I'm Feeling Much Better Now

By Dr. Dave Edenfield

When it comes to chiropractic care, most people wait until they are walking wounded to seek help.  But what I would like to point out is that this isn’t the only or indeed best time to work with a chiropractor.  Instead of looking at your friendly, local chiropractor as an ends to a means of dealing with pain or injury, I would like to recommend that you continue treatment once the pain is gone. 

Why?  Let me put it this way.  Do you take your car to an auto mechanic only after it breaks  down or is involved in an accident?  I hope not.  You also take the car in for routine and preventative maintenance, such as changing the oil, rotating the tires and inspections of various moving parts every 10,000 miles.  The reason you do this is to keep your car running better over the long haul.  A well-maintained car costs far less to operate than a poorly maintained one. 

In essence, the human body is a machine.  It has a lot of moving parts that can wear out over time.  Just like your car, it performs better if it is well-maintained.  Many people spend a lot of money on nutritional supplements, work out routines, organic vegetables and diet plans that are designed to improve the body’s overall performance and increase their longevity.  However, what most people do not take into consideration is the fact that every part of the body is ultimately controlled and regulated by the central nervous system. 

In a nutshell this is what chiropractic medicine is all about: repairing and maintaining a healthy central nervous system.  What patients see is that their chiropractor performs spinal adjustments along with muscle and tissue treatments that make the pain go away.  What they don’t realize is that by restoring better spinal health, their chiropractor has also made it possible for the nerves that carry signals to the entire body to perform their duties better.  This in turn assures that everything from chemical and hormone delivery, to cardiovascular regulation, blood sugar levels and immune response is also improved. 

This isn’t a mere medical opinion.  It has also been proven in a number of scientific studies.  In one study published in 2011 in the journal Spine, a placebo controlled, double blind study tracked the treatments of three groups of 60 patients for ten months.  All of the members of the group reported nonspecific low-back pain lasting at least 6 months prior to treatment. 

According to the article, patients “were randomized to receive either (1)12 treatments of sham SMT over a 1-month period, (2) 12 treatments, consisting of SMT over a 1-month period, but no treatments for the subsequent 9 months, or (3) 12 treatments over a 1-month period, along with “maintenance spinal manipulation”

Results revealed that “patients in second and third groups experienced significantly lower pain and disability scores than first group at the end of 1-month period.  However, only the third group that was given spinal manipulations (SM) during the follow-up period showed more improvement in pain and disability scores at the 10 month evaluation.”

The study’s authors conclude: “SMT is effective for the treatment of non-specific lower back pain, To obtain long term benefits the study suggest maintenance SM Therapy, after the initial intensive manipulation Therapy.”

Best of all, a preventative maintenance checkup by a chiropractor is a great way to nip potential 

problems in the bud.  A checkup will include everything from a spinal examination to a posture analysis that will identify any spinal irregularities that can restrict movement and nerve impulses.  While correctable, spinal misalignments can inevitably lead to everything from impaired motion to pain and other health problems.  Far from being expensive, having periodic preventative maintenance checkups can actually save you money, since ignoring potential health problems can result in loss of income due to time missed at work.

Plus, if you are into leading a healthy lifestyle, consulting a chiropractor can also have added benefits since chiropractors are also trained in nutrition and exercise. Who better to consult on lifestyle changes or nutritional supplements than a trained medical professional?    

So, if you are looking to improve your quality of life and are already investing time and money in creating an environment that helps you live healthier, call your local chiropractor to schedule a maintenance checkup today.  You’ll feel much better once you do.

Dr. Dave Edenfield  and Dr. Steven Warfield are part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com and http://endyourpain.orgwho are dedicated to helping you and your family lead  healthier, happier and pain-free lives.  

Fall Back on Chiropractic Basics

By Dr. Steven Warfield

This is the time of year when the long, hot Florida summer begins to give way to autumn, a time when the leaves start to turn color, a time when the kids go back to school.  So what better time to get back to the basics of chiropractic care?  While modern chiropractic medicine utilizes everything from ultrasound to laser therapy, at the heart of chiropractic therapy beats a heart of old fashioned hands on treatment.

Historical accounts of the medical use of spinal manipulation can be traced back more thousands of years to the Chinese.  The “Father of Medicine” Hippocrates used similar techniques in ancient Greece, as did the Egyptians at a time when they were building the pyramids. (Talk about a job that could give you an aching back.)  So the basis of chiropractic care is nothing new.

In the US, chiropractic medicine got its start on September 18,1895 when Daniel  Palmer gave the world’s first chiropractic adjustment to Harvey Lillare. At its heart, chiropractic healing concerns itself with the treatment and prevention of neuromuscular disorders.  Therapies include joint adjustment and manipulation this is designed to correct any anomalies in the spine known as subluxations.  

