Woman's Health

When I became a chiropractor in Glendale, I discovered that my technical skills were surprisingly advanced as the result of my having been playing the guitar for more than fifteen years. Needless to say, my hand coordination was advanced!  I also became aware of carpal tunnel, the hand condition that many musicians experience, male and female alike. And, I can tell you in all sincerity that in addition to being a well-known chiropractor in Glendale, I was also referred to as “the music doctor” by many musicians who’d heard from other musicians that the chiropractic care I offered could “fix” their hand problems. The pain relief and increased mobility that my patients experienced, and the carpal tunnel surgeries (often ineffective or worse!) that were avoided resulted in a whole bunch of “thank yous.” In fact at holiday time, I not only got a plethora of “fruit baskets” from my grateful patients, but far too many “fruitcakes” from overjoyed insurance companies who spent far less each year in compensating for chiropractic adjustments than they did for surgical procedures! (Just kidding, of course!)

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What exactly is scoliosis? An experienced chiropractor, such as your Grand Rapids chiropractor, can define it clearly for you: scoliosis is an abnormal side-to-side (lateral) curvature of the spine. Your chiropractor wants you to be informed that there is a major difference between bad posture and the condition termed scoliosis. Whereas bad posture is easily correctable, scoliosis, an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, is far more difficult to overcome.

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What precisely is scoliosis? A knowledgeable chiropractor, such as your Grand Rapids chiropractor, will put it simply: scoliosis is an abnormal side-to-side (lateral) curvature of the spine. If you aren’t familiar with the presentation of scoliosis, you may unintentionally confuse it with poor posture because very often a person who has scoliosis gives the appearance of leaning to one side.

Even before going to see your chiropractor in Grand Rapids, there are a number of ways for you to see the difference between poor posture and scoliosis. First of all, you would likely notice that one shoulder is higher than the other in a standing position, and that the scapula (shoulder blade) is raised or more prominent. In addition, if the person’s arms were hanging freely at his or her sides, you would likely see a greater space between the arm and the body on one side. Moreover, one hip might elevated or more pronounced than the other. And finally, the head will not be in plumb with the pelvis.

Scoliosis symptoms can be mild; however, if the curve and rib rotation are dramatic enough, both pulmonary and cardiac functions can be restricted. In fewer than 15% of scoliosis cases, the cause is known. Most of the time, the cause is unknown. This type of scoliosis (Idiopathic) tends to run in families and is considered to have a genetic component.

Idiopathic Scoliosis most often develops during adolescence when the body is completing its last major growth spurt. Most frequently girls develop this type of scoliosis. If found, a scoliotic curve should be monitored for any progression. Your chiropractor in Grand Rapids will not only provide periodic examinations, but will suggest standing x-rays if needed.

Because most scoliotic curvatures are mild to moderate, a brace is unnecessary. In these cases, regular chiropractic care is beneficial in both in decreasing and adjusting any compensatory musculoskeletal conditions that may occur.

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If you’re overweight, I don’t have to tell you that losing weight seems, at times, an insurmountable goal! As a Dallas weight loss specialist, I speak with many people who are in a daily struggle to lose weight. Simply saying to someone to stop overeating is ridiculous, and can even be, if good nutritional counseling is not offered as well. Losing weight should be far more than a simple cosmetic issue. “Looking” good is of little value if a person isn’t “feeling” good, or if his or her body isn’t getting what it needs to function properly. When our body is not healthy, no matter what our weight may be, the quality of our life is affected, including our work performance, our family participation, and our social life. Living at a “healthy” weight means living a healthy lifestyle that includes a nutritious diet, plentiful hydration, and getting regular exercise.

Losing weight is essential, then, for healthy participation in all areas of your life. But, I’d like to take a moment to focus on one particular region of the body that is frequently the most visible evidence of excess weight and obesity. You may have already guessed that I’m speaking of the body’s midsection. Though Santa Claus may have been jolly once a year, with that extra weight in his belly he most likely suffered from painful musculoskeletal problems the majority of the year! It might be helpfu, at this point, to tell you that I’m also a chiropractor. In my years of experience I have met many people who, just like Santa, tote around too much weight in their stomach area, frequently endure back pain that is moderate to severe.

You may be wondering why so many overweight people suffer from back pain. First of all, the spine was not intended to bear excessive weight. Now, don’t get me wrong, the spine is elegantly designed. But, part of its function, as it is in every other internal system of the body, is to compensate when asked to work in ways that are repetitive and/or “unnatural.”  As the spine becomes stress by excess poundage, it begins to distort and compress. This “reconfiguration” creates a lot of pain and discomfort. And, due to the spine’s extraordinary compensating features, eventually the excess weight will force the pelvis to tilt forward as a counterbalance. Such repositioning may pinch the sciatic nerve. In fact, most people who are overweight suffer from lower back pain that is frequently accompanied by sciatic nerve pain.

