Archive for the ‘Orlando chiropractor’ Category

Orlando Chiropractor: If You Suffer From Hip Pain, Chiropractic Treatment Can Help

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Does hip pain keep you up at night and make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep? When you get up in the morning, or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it hard, at first, to move your legs? Do you experience pain in one or both hips whenever you twist or rotate them or when you cross your legs? If you answered in the affirmative to any or all of these questions you are likely suffering from imbalances and alignment problems in the lower part of your body that, in addition to causing hip pain, can over time produce degenerative hip joint disease if not treated.

Though hip pain and related problems commonly point to age-related degenerative conditions, particularly osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the perpetrator. In fact, instead of creating the original problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the eventual result of damage to your hips at a previous time.

Gait changes caused by biomechanical problems such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can produce hip pain. Also, if you change jobs, alter the way you sit, take on a new sport or activity, or start driving for long periods of a regular basis, your gait may alter to compensate for these new changes.

In addition, gait asymmetries can occur from carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length discrepancies, or foot pronation challenges. In other words, anything that generates an asymmetry or imbalance when you are moving can cause painful hip problems.

Along with your adjustments, as part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem your chiropractor may suggest that you wear orthotics. Your chiropractor will also offer suitable progressive rehabilitative exercises that include muscle stretching and strengthening.

Hip pain won’t diminish on its own. Hip pain is an indication that something needs correcting. Your chiropractor can help to get you out of pain, get back into balance, and get your life back!

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Orlando Chiropractic: Simple Tips to Relieve Aches and Pains Due to Computer Overuse

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

If you sit for extended periods at a computer, you may be experiencing lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that also radiates down one or both of your arms generating additional pain, pins and needles, or numbness. Neck and shoulder pain are, in fact, the most common upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems among computer users. In a 2002 study tracking 632 computer users newly hired at major Atlanta companies, Dr. Fredric E. Gerr, an occupational medicine physician and ergonomics investigator at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues observed that roughly 60 percent developed neck or shoulder pain in the first year, though the study did not track how long symptoms persisted.

Younger generations growing up in the digital age are also joining the ranks of the “typing wounded.” Surveys at two universities found that 40 to 50 percent of undergraduates experienced upper-extremity pain from using their computers. Colleges do not build dormitory furniture to be ergonomically adjustable, said Dr. Benjamin Amick, scientific director of the Institute for Work and Health in Toronto, who was a co-author of those studies. “They build it to be indestructible.”

In addition to repetitive stress problems, sitting at your computer too long places your upper back in a sustained, stressful posture, especially if you tend to lean forward when you’re working. This also puts your neck at an unnatural and strained angle. Lower back pain, in addition to being generated by simply sitting for long periods of time without getting up and moving around, is aggravated by bad posture.

Problems caused by extended computer use can not only lead to an inability to perform your work duties, but can keep you from enjoying the rest of your life, too. Your Orlando chiropractor can assist in eliminating the lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that you are currently experiencing. After that, it is important for you to become mindful of your body as you sit at your computer, and to give your body what it naturally needs. You can cultivate the habit of both sitting straight in your chair (as opposed to slouching) and relaxing your shoulders. This will help to relieve tension in your lower and upper back and neck. Take time to stretch periodically to ease muscle tension and encourage healthy blood flow. If your work station permits, sitting on an exercise ball can not only aide in keeping you in a beneficial posture, but can help to strengthen your core muscles as well. (Make sure that the ball is the right size so that when you are seated on it your arms are at a ninety-degree angle to your keyboard.)

Good posture for ease of movement, variety in the motions that you do, and short breaks to relax and stretch will go a long way in keeping your computer work (or play) pain-free.

Partial source: The New York Times, Health Review, June 22, 2009

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Orlando Chiropractor Tells Us That We Have Much to Gain From Physical Activity

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Chiropractors, like me, agree that “motion is life.” We, humans, were designed to walk, to run, to dance, and to move all the muscles of our body for our entire lifespan. So, naturally, it follows that we either “move it or lose it!” Our aging “Baby Boomer” population is discovering just how true this cautionary advice is when it comes to energy, vitality, mobility, and good health in later years. With every year of our life, we have much to gain from being physically active…and plenty to lose by living an immobile or sedentary lifestyle.

As our age-related risks of chronic disease increase, regular physical activity can actually slow down the trend. In addition, research has shown that people who have already developed coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Type 2 diabetes, and other age-related chronic diseases can benefit substantially by increasing their physical activity and, therefore, often can manage their chronic illness with fewer medicines.

Furthermore, some studies suggest that the cardiovascular benefits an individual gets from physical activity may also help the brain stay healthy. “Physical activity influences the frontal region of the brain,” says Dr. Bradley Hatfield, professor of Sports Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. So, if you’ve been wondering what the best thing is that you can do to keep your brain young, the answer may be for you to take a long walk. A key factor is that exercise thickens the brain tissue and builds more synapses in the brain.  The brain has 10 billion nerve cells, called neurons, and on average, neurons are connected to each other through 10,000 synapses.  Every time we exercise, more synapses form and the active brain gets stronger.

On a regular basis, being physically active increases the quality of life (period). Some of the benefits include improved energy levels, mental sharpness, balance, strength, flexibility, and weight control. Moreover, regular aerobic exericise has been shown to help in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress.

