Health First Research

I speak from years of experience, so you can believe me when I say that I know way too much about back pain! I am an auto appraiser, which is to say that when someone wants to know the value of their own automobile or how much an automobilie is actually worth that they are looking to buy, I’m the guy who crawls, slides, or in some other way makes his way under an automobile that is generally waiting for me on hard concrete, blistering blacktop, or lumpy, abrasive gravel, and the person who spends innumerable hours bent at ninety degrees in order to look under the hood. And, I gotta tell you that the relationship that receives my highest appraisal is the one I have with my chiropractor, book monthly maintenance appointments with her, rather than waiting for a breakdown and sudden mechanical difficulties (like not being able to walk upright), then I find that I’m ready to hit the road every day pain-free!

Are you wondering what is involved in an auto appraisal? It’s a curiosity many people have. So, I’d like to explain one or two of the services that a good auto appraiser provides:

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What do an excavator, jackhammer, and hydraulic skid have in common? You may already know that the use any of these can cause back pain when used improperly or if your spine is misaligned. But, the same can be said for using Flint tool rentals such as pressure washers, hand grinders, and even vacuums. If your intention is to complete either home remodeling or on-the-job construction, it is imperative that your musculoskeletal system be in good shape.

Before you start, be smart: It would be smart for you to have your back checked by a health care professional, like a chiropractor, before you start any job — big or small– and even before you do any research regarding an equipment or tool rentals Flint company. Your chiropractor can check to see if your spine is in good alignment. You may be advised to wear a back support or other supportive means if you have any age-related degenerative spine and joint changes.

Along with making sure that you are in good alignment and overall musculoskeletal good health before you start a new project, seeing your chiropractor regularly during your project work can save you from pain and injury. Vibration created by heavy machinery and tools can affect even healthy joints. Moreover, unfamiliar positioning and unusual twisting when using hand tools can stress back, shoulder, and arm muscles.

Remember these tips during your project: Check in with your chiropractor on a regular basis during the project to make sure heavy equipment and tool usage hasn’t caused misalignments to occur. Putting ice packs on the inflammed areas may be one of the suggestions made by your chiropractor. In addition, kineseo taking can be beneficial if muscles are stressed or strained. In some cases, a stressed or strained muscle may necessitate rest before returning to work.

When your work is done: Be sure to get a thorough chiropractic recheck once again as soon as your project is complete.

You don’t have to give up the work you love. Just remember, from start to finish, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor so much more if you take precautions from beginning to end!

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It may seem strange for a Decatur veterinarian to be writing about arthritis, but did you know that arthritis isn’t limited to humans? That’s right! Quite a few animals can suffer from painful arthritis, as well, including your dog or cat. And, since certain pets, like dogs, are active companions to “their” humans during many daily activities, arthritis can be especially disabling. Arthritis in humans can make simple activities, like going for a walk and climbing stairs extremely painful. Because dogs frequently accompany their owners, dogs can experience the same kind of pain and debilitating problems doing the activities that their owners do.

Merely going for a walk, let alone fetching a tossed ball or running in the fields, can be very difficult and extremely painful for a dog with arthritis. To put it another way, arthritis can take the fun out of doing what dogs do best…have fun! As a active veterinarian in Decatur I am happy to tell you that treatment for canine arthritis is not entirely reduced to the use of pain medication. Just as humans suffering from arthritis often benefit from physiotherapy that helps to improve joint mobility, dogs can, too. Physiotherapy, in humans, helps to reduce arthritic pain and improve function of the affected joints and limbs. So, how does physiotherapy affect canine joints and limbs, and what therapy is most effective?

Even though physiotherapy for dogs isn’t new, until recently there hasn’t been adequate research done to sufficiently document its effects on canine arthritis. However, according to research results published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research, confirmation of the efficacy of physiotherapy in decreasing arthritic pain and immobility has been made by researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna.

The researchers studied the movements of the joints in the front and back legs of dogs through the use of a specially-designed treadmill and delicate computer algorithms. While the researchers took notes and measurements, the dogs performed three types of exercises: walking uphill, walking downhill, and walking over low obstacles.

