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No. Each patient’s care is unique and customized to meet their specific conditions and needs. Treatment plans are also based on your pain. Numerous spinal adjustment types and techniques depend on the patient’s medical history, age, size, and weight. Spinal adjustments done by chiropractic restore the normal healthy motion and position required by each spinal segment and do not injure or weaken the muscular and ligaments structures of the spine.

Getting adjusted by your local chiropractor is one way to help you heal your body when suffering from lower back, shoulder, or neck pain without drugs or surgery. The primary purpose of chiropractic care is to identify spinal subluxations, which are misalignments causing nerve stress, and reduce or correct them.

How Do Chiropractors Diagnose Your Condition?

You will first undergo the initial new patient examination, which involves your medical history and physical examination. Chiropractors will also use technologies such as spinal thermal scanning and electromyography. X-rays are also commonly used to check and reveal;

• The internal structure and alignment of the spine
• Underlying disease processes and disorders of the spine such as spinal deterioration or abnormal spinal development
• Arthritis of the spine
• Bone spurs
• Disc disorders
• Tumors and spinal curvature

These analyses will help to determine your specific condition and the need for chiropractic care. Depending on the diagnosis, your doctor will choose the best technique to treat your condition.

The word chiropractic derives from the Greek word ‘performed by hand.’ Chiropractors use a gentle and painless procedure known as a spinal adjustment to correct the cause of many health problems.

When Should I See a Chiropractor?

You may want to see a chiropractor if you want to live a more health-conscious life or if your job requires you to sit for extended periods. If you have the following symptoms, you may also need to see a chiropractor:

• Muscle and joint pain and stiffness
• Chronic back pain
• Neck pain
• Numbness and tingling sensations
• Soles of your shoes wear out differently
• Rib pain
• Limited range of motion
• Arm or leg pain
• Whiplash
• Headaches (migraine and chronic)
• Recent work and sports injury

What Is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

A chiropractic adjustment is an art of using a specific low force in a precise direction, applied to a subluxated joint, meaning it is “locked up” or not moving correctly. This natural and safe procedure aims to correct structural alignment and eliminate interference in the nervous system, improving spinal function, reducing pain, and improving health and wellness. Gentle spinal adjustments also boost your body’s immunity.

Examinations before Chiropractic adjustments are vital to avoid certain severe conditions like spondylolisthesis, a spinal condition that causes the vertebrae to slip out of place onto the vertebra below it. Gentle adjustments are administered painlessly and within your comfort zone.

Even though it may seem as if the chiropractor is adjusting people using similar techniques, every patient is adjusted differently within the same technique. Based on your needs, the chiropractor identifies which of your joints is subluxated, judges the direction to adjust, and chooses the appropriate point of joint contact. The chiropractor will then perform the adjustment by thrusting in a specific vector, force, and speed. Adjustments vary depending on joint restriction, skeletal maturity, and body type. Adjustments are executed based on the needs of the spine and diagnosis.

What Is a Subluxation?

Subluxations are problem areas of your spine that affect your entire nervous system. It occurs when a spinal vertebra is out of position compared to other vertebrae, possibly resulting in functional loss. This irritates or puts pressure on the nerves, interfering with the communication between your brain and body. It may involve your muscles, discs, ligaments, tendons, and other body parts as well.

What Causes Subluxations?

Spinal problems can be caused by everyday stresses and strains like lifting, gardening, housework, or sleeping on the couch. It can also be caused by auto accidents, falls, and sports activities. Subluxation in children occurs during birth, learning to walk, play, and other childhood activities.

What Are the Signs of Subluxations?

The most common symptoms are headache, back pain, neck stiffness, and shoulder, arm, or leg pains. Other signs are numbness in your hands and feet, fatigue, or nervousness.

What Causes the Popping Sound During an Adjustment?

A chiropractic adjustment does not affect the bones of either side of a joint. The popping noises produced are caused by gas released from the joint and are painless and harmless.

Which Manipulation Techniques Do Chiropractors Use?

Chiropractors may use the following manipulation techniques for various purposes such as:

Cox Distraction Manipulation for The Lumbosacral Spine
This is a technique used to relieve spinal pain as fast as possible. The method is performed on the Cox Table, specifically designed for the technique to be carried out.

The Drop Table Technique
This technique is also known as the Thompson technique and commonly treats lower back pain. It is suitable for adjusting pelvic and sacroiliac joints. The table can drop by tiny increments as pressure is applied in a thrusting motion to adjust the spine while keeping you comfortable.

