The Problem of Radiating Pain

The Problem of Radiating Pain

Chiropractic Care and Radiating Pain

Although a few problems involving radiating pain require further investigation, the large majority of cases involving neck pain with arm/hand pain or low back pain with leg/foot pain can be addressed by your chiropractor. Your chiropractor will take a thorough history, do a detailed examination, and order tests if needed, with the overall goal of designing the most effective care plan to help solve your specific problem. Chiropractic adjustments may be part of the care plan. Chiropractic care may also include a rehabilitative stretching and exercise program, as well as recommendations for improved posture, safer lifting habits, and ergonomic enhancement. Your personalized comprehensive chiropractic care plan will help you return to improved health as quickly as possible.

Many people experience radiating pain as a component of neck pain or low back pain. A person with neck pain might have pain that radiates down her arm, possibly into the hand.¹ A person with low back pain might have accompanying leg pain, possibly traveling into the foot. Such arm/hand pain or leg/foot pain can represent a serious underlying health problem. However, not all types of radiating pain are of equal importance. The key is to be able to identify which patterns require prompt attention and which merely appear to be significant but are not.
Authentic radiating pain is most often caused by pressure and/or irritation of a spinal nerve root.² The spinal nerve becomes inflamed and sends pain signals to the brain that are interpreted as pain in the region of the body supplied by that nerve. Inflammation of a certain spinal nerve in the neck region will result in the experience of pain down the outside of the arm and forearm and into the thumb and possibly index finger. Inflammation of a certain spinal nerve in the low back causes the person to feel pain traveling along the back of the thigh and calf and into the fifth toe.
Specific patterns of radiating pain are associated with inflammation of specific spinal nerves. Such inflammation may be typically caused by pressure from a herniated intervertebral disc. Other disorders which may create local space-occupying pressure need to be considered as well. A thorough history and physical examination will help to identify the cause of the problem. X-ray studies may be needed, as well as an MRI scan. The underlying problem, including the pattern of pain radiation, may be termed a radiculopathy or radiculitis.
But most cases of what appears to be radiating pain are not, in fact, related to pressure on a spinal nerve. Most patterns of radiating pain are not associated with a radiculopathy or radiculitis. Rather, the large majority of pain patterns involving the arm/hand or leg/foot are caused by normal, everyday aches and pains. Our run-of-the-mill physical problems involve relatively large muscles such as the trapezius (overlying the upper back, shoulder, and mid back) and relatively small muscles such as those that overlay the spinal bones themselves and help move the spinal column. Ligaments that hold bones together and tendons that attach muscles to bones may also be involved in these everyday ailments.
Irritation and inflammation of muscles, ligaments, and tendons may cause more difficulty than mere soreness and tightness. Such inflammation may also cause radiating pain, but in broader, more diffuse patterns than those caused by inflammation of a nerve root. A person might experience neck pain with arm and hand pain, or back pain with leg and foot pain, but in a broad pattern not associated with a spinal nerve. This is actually good news for the patient, as such forms of radiating pain (known as scleratogenous patterns), are usually more easily treated than those associated with a radiculopathy or radiculitis.
The bottom line is that your chiropractor is experienced in the diagnosis and care of such problems. Your chiropractor will be able to determine if your radiating pain is associated with muscles, ligaments, and tendons or if it is related to pressure on a spinal nerve.³ Your chiropractor will make specific recommendations for care of your specific health problem and help guide you in the process of returning to good health.
¹Caridi JM, et al: Cervical radiculopathy: a review. HSS J 7(3):265-272, 2011
²Magrinelli F, et al: Neuropathic pain: diagnosis and treatment. Pract Neurol 2013 Apr 16 [Epub ahead of print]
³Mena J, Sherman AL: Imaging in radiculopathy. Phys Med Rehabil Clin North Am 22(1):42-57, 2011

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Strength Training for Beginners (and Experts, Too)

Strength Training for Beginners (and Experts, Too)

Chiropractic Care and Strength Training

Regular vigorous exercise is a requirement for good health. Ideally, every adult is exercising for at least 30 minutes five times per week. Regular chiropractic care provides fundamental support for this necessary level of physical activity. Regular exercise requires optimal functioning of muscles, joints, and bones. In turn, such optimal performance requires full and free functioning of your nerve system. The nerve system sends timely instructions to all the rest of your body systems, informing cells, tissues, and organs as to when to do their jobs and exactly how much of a job to do. Regular chiropractic care removes irritation and inflammation from spinal nerves and other critical nerve tissue, helping ensure that exercising muscles receive the information they need to do their jobs well. By helping keep your nerve system healthy, regular chiropractic care helps you get the most out of your investment in exercise.

Strength training, otherwise known as weight training, is one of those activities that provides a wide range of benefits for the person who does it regularly. Like yoga, strength straining makes all your muscles stronger, enhances flexibility, and improves cardiovascular capability and capacity. In fact, two strength training sessions per week combined with one or two yoga classes per week will lead to super-fitness for most people within only a couple of months.
Strength training is beneficial for teenagers, young adults, and older adults.¹ Many strength training exercises are done in a weightbearing position, and the process of doing reps and sets with a modestly or moderately heavy load makes your bones stronger. Not only muscles, but also the soft tissues of the musculoskeletal system, including tendons, ligaments, and joint cartilage, are made sturdier by receiving increased supplies of oxygen and other nutrients. Engaging in a regular program of strength training will provide more restful sleep, rid your metabolism of accumulated toxins, add sparkle and tone to your skin, and improve your overall sense of well-being. All at the low price of two to three hours per week.
The key question is how to begin. Many books and online training videos are available. Most fitness centers offer a complimentary lesson or two with a personal trainer to enable you to learn the basics. Simply put, you want to train all of your major muscle groups once per week. For example, you can exercise your chest and back muscles on one day and your shoulders and arms on another day. If you're also doing one or two yoga classes per week, or one yoga class and two walking or running days per week, your leg muscles are covered.²
Let's say this is your chest and back day. Ideally you'll do three different exercises per body part. For your chest you could do lying-down (supine) bench presses with dumbbells, supine flies (in which you hold the dumbbells overhead and then open your arms out to the side), and incline bench presses with dumbbells. For your back, you could do one-arm rows, supine dumbbell pullovers (in which you use both hands to hold one dumbbell overhead and then lower the dumbbell all the way behind your head), and lat pulldowns on a machine. All together, doing these six different exercises, three sets per exercise, should take about one hour.
Then, two or three days later in the week, you do strength training for your shoulders, biceps, and triceps. Shoulder exercises could include seated overhead presses, standing lateral raises, and seated bent-over rows. Bicep exercises could include seated alternate incline curls, machine bicep curls, and seated concentration curls. Tricep exercises could include push-ups, lying (supine) tricep extensions, and machine tricep pressdowns. Again, these nine different exercises, three sets per exercise, should take about one hour.
There are many video clips available on the internet that demonstrate the mechanics of each of these exercises. Good form is critical. In fact, making sure your posture is balanced and your abdominal muscles are activated is more important than the amount of weight you are lifting.
Beginners, especially, need to know how much weight they should be using on each exercise.³ Importantly, lifting too much weight too soon will usually lead to injury. Of course, we want to work-out as safely as possible. Choose a weight at which you can comfortably do eight repetitions. If you can't do eight, the weight is too heavy. If eight repetitions with a particular weight seems ridiculously easy, try again with a weight that is 10% heavier. Repeat the process until you find the starting weight that is comfortable for you. There are many types of weight progression programs that you will employ as you become accustomed to the weight-training process. The main point is to begin to engage in this highly beneficial form of exercise. As your mastery of these techniques slowly improves, a new world of fitness, fun, and satisfaction will be revealed.
¹Conceicao MS, et al: Sixteen weeks of resistance training can decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome in healthy postmenopausal women. Clin Interv Aging Epub Sept 16 2013
²Karavirta L, et al: Heart rate dynamics after combined strength and endurance training in middle-aged women: heterogeneity of responses. PLoS One 2013 Aug 27;8(8):e72664. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072664
³Van Roie E, et al: Strength training at high versus low external resistance in older adults: Effects on muscle volume, muscle strength, and force-velocity characteristics. Exp Gerontol Epub ahead of print