The experiments showed that the three movement protocols had distinct and specific effects on the motion of the dogs’ joints. Walking uphill caused notably greater bending at the hip, as opposed to walking downhill, which caused the hip to be less bent and the tarsal joint to be less extended. But, the most significant effects came when the dogs walked over low obstacles. This resulted inmore bending of all joints except the hip and shoulder, and greater extensions of the carpal and stifle joints.

What does all of this mean for your dog? One for, it’s an indication that walking uphill is a simple exercise that could be used to improve your dog’s joint flexibility, particularly at the hip joint, and that adding low obstacles could help to improve the bending of the joints in the forelimbs and hind limbs. Adding low obtacles should be avoided, however, if your dog has recently had surgery for the tibia, as such activity could result in increased bending of the joints and potentially strain the tendon that joins the knee to the shin.

And, as a Decatur veterinarian who loves dogs, I would add one final suggestion for “man’s best friend,” since the study indicated that walking downhill wasn’t  shown to be effective anyway, after you’ve exercised your dog uphill, perhaps a ride in the car back down the hill would be a nice treat!

Technorati Tags: canine arthritis, physiotherapy for dogs, veterinarian

Chiropractors are well-aware that all too often life can be a pain in the neck, literally as well as metaphorically. In fact, your Grand Rapids chiropractor has been treating cervical disc injuries using his patented two-way traction devices for more than eleven years!  Chiropractors are also well-aware that the emotional circumstances in one’s life that sometimes seem like a “pain in the neck” may change in a heartbeat, but neck pain generated by physical stress and injury can stick around unabated and, unfortunately, if not addressed, such challenges can get much worse. Pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness down the arm and into the fingers, as well as pain in the neck region, are common symptoms of neck injury. Neck injuries can contribute to tension headaches, as well as head pain. Finding the reason for your particular neck pain will require a thorough examination and evaluation by your chiropractor because chiropractic treatment has been found to be the most effective, non-invasive treatment that works!

There are numerous causes for neck pain and associated symptoms. The neck might sustain trauma from an accident causing strained muscles, sprained ligaments, and spinal joint injuries. Sitting at a computer and/or performing repetitive tasks can produce postural stress as well. Such stress creates muscular tension and inflammation in the neck and upper back. Postural stress can also be caused by abberant spinal mechanics and weak or underdeveloped muscles. In addition, chronic neck pain due to inflammation of the soft tissues can occur due to the degeneration of the spinal joints caused by the aging process, as well a “slipped,” herniated, or ruptured cervical discs.

Using his own patented two-way traction devices, Grand Rapids chiropractor, Dr. Douglas McKenzie, specializes in the treatment of cervical disc injury.  A chiropractor who has developed a specialized natural and unique mechanical approach to cervical disc injury treatment? Who could ask for more?! In his Grand Rapids chiropractic office, his treatments result in pain relief, decrease in tension, increase in motion, and an overall sense of well-being.

When it comes to knowledge and experience in caring for the spine and musculoskeletal system, no doctors are more qualified than chiropractors, like this Grand Rapids chiropractor. If you’ve been searching for relief from your neck pain, you don’t need to look any further than your chiropractor. Don’t wait to visit a chiropractor near you. And, if you’re in the Grand Rapids area, call Dr. Douglas McKenzie. He’ll evaluate and discover the reason for your neck pain and treat it at its source.

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Santa Barbara Chiropractor

You have, no doubt, heard the old saying, “Growing old isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.” However, it’s nothing to joke about if the aging process is causing you pain! As a chiropractor in Santa Barbara, I give care to many individuals suffering from age-related challenges that might not have taken place if the original cause had been addressed earlier in life, particularly when it relates to musculoskeletal breakdowns. Poor posture, improper gait, and repetitive overuse commonly produce undue stress in the back, neck, hip, knees, and even the feet that can result in painful problems over time. If we only knew then how our aging body would feel today, eh? However, as they say, “hindsight is 20-20.”

