Chiropractic: An Important Ingredient to Health and Wellness

The art and science of the practice of Chiropractic have been around for over 100 years and can be a valuable tool for the person seeking improvement in health and wellness. Chiro- is derived from the Greek word for hand and praktikos - meaning the practice of or practical. Generally speaking, Chiropractic focuses on finding small misalignments in the spine or vertebral column termed subluxations (luxation is a complete dislocation) and aligning the relationship of one vertebrae to the next one. These subluxations or misalignments in the spine is commonplace and can happen due to posture or chronic repetitive movements as well as acute pathology, injury and even pregnancy.

Chiropractic has over the last hundred years become mainstream moving from Eastern philosophy to becoming a part of Western medicine. Fundamentally, traditional Western medicine had treated the disease or pathology or symptom from the outside in with computer diagnostic equipment, medications and surgery. In contrast, Chiropractic is based on diagnosing the underlying cause of the disease or symptom with the premise that the central nervous system and related sympathetic and parasympathetic system controls all body functions and operates like a computer program. The nervous system is comprised of nerve pairings which are split to perform their respective functions. Each pairing is split into a sympathetic branch to the muscles for fight or flight instincts as well as a parasympathetic branch for rest and digestion functions.

With a general understanding of the history and philosophy of Chiropractic let us now look at how this discipline can be used to assist in the achievement of improving and maintaining health and wellness. Few if any of us are fortunate enough to get through this life without experiencing spine or extremity misalignments. These misalignments can come as early as the birthing process! Then from toddlers through school age adolescence it is rare to not be involved in accidents such as falls, sports accidents, car accidents, poor sleep and sitting postures. As we get old enough to work there becomes more opportunity for postural imbalances and work and auto accidents. Then as we age into hopefully better health habits we face new obstacles in the form of arthritis and generally decreased activity. The list of who can benefit from Chiropractic is a simple answer...everyone can to some extent. How much one can benefit and how often treatment is required depends on many factors including age and acuteness or age of condition.

Chiropractic is by nature not a treatment of conditions but rather an alignment of the body to heal itself by being able to function as efficiently as possible. With that being stated however, patients have increasingly chosen Chiropractic to improve and at times alleviate symptoms such as headaches, back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain as well as helping with arm and leg pain and numbness, disc problems and much more.

Most importantly Chiropractic should be considered as a resource in achieving and maintaining an optimal state of health and wellness. Chiropractic has become a leader in alternative medicine and natural healing. With much criticism by Western medicine and western model insurance companies, Chiropractic has had to prove its necessity through word of mouth for much of the past hundred years.

Starting with the champion San Francisco 49er's of the 1980's Chiropractic became introduced into the NFL with documented positive outcomes for the star players of the team. Many of the players were in fact documented attributing Chiropractic to helping prolong their careers. Today it is commonplace for all sporting teams from high school to professionals to have Chiropractic be a part of the healthcare team.

Health and wellness therefore requires a combination of considerations to achieving optimal function. Chiropractic can be used effectively to achieve and maintain efficiency as well as assist following any occupational or environmental stressors that create injury, postural or nerve imbalances. Remember, do all you can to achieve health and wellness...the quantity and quality of your life depends on it. Best wishes.

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How the Food You Eat Affects Your Brain - Mia Nacamulli

When it comes to what you bite, chew and swallow, your choices have a direct and long-lasting effect on the most powerful organ in your body: your brain. So which foods cause you to feel so tired after lunch? Or so restless at night? Mia Nacamulli takes you into the brain to find out.

Lesson by Mia Nacamulli, animation by Private Island.

Does Chiropractic Help Relieve Stress? | Chiropractic Care

One of the things that my patient report to me is that one of the most profound effects that chiropractor has on them is their ability to reduce their stress level and also recover from stress.

Our cranium and our spine house our brain and spinal cord. And all of the spinal nerves that are exiting the spine, innervate every single organ and cell in our body. By adjusting the spine, when we find misalignment, restrictions or what we call subluxations, we're able to profoundly restore normal nerve function. Ad this has a profoundly relaxing effect on the nervous system.

I like to say that chiropractic care helps the nervous system to become more highly organized. We noticed that there is a profound shift in the nervous system. Particularly in the automatic nervous system. The parts of the nervous system that functions without our constant awareness. The sympathetic nervous system our the fight or flight response that most people live in all day long, shifts after chiropractic care. And the power sympathetic nervous becomes more dominant. The power sympathetic nervous system is the part of the nervous system we would like to be more active. It's the part of the nervous system that controls the immune system and digestion. It tends to slow the heart rate and decrease blood pressure to normal, So it's very important that we have a dynamic balance between these two nervous systems. And chiropractic care is one of the most effective and profound ways I know to balance that nervous system.

The other thing that's really very powerful about chiropractic care is the kind of interaction you'll have with your chiropractor. Really talking about what's happening in your body. My patients report that when they go out into the world after their adjustment, their whole experience of life is very different. They feel very rested but they also feel alert. They fell calm and they're really ready to take on the world.

