Taking Care of Your Little Athlete

Over the past 22 consecutive years, participation in high school sports has been on the rise. And it’s estimated that three out of four American families with school-aged kiddos have at least one playing an organized sport! Undoubtedly, it’s great that kids are more active out on the court and on the field, but with all that activity, there comes, of course, the risk of injury.

Reactive vs. Proactive Care

In the United States, we’re often reactive when it comes to our healthcare—meaning, we’ll head to the doctor after we’ve gotten an ear infection or sprained an ankle. At Franklin Chiropractic & Accident Clinics, Inc., one of our goals is to show people the incredible benefits of proactive and preventative healthcare—which is why we encourage people to begin care before experiencing pain or an injury.

Spot an Injury or Weakness Before it’s a Problem

Chiropractic care is a great tool for preventing long-term health issues, which is why it’s critical kids are seen throughout the season, not just when an injury has occurred—or even worse, years later when the pain has become unbearable. 

Pinpointing the Problem

A good chiropractor can also help to locate the problem before it becomes a long-term issue. Recently, Dr. Franklin treated a high school track athlete, who suddenly began experiencing intense knee pain. Shortly before seeing Dr. Franklin, the patient had begun a new training regimen at a sports facility to work on speed and agility.

As you gear up for the practices and games, find some time to visit your chiropractor for a spinal evaluation, and keep up with your treatment throughout the season and beyond. Your body is your biggest and best asset!

How Chiropractic Care Helps Posture

Posture is position of the body while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture, also referred to as neutral spine, has many health benefits, including the avoidance of injury-induced back pain. Chiropractic can help improve and maintain posture.

Why is Posture Important 

Appearance benefits with good posture are obvious, but there are many less-obvious health benefits you should know. Good posture can:

• Maintain correct alignment of bones and joints
• Reduce stress on ligaments, minimizing risk of injury
• Prevent muscle strain, overuse and pain
• Conserve energy as muscles are used more efficiently
• Decrease abnormal joint wear

Research has shown that poor postures may increase feelings of depression, affect your digestive tract and influence confidence and stress levels.

Signs You have Poor Posture 

There are many indicators of poor posture, but some of the more common are hunched shoulders, rounded shoulders, rounded upper back, forward head carriage and arched lower back. Another indicator is back pain. Unsure if you have good posture? Talk to your chiropractor or schedule an appointment for a spinal examination.

Factors that Contribute to Poor Posture 

There are several common factors linked to poor posture:

• Stress
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Weak postural muscles
• Abnormally tight muscles
• High-heeled shoes

How to Maintain or Correct Posture 

The first step is awareness! Bring your attention to your posture as you sit, stand or lie down. If you're sitting, keep both feet on the floor or a footrest, don't cross your legs and use low-back support. While standing, keep your knees slightly bent, relax your arms and pull your shoulders back. When lying down it's critical to choose the right mattress and pillow, and avoid sleeping on your stomach.

Importance of Chiropractic Care and Therapies

Your chiropractor can help you to maintain and correct your posture through chiropractic adjustments, exercises and recommendations on proper positions during different activities.

How To De-Stress Through Stretching

Stress can come in many forms when you are going about your daily routine—while getting ready for the day, at work or even while driving in traffic. Here are some tips on how to stretch away your stress before you start your day and while you wind down for the evening.

Stretching Before Your Day Starts

Shoulder stretching can help you release any major or minor neck and shoulder tension that may have developed while sleeping at night or may be lingering from the previous day. Incorporate this stretch into your morning routine and start your day feeling tension-free, loose and energized.

1. Interlock your fingers, and raise your arms above your head with your palms facing upwards.
2. Look straight ahead and keep your arms in line with your ears while relaxing your shoulder blades down your back (no shrugging allowed).
3. Hold this position for five seconds while breathing in and out of your nose.
4. Bring your arms toward your sides and roll your shoulders backwards and forwards.
5. Repeat this stretch and hold for five full breaths.

Stretching Before Bed

Child’s Pose is perfect for loosening tight shoulders, releasing tension in your neck and stretching out your back. Releasing the tension of the day before allowing your body to rest can be ideal for someone looking to de-stress.