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Getting Fit at Fifty and Beyond

Getting Fit at Fifty and Beyond

Chiropractic Care and Returning to Fitness

Chiropractic care is an important component of any exercise program and is especially important for those who are beginning a fitness program or returning to exercise after a long absence. Regular chiropractic care helps ensure spinal fitness, which is the starting point for all aspects of health and well-being. Your spinal column is the mechanical center of your body. Major muscle groups involved in strength training, such as the latissimus dorsi and rhomboids, and major muscle groups involved in aerobic exercise, such as the quadriceps and hamstrings, attach directly or indirectly to the spine and pelvis. Regular chiropractic care helps ensure optimal functioning of your spinal column, which in turn helps ensure a full range of motion and mechanical availability of muscles critical for successful exercise. By helping you get the most out of your exercise, regular chiropractic care helps you achieve your long-term goals for good health.

What if you used to be really fit and now you're not? What if, as the years have gone by, you've added a couple of pounds here and there, and you suddenly notice you're 30 pounds heavier than you were at your 10th high school reunion? Or, what if you've never enjoyed the idea of exercising, exercise was never part of your world-view, but you're not feeling as good as you'd like to feel and think that exercise might help improve your overall health and sense of well-being?
Many people want to get fit or want to regain a former level of fitness for a variety of considerations, including the above scenarios.^1,2 But most of us need guidance in the process of getting fit. We need information and even instruction on what to do and how to do it. For example, it would be a serious mistake for someone older than 50, and even older than 40, to simply go out and try to run 4 miles if he had never run before. Muscle strains, shin splints, or even a stress fracture of one of the bones in the foot would be a likely and unwanted result. Similarly, going to the gym and trying to "work heavy" would assuredly create various problems for an out-of-shape person who wanted to "get fit" as quickly as possible. The injured tendons and sprained ligaments resulting from trying to rush would set back your hoped-for progress by at least four to six weeks, further delaying achievement of improved health.
The best way to get fit or return to fitness after a long period of inactivity is to start slowly, progress in small increments, and gain an authentic, long-lasting level of fitness over months and years. Being a smart exerciser means not doing too much too soon, in other words, respecting your body's capabilities. Also, smart exercise involves engaging in a blend of activities, usually on alternating days. Persons who only bike or run and persons who only lift weights will never be as healthy and fit as those who do both aerobic activity and strength training.³ Developing a two-week schedule will provide a thorough, balanced fitness program. In week A you do aerobic exercise (walking, running, biking, swimming laps) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You do strength training on Tuesday and Thursday. In week B you reverse activities, doing strength training Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and aerobic exercise on Tuesday and Thursday. This alternating pattern ensures you are getting the full benefit of your valuable time spent exercising.
It is important to remember that what works for you, works for you. Each of us needs to find his or her best way forward. Some methods of exercise will be experienced as intuitive and enjoyable. Others will be experienced as the opposite. You probably won't want to continue any of the latter. For example, the exercise program suggested by your friend may not be effective for your physical makeup and may even be harmful. Your chiropractor is an expert in healthy exercise and will be able to recommend fitness activities that will be right for you.
¹Johanssen NM, et al: Categorical analysis of the impact of aerobic and resistance exercise training, alone and in combination, on cardiorespiratory fitness levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: results from the HART-D study. Diabetes Care 2013 July 22 [Epub ahead of print]
²Stanton R, el al: Is cardiovascular or resistance exercise better to treat patients with depression? A narrative review. Issues Ment Health Nurs 34(7):531-538, 2013
³Lorenz D, Reiman M: The role and implementation of eccentric training in athletic rehabilitation: tendinopathy, hamstring strains, and acl reconstruction. Int J Sports Phys Ther 6(1):27-44, 2011
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Chiropractic Care for Short-Term and Long-Term Health

Chiropractic Care Is Comprehensive Care

Following a complete evaluation, which includes a history and physical examination, your chiropractor will design a care plan that will meet your specific health needs. Your care plan will include chiropractic care focusing on improving function of your spinal column. Your care plan will likely include additional recommendations, such as stretches, exercises, and nutritional planning. Your chiropractic care plan may, depending on the circumstances, include strategies for reducing stress and obtaining proper rest. Your chiropractor is a holistic practitioner who has expertise in many areas of health care. Chiropractic care is well known for its ability to treat musculoskeletal problems such as neck pain, back pain, and headaches. As chiropractic care focuses on the nerve system, your chiropractor may be of benefit in the overall care plan for many other conditions.

Chiropractic care is the one form of health care that keeps on giving. Chiropractic care certainly helps people to recover from short-term health problems, but this powerful method of healing also helps people stay well and assists in preventing new problems from developing.
Your chiropractor treats a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems. Neck pain, back pain, pain that travels from the neck to the arm and hand, pain that travels from the back to the leg and foot, headaches, and muscle spasms are conditions commonly treated by chiropractic care. Your chiropractor also treats many types of exercise- and sports-related injuries, such as rotator cuff injuries, tennis elbow, wrist sprains, knee injuries, ankle sprains, and shin splints. Repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome are also treated by chiropractic care. Also, chiropractic care may be a valuable addition to treatment for sleep disorders, digestive problems, menstrual cramps, asthma, and various allergies. Chiropractic care may also be of great assistance during pregnancy, in helping to relieve neck pain and back pain and to ease the process of delivery.
Chiropractic care can be beneficial for so many health problems owing to the fact that chiropractic care directly affects the functioning of your nerve system. Your nerve system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves that branch out to the rest of your body, is your master physiologic system. Your nerve system, by sending signals to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, controls all the other systems. Your heart relies on the nerve system so that it can pump blood at the right time and in the right amount.¹ Your small intestine relies on the nerve system so that it can complete the digestion of food and transmit usable nutrients to the bloodstream.² Your white blood cells and other immune system agents rely on the nerve system so that they can quickly identify and destroy foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.³
But your nerve system can break down, in a sense, if spinal nerve interference is present. Such nerve interference, caused by irritation and inflammation of spinal nerves, is caused by loss of full mobility of spinal vertebras. Limited spinal motion irritates the muscles that move the spinal bones and the ligaments that hold those bones together. Inflamed spinal muscles and spinal ligaments cause spinal nerve inflammation. The immediate result is distortion in the quality and flow of information sent from the brain to the rest of the body. Too much or too little information is sent to the cells, tissues, and organs. The messages they receive are the wrong messages, or the messages arrive at the wrong time. The outcome is decreased functioning and/or inappropriate functioning of many other physiologic systems. Thus, spinal nerve interference is one of the primary causes of the many problems that may bring a person to his or her chiropractor's office.
Chiropractic care helps reduce and remove nerve interference by restoring increased functioning of your spinal column. The direct result is improved overall functioning of the rest of your body. By directly focusing on your spine and nerve system, your chiropractor can help restore quality of life and overall health and well-being.
¹Muller MD, et al: Mental stress elicits sustained and reproducible increases in skin sympathetic nerve activity. Physiol Rep  2013 Mar 1(1). pii: e00002.
²Zhou G, et al: White-matter microstructural changes in functional dyspepsia: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Am J Gastroenterol 108(2):260-269, 2013
³Straub RH, et al: Role of neuroendocrine and neuroimmune mechanisms in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases-The 10-year update. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2013 May 31 doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2013.04.008 [Epub ahead of print]

Phase 1: Relief Care

Thumbs Up to Relief

Many people go to a chiropractor because they are in pain. In this first phase of care, the main goal is to reduce your symptoms. Sometimes this will require daily visits, or two to three visits per week for a time.
Most people are under the assumption that if they don't feel any pain that there is nothing wrong with them - that they are healthy. Unfortunately, pain is a very poor indicator of health. In fact, pain and other symptoms frequently only appear after a disease or other condition has become advanced.
For example, consider a cavity in your tooth. Does it hurt when it first develops or only after it has become serious? How about heart disease? Regardless of whether you are talking about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stress or problems with the spine, pain is usually the last thing to appear. When you begin chiropractic care, pain is also the first symptom to disappear, even though much of the underlying condition remains.

