Access Family Chiropractic

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Common Treatments

ADHD

Symptoms: restlessness, inattentiveness, trouble concentrating in school or other controlled environments, inability to control impulsive thoughts or behaviors, easily distracted by noise and activity, inability to be still (always moving hands, arms, feet, legs).

The spine houses many of the body’s major nerves and is therefore in control of a great deal of nerve functions. Nerves travel all over our bodies and affect many different functions, especially (obviously) neurological functions. Since ADHD presents itself as a neurological disorder, it falls within the realm of treatment by a chiropractor. Adjustments can help your child and has been shown to improve concentration, impulsiveness, and over activeness.

However, all treatments performed by a chiropractor are best when accompanied by the commitment to a lifestyle change. It is recommended that those suffering from ADHD rely heavily on a diet of naturally grown, organic foods devoid of sugar and artificial sweetener. Combining this diet with chiropractic care has been shown to help children who suffer from ADHD.

Allergies

Symptoms: congestion, runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, sneezing.

Allergies affect millions of Americans. But why? It’s because your body is having an inappropriate reaction to certain allergens, like animal dander, pollen, and certain foods. That’s why everyone doesn’t have the same reaction to certain common allergens.

Rather than treating your symptoms of allergies, chiropractic treats the cause: that your body perceives these allergens as threat. Your immune system (which is responsible for your reaction to certain allergens) is directly tied to your nervous system. The spinal column is responsible for much of what happens in your nervous system. Correction of misalignment in your spine, and thereby your spinal cord, usually helps relieve reactions to certain allergens.

Asthma

An increase in the number of people being diagnosed with asthma can be attributed to the increased pollution in the atmosphere. Furthermore, because houses are now sealed so tightly, an inadequate air filtration system can trap irritants in the air inside a house. However, since all people do not suffer from asthma, it can also be attributed to the body’s irregular response to these irritants.

Research shows a link between the spinal column, the nervous system, and the respiratory system. Because of the relationship between these systems, patients afflicted with asthma receiving chiropractic care have reported improved breathing. In a recent study, 45% of participants with asthma saw a decrease in the number of asthma attacks after seeking chiropractic care.

Auto Accidents

Auto accidents, no matter how small, can cause serious damage to your spine. Even those who do not report injury or pain at the time of the accident can experience pain or misalignment later on. Auto accidents can produce problems that linger for many years.

Chiropractic can correct this misalignment in your spine, even if you do not know it is there. If you have recently been in an auto accident, consult a chiropractor whether you are experiencing pain or not.

Back Pain

One of the most common treatments associated with chiropractic is back pain. Many people relieve their back pain by taking pain medication. However, this can often make the back pain worse. Treating the cause of the pain is the best way to relieve it. Often times, this is caused by one of two things: the spine isn’t moving correctly, or the discs between the vertebrae have been damaged. Both of these things can be corrected with adjustments.

In Western medicine, treating back pain goes something like this: rest (which can prolong the pain) medicate (which can help you ignore it, thereby making it worse), treat it with therapy (which can injure it further) and perform surgery (a drastic measure). A chiropractor can determine the cause of your back pain, which could be a number of things. Commonly, the cause is misalignment in the spine. This can cause the patient to not only have back pain, but can also affect other parts of the body, since the spinal cord is linked to many functions in the body. A visit to the chiropractor can help relieve the pain in your back in as little as one adjustment.

Bedwetting

While most children are fully toilet trained by age 5, some children experience a lack of bladder control during the night. This causes them shame, embarrassment, and can ostracize them from their peers. However, chiropractic can help.

In the pediatric spine, there are 5 separate bones at the base of the spine that will fuse together later in life. Nerves run in and out of these bones, and if they become misaligned, they can affect the functionality of the bladder, causing bedwetting. This misalignment can be corrected by a chiropractor.

Carpal Tunnel

What happens to someone with carpal tunnel syndrome? The wrist houses a kind of “tunnel” through which nerves run up to the hand and fingers. Sometimes, the tunnel can collapse, creating painful pressure on the nerves. This is known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

A slight shift in the spine may cause the other joints in the arms to misalign, causing the painful collapse of the tunnel. Chiropractic can repair this through adjustments and alignments.

Colic

Colic is defined as inconsolable crying for more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks. Colic affects 10-20% of infants. Colicky infants are more likely to be victims of abuse or shaken baby syndrome. Colic is frustrating for parents (and baby too), but it is also treatable.

While there is no known cause of colic, dietary changes and activity changes may certainly help. Try cutting certain vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage out of your diet. Also stay away from chocolate, spicy foods, and nuts. Take your baby out for a ride around the block in his or her stroller.

