spine Archives - Damron Chiropractic & Wellness

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.

3 Examples That Help Explain Chiropractic Care

August 8, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

What does a teacher do when the students don’t understand a concept? A common approach is to use an analogy to help explain in a way that is familiar. Foreign concepts do not disappear in adulthood, which is why analogies are a great way to help with understanding. To a vast majority, chiropractors fall under the category of a foreign concept. The care a chiropractor provides is something they have never experienced before. Plus, chiropractic doesn’t receive the press that other medical professions do.

To help build more clarity, here are 3 great ways to explain the fundamental benefits of chiropractic care:

1. Blown Electric Fuse –

Ever blow a fuse? It seems to happen at the most inconvenient times. Our first reaction is to head to the fuse box, locate the blow fuse and flip it back on. Then what happens? It usually trips again. The problem is that the need for electricity outweighs what is available causing the fuse to turn off. Similarly, our spine is like that fuse box. Daily living, plus all the extra stuff we do, can add a level of demand on our body that it simply can’t keep up with. When this happens, we experience pain, which tells us that something isn’t right with our body. That pain is being caused by a blown fuse, or a vertebrae that is out of alignment. A chiropractor works with the body through spinal adjustments to help put the vertebrae back into place, thus eliminating the pain.

2. Pinched Water Hose –

Setting up a sprinkler can be difficult sometimes. You think once it’s positioned properly and the hose is attached you just need to turn the faucet on and you’re good to go. What usually happens is the water is on but the sprinkler isn’t. The pinched hose represents our spine. Messages cannot travel to different parts of our body is there is interference, just like the water that can’t get to the sprinkler. Chiropractic adjustments help to remove the interference so signals can travel up and down the spine to different parts of the body.

3. Braces –

Anyone who has ever had braces knows how long it can take to move teeth. That perfect smile doesn’t just happen. Over a period of several months, the orthodontist slowly applies pressure to move the teeth. Likewise, a chiropractor uses the same approach with correcting a misaligned spine. It takes time for a body to reach the state of pain, so it stands to reason that it will take time to retrain the body on proper posture.

Just like anything new in life, once you have tried it, the misconceptions and misunderstanding slip away. What you are left with is the clarity that truth provides.

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.

Feet and Back Pain

May 9, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is an internationally known tourist attraction that draws millions of visitors each year. Located in Pisa, Italy, this bell tower built during medieval times began tilting to one side once construction got to the 2nd floor. Upon completion, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was leaning 15 feet because its foundation was too soft. As a result, during the almost 200 years it took to built (war caused 100 year gap in construction), the builders tried desperately to offset the leaning, even until present day.

The foundation of anything has a profound effect on the rest of the structure. While many things can be done to remedy the leaning, if the foundation is not addressed, ultimately the problem will still exist. There are many parallels between this tower and the human body.

Feet are the foundation to the human body. At birth, most people have perfect feet. By the age of 20, 80% of those have developed a problem. By the time a person is 40, most have some sort of foot condition. If our feet are our foundation, most of us are just like the Tower of Pisa. However, unlike the tower, we don’t tilt or lean. Instead, our hips, back, shoulders, and neck compensate for our problem foundation. Think of a zigzag line. The line begins at our feet. To offset the instability of the feet, the hips lean to one side. The back then offsets that by leaning to the other side. See the zigzag effect? This situation is what contributes to what is commonly called back pain.

Orthotic support plays a significant role in providing an effective treatment when this condition presents itself. A chiropractor can correct the misalignment of the spine, hips, and neck with adjustments, plus provide heel lifts, as well. With an improved foundation, the rest of the body must relearn its proper position. Effective chiropractic treatment will work to correct the problem and eliminate the back pain. Our feet give us our mobility. We needn’t sacrifice that as we age. Rather, we should do what we can to protect it.

Myth #7: Chiropractors Only Treat Back Pain

April 21, 2017 By Pam Rezai 1 Comment

It’s natural to associate seeing a chiropractor when experiencing back pain. This medical professional works with the spine, or back. Yet, what most people don’t realize is that back pain is only one of many ailments and conditions that a chiropractor can treat.

Think of a chiropractor as you would your primary care doctor or pediatrician. You don’t see either just for the flu or seasonal allergies. You visit these two doctors for various reasons. The same is true for a chiropractor. Granted the spine, or back, connects the body. So, it makes sense to only think of back pain when seeing a chiropractor. But, because the spine connects the body, a chiropractor treats the entire musculoskeletal system.

If we look at the Grey’s Anatomy “Chart of Body & Anatomy” we can see that the spine is comprised of vertebrae. Each vertebrae connects nerves to specific parts of the body. For example, vertebrae 1C in the cervical spine contains the nerves connected to the head, brain, middle and inner ear, and the sympathetic nervous system. Irritated nerves in 1C can create symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, migraines, and high blood pressure. Relieving that irritation with chiropractic adjustments alleviates the symptoms. This is one of the biggest differences between how a chiropractor treats an ailment and how a medical doctor treats one.

