Many people who have back pain have been experiencing it for so long that they believe that it’s just a regular part of their life. Even after you have taken pain relievers, used heating pads, ice packs, and maybe even bought an expensive, specialized mattress, your pain can still remain. While all of these tools can be used in an attempt to manage your back pain, the actual root cause of the issue has yet to be addressed.

Many chiropractic patients suffer from conditions that can't be corrected through temporary measures. When you must sit at a desk for eight or more hours a day, your mattress and pain relievers just can’t fix it. If you’ve tried these options but are coming up short in managing your pain or range of motion, you may want to consider a chiropractic adjustment.

If you’re still weighing your options, here are some benefits to consider if you are thinking about scheduling your first chiropractic adjustment:
 

Reduce Your Blood Pressure

Some studies suggest that receiving chiropractic adjustments can have the same effect on your blood pressure as some medications that are specifically designed to lower your blood pressure without the side effects often associated with blood pressure medications such as fatigue, nausea, dizziness, weight loss, and anxiety. The study also found that these effects were not just short-term and that the benefits of an adjustment could last up to six months after your appointment.
 

Adjustments Can Help With Neck And Back Pain

Individuals that have a misaligned spine or pain in their spine often try to adjust their position in an attempt to reduce pain in a specific area. Unfortunately, this shift in posture can result in poor alignment in other areas. Your chiropractor can help to align your problem areas which can result in better overall posture and reduced pain throughout your back and spinal column.
 

Chiropractic Adjustments Help Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a condition that affects the curvature of the spine. The back can curve and twist causing difficulty with mobility, range of motion, pain, and may even affect your ability to breathe. While there are several options available to help cope with scoliosis, chiropractic adjustments have been shown to help treat the disease. When chiropractic adjustments are used in tandem with physical therapy, the progression of scoliosis can even be halted.
 

Reduce Your Inflammation

Many patients believe that the only way to reduce inflammation is with medication or heat therapies. However, these treatment options are only temporary and can’t correct the underlying problems, but when you utilize chiropractic adjustments, you can often stop the issues that are causing the swelling in the first place.

Since properly aligned joints are not as likely to experience irritation that leads to inflammation, chiropractic adjustments can reduce or eliminate your inflammation as well as eliminate the need for medications.
 

Stop Sciatica

Sciatica is a condition that many patients experience that causes pain to radiate down your spine and into your legs. This is the result of a damaged or pinched sciatic nerve. Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce the pressure on the sciatic nerve which can lead to a reduced need for pain medications and a reduction in overall pain.
 

Adjustments Can Help Headaches

Both migraine and tension headaches can be linked to problems with the back or spine. In fact, headaches are the top reason that people seek the help of a chiropractor. A properly aligned spine helps with both muscle tightness and pain which can cause both types of headaches. This means that there is a cascading positive effect of your chiropractic adjustment as an aligned spine does not strain the muscles and therefore won’t trigger your painful headaches.
 

Overview

If you are experiencing pain in the back, neck, or any associated pain it is a good time to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor. A licensed chiropractor can review your case to identify the best options for you. Call to schedule your appointment today.

Massages have been used therapeutically for thousands of years, with styles and techniques evolving throughout the centuries. Today, there are more than 100 varieties of massage being used in countries all around the world, helping to relieve back pain and muscle stiffness in millions of patients.

Although chiropractic care is not the same as massage, an increasing number of chiropractors are offering massage therapy to help alleviate pain and rehabilitate injuries in patients suffering from problems with their musculoskeletal system. Most qualified and experienced chiropractors agree that while massage therapy can be beneficial as a standalone treatment, it is far superior when performed alongside conventional chiropractic adjustments. 
 

What Is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy refers to the manual manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, including the skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. There are many different techniques, with some of the most popular being:
 

Swedish Massage

A gentle form of massage that uses long strokes, deep circular movements, kneading, vibrations, and tapping to relax your body and help you feel revitalized.
 

Sports Massage

Similar to Swedish massage, but targeted at people heavily involved in sport, and used to treat or prevent injuries. 
 

Deep Massage

With slower, more forceful strokes, this type of massage targets the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue with the aim of stimulating blood flow to the area so that they can heal.
 

Trigger Point Massage

Focused on specific areas of tight muscle, this massage helps to loosen and relax these areas that tend to tighten with overuse or injury. 

