Headaches and Migraine
For a long time, people suffering from headaches and migraine symptoms have been seeking Chiropractic care.
Headaches and migraine may be associated with problems in the nervous system that can have ill effects on your health. Nerve irritation is thought to be responsible for up to 95% of headaches, the result or muscle tension and upper neck dysfunction.
Apart from pain, other signs of brain or brainstem imbalances that may be seen in headaches sufferers include increased sensitivity to light, sound or touch, numbness or altered sensations in the face or limbs, uneven pupil size, uneven skin temperature on the head and dizziness.
At McKenzie Chiropractic Carlton, we understand the mechanisms of the numerous headache types and their causes, and will thoroughly assess each patient with a neurological and chiropractic examination.
Headaches can also be associated with fluctuations in a person's mood, personality, cognitive approach and behavioural style, affecting not only the individual who suffers from the headache but also they family and friends and them.
Your chiropractor in Melbourne, Dr Bayden McKenzie, will thoroughly assess the state of the spine and nervous system and implement a management plan that typically involves chiropractic adjustments, muscle stretching, postural advice, nutritional support and home exercises to prevent recurrence. Chiropractic and rehabilitative care focusing on imbalances in your spine may provide more lasting results for headaches sufferers and reduce the need to rely on medication.
Due to the large number of headache types and causes, it is always advised to seek the opinion of a health professional such as a Chiropractor to rule out headaches that are from a pathological origin or infection.
More Info - http://www.mckenziechiropractic.com.au/blog/headaches-and-migraine-149520.aspx
Headaches and migraine may be associated with problems in the nervous system that can have ill effects on your health. Nerve irritation is thought to be responsible for up to 95% of headaches, the result or muscle tension and upper neck dysfunction.
Apart from pain, other signs of brain or brainstem imbalances that may be seen in headaches sufferers include increased sensitivity to light, sound or touch, numbness or altered sensations in the face or limbs, uneven pupil size, uneven skin temperature on the head and dizziness.
At McKenzie Chiropractic Carlton, we understand the mechanisms of the numerous headache types and their causes, and will thoroughly assess each patient with a neurological and chiropractic examination.
Headaches can also be associated with fluctuations in a person's mood, personality, cognitive approach and behavioural style, affecting not only the individual who suffers from the headache but also they family and friends and them.
Your chiropractor in Melbourne, Dr Bayden McKenzie, will thoroughly assess the state of the spine and nervous system and implement a management plan that typically involves chiropractic adjustments, muscle stretching, postural advice, nutritional support and home exercises to prevent recurrence. Chiropractic and rehabilitative care focusing on imbalances in your spine may provide more lasting results for headaches sufferers and reduce the need to rely on medication.
Due to the large number of headache types and causes, it is always advised to seek the opinion of a health professional such as a Chiropractor to rule out headaches that are from a pathological origin or infection.
More Info - http://www.mckenziechiropractic.com.au/blog/headaches-and-migraine-149520.aspx
How to Deal With Neck Pain Between Chiropractic Visits
If there’s one concern that we hear a lot from our Minneapolis chiropractic patients it is how to effectively deal with pain in and around the neck area.
Sadly, this type of issue is prevalent for a number of people as one survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that, after back pain and headaches or migraines, neck pain was the third most common type of chronic pain reported. So how can you deal with this issue effectively (between chiropractic visits), if this is a concern for you?
For starters, you want to limit the activities that aggravate your neck pain, making it worse and causing the area to become even more inflamed. This doesn’t mean doing nothing as that can actually hurt more than help. It just means slowing down a bit and doing less of those activities until your neck starts to feel better.
Depending on the cause and extent of your injury, light stretching to the muscles and soft tissues in and around the neck area can sometimes help reduce the pain as well. Two to try include a corner stretch and the levator scapula stretch. (Click here to see how to do each of these.)
Additionally, when you’re able, you might want to apply a cold or hot compress to your neck to help reduce swelling, relax any stiffness, and lessen the pain. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then remove it for a minimum of 40 minutes before reapplying. And never put the hot or cold source directly against your skin; buffer with a towel instead to prevent any type of external damage that could further instigate your pain.
Finally, if you have less-than-stellar posture which could be contributing to your sorer than normal neck, simply sitting, walking, and standing straighter can oftentimes help. This means paying attention to your spine no matter what you’re doing, making any necessary adjustments if you notice that you’re slumping forward or otherwise leaning.
