Author: hyftechnologies

Will Chiropractic Treatment Stop Your Muscle Spasms?

Do you often experience back spasms, Charley horses, or other types of muscle spasms? Although occasional spasms may not be a cause for concern, painful muscle cramps can disrupt your life if they become a regular occurrence. Luckily, your chiropractor can find out why you keep getting muscle spasms and offer treatments that will relieve your pain.

What Causes Muscle Spasms?

Every time you move, your muscles contract or tighten, then relax again. Spasms occur when a muscle tightens involuntarily and remains stuck in the contraction phase for seconds or minutes. If you touch your muscle in the middle of a severe spasm, you may notice that it feels hard. Mild spasms may only cause twitching sensations in the muscle and are much less painful. Spasms can affect any muscle but are most common in the calf, thigh, back, hand, arm, foot, abdominal, and rib muscles.

Muscle spasms can be caused by:

• Dehydration: Dehydration occurs due to a decrease in the amount of fluid in your body. When you’re dehydrated, your body reroutes available fluids to your heart and other crucial organs. As a result, your muscles don’t receive the fluids they need and begin to cramp. Dehydration can be caused by a strenuous workout, high temperatures or humidity, not drinking enough, diarrhea, or excessive sweating.
• Overuse: You’re more likely to experience spasms when your muscles are tired. This can happen when you’re playing sports, painting your house, or removing snow from your driveway.
• Inactivity: Did your spasms start after you decided you needed more exercise? Your muscles may be more likely to cramp if you begin a vigorous fitness routine after weeks or months of inactivity.
• Poor Posture: Slouching or spending too much time in one position can strain your muscles. When muscles are strained, any movement can cause a spasm. In fact, bending down to reach a dropped pen could trigger painful spasms in your back or shoulder.
• Subluxations: Subluxations occur when the vertebrae, the small bones that make up your spine, become misaligned. When this happens, the muscles attached to the vertebrae tighten, making them more likely to spasm.
• Medication Side Effects: Some medications can increase your risk of muscle spasms. Drugs that may cause cramps include those used to treat high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, Alzheimer’s disease, myasthenia gravis, osteoporosis, and Parkinson’s disease, according to WebMD.
• Getting Older: Your muscles become smaller as you age. When you move, the muscles must work harder, which increases your risk of spasms.
• Other Causes: Muscle spasms can also be caused by poor circulation, pinched nerves, pregnancy, herniated discs, hypothyroidism, kidney or liver disease, or low calcium, potassium, and magnesium levels.

How Do Chiropractors Treat Muscle Spasms?

Before your chiropractor can treat your spasms, they must determine why you are getting these painful cramps. For example, if the spasms happen when you work out or play sports, not drinking enough water or failing to stretch before you exercise could be the reason for the cramps.

No matter what the cause, trying these chiropractic treatments may ease your pain and reduce the number of spasms you get:

• Hot and Cold Therapy: Heat loosens tight muscles, while ice reduces pain.
• Massage Therapy: Massages relax both you and your muscles. In addition to loosening your muscles, massage therapy also decreases pressures on nerves, which may lessen your pain. Massage prompts your body to produce endorphins, hormones that ease pain naturally and help you feel calm and relaxed. In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in July 2011, researchers reported that massage improves function and reduces pain as long as six months after the last massage session.
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: This therapy relaxes tight muscles and relieves pain by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain. During the treatment, electrodes attached to your skin produce a gentle electrical current.
• Spinal Manipulation: Pressure on muscles, nerves, and tendons decreases when your chiropractor realigns your vertebrae with spinal manipulation. Your doctor their hands or an activator to apply quick thrusts that improve the alignment of your spine. Once the muscles and vertebrae are properly aligned, blood circulation, flexibility, and range of motion also improve.

If you struggle with muscle spasms, contact our office to schedule an appointment with our chiropractor now.

Sources:

WebMD: Charley Horse, 3/17/20

Cleveland Clinic: Muscle Cramps, 12/10/19

Merck Manual: Muscle Cramps, 8/21

Annals of Internal Medicine: A Comparison of the Effects of 2 Types of Massage and Usual Care on Chronic Low Back Pain, 7/5/2011

Chiropractic Economics: Prevention and How to Stop a Muscle Spasm, 1/21/20

The Health Benefits of Stretching

Do you greet the morning with a satisfying stretch? Stretching loosens your muscles after a long night in bed and helps you feel alert and ready to face the day. But, if you only stretch first thing in the morning, you may be missing out on the many benefits stretching offers.