Nothing has been shown to be more effective in treating colic than chiropractic care. In a study of colicky babies who seek chiropractic care for treatment, 94% showed an improvement. Sometimes, a very light tap could be all it takes to adjust your baby’s spine and relieve their stress and yours.

Ear Infections

Symptoms: Pain in the ears (babies often tug at their ears when they are in pain), fever, drainage of thick liquid, trouble sleeping and/or hearing.

While ear infections commonly afflict children, adults can get them as well. Either way, chiropractic can be an effective treatment for ear infections. Ear infections occur when natural drainage of mucus in the middle ear becomes blocked. When this happens, the middle ear becomes a haven for bacteria and viruses. While antibiotics treat the symptoms of an ear infection, they often leave the cause untouched. Children (and adults) prone to ear infections may need an adjustment in their spine. Often times, this minor adjustment can prevent further infections from occurring.

Fibromyalgia

Symptoms: the simplest explanation of fibromyalgia is widespread pain. This can include fatigue, anxiety, depression, trouble concentrating, headaches, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, tenderness, swelling, painful menstrual cramps, deep muscle aches, and more.

While many people with fibromyalgia feel too fatigued to exercise, it can help. Even starting small will lead to increased energy and decreased pain. Water-based exercises and slower paced movements such as tai-chi have been shown to help, and are also very low-impact.

Another thing that will help? You guessed it, chiropractic. Fibromyalgia affects every part of your body in most cases. The spine also affects every part of your body in some way. Studies have shown that fibromyalgia is related to abnormalities of blood flow to the brain, thereby causing the brain to interpret pain in various places throughout the body. Adjustments that can relieve tension in the spinal cord can help. With adjustments, those suffering from fibromyalgia can find relief and start to lead normal lives again.

Headaches

Most people experience headaches from time to time. There are many different reasons that people can get headaches. Headaches can happen if you are dehydrated, ill, or your general wellness is decreased. They can also be caused by misalignment in the spine. Sometimes, headaches can be caused by a problem in the lower spine. Because of this, the upper spine shifts to compensate, throwing off the balance of the head, causing frequent headaches.

While headaches are common, they are not normal. You don’t have to live with them. Consult a chiropractor and, after an assessment, they can determine the cause of the headaches. If the cause is misalignment, a simple adjustment could be all that is needed.

Pinched Nerve

For those who have experienced a pinched nerve, you know the pain can be excruciating and can also radiate to other places in the body. Large nerves that branch off from the spinal cord go through nerve openings. When misalignment blocks these nerve openings, the functions of these nerves can be impeded since the brain sends all commands through the spinal cord.

A “pinched nerve” feeling can occur due to one of two things: a compressed lesion, which is the actual pinching of a nerve, or a facilitative lesion, which is the stretching, twisting, or chafing of the nerve root. The facilitative lesion is more common, and the soft nerve tissue rubbing on the hard bone can be quite painful.

Adjustments, which are done by a chiropractor after a thorough examination, give your spine the little nudge it needs to put itself back into position. When your spine alignment is once again correct, the pressure on the pinched nerve will be relieved.

PMS

Symptoms: fatigue, menstrual cramps, mood swings, and bloating.

PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, affects millions of women. At times, the symptoms these women experience can be debilitating.

While no official study has been done, experience suggests that subluxation in the lumbar spine may have a negative effect on the female reproductive organs. An adjustment may relieve pressure on the nerves that control those organs.

Pregnancy

Chiropractic can be beneficial during all stages of pregnancy, including pre-conception and post conception.

If you’re planning to get pregnant, a pre-conception adjustment can prepare the spine for the journey to come. It can keep the spine balanced and ready to carry the weight that it will soon hold.

During pregnancy, there is a great deal of extra pressure on the spine and the muscles surrounding it. There are ways to safely adjust and balance your spine during pregnancy to help your body adjust to the changes that are being made.

Often, people rely on chiropractic for balancing and alignment just prior to giving birth, which is known to help reduce the risk of complications during labor.

After birth, chiropractic can be beneficial to both baby and mother.

Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It originates in the spinal cord and runs down through the buttocks and into the legs. Sometimes, a trauma can occur. The trauma may not be severe or even noticeable, but it causes the discs between the vertebrae to bulge. This creates crowding and pressure on the sciatic nerve, which then radiates down into the leg. Due to the size of the nerve, this is extremely painful and can make walking, sitting, standing, and lying down painful.

