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I just read one of the most well-articulated explanations of Chiropractic that I’ve read in a long, long time. Nowadays, with so much online writing being “outsourced” and “unedited,” it is often difficult to find an intelligible comment on a blog, much less a clear, concise, and meaningful article written on a blog itself! The article on fitness goop is written by Dr. Avtar Jassal, who graduated with honors from Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward, California. Dr. Jassal currently holds the position of Representative Assemblyman for British Columbia for the International Chiropractic Association and is an assistant teacher of the Torque Release Technique in Canada.

The article beautifully explains the “self healing” and “self-regulating” nature of the human body, and how Chiropractic treatment works with this natural process by freeing the nervous system of interference so that it can function effectively. I invite you to click on the link above and discover the amazing benefits of Chiropractic Care.

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Wichita Chiropractor

I know from more than twenty years experience as a Chiropractor in Wichita assisting people suffering from sciatic pain that the condition can be extremely disabling. Sciatica sufferers are unfortunately all too familiar with the kind of deep pain that frequently radiates through the lower part of their body, accompanies their waking hours each day and restricts almost all of their daily activities.

Are you concerned that your low back pain might be caused by sciatica? You are probably suffering from sciatica if your pain travels from your low back, through one or both sides of your buttocks, down the large sciatic nerve in the back of one or both legs, and possibly penetrates into one or both knees. In addition, sitting, as well as motion, can be painful. Commonly lying down will reduce, or sometimes even temporarily eliminate the pain. Even so, it’s important for you to be aware that sciatica will not go away without proper treatment.

Radiculopathy

A radiculopathy is a medical term that describes a condition where a disc has protruded from its normal position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve, or nerve root, that forms part of the sciatic nerve in the lower back. This kind of pressure can produce excruciating pain.

Additional pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles encasing the spine, can happen during and after extended sitting, particularly in an awkward position. A specific event or injury isn’t generally the cause of sciatica, but rather sciatica is likely to evolve over time as a consequence of general wear and tear on the vertebrae of the lower spine. Eventually the lower spine can lose its normal functioning capabilities during ordinary stresses.

When this takes place, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures or cracks, which then allow the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. Pain is created as the disc pushes on sensitive tissues. This condition is often known as a ruptured, or slipped, disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve, an individual can develop sciatica. Fortunately, most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be significantly decreased with chiropractic manipulation and therapy that often includes postural exercises.

Periformis Syndrome

Another condition that creates sciatic pain is periformis syndrome. Periformis syndrome occurs when the periformis muscle, which is superficial to the sciatic nerve, goes into spasm and irritates the nerve. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, this kind of sciatica can be significantly relieved by sciatica stretches that your chiropractor will suggest.

If you are experiencing sciatic pain, it is essential for you to see your chiropractor for treatment. If you are in the Wichita area, as your Wichita Chiropractor, I look forward to helping you to get out of pain and get your life back!

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The shoulder joint has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the musculoskeletal system. It is surrounded by ligaments and a group of muscles (and their tendon attachments) referred to as the rotator cuff. These muscles and tendons join your upper arm bone with your shoulder blade and, in addition, help to lock the ball of your upper arm solidly in its shoulder socket. It is this elegant arrangement that permits the significant range of motion of your shoulder joint. And, unfortunately, it is one of the most commonly dislocated joints in the body. Shoulder dislocations can happen to young and old alike. In fact, an article published in the March 2010 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) suggests that the majority of choulder dislocations occur during sports activities and young males are at a higher risk. No surprise there. But, what is surprising, however, is that the study also reveals a high rate of shoulder dislocation in elderly women.

The shoulder joint can dislocate forward, backward or downward. The most common shoulder dislocation happens when the shoulder slips forward (anterior instability). The arm bone is moved forward and down and out of its joint. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, numbness, weakness, and bruising. A dislocation can tear ligaments or tendons in the shoulder or even damage nearby nerves. To treat the dislocation, a doctor will manipulate the arm bone (the humerus) and replace it in the shoulder socket. This stops the severe pain and allows for the injured tissues to heal.

