Posts Tagged ‘chiropractor’

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Dr. Braly Answers Your Question: Can Chiropractic Treatment Relieve Vertigo?

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

Exactly what does the term, “vertigo, ” indicate? Vertigo is a name for the dizzy disturbance that a person suffers within a fixed environment. The perception is that the external world is tilting or perhaps spinning. Vertigo may be unexpected and short- lived or persistent. Of course, in either case, the precise reason for vertigo must be defined and the correct treatment carried out.

There’s a lot of causal agents for the complaints of Vertigo. An inner ear affliction, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, may oftentimes manifest as the impact of a sustained head trauma or intense cold. On occasion this particular vertigo might be caused by the aging process. The root cause, though, often is unknown. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes perfectly this non- progressive problem that is the result of, as its name implies, a unexpected change in head position. The difficulties are by and large unexpected and varied.

It can be useful to look at the function of the inner ear in an effort fully grasp what provokes the frequently incapacitating symptoms of this type of vertigo. The brain takes in movement and sustains balance employing the fluid found in the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are tiny calcium carbonate crystals, known as otoconia. These crystals are inclined float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the responsive nerve endings in the inner ear, they cause the symptoms of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.

The good news is that chiropractic therapy can eliminate the complaints of BPPV very quickly and effectively using a technique known as the Epley maneuver. By means of the use of this treatment, a chiropractor turns the head of a BPPV sufferer into a number of the different positions, letting gravity carry the calcium carbonate crystals into a space of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will result in no further vertigo.

Your chiropractor has helped numerous individuals for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo applying the Epley Maneuver technique. Usually, with just one treatment the majority of patients no longer suffer from wooziness.  Dr. Braly can help with your vertigo. Call today!

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New Research Reveals Tai Chi Relieves Knee Osteoarthritis

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
Knee X-ray

Knee X-ray

A new study conducted by Tufts University School of Medicine had concluded that patients 65 years and older with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, enhanced their physical capability and experienced a decrease in pain. Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis that brings about an erosion of joint cartilage. Chiropractors treat quite a few people who have developed OA in a number of areas of the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most widespread dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal abnormalities. In fact, an extraordinary 4.3 million US adults over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it anticipates that half of the people in America may suffer from symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a reduced quality of life.

You may be wondering why so many adults develop OA. Undue stress over time is a major element in the majority of musculoskeletal problems that develop as we get older. Therefore, as people age they are more susceptible to developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Abnormal mechanics of the knee, improper gait, compensatory foot mechanics as an offset of foot pain, and overuse of the knee joint all produce undue stress on the knees. Over time arthritic changes in the knee joint take place. Most chiropractors advocate such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, in addition to their chiropractic care. A traditional style of Chinese martial arts,Tai Chi features slow, rhythmic movements that produce mental relaxation, as well as improved balance, an increase in strength, and improved flexibility.

The 40 adults chosen for the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age, overweight, and with confirmed osteoarthritis of the knee. Otherwise they were healthy. Patients were randomly picked to participate in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.

Tai Chi incorporates many of the prevailing exercise recommendations for OA, such as range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout. As an added benefit, researchers noted that the “mental component” of Tai Chi stimulated a sense of well-being, life enjoyments, and personal concepts of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi experienced a considerable decrease in knee pain.

Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

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Santa Barbara Chiropractic Reveals Why Foot Pain Is So Commonplace

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Santa Barbara Chiropractic wants you to know why foot pain is so prevalent: health care professionals, especially chiropractors, will tell you that movement is beneficial for the entire body, right? In fact, our overall good health is highly influenced by our getting regular physical exercise. So, you may be pondering as to why so many people suffer from foot pain. After all, aren’t our feet made for walking? The answer, of course, is “yes,” but they aren’t designed for abuse.

The normal, healthy individual takes 3,000-5,000 steps per day, not including activities like running and aerobic exercise. Unfortunately, all too often those steps are taken by people walking inadequately, with poorly aligned gait patterns and inappropriate posture.