 

 

 

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Monday	8:30 to 12:00	2:00 to 6:00
Tuesday	9:30 to 2:00	closed
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Testimonial

Thanks for helping me feel better. Since I've been seeing you, my headaches have gone away. I have never been to any Dr. that explains what they're doing and what they think is going on with my health like you do. I will continue to refer anyone that might need your assistance.

Rick Chandler -

The Stress of Life

The Stress of Life

Chiropractic Care and Stress Reduction

Regular chiropractic care is a necessary component of any program designed to help a person reduce the effects of stress in his or her life. Chiropractic care provides the direct action required to intervene in the vicious circle of stress-musculoskeletal aches and pains-more stress. By helping restore balance within your spinal column and your nerve system, regular chiropractic care helps remove mechanical causes of stress within muscles and joints throughout your body. Life's daily stresses now encounter a body that is healthier and more resilient. The result is greater tolerance for the stresses of the day and an overall enhanced and improved outlook. Your chiropractor is an experienced in stress management and can help you create a stress-reduction program that will work for you.

"The Stress of Life" is a perennial bestseller by Hans Selye, written in 1956. Selye almost single-handedly introduced the notion of stress into the worldwide consciousness. By doing so, Selye changed the way we think about ourselves, our values, and how we conduct our lives.
As Selye observed, stress is a double-edged sword. Many types of stress are good for people, both physiologically and personally. For example, Wolff's law states that bone will remodel (build more bone) along lines of mechanical stress. In other words, bone becomes stronger when it is subjected to physical loads. The physiological stress of weight-bearing exercise such as walking, running, and strength training helps prevent osteoporosis by making bone denser and more resilient. From a psychological perspective, the great German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, famously stated in "Twilight of the Idols" (1888), "What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Apparently, Nietzsche (writing in the 19th century) was far ahead of Selye in pointing to the benefits (and dangers) of stress.
Life is filled with "good" stresses. A new love relationship, a new job, or a new baby may all provide great personal happiness and the experience of fulfillment and satisfaction. But each circumstance may also place new demands on us, calling on us to be and do much more than that of which we had previously thought ourselves capable. A person may develop all sorts of adaptive responses in attempts to cope with life's new requirements, but most of these adaptations are themselves stress-producing. Over time the adaptations become habits, stress becomes a day-by-day experience, and a host of physiological and psychological disorders and syndromes may appear.^1,2 High blood pressure, diabetes, overweight/obesity, arthritis, insomnia, and depression may all be considered as long-term maladaptive responses to stress.³
Muscular aches and pains, muscle spasms, and headaches are common physiological responses to ongoing stress. A vicious circle develops in which stress leads to muscle tightness, which constricts blood vessels, which leads to headaches, which leads to more muscle tightness, more pain, and even more stress. One's day seems to become filled with stress and stress reactions. The good news is that means of ending these vicious circles of stress are available. Present time consciousness, regular exercise and a healthy diet, sufficient rest, and regular chiropractic care comprise a powerful tool kit for restoring balance in one's life.
¹Wu EL, et al: Increased risk of hypertension in patients with major depressive disorder: a population-based study. J Psychosom Res 73(3):169-174, 2012
²Hristova MG: Metabolic syndrome - From the neurotrophic hypothesis to a theory. Med Hypotheses 2013 July 27 [Epub ahead of print]
³Martocchia A, et al: Targets of anti-glucocorticoid therapy for stress-related diseases. Recent Pat CNS Drug Discov 8(1):79-87, 2013

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Who do you know with Asthma?

" I want to try an alternative therapy to treat my child's asthma. Before trying chiropractic care whenever an asthma attacked occurred we would begin using inhalers, as well as other antibiotics to help subside the attack. At times we would be on 5 different medicines at a time.
After 5 weeks of care we have noticed a big change. In the past if our child woke up with a plugged nose I could count on an attack within 48-72 hours. This time we are able to avoid the medications and inhalers. He is back being a kid. He can keep up with his brother, swimming, playing, being a kid. Thanks Dr. Skrien." C. Swift

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Is 60 the New 40?

Is 60 the New 40?

Chiropractic Care for the Entire Family

Chiropractic care is beneficial for all family members, including pre-schoolers, teenagers, and grandparents. As good health is often based upon good spinal health, making sure that everyone's spine is functioning properly is a key component in maintaining a family's well-being. Your spinal column houses and protects your spinal cord, which connects your brain with every organ, tissue, and cell in your body. Irritation caused by a decrease in or loss of full spinal mobility may negatively impact the flow of information within the spinal cord, resulting in muscular aches and pains, lack of restful sleep, nervousness, headaches, and disease. By helping ensure optimum functioning of your spinal column, chiropractic care helps address the causes of these various problems at their source. In this way, chiropractic care helps people of all ages achieve better health and optimum well-being.

"60 is the New 40" is more than a marketing slogan. The phrase is also a metaphor for optimism, as well as a metaphor for good health.
How can 60 really be the new 40? First, there are the demographics. Forty years ago, when today's 40-year-olds were just being born, 40 was a fairly substantial age. In the early 1970s, every 40-year-old had lived through World War II. For the Americans, many of the men fought in the Korean War and some may even have fought in the Vietnam War. In the early 1970s, most women had had their first child by age 25. Today, child-rearing years for adults frequently begin in their 30s and even late into their 40s. Life expectancy in 1970 was approximately to age 71. Today, average life expectancy is to age 79 or 80. Putting everything together, it can reasonably be stated that our "senior years" keep getting pushed further and further back.
"60 is the new 40" means there is plenty of productive life ahead. The phrase implies that, if one is ready, able, and motivated, whole new aspects of living can be explored. Whereas in 1970, 40-year-olds were often beginning to be established in middle-management roles in their white-collar companies, or were becoming shop stewards and supervisors in their factories, today men and women in their 60s are becoming entrepreneurs and launching their own businesses. Backed by a lifetime of experience, people in their 60s are going back to school to get the undergraduate or graduate degree of their dreams, or they're setting up shop for themselves as artists, artisans, or consultants. Regardless of the particular individual choice, the point is that people in their 60s are manifesting the spirit and vision that was previously thought to be the special province of those much younger, specifically, men and women in their 20s and 30s. But it would be a stretch to say that "60 is the new 30", so we'll stick with "60 is the new 40".
But these new activities and endeavors require physical resources and energy.¹ If one is not healthy, 60 may in fact not be the new 40. If one is not enjoying good health, then one's focus is usually primarily directed toward getting well. For 60 to really be the new 40, that is, for one to be fully engaged with family, friends, and work, for one to be focusing on the present and maintaining a positive, expectant attitude toward the future, an optimum state of health is required. Such an optimum varies from person to person. What is needed is for us to be functioning at our optimum. Such maximal functioning is based upon numerous factors, including a healthy, nutritious diet,^2,3 regular vigorous exercise, and consistent, sufficient rest. Putting these lifestyle choices into place and making these elements of healthy living habitual will go far toward helping all of us make our chronological age irrelevant.
¹Caprara M, et al: Active aging promotion: results from the vital aging program. Curr Gerontol Geriatr Res 2013;2013:817813. doi: 10.1155/2013/817813. Epub 2013 Feb 7
²Dickinson JM, et al: Exercise and nutrition to target protein synthesis impairments in aging skeletal muscle. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 2013 Jul 18 [Epub ahead of print]
³Levis S, Lagari VS: The role of diet in osteoporosis prevention and management. Curr Osteoporos Rep 10(4):296-302, 2012
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The Problem of Radiating Pain

Chiropractic Care and Radiating Pain

Although a few problems involving radiating pain require further investigation, the large majority of cases involving neck pain with arm/hand pain or low back pain with leg/foot pain can be addressed by your chiropractor. Your chiropractor will take a thorough history, do a detailed examination, and order tests if needed, with the overall goal of designing the most effective care plan to help solve your specific problem. Chiropractic adjustments may be part of the care plan. Chiropractic care may also include a rehabilitative stretching and exercise program, as well as recommendations for improved posture, safer lifting habits, and ergonomic enhancement. Your personalized comprehensive chiropractic care plan will help you return to improved health as quickly as possible.

