Blog - Damron Chiropractic & Wellness

Chiropractic Treatment After an Accident: 3 reasons why a chiropractor should be one of the first people you call.

November 16, 2020 By Susan Leave a Comment

“Today is a great day to get into a car crash,” said no one ever.

Yet more than three million people in the U.S. are injured in motor vehicle accidents every year. What’s more, statistics show that you’ll be in an auto accident an average of three times over your lifetime. Regardless of whether that accident is a low-speed fender-bender or a high-velocity crash, good chiropractic care is critical to the spine’s long-term health in the aftermath of a car wreck.

While it’s always a good idea to get a thorough check by a medical doctor for broken bones or signs of concussion—even after a seemingly minor rear-ending—a chiropractic doctor can treat the misalignment of the musculoskeletal system in the way a physician can’t. A chiropractor can help the spine’s long-term health without masking symptoms using highly addictive pain medications and/or surgery.

Here are three reasons why a chiropractor should be one of the first people you call after a car accident:

Reason #1: Prevents scar tissue and long-term spine issues.

Getting post-accident adjustments help reduce the scar tissue that leads to stiff, achy joints and eventual arthritis. Game on!

Think of your spine as a rubber band. You can stretch a rubber band, but it eventually loses its elasticity. Each time your body is subject to any kind of impact –- a car accident, a bumpy roller-coaster ride, a tackle during a flag-football game — that elastic is stretched even more. Eventually, those micro-traumas (or more serious traumas, in the case of a car accident) can cause long-term issues if left untreated.

It doesn’t take much impact to throw spinal alignment out of whack. Run-of-the-mill x-rays can show a lot, but they don’t show the micro-tears that can happen as a result of an accident — even ones that happen at school-zone speed. A chiropractor can make adjustments to bring the spine back into alignment, releasing natural anti-inflammatory properties to reduce pain and aid in a speedy recovery. Adjustments also help by reducing the forming and even the breakdown of scar tissue that leads to stiff, achy joints and eventual arthritis.

Reason #2: Restores mobility.

Frequent adjustments help you move better and help you feel better faster.

Injuries to the neck and back can wreak havoc on the body’s range of motion. Inflamed muscles and joints with built-up or forming scar tissue can make it difficult to turn your head, tie your shoes, or do many of the things you love to do. Mobilization of the spine through frequent adjustments can not only help you reach that itch in the center of your back, it also helps you feel better faster.

Reason #3: Provides short-term and long-term relief.

Most patients who seek chiropractic care right after an accident get both short-term and long-term results. Then, they get back to doing what they love to do (like kitchen dance parties!).

When seeking chiropractic care after an accident, most patients report feeling some immediate relief, thus eliminating the need for medications or surgeries. Add that to the benefit of increased mobility and you have a patient who develops far fewer long-term issues than those who don’t receive chiropractic care. And those who can continue to work and move freely are proven to recover faster and more wholly than those who can’t seem to rouse themselves out of bed.

Spinal adjustments after an accident not only keeps minor injuries from becoming major, they restore range of motion and naturally reduce pain and stiffness. If you’ve been in an accident, the sooner you consult a chiropractor, the better. Dr. Damron and his team at Damron Chiropractic & Wellness are here to help. They can assess your injuries, develop a plan of treatment and put you back on the road to living a pain free and well-adjusted life.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, schedule an appointment with Dr. Damron today. Even if it seemed like a minor fender-bender, it can have long-term effects on how you feel every day. Make your appointment today.

4 Steps to Holistic Health

September 10, 2020 By Susan Leave a Comment

Do you suffer from frequent headaches, pain from an old high school sports injury (or a recent one), or a lack of energy from a chronic illness? There’s a lot more to being a Doctor of Chiropractic than cracking spines and Damron Chiropractic & Wellness can help. You deserve to feel better, get stronger and do all the things you want to do. In a matter of days to weeks, our 4-Step Plan Holistic Health Plan can have you moving, feeling and looking better than you have in years.