Benefits Of Massage Therapy

Massage has been shown to have potential benefits in almost every system in the body and is increasingly accepted by general practitioners as a highly successful alternative therapy. In addition to treating the effects of musculoskeletal problems such as back, neck and shoulder pain, massage therapy has also been used to effectively treat:

• Carpal tunnel and connective tissue injuries
• Circulatory problems including Edema
• Headaches and migraines
• Neuropathy
• Pain (acute and chronic)
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Sports injuries
• Sprains and strains 
• Stress and anxiety 
• Tennis elbow
   

Am I A Good Candidate For Massage Therapy?

While massage is a non-invasive therapy that is suitable for a wide variety of patients, there are some people for whom it may not be appropriate. These include those who have:

• Bleeding disorders or who are taking blood thinners
• Burns
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Had recent surgery
• Fractured bones
• Severe osteoporosis
• Severe thrombocytopenia
• Wounds that are still healing
   

As such, before you can be approved for chiropractic massage therapy, you will be invited to attend a comprehensive consultation appointment with your practitioner. This meeting will be an opportunity to assess your general health and wellbeing as well as your musculoskeletal problems and will enable your chiropractor to decide if you are a suitable candidate for massage therapy.

Your chiropractor will then recommend a schedule of massage appointments, adjustment appointments or a combination of the two. This is just a guideline, and your exact program of treatment will depend on how well you respond to each of the appointments.

If you would like to know more about the benefits of chiropractic massage therapy, please contact our offices where our friendly, experienced team are waiting for your call. 

If you are a new chiropractic patient, there are several initial tests that you can expect your chiropractor to perform. In addition to collecting a detailed family and personal medical history, you will likely receive a detailed physical exam to identify any potential issues which should include a spinal and postural screening.

Spinal and postural screening is a test conducted by your chiropractor that can help identify neuromusculoskeletal disorders before any serious issues arise. This test can find spinal alignment and postural positioning that hasn't presented with an actual problem yet, but if left untreated, may cause chronic conditions in the neck or back.
 

Screening

Our bodies are meant to have all portions of the torso balanced. This means that our heads, necks, shoulders, rib cage, spine, abdominal cavity, and pelvis must all be in proper alignment to function at our highest level. When one of these systems is out of alignment, it can have a cascading effect on the rest of our body. When we aren’t in proper alignment, it’s generally the spine that compensates and bends to accommodate our positioning which places additional stress on the spine and surrounding tissues. Over time, poor positioning can lead to spinal injuries or disease. Some of these diseases include:

• Scoliosis
• Herniated disc
• Strained, sprained, or pulled muscles
• Sports injuries
• Chronic headaches
• Neck or back pain
• Shoulder injuries

Furthermore, poor positioning in our adolescent years has a correlation with the progression of arthritis and chronic pain in adulthood. This means that young adults or children may also benefit from receiving a spinal and postural screening from a licensed chiropractor.

The actual screening process occurs in two parts. The first part is the static screening which looks at potential issues while the patient is not moving. The chiropractor will assess several factors including pelvic tilt, elevation posture, and rotation posture.

The second part is the dynamic screening which looks for alignment issues while the patient is moving. This helps to identify how the body compensates for weight in the body while it shifts positions. Improper positioning or poor posture can be determined if a patient favors one leg over the other or if the patient is holding their body in an unnatural position.  Maintaining this poor positioning can lead to issues over time.

The dynamic screening has patients perform several moves for the evaluation. These moves include:

• Standing on one leg
• Attempting a push-up
• Standing up from a seated position and then returning to the seat.
• Raising your hands above your head

Your chiropractor will also measure your legs and arms to ensure that they are the same length or to identify the reason for any differences. Your head position will also be evaluated. Poor head position often causes neck and upper back or shoulder issues.
 

Results

At the completion of your screening, your chiropractor will discuss your results. Patients often find that their chiropractor has identified issues that were bothering them as well as several they hadn’t yet noticed. If you have questions about any of these conditions, be sure to discuss them with your chiropractor.

Finally, after you have discussed some of the issues or conditions that you may have, your chiropractor will help you develop a personalized treatment plan. Many plans include spinal manipulation or adjustments, massage, and exercises.

