Category Archives: chiropractor

NFL Players Abuse Painkillers

On: July 23, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information, spinal manipulation

opioid painkiller A study conducted by the Washington University shows that NFL Players are prone to abusing the use of painkillers, especially during Super Bowls. However, what seems to be quite alarming is that this habit continues into retirement.

According to the study, retired National Football League players who excessively use opioid painkillers while still playing tend to continue using the drug even after they leave the sport. Moreover, they have discovered that more than half of the NFL players are enslaved to the drug. In fact, there are more than 71% of the players who are abusing it while playing and 15% admits to continuously misusing the drug after they retire.

Frank Gifford, a former newscaster and member of NY Giants stated ‘Pro football is like nuclear warfare. There are no winners, only survivors.’ His statement is further supported by the findings in Cottler’s report. The rate of opioid misuse among NFL players is three times more than the lifetime rate of nonmedical use of the drug among the general public.

Misuse is defined as taking a drug more than what it is prescribed for. If you use it in a way other than it is prescribed, that is abuse as well. Finally, if you use it for a different reason then you are also abusing the drug.

To conclude the study, NFL players were misusing the painkiller during play for moderate to severe pain, undiagnosed concussions and drinking too much alcohol in one week. Undiagnosed concussions were reported to be at 81% among misusers.

What is Opioid Painkiller?

It is any chemical that resonate opiates in its pharmacological effects. It binds with opioid receptors that are found in the central and peripheral nervous system as well as in the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors control both the psychoactive and somatic effects of the drug.

Medical Uses of Opioid

Acute pain – opioids are effective to cure acute pain and they are usually prescribed to a person who has undergone surgery. They also play an important role in palliative care to help ease disabling pain that may be experienced by patients who have cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic diseases.
Shortness of Breath – opioids are found to help with shortness of breath that is suffered by patients with cancer and COPD.
Chronic non-cancer Pain – although some people take opioids to relieve them from non-chronic conditions like headache and back pain, this is strongly discouraged by medical professionals. When used this way, opioids are said to do more than damage than good to the patient.

How to Detect if you Have a Fractured Bone

On: July 20, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information

$fractured bone$ Did you know that you may have a fractured bone without you being aware of it? Find out the symptoms from this article and prevent the risk of developing serious bone fractures in the future.

Keep in mind that any crack or break in your bone is already considered a fractured bone. Being involved in automobile accidents is the most common cause of having a fractured bone. However, some injuries may also occur in the comforts of your home.

Having a fractured arm bone mostly occurs in children because they tend to hold out their arms to break a fall. For older people (age 65 and above), they tend to fracture their hips, spine, arm and leg more.

The symptoms of a bone fracture depend on the bone that is fractured and from what accident it was incurred. The shin bone is a long bone in the body that is often broken with symptoms ranging from mild swelling to a bone sticking out through the skin.

Types of Bone Fractures

Greenstick – this is a crack on the side of a bone but the damage doesn’t go all the way through.

Complete – this type of fracture goes all the way through the bone.

Stress – this is hairline crack that happens when the bone is overused. Most of the time, minor leg fractures result from this type of bone fracture.

Compression – this type of fracture often happens to the spinal cord when the bone collapses.

Open – this one is categorized by a broken skin. Also known as compound fractures, the bone goes out of the skin when this happens.

Comminuted – this type refers to broken bones in more than one part of the body.

Most Common Symptoms of Bone Fractures

Deformed bone or joint
Swelling or bruising around the affected area
Sever pain that gets worse when moving
Broken skin with the bone showing through
Sensation in the area is lost
Inability to move

Everyone is at risk of suffering from a fracture. However, individuals who are under the age of 20 or over the age of 65 are of greater risk of accidents. Middle-aged women and over are prone to experiencing fractured bones than men of the same age group because they easily develop osteoporosis. Undergoing menopause causes women to lose a significant amount of estrogen which lowers down their calcium level as well.