Many people experience radiating pain as a component of neck pain or low back pain. A person with neck pain might have pain that radiates down her arm, possibly into the hand.¹ A person with low back pain might have accompanying leg pain, possibly traveling into the foot. Such arm/hand pain or leg/foot pain can represent a serious underlying health problem. However, not all types of radiating pain are of equal importance. The key is to be able to identify which patterns require prompt attention and which merely appear to be significant but are not.
Authentic radiating pain is most often caused by pressure and/or irritation of a spinal nerve root.² The spinal nerve becomes inflamed and sends pain signals to the brain that are interpreted as pain in the region of the body supplied by that nerve. Inflammation of a certain spinal nerve in the neck region will result in the experience of pain down the outside of the arm and forearm and into the thumb and possibly index finger. Inflammation of a certain spinal nerve in the low back causes the person to feel pain traveling along the back of the thigh and calf and into the fifth toe.
Specific patterns of radiating pain are associated with inflammation of specific spinal nerves. Such inflammation may be typically caused by pressure from a herniated intervertebral disc. Other disorders which may create local space-occupying pressure need to be considered as well. A thorough history and physical examination will help to identify the cause of the problem. X-ray studies may be needed, as well as an MRI scan. The underlying problem, including the pattern of pain radiation, may be termed a radiculopathy or radiculitis.
But most cases of what appears to be radiating pain are not, in fact, related to pressure on a spinal nerve. Most patterns of radiating pain are not associated with a radiculopathy or radiculitis. Rather, the large majority of pain patterns involving the arm/hand or leg/foot are caused by normal, everyday aches and pains. Our run-of-the-mill physical problems involve relatively large muscles such as the trapezius (overlying the upper back, shoulder, and mid back) and relatively small muscles such as those that overlay the spinal bones themselves and help move the spinal column. Ligaments that hold bones together and tendons that attach muscles to bones may also be involved in these everyday ailments.
Irritation and inflammation of muscles, ligaments, and tendons may cause more difficulty than mere soreness and tightness. Such inflammation may also cause radiating pain, but in broader, more diffuse patterns than those caused by inflammation of a nerve root. A person might experience neck pain with arm and hand pain, or back pain with leg and foot pain, but in a broad pattern not associated with a spinal nerve. This is actually good news for the patient, as such forms of radiating pain (known as scleratogenous patterns), are usually more easily treated than those associated with a radiculopathy or radiculitis.
The bottom line is that your chiropractor is experienced in the diagnosis and care of such problems. Your chiropractor will be able to determine if your radiating pain is associated with muscles, ligaments, and tendons or if it is related to pressure on a spinal nerve.³ Your chiropractor will make specific recommendations for care of your specific health problem and help guide you in the process of returning to good health.
¹Caridi JM, et al: Cervical radiculopathy: a review. HSS J 7(3):265-272, 2011
²Magrinelli F, et al: Neuropathic pain: diagnosis and treatment. Pract Neurol 2013 Apr 16 [Epub ahead of print]
³Mena J, Sherman AL: Imaging in radiculopathy. Phys Med Rehabil Clin North Am 22(1):42-57, 2011

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Chiropractic Care for Short-Term and Long-Term Health

Chiropractic Care for Short-Term and Long-Term Health

Chiropractic Care Is Comprehensive Care

Following a complete evaluation, which includes a history and physical examination, your chiropractor will design a care plan that will meet your specific health needs. Your care plan will include chiropractic care focusing on improving function of your spinal column. Your care plan will likely include additional recommendations, such as stretches, exercises, and nutritional planning. Your chiropractic care plan may, depending on the circumstances, include strategies for reducing stress and obtaining proper rest. Your chiropractor is a holistic practitioner who has expertise in many areas of health care. Chiropractic care is well known for its ability to treat musculoskeletal problems such as neck pain, back pain, and headaches. As chiropractic care focuses on the nerve system, your chiropractor may be of benefit in the overall care plan for many other conditions.

Chiropractic care is the one form of health care that keeps on giving. Chiropractic care certainly helps people to recover from short-term health problems, but this powerful method of healing also helps people stay well and assists in preventing new problems from developing.
Your chiropractor treats a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems. Neck pain, back pain, pain that travels from the neck to the arm and hand, pain that travels from the back to the leg and foot, headaches, and muscle spasms are conditions commonly treated by chiropractic care. Your chiropractor also treats many types of exercise- and sports-related injuries, such as rotator cuff injuries, tennis elbow, wrist sprains, knee injuries, ankle sprains, and shin splints. Repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome are also treated by chiropractic care. Also, chiropractic care may be a valuable addition to treatment for sleep disorders, digestive problems, menstrual cramps, asthma, and various allergies. Chiropractic care may also be of great assistance during pregnancy, in helping to relieve neck pain and back pain and to ease the process of delivery.
Chiropractic care can be beneficial for so many health problems owing to the fact that chiropractic care directly affects the functioning of your nerve system. Your nerve system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves that branch out to the rest of your body, is your master physiologic system. Your nerve system, by sending signals to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, controls all the other systems. Your heart relies on the nerve system so that it can pump blood at the right time and in the right amount.¹ Your small intestine relies on the nerve system so that it can complete the digestion of food and transmit usable nutrients to the bloodstream.² Your white blood cells and other immune system agents rely on the nerve system so that they can quickly identify and destroy foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.³
But your nerve system can break down, in a sense, if spinal nerve interference is present. Such nerve interference, caused by irritation and inflammation of spinal nerves, is caused by loss of full mobility of spinal vertebras. Limited spinal motion irritates the muscles that move the spinal bones and the ligaments that hold those bones together. Inflamed spinal muscles and spinal ligaments cause spinal nerve inflammation. The immediate result is distortion in the quality and flow of information sent from the brain to the rest of the body. Too much or too little information is sent to the cells, tissues, and organs. The messages they receive are the wrong messages, or the messages arrive at the wrong time. The outcome is decreased functioning and/or inappropriate functioning of many other physiologic systems. Thus, spinal nerve interference is one of the primary causes of the many problems that may bring a person to his or her chiropractor's office.
Chiropractic care helps reduce and remove nerve interference by restoring increased functioning of your spinal column. The direct result is improved overall functioning of the rest of your body. By directly focusing on your spine and nerve system, your chiropractor can help restore quality of life and overall health and well-being.
¹Muller MD, et al: Mental stress elicits sustained and reproducible increases in skin sympathetic nerve activity. Physiol Rep  2013 Mar 1(1). pii: e00002.
²Zhou G, et al: White-matter microstructural changes in functional dyspepsia: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Am J Gastroenterol 108(2):260-269, 2013
³Straub RH, et al: Role of neuroendocrine and neuroimmune mechanisms in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases-The 10-year update. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2013 May 31 doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2013.04.008 [Epub ahead of print]

Check out more health tips at our website. http://chiropracticfamilyclinic.net/

What Should I Do About My Pain?