1. Start by getting into position on your hands and knees, and sit back onto your heels with your arms extended.
2. Keep your knees hip width apart.
3. Bring your hands forward until you are nearly flat on the ground and relax your head to the floor.
4. Stay in this position for 15 seconds and repeat as needed.

Camp with Health in Mind

Heading to the great outdoors this summer? Bring along these great health and well-being camping tips from Franklin Chiropractic & Accident Clinics, Inc. for those beautiful nights spent cozied up next to a campfire.

Bring along healthy snacks. It’s easy to grab bags of chips and other salty snacks to bring with you—but these will only dehydrate your campers. Nuts and dried fruit are great for a quick bite and a boost of energy while hiking or in between meals. Bananas and apples are also great camping foods because they don’t need to be refrigerated.

Keep hydrated. As always, it’s so important to stay hydrated—especially when you’re spending a few days or more outdoors. Each person should be getting 64 ounces of H2O a day, which is roughly a half gallon a person. If you’re hiking in a few miles or more, consider buying a water filter specifically made for hiking and ensure there will be a clean water source available to you.

Put on the right backpack. This tip is especially important if you’ll be hiking to your camping spot or heading out for a day trip. Make sure that your bag has padded straps and keep them tightened comfortably so your pack isn’t pulling on your back and shoulders. You can also look for a backpack with a waist strap—this helps distribute the weight of the contents in your bag.

Choose the right shoes. This is important no matter where you are. Wearing shoes with socks or hiking sandals instead of flimsy sandals helps prevent injury to your foot and provides extra comfort if you’ll be hiking. Be sure to pack at least two pairs of socks and if they get wet, dry them completely before putting them back on.

Sleep with a pad. There are specially designed camping pads made to go underneath your sleeping bag. This comfort-providing gear will help support your spine and ensure a better night’s rest, especially since most people aren’t used to sleeping on hard surfaces.

Be aware of wildlife. Seeing wildlife on a camping trip can be quite thrilling. Depending where you are in the United States, you may encounter all different kinds of animals. Check with the park or forest preserve in which you’re traveling for specific safety tips or answers to wildlife related questions.

Make a first aid kit. While no one expects to have an injury, you never know what can happen. Purchase or build your own first aid kit so you’re properly prepared. The Red Cross recommends including items like compress dressings, gauze pads, bandages, cloth tape, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic wipes, aspirin, instant cold compress, hydrocortisone, roller bandages and a first aid instruction book.

Check the weather. While the weatherman isn’t always right, it’s important to check the forecast for your trip. If rain is a possibility bring the necessary items like raincoats, a tent fly and a tarp. Also, in many places the temps can drop at night, so bring along warmer clothing for your evenings under the stars.

Chiropractic: Turning A Time Card Into Time Well Spent

There’s a group of people we interact closely with as much, or more, than our families. Statistically, we spend more time with our work family than we do with our loved ones. Supervisors, fellow employees and colleagues all make up the working relationships that are such a large part of who we are.

Even punching a time card in a small office, we’re typically exposed to more threats to our health than we are with the spouse and 2.2 children waiting for us at home. And we’re exposed to just as many stressors.

There are many things we can do to improve our health and work relationships, but did you ever think about your spine being one of them? The spine is your body’s command center, your first line of defense against everything. An aligned spine, one that is allowing your nervous system to communicate freely, gives you the ability to respond positively to life’s unknown events.

It comes as no surprise that health care costs have skyrocketed over the years while the quality of care received has remained the same in many cases. For companies, this cost is even greater with loss of work due to sickness and injuries -- and rising health insurance premiums to boot. Many of these injuries and illnesses are preventable. Employers are looking for ways to improve performance, decrease cost and provide an enjoyable, healthier work environment. Feeling better, functioning better, playing better, communicating better and ultimately working better often results in a greater bottom line. A greater bottom line to your company may also mean more money in your pocket as well. Not a bad exchange.

