Author: Apex Health

Chiropractors believe that when your body is in a state of homeostasis, or balance, all of its varied systems function properly to repair or reverse injury or disease.

It is a holistic approach to patient care, one that focuses on a patient’s total wellness, or well being, instead of specific diseases, or ailments. This intricate physiological and biochemical interrelationship among various parts of your body—including its spinal, musculoskeletal, neurological, and vascular systems—is what chiropractors dedicate themselves to exploring and treating, with special attention to nutrition, exercise, and healthy emotional and environmental relationships. When one or more of these systems is impaired, your body ceases to function normally and your resistance to disease is compromised.

Lifestyle counseling is a critical part of what chiropractic care involves—from providing advice on lifting techniques, sleep, posture, exercise, and nutrition and diet, to ergonomic work environments and sports and recreational injury prevention.

Exercise and other kinds of physical activity can go far in keeping your body strong and healthy, able to fight disease and ward off injuries from pulling, pushing, and lifting. A healthy and fit body also generally recovers faster from injury and pain. Like exercise, proper nutrition provides a wealth of benefits—both physical and emotional—that contribute to your body’s strength and its ability to ward off disease and disability. A healthy diet translates into a healthy body; the proper mix of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are the best recipe for ensuring your skeletal, muscular, nervous, and circulatory systems function smoothly.

Heel pain, like ankle pain, can be caused by something as simple as bad shoes or an injury. But more often than not, heel pain is associated with problems with the nerves, tendons, and ligaments of the foot.

The repetitive pounding of one’s heel on hard surfaces, to which women who wear high heels can attest, can cause painful heels.

Other sources of heel pain:

• Achilles tendonitis, which is caused by repeated and sudden contraction of the calf muscles.
• Heel bursitis, which is essentially an inflamed rear heel and is often caused by falls.
• Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the ligament running from the front of the heel bone through the bottom of the foot. Repetitive motions such as quick stops and starts during sports, or long distance running, have sometimes been associated with plantar fasciitis.

Before the early 1970s, seat belts and shoulder restraints were not standard equipment in automobiles. And it wasn’t until 1985 that the first airbags began appearing in cars.

The positive impact those two innovations have had on the reduction of spinal cord injuries cannot be underestimated. In fact, motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of spinal cord injury. Motor vehicle accidents have accounted for more than a third of all reported cases of spinal cord injury, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Database. In addition, motor vehicle accidents also account for other spinal-related injuries, such as whiplash, fractures, and herniated discs.

A respected eight-year-long university study, for example, confirmed without a doubt that the combination of airbags and seat belts effectively reduced spinal injuries from automobile accidents.

Larger vehicles, such as trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), have statistically trailed the safety requirements for passenger vehicles, as well as such innovations as padded dashboards, collapsible steering columns, anti-lock brakes and side airbags.

Airbags have been controversial over the years because some people have been severely injured or killed from their deployment. Significant advancements have been made to airbags in recent years, resulting in greater safety. The important lesson is this: Always wear your seat belt and allow 10 inches between your breastbone and the steering wheel to prevent injury from airbag deployment. Children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat properly restrained. Children riding in the front passenger seat should sit as far back from the airbag as possible.

The word chiropractic comes from the Greek words, “chiro,” meaning hand, and “practic,” meaning practice, or treatment. Thus, “treatment by hand” is an appropriate definition since chiropractors typically use their hands to manipulate different parts of the body in an effort to promote healing and wellness.

A chiropractor, also known as a doctor of chiropractic (D.C.), diagnoses and treats a broad range of physical conditions in patients with muscular, nervous, and skeletal problems, especially the spine.

A branch of the healing arts concerned with disease processes, chiropractic care is a recognized form of therapy that focuses on improving your overall health and well-being without the use of drugs or surgery.