What Should I Do About My Pain?

Chiropractic Care and Neck and Back Pain

Your chiropractor is your primary resource for evaluation and treatment of neck pain and low back pain. The majority of these spinal complaints are caused by irritation and inflammation of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that help create the structure of the spinal column and provide for full mobility of the spinal vertebras. By locating regions of your spine where mobility is decreased, your chiropractor identifies areas in need of treatment. By restoring mobility to spinal segments, chiropractic care helps remove the source of neck pain and back pain. An additional benefit of chiropractic care is the removal of nerve interference. Irritation and inflammation of spinal soft tissues negatively affects the normal function of spinal nerves. The ability of these important neural pathways to transmit information from your brain to the rest of your body is compromised. The result may be a wide range of health problems. By addressing the root of many of these problems at the source, chiropractic care helps contribute to your overall health and well-being.

No one really wants to be a worrier. We certainly don't want to visit our chiropractor or family doctor for every ache and pain. But eventually we all experience physical problems and it may be difficult to know what to do about them. Some problems are immediate and serious. If you suddenly experience crushing chest pain and radiating pain down your left arm, possibly with nausea, profuse perspiration, and a feeling of impending doom, you know you have to call "911" immediately, if you can. If you awaken in the middle of the night with an intense, deep, sharp pain in your lower right abdomen, accompanied by vomiting and a fever, you know you need to go to the Emergency Room right away. In these exceptional cases, however, most people know which steps to take. What should you do when your pain is not clear-cut and dramatic, as it is in a heart attack or acute appendicitis? General guidelines are available which may be applicable in many situations.

Overall, pain is a warning signal. But many problems that cause pain take care of themselves. For example, you may twist an ankle on your daily walk. It may hurt to put weight on that ankle and there may even be a bit of swelling, but within two days your ankle is much better. There was initial pain owing to soft tissue injury, possibly involving muscles, tendons, and/or ligaments. However, the injury wasn't so severe that your body's ability to self-heal couldn't manage the situation. In the case of a greater degree of initial pain and more swelling, or if improvement wasn't being obtained within 48 hours, a visit to your chiropractor would be appropriate. In borderline situations involving musculoskeletal pain, whether you choose to seek professional advice depends on your intuition and level of pain tolerance. If you think something is "wrong", regardless of the nature of the injury or the intensity of your pain, you should seek professional assistance.

With some categories of physical problems, making the time to visit your chiropractor is the best course of action.^1,2 A single occurrence of low back pain or neck pain could be ignored, especially if the problem goes away in a few days. But repetitive episodes of spinal pain should always be evaluated by your chiropractor. A severe headache should probably lead to a chiropractic examination, especially if you've never before had the type of pain and the intensity of pain that you're currently experiencing. Persistent radiating pain into an arm or leg, accompanied by numbness and tingling, should be evaluated by your chiropractor. Again, if discomfort persists and you can't clearly explain to yourself why you're having the pain that you're having, the best thing to do is to make an appointment to see your doctor, that is, your chiropractor or your family physician. You want to obtain expert information and advice, and you want to receive treatment if needed and instructions on how to care for yourself in the days, weeks, and months ahead.³

Comfort level is a valuable criterion with respect to your overall health and well-being. After considering the general guidelines, people should take the appropriate action that they believe will best serve their welfare.

¹Smart KM: Mechanisms-based classifications of musculoskeletal pain. Part 1. Symptoms and signs of central sensitisation in patients with low back (plus/minus leg) pain. Man Ther 17(4):336-344, 2012

²Thornton GM, Hart DA: The interface of mechanical loading and biological variables as they pertain to the development of tendinosis. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact 11(2):94-105, 2011

³McCarberg BH, et al: Diagnosis and treatment of low-back pain because of paraspinous muscle spasm: a physician roundtable. Pain Med 12(Suppl 4):S119-S127, 2011

Joint Pain In Children

Joint Pain In Children

 

            Children often complain about pains in their knees or their elbows or some other joint, and it’s rarely a symptom of a serious joint disease. Unfortunately children are not very good at remembering whether a fall or other incident preceded the problem, so the chiropractor’s expert diagnostic skills may be tested in recognizing the problem and easing it.

 

            The joint discomfort may be reactive to a recent sore throat or virus, even a recent vaccination. If the child has a history of joint pain, if there is joint swelling, fever or a skin rash, there may be an underlying systemic condition, such as Lyme disease, rheumatic fever or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

 

            Most often, though, the cause is much more benign. The chiropractor may prescribe a rest period – no climbing, running or squatting – to let tissues heal. Gentle hands-on treatments can restore any spinal misalignment causing the joint discomfort.

Not Talking Sports

The Best Defense Is a Good Offense

Chiropractic Care Helps Us Help Ourselves

When we eat, we launch a complex series of digestive, endocrine, and metabolic physiologic processes. Numerous cells, tissues, organs, and systems are involved in turning our carrots, apples, grains, and proteins into energy that helps us live good lives. These complex processes don't happen on their own, though. They require timely instructions and guidance from the nerve system to work effectively and produce a coordinated result. Chiropractic care helps the nerve system do its job as the body's master system. Chiropractic care removes nerve interference that can cause important signals to be distorted or delayed. By helping ensure that the nerve system is free of interference, chiropractic care assists us in achieving peak physiologic performance, promoting long-term health and well-being.

Whether you live in the United States, Canada, or Western Europe, your health care decision-making is impacted by the type of health insurance available. In the United States, a fee-for-service system implies that you will be paying for some or all of the costs of every service used on your behalf. In Canada patients receive health care through a publicly funded system. Costs are funded via income taxes, so Canadian patients pay indirectly for their care. The majority of Western European countries have national health care systems in place. In France, for example, the national insurance program pays 70% of costs and much of the remaining 30% is paid by supplemental private insurance (most of this is paid by the patient's employer). Regardless, for any given person, more health problems mean more costs. Thus, preventing health problems in the first place is a strategy that will save families stress, anxiety, and financial resources in the long run. In health care it can be said that the best defense is a good offense.

What constitutes a "good offense" in health care? Being proactive in terms of lifestyle choices helps you put together a health care program that works. Your health care "offense" includes a healthful diet supported by sound nutritional principles, regular vigorous exercise, getting sufficient rest, and regular chiropractic care. All these elements are needed to enjoy long-term health and well-being. Each element provides critical value and helps support the benefits you get from the others. Good food helps you build strong muscle in response to regular vigorous exercise. Doing regular exercise helps you sleep better at night. More sleep helps you have more energy, so you have more strength and endurance when you're exercising. Regular chiropractic care helps your nerve system function at peak level, helping all your body systems work well together.

Such a lifestyle program goes very far toward restoring good health and reducing the costs of using the health care system. For example, regular vigorous exercise is an important part of all lifestyle programs aimed at lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.¹ A healthful diet and regular exercise help lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes and assist overweight and obese individuals, children as well as adults, in returning to more optimal levels of health.^2,3

Many self-help books, DVDs, and television infomercials target those who wish to improve their overall health status. These materials and programs may have some use, but professional advice and guidance is the key to developing long-term, successful health strategies. Your chiropractor is experienced in nutrition, exercise, and health maintenance and can help you design a "good offense" for health care that works for you and your family.

