Chiropractor Santa Barbara

Posts Tagged ‘chiropractor’

What does the term, “vertigo, ” imply? Vertigo is the term for the dizzy disturbance a person suffers within a fixed location. The perception is that the outer world is tilting and even spinning. Vertigo can be unexpected and short- lived or constant. But nevertheless, no matter what, the actual cause of vertigo should be diagnosed and the correct professional treatment plan carried out.

There are many causative factors for the problems of Vertigo. An inner ear condition, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, will at times occur as the impact of a sustained head trauma or very bad cold. On occasion this particular vertigo might be the result of the aging process. The basis, however, fairly often is unknown. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes completely this non- progressive malady that is brought on by, as its name signifies, a quick change in head position. The discomforts are as a rule unexpected and variable.

It is useful to look at the functionality of the inner ear in an attempt fully grasp what stimulates the ofttimes crippling discomforts of this sort of vertigo. The brain takes in movement and keeps equilibrium employing the fluid within the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are tiny calcium carbonate crystals, generally known as otoconia. These crystals will float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the responsive nerve endings in the inner ear, they produce the complaints of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.

The good news is that chiropractic therapy can relieve the discomforts of BPPV very quickly and effectively employing a technique referred to as the Epley maneuver. By means of the use of this process, a chiropractor turns the head of a BPPV victim into a number of the different positions, letting gravity carry the calcium carbonate crystals into a local of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will produce no further dizziness.

Your chiropractor has helped innumerable individuals for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo employing the Epley Maneuver technique. Generally, with only one treatment many patients no longer suffer from wooziness.  Call your chiropractor Santa Barbara locale, to get the help you need!

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Knee X-ray

Research done by Tufts University School of Medicine had concluded that men and women that are at least 65 years of age or older who’ve been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, improved their physical function and experienced less pain. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that brings about a wearing away of joint cartilage. Chiropractors help quite a few people suffering from OA in a number of places in the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most commonplace dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal complaints. In fact, an astonishing 4.3 million US adults over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it conjectures that by age 85, half of men and women in America may incur symptoms of OA. Knee OA causes pain, immobility, functional disabilities, and a diminished quality of life.

Are you wondering why so many adults develop OA? As with the majority of the musculoskeletal dysfunctions that we develop as we age, abnormal stress to a joint over the years is a major element. That is why as people age they are more susceptible to developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Incorrect function of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as the result of foot pain, and overload of the knee joint all cause undue stress on the knees. Over time arthritic changes in the knee joint develop. In addition to chiropractic therapies, chiropractors fully endorse natural, drug-free practices, such as Tai Chi (Chuan), that can help to reduce knee pain. A traditional style of Chinese martial arts,Tai Chi features slow, rhythmic movements that produce mental relaxation, as well as increased balance, an increase in strength, and more flexibility.

The 40 adults chosen for the Tufts study were on an average 65 years of age, overweight, and with confirmed OA, but in otherwise good health. Participants were picked at random to participate 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 incorporates many of the current exercise protocols for OA, such as range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout. Furthermore, researchers found that the “mental feature” of Tai Chi encouraged a sense of well-being, life enjoyments, and perceptions of health that assisted the participants in dealing differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi experienced a substantial 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.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, knee OA, knee pain, osteoarthritis, Tai Chi, Tufts University School of Medicine

Your Chiropractor Santa Barbara knows that you have questions about getting chiropractic adjustments during your pregnancy That’s why it is important for you to know that it is a great idea to get your spine checked while you are pregnant and to get adjusted, too.

You’ve probably noticed that your body is going through quite a lot of changes, and these changes will continue as the pregnancy progresses. One change that goes basically unnoticed is your body’s increased production of the hormone elastin. This hormone is designed to relax the tendons in the pelvis. This relaxation allows the pelvis more flexibility during the birthing process to make delivering the baby easier.

This process, despite the fact that it functions superbly in assisting the mother during labor, can produce much discomfort in the months leading up to the birth. The elastin is being released in larger amounts as the months go on, which allows the pelvis to become increasingly more unstable. Add to that the gradual increase in the size of the baby and uterus, and you have the recipe for severe low back pain. As a chiropractor I see many pregnant women in my practice for a variety of symptoms, but generally it is for their low back pain.