Spinal manipulation will help to restore your spine and joints to their proper positioning, while massage and exercise help the muscles maintain proper positioning.
 

Overview

A chiropractor's priority is to ensure that you receive the appropriate care to help you live your best life. Through initial screenings and evaluations, they can quickly identify any issues and execute the best plan for you. If you think that chiropractic care is an option for you, please contact your chiropractor today to set up your initial consultation.  

Cranial facial release (CFR) is a technique that is used to help with a variety of neurological or structural disorders. Patients who have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions may be good candidates for CFR.

• Seizures
• Bell’s Palsy
• Breathing Disorders
• Sinusitis
• Migraines
• Vertigo
• Sleep Apnea
• Post-Concussion Syndrome
• Snoring
   

CFR works by inserting small balloons inside of the nasal cavity and quickly inflating them. This technique is designed to unlock cranial fixations or induce mobility in the cranial systems.
 

How It Works

First, it is important to understand that our skulls are not made of a single solid bone — especially the bones that surround our breathing passageways. These bones are designed to move as we breathe to allow for an increased amount of air to enter our lungs. When these bones don’t move normally, they can cause a variety of issues related to breathing or even our neurological functions.

The CFR process is designed to free the bones and allow them to begin moving again which restores normal function and can reduce issues that patients are experiencing.
 

Treatment

The actual process of CFR may vary so you should discuss options with your medical professional. However, many patients will find that treatment takes place on four days scheduled within a seven to the ten-day period while the actual process of inflating the balloons takes less than three seconds.

Many patients report that the procedure feels like having water shot up your nose, but don’t report that there is any pain. CFR is a procedure that does not require an overnight stay in the hospital or long-term observation.
 

CFR Patients

CFR patients have typically tried many different options to help relieve the effects of their condition. CFR has been shown to not only improve many of the conditions listed above but is also very cost-effective, especially when compared to the cost of potential surgeries and recovery time.

There is no typical patient when it comes to CFR treatment. In fact, CFR has been successfully practiced on patients of all ages. Seniors are often treated for many of their conditions that may be associated with advanced age. While on the other end of the spectrum, CFR has been used to help infants who are experiencing a wide range of their own issues. As well as adults and teenagers who have also seen a reduction in the effects of many of the previously listed conditions with CFR treatment.
 

Amazing Successes

Dr. Stober, one of the pioneers of CFR utilized this technique in order to help children with Down’s Syndrome. One of the children that he helped was David Jones. Mr. Jones was treated with the BNS (Bilateral Nasal Specific) method of CFR. His care began in his childhood and continued when he was a young man. David attributes his treatments to an increase in cognitive ability. This allowed him to live independently and attend college. While attending college, he earned not just one, but two degrees. He felt so strongly about the benefits of this technique that he continued to educate others about its use.
 

Gaining Success

The CFR method increased in popularity when it was featured in the E-Channel and Celebrity News Magazine. Since then, more patients have started asking about and for this treatment.
 

Overview

If you have any questions about this procedure, please call and schedule an appointment to speak with your chiropractor today. They have specific and specialized training on how to perform the procedure and will be able to determine if the issues that you are experiencing are likely to be helped by the CFR technique. Many patients have already experienced success with this technique, so why not see if you can be next?

Anybody who has experienced back pain knows that they will do just about anything to relieve their discomfort and fortunately, there are many options available for patients suffering from back ailments.

If you have been experiencing lower back pain, you should schedule an appointment with a chiropractor. Your chiropractor will want to interview you and do an examination first to ensure that they fully understand your condition as well as any limitations that you may be having. After this assessment is complete, one treatment that they may suggest is a therapeutic adjustment.
 

What Is A Therapeutic Adjustment?

Therapeutic adjustments are also called spinal or chiropractic manipulation and is a conventional technique that chiropractors use to treat lower back pain. An adjustment involves moving vertebrae that are not moving properly or have abnormal movement. These changes to your spine can move the vertebrae back into place or help to correct the movement that is causing you discomfort.
 

What Can I Expect To Feel During An Adjustment?

Adjustments typically involve short and fast arm thrusts along the vertebrae. These thrusts may cause an audible cracking sound when gas is released from the joint. These gases can include oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide. The release of these gases can also be accompanied by the reduction of pressure within the spine.

