Archive for August 2013

Torticollis is a form of dystonia (prolonged muscle contractions) in which the neck muscles contract involuntarily causing the head to turn. Torticollis may occur without known cause (idiopathic), be genetic (inherited), or be acquired secondary to damage to the nervous system or muscles. It may develop in childhood or adulthood. Congenital torticollis (present at birth) may be caused by malpositioning of the head in the uterus, or be prenatal injury of the muscles or blood supply in the neck. Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Symptoms

Enlargement of the Neck Muscles (Possibly Present at Birth)

Asymmetry of an Infant’s Head From Sleeping on the Affected Side

Elevation of the Shoulder on the Affected Side

Stiffness of Neck Muscles

Limited Range of Motion

Headache

Neck Pain

Head Tremor

Tension headaches are a condition involving pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck, usually associated with muscle tightness in these areas.  Tension headaches are one of the most common forms of headache.  They can occur at any age, but are most common in adults and adolescents.  If a headache occurs two or more times weekly for several months or longer, the condition is considered chronic.  Tension headaches result from the contraction of neck and scalp muscles.  One cause of this muscle contraction is a response to stress, depression or anxiety.  Any activity that causes the head to be held in one position for a long time without moving can cause a headache.  Such activities include typing or use of computers, fine work with the hands, and use of a microscope.  Sleeping in a cold room or sleeping with the neck in an abnormal position can also trigger this type of headache.  Other causes include spinal misalignment, eye strain, fatigue, alcohol use, excessive smoking, excessive caffeine use, sinus infection, nasal congestion, overexertion, colds, and influenza.  Tension headaches are not associated with structural lesions in the brain.  Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Symptoms

Dull Pain, Pressure-Like

Generalized Pain, Worse in the Scalp, Temples or Back of the Neck

Not One Sided

Feels Like a Tight Band or Vise on the Head

Occurs as an Isolated Incident (Or Occurs Constantly or Daily)

Worsened or Triggered by Stress, Fatigue, Noise, Glare, Etc.)

Sleep Disturbances

A Subluxation is when one or more vertebrae lose their normal position, they interfere with the nerves they were meant to protect. This interference can cause pressure or irritation on the spinal cord and/or on the nerve roots as they pass out of the spinal column. This misalignment of the vertebrae and pinching of the nerves is called a subluxation and is the most common aspect of what doctors call the vertebral subluxation complex. Headache, pain at the base of the skull, pain or numbness of the face, stiffness or loss of normal movement of the neck, neck pain, shoulder, arm and hand problems including pain, numbness and loss of strength and nerve related problems involving eyes, ears, nose and throat. Tension between the shoulders, mid-back pain, pain wrapping around rib cage, problems affecting the heart, lungs, stomach, gall bladder, and other digestive organs. Low back pain, pain in the legs, disc problems, hip pain, groin pain, lower abdominal pain, bladder and bowel problems, many different reproductive problems, and circulation problems in the lower body. Pain at the base of the spine, bladder and bowel problems, hip pain, and sacroiliac pain. Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Scoliosis is a sideways curving of the spine that often gets started in childhood, when bones of the spine are still growing. In many cases, the exact cause of scolio-sis is unknown. It is thought that scoliosis is the result of a hereditary problem or an adaptation to some type of trauma, such as the birth process, or an injury such as falling off a bicycle. It usually starts with problems in the lower back or pelvis.
Scoliosis is detected by uneven shoulder heights, loss of structural balance, or a change in posture. If a spinal curve exists, this can result in pressure on the joints, discs, and nerves. Because spinal bones can continue to grow well into the early 20’s, if left uncorrected Scoliosis often worsens.

Early detection and chiropractic correction is important for optimum results. Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Sciatica is defined as pain that radiates from the lower back into the buttocks and down the back of one or both legs, caused by the irritation of the sciatic nerves, the largest nerves of the body. It usually begins as an acute pain in the lower back and then radiates down the back of either or both legs. There are 5 pairs of nerves that exit the spine in the lower back. These nerves make up what we know as the sciatic nerves. If the vertebrae or bones in the lower back are misaligned or out of place; or the disc between the vertebrae are swollen, bulged or herniated, the result is pressure on those nearby nerves. This can cause tremendous pain and normal daily activities become almost impossible.

