Most people think of chiropractic care as back pain relief (and they’re right!) Yet, there are many other benefits of going to a place like Discover Chiropractic too.
Over the years, studies have found that chiropractic care is an effective form of all-natural pain relief. It even improves the functioning of your entire central nervous system.
What’s the role of the central nervous system? It’s responsible for keeping your entire body in tip-top shape. Imagine the central nervous system like a busy highway flowing with traffic. As long as everything goes smoothly, the cars get where they’re going. But if there’s an accident, it slows things down.
It’s not so different in your body. There, when the central nervous system is functioning well, the messages get where they’re going easily too. But if there’s a problem, your internal communication might send a wrong message or a block a message and that can result in pain, stress, or even ADHD.
All due to miscommunication.
Here are 6 Ways Chiropractic Care Can Help Beyond Back Pain
You may be surprised to discover that chiropractic treatments can relieve headache pain and even boost your immune system and so much more. Yet ongoing research supports the benefits of chiro care for all types of health reasons. Here are six.
TMJ – If you frequently have jaw pain, you may have TMJ. The temporomandibular joint is one of the most complex joints in the body. Your chiropractic treatment for TMJ/TMD will realign your neck and shoulders to reduce pressure on certain tissues and help your jaw to stay in working order.
Headaches – If you suffer from chronic headaches, chiropractic care can help. There are plenty of reasons why you might have headaches including; long hours at the computer, stress, processed foods, alcohol or not sleeping well. It’s also common that your head, neck, and spine are out of alignment with one another and that contributes to headache pain.
A 2001 report out of Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center found the type of spinal manipulation practiced in chiropractic care resulted in almost immediate relief in the type headaches that started in the neck. That’s because the chiropractic treatment realigned the spinal column, including the neck so it took the pressure off nerve endings. It helped other types of headaches too. In fact, many participants experienced fewer headaches with regular chiropractic care.
Allergies –Allergies are recognized as your body’s overactive response to environmental elements. In fact, they’re like a panic response in your body due to miscommunication. A depressed immune system may be to blame.Chiropractic care relieves stress on your body and over the past 30 years, doctors have found a positive connection between chiropractic treatments and a strong immune system. In many cases, it can alleviate seasonal and other types of allergy suffering.
ADHD – If you have a hyperactive child and you might be surprised to find that chiropractic care can help. According to a study in Explore, children aged 9-13 diagnosed with ADHD, experienced relief with regular chiropractic care. The best part of this study is that these young children were able to not use psychotropic drugs on their developing brains.
Boosts Your Immune System – When your body is functioning well, your body is better able to fight off germs. As you probably realize, the body is interconnected. The nervous system and immune system each of their roles and they’re related in keeping your body healthy. Chiropractic care improves your body’s ability to function by keeping it aligned and keeping everything flowing smoothly.You can find out more information about how chiropractic care boosts immunity here.
Improve Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain – Inflammation is the source of most pain and rheumatoid arthritis is no exception. Chiropractic care can help relieve this pain by reducing inflammation in your body. It can also improve your mobility. Find out more about chiropractic care and rheumatoid arthritis.
There are you are 6 ways chiropractic care relieves more than low back pain. Chiropractic care helps your central nervous system stay in touch with your entire body. It’s also an all-natural remedy without mind-clouding drugs or painful surgeries with a long recovery period.
Why not try it today?
Here in our Doylestown, Pa. office, here’s what you can expect on your first visit.
School’s in session which means every afternoon the streets of Doylestown are filled with running packs of high school athletes.
They run to get in shape for their sports no matter the weather — even in the 90+ degree days we had recently.
But the biggest concern isn’t the heat in the waning days of summer but sports related injuries they’re likely to take on through the season.
Concussions are the most common injury. According to this report from the National Academies, High school players are almost twice as likely to suffer a brain injury while playing as a college player. The reasons are many and vary from lack of protection, various levels of physical maturity – this is a big one — to lack of knowledge among the coaches and parents.
Another common injury is to the spine. You know when a football player bends his head when tackling or blocking? This flexes the cervical spine and bypasses its shock absorbing capacities. The result is strain on the cervical spine and surrounding muscles.
Knee injuries and concussions are common in soccer. The uneven playing surface (and falling) may be to blame on the wear and tear on the knees. Obviously, the concussions can come from bouncing a soccer ball off one’s head.