Health Benefits

Doctors of chiropractic focus on helping their patients achieve a properly functioning spine and nervous system. When spinal joints are functioning properly, you can perform better which may give rise to the following critical benefits:

• A happier workplace environment - Chiropractic has been shown to be effective in the reduction or elimination of pain, as well as muscle tension and stress-related conditions.
• Increased performance - Chiropractic improves joint mobility, physical performance and overall function. Imagine making decisions with a clearer head.
• Fewer sick days - Chiropractic care has been shown to produce reparative and preventative benefits. Wouldn’t it be great spending your allotted personal time off at the beach instead of the doctor’s office?
• More efficient and increased productivity - Chiropractic care often results in increased daily activity and productivity.

These advantages are like gold for an employer, but also for you and your work colleagues. Imagine everyone feeling and performing at their optimal level.
The spine has an excellent musculoskeletal memory. Just like your teeth, it is recommended that you take care to provide it with proper care from a young age. Maintaining proper range of motion in the spine is paramount to controlling pain, promoting an active lifestyle and enabling you to enjoy a higher quality of life. And enjoying work more.

How Chiropractic Can Help

When one or more joints become restricted in the spine, it causes a lack of motion that, in turn, can cause an interruption of the nerve communication from the brain to the body. This interruption can affect the cells, tissues and organs of the body many times inhibiting your performance. Licensed doctors of chiropractic (such as those at The Joint Chiropractic), referred to as DCs, apply a gentle, targeted movement to the restricted joints to improve motion of the body’s spinal column and extremities, thereby enhancing nerve function. This highly controlled procedure is known as a chiropractic adjustment.

As you can see, visiting a chiropractor is more than just having your back “cracked” or “popped.” Having a spine that is free from nerve interference is your first line of defense to whatever life may throw at you. In addition, a properly functioning spine may result in better decisions, better health, better experiences, better memories and better moments of laughter and joy. If work is important to you, then these things will be important to you as well.

If an improved work environment and quality of life sounds like something you want, then make chiropractic a part of your wellness lifestyle and have your spine checked for joint dysfunctions. Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest, drug-free, non-invasive forms of health care available. Whether suffering from pain or not, keeping your body functioning at its peak may be one of the best investments you will ever make if for no other reason than you’re more productive. More and more people are experiencing the benefits of routine chiropractic care. They are learning that chiropractic makes a much better vitamin than it does an aspirin; unlike medicine that masks a problem, chiropractic aims to fix the root cause of the problem. Discover how millions of Americans have not only found relief from pain, but also a pathway to wellness and a healthier, more active lifestyle by making chiropractic part of their healthy habit regimen.

Can Chiropractic Adjustments Lower High Blood Pressure?

One-third of the adult population, around 70 million Americans, have high blood pressure (hypertension). In addition, 1 in 3 Americans has prehypertension, which means higher than normal blood pressure numbers. Even more alarming: 1 in 5 adults with high blood pressure do not know they have it, because typically there are no associated symptoms.
Thankfully, chiropractic offers a drug-free approach to treating high blood pressure. Read on to learn more.

Understanding Blood Pressure and Hypertension

Each time the heart beats, it's pumping blood into the arteries of the body. Blood pressure is the force of the blood as it pushes against the walls of the arteries. The two numbers in a blood pressure reading are systolic, the top number that measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, and diastolic, which is the bottom number measuring the pressure in the arteries between beats.
Normal levels are 120/80 and lower, prehypertension levels are 120-139/80-89, hypertension stage 1 is 140-159/90-99, hypertension stage 2 is 160/100 or higher, and hypertension crisis (emergency care needed) is 180/110 or higher.

The Risks of Hypertension

This common condition is more dangerous and fatal than many people realize. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists high blood pressure as the primary or contributing cause of more than 360,000 American deaths in 2013. That's nearly 1,000 deaths each day.
The CDC also states that with high blood pressure, there's a great risk of other dangerous conditions:

• First heart attack: 70 percent of adults who have a first heart attack have high blood pressure
• First stroke: 80 percent of adults who have their first stroke have high blood pressure
• Chronic heart failure: 70 percent of adults with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure
• Kidney failure: High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure 

 

Treatment of High Blood Pressure

Fortunately, high blood pressure is simple to diagnosis and there are many methods of treatment. Regularly, doctors prescribe medication to control hypertension, but blood pressure often can be lowered using natural, non-pharmaceutical methods. Lifestyle changes play a big role in blood pressure; losing weight, exercising regularly, eating well, reducing excess sodium, limiting alcohol, quitting smoking, cutting back on caffeine and reducing stress all positively contribute to healthy blood pressure levels.