As you can see from the list areas of pain above, there are a large number of musculoskeletal problems that can, and often do, develop as we get older, however painful back problems are one of the most prevalent. Age-related back pain is most commonly produced by spine osteoarthritis, or Spondylosis, a degenerative disorder.

Spondylosis is caused by prolonged deterioration and weight-bearing stress on the spine that, over time, does harm to the discs, joints, and surrounding ligaments. The specific area(s) and degree of the degenerative process of spondylosis varies from person to person. The areas likely to be affected are the cervical (neck), thoriacic (mid-back), or lumbar (low back). Spondylosisi symptoms very from person to person and depend on the severity of the degeneration, and can range from low-amplitude pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy.

Calcium is deposited in the tissues around the vertebrae as the result of repetitive stresses that negatively affect the cartilage around the joints These calcific deposits, known as bone spurs, can constrict adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue. This particular of compression is at the root of Spondylosis.

Even if you are not suffering from spondylosis, regular chiropractic adjustments and overall chiropractic management can considerably delay the aging process of your spine. It may be true that “you can’t un-ring a bell” or “turn back the hands of time,” but it isn’t too late to give your spine the consideration it deserves. Chiropractors are experts when it comes to treatment of the spine. See your Santa Barbara Chiropractor today, for the health of your spine.

Technorati Tags: age-related back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, spine osteoarthritis

Corona Chiropractor

When it comes to hip pain relief, your chiropractor in Corona provides potent non-surgical, drug-free treatment. Whenever possible, surgery should be seen as a last resort. Therefore, before you schedule a surgery to replace that hip, consider the following questions: Is it out of the question for you to get a good night’s sleep because your hip pain wakes you up at night? When you arise in the morning, and/or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it initially hard to get your legs moving sufficiently? Do you feel pain whenever you rotate or twist them or when you cross your legs? If so, you may have asymmetries and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing your hip pain, can lead to degenerative joint disease in your hips in the future if not treated. The good news is that whether or not degenerative changes have already begun, chiropractic treatment can help!

It may be true that you’re getting older and your hip joints just aren’t what they used to be. Even so, did you know that your hip pain (and related problems), which usually point to age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be created by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In the majority of cases, instead of being the root cause of your pain, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is more often than not the result of a past injury (or injuries) to your hips.

Hip problems oftentimes have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, like walking for example. If you tend to walk “pronated” like a duck, with your toes pointing away from your body, sooner or later you will develop pain in your hips as a result of the asymmetrical tension on your hip joints as your body attempts to compensate. Fortunately, you can make changes in your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can show you how to do it.

Furthermore, you may have undergone gait changes because of an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical accommodations cause hip pain. There is no doubt that, if not treated, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, like wear and tear that produces degenerative changes.

Other situations that can occasionally injure the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that necessitates your moving your body in unfamiliar ways. Also, carrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can generate hip pain. Even the way you sit or driving for long periods of time on a routine basis can cause hip injury and pain.

See? Not every pain is caused by “old age,” though we may experience more pain due to the progressive capacity of untreated injuries.

In addition to your adjustments, as an integral part of your chiropractic management, your Corona Chiropractor will recommend individualized rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also analyze your gait and may recommend simple pattern changes.

Your hip pain won’t vanish by itself. Hip pain is a sign that there’s a problem that requires correcting. If put off, it is very likely that you will eventually require that hip replacement surgery. So, don’t wait until it’s too late. Your chiropractor in Corona can get you out of pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!

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Cincinnati Chiropractic

At my Cincinnati Chiropractic Clinic I treat a lot of elders who suffer from balance problems. In fact, dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related challenges affect at least nine percent of adults, aged 65 and over. Good balance is crucial, of course, in helping seniors to stay independent and to avoid falling down and sustaining injuries that are commonly extremely serious or even fatal. But, it may surprise you to know that falls are the cause of a large percentage of work-related injuries for individuals younger than 65 years of age, including workers in their twenties and thirties. That’s right! No one is exempt from to balance challenges, no matter how young they may be. That is why those who work in”precarious locations” like construction workers, roofers, oil platform employees, windows cleaners, or any other place where a ladder is required are in danger of serious injury if their balance is “off.”

