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The Opioid Crisis has Peaked: Chiropractic is More Important than Ever

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The opioid crisis isn’t a new story. It’s been raging for the better part of a decade, growing more severe and deadly with each passing year. Now, it seems as though it’s finally come to a head.

Not only are opioid prescriptions on crackdown, harder and harder to get from responsible doctors, landmark lawsuits about opioid distribution are beginning to set precedent. Huge names like Allergan and Johnson & Johnson are paying out millions to families affected by addiction, death, and medication abuse. More lawsuits are on the horizon.

At the forefront of it all is a generation of people who are well aware of the detriment of opioids. They’ve seen what addiction does and are more educated about how to care for their bodies. These people are turning to alternative medicine for relief from pain, starting with chiropractic.

Ideal Spine recognizes that now, more than ever before, is the time to provide education to people seeking opioid-free relief from pain. That includes education about chiropractic process, emphasis on evidence-based treatment, and setting expectation for patients trusting chiropractic over prescriptions.

Dispelling myths, setting expectations

The opioid crisis has disillusioned traditional medicine for many people. This is both a good and bad thing. On the good side, many people have taken their health into their own hands, leading healthier lives to minimize their exposure to the medical community. On the bad side, many people also turn to the internet for diagnosis, which is often detrimental to their health.

In the middle of all this are people seeking answers from alternative medicine. They consult massage therapists about aches and pains. They work with acupuncturists to restore homeostasis and balance. Most importantly, they trust chiropractors to help them maintain spine health.

But there are a lot of misconceptions and myths out there about alternative medicine – especially chiropractic. They range from outrageous medical claims, to doubts about the efficacy of spinal manipulations. Welcoming patients to alternative medicine means being a foremost source of authority on validating what’s true, dispelling myths, and setting expectations.

Addressing the person, not the symptoms

Many people seeking relief from chronic pain are shunning opioids. But that means they’re looking for answers elsewhere. They’re often seeking the convenience of a pill, with the personalized treatment they’d get from a clinical practitioner. This puts chiropractors in a precarious spot.

The best way to validate patients and help them on the path to wellness is through a Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) approach. It combines the personalized process of patient care with evidence-based treatment. It gives pain patients the approach the need to hopefully make meaningful progress toward a pain-free life. Expert adjustments. At-home exercises and self-care. Referrals to various therapies. They all come together within the scope of a CBP plan to bring holistic relief to a patient. And, in the process, educate patients more about their pain, their spine, and their lifestyle.

A future without opioids

We’re still a long way from the end of the opioid crisis. But we’re taking strides toward ending it. As more people understand the dangers of opioids and the potential benefits of alternative healing, the tide continues to shift in the right direction.

Ideal Spine encourages chiropractors to welcome new patients with open arms and realistic expectations. They’ve already made the hardest decision – turning away relief in the form of an opioid prescription. Now, it’s your turn to validate that decision through the delivery of exceptional patient care. It starts with CBP.

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.

Testing for Spinal Stenosis to Achieve an Accurate Diagnosis

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Spinal stenosis is a condition that requires a definite diagnosis. Misdiagnosing or treating only the symptoms puts the long-term spinal health of patients in danger. Likewise, not being aggressive enough with treatment does little to bring relief to someone suffering from a narrowing of the spinal canal.

Ideal Spine preaches the importance of accurate diagnosis for any chronic condition, but for stenosis especially. Thankfully, achieving an accurate diagnosis is easy when following the Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) approach to qualifying symptoms.

Patient questioning

Regardless of presentation, patients should always be interviewed about their symptoms. Palpation of the spine and other testing yields important information, but few things give insight like a patient’s answers to targeted questions.

Based on the condition profile of spinal stenosis, chiropractors can ask a battery of questions to better qualify the condition and the severity of presenting symptoms. Some of the questions to ask patients include:

  • Do you have any pain, numbness, tingling, or a combination of all three?
  • Can you describe the nature, frequency, and severity of the sensation?
  • Where, specifically, do these sensations occur and for how long?
  • What types of posture changes stimulate the sensation (sitting, standing, laying)?
  • Do you notice any cramps or muscle spasms affiliated with the sensation?

