Alternative Medicine

How Chiropractic Care Helps During Pregnancy

Posted by Alternative Medicine on September 3, 2011 in Chiropractic with No Comments


Chiropractic is, in a nutshell, the manipulation of the spine to realign the various joints of the body to reduce stress caused to the nervous system and is said to promote a healthier body. During pregnancy, chiropractic adjustments can help immensely as your spine’s curvature is affected by the disproportionate weight of your abdomen. There is no known contra-indication for use of these techniques in pregnant women.

The spine is said to fall out of alignment because of the pelvic changes that take place during pregnancy and the increase in the curve of the back due to the protruding abdomen leading to changes in posture. A misaligned pelvis does not afford much space for the baby to move into the correct position for a normal delivery. This causes the baby to breech and leads to emergency caesarean section.

The most common adjustment that has been used successfully is the Webster Technique, which primarily sets right breech presentation of the baby in the final stages of pregnancy. This technique is performed only by chiropractors who are specially trained in this. A special table is used for pregnant women to allow space for their abdomen.

The Webster Technique was discovered by Dr. Larry Webster, Founder of the ICPA (International Chiropractic Paediatric Association). It is specifically designed for pregnant women to restore correct function and balance of the muscles and ligaments surrounding the pelvis. It also encourages the nervous system to function better.

The adjustments are done with a very light touch and if done properly, not only will the baby move into the perfect position for delivery, but will also afford relief from back, joint, and neck pain, reduce nausea, and in general give a sense of well-being. It also reduces the duration of labour and increases the chances of a normal and healthy delivery.

The chiropractic techniques employed during pregnancy completely avoid putting pressure on the abdomen. The nervous system, which is connected to our immune system, is stimulated leading to an overall improvement in health. You will also be taught some gentle stretches and exercises that will ease your discomfort.

There are several instances of pregnant women who have directly benefited with chiropractic manipulations. This is especially the case when the baby has moved from a breech position to a normal position after a pelvic adjustment that opened up the space needed for the baby’s free movement. Many women have avoided caesarean section delivery because of the timely intervention of a chiropractic.

However, you must remember that you should only go to a chiropractic who is suitably qualified, trained, and experienced in performing the Webster Technique and other pelvic and spinal manipulations. Try to meet other women who have benefitted through chiropractic to gain a better idea of what is involved. Also, discuss your decision with your obstetrician and gynaecologist before you start treatment.

The consensus is that chiropractic adjustments, and specifically the Webster’s Technique, do offer a way out of the common complications and discomforts of pregnancy.

The Role of Chiropractic Treatment in Closed Head Injuries

Posted by Alternative Medicine on August 27, 2011 in Chiropractic with No Comments


A closed head injury is an injury which did not go through the skull. TO understand what exactly a head injury I can mention some examples as – the collisions received by the head that happens during falls, physical attacks and traffic accidents. Children may experienced this type of injuries obtained from bicycle accidents.

Various threats can be caused by closed head injury such as intracranial strain and brain inflammation, which are the result of hard smashes to the head. Such outcomes can damage brain tissue and nerve cells resulting to perennial brain damage.

Closed head injuries are categorized as moderate or severe that can result to extreme brain injury or death of the victim. There are different types of closed head injury.

Concussion affects the normal functions of the brain for a short period. It is considered moderate, as victims of concussion do not faint or collapse although this cannot be claimed all the time. Concussion normally happens in sports activities.

Brain contusion is the bruising of the brain tissue resulting to brain derangement. This occurrence produces bleeding that is taken up into the brain tissue. The absorption of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain tissue can result to stable neurological injury. Compared to concussions, brain contusion affects one area of the brain while the latter spreads out.
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Diffuse axonal injury is the most devastating brain damage. This happens to people who are victims of high-speed automobile mishaps. Victims suffer from brain inflammation and intracranial pressure and eventually succumbed to coma.

Intracranial hematoma happens when the brain is pushed toward the inside of the skull. When this happens, blood will accumulate outside the brain’s blood vessels or amid the brain and the skull. Since our brain is not created to exhaust much fluid, intracranial hematoma will arise. This occurrence demands immediate medical attention. If the excess blood is not drained from the brain, the patient can have convulsions and may be unconscious.

Chiropractic’s role

Along with head injury is neck damage. Our neck is located in the upper cervical area, which is the thickest part of the spinal cord and seals the spinal canal. Not sensitive to tenderness, the spinal cord is more frequently neglected. If it is damaged, the spinal cord will be inflamed and will have identical symptoms with that of moderate brain damage.

