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•  An injury to the neck caused by sudden movement of the head backward, forward, or sideways is commonly referred to as whiplash.

•  Worn too long, cervical collar can further weaken supportive muscles and actually lengthen recovery time!

•  Most auto related whiplash injuries occur when a car is stopped and occupants are unaware that they are about to be hit from the side or behind.

•  Even though the car may have received little damage, occupants can suffer serious injuries

Collisions that occur during sporting events, slips falls or automobile crashes can all have a damaging effect on your neck and back. These types of collision-related injuries are often called a whiplash.

Whiplash is most commonly received from riding in a car that is struck from behind or that collides with another object. When the head is suddenly jerked back and forth beyond its normal limits, the muscles and ligaments supporting the head and spine can be stretched or torn. The soft, pulpy discs between spinal bones can bulge, tear, or rupture. Vertebrae can be forced out of their normal position, reducing range of motion.

The resulting instability of the spine and soft tissue can contribute to headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, pain in the shoulders, arms and hands, reduced ability to turn and bend, and low back problems. As the body attempts to adapt, symptoms may not appear until weeks or even months later.

The chiropractic approach to these types of injuries is to use specific chiropractic adjustments to help normalize spinal function. After a thorough case history and examination, the doctor will recommend a series of visits to help restore proper motion and position of spinal bones. If caught early enough, inflammation can be reduced and scar tissue can often be minimized.

Consult a Doctor of Chiropractic before depending upon addictive pain medication, enduring constant whiplash-related headaches or submitting to surgery.

•  Some estimates suggest 25% of the population has a headache right now! A comprehensive U.S. study reported that 10 million Americans suffer from moderate to sever disability from various forms of headaches.

•  Specific chiropractic adjustments can help correct mechanical restrictions in the cervical spine that may be related to head ache symptoms.

•  Like a fever, some headaches are related to an underlying problem.

Because headaches are so common, some people think that getting a headache is just a normal part of life! Headaches are a sign that something’s wrong. Stress, Toxic fumes, certain foods, preservatives, and alcohol are common culprits.

A frequent and overlooked cause of headaches is the malfunction of spinal bones in the neck and upper back.

When bones of the spine lose their normal position or motion, sensitive nerves and blood vessels to the head can be affected. When spinal nerves and related tissues are stretched or irritated, they can produce throbbing headaches. Aspirin and medications may cover up these warning signs, but do not correct the underlying structural cause.

Many people experience correction and relief through chiropractic care.

If a through examination reveals reduced range of motion, loss of normal spinal curves, or mechanical restrictions, chiropractic care should be considered. After a complete explanation, you’ll receive a care program designed for your unique spinal problem.

Specific chiropractic adjustments can help correct spinal joint dysfunction created by the various chemical, emotional, and physical stress in our lives.

Many patients report headache relief. Others find that the correction of their condition takes longer because their spinal problem has existed undetected for many years. Every patient responds differently. Benefit from the drug-free results millions have enjoyed by consulting a chiropractic doctor.

•  While it can take time, conservative chiropractic care can be quite successful in removing the cause of the sciatica and low back pain.

•  Research shows that when treated with chiropractic adjustments, sciatica has an 10-15% greater rate of recovery that if patients were to use therapy or standard medical care.

•  Each of the two sciatic nerves is formed by four or five nerves branching off each side of the spinal cord and running down the back of each leg.

Pain is caused when the sciatic nerve roots are irritated, scraped, twisted, stretched or pinched as they exit the spine. Causes of the impairment may be chemical, physical or emotional stress of everyday living. A full-blown sciatic flare-up can involve the entire sciatic nerve path resulting in symptoms of the lower back pain, burning, cramping or numbness that radiated into the thighs, legs, ankles feet and toes. Pain may also be limited to various points along the nerve, such as the buttocks, knee area and calf.

The sciatic nerves are the largest (and longest) nerves of the body, reaching about the size of your thumb in diameter, and running down the back of each leg. When these nerves are irritated or affected by the inflammation of nearby soft tissue, doctors refer to this as sciatica.

One of the most common causes of sciatic leg pain is the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. It can be accompanied by the bulging or herniation of the soft pulpy disc, which separate each spinal bone. This can irritate or put pressure on the sciatic nerve roots as they leave the spinal cord. The result can be an intense pain shooting down either or both legs.

