Chiropractors Methods For Aligning Your Spine

When medicines can't help patients with their chronic back problems, chiropractic methods provide them the much needed respite. Chiropractic is a branch of healthcare that specializes in diagnosis, cure and prevention of mechanical problems in the muscular-skeletal structure of the human body, with special emphasis on the spine. This treatment is imparted through many techniques such as massage, exercise, acupuncture and food supplements.

Chiropractic practitioners firmly believe that disorders of the spine may affect the common health of an individual as it obstructs the body's function. Over many years, chiropractic treatments have the record of being one of the most excellent of treatments. It has obtained acceptance between medical circuits and healthcare institutes in the US.

Chiropractors apply chiropractic adjustment to align the spine. This is one of the most common treatments used in this field. According to a recent study, almost 90% cases that come to chiropractors, are cured through this method.

What is Chiropractic Adjustment?

Chiropractors align the spine through a spinal adjustment where a three-joint complex is taken above the normal range of movements, taking special care that the spine is not dislocated or damaged. A sudden jolt is used and attempts are made to increase the spine's range of motion.

It can cause a release which is audible. different methods are applied for aligning the spine such as massage, manipulation, stimulation, mobilization, etc. Once the spine is unlocked from its incorrect position it can easily realign itself. However, various sessions are needed before the spine sets absolutely.

What Techniques are Applied?

Since every situation is unique, chiropractors learn several aligning techniques. The weight, height and muscle structure of the chiropractor and the patient decide which approach or technique will be essential. Most competent techniques are the one that will align the spine without application of too much pressure. The chiropractors are trained how to contain pressure with respect to the patient's height, weight, etc.

Aligning your Spine the Chiropractic Way

This process of spine alignment is painless. Gentle pressure is applied with minimal force. Patients hardly complain about any kind of uneasiness. The popping sounds from your body don't mean something has broken within. These pops are produced due to small pockets of gas. They are equivalent to the cracking of knuckles.

Patients who don't loosen themselves or stay stiff during the therapy sometimes think some sorts of discomfort. For this reason, all chiropractic practitioners advice their patients to stay relaxed and calm during the whole treatment. Several first-time patients stay stiff and prevent the adjustment; with several sessions they tend to loosen up their body. With chiropractors who are licensed and trained to practice, one must not worry about damages. With several alignment treatments, the popping sounds will vanish and your spine will experience normal levels of flexibility.

Chiropractic methods for alignment can be used for:

* Stiffness and pain in the shoulders, neck, arms, back, chest, hands, hips, abdomen, feet,legs.
* Nerve disorders.
* Headaches.
* Arthritis
* Trauma and injuries in the body like whiplash.
* Sports injuries like tennis elbow, sprained joints, muscles and ligaments, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lumbar Pain Management Injections

What is an epidural steroid injection?

An epidural injection for pain management is a procedure where a long-lasting steroid is administered into the epidural space. The epidural space is the area around the spinal cord, or to be an atomically exact it's the area around the remnant of the spinal cord where nerve roots come off at every level.

What is the purpose of an epidural injection?

With an epidural steroid injection, the purpose is to decrease swelling and inflammation around nerves roots in the epidural space. These nerve roots are typically being either compressed by a piece of disc herniation, or potentially being compressed from arthritis and bone or soft tissue overgrowth with spinal stenosis. Additionally, there are situations where a nerve root is being inflamed from chemicals produced when a disk has a tear in it from degenerative disc disease.

How long does an epidural injection take?

The actual injection typically takes less than 15 min.

What is being injected with an epidural steroid injection?

When an epidural steroid injection is performed, typically there is some numbing medicine that is included which is either lidocaine or Marcaine. The particular steroid that is included may be either triamcinolone, methylprednisolone, or there are a few others.

Does an epidural start injection hurt?

The epidural injection does involve sticking a needle through the skin around the area of the spinal canal. So there is some amount of discomfort. Fortunately, however, the skin and deeper tissues are numbed up with a medication such as lidocaine prior to inserting the larger needle. Sometimes patients also receive IV sedation, which makes the procedure easy to tolerate.

Will I be under anesthesia for the procedure?

