What Is Scoliosis And How Can Your Grand Rapids Chiropractor Help?
Scoliosis is the medical term for an abnormal lateral (side-to-side) curvature of the spine, which your Grand Rapids chiropractor is very knowledgeable in diagnosing and treating. Your chiropractor wants you to be informed that there is a major difference between bad posture and the condition known as scoliosis. Whereas bad posture is easily correctable, scoliosis, an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, is far more difficult to alter.
Even before your appointment with your chiropractor in Grand Rapids, there are a number of ways for you to observe the difference between poor posture and scoliosis. First of all, you would be able to see that one shoulder is higher than the other in a standing position, and that the scapula (shoulder blade) is raised or more prominent. In addition, if the person’s arms were hanging in a relaxed way at his or her sides, you probably would notice a wider space between the arm and the body on one side. Moreover, one hip would likely raised or more prominent than the other. And finally, the head will not appear to be in plumb with the pelvis.
Scoliosis is often mild in nature, but it can be quite severe. In fact, both pulmonary and cardiac functions can be hindered if the curve and rib rotation are severe enough. The cause of scoliosis in 85 percent of cases is unknown. This type of scoliosis (Idiopathic) is thought to be genetic, or to minimally have a genetic component because it tends to run in families.
In general, Idiopathic Scoliosis occurs during adolescence when the body is completing the concluding major growth spurt. This type of scoliosis is most frequently found in girls. If found, a scoliotic curve should be monitored for any progression. Your chiropractor in Grand Rapids will not only provide periodic examinations, but will suggest standing x-rays if needed.
As mentioned above, most (nearly 90 percent) of scoliotic curvatures are mild to moderate, and do not require a brace. Therefore, regular chiropractic care, in these cases, is therapeutic in both in decreasing and adjusting any compensatory musculoskeletal conditions that might happen.
Flint Tool Rentals Suggests: If You’re Thinking Of Moving Concrete, Make Sure Your Back Is Strong!
What do an excavator, jackhammer, and hydraulic skid have in common? They can all create mild to severe back pain, if your spine is misaligned while you’re attempting to move dirt, concrete, blacktop, or anything else the resembles the “earth under you feet,” using any of these heavy Flint equipment rentals. However, similar problems can happen, if you’re not careful, when using Flint tool rentals such as pressure washers, hand grinders, and even vacuums. Your spine and the rest of your musculoskeletal system must be in good shape if you are trying to do construction on the job or at home.
Be smart before you start: It would be a good idea for you to have your back checked by a health care professional, like a chiropractor, before you start any job — big or small– and even before you do any research regarding an equipment or tool rentals Flint company. Your chiropractor can check to see if your spine is in good alignment. You may be advised to wear a back support or other supportive means if you have any age-related degenerative spine and joint changes.
Along with making sure that you are in proper alignment and overall musculoskeletal good health prior to starting a new project, seeing your chiropractor regularly during your project work can save you from pain and injury. Vibration created by heavy machinery and tools can affect even healthy joints. Furthermore, unfamiliar positioning and unusual torque when using hand tools can stress back, shoulder, and arm muscles.
Project Tips: Because misalignment can result from the use of heavy equipment and tools, be sure to visit your dhiropractor on a regular basis during the duration of your project. Putting ice packs on the inflammed areas may be one of the suggestions made by your chiropractor. In addition, kineseo taking can be beneficial if muscles are stressed or strained. In some cases, a stressed or strained muscle may necessitate rest before embarking on your project again.
When your project is done: When your project is complete, it is a good idea to get a thorough chiropractic check up once again.
You don’t have to give up the work you love. Just remember, from start to finish, you need to take smart precautions to stay healthy and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Dallas Chiropractor Explains How To Please Your Knees
Your Dallas Chiropractor understands that knee problems can be very painful and even debilitating. There are a number of reasons why people experience knee pain. And, it’s important to be aware that anyone, at any age, is at risk. A fall, an auto accident, a sports injury, or some other acute, traumatic event can cause knee pain. Nonetheless, the knee challenges that most of us experience, particularly as we age, are considered “non-trauma knee problems.” In other words, most knee problems are not due to a sudden injury to the knee, but instead happen because of long-term dysfunction and stress on the knee as a result of excessive weight, poor gait, and other stresses on the knee joint and surrounding tissue that, over time, have developed into “noticeable” to “disabling” knee pain.
