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An allergic response is a hyper or excessive response by the body to a stimulus (allergen). The allergen is most commonly a substance inhaled or ingested in the allergic person's daily environment. Often the specific allergy (i.e. pollen, dust, milk, gluten) is an inherited characteristic. Childhood asthma also is commonly a type of allergic response and is not unusual for a child's recurring middle ear infections to have an allergic basis to them. While the role chiropractic medicine plays in treating allergies is not yet fully understood, it is clear that some people benefit greatly from treatment. Treatment focuses on allergen avoidance as well as massage and spinal adjustments to balance the nervous system. It is suspected that since the allergic response is mediated by the nervous system that chiropractic medicine's ability to promote optimal function of the nervous system is the basis for the success it has in treating allergic reactions. |
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Your neck protects your spinal cord and spinal nerves, while supporting and balancing the weight of your head. Poor posture, wear and tear, injury, stress, and tension can strain or damage vital parts of your neck.
Your neck (cervical spine) is aligned in a natural curve at the top of your spine. Damage to your neck's natural curve can cause painful problems. Whether sleeping, sitting, standing, or driving, keep your neck healthy by remembering good posture - keeping a straight and well-supported spine. There are a number of simple exercises for increasing the strength and flexibility of your neck.
Neck and Lower Back Pain should be examined by a professional before diagnosing the cause. Subluxations are misalignments of the spinal column and is one of the most common causes of pain. When vertebrae misalign, they put pressure directly on spinal nerves causing pain. When this pressure is put on the nerve many times the muscles can spasm putting even more pressure on the nerve. This extra pressure causes even more inflammation and irritation which leads to more pain. Often times stretching and massage may only temporarily relieve the pain, because the cause(subluxation) is still there. Chiropractic focuses on correcting the cause.
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| According to the findings, the expert spinal manipulations offered by your doctor of chiropractic are a recommended, safe and effective form of initial treatment to relieve your discomfort-especially in the first month your new symptoms appear. Together with you, your chiropractor can design a complete and personalized care program to help speed your recovery.
Low back pain is a very common problem, second only to the common cold as a reason for a doctor visit. In fact, at least 8 out of 10 people will have low back pain at some point in their lives, with more than 95% having the problem more than once. It is especially important to seek professional care when your low back distress lasts more than a few days, keeps you from your daily activities, or produces severe pain.
Here are a few causes of low back pain:
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| Muscle spasms |
Trauma |
Accident
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Stress |
| Repeated damage to the spine |
Poor Posture |
| Heredity |
Poor muscle tone |
| Aging |
Excess weight |
| Disease |
Strenuous activities |
| Irritated nerves |
Inactivity |
| Referred pain from other body organs |
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| The pelvis is the foundation for the entire spine. An uneven pelvis can cause compensations in the upper spinal regions. Problems or misalignments in the lower spine can cause referred pain in the hip or pelvic regions. Chiropractic adjustments removing pressure on the nervous system in the hips and pelvis can often relieve muscle spasms and pain. |
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Headaches are a result of muscle tension in the neck and/or back from prolonged sitting, improper posture, physical or emotional stress, or from spinal misalignment. Many headaches are caused by an underlying illness or infection, or by disturbances in the blood vessels in the head. Other factors that have been found to be involved are allergies, improper digestion, constipation, head injuries, overstrained eyes, blood sugar imbalances, certain drugs, hormonal shifts, irregular sleeping habits, substance withdrawal, food additives, pollution, and changing weather patterns. Certain conditions such as brain tumors, arterial inflammation, and irritation of the facial nerves can also cause headaches, but are extremely rare..
80% of headaches originate from the neck. Usually an increased amount of stress and tension held in the shoulders causes contractions of all of the surrounding neck musculature. When these muscles contract, vertebrae can misalign causing pressure on spinal nerves causing pain. With a typical cervicogenic(neck origin) headache, a person usually feels pain starting at the base of the skull which can radiate into the temples, eyeballs, and forehead. There may be several other causes of headaches, so a proper examination is needed to determine the actual cause.
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| The foot and ankle are one of the most complex and important set of joints in the body. They are often overlooked as a source of chronic pain both at these joints and the entire leg and low back regions. Conditions include Plantar Fascitis (heel spur), Achilles tendonitis, and ankle weakness. Chiropractic intervention includes assessing the importance of balance for proper treatment. |
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| Overload and overuse injuries are a common origin of elbow pain. Loss of grip strength and a throbbing sensation are typical complaints. Chiropractic treatment focuses on correcting the environment and the mechanics of the injury. This is essential to a successful resolution. |
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| While your wrist may seem like a long way from your neck there is definitely a connection! A large nerve, called the median nerve, runs from your neck and extends to your hand through a tunnel-like passage in your wrist.