Here’s a quick glimpse at the 4-Step Holistic Health Care Plan.

1.) Chiropractic Care

We look at the big picture to identify the root cause of your pain, not just treat the symptoms.

The most basic form of therapeutic care performed by a Doctor of Chiropractic is known as “spinal manipulation” aka the “chiropractic adjustment.” The chiropractic adjustment is a procedure in which trained professionals use their hands to apply controlled and sudden force to the spinal joint in order to improve physical function, increase mobility and alleviate pain. But there are more benefits to chiropractic adjustments than aiding in the repair of injured tissue.

A woman gets an adjustment from her chiropractor.

Chiropractic adjustments are just one important part of the 4-Step Holistic Health Plan.

The benefits of regular adjustments include:

A boost to your immune system
Injury prevention
Help improving your athletic performance
Prevents the needs for back surgery
Improves organ function
Improves balance and coordination
Promotes graceful aging

2). Rehabilitation

man in 60s doing physical therapy with a resistance band

If you’re experiencing pain, there’s a good chance some areas of your body are weak. Rehab will get you stronger.

Injuries happen, no matter what your age. While rehabilitation means different things to different people, the focus is the same. The DCW Rehabilitation Department has four main areas of specialty:

Injury. For patients who have been hurt in a car or work-related accident, injury rehab is for patients who are out of acute pain treatment.

Muscular Imbalance. Muscular Imbalance Rehabilitation (MIR) is designed to alleviate pain that may not have resulted from a specific injury. Examples of MIR can be found in age-related disc degeneration and the onset of “text neck.”

Health-Focused. When treating chronic conditions such as allergies, cardiovascular disease, hyperthyroidism or weight and stress management is the focus, sometimes patients need an accountability partner and the support of a well-trained staff member. We put together a plan that incorporates rehabilitation exercises and stretching that promotes good health and focuses on avoiding injury.

Athlete and Sport-Specific. When playing sports, injuries are inevitable. When injury does occur and in order to get the athlete back in elite competition form, an injury and sport specific plan is required. From grade school to college, time is of the essence. Without proper healing and rehabilitation, the athlete runs the risk of re-injury.

3). Therapeutic Massage

Sometimes, stretching isn’t enough. Therapeutic massage accelerates the healing process by relieving chronic patterns of tension and helping with muscle injuries.

At one time, going to a spa and getting a massage was considered a luxury. In today’s stress-ridden, autoimmune deficient, muscle and joint pain-afflicted lives, it’s becoming a necessity. At DCW, we create personalized massage therapies for each person we treat. We also welcome individuals who are not patients but would like to enjoy the benefits of receiving massage therapy.

4). Nutrition

a woman in her 30s cooking healthy food in her kitchen

Think of food as rocket fuel for your body. We’ll teach you how to use food and supplements to help you heal your body.

Nutritional support, also known as functional medicine, looks at the underlying causes of disease. It takes into consideration the systems of the entire body. The use of laboratory testing and other diagnostics help us game-plan treatment options that utilize nutritional supplements, detoxification programs and stress management tools to gain optimum health and restore balance to the physical body, even after years of sickness.

At Damron Chiropractic & Wellness, our goal isn’t just to treat symptoms, but to find long-term, manageable solutions to bring optimal health and function within all the body’s systems. If you’re ready to feel your best and do what you love to do, schedule a consultation with Dr. Damron today. Call us at 513.770.3434 or schedule online. We can’t wait to see you!

Goodbye, Germs. Hello, Immunity. (How chiropractic care can support your immune system!)

July 22, 2020 By Susan 1 Comment

a daughter enjoys her apple with her mom by her side

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but your body’s health is a little more complicated than that.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Wouldn’t it be nice if life and health were really that simple? In today’s mask-wearing, social distancing, can’t-hug-your-loved ones-for-fear-of-making-them-morbidly-ill times, staying healthy has become more complicated. But Mother Goose, in her infinite wisdom said these words, For every ailment under the sun, there is a remedy, or there is none, If there be one, try to find it; If there be none, never mind it.

