Sciatica And Lower Back Disc Problems Can Be Helped With Chiropractic Care

Sciatica is an abnormal health condition which causes people to have problems with pain in their leg. Sometimes it is called sciatic nerve pain. It is associated with pain in the lower back, buttock and leg or foot. Sometimes the pain in the leg is described as a numbness, tingling, burning or an ache. For some people it is a mild annoyance but for others it may be excruciating.

Sciatic nerve problems will occur in 10% of people, most commonly affecting those aged 25 to 45 years old. The nerves originate in the lower back and travel all the way down to both feet. In the buttock area the sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body and is about the thickness of our thumb. As it travels down the leg the nerve decreases in size and gives branches off to various aspects of our legs and feet.

Normally there should be no problems with the sciatic nerve. However the most common problem affecting it tends to come from a problem from a disc in the lower back. The discs of the lowest part of our spine are called the lumbar discs. They are small pads or cushions between the bones of the lower spine which are called the lumbar vertebrae.

Generally what happens to the lumbar discs is that a portion of it bulges, protrudes or herniates backward putting pressure or impinging upon the sciatic nerve. Sometimes the term "slipped disc" is used but this is really not a true descriptive medical term. There can be various reasons for problems with the disc such as a sudden trauma or prolonged wear and tear occurring over time.

Most people with a lumbar disc and sciatic nerve problem experience the worst of their pain early in the morning towards the end of their normal sleep time and the first hour or two after arising from bed. People who have occupations requiring them to sit in an office or drive a vehicle tend to be particularly uncomfortable with this condition.

The typical medical treatment for sciatica tends to include medications aimed at reducing inflammation. At times surgery is undertaken. Most studies show that taking medication provides only temporary relief. Some experts feel that only 1% of disc and sciatic nerve problems actually need surgery.

Chiropractic care is a natural healthcare alternative to conventional treatment of sciatica and lumbar disc problems. Chiropractors will initially see a patient and discuss the problem with them, perform a physical examination, and evaluate x-rays and other imaging such as MRIs. Chiropractic treatment is aimed at gently tractioning and repositioning the lumbar bones so as to take pressure off the disc. By doing this the bulging or protruding area of the disc is reduced resulting in less irritation of the sciatic nerve. Chiropractors may also use electrical stimulation to relax muscles and recommend the patient use cold packs over the area to reduce inflammation. Chiropractors will also discuss utilizing rehabilitative exercises and lifestyle recommendations that patients will need to follow through on at home and work.

Some studies have shown that 90% of lumbar disc problems causing sciatica are helped with chiropractic care. The sooner the patient visits a doctor of chiropractic the sooner they are likely to experience relief, be able to sleep, work and enjoy life the way it is meant to be.

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Concussion and Treating Lingering Effects

Dr. Pazdel talks about concussion, what it is, many of the symptoms that may point toward it and how the lingering effects can often affect the neck causing pain, stiffness, and more. This is where chiropractic treatment may be of great benefit to return to full health.

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Purpose of a Chiropractic Adjustment

This may seem like a self-evident topic. Well it's not. The Chiropractic profession cannot even agree on the purpose of an adjustment. There is the fundamental, basic purpose that has been around since 1895 (the inception of Chiropractic) which has not changed, deviated or strayed from its first day. Then there are the fads, the misconceptions, and the attempts to fit nicely into the Medical model.

The most common misconception is that a Chiropractic adjustment is solely for the elimination of symptoms; such as neck pain, back pain, headaches, etc... Although Chiropractic is highly effective at helping to relieve these symptoms, this misconception usually stems from the fact that much of the population does not understand the Nervous System. They believe that nerves only carry messages of pain to the brain. That is obviously not the case. If it was, then there would have to be something other than the brain controlling all of your organs and chemical reactions going on within the body. Simply not so!

The second misconception was perpetuated by early Chiropractors themselves. They actually believed that a Chiropractic adjustment was the cure-all for all diseases. This was in part due to the overwhelming number of "conditions" that seemed to get better under Chiropractic care; and in part due to the frustration directed towards much of the Medical community and their treatment of symptoms, neglecting the "entire person" in many cases. This is obviously just as wrong as the belief that Chiropractic is only for neck and back pain, because many times other things are needed as well to get sick people well. Such as proper nutrition, exercise, rest, and even Medical intervention. Other times, however, a person may have been "sick" for too long for even the body's inborn healing ability to overcome the damage done by years of disease or neglect. Or even for medicine to undo the damage. (i.e.. terminal cancer, people that have had multiple heart attacks, etc).

