Santa Barbara Chiropractor

I’ve always been fond of the old saying, When you consider the alternative, getting old isn’t so bad.” However, it’s nothing to joke about if the aging process is causing you pain! As a chiropractor in Santa Barbara, when it comes to musculoskeletal problems, I see too many age-related breakdowns that probably would not have taken place if the original cause had been addressed earlier. Pain in the back, neck, hips, knees, and even the feet are commonly the result of unnecessary stresses due to poor posture, improper gait, and repetitive overuse. But, as another saying goes, “Hindsight is 20-20.” If we only knew back then how our aging body would feel now!

As you can see from the list of complaints above, there are quite a few musculoskeletal challenges that can, and often do, take place as we get older, but painful back problems are one of the most prevalent. Back pain that is age-related is most commonly produced by spine osteoarthritis, or Spondylosis, a degenerative disorder.

Spinal osteoarthritis is caused by increased erosion and weight-bearing force on the spine that, over time, does harm to the discs, joints, and surrounding ligaments. The location and degree of the degenerative process of spondylosis is individual, varying from person to person. The regions likely to be affected are the cervical (neck), thoriacic (mid-back), or lumbar (low back). Spondylosisi symptoms very from person to person and depend on the severity of the degeneration, and can extend from low-amplitude pain and numbness to extreme sensory loss and muscular atrophy.

Repetitive stresses adversely affect the cartilage surrounding the joints and can encourage calcium to deposit in the tissues surrounding the vertebrae. These calcific deposits, known as bone spurs, can constrict adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue. This particular of compression is at the root of Spondylosis.

Regular chiropractic care and overall chiropractic management is beneficial in significantly slowing the aging process of the spine whether or not you are suffering from spondylosis. No, “you can’t un-ring a bell” or “turn back the hands of time,” but it isn’t too late to give your spine the consideration it deserves. When it comes to treating the spine, chiropractors are experts! See your chiropractor in Santa Barbara today, for the health of your spine.

Technorati Tags: age-related back pain, age-related neck pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, spine osteoarthritis, Spondylosis

The survey, reported in the publication’s May 2009 issue, found that more than half of the respondents had “pain (that) severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred throughout the year.” The report stated that while many go to a primary care physician first for diagnosis and treatment, the majority were disappointed with the results.

On the other hand, 59 percent reported that they were “highly satisfied” with the care they received from chiropractors. The next highest rated practitioners were physical therapists (55 percent) and acupuncturists (53 percent), followed by “specialized” physicians (44 percent) and primary care physicians (34 percent).

Respondents were also asked to rate the types of treatments they received. Again, chiropractic/spinal manipulation got top honors, with 58 percent rating it as “helping a lot.” Spinal injections were next highest, rated at 51 percent, followed by massage (48 percent) and physical therapy (46 percent). Other highly rated treatments included prescription medications (45 percent), yoga (44 percent), movement therapy and acupuncture (both 41 percent).

According to a Dynamic Chiropractic article on that report, “Chiropractic ranked first out of 11 treatments, including massage, acupuncture, and exercise, in its ability to treat back pain. More readers said that chiropractic ‘helped me feel much better’ than any of the other therapies.” Prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs ranked eighth and 10th, respectively.

So, if you’ve been “highly satisfied” with your chiropractic care, you’re not alone! In fact, more and more people are turning to chiropractic treatment not only for back pain relief, but for a wide variety of painful conditions from sports and repetitive stress injuries to arthritis.

A public version of the report can be found on the Consumer Reports Web site.

Technorati Tags: back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, Consumer Reports

Most men and women who are overweight experience moderate to severe back pain. The reason for this is because the spine was not designed to haul anything that is more substantial in weight than the body is at its naturally healthy weight.  As an individual puts on additional weight, the spine begins to distort and to compress, creating a lot of pain and discomfort.  The pelvis can also be affected and become tilted forward forcing it to pinch the sciatic nerve. This is a major reason why people who are overweight tend to have challenges with their lower back. The pain is due to either sciatica or the distorting of the spinal column.

If this problem sounds painfully familiar, and you want to get out pain, certainly the thing to do is to discard extra weight that you are toting around, and your spine will start to regulate and return to its regular position.  Unfortunately, losing weight is hard and it can take time, even with the best of intentions. But, luckily you don’t have to endure back pain as you lose the weight. A chiropractor can offer the pain relief you’ll require to help you as you shed the extra pounds.

But, you will still need to lose the extra weight, and not having back pain will actually assist you in doing it. Two things that are simple (but not necessarily easy), but will be highly beneficial to you in losing the extra weight naturally are being sure to get some sort of exercise, even if it’s just a little bit per day, and modifying the food you eat so that you are taking in fewer calories than you are using throughout the day. Sure, you’ve heard about these two things before. Nonetheless, now that you’re aware your back is depending on you, it’s the perfect time to get truly galvanized for success.

Start exercising slowly, particular if you’re having challenges with back pain. And, most importantly, be sure to seek out some chiropractic care so that you don’t make the mistake that many people do, which is exercising into the pain. That will only make your problem worse. Exercise, though sometimes uncomfortable, should never be painful or cause pain. That’s why seeing a chiropractor is important if you’re suffering from back pain.

Do basic stretching exercises and also concentrate on your core abdominal body muscles. Strong stomach muscles assisting in relieving back pain. Your chiropractor will be able to provide exercises that are best for you, personally. Within just a week or two of dedication to losing the weight that is producing your back pain and perhaps other health problems as well, you ought to begin to notice an enormous difference in the way that you feel.

Technorati Tags: back pain, chiropractor, fat, overweight

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been performed in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.  Nowadays, a large number individuals all over the world are experiencing relief from their back pain and other problems by going to see an acupuncturist on a regular basis.  In keeping with traditional Chinese acupuncture therapy, small needles are inserted into the body at specific points that are believed to affect various areas of the body.  In traditional therapy, only the needles are used, however on occasion and especially today, small electrical currents are passed through the needles into the body.  Although it may seem as if it would be painful, it rarely ever is and, moreover, almost all people feel tranquil and pleasurable sensations during acupuncture treatments.

Chiropractic

For over one hundred years, chiropractors, such as a Seattle chiropractor, (also called doctors of chiropractic) have been assisting people experiencing back pain and other health problems. A chiropractor offers therapy to those who are experiencing musculoskeletal and nervous system challenges. Chiropractic medicine addresses the deviations of the vertebral column that inhibit the operation of the nervous system. These misaligned vertebra can reduce resistance and immunity, hence creating new health challenges. An effective chiropractor has excellent observational and diagnostic skills that aid in uncovering physical anomalies and joint conditions. Many chiropractors employ neurological tests and orthopedic examinations. Some will analyze the posture of a person in order to identify postural deviations, and may also study someone’s gait to pinpoint faulty movement patterns. Chiropractic therapy non-surgical, drug-free treatment and in addtion will offer advice and provide education regarding the benefits of individual lifestyle changes, such as in exercise and nutrition.

So, if you are experiencing back pain, headaches, neck pain, hip pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, balance challenges, or arthritis, and you’ve tried a number of other things and they haven’t worked, chiropractic and acupuncture may be able to help.  One way to find out  for sure is to go in to see a good chiropractor or acupuncturist, and to permit them to tell you precisely what they are going to be able to do for you.  It’s very possible that you will experience some relief from your suffering even after only one visit.  With successive visits, you will make more advancements and improvements, and it is likely that you will find that these natural treatments work best for your back pain.

Technorati Tags: acupuncture, back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor