Have you been suffering from tendonitis?

Have you tried multiple therapies with no success?

Tendonitis, tendonosis and tendonopathy
are terms that are often misused, misunderstood and often misdiagnosed.

Tendonitis is a condition that plagues many people of all
walks of life. While it is tempting to think that only athletes or even
“weekend” athletes get it, that is far from the truth. While tendonitis is
common in athletes, you also see it in people who perform daily repetitive
tasks, some can be as mundane as driving a car or truck for a living.

Injuries that occur suddenly can also put excessive strain
on a tendon and we would term that “macro trauma”. Other times, and probably
more common are the “micro trauma”cases. This is where you put small amounts of
stress daily or frequently and consistently. A good example of this is using a
mouse and keyboard, playing a musical instrument, using tools, etc. These
activities can slowly create the symptoms and condition that can be called
tendonitis. Since “it is” means inflammation, the more acceptable term now is
“tendonosis” which essentially means pathology of the tendon.

Some common names for various
tendinitis problems are:

• Tennis
  elbow
• Golfer’s
  elbow
• Pitcher’s
  shoulder
• Swimmer’s
  shoulder
• Jumper’s
  knee

No
matter what you call it, it still spells pain for most people.

So what does a tendon actually do?

Essentially, it connects to a muscle on opposite ends of a
muscle and performs two basic functions:

1 Stabilization

2 Motion

Essentially it connects to both ends of a muscle and inserts
into a bone or joint area and moves or stabilizes the muscle/joint complex.
This is where the overuse syndrome comes into play.

What are some of the symptoms associated with tendon
problems?

Signs and
symptoms of tendinitis occur at the point where a tendon attaches to a bone and
typically include:

• Pain, often described as a dull
  ache
• Tenderness
• Mild swelling
• Pain with movement

Most
often the pain does not stop you from moving, but the pain can hinder your
movement. Sometimes even trying to pick up a coffee cup can cause arm pain.
Turning a key, using a screwdriver are all activities that can increase pain
when there is arm tendonitis.

Without proper
treatment, tendinitis can increase your risk of experiencing tendon rupture — a
much more serious condition that may require surgical repair.

To reduce your
chance of developing tendinitis, follow these suggestions:

• Ease up. Avoid activities that place
  excessive stress on your tendons, especially for prolonged periods. If you
  notice pain during a particular exercise, stop and rest.
• Mix it up. If one exercise or activity
  causes you a particular, persistent pain, try something else.
  Cross-training can help you mix up an impact-loading exercise, such as
  running, with lower impact exercise, such as biking or swimming.
• Improve your technique. If your technique in an activity
  or exercise is flawed, you could be setting yourself up for problems with
  your tendons. Consider taking lessons or getting professional instructions
  when starting a new sport or using exercise equipment.
• Stretch first. Before you exercise, take time
  to stretch in order to maximize the range of motion of your joints. This
  can help to minimize repetitive microtrauma on tight tissues. Remember to
  stretch after exercise too.
• Use proper workplace ergonomics. At your workplace, get a proper
  ergonomic assessment. Fitting your work space to your body is essential to
  ensure that no tendons are continually stressed or overloaded.
• Prepare your muscles to play. Strengthening muscles used in
  your activity or sport can help them better withstand stress and load.

Tendinitis
problems are some of the most common ailments there are. If not treated
properly they can persist indefinitely. The longer your tendonitis
lasts, the harder it is to get rid of and the more scar tissue your body
develops fighting the injury. If you don’t heal your tendonitis quickly and
completely, you may be subject to a lifetime of recurrent pain and
decreased performance.

Have you been suffering from tendonitis?

Have you tried multiple therapies with no success?

Tendonitis, tendonosis and tendonopathy are terms that are often misused, misunderstood and often misdiagnosed.
Tendonitis is a condition that plagues many people of all walks of life. While it is tempting to think that only athletes or even “weekend” athletes get it, that is far from the truth. While tendonitis is common in athletes, you also see it in people who perform daily repetitive tasks, some can be as mundane as driving a car or truck for a living.