It may surprise you to know that chiropractors like me, your chiropractor in Dallas, treat almost as many patients with knee pain as we do patients with back problems. But, we, chiropractors, would likely see far less knee problems if more people came in sooner for back care. That’s right! Most people don’t know that keeping their back in good condition can help prevent knee pain!
How is that possible? The answer is that the musculoskeletal system of the body functions in a compensatory, “chain-reaction” manner. Which is to say that when one area of the musculoskeletal system isn’t functioning correctly, the rest of the system shifts and tilts in an effort to compensate for the problem. For example, pain in the patella (kneecap), also known as Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain) is frequently due to imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that connect to and move the patella. This inequality frequently begin in the lower spine, especially in the sacroiliac joint. It’s not unlike the old song, “…the knee bones connected to the thigh bone…”. From our head to our toes, we are one, whole, organic structure. It is for this reason that chronic challenges are never separated. So, it’s not just your back that’s the culprit! For instance, reduced foot movement in response to foot pain can also cause painful knee problems as well. In addition, poor knee tracking due to inappropropriate gait patterns, such as pronation (walking like a duck with toes pointed out rather than straight ahead), can create wear and tear on the knee joints and extreme pain over time. And, finally, excess body weight and, sorry, ladies, but the wearing of high heels on a regular basis can cause knee problems over time.
Fortunately, chiropractic treatment can restore healthy muscle balance, return appropriate motion to the patella and other knee joints, and adjust subluxations of the sacroiliac joints or bones of the foot. Your very last resort in attempting to get rid of your knee pain, should be knee replacement surgery! Try a conservative course of chiropractic treatment first.
But, you should never disregard knee pain, or “play through” knee pain, or continue walking in those lovely Jimmy Choo heels when your knees are aching. Pain is the body’s way of telling you that there’s a problem that needs correcting. If knee problems are not taken care of, the tissues of the knee joint, particularly the cartilage, will continue to degenerate. And, changes, such as bone spurs, can occur if the bones begin to rub on one another.
As we age, certain musculoskeletal problems frequently increase, such as knee pain and degerative joint disease (osteoarthritis). But remember, no matter what your age is today, right this minute you are younger than you will ever be again. See your Dallas Chiropractor today…for tomorrow’s sake!
Oak Lawn IL Chiropractor Talks About Tension Headaches And How Chiropractic Adjustments Can Help
Do you suffer from painful tension headaches? The best Oak Lawn Chiropractor, Dr. Gerald Helwig knows that life can be a pain now and then. Sometimes the pain is due to an accident or injury. Sometimes it can be the result of the cumulative effects of bad posture and poor gait. Sometimes it can occur from degeneration due to the aging process. However, many times pain, especially headache pain, can be the result of everyday stress.
Are you sidelined by your tension headaches? Do they cause you to be absent from work or ineffective while you’re there? Do they keep you from enjoying your family and social life? Most people have experienced more than one tension headache in their life. If you are a person who has had tension headaches, then you know that the pain usually feels like an intense, but dull ache in your head. Such pain is frequently accompanied by an experience of tightness or pressure along the forehead or on the sides and back of the head. Occasionally, you might experience tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and once in a while you might lose your appetite or feel nauseous.
Most tension headaches are defined as mild to moderately intense, but the severity of the pain varies from one person to another, and can vary from one headache to another in the same person. Do your headaches occur often? Did you know that if your headaches take place fifteen or more days a month for a minimum of three months, they’re viewed by healthcare professionals as chronic?
The good news is that chiropractic treatment can relieve your pain whether tension headaches are disabling once in a while or chronically. Whether a person suffers from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, or headaches, Dr. Helwig has been helping the Oak Lawn Community to get out of pain for over twenty years. That right! Chiropractors don’t just treat back pain. They address the entire musculoskeletal system!
So, if you’re not living your life as fully as you’d like, call Dr. Helwig, your Chiropractor in Oak Lawn, Illinois today. Don’t put up with headache pain another day!
Could One Conversation Change What You Eat?