Weight loss takes the stress off of the spine and allows it to function normally. But, relieving back pain and sciatica, though fine reasons to lose weight, are just two of the many healthy reasons to shed those extra pounds. As a healthcare professional, I am convinced that it is crucial that weight loss and weight maintenance take place in a natural, nutritious, and healthy way. But, as I previous stated, I understand, as a weight loss Dallas specialist, that losing excess weight is both difficult and, if done in a healthy manner, takes time even with the best of intentions. The good news is, you don’t have to lose it alone. There are centers like mine, and doctors like me, in many areas around the country, who have the expertise to help you lose the weight you need to lose in a way that will help you to feel good as well as look good. Remember, every day your body is compensating for those extra pounds, so don’t wait to lose that weight! Your health is at risk. Don’t let excess weight keep you from living your life fully.

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Do you suffer from painful tension headaches? Dr. Gerald Helwig, the best Oak Lawn Chiropractor, understands that life can be a pain from time to time. Sometimes the pain is due to an accident or injury. Sometimes it can be the result of the cumulative effects of bad posture and poor gait. Sometimes it can occur from degeneration due to aging. But, many times pain, especially headache pain, can be the result of everyday stress.

Are you sidelined by your tension headaches? Are you ineffective at work, or worse, forced to stay home from work? Do they disrupt your family and social life? Most people have experienced more than one tension headache in their life. If you are someone who has had tension headaches, then you know that the pain usually feels like an intense, but dull ache in your head. Such pain is often accompanied by a feeling of tightness or pressure along the forehead or on the sides and back of the head. Occasionally, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and every now and then you might experience a loss of appetite or even nausea.

Though the severity of pain varies from one person to another, and can vary in intensity from one headache to another in the same person, most tension headaches are usually defined as mild to moderate intense. Do your headaches occur frequently? Headaches are considered chronic if they occur fifteen or more days days a month for a minimum of three months.

The good news is that if tension headaches are interfering with your life occasionally or chronically, chiropractic treatment can help. For over twenty years Dr. Helwig has been helping the Oak Lawn Community to get out of pain, whether an individual is suffering from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, and headaches. That right! Chiropractors don’t just treat back pain. They treat the entire musculoskeletal system!

So, if tension headaches have been holding you back from living the life you want, call Dr. Helwig, your Chiropractor in Oak Lawn, Illinois today. Get back to living fully again!

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Oxnard Chiropractor

Your Chiropractor in Oxnard, Donald Bolt, DC, is aware that allergic reactions can make your daily existence  miserable. A walk in the park, snuggling with Fluffy, a seafood entree, or just something as tiny as a nut has the capability to bring about such unwelcome complaints as itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash.

Of course, from time to time a person’s allergic reactions can increase from merely uncomfortable to dangerous and life-threatening as the air passageway starts to close and breathing becomes difficult. This development of symptoms can readily bring about a state of panic and also a trip to the ER.

Allergies can, without a doubt, grow to be an incredibly significant matter and make you feel sidelined and not able to take part in everyday activities. Actually, should you be one of the numerous individuals who have allergic reactions, it may perhaps appear to you that, from time to time, your surroundings are a pretty unfriendly space and that natural environment out there you is, actually, out to get you!

You may ponder as to why it is that other human beings tend to be so immune to the exact same environmental stresses that send your body into overwhelm. Other people seem to be either unaware of or completely unresponsive to the potential irritants that lie in wait at each and every turn, while your system reacts, or rather overreacts, to them. Why you? A appropriate question. The fact is that some people, like yourself, have a hyperactive immune system that basically “goes crazy” when you encounter common substances including pollen, dander, shellfish, or nut products.

Can your Oxnard Chiropractor assist you in finally getting a significant decrease in your allergy symptoms? Fortunately , the answer is a resounding “Yes,” and the treatment might surprise you. Many chiropractic patients have noticed that they experience freedom from their allergy symptoms after a chiropractic adjustment, although chiropractic care does not really apply treatment directly to allergies, per se. The scientific explanation for the reduction in allergy symptoms is due to the fact that chiropractic treatment impacts your entire nervous system, including your autoimmune system, and that is the source of your allergic responses. Any time there’s a hindrance within the nervous system, together with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose duty it is to assist you to adjust and respond in a healthy way to your environment, may well become under-active or overactive. In the case of your allergies, the reaction is the latter (it becomes overactive).

