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Flat Feet? Orthotics Could Help You Avoid Anterior or Posterior Pelvic Tilt

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Unless they visit a podiatrist for a professional consultation, few people realize they have problems with their feet. Fallen arches, flat-footedness, bow-leggedness, and myriad other anomalies are just generally accepted as a part of a person’s normal physiology. They could go an entire lifetime without realizing their flat-footedness, for example.

The problem with this, is that something like flat feet sets the tone for an entire chain of physiological deficiencies. Most noticeably, flat feet can cause anterior or posterior pelvic tilt, a condition wherein the pelvis rotates forward or backward too far. This in turn causes insufficient support in the lumbar spine, opening the door to back problems and chronic illness.

Thankfully, flat-footedness and other foot-related physiological issues can be addressed and corrected given the right support. Orthotics are the answer. And, through assessment of the spine’s curvature and patient posture, Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) is able to help chiropractors understand to what degree flat feet need to be corrected.

Orthotic assistance for support

The premise behind orthotics is simple. First, they provide immediate support to areas of the feet that may lack physiological integrity, which ultimately affects better posture and physiological change all the way up to the spine. Second, orthotics enable feet to remodel themselves over time as they become accustomed to a new variation in support.

Addressing pelvic tilt

Chiropractors often utilize orthotics when correcting anterior or posterior pelvic tilt because these conditions are a direct result of improper foundational support. Without the natural arch of the foot to bolster support of the knees, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, and thighs, the lower body seeks support from separate muscle groups – usually in the lower back. This causes stressors to pull and strain muscles that the pelvis relies on, prompting misalignment. Depending on the lack of support and corresponding posture, the pelvis may tilt anterior or posterior.

Rebuilding physiological integrity

No amount of chiropractic adjustments alone are going to be able to restore the lumbar support lost due to flat-footedness. To affect real change, chiropractors must go to the source.

Orthotics are the primary tool for re-training feet in proper support. Best of all, as is the spirit of chiropractic, orthotics are specifically modeled after each patient’s feet. This promotes a tailored approach to wellness that targets the unique level of support required by each person’s feet. Over time, custom orthotics can also be remodeled, in order to spur continuous improvement.

Given enough time and a supporting CBP adjustment schedule, it’s possible for many patients to accomplish a series of goals that restore physiological integrity, including:

  • Rebuild or strengthen foot arches;
  • Alleviate stress and tension in lower body;
  • Re-train proper supportive lumbar physiology;
  • Restore lumbar and sacral spine curvature;
  • Correct anterior or posterior pelvic tilting tendencies.

Cumulatively, this process works to remodel the foundation of a person’s spinal health, starting with their feet. Results can take many forms, including alleviation of lumbar pain, better overall posture, and of course, ideal spine curvature.

The convenience of orthotics

Aside from being truly customizable, orthotics present pelvic tilt sufferers with a chief standalone benefit that makes them superiorly effective. They are, above all, zero effort tools. Patients put them in their shoes and that’s it: the orthotics will do work each time the patient stands or walks. Over time the effects will become pronounced all by themselves.

Ideal Spine believes heavily in the power of orthotics and their ability to reverse anterior or posterior pelvic tilt. If you’ve been diagnosed with a pelvic tilt condition and aren’t currently using orthotics to combat it, ask your chiropractor what their benefit might be to you.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Using Posterior Chain Adjustments and Strengthening to Combat Bulging Discs

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Bulging discs most frequently occur in the lumbar spine. In fact, cumulative data from reputable chiropractic studies has shown that L4 and L5 in particular are susceptible to stressors that enable bulging. These vertebrae shift and compress with stress and time, eventually bulging to a point that causes undeniable symptoms for the sufferer, including intense pain, limited range of motion, and mobility issues.

Bulging discs are nothing new for chiropractors, and are in fact one of the most common reasons patients initially seek treatment. Patients are frequently surprised, however, when they learn that adjustments are only a temporary solution for relief from a bulging disc. When shifted back into place, the truly arduous work of preventing re-bulging begins. And, after experiencing initial relief, many individuals are hesitant to understand the need for posterior chain strengthening.

