When National Hockey League (NHL) superstar Sidney Crosby suffered two concussions within days of one another, he looked for help from his chiropractor, Dr. Ted Carrick, a Chiropractic Neurologist who treats Crosby and many other players in the NHL and NFL. Carrick says, “In professional hockey alone, there are more than 50,000 hits annually, and...
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After engaging in a complete evaluation, including a history and physical examination, your chiropractor will start to model a care plan that meets your specific health needs. Your care plan will include chiropractic care focusing on the improvement of the functioning of your spinal column. Your care plan will also include additional recommendations, such as stretches, exercises, and nutritional planning advice. Your chiropractic care plan can, depending on the circumstances, include strategies for reducing stress and obtaining proper rest.
Your chiropractor is an example of a holistic practitioner who has expertise in many areas of health care. Chiropractic care is renowned for its ability to treat musculoskeletal problems such as neck pain, back pain, and headaches. As chiropractic care focuses on the nervous system, your chiropractor can be of benefit in your overall care plan for many other conditions.
Chiropractic care is the one form of health care that keeps on producing rewards. It certainly helps people to recover from short-term health problems, but not only that, this powerful method of healing can also help people stay well and assists in the prevention of new problems from developing.
Your chiropractor can treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems. Neck pain, back pain, pain that travels from the neck to the arm and hand, pain that travels from the back to the leg and foot, headaches, and muscle spasms are all examples of conditions that are commonly treated by chiropractic care. Your chiropractor also treats many types of exercise- and sports-related injuries. Repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome can also be treated by chiropractic care. Chiropractic care can be a valuable addition to treatment for sleep disorders or digestive problems. It can also be of great assistance during pregnancy, in helping to relieve neck pain and back pain and to ease the process of delivery.
Chiropractic care can be highly beneficial for many health problems due to the fact that it directly affects the functioning of your nervous system. Your nervous system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves that branch out to the rest of your body, is your master physiologic system. Your nervous system, by sending signals to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, controls all the other systems. Your heart relies on the nervous system so that it can pump blood at the right time and in the right amount. Your small intestine relies on the nervous system so that it can complete the digestion of food and transmit usable nutrients to the bloodstream. Your white blood cells and other immune system agents rely on the nervous system so that they can quickly identify and destroy foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.
But your nervous system can break down, in a sense, if spinal nerve interference is present. Such nerve interference, caused by irritation and inflammation of spinal nerves, is caused by loss of full mobility of spinal vertebrae. Limited spinal motion irritates the muscles that move the spinal bones and the ligaments that hold those bones together. Inflamed spinal muscles and spinal ligaments cause spinal nerve inflammation. The immediate result is distortion in the quality and flow of information sent from the brain to the rest of the body. Too much or too little information is sent to the cells, tissues, and organs. The messages they receive are the wrong messages, or the messages arrive at the wrong time. The outcome is decreased functioning and/or inappropriate functioning of many other physiologic systems. Thus, spinal nerve interference is one of the primary causes of the many problems that may bring a person to his or her chiropractor’s office.
Chiropractic care helps reduce and remove nerve interference by restoring increased functioning of your spinal column. The direct result is improved overall functioning of the rest of your body. By directly focusing on your spine and nervous system, your chiropractor can help restore quality of life and overall health and well-being.
You are unable to turn on the television nowadays without a commercial appearing, for some new pharmaceutical that will cure whatever may ail you. If you pay close attention, you will realize that nearly half the ad time is consumed by a long list of the possible side effects and adverse reactions that can accompany taking the drug. The possibilities usually include everything from minor fatigue to death.
It is estimated that around 4.5 million Americans visit their doctor or the ER every year due to adverse reactions from prescription drugs. These adverse side effects are also suffered by an extra 2 million people each year who are already in hospital being supervised by the medical professionals. The CDC gave an estimate that 82% of Americans are consuming at least one drug, and 29% are consuming five or more drugs.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for the approval of pharmaceutical drugs on sale in the US. However, their methods for approval are based on the scientific studies carried out by the drug companies. The FDA carries out no independent testing. The FDA usually approves a drug if its benefits outweigh its dangers. Assuming the drug companies’ studies have been well-conducted and state that a drug is relatively safe, no drug is 100% free from side effects for everyone, even drugs that are categorized as “natural.” The person’s age, weight, gender, overall health and genetic profiling will all contribute to how an individual responds to a drug.
The most common side effects are gastrointestinal problems, as most drugs are processed through the digestive tract. These problems generally include nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. Although dizziness may not seem like a dangerous side effect, it can be extremely dangerous for elderly people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), slips and falls among the elderly are the number one cause of injury-related death. A quarter of all elderly people who fall and break a hip die within six months of the injury.
