nerve Archives - Damron Chiropractic & Wellness

Ever Suffer From Leg Cramps?

May 31, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

If you have ever suffered from a muscle cramp you know how painful they are. Cramps can happen at any time and at any age. Plus, they can occur in any part of the body, too. The most common type of cramp is what many call a “charlie horse”, that is one that happens in the calf muscle. It’s important to understand why they happen and how to relieve the pain because as we age, the likelihood of experiencing cramps increases to 70% over the age of 50.

Being active does not reduce the chances a person will have a cramp. In fact, being active can actually cause one. The key is understanding what triggers a cramp to occur in the first place, so you can do your best to avoid one.

Lactic acid buildup in the muscles caused by overexertion.
Causing muscles to overstretch whether from exercise, chores, or horseplay.
An imbalance of the minerals that are responsible for muscle contraction and relaxation.
Dehydration whether from sweating or medications.
Long-term inactivity such as from sitting on an airplane.
A symptom of an underlying illness.
Simply getting older.

Cramp triggers can happen individually or together. For example, someone may have an overseas flight and also be taking a statin drug for high cholesterol. The point is, be aware of your potential triggers based on your age, health, and physical activity. If you do experience a leg cramp, there are several steps you can take to help relieve the pain. At the first sign of a cramp, rub the muscle affected. You can also, stretch your calf muscle by flexing your foot up and down. If you can walk, try that, or even on your tiptoes. Relax the muscle with heat. If there is a nerve involved, chiropractic care can help, too.

Staying properly hydrated is important in preventing dehydration which can lead to cramps. You can also ensure your mineral intake is sufficient by eating potassium and magnesium rich foods, like bananas and cantaloupe, or use supplements. Also, always begin any exercise regiment with stretching. Plus, as you sleep, use a pillow under your calves to elevate your feet or lay on your side with loose blankets. Ultimately, cramps can be prevented through proper hydration, a well balanced diet, and regular exercise. Complementing that with the care a chiropractor provides will help eliminate nerve irritation, as well.

Don’t let cramps of any kind hinder your quality of life, no matter what your age.

Chiropractic Adjustment, Not Manipulation

May 11, 2017 By Pam Rezai 2 Comments

A recent article in Chiropractic Economics (10/6/16), highlighted something that is often misunderstood in the field of chiropractic. Titled “Manipulation vs. Adjustment,” the article addressed the differences between these two words and how each relates to something different in healthcare. However, people tend to use words interchangeably, without realizing they are actually using the wrong word. For example, using the word complement instead of compliment, of affect instead of effect. We can think terminology is all the same. But that doesn’t make it correct. So, what difference does it make if a person says a chiropractor uses manipulation rather than a spinal adjustment?

The reality is that it does make a big difference for three reasons. First, using a word incorrectly with someone who knows the correct usage sends the wrong message about you. Secondly, using the wrong term leads the other person to conclude something that may not be true. How can someone make an informed decision with only half-truths? Finally, words have the power to change perspectives. Why do people distrust politicians or lawyers?

The point is manipulation and adjustment may appear to be interchangeable as it relates to chiropractic care, but they are not. Manipulation is used in physical therapy and defined as “the forceful passive movement of a joint beyond its active limit of motion.” There are reasons why a physical therapist performs manipulation on a patient. However, if a chiropractor used manipulation on a person’s spine it would not be good. Rather, a chiropractor performs spinal adjustments, which is the opposite of manipulation. The adjustment is a corrective thrust used to unlock a vertebrae that is out of alignment. It is this misalignment that is irritating a nerve, which in turn is causing the pain.

A chiropractor has one goal, to restore the body to its ideal state. One where the body functions as it should, without pain or limited range of motion. This happens with an adjustment, not manipulation.

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

January 12, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

According to a 2015 study by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), nearly 50% of Americans have type 2 diabetes or elevated blood sugar which increases a person’s risk for developing it. Insulin resistance is associated with type 2 diabetes and lack of production with type 1. This resistance is typically the result of three things: genetics, lack of exercise, poor eating habits, and excess weight. Recently, studies are indicating that by incorporating certain lifestyle changes, a person can reverse their diabetes where medications may no longer be necessary.

The average person with type 2 diabetes spends approximately $85,000 over their lifetime treating their disease and its complications. With almost 50% of the U.S. population is affected by type 2 diabetes, the economic burden on our healthcare system is substantial. We have experienced a 41% increase in healthcare costs from 2007 to 2012. However, there now hope that this trend can be reversed.

Taking proactive steps with one’s lifestyle can positively impact the effects of type 2 diabetes. A small clinical trial of 30 individuals in England revealed that a strict liquid diet put nearly half into remission for 6 months. This select group had lived with the disease for up to 23 years! CNN highlighted a New Yorker recently diagnosed with type 2 who chose to bypass medications and “do it himself.” Through diet and exercise, he was able to lose 40 pounds and keep his glucose numbers below the diabetic range for 2 years (at the time the article was published in 2011). Unfortunately, people do not realize the devastating impact type 2 diabetes has on your health. It causes nerve and kidney damage, loss of vision, heart attack and stroke.

Intervening to prevent, delay, or even reverse this debilitating disease requires commitments.