Patients often feel an immediate improvement in their pain levels and ability to move. Some minor discomfort has been reported, but it is typically associated with back muscles that are tense and is usually short-lived.

While you may expect your joints to “crack,” it doesn’t always happen, which can be due to a tense patient. Your chiropractor may suggest using ice, having you rest, or using electrical stimulation and massage in order to reduce the tension in your back.
 

What Can I Expect After A Therapeutic Adjustment?

Most patients feel reduced pain or tension levels in their back and spinal column immediately following treatment. When patients feel pain, it is usually associated with muscle pain and when appropriately treated, the effects of muscle pain can be reduced in a matter of hours.

Several studies have shown that chiropractic patients experience mild to moderate pain relief following an adjustment. In fact, chiropractors have been shown to be as effective as many other methods of pain relief for the back, such as sleeping on a firm mattress, taking pain medication, or applying heat therapies.
 

Therapeutic Adjustments And Your Insurance

If you are considering a chiropractic visit to help alleviate your back pain, it is a good idea to check with your chiropractic office as well as your insurance to make sure that it is a covered expense. Chiropractic care is considered a complementary and alternative medicine and while most health insurances (Medicare, workers’ compensation, some Medicaid plans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, much active duty and veteran military facilities) cover chiropractic adjustments, the qualifications or limitations of your treatment can vary greatly. So, before you get stuck with an unexpected bill, be sure to get clarification.
 

Overview

Chiropractic adjustments can be a significant and effective form of treatment for lower back pain. While there may be many causes of a sore back, chiropractic care can help to diagnose these issues and offer some possible remedies. If your chiropractor can fix your pain, the adjustments are usually quick office visits that can be completed during a lunch break.

Additionally, the side effects of a chiropractic adjustment are much smaller than alternative medications. Therapeutic adjustments also cost less than some of the other alternative treatment options, especially if your insurance considers it a covered option. If you are experiencing back pain, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with your chiropractor as soon as possible since receiving rapid care can help reduce the amount of time it takes to return to a pain-free lifestyle.  

Physiotherapy is a branch of therapy that is specifically concerned with the treatment of an injury, disease, or disorder with physical approaches. These approaches include massage, exercise, and physical manipulation rather than invasive medical procedures or the use of medications.

While some people believe that physiotherapists work specifically with athletes on sports-related issues, their patient base is actually much broader. Physiotherapists also work with patients who are in different age groups or demographic categories. They help patients recover from injury, disease, illness, and even some of the effects of aging. Physiotherapists aim to help individuals achieve a higher quality of life through pain relief, increased range of motion, or recovery from damage to the body.

In order to achieve their desired results with a wide range of their patients, physiotherapists must employ a wide range of possible treatments.

There are three basic types of physiotherapy:

• Musculoskeletal – This therapy focuses on the treatment of sprains, strains, arthritis, incontinence, posture problems, workplace injuries, surgery recovery, and many other physical conditions.
• Neurological – This therapy works with issues associated with the brain. Potential injuries include stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal injuries, and Parkinson’s disease.
• Cardiothoracic – This branch of physiotherapy works with issues associated with breathing and can include emphysema, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and other cardio-respiratory illnesses.
   

Treatment Options

Physiotherapists work with their patients to develop a personalized treatment plan that best suits their specific needs. Some patients may only require a single treatment style while other patients may require more intensive plans. There are three primary treatment options that physiotherapy uses. However, within those options, there are a variety of additional techniques that your medical professional may use to help you improve your quality of life.

• Manual Therapies – Manual therapies can include joint manipulation or adjustment, manual resistance training or stretching. These therapies are usually conducted in an office setting with hands-on work from your physiotherapist.
• Exercise Therapy – Exercise training focuses largely on strength training, cardiovascular stretching, and re-training proper posture.
• Electrotherapy – Electrotherapy isn’t the electrodes hooked up to your brain that deliver a painful shock anymore. Instead, electrotherapy is used to deliver a gentle current to your affected muscles in order to help promote healing and growth. This category also utilizes laser therapy and ultrasound to help heal and reduce pain.
   

