There’s lots of causal agents for the disorder of Vertigo. An inner ear ailment, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, may occasionally occur as the impact of a sustained head injury or very bad cold. Quite often this particular vertigo is the result of the aging process. The root, however, usually is unknown. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes perfectly this non- progressive condition that is brought on by, as its name suggests, a quick change in head position. The symptoms are as a general rule unexpected and varied.

It is helpful to look at the performance of the inner ear in an effort recognize what induces the ofttimes incapacitating discomforts of this sort of vertigo. The brain takes in movement and maintains equilibrium utilizing the fluid within the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are minute calcium carbonate crystals, known as otoconia. These crystals usually float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the responsive nerve endings in the inner ear, they trigger the disorder of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.

The good news is that chiropractic treatment can minimize the complaints of BPPV very quickly and effectively employing a technique that is called the Epley maneuver. Through the use of this approach, a chiropractor turns the head of a BPPV victim into a number of the different positions, letting gravity shift the calcium carbonate crystals into a space of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will generate no further dizziness.

Your chiropractor has aided hundreds of people for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo making use of the Epley Maneuver technique. Usually, with just one treatment the majority of patients no longer suffer from wooziness. Call Orlando chiropractic today!

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Knee X-ray

New research coming out of Tufts University School of Medicine has determined that men and women that are at least 65 years of age or older with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, increased their physical performance and experienced less pain. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that causes a wearing away of joint cartilage. Chiropractors provide therapy for quite a few men and women suffering from OA in a number of places in the body, including the knee joints. Second only to spinal problems, knee pain and disability is one of the most prevalent abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system. In fact, an astonishing 4.3 million individuals in the U.S. over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it anticipates that half of the people in America may suffer from symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. The consequences of knee osteoarthritis are pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a reduced quality of life.

You may be asking why so many men and women develop OA. Excessive stress over a period of time is a major factor in the majority of musculoskeletal problems that develop as we age. It follows that as people get older they are more susceptible to developing OA in their knees, as well as other joints. Abnormal function of the knee, improper gait, compensatory foot mechanics as the result of foot pain, and overload of the knee joint all produce undue stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint occur. Many chiropractors suggest such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, in addition to their chiropractic treatment. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that generate mental relaxation, as well as an enhancement of balance, an augmentation of strength, and more flexibility.

Though in good health otherwise, the 40 adults with confirmed OA that were selected for the Tufts study were on an average 65 years of age and overweight. Patients were picked at random to engage in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.

Tai Chi practice includes the kind of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is compatible with prevailing exercise advice for osteoarthritis. Furthermore, researchers found that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi encouraged a sense of well-being, life satisfaction, and perceptions of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi exhibited a significant decrease in knee pain.

Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

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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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Being active at age five helps kids to avoid excess fat as they get older even if they don’t continue to be as active later in childhood. “We call this effect ‘banking’ because the kids benefit later on, similar to having a savings account at a bank. The protective effect is independent of what happens in between,” Janz went on to say.

Using a special scanner that accurately measures bone, fat, and muscle tissue, and an accelerometer that measures movment every minute, the UI team tested the body fat and activity level of 333 kis at ages five, eight, and eleven. The kids wore accelerometers to record their activity level for up to five days, supplying much more reliable data than relying on kids or parents to track minutes of exercise.

The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicates that kids who are active at age five end up with less fat at age eight and eleven, even when controlling for their accumulated level of activity.  The average five-year-old in the study got thirty minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day. For every ten minutes on top of that, kids had one-third of a pound less fat tissue at ages eight and eleven.

Although further inquiry is necessary to discover what happens to the bodies of the active kids that keeps them in better shape down the road, Janz said that it may be possible that the active 5-year-olds didn’t develop as many fat cells, improved their insulin response, or that something occurred metabolically that offered some protection even as they became less active.

However, as appealing as this study is, weight moderation is not the only benefit of early exercise. As a chiropractor I have observed in my own practice that active kids don’t have as many common childhood health problems, like catching colds and the flu. chiropractic treatment is, naturally, particularly beneficial in helping kids to stay healthier. But, in addition, the stimulation to the brain that occurs during activities, especially those that require “cross pattern” motor movements of the larger muscles, i.e., right hand/left leg and left hand/right leg, such as crawling, running, climbing, and skipping, also boosts the autoimmune system and keeps kids healthier.

Many children these days are overweight and unhealthy. Though part of the problem is an unhealthy diet, inactivity is also a major contributing factor. If you have a five-year-old who chooses to watch television or play video games rather than participating in more active play, help your child to get up and get moving into healthier activities. Moderate to vigorous exercise will not only benefit your child now, but will help to build a healthier future. You can bank on it!