And that’s where chiropractic comes in—to find simple and effective solutions to healthier living.

Chiropractic medicine? What is this sorcery?

woman riding a bike on a beautiful spring day

Chiropractic care can help you stay active, but – bonus! – it can also boost your immune system.

Chiropractic medicine is a holistic approach to health that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders through manual manipulation or adjustment of the spine. The spine protects the spinal cord, which is kind of a big deal because it controls your body’s central nervous system.

Let that sink in a minute. That ropy little column running down the center of your back is what lies between your skin, and the short circuitry of every single function of the human body. Whoever said the spine is your lifeline wasn’t kidding.

The goal of a chiropractor is to reduce pain, improve patient mobility, and make you feel better overall. But chiropractic medicine isn’t just about cracking your bones to help you move better after an accident or sports injury. It’s one of the simplest, most useful ingredients to being sick less often and living your best life.

How does being able to more easily touch my toes make me sick less often?

Yes, chiropractic care makes it easier to touch your toes, but there are sooo many other benefits that affect your overall health.

Easy. Studies shows that regular chiropractic adjustments increase the number of antibodies in the bloodstream. Just like it’s difficult to maintain a healthy lawn with a kink in your garden hose, a spine that’s out of line can’t properly communicate to your brain when a virus is on the attack. The production of hormones and white blood cells are then restricted and fewer antibodies are available, leaving the immune system deficient against fighting off hundreds of infections and diseases, including the common cold and flu.

Body, heal thyself!

When your immune system is strong, you’ll spend less time being sick and more time doing the things you love.

Like most people in the 21^st century, we want what we want and we want it now. That includes taking medicines that make us feel better fast. While most OTC pharmaceuticals eliminate symptoms quickly, they leave the body with the inability to fight off attacks on their own. That’s where chiropractic comes in. Through a series of adjustments that focus on optimizing the function of the whole, your body is able to gain the opportunity to learn how to combat illness, quickly, effectively and completely. And in no time, before you even realize you were sick.

It’s like muscle memory.

Consistent chiropractic care can increase antibodies. More antibodies = an increased ability to fight off sickness. It’s kind of like physical therapy for your immune system.

Seeing a chiropractor doesn’t mean you’ll never be sick again. The focus is on optimal health. That means fewer and less severe illnesses and faster recovery times when you do fall under the weather. Remember those antibodies? Consistent chiropractic care has been shown to elevate the body’s antibody levels, which is super important to maintaining good health. The more antibodies we create, the more we can use to fight off sickness when it occurs.

Proactive vs. reactive care

african american family on grass with cute dog

Chiropractic adjustments provide a total body approach to healthcare that can both minimize sick days and maximize your immune system function.

Back pain, neck stiffness and joint issues are only a surface scratch in the practice of chiropractic medicine. And while adjustments are effective in reactively treating injury or degeneration, there are a plethora of benefits that come from a total body approach to healthcare that serves to minimize sick days and maximize your immune system function. When you’re ready to become intentional and proactive about optimizing your health, the team at Damron Chiropractic & Wellness are here to help!

You’re one call or click away from boosting your immune system! To schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Damron, call 513.770.3434 or go here.

Plantar Fasciitis

September 7, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Plantar fasciits is pain that occurs in the heel of a foot. The pain is due to the ligament connecting the toes to the heel bone becoming strained. This important ligament is responsible for supporting the arch in a foot. Ongoing ligament strain causes tiny tears which means the pain continues. These tears create inflammation, swelling, and weakness. There are several factor that contribute to this condition:

being overweight
standing for long periods of time on your feet
high arches or flat feet
ill fitting shoes
tight Achilles tendons or calf muscles

Plantar fasciitis is more common in middle aged individuals, athletes, and soldiers. But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you. If you are experiencing heel pain with the first steps of your day, or heel pain that increases throughout the day, or even pain in your heels as you walk up or down stairs, you could have this condition. A chiropractor can provide an accurate diagnosis and successful treatment.