There’s tremendous insight in how patients perceive and explain their pain. But more than just these specific pain-related questions, chiropractors can and should ask lifestyle questions as well.

  • What level of activity do you have each day?
  • How often do you sit or stand for long periods of time?
  • What is the nature of your work?
  • Do you smoke or take illicit drugs?
  • What does your daily diet look like?

The patient profile a chiropractor is able to glean from this questioning is key in aligning stenosis symptoms with manifestations.

Imaging and assessment

Most chiropractors value imaging by itself, because it has the best chance at showing stenosis – especially if there are historical spine x-rays on file to show the progression. But what makes imaging valuable is the patient profile established from questioning.

X-rays should support the nature and location of pain described by the patient. It should also show signs of their lifestyle. This not only helps qualify spinal stenosis, but also rule it out to prevent a misdiagnosis.

Movement testing

With support for a stenosis diagnosis evident in the patient profile and on radiological imaging, chiropractors can perform movement testing to distinguish their diagnosis. If standing erect or walking without a forward lean are difficult for the patient, it’s yet another sign of stenosis. Likewise, a battery of range-of-motion exercises in the lumbar and thoracic spine can confirm the restrictions commonly caused by stenosis.

Make a confident diagnosis

Simply observing patients or palpating without imaging risk the integrity of a spinal stenosis diagnosis. Because conditions like peripheral vascular disease, trochanter burstis, and hip-spine syndrome all mimic stenosis, misdiagnosis affects the entire course of treatment.

Ideal Spine advocates a procedural approach to diagnosing spinal stenosis. Using the Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) methodology, a stenosis diagnosis may be more accurately achieved, with emphasis put on formulating a unique, patient-based treatment plan for managing it.

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.

Back Pain Management is Key in Reducing the Risk of Chronic Depression

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Chronic back pain is a growing problem in adults across the nation. Caused by many underlying problems – and sometimes no identified problem at all – chronic pain can affect all aspects of daily life, physically and emotionally.

Finding a way to manage back pain is crucial for providing chronic pain patients comfort and ease. But treatments like pain medication and surgery are invasive and often detrimental. Using Ideal Spine’s Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) techniques, regular chiropractic may be a critical aspect in back pain management. A chief goal is to reduce the patient’s risk of developing depression.

The link between depression and chronic pain

Research shows people with chronic pain are likely to suffer from a mood disorder like anxiety or depression. The reverse is also true – people with depression may suffer from worsened symptoms of pain.

Chronic pain can contribute to depression in many ways. Most notably, persistent feelings of pain are enough to bring someone down, worsening feelings of hopelessness and sadness.

Chronic pain is considered pain that lasts longer than six months or longer than an injury normally takes to heal. Experiencing pain for this amount of time or longer can be physically and mentally draining.

Chronic pain is also known to make people feel isolated and misunderstood, driving a wedge between the patient and their family and friends. On top of that, chronic pain can make it difficult to sleep, accomplish daily tasks, or even concentrate. All these things can lead to or worsen feelings of depression.

Chiropractic plays a key role in pain management

Fortunately, there are options for people with chronic pain to manage their back pain long term. One of these is chiropractic.

Chiropractic care offers the benefits of being non-invasive and gentle with few side effects. It is often a much more conservative option than pain medications or invasive surgery, and can be used as a long-term form of treatment. Even if the patient has not shown signs of depression, back pain management techniques like chiropractic play an important role in preventing a mood disorder later on.

Patients with chronic pain may benefit from a comprehensive chiropractic treatment plan, incorporating adjustments, massage, stretches, and physical therapy. Through manual manipulations and targeted massage or exercise, chiropractors may be able to rebalance the body and open up pathways to promote proper blood and nutrient flow.

Together, these things may improve mobility and healing, while reducing day-to-day pain. This, in turn, may contribute to a reduced risk of depressive symptoms.

Depressive conditions require constant care

While chiropractic may offer pain management solutions, chronic pain patients should also use other methods to treat both back pain and depression. These may include at-home pain relief, exercise, meditation, cognitive therapy, and support groups.

Ideal Spine provides chiropractors with the Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) training they need to most effectively treat patients with spinal and biomechanical problems. If you are a patient suffering from chronic back pain, seek out a CBP-certified chiropractor to discuss treatment options. It’s enlightening to learn what chiropractic may do to help both your body and mind!

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.

Shifted Hips Require Conservative Realignment from a Chiropractor

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A growing portion of the population is suffering from chronic hip and back pain. Shifted hips stem from a variety of underlying issues, including sedentary lifestyles causing anterior pelvic shifts, overuse due to sports or labor, arthritis, osteoporosis, pinched nerves, and more.

Patients with hip pain are often told they need surgery to fix their problems. However, chiropractic is a much more conservative and non-invasive approach to treating pain in these areas. At Ideal Spine, we provide chiropractors with the expertise to treat hip pain using chiropractic adjustments, realignment, and massage.

Chiropractors must use careful, varied techniques when approaching shifted hip and hip pain due to the complex nature of the area. When done properly, these techniques may alleviate the patient’s symptoms without the need for pain medications or surgery.

The problem with shifted hips

When hips fall out of alignment, they have the potential to cause widespread problems in the body. Because they support much of the body’s weight and facilitate extensive movement, the hips must be balanced to allow for proper mobility without compensation from other body parts, including the lower back and legs.

Shifted hips often cause pain in the lower back, hips, and legs by altering the gait and range of motion of these areas. Hip problems may also cause symptoms of sciatica.

The hip joints, pelvic bones, muscles, and ligaments may all contribute to hip shifting and pain.

Chiropractic for hip pain

Persistent hip pain is often met with the recommendation for hip surgery by doctors. But surgery is invasive, expensive, and difficult to recover from. People with shifted hips should seek non-invasive treatment options first to minimize their risks.

Chiropractic is a great first option for people suffering from hip pain and other problems related to misaligned hips. It’s conservative, non-invasive, and gradual.

Through Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) techniques focused on rebalancing the body, chiropractors may help reposition the hips. Manual manipulation and mobilization therapy may improve flexibility, strength, and positioning of the hips to promote balance and realignment.

A combination of adjustments to the hip joints and joints in the spine, as well as massage therapies to loosen tight muscles that may cause tightness and shifted hips, may help bring the body back into balance. Once the hips are realigned and can move freely as intended, the problems of hip pain may be resolved.

Complex remedies for a serious condition

Working on shifted hips is not quite as simple as working on the lumbar spine. There are many joints, muscles, and other tissue structures to consider during hip realignment. The treatment process may be less straightforward and require more time.

In addition to chiropractic adjustments, chiropractors should offer their patients ways to improve hip mobility at home. This includes stretches, postures, and exercises that help prevent the hips from shifting out of alignment.

Ideal Spine emphasizes treating pain at its source, which is often rooted in the way biomechanical systems relate to each other. By using chiropractic techniques to realign the spine and hips, the body may be able to move more freely and remain balanced and strong.

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.

It’s Time to Have a Talk About Nutrition with Your Chronic Pain Patients

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Chronic pain is what brings a majority of patients into a chiropractic office. Low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and the like – they’re all drivers of daily discomfort. And while a chiropractor can help realign the spine and alleviate some of the pain, it’s up to patients to make the lifestyle changes required to sustain them.

One of the most important lifestyle changes patients can and should make is to their diet. Ideal Spine works with chiropractors not only to help them educate patients on good postural and exercise habits, but diet as well. Many chronic pain sufferers don’t realize it, but their pain likely has roots in what they eat.

Salt, sugar, and fat’s effect on the body

The obesity epidemic in America hit its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But while rates of severely overweight individuals have backed off in the past decade, it’s estimated 34% of adults and as many as 20% of children are still overweight. Sedentary lifestyle plays a role, but the predominant force behind overweight Americans is diet.

Poor diet does more than just pack on the pounds, which stresses the body’s biomechanical structure. It also exacerbates inflammation. The excess salt, sugar, and fats consumed through processed foods, fast food, and unhealthy habits affect the body’s many governing systems – everything from nerve health to the responsiveness of the limbic system. The inflammation and general stress caused by poor diet both incite and exacerbate chronic pain symptoms.

Addiction to poor diet

Telling patients to cut out poor food choices is much easier said than done. Chiropractors have no control over what patients do when they leave the office. In fact, patients have little control over their own actions when it comes to eating. Many suffer addictions to unhealthy food choices, which is a disease in and of itself.

To help patients break their poor eating habits, chiropractors often have to assume the role of nutritionist. This means educating patients on how their eating habits affect spine health and what they can do to break them.

Talk about nutrition

Linking chronic pain to inflammation and inflammation to diet is the quickest, most direct method of affecting change in a patient’s diet. If the answer is conceivably as simple as “eating cheeseburgers makes your back hurt,” patients will be more inclined to avoid the foods they know cause inflammation.

Targeting specific foods is only a start. It’s also important to provide alternatives that keep people eating healthily in the face of temptation. This can occur in stages. Eating one cheeseburger instead of two. Taking the cheese off the burger. Taking the bun away. Switching to a plant-based burger. They’re all options patients can explore to incrementally improve their eating habits.

There’s also the prospect of willpower to address. Many patients are engrained in their eating habits and unable to break them due to willpower. Teaching methods of accountability – keeping a journal, having a friend eat healthy with them, etc. – are modes of boosting willpower to affect dietary changes.

Pain rooted in diet requires change

If a chiropractor is able to show a patient the link between diet, inflammation, and pain, the battle is half won. From there, making changes can take time and learned willpower, but it’s possible – especially with the prospect of pain-free living.

Ideal Spine encourages chiropractors to build incremental dietary changes into a Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) recovery plan for patients. As they experience improved quality of life from adjustments, they’ll also be complementing these changes with dietary improvements of their own. Together, it’s a recipe for pain-free living, faster.

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.

Encouraging Patients to Take up Low-Impact Exercise During Adjustment Periods

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Chiropractic care extends far beyond the appointment. While adjustments and in-office exercises often leave a patient feeling better than they did when they come in, the moment they leave begins a slow decline until their next appointment. In time this decline will slow and stop, allowing patients to recover their spine health fully. But it’s aided and expedited by what a patient does outside of their schedule appointments.

At Ideal Spine, we encourage chiropractors to teach their patients about the numerous benefits of low-impact exercises as part of their Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) adjustment schedules. Proactive exercise at home can expedite adjustment schedules, improve quality of life, and help patients assume control over their wellbeing.

What types of low-impact exercises matter?

Depending on the patient, their quality of life, and mobility, a broad range of low-impact exercises are possible. Some of the most common and beneficial include:

  • Basic stretching. Teaching patients basic range of motion exercises and stretches is imperative. Not only will these exercises improve range of motion to affected areas, they promote relaxation and passive healing through better blood flow and oxygenation. They require no equipment and a small time investment each day.
  • Elaborating on basic stretching, yoga is a perfect combination of stretching, strengthening, and present-mindedness. 30 minutes of yoga every day over a period of 30 days has been proven to improve mobility, flexibility, mood, and core strength – all things vital to spinal health during an adjustment period.
  • For those who lead an active lifestyle hampered by pain or discomfort, cycling is a great activity. It’s inherently low-impact, yet has the ability to raise heart rate, increasing blood oxygenation and triggering the release of adrenaline and endorphins to combat pain. The calorie burn also benefits overall health.
  • Swimming and water aerobics. Swimming is a zero-impact exercise for the whole body. It matches many of the benefits of cycling, regardless of stroke choice. Swimming laps also strengthens muscles, improving the staying power of chiropractic adjustments. For seniors or those with mobility challenges, water aerobics offers more tempered benefits.

As little as 30 minutes of low-impact exercise each day has proven benefits on the body. Diligent exercise between adjustment appointments, coupled with postural corrections, may greatly expedite the realignment of the spine.

