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Scoliosis and Why you May Have It
What Is Scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine from one side to the other. There are many causes of scoliosis—genetics, cerebral palsy, other neurological disorders—but the most common is what doctors describe as idiopathic, meaning “we don’t know why.” Some clues that a person has scoliosis include uneven shoulders, a prominent shoulder blade, uneven waist, or leaning to one side. Girls are more likely to be affected than boys. Idiopathic scoliosis is most commonly a condition of adolescence, affecting ages 10 through 16. Idiopathic scoliosis can progress during the “growth spurt” years but usually stops progressing once skeletal maturity is reached. The diagnosis of scoliosis and the determination o
f the type of scoliosis are made by a careful spinal exam and X-ray to evaluate the magnitude of the curve or curves.
Functional Scoliosis is a mild form of curvature that can be contributed to old injuries that don’t heal properly, lifestyle habits, or muscle imbalances that slowly pull the spine and create misalignments. It is not uncommon for degenerative spines to develop curvatures. Patients can develop chronic muscle tightness and joint pain due to abnormal pressures on the spine.
Treatment for Scoliosis
Most curvatures are mild in nature and can be managed by improving joint motion and retraining the muscles that support the spine. • Short-term relief includes using electrical stimulation to relax the musculature. • Bracing is the usual treatment of choice for adolescents who have a spinal curve between 25 degrees to 40 degrees, particularly if their bones are still maturing and if they have at least two years of growth remaining. • If the curvature is over 40 degrees, surgery to put rods in the spine might be recommended. With this amount of curvature, even with bracing or a surgery a perfectly aligned spine is not likely.
I treat patients every day with this condition. I can help you! Call the office today to schedule your appointment! Make sure and tell the receptionist you want to come in for the New Patient special and mention the blog so that you can get your major discount!
Shock Absorbers of the Spine….Are Your Discs Compressed or Healthy?
What Is Spinal Compression?
The spine is made up of a stack of bones called vertebrae, which are stacked one on top of the other. In between the bones are the cushion called the discs, which are gel-like structures that are mostly filled with water and are the shock absorbers of the spine. We have talked about the different ways injuries, lifting and twisting, along with postural imbalances can compress or squeeze down on a disc. One side of the disc having increased stress on it puts unequal pressure on the disc. Visualize a water balloon that is being pushed down on one side with your hand—the water is pushed to the other side, and the more pressure increases the likelihood hood that the balloon will eventually burst.
Discs operate in virtually the same way. This is how some patients develop a herniated or bulging disc with no history of acute injury. Gravity provides a daily stress on our spines. Studies show we are actually taller in the morning after lying down for several hours, which allows a decrease in pressure on your discs. By the end of the day, we experience gravitational compression. Over the years, chronic compression can dehydrate discs and, in our senior years, we will likely shrink.
Treatment for Spinal Compression
Computerized spinal decompression therapy is just how it sounds—it decompresses the disc by reversing the effects of gravity. This is done by having the patient lie on a table, the lower back and upper half strapped to a machine, and then a computer is programmed to gently pull at a certain weight as it slowly stretches the lower back for a period of 10 to 30 minutes. Most patients nap while the treatment is in progress. The spinal decompression machine attempts to create some room and a vacuum-like suction in the area of disc compression to return to its normal position. That means pain relief. Space gives the painful or injured disc room to heal and repair itself.
I have had countless success with the spinal decompression table, as it is safe and effective, and it takes only 10 to 30 minutes a treatment. Many clinical studies demonstrate the lasting effects of decompression therapy. But what I consider even more valuable than clinical studies is what I have seen firsthand—back pain that has plagued patients for years totally disappear within a few minutes on the decompression table. Other cases reverse back pain after a couple weeks of treatment. When a patient is not responding, it is likely that other complicating factors, such as muscle imbalances or piriformis syndrome, have been overlooked. Computerized spinal decompression therapy is a valuable tool for treating the spine without drugs or surgery.
Call the office today to schedule your appointment! Make sure and tell the receptionist you want to come in for the New Patient special and mention the blog so that you can get your major discount!
Are you Suffering? Spinal Stenosis and What you need to Know….
What Is Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the canal of the spine, where the nerve lives, becomes narrowed by bone spurs or arthritis, compressing or squeezing on the nerves. This is a common problem for senior citizens. When the nerve is irritated, there might be constant or intermittent numbness and or tingling. It can cause muscle cramps in the legs, but often if you bend forward or sit down the pain will subside because, in this position, you open up the canals and make more room for the nerve.
Spinal Stenosis occurs due to a physiological process called “Wolff’s law,” in which bone function changes cause bone-structure modification, leading to bony changes such as degenerative arthritis or bone spurs (osteophytes). The body puts more calcium or bone in joints that have abnormal stress. Some doctors might tell you arthritis in the back is just due to “normal old age.” Although it is common, it is not necessarily normal. If It were due to old age, wouldn’t every joint in your body have arthritis? If you do not have any degenerative changes or bone spurs, continue to take great care of your spine by getting regular spinal adjustments or keeping your spine in alignment, developing and maintaining strength and flexibility in your back, and being aware of and combating postural strains in order to prevent future problems such as stenosis.