At Ideal Spine, we see posterior chain adjustments and strengthening as immeasurably important in battling bulging lumbar discs. In restoring the lumbar spine’s curvature and strengthening its support system, we understand the opportunity to educate patients on the best possible maintenance for their spines.

Identifying the posterior chain

Many patients lack the terminological understanding of their spine. A bulging lumbar disc is simply “low back pain” in their mind. Trying to explain the posterior chain becomes a complex process.

Instead, it’s critical for chiropractors to help patients identify the catalysts for their bulging discs in terms of how the posterior chain works together. For example, a chiropractor may have a patient hold a squat until failure to illustrate weakness in the gluteal muscles, or attempt to touch their toes from a standing position to show inflexibility. By acting out certain movements and feeling the limitations of their body as identified by a chiropractor, it’s possible for patients to grasp the extent of their posterior chain beyond their low back.

Adjustments in the posterior chain

Remediating bulging discs begins with adjustments. Through palpitation and radiological imaging, chiropractors can determine which of the lumbar discs have bulged and to what extent. This determine the immediate course of treatment, which can include drop table adjustments to help shift vertebrae, as well as traction to alleviate compression and inflammation. Depending on the age of the patient, the severity of the bulge, or the catalyst for the condition, different adjustment techniques and timelines come into play.

Strengthening the posterior chain

When the immediate pain of a bulging disc has been addressed, chiropractors have the duty of recommending exercises and stretches that strengthen the support offered by the posterior chain. This will ensure the disc in question is able to realign appropriately and that future bulges are avoided.

Most often, strengthening is focused on the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, and low back, with occasional core strengthening recommended. Bolstering the strength of these muscle groups means better support for the entire lumbar spine and an ability to weather duress in a healthier capacity.

Some patients also benefit from yoga or targeted stretching of the posterior chain. This has the benefit of reducing stress in overworked muscles, while improving flexibility and mobility in key support systems.

Going beyond the bulge

Bulging discs cannot be ignored, but remediating their pain goes beyond simply alleviating pressure. To prevent recurring bulges or future lumbar pain, work needs to be done on the posterior chain. Adjusting, strengthening, and even stretching are all crucial follow-ups to chiropractic adjustment.

At Ideal Spine, we see chiropractic beyond the adjustment table. It’s why our chiropractors always leverage Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) recovery plans, to ensure every patient is getting the aftercare support their bodies demand.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Without X-Rays, Many Chiropractors are Missing the Bigger Picture

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There are certain practices in the medical world that become standard for a reason. Doctors wash their hands to stem the spread of germs. Nurses ask about allergies to medication to prevent dangerous reactions. Your dentist taps your gums to make sure the anesthetic has kicked in before drilling. It’s all done for the good of the patient.

In the world of chiropractic, taking x-ray films of patients before making any adjustments is quickly becoming standard. In fact, Ideal Spine chiropractors are educated on the importance of radiological imaging above all else, as part of an introduction to the Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) modality.

What benefits do x-rays offer?

Most chiropractors are knowledgeable enough in their practice to understand spinal misalignments through palpitation or even sight. But while this might clue a chiropractor in on an area of focus, it does little to qualify the nature of the misalignment. X-ray films provide qualitative and quantitative data that can be leveraged into a highly customized treatment solution.

For example, rotation of the C6 and C7 vertebrae can be felt through palpitation. But to what degree are they rotated? And, moreover, is this rotation accompanied by any lateral movement? If so, to what degree? Through films, a chiropractor can juxtapose a physical image of this affected area against an ideal spine model to qualify what they may already know to be a problem.

Qualification then opens the door for treatment. In this same example, slight rotation and accompanying lateral movement may require a three-week adjustment schedule, coupled with posterior chain strengthening and myofascial release.