Contributing in the management of head injury, chiropractors perform upper cervical chiropractic manipulation to the patient. When the spinal cord is compressed, the body’s function beneath the area of subluxations or structural dislodgments is likewise affected. The compressed nerves and blood vessels in the head particularly the vertebral arteries are the results of the symptoms felt on the head. When cervical manipulation is performed, the nerves and blood vessels will be freed from compression bringing back the normal flow of impulses through the spinal cord. Hence, the symptoms felt on the head and neck will finally settle.

Different Types of Chiropractic Care for Different Health Needs

Posted by Alternative Medicine on July 6, 2011 in Chiropractic with No Comments


There’s a wide selection of chiropractic treatments suited to all kinds of health conditions. You can use it to manage overall health or to address certain sorts of conditions. For that reason, chiropractic care boasts its very own share of specialized divisions as with all aspects of the medical profession. In the event wherein misalignment (referred to as subluxations within chiropractic profession) is diagnosed, chiropractic doctors carry out gentle adjustments to offer relief for sufferers in the region in which the misalignment was discovered.

With regards to the treatment techniques, you will find 3 principal ones which chiropractic doctors concentrate on:

Phase 1: Relief Chiropractic

This kind of chiropractic care is carried out on individuals who are suffering from any kind of pain or discomfort, irrespective of cause. The objective of this treatment is always to offer immediate respite from any kind of unwanted discomfort. The duration of treatment periods generally vary depending on the magnitude of the injury acquired by the patient and ways in which it may be corrected.

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Phase 2: Corrective Chiropractic

This is actually a more complex form of chiropractic care. It’s done on individuals who have experienced spinal problems for a long time and which have progressed into a far more problematic condition which in turn has not been treated properly. When it comes to corrective chiropractic care, this process generally involves a long term treatment plan. The actual duration by itself is dependent upon the degree of damage and the way the patient responds to the therapy provided.

Phase 3: Maintenance Chiropractic

As the name suggests, this kind of chiropractic care is meant to maintain any type of therapy already given to the patient having spine troubles. In some instances, chiropractic care will be ongoing even after the first treatments have proved to be successful. The reasoning behind this kind of chiropractic care is to try to avoid the chance of the condition’s recurrence, particularly in the case of the spinal column.

Importance of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic is actually a type of alternative medicine that can help one realize all around health. It concentrates on an internal recovery system that deals with any kind of spinal issues that result in interference within the activities of the nerves and cells. This is the reason for the increasing interest in chiropractic care because of its direct attention to attaining the typical functions of the human body.

As for your different health requirements, you will find various kinds of chiropractic care offered. Therefore, initial consultation with a chiropractic doctor is essential in order to assess the magnitude of the damage and also what particular chiropractic treatment is needed. Simply by restoring your body’s regular functions, you’re allowing the body to heal naturally.

Furthermore, it will help protect against additional damage brought on by the existence of this kind of disorder within your overall health system. When you first begin experience any kind of abnormalities within your body, seek the guidance of a nearby chiropractic doctor in order to avoid the deterioration of the problem and even enhance all around health.

My First Encounter With a Chiropractor

Posted by Alternative Medicine on June 18, 2011 in Chiropractic with No Comments


My first encounter with a chiropractor happened when I had this pain on my right shoulder limiting my range of motion. I cannot turn my head and had a hard time moving my right hand. Even getting up from bed is so painful that I need somebody to help me up or hold on to something. Since I was in a different country, I forced myself to get up and decided to see a doctor. I opted to see a chiropractor. Anyway, I have seen on their signage that they treat back pain, shoulder pain and other pains.

When I entered the clinic, the receptionist was very accommodating that it made me feel light and confident that I will be getting real help. I was asked to fill up a form where details of my medical history were taken, past and present. Other important personal information was also requested.

When I finally met the doctor or should I say the woman chiropractor, I again felt at ease. She spoke sweetly, was very accommodating and asking a few more questions on the pain I am having. She even asked me if I know what chiropractic is and who referred me to her. I told her the truth of course. No one – I just decided that I need her help.

She then felt for my neck, and asked me to lift my right arm then the left arm. I was asked to turn my head on the left then on the right and to look down then to look up. While she was asking me to do all of these movements, I was wondering what will follow next but I do know that those are important for her to analyze what ails me and where it is coming from. She asked me to extend my right arm at my back and I almost did not want to, but she said to try it. It was painful naturally. Then she asked me to do the same on the left arm. Well, to cut my narrative, she explained to me what chiropractic is all about.

