Archive for the ‘Orlando chiropractor’ Category

Does hip pain keep you up at night and make it hard to get a good night’s rest? When you get out of bed in the morning, or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it initially difficult to move your legs? Do you feel pain in one or both hips whenever you rotate or twist them or when you cross your legs? If you answered “yes” to any or all of the previous questions you are likely suffering from imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing hip pain, can in the course of time produce degenerative hip joint disease if not taken care of.

Though hip pain and related problems can frequently be traced to age-related degenerative conditions, particularly osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the perpetrator. In fact, rather than being the original cause of the problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the end result of injury to your hips earlier.

Damage as the result of biomechanical issues, such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can generate changes in your gait that create 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 be caused by carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length discrepancies, or foot pronation challenges. In other words, anything that generates an asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion can develop into painful hip problems.

As part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem, along with adjustments, your chiropractor may prescribe orthotics. Your chiropractor will also offer applicable progressive rehabilitative exercises that include muscle stretching and strengthening.

Hip pain won’t diminish on its own. Hip pain is a signal that something needs correcting. Your chiropractor can help to get you out of pain, get back into balance, and get your life back!

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Recently I read an article on sciencedaily.com how caffeine improved memory loss in aged mice raised to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The article began with the angle that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.”  It continued by discussing a sequence of studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that proved that caffeine considerably decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice displaying symptoms of the disease.

But, before you make a decision to add another cuppa to your morning routine, let me add that also on the website, under “Related Stories,” were at least two articles reporting on studies that showed the non-beneficial effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

It seems to me that there are probably studies that will corroborate, or at least give credence to, any angle of thought, particularly when it is about age-related health issues. The “yin-yang” of caffeine benefits-deficits certainly aren’t, of course, the only ones. But, it did get me to considering about the likelihood that there will never be any “one thing” that will absolutely aid we, humans, in living longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological creatures. We are actively engaged in life. We’re not bred in a cage! And, furthermore, though Alzheimer’s disease may be on the rise, obviously none of us has been “singled out to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t entirely the “one thing” that will reverse or prevent it.

The human body is an elegant, intricate system that is designed to function homeostasis, that is to say, balance. Consequently good health is cultivated by a healthy, balanced attitude towards living, instead of our being briefly convinced by the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one specific thing fooling ourselves into believing that it will reverse all of the other immoderate and unwholesome things we have done to our bodies.

As a doctor of chiropractic, I believe that every single day we have an opportunity to make decisions that will assist us to live longer, healthier lives, healthy choices for our body and mind. When it comes to what is good for our body, we know what actually “feels” right and what doesn’t. So, I just wanted to offer some thoughts for you to keep in mind the next time you reach for that extra cup of coffee or second glass of red wine. There is no “one thing” that will do “everything” for your good health.

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If you sit for extended periods at a computer, you may be experiencing lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that also radiates down one or both of your arms generating additional pain, pins and needles, or numbness. Neck and shoulder pain are, in fact, the most common upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems among computer users. In a 2002 study tracking 632 computer users newly hired at major Atlanta companies, Dr. Fredric E. Gerr, an occupational medicine physician and ergonomics investigator at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues observed that roughly 60 percent developed neck or shoulder pain in the first year, though the study did not track how long symptoms persisted.

Younger generations growing up in the digital age are also joining the ranks of the “typing wounded.” Surveys at two universities found that 40 to 50 percent of undergraduates experienced upper-extremity pain from using their computers. Colleges do not build dormitory furniture to be ergonomically adjustable, said Dr. Benjamin Amick, scientific director of the Institute for Work and health in Toronto, who was a co-author of those studies. “They build it to be indestructible.”

In addition to repetitive stress problems, sitting at your computer too long places your upper back in a sustained, stressful posture, especially if you tend to lean forward when you’re working. This also puts your neck at an unnatural and strained angle. Lower back pain, in addition to being generated by simply sitting for long periods of time without getting up and moving around, is aggravated by bad posture.

Problems caused by extended computer use can not only lead to an inability to perform your work duties, but can keep you from enjoying the rest of your life, too. Your Orlando chiropractor can assist in eliminating the lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that you are currently experiencing. After that, it is important for you to become mindful of your body as you sit at your computer, and to give your body what it naturally needs. You can cultivate the habit of both sitting straight in your chair (as opposed to slouching) and relaxing your shoulders. This will help to relieve tension in your lower and upper back and neck. Take time to stretch periodically to ease muscle tension and encourage healthy blood flow. If your work station permits, sitting on an exercise ball can not only aide in keeping you in a beneficial posture, but can help to strengthen your core muscles as well. (Make sure that the ball is the right size so that when you are seated on it your arms are at a ninety-degree angle to your keyboard.)

Good posture for ease of movement, variety in the motions that you do, and short breaks to relax and stretch will go a long way in keeping your computer work (or play) pain-free.

Partial source: The New York Times, Health Review, June 22, 2009

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Allergies can turn our everyday life into misery. Unwelcome symptoms like itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash can be the consequence of a simple walk in the garden, a play date with Fluffy, a shellfish stew, or even something as small as a nut. But, occasionally our allergic reactions can progress from just plain irritating to dangerous and life-threatening as our air passageway begins to close and we have a difficult time breathing. If you have allergies, it may seem that, from time-to-time, your environment is a intensely hostile place and that the world around you is, truly, out to get you!