TMJ Issues? Dr. Pazdel Talks About How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Dr. Pazdel talks of issues with TMJ and how chiropractic care is so much more helpful than just working with the back. Chiropractic care extends through the entire body.

See more at http://www.pazdelchiropractic.com

Chiropractic Treatment Is Suitable For The Elderly

Chiropractic care focus on the connection between the musculoskeletal structure and the body functions with special regards to the spinal area. Our nervous system is responsible for controlling the functions of other organs, muscles, and body systems. The nerves and the nerve roots are connected from the brain into a vast muscular bundle widely known as the spinal nerve. It travels along the spine and branches out in the spinal vertebrae. These vertebrae connect the various body parts and organs towards the spine. Any condition that pinches the nerves, such as trauma, pressure, or spinal misalignments, can cause disruption of the function of the nervous system.

It is not surprising that as we get older, our body functions begin to deteriorate. Our muscles respond slower and shrink. Our body has less than the body requirement for fluids. Our bones lose density and become more brittle. The elderly are much more prone to musculoskeletal injuries. When they get injured, they take a longer recovery period. If they seek medical treatment, their age can mean they become more sensitive to the side effects of medications and surgery puts them at far more risk.

Given this set of conditions, medication-free and noninvasive chiropractic treatment is preferably suited to older people. In working with the elderly, DCs make use of gentle techniques appropriate to the aging body. Ongoing wellness and preventive care are essential elements of treatment. This may include recommendations on exercise, nutrition and lifestyle modifications.

At present, chiropractic care is the third largest health care system that provides a safe and effective treatment for pain due to spinal misalignments. Since many health problems are linked with irregularities in the spine, chiropractic is very efficient in dealing with these various conditions. Chiropractors are specially trained to identify and treat subluxations. According to them, these subluxations cause unfavorable disturbances with your nervous system. Anti-inflammatory medication regimen and other pain relievers only mask the symptoms, may cause unwanted side effects, and do not deal with the real cause of the problem. Chiropractic care provides a drug-free, pain-free, and safe treatment that takes care of the root of the problem.

Do you know that musculoskeletal injuries due to falling are very common among our elderly? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are responsible for about 90% of the 850,000 bone fractures which happen every year among Americans past the age of 65. DCs can reduce the incidence of falling by using chiropractic adjustments to stabilize the mechanoreceptors located on the cervical spine. Additionally, they will provide instructions on how to do stretching and exercise to increase overall flexibility, mobility, balance, coordination, and strength.

Chiropractic adjustments for the elderly can enhance the range of motion of the spine and extremities. For the elderly, this would allow them to bend and lift up their young grandchildren. They can also do much more activities without experiencing any pain. It can absolutely enhance their daily functions. Oftentimes, an increased range of motion is immediately observed after a few sessions of chiropractic rehabilitation.

Our bodies are designed to function and move. It allows us to do various activities and go to different places. As we get older, all those movable body parts eventually wear down. For this reason, it is important for the elderly to have their spine aligned properly. Chiropractors, such as professionals from Chiropractic Colorado Springs, normalize the alignment of the spine and reduce any strain on it to decrease spinal deterioration and other aches and pains.

Chiropractic therapy can help lessen pain, improve joint function, enhance mobility, increase balance and coordination, and decrease stiffness. Although it's not truly a fountain of youth, chiropractic can do wonders in improving your comfort and quality of life.

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What Causes Insomnia? - Dan Kwartler

What keeps you up at night? Pondering deep questions? Excitement about a big trip? Stress about unfinished work? What if the very thing keeping you awake was stress about losing sleep? This seemingly unsolvable loop is at the heart of insomnia, the world’s most common sleep disorder. So what is insomnia? And is there any way to break the cycle? Dan Kwartler details the science of insomnia.

Lesson by Dan Kwartler, animation by Sharon Colman.

Six Unexpected Benefits of Chiropractic Care

If you think chiropractic care is just for your neck or your back, you need to think again! Chiropractic treatment can benefit you in ways you might never expect. And while most people pop into their chiropractor’s office for the first time to relieve pain in their back or neck, they keep returning even after the pain is gone because of the amazing benefits. Here are just a few of the unexpected benefits of Chiropractic care:

Chiropractic care can boost your immunity. A healthy immune system should be able to fight off most of the bacteria and viruses that it comes into contact with, with only minimal assistance from antibiotics or other drugs. Because the nervous system controls the functions of cells, organs and tissues of the body, a misalignment can reduce the ability of the immune system. Chiropractic care can realign the spine, freeing up the immune system to fight off intruders. Studies show that people who practice chiropractic maintenance have fewer colds than others.

Chiropractic adjustments can improve your digestion. The nerves that run through the spine also control your stomach and its functions. If the vertebrae in this area are improperly aligned, the nerves can begin signaling a need for more acid production, resulting in gas, heartburn, and acid reflux. A chiropractic adjustment can help the nerves in the thoracic spine work properly; the end result is frequently the elimination of stomach problems.