9 Reasons You Should Stretch More

Adding a few short stretching sessions to your day is a simple way to stay fit and healthy. When you stretch regularly, you’ll enjoy these benefits:

• Less Back Pain. You may be at risk of developing back pain even if your job doesn’t require anything more strenuous than sitting at a desk. Remaining in the same position most of the day can lead to back pain, particularly if the muscles in your thighs or pelvis become too tight and pull on your back. Stretching every day is a simple way to reduce or prevent an aching back.
• Straighter Posture. Slouching when you sit or stand increases tension on your muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments, causing headaches, along with aches and pains. If your muscles and ligaments become too tight, they can even cause misalignments in the vertebrae in your spine.
• Better Range of Motion and Flexibility. Flexibility declines as you get older, as does your ability to move your joints through their full range of motion. Luckily, stretching can help you keep your muscles and joints loose and limber.
• Fewer Injuries. You’re more likely to get hurt if you happen to fall when your muscles and joints are tight. If you play sports, warming up with a few stretches before you start the activity will reduce your risk of torn or strained muscles, bursitis, tendonitis, and other injuries.
• Improved Balance. Your balance also tends to get worse with age. If you’re more flexible, you’ll be able to better keep your balance and avoid dangerous falls. Balance time improved by 11.4% for participants who performed 30 minutes of stretching exercises in a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
• No More Aches and Pains. Aches and pains are an unavoidable part of life, but stretching may make them a little easier to handle. Stretching your legs, arms, back, hips, and neck can work out kinks and soothe your sore muscles.
• Less Stress. Increased muscle tension, one of the uncomfortable symptoms of stress, can cause headaches and restrict your range of motion. Stretching can help relieve some of the tightness and may help you feel more relaxed.
• Better Circulation. Oxygen and nutrients reach your body’s cells via your bloodstream. If your circulation is sluggish, your health can suffer. Luckily, stretching gets your blood flowing and helps you stay healthier.
• Reduced Risk of Certain Diseases. Stretching could help you avoid heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other serious health problems. Researchers at the University of Milan discovered that improving circulation with leg stretches could prevent the arteries from stiffening and help keep them open.

Taking yoga or exercise classes will help you stay limber, but you don’t need to sign up for a class to enjoy the benefits of stretching. In fact, you can stretch any time you have a few moments to spare. Make sure you use slow, gentle movements when you stretch, and make stretching a daily priority.

Are your muscles and joints tight and painful because you haven’t been stretching? A visit to the chiropractor will loosen your tight muscles, ease your joint pain, and realign your spine. Give us a call if you’d like to schedule an appointment for chiropractic care.

Sources:

Science Daily: Stretching Your Legs May Help Prevent Diseases Such as Heart Disease and Diabetes, 7/2/20

Harvard Health Publishing: The Importance of Stretching, 9/25/19

Self: Benefits of Stretching That Will Make Anyone Want to Move Their Body, 9/25/19

PubMed: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Acute Stretching Increases Postural Stability in Nonbalance Trained Individuals, 11/2012

How Chiropractic Treatment Can Help with Recovery Time

Pain, stiffness, and other symptoms often continue for days or weeks after an injury, even if the injury was fairly minor. Chiropractic care can shorten your recovery period and help you to return to your normal activities much sooner.

Ways Chiropractic Treatment Speeds Up Recovery

Let’s say your back or neck begins to hurt soon after you lift a heavy box or spend 12 hours in the car during a road trip. After resting for days or weeks, you’re still in pain, plus your joints have become stiff and inflexible.

Whether your pain is caused by a strained muscle, misaligned vertebrae in your spine, scar tissue, or another problem, chiropractic treatment offers a simple, drug-free solution.

Some of your pain may be due to subluxations. Subluxations happen when the vertebrae in your spine move out of alignment. Misaligned vertebrae can be caused by injuries, but may also occur due to poor posture or even the stress and strain of sitting in the same position for hours.

Subluxations not only cause pain but may also affect your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, causing them to tighten or become inflamed. In addition to treating back and neck pain, chiropractors also offer natural treatments for sprained ankles, shoulder injuries, leg, and arm pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, text neck, and other conditions.