Manual Adjusting (Diversified) Technique
This technique corrects misaligned spinal segments in the back or neck. It is the most common form of manipulation technique. Manual adjustment usually results in popping sounds associated with a chiropractic adjustment.

The Activator Technique
This treats lower back pain, headaches, and neck pain. The technique involves using a small hand-held spring-loaded adjusting instrument that allows your chiropractor to treat affected areas with quick, low-force impulses.

Gonstead Adjustment Method
This common hands-on technique involves rigorously analyzing the spinal region and realigning the spine. This alleviates pain, inflammation, and mobility in the affected areas. It is performed while sitting up or lying down. The Gonstead method treats chronic neck and back pain and pelvic or hip misalignments.

Can I Have a Say in My Chiropractic Adjustment?

Yes, you can. Chiropractic care is patient-centered, and your preferences should be taken into consideration. Chiropractors determine the areas that need to be adjusted. They take into account how you prefer to be adjusted to meet your needs for the best results.

For more information please contact Get Well Chiropractic of Northville.

Up to 40% of people experience sciatica at some point in their life. The condition can affect anyone at any age except young ones. The pain caused by the sciatic nerve can be debilitating, affecting your quality of life. You may be unable to sleep or do the activities you love. You can regain control of your life within 6 to 12 weeks with proper treatment. If you have been experiencing this pain, read on to understand what causes it and how you can get pain relief.

What Is Sciatic Pain?

Sciatica is pain, numbness, irritation, and tingling sensation caused by an injury or compression of the sciatic nerve. The pain can originate from the buttock area and can be mild to severe and disabling. Sciatica pain can also be irritating and infrequent and worsens with age. Sciatica is not a disease or medical condition but a symptom of a medical problem involving the sciatic nerve.

The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the human body. The nerves originate from the lower back through each gluteal (buttocks) and then radiate down the legs, ending below the knee.

Typically, the pain only affects one side of the lower body, extending from the thigh and back, through the thigh, and down your leg. Sometimes the pain can spread to the toes or foot. The sciatic nerve controls several muscles in the lower legs, supplying sensation to most of the lower leg and the foot’s skin.

What Are the Symptoms of Sciatica?

Common symptoms include:

• A mild to sharp, excruciating pain or burning sensation that makes it hard to stand up
• Burning or tingling down the leg, foot, and toes
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Feeling like a jolting pain or electric shock
• Hip and lower back pain
• Muscle weakness in your foot or leg
• A constant pain on one side of the rear
• Numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot
• Pain in the leg that gets worse when sitting

What Causes Sciatic Pain?

Sciatic pain is caused by an underlying issue. Various spinal disorders cause sciatica nerve compression, including:

• Bulging or herniated disc: Discs are the cushion pads between each vertebra. Pressure can cause the gel-like center of the disk to bulge through the weak outer wall. It can also wear out due to degenerative diseases such as arthritis.
• Spondylolisthesis: This occurs when one of the discs slips forward over the vertebrae below it, resulting in a pinched nerve which increases the chance of sciatica.
• Lumbar spinal stenosis: Its caused by the narrowing of the space around the spinal cord. This increases pressure, causing pain, inflammation, and numbness in the affected leg.
• Piriformis syndrome: It’s a condition in which the piriformis muscle located in the buttock region involuntarily tightens or spasms causing sciatic pain.
• Osteoarthritis: Bone spurs can form, leading to compression in the lower back nerves.

Other causes include:

• Trauma that can result in spinal cord injuries
• Orthopedic surgery of the hip
• Pregnancy
• Muscle spasm
• Infections
• Tumors

When to See a Doctor

You should seek urgent medical assistance if you have:

• Fever and chills
• Severe back pain
• Redness or swelling in your back or spine
• You have a loss of bladder or bowel control
• If you have been in a violent injury such as a motor accident
• Sudden severe pain in your lower back or leg and muscle weakness or weakness in your leg.

What Are the Risk Factors for Sciatica?

Obesity: Excess weight puts too much pressure on the spine and compresses the sciatic nerve causing inflammation and pain.

Diabetes: The disease increases your chance of nerve damage, significantly increasing the risk of sciatica.

Smoking: It deteriorates the discs in your spine over time which may result in nerve damage, increasing the chance of sciatica.

Poor back posture: The path of the sciatic nerve is affected by how we sit, walk or stand.

Physically demanding work or work-related injuries. Repetitive motions like lifting heavy objects, walking or standing for too long, and driving for long periods, put pressure on the spine, irritating the sciatic nerve.

Aging: As we age, the body loses flexibility putting our nerves at risk of injuries or pinching due to changes in spine alignment.