Injuries that occur suddenly can also put excessive strain on a tendon and we would term that “macro trauma”. Other times, and probably more common are the “micro trauma”cases. This is where you put small amounts of stress daily or frequently and consistently. A good example of this is using a mouse and keyboard, playing a musical instrument, using tools, etc. These activities can slowly create the symptoms and condition that can be called tendonitis.

Tendinosis vs Tendonitis

Tendonosis sometimes called chronic tendinitis,  chronic  tendinopathy or chronic tendon injury, is damage to a tendon at a cellular level (the suffix “osis” implies a pathology of chronic degeneration without inflammation). It is thought to be caused by microtears in the connective tissue in and around the tendon, leading to an increase in tendon repair cells. This may lead to reduced tensile strength, thus increasing the chance of tendon rupture. Tendinosis is often misdiagnosed as tendinitis due to the limited understanding of tendinopathies by the medical community. Classical characteristics of “tendinosis” include degenerative changes in the collagenous matrix, hypercellularity, hypervascularity and a lack of inflammatory cells which has challenged the original misnomer “tendinitis”. For purposes of this article, we will refer to the pain experienced in a tendon region as tendonitis.

Some common names for various tendinitis problems are:

• Tennis elbow
• Golfer’s elbow
• Pitcher’s shoulder
• Swimmer’s shoulder
• Jumper’s knee

No matter what you call it, it still spells pain for most people!

What does a tendon actually do?

Essentially, it connects to a muscle on opposite ends of a muscle and performs two basic functions:

1. Stabilization
2. Motion

What are some of the symptoms associated with tendon problems?

Signs and symptoms of tendinitis occur at the point where a tendon attaches to a bone and typically include:

• Pain, often described as a dull ache
• Tenderness
• Mild swelling
• Pain with movement

Symptoms can vary from an ache or pain and stiffness to the local area of the tendon, or a burning that surrounds the whole joint around the inflamed tendon. With this condition, the pain is usually worse during and after activity, and the tendon and joint area can become stiffer the following day as swelling impinges on the movement of the tendon. Many patients report stressful situations in their life in correlation with the beginnings of pain which may contribute to the symptoms. Most often the pain does not stop you from moving, but the pain can hinder your movement. Sometimes even trying to pick up a coffee cup can cause arm pain. Turning a key, using a screwdriver are all activities that can increase pain when there is arm tendonitis.

Without proper care, tendinitis can increase your risk of experiencing tendon rupture – a much more serious condition that may require surgical repair.

To reduce your chance of developing tendinitis, follow these suggestions:

• Ease up. Avoid activities that place excessive stress on your tendons, especially for prolonged periods. If you notice pain during a particular exercise, stop and rest.
• Mix it up. If one exercise or activity causes you a particular, persistent pain, try something else. Cross-training can help you mix up an impact-loading exercise, such as running, with lower impact exercise, such as biking or swimming.
• Improve your technique. If your technique in an activity or exercise is flawed, you could be setting yourself up for problems with your tendons. Consider taking lessons or getting professional instructions when starting a new sport or using exercise equipment.
• Stretch first. Before you exercise, take time to stretch in order to maximize the range of motion of your joints. This can help to minimize repetitive microtrauma on tight tissues. Remember to stretch after exercise too.
• Use proper workplace ergonomics. At your workplace, get a proper ergonomic assessment. Fitting your work space to your body is essential to ensure that no tendons are continually stressed or overloaded.
• Prepare your muscles to play. Strengthening muscles used in your activity or sport can help them better withstand stress and load.
Tendinitis problems are some of the most common ailments there are. If not treated properly they can persist indefinitely. The longer your tendonitis lasts, the harder it is to get rid of and the more scar tissue your body develops fighting the injury. If you don’t heal your tendonitis quickly and completely, you may be subject to a lifetime of recurrent pain and decreased performance.
Tendons are very slow to heal if injured, and rarely regain their original strength. Partial tears heal by the rapid production of disorganized type-III collagen, which is weaker than normal tendon. Recurrence of injury in the damaged region of tendon is common.

