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.
It’s a proactive approach to your health by eating healthy food, getting regular exercise and ideally, seeing your chiropractor on a regular basis to keep you functioning at your optimal capacity.
Does that surprise you?
A wellness chiropractor can boost your immune system, reduce stress, and generally help you feel your best all the times. That may sound like a tall order but research shows that being proactive about your health can help you stay healthy rather than “fixing” it when your sick or in pain.
Wellness chiropractic care can also improve your nervous system which helps your body operate at its best.
How Your Nervous System Affects Your Health
Many people don’t think much about their nervous system. Yet, those 46 miles of nerves that run through the human body carry thousands of messages all day. From walking down the hall without thinking about it, to tasting the freshly ground black pepper on your pasta, the nervous system runs the whole show.
People who’ve lost their sense of smell or have paralyzed limbs have lost the nerve function in that part of their bodies.
The nervous system is like a giant internal “superhighway.” However, if there are blocks or traffic jams like a pinched nerve or disc, then you can feel pain.
The accumulation of everyday stress also disrupts your nerve function which may show up as high blood pressure, physical pain, or a low immune system.
Yet, a wellness chiropractor puts everything back in place with a few simple adjustments.
For many, that means you feel better, stand straighter, and even have internal improvements like enhanced blood flow which makes everything in your body work better.
That’s the benefit of a regular wellness visit. Because chiropractic care treats the cause, not the symptom.
How Chiropractic Care Affects Your Nervous System
It’s perfectly normal to experience partial dislocations in your body. This what which is what chiropractors call “subluxations.” These subluxations occur from severe impacts like a fall or from habits like bad posture or an accumulation of stress. They can be very painful, especially when they’re ignored for a long time.
In fact, virtually any back, neck, or shoulder pain is because of a spinal misalignment or “subluxation.”
However, chiropractic adjustments re-align your spinal column and help everything find its proper place again. That means, your nervous system can flow freely again, carrying its messages throughout your body helping you feel your best.
The difference between “wellness” care and crises care is the difference between taking care of yourself on a regular basis and only seeking healthcare when you’re sick or are experiencing pain.
If you’re in the Doylestown, Pa area, Dr. Jeff McQuaite is a successful wellness chiropractor. He works with people of all ages from infants to the elderly to help them feel their best.
If you suffer from sciatica, you may wonder if chiropractic therapy can help you find relief. After all, chiropractors can help relieve all types of body aches, why not sciatic pain?
Sciatica, as you may know, starts in your low back and shoots into one or both of your legs. However, the pain isn’t the same for everyone.
Some people with sciatica feel sharp, debilitating pain while for others, it can be more moderate. No matter how it occurs for you, you’ll want to relieve the pain.
In this post, you’ll discover that sciatica is actually a symptom of an underlying problem and how chiropractic therapy can help your sciatica pain.
What Is the Sciatic Nerve?
If you suffer from sciatica pain, you probably know about the sciatic nerve. This is the longest nerve in the body. It starts in the lower back, splits, and runs down each leg into the foot. Its function is to continue the spinal connection from the back into the legs and feet.
If you have a sciatic disorder – causing you pain – it can be because of misaligned vertebrae, herniated discs, pregnancy or even health problems like diabetes.
What Causes Sciatica?
Many people think sciatica is the problem when it’s actually a symptom. In truth, sciatica is nerve compression.
What causes nerve compression you ask? Good question.
Often, it’s caused by a jarring to the body. Have you slipped and fallen? If so, that causes trauma to your body. But also, arthritis in your hip can cause sciatic pain. If you’re experiencing spasms or numbness in your leg/foot, that may be a symptom of sciatica.
How Can Chiropractic Therapy Improve Sciatica?
Chiropractic treatment for sciatica is a way to help your body heal itself.
In addition to a chiropractic adjustment, your chiropractor may recommend ice/heat therapy, ultrasound, and TENS therapy. The classic ice packs combined with heat reduces inflammation and pain and you can do this at home while watching Netflix.
Ultrasound therapy uses a machine to create heat and sound waves throughout your body. It stimulates circulation and reduces swelling while the TENS unit sends electricity through your body. It also stimulates circulation and provides pain relief.
Before chiropractic therapy can help your sciatica, it’s essential to make sure to have a proper diagnosis. Here at McQuaite Chiropractic, we review your medical history and take an x-ray before we create a treatment plan.
How Fast Does it Work?
Many people find immediate relief after a chiropractic adjustment. The quick hands-on manipulation of the spine takes the pressure off the sciatic nerve so you find relief.
Of course, it takes more than one chiropractic treatment for long-term healing. Your chiropractic will work out a customized treatment plan that’s right for your situation.
Do you want to find out if chiropractic treatment is right for your sciatica? We offer free consultations at our Doylestown office.
You’re probably familiar with the concept of chiropractors.