Patients do not require general anesthesia for an epidural steroid injection. Often times patients do not even require IV sedation for the procedure, and it is able to be done simply with local numbing medicine. However, patients may receive IV sedation if they have anxiety or stress or simply desire it.

How is the injection done?

There are numerous methods of patient positioning for epidural steroid injections. Patients may lie flat on his or her stomach, the patient may be sitting up, or on his or her side. A lot of this depends on the clinicians experience. The area for the injection is sterilized and the patient is typically monitored with vital signs during and after the procedure. After the procedure, the patient is typically placed into a wheelchair and placed in the recovery area until ready to go home.

What should I expect after an epidural injection?

Right after the epidural injection, patients may feel that their legs are slightly heavy and may have some numbness from the medication. The pain may be dramatically relieved or lessened, which is due to the local numbing medicine injected. This will probably wear off after a few hours at which time the pain will probably return and you may have a sore back for a day or so then the steroid medication will hopefully start to kick in and the pain relief will result.

What should I do after the epidural procedure?

Patients should arrange for a ride home after the injection. Especially if they've had IV sedation for the injection. Patients are typically advised to take it easy for a day or so after the injection. There should not be any significant activity restrictions as tolerated unless it was a special type of situation.

Can I go back to work the next day?

Typically yes patients will be able to go back to work the next day after the procedure unless it was some sort of a complication.

How long will the medication last for my pain?

Typically the immediate pain relief is from the local numbing medicine and this will unfortunate wear off within a few hours. The steroid medication should start working after about 3 to 5 days and its effects may last for weeks to months.

How many injections are necessary?

It is debatable the number of epidural started injections necessary for relief of pain. If the 1st injection does not give complete relief to a patient's symptoms, most pain doctors will perform a 2nd injection and maybe even a 3rd one after that. If the injection takes care of the pain completely, there really is no reason to add a 2nd injection unless it starts to wear off.

Can I have more than 3 injections with epidural steroids?

Most pain management doctors will only perform a series of 3 injections every 3 to 6 months. This is due to the additive effect of having steroid medications in the body and concern over systemic side effects.

How effective are epidural steroid injections?

There is a lot of literature that has looked at this and the results are all over the board. Patients who have sciatica respond better to the injections than those who simply have low back pain. Most results show that epidural injections for sciatica work well between 65 to 80% of the time.

What are the risks associated with epidural started injections?

The risk profile for in epidural injections is low. However there is a small risk of infection, spinal puncture bleeding, nerve damage, symptom worsening, and pain. There are also some risks of the cortison itself including potential weight gain, potential increased blood sugar, water retention, and suppression of the body's own cortisone production.

Custom-Made Foot Orthotics For Back Pain

Custom-made foot orthotics are becoming very popular these days. Generic over the counter shoe inserts are available at every drug store and pharmacy and it's hard to go a day without watching a television infomercial claiming instant relief through the mail. Custom-made foot orthotics can be purchased from podiatrists, orthopedic doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors. These inserts, when made correctly, can help with a wide variety of foot issues including plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, metatarsalgia, and neuromas. The correct foot support can help patients who deal with chronic ankle sprains, hammer toes, bunions, and corns. But most people do not realize that foot orthotics can be extremely effective in treating issues above the foot ankle including shin splints, knee pain, hip pain, and yes, even chronic low back pain. Chiropractors especially, stand behind the concept that correcting the alignment and biomechanics of the foot can directly relieve stress and pain from the above skeleton.

In order to fully understand the relationship between the feet and the rest of the body you must first understand the role of the foot and its place in the human skeleton. Each foot is equipped with 3 arches that help it work properly. The arches consist of 2 arches that run long wise down the feet which are called the medial and lateral longitudinal arches and one transverse arch that travels across the ball of the foot. The arches have many purposes but for the sake of this article the most important task is to aid in weight bearing by offering shock absorption for the weight of the body. The arches help to balance the body when standing and walking. The arches have an elastic property which allows the foot to flatten out after foot strike and return to its original shape when weight is taken off.