What are the traditional ways of dealing with tendonitis?

Standard treatment of tendon injuries is largely palliative. Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs combined with Physical Therapy, rest and gradual return to exercise is a common therapy. However, there is evidence to suggest that tendinosis is not an inflammatory disorder, that anti-inflammatory drugs are not an effective treatment and that inflammation does not cause tendon dysfunction. Initial recovery is typically within 2 to 3 days and full recovery is within 4 to 6 weeks About 80% of patients will fully recover with traditional treatment.

Traditional treatment of tendon injuries is largely conservative. Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, rest, and gradual return to exercise is a common therapy. Resting assists in the prevention of further damage to the tendon. Ice, compression and elevation are also frequently recommended. Physical therapy, orthotics or braces may also be useful. Initial recovery is typically within 2 to 3 days and full recovery is within 4 to 6 weeks. As tendinosis is more common than tendinitis, and has similar symptoms, tendinitis is often initially treated the same as tendinosis. This helps reduce some of the chronic long-term risks of tendinosis, which takes longer to heal. Steroid injections have not been shown to have long term benefits and are equivalent to NSAIDs in the short term. In chronic tendinitis laser therapy has been found to be better than conservative treatment at reducing pain; however, no other outcomes were accessed
Steroid injections have not been shown to have long term benefits and are equivalent to NSAIDs in the short term. In chronic tendinitis laser therapy has been found to be better than conservative treatment at reducing pain; however, no other outcomes were accessed.

Now, there is a better way to treat tendonitis than the “traditional” method!

The use of cold (low level) laser and a unique patch applied to the area is a revolutionary way to actually HEAL the tendon at a radically accelerated rate!

For information on cold laser, please refer to the page on this web site. Below are the ingredients used in the Wei Fast Patch that are used to heal tendons:

Cortex Cannamomi
Cortex Periplocae
Fructus Chaenomelis
Myrrhax
Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae
Radix Aconiti Jusnezolfii
Radix Angelicae Pubescentis
Radix Angelicae Sinensis
Radix Dipsaci
Radix Paeoniae Rubra
Resina Ferulae
Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum
Rhizoma Seu Radix Notoplergyi
Lignum Sappan
Lignum Piri Nodi

The FASTT Patch is used to treat musculoskeletal system injuries such, tendonitis, sprains and strains, and bursitis. It accelerates the healing of acute and chronic injuries and injuries caused by overuse of the tendon.

The FASTT Patch is a scientifically-designed Chinese herbal mixture attached to the highest grade, waterproof surgical tape available. When placed on the injured area, the herbal ingredients migrate slowly through the skin and increase the blood flow to the injured area and accelerate the healing mechanism, which facilitate the growth of the new tissue. This proposed mechanism was supported by the observation that the skin temperature in the area with herb coverage is higher than the temperature of the surrounding skin. The herbs also help increase the lymphatic circulation and accelerate the dead  tissue break down, as we have observed that the bruises in the injured area can be cleared rapidly (within 24 hours) after the FASTT Patch was applied and noticeable pain reduction begins within a couple of hours when treating an acute condition. With a faster new tissue growth, dead tissue clear-up, and the use of cold laser therapy, you can actually speed up the healing tendons 8 to 10 times quicker.

The key to successful tendonitis treatment is patience. In almost 90% of recurring tendonitis cases the individual did not give the tendon sufficient time to recover before returning to the activity that caused the pain initially. If you do not give the tendon enough time to recover tendonitis will return, it’s a simple as that.

Please call us for a no-charge consultation regarding your specific problem.

