Some Common Chiropractic Treated Conditions By far, most people get tension-type headaches and get them frequently. They typically suffer mild to moderate pain, on both sides of the head, that is often described as tight, stiff, and constricting – like having something wrapped around your head and pressing tightly. Many headaches can be related to auto injuries, sinus difficulties, or any other neck related symptom. While there are other causes of headaches, these are the types of headaches that chiropractic works best with. The nerves of the neck, when irritated can lead to head pain that travels from the neck to the top of the skull and around the ears. Sometimes the pain can radiate into the face or eyes. These headaches can make it difficult to think clearly. It will help to understand what causes most headaches. Your spine protects your nervous system which starts with the brain and becomes the spinal cord. When the vertebrae in your neck are unable to move properly, it irritates or puts pressure on the nerves in that area. That can cause headaches. To correct this problem (called a subluxation) a chiropractor gently adjusts the vertebrae. Since most headaches are caused by subluxations, they will soon disappear. New research shows that spinal manipulation - the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic - may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication. Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication. Whatever the type of pain you have, a thorough chiropractic evaluation will help lead you in the right direction. If at any time we feel that your headaches are caused by something that chiropractic cannot help, you will be referred to the appropriate specialist. Your recurring neck pain has flared up again. Do you take pain pills? Do you use a hot pack or ice? Or get a massage? The smart solution is to address the cause instead of the symptoms by seeking chiropractic care. Here's why you should…Recurring neck pain is a common complaint, and an aspirin or a massage may help it feel better for a little while. The Chiropractic approach is to locate the underlying cause of the problem, with special attention to the upper spine, neck, and shoulders. A vertebral subluxation complex frequently causes neck pain. Many people turn to chiropractic care for safe, effective treatment of neck pain with arm pain, numbness, and tingling. While this is sometimes called a pinched nerve," there are actually many causes of these symptoms. Common causes include "trigger points" in various muscles, and irritated nerves from stiff and restricted joints and muscles. While a "pinched nerve" usually responds very well to chiropractic care, it is actually a relatively rare condition. In true cases of pinched nerve, you will feel tingling, numbness, and possibly even weakness due to pressure and inflammation on a nerve from bulging discs or bone spurs along the spine. Pressure on these "pinched nerves" can cause your symptoms to travel away from the spine, along the course of the nerve. The nerves of the neck travel down the shoulder and extend into the arm, hand, and fingers. This is why so many neck problems cause symptoms to radiate into the arm and hand. The chiropractor then makes a series of adjustments to improve spinal structure, reduce nerve stress and restore proper alignment and spacing, thus eliminating the neck pain - all done without drugs and without invasive procedures. Low back pain is a common health problem affecting at some time more than 80% of the population - making it second in prevalence only to the common cold. Although most of us are aware that the common cold is due to a viral infection, back pain is often a mystery to most of its sufferers. The majority of back pain patients have not experienced any trauma, accidents or major injuries prior to the onset of their problem. The cause of most back pain is the cumulative affect of improper sitting posture, poor work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of proper exercise and other lifestyle-related factors. All of these factors cause stress and imbalances on the spine and eventually pain. This is why people often injure their back by just bending over to pick up their shoes. The spine was already compromised and just the simple act of bending was enough to set off the problem. When this occurs, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. There are several studies that show that chiropractic care is the treatment of choice. In 1994, the US government found that chiropractic is the most effective methods of care for acute adult low back pain. They also revealed that bed rest was harmful and that muscle relaxers and surgery can be unnecessary and even dangerous. In Canada, a 1993 study, concluding that chiropractic care for those with low back pain was far superior to medicine in terms of safety, science and cost-effectiveness. And above all the finding revealed superiority in the area of patient satisfaction. The facts also prove that chiropractic relieves chronic, severe pain in half the time it takes medicine. Numerous studies prove chiropractic is both effective and cost-effective for low back, neck and mid back complaints within the first month of symptoms. Scientific studies have shown numerous times those pain-killers, muscle relaxers, braces, physical therapy and surgery are not capable of correcting vertebral subluxations. Chiropractic aims to restore normal function to the spine allowing the vertebral column normal motion and posture. This improved function is brought about by specific chiropractic adjustments to these vertebral subluxations. It is important to have your spine checked on a regular basis to ensure the functionality of your lower back. Chiropractic is safe and effective. Studies show that for many suffers of low back pain, chiropractic care is safer and more effective than surgery. Other studies show that patients under chiropractic care were able to return to normal function and activity more quickly than other patients treated with standard medical protocol of treatment. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is usually due to compression of the median nerve at the point where it passes through the wrist. The nerve carries signals between the hand and the brain, allowing the hand to move and to feel sensations. Most victims of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are totally unaware of the progressive, damaging, and disabling effects of allowing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to become chronic. They often erroneously believe that surgical intervention is the only road to complete recovery. Instead, surgery should be a last resort--not the first. Many doctors only treat the carpal tunnel symptoms. That's because they don't understand the true underlying cause. Repetitive motion or repeated activities are only the superficial cause. In most cases, the underlying cause is a misalignment of one or more joints of the upper extremities. A misaligned joint in the neck, shoulder, elbow, or wrist can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Proper diagnosis and management of this condition is essential in order to curtail the disabling symptoms associated with the advancement of CTS. Chiropractors are equipped to deal with this problem and can offer many sufferers with relief. Treatment can include ultrasound to help reduce inflammation, electro therapy to strengthen weak muscles of the forearm, soft tissue massage to stretch contracted tissues and of course adjustments of the dysfunctional joints of the wrist. You might be advised to wear a splint or support, especially at night, to help hold the wrist in a neutral position to decompress the carpal tunnel. Your treatment should also include specific exercises to stretch and/or strengthen muscles of the forearm and hand. For severe cases that do not respond to conservative care, surgery is a possible alternative. "Doctor, is there anything chiropractic can do for bed-wetting?" This is a question parents sometimes ask of their chiropractor. Usually this question is asked when other methods of treatment have been tried and found ineffective. One of the most common causes of bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) is bladder innervation disorder. This is an area that a Doctor of Chiropractic can be of help. Chiropractic research has shown that bedwetting has been resolved when nerve interferences (Vertebral Subluxations) are corrected. In one study, 171 children suffering with enuresis averaged 7 nights of bed wetting per week prior to the study. After the children were given some initial chiropractic care the average child reduced the number of "wet" nights to 4 nights per week. A full 25% of the children receiving chiropractic showed a 50% reduction in wet nights. In another study, 46 primary enuretic children were studied. Of this group 31 were placed under chiropractic care while 15 were in the control group and did not receive any chiropractic care. The results of this study showed a 17.9% decrease in wet nights for the chiropractic group. Over the same period of time no change was noted for the control group who did not receive any chiropractic care. Improvements were observed immediately after the first adjustment and remained stable thereafter. "My pediatrician prescribes antibiotics for ear infections, but my child still has recurrences." This frequently heard remark is stated by many parents each day. Commonly, parents accept acute otitis media as a normal part of a young child's life. The truth, however, is that although common, there is nothing normal about it. Research shows that children may get ear infections as a result of improper drainage of the deep neck lymphatics. This causes fluid buildup, an inflamed and bulging ear drum, and a welcome habitat for bacteria. The preferred medical treatment today is a prescription of oral antibiotics, most commonly, Amoxicillin. However, a Journal of the American Medical Association study concluded that children who took Amoxicillin for chronic ear infections were two to six times more likely to have a recurrence of their ear problem than those who received a sugar pill. Lead author Erden Cantekin Ph.D. (Professor of otolaryngology) said "children are being abused by the antibiotic treatment in this country." New Federal Government guidelines recommend giving nature a chance with ear infections. Dr. Alfred Berg, co-chair of the Federal Panel of Expenses, said that in most cases the condition disappears within 3-6 months without medical treatment. Dr. Berg said antibiotics frequently used in the past, are of very limited value in treating the condition. Dr. Berg also said that antibiotics can cause side effects and lead to the development of drug-resistant bacteria that can cause a more serious disease. Antibiotics are not the preferred option in the early stages of the condition. Dr. Michael Poole, a professor of otolaryngology and pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical branch in Houston, emphasized that most infants and young children with acute otitis media don't need antibiotics at all. "Ongoing studies at the University of Pittsburgh suggest that only about one out of seven children with otitis media should receive a prescription for an antibiotic. The disease usually gets well on its own." Your pediatrician may be lacking knowledge on current health trends and research. Because he/she prescribes an antibiotic, doesn't mean you have to fill the prescription. Your child's health needs to come first. There are numerous reasons for red ears other than bacteria manifestation. Your family chiropractor can share these reasons with you. Instead of treatment designed to kill the bacteria or virus, a more natural approach is to restore nervous system function which results in normal drainage of the ears and lymphatics. Progressive parents are turning to their Family Chiropractor for this solution. The Doctor of Chiropractic specializes in restoring normal function to the spine and nervous system which may reduce or eliminate the tense neck musculature which is responsible for preventing normal fluid drainage. Once this interference is removed, the excess fluid in the ear drains, the appealing environment that causes bacteria and viruses to thrive is removed, and the infection can heal. After normal drainage has been properly restored, the recurrence of ear infection is greatly reduced or nonexistent. The chiropractic approach to health care is safer, natural, and more effective. In light of these facts your Chiropractor may be the best doctor to help your child! During your pregnancy, this is a period of rapid development, hormonal changes, the laxity of connective ligaments, and shifting of weight-bearing structures, which may cause many pregnant women to experience low back pain. Chiropractic care can be quite helpful. Besides helping to relieve the discomfort many expectant mothers experience, chiropractic care helps normalize nervous system function. This is an important component of overall good health. The benefits of chiropractic care may also be noticed during delivery. Many chiropractic patients report that their deliveries were faster and more comfortable than deliveries previous to chiropractic care. Colic is defined as an unexplainable and uncontrollable crying in babies from 0 to 3 months old, more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for 3 weeks or more, usually in the afternoon and evening hours. The incidence is thought to be about 22.5%. New parents get very frustrated by having to deal with a child that is suffering from colic. A typical comment from a medical physician is: "if it is colic, it would run its course in three months." Recent studies show that chiropractic care may be useful in managing the situation. |