Chiropractic treatment increases your energy. It’s able to do this in two ways: by reducing tension in the spine and by freeing the nerves to work more effectively. Many times we’ve been sore and tense for so long that we don’t even notice it. Pain becomes normal for us. As our bodies struggle with muscle aches and pains and an ineffective nervous system, we find ourselves feeling run down and tired. Chiropractic adjustments remove all the pressure, freeing the body to run as it was designed to.

Chiropractic may be able to lower your blood pressure. A study performed by WebMD concluded that a chiropractic adjustment that specifically targets the nerves in the upper neck is as effective as taking a double dose of blood pressure medications. This specific manipulation is referred to in chiropractic circles as the “Atlas adjustment,” and is known to have stabilizing effects on blood pressure.

Chiropractic care can help you breathe better. The lungs are just like every other part of the body in that they rely on nerve function to travel unimpeded from the brain to the spinal cord. A misalignment in the thoracic and mid-cervical regions of the spine can lead to lung abnormalities like asthma. Correcting subluxations can help reduce inflammation in the lungs and increase our ability to breathe properly.

Chiropractic treatment can assist in a healthier pregnancy and may even be able to make delivery easier. During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through many significant changes that impact the nervous system’s function. Ligaments in the pelvic area loosen to enable childbirth; at the same time, weight increase in a woman’s core can lead to an instability that places increased pressure on an expectant mother’s spine. Regular chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can help ensure a healthier mother and child, as babies born to mothers who visit their chiropractors develop in a healthier environment than those who don’t.

As you can see, there are many other reasons to visit a chiropractor besides relief from neck and back pain. Chiropractic care is a safe, natural way to help the body learn how to heal itself. Chiropractic treatment isn’t so much a way of fixing physical problems as it is a way of allowing your body to perform the healing it already knows how to do if it’s given the care and respect it needs.

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Relieving The Pain and Suffering Of Carpal Tunnel

Dr. Pazdel explains how chiropractic care may be able to help alleviate the pain and suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome without surgery and drugs. Chiropractors work with the body joints, muscles, tendons, to help the body do its own healing while avoiding surgical solutions.

See more at http://www.pazdelchiropractic.com

Can School-Age Children Benefit? | Chiropractic Care

Learn about chiropractic for school-age children from Dr. Karen Erickson in this Howcast video.

Different Types of Chiropractic Care for Different Health Needs

There's a wide selection of chiropractic treatments suited to all kinds of health conditions. You can use it to manage overall health or to address certain sorts of conditions. For that reason, chiropractic care boasts its very own share of specialized divisions as with all aspects of the medical profession. In the event wherein misalignment (referred to as subluxations within chiropractic profession) is diagnosed, chiropractic doctors carry out gentle adjustments to offer relief for sufferers in the region in which the misalignment was discovered.

With regards to the treatment techniques, you will find 3 principal ones which chiropractic doctors concentrate on:

Phase 1: Relief Chiropractic

This kind of chiropractic care is carried out on individuals who are suffering from any kind of pain or discomfort, irrespective of cause. The objective of this treatment is always to offer immediate respite from any kind of unwanted discomfort. The duration of treatment periods generally vary depending on the magnitude of the injury acquired by the patient and ways in which it may be corrected.

Phase 2: Corrective Chiropractic

This is actually a more complex form of chiropractic care. It's done on individuals who have experienced spinal problems for a long time and which have progressed into a far more problematic condition which in turn has not been treated properly. When it comes to corrective chiropractic care, this process generally involves a long term treatment plan. The actual duration by itself is dependent upon the degree of damage and the way the patient responds to the therapy provided.

Phase 3: Maintenance Chiropractic

As the name suggests, this kind of chiropractic care is meant to maintain any type of therapy already given to the patient having spine troubles. In some instances, chiropractic care will be ongoing even after the first treatments have proved to be successful. The reasoning behind this kind of chiropractic care is to try to avoid the chance of the condition's recurrence, particularly in the case of the spinal column.

Importance of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic is actually a type of alternative medicine that can help one realize all around health. It concentrates on an internal recovery system that deals with any kind of spinal issues that result in interference within the activities of the nerves and cells. This is the reason for the increasing interest in chiropractic care because of its direct attention to attaining the typical functions of the human body.

As for your different health requirements, you will find various kinds of chiropractic care offered. Therefore, initial consultation with a chiropractic doctor is essential in order to assess the magnitude of the damage and also what particular chiropractic treatment is needed. Simply by restoring your body's regular functions, you're allowing the body to heal naturally.

Furthermore, it will help protect against additional damage brought on by the existence of this kind of disorder within your overall health system. When you first begin experience any kind of abnormalities within your body, seek the guidance of a nearby chiropractic doctor in order to avoid the deterioration of the problem and even enhance all around health.

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