Health First Research

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!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, hip pain, osteoarthritis

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!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, sciatic pain, sciatic stretches, sciatica

San Diego Chiropractor

As a San Diego Chiropractor, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. Have you been telling yourself that an extra pound or two doesn’t matter? Over the years, they can add up to a large number of health challenges from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back pain and joint degeneration. Extra pounds put harmful stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of American adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a substantial percentage and an enormous problem (no pun intended).

Though it is able to compensate to some degree the human body has not evolved to schlepp around excess weight in the form of body fat. Just 20 or 30 extra pounds can, in point of fact, overload and encumber the musculoskeletal system. Excess weight in the belly, for example, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This angle produces compression in the joints of the low back. Painful inflammation results as this joint compression restricts nerve activity. A larger percentage of men and women that have a heavy midsectionexperience low back pain caused by  an impingement of the sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that constrict nerves due to weight-bearing stresses. If ignored, misaligned vertebra not only persist in irritating the degenerative changes that have taken place already, but can produce new arthritic changes in the spine in the future.

How can chiropractic help? To begin with the obvious, a “normal” body weight is required in order for the musculoskeletal system to function in the way it is designed to. That said, in addition, chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the spine and assist in getting movement back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, especially in the low back, hips, and knees. And, of course exercise and physical activity are a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the spine is in alignment and the joints have good motion. The added benefit of exercise the, in addition to helping with weight reduction, it can actually reduce degenerative changes as over the years.

Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can talk to you about your diet and exercise options. In addition to helping men and women suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide proficient advice on the particular lifestyle modifications that can help a person to stay healthier, more vital, and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be inevitable. The structure of the human body is intended to carry a person through an entire lifetime of pain-free movement.

So, if those extra few pounds have started to add up to a lot of pain, as your chiropractor in San Diego and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I can help. Make an appointment today!

Technorati Tags: arthritis, back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, excess weight, joint inflammation, weight loss

It is not surprising that the majority of practicing physicians report symptoms of stress and emotional exhaustion. As a chiropractor, I treat a lot of stressful patients, so I know first hand what stress can do to both mind and body. That is one of the reasons I suggest meditation to many of my patients, in addition to their chiropractic adjustments. Well, we’ve all heard the saying, “Physician, heal thyself,” and resent research results suggest that doctors can do just that by taking up mindfulness meditation to avoid fatigue, stress, and burn out.

The 70 primary care physicians in the study participated in 8 weekly 2 ½-hour sessions of mindfulness meditation training. This was followed by 10 monthly 2 ½-hour sessions. Over the course of the program and follow-ups the doctors showed a significant improvement in well-being, as well as decreases in burnout and mood disturbance. And, the news gets even better because the doctors also showed an increase in empathy and positive changes in how they related to their patients.

Technorati Tags: burnout, chiropractic, mindfulness meditation, mood disturbance, stress

Despite the fact that chiropractic is not a therapy for asthma, per se, recent research published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research recorded the results experienced by 81 children with asthma who were given chiropractic adjustments. The two-month study reported that those under care experienced a 45% decrease in the number of “attacks” and that 31% of the subjects voluntarily decided to decrease their medication.

Even though chiropractic care may be able to help those who already have asthma, public health researcher Julie Von Behren, of Northern California Cancer Center in Berkeley, and colleagues found that being overweight, especially around the middle, may increase a woman’s risk for developing asthma.

In the study women who were overweight or obese were much more apt to have asthma than women at a healthy weight, but regardless of a woman’s weight, a large waist size, i.e., more than 34 inches, also suggested increased risk for asthma, Von Behren and colleagues report in the medical journal Thorax.

In addition, obesity may make asthma symptoms more severe, according to Von Behren, and make urgent medical visits and hospital admission due to asthma more likely. “These findings are particularly troubling,” Von Behren and colleagues say, given that the majority of American adults are now overweight or obese.

For more on this valuable study and sources, go to reuters.com

Technorati Tags: athsma, chiropractic, health research, obesity, overweight

As a chiropractor, I am dedicated to a natural, drug-free approach to health and wellness. There are many holistic therapies that compliment chiropractic care. One of them is aromatherapy, which I frequently recommend. Though aromatherapy is popular today, people have been inhaling the scent of certain plants to help reduce stress, fight inflammation and depression, and induce sleep since ancient times. But a new study always gives the practice a boost, so I was pleased to read about a new study in the ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry validating the efficacy of aromatherapy. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances actually alters gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels.

The scientists exposed lab rats to stressful conditions while inhaling and not inhaling linalool, extracted from natural essential oils. Linalool returned stress-elevated levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes – key parts of the immune system – to near-normal levels. Inhaling linalool also reduced the activity of more than 100 genes that go into overdrive in stressful situations. The findings could form the basis of new blood tests for identifying fragrances that can soothe stress, the researchers say.

Linalool has been the subject of numerous studies investigating its anxiolytic (anti-stress) effects. Lavender is the most popular linaloo-containing oil, though it is found in many plant species.

Technorati Tags: aromatherapy, chiropractic, chiropractor, depression, induce sleep, inflammation, lavendar, reduce stress

Chiropractors everywhere are happy to announce a breakthrough treatment for fibromyalgia. If you suffer from the painful symptoms of fibromyalgia,  the good news is that chiropractic management can help you no matter how widespread the painful symptoms may be.  Many times the pain occurs above and below the waist, and involves both sides of the body. The deep aching that accompanies the condition often travels, shoots, stings, and even gnaws at your body.

