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Lumbar Disc Condition

What is Lumbar Disc Herniation?

Structure

The backbone is comprised of several discs that are fixed between two vertebras. The spongy material can be compared to a jelly donut, which has an outer cover and is filled with a soft jelly on the inside. Similarly, a disk has a strong outer covering and a soft substance as a filling.

The Leak

Several times the outer coating of the disc is ruptured, causing an opening for the inner jelly like substance to seep out. Once out of its protective outer laying, the leaked material interferes with the normal functioning of the spinal nerves. The already narrow spacing of the spine, through which nerve roots runs, is narrowed further and puts pressure on the nearby nerves.

Lumbar Specific Herniation

Lumbar region is found in the lower back and is considered to be the strongest area of the spine. It is said to bear a large portion of the weight of the body. Sciatic nerve is said to be a conglomeration of nerve roots running down from the lumbar spine. Therefore, lumber disc injuries can cause pain in the legs and feet.

Symptoms

As the lumbar region is strongly associated with the leg and feet area, one of the significant signs of lumbar disc injuries includes pain in the legs. Another symptom common to this condition is the tingling sensation in the feet. Feet might also feel weak and numb at times following a lumbar disc herniation.

The lumber region falls in your lower back area, therefore lower back pain is another common sign and symptom. Almost every body part below the lumbar region easily gets affected by lower back disc injuries. A weak bladder or loss of control of bowel movement and pain in the buttocks are considered to be symptoms of this condition as well. Other common indications include muscle weakness, groin pain as well as atrophy.

Visiting a Chiropractor

Considered to provide a conservative treatment, chiropractors can alleviate lumbar disc injuries. A case study of a 26 year old man is a validation for the success of recovery associated with visiting a chiropractor. Within a period of 90 days, the patient, who suffered from a lumbar herniated disc due to an athletic injury, completely recovered from the condition. Utilizing activator adjustment instrument (AAI), a controlled mechanical force was applied to the location of concern. A follow up after 12 months indicated successful long term recovery.

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5 Common Symptoms of Poor Posture and How to Treat Them with Exercise

Good posture is very important when it comes to a healthy way of living. Chiropractors help you maintaining one. A lot of people don’t comprehend the importance of a good posture. Some experience varying degrees of pain all over the body that gradually turns into major complications. What people fail to realize is that the root of many of the simplest and even the complex of all health issues are usually linked to the body posture, in one way or another.

If someone is experiencing anything from the following symptoms, it would be a wise idea to get their posture evaluated to see if that is causing any of the complications. Fortunately, a few relatively simple exercises can help in restoring the body posture and eliminate any problems associated with it.

1. HEAD

Following symptoms may be felt in the head due to incorrect postures:

The person may have frequent headaches, including the ‘throbbing’ feeling
It feels that the head may split open
It feels as if something is pounding inside the head
The individual may suffer from dizziness and a loss of sense of balance
The sounds around them may seem way too loud to them along with a ringing sound in the ears

2. EYES

The eyes may be subjected to the following:

The eye-sockets are painful and cause the eyes to feel sore
Rolling the eyes causes pain
Eyes lose their natural wetness
The vision starts to get blurry

3. NECK

The neck is a quite sensitive area due to the passing spinal cord and is almost always affected by a bad posture.

Shooting neck pain
Muscle spasms occur regularly
The neck feels stiff

4. JAW

The jaw bone is also affected by bad posture in the following way:

The individual may start experiencing TMJ pain
It gets painful to chew, and a popping sound is heard
The cheek muscles start to hurt
Shoulders are also significantly affected:
The person may feel pain in the socket
It may become difficult to raise arm or when trying to scratch the back

5. SHOULDER

Exercise

Fortunately, before any complicated problems start happening, a chiropractor can prescribe exercises that are aimed at strengthening muscles and bones and help in restoring a proper body posture. Many of the exercises are easy to do at home and are designed to relax stiff muscles, keep the spinal column in a correct shape and thereby improve the overall lifestyle.

Exercise is also a great way to avoid heart diseases, high blood pressures, diabetes and scores of other diseases that result from

Chiropractics and the Importance of a Proper Diet

Among the many things that a chiropractor recommends to a patient, a healthy diet is most important. A proper diet is essential to heal the spinal cord, along with prevention of further damage.

According to a study conducted in the state of New York, chiropractors were asked if they used any nutritional counseling in their treatments, which not just includes back problems, but also obesity, artery diseases, diabetes and a variety of other diseases affecting the human body.

Around 80 percent of those surveyed stated that they did use some form of nutritional counseling in their treatments, which gives an overview of the importance of proper diet in chiropractic. 50 percent of those who used nutritional counseling considered it to be a very important part of the chiropractic therapy.

