonly occur with injury, poor posture, muscles tightness, scar tissue, or muscles imbalance.
The doctor will assess movement of the joints to feel for areas of altered or restricted movements. Once identified, the abnormal movement can be restored through the use of a spinal adjustment or manipulation. Whenever possible simple home exercises are recommended to facilitate and maintain proper motion in key areas. Underlying factors such as poor posture and muscle imbalance often need to be addressed in cases of chronic or recurrent joint dysfunction.
Neck Pain
So often, people take all sorts of medicine to treat their neck pain not realizing that drugs only cover up the problem and don't do anything to treat the cause of the pain. This is the reason why it never goes away for good. Some spend their lives trying one thing after the other, sometimes getting temporary relief at best.
The chiropractic approach for neck pain is to locate the underlying cause. This begins with a complete case history and thorough examination. Special attention is given to the structure and function of the spine, and its affect on the nervous system.
Is the proper spinal curve present? Are the nerve openings between each pair of spinal vertebrae free and clear? Is the head balanced? Are the shoulders level? These and other considerations are used to create a plan of specific chiropractic care to help improve the motion and position of the spinal vertebrae.
Many patients with neck pain have lost the normal forward curve (lordosis) in the neck.
With improved structure and function, neck pain often diminishes or totally disappears - without addictive drugs or harmful side effects.
A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that patients who received chiropractic care reported significant improvement in their neck function and a reduction in their neck pain, whereas those taking pain-killers did not.
Headaches
Medical research has concluded that 80% of headaches originate from the neck, otherwise known as cervicogenic. They included migraine headaches as well. There may be several other causes of headaches, so a proper examination is needed to determine the actual cause.
When spinal vertebrae in the neck lose their normal position or motion, sensitive nerves and blood vessels to the face and head can be affected. When spinal nerves and related tissues are stretched or irritated, they can produce throbbing headaches. Muscles can become spasmed and produce muscle tension headaches. Aspirin and medications may cover up these warning signs, but do not correct the underlying structural cause.
If a thorough examination reveals reduced range of motion in the neck, loss of normal spinal curves, or mechanical restrictions, chiropractic care should be considered.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve is a long nerve originating in the lower back and extending down the back of each leg. When this nerve becomes irritated or inflamed, it can cause pain, numbness, or weakness, in the lower back and/or into the leg.
There are several possible causes of this condition. A misaligned vertebra in the lumbar spine can cause inflammation of the joints and put pressure on the nerve. Bulging or rupture of a lumbar intervertebral disc can also cause pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve also passes through a muscle called the piriformis, and a spasm of this muscle can also cause sciatica.
The chiropractic approach is to perform a thorough examination to identify the cause of the sciatica, and when appropriate, use carefully directed and controlled pressure to remove the interference from spinal structures. These chiropractic adjustments can be quite effective in reducing nerve irritation and its associated pain.
Pinched Nerve
A pinched nerve is just that. It is a severely compressed nerve, usually caused by a misaligned vertebra. When nerves get pinched they become severely inflamed and muscles may spasm, causing even more discomfort. The pain is usually so severe that you can't move that part of the body and it can cause other symptoms as well.
There can be several causes of the pinched nerve; a proper examination is needed to determine the exact cause.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
These days millions of Americans have jobs which can have damaging effects on the hands and arms. Repetitive movements which are not performed with good ergonomics in mind can cause micro-trauma to the hands and wrists. This trauma combined with joint dysfunction and spinal problems may result in a condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome. The median nerve which is affected travels from the tips of the fingers through the wrist up the arm and into the neck connecting to the spinal cord. If one or more of these structures are affected, symptoms of wrist pain, numbness, weakness, burning and loss of muscle function can occur.
Chiropractic can assure that all of the joints and muscles along the path of the nerve are free of obstruction and functioning normally, thus reducing nerve irritation.
Maintenance Care
What many people don't know is that you don't have to be injured to benefit from chiropractic care. By staying well adjusted with maintenance chiropractic care you can help prevent injury. Some other possible benefits of maintenance care are: optimal nerve output for optimal physical performance, improved posture, decreased stiffness, increased mobility, energy, strength, circulation, and immune function just to name a few.
Everybody benefits from chiropractic a little differently, but one thing everybody has in common is that they just feel better.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a controversial and complicated condition to understand. For proper diagnosis and treatment, a wide variety of factors need to be considered including "head-to-toe" joint and muscle function, nutrition, and lifestyle issues. A thorough examination including orthopedic and neurologic testing, as well as other specialized tests, will help to determine the exact causes of your symptoms and your individualized treatment plan. Very often, a comprehensive treatment program addressing all of these issues leads to significant improvement.
Joint and soft tissue manipulation is often very helpful in relieving the aches and pains of fibromyalgia and related conditions. Other treatment options may include ultrasound or electrical muscle stimulation, acupuncture, therapeutic exercises, and massage therapy & myofascial release techniques. These procedures, combined with nutritional & herbal medicine, and/or homeopathy constitute a comprehensive, holistic approach. Although researchers are still a long way from finding a "cure" for fibromyalgia, chiropractic care is usually very successful in the effective management of this condition. However, if after examination we conclude that your case cannot be helped with conservative care, a prompt referral will be made.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a sideways curving of the spine that often gets started in childhood when the bones of the spine are still growing. In many cases, the exact cause is unknown.
It can be detected by uneven shoulder heights, uneven hip heights, a loss of structural balance, or a change in posture.
Because spinal bones continue to grow well into the 20s, if left uncorrected, scoliosis often worsens. Unfortunately, the most common treatment approach has been to wait and see how bad it gets, resorting to possibly unsightly braces or surgery if it progresses too far.
The chiropractic approach is to use specific spinal adjustments often combined with corrective exercises. Early detection and treatment is vital in order to achieve optimal results.
Pregnancy
Chiropractic care can be quite helpful during all stages of pregnancy. This period of rapid development, hormonal changes, the laxity of connective ligaments, and shifting of weight-bearing structures may cause many women to experience lower back pain.
Besides helping to relieve the discomfort many expectant mothers experience, chiropractic care helps normalize nervous system function. This is an important component of overall good health.
The benefits of chiropractic care may also be noticed during delivery. Many chiropractic patients report that their deliveries were faster and more comfortable than deliveries previous to chiropractic care.
We take special precautions with you during pregancy. Specific modifications to the treatment table and adjusting techniques are made during each stage of pregnancy.
"Pamper yourself and your baby with regular chiropractic checkups."
Children
The birth process may be one of the most physically traumatic events of our lives.
The resulting irritation to the nervous system can be the cause of many newborn health issues....colic, unexplained crying, poor appetite, breathing problems, allergic reactions, ear infections.
Recent scientific research has concluded finding a relationship between ear infections and nerve irritation in the cervical spine. Many spinal problems seen in adults begin in childhood.
Chiropractic adjusting techniques are modified to fit the child's size and unique problem. Patients often report that their child seems healthier than other kids their age.
"Proper spinal hygiene is an important key to better health."
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