Exercising regularly.
Eating a nutritionally dense diet.
Maintaining a healthy weight for your height.
Getting sufficient sleep each night.
Lowering your daily stress levels.

Remember, you are not a statistic. Never underestimate the power you have to change your destiny!

What Are Good Fats?

November 1, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Fats always get a bad rap. Remember the low-fat, fat-free craze of the 90s? Seemed like every product on the shelves had little, if any, fat in it. There were SnackWells cookies, fat-free Fig Newtons, Lay’s WOW chips, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter margarine, and fat-free cheese. It took some time, but eventually people have begun to realize that it’s a fad that doesn’t work. In fact, people not only gained weight, but also consumed a ton of unhealthy chemicals including high fructose corn syrup. So, what’s the deal with fat? Can it be healthy for us? And if it is, how much and what kind is?

Fat is one of the key building blocks our body needs to sustain metabolic functions. These functions range from keeping our nerve safe to hormone production. Eliminating or significantly reducing fats presence in our body has a negative impact on our health as evidenced by the dual impact our society is experiencing with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, it has taken far to long to figure this out due to bribery and misleading studies instigated by a sugar-industry trade group (JAMA Internal Medicine, September 2016). If we add this to the fact that it takes a long time for the winds of change to take effect, then one can see the ramifications involved.

With the recent trends toward shopping local, holistic health care, and whole food consumption, the tides are turning. Yet people still question if fat is good. The short answer is that overall fat is indeed healthy for us. However, there are several variables to consider to help you make the best decision.

There are three types of fats:

Saturated
Monounsaturated
Polyunsaturated

All can be healthy, if care is given when choosing. Examples of saturated fats include coconut oil, butter, and the fat in red meat. Monounsaturated fats can be found in olive oil, avocados, and raw nuts. Polyunsaturated fats include flaxseed and walnut oils.

Not all fats are created equal, either, for example, Big Mac fat is not the same as that found in an avocado. One is natural, the other highly processed. So what can you look for when determining which route to go with your fat intake?

Go with fats that boost omega-3s such as wild salmon, winter squash, leafy greens, and pecans.
Avoid heavily processed oils like canola, corn, and soybean. These oils are high in the bad omega-6 fatty acids which cause inflammation to our body.
Use oils that smell like where they are from. High quality olive oil should have a good flavor and smell.
Purchase high-quality grassfed butter as this is considered good animal-based fat.
Treat your fats like a buffet, opting for variety.
Always opt for high-quality, organic fats.
Avoid high-heat cooking.

Toss out your old fears and misconceptions about fats and learn the truth. Your body needs it to thrive.

Sciatic Nerve Pain

March 13, 2015 By Damron Chiropractic

Pain does not discriminate, we all fall victim to it at some point in our life. Until that point happens, we tend to live in a state of ignorance, because learning about pain is irrelevant to our life. Why know about something that does not affect us? Well, knowledge is not only power, it is also a form of preventative maintenance. It’s like telling your child not to touch the hot stove top because they will get burned. We do this to prevent a problem in the future. We give our child the knowledge (or the power) to make a wise decision when entering the kitchen and someone is cooking – don’t touch the stove top! As we get older, we should not stop there. Educating ourselves on various health issues and performing preventative maintenance helps us to live in wellness. We then have the power to know what to do when a situation, like pain, presents itself rather than living with it. We can get back to good health because we have the knowledge to do something about it.

Sciatica or sciatic pain is something many of us have heard of, yet still may not fully understand. The purpose of this post is to shed more light on this common source of pain, especially in older adults, so action can be taken sooner versus later. The sciatic nerve is the major nerve extending from the lower end of the spinal cord down the back of the thigh, and dividing above the knee joint, where it then supplies the entire area of the lower leg, ankle and foot. It is the largest nerve in the human body. But what can affect the sciatic nerve and cause pain:

A Lumbar Herniated Disc
Degenerative Disc Disease (breakdown of the discs which act as cushions between the vertebrae)
Isthmic Spondylolisthesis (a condition in which one vertebrae slips over another)
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back)
Piriformis Syndrome
Sacroiliac Joint Disfunction (improper movement of the joints at the bottom of the spine that connect the sacrum to the pelvis)
Pregnancy

In addition to pain, other symptoms can present themselves if the sciatic nerve is affected like tingling, numbness, pressure, muscle spasms or cramping anywhere in the leg, and a prickly sensation that radiates down the leg. Leg or foot weakness can also occur as well as a burning sensation. Some may confuse pain, tingling, numbness, etc. of the hip, leg, knee, or foot pain coming from those respective areas. In actuality, it is possible that it is originating from pressure or irritation on the sciatic nerve in the low back. The good news is that sciatic nerve pain can be corrected. A Doctor of Chiropractic can treat with decompression therapy, spinal adjustments, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), deep tissue massage, myofascial release techniques, and stretching.

You do not need to live with sciatic nerve pain. And now that you know what it feels like and what causes it, you can take the necessary steps to correct it if it should it ever become an unwelcome guest in your life.

Ever Suffer From Leg Cramps?

Chiropractic Adjustment, Not Manipulation

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

What Are Good Fats?

Sciatic Nerve Pain

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