Seeing the whole picture

X-rays also enable chiropractors to see what a pedestrian assessment might not show them. For example, a chiropractor may be able to clearly see posterior pelvic tilt in a person’s posture, but they may not be able to see or even feel the shifting sacral spine that accompanies it, due to the severity of the situation. Further, imaging the entire spine may yield evidence of misalignments climbing up the spine, showing lumbar or thoracic deviation.

Visual understanding is unparalleled

The spine is like a puzzle. For chiropractors, x-ray imaging is like being able to look at the box, to get an idea of what all of the pieces add up to. Having everything laid out in front of them, chiropractors are often more apt at seeing problem areas and their catalysts clearly. This enables a better level of treatment as a CBP adjustment schedule is mapped out.

For patients too, visual evidence of manipulation is important. Before and after films of their spine enable patients to see the power of CBP at work and, coupled with the benefits they can feel, reinforce the adjustments and improvements made. X-ray films are verifiable proof in progress, which is what many patients seek.

Finally, films offer a record of adjustment and wellness. They become part of a patient’s history, cluing chiropractors in when it comes to future issues. As an example, films outlining a herniated lumbar disc from years past may yield insight into how to treat sciatica pain in the present.

Best practices exist for a reason

Taking radiological films at the outset of treatment is an engrained part of Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) and the Ideal Spine practice. Films offer substantial benefit throughout the treatment and recovery process, and they pave the way for an all-around better understanding of a spinal situation. Just like washing hands and inquiring about allergies, taking films is becoming a standard best practice because it’s backed by undeniable benefit.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Why Does a Chiropractic Adjustment Schedule Take Place Over Months, Not Days?

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Treatment and recovery from illness happen relatively quickly at the hands of modern medicine. You can go from violently ill to good-as-new in the span of just a few days with a visit to the doctor and the proper medication. A good diagnosis goes a long way.

On the other end of the spectrum, we often see recovery of broken bones or rehabilitation after surgery as a lengthy process. It’s not uncommon to spend weeks and months limited in your abilities or slowly rehabbing to get back to normal. It’s a process that’s often arduous and expected.

So where does chiropractic fall on the spectrum? It’s less invasive than surgery, but not as immediate as medication, which puts it somewhere in between. Chiropractic recovery timelines can vary dramatically based on the nature of the condition and the patient suffering from it.

On average, a Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) adjustment plan is mapped out over weeks and months. For someone with mild sciatica, this may seem like an inflated timeline; however, for someone with severe lordosis, it may not seem like enough time to fully correct the condition. It begs the question: what goes into a CBP adjustment schedule and why do Ideal Spine chiropractors execute these plans over weeks and months, instead of days?

Avoiding adjustment shock

The first and foremost reason for a prolonged adjustment period is to avoid “adjustment shock.” Simply put, this occurs when you try to do too much, too fast. Think of it like signing up for a marathon before you’ve even run a 5k. Attempting a massive undertaking without preparing the body means setting yourself up for agony and injury.

Trying to correct severe lordosis, for example, means retailoring the spine’s curvature through ongoing adjustments. Trying to push everything back into place over a period of a few days will be extremely uncomfortable for a patient, not to mention impossible due to the lack of support needed to ensure the changes take hold.

Adjustment shock usually takes the form of soreness and tenderness. You might feel sore when sitting or standing, or have difficulty going through your normal range of motion. It’s a sign you’ve done too much, and something your chiropractor will always strive to avoid.

Setting a foundation for change

As mentioned, chiropractic adjustments need time to take hold. Your back problems can’t be solved overnight, which means many of the catalysts that have caused misalignment will exist for a period during the adjustment process. These stressors will entice your spine into moving back into the position it’s being repositioned from.

A CBP schedule ensures a series of adjustments are made over routine intervals, with strengthening and postural changes being made in the interim. In a practical sense, this enables adjustments to take hold while the body develops the necessary support system to prevent re-shifting. Over time, adjustments will compound in the move towards realignment, restoring positive curvature to the spine that can be maintained for wellness moving forward.

