General
Information

Headaches

Back Pain

Scoliosis

Sciatica

Whiplash

Subluxations

Spinal Decay

Adjustments

Osteoarthritis

Whiplash

Many of us have been in an automobile accident, or at least a close call. It may have been a time when we were forced to stop abruptly and our purses and papers fell to the floor. If you have experienced this, you may have experienced enough force to cause a whiplash injury. Any sudden impact, in which the body is thrust forward then back quickly, places an unnatural demand on the muscles, joints and spinal structure supporting your neck and shoulders. The impact of an accident does not have to be severe to cause injury. Quite often, there may not be any damage to the car, yet the passengers inside experience the symptoms that indicate an injury. Today’s cars are designed to absorb the impact, yet this force is transmitted to the passengers much like the force experienced when one pool ball hits another. How the head is positioned during impact can also determine the severity of injury. Imagine having your head turned toward a car about to broadside you, and suddenly your head is thrown backward. That forceful movement is not natural and can cause damage. Even the seat belts you wisely wear to save your like in the event of an accident can increase the amount of injury that can occur to your neck. This is because the seat belt keeps your body in the seat, but accentuates the force of whipping that your head and neck experience. Upper body and abdominal injuries are often common in more serious accidents. Whiplash injuries produce spinal misalignments of varying severity. These symptoms may appear immediately or may take days, weeks and even years before they are noticed. An untreated whiplash injury will only worsen. There are many documented cases of arthritis and disc problems discovered in a person’s neck or other spinal areas years after an accident. Even though the individual received a clean bill of health from another doctor, including their own MD, or staff in an emergency room the possibility of a whiplash injury still exists. Only a professional trained to correct the problem can reverse the dangerous effects. In addition to seeing a medical doctor, consult a doctor of chiropractic, who has extensive training in the musculoskeletal system.

Subluxations

You have more than 200 bones in your body. Whenever two bones come together at a joint, there can be movement. Since joints in your spine are so close to your spinal cord and nerve roots, too much or too little joint motion can have serious effects. If spinal bones get “stuck” and don’t move right, they can irritate or chafe delicate nerves. If a joint moves too much, spinal bones can press against adjacent nerve tissue. This can interfere with the vital “life force” transmitted over your nervous system that helps keep your brain in touch with your body. The result is the vertebral subluxation complex or more simply, a subluxation. More than bones and nerves are involved. Muscles can become too tight or too weak. Discs, ligaments and other connective tissues can become inflamed. Bone spurs and arthritic degeneration can set in. Subluxations are serious! However, the most important aspect of a subluxation is its effect on your nervous system controls and regulates your body can have grave consequences. Distorted communications between your brain and your body can cause all kinds of health problems beyond just headaches and backaches. Your chiropractic doctor is the only licensed health care professional dedicated to the detection, reduction and prevention of spinal subluxations. You’re in good hands!

Spinal decay is a degenerative process that worsens with time. If neglected or simply ignored, this crippling condition quietly progresses, without obvious symptoms. It starts with some type of uncorrected trauma to the spine. A slip or fall. A car accident. Learning to walk. Even the birth process may be responsible! The first “phase” of spinal decay is revealed as a loss of proper spinal curve or a reduced ability to turn and bend. Other areas of the spine often compensate, starting a chain reaction of health problems. Left uncorrected, the body responds by depositing calcium onto the affected joint surfaces, ligaments and connective tissues. This second phase of decay is the result of the body’s attempt to stabilize and “splint” the malfunctioning spinal joint. As with high blood pressure or cancer, pain or other obvious symptoms are often absent. Unaware of the serious damage that is occurring, many allow their problem to worsen. In the third phase of spinal decay, the integrity of the spine has become permanently compromised. The associated neurological damage can contribute to some of the chronic health problems seen in the elderly. Years have passed since the original event that set this tragic, yet preventable, process in motion. The purpose of chiropractic care is to locate areas of the spine that are not working right and use specific “adjustments” to improve its function and structure. This simple but powerful intervention has helped millions avoid the crippling effects of spinal decay.

There are many ways to adjust the spine. Sometimes the doctor’s hands deliver a quick, highly accurate thrust. Or an instrument directs a repeatable force to a fixated spinal joint. Other times a slow, constant pressure is used. Some chiropractic doctors use special tables with moving sections. Several areas of the spine may be adjusted or just one. The key is to use the precise amount of energy. At the exact spot. In the right direction. At just the right time, to get spinal joints moving again. Chiropractic is truly an art. Your chiropractic doctor has become a master at one or more adjusting techniques. Just about anyone can be adjusted. Newborns, infants, children, seniors and even failed back surgery patients can benefit. Naturally, your doctor tailors your chiropractic care to your size, age and unique health problem. With the intent of reducing nervous system irritation, chiropractic adjustments are specific. Targeted, Focused. And more precise than spinal “manipulations” or “mobilization.” It is this precision, combined with the purpose of reducing nervous system irritation, which has helped so many people.

Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints caused by a breakdown of cartilage, the substance that provides cushioning between the bones and joints. This allows bones to rub together, causing pain, swelling, and loss of motion. Typically, Osteoarthritis affects people over forty-five; though mostly females are afflicted, heredity has been identified as a contributing factor. People who have had sports injuries or are overweight have a greater tendency to become Osteoarthritic. Stiffness and pain in the neck or lower back results from having this condition in the spine. Weakness or numbness in the arms or legs can also result. Some feel better when they sleep on a firm mattress or sit using support pillows. Others find relief from heat treatment or an exercise program to strengthen the back and abdomen. Most experience swelling or tenderness in the affected area, especially during a change in weather, stiffness after getting out of bed, and intermittent or ongoing pain. In severe cases, surgery may be suggested by a physician to reduce pain and help restore spinal function.

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