Misaligned neck vertebrae can cause an initial irritation of the median nerve, often due to repeated stress on your neck and shoulders. In addition, further repetitive stress on your arms and hands can increase the irritation of the tendons in your wrist, causing them to swell. This condition is known as carpal tunnel syndrome. |
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The knee is a hinge joint with its primary movements being extension and flexion. Its functions are to provide stability in weight bearing and mobility to aid in walking or running. The distal end of the femur (thigh bone) widens to articulate with the tibia (lower leg bone). The patella (kneecap) lies in a concave area of the femur. It is embedded in the quadriceps muscles and functions to protect the joint. The patella is the largest sesamoid bone (a bone that is in a tendon).
The knee is surrounded by muscles and ligaments, which are often injured during contact sports or running. Most of the injuries are caused by a force from the anterior (front) or lateral (the outside) side of the knee. The two that seem to be involved that most with injuries are the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL).
The knee has two discs located in the joint called meniscus discs. One is located on the medial side of the joint (inside of the leg) and the other on the lateral side of the joint (outside of the leg). These discs act as shock absorbers like those of the spine. The meniscus disc can be injured if the knee joint is compromised.
The majority of the population seeks medical help for a quick fix for pain relief. The medications that are prescribed help diminish the pain but do not treat the underlying cause of the dysfunction. The Doctor of Chiropractic looks for these causes.
Muscle imbalance and faulty joint movement are frequent contributors to knee pain. Common conditions are patella misalignment, joint locking, and feelings of instability. Appropriate, mechanically-oriented chiropractic therapy frequently avoids the need for aggressive therapy |
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The nerves in the lower neck area travel to the shoulder area. Interference to these nerves can cause muscle spasms, pain, and altered communication leaving a person prone to injury. Chiropractic adjustments in the lower neck area help ensure proper function throughout the body and into the shoulder and arm. |
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Stress can be emotional and/or mental, or physical and/or environmental. It can be brought on by change, illness, pain, emotional conflict, financial worries, intense emotions, pollution, inadequate rest, temperature extremes, noise, crowding, allergic reactions, poor diet, substance abuse, and electromagnetic energy. How the body reacts to these stresses is determined by its state of health. A weak system will not handle stress well, and prolonged stress will wear to exhaustion even with the strongest resistance.
If stress contributes to illness, then stress reduction should promote healing. There are various therapies that have proven to help the body to better cope with stress. |
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A pinched nerve is just that. It is severely compressed usually by a misaligned vertebrae. When nerves get pinched they get severely inflammed and muscles can 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.
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The sciatic nerve is a long nerve originating in the lower back and extending down the back of the leg. When inflamed it can cause pain, numbness, weakness, or other symptoms in the lower back and down the leg. There can be several causes of this condition. A misaligned vertebrae can cause inflammation of the joints putting pressure on the nerve. Bulging discs and muscle spasms can also cause pressure on the sciatic nerve. Several other conditions may cause this symptom, so a complete evaluation would be needed to correctly asses the exact cause. |
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These days millions of Americans have jobs which can have damaging effects on the hands and arms. Repetetive movements which are not performed with good ergonomics 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 can occur. Chiropractic can assure that all of the joints and musculature along the path of the nerve are free of obstruction and functioning normally, thus reducing nerve irritation.
Numbness, tingling, and or pain in the hands and wrist are often signs of pressure on the nerves traveling to that region. Entrapment of the nerve can occur at the wrist area (carpal tunnel syndrome), elbow, shoulder, or neck. In our experience a great number of people that demonstrate these types of symptoms often have pressure on the nerves in the neck region. Chiropractic can assure that all of the joints and musculature along the path of the nerve are free of obstruction and functioning normally, thus reducing nerve irritation.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is an injury caused by a pinched nerve in the wrist, resulting in pain and numbness in the index and middle fingers and weakness of the thumb. The carpal tunnel receives its name from the eight bones in the wrist, called carpals, which form a "tunnel" through which the nerve leading to the hand extends.
The carpal tunnel is filled with tendons (bundles of collagen fibers that attach muscle to bone) that control finger movement. Tasks requiring highly repetitive and forceful movements of the wrist can cause swelling around the tendons, resulting in a pinched nerve and producing CTS. |
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| Whiplash is most commonly received from riding in a car that is struck from behind or that collides with another object. 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.
Tremendous forces are potentially delivered to the soft tissue elements of the back, neck, and extremities in fractions of a second during a typical motor vehicle accident. Symptoms can be immediate or delayed and include neck, back, arm, leg, and hip pain; headaches; numbness and tingling in the arms and legs. Early chiropractic examination and treatment is often vital for the successful recovery from these difficult injuries
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. |
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