Verifiable benefits

Finally, the step-by-step nature of a CBP adjustment schedule enables chiropractors to check in on the status of an adjustment plan. If radiological films show setbacks in the process or changes are taking hold as they should be, the schedule can be adapted more easily than if they were more contingent upon time.

Patients may not outright understand the reason for 12 or more visits to correct a spinal condition – especially if they feel better after just a few. Chiropractors must help patients understand the benefits that come with seeing the entire adjustment schedule through, and why that schedule occurs over weeks and months, instead of days.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Probing Patients for the Whole Story: Why Consults and Interviews are Paramount

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There are a few simple ways to tell if you’re being taken for a ride when you visit a chiropractor. The first and easiest tip-off comes when your chiropractor fails to take time to interview you about your specific pain or discomfort. It’s a critical first step that, when overlooked, has the potential to invalidate any future adjustments. Skipping this dialogue and jumping right into corrections is a recipe for disaster and the mark of an unskilled practitioner.

Chiropractic consultations and interviews are a core part of Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) and other modalities for a reason. They yield insight into each unique patient, presenting symptoms, potential catalysts, and myriad other factors that determine everything from a diagnosis to the course of treatment.

Ideal Spine places the utmost emphasis on pre-adjustment patient interviews and consultations, both as critical starting places and crucial benchmarks in the CBP process. We leverage the insights a patient dialogue provides, to better serve their spine health and wellness.

Show us where it hurts

The first and simplest question a chiropractor asks a patient is also the most important: “where does it hurt?” Getting patients talking about their pain is a simple way to start identifying its markers and traits. Important information gleaned from this simple question can include:

  • The location and span of the pain (from the low back to the heel);
  • The sensation of the pain (burning, shooting, tingling, etc.);
  • The frequency of the pain (consistently, occasionally, every night, etc.);
  • Limits caused by pain (can’t bend, problems reaching, etc.).

Simply prompting patients to talk about their pain helps chiropractors begin to qualify it objectively. This can lead to more accurate diagnoses once all variables are discerned, as well as insight into specifics of a condition unique to that patient.

Going beyond the present

Patient consults and interviews also provide invaluable information that might not be listed in any chart or immediately present during palpitation. For example, a recent fall they had or an accident they were in weeks ago may be tied to presenting symptoms. Asking the right questions and listening to patient explanations produces context clues that are highly valuable. Some questions a chiropractor may consider include:

  • Have you tripped, fallen, or injured yourself in any way recently?
  • When did your pain begin and did anything happen around this time?
  • Have you been treated for this pain or anything like it before?
  • Have you experienced anything like this before?

Whether positive or negative, answers yield insight and provide the missing information needed to close gaps of uncertainty.

Tell us about yourself

Even a conversational, friendly dialogue is important. The more that’s known about the patient, the better. What do they do for a living? What are their hobbies? Did they do anything fun last weekend? Each piece of information tells you more about their lifestyle, which in turn contributes to our understanding of their situation and condition. A construction worker who plays softball on the weekends is likely going to have different physiological concerns than a computer programmer who spends her free time reading!

Getting off on the right foot

The information compiled from even a simple patient interview or consultation is a critical component to any good chiropractor’s treatment process. Chiropractors who skip this step are doing a disservice to their patients and to themselves, mitigating or delaying relief.

Ideal Spine promotes patient interviews before any corrections are made. By adhering to the CBP process for evaluation, our chiropractors establish a baseline for information before adjusting, ensuring tailored, targeted treatment.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Pinpointing Lifestyle Detractors That Cause Spinal Disc Deterioration

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While chiropractic is built on the idea of adjustments and manipulations to align and maintain the posture of the spine, it goes far beyond the cracks and pops. One all-important element of chiropractic care is lifestyle adjustment. It’s something every chiropractor will advise, and it’s up to each patient to integrate this advice into their life. When they do, the results can be profound and lasting.

