LOW BACK PAIN
Do I have to live with it?
Pain is a warning sign. Like the piercing sound from a smoke alarm, the alarm isn't the problem. The alarm has a cause, just like every ache or pain has a cause. Some people choose to cover up the pain instead of correcting the cause.
What's your approach?
The most successful choice of care is often chiropractic. Adjusting instruments deliver controlled, corrective forces in a sequence that affect spinal and neurological structures to get at the cause of your pain.
The nerve-rich facet joints on the backside of each spinal bone are a common cause of back pain. If these pairs of interlocking joints aren't moving properly, they can cause painful symptoms.
The discs between spinal bones can also be a source of back pain. These rings of fibrous tissue act as spacers, connectors, and "shock absorbers" for the spine. Trauma can cause the fluid in the middle to bulge or become herniated, putting pressure and inflammation on delicate nearby nerves.
Once you know the cause, you have several choices. One approach is bed rest. But research shows that prolonged bed rest can actually delay recovery and make the problem worse. Physical therapy is another option. But exercising spinal joints that aren't working right is like continuing to drive your car with misaligned tires. Another choice is to numb or cover up the pain with drugs.
While drugs may offer temporary relief, they don't correct functional problems of affected spinal joints, or restore proper movement. The most drastic measure is surgery. A laminectomy cuts off the offending facet joints, leaving the spinal cord exposed! A spinal fusion cuts out the disc tissue and immobilizes the joint. While there may be times when surgery makes sense, it's expensive, risky and more than half of all back surgeries fail.
The most successful, least risky, and least invasive choice of care is chiropractic.
More and more people are choosing chiropractic care first. Specific chiropractic adjustments can help improve spinal function. Better yet, chiropractic is safe, natural, and looks to correct the underlying cause of the problem.
SCOLIOSIS
Can it be prevented?
We have our children's eyes checked. We have their teeth checked. Who is checking their spine?
Scoliosis is tragic. It can cause both physical pain and emotional suffering. This sideways bending of the spine shows up as abnormal posture and then finally, deformity. If allowed to advance, it can interfere with the lungs, heart and many other vital organs. Scoliosis affects boys, but more frequently girls, between the ages of 8 and 18. The cause varies. Some are born with this spinal deviation (congenital). Others get it from assuming a distorted head or hip position (habitual). Sadly, in many cases the cause is still unknown. In the beginning, when it is easiest to correct, there are rarely symptoms.
However, an alert parent may notice that a high shoulder or low hip makes clothing fit poorly. Back and leg pains may develop but are often overlooked as merely "growing pains." Physical growth, as we age, is not supposed to be painful. Neglect is the biggest danger. If allowed to run its course, scoliosis can steadily worsen. Early detection is critical. Severe cases can involve surgery. This procedure attaches steel rods to the spine to force it to straighten.
Chiropractic care has helped many young people avoid the unhappy effects of scoliosis. The procedure is simple.
First, after a thorough examination, scoliosis may be detected in its early stages. Then, corrective action can begin at once. The primary course of care is a program of specific chiropractic adjustments, helping to improve the function and structure of the spine. Muscles are strengthened, and posture is improved. Chiropractic care has helped countless individuals reclaim their health and self-esteem.
What's the best time for a scoliosis examination?
As with the case of many health problems, early detection can improve the likelihood of correction. Many parents will consult our office soon after the birth of their child. Parents who opt to wait, may want to consider having the spine checked once a child becomes weight bearing (i.e. walking).Then they follow up with periodic chiropractic checkups throughout their child's developing years.
NECK PAIN
What causes neck pain?
Your neck is the most vulnerable part of your spine. Not only does it support your 10 to 12 pound head, it also maintains a gentle forward curve, and permits head movement. It must also allow for the free flow of nerve impulses to the brain, face, arms, hands, and the rest of your body. More than a discomfort or annoyance, chronic neck pain is a sign that something is wrong.
Many everyday things can cause neck pain such as watching television, using your computer, reading a book, or falling asleep in a chair or on an airplane. The temporary pain that results may resolve on its own, especially if the offending activity is discontinued. When the pain does not resolve, a more serious underlying problem may be indicated.
A thorough examination can determine if you're a good candidate for chiropractic care. This exam may involve measuring your ability to move your head and neck. Muscle tone of the supporting muscles in the neck may be tested. If necessary, diagnostic imaging (X-ray, MRI) to reveal the underlying structure of the spine may be requested. These and other tests are designed to identify the cause and location of your neck pain.
The most common cause of neck pain is functional distortion in the spine resulting from vertebral subluxations or misaligned vertebrae. These subluxations are seen in cases of loss of a cervical curve in the neck, whiplash, and joint instability. The body typically responds by tightening muscles in the neck ("splinting" the joint) to protect from further harm.
A spinal adjustment can be the first step to gentle cervical spinal correction.