It was my first time to hear about subluxations. The words spine, nervous system, muscoleskeletal, back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and the like were not new to me. While she was explaining, I came to realize that what she is saying is true. She gave me brochures and leaflet to know more about chiropractic. In other words, she educated me on this type of treatment.

My treatment lasted for 8 weeks, once a week; and to tell you honestly, I always look forward to it. She asked me to do some exercises to help strengthen my back especially with the kind of work that I do (I was a care assistant at that time working in a nursing home).

Chiropractic and chiropractors may be new to some but I assure you that these health professionals are well trained in their chosen field. Yes, they do manual manipulation but it does not hurt. Relieved from the pain that you have is what I will describe the experience of chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractic care does not involve any drugs so it is safer as you will not have to worry of any complications. If you are having second thoughts submitting yourself to a chiropractor, I encourage you to get those silly thoughts out of your mind. I assure you that, just like me, you will appreciate the help they can extend to you.

Chiropractic care is for everyone. It is the healthy way of getting your body to get back to its normal functions.

Keep Young and Healthy: Drink White Tea

Posted by Alternative Medicine on May 14, 2011 in Chiropractic with No Comments


White tea was said to decrease the threat of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and was even said to make one look younger. Now, women will surely love this. A collaborative study on 21 different herb and plant extracts was conducted by researchers from Kingston University and Neal’s Yard Remedies. Their research had shown the probable advantages of these plants and herbs; however, they were more amazed with the significant benefits this tea has shown.

The Origin of White Tea

Ancient Chinese had taken advantage of its goodness since the old times and up to the present time. Nevertheless, the benefits it can give was only uncovered to the other parts of the world lately.

Talk about black and green tea and people will know what you are referring to. That only means that these types of teas have been known and recognized by many. But what about white tea?

The least processed kind of tea, white tea is taken from unadulterated, silver-colored buds and first-rate leaves that are loaded with nutriments. These leaves and buds are manually picked and thoroughly boiled and desiccated. This subtle and thorough method made white tea to maintain its nutriments compared with green or black tea. Thus, white tea is considered as the healthiest tea of all.

Another research was performed in the School of Life at Kingston University in South West London. This time it was conducted by Professor Declan Naughton. He found that white tea contains the highest levels of anti-oxidants that could put off cancer and heart disease. Furthermore, his study confirmed the probable anti-aging effects of this tea.

Since Professor Naughton and his group have examined plants and herbs, they were able to name plant extracts that can defend the fundamental skin proteins, particular collagen and elastin. Maintaining the skin’s natural suppleness is elastin. It likewise assists the arteries, lungs, ligaments and skin to perform well. Aside from that, elastin repairs body tissues to recover from injuries and thwarts the sagging of the skin. Protein found in the body’s connective tissues is collagen which is equally essential for a person’s vigor, flexibility and skin. All of these are contained in white tea.

They were completely stupefied with the results of their research. White tea had shown indications that it can decrease the threats of inflammation which is attributed to rheumatoid arthritis. It can similarly thwart cancer and early signs of getting old such as wrinkles.

Chiropractors do not only provide chiropractic care. They also subscribe to the truth that proper nutrition has something to do with a person’s health. They, in fact, endorse proper nutrition to their patients as well as taking in lots of fluids.

Chiropractors work on the body’s nerves. When our nerves are properly nourished, they will be able to perform their job well. Thus, chiropractic combines chiropractic care and nutrition counseling to achieve good results.

Chiropractic Posters, Charts and Wall Art

Posted by Alternative Medicine on March 3, 2011 in Chiropractic with No Comments


Using chiropractic posters and charts properly can help overcome one of the greatest challenges facing today’s chiropractor: explaining what makes chiropractic different from medicine. Chiropractors, who are least effective at this, are often guilty of vast expanses of blank walls or worse, squandering their valuable real estate with impressionist art, irrelevant pictures or dust-collecting knick-knacks.

If you’re a chiropractor and you’re serious about communicating chiropractic principles, you must go beyond the spoken word and make proper use of your office environment. That means choosing and using chiropractic posters and wall charts wisely.

Unless you’re going to make your own chiropractic charts and posters, you’ll be looking to the three or four major suppliers in the chiropractic poster space. Dig deeper and you’ll see that chiropractic wall art comes in two major flavors, clinical and conceptual.

Clinical Chiropractic Charts

These are the anatomical charts that adorn the walls of many examination rooms. The most common are individual wall charts for the major systems of the body. In a chiropractic office, these would generally be the skeletal system, muscle system and nervous system. These types of charts have become almost commodities in the profession, available in college bookstores and online medical supply companies.