Lifestyle changes are frequently prescribed to directly combat postural detractors. These can be conscious or unconscious things a patient does that slowly, subtly regress their spine health. Pinpointing them and offering advice that counters them enables chiropractors to continue providing relief to patients long after they’ve left the adjustment table.

There’s virtually no limit to the number of unique lifestyle detractors a patient may present with. Ideal Spine encourages chiropractors to constantly observe the habits of patients and the deviation tendencies of their spines, to better understand what advice may affect positive results.

Postural observation

Examining and assessing a patient’s sitting, standing, and laying postures may yield tremendous insight into what’s causing spinal deviation.

If a patient has foot pronation, for example, a chiropractor can follow this up to a shifting pelvis or lumbar subluxations. This enables them to make the connection for patients, prompting a conscious focus on avoiding foot pronation and thus, avoiding a backslide into consistent pelvic and lumbar pain.

In this same vein, assessing postural tendencies that develop as a result of misalignment is a great opportunity for chiropractors to teach patients. Retraining someone in proper sitting posture after years of compensating for thoracic lordosis, for example, helps them realize the effects of poor posture on their overall wellness. In this situation, what they’re accustomed to is incorrect and needs to be revised for proper health.

Unconscious habits become conscious

Often, it’s unconscious habits that do the most harm to patients. Slouching while they sit, walking with their shoulders slumped, or tilting their head while they read are all subtle, yet destructive tendencies. They have the power to quickly undo the positive adjustments made by a chiropractor.

As a chiropractor is able to pinpoint unconscious lifestyle detractors and make patients aware of them, they can also provide counterbalance solutions. In some cases, these take the form of adjustments. A mirror image adjustment of a tilted head can provide relief, for example. In other cases, new lifestyle habits need to be adapted. Someone who runs on their toes might need to retrain themselves for a purposeful heel strike to avoid exercise injuries.

The purpose in making unconscious habits conscious is to get patients familiar with them. If they know they have a tendency to do X, they can actively develop a reflex to avoid it or train themselves to do Y instead. Adjustments will last longer and have more time to take hold, equating to better long-term relief and a better quality of life.

Preventing disc deterioration

Lifestyle changes and conscious betterment of physiological habits add up to better spine health, primarily through disc preservation. When discs aren’t being displaced, stressed, or shifted, they’re able to maintain function and strength. This in turn makes them more resilient and less likely to be compromised in the way unhealthy discs might.

Healthier discs can mean everything from a better daily quality of life, to less invasive adjustments when needed, to resistance against the rigors of age, and beyond. All it takes is emphasis on eliminating those elements of your lifestyle that detract from posture and spine health.

Ideal Spine ensures chiropractic goes beyond just manual adjustments. For truly sustainable chiropractic results, we encourage lifestyle adjustment, to assess and address all of the factors actively burdening your spine.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Supplemental Spine Health Treatments Available to Chiropractors

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Chiropractors are primarily associated with back and neck manipulation – the popping, cracking, twisting, and pulling that’s synonymous with adjustments. HVLA adjustments are far from the only capabilities of an experienced practitioner, however. In fact, the chiropractic toolbox is expansive and includes far more than manual adjustments.

The treatments a chiropractor may leverage to help patients depends entirely on the nature of the condition and the potential for relief the treatment offers. For example, myofascial release may be superb for alleviating whiplash symptoms, yet wholly ineffective when combating sciatica. In either case, manual adjustment might not be enough to affect real change. Supplemental spine health treatments are required.

Ideal Spine challenges chiropractors to utilize all recognized treatment methods and modalities, and leverage them to the betterment of patients. Distinguishing and qualifying treatments based on conditions means finding a tailored solution to patient wellness.

The chiropractor’s toolbox

Manual adjustment is a prolific and diverse categorization for traditional chiropractic. It can include HVLA adjustment, drop table manipulation, mirror image adjustment, and more. And while these modalities will always be a cornerstone of spine maintenance, they’re sometimes not enough to provide top-tier relief alone.