Many people shop labels. Whether its high fashion or expensive cars, a label costs more; it means something to the consumer. Food is no different. People who care about the quality of the food they put in their body read labels. If a label reads “high fructose corn syrup” or “trans fat” an informed consumer will bypass this product. Whether a food has an organic label or not is also important information for today’s foodies. If a product has the seal “USDA Organic” the consumer knows that the food was grown or prepared using organic practices and ingredients; however, the producer has paid a fee to the government to obtain that certification.
Many small farmers cannot afford the high cost of the government’s organic label. According to the Organic Trade Association, referenced in this article on Change.org, 92 percent of organic food sold in this country is sold by mass markets, like Wal-Mart, Costco, or grocery store chains. By comparison, only 8 percent comes from farmers markets, co-ops, or CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture).
Quite often the small farmers have organic growing practices; they just don’t pay for the expensive label. How do you get this important information? It’s easy; simply start a conversation with the person you are buying your food from. When you visit the farmers market and you see they do not have an organic label, ask why? Ask them about their growing practices. Do they use pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals? You won’t know until you ask.
Do you only shop for products with the “USDA Organic” label? Do local farmers in your area provide an opportunity to talk about their growing practices? What are your conversations like?
Obesity: A National Epidemic?
As a chiropractor and healthcare provider, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the vital issue of excess weight and how it negatively affects every part of the human body. I explain the health challenges to my overweight patients and hammer away on the subject in my blogs because in addition to the cardio-vascular diseases caused by obesity, much of the back pain, hip pain, and knee pain that people experience is influenced by the undue stress excess weight puts on the joints of the body. And, though it may not surprise you, an expert panel in a report out just today said that people in this country must slash their calories and increase physical activity because the obesity epidemic is “the single greatest threat to public health in this century.”
We all know that dieting isn’t easy, but the advisory committee for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans gave this clear-cut advice: “People in this country need to cut the calories they consume from added sugars and solid fats (butter, marbled meats) and start eating a more nutrient-rich, plant-based diet.”
The report called for many changes in the food environment. To read more, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-06-15-
Corona Chiropractor Explains How Chiropractic Care Can Relieve Hip Pain
Your Corona Chiropractor provides a highly effective non-invasive, drug-free approach to relieving hip pain and often eliminating it altogether. Whenever possible, surgery should be seen as a last resort. So, before you decide on hip surgery, ask yourself the following questions: Does hip pain wake you up at night and make it impossible for you to get a good night’s sleep? When you arise in the morning, and/or when you step out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it initially hard to get your legs moving sufficiently? Do you feel pain in one or both hips when you cross your legs or rotate or twist your hips? If so, you may have imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing your hip pain, can eventually lead to degenerative joint disease in your hips if not treated. The good news is that chiropractic treatment can help whether or not degenerative changes have already begun!
It may be true that you’re getting older and your hip joints just aren’t what they used to be. Even so, are you aware that your hip pain and related problems, which usually point to age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be generated by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In many cases, rather than being the original source of your problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is more often than not the outcome of a earlier injury (or injuries) to your hips.
As a general rule, hip problems have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, as when you are walking. If you tend to walk “pronated” with your toes pointing away from your body (like a duck), it is inevitable that you will feel pain in your hips as a result of the asymmetrical stress on your hip joints and your body’s efforts to compensate. Fortunately, you can learn to alter your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can show you how to do it.
Moreover, you may have undergone gait changes due to an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical accommodations cause pain in the hip(s). Of course, if not corrected, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, namely, the wear and tear that produces degenerative changes.
Other circumstances that can sometimes impact the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that necessitates your moving your body in atypical ways. Also, ferrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can produce hip pain. Even your sitting position or driving for prolonged periods of time on a regular basis can cause hip injury and pain.
So you can see that not every pain is caused by “old age,” although we may start to feel more pain due to the progressive capacity of untreated injuries.
As part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem, along with your adjustments, your Corona Chiropractor will recommend individualized rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also evaluate your gait and may suggest simple pattern changes.
Your hip pain won’t vanish on its own. Hip pain is a symptom telling you that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If ignored, more than likely that at some point you will require that hip replacement surgery. Remember the old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Your chiropractor in Corona can eliminate your hip pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!
