Headaches are an unfortunate and painful part of life for many Americans. In fact, an estimated five percent of adults in this country suffer from chronic migraines or severe headache pain.
We spend billions of dollars each year on over-the-counter and prescription pain medication for relief from those nagging headaches. But these drugs have the potential to cause even more pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a type of medication including OTC brands such as Advil, Motrin, and Excedrin, have been associated with side effects like stomach bleeding and ulcers, and even liver failure. In fact, one possible side effect of many NSAIDs is a headache!
And if you manage to avoid the side effects, these medications really only mask or diminish symptoms. But it's the cause that counts and that's where chiropractic comes in. Here's how: The nervous system is the "master system" in the body, controlling and coordinating all other systems - respiratory, immune, circulatory, etc. Sometimes, there are areas in the spine where one or more of the vertebrae may have experienced a loss of function, creating pressure on, or otherwise irritating, spinal nerves. This irritation interferes with the signals, or "communication," traveling over those nerves, which can compromise the health and proper function of every system in the body. Regular adjustments by your chiropractor can positively affect the nervous system, aid nerve transmission and thus, the body's ability to heal itself.
Still a skeptic? Scientific research indicates chiropractic is an effective, natural answer to headache pain. During a major 1995 study comparing several weeks of drug therapy to several weeks of chiropractic care, 82 percent of patients given drug therapy reported side effects including drowsiness, weight gain and dry mouth. Heart-related problems and glaucoma also were associated with the drug therapy. On the other hand, chiropractic patients reported no side effects. And after four weeks of treatment, patients who used drugs began having headaches again, while members of the chiropractic group continued to express headache relief, as well as higher levels of energy as compared to the drug therapy group.
So put down the pain-relief medications, talk to your chiropractor about your chronic headaches, and experience a natural, drug-free approach to headache relief, today!
In the United States, about 20 million people have been diagnosed with asthma; nearly 9 million of them are children. The most common treatment for Asthma has been the use of corticosteriod inhalers.
A new study found that breathing techniques can cut the use of asthma reliever inhalers by more than 80% and halve the dose of preventer inhaler required in mild asthma, research finds.
The new study, published in the journal Thorax, compared the impact of two breathing techniques on symptoms, lung function, use of medication and quality of life among 57 adults with mild asthma.
One technique focused on shallow, nasal breathing with slow exhalations, and the second technique used general upper body exercises, accompanied by relaxation.
The participants, who used a preventer inhaler and required reliever inhaler at least four times a week, were randomly assigned to one or other breathing technique.
Participants practiced their breathing exercises twice a day for around 25 minutes over a period of 30 weeks. They were also encouraged to use a shorter version of their exercises in place of reliever inhaler, and to use reliever if the exercises did not work.
Researcher Professor Christine Jenkins, of the the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, found that the use of reliever medication fell by 86% in both exercise groups, a process which began within weeks of starting the exercises, and was maintained over eight months. She writes: "Breathing techniques may be useful in the management of patients with mild asthma symptoms who use a reliever frequently."
By the end of the study, the participants dropped from using around three puffs of their reliever inhaler each day to approximately one puff every third day. Preventer dose requirements were also cut in half.
Allergies and asthma are big business. Approximately 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and approximately 20 million suffer from asthma. With some overlap between the conditions, more than 60 million Americans experience either allergies, asthma, or both.
The costs for medications, hospital and emergency room admissions, and loss of business productivity are huge - approximately $18 billion annually.1 And, the impact on children is significant and ongoing - 14 million school days are missed annually due to allergies and asthma. These disorders are the number one reason for school absenteeism.2
Standard treatment for allergies and asthma consists of a variety of medications, and if you have one of these disorders, you know all about the meds. For allergies, typical medications include antihistamines and corticosteroid nasal sprays. You may also undergo more aggressive therapy - desensitization injections, known as immunotherapy, which are given regularly over a period of years.
For asthma, the gold standard of medication is inhaled corticosteroids. Asthma inhalers are now so much a part of daily life that they appear regularly as props on television serials and in film. In plot-driven, contrived "difficult" moments, lead actors - children and adults - pull out their inhalers and take a quick dose.
The challenge, of course, with allergy and asthma medication is there is no end-point. There is no cure. Asthma and allergies, for the most part, are lifelong conditions requiring lifelong medication. Might there be a better way, an alternative solution?