History of low back pain: Low back pain causes inflammation in the lumbar region and spine. This can spread to the sciatic nerve.

Sleeping problems: Poor sleeping habits can be caused by chronic illness or general health. It can lead to back pain which also causes sciatic pain.

Poor health: Wellness improves health. A poor diet and lack of exercise increase the chances of developing sciatic pain.

Psychological distress: Stress can cause the brain to deprive the sciatic nerve of oxygen, leading to leg pain, tingling sensation, and weakness.

Injury: An injury on the hip or buttocks can cause sciatic pain.

How is Sciatica Diagnosed?

During your diagnosis, your doctor will take your medical history and get to know your symptoms. They will also do a physical examination, like asking you to walk on toes or your heels, stand from a squatting position, lift your legs, or perform stretches and various motions.
For severe cases and further diagnosis, your doctor may order other tests such as;

• X-ray reveals overgrown bones, bone fractures, tumors, or infections.
• MRI to take details of your bones and soft tissues like herniated disks
• CT scan to check on the condition of your spinal cord and the spinal nerves.
• Electromyography (EMG) to confirm if there is nerve compression.
• Myelogram to determine the cause of disk or vertebrae pain

What Is the Treatment for Sciatic Pain?

Sciatica treatment involves a combination of self-care measures, medication, or surgery (last resort). Treatment options include:

• Over-the-counter medicines such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) like ibuprofen.
• General core strengthening and aerobic exercises.
• Gentle stretches and yoga postures to alleviate pain and increase flexibility.
• Use products to relax the back like recliners, back supports, wedges, lumbar support, and footrest,
• Physical therapy is recommended to prevent future injuries and improve flexibility and posture.
• Application of ice or hot packs to relieve pain and inflammation
• Corticosteroid injections are administered into the lower back, to help reduce pain. The injections are given under the local anesthesia.
• Lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercising, quitting smoking, avoiding sitting for long hours, and lifting objects carefully to avoid damaging your back. It may seem hard to make these adjustments at first, but it is essential to give you pain relief and improve your quality of life.

Alternative Treatments

Acupuncture: This involves inserting hair-thin needles into the skin at specific parts of your body. Acupuncture can help manage sciatica symptoms by relaxing tight muscles, releasing neurotransmitters that help reduce pain, improve blood circulation and regulate the nervous symptoms.

Chiropractic care: Whenever possible, it is always a good idea to opt for a more conservative, non-invasive treatment. Chiropractic care can offer you that as the purpose of chiropractic treatment is to help the body heal itself without surgery or medication. Chiropractic care will aim to realign the spine and take the pressure off the sciatic nerve for immediate pain relief. Your body will then begin to heal itself once the pressure is removed.
Treatment may also combine several methods such as cold therapies, ultrasound, TENs, physical therapy, and spinal adjustments.

• Cold therapy– uses cold materials and substances to reduce inflammation and control pain
• Ultrasound– produces gentle heat created by soundwaves that penetrate deep into soft tissues such as muscles. Ultrasounds increase circulation and help to reduce muscle spasms, cramping, swelling, and stiffness.
• TENs– refers to electric nerve stimulation. Its controlled electrical current allows for pain relief and reduction in spasms.
• Physical therapy– strengthening exercises help to relieve pressure, improve the flexibility of tight muscles, and strengthen the muscles of your back, abdomen, and legs.
• Spinal adjustments– Chiropractic manipulation can free restricted movement in the spine and restores misaligned bodies to their proper position allowing for full range of movement and comfort. Spinal adjustments reduce nerve irritability that is responsible for inflammation, pain, and other symptoms related to sciatica.

Surgery

Surgery is recommended if your sciatic pain lasts for more than three months and does not respond to other treatments. The type of surgery depends on the cause of your sciatica pain. To remove fragments of a herniated disc compressing the nerve, you may need to undergo a microdiscectomy. Your doctor may also recommend a lumbar laminectomy to widen the spinal cord and reduce pressure on the nerves in the lower back.

If you have been suffering from sciatic seeking professional treatment for pain relief is essential. For more information please contact Get Well Chiropractic of Northville.

Swimming is a fun way to keep healthy and fit while making new friends. If you enjoy swimming and don’t particularly like other forms of exercise, swimming is the way to go. It is suitable for everyone, and its benefits are not only limited to physical activity but also extend to improved mental health. Health experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly, making swimming the perfect tool for exercising your body and improving your cardiovascular health. Even better, if you hate running, swimming can burn as many calories as an hour of running without impacting your joints and bones. Keep reading to find out more about the fantastic benefits of swimming.