Remember, whether you are young or an aging baby boomer, it’s important to keep your musculoskeletal system moving smoothly. Always do limbering exercises before playing a sport or working in the garden. And, never play or work into pain. If you experience shoulder pain, see a healthcare professional.

For more on this study, go to medicalnewstoday.com

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As a chiropractor I see the benefits of exercise in my patients everyday, not only physically, but also in the enhancement of their mental and emotional health. Exercise is good for every human body — mentally, emotionally, and physically — whether an individual is feeling “tip top” or not. In fact, a new study shows that exercise can reduce stress levels in people who are experiencing a variety of health challenges.

The study, which appeared in the Feb. 22 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, involved the analysis of the results of 40 randomized clinical trials involving nearly 3,000 patients with a variety of medical conditions. They found that, on average, patients who exercised regularly reported a 20 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to those who did not exercise.

“Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that physical activities such as walking or weight lifting may turn out to be the best medicine that physicians can prescribe to help their patients feel less anxious,” said lead author Matthew Herring, a doctoral student in the department of kinesiology, part of the UGA College of Education.

Herring pointed out that while the role of exercise in alleviating symptoms of depression has been well studied, the impact of regular exercise on anxiety symptoms has received less attention. The number of people living with chronic medical conditions is likely to increase as the population ages, he added, underscoring the need for a low-cost, effective treatment.

One way to read more on this study is to go to medicalnewstoday.com

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As a chiropractor I treat many people who suffer from arthritis, and I also help individuals who have sustained sports injuries. With the former, I use chiropractic adjustments and with the latter, in conjunction with the adjustments, I often use kinesio taping. Now, it appears that athletic tape can also be beneficial in treating patients with arthritis. Read on…

Athletic Tape May Relieve Certain Arthritis Pain

via Current Arthritis News and Research

 

Athletic Tape

Researchers in Australia have found that athletic tape can be used to improve pain from patellofemoral osteoarthritis, a form of osteoarthritis found around or behind the kneecap.

 

This was a small study, to be sure, involving only 28 people, 14 with and 14 without patellofemoral arthritis. Yet the findings may provide another therapy option for people with this knee pain. This finding may also benefit people with chronic patellofemoral pain, which is relatively common in runners and can oftentimes be related to a misalignment in the knee joint.

The researchers from the University of Melbourne enlisted the 28 participants, all adults with an average age of 57. The researchers took MRI scans of the participants knees and discovered that the arthritis sufferers had a higher incidence of misalignment of the knee joint, including an inclination for the kneecap to be positioned toward the outside of the leg.

Using athletic tape to wrap the patient’s knees, the researchers were able to improve that misalignment. This contributed to improvement in reported pain during a squatting exercise.

According to lead researcher, Dr. Kay M. Crossley;

“Our results confirm that patellar taping is an excellent technique which can be recommended for people with (patellofemoral arthritis).”

The tape must be applied correctly to achieve the benefit, and not to worsen the condition. The researchers indicated that a physical therapist would be the most appropriate to wrap the knee, but that with instruction and practice, the patient would be able to successfully tape their own knee.

Using tape may not be the best solution for everyone with patellofemoral pain. Many people may require other forms of therapy or a combination with taping. Dr. Crossley stated that she and her colleagues are currently conducting a clinical trial which is studying the outcomes of knee taping with other treatments.

The results of the taping study were published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

 

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Obesity, Health Concerns Rise As Parks And Recreation Programs Decline

One way to help address the epidemic of obesity in the United States is improved access to pleasant hiking trails and an ambitious parks and recreation program, a recent study suggests, but programs such as this are increasingly being reduced in many states due to budget shortfalls.

The analysis, done by researchers in Oregon, found that some of the health issues that plague overweight and obese people can be aided by a stronger commitment to recreational opportunities. Cutting such programs to save money may be counterproductive to community health, scientists said.

"Research is now showing there's a close correlation between public health and recreational opportunities, both close to home and in state parks," said Randy Rosenberger, an associate professor in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University. "And it's not just about losing weight. It's been found that active obese individuals have lower morbidity and mortality than normal weight individuals who are sedentary."(Read more…)

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Headaches can be thought of as internal alarm bells, ringing only when something is going on inside of the body.  Most of us live a life so full of external distractions that our own physical problems get easily over looked.