Chiropractic Adjustments and Lowered Blood Pressure

In March of 2007, the Journal of Human Hypertension published a study that demonstrated a significant decrease in blood pressure following a chiropractic adjustment to the Atlas vertebra (located at the base of the skull). This study involved 50 individuals with high blood pressure; the improvement in blood pressure levels continued into the eighth week following the adjustment—potentially longer, as the study only assessed the patients following the adjustment and at a follow-up visit eight weeks later.

Make an appointment to talk to a chiropractic doctor about chiropractic and high blood pressure.

5 Natural Ways to Ditch Joint Pain

Our bodies carry us through this world—they help us achieve, touch and experience all aspects of being alive. But what happens when you can’t move… when it hurts? Time with family, social life, hobbies, work and even sleep can suffer. It’s so hard to enjoy your days when they’re full of pain or when your own body limits what you’re able to do. This is especially true for those dealing with chronic joint pain and arthritis. Depending on the individual, it can be mild to extremely painful, occasional to chronic and it can even limit mobility. It can happen anywhere there’s a joint—affecting the cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons or muscles—and sometimes in multiple places at once.
We know it’s hard, but we want to help—naturally! Here’s how you can start feeling better right now.

1 Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Inflammation makes your joints more susceptible to pain and injury, and it can also slow down the healing process. When a joint is inflamed, it limits your range of motion, overall strength and flexibility. Since food fuels the body, and can be some of the best medicine around, consider adopting an anti-inflammatory diet that may help with pain relief.

Inflammatory

• Refined sugars and grains
• Processed meat and red meat
• Alcohol and soda
• Packaged foods
• Margarine, shortening, lard

Anti-Inflammatory

• Green, leafy vegetables
• Wild-caught salmon
• Bone broth
• Healthy fats like organic, unrefined coconut oil
• Probiotic foods (yogurt)
• Fermented foods

2. Epsom Salt Soaks

Epsom salt is an old classic for good reason! Taking a nice relaxing bath may offer a lot of relief by itself, but adding Epsom salt can help lower inflammation, reduce muscle spasms and relax tense, sore muscles. It’s high in magnesium and sulfates and easily absorbed into the skin! Add two cups of salt to your warm bath (not hot!), and soak for at least twenty minutes. If you’d like, you can also turn it into a warm compress—just dilute your salt in some warm water, soak a towel in it to absorb the liquid and apply directly to the skin.

3. Ice Therapy

For inflammation and joint discomfort or pain, ice therapy is a great form of pain relief! Cold restricts blood flow and reduces inflammation and swelling. Whenever there’s bleeding in underlying tissue—think sprains, strains or bruising—ice may help! But keep in mind, too much cold can hurt you. Don’t put bags of ice or packs directly on the skin, because that could risk skin, tissue or nerve damage. Instead, wrap it in a soft towel and set it on the area in question. And remember—no longer than 20 minutes a session! Note that if you have bad circulation, then cold therapy probably isn’t for you. People with cardiovascular disease should always consult with their doctor before using cold therapy.

4. Essential Oils

Many people find success using essential oils topically when they’ve got sore or achy joints. Depending on what kind of pain it is, there are a variety of options to choose from. Here are only a few!

• Peppermint Oil: Cooling and anti-inflammatory
• Lavender Oil: Relief from pain and swelling
• Sandalwood: Tension relief

But wait! Here’s a little bit of essential oil best practice. Most oils must be diluted with a carrier oil, like coconut or almond. There are some oils you can apply “neat” (directly on the skin), however, do your research first and test a small part of your skin to ensure you don’t have a reaction. Also, the essential oil industry is incredibly unregulated; be sure to purchase from a well-known brand that sells certified therapeutic grade oils.