So what is an adjustment for? Well, when you remove all of the misconceptions and the fads, you are left with one simple fact. A bone in your spine out of place (Vertebral Subluxation), will always have a detrimental effect somewhere in the body due to interference in the Nervous System. This is because structure ALWAYS affects function. Example: If you change the structure of a boat in the water by putting one oar in, the boat will go around in circles. If you put a spoiler on a car, it makes the car more aero-dynamic. If you tie a string around your aorta (the largest artery in your body), blood flow will lessen or stop completely. Structure always changes function. If a vertebral bone is out of place - then it will restrict the communication between the brain and some distant part of the body. ALWAYS! If you remove the interference by removing the bone (vertebrae) from the nerve or spinal cord (this is a Chiropractic adjustment), you once again change the function - in this case improving it. The body's inborn intelligence is once again allowed to control and co-ordinate all bodily functions so that the body can adapt itself to the external and internal environments; survive and prosper.

It comes down to one simple fact; the body will ALWAYS function better without a vertebral subluxation than with a vertebral subluxation. That goes for any and every person with a spine and a Nervous System. Everyone knows that if you do not brush your teeth and get them checked regularly your chances of good oral hygiene are not good. What is more important - your teeth or your spine? When was the last time you had your spine checked?

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Chiropractic Services and How They Help Remedy Back Pain

Over the past years, chiropractic has emerged as one of the most commonly utilized health care techniques, and its field has been more widely recognized by medical organizations, particularly in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia. Despite the many debates on whether chiropractic should be classified as a legitimate medical discipline or a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), it is seen to be most effective in treating and managing back pain.

Overview of Chiropractic

The principle of chiropractic is anchored on the belief that a person's overall health condition is heavily dependent on his musculoskeletal structure. Thus, if his spine is properly aligned, a person will less likely experience headaches, neck and back pains, and other conditions associated with his musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors, then, advocate the use of noninvasive and nonsurgical techniques in dealing with said conditions. Instead of resorting to expensive, and sometimes traumatic, medical "under-the-knife" procedures, chiropractors employ manual and hands-on adjustment and manipulation of the spine, as well as certain joints and soft tissues to diagnose, treat and prevent musculoskeletal-related conditions. Because of this approach, chiropractic is often mistaken for physical therapy and even for general massage services.

It should be noted that chiropractors must first undergo a formal and professional degree and training in chiropractic before being able to provide services to patients. Some areas even require chiropractors to secure a license from the government. While they are authorized to adopt manual techniques, however, they are not allowed to prescribe medicines to their patients. Instead, they can only refer their patients to medical specialists such as an orthopedic or a sports medicine doctor.

Chiropractic Services

A typical chiropractic clinic or center offers services that care for patients experiencing pain or discomfort in musculoskeletal regions, namely, the back, neck, head, arms and legs. While chiropractors focus more on treating said conditions, they also diagnose the cause of the pain and recommend a short-, medium-, or long-term program to address the same, depending on the nature and gravity of the patient's condition. Some chiropractors also offer on-site or home services for patients who can no longer travel to their clinic. Still, other chiropractors set up a free consultation hotline where they respond to chiropractic-related queries from individuals.

Management of Back Pain

Among the many conditions that chiropractors are able to manage, back pain seems to be the most common complaint of their patients. The question now is: How do chiropractors effectively treat back pain?

First, the chiropractor administers a detailed physical examination of the patient and takes into account his previous medical conditions, ailments or operations. After getting a clear and holistic picture of the patient's need, the chiropractor then maps out a treatment plan, which can either be a manual manipulation of the spine or of the muscles, or a combination of both. Spinal manipulation aims to enhance the structure and function of the spine and nerve systems, while chiropractic mobilization targets muscles and joints to improve movability and the motion capacity of the body. To ensure that all factors that may be contributors to back pain are eliminated or mitigated, chiropractors likewise give nutritional advice, and if necessary, recommend an exercise or rehabilitation program.

Since chiropractors do a hands-on technique, their manipulation is said to be more direct and zeroed in on the problem area. It is for this reason that chiropractors' services are often more cost-effective and sometimes even faster-acting than drugs, pain relievers and pain killers, or any other traditional medical procedure.

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Taking the Pain Out of Your Step: Orthotics

Dr. Pazdel explains and demonstrates the need for and fitting for orthotics to allow those with foot issues such as plantar fasciitis to be able to walk without pain. At Pazdel Chiropractic each client is custom fitted with exactly what is needed to help them best and then shoe inserts are custom made for that patient and for different types of shoes, such as tennis shoes, dress shoes, work shoes, and even sandals.