One side benefit of having your spine and pelvis checked by a chiropractor regularly during your pregnancy is that it has been shown to actually decrease labor time. Why do chiropractic adjustments help? Simply put, if the pelvis is where it needs to be, the muscles contracting during the labor process are more efficient because they don’t have to fight past misaligned joints.

Not only can chiropractic adjustments help you with your low back pain and other associated symptoms, such as heartburn, nausea, swelling, etc., but it is actually good for both you and your baby. And, if needed, certain trained chiropractors can help mothers who have a breached baby. This is done by using the Webster Technique, a low force manipulation of the uterus that helps to get the baby into the appropriate position for birth. A simple Google search on the Webster Technique can give you much more information.

In summation, not only is chiropractic safe for pregnant women and their baby, it is also very beneficial in helping with the symptoms associated with pregnancy. To any pregnant women reading this, please go to see your Santa Barbara Chiropractor. Chiropractic care can make you quite a bit more comfortable in the months of your pregnancy, and it can even make the labor process easier.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, heartburn, low back pain, pregnancy, Webster Technique

Chiropractor Santa Barbara can answer your questions regarding your arthritis pain. Do you have back pain due to arthritis? Do you also have a problem with your weight?  If you do, it’s conceivable that you’re having back pain not only as the result of arthritis, but also because of the stress your weight is putting on your spine.  The body was not constructed to carry around additional weight in the form of body fat.  Your spine, which supports your body, is being put under a lot of strain even if you are merely carrying an additional 20 or 30 pounds all the time. This sort of stress can produce irregularities of the vertebral column. These misaligned vertebra can cause arthritic changes in the spine and continue to aggravate the degenerative changes that are present already. In addition, your body may compensate in other ways, such as by your hips moving forward or tilting to support the additional poundage.  This can restrict the sciatic nerve, which is extremely painful.

A current survey by the NPD Group, a leading market research organization based in Rosemont, Ill., shows that approximately 62% of men and women and 34% of children are overweight or obese. The pervasiveness of arthritis amplifies with growing weight. Research implies that sustaining a healthy weight decreases the risk of developing arthritis in the first place and may slow degenerative progression. A weight decrease of just 11 pounds can lessen the occurrence (incidence) of new knee osteoarthritis and would be extremely helpful in relieving back pain as well.

In order for anyone to eliminate their back pain, knee pain, and pain in the joints in other areas of the body, a good diet and routine exercise is mandatory.  Although you have no doubt been told this for the better part of your life, it really is the only solution for you to stop suffering and regain your life.

First of all, we’ll talk about the dieting issue.  Most diets (and there are plenty to choose from) can be temporarily helpful.  Sadly, the diet industry is not concerned about your losing weight permanently because consequently they would lose you as a customer.  If you want weight productively, you are simply going to need to eat a healthy diet as well as to cut your calories so that you use more calories than you take in.  Don’t attempt to lose 20 pounds every week because that is a limited and perilous fix. A good goal is to lose about 2 pounds every week in order for it to work well.

On the subject of exercise, research has confirmed that physical activity lessens pain, improves function, and defers disability. No less than one-half hour of moderate physical activity, no fewer than 3 days a week, has proved to be effective. You can get activity in 10-minute intervals.

In addition to the good your joints will get from exercise, chiropractic treatment is a proved way to get movement back in the joints of your spine and other areas of your body. A well-adjusted spine makes exercise and physical activity a good deal easier and actually slows down arthritic degenerative changes. The Annals of Internal Medicine published the results of a survey of 232 people who were under a rheumatologist’s care for their arthritis.  Of those people, 63% responded to the survey by stating that they were utilizing some type of “complementary care” as named by the study.  Of those individuals, 31% were using chiropractic. Possibly the most consequential statistic was that 73% of those trying chiropractic found it effective.  Answering why they’d tried the non-medical chiropractic care, the responders provided a number of reasons: 1) to curb pain, 2) they’d heard that it helps, 3) they felt assured that it is safe, 4) it had aided someone they knew, and 5) because their prescription medication wasn’t stopping the pain.

Chiropractors, also called doctors of chiropractic, have been helping men and women suffering from back pain due to arthritis as well as other arthritic afflictions for over a hundred years. Not only can arthritic pain and degenerative changes in the spine be created by the misaligned vertebra that Dr. Jamie Phillips will adjust, if left untreated misalignments can reduce resistance and immunity, which can create new health conditions.