See Here - http://www.lynlakechiropractic.com/page.cfm?pageid=14714&articleid=21140
5 Tips to Manage Your Stress
Each year, one in three Americans dies from heart disease or stroke, yet many of the deaths are preventable through lifestyle changes.[i] Diet, exercise, and eliminating tobacco use are crucial factors in lowering the risk of heart disease, but another important factor is managing stress. The link between stress and heart disease is not clear; however, research has shown that stress can lead to physiological responses that are associated with heart disease.[ii] For example, when faced with a stressful situation, the body releases hormones that cause a quickening of the heart beat and higher blood pressure; when experiencing these effects regularly, damage may occur to artery walls. In addition, when stress isn’t managed properly, it can lead to unhealthy behaviors that raise the risk of heart disease, including smoking, increased alcohol consumption, overeating, or lack of exercise. Stress can also cause disrupted sleep whether through physical discomfort, such as aches and pains, or anxiety. A lack of sleep is associated with many of the factors of heart disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, excess weight, and irregular heart beat.[iii]
Some stress can be avoided by learning to say “no” to extra responsibilities that contribute to an overscheduled calendar; however, much of the stress of daily life cannot be avoided. Children need care, people get sick, and jobs need to be performed. However, learning to manage stress effectively can reduce the negative effects of stress on the body. To help manage stress effectively and lower your risk to heart disease, remember to:
Breathe deeply. When faced with an immediate stressful situation, take a few minutes to breathe. Focus on your breath, and envision the stress blowing away from the body. Even ten breaths can relax your body.
Even if you only have a few minutes, move your body. Exercise releases endorphins, which can help you feel good. Physical activity is also a great way to release muscle tension and soothe the aches and pains of stress. Removing yourself from a stressful situation to take a walk is also a great way to allow your mind to refocus and better handle the situation.
Make time each day to relax and unwind. You can sit quietly, read a book, or do some yoga.
Schedule time for fun! When days are jam packed, and the to-do list is a mile long, time with friends and family is often the first thing to go; however, time with loved ones is a great way to manage the effects of stress. You can talk through difficult situations or just relax and laugh.
Receive regular chiropractic care. The negative effects of stress on the body include muscle tension and contraction, which can lead to misalignments of the spine. A Doctor of Chiropractic can detect and adjust these misalignments, which can improve on body aches and pains and help the body function more optimally.
Stress may be unavoidable, but the negative effects are not. Learn to deal with stress effectively to reduce the damaging effects on the body and reduce the risk of heart disease.
More Info - http://totalbalancechiro.com/blog/?p=1182
Some stress can be avoided by learning to say “no” to extra responsibilities that contribute to an overscheduled calendar; however, much of the stress of daily life cannot be avoided. Children need care, people get sick, and jobs need to be performed. However, learning to manage stress effectively can reduce the negative effects of stress on the body. To help manage stress effectively and lower your risk to heart disease, remember to:
Breathe deeply. When faced with an immediate stressful situation, take a few minutes to breathe. Focus on your breath, and envision the stress blowing away from the body. Even ten breaths can relax your body.
Even if you only have a few minutes, move your body. Exercise releases endorphins, which can help you feel good. Physical activity is also a great way to release muscle tension and soothe the aches and pains of stress. Removing yourself from a stressful situation to take a walk is also a great way to allow your mind to refocus and better handle the situation.
Make time each day to relax and unwind. You can sit quietly, read a book, or do some yoga.
Schedule time for fun! When days are jam packed, and the to-do list is a mile long, time with friends and family is often the first thing to go; however, time with loved ones is a great way to manage the effects of stress. You can talk through difficult situations or just relax and laugh.
Receive regular chiropractic care. The negative effects of stress on the body include muscle tension and contraction, which can lead to misalignments of the spine. A Doctor of Chiropractic can detect and adjust these misalignments, which can improve on body aches and pains and help the body function more optimally.
Stress may be unavoidable, but the negative effects are not. Learn to deal with stress effectively to reduce the damaging effects on the body and reduce the risk of heart disease.
More Info - http://totalbalancechiro.com/blog/?p=1182
Do Women Really Experience More Neck Pain than Men
Most people around the world know how frustrating neck pain can be, making the age-old saying “pain in the neck” so relatable. Just last month, a new study presented by Loyola University set out to learn more about neck pain and answer the question: Do women experience more neck pain than men?
The Study In a two-year study that examined more than 3,300 men and women, researchers found that 133 patients suffered from Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease (CDD) with 91 being female. Of those patients, 4.5% of women reported neck pain while just 3.3% of men did, concluding that women were 1.38 times more likely to develop the disease than men.
Researchers participating in the study believe that women may experience a higher instance of CDD due to hormonal changes and because men are less likely to report pain, therefore never receiving a proper diagnosis.
What is CDD?