5. Collagen

Isn’t that a skincare thing? It’s so much more! Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and works to connect tissue. It’s found predominantly in our bones, muscles, skin and tendons. Increased levels of collagen have been shown to help those with rheumatoid arthritis, reducing joint pain and degeneration.
There are numerous ways to get the collagen your body needs, but the best way is by incorporating it back into your diet. Here are some all-natural foods that either contain collagen or boost its production:

• Bone Broth: A huge source of natural collagen—mainlines into the cells.
• Leafy Greens: Protect against free radicals that break down collagen.
• Red Veggies: Boost collagen levels and protects against sun damage.
• Fish: Helps protect the fatty membrane around skin cells.
• Citrus Fruits: Aid production of collagen.
• Beans: Help retain collagen by boosting the body’s ability to produce hyaluronic acid.
• Garlic: Rebuilds collagen fibers that have been damaged.

Fixing the Root Problem

It's important to note that everything listed here can and should help reduce the severity and frequency of your joint and arthritis pain BUT it won't fix the root cause of the problem. To truly get to the cause, we have to look a little deeper—the spine.
They key to reducing joint pain long term is to adjust the spine where vertebrae may be out of alignment, thus causing the nerves to be pinched. A chiropractor utilizes the chiropractic adjustment to manipulate the spine back into optimal alignment—taking pressure off the nerves and allowing the body to function at its best.

Offers Ultrasound Therapy

Many of us have heard about how Ultrasound is used as a diagnostic test to explore disease process and injury in the human body. Diagnostic ultrasound, for example, can be used to look at joints, nerve roots, tendons, ligaments and muscles and pinpoint signs of inflammation and scar tissue. In some cases, ultrasound helps the chiropractor identify the proper course of treatment.

But ultrasound has another exciting application in the form of deep heat therapy. Therapeutic ultrasound uses heated sound waves and applies the energy to soft tissues and joints. The fast-moving waves essentially massage soft tissues effortlessly, and in most cases, painlessly.

Therapeutic ultrasound:

• Alleviates muscle spasms
• Reduces inflammation and swelling
• Improves range of motion
• Helps increase blood flow
• Lowers pain and stiffness

Therapeutic ultrasound is typically applied using a small, hand-held wand. Therapeutic ultrasound is often used as one method to treat Lower Back Pain. It is not used to treat acute inflammatory conditions or in patients who have had a laminectomy.

Offers Massage Therapy

Therapeutic Massage involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, and stress.

As in many kinds of therapy, therapeutic massage is one part of your overall chiropractic treatment plan.

Massage therapy:

• Alleviates headache-associated pain
• Helps improve your ability to walk with a normal and balanced gait
• Helps lower your blood pressure
• Improves your breathing as a result of a more relaxed diaphragm
• Improves your range of motion, muscle tone, and flexibility
• Increases your blood flow, which aids in the healing process and allows muscles to work more efficiently;
• Reduces stiffness, pain and muscle tension

Stimulates the body to release helpful chemicals such as endorphins. Massage has been shown to be an effective treatment for a wide variety of health problems, including:

• Stress
• Sleep apnea and insomnia
• Sinusitis
• Range of motion
• Pain (chronic and temporary)
• Myofascial pain
• Jaw disorders
• Injuries such as pulled or strained muscles and ligaments
• Headache
• Digestive disorders, including spastic colon and constipation
• Circulatory problems
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Asthma and bronchitis
• Arthritis
• Allergies

In some cases, devices may be used to perform massage. Traction massage entails lying on your back on a special table with a pillow under your knees. The table has small rollers that glide up and down your spine. Traction massage helps stretch and massage the muscles in your back, and is not a form of spinal adjustment. In fact, traction massage may sometimes be used to make an adjustment go more smoothly.

Offers Lumbar Stabilization

When the muscles supporting the lower spine need to be strengthened, lumbar stabilization may be used in your chiropractic treatment as a form of Physical Therapy. Lumbar stabilization helps you develop strength, flexibility, and endurance and also has been shown effective in alleviating Lower Back Pain.

The key to lumbar stabilization is achieving a "neutral spine" position. The neutral spine position is that which is the least painful but most sound posture for your lower back.

When your spine is in a neutral position:

• The discs and vertebrae are able to absorb shocks and other forces acting on the spine in an optimal way.
• There is less tension on the ligaments and joints of your spine.
• Your posture is centered.