Put the onus on the patient

Chiropractic is a give and take relationship. Practitioners can deliver corrective action and advise patients in how to maximize these benefits to preserve spine health. But to capitalize on these benefits, patients must be willing to observe lifestyle changes. Taking up low-impact exercises at home may be part of this.

At Ideal Spine, we extol the benefits of low-impact exercise as part of a healthy approach to living. We encourage chiropractors to recommend a low-impact exercise regimen to their patients, while explaining the benefits of adhering to it. As patients begin to realize the control they have over their own wellbeing, the more motivated they’ll be to engage in maintaining their adjustments.

For more information about Ideal Spine and Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP), contact us today.

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.

Breaking Down the Braces Used to Correct Scoliosis

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Scoliosis is easily recognized in children and developing young adults. Caught early enough, modern correction systems offer enough relief to all but erase the condition, leaving behind a well-formed spinal curve. But aside from early identification, the right course of corrective action is crucial.

Ideal Spine urges chiropractors to not only understand bracing for scoliosis, but to get familiar with the three main types of braces. Understanding their application, pros and cons, and modality for correcting scoliosis helps inform a higher level of patient care.

Take a look at the three chief types of scoliosis brace: The Boston Brace, the Charleston Bending Brace, and the Milwaukee Brace.

Boston Brace

The Boston Brace is a form of Thoraco-Lumbo-Sacral-Orthosis (TLSO) brace, meaning it has total contact with the torso. The brace is made from a cast of the patient’s trunk to ensure conformity and adjusted over time to restore proper curvature to the spine. It’s designed to hold a 20° to 45° advancing curve. Key correction points are molded into the brace for easy adjustment and braces don’t need to be re-cast as corrections take hold.

This brace lacks the metal support structure of the Milwaukee Brace, which means it can be worn under clothing without drawing much attention. This brace should be worn 16-23 hours per day. This brace is not suited for high thoracic or cervical deformations.

Milwaukee Brace

Now relatively antiquated thanks to advancements in materials and the lower-profile design of the Boston Brace, the Milwaukee Brace is nonetheless an important tool in correcting severe adolescent scoliosis. A Cervico-Thoraco-Lumbo-Sacral-Orthosis (CTLSO) brace, it’s another type of full-contact brace that must be worn up to 23 hours per day.

The Milwaukee Brace is recognized for its metal neck ring for added stabilization of the cervical spine. It’s designed to hold a 25° to 45° advancing curve. And though some custom braces are used to correct scoliosis, the Milwaukee brace is more of a preventive approach to stopping ongoing misalignment. Its heavy-duty nature makes it more applicable in severe cases still developing.

Charleston Bending Brace

Also known as the “nighttime brace,” the Charleston Bending Brace is minimally invasive and only needs to be worn at night. It’s asymmetrical design naturally forces a developing spine back into alignment by offsetting the compensation caused by scoliosis. Due to its lightweight nature, it’s generally only prescribed to correct a 25° to 35° advancing curve.

The Charleston Bending Brace is primarily effective in children who haven’t reached peak developmental maturity yet—usually 12-14 years old.

Stopping scoliosis with the right brace

These three braces serve as the foundational tools for correcting scoliosis in varying degrees of severity. Other braces do exist – the Chêneau-Gensingen Brace, Silicon Valley Brace, and the SpineCor brace, for example – but they simply haven’t had the same degree of proven success as the three mentioned above.

Ideal Spine recommends thoroughly assessing the severity of a patient’s scoliosis, looking at their age and medical history, and mapping a correctional Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) approach before outfitting a patient with a brace. To learn more about scoliosis bracing or for more information about the CBP approach, contact us today.

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.

Here’s Why Patient History is a Cornerstone of Chiropractic

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Many patients visit a chiropractor with a certain expectation of how the visit will go. They’ll lay down on the table while the chiropractor palpates their spine, pushing and pulling specific areas. They’ll hear pops and cracks, and feel their tension go away. And when they stand up, they’ll magically feel better!