In the past, treatment has involved pain medications, muscle relaxers, physical therapy, and even surgery. The chiropractic approach is to use carefully directed and controlled pressure to remove the interference from spinal structures. These chiropractic adjustments can be quite effective in t reducing nerve irritation and its associated pain.

Sciatica, like other health problems that can be traced to the spine, often respond dramatically to the restoration of normal spinal function through conservative chiropractic care.

•  There are 9 pairs of tender points. Each pair has one point on each side of the body for a total of 18 points.

•  The pain may spread when a tender point is pressed and trigger pain in a larger area.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and multiple tender points. These tender points refer to sensitivity that occurs in precise localized areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders and hips. People with this syndrome may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and other symptoms.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. It primarily occurs in women of childbearing age, though men, children, and elderly may also be affected.

Currently, the exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown and because many of the symptoms mimic those of other diseases, it is very difficult to diagnose.

The current criteria for a fibromyalgia diagnosis includes:

•  Widespread joint and muscle pain that has been present for at least three months.

•  Pain at 11 or more of the specific tender/trigger points when areas are pressed.

Other symptoms that are less common but can occur are constipation or diarrhea, headache, difficulty concentrating, tingling sensation in the hands and severe or extensive fatigue.

Though the cause and cure for fibromyalgia is not yet known, studies suggest that chiropractic care can help provide relief.

A recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics stated that more than 605 of the participants who underwent thirty chiropractic treatments showed significant reductions in pain intensity and improvement in their overall fatigue and quality of sleep.

Your chiropractor will take a comprehensive approach in evaluating and designing a specific care plan for those who suffer from fibromyalgia. Nutrition, exercise and regular chiropractic adjustments have all shown to play a role in reducing pain and other symptoms, while improving whole body health.

Schedule an appointment today to discuss fibromyalgia care options with your chiropractor..

According to a recent August 24 th 1999 article in USA Today, more than 80% of seniors age 65 or greater are aware of what the article termed alternative medicine. This awareness has lead to a fairly fast growing utilization of these services. The breakdown for usage of chiropractic and other non-medical health care is as follows:

Chiropractic lead the way with a utilization of 32%, second was massage therapy at 16%, followed by acupuncture 9%, homeopathy at 4%, naturopathy 3% and Chinese medicine 3%.

A recent study published in Topics in Clinical Chiropractic of a randomized clinical trial showed data that found chiropractic geriatric patients were “less likely to have been hospitalized, less likely to have used a nursing home, more likely to report a better health status, more likely to exercise vigorously, and more likely to be mobile in the community.”

Children naturally enjoy their chiropractic adjustments.

•  Chiropractic care can benefit the developing baby and help reduce the complications of labor.

•  Spinal malfunctions caused by falls from learning to walk, can often be helped with chiropractic care. (Insert picture of baby trying to walk)

•  Contact sports or repeated one-side activities can interfere with proper growth during rapid stages of spinal development. (Picture of little league Football)

•  Regular chiropractic checkups are especially beneficial as head support and natural spinal curves are established.

Children can benefit from chiropractic care before they are born, by having a mother who receives prenatal chiropractic checkups. A healthy diet, proper exercise, a stress free environment, and a chiropractic lifestyle help prepare for a happy, healthy baby.

The birth process may be one of the most traumatic events of our lives. Even s0-called natural birthing methods can stress a still developing spine. The resulting irritation to the nervous system can be the cause of many newborn health complaints. Colic, unexplained crying, poor appetite, breathing problems, and allergic reactions can often be traced to nervous system dysfunction caused by a malfunctioning spine.

Head support, followed by crawling, and a baby’s first few steps should be followed by chiropractic checkups. If neglected, the bumps and falls during this period of rapid growth may lead to serious spinal deformities later in life. This can set the stage for scoliosis, growing pains, and weakened immune systems response.

Chiropractic adjusting techniques are modified to fit a child’s size, weight, and unique spinal problem. Parents often report that their children seem healthier than other kids their age.

Many spinal problems seen in adults begin in childhood. Proper spinal hygiene is an important key to better health. Do you know a child who could benefit from chiropractic care?