Headaches that are Warning: “There is Something up Ahead” -

Nearly 70% of women between 20-35 years of age start to develop a “menstrual migraine”.  At first this migraine is easily categorized with normal migraines, but then begins to stand out because of its consistency.

The menstrual migraine will usually show up every month, 2 days before menstruation.  As with other premenstrual symptoms, having advanced knowledge of what to expect can make the occurrence less painful by being prepared.

Your Body’s Natural Volcanic System -

A common phrase that children hear from their mothers is, “You must be sleepy.”  It’s amusing to watch as the child tries to first deny the accusation and then question what brought on such a declaration.

Unfortunately, when a person reaches adulthood there’s no one around to tell you when you should sleep and when you should relax.  Suddenly, the responsibility of knowing what’s best is all yours.

When a body is pushed hard daily and given little to no opportunity of relaxation, something begins to happen.  One of those things that happens is a head pain that feels painfully tight around the circumference of the head.  The very sight of light can become discomforting, as well as noises both soft and loud.

This is a signal your body has sent with almost volcanic violence.  To avoid repeated episodes that can develop to more severe levels, seek a chiropractic doctor.

Talking to a chiropractor about your tension headache is not the same as just going to visit a masseuse, because these doctors will do a thorough examination to find all the root causes of your headache.

The treatment you may receive will definitely be therapeutic, but it will have the added benefit of being preventive as well.  The number one goal of these facilities is to not just get rid of pain, but help you continue living a pain free life.

The Weight of Headache Pain -

A scary thing about weight gain is that there doesn’t seem to be any real internal trigger that extra pounds are being added on.  Usually it’s not until after all the external evidence is before one that they notice their weight gain.

Studies are starting to reveal that overweight people begin having headaches more often and more severely than those that are of a healthy weight.  It’s still unclear as to how the body is triggering this effect, but it is evident in recent researches.

Even when headaches seem to be a part of your life’s package, it’s good to make sure that they’re not coming on for other serious reasons.

Waiting until you reach your breaking point before you get the rest you need is as dangerous as drunk driving.  So taking a moment out of your day to visit a local doctor’s office, or chiropractic health practice shouldn’t be delayed, especially since most of us don’t just want the pain to go away, we want it to stay away.

Source: HealthSource

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Atlanta, GA, January 07, 2010 –(PR.com)– According to the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation there is no human experimental evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations are causally related to strokes.

“While plaintiff’s attorneys and expert witness make claims and statements contending that such a causative link exists, the fact remains that these are based largely on anecdotes, case reports, and case controlled studies and cannot be used to prove causation” stated Foundation President Christopher Kent DC, JD a chiropractic researcher and attorney.

According to researchers and the scientific method itself there are all sorts of biases and distortions that effect conclusions drawn from such studies and other criteria must be used to determine whether such a link exists.

“What this boils down to is a simple lack of understanding of biostatistics and epidemiology” stated Foundation Vice President Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, a chiropractic researcher and public health expert. “Words like ‘association’ and ‘causation’ and ‘risk’ have very specific meanings when it comes to their use in epidemiology and it’s clear that laypersons involved in this debate are using these terms inappropriately.”

While the experience of a stroke can be devastating and no one would suggest ignoring the concerns of those who have suffered one, the reality is that when it comes to the contention that chiropractic causes strokes – the evidence just isn’t there. And while the strokes these people have experienced are indeed real, McCoy suggests there are often other issues involved and offered an example. “Millions of people visit a dentist every year and a certain number of those same people get into car accidents on their way home. If we were to run the stats on it we might find that there is a statistical association between visiting a dentist and getting into a car accident on the way home. But no one would even consider suggesting that the dentists are causing the car accidents.”

Self described chiropractic stroke victims say there is a risk and that people should be advised about it prior to undergoing chiropractic care. The majority of chiropractors would agree that patients should be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives of any health care intervention, but according to Dr. Kent “Such informed consent must be based on appropriate information and since there is no scientific evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations actually cause strokes, it is inappropriate to require a doctor to suggest that such a risk exists.”