Manual Therapies

Many patients’ treatment plans will include a core portion of manual therapy. This includes:

• Joint Mobilization – Joint mobilization is designed to relieve joints and get them moving freely again. Joint mobilization is also called the gentle glide technique.
• Physiotherapy Instrument Mobilization (PIM) – This technique utilizes a handheld spring-loaded tool and is used along the spine to help reduce pain and increase mobility.
• Stretching – Stretching exercises help to loosen muscles and tendons that are tight. In a therapy setting, this is to help reduce pain associated with overly tight or shortened tissues and train them into their proper position. Stretching also helps to increase your overall range of motion and can help with overall strength as well.
• Neurodynamics – This technique looks at the nerves and their pathways to identify any areas where the nerve may be damaged or impeded. Adjustments or corrective procedures can be performed to try to restore normal nerve function.
   

Overview

Physiotherapy is another option that patients should consider when developing a treatment plan. These plans can be used for a variety of conditions including disease, illness, traumatic injury, or even routine checkups. If you are considering using a physiotherapist or chiropractor, call today to schedule an initial consultation. It’s never too soon to start feeling better.

Every profession today has some level of risk for employees to receive an injury at work. Office professionals are at an increased risk for the neck, back or carpal tunnel injuries. Employees that work in physically demanding positions can experience an injury due to the physical requirements or repetitive motions that they conduct throughout the day. No matter what profession you are in, injuries that are related to work are stressful and unfortunately, leave employees with the decision to continue working through their pain or take the time off to allow for the proper treatment and healing.

One recent study found that individuals who received chiropractic care as part of their injury treatment were able to return to work more quickly than those who did not. Additionally, people who reported receiving chiropractic care for neck and back pain had less than two hours of missed work per year as an average. It is essential to understand the types of injuries that many employees sustain in order to find the best way to treat those injuries.
 

Common Types Of Work Injuries

• Force – Force injuries are caused by overexertion or strain on the muscles or joints. These injuries are typically the result of improper lifting or lifting objects that are too heavy.
• Posture – Poor posture or slouching can result in additional strain on the joints in your back and neck. This can be compounded when individuals are in an office setting and retain these positions for long periods of time.
• Repetition – Employees that repeat the same motion over time are at an increased risk for repetitive motion type injuries. These injuries occur because the muscles become fatigued and can no longer adequately perform the required movement, or because the joints can wear down over time.
• Stress – Emotional stress can manifest in physical injuries. Employees that are under constant or extreme stress often keep their muscles tensed and rigid which leaves them at increased risk of injury or accident.
   

Chiropractic Care Help

Chiropractors have a long successful history of helping employees recover from their injuries in order to return to work quicker. In fact, chiropractic care has been shown to return employees back to their work faster than many other methods of treatment.

Chiropractors often utilize manual manipulation to help correctly align the spine and reduce pressure on the nerves that travel through the spinal column. These non-invasive techniques require little to no recovery time in direct contrast to surgeries that often require extensive preparation and recovery and can be prohibitively expensive for many patients.

Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment that offers benefits after the first treatment and has been shown to last long after the last treatment. This style of treatment also can help to avoid or eliminate the need for using potentially addictive and lethal pain medications. 

Research has shown that chiropractic care offers one of the most successful treatment options for those who suffer from lower back injuries. This leads to employees returning to work more quickly than their counterparts and are also less likely to experience lingering issues after their treatment has concluded.
 

Overview

Injuries or accidents that occur as part of a workplace incident can be difficult to navigate. However, patients who choose to use chiropractic care as part of their treatment plan are more likely to return to work more quickly than those who don’t. Chiropractic care has also been found to be more effective and less dangerous than many other options. If you are the victim of a workplace accident or injury, you should contact your chiropractor today to develop your individualized treatment plan.  

If you have children of any age, it is likely that you have had an intimate experience with ear infections at some point in your life. Five out of six children will have experienced at least one ear infection before they are three years old as younger children are far more prone to ear infections. Luckily, as they age, they may “grow out” of them.

Researchers believe that younger children are more susceptible to ear infections because their eustachian tubes are shorter and angled which make them more prone to bacteria that can cause an ear infection.

While ear infections are the most common in children, they are an ailment that affects many of us throughout our lives. Ear infections are not only particularly painful and bothersome due to the sensitive nature of our ears, but can also threaten to leave lasting damage if they aren’t adequately treated.

Many people jump automatically to medications to correct the issue. However, some of the complications associated with medications, especially for children can be a cause for hesitation. If you are considering alternative options, chiropractic care is worth looking into.
 