Vanessa M. came to DCW because she was experiencing painful episodes of plantar fasciitis. She had seen other chiropractors but found no relief. A friend referred her to Damron Chiropractic & Wellness and to her this was her last stop. Read Vanessa’s story below:

“I was plagued with Plantar fasciitis that began in November 2015. It was very painful and difficult to live with as I am a very active person. I work out daily and love to run in all kinds of races and events. Plantar fasciitis stopped me in my tracks. Damron Chiropractic & Wellness (DCW) was my 4th (and final!!) doctor I visited to treat it. Before coming to DCW, I hit my lowest point when I couldn’t put weight on my feet after walking in a charity race, the pain was that bad. I was going to doctors, but not getting any results.

When I walked into DCW, I could tell it was different. The atmosphere was very open and everyone was so nice. Instead of focusing on just my feet, Dr. Washam actually focused on my hips and diagnosed an imbalance that was causing the plantar fasciitis, which had taken years to get to the point of pain. Dr. Washam went over exactly what he believed was causing the pain and put together a plan to get me pain-free.

I started 3 months of rehabilitation therapy with Jaimie – she showed me strength moves and focused stretching techniques to work into my daily routine. I also had medical massages with Andy, and weekly adjustments with Dr. Washam or Dr. Damron – all of this really helped me get to a great place with my feet. Slowly, but steadily, the pain was less and less. And today, I am thrilled to say that my plantar fasciitis is now PAIN-FREE!!

I actually ran 2 miles this weekend which felt so good because I hadn’t run in over a year due to my pain!”

6 Chiropractic Techniques

August 31, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Most people would agree that a chiropractor works with the spine. They might even say that a chiropractor manipulates the spine to get it back into the correct position. If asked how this happens, that person might say through adjustments of the vertebrae in the spine. There are actually specific techniques used depending on the diagnosis of a patient.

Subluxation is a word to describe the partial dislocation of a vertebrae. Because this dislocation irritatation and cause pain or discomfort, a chiropractor will put that vertebrae back in alignment by performing adjustments. A chiropractor will use six primary techniques.

Perhaps the most common technique is the diversified. Developed by the founder of chiropractic, Dr. David Palmer, the diversified technique uses gentle force from the doctor’s hands on the patient’s back. Typically performed on a table, relief can be immediate.

Also utilizing a table is the Thompson Drop technique. Similar to the diversified, the Thompson Drop uses less force but also incorporates the “dropping” of the table.

The gonstead technique requires a patient to be sitting or standing. The chiropractor will adjust the affected area with their hands.

One of the lowest force techniques is the Instrument Assisted. Utilizing a small, hand-held device that is spring loaded, the tightness of the spring determines the force that is used. However, it is important to note that the force is minimal.

For pregnant women and infants, chiropractors use the Webster and Logan Basic techniques. The Webster technique helps to realign the spine in mother’s pelvis area in preparation for delivery. For prenatal care and pediatrics, a chiropractor will rely upon the Logan Basic technique. Delivery can be stressful to the baby’s body causing slight misalignment in the spine. The Logan Basic technique is perfect for such delicate patients.

As you can see, there is not a one size fits all approach to chiropractic care. A chiropractor will personalize each technique to fit the patient’s unique symptoms.

Moms Deserve Wellness Checks Too

August 24, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Summer is a time for relaxation, no schedules, vacations, and poolside gatherings. It’s a time to catch up with family and friends, work on that tan, and catch up with your reading. It’s also a time to let things go. Mom’s especially are guilty of this, but not in the way you might think. There’s no letting go of keeping the kids occupied during the lazy days of summer, or staying on top of going to all the graduation parties, neighborhood barbecues, dinners with friends. Moms forget that summer is for them, too.