Most people associate them with “cracking backs” for pain relief and while there is a kernel of truth to this idea, there’s a lot more to it. In fact, you might be surprised at what that so-called “cracking” actually is!
(Hint: it’s not bones cracking.)
But first, what IS a chiropractic treatment?
It’s an all-natural approach to pain relief and suitable for all ages. While some use the term “chiropractic medicine,” chiropractors tend to refer to their practice as “treatments” or as a type of therapy like massage or physical therapy.
Where Does the Term “Chiropractor” Come From?
Like many words in the English language, Greece is the source of this one.
As Medical News Today tells us, The word chiropractic comes from the Greek words cheir (hands) and praxis (practice). As the name suggests, it is a hands-on therapy.
Chiropractic manipulation is the application of pressure to a person’s spine or other parts of their body by a qualified chiropractic doctor or chiropractor. This pressure allows a chiropractor to adjust and correct alignment.”
If you’ve ever been to a chiropractor, you know they use spinal manipulation adjustment your spine (and maybe your wrist or shoulder!) But you may still wonder if it falls into the category of medicine and the answer is…
Is it Medicine?
Yes. Although it’s considered complementary, or natural “medicine.” Chiropractors are doctors – they attend medical school and have licenses – but they can’t issue prescriptions or perform surgery.
Instead, chiropractors focus on your symptoms and seek to help your body heal itself through natural means. A typical treatment includes a few questions about how you’re feeling and a series of “adjustments.” That “cracking” or “popping” sound that many people associate with chiropractors? That’s actually trapped air being released from your joints and it’s nothing to worry about.
Chiropractic treatments are definitely a form of healthcare and are proof that medicine doesn’t have to come from a pill. Most chiropractors will also recommend other therapies such as heat/cold therapy, electrical stimulation, massage, and maybe even dietary supplements in addition to chiropractic treatments.
Your chiropractor will work with you to create a customized treatment plan.
The purpose of chiropractic care is to help people find pain relief through re-aligning their bodies, and it’s not uncommon to feel immediate relief. One of my favorite stories is about a patient who’d wrenched his back and hobbled into the office. 20 minutes later, he was standing up straight and no longer in pain.
However, chiropractic care does work best over time rather than a one-time scenario. Most patients come on a regular basis and they feel the benefits of ongoing care. I have patients who come a few times a week to a once or twice a month. It all depends on your symptoms and health goals.
Chiropractic medicine goes far beyond back pain relief, it’s also beneficial for chronic headaches, carpal tunnel, and even boosts your immune system! If you’re in the Doylestown, PA area, please stop in for your free consultation.
Fall leaves are pretty but they can be a pain to clean up. Which means many Doylestown area residents will spend time raking leaves this weekend (and over the next few weeks.)
Fall yard work like leaf raking is great exercise and it’s nice to enjoy the crisp air of the season, yet, it can also lead to back pain and injury. After all, raking uses different muscles than you’re probably used to using. Worse, thousands of people wrench their back doing every fall because of yard work.
4 Ways You Can Protect Your Back While Raking Leaves
In Bucks County, like much of the country, leaf raking is a seasonal chore that can leave you sore and achy. Worse, it can cause back pain and injury if you aren’t careful.
In fact, according to Penn Medicine, approximately 76,000 Americans are hurt every year from leaf raking and other yard work. As you probably know, it only takes one misstep to hurt yourself and weekend yard work warriors are most at risk.
Here’s how you can protect yourself.
1- Warm up and Cool Down – Simple stretches may not seem like they do a lot but they are useful.
Side stretches, trunk rotations, and bending to the ground to touch your toes (or your version of touching your toes – it’s ok if you don’t get all the way down) will help prepare your muscles.
2- Batch It – It’s better for your body if you do a little a time rather than do it all at once.
If you can get out a few times a week and rake the leaves in 20-30-minute intervals you’re doing your body good and less likely to overexert yourself. If you do choose to do marathon sessions, take breaks and you feel short of breath or a tightness in your chest, take a rest and let your heart rate slow down.
3-Use Good Form – Use your whole body and not just your upper body while raking. This will reduce the pain in your shoulders, neck, and back.
Also, rake towards you rather than away from you as that helps protect your back muscles. Remember to bend your knees when you pick up things and finally, don’t overfill leaf bags until they’re so heavy you can hardly move them.
4- Wear Supportive Shoes – You’ve heard it before but it’s true, supportive footwear can help you maintain your balance and give your back support. Hiking boots or good sneakers will help keep your feet stable — less chance for a slip and fall!
With a little preparation, raking leaves and other yard work can be a great chance for some fresh air and a dose of healthy (and injury-free) exercise. Then you can feel great, have a leaf-free yard and still be able to enjoy the fall activities in Bucks County!
However, if you do hurt yourself, you know where to find us!
(Updated and Expanded May 2019)