Moreover, many people wear badly-designed, improperly-fitting shoes. Moving the body through space improperly on feet that are kept from performing correctly cannot help but to cause aches and pains not only in a variety of places in the feet, but in other parts of the body, as well. For instance, if an individual over-pronates (walks like a duck) in a pair of poorly-made or unevenly-worn shoes, or in any pair of high heels, that individual will not only develop foot and ankle problems, but will more than likely experience problems of the back, knees and legs.

The most common foot problem is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is most frequently caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is an extraordinary, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that surrounds the muscles on the bottom of the foot, fixes the heel bone to the ball of the foot, sustains the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock. As you can see, the healthy function of the plantar fascia is essential for pain-free movement of the foot.

There are many determinants that can be considered reasons for the development of Plantar Fascitis. One factor is short and tight calf muscles. Undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia occurs when calf muscles get short and tight, exerting a strong pull on the back of the heel bone. How do calf muscles get short and tight? Besides aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, tennis, and similar activities that involve running and jumping, the wearing of high heels can cause the condition.

Sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity can contribute to Plantar Fascitis, as can such elements as abnormal walking patterns (e.g., over-pronation), unsuitable footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (particularly with bare feet), and obesity.

Once an individual develops Plantar Fascitis, the condition is often difficult to manage and can become intensely painful and persistent. Plantar Fascitis won’t go away without appropriate care.

If you are suffering from heel pain, your chiropractor will be able to determine the cause of your problem and what chiropractic management would be most appropriate. Management might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, Graston technique, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, kinesio taping and, in some cases, orthotics.

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Santa Barbara Chiropractic Advice: Get Fit If You'd Like to Avoid Golf Injuries

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Santa Barbara Chiropractic treats many adults and children who have sustained sports injuries. Injuries are very commonplace with any sort of sport, though often times you can avoid getting injured in a specific sport by discovering what injury is likely to take place, and then doing whatever it takes to avoid it.

Of course, sports injuries can’t always be avoided. As a result, it’s important to take conscientious care of your body to make getting injured less probable, or less traumatic. The most critical thing that you can do is to be sure that you have the proper fitness level before starting to play a sport, such as golf. You may very well keep your body safe from injury if you follow these general guidelines: Maintain a healthy lifestyle; keep your joints mobile and your muscles limber; warm and stretch your body prior to activity; use proper form and good postures while actively playing; allow yourself an appropriate amount of cool down and relaxation time.

Golf injuries don’t only happen to amateurs. It has been estimated that close to a third of pro golfers playing at any given time are playing injured. The good news is that overall good health and fitness can reduce the number of injuries that you may incur and might possibly deter them altogether.

It is very important for you to have effectual body strength in the muscle areas most utilized while playing golf. However, before you attempt to build muscle strength, it’s prudent to determine that your spine is aligned and has good mobility. A injury-free golf swing hinges on your spine’s capacity to effectually rotate efficiently. Back injuries are the most common sort of injuries sustained by golfers. To insure that your spine is in proper alignment and there is effectual movement in the vertebrae, see your chiropractor. Chiropractic care can go a long way in helping you to prevent back injury.

Once you’re “straightened” it’s time to strengthen. Safe, injury-free action on the green is dependent upon your being prepared for your golf activity. Golf stretching and flexibility practices will warm up your muscles and make straining them less likely. Full body range of motion (ROM) exercises will augment flexibility, fairly quickly, in all parts of the body. Furthermore, elastic band conditioning affords functional golf range of motion improvements and can build needed energy in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Due to the fact that elastic band training offers the dynamic resistance that regular weight lifting does not, sports professionals, such as your chiropractor, are making them a part of their golf conditioning programs.