Based on this generalization of chiropractic, it’s easy to see why patients can become uncomfortable when things don’t go this way. When the first thing a chiropractor does is ask them about their medical history, many patients can even become evasive.

At Ideal Spine, we believe patient education starts the moment someone walks into a clinic. In many cases, this means dispelling preconceived notions. To do that, patients need to understand why things aren’t going the way they expect.

Explain the nature of holistic medicine

Have you had any recent surgeries? Do you have any history of chronic pain? What medications are you taking? On the surface, to a patient, none of these questions have anything to do with chiropractic. Explain why you’re asking them and what they mean for the eventual delivery of care.

Patients need to understand that their medical histories are important for how treatment will progress. A chiropractor can’t perform the same adjustments on a senior with osteoporosis that they do on a middle-aged athlete. Likewise, someone recovering from a recent surgery may not have the range of motion they otherwise would.

Patient history prevents false starts in the treatment plan. More importantly, it protects patients from uniformed diagnoses and adjustments.

The best way to explain this is by explaining the nature of holistic medicine. An adjustment here could result in X, Y, or Z, depending on the factors at play. Having vital medical history information eliminates the unknowns, so a chiropractor can solve for X, Y, or Z – whatever will provide the best outcome for the patient.

The more you know, the more you help

If a patient complains of neck pain, a doctor’s first instinct isn’t going to be to prescribe surgery. Instead, they’re going to do a full exam, ask questions, and try to qualify the source and intensity of the pain. Visiting a chiropractor is no different, and medical history plays a vital role.

Neck pain, for example, is a broad concern. Getting as much information as possible speeds up a chiropractor’s diagnosis and ensures the right course of action is taken. Patients may not realize it, but that whiplash accident they had last year may only now be manifesting symptoms. Or, the shoulder surgery they had five years ago may have limited their range of motion, affecting the musculature around the cervical spine. The chronic plantar fasciitis they’ve been self-medicating for years may have caused instability in the lumbar spine, finally affecting the cervical spine. The list goes on and on.

Every piece of information is vital in putting together the puzzle of patient pain. The biggest contributor of information is patient history – both formally documented and informally told.

Set the precedent of informed care

In getting new patients to be forthcoming with important information, chiropractors need to break stereotypes and encourage patient education. A visit to the chiropractor is not random adjustments and audible pops – it’s a collaboration between patient and chiropractor that leads to informed care.

When patients understand how their medical history informs their care, they’ll recognize the importance of sharing it.

Ideal Spine advocates informed patient care through a structured Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) approach. For more information about CBP or for more tips on how to deliver world-class chiropractic care, contact us today.

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.

Teaching Activity Modification Requires Constant Reinforcement

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Humans are largely creatures of habit. It can be difficult to influence people to change the way they do things, particularly when they have years of a under their belts.

Chiropractors often experience this challenge with patients who require activity modification to prevent pain and amplify healing due to an injury or chronic condition. Enforcing non-damaging movements in patients outside the chiropractic office can be difficult.

This is why the team at Ideal Spine suggests chiropractors practice constant reinforcement when it comes to activity modification – particularly for patients with chronic problems in which harmful motions may cause lasting damage.

What is activity modification?

Activity modification represents a temporary change in the way everyday activities are performed. This is usually necessary to prevent future or further injury of the spine and nervous system following the identification of an injury or weakness.

Teaching patients about activity modification also helps them continue moving, in spite of fear of pain. It is an important aspect of at-home care. Patients should learn which movements to avoid, as they can put additional stress on the injured area, and ways to accomplish similar tasks without the added stress or pain.

Activity modification will not cure the patient’s ailments, but it may result in a reduction of symptoms – sometimes this reduction can be significant enough that the patient feels like their condition is gone. The goal is to help the patient to live as free of pain as possible and allow the body to heal.

During activity medication, patients should stay active to maintain adequate function and range of motion. Activity modification does not require complete rest or inactivity. In fact, too little activity may result in a worsened condition or the development of another problem, such as muscled degradation.

However, slight changes in movements to accommodate for symptoms may help the body heal from its injury and naturally ease symptoms over time – particularly inflammation.