Because of the fact that we are biped and unfortunately spend most of our waking day on our feet, the feet are the foundation of our body. And over time these arches can begin to flatten and lose its elasticity. Now if this happened symmetrically to both feet it would not be as much of an issue but for one reason or another feet tend to flatten more on one side than the other. This leaves us standing crooked. If the foundation of the body is not properly aligned and supported then the integrity of the structures above are in jeopardy. Good thing for us, our bodies have an innate intelligence that will tighten muscles, rotate joints, and curve our spines in order to level us out. And it is this undetected process that leads to knee pain, hip pain, low back pain, and in some case even scoliosis. To better understand this concept the analogy of a skyscraper can be useful. If we were to gradually raise up the foundation of the Sears Tower on one side of the building it would affect the structure as a whole. Initially the structures would begin to lean to the opposite side but eventually the beams and supports would curve back to hold it from falling over. This would put compressive forces on the concave side of the supports and stretching forces on the convex side. If we were some how able to raise the foundation enough on one side we would start to see tearing and destruction throughout the lower part of the building and eventually the building would collapse.

The biomechanics of this process in the foot is referred to as pronation which is a fancy term for the flattening of the foot. As the arches fall over the years it causes the foot to flatten. This flattening can cause plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, neuromas, and ankle injuries. When the foot flattens it sets off a kinetic chain through the leg and the low back. First as the foot flattens it causes the tibia in the lower leg to rotate. This rotation can lead to shin splints, stress fractures of the tibia, and puts rotational stress on the knee which can cause ligament tears, arthritis, and generalized knee pain. The next step up the kinetic chain is the drop in the hip and an inferior tilt to the sacrum on side of foot pronation. This can cause hip arthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis and most common of all, low back pain. The sacrum is the base of the spine so when it leans to one side it causes the spine to lean just as in the skyscraper analogy. This puts stress and pressure on the spine and can lead to disc injuries, spinal arthritis, sciatica, and generalized low back pain. In severe chronic cases it can even lead to a curving of the spine called scoliosis. We can have all these issues because of improper alignment of the feet.

Here is where custom-made foot orthotics comes to the rescue. Using a casting or molding system your doctor can make an orthotic insert that properly supports your feet in an even and balanced position that relieves stress off the ankles, knees, hips, and low back. Over the counter insert can provide some support and some cushioning but just remember, these same inserts are used for people of all different shapes, sizes, ages, and injuries. Your health care professional is trained to know what type of orthotic is needed for your specific case and condition.

Back Arthritis Cure

The first thing you must be aware of is, there is no cure for spinal arthritis, at best there are therapies and treatments that can be used to help to reduce any symptoms you may be having to that you can lead a more normal and full life.

These therapies and treatments can be developed with the help of your doctor and will be tailored to your lifestyle and what you expect to get out of it. You will want to make sure before committing to anything, that this is a plan that you can follow and be 100% committed to, and it is possible that you may need to try many treatments before finding that right mix, but never be discouraged. Through the use of medications, various therapies and surgery this disease can be managed.

The most commonly used therapies and treatments are medications, physical therapy, exercise and rest. While surgery can sometimes be an option, keep in mind that this is a degenerative disease and it will worsen over time.

While this may not be what you wanted to hear, it's never a good thing to find out that what you have can never be fixed, but it is not the end of the world.

Ways of managing your pain

• Weight loss - If you are overweight you should seriously think about shedding a few pounds. The heavier you are the more stress you put on the bones, joints, and muscles in your back.

• Medications - These can be used to reduce pain and/or inflammation

• Epidural steroid injections - An injection of an anti-inflammatory that can help lessen pain.

• Physical therapy - Exercises is a great way to lose weight and strengthen your back muscles. There are many ways of doing this, from swimming, walking, Yoga, Pilates to more conventional ways of exercising. Pick something you enjoy, if it is not fun you won't keep up with it in the long run.

• Cold therapy - Can help reduce pain and inflammation

• Heat therapy - Can help reduce pain

• Massage therapy - This can help reduce pain and inflammation. It also promotes faster healing by increasing blood circulation to the damaged areas of your spine

Slowing down the degenerative process

• Weight loss - See above for an explanation

• Physical therapy - See above for an explanation

• Surgery - Spinal Fusion is the only surgery is effective in treating spinal arthritis. This is a major surgery with real risks attached to it. Fused vertebrae have been known to damage the ones above and below it, once this happens you may need surgery to repair that damage.