Once your learn how to go to your neutral spine position, lumbar stabilization teaches you how to maintain that position through a technique called "proprioception." Proprioception teaches you how to know where your joints are at any given time.

Lumbar stabilization helps you:

• Better control the movements affecting your spine
• Heal muscle strains, sprains, and damaged ligaments
• Know how to avoid future injuries
• Reduce pain in your lower back

Heat Therapy

While Ice Therapy is used to reduce swelling, heat therapy is used to relax the muscles and increase circulation. Both kinds of therapy help reduce pain.

Heat therapy is often used in patients who have chronic, or long-lasting pain. Heat therapy can involve many kinds of methods, from simple heating pads, wraps, and warm gel packs, to sophisticated techniques, such as therapeutic ultrasound.

Back injuries can create tension and stiffness in the muscles and soft tissues of the lumbar region, or lower back. In many cases, your circulation may be impeded. The tension in the muscles can sometimes escalate to spasms.

Heat therapy:

• Dilates the blood vessels of the affected muscles, allowing them to relax and begin healing
• Helps lower discomfort by reducing the amount of pain signals going to the brain
• Increases the ability of your muscles to easily flex and stretch, thereby decreasing stiffness

Heat Therapy, as well as ice therapy, are normally a part of an overall chiropractic treatment plan and rarely accomplish maximum results without it.

Heat therapy is not used on swollen or bruised tissues, or in patients who have dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, open wounds, cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension.

Exercise Therapy

Exercise therapy is a form of chiropractic treatment used to help manage pain, rehabilitate damaged soft tissues such as muscles, ligament and tendons, and restore normal range of motion and function.

Such therapy has been shown to alleviate pain, improve overall muscle strength and range of motion, improve balance, as well avoid further deterioration of muscle tissues. The overall goal of an exercise therapy program is to promote healing and prevent further damage and injury to your body's musculoskeletal system. Exercises programs also help in minimizing scar tissue formation following an injury or surgery.

Most exercise programs are designed to improve cardiovascular conditioning and bolster your strength. Many exercises involve flexing and extending specific parts of the body.

As a patient, you play a pivotal role in the outcome of any therapeutic exercise program. Your dedication to following the steps outlined in the program will go a long way in ensuring its success.

Treatments

Chiropractors diagnose and treat a broad range of physical conditions in patients with muscular, nervous, and skeletal problems, especially the spine.

Chiropractors make use of conventional diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, MRIs, and lab work, as well as specific procedures that involve manipulation by hand of various parts of the body. Chiropractors are best known for their ability to correct misalignments of the spine, which are called subluxations. But spinal manipulation is only a small part of what chiropractors do as part of an overall plan to manage and relieve pain and many kinds of ailments. Other kinds of treatments chiropractors are capable of providing include:

• Electrotherapy
• Therapeutic exercise
• Ice/heat therapy, including therapeutic ultrasound
• Lifestyle and nutrition counseling
• Massage therapy
• Physical rehabilitation
• Stress management

Treatments of the Sacroiliac Joint

A common joint disorder involves the sacroiliac joint, which links the bottom of the spine with pelvic bone. This joint endures a lot of pressure and absorbs the shocks from the upper body.

 

While it is a very strong and mostly stationary joint, the sacroiliac joint can become damaged or impaired. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction can mimic many of the symptoms of herniated lumbar disc. People with sacroiliac joint dysfunction typically complain of pain on one side of their lower back or buttocks. The pain can sometimes shoot down one or leg or both, sometimes extending all the way down to the foot.

 

Possible chiropractic treatments include:

    -Spine manipulation or adjustment
    -A joint injection (if pain warrants)
    -Analgesics
    -Exercise
    -Ice therapy

Treatments for Whiplash

Whiplash is an injury to the cervical spine, or neck, and occurs when the muscles and other soft tissues are hyperextended or hyperflexed. Whiplash can damage the intervertebral discs of the upper spine.

Most instances of whiplash occur during a front- or rear-end automobile collision. The force of the vehicle being struck, or striking another object are quite powerful, and can cause the neck muscles, ligaments, and tendons to twist and turn with incredible, unnatural force. These tissues, which are stretched far beyond their natural limits, can become torn and in some cases, permanently damaged. In addition, vertebral discs in the cervical spine can bulge, tear, and rupture.