Reinforcing modification methods to patients

Activity modification is usually only recommended for short periods of time – it is not a necessary life-long adjustment. However, this short timespan can work against patients who forget to make the modifications and instead continue to engage in potentially painful or damaging movements.

For patients with chronic problems, such as osteoarthritis, activity modification may need to be a more long-term care strategy.

Because activity modification is largely an at-home treatment method, chiropractors must work with their patients to reinforce the modifications during their appointments. The use of in-office demonstrations, pamphlets, videos, and discussions may help influence patients to use the modifications in their day to day lives.

It may help to provide patients with an approved list of motions and exercises they should focus on to maintain mobility. Emphasizing routine completion of the correct motions may overshadow the warnings against improper ones and successfully influence the activity modification.

Without the adequate completion and reinforcement of activity modification, patients may continue to do actions that worsen their injuries and prevent the body from healing completely.

Of course, activity modification is just one aspect of a much larger treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal problems. The team at Ideal Spine helps chiropractors implement the holistic treatments of Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) in their practices for a more comprehensive approach to patient wellness.

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.

Testing for Range of Motion Diminished by Ankylosing Spondylitis

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Back pain is a common complaint of chiropractic patients today, but certain conditions cause more unique symptoms that give professionals a better idea of what they are dealing with. In the case of ankylosing spondylitis, a very limited range of motion in the back and pelvis after persistent pain is sometimes enough to clue chiropractors in to the specific condition.

Limited range of motion can be damaging to patients. At Ideal Spine, we encourage chiropractors to become skilled at identifying range of motion loss as well as in treating it through varied methods to improve each patient’s quality of life. In order to do this effectively, thorough testing is required.

How ankylosing spondylitis affects range of motion

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis largely affecting the spine. It can cause significant inflammation along the spine, resulting in stiffness in the back, as well as potentially in the knees, hips, and shoulders.

Persistent inflammation from ankylosing spondylitis often causes the joints and vertebrae to actually fuse together over time. This is due to the body’s healing response as it grows new bone and scar tissue at the inflamed areas of the spine. These fusions are usually weak but can cause rigidity in the spine, preventing flexible movement. Not all patients will experience this severe form of the condition, but many do.

Both the inflammation and the fusion can have a negative impact on the patient’s range of motion, prohibiting complete movement in one or multiple directions.

Identifying poor range of motion in your practice

When a patient is suspected to suffer from ankylosing spondylitis, it’s important to begin by testing their current range of motion capabilities. This provides a baseline before you create a treatment plan to potentially improve the conditions in the spine.

By evaluating the degree of mobility in different segments of the body – including the trunk, shoulders, hips, and knees – you may be able to tell almost immediately where the patient experiences symptoms of the condition the most.

Have the patient walk, sit, squat, and bend forward and backward as part of this testing, since many patients experience pain and stiffness around the sacroiliac (SI) joints. The areas of pain and those with limited movement will be the ones that should be targeted, in particular – particularly if the range of motion loss interferes with daily life.

Additional scans may be necessary to truly determine where new bone growth and fusion may be significantly hindering range of motion, versus where inflammation is merely causing stiffness.

Treatments for addressing ankylosing spondylitis mobility problems

There is no cure for ankylosing spondylitis, so a treatment plan using Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) methods is generally the best possible response. The earlier the condition is discovered, the more easily treatment may be able to stall symptoms. It can be difficult to ease more severe symptoms brought on by years of fusion and stiffness from the chronic inflammation.

Most chiropractic ankylosing spondylitis treatment plans include routine exercises and stretches to help stabilize the spine, strengthen muscles to support the spine and joints, and increase flexibility.

Rotating and moving certain body parts may be tough for people with ankylosing spondylitis, particularly in the hips and pelvic region. Slow but persistent stretching may help improve the range of motions in these and other areas, potentially alleviating discomfort while the patient moves.

By implementing Ideal Spine’s holistic approached to chiropractic testing and treatment, you may be able to significantly increase your ankylosing spondylitis patients’ mobility and comfort.

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.