Traditional medical doctors typically treat the symptoms. In other words, if are suffering migraines, you may only receive a prescription for pain relief medicine. The symptom may be addressed, but not the cause of it. With chiropractic care, the cause is determined and addressed, not just the symptoms. And not with the use of prescription medications either. The goal is to eliminate the cause of them problem, not just mask the symptoms.

Chiropractors treat the entire body, not just back pain. Think of it this way, your spine is the central piece that connects your entire body. So, whether you have pain in your shoulder, hip, neck, or back, a chiropractor can provide you the care you need.

Avoid the “Perfect Storm” of Disease-Care

January 5, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

In 2000, George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg starred in the movie “The Perfect Storm”. It is based on the true story of a commercial fishing vessel lost at sea during a storm. This storm was exceedingly rare due to the combination of adverse weather factors. In the chiropractic world, we see a lot of people who got caught in a perfect storm. Negative and unpredictable factors affect their lives in such a way that their quality of life is significantly diminished. Factors such as:

a sedentary lifestyle
car accident
work related injury
smoking
poor diet
diabetes
obesity
chronic pain

Some factors can be self-made, others can be simply bad luck or hereditary. Either way, these factors can create a perfect storm that equates to illness. At Damron Chiropractic & Wellness our goal is wellness for life. We take a person’s perfect storm and work with them utilizing chiropractic, rehabilitation, massage and nutrition.

We hear a lot about disease care with people suffering from chronic conditions. Rarely is there any press on wellness. Wellness means that a person is feeling good and looking good. In our world, being well means the perfect storm is over and that person can get back to doing what they love with a higher quality of life.

Life can give us lemons, and lots of them. But we do have a choice. We can choose to settle for what life hands us or decide to seek help. This does not mean using a band-aid approach either, as tempting as that might be. Rather, it means finding a resolution once and for all by ignoring disease-care. Disease-care actually cares for the disease and not finding out what is causing it in the first place. The presenting symptoms may appear to be coming from the leg, but it is really nerve interference in the spine. Treating the leg pain with disease-care does not address the nerve interference in the spine. Consequently, the leg pain will return. That is not wellness.

If you suspect a perfect storm in your life there is a solution. Life happens, but wellness does not, unless you decide to seek it out.

Vertigo

December 8, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Remember going to the playground as a kid and jumping on one of those spinning wheels with your friends? You know the one. It was metal with handlebars you would hold on to as you ran beside the wheel. Making the wheel spin faster and faster until you would all jump on and hold on for dear life. The world would be spinning around you until the wheel slowed to a stop. Getting off the wheel was the most amusing part because no one could walk a straight line without falling over from being dizzy. That is a temporary case of vertigo. Or the spinning one feels even though nothing is moving.

Unfortunately, vertigo is something that many people suffer from, but not from the rides on a playground. The sensation of spinning or dizziness associated with it can plague an individual for minutes, hours, or even days. Vertigo is not a medical condition but rather a symptom of an underlying problem from one of two causes:

A disturbance in the balance organs of the inner ear (peripheral).
Or, a disturbance in parts of the brain or sensory nerve pathways (central).

In both cases, there are other symptoms that can manifest themselves in addition to the spinning sensation a person might feel such as nausea, vomiting, and sweating.

What many people do not realize is that chiropractic adjustments are effective at eliminating the symptoms of vertigo. It can be an interference in the nerves of the spine or the result of a common cold. The bottom-line is that it is important to remember that treating a symptom, like vertigo, does not address the true problem. So, medications and surgery are only band-aids.

There can be an end to a person’s suffering. They no longer need to settle for a life where a symptom like vertigo is accepted. Seek the care of a chiropractor and stop the spinning once and for all.

Reasons to Avoid the Flu Vaccine

October 4, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Modern conveniences typically comes with a price. Microwave ovens, for example, just do not make food as good as the oven and the use of plastics in them is concerning. Instant coffee is another modern convenience designed to give us more time. However, the price we pay is with taste. Boxed hair color is also convenient, but our hair lacks depth when we use it. Fast food restaurants come with poor nutritional content. We pay the price with added weight and other potential health issues. More recently, there has been debate over the modern convenience of the flu vaccination and the potential harmful side effects.

Receiving a flu vaccination comes with a price. However, before we go there, let’s look at why this modern convenience is so readily available. Walk into just about any pharmacy and you will undoubtedly see signs advertising that you can receive a flu shot there. Chances are there is also an added perk involved, too. Perks like a “free” flu shot, a discount to shop that day in the store after you receive your vaccination, or a voucher for some future savings.

The reality is that nothing is really free. Someone needs to pay. While it may not be you initially, you can be assured that your insurance company will be billed and the pharmacy will receive the reimbursement for that flu shot. Pharmacies also receive additional revenue if you choose to take advantage of any other discounts offered on purchases made. That’s a big win for that company!

Now, you might be thinking, “But I win, because now I am protected against getting the flu this season!” But, are you really? At best, the flu vaccination is 50% effective because no one knows which strain of the flu will arrive that year. Receiving the shot means we are also introducing a known neurotoxin into our system as well, thimerosal.