¹Williams PT, Thompson PD: Walking versus running for hypertension, cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus risk reduction. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 33(5):1085-1091, 2013

²Clark JE: An overview of the contribution of fatness and fitness factors, and the role of exercise, in the formation of health status for individuals who are overweight. J Diabetes Metab Disord 11(1):19, 2012

³Wilson V: Type 2 diabetes: an epidemic in children. Nurs Child Young People 25(2):14-17, 2013

Taking Care of Older Joints (and Younger Joints, Too)

 

 

Taking Care of Older Joints (and Younger Joints, Too)

Chiropractic Care and Musculoskeletal Joint Flexibility

Chiropractic care is designed to, among other benefits, improve flexibility of spinal joints. Loss of spinal vertebral motion leads to spinal muscle tightness and pain, which in turn may result in numerous other physical problems. For example, headaches, lack of restful sleep, and increased irritability may all have a common cause in loss of spinal flexibility. By helping increase mobility in your neck, mid back, and lower back, chiropractic care improves your body's overall functioning, including balance and coordination. By helping remove ongoing sources of musculoskeletal irritation, chiropractic care reduces internal physiologic stress. The many benefits may include improved peace of mind, enhanced interpersonal communication, and a better ability to respond effectively to your home and work environment.

Many people experience increasing musculoskeletal joint stiffness as they get older. Shoulders, knees, and ankles don't seem to be as flexible as they once were. It seems more difficult to bend over and pick up a dropped object. It may be uncomfortable to turn your head around to see the car in the next lane that's right in the center of your driver's blind spot. The bad news is that, left unattended, your joints do get stiffer as you get older. Left on their own, your joints will likely lose full mobility. The good news is there's plenty you can do about it. You can regain and retain much of your youthful flexibility if you are willing to be proactive.
First, some basic physiology. Joints such as the shoulder, knee, and ankle are lubricated by synovial fluid. Synovial fluid keeps joints moist, provides oxygen and nutrition, and washes away toxic end-products of normal metabolic processes. The joints in your spine are also lubricated and maintained in this way. But aging reduces the amount of available synovial fluid. Also, normal aging processes increase the viscosity of the remaining synovial fluid. You have less available lubricant and the lubricant that you do have is thicker. The result is stiffer joints, pretty much from top to bottom.
The specific countermeasure to such physiologic aging is to keep active. This is a pretty challenging prescription in a world in which most of our time is spent seated. Our bodies were designed for hard, physical work. But as we've transformed from an agrarian to an industrial society, and more recently from an industrial to a service-based society, the nature of our work has changed dramatically. The vast majority of our work is now done seated at a desk. When we're not typing on a computer keyboard or reading a spreadsheet, we're at home watching TV, playing games on our computing devices, or very rarely, reading. None of these activities involves active motion. If we want to take care of our bodies, we're going to have to be proactive about creating the time to do so.
We're going to be creating time for exercise. Almost any type of exercise causes synovial fluid to be more available, pumping synovial fluid into joint spaces and helping to lubricate joints.^1,2 Exercise increases your internal core temperature, which in turn decreases the viscosity of synovial fluid. The overall result is increased joint flexibility. This benefit is often experienced immediately. The benefit will be long-lasting provided that you continue to exercise regularly.
Thirty minutes of exercise per day, 5 days per week, will assist most of us in maintaining as much joint flexibility as possible. Alternating a cardiovascular exercise day with a strength training day is an optimal program.³ Yoga provides a total body workout which incorporates cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility. Ultimately, the types of exercise you do are less important than the long-term consistency. Regular, vigorous exercise, done over months and years, will provide great benefit, not only in terms of improved joint flexibility, but also in terms of overall health and well-being.
¹Seco J, et al: A long-term physical activity training program increases strength and flexibility, and improves balance in older adults. Rehabil Nurs 38(1):37-47, 2013
²Garber CE, et al: American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(7):1334-1359, 2011
³Micheo W, et al: Basic principles regarding strength, flexibility, and stability exercises. PM R 4(11):805-811, 2012

What Should I Do About My Pain?

What Should I Do About My Pain?

Chiropractic Care and Neck and Back Pain

Your chiropractor is your primary resource for evaluation and treatment of neck pain and low back pain. The majority of these spinal complaints are caused by irritation and inflammation of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that help create the structure of the spinal column and provide for full mobility of the spinal vertebras. By locating regions of your spine where mobility is decreased, your chiropractor identifies areas in need of treatment. By restoring mobility to spinal segments, chiropractic care helps remove the source of neck pain and back pain. An additional benefit of chiropractic care is the removal of nerve interference. Irritation and inflammation of spinal soft tissues negatively affects the normal function of spinal nerves. The ability of these important neural pathways to transmit information from your brain to the rest of your body is compromised. The result may be a wide range of health problems. By addressing the root of many of these problems at the source, chiropractic care helps contribute to your overall health and well-being.

No one really wants to be a worrier. We certainly don't want to visit our chiropractor or family doctor for every ache and pain. But eventually we all experience physical problems and it may be difficult to know what to do about them. Some problems are immediate and serious. If you suddenly experience crushing chest pain and radiating pain down your left arm, possibly with nausea, profuse perspiration, and a feeling of impending doom, you know you have to call "911" immediately, if you can. If you awaken in the middle of the night with an intense, deep, sharp pain in your lower right abdomen, accompanied by vomiting and a fever, you know you need to go to the Emergency Room right away. In these exceptional cases, however, most people know which steps to take. What should you do when your pain is not clear-cut and dramatic, as it is in a heart attack or acute appendicitis? General guidelines are available which may be applicable in many situations.

Overall, pain is a warning signal. But many problems that cause pain take care of themselves. For example, you may twist an ankle on your daily walk. It may hurt to put weight on that ankle and there may even be a bit of swelling, but within two days your ankle is much better. There was initial pain owing to soft tissue injury, possibly involving muscles, tendons, and/or ligaments. However, the injury wasn't so severe that your body's ability to self-heal couldn't manage the situation. In the case of a greater degree of initial pain and more swelling, or if improvement wasn't being obtained within 48 hours, a visit to your chiropractor would be appropriate. In borderline situations involving musculoskeletal pain, whether you choose to seek professional advice depends on your intuition and level of pain tolerance. If you think something is "wrong", regardless of the nature of the injury or the intensity of your pain, you should seek professional assistance.

With some categories of physical problems, making the time to visit your chiropractor is the best course of action.^1,2 A single occurrence of low back pain or neck pain could be ignored, especially if the problem goes away in a few days. But repetitive episodes of spinal pain should always be evaluated by your chiropractor. A severe headache should probably lead to a chiropractic examination, especially if you've never before had the type of pain and the intensity of pain that you're currently experiencing. Persistent radiating pain into an arm or leg, accompanied by numbness and tingling, should be evaluated by your chiropractor. Again, if discomfort persists and you can't clearly explain to yourself why you're having the pain that you're having, the best thing to do is to make an appointment to see your doctor, that is, your chiropractor or your family physician. You want to obtain expert information and advice, and you want to receive treatment if needed and instructions on how to care for yourself in the days, weeks, and months ahead.³

Comfort level is a valuable criterion with respect to your overall health and well-being. After considering the general guidelines, people should take the appropriate action that they believe will best serve their welfare.

¹Smart KM: Mechanisms-based classifications of musculoskeletal pain. Part 1. Symptoms and signs of central sensitisation in patients with low back (plus/minus leg) pain. Man Ther 17(4):336-344, 2012

²Thornton GM, Hart DA: The interface of mechanical loading and biological variables as they pertain to the development of tendinosis. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact 11(2):94-105, 2011

³McCarberg BH, et al: Diagnosis and treatment of low-back pain because of paraspinous muscle spasm: a physician roundtable. Pain Med 12(Suppl 4):S119-S127, 2011

Taking Care of Older Joints (and Younger Joints, Too)

Taking Care of Older Joints (and Younger Joints, Too)

Chiropractic Care and Musculoskeletal Joint Flexibility

Chiropractic care is designed to, among other benefits, improve flexibility of spinal joints. Loss of spinal vertebral motion leads to spinal muscle tightness and pain, which in turn may result in numerous other physical problems. For example, headaches, lack of restful sleep, and increased irritability may all have a common cause in loss of spinal flexibility. By helping increase mobility in your neck, mid back, and lower back, chiropractic care improves your body's overall functioning, including balance and coordination. By helping remove ongoing sources of musculoskeletal irritation, chiropractic care reduces internal physiologic stress. The many benefits may include improved peace of mind, enhanced interpersonal communication, and a better ability to respond effectively to your home and work environment.