Chiropractic treatment can help:

• Ease Pain Naturally. Pain medications and muscle relaxants help temporarily but don’t address the source of your pain. Restoring the natural alignment of your spine with spinal manipulation treatment starts the healing process, decreasing your reliance on medication. Your doctor uses gentle manual pressure to re-position your vertebrae during spinal manipulation. Once your vertebrae are properly aligned, your muscles begin to loosen, and painful pressure on your nerves decreases.
• Soothe Sore Muscles. It’s difficult to play with your kids or do yard work if you’re suffering from muscle spasms or tenderness. Massage, ultrasound therapy, and other chiropractic treatments relax tight muscles, ligaments and tendons, promote healing, and break up scar tissue or adhesions that can be a factor in pain.
• Restore Range of Motion and Flexibility. Once your vertebrae and joints are properly aligned and your muscles, tendons, and ligaments are loose, you’ll probably notice that it’s easier to move your body. Treatments also help decrease inflammation, another factor that contributes to pain and poor range of motion.
• Improve Blood Flow. After an injury, your body sends white blood cells and nutrients to the injured area to heal it. Unfortunately, some injuries can restrict the flow of blood. After normal blood flow is restored with chiropractic treatments, healing tends to happen much more quickly.
• Reduce Headaches. Neck and head injuries may cause painful headaches that last for days. Correcting spinal misalignments and relaxing your muscles with chiropractic care offers real relief for post-injury headaches.

Chiropractic treatment can also help you recover more quickly after a particularly grueling workout, improve your athletic performance or play without pain. In a case study published in the June 2014 issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, a patient who developed lateral epicondylitis, commonly called “tennis elbow,” was pain-free after just three weeks of active release technique (ART) treatment.

The hands-on treatment breaks up adhesions in muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and tissue. Adhesions not only restrict movement but may cause pain, numbness, and tingling.

Are your muscles and joints painful and stiff? Chiropractic treatment offers an effective way to ease your pain. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Chiropractic Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Case Report Utilizing Active Release Technique, 6/14

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Spinal Manipulation: What You Need to Know

Spine Universe: Sprains – Strains – Soft Tissue Injuries

How Spinal Alignment Can Help You Improve Your Sports Performance

Do you have trouble meeting your athletic goals despite hours of practice time? Skill isn’t the only factor that affects your ability to run faster, throw a ball accurately or prevent the other team from scoring. A misaligned spine may compromise your range of motion, recovery time and flexibility, causing performance difficulties. Fortunately, spinal manipulations performed by your chiropractor can correct misalignments and help you excel at your favorite sport or activity.

6 Spinal Alignment Advantages

Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, and Michael Phelps understand the importance of spinal alignment on sports performance. They, like many other exceptional athletes, visit chiropractors regularly for treatments that help them naturally enhance their abilities. In fact, chiropractic treatment offers a medication-free way to improve your athletic abilities without any concerns about side effects.

When your spine is properly aligned, you’ll enjoy these benefits:

• Fewer Injuries. Misalignments not only affect your spine but can also cause tightness in your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, increasing your risk of injury. Regular visits to your chiropractor will decrease misalignments, known as subluxations, and help you avoid aches, pains, and serious injuries.
• Better Balance. Correcting subluxations may also have a positive effect on your balance, improving your ability to make a save, avoid a fall if you stumble or perfect your balance beam routine. During spinal manipulation treatment, your chiropractor uses gentle, hands-on pressure to improve the alignment of the vertebrae in your back and neck.
• Improved Strength. Strength, an important factor in many sports, can decrease if you have a subluxation. The problem may affect your ability to grip or catch the ball, tackle opponents, run long distances or make key plays. Chiropractic provides a natural strength-boosting option. Brazilian researchers discovered that manipulating the vertebrae in the neck offered significant increases in strength. Judo athletes who received cervical (neck) spinal manipulation therapy improved their grip strength by 16 percent on the right side and 11 percent on the right side. Their results were published in the January 2012 issue of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.
• Quicker Healing Time. Correcting subluxations can also help you reduce healing time after an injury. Manipulations, electrical stimulation, ultrasound therapy, and other treatments decrease inflammation, ease spasms, enhance healing and improve the flow of blood and nutrients to the injured area.
• Faster Recovery Time. Sports take a toll on your body, no matter how diligently you stretch and warm-up before starting an activity. Without an adequate rest period following exertion, you may increase your risk of injury. When your spine is aligned properly, you may notice that it doesn’t take quite as long to return to top form.
• More Flexibility. Spinal manipulation, massage, and other treatments loosen tight joints and muscles, in addition to improving spinal alignment. These treatments increase your range of motion, prevent the formation of scar tissue, and decrease stiffness caused by tight muscles and joints. Thanks to your visits to the chiropractor, you may find that it’s easier to follow through when you swing a golf club or racquet or notice that you can stretch a little farther when making a diving catch.
• Enhanced Performance. You’ve probably noticed that your performance suffers if your back and neck hurt, your muscles are tight, or you have a throbbing headache. Fortunately, aches and pains due to subluxations won’t prevent you from excelling when you make chiropractic therapy part of your training regimen. Treatments may also improve nerve function, improve your reaction time, and even help you breathe more deeply.