Cervical Degenerative Disc disease is a disorder in which the discs in the spine slowly deteriorate over time, losing proper function and flexibility. Common symptoms of CDD include:
Headaches
Numbness
Tingling
Weakness in the arms, neck or shoulders
Be Honest with Your Body
Your body was built to enjoy life, not suffer in silence. If you’re experiencing neck pain, our practice can help you recover quickly. Remember, choosing to endure pain can often lead to more severe issues that spread to other parts of the body including the back, hips and knees.
Visit Here - http://www.fransonchiropractic.com/women-neck-pain/
Should You Be Wearing A Back Brace?
If this happens to be your first time here at BelvidereChiropractic.com, my loyal readers can tell you that back in January, I started an on going Frequently Asked Questions series. After a short break from it the last few of months in order to write these three posts: What Can Spring Cleaning Teach You About Your Health?, Help Put an End to Blood Cancer, and What Is Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?. And to announce last month’s Memorial Day Gift of Good Heath Special.
And, if you happened to be signed up to receive my free newsletter you even got a special early-bird announcement about The Special Memorial Gift of Good Health several days before the post even went out, so if you haven’t already, I encourage you to sign up today to get this free newsletter that is full of helpful information, special events, and any other future special offers. In addition, if you want to get this site’s posts as soon as they’re published and don’t want to wait to receive your newsletter, just subscribe to the RSS to email updates HERE or to the RSS feed in a reader HERE (See: What’s This?) and you can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN or YouTube.
Since my staff and I get a lot of questions from either our existing patients or people calling or e-mailing us through our contact page and we are happy to answer them for you. However, since many of you have the same or similar questions I have decided to write some posts on some of the more common questions we frequently get on a day to day basis about Chiropractic Care in general and the services we provide here at Belvidere Chiropractic Center and here’s another one we get quite a lot…
Should you be wearing a back brace?
Many of you who are suffering from lower back pain from things such as, disc herniations or degenerative disc disease consider the use of a back support. The first thing that you should ask yourself before considering wearing a back brace is if your back pain is in fact from either a disc injury or degenerative disc disease. Although disc injuries and degenerative disc disease are the most common causes of lower back pain, this can only be determined through a proper diagnosis by your family chiropractor or other licensed health care provider.
Once you are absolutely sure that you are suffering from a disc injury or have degenerative disc disease, you can then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a back brace with your family chiropractor or other licensed health care provider to help you cope with your condition as using a back brace may help you recover faster and much easier, but it will not cure you.
How can a back brace help?
A back brace can help you by providing additional support for your spine and muscles. By keeping your body in the proper posture, it will help by keeping pressure off your spinal nerves and since this is the reason why you are experiencing pain, it can help ease your pain.
Using a back support can also help you go through your regular or daily activities without straining your back too much or causing yourself pain. If you bend or lift frequently or have recurring back pain that flares up with use, proper bending and lifting, and wearing a back brace can help you prevent back injury and lesson painful flare-ups. Along with good lifting technique and using a back brace to help support your back will help you avoid injury. if you want more information on proper lifting technique see my previous post: How to Lift Properly to Reduce Back Injuries HERE.
How often should you wear a back brace?
It depends on whether they are in pain and what activities you are doing. The more pain you have, the more frequently you will want to use a brace. However, the only time you should wear a brace for extended periods of time is if you are currently in pain. The pain can be acute (sudden strong onset), or chronic in which the back hurts most of the time. A back brace can help you get through the day, even if you aren’t lifting much. Fortunately, acute pain doesn’t last too long. Once you are in a lower level of pain (or, perhaps pain-free), you will be able to use the brace less often.
After the acute pain has passed, use the brace “as needed.” It should be used when you are going to ask a lot of your back. An “on-again, off again” approach will keep you from getting tired of wearing the brace.
Once you’re completely out of pain, the brace should only be worn with any bending or lifting activities.
Wearing a back brace can be a very important pain-prevention strategy for those with acute or chronic back pain. People without a past history of pain should also use a back brace to support their back during heavy exertion as a preventive measure.
Are there disadvantages to using a back brace?
Like any form of treatment, using a back brace does have its disadvantages. One of the disadvantages of using a back support is that it can bring about the weakness of your spine, if you wear it too excessively or rely on it too much. This can be easily avoidable if you do not rely on your back brace as a crutch.
Occasionally, patients say, it hurts more to wear a brace when they are in acute pain. If this happens to you, then the brace may not be for you at this time. Tell your family chiropractor or other licensed health care provider and don’t be afraid to try it again if he or she recommends it again once your at a different pain level.
If you want to wear a back brace, make sure to use it according to your family chiropractor’s or other licensed health care provider’s treatment plan. It would also be best if you try to develop and strengthen your spine through the proper exercise, if you want a more information on this see my previous post: How to Get the Zaz Back in Your Life HERE.
Credit Goes To - http://belviderechiropractic.com/frequently-asked-questions/should-you-be-wearing-a-back-brace/