When physical manipulation isn’t able to achieve optimal results, condition-mandated treatments become a focus. Let’s take a look at some of the options a chiropractor may employ and the potential for relief these might have:

  • Massage: Massage takes many forms, including deep tissue, myofascial, and rehabilitative. Massage can break up fascial scarring, improve blood flow, and de-stress muscles for improved range of motion or faster healing.
  • Nutrition and supplementation: Many spine abnormalities come from nutritional deficiencies. Lack of calcium, vitamin D, iron, and other essentials can be remedied with simple supplements. Chiropractors can pinpoint dietary concerns and identify missing components of a diet to suggest them to patients.
  • Orthotics: Problems in the feet quickly evolve into problems with the spine. Orthotics can correct flat feet, fallen arches, and more, restoring proper balance and foundation to a person’s standing, walking, or running mechanics
  • Traction: Products like the Denneroll and other traction apparatuses can help reduce compression, serving as a precursor to physical adjustments. Compression alleviation through traction is also a zero-impact way to facilitate better range of motion.
  • TENS and stimulation: Electrostimulation can address nerve pain or damage where physical manipulation is rendered all but useless. Stimulation of nerves can help promote localized relief from nagging nerve misfires, trembling, or numbness.
  • Laser and vibration therapy: Molecular-level care represents an innovation in modern chiropractic. Cold laser therapy is able to promote tissue regeneration, while vibration therapy utilizes the body’s natural response to low-level waves to activate and condition muscles. Both offer relief on a smaller scale than manipulation is able to target.
  • Stretching and strengthening: Where chiropractic meets physical therapy, stretching and strengthening become important. Muscles that are properly conditioned and strengthened are better able to support the spine, assuring adjustments take hold and backslides in recovery don’t occur.

When used in isolation, in combination, or in conjunction with manual adjustment, each facet of chiropractic care offers the potential for targeted relief from pain. And, when a Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) adjustment schedule is the guiding path to wellness, these solutions can be mapped, observed, and complemented over the long-term.

Beyond back cracks

Chiropractic may always be associated with back cracks and neck pops, but it’s important to realize modern chiropractic is all that and so much more. The focus remains on spine health, but now encompasses total body observation and treatment as it relates to our central nervous system and spine segments.

Ideal Spine encourages chiropractors to leverage more than just proficiency in manual adjustment. We promote the discovery of wellness solutions through the exploration of the entire available chiropractic toolbox.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Vertebral Compression Fractures Require Comprehensive Oversight to Set Right

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Anyone suffering from a vertebral compression fracture is sure to know something is wrong. They may already be living with a condition like osteoporosis, which leaves them prone to developing disc issues. But, unlike osteoporosis, which may present in nagging, dull pain or a feeling of frailty, a compression fracture is acutely painful and wholly agonizing when it occurs.

For someone living with chronic pain, a burst of severe pain is something even they’ll notice. Unfortunately, if they don’t seek immediate assessment of that pain, it’s liable to quell into the chronic pain they’re already familiar with, albeit often at a higher level. It’s a situation Ideal Spine sees all too frequently, presenting in improperly healed vertebral fractures.

In any case, a fracture is a problem that needs attention. It can persist in pain, decreased range of motion, decreased physical function, mental anguish, and much more. In women, it’s estimated that compression fractures play an active role in raising mortality rates by as much as 15%. To make matters even worse, fractures have a tendency to compound. The situation can quickly snowball from a single unchecked fracture.

Diagnosis is the first step

Diagnosing a compression fracture is critical before any corrective or mitigating steps are taken. Chiropractors need to know the location of the fracture, its severity, and any contributing factors that may have caused it or that are actively worsening it. The complete picture is required to assess a treatment plan.

In this critical stage, x-rays are imperative. Not only do they call attention directly to a fracture, they provide visible evidence that pure palpitation cannot. They also provide chiropractors with a comprehensive view of the affected section of the spine (cervical, thoracic or lumbar).