Would you like to enhance your sports ability with chiropractic treatment? We’ll devise a comprehensive treatment plan that will help you improve your performance and strength and avoid injuries. Contact us to schedule your appointment.

Sources:

WRAL: The Dream Team

Palmer College of Chiropractic: Why Do Athletes Often Rely on Chiropractic Care, 7/1/16

National University of Health Sciences: 5 Reasons Why Chiropractic Treatments Are Important for Athletes, 5/31/17

PubMed: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1/12

A Guide to the Functionality of Your Spine

The movements we take for granted wouldn’t be possible without a healthy spine. Thanks to your strong backbone, you can jump over a puddle, bend to pick up your dropped keys, or twist to reach your lunch in the backseat of your car.

The Parts of the Spine and What They Do

The spine is made up of small bones called the vertebrae that protect the spinal cord, support your body and help you move easily. Each vertebra contains a rounded section, known as the vertebral body, and finger-like projections called processes. The muscles in your back are attached to these processes with bands of connective tissues called tendons. Ligaments connect the vertebrae together and help keep your spine stable when you move.

The spinal cord, a thick bundle of nerve fibers that transmit impulses from the brain, passes through a hollow area in the middle of the vertebra. These impulses keep your organs and immune system functioning properly, tell your muscles to contract when you move, and control breathing and other bodily functions. Nerves branch out from the spinal cord and travel to the various parts of your body.

Vertebrae also contain facet joints, sections of cartilage where two vertebrae meet. Facet joints are responsible for the flexibility and stability of your spine and help you turn, twist and bend. Small rubbery discs between each vertebra cushion your spine and absorb shock.

Your spine isn’t perfectly straight but forms an “S” shape. This shape keeps your weight evenly distributed, enhances flexibility, and reduces pressure on your back.

The 33 vertebrae in your spine are divided into these five sections:

• Cervical Spine: The cervical spine starts at the base of your head and contains seven vertebrae. These vertebrae support your head and neck and make it possible to turn your head.
• Thoracic Spine: The 12 thoracic vertebrae start at the bottom of your neck. They connect to your ribs and help support your chest and torso.
• Lumbar Spine: Five lumbar vertebrae make up your lower back. Since this area supports most of your body’s weight, it’s the most frequently injured part of the back.
• Sacrum: The sacrum is a triangular piece of bone formed of five vertebrae fused together. The sacrum connects to the hips and doesn’t move, unlike your other vertebrae. It supports your pelvis and keeps it stable.
• Coccyx (Tailbone): Your tailbone is actually made up of four vertebrae fused together. Although this part of the spine also doesn’t move, it provides an anchoring point for ligaments and muscles in your pelvis.

Common Causes of Back Pain

Pain in your spine can occur for many reasons, including:

• Problems with Discs: Disc herniation, a problem that occurs when the soft inner core of the disk protrudes through the tough outer covering, can cause pain, numbness, and tingling. Herniated discs can occur due to injuries or aging.
• Arthritis: Arthritis can affect any joint in your body, including the facet joints in your back.
• Subluxations: Subluxations occur when the vertebrae become misaligned. Injuries can cause subluxations, they can also occur if you sit for long hours or have poor posture.
• Tight Muscles: Muscle tension can cause backaches and may be related to subluxations. Misaligned vertebrae tend to pull on muscles, causing pain and tension.
• Sprains and Strains: Strains or sprains in the muscles and ligaments in your back can happen if you lift a heavy object or twist your back too far.
• Pinched Nerves: Misaligned vertebrae, tight muscles, or herniated discs may press against the nerves in your back, triggering pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness.
• Scoliosis: Scoliosis, a condition usually diagnosed during childhood, occurs when the spine curves sideways. Back pain and muscle spasms can be related to scoliosis. You may also notice that one shoulder is higher than the other.

As much as we rely on our spines, it’s not surprising that back pain is a common complaint. In fact, 80% of Americans can expect to experience back pain at some point in their lives, according to statistics from the American Chiropractic Association.