• The victim of a heart attack is suffering from ill health long before the first symptom. Same with the Vertebral-Subluxation Complex.

• Covering up the symptoms with medication can ignore the underlying cause and delay the healing process.

• Allergic reactions aren’t the result of a lack of antihistamine medicine, but a lack of your body’s ability to adapt to some irritant.

Headaches are not normal. Backaches are not normal. Numbness and tingling are not normal. These and countless other symptoms that prompt people to consult a chiropractic office are often the result of years of neglect.

Chiropractic doctors find the underlying cause(s) of your ache or pain, and help correct it.

Many patients are surprised when they discover chiropractic doctors don’t treat symptoms. A traditional medical approach works on symptoms by using drugs or surgery to numb, slow down, speed up, or cut out the malfunctioning body part. Instead, chiropractic doctors find the underlying cause(s) of your ache or pain, and correct it. This improves symptoms naturally.

Judging your health by how you feel can be dangerous! The first symptom of high blood pressure is often a deadly stroke. The first symptom of heart disease could be a fatal heart attack! Because your body is so adaptive, by the time many symptoms warn you of a problem, it can be well advanced.

You can be healthy and still not feel well. Vomiting after eating improperly prepared food is a healthy response. Taking a drug to prevent your body from expelling the toxic food could be deadly! Fevers, diarrhea, and other symptoms are natural ways your body responds to infection and disease. Proper function, controlled by your nervous system, is the key to health. Fortunately, the proper function of your nervous system is the primary interest of your chiropractic doctor.

• An important step towards complete rehabilitation is restoring proper spinal function through chiropractic adjustments.

• Patients enjoy seeing and feeling their progress!

• Today’s high-tech equipment can isolate, measure, and strengthen your spine.

• Strengthening the muscles that support your spine can speed the healing process and help avoid a relapse.

When muscles, tendons, or ligaments of the spine are damaged through work injuries, automobile collision, overexertion, and repetitive motion, or simply weakened by activity, your overall health can be affected.

Without the proper tone in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of your body, you would collapse like a rag doll.

Without some form of active care or rehabilitation, recovery from an injury or a long-standing problem can take longer to achieve. Overlooking the importance of improved range of motion and muscle strengthening can result in a relapse, with your original health problem returning again and again.

Chiropractic rehabilitation involves the restoration of proper joint function of the spine or extremities, and the strengthening of supporting muscles and soft tissues. This will usually involve specific spinal adjustments, combines with a program of stretching, resistance training, and exercises to improve muscle tone.

Some patients receive a set of simple exercises or maneuvers they can do at home. Other types of injuries will require the use of specialized equipment to isolate and strengthen specific areas of the spine.

Ask your chiropractic doctor for ways you can speed the healing process and strengthen the supporting soft tissues of your spine through appropriate rehabilitation.

• If detected early enough, chiropractic doctors have had excellent success with scoliosis cases.

Scoliosis is a sideways curving of the spine that often gets started in childhood, when the bones of the spine are still growing. In many cases, the exact cause of scoliosis is unknown.

Scoliosis is detected by uneven shoulder heights, a loss of structural balance, or a change in posture.

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 failing off a bicycle. It usually starts with problems in the lower back.

Because spinal bones continue to grow well into the early 20s, if left uncorrected, scoliosis often worsens.

Unfortunately, the most common treatment approach has been to wait and see how bad it gets, resorting to unsightly braces, or eventually surgery, if it progresses too far.

The chiropractic approach is to use specific spinal adjustments, often combined with corrective exercises. If detected early enough, chiropractic doctors have had excellent success with scoliosis cases.

Early detection and chiropractic correction is important for optimum results. Do you know someone who could benefit from a chiropractic examination?

•  Diagnostic imaging can reveal degenerative changes to the disc and surrounding tissues.

While the intervertebral disc is a common culprit in spine-related health problems, its function is widely misunderstood.

The disc is a small cartilage pad that is situated between spinal bones. Layers of fibrous tissues contain the soft jelly-like center. Each disc serves as a connector, spacer, and shock absorber for the spine. When healthy, discs allow normal turning and bending.

Disc can bulge, herniated or rupture, resulting in other problems.