Cognitive Disorders and Delirium

On: June 18, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, cognitive disorders, Health, Hispanic, Information

The information stated in this article is all based on what was provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Cognitive disorders and delirium are both neuropsychiatric syndromes that are often experienced by patients suffering from cancer and other advanced illnesses. The possibility ranges from 28% to 48% from individuals who have advanced cancer or has been admitted to the hospital. The patients usually undergo delirium hours or days before they die.

The syndrome is often referred to as acute confusional state and in the last days of a patient’s life, terminal restlessness represents delirium. Delirium is usually associated with the dying phase of a person’s life but some episodes are still reversible. There are therapeutic interventions that can reverse delirium or at least provide an improvement.

Moreover, prevention of the syndrome with cancer patients has not been systematically examined yet. But the early identification of the risk factors involved is a big help to lower down the occurrence of delirium episodes.

More on Delirium

This is known as a global cerebral disorder that involves difficulty in attention, focus and cognition. It is also associated with behavioral manifestations.

The patient finds it difficult to focus which lowers down his or her awareness and attention.
The patient undergoes disturbances in cognition and perception.
The patient loses track of reality, like what time it is. There’s a fluctuation over the course of a day.

There are other associated non-core clinical features included such as sleep-wake cycle disturbance, delusion, emotional instability and disturbance in the person’s psychomotor activity which is further subcategorized into three types.

Hypoactive
Hyperactive
Combination of hypoactive and hyperactive features

Furthermore, keep in mind that these facts are based on studies conducted among adult patients. These are supported by evidence and practice that relate to adults as discussed. The evidence and treatments may vary when it comes to dealing with children. The results and information vary greatly and should be studied separately. So if you’re concern is getting more facts about the syndrome for children, you better find a study under its own heading. Better yet, go to a specialist that will be able to discuss it to you face-to-face.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Your Health

On: June 15, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in anti-inflammatory diet, chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information

Anti-inflammatory diet involves eating minimally cooked and organic foods to achieve optimum health and desirable overall well-being. This diet program requires you to eat the following foods for 21 consecutive days to get desirable results.

Steamed Vegetables

Eat as much vegetables as you can but try to avoid potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and bell peppers. You may eat sweet potatoes and squash even yam. The main reason for recommending that you steam your vegetables is that this cooking process improves the utilization of food substances and lowers down the irritating residue in the gut which enables it to restore itself in time.

Nuts

You can eat all types of nuts except for peanuts. Your options range from almonds to cashews, walnuts to sunflower seeds – any nut that you fancy.

Legumes and Grains

Legumes are also recommended to be included in your diet. You can eat split peas, lentils, pinto beans, aduki and many more. Grains are also tolerable in this program as long as you limit your intake to two cups of cooked grains every day.

Here is a short list of the type of grains that you can eat:

Millet
Brown rice
Quinoa
Barley
Buckwheat
Oatmeal
Amaranth
Rice crisps
Wasa crackers

You cannot eat anything that has wheat in it. In other words, prepare meals that do not include bread in it especially the white one.

Fish and Chicken

If you want to eat some fish, make sure to choose a deep-sea fish such as salmon, cod, sardines and mackerel. Cooking options that you may use to prepare them are baking, poaching, steaming and broiling. As for chicken or turkey, you may not include the skin. Prepare the meat by baking, steaming or broiling and try to buy an organic chicken from the supermarket.

Stack Up on Fruits

There is a wide variety of fruits that you can include in your anti-inflammatory diet. If you already love eating fruits, then you will enjoy this diet more.

Cherries
Apples
Black currants
Blueberries
Pineapple
Kiwifruit
Guava
Lemons
Limes
Mulberries
Oranges
Papaya
Raspberries
Strawberries
Rhubarb
And many more…

Butter and Oils

If you want to use butter on your foods, mix one pound of it with one cup of extra virgin olive oil. Make sure to whip them together at room temperature before storing it in the fridge. If you need to use oil in any of your meal preparations, make sure to always use extra virgin olive oil.

Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica

On: May 27, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information, Sciatica

Sciatica is indicated by pain in the lower back or buttock that spreads out to the legs. The nerve pain felt by the patient varies in intensity and frequency – it can be moderate, severe or minimal and intermittent, constant or occasional.