Now that school is back in session, it is time for moms to take inventory of themselves. After three months of putting everyone else’s needs first, the time has come for self. Fall is the perfect time for moms of all ages to also schedule back to school wellness checks. To uncover the causes of any pain or discomfort they might have been experiencing over the summer, yet postponed doing anything about it. Maybe it was that lumpy mattress on vacation that caused your back to start aching. Or the extra weight put on from those frozen margaritas and pizza parties. Or even all the time spent on getting your child ready for college over the summer that sidelined your exercise regiment.

No matter what the reason, there are a few simple steps a mom can take to help get herself feeling good and back on track.

Schedule a massage.
Visit your chiropractor to get yourself back in alignment and address any pain or discomfort.
Increase your water intake.
Get outside and walk.
Set an earlier bedtime to offset the earlier morning schedule.
Call another mom and schedule time during the week to workout together.

Every time you schedule a wellness check for your kids, schedule one for yourself too. Taking steps to relax and de-stress will have a tremendous impact on your energy levels, mood, and stamina. Even if it’s scheduling a massage once a month. Investing in bettering yourself is the best gift you can give your family.

Holistic Heath Care Benefits

August 21, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

There is a lot of averages out there:

body temperature
weight based on height
blood pressure
menstrual cycle length
hours of sleep
hours of physical activity per week

But who is really average? If we are average then does that mean we are all the same? Would that mean each disease or condition is exactly like that of another person so diagnosis and treatment should be the same? Yet, that is exactly what we are led to believe. The truth is that we are each uniquely different, with our own set of averages. Our normal may be a lower blood pressure than another. Or we may require less sleep than someone else. For a woman, her cycle could be 32 days, not 28 as modern medicine suggests.

If we prescribe to the idea of averages, then we may believe there is something wrong with us if we aren’t. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Holistic medicine, what is practiced by a chiropractor, approaches diseases and chronic conditions from a different perspective. What manifests as a symptom, is really the end result of several factors. These factors are what needs to be identified, rather than simply addressing the symptoms. For example, if a person is suffering from chronic migraines, a prescription for pain only fixes the pain – temporarily. What causes the migraine in the first place has yet to be identified.

Wellness is a state of being. One where each system of the body is working in harmony with the others, as it was intended. To a Doctor of Chiropractic, the migraine only provides a clue as to what the source is. By working with the patient to uncover their personal health history, lifestyle factors, and other unrelated symptoms, the root cause is found. There are no averages, only unique factors.

There are trends in medicine today that breakaway from the law of average such as in cancer treatment. Doctors in this field recognize that each patient has a unique diagnosis, with different treatment responses. This approach has increased the number of people and the years of survivorship tremendously, especially within certain cancer types. Wellness doesn’t need to wait for a cancer diagnosis for you to benefit from a holistic approach to your health.

The Dangers of Fragrance Chemicals

August 17, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

When it comes to our senses, smell is perhaps the most powerful. The scent of something can bring back memories of people, places, and events. It is our sense of smell that drives the fragrance industry, too. An enormous industry that encompasses perfumes, personal care products, air fresheners, laundry and cleaning products, candles, and even clothing. Yet, these chemically derived fragrances come with a risk. Increasing research is connecting many fragrance chemicals to cancer, hormone disruption, asthma, allergies, birth defects and neurotoxicity.

Europe has proactively responded to this danger by enacting legislation requiring the labeling of 26 fragrances. In the U.S., this is not the case. Consumer safety groups are seeking to change this by forcing companies to list the scent chemicals in their products. The goal is to raise public awareness of the dangers of these synthetic scents because they contain “endocrine-disrupting chemicals.” Approximately 3,000 fragrance chemicals are currently in use today. All used to create appealing scents for things like perfume, fabric softener, shampoo and aftershave. But our exposure doesn’t stop there. We are also subjected to an abundance of chemicals outside of the home, too.