Many people experience increasing musculoskeletal joint stiffness as they get older. Shoulders, knees, and ankles don't seem to be as flexible as they once were. It seems more difficult to bend over and pick up a dropped object. It may be uncomfortable to turn your head around to see the car in the next lane that's right in the center of your driver's blind spot. The bad news is that, left unattended, your joints do get stiffer as you get older. Left on their own, your joints will likely lose full mobility. The good news is there's plenty you can do about it. You can regain and retain much of your youthful flexibility if you are willing to be proactive.
First, some basic physiology. Joints such as the shoulder, knee, and ankle are lubricated by synovial fluid. Synovial fluid keeps joints moist, provides oxygen and nutrition, and washes away toxic end-products of normal metabolic processes. The joints in your spine are also lubricated and maintained in this way. But aging reduces the amount of available synovial fluid. Also, normal aging processes increase the viscosity of the remaining synovial fluid. You have less available lubricant and the lubricant that you do have is thicker. The result is stiffer joints, pretty much from top to bottom.
The specific countermeasure to such physiologic aging is to keep active. This is a pretty challenging prescription in a world in which most of our time is spent seated. Our bodies were designed for hard, physical work. But as we've transformed from an agrarian to an industrial society, and more recently from an industrial to a service-based society, the nature of our work has changed dramatically. The vast majority of our work is now done seated at a desk. When we're not typing on a computer keyboard or reading a spreadsheet, we're at home watching TV, playing games on our computing devices, or very rarely, reading. None of these activities involves active motion. If we want to take care of our bodies, we're going to have to be proactive about creating the time to do so.
We're going to be creating time for exercise. Almost any type of exercise causes synovial fluid to be more available, pumping synovial fluid into joint spaces and helping to lubricate joints.^1,2 Exercise increases your internal core temperature, which in turn decreases the viscosity of synovial fluid. The overall result is increased joint flexibility. This benefit is often experienced immediately. The benefit will be long-lasting provided that you continue to exercise regularly.
Thirty minutes of exercise per day, 5 days per week, will assist most of us in maintaining as much joint flexibility as possible. Alternating a cardiovascular exercise day with a strength training day is an optimal program.³ Yoga provides a total body workout which incorporates cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility. Ultimately, the types of exercise you do are less important than the long-term consistency. Regular, vigorous exercise, done over months and years, will provide great benefit, not only in terms of improved joint flexibility, but also in terms of overall health and well-being.
¹Seco J, et al: A long-term physical activity training program increases strength and flexibility, and improves balance in older adults. Rehabil Nurs 38(1):37-47, 2013
²Garber CE, et al: American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(7):1334-1359, 2011
³Micheo W, et al: Basic principles regarding strength, flexibility, and stability exercises. PM R 4(11):805-811, 2012

What are you doing that effects your health? Is it good? Is it bad?

Think about what you are doing physically, emotionally, and chemically to your body. How is this effecting it today? What effects are they causing to it for the future?

Shoulder have you out of the Game this summer??

Healing Chronic Shoulder Pain

Chiropractic Care and Rehabilitation of Chronic Pain

Chronic injuries require specific rehabilitation and a long-term approach. Patience is required and it is important to recall that the problem has developed over the course of years and will not be fixed in a matter of weeks or months. Progress should be obtained in the short-term, but such situations usually require consistent, ongoing attention to achieve a long-term solution. Performing the appropriate rehabilitative activities is critically important and chiropractic care can be of great assistance in getting the most out of your exercise program. Regular chiropractic care improves the mobility of your spinal column and removes nerve interference which may cause tight, inflamed muscles. The result is a body that is optimized for good health and full function. By enabling maximum spinal mobility and maximum function of your nerve system, regular chiropractic care helps maximize your body's ability to recover from chronic injury.

As we get older, years and decades of mechanical stress may lead to deterioration of joints, ligaments, and tendons. This degenerative process, commonly known as arthritis, primarily affects weight-bearing joints such as the hips and knees and those found in the lumbar spine. The shoulder, too, is especially prone to undergo arthritic changes owing to its extreme mobility. The extensive range of motion at the shoulder is built-in to the design of this structure, but the tradeoff is instability. The design of the shoulder sacrifices stability for mobility.

Degenerative disorders of the shoulder typically involve the rotator cuff. This broad, flat structure is composed of the muscle-tendon units of the four rotator cuff muscles: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor. The thick covering of the rotator cuff surrounds the head of the arm bone and supports and strengthens the shoulder joint. But owing to the shoulder's inherent instability contrasted with its great mobility, the soft tissues of the rotator cuff undergo repetitive stress and strain. Ultimately, degenerative changes may occur, leading to the two prominent symptoms of pain and restricted range of motion.

An entire orthopedic sub-specialty focuses on treatment of chronic shoulder pain and includes long-term use of anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroid injections when medications do not provide sufficient relief, and eventually surgery to repair tears in the various rotator cuff tendons. "Revision" surgery is commonly performed when the benefits of prior surgery are exhausted.¹

The good news is that in many cases, a more optimal approach is available, one that utilizes the body's own natural recuperative powers. For many people, chronic shoulder pain can be reduced and chronic loss of mobility can be improved by engaging in specific activities and performing specific rehabilitative exercises. The goals of rehabilitation are to increase shoulder range of motion and build up shoulder strength. As these goals are accomplished, the likely result is reduction of intensity and frequency of occurrence of shoulder pain.

Engaging in an overall strength training program is an important general approach to managing chronic shoulder pain.^2,3 Strength training should be done progressively, starting with light weights and building up over time. Exercises specific to the shoulder include seated dumbbell or barbell presses, dumbbell or cable lateral raises, seated bent-over rows, and internal and external rotation exercises done with very light dumbbells on a flat bench. If one has experienced an acute shoulder injury, early rehabilitation should precede rehabilitative strength training. Early rehabilitation includes pendulum exercises and finger-walking up a wall in both forward-facing and side positions.

Your chiropractor is experienced in injury rehabilitation and will be able to help you design an effective flexibility and strengthening program for improved shoulder function.

¹Keener JD: Revision rotator cuff repair. Clin Sports Med 31(4):713-725, 2012

²Lewis JS: A specific exercise program for patients with subacromial impingement syndrome can improve function and reduce the need for surgery. J Physiother 58(2):127, 2012

³Andersen LL, et al: Effectiveness of small daily amounts of progressive resistance training for frequent neck/shoulder pain: randomised controlled trial. Pain 152(2):440-446, 2011

Mind and Body Connection.

What's on and in your mind can and will effect your health. A quick look in a few medical dictionaries confirm this.

psy·cho·so·mat·ic (s k -s -m t k) adj. 1. Of or relating to a disorder having physical symptoms but originating from mental or emotional causes. 2. Relating to or concerned with the influence of the mind on the body, and the body on the mind, especially with respect to disease: psychosomatic medicine.

psy cho·so·mat i·cal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

psychosomatic [ˌsaɪkəʊsəˈmætɪk] adj (Psychology) (Medicine / Pathology) of or relating to disorders, such as stomach ulcers, thought to be caused or aggravated by psychological factors such as stress

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

This is also common in sayings in our society. "They seem to have the whole weight of the world in their shoulders." "My boss is a pain in my neck." These are just a few.