Quite a few golfers suffer from “Golfer’s Elbow” along with back injuries. There is a minor difference between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow although they are nearly identical injuries. Tennis elbow disturbs the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow disturbs the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can be a reaction to a single violent action, such as (in golf) thrusting down on the mat at the driving range or hitting a hard fairway surface. Repetitive stress from smaller shocks, though, is more commonly the protagonist. In addition, it can happen to those who abruptly start playing too much golf. As a case in point, if those that generally play golf once or twice a month decide to play in a tournament, they are likely at risk for developing the injury.

Golf makes exclusive requests of the body. The game is ordinarily longer than many other sports and that can result in fatigue. Unhealthy posture and lack of coordination are normally the signs of a fatigued body. These two factors combined can cause an assortment of injuries. In addition, the shoulder muscles are susceptible to injury as a result of the continuous swinging of the golf clubs. Just as it is crucial for you to stretch and warm up before you start your golf game, be sure to rest your body appropriately between games.

An unexpected injury on occasion related to golf is carpal tunnel Syndrome. But, as it a condition that happens due to repetitive stress, many games of golf played over several months repetitively may produce this injury. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a severe injury producing incapacitation and sometimes requiring surgery. However, if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, detects it at an early stage, chiropractic treatment and, sometimes, the use of a brace will relieve the problem.

The majority of golfers seem to feel that injuries are merely an inevitable part of a golfer’s life. Nonetheless, a healthy, mobile spine, judicious preparation, specific exercise and muscle conditioning, reaching and sustaining a a suitable fitness level, and sensible rest and recuperation after your game is over, can make injuries far less a part of your golfing experience.

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Santa Barbara Chiropractic Knows That If You've Been in a Minor Fender Bender, You Still Might Be Injured

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

Santa Barbara Chiropractic wants you to be aware that whiplash injuries can occur even from a minor car accident.  If you’ve been driving around in a big tank-of-a-car and you’ve been in an auto accident, if your car looks “uninjured,” it’s easy to assume that you are not hurt, either. After all, isn’t that the reason you’re driving a big vehicle? It’s for protection, right? Well, research has shown that occupants of vehicles, both large and compact, can be hurt a lot more than might be expected from a minor auto accident. In fact, as far as your body is concerned, there’s really no such thing as a “minor fender bender.”

When your body is compelled to stop abruptly and without warning, there are going to be reverberations. An emergency room attendant may hand you a clean bill of health because you haven’t sustained any broken bones, and you may be given a prescription for medication to reduce the muscle spasms that you are undoubtedly experiencing as a result of the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you experienced from the impact. But, unless you’re actually treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained, your problem can go from bad to far worse. In fact, many people experience problems years after a car accident because they didn’t get the help they required in the first place.

Your chiropractor genuinely knows what your body undergoes during an auto accident. Chiropractic care includes treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics impairment. And your chiropractor is an expert in rehabilitation strategies.

If you’ve experienced a minor auto accident, even if your car may not require much repair, you probably do. Neck and back injuries are not only painful in the regions in which they occur, but they can also cause pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and cause headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

You can get back on the road to feeling good again with drug-free, natural chiropractic care.  It will go a long way in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – behind you. Moreover, because your chiropractor has experience working with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you feel less physical stress, but less emotional stress, too!

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Santa Barbara Chiropractic: You Don't Need to Suffer With the Pain of Sciatica

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Santa Barbara chiropractic knows that sciatica is an extraordinarily painful affliction. If you suffer from sciatic pain, you are, sadly, all too familiar with the deep pain that is constant during your waking hours and interferes with your daily activities.

The path of sciatic pain is usually from your low back, through the buttock(s), and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of your leg(s). Many times, the pain may even travel into your knee. Sitting, as well as motion, can be painful. Occasionally lying down will reduce, or perhaps temporarily get rid of the pain. Nonetheless, sciatica cannot be corrected without appropriate care.

“Radiculopathy,” the medical term for the clinical diagnosis of sciatica, means simply that a disc has bulged from its original position in the vertebral column and is placing pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve. This type of pressure is extraordinarily painful.