Chiropractors make use of conventional diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, MRIs, and lab work, as well as specific procedures that involve manipulation by hand of various parts of the body. Chiropractors are best known for their ability to correct misalignments of the spine, which are called subluxations. But spinal manipulation is only a small part of what chiropractors do as part of an overall plan to relieve pain and mitigate many kinds of ailments. Other kinds of treatments chiropractors are capable of providing include:

• Acupuncture
• Electric muscle stimulation
• Exercise therapy
• Heat/cold therapy
• Herbal therapy
• Lifestyle and nutrition counseling
• Manipulation under anesthesia
• Massage
• Physical rehabilitation
• Physiotherapy
• Stress management
• Traction
• Ultrasound

Best known for their treatment of back and neck pain, chiropractors sometimes specialize in areas such as sports medicine, orthopedics, neurology, nutrition, internal disorders, and diagnostic imaging. Many back specialists consider chiropractic an integral part of an overall care plan toward treating injury and disease.

A neurological examination is sometimes performed to determine if any part of your body has incurred damage to its central nervous system. Many health problems have been associated with nerve damage, and such, this exam can significantly improve the chances of making a thorough diagnosis.

A neurological exam involves a thorough exploration of the body’s arms, legs, and trunk.

If you have a neurological exam, your chiropractor may look for signs of:

• Bowel or bladder problems.
• Gait problems (walking, running, climbing stairs, etc.).
• Muscle spasms or twitching.
• Numbness, tingling, or pain and whether changing positions relieves those symptoms.
• Problems with balance.
• Weakened muscle strength and tone.
• Weakened reflexes (a sign of possible damage to the spinal cord, nerves, or muscles.
• Weakness (consistent or intermittent) in your arms or legs.

Shoulder pain can be caused by a wide variety of things, including a subluxation, or vertebral misalignment, or injury. Shoulder Pain Relief, Shoulder Pain Reliever

Most often, shoulder pain can be traced to tenderness or soreness of the rotator-cuff tendon. The rotator cuff is the part of the shoulder that allows you to move your arms in a circular motion.

In other cases, the bursa, or fluid sack, in your upper shoulder can become inflamed after a period of heavy lifting or other kind of physical activity involving repeated raising and lowering of the arms.

One of the main causes of pain and disease in the human body can be traced to improper alignment of the vertebrae in your spinal column. This is called a subluxation. Through carefully applied pressure, massage, and manual manipulation of the vertebrae and joints, pressure and irritation on the nerves is relieved and joint mobility is restored, allowing your body to return to its natural state of balance, called homeostasis. Put another way, when the bones in your spine are allowed to go back to their proper positions, the nerve energy can resume its normal flow and your body’s natural healing processes can function properly.

In general, proper chiropractic treatment of your body’s lumbar, or lower back, region, involves very little risk and the rewards can be significant.

Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulations can be especially helpful in relieving pain for facet joint injuries, osteoarthritis, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction, because such conditions respond well to mobilization. Moreover, scores of patients with chronic headaches, sinus problems, high blood pressure, ear infections, leg pain, arthritis, and many other illnesses have reported significant relief after chiropractic therapy.

Increasingly over the past few decades, the medical community has come to accept and recognize chiropractic care as a valid form of treatment for a variety of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions, and as a conservative treatment option for patients with lower back pain. Moreover, many medical doctors recognize a chiropractic diagnosis and accept it as the first line of treatment for functional disorders of the entire musculoskeletal system.

Studies by leading medical journals in recent years have confirmed the benefits of chiropractic care:

1. A 1993 report by the Ontario Ministry of Health concluded that chiropractic care was the most effective treatment for lower back pain. The agency also recommended that chiropractic care be fully integrated in the Canadian government’s health care system.
2. In 1994, the federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research published its Clinical Practice Guidelines, which asserted that spinal manipulation was effective in reducing pain and speeding recovery among patients with acute low back symptoms without radiculopathy.
3. A 1996 New England Journal of Medicine study of outcomes and costs for acute low back pain found that patients treated by chiropractors were significantly more satisfied than those who saw primary care, orthopedic or managed care practitioners.
4. A 1996 study in the journal Spine echoed that study and found that patients who sought chiropractic care were more likely to feel that treatment was helpful, more likely to be satisfied with their care, and less likely to seek care from another provider for the same condition, compared to those who sought care from medical doctors.
5. In 2001, the Center for Clinical Health Policy Research at Duke University concluded in a study that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for cervicogenic headaches, or those that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.

Exercise therapy is a form of chiropractic treatment used to help manage pain, rehabilitate damaged soft tissues (such as muscles, ligament and tendons), and restore normal range of motion and function.

