Author Archive
Welcome to Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center's Archive. Here you can learn more about Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center, Chiropractic, and Dr. Brandon Chorney, today's choice for Chiropractors in New Fairfield, CT. Read Dr. Brandon Chorney's Chiropractic for the health of it.
We look forward to serving you! Call - 203-746-6543.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Mar 12, 2015 | Health Articles
Healthcare in the US at the moment is in shambles. Rising costs for insurance with less and less coverage. When it comes to our health and health strategies we are being more careful and critical of our options. So what happens when you are suffering with excruciating back pain and you are offered a replacement...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Mar 10, 2015 | Health Articles
In our faced pace life, the majority of us have been ignoring and pushing off our internal maintenance to fill it temporarily with a short term outside solution of caffeine and denial. Add stress and the temporary fixes no longer cover the symptoms or warning signals that your body is screaming for you to address as the stress on the system is far greater than the body can cope with. Because our bodies are so adaptable, we often manage to ignore them in spite of a growing problem that keeps nagging us. We may not even be aware or may have missed the subtle symptoms, but our capacity to adapt is diminished. Then, all it takes is a sneeze, tying our shoes or the stress of a deadline to put us over the edge and symptoms appear.
Understanding Stress
Stress can hit you from many angles, for many different reasons, mental and physical. Job security, working too hard, not working at all, commuting, relationships, illness, worry about a loved one, lack of sleep, retirement, bereavement, moving house – all can serve to create stress. A recent survey by the American Psychology Association revealed that 54% of Americans are concerned about their stress levels, and two-thirds would likely seek help for their stress.
Many people are stressed without really knowing it; it’s just the way of modern life and we get used to it. However, it still creates genuine strains on your body that are manifested as an increase in: blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, metabolism, and blood flow to your muscles. This is your primitive fight-or-flight reaction kicking in, preparing you for action in the face of a stressful situation.
Your Stress Response
Your stress (fight-or-flight) response, while useful in threatening and dangerous situations to preserve life and limb, is not healthy when it pretty much never goes away. Nowadays, it is rarely triggered in response to an aggressor who must be fought off or a predator that must be fled from; instead, as an ongoing reaction to life’s stresses, it is highly likely to be harmful to your health.
Of course, different people will react to the same situation in different ways. It is not the situation, then, as much as the individual’s reaction to it. What might stress one person may not bother another.
Your Body’s Coping System
When stressed, your pituitary gland releases a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which acts like an alarm system inside your brain. It instructs the adrenal glands on top of your kidneys to dump stress hormones into your bloodstream, including cortisol and adrenaline. These cause numerous physiological changes in your body, including a rise in your heart rate and blood pressure, shutting down your digestive system, and affecting your immune system. Following the panic, the cortisol and adrenaline in your bloodstream should decline to normal levels, as should your heart rate and blood pressure and other affected bodily functions.
The problem is when these levels are not allowed to reduce to normal levels, but instead remain raised due to the ongoing perceived stress of various situations. The body then never has a chance to fully recover its natural and healthful state. Long-term, this stress response can badly disrupt practically all your body’s processes. You will probably have experienced some of these effects yourself: headaches and upset stomachs are common results of stress, thanks to the effects of your stress hormones.
Stress and You
Stress is known to affect the nervous system as well, causing anxiety, panic attacks, depression and even dementia, because the chronic release of cortisol can cause damage to certain parts of the brain. It equally affects sleep patterns and sex drive. The rise in heart rate and blood pressure for the cardiovascular system is a very dangerous mix, with the potential for heart attacks or strokes.
Your immune system also suffers with chronic stress, becoming weaker and less able to fend off colds and other infections. Working well, your immune system responds to infection by releasing several substances that cause inflammation. However, when chronic systemic inflammation takes place due to stress, degenerative diseases can become the order of the day.
Chiropractic Can Help!
You may be so used to being stressed that you may miss or dismiss the signs, so it’s good to take stock and consider whether you are experiencing any of the following: anxiety, insomnia, back pain, constipation, shortness of breath, stiff neck, fatigue, upset stomach, weight gain or loss, depression, problems in relationships. Any of these may indicate you are stressed and are in need of a stress relief solution.
Chiropractic adjustments have proven to be just that solution. They have been shown in many research studies to be very effective at treating tension headaches, especially those that stem from the neck. A 2001 report by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that chiropractic adjustments provided almost immediate improvement, with far fewer side effects and more long-lasting relief than prescription medications. The majority of cases were greatly improved by an adjustment of the upper two cervical vertebrae and the vertebrae at the junction of the cervical and thoracic spine.