Chiropractic care works on correcting misaligned or out of place vertebrae and can remove the pressure placed on the sciatic nerve, reducing pain and improving flexibility and function. Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Symptoms

Sensation Changes on the Back of the Calf or the Sole of the Foot

Numbness, Tingling, or Pain From the Back to the Calf

Weakness of the Knee or Foot

Difficulty Walking

Inability to Move Foot

Inability to Band Knee

The thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease. There are currently an estimated 10 million Americans suffering from osteoporosis, as well as another 18 million who have low bone mass, or osteopenia. Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone, or when too much old bone is reabsorbed by the body, or both. Calcium and phosphate are two minerals that are essential for normal bone formation. Throughout youth, the body uses these minerals to produce bones. If calcium intake is not sufficient, or if the body does not absorb enough calcium from the diet, bone production and bone tissues may suffer. As people age, calcium and phospate may be reabsorbed back into the body from the bones, which makes the bone tissue weaker. Both situations can result in brittle, fragile bones that are subject to fractures, even in the absence of trauma. Researchers estimate that about 20% of American women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis. In addition, another 30% of them have osteopenia, which is abnormally low bone density that may eventually deteriorate into osteoporosis, if not treated. About half of all women over the age of 50 will suffer a fracture of the hip, wrist, or vertebra. Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Symtoms

There are No Symptoms in the Early Stages of the Disease

Symptoms Occurring Late in the Disease Include:

• Low Back Pain
• Neck Pain
• Bone Pain and Tenderness
• Loss of Height Over Time
• Stooped Posture

The majority of back pain patients have not experienced any trauma, accidents or major injuries prior to the onset of their problem. The cause of most back pain is the cumulative affect of improper sitting posture, poor work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of proper exercise and other lifestyle-related factors. All of these factors cause stress and imbalances on the spine and eventually pain. This is why people often injure their back by just bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The spine was already compromised and just the simple act of bending was enough to set off the problem. When this occurs, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. In the US, low back pain is one of the most common conditions and one of the leading causes of physician visits. In fact, at least four out of five adults will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Thirty-one million Americans have low back pain at any given time. One half of all working Americans admit to having back symptoms each year. One third of all Americans over age 18 had a back problem in the past five years severe enough for them to seek professional help. And the cost of this care is estimated to be a staggering $50 Billion yearly–and that’s just for the more easily identified costs!

Chiropractic care works on correcting misaligned or out of place vertebrae and can remove the pressure placed on the nerve endings that line the surface of the joint and course through the space between the joints, reducing pain and improving flexibility and function. Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Symptoms

Tenderness, Pain, and Stiffness

Pain that Radiates into the Buttocks or Legs

Difficulty Standing Erect

Weakness and Legs Fatigue While Walking

Discomfort While Sitting

Joint disease is one of the oldest, and most common types of arthritis. It is characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of bones. Cartilage breakdown causes bones to rub against each other, causing pain and loss of movement. Most commonly affecting middle-aged and older people, osteoarthritis can range from very mild to very severe. It affects hands and weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, feet and the back. Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Symptoms

Gradual and Subtle Onset of Deep Aching Joint Pain

Worse After Exercise or Weight Bearing

Often Relieved by Rest

Joint Swelling

Limited Movement

Morning Stiffness

Grating of the Joint with Motion

Joint Pain in the Rainy Weather
There May Be No Symptoms

Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by widespread pain in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Some other problems commonly linked with fibromyalgia include fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression, and anxiety. Fibromyalgia can develop on its own, or secondary to other musculoskeletal conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, or systemic lupus.

Diagnosis of fibromyalgia requires a history of at least three months of widespread pain, and pain and tenderness in a least 11 of 18 tender-point sites. These tender-point sites include fibrous tissue or muscles of the Neck, Shoulders, Chest, Rib Cage, Lower Back, Thighs, Knees, Arms (elbows) and Buttocks. The overwhelming characteristic of fibromyalgia is long-standing, body-wide pain with defined tender points. Tender points are distinct from trigger points seen in other pain syndromes. (Unlike tender points, trigger points can occur in isolation and represent a source of radiating pain, even in the absence of direct pressure.) Fibromyalgia pain can mimic the pain experienced by people with various types of arthritis. The soft-tissue pain of fibromyalgia is described as deep-aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning, and ranges from mild to severe. Fibromyalgia sufferes tend to waken with body aches and stiffness.

Chiropractic care works on relieving pain and symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms below, please call our office now to schedule an appointment.

Symptoms

Multiple Tender Areas

Sleep Disturbances

Reduced Exercise 

Fatigue

Body Aches

Chronic Muscle Pain