"Alternative" is the key word. Medical treatment is designed to combat symptoms, and is successful to a certain extent with allergies and asthma. Underlying causes are not addressed, however, and symptoms continue year after year. What else might be done?
Enter chiropractic care. Chiropractic health care, with its unique comprehensive approach, is able to offer positive benefit to a variety of conditions and ailments. In the case of allergies and asthma, these "hypersensitivity conditions" may respond well to therapy designed to normalize the body's flow of nerve signals. To use a metaphor, chiropractic treatment removes roadblocks to the body's natural healing abilities. Restoring these imbalances may help reduce such hypersensitivity reactions.
Chiropractic care frequently includes nutritional counseling, a critical component for people with allergies and asthma. Such individuals need as much physical optimization as possible, and nutritional awareness is key. A balanced food plan will help support all metabolic systems, reduce irritation caused by deficiencies, and provide fuel for exercise programs.
The benefits of chiropractic care are wide-ranging, and may be very useful in cases of hypersensitivity disorders such as allergies and asthma.
1Weiss K: The costs of asthma. Asthma and Allergy Foundation, 1998 [updated 2001].
2The Condition of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2001.
While women are learning more and more about cervical cancer and its prevention, another "silent killer" remains relatively mysterious among doctors and patients alike. Ovarian cancer is only the seventh most common cancer among women, but it causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. Unfortunately, efficacy of early screening is negligible only because symptoms of the disease are vague and misdiagnosis is common.
Most cases of ovarian cancer occur among women over 50 years of age, however the disease can occur in younger women. And risk increases if family members have been diagnosed with the disease.
In a recent study at the University of Washington School of Medicine identified the six symptoms most often and closely associated with ovarian cancer. Researchers compared the clinical histories of women diagnosed with the disease to the histories of "high-risk" women who did not have the disease.
The most common complaints among those women with cancer included the following:
Any one of these symptoms was considered predictive of ovarian cancer risk if it had been present for less than one year, more than 12 days a month. Conceivably, it would be easy to assume these symptoms resultant of premenstrual syndrome or menses itself. Bloating, abdominal bloating and a feeling of fullness are also common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The message here is to take these symptoms very seriously, especially those lasting longer than two weeks a month, as they may be more than PMS or digestive discomfort. Address your doctor's questions regarding family history with utmost thoroughness. Awareness - among both patients and doctors - is the first line of defense. And for those suffering from ovarian cancer, regular chiropractic care has been proven time and again to ease pain and improve quality of life during the healing process. A 2001 study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics followed a 54-year-old patient who was able to cease all pain medication following only two chiropractic visits! The focus of chiropractic care is not to directly treat pain, but more specifically, to assist the body in healing itself. Studies show that cancer patients who see their chiropractor experience pain less frequently and to a lesser degree.
Chiropractic Treatment Can Relieve Your Tendonitis Symptoms
Tendonitis pain can linger for weeks or months after you first notice the pain. Fortunately, chiropractic treatment offers an effective way to speed healing and reduce your pain.
Tendonitis Symptoms
Tendonitis occurs due to inflammation in a tendon, a tough cord that connects a muscle to a bone. The condition can affect any part of your body and is known by different names depending on its location. Tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, pitcher's shoulder jumper's knee, and trigger finger are common types of tendonitis, as are biceps, triceps, Achilles, thumb, and rotator cuff tendonitis.
Symptoms of tendonitis include:
You're more likely to develop tendonitis if you participate in a sport or activity that involves repetitive movements. Golf, tennis, baseball, basketball, cleaning, painting, and gardening can strain the tendon, making it more likely to become inflamed. If you have poor posture or work in a job that requires twisting your body into unnatural or uncomfortable positions, your tendonitis risk may be higher.
Age can also be a factor in tendonitis. As you get older, your tendons become weaker and stiffer and can't handle activity the same way they once could. Even if you haven't changed your habits or activity level, you may still develop tendonitis simply due to your age.
Tendonitis can even be related to your use of digital devices. "Smartphone tendonitis" can affect tendons in the thumbs and wrists, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
How Chiropractic Treatment Can Help You
Chiropractic treatment offers several important benefits for tendonitis, including:
Are you struggling with tendonitis symptoms? Chiropractic treatment can help you ease your pain naturally. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Smartphone Tendinitis: An Emerging Problem