Our Team is Ready!
We all have a different threshold of “body awareness.” Become more aware of your body. Take note of even small changes in your energy level, sleep habits and elimination.
If you do note any of the warning signs, take action while your body is still whispering, rather than waiting until it’s shouting for help!
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Mar 5, 2015 | Health Articles
Are you suffering with leg pain that may burn, ache, and radiate to your knee or worse yet be felt down to your toes? The bad news is that it hurts tremendously and you have become tired with the pain of trying to “cure” the problem with your leg. The great news is that it maybe a type of sciatica that is extremely treatable by correcting the cause which is actually not located in your leg.
So if you are ready to get rid of the pain in the “butt” pain distraction read on!
Tell Me More About Sciatica
Sciatica or sciatic pain is commonly referred to as the pain that radiates down from the buttock into the leg. There are many causes for sciatica, however, the most common is irritation of the spinal nerves in the lumbar spine. When the nerve irritation is not coming from the spine but further down the leg it can be difficult to appreciate the difference.
One particular spinal cause of sciatica is called piriformis syndrome. When the piriformis muscle, a small muscle that extends from the sacrum to the outer hip bone, compresses and irritates the sciatic nerve, it causes pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve in the buttocks into the back of the leg often producing lower back pain. Piriformis syndrome can be painful, but it is seldom dangerous and rarely leads to the need for surgery. Most people with this condition can reduce the pain and learn to manage the problem.
What Causes Piriformis Syndrome?
Piriformis syndrome may be due to an overuse injury of the piriformis muscle or from a trauma to the muscle itself by a blunt force or fall.
Overuse of the piriformis muscle is a factor that often occurs in athletes such as bicyclists, rowers, and runners, as well as any athlete that repetitively engages in forward moving activities. The condition can often be avoided by performing proper lateral stretching and strengthening exercises.
What Are the Symptoms?
Piriformis syndrome causes pain primarily along the sciatic nerve, along with tingling and numbness, which may extend down to the knee. The pain radiating into the buttocks, thigh and leg and often increases when engaging in normal activities such as walking or sitting for longer periods of time. There may also be tenderness in the area of the sciatic nerve. The pain is most often one sided affecting primarily the buttocks and leg but can often cause increased lower back pain.
How is Piriformis Syndrome Differentiated from Sciatica?
It is difficult to immediately diagnose piriformis syndrome as the related symptoms are virtually the same as sciatica and most often the diagnosis is made by exclusion. Symptoms are the same as those in sciatica, except that there is no compression of the spinal nerves. A medical professional will take a full medical history and perform a physical examination, including manual tests to see if the movement of the piriformis muscle causes sciatic pain. Questions will be asked about activity levels, what increases and decreases the pain, where the pain is located and other questions that may indicate the source of the pain. An X-ray, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound or EMG may be used in order to rule out other causes of pain if warranted.
What are the Types of Treatments for Piriformis Syndrome?
Treatments for piriformis syndrome may include rest, a reduction in the activity or exercise that caused the injury or aggravates the condition, heat and cold therapy, physical therapy, stretching exercises, core strengthening exercises, massage therapy, or ultrasound. Gait correction and orthotics may also be a recommendation to help the piriformis muscle to relax and heal.
We Can Help!
If you experience sciatic nerve pain, it is best to consult with a medical professional to determine the source of the pain.
Our expert team members are highly specialized spinal and body mechanic specialists. Our focus is to help rehabilitate and restore your body to optimal function. In order to achieve our high success rate we have designed our state-of-the-art facility with an expert team who will be able to achieve the individual care that you might for your ultimate success.
Have questions? Call today! Our team is ready to answer all of your important questions and help get you back to the quality of life your desire – pain free!
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Mar 3, 2015 | Health Articles
Step. Jump. Leap. Balance and turn. Although these sound like dance steps, they are just some of the simple activities that our feet perform every day. Most of us are completely oblivious to the dependence that we have on our feet and until we are alerted by pain in the foot or heel. This discomfort can be caused by many different reasons. One particular type of pain which is identified as an inflammation in the ligament of the plantar fascia is found to be the most debilitating due to the fact that the ligament is used every time you take a step.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis is a condition that occurs when there is chronic inflammation to a large band of tissue on the bottom of your foot called the plantar fascia. The Plantar Fascia is the ligament that connects the ball of your foot to your heel and can sometimes be overstretched which leads to severe pain in the heel. The cause of this condition is not fully understood, but it is more commonly found in females and overweight people. Frequently on x-rays, a heel spur is see but is not commonly the source of the pain. When both feet are involved, this is sometimes associated with a certain type of arthritis, which can be evaluated with a simple exam and tests by your doctor.