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Back Pain Meets Relief With Chiropractic Services

All too often people suffer from back pain. It seems that a large majority of people the world over have experienced some sort of back pain at least once in their lives. For some, this seems to be an inherited problem. For others, it develops over time due to poor posture, bone loss, exercise injury, working, or an accident. Some, still, develop problems in their back with no good explanation. However, no matter what the case, chiropractic services can help to ease back pain.

Chiropractors offer a wide range of services for those who experience back pain. They realize that the health of the back can affect the entire body. It the back is out of alignment, it can offset the hips, legs, shoulders, and neck. That is why chiropractors focus on healing the back as part of the whole. Since back pain is located in the core of the body, seeking help from chiropractic services can help to alleviate the need for other special treatments.

Chiropractors provide a wide range of skills in order to help determine the cause of back pain, correct it, and then ensure that the problem will not occur again. These are the three main phases of chiropractic services. Since they use methods that do not involve drugs and rarely surgeries, the goal of the chiropractor is to find the underlying cause of the pain. Their techniques seek to cure the pain at its source instead of merely masking it with prescriptions. Chiropractic services use gentle and natural methods in order to help back pain. These methods range in technique from massage to electric stimuli. Surgery may be required from time to time, but is largely avoided with chiropractic services.

There are numerous benefits that are offered by chiropractic services in order to help those who suffer with back pain. One of those benefits is the price. Since chiropractors prefer to avoid the use of prescription drugs, the cost is greatly decreased. The cost of an office visit is also usually much less than the typical cost of a traditional doctor's visit. However, some insurance plans do not cover the cost of chiropractic services. Due to this, many offices have lower costs and even payment plans that make affording these services more affordable.

Many people who receive chiropractic services to help with back pain find that the treatments are far more successful than with traditional medicine. The treatments help to alleviate their pain in a way that is comfortable and lasting. Since the techniques are gentle, patients can look forward to progressively more relaxing treatments and time goes on. Once the original problem that was causing pain is taken care of, the number of office visits can be decreased over time. This means that ultimately, a person who suffers from pain can discontinue visits. This option is not nearly as common with traditional medicine.

Chiropractic services cater to those who suffer from back pain, although their skills allow them to help those with other problems as well. Since the back is such a pivotal part of the body, chiropractic services may help to determine if something in the back is causing problems elsewhere in the body as well.

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Famous Athletes Who Use Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic treatment is commonly prescribed to treat neuromusculoskeletal problems including neck pain, back pain, pain in arm or leg joints, and headaches. Chiropractors take a hands-on approach to treatment that is free of drugs and invasive procedures. They examine, diagnose, and treat people from all walks of life including individuals who have achieved notoriety. Many famous athletes have benefitted from chiropractic care that treats injuries and other conditions.

How Some Athletes Feel About Chiropractic Care

Spinal manipulation, sometimes called chiropractic adjustment, is the most common therapeutic procedure performed by a chiropractor. Controlled force is manually applied to joints whose movement has been restricted due to a tissue injury. A single trauma or repetitive stresses can cause this injury and manipulation intends to restore mobility to affected joints.

An Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon, Dan O'Brien believes that chiropractic treatment is "absolutely essential" to the sport of track and field. He recommends alignment for healing and competing at full potential. Former Dallas Cowboys running back, big game champion, and MVP Emmitt Smith used chiropractic treatment throughout his football career to balance his body and ensure that it functioned properly. Fellow champion football player Jerry Rice called chiropractic the "key" to helping him remain in the game.

Former professional bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger used chiropractic to prevent injuries during his athletic career. Before heading into the boxing ring, four-time Heavy Weight World Champion Evander Holyfield had a chiropractic adjustment. To improve his athletic performance, he visited a chiropractor three times a week. Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman Johnny Damon stated that chiropractic helps him play consistently throughout the baseball season.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care Extend to Cycling and Golf

It may not be surprising to learn that chiropractic benefits runners, boxers, weight lifters, and football and baseball players. These sports are known for their strenuous activities. However, cycling and golf are also demanding on the body, particularly when competing at the professional level. Former professional cyclist and Tour de France veteran Lance Armstrong considered a chiropractor one of the most important men on his team.

Tiger Woods has won many competitions during his golf career including 14 PGA championships. He believes that chiropractic treatment and lifting weights have made him a better athlete. Woods called regular chiropractic treatments are as important to his training process as is practicing his swing. If these athletes benefit from chiropractic therapy, so can the average person.

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