Chiropractic treats the source of back pain and helps keep your spine properly aligned. Are you frustrated by nagging back pain? Give us a call and we’ll help you make an appointment with a chiropractor.

Sources:

American Chiropractic Association: Back Pain Facts and Statistics

National Center for Biotechnology Information: How Does the Spine Work? 2/14/19

University of Maryland Medical Center: A Patient’s Guide to Anatomy and Function of the Spine

Cleveland Clinic: Spine Structure and Function

How Chiropractic Treatment Helps You Recover from an Auto Accident

Broken bones, cuts, and bruises aren’t the only injuries you may experience after a motor vehicle accident. Car accidents can also strain muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints, causing pain, stiffness, and loss of flexibility. Fortunately, your chiropractor offers several treatments that can ease pain and other symptoms.

Chiropractic Offers a Non-Invasive Way to Treat Whiplash

Whiplash, an injury that happens when your neck moves and back forth suddenly, is one of the most common auto accident injuries. The injury damages or strains muscles, ligaments, and discs in your neck and may move vertebrae out of alignment. The injury affects approximately two-thirds of people who have been in motor vehicle accidents, according to the American Chiropractic Association.

Whiplash can occur at both low and high speeds and can be just as painful no matter how fast the car was traveling. Neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and spasms can happen immediately or might start several days after the accident.

Chiropractic treatment decreases inflammation, realigns the vertebrae in your neck, improves range of motion and blood flow, and decreases pain and spasms. Your chiropractic treatment plan may include several of these therapies:

• Spinal manipulation
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Flexion-distraction
• Ultrasound
• Trigger point therapy
• Muscle stimulation
• Interferential electrical stimulation

Tired of Muscle Spasms? A Visit to the Chiropractor Can Help

Even if your body is restrained by a seatbelt during a crash, you may still develop muscle aches and spasms in your back, shoulders, and neck. Massage and soft tissue manipulation, a technique that gently stretches tissues, can reduce pain and spasms. These therapies also relieve stiffness and improve range of motion. Other helpful treatments include hot and cold therapies, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation.

Chiropractic Offers Drug-Free Pain Relief

Over-the-counter and prescription medication can be very helpful when pain interferes with your life. Unfortunately, the effects of the drugs wear off in a few hours, causing your symptoms to return. If you don’t treat the source of your pain, you may become reliant on or addicted to your pain medications.

During your first visit to the chiropractic office, your doctor will perform a thorough examination, ask a few questions about the accident and your symptoms, and recommend X-rays or other tests that will provide information about the extent of your injuries. This information will help your practitioner determine why you have pain and create a treatment plan that will pinpoint the source of your pain.

You’ll Be Less Likely to Develop Scar Tissue with Chiropractic Treatment

Your body produces scar tissue to repair damage caused by your auto accident. Unfortunately, scar tissue can also limit the movement of a joint or a muscle, making it difficult to reach for a glass on a high shelf or bend to pick up a stray sock. Massage, soft tissue mobilization and manipulation, and other treatments break apart pockets of scar tissue and relieve pain and stiffness.

Treatments Help You Avoid Chronic Pain and Inflammation

Auto accident injuries can increase your risk of arthritis and other chronic conditions without prompt treatment. Unfortunately, if you wait until the pain becomes a constant complaint, it may be too late to eliminate it.

Inflammation isn’t limited to your sore neck or shoulder after a car accident but can affect your entire body. The longer inflammation remains, the longer you’ll experience aches and pains. Chiropractic treatment can jumpstart your body’s natural anti-inflammation response, relieving pain and reducing your risk of developing chronic health conditions.

Are you struggling with pain, stiffness, or headaches after an auto accident? Chiropractic treatment offers a natural solution for your symptoms. Contact our office to schedule your appointment.

Sources:

American Chiropractic Association: Whiplash: More than Standard Neck Pain, 3/15

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Chiropractic Management of a Patient With Chronic Pain in a Federally Qualified Health Center: A Case Report, 6/18

Spine Universe: Chiropractic Care for Whiplash

Protecting Your Nervous System with Chiropractic Care

Your nervous system controls every part of your body. It’s the reason that your heart beats in a normal rhythm and your limbs move the way they do. When the nervous system doesn’t function as it should, you’re more likely to develop a variety of problems, ranging from gastrointestinal issues to frequent illnesses to troubles with balance and coordination.

Fortunately, regular visits to your chiropractor can help improve the way your nervous system works and enhance your physical and mental health.