Other Risk Factors:
Factors that will put strain on the plantar fascia are standing for long periods of time and being overweight with bad posture and or incorrect shoes. Those people with flat feet, have rolling in on the feet or high arches are also at a greater risk of developing plantar fasciitis. All of these factors contribute to a weakening of the foot and therefore strengthening and attention to the foot mechanics is essential.
Great Strengthening Tips for the Plantar Fascia:
- Sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, loop a towel or belt around the ball of your foot and pull back slowly until you feel a good pull in your calf muscle. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times. Repeat with the other leg.
- Stand facing a wall at about arm’s length and lunge forward with one leg while keeping the other behind you with the heel flat on the floor. You should feel the stretch in the calf muscle. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch to the other leg. Repeat the sequence a few times a day.
- To stretch the plantar fascia, use a wall or stair to press the bottom your toes against so that they extend upward, while the ball of your foot remains touching the floor. Hold for 45-60 seconds on each foot and repeat twice. Sports doctors recommend this be done twice a day.
- Massaging the plantar fascia by rolling your foot slowly back and forth over a rolling pin or drink can for a few minutes each day can also help to relieve and inflammation that is affecting the plantar fascia.
If you are suffering with Plantar Fasciitis avoid any exercises that require a repetitive motion and force with a hard surface on the foot, such as running or jogging until it has been corrected.
Ready to Help!
Our expert team is here to assist you on your road to recovery. Please call today for a examination and consultation and take that first step to recovery.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Feb 26, 2015 | Health Articles
As we look in the mirror or stand on a scale, we are measuring our health on a simple measurement of visual information. All the graphs and medical journals outline our health on simple measurements and determine where we should optimally range to be considered healthy. When it comes to our health internally we no longer seem to measure on how we look or how much we weigh but on how we feel. It is only when a crisis occurs do we decide to take an inside look and take a measurement.
One of the most important areas that we should begin to look first is our spine. Our spine is the foundation that not only connects our musculoskeletal system but houses the spinal cord which serves as the message relay to our full nervous system.
For such an important check up, the experts in this field are Chiropractors. Chiropractors are specially trained to evaluate for misalignments of the spine and the amount and length of time nerve interference has been existing in a person. They also can measure the severity of nerve blockage by knowing how much spinal degeneration – Arthritis- has occurred within the spinal column.
How is the Health of My Spine Determined?
A normal healthy spine will allow all the nerves of the spinal column to exit the spine and allow the body to function the way it is supposed to in a strong and healthy way. As seen by an x-ray, a person with an optimally healthy spine will exhibit a normal “S” shaped curve in three perfect sixty degree arcs with even disc spaces and the outer layer of the vertebral bones will be square, smooth, and well defined.
If someone is in what is called a Phase 1 of spinal degeneration they will have a loss of the normal spinal curve, they will exhibit disc, joint, muscle, and nerve damage. They will also have distorted posture. These people will have less energy, their height will be diminished, and health problems will be something they put up with while having the false perception that it is normal aging.
If someone is in a Phase 2 of spinal degeneration they will have increased spinal decay, disc narrowing, bone deformation and spinal canal narrowing (stenosis) may occur. These people will have a more common scenario of aches and pains (sometimes daily). They will be fatigued quite frequently, and they must realize that their health is becoming a large concern if they want to enjoy the rest of their life.
If someone is in a Phase 3 of spinal degeneration they will have greater postural imbalance, increasing nerve damage, advanced bone deformation, and extreme loss of flexibility. These people will have a serious health situation, if they are not receiving help from a Chiropractor. They will commonly be on a lot of medication and find that they are unable to participate in healthy activities. Their quality of life is very low.
The phases that follow are commonly associated with very low quality of life, disease processes occurring affecting organs and other systems. The restoration through chiropractic care from these phases is extremely low to non existent.
Your level of spinal decay will determine the level of spinal reconstruction possible. If you wonder what your level of spinal degeneration is make an appointment with a Chiropractor today to find out. Do not wait until your back pain, neck pain, or other health problems become to much for you to live with. A Chiropractor is specially trained to correct misalignments, restore function, rehabilitate and revitalize the health of your entire body.
The Best Part – We Can Help the Now and Later!
Eye checks, teeth checks, breast checks, prostate checks. Is a spinal check on your list?
As you are preparing and having routine check ups to maintain your health, make sure that a spinal check up is there to help you evaluate the health of your spine today and to give you a mirror to the health of your future.