Symptoms And Causes Of Ear Infections

Ear infections are caused by a virus or bacteria that infects the middle ear. This can cause the middle ear to become inflamed and hold fluid that leads to a buildup of pressure. This pressure can be excruciating. Colds, the flu, and allergic reactions can all lead to ear infections as these illnesses can result in a swelling of the ear that blocks fluid from draining from the eustachian tubes, nasal passages, and throat.

While ear infections are often straightforward to diagnose in our own bodies, they often manifest in children who haven’t developed the ability to communicate their discomfort. In these situations, it’s important to know the range of symptoms for an ear infection.

These symptoms include:

• Fever
• Ear redness
• Ear pain (infants may pull or rub their ears) 
• Difficulty sleeping
• Fluid drainage from the ear
• Loss of balance
• Headache
• Diminished hearing
   

Treatment Options For Ear Infections

Medical treatment is often the first option that people use to heal their ears. Pain can be significant, and in some of these situations, doctors may prescribe pain medications that contain opioids. Opioid medications have been the target of many news reports and government policies due to their addictive nature.

Since opioids are very addictive, they have the potential to cause severe damage or death if they are not used properly and many patients have found that the potential risks are not worth their benefits. If you are concerned with using these medications, you may want to consider an alternative treatment option.

Chiropractic care is a great option for many individuals who suffer from ear infections. In fact, chiropractic care may even reduce the effects of chronic ear infections, or prevent you from ever getting an infection in the first place.

A 1996 study found that patients that used chiropractic treatment for their ear infections had a 93% improvement rate. With the success rate of chiropractic care, the lack of exposure to potentially harmful medications, and no invasive procedures, chiropractic care might be the exact treatment that you’ve been looking for. Chiropractic care for the treatment of ear infections is safe for children as well as adults.
 

How It Works

Your chiropractor will explain how they are going to help alleviate your ear infection in more detail, but typically, your chiropractor will review your case and then perform a series of adjustments in specific areas that are targeted to align the joints and reduce pressure on the nerves. When the nerves can fully function, they can help to alleviate the issues that are causing your ear infection quicker.
 

Overview

It’s very likely that you or your children are going to fall victim to an ear infection at some point and you may want to consider a trip to the chiropractor to evaluate your condition for their services. Chiropractors offer safe, drug-free options for the treatment of several health conditions, including ear infections for people of all ages. Call to schedule an appointment with a licensed chiropractor today.

If you have been paying attention to what is happening in the medical community, then it’s likely that you have heard about holistic medicine. However, to really understand the practice takes more than just a passing reference to the topic. Holistic medicine is a type of medicine that is concerned with the entire person as a whole. This practice accounts for the body, mind, spirit, and emotions. The belief behind the practice stems from the idea that people can operate at their highest levels when all their systems are operating well and in balance with each other.

Practitioners of holistic medicine believe that if one of these systems is out of balance, all of the other systems in the body will be affected. In order to treat an individual, medical professionals may utilize a variety of techniques. For example, if a patient visits their doctor for a migraine, they may be prescribed pain medication and sent home. However, when a physician takes a holistic approach, they look at a myriad of potential factors that are influencing and causing the headache. Therefore, even though a patient may still be prescribed pain medication, issues with their diet, sleep patterns, stress, and spiritual outlook will also be reviewed and it is only after considering all of these factors that a treatment plan will be developed.
 

Holistic Options

Holistic medicine offers a wide variety of treatment options to treat underlying conditions and below we have compiled some of the most standard treatment options along with brief explanations. However, if you feel that holistic medicine is an option for you, you should consider contacting a holistic medical professional today for more information.

• Patient Education – Holistic medicine believes that every person can heal themselves. It is no surprise that when patients know more about themselves and their condition, they have better results in their treatment. Education may cover diet, exercise, and counseling as it relates to the patient's needs.
• Alternative Medicine – In order to treat the body as a whole, alternative medicine is another option that may be used as part of a patient’s treatment plan. These treatments may include chiropractic care, massage therapy, acupuncture, or naturopathy.
• Western Medicine – Sometimes Western medicine will offer an additional or complementary benefit. These treatments may include medications or medical procedures in order to correct any underlying issues.
   