The Hottest Buzz: Social Media Marketing
Social Media is the “hottest” topic on the Internet today. If you’ve been giving some thought to getting on board, but don’t know where the platform is, let’s take a minute to talk about the “Who, What, When, Where, and How” of social media and you, that’s “Who.” Then you can make a better decision about whether to add Social Media to your chiropractic marketing strategy.
Social media marketing may seem familiar in some aspects to other chiropractic marketing strategies you’ve considered in the past, and yet unfamiliar at the same time. In the “familiar” category, you wouldn’t try any kind of marketing plan without taking the time to understand what you’re doing and what you want to get from it. It’s important to ask yourself, “What are my goals?” Once you’ve decided what you want, you’ll be more capable of using social media to your best advantage.
When you are ready to begin your social media effort, but before you start, you will need to make certain that you “own your name” on all the social media outlets, that is to say, be certain that your name or the name of your clinic is attainable so that you can use precisely same name on all of the social channels you desire to use. When you’re ready, there’s a service, which is totally free, that can assist you with your search. Knowem.com is the who to go to. This service will research where your name is and/or if it’s available or not on a large number of social media sites.
The next step, once you have all your social media accounts secured, is to decide where you would like to be active. Because you have a clinic to run and patients to see, in the beginning only a few social media sites will benefit you most and may actually be all you’ll need. That way you won’t get distracted by in too many channels. So, how do you choose the best sites for you? Choose the social media site where the most action is, which are facebook, twitter, linkedin, and Youtube
What successful social media activity will do for you is build a genuine presence in your community. What you should never do “sell” on your social media sites, that means don’t sell your clinic, don’t sell services or products, don’t sell anything! The benefit of social media is for you to go out and network with the community. Of course, inform them about what you do, but do it by becoming a participant. There is actually no difference between social networking offline and social media networking. It is important to be clear on this point, people on social media do not want to be sold to! Social media sites are similar to a neighborhood backyard barbecue. People are standing around talking about who they are and what they do, and then a participant asks you what you do. Or, maybe you begin the conversation by simply saying, “Hi, I’m Dr. ____. The same dynamics apply with social media. “Work” your social media sites in the same way you’d work your offline networking communities, which is to say, answer the questions and concerns that let people know who you are and gets them interested in the who that’s you!
Chiropractic Internet Marketing Strategy: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
Here’s an interesting question for you to consider: Do you want to keep your chiropractic internet marketing in-house or do you want to hire a professional? There are pros and cons to both, and the answer lies in your particular situation. Let’s check out the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing
- There is a lower monthly cost involved in using someone already employed by you.
- The staff knows your practice intimately. Your staff has a good understanding of your clinic’s particular services and, therefore, is able to describe your specialties easier than those who don’t know the specifics of your particular practice.
- You can communicate anytime. Being in-house it is easier to set up times to have meetings or just to chat about situations on the fly.
Disadvantages of in-house chiropractic website marketing
- The staff may not be fully aware of what SEO (search engine optimization) is, let alone how to accomplish it. In that case, a lot of education and training will be needed to make sure SEO gets done right.
- The staff may be overworked. Sometimes the time it takes to do SEO can be underestimated. It is an ongoing process that can actually be a full-time job. If a marketing manager has been told to do SEO as well as his or her full time job, obviously that person will be overworked and feel overwhelmed.
- Attention needs to be paid to detail. This goes together with Point #2. If the staff is overworked, they have no time to check out search engine news and keep up-to-date on how the search engines have changed the game each week and what needs to be done to implement those changes to keep your clinic internet presence up in the rankings.
Advantages of using an outside professional
- Chiropractic marketing companies are specialists in the field. They have experience in working on numerous clinics and their websites and optimizing them for SEO. They know, first hand, what works effectively and what doesn’t.
- There is a dedicated team at the company who will be working on your site and can give it the attention it requires.
- The company has a specific plan and won’t be just jumping around, going from short term tactic to short term tactic with no organized strategy and no clear way to reach your desired goals. In other words, they have an “integrated” internet marketing strategy.
Disadvantages of a chiropractic internet marketing company
- Let’s face it, it can get expensive, but costs vary widely from company to company. Some companies out there are charging $600-$700 a month for their services. It is definitely worth your while to shop around and research before you buy.
