Posts Tagged ‘New Fairfield CT Spinal Stenosis’
Welcome to Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center's New Fairfield CT Spinal Stenosis 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 New Fairfield CT Spinal Stenosis for the health of it.
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Aug 3, 2017 | Health Articles
Next time you are out, look to the person on your left and right or better yet look at the group of people who are just a short distance from you. What you may notice is the rolled shoulders and head forward posture. No, it is not the cell phone they have in their hands that they are staring intently into, but their now adapted postures due to those and other computer devices that have become the absolute norm of our American generation lifestyle.
Although we are way ahead in technology, unfortunately, our generation is leading the way in spinal degeneration, arthritis, and chronic illnesses. Lower back pain is now so common that it affects almost 90% of adults with the majority suffering from lumbar arthritis as a contributing factor to their lower back pain.
Let’s Examine Our Spine
The spine is composed of twenty-four moving segments, known as vertebrae, classified into three regions: cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), and lumbar (lower back). Between the spinal vertebrae are intervertebral discs that act as shock absorbers. Theses discs are anchored to the vertebrae by the collagen fibers allowing movement between vertebrae and the distribution of weight bearing forces from one vertebra to the next in the spine.
The intervertebral discs often lose their elasticity and hydration with age and poor posture or as the result of an injury. The loss of elasticity decreases their ability to handle all the load bearing forces of daily activity. When the discs thin, this changes the relative position of the vertebrae and the connective tissues throughout the rest of the spine. Over time, this thinning of the disc could progress to where the vertebra is effectively lying on the next vertebra. The loss of disc space often results in increased pain and decreased ranges of motion.
Ultimately, this pattern of degeneration can lead to microfractures and cartilage injury. Although the body tries to replace and repair the damage, it is often insufficient to overcome the degenerative process without assistance.
Could I Have Arthritis?
The classic symptomatology of arthritis includes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. As with most forms of osteoarthritis, pain and stiffness are the most pronounced symptoms in the morning. As movement increases over the course of the day, the symptoms tend to subside. In general, if there is no evidence of nerve root compromise, pain from an arthritic spine is localized with possible dull aching.
If the degeneration of the spine continues into a diagnosis of spinal stenosis patients may experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs due to irritation of the lumbar nerve roots.
Available Treatment Options
Lumbar arthritis and back pain is usually responsive to conservative management.
During an acute attack of back pain, relative rest that avoids activities that aggravate the symptoms may reduce inflammation. Drinking moderate amounts of water frequently while minimizing caffeinated drinks will also be beneficial in helping hydrate the discs.
For long term relief, lifestyle modifications must be undertaken. This includes weight loss when appropriate as it will have a tremendous impact on reducing back pain due to the lumbar spine bearing the weight of the upper body and weight of the head.
Exercise is also critical as it will contribute to reducing weight while increasing muscle strength to support the lower back. You should consult your chiropractic physician before beginning any exercise or diet program.
Your chiropractor and their spinal rehabilitation team may prescribe spinal decompression in combination with rehabilitative therapy. Working with a rehabilitative team to design a proper exercise regimen will be useful for strengthening core muscles and minimizing your back pain.
We Can Help!
Our team understands that long-term back pain is not only physically debilitating but emotionally exhausting. To serve our community, we have built an expert team committed to working together harmoniously to help you or your loved ones recapture the quality of life they desire – pain-free!
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Aug 9, 2016 | Health Articles
The American lifestyle over the last few decades has given rise to today's leading cause of infirmity. Unfortunately, lower back pain is so common that it affects almost 90% of adults. The majority also suffer from lumbar arthritis as a contributing factor to their lower back pain. Spinal arthritis is a degenerative process that develops...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jun 21, 2016 | Health Articles
Oh, we love to search online. So much so, it is not uncommon for someone to say, “I will Google it.”. With today’s hectic lifestyles our stress and pain overload is up and our time and patience are down. For solutions, many of us head to the extension of our hand – our smartphone or tablet. Unfortunately, when you type in neck pain over 121,000,000 results are then displayed in less than .3 seconds. There is so much information on the information highway that we can quickly become overwhelmed and confused with conflicting information.