A chiropractic examination of a possible whiplash injury entails assessing whether a serious injury warrants hospitalization, and which tissues and spinal structures have been injured.

The exam may include such things as a cranial nerve examination, reflex and motor skill tests, and motion palpation, which assesses the spinal joints' mobility and pain response.

Possible treatments for whiplash may include:

• Muscle relaxation or stimulation, which entails gentle muscles stretches and/or finger pressure on specific sensory trigger points
• Heat therapy
• Ice therapy
• Spinal manipulation
• Range of motion and other therapeutic exercises designed to test the stability and integrity of the neck muscles and correct unnatural movement patterns in the neck and other areas
• Consultation about proper ergonomics, including tools used during work, as well as mattresses and pillows

Some people who incur whiplash supplement their chiropractic treatment with a device called a cervical collar, a soft cushion that envelopes the neck and keeps the weight of the head from applying undue pressure to damaged tissues during the healing process. Other methods may employ a cervical traction device, which keeps the neck immobile.

Most people who suffer whiplash can heal properly in two to four weeks, providing they follow the treatment regimen outlined by their chiropractor. Sever cases of whiplash involving trauma to the spine or discs may require surgery.

Treatments for Sleep Apnea

Mechanical manipulation can offer some relief for people suffering from sleep apnea. Manipulation may improve the function of the muscles in your chest wall, and thus, help you breathe more easily and boost the oxygenation of your blood during sleep. In addition, manipulation can lower pain and restlessness and improve the reflexes of your spinal cord that control blood flow.

Acupuncture also has been shown to complement other kinds of therapy in treating people with sleep disorders such as apnea. If you have anatomical problems like airway obstructions, acupuncture can sometimes be used to open the airway.

Treatments for Migraines

Some recent studies have shown that patients suffering from chronic headaches and migraines may benefit more from long-term chiropractic care than drug therapy alone.

For headaches that originate in the cervical ( neck) area, chiropractic treatment such as spinal manipulation has been shown to be quite effective. A 2001 Duke University study, for example, found that spinal manipulation provided relief for patients with headaches that originate in the neck, and resulted in fewer side effects than medication. Researchers in that study concluded that such treatments as relaxation training, thermal biofeedback combined with electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral therapy, nutritional changes, and to a lesser degree, acupuncture, are all modestly effective in treating migraine headaches.

Treatments for Discs

A whole host of things can go wrong with a vertebral disc over a lifetime. A traumatic injury can crush or misplace a disc. An excessive pulling or lifting accident at home or on the job can force a disc out of position. And for some of us, simply getting older can cause a disc to deteriorate. This is usually called degenerative disc disease.

The vast majority of disc injuries occur in the lower back or lumbar region. When a damaged lumbar disc presses on a nerve root, it can cause radiating pain, numbness and weakness in other areas of the body, including the buttocks, leg, ankles and toes. Ironically, in many cases, a person with a herniated disc will not feel back or neck pain.

Cervical (neck) discs that have herniated can cause radiating pain and numbness down an arm and into the wrist and hand. Other types of symptoms include shoulder pain and numbness, as well as muscle and reflex weakness.

Chiropractic care entails a conservative, nonsurgical approach to treating disc injuries and other disc-related problems, and is often a course of treatment prior to any surgery, if recommended by a primary care physician or surgeon. And in other cases, disc injuries may heal themselves without any intervention.

Before undertaking any course of chiropractic treatment for a disc problem or injury, patients are thoroughly examined. This examination includes such things as analysis of posture, limb measurements, and pelvic balance, gait and reflex analyses. It is important to know whether the disc problem is a result of an injury or disease. If more information is needed, a diagnostic test, such as a MRI or X-ray, may be required to accurately pinpoint the source of the problem.

Treatments may include spinal adjustment or manipulation, and therapies such as electrotherapy and ice/heat therapy.