More than just relying on diagnostic imaging – which can be wrongly interpreted without supporting evidence – most chiropractors will interview patients about their pain. Common questions include:

  • What does the pain feel like?
  • When did the pain start?
  • Is the pain consistent or intermittent?
  • What makes the pain worse? Better?

Finally, diligence is done in regards to the patient’s previous health. If they’re known to have a preexisting condition like osteoporosis or stenosis, diagnosis of a fracture can be better cemented. If nothing else, it helps assure the suspicions of a chiropractor based on the presenting evidence.

Treatment is imperative

Treating a vertebral compression is no small task and one that requires immediate and ongoing attention. In severe cases, surgery may be a necessary evil, especially in situations where discs have deteriorated and vertebrae are prone to extreme compression. In many cases, however, corrective chiropractic can hold potential for relief.

Chiropractic treatment for vertebral compression comes in stages. First, is stabilizing the patient to alleviate acute pain. Next comes decompression, to reduce stress on the fracture and allow it to heal. After that, corrective chiropractic can help to realign and stabilize vertebrae. Finally, prevention is essential in staving off future fractures or aggravation of the healed fracture.

Using a Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) treatment plan, chiropractors can plan for each person’s unique recovery based on information gleaned during the assessment phase. This also enables implementation of tailored treatment, such as decompression therapy, targeted massage, dietary supplements, and muscle strengthening exercises.

Don’t downplay a fracture

Vertebral fractures are dire, no matter their severity. If dealt with swiftly and accordingly, they can be overcome and prevented in the future, enabling sufferers to regain their spine health. Left unchecked, they could do major damage that lasts over the long-term.

Ideal Spine urges patients not to downplay acute, severe pain in their spine – especially if they have a history of osteoporosis, stenosis, or other forms of spinal compression or frailness. Visit a qualified chiropractor right away to ensure vertebral compression fractures are being appropriately diagnosed and treated.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Does Gender Play a Role in the Outlook of Spinal Injuries and Wellness?

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As medical professionals begin to study the different ways that gender, sex and gender identity affect the health of human beings, many scientists are now realizing that gender plays a role in the way that bodies deal with and heal from spinal injury.

Gerontologists are continuing to expand on research that demonstrates how male and female patients age differently from one another. Of specific intrigue, are bone and spinal conditions, among them osteoporosis, disc degeneration, stenosis, and more. Because of the differing chemical and physiological makeup of people of different genders and gender expression, spinal afflictions tend to heal in dissimilar ways in different patients.

If a patient is experiencing spinal pain and is wondering how their gender will affect their healing process, they should consult with a qualified spinal health specialist. Working with a chiropractor versed in Ideal Spine’s Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) technique is a great way for patients to understand the intersection of spinal health and their genetic makeup.

Gender bias in medical research

Because most early medical research was conducted exclusively on heterosexual men who identified with their assigned gender of birth, there exists a dearth of accessible research that is relevant for women, transgender people, and other members of the lesbian, gay and bisexual community.

For instance, aspirin is known to reduce the risk of heart attacks in male patients, and was thought to have a similar effect for everyone. Unfortunately, daily aspirin consumption does not reduce the risk of heart attacks for female patients, and is even thought to elevate their risk of suffering from a stroke. Parallels like this exist in spinal research as well, and are only now beginning to be observed.

Because men, women, and transgender patients react to medical treatment differently from one another, it is exceedingly important to maintain a diverse research population and to seek gender-specific health whenever possible. Equally as important is the tailored approach of CBP on individual patients and their spines. Working with a chiropractor who understands the need for individual assessment, monitoring, and correction is paramount for a successful treatment for any patient.