- There is usually a commitment. Most chiropractic internet marketing companies will want you to sign up for at least six months to a year.
- Account management can be a problem. With high turnover rates at many companies, especially the big ones, there may be a chance that you’ll get handed from account manager to account manager just when you were building a relationship of trust. You may have to start over again, maybe even have to redesign and reiterate your strategy with the new manager.
Now that you’ve taken a moment to look at the pros and cons of both keeping your internet marketing in-house or hiring a professional, the solution to SEO and your internet marketing strategy will depend on the size of your practice, the time and staffing you can devote to it, and your overall long-term goals.
Now, of course, we are a chiropractic internet marketing company that specializes in helping chiropractors with their internet presence. So, I will admit that I am a bit biased on the side of your hiring an expert to do it right. If you are thinking of hiring a company to develop and implement your internet marketing strategy, it is tremendously important for you to hire one that specializes in chiropractic clinics. Why? Because we understand the chiropractic profession intimately. Therefore, in the long run it will save you both time and money not having to explain what chiropractic is about to some general SEO company. There are several of us out there.
If you are going to go with an outside company, be sure to read the fine print. Look at the bottom of their page for a disclaimer. If they have one, read about their “typical” results. You don’t want to be fooled by outrageous claims even though such hype can be enticing. Remember, your internet marketing strategy is just one stream of new patient leads. Even though chiropractic internet marketing is fast becoming a great source for new patient leads, and even though internet marketing gets more important with every passing day, and even though it is a crucial area in which to generate new patient leads, it is still not the only source of marketing you will need to succeed in your practice.
Whether you choose to keep your internet marketing in-house or to hire a professional, you want to be sure that the time and money you spend on SEO gets you where you want to go. A member of your staff that does your internet marketing for “free,” while squeezing those efforts in-between other tasks, may “cost” you in the long run. A professional whose sole focus is internet marketing, won’t lose sight of your goals. Internet marketing is essential to your practice, so choose your chiropractic internet path wisely.
Wichita Chiropractor Wants You to Know That Chiropractic Treatment Can End Your Sciatic Pain
As a Wichita Chiropractor for more than twenty years, I have treated hundreds of individuals suffering from sciatic pain, therefore, I’m genuinely aware from experience just how debilitating the pain from sciatica can be. Sciatica sufferers are unfortunately all too familiar with the deep radiating pain that persists during the day and inhibits almost all of their daily activities.
Here’s how you can ascertain if your low back pain is generated by sciatica. You are probably suffering from sciatica if your pain radiates from your low back, through your buttock(s), down the large sciatic nerve in the back of your leg(s), and possibly penetrates into your knee(s). Moreover, sitting, as well as motion, can be painful. Often lying down will reduce, or occasionally even temporarily eliminate the pain. But, you should be alerted to the fact that sciatica cannot be corrected without proper management.
Radiculopathy
A radiculopathy is a medical term that describes a condition where a disc has protruded from its natural position in the spine and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) that forms part of the sciatic nerve in the lower back. Such pressure can generate excruciating pain.
Prolonged sitting, particularly in an improper position, can produce imbalances in the muscles surrounding the spine and increased pressure on the intervertebral discs. A specific event or injury isn’t commonly the cause of sciatica, more often sciatica has a tendency to evolve over time as a consequence of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. After a while the lower spine can lose its ability to function normally during ordinary stresses.
Ultimately, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures or cracks, which then let the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. Pain is produced as the disc pushes on sensitive tissues. This occurrence is frequently called a ruptured, or slipped, disc. Sciatica is the result of the disc pressing on the spinal nerve. Fortunately, most disc problems, including sciatica, can be completely relieved with chiropractic treatment and management that frequently includes postural exercises.
Periformis Syndrome
Another cause of sciatic pain is periformis syndrome. Periformis syndrome develops when the periformis muscle, which is superficial to the sciatic nerve, goes into spasm and irritates the nerve. Along with chiropractic adjustments, this particular sciatica can be significantly relieved by sciatica stretches that your chiropractor can recommend.
It is vital for you to see your chiropractor for treatment if you are experiencing sciatic pain. If you are in the Wichita area, as your Wichita Chiropractor, I invite you to come in to see if I can get you out of pain and help you to get your life back!