As spinal healthcare specialists, we would like to help you understand that your neck pain solution may be cost-effective, simple, and best of all in a convenient location near you.
Understanding Your Neck Pain
Your neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. Incredibly, the cervical spine supports the full weight of your head, which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.
The neck’s susceptibility to injury is due in part to biomechanics. Activities and events that affect cervical biomechanics include extended sitting, repetitive movement, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging, and everyday wear and tear. Neck pain can be very bothersome, and it can have a variety of causes.
Common Causes:
Accidents and Injuries: A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash.
Age: Degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease directly affect the spine.
- Osteoarthritis, a common joint disorder, causes progressive deterioration of cartilage. The body reacts by forming bone spurs that affect joint motion.
- Spinal stenosis causes the small nerve passageways in the vertebrae to narrow, compressing and trapping nerve roots. Stenosis may cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain, as well as numbness when these nerves are unable to function normally.
- Degenerative disc disease can cause a reduction in the elasticity and height of intervertebral discs. Over time, a disc may bulge or herniate, causing tingling, numbness, and pain that runs into the arm.
Daily Activities: Poor posture, obesity, and weak abdominal muscles often disrupt spinal balance, causing the neck to bend forward to compensate. Stress and emotional tension can cause muscles to tighten and contract, resulting in pain and stiffness. Postural stress can contribute to chronic neck pain with symptoms extending into the upper back and the arms.
Current Research
One of the most recent reviews of scientific literature found evidence that patients with chronic neck pain enrolled in clinical trials reported significant improvement following chiropractic spinal manipulation.
As part of the literature review, published in the March/April 2007 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the researchers reviewed nine previously published trials and found “high-quality evidence” that patients with chronic neck pain showed significant pain-level improvements following spinal manipulation. No trial group was reported as having remained unchanged, and all groups showed positive changes up to 12 weeks post-treatment.
What To Expect
During your visit, a doctor of chiropractic will perform exams to locate the source of your pain and will ask you questions about your current symptoms and remedies you may have already tried. For example:
- When did the pain start?
- What have you done for your neck pain?
- Does the pain radiate or travel to other parts of your body?
- Does anything reduce the pain or make it worse?
The chiropractor will also do physical and neurological exams. In the physical exam, the doctor will observe your posture, range of motion, and physical condition, noting movement that causes pain. He/she will feel your spine, note its curvature and alignment, and feel for muscle spasm. A check of your shoulder area is also in order. During the neurological exam, the doctor will test your reflexes, muscle strength, other nerve changes, and pain spread.
In some instances, the chiropractor might order tests to help diagnose your condition. An x-ray can show narrowed disc space, fractures, bone spurs, or arthritis. A computerized axial tomography scan (a CT or CAT scan) or a magnetic resonance imaging test (an MRI) can show bulging discs and herniations. If nerve damage is suspected, your doctor may order a special test called electromyography (an EMG) to measure how quickly your nerves respond.
Chiropractors are conservative care doctors; their scope of practice does not include the use of drugs or surgery. If your chiropractor diagnoses a condition outside of this conservative scope, such as a neck fracture or an indication of an organic disease, he or she will refer you to the appropriate medical physician or specialist. He or she may also ask for permission to inform your family physician of the care you are receiving to ensure that your chiropractic care and medical care are properly coordinated.
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Contact our expert team today so we may schedule this very important examination and consultation to assess your condition and answer all of your important health questions.
We are ready to help you not only restore your health free from pain but help revitalize it naturally!
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Apr 22, 2014 | Health Articles
Our lifestyles over the last thirty years have given way to a leading cause of debilitation. Unfortunately low back pain has become so extremely common that it is affecting sixty to ninety percent of the adult population. The vast majority also suffer from some degree of lumbar arthritis as a primary or contributing factor to...
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