Considering that chiropractic manipulations are intended to decrease or even completely get rid of perturbations in the nervous system and recreate symmetry and relaxation to the entire body, in conjunction with a variety of corrections, the adjustments administer homeostasis to the autoimmune system at the same time. A balanced immune system reacts in a healthy way to so-called allergens within the natural environment.

So, as mentioned above, your Chiropractor in Oxnard doesn’t necessarily target allergies, but that doesn’t imply your allergies won’t improve or go away. On the other hand, one could say, instead, that relief from your allergies is purely the by-product of your rebalanced nervous system. If you would like to get back into a harmonious relationship with your surroundings as soon as possible, phone Dr. Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, today. He can help you to start living your life again!

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Here’s an interesting question for you to consider: Do you want to keep your chiropractic internet marketing in-house or do you want to hire a professional? There are pros and cons to both, and the answer lies in your particular situation. Let’s check out the advantages and  disadvantages of both.

Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing

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Corona Chiropractor

Your Corona Chiropractor offers a highly successful non-surgical, drug-free approach to easing hip pain and frequently eliminating it altogether. Whenever possible, surgery should be seen as a last resort. So, before you decide on hip surgery, consider the following questions: Is it impossible 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 step out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it difficult at first to get your legs moving properly? Do you feel pain whenever you rotate or twist them or when you cross your legs? If you’ve answered “yes” to any or all of these questions you probably have imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that are not only causing your hip pain, but 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 started, chiropractic treatment can help!

You may be getting older and it may be true that your hip joints aren’t what they used to be. But, did you know that your hip pain and related problems, which usually point to age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be caused by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In many cases, as opposed to being the root cause of your pain, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is frequently the result of a prior injury (or injuries) to your hips.

Frequently, hip problems have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, as in the case of walking. If you tend to walk “pronated” with your toes pointing away from your body (like a duck), eventually you will develop pain in your hips due to the asymmetrical tension on your hip joints as your body attempts to compensate. However, you can make changes in your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can help you to do it.

Additionally, you may have developed gait changes due to an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical changes produce hip pain. Of course, if not corrected, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, i.e, wear and tear that creates degenerative changes.

Other activities that can frequently adversely affect the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that necessitates your moving your body in uncommon ways. Also, ferrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can generate hip pain. Even your sitting position or driving for extended periods of time on a routine basis can cause hip injury and pain.

So you can see that not every pain is caused by “old age,” though we may start to feel more pain due to the progressive nature of untreated injuries.

As part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem, in addition to your adjustments, your Corona Chiropractor will provide special rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also analyze your gait and may offer simple pattern changes.

Your hip pain won’t go away on its own. Hip pain is a sign that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If left untreated, it is very likely that at some point you will require that hip replacement surgery. Remember the old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Your chiropractor in Corona can eliminate your hip pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!

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Santa Barbara Chiropractor

You know what they say, When you consider the alternative, getting old isn’t so bad.” However, it’s no joke if the aging process is causing you pain! As a Santa Barbara chiropractor, when it comes to musculoskeletal problems, I see too many age-related breakdowns that probably would not have occurred if the original cause had been eliminated earlier. Poor posture, improper gait, and repetitive overuse commonly produce unnecessary stress in the back, neck, hip, knees, and even the feet that can create painful challenges over time. But, as another saying goes, “Hindsight is 20-20.” If we only knew years ago how our aging body would feel today!

As you can see from the list of complaints above, there are a large number of musculoskeletal problems that can, and frequently do, evolve as we get older, but painful back problems are one of the most prevalent. Age-related back pain is most often the result of a degenerative disorder known as Spondylosis (spine osteoarthritis).

Spinal osteoarthritis is caused by prolonged deterioration and weight-bearing pressure on the spine that, over the years, undermines discs, joints, and surrounding ligaments. The specific area(s) and degree of the degenerative process of spondylosis is individual, varying from person to person. It might affect the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), or lumbar (low back) regions of the spine. Spondylosisi symptoms very from person to person and depend on the severity of the degeneration, and can run a spectrum from minor pain and numbness to extreme sensory loss and muscular atrophy.

Repetitive stresses antagonistically affect the cartilage surrounding the joints and can induce calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae. These calcific deposits, known as bone spurs, can constrict adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue. This kind of compression is at the root of Spondylosis.

Regular chiropractic treatment and overall chiropractic management has been shown to significantly slow the aging process of the spine whether or not you are suffering from spondylosis. 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 attention it deserves. Chiropractors are experts when it comes to treatment of the spine. See your chiropractor in Santa Barbara today, for the health of your spine.

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