It is always wise to consult a health care professional to get information about diet and exercise. If you looking for expert advice on the kind of lifestyle changes that you will required to aid you in managing your arthritis, Dr. Jamie Phillips will be very happy to assist you. By the same token, in addition to correcting any misalignments in your spine, Dr. Jamie Phillips will diagnose any faulty gait patterns or posture irregularities that may be adding to your arthritic pain.

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Chiropractor Santa Barbara has seen a lot of feet and relieved the heel pain and foot pain of hundreds of sufferers. Foot pain is commonplace. Here’s why:

We’ve all heard that movement is beneficial for every part of body, right? From our head to our toes, our good health is highly influenced by how much physical exercise we get on a regular basis. If that’s the case, you may be pondering as to why so many individuals suffer from foot pain. After all, our feet are made for walking, aren’t they? Yes, but they aren’t designed for exploitation.

The normal, healthy person takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not including activities such as running and aerobic exercise. However, frequently those steps are made by people walking incorrectly, with clumsy gait patterns and unhealthy posture.

In addition, many people wear badly-designed, incorrectly-fitting shoes. Walking and exercising on feet that are inhibited from performing correctly cannot help but to produce aches and pains not only in various places in the feet, but in other parts of the body, as well. For example, if an individual over-pronates (walks like a duck) in a pair of poorly-made or unevenly-worn shoes, or in any pair of high heels, that individual will not only develop foot and ankle problems, but will feasibly experience aches and pains in the back, knees and legs.

The most prevalent foot problem is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is an extraordinary, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that encompasses the muscles on the bottom of the foot, connects the heel bone to the ball of the foot, supports the arch, safeguards the foot, and absorbs shock. It goes without saying, then, that the healthy function of the plantar fascia is essential for pain-free walking and exercise.

There are many factors that contribute to the development of Plantar Fascitis. Short and tight calf muscles are one factor. Undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia occurs when calf muscles get short and tight, exerting a strong pull on the back of the heel bone. How do calf muscles get short and tight? In addition to aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, tennis, and similar activities that involve running and jumping, the wearing of high heels can cause the problem.

Sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity can contribute to Plantar Fascitis, as can such determinants as abnormal gait patterns (e.g., over-pronation), improper footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (particularly with bare feet), and obesity.

Once an individual develops Plantar Fascitis, the condition is often difficult to manage and can become extremely painful and persistent. Without proper attention, Plantar Fascitis will only worsen.

If you are suffering from heel pain, your chiropractor will be able to determine the cause of your problem and what chiropractic therapies would be most beneficial. Such care might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, Graston technique, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, special taping and, in some cases, orthotics.

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Chiropractor Santa Barbara is well aware that sciatica is an extremely painful condition. If you suffer from sciatic pain, you are, unfortunately, all too acquainted with the deep pain that is constant during your waking hours and inhibits your daily activities.

Sciatic pain generally travels from your low back, through the buttock(s), and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of your leg(s). Often, the pain can even radiate into your knee. Sitting, as well as motion, can be painful. Sometimes lying down will reduce, or perhaps temporarily get rid of the pain. However, sciatica cannot be corrected without proper care.

“Radiculopathy,” the medical term for the clinical diagnosis of sciatica, means simply that a disc has distended from its usual position in the vertebral column and is causing pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve. Such pressure is extraordinarily painful.

Additional pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles surrounding the spine, can take place as the result of prolonged sitting, particularly in a poor position. For the most part, an explicit event or definite injury doesn’t create sciatica, instead it tends to manifest over time as a result of average wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Over time the lower spine loses its ability to function in a healthy way during common daily requirements.

The final result is that, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, which then allows the soft nucleus to extend the disc outward. If the disc puts pressure on sensitive tissues, it produces the pain that is generally called a ruptured disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve, then sciatica can develop.

Most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be alleviated with chiropractic adjustments and therapies that usually includes postural exercises. If you are experiencing sciatic pain, it is essential for you to seek help from your chiropractor.