How Your Chiropractor Helps You Care for Your Nervous System

Your nervous system is made up of your brain, spinal column, and the nerves that branch out from the spinal column. A problem with any one of these structures can affect your health.

Subluxations are a common cause of nervous system issues. They occur when one or more of the vertebrae that make up your spine becomes misaligned, Subluxations can press on nerves, interfering with the transfer of signals from the brain to various parts of your body.

Your chiropractor uses spinal manipulation to reduce pressure on the nerves and realign your vertebrae. The therapy involves quick thrusts to the spine that move the vertebrae back into position. Spinal manipulation offers a simple, effective way to improve nervous system functioning and relieve pain and inflammation.

Thanks to chiropractic care, you can look forward to:

• A Healthier Digestive System. Abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation, gas, and heartburn are more likely to occur if the nerves that serve your gastrointestinal system aren’t performing optimally. Regular adjustments may improve your gut health and reduce discomfort and emergency visits to the bathroom.
• Better Balance. Nerve issues may also affect your balance and coordination, leading to dizziness, vertigo, and falls. Balance problems can affect people of any age but become more common with age. Improving your nerve health with chiropractic treatment can help you avoid broken bones, sprains, cuts, and other injuries that can happen if you struggle to keep your balance.
• Reduced Stress. Have you ever wondered why stress affects some people more than others? A nervous system issue may be to blame. In addition to relieving pressure on the nerves, spinal manipulation, massage, and other therapies also increase how many endorphins that your body produces. These feel-good chemicals help you feel relaxed and happy and decrease pain naturally.
• More Sleep. Lack of sleep not only increases your risk of injuries but is linked to chronic health problems, like diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. If you have trouble staying asleep or falling asleep, you might feel irritable and find it difficult to concentrate at work or school. In addition to relieving subluxations, chiropractic treatment also eases pain and stress, which can be factors in poor sleep.
• Faster Metabolism. Do you have trouble maintaining a healthy weight even if you watch what you eat? Nervous system issues due to subluxations could be affecting your body’s ability to turn food into energy. Improving your sluggish metabolism could be as simple as paying a visit to your chiropractor.

Are you ready to enhance your nervous system with chiropractic care? Contact our office to schedule a visit with the chiropractor.

Sources:

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency

American Chiropractic Association: What the Research Shows About Chiropractic

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Spinal Manipulation: What You Need to Know

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics: Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care to Improve Sensorimotor Function Associated With Falls Risk in Older People: A Randomized Controlled Trial, 5/16

Chiropractic Can Ease Chronic Pain Related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Chronic pain, one of the lesser-known symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can make living with the condition even more difficult. Fortunately, your chiropractor can help you manage your PTSD pain.

How PTSD Causes Chronic Pain

Can you remember the last time you truly felt relaxed? Flashbacks, nightmares, and negative thoughts can trigger near-constant stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, both stress and anxiety can be factors in pain.

When you’re stressed, your muscles tend to tighten, particularly those in your head, neck, shoulder, and back. In fact, your chronic back pain could actually be caused by your PTSD. In a study conducted on male twins, researchers discovered that men who had PTSD were more likely to have chronic back pain than their twins. The research appeared in the September 1, 2019 issue of Spine.

Tight muscles can also be to blame for frequent tension headaches and migraines. Constant muscle tension may eventually cause painful knots that never seem to go away. Pain from knots can travel to other parts of the body. Although a knot might be located in a muscle in your upper back, you may actually feel pain in your shoulder and arm.

Muscles that are too tight may pull the vertebrae in your spine out of alignment. Misalignments, called subluxations, are common causes of neck and back pain but can cause pain anywhere in the body. Subluxations, coupled with tight muscles, can also affect your ability to move a joint freely and without pain. Misaligned vertebrae or muscles may press on nerves, causing sciatica or other types of pain.

Stress and anxiety might be the reason you experience abdominal pain or diarrhea. When you’re stressed, your body produces higher amounts of the hormone cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol can irritate the lining of the digestive tract, causing abdominal pain. Too much cortisol may also be the reason that you have to make frequent trips to the bathroom.

If you already have pain from an injury, feeling constantly anxious or stressed may make your pain even worse.