A consultation and thorough examination can help a chiropractor determine where the source of the issue is and how to help it.

Often, people rely on chiropractic for balancing and alignment just prior to giving birth, which is known to help reduce the risk of complications during labor.

After birth, chiropractic can be beneficial to both baby and mother.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is the unusual sideways curvature of the spine. This can occur at different degrees, but there are three different kinds of scoliosis: congenital (genetic predisposition), habitual (caused by habits and behavioral routines), and idiopathic (other unknown causes).

Scoliosis can cause pain and discomfort in the spine. In some cases, scoliosis may not be completely reversible, but posture and curvature can be improved through a series of adjustments. If these adjustments are started during childhood, muscles can be trained to support the spine differently.

Slipped Disc

In between each vertebra is a disc made of cartilage which allows for space for the nerves to exit the spinal column. At times, these discs can become traumatized and “slip,” causing a great deal of pain.

The term “slipped disc” conjures an image of a whole disc actually sitting slightly out of its place in between 2 vertebrae. However, a slipped disc is actually a bulging, protruding, wedged, or herniated disc.

Slipped discs can occur from improper lifting, bending, turning, etc. Remember, if you are lifting something off the ground, the safest way to do so is to bend at the knees and lift with your legs; never bend at the waist to lift something from the ground.

Chiropractic can, after thorough examination, help correct the slipped disc.

Stress

Everyone has stress in their life. Between careers, families, school, and everything else we do, we’re bound to get stressed about all that we have going on in our lives.

Many people tend to carry stress in the muscles surrounding their spines. Tension in the muscles can pull the vertebrae out of alignment. As you may have already learned, misalignment can cause a large variety of problems. If you have a great deal of stress in your life, and are having health issues, see a chiropractor. A simple adjustment may be all you need.

Whiplash

Whiplash occurs when the head is snapped forward or backward very quickly. This is what usually happens in an auto accident. Even minor fender-benders can cause whiplash. In a major accident, the vehicle absorbs most of the impact. In a minor accident, however, the people in the vehicle will absorb most of the impact.

You might not even know you have whiplash. Some people don’t experience pain until as much as a week after their accident. Neck pain, headache, and even pain in the arms and hands can occur.

Osteoporosis

Symptoms: Unfortunately, there aren’t many symptoms of osteoporosis. Many people are unaware that they have it until they have an x-ray done, usually in conjunction with a broken bone. Osteoporosis is the weakening of the bones. Bones become porous, much like swiss cheese.

Osteoporosis is not reversible, but it is preventable to an extent. A diet rich in calcium can keep bones strong through adulthood. Women are at a greater risk for osteoporosis, so they in particular should try to decrease other risk factors. Along with higher calcium intake, regular exercise and not smoking can help decrease the chances of osteoporosis.

So how can chiropractic help? As there is some pain associated with osteoporosis, visits with a chiropractor can help. It can also help maintain mobility and range-of-motion.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage between then bones becomes worn down or wears away completely. This is not reversible, but the pain associated with it is treatable.

A chiropractor can help with pain management by introducing exercises that strengthen the muscles around the joints. This can help support the joint better. Schedule a consultation to see what we can do for you.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis occurs when mild trauma happens in the foot, such as wearing shoes with improper foot support (such as in the arch), standing for long periods of time, obesity, and other causes. The tendons in the heel are compromised and cause pain.

You might be asking yourself, how could chiropractic care help with plantar fasciitis? Simple. Since the spine houses the spinal cord, part of the central nervous system, many ailments and pains are related to it. That is why chiropractic has such a wide range of treatment.

Traditional western medicine will treat the pain with medication to reduce pain and inflammation; they may even suggest surgery. Chiropractic offers a more natural and less invasive range of treatment options. Adjustments, along with other treatments, work with your body naturally to treat the underlying causes of the pain and inflammation caused by plantar fasciitis.

General Wellness

Everyone gets colds, and everyone has days where they feel awful and want to stay home, right? Wrong. Habitually healthy people practice habitually healthy habits, such as:

Regular exercise-30 minutes of physical activity a day is recommended

Good hygiene-washing your hands after bathroom visits and being careful of touching door handles (avoid when possible, because even if you wash your hands, other people sometimes don’t!)

Healthy diet-eating a diet rich with lean protein, veggies, fruits, and whole grains can boost your immune system’s ability to fight off infections, both bacterial and viral.

-Regular visits to the chiropractor-spinal subluxations, even ones you cannot feel, can have a negative effect on your body’s immune system. If your spine is in perfect alignment, the chances of becoming ill are lessened greatly.