Since spinal disc have very poor blood supply, they also depend upon circulation of joint fluids to bring in nutrients and expel waste, if a spinal joint loses its normal motion and this pumping action is impaired, the health of the disc deteriorates. Like a wet songe, a healthy disc is flexible. A dry sponge is hard, stiff, and can crack easily, This is how many disc problems begin.

Because of the way each disc is attached to the vertebra above and below it, a disc cannot �slip� as commonly thought. However, trauma or injury to the spine can cause disc to bulge, herniated, or worse, rupture. This can be quite painful, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots, often interfering with their function.

The chiropractic approach to disc problems is to help restore better motion and position to the spinal joint. Besides reducing disc bulging, better spinal function helps decrease inflammation so the slow process of healing the surrounding soft tissues can begin.

While results cannot be guaranteed, many patients have avoided needless surgery or a dependency on pain pills by choosing conservative chiropractic care.

Because they are attached to vertebrae, discs do not slip, but they do tear, bulge, herniated, prolapse and desiccate.

Disc Tear- The most common disc injury is a small crack or micro tear in the tough, outer cartilage material of the disc called annular fibers. This allows the fluid to start leaking out, and the disc begins to wear thin.

Bulging Disc- The soft jelly-like material in the middle of the disc pushes to one side, forward or backward, and swelling occurs. The nucleus is still contained within the tough outer fibers and extends to the outer edge or beyond the normal limits of the disc.

Prolapsed Disc- A piece of disc material separates away and becomes a fragment or a free-floating piece.

Desiccated Disc- The disc loses its fluid content and degenerates down to a rough, worn-down or worn-out appearance. This occurs as the bones begin to fuse to each other.

•  Have someone try to pull your thumb and finger apart. If your fingers seem weak, it could be related to a carpal tunnel problem.

•  Specific chiropractic adjustments can help return malfunctioning joints to a more normal motion and position.

Every day, assembly line workers, keyboard operators, grocery store clerks, and many others, receive micro-traumas to their hands and wrist. Vibration and repetitive motions, when combined with spinal problems and other joint dysfunction, can result in a condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Symptoms may include pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or a loss of strength in the hands.

The major nerve controlling the thumb, index, and parts of the middle, and ring finger is called the median nerve. From the tip of your fingers, it travels through the bones in your wrist, past your elbow, up your arm, through your shoulder and neck, and finally to your spinal cord. Problems can develop in one or more of these areas.

The carpal tunnel is formed by bones in the wrist. The median nerve, tendons, and blood vessels pass through this opening. If one or more bones forming this tunnel should collapse, inflammation, nerve pressure, and painful symptoms can result.

The median nerve connects to the spinal cord through openings between several bones in the lower neck. When these spinal bones lose their normal motion or position, they can cause problems in the fingers and wrist.

After a through examination, your chiropractic doctor will perform specific adjustments where needed, to help normalize structure and reduce nerve irritation. When given time, conservative, chiropractic care has produced excellent results with carpal tunnel problems-without drugs or surgery.

• Many women find their labor shorter and experience less discomfort if they’ve received chiropractic care.

• Modified approaches can make chiropractic adjustments for pregnant moms easy and more comfortable.

• Regular chiropractic checkups, along with other healthy habits, create the best opportunity for a healthy, happy baby.

Women who exercise moderately, quit smoking, eat healthy foods, and avoid alcohol during their pregnancies are to be congratulated. Those receiving prenatal chiropractic checkups can increase their nervous system capacity to function at its very best. This is an important element in creating a healthy foundation for developing babies.

Constant structural changes, physical and emotional stresses provide the opportunity for beneficial chiropractic care during all stages of pregnancy.

This period of rapid development, hormonal changes, the laxity of connective ligaments, and shifting of weight-bearing structures, may cause many pregnant women to experience low back pain.

Besides helping to relieve the discomfort many expectant mothers experience, chiropractic care helps normalize nervous system function. This is an important component of overall good health.

The benefits of chiropractic care may also be noticed during delivery. Many chiropractic patients report that their deliveries were faster and more comfortable than their deliveries prior to chiropractic care!