At its simplest, a subluxation occurs when one or more spinal vertebrae move out of their correct position and in so doing produce pressure that can irritate nerves and cause the muscles and other soft tissue to become imbalanced.  Since spinal nerves radiate from every vertebra, this pressure can cause irritation that can cause these nerves to malfunction, thus interfering with the signals that travel over the nerves.  Since the central nervous system controls and coordinates virtually every function of the body, any interference with nerve function creates pain or dysfunction in various parts of the body.

Chiropractors undergo years of training in order to be able to correct subluxations.  To treat this condition, the chiropractor will manually manipulate the spine, applying a precise amount of directed pressure either by hand or by using a specialized instrument such as the ArthroStim. (See video below)  This manipulation is designed to restore normal position to the vertebrae thus eliminating the subluxation and restoring balance to the spine.

When the spine gets out of alignment, not only does this affect our posture, it also starts a kind of domino effect as the brain tries to restore balance by causing the muscles, tendons and ligaments to compensate by radically altering their tension.  This not only produces more stress on the system, but it can also cause yet more spinal complications that can result in pain.  Tissue injury can be caused by a traumatic event such as an accident or through repetitive stresses caused by everyday wear and tear on the body. Manual manipulation not only restores the spine to balance, it also restores the soft tissue to its intended tension, thereby alleviating both pain and muscle tension.

While most people seek chiropractic care for back pain, the fact of the matter is that a number of other maladies can be caused by spinal subluxations including the following:

   

·        Autoimmune Dysfunction

·         Clinical Depression

·         Computer Neck Syndrome

·         Emotional Problems

·         Migraines

·         Tendonitis

If you or anyone you know is experiencing any of the symptoms above, I urge you to make an appointment with your local chiropractor.  He or she can help you correct the underlying issues associated with these conditions in order to restore the spine to its ideal function and in so doing regain control of your life.

 Dr. Steven Warfield and Dr. Dave Edenfield are part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://endyourpain.org and  http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com who are dedicated to helping you and your family lead  healthier, happier and pain-free lives.  

The Lowdown on Sciatica

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Sciatica is a condition that can occur to people of all ages.  It involves pain, numbness and/or tingling that can radiate down either or both legs.  It can be triggered by a sudden trauma like that caused by an auto accident or it can simply appear without any apparent causative factor.  Sometimes surgery is recommended as a method of correcting this condition.   Before you or someone you know who has sciatica goes under the knife there are some facts you need to consider.

What Causes Sciatica?

There are a number of factors that can induce the condition, including spinal misalignment, hip displacement 

and disc aggravation.  The pain caused by sciatica can last for weeks or it can subside after a few hours.

Bad deadlift form can cause spinal cord injuries like lumbago and sciatica (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Disorders known to cause sciatica include spine subluxations, herniated discs, pregnancy and even diabetes. Caused by a compressed or pinched sciatic nerve, sciatica symptoms can include pain, numbness or tingling that radiate through the buttock, down the back of the thigh, through the calf all the way down to the foot.  As the condition progresses, everything from loss of sensation to muscle weakness and loss in leg function is commonplace.  The longer a sufferer of sciatica goes without treatment, the more likely complications are to occur as the nerve becomes ever more affected.  

How Can You Treat Sciatica?

Since there are a number of disorders that can underlie the condition, the first step is to determine the precise cause.  Diagnosis may include everything from a physical examination to an x-ray, MRI and/or electrodiagnostic testing such as electromyography.  These diagnostic tools are vital to establish the best course of spinal adjustments and other therapies used to treat the condition.

Chiropractic therapy for sciatica can include a number of modalities, including the following:

      ·         Spinal Manipulation which is designed to realign the spine so as to restore the vertebrae to their proper position which in turns helps reduce nerve irritability, muscle spasm, pain and other sciatica symptoms.

      ·         Ultrasound Therapy uses ultrasonic sound waves that are designed to penetrate into tissue to improve circulation and reduce muscle cramping, swelling and stiffness.  These treatments also aid circulation and are painless. 

      ·         TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) relies on a battery-powered muscle stimulation device that delivers imperceptible electrical impulses that are used to control pain and relax the muscles that cause spasms.

      ·         Cold Therapy can also be used to mitigate sciatica symptoms.

      ·         Massage is extremely useful in that it relaxes the muscles and reduces spasms.

When it comes to treating sciatica, pain medication only masks the symptoms.  The best course of treatment is to help the body regain proper balance in order to relieve nerve irritation and allow the body to heal on its own.  Chiropractic care can greatly reduce sciatica symptoms and help many sufferers avoid surgery.   If you or anyone you know suffers from sciatica, contact your local chiropractor to schedule a consultation.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com