Huntington Beach Chiropractor

Margaret Winfrey asked:


There are several medical conditions that are suitable for chiropractic treatment, not just back pain and slipped or herniated discs.  In fact, some, such as allergies, would not normally be associated with chiropractics, yet many conditions that involve neural pathways are treatable using chiropractic therapy.  Here is a range of conditions that can be treated using non-invasive manipulative therapy.

Neck and Back Pain

The treatment of back pain, and other problems associated with the spine, is a classic application of chiropractics. Many spinal problems can be resolved using manipulative therapy much more effectively that by surgery.  A classic case is that of the bulging or herniated disc in the lumbar or cervical vertebrae. Often referred to as a slipped disc, the disc has not slipped because it is firmly attached to the vertebrae, but has actually ruptured.

A vertebral disc consists of a spongy shock-absorbent gel, the nucleus pulposus, surrounded by a tough annular sheath. Occasionally the gel will lose its strength, often through age or stresses on the spine, and rupture through the sheath creating a condition known as a herniated disc.  If the gel simply presses against the inside of the annulus and creates a lump, it is known as a bulging disc. The hernia or bulge can press against a nerve and cause extreme pain.

This can occur in the cervical vertebrae of the neck or the lumbar vertebrae of the lower back, and although surgery can be used to cut out the disc and then fuse the vertebrae together, chiropractics can offer a far better solution in IDD Therapy (intervertebral differential dynamic therapy). This non-invasive technique gently creates a pressure differential between the vertebrae that causes the disc to expand like a bellows and **** in nutrients and water to enable the rupture to heal with an average 86% success rate.

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

CTS is caused by a pinched nerve in the tunnel of bones formed by the carpals in the wrist. Chiropractic care involves manipulation of the upper spine, elbow and wrist and also ultrasound therapy. There have been two studies carried out involving 25 and 91 individuals that have reported significant improvements in the condition after chiropractic treatment.

The second, involving 91 people, came to the conclusion that chiropractics was at least as effective as conventional treatment involving drugs and wrist supports. The condition can be caused by a misalignment in the spine, hence the manipulation of the upper spine and neck being part of the treatment.

Joint Problems

There are a number of causes of joint dysfunction, including osteoarthritis, degradation due to misaligned joints, disc problems and a few more. Chiropractic treatment can realign joints very effectively, and also resolve disc problems as discussed above. A lack of flexibility due to osteoarthritis can also be improved by manipulation with accompanying pain relief.  

Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash symptoms include neck pain and stiffness, shoulder and arm pain, visual disturbances and headache. Physical chiropractic therapy can be used in conjunction with strengthening exercise to treat the damage caused, and the neck and spine can be adjusted to get you on the road to recovery.

Allergies

Allergic reactions are caused by the immune system reacting to a trigger that it detects as being pathogenic. The processes that initiate the allergic reaction are passed through the neural system, down the spinal cord to the areas concerned.  Chiropractics can sometimes be used to help moderate the allergic reaction by working on the neuro-musculoskeletal system.

Pain

Pain, such as headaches and other neurological conditions, has many causes.  Sometimes chiropractic care can be used to moderate pain or eliminate it altogether, depending on its source. Common sources of pain that are treatable using chiropractics include trapped nerves, inflamed nerve roots and pressure being exerted on a nerve by, for example, a herniated disc or misaligned bones.  Each of these can be resolved by means of manipulative therapy, where traditional medicine would normally offer you a painkiller or some other drug.

Accidents

If you have been involved in an accident that could have resulted in misalignment of the bones in your spine or damage to your neural system then chiropractic treatment could help. Realignment of bones or gentle manipulation of areas of the spine could reduce nerve inflammation and debilitating pain.

There are many other conditions suitable for chiropractic treatment, not all medical. In fact, even if you feel fully fit a chiropractic check-up can often detect irregularities in your spine and joints that might not be causing you problems now, but will at some time in the future. It is not uncommon for spinal disorders to be detected and rectified long before they have been able to impact on the patient’s health.

The upshot is that chiropractic care can be used to treat a variety of conditions, some with no immediately obvious connection with the area being treated.  That is because the neurological system operates in such a way that pain can be felt in a part of your body some distance away from the source of the problem.  That is one reason why conventional medicine can sometimes miss the problem altogether, and treat a symptom rather than the cause. Not so with chiropractic treatment.