Common Chiropractic Benefits

Dysfunction in your muscoskeletal system does not exclude anyone. Therefore, anyone will benefit from the healing ability of chiropractic care to provide relief from any form of discomfort that one undergoes when they have misaligned spine, back, or neck. But for individuals who are required to remain active, the presence of such dysfunction disables them from performing well and limit their motor capacity. This is due to the fact that any form of movement on the traumatized area of the body can result to pain or discomfort.
Regardless of the cause of your initial discomfort, among the benefits you can enjoy are as follows:

• Improved circulation
• Reduction or elimination of lactic acid
• Smoother travel of oxygen and nutrients in the body
• More flexibility
• Elimination of any pain or soreness
• Faster recovery time
• Reduced muscle spasm
• Prevention of future injury
• More relaxed feeling

Combination Treatments

If you want to enhance the benefits of chiropractic care, it is best to combine your efforts with natural techniques. Even chiropractors recommend it in order to help your body adjust to the treatment provided. The relief from any pressure or source of discomfort will allow your body to attain maximum mobility and better performance.

To enhance the results, you must try to develop a routine that incorporates the following physical activities:

• Keep your body properly hydrated.
• Follow a healthy nutritional plan.
• Do some stretching exercises or develop a healthy exercise routine.

Additional Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Several people have misconceptions about chiropractic care. One of them being that it is not a valid form of treatment and is used only for mild cases of back pain, headaches, and the like. However, this form of treatment method offer adjustment benefits even to those suffering from extreme cases of spinal or vertebral misalignment. But the benefits extend beyond muscoskeletal and different people who suffer from these illnesses experience varying results as well:

• For pregnant women, they are able to deliver much easier.
• For babies, they have improved developmental abilities and prevent the possibility of acquiring scoliosis.
• For kids, it helps prevent asthma, ear infection, bedwetting, among other things.
• For adults, they are able to generate more energy and increase productivity.
• For senior individuals, they attain better balance and prevent injury caused by falling off.

Meanwhile, overall results and benefits reported from patients who’ve undergone chiropractic care include the following:

• Boost in the functions of the immune and nervous system.
• Patients attain improved vitality.
• Breathing becomes easier.
• Better digestive function.
• Sharper vision.
• Improved overall health.

When Do Results Become Evident?

Following chiropractic treatment, your body will start to realign and relieve yourself from any pressure that is causing pain in your joints. In mild cases, a patient will immediately experience relief soon after undergoing chiropractic care. Hence, this is one of the advantages of opting for chiropractic care over surgical or medical procedures that often require a long recovery period.

In other cases, there might be a slight feeling of soreness or aching that can be felt with chiropractic treatment. The reason for this is that your body has to readjust to the realignment done after being misaligned for a while.

However, it shouldn’t take long either before your body can regain its normal function and mobility.

There are a wide variety of chiropractic care suited for all types of ailments or medical condition. It can be used to address general health care or treat specific types of condition. Therefore, chiropractic care also has its own share of specialized branches just like any areas of medical profession. In cases wherein misalignment (termed as subluxations in the chiropractic profession) aredetected, chiropractors perform mild adjustments to provide relief for patients on the area where the misalignment was found.

Chiropractors are categorized into two. The first ones can perform a wide variety of treatment forms to couple with the existing treatment for their patients such as diet and nutrition plans, and physiotherapy. Meanwhile, there are also chiropractors that concentrate on a specific area of chiropractic care and treatment.

In terms of the general types of chiropractic care, there are three of them. Each are discussed below in order to help patients and chiropractors decide what best method of treatment can be used.
Relief Chiropractic

This type of chiropractic care is done on patients who suffer from any form of pain or discomfort, regardless of cause. The purpose of this treatment is to provide immediate relief from any undesirable sensation. The length of treatment period largely vary according to the extent of the damage acquired by the patient and how it can be corrected.