Effective Treatment for Spinal Stenosis
Joint manipulation to create proper joint movement • Muscle balance treatments to improve postural strains • Natural anti-inflammatory such as Boswellia, turmeric, or hot packs for temporary relief • Electrical Stimulation • Surgery in some instances but only as a last resort
Call the office today to schedule your appointment! Make sure and tell the receptionist you want to come in for the New Patient special and mention the blog so that you can get your major discount!
Your Back Pain May Not Be Your Back at All!
What Is Sacroiliac Dysfunction?
Your Back Pain May Not Be Your Back at All!
Symptoms include pain in the buttocks or might mimic sciatic nerve pain. Many people come in and say, “My back and hips hurt.” What most people refer to as “hips” are called the sacroiliac joints. They connect the base of the spine to the pelvis. They are important joint as they are at the base of your spine. If you look in the mirror and see two little indentions at the top of your hips just under your lower back and right at your belt line, those are the sacroiliac (SI) joints. If you feel you are walking with a hitch or restriction, this is usually caused by misaligned sacroiliac joints. This can be seen by one leg being shorter than the other.
Lie face-down and have someone put your heels together and look at your feet to see if one leg is longer than the other. Also look at the wear patterns on your shoe or boot soles. Uneven patterns might be related to the foot, but misaligned hips can alter the way you walk as well. Stop reading right now, and look at the heel of your shoe. Sacroiliac problems rarely show up on an MRI and so are commonly missed by doctors, but if left untreated, arthritis and chronic inflammation create continued pain. SI joint dysfunction can occur due to years of muscle imbalance or postural strains. Many pregnant women develop problems that can last well after pregnancy, usually due to abnormal strain on the pelvis and a hormone, called “relaxing,” that releases in the body to tell the ligaments of the pelvis to loosen up and prepare for delivery. The ligaments might never fully regain supportive properties at the sacroiliac joint.
Effective Treatment for Sacroiliac Dysfunction
Joint manipulation by a trained chiropractor • Muscle balance treatments to improve postural strains • Natural anti-inflammatory such as Boswellia, turmeric, or hot packs • Electrical stimulation • Muscle balance therapy • Core and pelvic strengthening • Sacroiliac braces
Call the office today to schedule your appointment! Make sure and tell the receptionist you want to come in for the New Patient special and mention the blog so that you can get your major discount!
Suffering from Chronic Pain?
What Is Facet Joint Syndrome?
Symptoms include general localized pain, a tight locked-up sensation, and dull ache. There is a high probability of chronic dysfunction if not treated. Often these joint dysfunctions occur in whiplash injuries of the neck, as well as lifting injuries of the lower and upper back.
The facet joints can be thought of as hinges of a door, preventing excessive motion, over-twisting, or toppling over. The segments of the spine are stabilized by a number of structures that allow the flexibility needed to bend forward or backward and to twist. It is not uncommon to develop misalignments of the facet joints in the lower back, causing or referring pain in the buttocks or other regions of the back. In the neck, it can refer pain to the shoulders, upper back, and even the base of your skull.
In the anatomy field, there is a fundamental physiological principle called “Hilton’s Law.” It is the principle that the nerve supplying a joint also supplies both the muscles that move the joint. If the joint is not moving properly or is misaligned, it will be giving no signal or abnormal signals to the muscles that support that joint. This is why spinal manipulation works so well. If the joint is not moving or is misaligned, it can cause the supporting muscles to atrophy or weaken. You must first restore proper joint motion before strengthening so you get proper signals from the nerve to the joint. When your spinal joints are not moving at all, or not moving properly, that now creates extra workload on the muscles of the back and, nine times out of 10, creates trigger points in the muscles, or localized muscle spasms.
SUCCESS CASE STUDY
Susan is a 37-year-old homemaker and mother of four. She was having sharp pain in her back that in certain movements “catches” and won’t let go. She was unable to lift her youngest child for fear of her lower back catching. She had not been taking any medication because she feels there is something mechanically wrong and that medication will not change that but only cover up her problem. After careful examination, it was determined that Susan had severe facet joint syndrome. Just as she suspected—and a women’s intuition is usually right—she had developed a marked increase in curvature of her lower back, irritating her joints, causing severe misalignments and, in certain movements, bringing marked pain. This condition did not occur overnight and, likewise, treatment consisted of 24 sessions of joint realignment via manipulation, along with muscle balance therapy. I am happy to report she ended treatment 100-percent pain-free in all planes of motion.
Effective Treatment for Facet Joint Syndrome
Joint manipulation by a trained chiropractor • Muscle balance treatments to improve postural strains • Core exercises • Natural anti-inflammatory such as Boswellia, turmeric, and hot packs • Electrical stimulation
If you are suffering from chronic joint pain, give us a call and let us help you get back to feeling like yourself with safe and proven effective treatments.