Added pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles encircling the spine, can occur as the result of extended sitting, particularly in a poor position. For the most part, a precise event or exact injury doesn’t create sciatica, instead it tends to come about over time as a result of average wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Eventually the lower spine loses its ability to function in a healthy way during everyday requirements.

Finally, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, which then lets the soft nucleus protrude the disc outward. If the disc presses on sensitive tissues, it generates the pain that is often called a slipped disc. If the disc puts pressure on the spinal nerve, an individual can develop sciatica.

Most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be corrected with chiropractic adjustments and care that usually includes postural exercises. If you are experiencing sciatic pain, it is essential for you to seek help from your chiropractor.

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Santa Barbara Chiropractic Answers The Question: Can a Cervical Pillow Help Your Neck Pain?

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Santa Barbara Chiropractic has found that neck pain is often caused by sleeping on an improper pillow. That is why it is very important to use an orthopedic pillow that is intended to stop neck pain. If your pillow is too low or too fat then it might result in pain or tense muscles.

If you sleep on a pillow that has improper neck support, you will more than likely end up arising with neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, or some other type of painful condition.

Pillows also should be replaced yearly due to the breakdown in materials. Although some brands of pillows cost more, they frequently last longer. Pillows break down with time hence making them less helpful.  orthopedic pillows are expressly engineered to take care of neck and shoulder problems and provide support to the natural c-shape curve of the neck. A cervical pillow supports the head, aligns the neck spine in a neutral position, supports the head, and allows better shoulder rotation.

There are people who use more than one pillow, and that elevates their head to a position that results in increased joint pressure or swelling from muscle strain.

Fortunately, there is a solution to all these challenges. You can purchase a good quality neck pillow, even if it may be a bit more expensive than a traditional pillow. But, you would gain all the comfort for which you have been searching for such a long time. A good quality neck pillow, whether the pillow is down feathered, a foam-type, or poly-filled, it will provide you with necessary comfort and support. This will provide you with a good night’s sleep and a pain-free morning.

The quality of a cervical pillow may be ascertained by its ability to give support to the cervical spine’s natural curves and posture. But, the most effective way to find the most appropriate neck pillow for you, is to consult with a health care professional, like your chiropractor. The pillow should form itself to support your neck and head in the proper posture even if you sleep on your back or side. It is crucial to ensure that the neck pillow you purchase provides you with support on both your side and back postures.

You may also want to take into account your sleeping tendencies when purchasing a pillow for yourself. If you are in the habit of sleeping on your back, then you will need select a pillow that has been particularly manufactured to give neck and upper back support. If you are a side sleeper, then it will be necessary for you to have a bit higher pillow that will give you enough room for your shoulder position. When you are sleeping on an appropriate cervical, it should provide enough support to inhibit your head from going sideways, or rolling and tilting unnaturally.

Get yourself a good quality neck pillow and end your neck pain suffering today!

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Santa Barbara Chiropractic Can Help You If Tension Headaches or Migraines Interfere With Your Life

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Santa Barbara Chiropractic offers excellent treatment for individuals who are sidelined by tension headaches or migraines. If you are a sufferer, then you are painfully aware of the incapacitating impact of headaches and/or migraines.

Tension headaches: We’d all agree that life can be a pain, now and then, and end up as a tension headache. Most individuals have suffered from more than one. If you’ve had a tension headache, then you likely experience it as a dull, aching head pain that is frequently accompanied by a sensation of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. Sometimes, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and at times you may lose your appetite.

Tension headaches are generally described as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one headache to another in the same person, as well as from one individual to another Tension headaches can happen infrequently or you may have them quite frequently. If your headaches happen fifteen or more days a month for at least three months, they’re diagnosed as chronic. If tension headaches are interrupting your life, chiropractic treatment may be the remedy. Contact your chiropractor today.