No matter what you end up choosing to cope with your back arthritis, choose something that works for you and is the best fit for your activity level. Also keep in mind that arthritis is not a death sentence and there are many people with this degenerative disease that live active and productive lives but it will be up to you.

Only you are able to follow through on the things that can help slow down the degeneration of your spine. Don't let arthritis beat you down, educate yourself and find the best way to manage your condition and symptoms.

I Have Ankylosing Spondylitis - What is it and How Do I Relieve It?

In previous years, Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has been known as poker back, rheumatoid spondylitis, and Marie-Strumpells spondylitis. However, more thorough research has established the disease as a member of the family of diseases that attack the spine. It is actually arthritis in the spine. However, Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms are highly variable and its definite cause is yet to be determined.

Causes

The hallmark of Ankylosing spondylitis is unrelieved and persistent pain in the bony areas of the spine. It may only cause episodes of passing back pain on some individuals. The pain varies on the degree of spinal stiffness. Pain and stiffness in the back and bent posture are brought by the ongoing swelling and irritation on the spinal joints. In severe cases, the affected joints fuse together leading to severely limited mobility.

The disease may also be accounted to heredity. Just as we inherit our traits to our parents, we may also inherit certain tissue types. Research has shown that an inherited a HLA-B27 tissue type is related to the development of the disease. While not exactly causing AS, it promotes the development of AS.

The Affected Areas

The common areas affected by Ankylosing spondylitis include the sacroiliac joints that are found on the area of the buttocks and the thoracic spine which covers the lower and mid-back areas. Pain may also be experienced in the cervical spine or neck area. The disease also affects non-spinal joints such as those in the hips, knees and shoulders. However, the involvement of small joints such as those in the hands, wrists and ankles is unlikely.

Warning signs

Experiencing persistent back pain especially during the night, back stiffness that lasts for extended periods, pain and tenderness in the ribs, shoulder blades, hips, thighs, shins and other areas associated with the spinal column and recurring inflammation, redness and slight sensitivity of the eyes are clear indications of AS. Immediately seek medical help to prevent the disease from causing changes within the spinal column. There are actually 24 different spinal vertebrae in the back. Stiffness of just two vertebrae can limit function and cause progressive disability when not checked of treated.

Demographics

The number of Ankylosing spondylitis sufferers ranges between 150,000 and 300,000 in the US. Statistics have shown that more cases where tallied on men, showing that the disease is three times more likely to happen in men than in women. People at any age can develop this disease, most cases were observed between the ages of 15 and 40. While severe cases are observed in older patients, the Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms that are observed in younger people are slightly different. Symptoms in younger patients were observed to begin from feeling pain around the heels, knees and hips rather than pain in the spine.

Managing Ankylosing spondylitis

When your doctor thinks that you are already suffering from Ankylosing spondylitis, he or she will immediately refer you to a rheumatologist. Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms and causes are more thoroughly evaluated rheumatologists as they specialize on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases that concern joints, muscles and bones. If your eyes are already affected, you may also be referred to an ophthalmologist. As of today, there are no definite treatments for the disease. However, therapy sessions and medications are given to manage the pain and maintain movement and function on affected areas. What a patient can do is learn as much as he can about the disease and talk to people who specializes in arthritis care to design a treatment that might work for his case.

Sit Up Straight and Read This Article!

Stand up straight. Don't slouch. Even if you didn't attend finishing school, chances are you've heard these statements sometime in your life. If you're a parent you might even use them yourself. From the time we are young we're told that it's important to have good posture, but did you ever wonder why? In the next few pages we'll talk about posture and how it affects your health.

What does posture mean, exactly?

Posture is a word that refers to the position of your body. Your posture is related to the shape of your spine. Because your spine can move, your posture can change.

What determines posture?

Two things determine the position of your spine: bones and muscles. The bones that make up your spine, or vertebrae, are designed to support the weight of your body. Your muscles have to work together with your bones to control and balance your body position. If either part of the system isn't doing its job, your posture can become a problem.