It is common for me to see patients with real physical symptoms that may be traced back to emotional stress.

So what can be done? Take time to de-stress. Maybe just some quite time, a walk, exercise, reading a book, prayer, meditation, vacation, ... in some cases professional help with a physiologiest, or a pastor.

Point is you must learn to take care of you Mind, and it will help take care of your Body!

Dr. Parrish Skrien.

Check your Spine

Remember to Schedule Your Spinal Screening

Chiropractic Care and Long-Term Health

Regular, vigorous physical exercise, a healthful diet, and sufficient rest are not the only components of a comprehensive program of health and well-being. Regular chiropractic care is an additional key factor. Each of these lifestyle choices contributes to the benefits derived from the others. In the case of regular chiropractic care, maintaining a healthy spine and nerve system helps support all the other things you're doing. A healthy spine helps keep your muscles and joints limber so you can get the most out of your exercise. By identifying and correcting nerve interference, regular chiropractic care helps your digestive system to efficiently utilize the good food you're consuming. By reducing neck and back aches and pains, regular chiropractic care helps you achieve a more restful, reinvigorating sleep. Overall, regular chiropractic care helps your body be more at ease and helps you enjoy increased health.

Most of us have undergone some type of screening exam in the last several years. Depending on your age, personal history, and family history, you may have needed to go for a periodic mammography, colonoscopy, or cardiac stress test. If everything was fine, you have probably been instructed to follow-up next year, in three years, or in five years or more. As treatment is usually more effective and easier to accomplish in the early stages of illness, screening procedures are an important component of a public health and health care policy. Most people are generally aware of the usefulness of periodic screening exams for chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Spinal screening, performed by your chiropractor, is an additional important service to assist you in maintaining your long-term health and well-being.^1,2

Your spinal column is designed for two primary purposes: to provide for an extensive range of motion in three directions (forward and backward, side-to-side, and rotation) and to house and protect the spinal cord. Both of these functions are critical to ensuring ongoing health and wellness. A chiropractic spinal screening exam analyzes your spine to identify localized regions of limited mobility and to detect the presence of nerve interference.

First, if your spine is not freely movable, you will likely begin to experience neck, mid back, or low back pain. People often wonder why they have such pains. A person will typically say, "I didn't do anything, really. I was driving and just looked around to make sure I could change lanes safely. Now I can't move my neck." Another person might say, "All I did was bend over to pick up the mail. My back really hurts." The problem causing their pain wasn't the simple twisting or bending motion. The problem was an underlying one - a lack of full mobility in the affected region of the spine.³

Next, your spinal cord is a direct extension of your brain. Your spinal cord connects your brain with the rest of your body through numerous pairs of spinal nerves. These spinal nerves branch out and create a complex communication network, sending signals from your brain to your body and from your body back to your brain. A mechanical problem in the spinal column can cause irritation to local spinal muscles, ligaments, and joints, which in turn can irritate spinal nerves and cause nerve interference. Nerve interference can cause disturbances in your body's neural network, delaying nerve signals or causing information to be transmitted incorrectly or at the wrong time. Over time, symptoms develop in the affected region or regions as cells, tissues, and organs no longer do their job effectively. Eventually, symptoms may develop into full-blown chronic diseases.

Often, mechanical problems in the spine are not immediately obvious. The effects of nerve interference and back pain on a person's health take time to develop. As with other chronic health issues, prevention is the best strategy. A spinal screening performed by your local chiropractor is the best way of detecting underlying problems. Chiropractic care then corrects nerve interference, helping your body perform effectively and helping you to enjoy long-lasting health and well-being.

¹Goertz CM, et al: Adding chiropractic manipulative therapy to standard medical care for patients with acute low back pain: the results of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2012 Oct 10 [Epub ahead of print]

²Morningstar MW: Outcomes for adult scoliosis patients receiving chiropractic rehabilitation: a 24-month retrospective analysis. J Chiropr Med 10(3):179-184, 2011

³Bishop PB, et al: The Chiropractic Hospital-based Interventions Research Outcomes (CHIRO) study: a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of clinical practice guidelines in the medical and chiropractic management of patients with acute mechanical low back pain. Spine J 10(12):1055-1064, 2010

Top Two Tips for Reaching Your Normal Weight

Top Two Tips for Reaching Your Normal Weight

Chiropractic Care and Lifelong Health

Chiropractic care helps support all your health-related activities. Following a healthy food plan and making sure to eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day is one important step. Engaging in a regular program of vigorous exercise is a second critical step. A third key component of an overall health-and-wellness program is regular chiropractic care. Regular chiropractic care helps you get the most out of all the other things you're doing. By helping reduce nerve interference, chiropractic care helps your body perform its tasks properly. For example, your digestive system works more efficiently and you're able to make better use of the good things you're eating. Your musculoskeletal system is better able to adapt to stresses and strains and your body builds lean muscle mass where it's needed. Regular chiropractic care helps your body do the things it needs to do to keep you healthy and well.

It's well-known that one-third of American adults are overweight and an additional one-third are obese.¹ In addition, 17% of U.S. children and adolescents are obese.² Worldwide statistics are similar. These facts are strongly associated with ongoing epidemics in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Diabetes may cause loss of vision, kidney problems, and loss of circulation in the legs and feet. Cardiovascular disease includes high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attacks. Being overweight or obese may cause diseases which require lifelong treatment. Personal action is needed to begin to restore good health, but it's important to understand the specific nature of the actions to take.

What is not required is a drastic reduction of body weight to some idealized norm of "thinness." It is not appropriate for people to attempt to force themselves to look like runway models. What does work is applying simple techniques and strategies to encourage a gradual loss of weight. Over time persons on such a plan will achieve a body weight that is normal for them. There are two key steps to reaching your normal weight.

The first step is to reduce your overall intake of calories by eating six small meals a day. If five small meals works best for your schedule and daily needs, that’s fine. The main point involves total calories. With six small meals, each one is about 300 calories - a little less for women and a little more for men who are taller and more heavily muscled. For men the daily calorie intake is between 1800 and 2100 calories. For women, the daily calorie intake is between 1700 and 1800 calories. By experimenting a bit, you’ll find your optimal calorie level that results in consistent weight loss. Make sure to combine complex carbohydrates and protein at each small meal. The numerous benefits of food combining include maintaining insulin levels in a normal range and improved cognitive/mental function.

For many people, this reduction in daily calories will have an immediate and dramatic impact. There may be real hunger pangs, and it will be important to remember that the next small meal is only a couple of hours away. The pounds you lose in the first couple of weeks will likely provide plenty of reinforcement to help you through the times when you are really hungry.

The next and simultaneous step is to begin a program of regular, vigorous exercise. Of course, if you haven't exercised in a long time you'll need to start slowly. Your goal is to build up to 30 minutes of vigorous exercise five times per week.³ Ideally you'll be doing both cardiovascular exercise and strength training, and in the process you'll build lean muscle mass. The result is an elevation in your basal metabolic rate which causes your body to burn fat even while you're resting!

As you follow these two health-promoting programs, you will notice that you're steadily and gradually losing weight. There will come a time, anywhere from 6 months to a year after you've begun your new lifestyle, when your weight loss will stop. For example, you'll notice you only lost half a pound over the previous week or two. Then you'll know that you've reached your "ideal" body weight. You've reached the weight that is normal for you. It is very likely that your new body mass index (a ratio between your height and weight) is now in the normal range or very close to the high end of normal. You've taken control of your health and your life, and the very good news is that you've built new habits that will last a lifetime.

¹Ogden CL, et al: Prevalence of obesity in the United States, 2009-2010. NCHS Data Brief No. 82. National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2012

²Waters E, et al: Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 7(12):CD001871, 2011

³Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vital signs: walking among adults - United States, 2005 and 2010. MMWR Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 61:595-601, 2012