Huntington Beach Chiropractor

Margaret Winfrey asked:


When seeking chiropractic care in Atlanta, there are certain things you should keep your eyes open for. Chiropractic care is a profession, and Doctors of Chiropractic, sometimes simply referred to as chiropractors, believe in the body’s inherent ability to heal itself with just a little help that avoids drugs, surgery or any other invasive technique. They are generally involved in the treatment of neurological and musculoskeletal problems such as spinal conditions and those involving pain, such as sciatica and back pain. Their treatment involves no surgery or medication, just manipulation that can be carried out manually or by machine.

Some forms of Chiropractics can be harmful if not carried out correctly by trained chiropractors, and it is highly recommended that when seeking chiropractic care in Atlanta you make sure that your doctor is certified with the NACM (National Association of Chiropractic Medicine).  Typical conditions with which you visit a chiropractor include joint pain, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica and neck and back pain among many other similar conditions. Frequently patients will have tried more traditional remedies such as surgery or pharmaceutical medication without achieving a lasting cure, and have decided to try chiropractics as a last resort. It is important therefore, that you keep an eye open for indications that your choice of chiropractic care in Atlanta might not be the right one.  

For example, you should avoid any chiropractor who claims to be able to cure a disease, and you should carefully check out anybody that makes claims to practice preventive care. This is true in Atlanta as anywhere else in the USA. Real chiropractors do not use immunizations, and nor do they use ongoing X-rays after the initial examination. Some chiropractors are not fully trained and have set up in business without the proper certification. In fact, had some people considered a qualified Doctor of Chiropractics as their first port of call when seeking chiropractic care in Atlanta they might well have saved themselves a lot of time and pain, not to mention money.  A chiropractic physician will first interview you to find out about your condition and general state of health, and will give you a physical examination.  

If deemed necessary, this could include x-ray examination and perhaps a laboratory analysis.  The whole objective of this is to get a good idea of your musculoskeletal structure and the nature of your condition.  However, they will also ask you questions about your diet, stress levels and other aspects of your life that could influence your medical and mental condition. In reaching a diagnosis a chiropractor will also try to establish a cause, or origin of the problem. It is always important to get to the root cause and deal with that rather than do as many physicians do and treat the symptoms.

That does not remove the problem, simply makes it less noticeable, but it will always still be there. Thus, the bulging disc will be treated, and not just the pain that it causes. The sciatic nerve that it is pinching in your spine might be the cause of the severe leg pain you are experiencing, and there is little point in treating the leg if the root problem lies elsewhere. Perhaps there is a misalignment of bones in your neck that is causing a problem in your arm. The chiropractor can adjust that alignment without surgery and cure the pain in your arm, even though it originates in your neck.

The chiropractor will try to find out what is causing the misalignment:  is it congenital, the result of an accident or your bad posture? By dealing with the cause of the misalignment, a repetition of it can be avoided, so not only are you having the pain in your arm fixed by tracing it to a bone misalignment in your neck perhaps pinching a nerve, but also the cause of the misalignment also rectified. That’s far preferable to giving you some painkillers and sending you home. If your chiropractor offers you painkillers as their first treatment, give them a wide berth. Sometimes they might be necessary but not before the condition has been thoroughly examined and a course of treatment set. Chiropractic treatment might involve regular massage, stretching exercises or even strengthening exercises so that your own muscles become strong enough to overcome the underlying problem. The initial step will be to reduce the pain or discomfort you feel, and that might happen quite quickly.  You might feel that you are being cured, but in fact it is only the symptoms that are being treated at this stage.  

Once you are feeling more comfortable, and are relatively free of pain, rehabilitation begins that involves dealing with the underlying cause of your discomfort. This could involve manipulative treatment and strengthening exercises so that your neuro-musculoskeletal system is functioning as it should be. After that your chiropractor will formulate a program of nutrition and exercise for you, designed to prevent the condition from recurring, and to improve your general well being and health.

All of this takes time, and in chiropractics it is a case of little and often.  Frequent small changes to skeletal alignment or other biomechanical aspects of your body will allow problems to be resolved at a proper rate.  Too fast and the changes will not have time to become permanent, and although they might appear to be effective, you will soon suffer a relapse.  Many people find that chiropractics work for them where the more traditional techniques have not, and if you suffer from musculoskeletal problems, or suffer back pain, disc problems or any form of neural pain, then you are advised to visit a Doctor of Chiropractics who will be experienced in dealing with your kind of problem. However, when seeking chiropractic care in Atlanta make sure that your choice is qualified and NACM certified.



Huntington Beach Chiropractor