Dr. Jason Helton

Halloween 2011

Dr. Jason Helton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:01:58 +0000

Following the tradition of my oldest daughter, Quinn, my 1 year old baby girl came dressed for Halloween as mini-me. Ella wanted to be a cupcake. We had a great time

Shoulder Pain Treatment

Dr. Jason Helton — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:13:17 +0000

I’ve recently seen several patients with shoulder pain and dysfunction. Some are post-surgical and some are considering surgery. One significant finding I nearly always see is trigger points or tender points in the rotator cuff BELLIES. The rotator cuff is typically not the largest area of pain or fixation. Specifically, the Teres Major and Minor and the Pectoralis muscle in the front of the chest are spasmed, contractured and extremely painful. I’ve found that decreasing the chronic muscle spasms in the shoulders reduces a majority of pain and improves pain free range of motion. I’ve used myofascial release to free up the spasms. I’ve also used Gua Sha (an acupuncture technique without needles) and the Impulse Adjusting instrument to release spasms. By far, the best results are with the Class IV Laser. The laser is painless to use and is able to penetrate deeper than any other therapy. I’m saddened by the number of people who’ve had rotator cuff surgery for pain and then are still in pain and have even less mobility. What I’ve noticed is that most people have very little idea that there are many different alternatives to surgery for shoulder pain. If you or someone you know is suffering from shoulder pain, find a doctor with experience and success in treating these conditions non-surgically. The Class IV or “Hot” laser is a game changer when it comes to treating shoulder pain.

Drug deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in U.S., Times analysis shows – latimes.com

Dr. Jason Helton — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:56:49 +0000

Drug deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in U.S., Times analysis shows – latimes.com.

It’s crazy how we tell kids to avoid drugs yet try to get them to take prescription medication. It’s a sad state of affairs when we don’t have to worry as much about the shady drug dealer on the corner so much as the medications coming out of the pharmacies on every street corner.

Vertigo City

Dr. Jason Helton — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:10:26 +0000

Interesting cases lately at the office. I’ve seen more people with acute onset vertigo in the last month than I have in the past 2 years. It seems to be a combination of sinus issues, middle ear problems, and dehydration. Allergies and sinus problems have been huge this summer and fall. The patients who’ve seen a MD haven’t gotten any clues other than possibly an inner ear infection. I’ve treated them with specific upper neck adjustments and checked TMJ (jaw) issues. For most patients, they symptoms have gradually eased. My advice is to stay hydrated. We’re at a higher elevation and in a massive drought. When things stop “flowing” illnesses fire up.

Chew on THIS!

Dr. Jason Helton — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 02:47:14 +0000

This week was the week for jaw and face pain. I had several new patients and even a few regular patients with the complaint of jaw pain or TMJ pain. In my years of practice, I’ve discovered that most of the patients with tension headaches also have a jaw problem. During the exam, I’ll ask about jaw pain and palpate the motion of the jaw. Oftentimes, the jaw is fixated or “stuck” on one side. What may surprise many people is that the stuck side is not always the painful side. The OTHER side is over worked and irritated. I use the Impulse Adjuster to adjust the jaw as well as adjust the neck and upper back. The Class IV laser also works well on alleviating pain for the short term. But, I can’t get great lasting results without patients doing some lifestyle changes. These include:

Don’t chew gum. It wears those muscles out and makes them sore.
Don’t sleep on your stomach. It’s terrible for your neck but also will misalign your jaw if you lay on your arm.
If you have a bite guard or splint: WEAR it. It will at least keep the jaws seperated.
Don’t eat hard candy or Jawbreakers (you’d think this would be a no-brainer) or tough meat.
Remind yourself to relax your jaw periodically.

As with all conditions, consult your doctor regarding your case specifically. Frequent headaches, tinnitus (ringing in the ears,) ear pain, tooth pain, frequent ear infections, hearing loss, and face sensitivity may all be related to your jaw.

A Day full of kids

Dr. Jason Helton — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 04:47:34 +0000

Great day in the office today. I had a ton of my maintenance kids in the office for their adjustments. The great thing about treating kids is that they get well. And, they get well quickly. Those in the office today were mainly coming in initially for sinus, ear or Chronic Upper respiratory infections. I had my New Patient Orientation Class last night and discussed how I don’t treat ear infections or bedwetting or even headaches. As a Chiropractor, I treat the cause of the problem not the symptom. Headaches aren’t typically a pain in the head. They’re usually a referred pain or result of something being “off” such as an upper cervical spine misalignment or even a TMJ (Jaw) misalignment. Same with kids: ear infections are usually a result of a mechanical blockage or poor drainage of the ear. Reduce the blockage and you reduce the ear problems. I’m always amazed at how much healthier kids are with regular adjustments. I treat my kids on a regular basis. My oldest is 3 and never been on antibiotics. I’m not against antibiotics but I am against the overprescription of them. When and if my daughters ever need them, they will work for them because they’ve not had to use them in the past.

Chiropractic: safe…really safe

Dr. Jason Helton — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 19:37:57 +0000

read this…should make you pause before starting at your surgeon for back pain. Medicine and surgery are necessary..but they carry high risks….Chiropractic is safe and low risk. It’s also highly effective. Start with the safest and least invasive thing first, then, if we can’t help it, we’ll move on from there

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/04/18/prl20418.htm.

Dr. Dennis Jones joins Helton Chiropractic

Dr. Jason Helton — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:59:06 +0000

We’re happy to welcome Dr. Dennis Jones to our Lubbock clinic. Dr. Jones joins us from Belton, TX where he was in private practice. Dr. Jones is a native of Odessa, TX where he grew up in in the oil fields of the Permian Basin. He is a veteran of the US Army and has practiced Chiropractic for 22 years. He was a staff doctor in the public clinic of Texas Chiropractic College in Pasadena, TX where he helped train Chiropractic Interns in treating patients. Dr. Jones specializes in Headache treatment and care of Fibromyalgia patients. Please say hi to Dr. Jones when you come into the clinic.

U.S. drug czar takes aim at country’s deadliest drug problem: addictive prescription painkillers | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Dr. Jason Helton — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:56:53 +0000

U.S. drug czar takes aim at country’s deadliest drug problem: addictive prescription painkillers | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Prescription painkillers kill more people than cocaine and heroin combined? Where does the war on drugs need to focus?

Just say no to drugs. Especially the legal ones.

Heel Spur pain success with Hot Laser Therapy

Dr. Jason Helton — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:04:13 +0000

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