Chiropractic Treatments Helps You Manage Pain Naturally

Luckily, visiting your chiropractor can help you keep your pain under control. Chiropractic treatment offers these benefits:

• Correction of Spinal Misalignments. Your chiropractor uses spinal manipulation to adjust and realign your spine. The therapy is performed with the hands or a small activator device and involves quick thrusts to your spine. You’ll probably begin to feel better after your first treatment, although you’ll need to return for additional treatments to experience the full effects of this therapy.
• Looser Muscles. Once your spine is properly aligned, your muscles and tendons will become looser too, decreasing muscle pain and spasms. Massage might be part of your treatment plan, in addition to spinal manipulation. The therapy eases muscle tension and also raises serotonin and endorphin levels. The natural chemicals help you relax, improve your mood, and act as natural painkillers.
• Improved Range of Motion. Chiropractic treatment makes it easier to move your joints without pain and increases flexibility.
• Less Stress. Raising your serotonin and endorphin levels while also easing joint and muscle pain just may help you feel less stressed. Once your stress is under control, you may notice less chronic pain.
• Reduced Inflammation. Chronic stress can lead to inflammation throughout your body. Inflammation is linked to depression, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and heart attack, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It may also cause pain. Fortunately, chiropractic treatments offer a simple way to lower inflammation and stress.

Are you tired of living with PTSD pain? Give our office a call and find out how chiropractic treatment can help you.

Sources:

Cleveland Clinic: Why You Should Pay Attention to Chronic Inflammation

Cleveland Clinic: 7 Strange Things Stress Can Do to Your Body, 10/7/20

Military Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Clinical Outcomes Following Chiropractic Care in Veterans With and Without Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder, June 2009

Spine: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms are Associated With Incident Chronic Back Pain, 9/1/19

^{How to Celebrate National Chiropractic Health Month}

^{National Chiropractic Health Month in October is the perfect time to reflect on the way chiropractic care improves your life. Not sure how to observe this important month? Try a few of these suggestions.}

^{Keep Moving}

^{Stiff joints and tight muscles are more likely to be a problem if you don’t get enough exercise or spend too much time sitting. Fortunately, increasing your activity level is a simple way to avoid pain and stiffness. In fact, movement is so important that the American Chiropractic Association has made “Keep Moving” its theme for this year’s National Chiropractic Health Month.}

^{Synovial fluid surrounding your joints decreases friction when you move a joint, helping it move easily. The more you move, the more fluid circulates around your joints. Movement also helps nutrients reach your joints and muscles, reduces muscle stiffness and spasms, and makes it easier for your body to remove old, damaged cells from your joints.}

^{Regular exercise keeps your bones strong and strengthens the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that support your joints. Although exercising in the gym is an excellent way to increase your activity level, you don’t need to participate in a formal workout program to enjoy the benefits of moving more. Walking, riding your bike, dancing, and gardening will keep your joints limber and strong.}

^{Use Proper Lifting Techniques}

^{According to the National Safety Council, the way you lift boxes and other heavy objects may increase your risk of a back injury, the second most common workplace injury. Poor lifting techniques stress the joints and muscles in your back, causing mild to severe pain.}

^{Prevent lifting injuries by following these steps when lifting:}

• ^{Bend your legs and keep your back straight when you lower your body to lift an object.}
• ^{Keep the object close to your body when lifting.}
• ^{Don’t twist your spine while carrying something heavy.}
• ^{Bend your knees and slowly lower the object when you’re ready to put it down.}

^{Even if you follow safe lifting techniques, you can still hurt your back if you lift something too heavy. Pick up a corner of the box or object first if you’re unsure of the weight. If the object feels very heavy, ask for help.}

^{Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle}

^{Eating healthy foods lowers your risk of developing serious conditions ranging from heart disease to diabetes and also helps you avoid joint issues. Making smart food choices ensures that your joints receive the nutrients needed to function efficiently and may help you heal faster if you do experience an injury.}

^{Limit the amount of fried, fatty, or processed foods you eat and add whole grains, lean meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats to your diet. Giving up smoking or heavy drinking will also help you protect your joints.}

^{See Your Chiropractor}

^{Visiting the chiropractor when you first notice pain, muscle spasms, or reduced range of motion can help you feel better faster. Your chiropractor offers many treatments designed to ease pain and mobility, including:}

• ^{Spinal Manipulation}
• ^{Heat and Cold Therapies}
• ^{Soft Tissue Manipulation and Mobilization}
• ^{Ultrasound Therapy}
• ^Massage
• ^Traction
• ^{Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)}

^{Scheduling periodic visits to the chiropractor will help you maintain good joint and muscle health and avoid injuries.}

^{Falls, poor posture, stress, and improper lifting techniques can cause the vertebrae in your spine to become misaligned. Misalignments, which chiropractors call “subluxations,” not only cause pain but can tighten muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Subluxations may also increase your risk of injury when you participate in sports. Spinal manipulation, one of the treatments provided by your chiropractor, offers a simple, painless way to realign your spine.}