The differing effects of spinal injuries across gender

How a person’s body responds to and overcomes spinal injury can be greatly dependent on their gender. Understanding gender as a variable in the overall scheme of spinal wellness enables chiropractors to take the right approach to adjustment and rehabilitation:

  • Female: Female patients suffering from traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCIs) generally experience the symptoms of their injury in markedly different ways from male patients. For instance, elderly female patients have higher rates of chronic pain resulting from SCIs than male patients, and are more likely to suffer from depression as a result of their SCI.
  • Male: Young male patients are more likely than any other group to suffer from an SCI. Some SCIs may also result in infertility in male patients, and it is extremely important that general practice doctors are aware of any SCIs a male patient has suffered prior to treating them for a range of conditions.
  • Transgender: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a procedure that many transgender individuals use to help them express their gender identity. HRT treatment may affect bone health, and could result in a healing process that is different than that experienced by someone who’s gender identity matches that which they were assigned at birth.

Ideal Spine’s CPB technique allows chiropractic professionals to provide high-quality spinal care that is informed by extensive research into the correlation between genetic makeup and spine and bone health. Seeking out a practitioner with knowledge obtained from Ideal Spine’s CPB program is advisable for any patient looking for gender-informed care.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.

Untangling the Complicated Web of Peripheral Nerve Disorders

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Peripheral nerve disorders affect the parts of your nervous system that exist outside of your brain and spinal cord. When these components of your body’s communication network are not operating properly, they can cause wide-ranging discomfort and pain. Whether a patient’s body is experiencing localized stabbing sensations or a general throb, peripheral nerve disorders may be the culprit of irritation.

Working with a qualified chiropractic practitioner who has an advanced knowledge of the intersection of spinal health and biology is the best way for a patient to have their peripheral nerve disorder diagnosed and treated.

Ideal Spine trains chiropractors in the Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) modality, which allows them to understand the best ways to identify, treat, and manage the source of peripheral nerve disorders, rather than simply addressing symptoms. Patients who think they may be suffering from peripheral nerve damage should always seek out a practitioner with CBP expertise.

Types of peripheral nerve disorders

There are more than 100 documented types of peripheral nerve disorders that patients can suffer from. They are caused by everything from external conditions, to existing diseases, to birth defects. Some of the most common types of peripheral nerve disorders, however, are easily identified and treated by medical professionals.

Carpal tunnel syndrome, for instance, is caused by a narrowing of the carpal tunnels within a patient’s wrist due to bad posture while typing. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated with chiropractic care in its earliest stages, through a combination of ergonomic adjustments and postural shifts. However, if left untreated, it may require painful and temporarily debilitating surgical operations.

Diabetic nerve problems are common in patients suffering from a blood sugar imbalance. Treating these disorders requires both a strong blood sugar management regimen in addition to regular chiropractic care, to help maintain proper nerve communication.

Temporary viral and bacterial infections can also result in peripheral nerve damage that is both painful and persistent. After a shingles outbreak, for instance, postherpetic neuralgia can cause patients to experience a tremendous amount of pain. Chiropractic treatments such as myofascial release therapy or trigger point therapy may prove useful in managing pain symptoms.

As a final example, a condition like thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when the nerves behind the clavicle, or collar bone, become distressed due to compression or pressure. This disorder can result in pain and numbness of the arms and the feeling of tightness within the chest. Here again, chiropractic adjustment through traction can serve to restore balance and alleviate pressure.

Treating peripheral nerve disorders

Because the causes of peripheral nerve disorders are so varied, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for their treatment. Regular chiropractic care from a well-trained professional, however, is almost always a great way to not only alleviate symptoms, but also treat their root cause.

Because chiropractic care focuses on treating a patient’s central nervous system by way of the spinal column, chiropractors are often able to help patients cope with their symptoms more effectively than other medical professionals with a selective focus. Working with a qualified chiropractor is a great way to address the entirety of a peripheral nerve disorder.

Ideal Spine offers training in the Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) methodology to practitioners hoping to continue advancing their skills and abilities. Patients are advised to look for practitioners who can offer a wide range of biophysical knowledge when they are hoping to have their peripheral nerve disorder diagnosed and treated.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.