Doctors of Chiropractic often deal with this medical condition and the pain their patients feel may be described as sharp and dull – like pins or needles are pricked through your nerves that cause electric shocks. Other symptoms that may be experienced by sciatica patients are numbness, burning and tingling sensations. This is why sciatica is often referred to as radiating pain, neuropathy or neuralgia.

However, it is important to keep in mind that sciatica is not a medical disorder, rather a symptom of a disorder.

Causes of Sciatica

When you have a nerve compression, that’s when you experience sciatica. Some examples of disorders that cause sciatica are lumbar spine subluxations, pregnancy and bulging discs. Non-spinal disorders such as diabetes and constipation may also cause you to feel sciatica. Such conditions can cause cramps or spasms in the muscles that pinch the sciatic nerve and lead to inflammation and pain. Sciatic nerve compression can further result to a loss of feeling or paralysis of limbs or group of muscles.

It is Essential to Have Proper Diagnosis for Sciatica

A chiropractor’s first step is to determine the cause of sciatica because there are many disorders that cause this pain. He or she will need to conduct a medical background check as well as a physical and neurological examination. You may need to undergo x-ray, MRI, CT scan and other tests to determine possible contradictions to spinal adjustments and other chiropractic treatments.

Chiropractic Approach for Sciatic Symptoms

The sole purpose of chiropractic treatment is to aid in the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Chiropractic is based on the principle that restricted spinal movement will lead to pain and improper body function. Another good thing about this treatment is that it’s drug-free and non-invasive.

They type of treatment given by a chiropractor will depend on the cause of a patient’s sciatica. The following are examples of treatments used to approach sciatica conditions.

Ice cold therapy – this helps reduce inflammation and lessens the pain.
Ultrasound – a gentle heat is created by the sound waves and it penetrates into the body’s tissues to improve the circulation of blood and prevent muscles spasms, cramping and stiffness.
TENS – transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a box-like portable machine that stimulates the muscles. This machine has varying electrical current intensities that can control pain and lessen muscles spasms. Chiropractors, physical therapists and rehab professionals use this machine all the time.

Chiropractic Treatment and Scoliosis

On: May 25, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information, Scoliosis

Doctors need to look at an x-ray image of your spine to make a firm diagnosis of how severe your scoliosis is. In order to plan out the appropriate treatment for you, a doctor needs to take into account how serious your curve situation already is among other factors. Another factor that needs to be considered is your age because if you’re still young and your spine is still growing, a variation of treatment choices is available for you. Your doctor will have to determine if your condition is likely to get worse and will suggest treatment options that will help better your spine curve.

If your curve measures from 25 to 50 degrees, they it is highly recommended that you seek for professional treatment. Curves that are higher than 50 degrees should undergo surgery as soon as possible to restore your normal posture.

Things that can Make Your Spine Straight

One thing’s for sure, a scoliosis curve will not straighten up on its own. Regular wearing of brace can help make it better but it will not fully straighten your back up. Surgery, a spinal fusion, is unfortunately the only sure way that will restore your normal spine condition – though not completely straight.

What If I Just Have a Slight Curve?

For children and grown-ups who only have a slight curve, which means less than 20 degrees curve, your doctor will regularly monitor your spine to ensure that it is not getting worse. You will be asked to have a check-up every 6 months and follow up x-rays annually.

Without Treatment, the Curve will Get Worse

There are two strong factors that can help predict if a scoliosis case is bound to get worse – young age and diagnosis of a large curve. Individuals who are 10 years and younger and have curves that are greater than 35 degrees are bound to suffer from serious cases if they don’t get treatment. Doctors said that once a person is fully grown, there is less chance for a curve to progress rapidly. Studies have shown that adults who have less than 30 degrees curve tend not to get worse through the years. However, those that have over 50 degrees suffer from worse cases as they incur 1 to 1 ½ degrees every year.

Will Chiropractic Treatment Help Me?

Chiropractic treatment has been very controversial for quite some time now. It is popular for treating acute short-term pain but it doesn’t seem to work as well for chronic conditions like scoliosis. Individuals who suffer from scoliosis and seek chiropractic treatment are often referred to a spinal orthopaedist or a neurosurgeon to prevent their curves from getting worse.