What does good posture look like?

Ideally, your spine should have three separate curves. These curves develop during childhood when we learn to hold our heads up, to crawl and to walk. The picture below shows the curves that you should have in your neck, upper back and lower back.

Pic of skeleton.

When your spine is in proper alignment, your muscles can support your position without much effort. If you're not in alignment, your muscles have to use much more energy to hold your body upright. Poor posture can lead to other problems like back pain, headaches and arthritis.

When do you need to worry about your posture?

Posture is something you should pay attention to all the time! There are some situations, however, in which many of us tend to forget about our body position. In the following examples, we'll go over several bad postural "habits," the problems they can cause, and how to correct them.

Sitting Posture

If you're like many people, you spend a lot of time sitting. We get out of bed in the morning, sit at the table for breakfast, sit in the car on the way to work, sit at a desk all day, sit in the car on the way home, sit at the table for dinner, and so on. Without the right posture and support, all of that sitting can put a lot of pressure on the low back. Here are some mistakes people make with their sitting posture.

Mistake #1: Slouching

Slouching is what happens when you lean into the back of your chair and allow your low back to flatten out.

*Picture slouching*

Slouching is bad because it puts more pressure on the ligaments and discs in your spine, which can increase your risk for injury.

Correction: To avoid slouching, sit away from the back of the chair. Use your core muscles to make an abdominal brace to support your low back in the proper position. If you have to sit for too long to be comfortable in this position, you can use a back support, or lumbar roll, to maintain correct positioning while leaning against the back of the chair. These products are particularly helpful in the car.

*Picture sitting properly*

*Picture with lumbar roll*

Mistake #2: Crossing your legs

Sitting with one leg crossed over the other is a common habit. Many people who sit with their legs crossed also have a tendency to slouch.

*Picture slouching with legs crossed*

Sitting in this position for a long time puts torque (a twisting force) on your low back and your hips. Over time, your muscles can become unbalanced and it can cause pain and even effect the way you walk.

Correction: Although crossing your legs for a short time isn't terrible, it's better to sit with both feet on the floor whenever you can. You can make this position more comfortable by making sure your chair isn't too high or too low for you. If you're not sure, you may need an ergonomic assessment of your workstation.

*Picture sitting with both feet flat*

Mistake #3: Rounded shoulders/Forward Head

When you're sitting down, there is often something in front of you that you are doing with your hands. Whether we are working on a computer, reading, writing, or doing something else, we tend to bring our bodies closer to our work rather than bringing our work closer to our bodies.

In the first picture, the model is holding a book away from the table where she can read without bending over:

*Picture of girl at desk holding book at eye level*

Although her posture is excellent, her arms are going to get tired quickly.

More often, we do what she does in the next picture: we leave the book on the table and lower our body toward the table so that we can see it.

*Picture of girl at desk with shoulders rounded and forward head*

In the second picture, the girl has her shoulders rounded forward and her head is too far forward also. Although this position makes it easier to read her book, it can cause lots of problems. Her neck and upper back muscles have to work overtime in this position to hold her up, and that can lead to neck pain, upper back pain, trigger points, and headaches.

Correction: The best way to fix this posture problem is to bring your work up to eye level. Whether that means using a book stand, raising the height of your monitor, or rearranging your whole workstation, it's a change that your neck and back will thank you for later!

If you can't make all the changes that you would like, you can compensate for this position by using a regular postural stretching program. These exercises can help to keep you from getting stuck in a bad position all of the time.

How Can We Help?

If you think that poor posture is causing you pain or other problems, a visit to the rehab professionals at Performance Spine & Sport Medicine could be just what the doctor ordered. Our integrated treatment model combines physical therapy and chiropractic care to bring you the best possible results. From restoring the proper curves in your spine to strengthening weak muscles, we can help to correct your posture now and prevent your pain from returning in the future.

Gemstone Crystals Healing Power

For thousands of years gemstones have played a part in all cultures through the highest orders of religion and Egyptian Pharaohs which in both cases have been well documented.