Corrective Chiropractic

This is a more advanced type of chiropractic care. It is performed on patients who suffered from spinal problems over a long period of time and have developed into a more complicated condition that have been neglected of proper treatment. For corrective chiropractic care, the process usually extends on a long term treatment. The length in itself is determined by the extent of the damage and how the patient responds to the treatment given.

Maintenance Chiropractic

As the name implies, this type of chiropractic care is intended to sustain any form of treatment already administered to a patient with spine problems. In some cases, chiropractic treatment is  continued even after the initial treatments have proven successful. The idea behind this type of chiropractic care is to prevent the possibility of the condition’s recurrence, especially in the case of your spine.
Once they have experienced some form of damage, the spine becomes weak and maintenance is therefore necessary. Hence, a patient is required to visit their chiropractor on certain intervals, for instance every 2 to 6 weeks, so the doctor can assess the progress of the treatment.

Importance of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine that helps one achieve overall health. It focuses on an internal healing system that addresses any spinal problems that cause interference on the activities of your nerves and cells. This explains the growing popularity of chiropractic care for its focus on attaining the normal functions of the body.

As for your different health needs, there are different types of chiropractic care available. Hence, initial consultation with a chiropractor is necessary to evaluate the extent of the damage and what specific chiropractic treatment to correct them. By restoring your body’s normal functions, you are enabling your body to naturally heal.

Also, it helps prevent further damage caused by the presence of such dysfunction in your health system. As soon as you start feeling any abnormalities in your body, seek the help of a nearby chiropractor to prevent the worsening of your condition and improve overall health.

Chiropractic in Infants or Toddlers

Many infants or babies suffer trauma during their birth process. Therefore, parents must pay close attention to any misalignment on their neck or spine. Since they are unable to speak about how they feel or any pain they’re suffering from, study them when they are seated.
If they are constantly looking at the same direction, then it could mean that the neck’s vertebrae is fixated or “subluxated” meaning there is a functional lack of motion in the spine. This could ultimately lead to an irritation or sore, hence adjustments need to be done to provide relief for the baby. Aside from reducing the amount of discomfort that the baby suffers from, it also allow a wider range of motion in their neck area. Since the stability of a baby’s spine is crucial in their development, chiropractic adjustments are therefore necessary in establishing a normal pattern of motion.

Chiropractic in Kids/Children

In cases of older children, their engagement in sports or active routine could expose them to problems in their spine, neck, or back pain. Hence, it is no longer uncommon these days to find children being treated with chiropractic care. In other cases, those who suffer from migraine can be treated by conducting adjustments on the vertebrae to eliminate the frequency or reduce the amount of discomfort caused by the migraine. *Not sure where migraine entered into the sports discussion. All of these factors could contribute to the formation of any misalignment on your child’s body.

Symptoms: Knowing When Your  Child Needs Chiropractic Care

Unless it has reached a crucial stage or has become quite obvious, spinal problems in children are often difficult to identify. And yet, early detection from parents is crucial in order to ensure that your child is provided the medical care it needs to normalize bodily functions and free them of any discomfort associated with the condition. Below are common symptoms that could indicate a spinal dysfunction in your child:

• abnormal sleeping patterns
• misaligned shoulders
• limited mobility of the head or neck
• recurrence of ear infection
• scoliosis
• constant headaches
• bedwetting
• persistent colds
• for infants, difficulties in breastfeeding

A common cause for parents to seek chiropractic care for their young children is due to trauma suffered from an injury. When a child suffers from any physical injury, it could cause a misalignment on the spine. In some cases, no pain or pain or symptoms are experienced right away but the problem is internal and it does not often manifest itself right away.

Is It Safe?

As already mentioned, there is a specialized branch of chiropractic care that is intended for children or babies. As opposed to the swift and firm application of force on pressure points when using chiropractic to treat adults, a much gentler approach is done on children. As with adults too, children can undergo a painless procedure of chiropractic treatment.

A children chiropractor would begin with an assessment of a child’s health condition by asking the parent a series of questions. Or if the child is old enough, the doctor asks them for any specific complaints.