Dr. McCoy added another often overlooked issue “Chiropractors utilize a number of techniques to address joint dysfunction and vertebral subluxation and in fact there are over 300 named chiropractic techniques and many do not employ the type of manipulation that has been alleged to be a factor in vertebrobasilar accidents. This adds to the inappropriate nature of such a disclosure.”

In the end, chiropractic has an impressive safety record compared to traditional medical care with estimates are that anywhere from 100,000 (Institute of medicine) to 750,000 (Null et al) people die every year from medical care. In comparison, other than some minor soreness following chiropractic treatment, research has shown chiropractic to be very safe.

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Sacramento Chiropractor

With any sort of sport, injuries are not uncommon. The smart thing to do is to determine what injury is apt to occur in a particular sport and then to do whatever it takes to avoid it. Unfortunately, sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Consequently, it’s advantageous to be physically fit to make injury less probable, or less traumatic.   The most important thing that you can do is to be certain that you have a suitable fitness level before beginning to play a sport, such as golf. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, making sure your joints are mobile and your muscles are limber, warming and stretching your body prior to activity, using proper form and good postures during activity, and giving yourself sufficient cool down and relaxation time, you just might keep your body safe from injury.

It isn’t only amateur golfers who experience injuries. It has been approximated that close to a third of pro golfers playing at any given time are playing with injury. The good news is that general good health and fitness can reduce how many injuries you may experience and may actually preclude them completely.

Good body strength in the muscle regions most employed while playing golf is vital. However, it’s prudent to determine that your spine is in proper alignment and that it has good mobility before you set out to build muscle strength. A proficient golf swing relies on your spine’s capacity to efficiently rotate adequately. Back injuries are the most common sort of injuries sustained by golfers. Your Sacramento chiropractor will establish that your spine is in appropriate alignment and that there is good movement of the vertebrae. Chiropractic treatment can make a big difference in helping you to prevent back injury.

It’s time to strengthen once you’re “straightened.” A safe, injury-free day on the green is dependent upon your being prepared for your golf game. Golf stretching and flexibility exercises will warm up your muscles and make straining them less likely. Flexibility in all parts of the body can be escalated relatively fast as the result of full body range of motion (ROM) exercises. In addition, elastic band conditioning can provide functional golf range of motion advantages and can increase needed strength in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Because elastic band training supplies the dynamic resistance that general weight lifting does not, sports professionals, like your chiropractor, are making them a part of their golf conditioning programs.

Quite a few golfers have painful “Golfer’s Elbow” along with back injuries. Despite the fact that golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are nearly the same injuries, there is a minor difference between them. Whereas the outside of the upper arm is disturbed in tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow impinges the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can be a reaction to a single extreme action, such as (in golf) thrusting down on the mat at the driving range or striking a hard fairway surface. Although, it most often is produced by repetitive stress from smaller shocks. In addition, it can come upon those who suddenly begin to play too much golf. As a case in point, if players that ordinarily play golf once or twice a month choose to enter into a tournament, they are potentially at risk for incurring the injury.

Golf makes exclusive requests of the body. Fatigue can be a problem because the game usually lasts longer than the majority of other sports. Whenever the body is fatigued, poor posture and decreased coordination often follow. Together, these two components can cause a number of injuries. In addition, as a result of the continuous swinging of the golf clubs, the shoulder muscles are prone to injury. Just as great care should be taken to make certain that your muscles are stretched and warmed up prior to starting your golf game, be sure to rest your body suitable between games.

An unexpected injury occasionally associated with golf is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But, this injury can be the result of a large number of games of golf played over a number of months repetitively since it is a problem that occurs due to repetitive stress Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a serious injury creating incapacitation and sometimes necessitating surgery. However, chiropractic treatment and, frequently the use of a brace will relieve the problem if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, detects it at an early stage.

Injuries are assumed to be inevitable part of life for a good majority golfers. But, a healthy, mobile spine, good preparation, specific exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and maintaining a a suitable fitness level, and prudent rest and recuperation after your game is over, can help to make injuries far less a part of your golfing experience.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yong_J_Kim

Technorati Tags: back pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, chiropractic, chiropractor, Golfer's Elbow, shoulder pain