As if the intense pain and suffering from fibromyalgia weren’t enough, a disproportionate ninety percent of fibromyalgia sufferers also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, perhaps you may be one of them. This “double whammy” can result in your not only suffering from pain and fatigue, but also malaise, headaches, numbness and pins and needles, dizziness, sleep disturbance, swollen feeling in tissues, stiffness, sensitivity to noise and stress, and cognitive impairment.

Chiropractic techniques have been found to be highly beneficial in reversing trauma-induced injuries by reducing inflammation to the nerves in the brain stem and spinal cord that can trigger pain, neuromuscular dysfunction, and fatigue.

What do “trauma-induced injuries” have to do with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome? The connection may surprise you.

While the precise cause of these syndromes is not known, current research has pinpointed traumatic neck injuries, such as whiplash and concussion, as risk factors for the onset of both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. And, here’s the thing: although the pain and fatigue produced by spinal injuries can be triggered immediately, often it can take quite a long time, perhaps months or years to develop. These types of injuries may no be remembered by the time fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms appear.

If you are someone who experiences the distressing symptoms of one, or both, of these two debilitating conditions, you may find it difficult to take part in even the simplest activities in life, and you may even be experiencing depression and feeling defeated. But, don’t give up hope because your chiropractor can help you.

When it comes to the knowledge and treatment of the spine, your chiropractor is an expert. Chiropractic management has been shown to be extraordinarily effective in reversing trauma-induced spinal injury. If you’ve been experiencing the pain and discomfort caused by fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, see your chiropractor today to see if chiropractic management can help to eliminate your suffering.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, pain

The Road to Longevity is Paved With Balanced Lifestyle Choices
by Guest Contributor Jamie G. Phillips, DC

If you’re like me, you may be wondering whether or not our human pursuit of longevity has suddenly been displaced by a quest for immortality. No doubt, you’ve been reading a lot recently about the miraculous heart benefits of red wine (resveratrol), the extraordinary memory retention benefits of coffee (caffeine), and the countless benefits of a horde of natural supplements that, in one way or another, promise to reduce or prevent all known causes of mortality.

To begin with, let me make it unquestionably clear that I unwaveringly believe that certain~particular things that we put into our bodies can be beneficial to our health. Therefore, I’m definitely not opposed to taking supplements. Not only do I recommend them to my patients, but take them myself. Secondly, if confession is good for the soul, and red wine is good for the heart, then I’d like to take this opportunity to help both by stating for the record that I appreciate drinking a glass of red wine. The suggestion that it might have heart-healthy properties, well, that’s like icing on the cake, so to speak. And, lastly, as far as caffeine’s ability to actually reverse or prevent Alzheimer’s disease goes, I believe that if that were generally true, life would be far less frightening and far more enjoyable for many people and their families.

But, let’s pause and consider the prudence of aimlessly adding an extra cuppa to your breakfast routine, drinking more red wine with dinner, or plunking down a pile of cash on high-priced minerals and herbs that guarantee near-immortality.

For example, let us think about the fact that we, humans, are dynamic, biological beings, free to uniquely interact with life. We have not been detained in a cage, and none of us has been “propagated” to artificially develop the age-related debilitation and disease that lab animals are bred to do, conditions that are then “reversed” by resveratrol, caffeine, or some exotic herb.

Essentially, our being dynamic and biological means that we are not “robots,” and that we are more than the sum total of our parts. We are each biologically unique in certain ways, that is, we respond differently to internal stimulating factors and external instigating influences. For example, though generally, smoking cigarettes is harmful, there is a small minority of people who appear to be able to smoke and live to be ninety years old without any obvious ill effects.

The results upon which scientific research and testing are rely upon the isolation of a particular variable. It is this method that gives scientific inquiry its legitimacy. However, because tests related to human health issues occur through this very method, and are most often done on lab animals, when it comes to human beings, the effects are very likely to be quite different. In fact, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, what might benefit some of the people all of the time, most likely won’t work for all of the people all of the time (and sometimes won’t work at all!).

You make choices each day, some that are intentional and others that may be indifferent, that will affect your physical health, now and in the future. You decide what (and how much) you’ll eat and drink, and the amount of physical activity and rest you’ll get. Even though you can “sense” what is healthy for you, by the way your body responds, sometimes, perhaps too often, you may override the feedback. Clearly, when you don’t consciously make healthy choices, you jeopardize your health and longevity.

Then you, like many others, may enthusiastically jump on the bandwagon of the latest report that announces that researchers have uncovered THE VERY THING that has the potency to reverse all of the excessive and unhealthy things you have been doing to your body on a routine basis! Talk about wishful thinking!

The elegantly balanced system of your body (homeostasis) is highly responsive and intricate. This delicate system becomes “off balance” when you live an unhealthy lifestyle. Eventually, the imbalances nurtured through poor health choices, result in diseases.

As a chiropractor, I advise that you supplement if you need it. Pour that added cup of coffee if it feels right. And, have a little more red wine if it genuinely feels beneficial for your individual system. But all the while remember, the only truly reliable way that we, humans, can avoid or reverse age-related health issues is by changing our unhealthy lifestyle. Good health has nothing do with luck. And, there is no “magic potion” when it comes to health and longevity.

Dr. Jamie Phillips, a Santa Barbara Chiropractor, has been in private chiropractic practice for 24 years. She is also a consultant for Bloczone Marketing, a chiropractic internet marketing company specializing in chiropractic websites that attract new patients. She can be reached at (805) 882-1956.

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