How Do You Combat These Sports Related Injuries?
As with most things, education and good habits are a good place to start. It’s hard to believe in today’s hyper vigilant society but there was a time when football players didn’t wear helmets – oh right – they still don’t in rugby.
Obviously, making use of the protections available are good practices. So are mixing up the training styles so muscles don’t get over worked. However, the fact is, when you’re training 15+ hours a week, you’re putting a lot of pressure on your body.
Regular stretching will help prevent sports-related injuries as well as using good form. Both of these your student athletes should be getting at school.
However, chiropractic treatments can also keep your child in tip-top shape. The reason is because chiropractic care “puts back” what gets knocked out of alignment in sports practices and games. That relieves pain naturally because your bones and muscle tissue are where they need to be instead of one pushing up against the other.
Plus, keeping your body properly aligned can maximize your output because your immune system is boosted.
If your child is already suffering with a sports related injury, chiropractic care can help with immediate and long-term pain since it’s designed to focus on the spinal column which affects everything else in your body.
Dr. Jeff McQuaite is a Doylestown chiropractor conveniently located directly across from CB West. His warm and approachable style is sure to set your student athlete at ease. You can take advantage of his new patient special here.
One of the biggest chronic pains of the 21st century is neck and shoulder pain.
Frankly, it’s not surprising. Most of us spend hours a day hunched over computers and mobile devices. Compound that with sports injuries and/or other types of injuries (like whiplash) and it’s kind of amazing more of us don’t walk around like Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Three Ways to Ease Neck and Shoulder Pain
1. An ergonomic desk set up can help relieve shoulder and neck pain that’s brought about because of poor posture.
Think about it.
If you have a desk job, you probably hunch your shoulders and jut your neck out (sounds attractive doesn’t it?).
Fact is, that’s the typical computer posture and creates huge amounts of stress and tension in your upper body because your spine is out of alignment. This then comes as no surprise to find that some people may check out sites like SnackNation (if medical marijuana is the route worth taking), in the hopes of finding an alternative way of managing these pains. As CBD is said to help with chronic pain and various other ailments, this may be something worth considering, especially if the pains are showing no signs of improvements even after visiting a doctor.
This can cause great pain for some office workers. They decide to enjoy something similar to pure pulls to ensure that they can manage their pain effectively.
Good posture keeps your head (and neck) in a vertical position so your head, neck, and spine all flow together seamlessly. Just like a smooth river without any obstacles. If you sit with your neck jutting out, you’ve created an obstacle. Even though you may not feel it, your neck and spine now have to work harder to keep your head balanced.
Add rounded shoulders and upper back and you probably find you have lots of tension in your upper back.
All of it prevents oxygen from flowing freely through your body which means you feel more tired. It also causes neck and shoulder pain.
Getting regular chiropractic treatments, massage therapy, and an ergonomic desk set up will help you feel better. TMS & Brain Health in California deal with issues that people face in terms of mental and physical health, if you are a chronic pain sufferer checking them out to see if they can help you, may benefit your physical health.
2. Stretch – Take breaks throughout the day and incorporate some gentle stretching.
You don’t have to look like the office loony to feel benefits. Even simple shoulder and neck rolls can help loosen the knots in your upper back. Use a resistance band to help stretch your muscles. You can hold it in front of you with both hands and pull it gently – like taffy.
Next, hold it over your head and tug on either end so it stretches.
Combine those with checking your posture and straightening up throughout the day and you’ll be on your way to releasing tension and building strength.
3. Combine Chiropractic and Massage Therapy – The chiropractic treatments “puts everything back where it belongs” in terms of your bones, tissues and ligaments and the massage helps the re-acclimate to where they’re supposed to be so they stay put.
This usually takes a few sessions but some patients have said it made a huge difference.
Your Spine Is Designed to Move
Whether you bend, sit, or twist, your back (and everything it’s connected to) work together to make your movements happen.
Within the 26 bones that form your back are a maze of nerves, tissues, and ligaments that provide cushioning, support and flexibility.
When you think about it, it’s kind of amazing.
The cervical vertebrae are 7 bones that make up your neck. They can shift position a millimeter due to a fall or even repeated motion (like when you spend hours hunched over a computer) and when that happens, you can hurt!
Maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal but when a bone is out of alignment – even the tiniest bit – it can press on an adjacent nerve. You’ve heard of something “getting on your nerves” – this is the literal manifestation.
If you suffer with chronic neck and shoulder pain, see your chiropractor about discovering the underlying cause. Maybe it stems from an old accident or it’s your current habits. Whichever it is, an Xray can take a “snapshot” of what’s going on in there and your chiropractor can recommend a treatment plan.
After all, aren’t you ready to feel good again?
If you’re Doylestown, Pa, Dr. Jeff McQuaite offers a new patient special. Stop in and feel the difference.
Neck pain can come in many forms. Stress, poor posture, even sleeping at an awkward angle can all affect how your neck feels.
A chiropractor for neck pain can help you find the reason for your chronic pain and work on healing it.
Here are a few of the reasons for neck pain:
Long hours sitting at a computer. Most people don’t realize they jut their heads out slightly which puts unusual pressure on your neck and shoulders. An ergonomic work area may be the solution.
Head bent over texting – A human head weighs about 8 pounds, that’s the weight of some bowling balls. You’ll reduce pressure on your neck and shoulders if you text with the phone at eye level rather than bent over it. It takes a little getting used to, but hey, you got used to texting in the first place, right?
Whiplash – If you’ve been in a car accident, you may suffer from whiplash. That’s the moment when your head is slung forward and back at a rapid rate and often happens upon impact in a car crash.
Your bed/pillow – Have you checked your pillows? If you’ve slept on the same pillows for years, mix it up with a different type. Try a firmer one or a softer one – opposite from what you’ve been using. Or, you might try a combination. One patient with neck pain uses a slightly firm pillow under a super soft one that supports her neck.
Injury – Sports can take their toll on your body and it’s pretty common to have neck pain especially from rough sports like football and soccer.
When you see a chiropractor for neck pain, you’ll experience relief from the pressure of your bones pressing on your nerves or muscles. The reason you have pain is due to inflammation and mis alignment. Your Doylestown chiropractor, Dr. Jeff McQuaite will Xray your neck area to determine the cause of your pain and prescribe a treatment plan.
If you ignore your neck pain, you may find yourself getting frequent headaches or feeling pain in other areas like your wrists or forearms. The reason is everything is connected. Since chiropractic treatments focus on realigning your spine — including your neck — it takes the pressure off neighboring nerves so you feel better.
Why not book an appointment with a chiropractor for neck pain and see how you can feel relief?
Bucks County is blessed with a wealth of good chiropractors. How do you find the right one for you and your family? Like any medical provider choosing the best chiropractor in the villages comes with a mix of skill, location/hours and personal “fit.”
How to Find a Chiropractor? Here are 5 Questions to Ask.
1 How long have you been practicing? In my case, I grew up in a chiropractor family. My father was a chiropractor, my sister and my brother-in-law. You can imagine the family conversations. Personally, I have over 20 years practicing here in Bucks County. That means I’ve had plenty of experience.
2 Do You take X-Rays before Recommending Treatment? Yes. An X-ray is a good starting point because it shows what’s going on inside your body. If you’re suffering from neck pain, an X-ray will give a close up view of your skeletal framework. This can show that a bone is pressing on a certain nerve or give insight into your posture. It is never a bad idea to get a second opinion, check out Sterling Heights Chiro if you’re interested.
That helps your chiropractor decide what chiropractic techniques will work best for you.
3 Do You take Continuing Ed Classes? Like everything, new information provides new insights and it’s important to keep up. I’ve taken courses in treating auto and work comp injuries, physiotherapy, nutrition, spinal decompression, pediatrics, exercise, sports rehab and chiropractic research.
The more I stay up-to-date, the more I can help you.
4 Do You Offer Payment Plans? Flexible payment plans are perfect if you’re not insured or your insurance doesn’t cover chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is an affordable health solution and we take cash, check and some credit cards.
We also have a very affordable “family” rate that allows any of your family members to receive regular care. That way, your family can feel better together.
5 Do You Take Insurance? Luckily, insurance companies are starting to recognize the benefits of chiropractic care. Studies show chiropractic care can save a bundle when it comes to preventive healthcare.
(Updated and Expanded May 2019)
