Blog Lansing - NEW PATIENT SPECIAL

A Strong Foundation for a Properly Functioning Body

Have you ever noticed when something in your body is not working properly or just feeling off? If everything was in the proper place, working the way it was supposed to, you wouldn’t be experiencing that sensation. What chiropractors look for are spinal bones out of place, pinching on nerves. When you pinch a nerve it doesn’t cause pain. But it causes the nerve flow to be choked off. If the nerve flow is choked off, whatever that nerve is going to isn’t getting the right nerve energy and this will cause a weakness in that area. If you have a weakness then your body can’t handle the everyday stresses, the things you would like to do, and this can result in symptoms or pain. Sometimes, with repetitive stresses or trauma, this will cause the spine, usually over years, to heal wrong.

The point is to re-establish order in the structure of the body so that all the major segments are in vertical alignment where they can function properly. Picture a building that has lost its architectural integrity. When a building is even slightly off center, gravity can cause it to sag until finally it loses balance and begins to collapse under its own weight. A properly functioning nervous system is one of the keys to health and vitality. This can be achieved through utilizing different health options that chiropractors have to offer. Reducing or removing the nerve interference or subluxations helps the body reestablish its own innately driven architectural integrity.

Chiropractics and the Importance of a Proper Diet

Among the many things that a chiropractor recommends to a patient, a healthy diet is most important. A proper diet is essential to heal the spinal cord, along with prevention of further damage.

According to a study conducted in the state of New York, chiropractors were asked if they used any nutritional counseling in their treatments, which not just includes back problems, but also obesity, artery diseases, diabetes and a variety of other diseases affecting the human body.

Around 80 percent of those surveyed stated that they did use some form of nutritional counseling in their treatments, which gives an overview of the importance of proper diet in chiropractic. 50 percent of those who used nutritional counseling considered it to be a very important part of the chiropractic therapy.

The Link between Chiropractics and Diet

Chiropractic therapy treats numerous ailments, such as inflammation in the lower back or autoimmune anomalies like arthritis, scoliosis, neuritis or osteoarthritis. Research suggests that dietary changes can affect inflammation, which in turn can reduce the symptoms and pain caused by it. Also, most chiropractic patients are women, other symptoms that they may suffer from, such as menopause and premenstrual syndromes, can also be cured by proper diet and nutrition.

Not only that, but a proper diet can also help prevent spinal diseases from developing. As obesity is one of the most common causes of back problems, eating healthy non-fat foods can make a person less prone to spinal diseases like Sciatica.

There are numerous benefits in keeping a healthy diet, including increased energy, lower blood pressure and improved cognition, which result in a speedy recovery. Health foods such as low sugar whole grains, fruits and vegetables also reduce the risk of spinal tumors and cancer.

Improper nutrition, such as an excess of salts in the diet, can result in several other diseases as well, including high blood pressure. There is a direct link established between diabetes and excess Carbohydrates in the diet.

As dietary needs differ from individual to individual, you can ask your chiropractor to make a nutritional plan for you to follow according to your needs. A chiropractor could assess the nature of your ailment and devise a dietary schedule specifically suited to treat your condition.

Image Used under Creative Commons license. Photo Credit: Fruit & Vegetable Box by Ali Karimian

Chiropractor Lansing shares low back exercises for beginners.

Here is a simple exercises that you can do at home with no equipment.

It works the multifidus, erector spinae, transverse abdominus, oblique muscles.

The purpose of this exercise is to Increase low back strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention

Begin lying on your back.

Extend arms above head flat on floor.

Activate core and lift knees above hips and maintain a 90/90 hip and knee position.

Activate core.

Lift one arm off the floor and raise it towards ceiling until above shoulder level while simultaneously extending one leg downward towards floor.

Pause momentarily.

Return to start position, alternating sides.

Core activation should be maintained throughout entire exercise.

Repeat for recommended repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Disc Injuries -Thoracic Disc Herniation and Chiropractors

The demanding activities and tasks at the workplace and the lifting of heavy objects at home, causes pain in the back and neck region of the body, which if not treated appropriately, can result in serious disc injuries. Thoracic spine herniation is a medical condition, for which chiropractic offers effective treatment methods.

What Is Thoracic Disc Herniation?

Thoracic disc herniation is a type of disc injury in which the upper back region of the body is affected and a tingling pain permeates throughout the affected area. In some cases, the patient might feel pain in his chest and rib cage, which might be because of the pressure exerted on the nerves in the area.

The thoracic spine of the body consists of 12 vertebra, referred to by doctors as T1 to T12. The thoracic spine begins at the base of the neck, and continues until the end of the rib cage, where the T12 vertebra joins with the first vertebra of the lumbar region.

Thoracic disc herniation is a medical condition caused by the bulging or swelling of the pulpous and nerve material, located in the center of the disc. The material squeezes out of its narrow space and becomes exposed. The pressure exerted by the disc on the exposed nerves causes extreme pain to the individual which hampers him in engaging in different everyday activities.

Disc generation is also a probable cause of thoracic disc herniation, as the disc experiences wear and tear due to age and strenuous usage. This medical condition is more likely to develop in individuals who are in the 40 to 60 year age bracket.

Medical professionals conduct MRI scans in order to determine that there is no pressure and damage to the spinal cord because of the degeneration of the disc. In extreme cases, where the herniated disc exerts pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves, an individual can even suffer from a paralysis in the lower region of the body.

If the disc herniation is more to the side, it might cause pressure or impingement on the nerve root, causing pain in the abdomen and chest walls. In other cases, the pressure on the nerves might cause a combination of different symptoms ranging from upper back pain to tingling sensations all down the spine.

Chiropractic and Disc Injuries

Chiropractic offer non-invasive treatment methods for different spine, neck and disc injuries. They provide services for joint adjustment and relief from various musculoskeletal disorders. Chiropractic is gaining popularity for effective treatment of different painful muscle strains and disorders.

Image used under Creative Commons Licensing: the neck thing. ouch. no really…ouch! by Beth Punches

The Acai Berry – A Chiropractic Lifestyle Facilitator

When we talk about chiropractic and the particular lifestyle a chiropractor in Lansing, Michigan would recommend, proper nutrition is often mentioned. Fresh fruits and vegetables are keys to any successful diet. The Acai berry, grown in the Brazilian rainforest, is the “in” ingredient and exotic flavor that’s sweeping the country. The question is why? When poured, its deep purple in color and it’s that rich color that holds all the antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances or nutrients which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as “free radical scavengers” and thus prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals. The acai berry is super high in antioxidants and all the other stuff that promotes health. They even says its anti-mutagenic which means, everybody is getting DNA damage everyday because of radiation and oxidative stress and there’s a lot of evidence that the berries like this can really help prevent that damage which can eventually prevent many problems such as neck pain and back pain. These types of symptoms could be caused by biochemical stress such as bad nutrition or physical stress.

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