Such therapy has been shown to alleviate pain, improve overall muscle strength and range of motion, improve balance, as well avoid further deterioration of muscle tissues. The overall goal of an exercise therapy program is to promote healing and prevent further damage and injury to your body’s musculoskeletal system. Exercises programs also help in minimizing scar tissue formation following an injury or surgery.

Most exercise programs are designed to improve cardiovascular conditioning and bolster your strength. Many exercises involve flexing and extending specific parts of the body.

As a patient, you play a pivotal role in the outcome of any therapeutic exercise program. Your dedication to following the steps outlined in the program will go a long way in ensuring its success.

Ankle pain can be caused by something as minor as an ill-fitting shoe or as major as an injury. Many kinds of ankle pain originate on the outer, or lateral, side of the ankle. People with ankle pain often complain about difficulty walking or participating in sports. Some types of ankle pain are constant and dull and can be accompanied by imbalance, swelling, stiffness, or tenderness. More serious types of ankle pain can be caused by a sprain, which happens when the ligaments between the bones are stretched or torn. Without medical attention and/or physical therapy, an untreated ankle sprain will often leave your ankle permanently disabled or weak, leaving you open to repeated sprains and other injuries. Chiropractic Treatment for Ankle and Foot Pain

Another kind of ankle pain is neuropathic, or nerve-related. This happens when the nerves that pass through the ankle become pinched or stretched, torn, injured by a direct blow, or under pressure. Chiropractic Treatment for Ankle and Foot Pain

Other sources of ankle pain include:

• A torn or inflamed tendon
• Arthritis of the ankle joint
• A fracture
• Synovium, which is inflammation of the joint lining
• Scar-tissue formation in an ankle joint following a sprain; the scar tissue fills up the space in the joint, putting pressure on the ligaments

Traveling by car:

• Make sure your car seat is adjusted to the point that it allows you to sit comfortably and firmly against the seat back without having to lean forward or stretch.
• Engage your seat and shoulder belts and ensure that your headrest supports the center of the back of the head.
• If you are the driver, adjust the seat so you are as close to the steering wheel as comfortably as possible. Make sure that your knees are slightly higher than your hips. Place four fingers behind the back of your thigh closest to your knee. If you cannot easily slide your fingers in and out of that space, you need to re-adjust your seat.
• Foam back supports or pillows designed especially for driving can help minimize fatigue and strain on your lower back. Make sure that the widest part of the support is between the bottom of your rib cage and your waistline.
• Exercise your legs while driving by opening your toes as wide as you can and counting to ten. During a five count, tighten your calf, thigh and gluteal muscles (in that order), followed by relaxing those muscles. Roll your shoulders forward and back, making sure to keep your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road.
• Take frequent rest breaks on long trips.

Air travel:

• Before embarking on your trip, try to do a quick warm up by taking a brisk walk or doing simple stretching exercises, such as knee-to-chest pulls, trunk rotations, and side bends with hands above your head and fingers locked. Also, cool down once you reach your destination. Take a brisk walk to stretch your hamstring and calf muscles.
• As a rule, check all bags that are heavier than 10 percent of your body weight.
• Do not overload your carry-on baggage. Overhead lifting of a carry-on can lead to a muscle strain or sprain. When lifting your baggage to place in the overhead compartment, stand directly in front of the compartment so the spine is not rotated. Don’t lift your bags over your head, or turn or twist your head and neck in the process. Ask the flight attendant for assistance.
• Use suitcases with wheels and a sturdy handle. Carrying heavy suitcases is a surefire way to strain your shoulders, back, hips, and knees. Do not overload the suitcase. Invest in a smaller “Pullman-type” suitcase to handle overflow.
• Vary your position occasionally while seated on the plane. This helps to improve your circulation and avoid leg cramps. Occasionally exercise your legs and hips by bringing your legs in and moving your knees up and down. Try propping your legs up on a book or a bag under your seat.
• Avoid sitting directly under the air vents above you. The draft can increase tension in your neck and shoulder muscles.
• When stowing something under the seat in front of you, use your feet to gently guide the object. Avoid bending over and crouching.
• When you are seated, use supports, such as rolled-up pillows or blankets, to maintain your spine’s natural curve. Tuck the support behind your back and just above the beltline and lay another pillow across the gap between your neck and the headrest.