The good news is that we do not need this modern day convenience to protect ourselves from getting the flu. Our body has the built-in ability to protect through the nervous system. This is the hub that controls all the other systems in our body. If not functioning at 100%, then neither will the other systems that it controls. Regular chiropractic care keeps the nervous system functioning at 100% with spinal adjustments. These adjustments prevent the nerves along the spine from becoming irritated from daily wear and tear on our body. Irritation causes inflammation which in turn affects the adjoining vertebrae and its alignment. Compromised nerves impacts the nervous system’s ability to communicate with the other systems of our body.

Give your body the best defense you can this flu season. Arm yourself with all the benefits of chiropractic care.

Chronic Diseases

May 27, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

In November of 2015, Prevention magazine had an article titled “6 Things Chiropractors Can Help With – And What They Can’t.” The overall message of the article gave very compelling reasons to see a chiropractor beyond neck and back pain. However, it missed the mark on what they cannot treat. With all the misinformation out there regarding the field of chiropractic, it’s time to set the record straight. A Chiropractor can help treat chronic diseases.

First, let’s address the 6 things are that Doctors of Chiropractic can help with:

Lower Back Pain
Neck Pain
Pregnancy Pain
Digestive Issues
Headaches
Blood Pressure

The first two are the most obvious reasons people choose to see a chiropractor. But what about the other four?

A pregnant woman is told to avoid anything that would harm her developing baby. However, the pain that accompanies most pregnancies, especially the further along a mother is, can make her think twice about how to alleviate it. A Chiropractor can use the Webster technique to realign the pelvis. This can successfully address the pain associated with the lower back and sciatica without the use of potentially harmful medications.

Now what about digestive issues? The nerves in the thoracic spine are connected to the digestive system. A misalignment in this region can cause symptoms from indigestion, heartburn, ulcers, bloating and gas. Spinal adjustments can keep a person’s digestive systems functioning as it should. No more digestive issues.

Next on the list are headaches, which is a common problem experienced by many individuals. The cervical spine contains the nerves responsible for this type of pain if there is an irritation. A chiropractor can restore proper alignment to offset this interference, many times eliminating the headaches and migraines all together.

Lastly, let’s talk blood pressure. There is a University of Chicago study that took 50 people who had both high blood pressure and neck misalignment. With only one chiropractic adjustment, their blood pressure dropped the same as if they took two blood pressure medications at the same time? That is truly an amazing outcome!

Now for the areas that a chiropractor cannot help with, according to the article. It’s true that a medical doctor is better trained at treating acute emergencies, infections, fractures, tumors and injuries that require surgery. But, just like a medical doctor, a chiropractor can and does help with chronic diseases. The difference is in their approaches. Many times a chronic disease like diabetes, heart disease, or high cholesterol is treated with prescription medications by a medical doctor. A chiropractor, on the other hand, will take a more holistic approach and work with the patient to make lifestyle changes to address the chronic disease. This is addressing the root of the problem rather than the symptoms. Which in the end, resolves the symptoms and the problem as well.

Sacrum & Coccyx

May 18, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Sacrum is derived from the Latin word os sacrum which means “sacred bone.” The word “sacred” is significant because it is the base of support for the entire upper body. In addition to that it also provides support for the spine, holds the spinal nerves, and connects with the hip bones to form the pelvis. The sacrum is located just below the lumbar spine and begins as 5 distinct vertebrae until it solidifies into a single bone between the ages of 18 and 30. Just beneath the sacrum is the coccyx, also known as the tailbone. It is made up of between one and three bones that are fused together, bears the body’s weight while sitting, plus provides an anchor for the muscles in the pelvic region.

Everything from the hips on down are the parts of the areas of the body that are controlled by the nerves in this region of the spine. There are symptoms associated with a problem in the sacrum and coccyx from pain when sitting, to hemorrhoids and itching in the same area. The sacrum plays a vital role in several systems in the human body: skeletal, muscular, nervous and female reproduction. In the skeletal system, the it is the cornerstone for the spine and hips. It connects key muscles in the legs and hips, giving the legs movement. With respect to the nervous system the sacrum and coccyx protect the nerves that control the lower extremities. And in a woman, the sacrum helps to form the pelvic cavity which supports and protects the fetus.

Fractures can occur in the sacrum. These fractures are known as sacral insufficiency fractures. These occur when the sacral bone is no longer able to handle the weight it carries. In older women, osteoporosis is the leading cause of sacral insufficiency fractures, but other risk factors include radiation to the pelvis, steroid use, rheumatoid arthritis, hyperparathyroidism, anorexia, and hip joint replacement. Surprisingly these fractures can also occur in pregnant or breast feeding women due to a condition known as temporary osteoporosis. Symptoms of this type of fracture include pain in the lower back, hips, groin, or pelvis area. Up until the early 80’s, sacral insufficiency fractures went undiagnosed. Treatment is non-surgical and requires rehabilitation therapy, electrical stimulation, and massage.

6 Chiropractic Techniques

3 Examples That Help Explain Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic Adjustment, Not Manipulation

Feet and Back Pain

Myth #7: Chiropractors Only Treat Back Pain

Avoid the “Perfect Storm” of Disease-Care

Vertigo

Reasons to Avoid the Flu Vaccine

Chronic Diseases

Sacrum & Coccyx

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