^{Are you ready to take advantage of the many benefits of chiropractic treatment? Contact our office to schedule a visit with the chiropractor.}

^Sources:

American Chiropractic Association: Keep Moving: Preventing Joint Injuries

National Safety Council: Know the Facts About Backs

OSHA: Controlling Ergonomic Hazards

Treat Your Chronic Conditions with Chiropractic Care

Back and neck pain relief isn’t the only benefit of visiting the chiropractor. Chiropractic treatment also offers an effective way to treat many chronic conditions that can affect your health or cause chronic pain. These conditions are among the many ailments that your chiropractor treats.

Frequent Headaches and Migraines

Chiropractic care offers an alternative to over-the-counter and prescription medications used to treat headaches and migraines. If you’re worried about the long-term health consequences of taking over-the-counter drugs or prescription medications that make you feel nauseated and tired, chiropractic treatment offers a better solution. Treatment not only eases your pain but can also reduce the number of headaches you get every month.

Asthma

Problems with the alignment of your spine could be making your asthma symptoms worse. Vertebrae, the small bones that make up your spine, can become misaligned due to injuries, stress, poor lifting, improper exercise techniques, or even poor posture. Ligaments, muscles, and tendons often become stiff and tight due to spinal misalignments, a problem chiropractors call “subluxations.”

Realigning your spine with chiropractic treatments loosens the muscles you use for breathing, allowing you to take deeper breaths. Treatments also make it easier for your brain to send messages to your lungs via your nerves.

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)

TMJ causes jaw pain and stiffness, clicking or popping sounds, headaches, muscle spasms, and ear pain. The condition affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your hinged jaw joints and can make chewing painful.

Your symptoms could be caused by a misalignment of the bones in the joint. Your chiropractor can gently move the bones back into place, relieving your symptoms. Chiropractic treatment can also break apart scar tissue and loosen tight muscles in your jaw.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD)

GERD occurs when stomach acids flow backward into your esophagus. The acids irritate the sensitive lining of the esophagus causing heartburn, hoarseness, chest pain, bad breath, trouble swallowing, and other symptoms. GERD can happen if the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus is weak or doesn’t close completely, It can also be triggered by wearing tight belts or clothing, lying down soon after eating, or gaining weight.

Subluxations that press on nerves in the stomach and other parts of the gastrointestinal system could increase your risk of GERD or worsen it. Spinal manipulation, a hands-on treatment that realigns your spine, reduces pressure on nerves. Your chiropractor may also recommend exercises that will strengthen your back. When your back muscles are strong, you may notice less pressure on your stomach and fewer GERD symptoms.

Insomnia

Poor sleep is a common complaint in the U.S. In fact, 10 to 30 percent of Americans have chronic insomnia, according to the Sleep Foundation. Your risk of sleep troubles increases the older you get. No matter what your age, it’s difficult to function during the day if you have trouble falling or staying asleep.

Chiropractic treatment helps you sleep by relieving pain and easing stress, two factors in poor sleep quality. Treatments also spur your body to produce more serotonin, a hormone that makes you feel calm, happy, and relaxed.

High Blood Pressure

Your risk of blood pressure increases if someone in your family has the condition or if you’re overweight, stressed, don’t exercise enough, or eat an unhealthy diet. In some cases, high blood pressure can also be related to neck subluxation.

In a UChicago Medicine study, patients who had a misalignment of the vertebrae in their neck and also had high blood pressure saw their blood pressure drop after spinal manipulation treatment. The study participants had misalignments of the C-1 vertebrae, located at the base of the head. Because a misalignment in this area usually doesn’t cause pain, you may have a subluxation and not realize that anything is wrong.

Are you tired of dealing with the symptoms of a chronic condition? Chiropractic treatment offers an effective way to manage many diseases and conditions. If you’d like to relieve your symptoms naturally, contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

Sleep Foundation: Sleep Statistics, 2/8/21

Global Advantages in Health and Medicine: Integrating Chiropractic Care Into the Treatment of Migraine Headaches in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Case Series, 3/28/19

UChicago Medicine: Special Chiropractic Adjustment Lowers Blood Pressure Among Hypertensive Patients with Misaligned C-1 Vertebrae, 3/14/07

Canadian Chiropractic Association: 3 Things You Need to Know About TMJ Pain, 5/13/20