Full Body Workout

Swimming engages nearly all the muscles in the body, forcing the legs, torso, arms, and stomach to work simultaneously by propelling yourself into the water. The water buoyancy is also perfect for people with mobility issues since there is no pressure on the joints.

Additionally, 30 minutes in the water is almost equivalent to 45 minutes of the same exercises on land. Swimming also increases your heart rate without pressuring or stressing your body; it improves endurance, muscle strength, and tone. You can switch up various strokes to focus on different muscle groups such as backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly, and sidestroke.

Swimming Is Ideal for All Ages

Anyone can learn to swim from a very young age and at their own pace. There are designated areas in the swimming pools for beginners and kids to practice and learn their swimming skills at a gradual pace under the supervision of a lifeguard. Kids require at least an hour of aerobic activity every day, and swimming is a fun way to keep fit without feeling like it is a chore. An Australian study has shown that swimming can increase children’s motor skills and enable them to master new skills earlier than kids who do not swim.

Swimming is also suitable for some people who struggle with other types of exercise. Ensure your kid(s) is under constant supervision to avoid the risk of drowning.

Improves Cardiovascular Strength

According to studies, women who swim half an hour a day reduce the risk of heart disease by 30 to 40 percent. Swimming provides low-impact cardio exercises making your heart and lungs stronger and enabling blood to pump more efficiently throughout your body.

Increased heart rate allows your body to burn more calories, fat, and energy while reducing blood pressure levels. Swimming also helps improve the flexibility of the cells lining the arteries, raises good cholesterol levels, minimizes the risk of a stroke, and controls blood sugar levels. Research also shows that swimming can help reduce inflammation that might lead to atherosclerosis due to increased cardio activity.

Swimming Burns Calories and Maintains a Healthy Weight

Swimming can effectively burn calories. You can burn over 250 calories in 30 minutes of recreational swimming and around 400 calories in vigorous swimming. This also depends on the swimming intensity and your body weight. This beats more than double cycling, running, and waking. For every ten minutes of swimming, you can lose weight from the different styles of swimming. For example, you can lose 80 calories from backstroke, 100 calories from freestyle, 60 calories in breaststroke, and 150 calories from butterfly stroke.

Swimming Reduces Stress and Improves Mental Health

Swimming helps the body to relax and de-stress by lowering anxiety and depression, relieving tension, improving sleeping patterns, and increasing energy levels. There is a lot of breathing control during swimming, forcing you to take deeper, controlled breaths, leading to a relieved and peaceful breathing rhythm.

Swimming can benefit people with fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis symptoms by decreasing their anxiety and improving their mood. It can also help children with developmental disabilities better connect with family members. Additionally, swimming positively improves pregnant women’s mental health. All this can be attributed to the release of serotonin (a feel-good hormone), a mood stabilizer.

Another way swimming reduces stress levels is through the unique movement patterns in the water. When swimming in a horizontal position, the body gets rid of any accumulated pressure in the lower back and shoulders from the various activities you perform throughout the day.

Swimming Lowers the Risk of Diabetes

Swimming helps keep diabetes away and also benefits those who already have diabetes. Aerobic activity helps reduce the risk of diabetes or those with the condition by burning calories and improving cholesterol levels. You can try swimming at least thrice a week for a minimum of ten minutes to fully reap the benefits of swimming, then gradually increase the time and intensity as tolerated.

Ensure you monitor blood sugar levels and have a snack on standby if you have diabetes, and don’t forget to inform the lifeguard that you are diabetic for safety reasons. If you swim the breaststroke at least thrice a week for half an hour, you can reduce your risk of diabetes by over 10%. Swimming as a form of aerobic exercise may increase insulin sensitivity.

Swimming Can Help with Arthritis

Swimming can help with arthritis, disability, injury, and other conditions that may make high-impact exercises difficult. Water-based activities can help improve the use of the joints and limbs without aggravating arthritis or joint injuries. This is because the buoyancy of the water displaces the stress and weight on the joints. Water-based exercises can also help with joint stiffness and pain management while also helping improve injury recovery.

Swimming Can Help People with Asthma

Swimming helps improve breathing control and improve lung capacity. The humid air of indoor pools can help with asthma. Some studies indicate that the chlorine and chemical used to treat pools can worsen asthma symptoms and increase the risk for asthma. It can help if you use a pool with salty water instead of chlorine.

Swimming Improves Flexibility

Repetitively reaching, pulling, stretching, twisting and various strokes involved in swimming help improve body flexibility. Your arms and ankles become stretched out and flexible as you kick and push away from the water’s pressure and waves.