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But, before you decide to add an extra cup of coffee to your morning ritual, let me add that under “Related Stories” on the website were a couple of articles regarding studies that showed the negative effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

In my experience, I’ve noticed that there are conceivably many studies that will confirm, or at least bolster, any angle of thought, particularly when it comes to age-related health issues. The “good/bad” studies related to caffeine naturally aren’t, of course, the only ones. Even so, it did get me to thinking about the reasonableness that there will never be any “one thing” that will irrefutably help we, humans, to live longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological beings. We aren’t bred in unnatural confinement We are actively engaged in life. And, moreover, though Alzheimer’s disease may be on the rise, obviously we, cage-free humans, have not been “singled out to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” so caffeine isn’t entirely the “one thing” that will reverse or prevent it.

Our body is an elegant, involved system that is designed to function homeostasis or balance. It is likely, then, that good health is about a healthy, balanced attitude towards living, rather than our jumping on the bandwagon of the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one specific thing in the hope that it will reverse all of the other immoderate and unwholesome things we have done to our bodies.

As a doctor of chiropractic, it is my belief that every moment of the day we have an opportunity to choose healthfully for our body, to decide what will assist us to live longer, healthier lives. When it comes to what is good for our body, we know what actually “feels” right and what doesn’t. So, I just wanted to offer a little something for you to keep in mind the next time you reach for that extra cup of coffee or second glass of red wine. Neither one of those things is the “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.

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One of the most well known foot problems is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a wonderful, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that encircles the muscles on the bottom of the foot, adheres the heel bone to the ball of the foot, supports the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock.

There are many factors that contribute to the development of Plantar Fascitis. One such factor is short and tight calf muscles. When calf muscles get short and tight they exert a strong pull on the back of the heel bone, producing undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia. How do calf muscles get short and tight? In addition to running and jumping activities such as aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, and tennis, the wearing of high heels can cause the problem.

Other factors that contribute to Plantar Fascitis include sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity, abnormal walking patterns (such as over-pronation), improper footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (especially barefooted), and obesity.

Once an individual develops Plantar Fascitis, the condition is frequently not easy to manage and can become intensely painful and persistent. If you are suffering from heel pain, your chiropractor will be able to determine the cause of your problem and what chiropractic management is best suited. Such care might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, special taping and, in some cases, orthotics.

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Allergens or irritants that are breathe into the lungs, and create inflammation that clogs and constricts airways, are most often the cause of asthma symptoms. Symptoms include laborious breathing, wheezing, coughing, and tightness in the chest. In extreme cases, asthma can be deadly. There is no medical cure for asthma although drugs may temporarily decrease the symptoms.

Even though chiropractic is not a therapy for asthma, per se, recent research published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research recorded the results experienced by 81 children with asthma who were provided with chiropractic care. The two-month study revealed that those under care saw a 45% decrease in the number of “attacks” and that 31% of the subjects voluntarily chose to decrease their medication.

What is the process by which chiropractic care lessens the persistence and intensity of asthma attacks? How can an adjust of the spine affect respiration? Chiropractic adjustments remove nervous system impedance. Almost all of nerves that control bodily functions exit between the spinal vertebrae and travel to their destination. The nerves that affect the respiratory system are contained in this network. If impeded, nerves that regulate the diaphragm can have a serious effect on how vigorously the respiratory system functions. It isn’t inexplicable, then, why so many men, women and children under chiropractic management report better breathing and an abatement in their asthmatic symptoms.

If you or someone you love has asthma, and it is generated by, or made worse due to spinal subluxations, chiropractic may be beneficial. Call your chiropractor today to see if chiropractic treatment can help you to breathe a little easier.

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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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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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Any movement is a step towards better health and physical fitness. Walk a lap (or two) around your house or apartment. Put that TV remote away and get up to change the channels. As your body becomes accustomed to moving again, you will probably discover that you actually want to move more. Then you can slowly add additional movement to your daily routine. Increase the walk around your house to a walk around the block, a walk in the park, or even a walk through the shopping mall. Walking with a friend can often help to keep you on track(especially on those days when you’d rather sit and veg, then get your body moving). If you are physically able, take the stairs instead of using the elevator as often as you can. Park farther away from the entrance to the supermarket and make it a goal to put more and more parking spots between you and the entrance.

After a few weeks of regular physical activity, you will begin to feel the healthful benefits of movement. Then you’ll be ready for new ways to build flexibility, fitness, and muscle strength. Your chiropractor can advise you on how to become more physically active and help you to development an individualized program.

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