Chiropractic Holistic Medicine

Many patients who opt for a holistic approach to their medical needs will find that chiropractic care becomes one of the most critical aspects of their treatment. Chiropractic offers a non-invasive approach to helping with many medical issues including back and neck pain, nerve pain, gastrointestinal issues, and even ear infections.

Chiropractors are highly trained medical professionals that have received specialized education in understanding the role that your spine and the associated nerves play on your wellness. They understand your individual needs and don’t prescribe to a one size fits all approach. Additionally, chiropractors have access to the latest medical equipment and can confidently come to an appropriate and accurate diagnosis.

Chiropractic has been used for generations to help patients heal without invasive procedures or utilizing potentially dangerous prescription medications. This field of medicine has been determined safe and effective for use on every population including the elderly, infants, pregnant women and everybody in between.
 

Overview

If you have a health concern and are weighing your options, you should consider meeting with a chiropractor. They will conduct a detailed review of your medical history and perform a physical examination to help determine the best course of action for you. With a long and safe history, you should rest assured knowing that your treatment is in capable hands.

Many people feel that acupuncture is a radical procedure and won't even consider trying it. However, when patients understand more about what it is and how it works, myths can be dispelled and patients are able better understand how it might benefit them. Whether or not you feel that it’s right for you, understanding more about acupuncture can help to open up your potential treatment options.
 

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a medical treatment that is often used for pain relief. The actual procedure involves inserting very thin needles in different spots in the body, at various depths. Scientific research suggests that while this does have a positive effect on treating pain, the specifics of how it works are still unclear. Some individuals suggest that acupuncture works through balancing vital energies, while others believe that it triggers a neurological response that helps to alleviate pain.

Acupuncturists believe that the balancing of your energy can help relieve pain, boost well-being and even cure some illnesses. Many patients use acupuncture to treat high blood pressure, headaches, joint pain, and even whooping cough.
 

How Does It Work

While science is still unclear on exactly how the process that acupuncture uses works, traditional Chinese medicine suggests that it balances the life forces or “Qi." Qi is an energy that is believed to flow through the meridians in the body. These energy flows can be accessed through 350 different acupuncture points in the body. When a needle is inserted into these points, it is believed to help restore the balance of energy.

While science cannot prove this theory, there is evidence that it does help with certain conditions. The scientific belief is that the acupuncture points are in areas where muscles, nerves, and connective tissue are likely to be stimulated. Stimulation of these areas increases blood flow which may be the reason that acupuncture can help with pain relief.
 

Treatments

Patients use acupuncture for a variety of reasons and additional research has found that acupuncture can help with several conditions.

These conditions are:

• Tension headaches
• Migraine headaches
• Low back pain
• Neck pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Joint pain
• High and low blood pressures
• Chemotherapy-induced nausea or vomiting
• Ulcers
• Painful menstrual cycles
• Dysentery
• Sciatica
• Dental pain
• Tennis elbow
• Sprains
• Allergic rhinitis
   

This is only a partial list based on separate scientific findings, but there are many other conditions that may be helped by acupuncture. If you believe that you may be a candidate, you should contact an acupuncturist today to find out.
 

Benefits

When acupuncture is compared to other treatment methods for similar conditions, it becomes apparent that there are significant advantages.

• Acupuncture is overwhelmingly safe
• There are very few side effects
• It can control some types of pain
• It is an alternative to some pain medications
• It can be combined with other treatments, such as chiropractic care
   

Other Considerations

Acupuncture is becoming more widely accepted as a medical practice and many chiropractors have started to add this treatment as an option within their offices. Chiropractors are also aware of how to blend acupuncture with chiropractic care as part of a holistic treatment plan for their patients.

Due to the success of acupuncture, several insurance plans are now offering coverage, but be sure to check with your acupuncturist as well as your insurance provider to see if your treatment is covered.

While acupuncture is considered a safe procedure, there are some potential side effects that have been reported. Individuals that have certain blood clotting diseases or are taking blood thinners should not use acupuncture. Some bleeding or bruising at the insertion site has been noted and in rare cases, deep insertions have resulted in a needle breaking and damaging an internal organ or collapsing a lung. For these reasons, it is important to discuss your concerns with your acupuncturist.
 

Overview

Acupuncture can be an effective medical tool to use in your treatment plan. If you are considering acupuncture, please contact a local chiropractic office today to discuss your options.