In addition to the many health problems scent chemicals can cause, an increasing number of people are experiencing fragrance-contact allergies. These allergic reactions are similar to any other allergic reaction with redness, itching, swelling and inflammation. However, the problem with fragrance-contact allergies is that a person doesn’t know the cause. There is currently no labeling of chemical scents on U.S. consumer goods.

Fortunately, there is good news. It appears that companies are beginning to take notice of the consumer safety groups and taking steps to change their labels. Much like what is now done in Europe. Until that time, be aware of the scents you have in your home and limit your exposure. You can also find out about the safety of a particular product at the Environmental Working Group’s website at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Keep what you smell naturally derived.

Searching Online For Your Chiropractor

August 15, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Without a referral from a trusted source, where do we turn to help us find a chiropractor? Online. The world wide web brings the world to our fingertips, instantly connecting us to anything we are searching for. Type in what you are interesting in learning more about and up pops countless pages related to your topic. But how do you know if what you find is true? Any product or service can claim to be the best, but are they really? Searching for a chiropractor is no different. With so many doctors out there, how do you know which to choose?

If you Google the word ‘chiropractor’ you will see one of two things at the top of the page, a map with several doctors listed with their locations or Ads for chiropractors. After these two areas you will find other sites based on what Google feels is relevant to your search word(s). While all of this can seem a bit overwhelming, you can use the following tips to help you navigate the information and make the best decision for you.

Websites build credibility in any profession, but especially when it comes to your health. Look for chiropractors that have a website for their practice. For a more thorough search, don’t stop at the first page of your Google search. There just might be a great doctor out there that just isn’t Google’s best friend.

Take time to assess each doctor’s website and answer these questions:

Is the website professional looking?
How recent is the last blog post?
Can you find information about the services provided?
Does the chiropractor provide testimonials from his/her patients?
Has the practice utilized social media to educate their audience like Facebook?
What are the comments and online reviews of the practice?

The key here is the content. Looking at both the website and Facebook of the chiropractic office will tell you a lot about the doctor’s philosophy of care. In other words, is the doctor looking to sell you or educate you?

While we wish that we could have a referral for everything in life to make things easier, sometimes it just isn’t possible. When that happens, knowing how to search and what to search for will help you make the decision that is best for you.

You can learn more on choosing a chiropractor by reading “How To Choose A Chiropractor.”

Solve Your Health Clues

August 10, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Did you ever play the game Clue while growing up? You know, the game that has Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, and Mrs. Peacock? The object of the game is to solve a murder mystery based on clues. Each player competes to find clues to determine first which character is guilty of the crime. What a chiropractor does is very similar to the premise for the game Clue. Our body reveals a series of clues that tell the doctor what the symptoms mean. In other words, a chiropractor does not diagnose and treat symptoms (clues). Instead, he or she evaluates all the symptoms (clues) to find the root cause of the problem.

This is not to say that medical doctors are wrong, only that their specialty is very different from that of a chiropractor. Doctors of Chiropractic rely on the symptoms and history of a patient to determine why they are experiencing a problem. Chiropractors focus on lifestyle factors, past injuries, other symptoms that may not appear related, and family history to solve the pain mystery. While a patient is seeking immediate relief from pain, they also discover that finding out the underlying reasons for the pain will help prevent it from returning. A chiropractor works to resolve the immediate problem of the pain and also providing a long-term solution as well.

The ultimate goal of chiropractic care is providing each patient with a lifetime of wellness. Most patients arrive with a problem, only to realize later the countless benefits of chiropractic. What began as a last resort for pain relief, turns into a partnership that elevates their quality of life. It also shifts them from disease care to wellness care.

Ultimately the choice in maintaining our health rests in our own hands. We can let the clues keep mounting, treat them as they arise with medications, or seek to change our lives through accountability and the desire to understand the clues and solve our health problems once and for all.