Following chiropractic treatment, children respond to the treatment much faster than most adults do. In fact, most only require a few sessions until the normal functions of the affected part are restored.

Why Pregnant Women Need Chiropractic Care?

This is an important question that pregnant women need to find an answer to. When a woman becomes pregnant, her body undergoes a variety of physiological and endocrinological changes as the baby inside her womb starts to develop. Due to these changes, the pregnant mother could suffer from cases of misalignment in her joint or spine that results in either one or a combination of the following:

• More prominent curve on her back,
• Enlargement of the abdomen,
• Pelvic changes,
• Changes in posture.

Due to these changes, some women might have difficulty attaining proper balance and alignment. Hence, chiropractic care will help correct them and enable you to develop a better posture that puts less pressure on your body. Also, misalignment of your pelvis could limit the baby’s development inside your womb.

Is it Safe?

Although it is not fully conclusive that chiropractic care is safe for pregnant women, there are also no contraindications that would prevent women from experiencing such treatment procedures. All trained chiropractors have been briefed about using the procedures on pregnant women, hence it is generally safe and the benefits far outweigh the risks.

There are also chiropractors who specialize in chiropractic treatment for pre-natal and peri-natal care for women. Therefore, additional training is required in order to ensure the safety of both baby and mother. Doctors who undergo chiropractic care on pregnant women adjust the intensity of their treatment procedures according to how far into their pregnancy stage the woman is. In some cases, chiropractors suggest stretching and exercise routines that pregnant women can develop for a safer and healthier pregnancy.

Benefits of Pregnancy Chiropractic Care

Before women even undergo labor, the recommendations to undergo chiropractic care helps them in several ways. It includes the following:

• It helps them achieve a healthier pregnancy.
• It will enable women to have better control over symptoms or other conditions associated with pregnancy.
• It enables them to deliver faster and more efficiently.
• It provides relief from pain on the neck, back, or joints.
• It helps women avoid the possibility of undergoing cesarean section.

The Effects of Chiropractic Care During Labor

Aside from the benefits above, chiropractic care offers several other benefits for women during the actual labor, especially in terms of pain management. If you want a more successful delivery, then try to learn about how chiropractic care will help you achieve that.
Length of Labor

When the human body is subjected to extremely stressful situations, its level of balance and ability to adapt is crucial in determining how the body is impacted by that situation. Most of what women who undergo Cesarean section during delivery is due to the body’s ability to cope with the stress of delivery. Most of it is caused by misalignment on the pelvis that slows down the descent of the fetus towards the mother’s birth canal. Limited range of motion also affects a woman’s ability to labor more efficiently.
Hence, proper adjustments using chiropractic care enables a woman to address the above problems and significantly reduce the amount of time spent on labor.

Fetal Position

This is another component that will impact labor time. Most chiropractic treatments help adjust the pelvic positioning and in the process correctly places the fetus. That way, it will be easier for the fetus to be delivered easily. Health experts also believe that undergoing chiropractic treatments help avoid the acquisition of any form of back labor.

On Subluxation

Spinal bone misalignments can occur, thereby hindering the regular flow of nerve energy called subluxations. Several individuals still relate these with severe trauma. The spine is believed to be affected only after carrying very heavy items or being involved in a car accident. The truth is that daily activities among young children and infants can lead to subluxations. A lot of babies actually get subluxations before birth or during delivery.

Cesarean section is one of the modern medical techniques that create irregular strains on the vulnerable body of the baby, due to use of forceps and other materials and medications that induce delivery. On most occasions, physicians hold the baby in an upside down position, putting the tiny spine in a great deal of stress because of the stretched, twisted and tugged form. Subluxations will then ensue.

Caring for Kids

Parents are highly encouraged to have their kids visit the chiropractor’s clinic at a very young age. The strain on your kids’ spine will not end in the delivery room. Children are naturally energetic, playful and active, so they indulge in several physically straining activities like jumping, running and falling.