You may question why it is that other people appear to be so unaffected by the environment, while your body reacts, or rather overreacts, to it It’s a valid question. The answer is because some people, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that actually “freaks out” when they are confronted with ordinary substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.

Can your chiropractor help with your allergy symptoms? You may be surprised by the answer. Many individuals have noticed that they experience relief from their allergy symptoms after chiropractic treatment, even though chiropractic care doesn’t actually treat allergies. The reason for this is because chiropractic manipulation affects the complete nervous system, including the autoimmune system. When there’s an impedance in the nervous system, along with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose job it is to assist us in adapting and responding appropriately to our environment, can become under-active or overactive. The problem is the latter when it comes to your allergies. Because chiropractic manipulations lessen or remove disturbances in the nervous system and bring the body back into balance and harmony, the treatments provide that same balance and harmony to the auto-immune system as well. A healthy immune system reacts appropriately to supposed allergens in the environment.

So, as pointed out above, your chiropractor doesn’t actually treat allergies. You could say, instead, that relief from your allergies is simply the by-product of a well-adjusted nervous system. Make an appointment, today, to see your chiropractor and get back into harmony with your environment.

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If you drive a big car and you’re in an 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 safety, right? Well, research has revealed that occupants of vehicles, both large and compact, can be hurt a lot more than might be expected from a minor auto accident. In reality, 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 suddenly and without warning, there are going to be reverberations. You might be offered a clean bill of health by an emergency room attendant if you haven’t sustained any broken bones, and you may be given a prescription for drugs to ease the muscle spasms that you are doubtless experiencing as a result of the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you received 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 an auto accident because they didn’t get the help they needed in the first place.

Your Orlando Chiropractor unequivocally understands what your body undergoes during an auto accident. Chiropractic techniques include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics dysfunction. 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, more than like you do. Neck and back injuries are not only painful in the regions in which they take place, but they can also generate pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and result in 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 assist in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – in the past. Moreover, because your chiropractor has experience dealing with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you undergo less physical stress, but less emotional stress, as well!

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Hello, your Orlando Chiropractor here. I just read a great article about yoga for plus-size people. What a wonderful concept. I tell all my patients that “health begins right where you are today. You can’t wait for more time or less body weight.” However, up until now, yoga studios have not usually been purlieus for people of size. Striking a yoga pose has seemed to be an exclusive option for lithe, limber bodies. But, not anymore! Yoga classes for heavier people have been sprouting up all over the country with names like Buddha Body Yoga, MegaYoga, HeavyWeight Yoga, and Yoga for Round Bodies.

The ancient practice of yoga might be based on a philosophy of self-acceptance and non-competitiveness, but plus-size people usually feel too self-conscious to even try a yoga pose, much less try on a yoga philosophy. In addition, most yoga classes, even beginner courses, don’t address the needs of big bodies, says Michael Hayes, the owner of Buddha Body Yoga in New York. Poses considered standard for those who are fit or slim are often difficult or even impossible for heavier students.

So, if your body weight has been holding you back, and if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to start getting healthy and fit, it looks like that moment has arrived. Check to see if there’s a yoga class for plus-size people in town. If not, maybe you can start one!

For the complete article go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/health/nutrition/14fitness.html?_r=1&em

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Chiropractors, also called doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic physicians, treat people who are experiencing pain due to musculoskeletal and nervous system difficulties. Chiropractic treatments provide help for persons of all ages having afflictions of the spine.

Chiropractic education is very similar to medical and dental education that requires… three to four years of undergraduate studies and an additional four years of post-graduate education. Chiropractic curriculum includes anatomy, physiology, orthopedics, neurology, x-ray, nutrition, and philosophy. In the area of x-ray study, chiropractors , as a matter of fact, have quite a few more hours of education than medical doctors. Chiropractic studies in x-ray include x-ray safety, techniques, factors, positioning, and interpretation. In addition, chiropractors have more hours of coursework in nutrition than students in medical school receive. Chiropractors are licensed in all fifty states as doctors.

A proficient chiropractor should have considerable experience, in combination with excellent observational and diagnostic skills that help in detecting physical irregularities and joint challenged. Moreover, a good chiropractor should possess the important quality of compassion in working with individuals.

A proficient chiropractor provides non-surgical, drug-free treatment, and supplies education and suggestions about the assets of effective lifestyle changes. A adept chiropractor may offer additional care using laser therapy, ultrasound, or massage, and may additionally offer education about exercise and nutrition. Quite a few chiropractors pediatrics, nutrition, or internal disorders.

Just as any medical doctor, chiropractors employ the Standard Medical History information to aid in diagnosing and analyzing the origin of a dysfunction. Furthermore, a competent chiropractor will perform neurological tests and orthopedic checks. Some chiropractors will analyze the posture of a person as a way of identifying postural deviations, and the chiropractor may also observe gait to spot faulty movement patterns. Some chiropractors may request or require laboratory tests such as x-rays and other diagnostic imaging that will help in their analysis of misaligned vertebra and spinal problems.

So, you can be absolutely certain that a chiropractor is an authentic doctor. If you suffer with back pain, headaches, neck pain, hip pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, balance challenges, or arthritis, call for an appointment today for a trial of conservative chiropractic treatment.

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