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Chiropractor Santa Barbara has helped many individuals suffering from hip pain and would like to help you, too. Does hip pain wake you up in the 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 initially hard 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 “yes” to any or all of these questions you are likely suffering from imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to generating hip pain, can eventually bring about degenerative joint disease in your hips if not taken care of.

Even though hip pain and related problems are usually signs of age-related degenerative conditions, particularly osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the culprit. In fact, instead of creating the original problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the ultimate result of injury to your hips at a previous time.

Injury due to biomechanical problems, such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can cause changes in your gait that create hip pain. Moreover, your gait may reposition to compensate for new body demands such as a job change, an alteration in the way you sit, a new sport or activity, or if you start driving for long periods of time on a regular basis..

In addition, gait imbalances can occur from carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length discrepancies, or foot pronation conditions. In other words, anything that produces an asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion can bring about painful hip problems.

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

Hip pain won’t vanish on its own. Hip pain means that something needs to be corrected. Get out of pain, get back in balance, and get your life back now!

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Your Chiropractor Santa Barbara wants you to know that if you’re suffering from low back pain, you’re not alone. Low back pain bothers a large majority of people, an astonishing 80% in fact, making it second only to the common cold in its pervasiveness. However, contrary to the common cold, waiting for your back pain to “run its course,” and taking prescription or over-the-counter remedies while you wait, is not the solution. The majority of back pain won’t leave on its own. Many times, if your pain goes away, it is usually because your body has compensated for the problem and, thus creating new conditions. Low back pain is nothing to sneeze at! If you want to eliminate your back pain for good (and who wouldn’t?), you need to seek the advice of a back pain authority, like your chiropractor.

Many times back pain is a mystery to the majority of people who experience it, and chiropractors are experts at solving that mystery. Why is it that the majority back pain sufferers have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries before the onset of their problem? The answer is that the cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, bad work habits, improper lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related influences generate most back pain.

These factors eventually add up and cause stresses and imbalances on the spine causing subluxations that can become serious back conditions. The process is not unlike the front end of your car being out of alignment. As you choose to drive, there is unbalanced wear and tear on your tires. If you chose not to get the problem fixed, the situation could worsen until a tire “blew.” The function of the spine is threatened when your spine is misaligned. In other words, it’s not only a problem waiting to happen, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as effortless as reaching down to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that produces back injury. When this takes place, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm in order to stabilize the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

With regard to knowledge of conditions of the spine, chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors. They provide state-of-the-art diagnosis and effective treatment for all muscular-skeletal problems. They not only offer welcomed relief if you are suffering from back pain, but they know what will help you to avoid further back pain. As an adjunct to effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will provide you with a personal exercise strategy and recommend other healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.

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Chiropractor Santa Barbara wants you to know that the best way to avoid sports injuries, including golf injuries, is to be prepared. Injuries are very commonplace with any sort of sport. It is beneficial to discover what injury is apt to happen in a particular sport and then to do what it takes to avoid it.

Naturally, sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Therefore, it’s advantageous to take good care of your body to make getting injured less probable, or less traumatic. The most important thing that you can do is to be certain that you have the proper fitness level prior to starting to play a sport, such as golf. By cultivating a healthy lifestyle, making sure your joints are mobile and your muscles are limber, preparing your body prior to activity, using proper form and good postures while actively playing, and allowing yourself plenty of cool down and relaxation time, you will probably keep your body safe from injury.

It isn’t only amateur golfers who experience injuries. It has been estimated that close to one-third of pro golfers play injured at any given time. Fortunately, general good health and fitness can decrease the number of injuries that you may acquire and might conceivably prevent them completely.

Good body strength in the muscle areas most employed when golfing is crucial. However, before you attempt to build muscle strength, it’s essential to make sure your spine is aligned and has good mobility. A injury-free golf swing hinges on your spine’s capacity to adequately rotate effectually. Back injuries are the most widespread kind of injuries experienced by golfers. To be certain that your spine is in proper alignment and there is effectual movement in the vertebrae, see your chiropractor. Chiropractic care can make a big difference in helping you to avert back injury.