On the exterior, the body will only present bruises or small scratches. The interior, however, may present more serious problems because of considerable force acted upon it. Small bones that form the spinal column, can be forced to assume an unnatural position, thereby reducing the protection provided to the system.

Effects on Kids

Subluxations among kids can lead to different body problems such as disabilities, disease and other signs and symptoms. Whenever nerve flow in the body is hindered, the brain will only get distorted messages, so the body cannot work excellently. Optimum level of health cannot be achieved. Some of the manifestations that parents should watch out for to determine if their child needs to be checked by a chiropractor include hyperactivity, stomach pain, fever, bed wetting, sore throat, colds, flu and poor posture.

Treatment Measures

Spinal problems in kids can be treated by first having the chiropractor conduct a thorough evaluation of the spine. A lot of these experts are experienced and trained to view pediatric spinal problems. Spinal adjustments may be done on infants and children, using light fingertip techniques to improve spinal structures and other malfunctions.

The pressure usually does not exceed 1 pound. It is usually enough to restore spinal joint mobility. Some of the things to expect are popping sounds as joints are moved.

Chiropractic on children and infants are not painful, although kids may find the first few sessions frightening. It is normal to see kids cry during visits, because of apprehensive feelings. Children only need fewer adjustments, compared to adults, since their spine is more mobile and can be corrected more easily.

The number of treatments will depend on the duration of the current condition. Kids will need to be re-evaluated every now and then to check progress, and if other therapies are required for full recovery.

Talking About Safety

Chiropractic care is generally safe even when given to pregnant patients, provided that the practitioner is a qualified and experienced chiropractor. The professional should be well-trained in the physical changes that happen inside a pregnant woman’s body. Chiropractors trained to deal with pregnant patients need to have a special table that adjusts accordingly to the shape and size of a pregnant women, at different stages of the process. Techniques will be incorporated to avoid unnecessary pressure on the abdomen.

It is vital that you get a chiropractor who specializes in the treatment of pregnant women. The professional should be highly competent in meeting the needs of pregnant women, providing stretches and exercises that are generally safe during pregnancy and support any type of adjustment given to the spine.

Is It Useful?

When a women enters pregnancy, a lot of physical changes and alterations in the endocrine system occurs, which prepare the environment for the growing fetus. The changes can also lead to joint and spine problems as evidenced by pelvic changes, protruding abdomen and more back curve, posture changes, uterus enlargement and uterus expansion forward.

When you create a balance and pelvis alignment, you get to have chiropractic care during pregnancy. Pelvic misalignment often lowers the available room for the baby. The baby may have a hard time getting into the right position just in time for delivery. The spine also needs to be aligned, so that the nervous system can properly send messages to different systems and organs, thereby making the body work better.

Knowing the Benefits

Pregnant women can benefit greatly from chiropractic care, such as a controlling signs and symptoms such as nausea and headache, keeping a healthy pregnancy, relieving joint, neck and back pain, minimizing the time of delivery and labor and avoiding the possibility of a caesarean section.

Because balance is achieved in the pelvis of pregnant women, unnecessary stress is removed or reduced in the uterus and supporting ligaments. The balanced state then makes it easier for babies to turn naturally. The risk for having a breech position is lessened significantly. Babies may be presented in the breech position until the 3rd trimester, which is very normal. It is only during the 37th week that experts start worrying about breech position.

Treating Symptoms

Chiropractic care during pregnancy can eliminate several problems such as sciatica, low back pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome and midback and rib pain. Pregnancy associated with low back pain is usually linked to several joint problems in the body.

As women’s bodies become heavier throughout pregnancy, more and more stress and physical conditions can develop. These should be treated immediately with chiropractics. Subluxation is described as misalignment of joints, thereby triggering irritation to tissues and nerves in the surrounding areas. Hormones also boost quickly during pregnancy with some causing joints, muscles and ligaments to relax.

