Posts by Hayes
Radiculopathy: Are your Nerves Under Pressure?
Radiculopathy is nerve compression
Radiculopathy is an irritating condition in which a nerve exiting the spine is put under pressure. The resulting symptoms include:
- Pain
- Feelings of tingling and numbness
- Weakness around the nerve
- Weakness in the extremities
Because spinal nerves literally innervate the rest of your body, compression here is likely to cause dysfunction and pain. It is liable to occur in any segment of the spine, but most cases are found in the cervical and lumbar segments of the spine.
Chiropractic is the Honest Therapy Your Back Needs
When it comes to chronic back pain, many people will do anything to break free
Unfortunately, this desperation often leads people astray into the arms of internet health bloggers, advice columnists and magazine ads; and, even more unfortunately, into the office of doctors who will sell any form of medicine as long as it drives business. The last thing you want, as someone already in the throes of pain, is to throw money and waste time and energy chasing a therapy that doesn’t end up working. It is important to always remember that there is no panacea for pain, least of all a single treatment; most people find the greatest success in overcoming pain by combining multiple forms of treatment. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, our approach to treating pain begins with collecting information.
The Horrors of White Collar Work
From a chiropractor’s perspective, white collar work is a terrifying prospect
While the demands of physical labor are taxing on the spine to varying degrees, the demands of non-physical labor are arguably equally damaging, but less quantifiable. What we can say definitively is that humans were not designed to be sat in chairs for hours on end.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Bending Over
Does your back pain get worse when you bend over?
To begin with, bending over is one of the most common causes of back pain, and for most people it all begins with body mechanics. Look at how a child squats down by its knees to inspect something on the ground or retrieve a dropped item. Bending from the knees is the correct way to do things, but at a certain point, we completely forget how to do just that. Instead, most adults bend from the waist. Because we are so much taller and heavier, it is just seems easier to bend from the waist. But be warned: you are sacrificing your back each time you bend this way.
Protecting your Back while Breastfeeding
No new mother needs more back pain
However, the fact remains that back pain is ubiquitous among new mothers adjusting to life with a baby in hand. Some of the main factors that contribute to back pain in new mothers are:
- Stress and lack of sleep- which are both directly implicated in elevated levels of muscle tension
- Poor posture while holding a child
- Poor breastfeeding techniques
At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we want to help new mothers reduce the back pain involved in nursing a newborn and also prevent that pain from occurring in the first place.
Knowing your Spine is the Best Way to Keep it Healthy
The smallest functional unit of the spine
Your spine is made up of thirty-three vertebrae, and between each is a spinal motion segment which is made up of the following main components:
- The two vertebrae
- Intervertebral disc
- Two facet joints
- Ligaments and other soft tissues for support
The first three are known as the articulation triad and overall, their purpose is to allow for slight, stable mobility of the spine while preventing damage from excessive motion. The discs perform shock-absorption duties, absorbing compressive forces and preventing the vertebrae from directly grinding on each other. The facet joints connect the vertebrae together and allow for some, but not-too-much motion. The ligaments serve to hold the vertebrae in place and all the spinal motion segments combine to keep you upright and mobile.
Blood is Fuel: Boosting Circulation with Chiropractic
Circulation is power for body and mind
Blood is fuel: it contains oxygen and nutrients that help cells repair and regrow, and allows vital organs including the brain to use those inputs to function better. The most classic way to boost circulation is by exercising: whether you are lifting weights or moving aerobically, the natural response of your body is to increase blood flow. But too often, we don’t get the daily exercise we need, or other factors conspire to inhibit our circulation. Because good circulation is a cornerstone of good health, we want to be aware of those factors that contribute to poor circulation.
Spinal Elongation is Therapeutic
Spinal elongation provides for decompression
And for the myriad people suffering back pain due to compressive forces, they know that you can’t put a price on how good decompression feels. Every single day, our spines undergo a variety of movements, some of which cause compression to the vertebrae. Spinal configurations such as forward head posture, hyperlordosis and scoliosis wreak havoc with the spine and leave it even more vulnerable to those same compressive forces. Left alone for long enough, the poor spinal curvature becomes even more pronounced, spinal discs narrow and discs degenerate. How do we stop this compressive force train from rolling? Spinal elongation is a start.
Car Accidents and Soft Tissues
Soft tissue injuries are among the most common types of injuries sustained after automobile accidents
As Americans, we are a commuting culture. Driving is, for many people, an indelible part of their lifestyle; as a result, we constantly put ourselves at the risk of our own and other’s split second decisions. It is estimated that as many as three million people a year are injured in automobile-related incidents. It is important to remember that even the slightest of fender benders can cause injury; among the most common injuries in this type of accident are soft tissue injuries.
Preventative Chiropractic: A Balanced Body
Chiropractic is about prevention
Chiropractic care is just as effective at preventing injuries as it is treating them. Unfortunately, many people think of chiropractic only after the fact. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we would like to change the script: regular chiropractic care provides the maintenance your body needs to thrive just like with any machine. Because so much communication occurs through the spinal column, proper alignment of the spine is a significant factor when it comes to overall wellness.