Conceptual Chiropractic Posters

Have you heard the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words? That’s what’s at work here. Conceptual posters help patients connect to the broader principles of chiropractic. Perhaps it’s the classic, above-down-inside-out “chiroism,” or the bedrock of chiropractic philosophy about looking to the cause rather than treating symptoms. Conceptual posters tend to use very few words, but feature interesting images that do most of the heavy lifting metaphorically.

Presenting Your Chiropractic Posters

Simply put, if you value the information (and the poster itself) enough to put it on your wall, it needs to be framed. It’s breathtaking how many chiropractors deface their posters with four pushpins and consider the job done. The resulting college dormitory look not only devalues the message, but also exposes your wall art to the finger oils from occasional touching, and the unprotected bleaching of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. If you’re serious about patients taking your poster messages serious, you must invest in proper framing (behind glass). Not only will your posters last longer, they’ll look better.

Rotating Your Chiropractic Posters

In far too many chiropractic practices, the wall posters and charts are in the same place today as they were years ago when they first put up. Not only do chiropractors ignore them, patients become blind to them as well. Instead, this “chiropractic art” becomes part of the background noise and essentially becomes invisible.

If you’re serious about inspiring patients to adopt a new belief system, you’ll want to rotate your posters on a regular basis. Perhaps on the first day of each month, move one of your conceptual posters from one adjusting room to another. Retire a few. Revive a few others. In other words, make your practice an ever changing visual feast, with each poster becoming a “pattern interruption,” getting attention and producing patient comments and questions.

5 Misconceptions About Chiropractic Care

Posted by Alternative Medicine on October 1, 2010 in Chiropractic with No Comments


These are 5 misconceptions about chiropractic care that come up frequently in clinical practice.

  • Myth #1: Chiropractic Care Benefits Are All Placebo:
  • It used to be that people believed chiropractic care was nothing more than a placebo effect. This basically means your pain is all psychological, so the same type of thought process will work if you believe in it. However, there are several studies around the world that has put an end to these types of thoughts. What it comes down to is chiropractic treatments are real and effective.

    The best way to explain chiropractic care is that it’s a therapy. This focuses on the body’s muscoskeletal system in order to address problems with those parts of the body. The end result is improved function and being able to restore your natural abilities. Just do a quick search on Google and you will find a plethora of case studies that prove this is a true health benefit.

  • Myth #2: Chiropractic Care is Dangerous:
  • Probably the most popular myth is thinking that this type of care is dangerous. The majority of the people who believe this think that their bodies will be exposed to more serious risks of illness as well as more possible damage. Plus, a lot of people believe chiropractors aren’t even licensed doctors!

    What I want to point out here is that this is a professional healthcare field. This means that chiropractors are considered medical professionals. Now there are different levels of degrees in this field, but each one requires rigorous educational training. It all revolves around restoring mobility or functions in several different areas. Some of them include; neck, spine, and backbone, as well as others. Then of course you will also find nutritional plans and relaxation techniques to make the whole experience more productive.

    I do have to tell you that chiropractic care is a much safer treatment than any of the risks associated with prescription pain killers, the possible addiction, and even complications if you opt for surgery instead.

  • Myth #3: Chiropractic Treatment Hurts:
  • Every time I hear someone tell me they would never go to a chiropractor because it hurts, I just have to laugh (on the inside of course). Seriously, if you’ve never been or experienced chiropractic care, how in the world do you know that it hurts? This is just a myth that was started years ago. I believe it had to do with the movies and their way of portraying loud cracks. However, the most you will ever experience is some discomfort, but it’s not even close to the recovery associated with surgery. Plus, this is manually applied so the sensations can be altered by the procedure. My point is; chiropractic treatment doesn’t hurt.

  • Myth #4: There Are Negative Side Effects:
  • Oh this is a big one. I’m not sure why, but some people believe this can actually result in a stroke or even death. Uhm…well, in connection with everything else I’ve discussed, you don’t have to fear any serious side effects from the adjustments.

    The good news is; chiropractic care is considered one of the safest forms of healthcare. It’s just one of the many reasons behind this option becoming so popular today.

  • Myth #5: Chiropractic is Expensive:
  • This is an understandable myth, and I’m not surprised one bit. All it takes is one person who believes in their mind (based on their finances) that it’s expensive. When the word of mouth spreads people second guess it. However, when you look at the studies you will find it is one of the most affordable options for back pain. I even read that it costs 90% less than typical back surgery.