So, even though the facts point conclusively to the validity of the “move it or lose it!” warning, they also confirm that it is never to late for you to “move it” and regain your health!

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You Can Eliminate Allergy Misery At Last!

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Everyday life can be miserable when you have allergies. A walk in the park, a play date with Fluffy, a shellfish stew, or even something as small as a nut can cause such unwelcome symptoms as itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash. To make things worse, for some of us allergic reactions can progress from just plain irritating to dangerous and life-threatening as our air passageway becomes constricted and we have a difficult time breathing. If you have allergies, it may seem that, from time-to-time, your environment is a intensely hostile place and that the world around you is, truly, out to get you!

You may wonder why it is that other individuals seem so unaffected by the environment, while your body reacts, or rather overreacts, to it It’s a great question. The answer is because some people, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that actually “freaks out” when they encounter common substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.

Have you been wondering if your chiropractor can help your allergies? You may be surprised by the answer. Many individuals have noticed that they experience ease from their allergy symptoms after chiropractic treatment, even though chiropractic care doesn’t actually treat allergies. The reason for this is because chiropractic adjustments affect the complete nervous system, including the autoimmune system. When there’s a disruption in the nervous system, along with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose task it is to help us adapt and respond appropriately to our environment, can become under-active or overactive. In the case of your allergies, the impairment is the latter. Since chiropractic manipulations lessen or take away disturbances in the nervous system and bring back balance and harmony to the body, the treatments provide that same balance and harmony to the auto-immune system as well. A vital immune system responds appropriately to so-called allergens in the environment.

So, as mentioned above, your chiropractor doesn’t actually treat allergies. You could say, instead, that relief from your allergies is simply the by-product of a well-adjusted nervous system. If you want to get back into harmony with your surroundings as soon as possible, call your chiropractor today.

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There May Be More to That Fast Food Burger Than You Think

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Are you ready for this? For years (and years) chiropractors like me, plus nutritionists and other health-conscious professionals have been advising men, women, and children to lay off the fast foods. Everyone is aware already of the artery-clogging, fat-producing effects of a fast food diet. So, tell you something you don’t know, right? Well, here it is: It’s not just the fast food, itself, that can shorten your life span, but the wrapper it comes in that is a risk to your health and longevity, as well!

Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.

PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.

“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?

For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001

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Lithe, But Plus-Size? You Can Still Benefit From Yoga

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

Hello, your Orlando Chiropractor here. I just read a great article about yoga for plus-size people. What a wonderful concept. I tell all my patients that “health begins right where you are today. You can’t wait for more time or less body weight.” However, up until now, yoga studios have not usually been purlieus for people of size. Striking a yoga pose has seemed to be an exclusive option for lithe, limber bodies. But, not anymore! Yoga classes for heavier people have been sprouting up all over the country with names like Buddha Body Yoga, MegaYoga, HeavyWeight Yoga, and Yoga for Round Bodies.

The ancient practice of yoga might be based on a philosophy of self-acceptance and non-competitiveness, but plus-size people usually feel too self-conscious to even try a yoga pose, much less try on a yoga philosophy. In addition, most yoga classes, even beginner courses, don’t address the needs of big bodies, says Michael Hayes, the owner of Buddha Body Yoga in New York. Poses considered standard for those who are fit or slim are often difficult or even impossible for heavier students.

So, if your body weight has been holding you back, and if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to start getting healthy and fit, it looks like that moment has arrived. Check to see if there’s a yoga class for plus-size people in town. If not, maybe you can start one!

For the complete article go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/health/nutrition/14fitness.html?_r=1&em

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Are Orlando Chiropractors Real Doctors?

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Chiropractors, also called doctors of chiropractic, treat patients who are suffering from musculoskeletal and nervous system problems. Chiropractic treatments provide relief for people having problems of the spine.

Chiropractic education is very similar to medical and dental education that requires… three to four years of undergraduate studies and an additional 4 years of post-graduate education. Chiropractic coursework includes anatomy, physiology, orthopedic, neurologic courses, x-ray, nutrition and philosophy. In the area of x-ray study, chiropractors actually have many more hours of education than medical doctors. Chiropractic coursework in x-ray consists of x-ray safety, techniques, factors, positioning, and interpretation. In addition, chiropractors have more hours of study in nutrition than students in medical school receive. Chiropractors are recognized in all 50 states as doctors.

A chiropractor should have considerable experience, as well as excellent observational and diagnostic skills that help in detecting physical irregularity and joint problems. In addition, your chiropractor should possess the important quality of compassion in working with people.

A good chiropractor provides non-surgical, drug-free treatment and also offers suggestions and education about the benefits of individual lifestyle changes. Some chiropractors will analyze the posture of a person in order to identify postural deviations. A chiropractor may provide additional treatment using laser therapy and ultrasound or massage, and also offer education about exercise and nutrition.

In addition to the therapies above, many chiropractors specialize in sports medicine, pediatrics, orthopedics, nutrition or internal disorders. Chiropractors utilize the standard medical history information in order to diagnose and analyze, the source of the problem. In addition, a competent chiropractor will perform neurological tests and orthopedic examinations. Some may request or require laboratory tests such as x-rays and other diagnostic imaging that will aid their diagnosis of misaligned vertebra and spinal problems.

So, if you suffer with back pain, headaches, or neck pain then a trial of conservative chiropractic treatment is appropriate.

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