The pelvis, in turn opens, allowing the baby to pass through the birth canal. Treatment via chiropractics is highly useful in assisting mothers have easier deliveries.

Chiropractic practice was founded upon some very fundamental principles that have profound public health implications. First, chiropractic has always emphasized the inherent recuperative powers of the body and that non-drug , non-surgical treatment methods should be the first strategy. How many low back pain patients would be spared from opiate addiction and unnecessary surgery if chiropractor rochester ny, chiropractors were truly recognized and utilized as the non-surgical spine experts by public health agencies? Second, chiropractors have always been focused on finding the cause of the problem, fixing it and leaving it alone. The sometimes immediate relief/reduction in pain and restoration of function following a successfully applied spinal adjustment is what captured the attention of our patients and third-party payers and led to the collective success in gaining licensure and recognition in the health care arena. In addition, chiropractors encouraged patients to remain active as possible and returning to their normal activities of daily living, encouraged specific exercises and participated in all aspects of their health.

Chiropractors are highly trained, educated professionals and are able to diagnose, treat and/or refer patients to the appropriate provider or venue. They are able to recognize the red flags and provide a service similar to a primary care physician. Many complaints of lower back pain are actually organic/visceral  in nature. With access to imaging referral such as x-ray and MRI’s, they are able to refine the diagnosis and know when chiropractic manipulation is appropriate and when it is not. Chiropractors see the patient as a synergistic whole person and not merely the sum of its parts or just a low back pain patient. The importance of diet, exercise, emotional stress and other factors often overlooked in other health disciplines is key to proper treatment and prevention. The use of manipulation, traction, ultrasound, cold laser therapy, muscle stimulation and exercise/lifestyle counseling should make chiropractic the number one and first in line choice for patients with spinal pain. From a public health perspective, low back pain is a national epidemic that has not been managed well by the medical profession. It is one of the leading causes of disability in the American work force and is one of the primary reasons for which Americans seek medical attention.

Acute lower back pain patients demonstrate significantly greater improvement with chiropractic than with “usual care”. with the publication of the Chiropractic Hospital-based Interventions Research Outcomes Study in the Spine Journal, one of the most frequently sited spine journals in the world, the health care community may finally appreciate what the chiropractic profession has been saying all along. Patients with acute lower back pain enjoy significant improvement with chiropractic care and little to no improvement with the care they receive from a family physician. Published in the December issue of Spine, the study found that after 16 weeks of care, patients who saw medical doctors saw almost no improvement in their disability scores, were still taking drugs and saw no added benefit with added physical therapy. It was also unlikely that they were referred to a Doctor of Chiropractic.

The study utilized the Chiropractic research framework to “examine the effectiveness of current evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines recommended for patients with acute mechanical lower back pain. This study was compared to the usual care provided by family physicians. After 16 weeks, 78% of patients in the usual care group were still taking narcotic analgesics medications on either a daily or as needed basis. Only 6% of this group had received chiropractic care. Patients assigned to the usual care group were referred back to their family physician who was simply “advised to treat at their own discretion”. Patients in this group received treatment from a variety of professionals including family physicians, massage therapists, kinesiologists, and/or physical therapists.

The primary outcome measure was the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. This questionnaire was administered at 16 weeks (when lower back pain is considered to become chronic) and also at eight and 24 weeks. While the difference was not significant at 8 weeks it was found to be clearly significant at 24 weeks of follow up. Both groups showed improvement in general bodily pain and physical functioning, but the patients in the usual care group showed no significant improvement whatsoever in the lower back pain functioning (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire).

A 2007 study that derided the efficacy of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy was found that the report based its conclusion on outcomes of therapies performed by non-chiropractors. Although current spinal-manipulative therapy is administered by other health professionals including osteopaths, orthopedic surgeons, family physicians, kinesiologists, naturopaths and physiotherapists, the level of training and clinical acumen vary widely.