The Takeaway

Swimming has multiple health and recreational benefits for the body, mind, and soul. It is essential to stay hydrated and practice safe swimming practices and pool etiquette. If you are a first-timer, take swimming lessons and if possible, swim in areas that are under lifeguard supervision. Once you become a confident swimmer, you can try a few laps that keep your heart rate elevated for at least half an hour. If you feel exhausted, take breaks and do not exert yourself. Do not forget to have fun while at it.

For more information please contact Get Well Chiropractic of Northville.

Do you have lоw back раin? Do уоu think уоu аrе suffering from a disc problem in уоur bасk?

Bасkраin caused by ѕрinаl disc рrоblеmѕ can be unbelievably painful. Thеrе mау be сеrtаin bоdу positions that would be imроѕѕiblе fоr уоu to make withоut thе pain. If уоu have thiѕ, you mау have felt totally hеlрlеѕѕ аt times. Thiѕ is a vеrу common complaint, fоr back раin duе to disc problems саn only be understood by реорlе whо are ѕuffеring from thе same аilmеnt.

Pain is actually a wаrning ѕign given out bу your bоdу that there is something wrong inѕidе аlrеаdу. For most of us, it is еаѕу to ignore thеѕе wаrning ѕignѕ. However, if уоu wаnt tо bе healthy and fullу functioning, you should lеаrn hоw tо listen to your body’s mеѕѕаgеѕ and especially your body’s wаrningѕ. If you сhооѕе to ignore thеѕе, thе аilmеntѕ could gеt wоrѕe, аnd what could have been a minоr thing treatable with home remedies could wоrѕеn ѕо much that you would need surgery.

Whаt iѕ оur Sрinаl Diѕс?

Our bасk is supported by our spine, and оur ѕрinе соmрriѕеѕ of tightly fixеd discs. These рrоvidе padding for thе ѕрinе’ѕ bоnеѕ, саllеd vertebrae. Аnоthеr tеrm uѕеd bу dосtоrѕ tо rеfеr tо it iѕ intervertebral diѕсѕ. Eасh diѕс is flаt and сirсulаr in shape, аrоund one inсh in diameter and оnе-ԛuаrtеr of аn inch thiсk. Thе аnnuluѕ fibrоѕuѕ is thе discs’ оutеr mеmbrаnеѕ. Also within еасh diѕс iѕ thе nucleus pulposus, which рrоvidеѕ аn еlаѕtiс соrе. Thе diѕсѕ are соmmоnlу referred to аѕ a ‘ѕhосk аbѕоrbеrѕ’ for the ѕрinе.

Symptoms Of Spinal Disc Problems

• Chronic Bасk Pain
• Chronic Neck pain
• Pаin radiates dоwn lеgѕ whilе walking, standing
• Numbness оr pins & needles in arms & legs
• Problems bеnding or straightening уоur bасk

Treatment

Chirорrасtоrѕ аrе specially trained tо hеlр mаnаgе diѕс problems. Thеу аrе trained tо реrfоrm a detailed evaluation of thе entire ѕрinе. If nееdеd, thеу may оrdеr an MRI whiсh will рrоvidе a detailed viеw of thе discs оf thе ѕрinе. Thеу will аlѕо look for misaligned spinal bones which саn lead to abnormal рrеѕѕurе on the discs.

Whеn the bones are misaligned thе jоintѕ nо longer glide рrореrlу аnd саuѕе аbnоrmаl wеаring оf thе diѕсѕ. The jоintѕ mау also bесоmе ѕtuсk which рrеvеntѕ the normal рumрing action of thе jоintѕ. Thе diѕсѕ rely heavily on thiѕ pumping action to draw fluid in tо thе diѕсѕ аnd pump tоxinѕ out. Thе mеdiсаl tеrm for this process is саllеd imbibition.

Chirорrасtоrѕ рrоvidе individuаlizеd trеаtmеnt fоr diѕс рrоblеmѕ. The саuѕе оf diѕс рrоblеmѕ can vary from реrѕоn to person. Get Well Chiropractic of Northville саn рrоvidе ѕрinаl mаniрulаtiоn to help соrrесt miѕаlignеd ѕрinаl jоintѕ аnd they can аlѕо provide therapy to hеlр heal injured ѕоft tiѕѕuе. Thеу mау аlѕо recommend ѕресifiс ѕtrеtсhеѕ and therapeutic еxеrсiѕеѕ. To learn more about treatment for spinal disc problems contact Get Well Chiropractic of Northville today!