The Egyptian High Priests believed in using gemstones to generate the properties of certain crystals to amplify the power within to a higher level. The Gemstone crystals most used in ancient Egypt was Carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, emerald and clear quartz.

This can be seen within the Jewish religion where in the Old Testament where Moses was ordered to create a breastplate (ephod), to be worn by a chosen high priest, in which within the ephod specially held gemstones to represent each of the houses of Israel. It was thought that God would communicate via his judgement through these stones to denote his instruction of orders to the children of Israel.

Thousands of years ago cultures such as the Egyptians and the Chinese long knew about the healing power properties of the gemstone crystals. Because of the secret knowledge of the use of the crystals, those that knew the practice were deemed very powerful and likes of the highest orders of religion and royalty knew this and as such ensured that they were kept close and the use of this practice made available to the rich and powerful.

Such examples of this practice are well known even to this very day:-

Chinese Acupuncture using crystal needles

Pranic healing no-touch energy healing

Ayurveda, Hinduism and Buddhism origin, using the art of Chakra to obtain the body and mind spiritual balance of life

The Mayans, Incas and native Indians also shared in the power of quartz crystals for healing on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. They also used crystals to diagnose diseases.

Most Gemstones are very old, sometimes millions and or billions of years old and have endured varying kind of miraculous traumatic force of nature, that was necessary to create them, such as earth quakes.

For this reason gemstones are very powerful and by wearing them we can be near that power.

Learning more about gemstones and their properties, symbology and meanings can enhance our lives.

Healing Gemstones are spoken and described by many, but I have mentioned the most popular and the most powerful from centuries of old, scientific and religious.

Lapis lazuli strengthens the immune system, also purifies blood, lowers blood pressure, cooling and soothing inflammation relief

Turquoise aids in the absorption of nutrients, strengthens the immune system, aids the regeneration of tissue, and heals the whole body

Carnelian treats lower back problems, rheumatism, arthritis, neuralgia and depression.

Emerald helps in such disorders of the body major organs such as the heart, lungs and also the lumbar and muscular system, also helps in the healing of nose, eyes conditions and also aids recovery after an infectious disease.

Quartz crystals can give physical help in treating vertigo it's widely understood to be the sensation that you, or the environment around you, is moving, chronic fatigue stands for chronic fatigue syndrome, long term tiredness, accompanied with two or more symptoms, such as headaches, joint pains. Chronic means persistent or long-term

Chrysolite (Peridot) AKA Peridot strengthens the immune system, metabolism and benefits the skin. It aids disorders of the heart, thymus, lungs, gallbladder, spleen and intestinal tract.

Topaz It fortifies the nerves and stimulates the metabolism, helps to restore loss of appetite, healing of wounds and skin eruptions, gall bladder and the endocrine glands

Malachite helps to lower blood pressure, treats asthma, arthritis and epilepsy. Of the body it aids fractures, swollen joints, travel sickness, vertigo, tumours, the eyes optic nerve, body organs such as the pancreas, spleen and the parathyroid.

Amethyst helps to strengthen the will by overcoming the withdrawal symptoms of any of addiction syndrome, also help with headaches, sleeping disorder insomnia, arthritis, diabetes, pain relief and circulatory system issues

Hematite It is said to aid in the improvement of blood flow, relaxes the feeling of tension and the pain of certain diseases, heals blood disorders and damaged body tissue

Jade aids the body's filtration and elimination organs by detoxifying and rebuilding itself. It is excellent for treating kidney problems and adrenal glands. The reproductive system, it helps in fertility and childbirth.

Garnet treats spine Injuries and disorders of the spine, spinal fluid, spinal column, structure and composition. It purifies the major organs such as the heart and lungs. Garnet can also boosts the body's immune system and lift the body energy levels.

Gemstones have been a sacred and meaningful to mankind since its discovery. Even as early as the time of the caveman, they picked up on these interesting stones and wore them as part of their tribal wear.

There is something mysterious, so interesting that these stones provide us with a sense of power and that reason we are intensely attracted by them. We have highlighted the most popular and the most talked about gemstone crystals mentioned most amongst the religious and ancient cults and tribes throughout the century of time.