Why Water is Good for You

On: May 20, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information, water therapy

water therapy The human body is said to be made up of 60% percent water – using it in all its cells, organs and tissues to continue proper function and regulate temperature. Health experts highly suggest the regular intake of water and foods that contain fluids because your body loses it just by simply breathing and sweating. The amount of water that is required by your body is determined by several factors:

If you’re physically active or not
The climate of the place you live in
If you have illness or none
And many more…

Importance of Water in the Body

First of all, water protects your spinal cord, tissues and joints. Water can do more than just quenching your thirst, it can also keep your body tissues moist. It’s important that the moisture level of your eyes, nose, mouth, bones, brain and blood is at its optimum because these are very sensitive areas. And since water act as a lubricant and cushion for your joints, it also serves as a shield for your spinal cord.

Water Removes Waste from Body

If you have adequate amount of water in your body, it would be easier to remove waste form it through perspiring, urinating and defecating. Your internal organs like the kidney and liver uses water to flush out the toxins and wastes. Water can also prevent constipation as it keeps your stool soft. However, keep in mind that increasing water intake is not proven to cure constipation.

Helps Your Digestive System

The digestive process starts with your saliva which is based on water. The enzymes that are found in the saliva are responsible in breaking down food and liquid that you take in your body. It turns them into minerals and nutrients that are essential to your body. Water aids in your digestion of soluble fibers that benefits your bowel health by producing soft stools that easily pass through your system.

It Prevents Dehydration

Your body loses water every time you engage in physical activities. In fact, it loses water even when you’re just sitting around. It’s very important that you drink water especially during high heat climate or performing vigorous exercise. Lack in water may lead to dehydration that is very dangerous for your health. Doctors even recommend their patients to increase water intake if it would help treat some health conditions like UTI and other bladder infections. Higher levels of fluid intake are also advisable for expecting mothers and new mothers who are breastfeeding.

Tips to Help You Maintain Proper Spine Alignment

On: May 7, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information, spinal manipulation

proper spine alignment You may already have a spine alignment problem without you knowing it. It may be caused by a few fender-bender activities or a minor collision. You may not realize how serious the problem is until you suffer from an ankle sprain or a knee trouble that can develop into chronic pain. When the situation gets really worse, you may need to undergo surgery or a hip replacement. Prevent that from happening by following simple steps to good health and proper alignment.

Always Maintain Good Posture

Make it a habit to have neutral spine position wherein your pelvis, skull and rib cage are aligned on top of each other. This will help prevent overload on one vertebrae in your spine and your movements will be activated from the core muscles. Whenever your bones are properly aligned, you need less amount of energy to move and maintain balance. The rest of your body parts are spared from the stress too.

Perform Regular Exercise that Promotes Stability

Exercises that promote stability strengthen your back and abdomen muscles and help your spine achieve neutral posture. Some examples of these exercises are squats, planks and lunges. Physical therapists can offer assistance with this in the form of proprioceptive training, balance exercises and other related treatment plans.

Do Yoga Regularly

Yoga helps promote balance in your body which means that you’ll have a healthy spine for an agile body while practicing it. It also prevents back pain and other serious injuries. Specific yoga moves are designed to strengthen different muscle groups – focus on your problem areas to avoid incurring serious injuries.

Follow a Healthy Diet

Eating healthy food and leading a toxic-free lifestyle is always good for your overall well-being. Consequently, keeping your weight down will be beneficial for your proper spine alignment. Keeping your weight proportional to your height and body will prevent you from being ill and suffering from injuries.

Get Chiropractic Care

Getting proper posture starts with acknowledging the problem which is having improper spine alignment. A chiropractor will be able to address your situation with appropriate alignment treatments such as Pilates and a massage. They can help you achieve the proper posture in no time if you follow their advice and tips. Always keep in mind that improper spine alignment is not obvious during the early stages, you need to seek the help of a professional to ensure that you don’t have it.