Modifications to the table or adjusting techniques are made during each stage of pregnancy. Your chiropractor is a specialist in the location, reduction and stabilization of the vertebral subluxation complex, which can be related to many of the comfortable symptoms associated with pregnancy and labor. Pamper yourself and your baby with regular chiropractic checkups.

• Just as a chain tends to break at its weakest link, we seem to exhibit stress and strain in the weakest areas of our bodies.

• Like a relaxing vacation, chiropractic care can help give your nervous system a greater capacity to adapt to stress.

• Emotional stress is just one of many types of stress that cause damaging wear and tear.

Stress has been with us since the beginning of time. Every era has faced its share of threatening situations. Today, the stress of work, project deadlines, personal conflicts, and the demands on our time and money, take a huge toll on our health.

It may surprise you that your feelings of stress may have nothing to do with the stress in your life. Poor posture, prolonged sitting, an accident, or even an old injury can lead to spinal stress. Chronic pain and muscle tension can cause you to experience nervousness and irritability.

For some, its an upset stomach. For others, recurring headaches, back pain, or muscle stiffness. Still other respond with nervous twitches, allergic reactions, or sensitivities to chemicals. Regardless of your particular response, the function of your nervous system is involved. That’s why chiropractic can be so helpful.

The chiropractic approach to stress is to help normalize the function of your nervous system by removing interferences caused by the Vertebral Subluxation Complex or spinal joint dysfunction.

Finding the weak links in your spine (the major communication pathway of your nervous system) and helping restore better function, can make a profound difference in you response to stress.

It may not be possible to remove the stress from a busy life. However, with the help of your chiropractic doctor, you can respond better to the unique challenges you face.

•  Sports injuries among youngsters are often ignored as growing pains. Regular chiropractic checkups can help avoid problems seen later in adults.

•  Help prevent sports injuries by proper stretching, warm-up and cool-down exercises, and by staying fit.

•  Proper spinal function is essential for peak performance at work or play.

Problems can start with the spine and affect the extremities, or they can begin with an extremity, like a knee or an ankle and then create further compensation problems in the spine. Either way, many sports-related injuries involve the spine.

Spinal injuries can restrict range of motion reduce strength, slow reflexes, shorten endurance, and decrease performance. Chiropractic care for these types of injuries has become increasingly popular. Professional sports teams, Olympic trainers, and competitive athletes are employing chiropractic doctors because they demand results.

Chiropractic care helps restore function to spinal joints that are fixated and not moving properly. Besides helping to relieve pain, chiropractic care can also help reduce inflammation. Muscles, tendons and ligaments depend upon proper joint movement for peak performance. Injuries to these tissues can reduce range of motion, decrease blood supply, and literally take you out of the game.

Normalizing spinal function helps speed the healing of these soft tissues and reduce the deconditioning effect of being on the sidelines.

An aerobic exercise program or a plan of brisk walking can improve muscle tone and help you recover from strains, sprains and other activity-restricting health problems.

Whether you golf, play tennis, bicycle, or bowl, the best treatment for sports injuries is prevention!

Ask your Doctor chiropractic for a care plan based on you age, condition, and health objectives. Find out if chiropractic care can help restore your health, improve your performance, and increase you competitive edge.

• The biggest secret is how helpful chiropractic can be for youngsters, helping avoid so-called normal childhood health problems.

• Who do you know that can benefit form chiropractic care?

• This office depends upon informed patients like you to tell others how well chiropractic care works.

As you regain your health, we’re counting on you to tell others about chiropractic experience so we can help them in the same way we’re helping you.

The best way to thank your doctor is by sharing your story with others.

When you tell a friend about chiropractic, you offer encouragement. When you tell a work associate about chiropractic, you after direction. When you tell a loved one about chiropractic, you offer hope.

Encouragement. Direction. Hope. Each is a part of the healing process. So when you tell others about the positive experience you’ve had in this office, you’re using some of the same methods the best doctors used to promote the healing process.

This office depends upon informed patients to share the chiropractic message with others. We’re counting on you to dispel the myths and overcome the incorrect notions many of your friends may have about chiropractic care.

If we can help, we will tell them. If their problem is outsidet eh scope of our practice, we will refer them to other specialists.

A doctor is blessed by being a witness to each patient’s return to health. You can experience the same joy by referring others.

Together, we make a great team.