Posts Tagged ‘Carissa Hang’
Chiropractic Care Can Enhance Your Health And Overall Well-Being
Thursday, May 19th, 2011Taking Pain Medication Can Be Hazardous To Your Health
Saturday, March 12th, 2011Which Exercise Is Best For Losing Weight?
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
Benefits Of Chiropractic On Arthritis
Sunday, January 9th, 2011“Can chiropractic help arthritis?” Although most medical doctors will say arthritis can not be reverse, studies have shown that it can. There are two different conditions known as “arthritis”. By definition, “arthritis” is inflammation of the joints. First, there’s osteoarthritis, sometimes referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis. This includes DJD or Degenerative Disc Disease. Then, there’s several variations of rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis or “wear and tear arthritis” is just that, a sort of wearing away of the joint. It usually shows up as we age or after years of excessive use or wear on a joint. DJD or osteoarthritis in the spine, is usually caused by several bones in the spine that are out of alignment. When your car is out of alignment, these parts will wear out quicker than the rest of the car. Your spine is no different. If you have misalignments in your spine, the discs and bones surrounding that joint will develop arthritis faster than other areas of your body. On x-ray, this reaction looks like little bone spurs. The body reacts this way in an attempt to stabilize your spine. Over time, this process will cause fusion. Usually, the problem is not noticed until the disc is about gone and the spurs (or osteophytes) start to press on nerves, causing pain.
The typical medical approach to dealing with this type of arthritis is self-medication with over-the-counter painkillers or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Tylenol, Advil, etc. If not resolved, you can end up on steroids or prescription painkillers that can lead to addiction. The eventual medical solution is surgery, sometimes very risky surgery with long-term consequences.
The other kind of arthritis, called rheumatoid arthritis, is an inflammatory autoimmune condition that causes pain, swelling and disfiguration, usually seen in the hands. As with most autoimmune conditions, the cause is unknown. Yet, treatments start with over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, then prescription painkillers, then immunosuppressant drugs. That just means that the drug you’re taking actually retards your immune system. The mandatory warnings on these drugs warn you of infection, disease and even death. Since we don’t know the cause, should we be treating the effect with potentially lethal drugs?
Chiropractic can help patients with arthritis in two ways: biomechanically and neurologically. If you do, indeed, have spinal misalignments (subluxations) that can cause the discs to wear down more quickly, we help correct those misalignments with gentle, specific adjustments. As your body stays in its proper alignment, pressure is taken off the nerves and your nervous system. When that happens, your symptoms tend to clear up. If you maintain that proper alignment of the spine, there will be less nerve pressure therefore less likely for your symptoms to come back. Biomechanically, chiropractic can increase your mobility and flexibility because of a proper aligned spine. Neurologically , chiropractic help take stress off your nervous system, therefore allowing your body to rest, relax, and heal naturally.
Researchers May Have Discovered Mother Nature’s Staph Infection Blocker.
Thursday, December 9th, 2010As a chiropractor in San Diego, I see all sorts of conditions relating to back pain. And with many patients come all sorts of questions about different health related problems. Staph infections are something that we see at the clinic in San Diego when it comes to sports injuries.
Staphylococcus aureus can cause a bunch of health problems, including minor skin rashes to serious skin and life threatening blood infections that require immediate hospitalization. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a growing public health problem in hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions because it doesn’t respond to most antibiotics.
“Staph” causes infections by first adhering to the host. This is usually made by contact with the skin – especially if the skin is scraped or cut. The “staph” clings to the host and multiplies rapidly – forming a group or colony called a biofilm. According to ScienceDaily, a recent study tested healthy females and found that drinking cranberry juice cocktail stopped both E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus from forming biofilms.
E. Coli is the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections. Researchers believe the bacteria cannot cause infections if it cannot adhere to the surface and from biofilms. Terri Camesano, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) said, “What was surprising is that Staphylococcus aureus showed the most significant results in this study. We saw essentially no biofilm in the staph samples, which is very surprising because Staph aureus is usually very good at forming biofilms. That’s what makes it such a health problem.”
Researchers also said these results “create more questions than answers.” More research needs to be done – but drinking a little cranberry juice might not be a bad idea. More information and some of the latest research can be seen by going to www.BackCareTreatment.com. Carissa Hang can be reached at New Century Spine Centers in San Diego by calling 619-630-9153.
Getting rid of mid back pain with Chiropractic care.
Sunday, November 21st, 2010Mid back pain is pain in the area below the neck and above the low back. The middle back is composed of 12 vertebral bones. This section of the back is called the thoracic region of the spine. The middle back is naturally strong and stable. The elastic cartilages which are found between each bone are called discs and they serve as shock absorbers.
There are many different problems that could trigger mid back pain. Muscle strains are the most common cause of pain in the middle back. Other causes of mid back pain include poor posture, emotional stress, improper lifting, traumatic accidents, standing for hours, sleeping uncomfortably, and overexertion.
Persistent mid back pain may indicate a more serious condition wherein if it continues for more than a couple of months, it would need medical advice. If the thoracic spine is directly injured, it can cause misalignment of the bones and create impingement of the spinal nerves therefore causing dysfunction to the nervous system. Within the spinal region, there are pairs of spinal nerves emitting from the middle back to various digestive parts which includes stomach, liver, gall bladder, and small intestine. Problems in communication with the nerves may lead to numerous digestive disorders.
Upon examination, it is common to find a certain type of back misalignment. Mid back pain is a common problem like low back pain. Back pain of that kind can be addressed using chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic care has been highly successful in treating patients seeking alternative health care. Without the use of drugs or scalpels, a chiropractor does multiple exams and takes x-rays to identify the underlying cause of the patient’s problem.
Once the x-rays are reviewed, the doctor will go over the treatment plan with the patient. When the patient agrees with the treatment protocol, the chiropractor will perform an adjustment by applying precise and gentle pressure to the specific areas of misalignment. Other forms of conservative treatments that chiropractors may use are massage, electrical stimulation, hot/cold packs, and ultra sound.
Additional services chiropractors provide include exercise, pelvic stabilization, ergonomics, and education on diet. Exercise and rehabilitation are very important to prevent the pain from coming back. Many patients are relieved from their mid back pain after a few visits and others choose to continue into maintenance care because it keeps their bodies in optimum condition.