Migraine Headaches: Migraine headaches differ from the typical tension-related headache. Firstly, migraines more often than not take place on one side of the head only, according to the National Headache Foundation. The throbbing or pulsating pain is accompanied by nausea or vomiting. Auras, visual symptoms an hour before a migraine attack, and disturbances such as pulsating light, lines or dots, are experienced by one-fifth of migraine sufferers.

Do you experience the painful symptoms of migraines? If you do, you know the distressing, incapacitating effects that this type of affliction can have on your life. The pain of a migraine headache can put you out of commission for hours, for days, for a lifetime, and standard over-the-counter medications are not only ineffective but, like prescription drugs, they all too often have harmful side effects. It’s time to eliminate the pain and get your life back! chiropractic care has proved to be powerful in relieving and eliminating migraine headaches. Make an appointment with your chiropractor today!

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Santa Barbara Chiropractic Is Expert In Helping Low Back Pain

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

If you’re feeling low back pain, the good news is that Santa Barbara chiropractic knows how to help you. Low back pain plagues numerous people, a surprising 80% in fact, making it second only to the common cold in its frequency. Although, in contrast to the common cold, waiting for your back pain to “run its course,” and taking prescription or over-the-counter remedies while you wait, is not the remedy. The majority of back pain won’t leave on its own. More often than not, if your pain lets up, it is most likely the result of your body’s compensating for the problem and, thus generating new problems. Low back pain is nothing to sneeze at! You need to seek the advice of a back pain specialist, like your chiropractor, if you intend to get rid of your back pain once and for all!

Back pain is often a mystery to many of the people who are afflicted by it, and chiropractors are proficient at solving the puzzle. Why is it that nearly all back pain sufferers have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries prior to the onset of their pain? The answer is that the cumulative effects of unsuitable sitting posture, poor work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of routine exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors produce most back pain.

These factors eventually add up and cause stresses and imbalances on the spine creating subluxations that can become serious back problems. The process is not unlike the front end of your car being out of alignment. When you insist upon driving anyway, there is unbalanced wear and tear on your tires. If you chose not to get the problem fixed, the situation could worsen until a tire “blew.” The health of the spine is put at risk when your spine is misaligned. It’s not only a problem waiting to happen, so to speak, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as effortless as reaching down to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that causes back injury. The surrounding back muscles go into spasm when thishappens in order to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

Chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors when it comes to problems of the spine. They provide state-of-the-art diagnosis and competent treatment for all muscular-skeletal problems. They not only offer welcomed relief if you are suffering from back pain, but they know what will help you to avoid further back pain. Along with effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will give you a personal exercise plan and recommend additional beneficial lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.

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Santa Barbara Chiropractic Treatment Can Relieve Your Hip Pain

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Santa Barbara Chiropractic can relieve your hip pain. Do you feel pain in one or both hips whenever you rotate them or when you cross your legs? Does the pain keep you awake at night and make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep? When you get up in the morning, or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it an effort, initially, to move your legs? If any of these symptoms sound familiar, then you are likely suffering from imbalances and alignment problems in the lower part of your body that, in addition to creating hip pain, can over time lead to degenerative hip joint disease if not addressed.

Even though hip pain and related problems regularly point to age-related degenerative conditions, especially osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the culprit. In fact, rather than being the original source of the problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the ultimate result of injury to your hips earlier.

Gait changes as the result of biomechanical issues such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can cause hip pain. Also, if you change jobs, alter the way you sit, take on a new sport or activity, or start driving for long periods of a regular basis, your gait may alter to compensate for these new changes.

In addition, gait asymmetries can occur from carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length discrepancies, or foot pronation challenges. Strictly speaking, anything that generates an asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion can develop into painful hip problems.

Along with your adjustments, as part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem your chiropractor may suggest that you wear orthotics. Your chiropractor will also offer suitable progressive rehabilitative exercises that include muscle stretching and strengthening.

Hip pain won’t disappear on its own. hip pain means that something needs to be remedied. Get out of pain, get back in balance, and get your life back now!

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