Specific techniques for treating disc injury include:

• Flexion-distraction - The patient lies on a specialized table that gently stretches the spine, allowing the chiropractor to pinpoint the affected disc while slightly flexing the spine. These procedures gently move the disc away from an affected nerve, slowing or eliminating inflammation, and pain.
• Pelvic blocking - This method employs cushioned wedges that are placed under each side of the hips. The chiropractor gently maneuvers the pelvic area, allowing gravity to pull the disc away from the affected nerve.

Corsets, Braces, and Splints

Corsets, braces and splints are used in chiropractic treatment. A common application of braces is used to treat children with idiopathic scoliosis, or curvature of the spine.

Back braces are only recommended for younger children (girls between 11 and 13, and boys between 12 and 14). The primary goal of orthodontic treatment involving a back brace is to stop the progression of the curvature; braces do not normally reverse curvature that has already taken place.

Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to be a safe and effective alternative treatment for pain and injury.

Chiropractors perform 95 percent of all adjustments in the world to correct the subluxations, or misalignments, of the vertebrae in the spine. Chiropractic adjustments are performed by applying gentle, yet firm pressure to a bone. The goal of any adjustment is to restore the bone to its natural, or original, position. The important thing to remember is the act the adjustment frees-not forces-a vertebrae to allow it to find its natural position. This is accomplished by the body's innate intelligence.

Chiropractic adjustments are performed to treat a wide variety of conditions, including (but not limited to):

• Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain disorders
• Chronic muscle pain and stiffness
• Headaches
• Most musculoskeletal and sports-related injuries
• Nerve disorders
• Pain and stiffness in the back, chest, abdomen, neck, hips and shoulders, as well as extremities such as arms, legs, and feet
• Sciatica pain
• Scoliosis
• Tendonitis
• Whiplash and other traumatic injuries

Adjustments can be performed while sitting, standing, or lying down. Some adjustments involve special instruments or tables.

Some common adjustment techniques include:

• Instrument adjustments, which involve a spring-loaded device.
• Lumbar roll, in which the chiropractor applies a firm, yet quick thrust to a misaligned vertebra while the patient lies on his or her side.
• Motion palpation, a hand technique the chiropractor uses to determine if your vertebrae are properly aligned.
• Release work, in which the chiropractor uses gentle pressure with the fingers to separate the vertebrae.
• Table adjustments, which entail lying on a specially designed table that drops when pressure is applied to a specific area. The dropping motion allows more gentle adjustments than some manual adjustments do.
• Toggle drop, which entails firm pressure applied on a specific area of the spine by using crossed hands.

Chiropractors take many factors-including size, weight, and muscle structure-into consideration when deciding on which adjustment to make. Sometimes, ice, electrical stimulation, or massage therapy (including traction massage) are used prior to a spinal manipulation in order to relax the muscles.

In some cases, it may necessary to perform an adjustment while you are sedated. Spinal manipulation under anesthesia, which is considered a very safe procedure, is usually reserved for patients with conditions such as chronic neck, back, and joint pain, muscle spasm, shortened muscles, and fibrous adhesions.

Another form of adjustment called craniosacral therapy, or "CST," involves exerting very mild pressure to the body's craniosacral system, which is comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. This includes the cranium-which is composed of the skull, face and mouth, and the "sacrum," or tailbone. CST has been shown to provide relief from chronic neck and back pain, scoliosis, brain and spinal cord injuries, migraines, chronic fatigue, nervous system disorders, jaw joint problems, and stress disorders. (Such conditions as aneurysm and intracranial hemorrhage prohibit this kind of therapy.)

Adjustments almost always do not involve any pain or discomfort. The important thing for a patient to keep in mind is to remain relaxed, because stiffening up may impede the adjustment process. Popping sounds are sometimes heard during adjustments; these are usually pockets of air being released behind a joint or other bony structure.

Adjustments can leave you with a greater sense of well-being, calm, and most importantly, on the road to a life without pain. Following an adjustment, some patients experience mild aching or soreness in their spinal joints or muscles, which can usually be relieved by an ice or heat pack.

Adjustments have been shown to:

• Increase blood flow
• Increase pain tolerance levels
• Increase range of motion
• Increase the body's secretion of "good" chemicals such as melatonin and endorphins
• Reduce blood pressure
• Reduce tension and muscle pressure