Death is obviously the most serious side effect of all. Allergic reactions that cause anaphylactic shock can be deadly. Many drugs, such as those that are used to treat type 2 diabetes, can cause a stroke or a heart attack. Antidepressants are said to actually increase suicidal thoughts. Some drugs cause pain and total or partial paralysis. Other drugs increase your risk of cancer. Ironically, the drug Tamoxifen, administered to treat breast cancer, actually increases the risk of cancer in the uterus. Memory loss, hallucinations, loss of taste and loss of sight are other common side effects of different pharmaceuticals.
Although there is no doubt that some pharmaceuticals have a greater use than they have dangers, if you want to try and avoid the harmful side-effects that many drugs produce, try your best to keep as healthy as possible. Eat correctly, get regular exercise and visit your chiropractor to keep your body in optimum condition.
Chiropractic care is primarily designed to improve the flexibility of spinal joints. A loss of the spinal vertebral motion can lead to spinal muscle tightness and pain, which generally results in various other physical problems. For example, headaches, lack of restful sleep, and increased irritability may all have a link with a loss of spinal...
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When one talks about a good lifestyle and a healthy life, we generally think about exercise and nutrition. A third section - rewarding and fulfilling relationships and interests - may be added as an afterthought. But a fourth section - spinal care - is in fact the key to enjoying the benefits from all the...
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"Where should I go to relieve my neck and low back pain?" A question that is asked far to often. When you suffer with neck and low back pain you should consider an evaluation first by a qualified chiropractor. The majority of these spinal complaints are caused by irritation and inflammation of muscles, tendons,...
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When we eat, we instigate a complex series of digestive, endocrine, and metabolic physiologic processes. Various cells, tissues, organs, and systems are involved in convert our carrots, apples, grains, and proteins into energy that helps us live satisfying lives. These complex processes don’t happen on their own, though. They require timely instructions and guidance from the nerve system to work properly and produce a coordinated conclusion.
Chiropractic care helps the nerve system do its duty as the body’s master system. Chiropractic care eliminates nerve interference that can cause essential signals to be distorted or delayed. By helping ensure that the nerve system is free of interference, chiropractic care helps us to achieve the top physiologic performance, elevate long-term health and well-being.
Whether you live in the United States, Canada, or Western Europe, your health care decision-making is impacted by the type of health insurance accessible to you. Americans receive a fee-for-service system that entails that you will be paying for most or all of the costs of every service that you use. Canadian patients receive health care through a publicly funded system. Costs are funded via income taxes, so in Canada, patients pay indirectly for their care. The majority of Western European countries have national health care systems in place. The French, for example, the national insurance policy pays 70% of costs and much of the remaining 30% is paid by supplemental private insurance (most of this is paid by the patient’s employer). Regardless, for every person, more health problems imply more costs. Thus, avoiding health problems in the first place is a beneficial method that will save families stress, anxiety, and financial resources for the distant future. In health maintenance it’s said that the best defense is a good offense.
What makes up a “good offense” in health care? Being proactive in terms of lifestyle choices helps you put together a health care program that works. Your health care “offense” includes a healthful diet supported by sound nutritional principles, regular vigorous exercise, getting enough rest, and regular chiropractic care. All these factors are needed to enjoy long-term health and well-being. Each element provides critical value and helps support the benefits you get from the others. Good food helps you build strong muscle in response to regular vigorous exercise. Doing regular exercise helps you sleep better at night. More sleep helps you have more energy, so you have more strength and endurance when you’re exercising. Regular chiropractic care helps your nerve system function at peak level, helping all your body systems work well together.
Such a lifestyle program goes a long way toward restoring good health and reducing the costs of using the health care system. For example, regular vigorous exercise is an important part of all lifestyle programs aimed at lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. A healthful diet and regular exercise help lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes and assist overweight and obese individuals, children as well as adults, in returning to more optimal levels of health.
There are many self-help books, DVDs, and television infomercials that target people who wish to improve their overall health situation. These programs may have some value, but professional encouragement and guidance is the key to developing long-term, successful health strategies. Your chiropractor is experienced in nutrition, exercise, and health maintenance and can help you design a “good offense” for health care that works for you and your family.
As with a routine exercise program, regular chiropractic care should be a vital part of achieving your long-term goals for health, wellness, and well-being. When you participate in a consistent vigorous exercise program, regular chiropractic care can help us stay on track by minimizing the chances of picking up an exercise-related injury. Regular chiropractic care...
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Back pain is pervasive among American adults, but a new and disturbing trend is emerging. Young children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previous generations, and the use of overweight backpacks is a major contributing factor. In fact, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that backpack related injuries sent more than 9,000...
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Our gardens this year are well underway after a late and cold spring. With the weather getting warmer and the rain bringing great growth, many people will spend more time outside mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. Gardening can provide a great workout, but with all the bending, twisting, reaching and pulling, your body may...
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