The principal function of good balance is to help us to manage and maintain our body position, whether we are standing still or moving, and whether we are on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance helps us to walk without faltering, arise from a sitting position without teetering, and to climb stairs without tripping. To sum it up, then, good balance is extremely important to our health and well-being.

What come as a surprise to you is that you could have a balance problem without being aware of how threatening it is. On occasion an individual is able to “shake off” a dizzy feeling and the sensation may not return for a while. The problem is that when sudden dizziness occurs at a decisive moment, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is often unpreventable.

Vertigo is the medical term for the sensation that you, or objects around you, are spinning. About 40% of individuals in the U.S. will have at least one experience of dizziness that is serious enough to seek out help from a health professional, such as your Chiropractor at Cincinnati Chiropractic. That said, if you are involved in any of the activities listed above, having a chiropractor check your balance before an episode of dizziness, make corrections if needed, and then aid you in maintaining good balance, may save you from serious injury or worse.

Balance disorders at any age are serious. If you feel as if you may have a possible balance disorder, it is essential for you to be diagnosed and treated without delay. Often guidelines are helpful. Therefore, if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, even if the experience is seldom or infrequent, it is highly recommended that you discuss the symptom(s) with a chiropractor as soon as possible:

• Have you experienced a feeling of being “unsteady?”

• Has the room seemed to spin around you?

• Has there ever a time when you felt as if you were moving when you knew you were standing still?

• Have you lost your balance and/or fallen down?

• Have you ever felt as if you were falling?

• Has your vision ever become “blurred?”

• Have you ever felt disoriented, or lost a sense of time, place or identity?

It is important for you to remember that balance problems are not isolated to a particular age group. Our falling down is an ever-present possibility from the time we learn to walk until we take our final step All the more reason to have your balance checked if you work in a job that makes your falling down a “critical” issue. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Call a Chiropractor today, and if you’re in the Cincinnati area, I’d love to be your Cincinnati Chiropractor!

Technorati Tags: balance, chiropractic, falls, vertigo

Wichita Chiropractor

As a Wichita Chiropractor for more than twenty years, I have assisted a significant number of individuals suffering from sciatic pain, so I know from experience just how incapacitating the pain from sciatica can be. Sciatica sufferers are regrettably all too familiar with the deep radiating pain that persists during the day and interferes with almost all of their daily activities.

There is a way to figure out if your low back pain is generated by sciatica. You are more than likely experiencing 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 your leg(s), and possibly shoots into your knee(s). Also, sitting, as well as movement, can be painful. Frequently lying down will lessen, or sometimes even temporarily eliminate the pain. Even so, it’s important for you to know that sciatica will not go away without appropriate management.

Radiculopathy

One of the clinical diagnoses of sciatica is called a “radiculopathy”, a medical term that means simply that a disc has protruded from its natural position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve. This kind of pressure is extremely painful.

Added pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles encompassing the spine, can happen during and after long periods of sitting, particularly in an awkward position. Usually, a particular event or injury doesn’t cause sciatica, instead sciatica tends to develop over time as a consequence of everyday wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Eventually the lower spine can lose its ability to function normally during ordinary stresses.

When this happens, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures or cracks that then allow the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. Pain is produced as the disc pushes on sensitive tissues. This condition is often known as a ruptured, or slipped, disc. Sciatica is the result of the disc pressing on the spinal nerve. With chiropractic manipulation and management, which often includes postural exercises, most disc conditions, including sciatica, can be completely relieved.

Periformis Syndrome

Another cause of sciatic pain is periformis syndrome. Periformis syndrome develops when the periformis muscle, for whatever reason, goes into spasm and irritates the sciatic nerve, which runs “deep to the muscle.” Along with chiropractic manipulation, this type of sciatica can be significantly relieved by sciatica stretches that your chiropractor can recommend.

If you are experiencing sciatic pain, it is extremely important for you to seek chiropractic attention. 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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