The Relationship between Spinal Manipulation and Chiropractic Treatment

On: April 30, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information, spinal manipulation

There are many different treatments for musculoskeletal conditions that are offered by chiropractors today. According to recent surveys, about 80% of patients who undergo chiropractic care also get spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation is a hands-on treatment that is unique from other forms of manual therapy because it focuses on the spine. Chiropractors would often refer to it as an ‘adjustment’ but it is widely known as spinal manipulation.

What is Spinal Manipulation?

This unique form of treatment involves the application of a quick, shallow thrust to the affected area. It helps adjust the joints beyond their normal range of movement. It releases dissolved gas from joint fluids through a quick drop in pressure. However, you don’t need to hear the ‘pop’ to say that the treatment was effective or not. Spinal manipulation should only be conducted by registered and licensed professionals like chiropractors, physical therapists and medical doctors.

What is Spinal Manipulation For?

This treatment is conducted to reduce the pain and help restore proper function to mechanical disorders in the spinal column. Chiropractors are well-trained when it comes to these highly specialized forms of manual therapy. They are knowledgeable and can determine what type of treatment is most suitable to your condition. Spinal manipulation, especially when paired with other kinds of treatment like stretching and exercise, is very efficient in improving one’s body movement and well-being.

What Does Spinal Manipulation Usually Treat?

Spinal manipulation’s exact mechanism is still unclear as of today. However, there are a number of ongoing researches conducted that include unlocking stuck spinal joints, stimulation of nervous system and movement among tight muscles and entrapped joints.

In general, spinal manipulation has been proven to be safe and efficient as a manual form of therapy, especially for neck and back pains. Today, it is also conducted on patients who are suffering from long lasting and recurring musculoskeletal disorders. A certified chiropractor is trained to determine any serious health condition that calls for spinal manipulation or other forms of manual therapy.

In the event that a chiropractor thinks that this type of treatment is not suitable, he or she will refer you to the appropriate specialist. You have nothing to worry about as chiropractors know when a person needs their help. If after their assessment they find out that you are not a suitable candidate for chiropractic treatment, then they will point you to the right medical direction.

Managing Sore Muscles

On: April 1, 2015 By: Manuel Posted in chiropractor, Health, Hispanic, Information, muscle soreness

muscle soreness Working hard at the office all week makes you feel that you need to reward yourself during the weekend. People have varying ways of unwinding after a long week’s work – some go for a hike to the mountains, others stay at home with a bottle of wine and there are also those who go to the gym to recharge.

If you’re the type to do a vigorous activity after a busy work week to feel good, then it is more likely that you’ll feel soreness in your body after. However, you shouldn’t let your muscle pains consume you. Here are some tips that you can use to kiss those soreness and stiffness goodbye!

Causes of Muscle Pains

Experiencing soreness in the muscles is a normal thing especially if you’re doing vigorous physical activities.

You do something that your body is not used to like joining a marathon when you just normally go for a jog.
You extend the length of your exercise.
You do an unusual exercise routine, something different from what you do on a daily basis.

Changes in your exercise, no matter how gradual, will cause tiny injuries to the muscle fibers and connective tissues in your body. Usually, the soreness comes the day after you have performed the exercise. Physical therapists refer to that as ‘delayed onset’ muscle soreness. This condition peaks after 48 hours that the activity happened, but there is nothing to worry about as it eventually goes away.

Causes of Joint Pains

When you feel aching and soreness in your joints, it may mean that you have osteoarthritis. It’s an inflammatory condition that usually develops as you get older. What happens is that the cartilage that acts as cushion for your joints grow thinner that makes your joints inflamed and painful.

If you have undergone a recent injury and overuse it, you may experience pain in your joints too. Knee injuries usually mean that you are having a problem with your meniscus or ligament – the former is a rubbery disc that protects your knee while the latter refers to the bands of tissues that puts your bones together.

Treatments for Sore Muscles and Joints

For sore muscles, you may take acetaminophen or aspirin to soothe the pain. Ibuprofen or naproxen also helps eases the discomfort that you feel. Just be cautious and don’t take strong medicines without consulting your doctor first. Some medications may not be suitable for you especially if you have an existing condition like ulcer, kidney disease or liver problem. Also, keep in mind that there are sore muscles and joints that cannot be soothe with a simple ice pack or OTC medicine.