Once you’re “straightened” it’s time to strengthen. Being prepared to play your game is essential to a safe, injury-free day on the green. You can warm up your muscles and make injuring them less likely by doing golf stretching and flexibility exercises. Flexibility in all parts of the body can be developed fairly quickly as the result of full body range of motion (ROM) exercises. In addition, elastic band conditioning affords targeted golf range of motion improvements and can advance needed strength in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Sports professionals, such as your chiropractor, are adding elastic band training to their golf conditioning programs because the bands provide dynamic resistance that general weight lifting does not provide.

Many golfers suffer from “Golfer’s Elbow” along with back injuries. Although golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are nearly identical injuries, there is a minute difference between them. Tennis elbow impinges the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow impinges the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can be a reaction to a single violent action, such as (in golf) striking the mat at the driving range or thrusting down on a hard fairway surface. Although, it generally is produced by repetitive stress from smaller shocks. Furthermore, it can come upon those who abruptly begin to play too much golf. As a case in point, if players that generally play golf once or twice a month elect to play in a tournament, they are potentially at risk for contracting the injury.

Golf makes exclusive requirements on our body. The game is ordinarily longer than many other sports and that can cause fatigue. Bad posture and reduced coordination are normally the consequences of a fatigued body. Together, these two components can create a number of injuries. Additionally, the shoulder muscles are liable to injury as a result of the constant swinging of the golf clubs. Just as great care should be taken to make certain that your muscles are stretched and warmed up prior to starting your golf game, be sure to rest your body properly between games.

A surprising injury sometimes connected with golf is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But, since it a problem that happens as the result of repetitive stress, a numerous amount of games of golf played over several months repetitively may produce this injury. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a serious injury producing incapacitation and on occasion requiring surgery. However, chiropractic care and, sometimes the use of a brace will help the condition if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, discovers it at an early stage.

The majority of golfers appear to think that injuries are merely an inescapable part of a golfer’s life. But, a healthy, mobile spine, dedicated preparation, appropriate exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and maintaining a a suitable fitness level, and prudent rest and recuperation after your game is over, can assisting in making injuries far less a part of your golfing experience.

Technorati Tags: back pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, chiropractor, Golfer's Elbow, shoulder pain

Chiropractor Santa Barbara wants you to know that neck pain is often exacerbated by sleeping on an improper pillow. That is why it is imperative to use an orthopedic pillow that is made especially for correcting neck pain. Some of the factors that may be responsible for neck pain are when a pillow is too stiff or too flat.

If you sleep on a pillow that has poor neck support, you will often end up greeting the morning with neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, or some other type of symptom.

Pillows also ought to be renewed every so often because of the breakdown in materials. A few brands of pillows will last longer than others, but you generally pay more for the pillow that will last a longer period. Pillows deteriorate with time thereby making them less helpful.  Cervical pillows are specially engineered to take care of neck and shoulder problems and give support to the natural curvature of the neck. A orthopedic pillow supports the head, aligns the neck spine in a neutral posture, supports the head, and allows better shoulder rotation.

Some men and women as the result of other issues such as sleep apnea, GURD,  or cardiovascular problems, use more than one pillow to elevate their head, but this can create undue stress on the joints of the neck and create strain and stiffness.

There is only one solution to all these issues. You can buy a good quality cervical pillow, even if it may be a bit more expensive than an ordinary pillow. But, you would gain all the comfort for which you have been searching for such a long time. A good quality neck pillow, whether the pillow is down feathered, a foam-type, or poly-filled, it will give you with necessary comfort and support. This will let you have a good night’s sleep and a painless morning.

The quality of a neck pillow may be established by its capability to give support to the cervical spine’s natural curves and posture. However, consulting a health care professional, like your chiropractor, is the most beneficial way to find out which orthopedic pillow is appropriate for you. The pillow should form itself to support your neck and head in the proper posture even if you sleep on your back or side. It is crucial to ensure that the orthopedic pillow you select provide you with support on both your side and back positions. You may want to also consider your sleeping habits when selecting a pillow for yourself. If you are in the habit of sleeping on your back, then you will want to select a pillow that has been specifically constructed to provide neck and upper back support. If you are a side sleeper, then it will be necessary for you to have a bit higher pillow that will give you a good deal of room for your shoulder position. When you are sleeping on a good orthopedic, it should provide enough resistance to inhibit your head from going sideways, or rolling and tilting unnaturally. Get yourself a good quality cervical pillow and end your neck pain suffering today!

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