The Link between Chiropractics and Diet

Chiropractic therapy treats numerous ailments, such as inflammation in the lower back or autoimmune anomalies like arthritis, scoliosis, neuritis or osteoarthritis. Research suggests that dietary changes can affect inflammation, which in turn can reduce the symptoms and pain caused by it. Also, most chiropractic patients are women, other symptoms that they may suffer from, such as menopause and premenstrual syndromes, can also be cured by proper diet and nutrition.

Not only that, but a proper diet can also help prevent spinal diseases from developing. As obesity is one of the most common causes of back problems, eating healthy non-fat foods can make a person less prone to spinal diseases like Sciatica.

There are numerous benefits in keeping a healthy diet, including increased energy, lower blood pressure and improved cognition, which result in a speedy recovery. Health foods such as low sugar whole grains, fruits and vegetables also reduce the risk of spinal tumors and cancer.

Improper nutrition, such as an excess of salts in the diet, can result in several other diseases as well, including high blood pressure. There is a direct link established between diabetes and excess Carbohydrates in the diet.

As dietary needs differ from individual to individual, you can ask your chiropractor to make a nutritional plan for you to follow according to your needs. A chiropractor could assess the nature of your ailment and devise a dietary schedule specifically suited to treat your condition.

Image Used under Creative Commons license. Photo Credit: Fruit & Vegetable Box by Ali Karimian

Chiropractic for Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD)

The Basics of Chiropractic

Chiropractic involves a hands-on treatment of musculoskeletal concerns by focusing on the structure of the body and paying close attention to the spine. Adopting a high velocity low amplitude (HVLA) therapeutic stance, it is a popular choice for problems of back and neck pain. A high velocity low amplitude (HVLA) involves a short but quick thrust of pressure to a selected skeletal joint.

Chiropractic and the Neck

Several studies indicate the effectiveness of this technique for alleviating neck problems. When seventy patients underwent different treatments for their neck pain, with a handful of them receiving the chiropractic HVLA manipulation, results indicated the success of HVLA thrusts in reducing neck pain when at rest and increasing the range of cervical motion.

Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD)

Causes

Car accident is the most common cause for a WAD. At the time of a motor collision, the body is unprepared to save you from the sudden jerk. A sudden head movement results in an acceleration and deceleration of the neck. This can lead to several different types of injuries, ranging from minor strains to permanent damage.

Spillover Effects

When the soft tissues, ligaments, nerves and muscles in the neck suffer any injuries, the pain diffuses through to the shoulders and the upper arm. Several people also suffer from neck stiffness after reading in bed at a stretch. Neck pain can also be caused by a bad posture or an extended period of severe mental stress.

Treatment

Neck related concerns are one of the main reasons people opt for chiropractic care. If WAD is not cared for, it can result in long term health related issues such as severe aches and soreness in the neck. When under chiropractic care, manual therapy is utilized where force is exerted physically to treat the joint structures and tissues for ease and relieve the pain.

With the use of tables that are highly specialized, the patient is made to comfortably lie down and the HVLA manipulation is adopted. The techniques involve applying a specific amount of force to the area of concern or by holding the client’s head to rotate it. Controlled and careful rotation of the neck can lessen the pain, eventually curing the neck condition. Mostly it is advisable to not rotate the neck more than 50 degrees.

During the procedure the patient can either be seated on a stool or might be asked to lie on a specialized table. The table comprises of cushions enabling the patient to lie down in a comfortable position. Based on the severity of the whiplash, the practitioner massages the neck in the direction of the stiffness.

The above is a brief overview of how chiropractic practitioners adopt techniques to reduce neck pain cause by a WAD.

Image Used under Creative Commons license. Photo Credit: Whiplash by Narih Lee

Lumbar Back Pain and Chiropractic Treatment

Many individuals experience lower back pain, also referred to as lumbar back pain, below the rib cage in their body, which causes extreme pain and discomfort. It is usually contracted by individuals because of different work related activities which involve the lifting of heavy objects or long and strenuous hours for operating various machines at the workplace. Chiropractic treatment is reputed to be highly beneficial for relieving the pain of the individuals suffering from lower back pain.

What Is Lumbar Back Pain?

The lumbar or lower back area, provides support to the physical structure of a human being. It also facilitates the movement of an individual and protects different body tissues. Lumbar back pain is the pain experienced by an individual in the lower area of the spine, which may be caused due to a slipped or ruptured disc, problems in the ligaments, spinal cord or nerves.

The pain usually starts below the rib cage and eventually affects the movement of an individual. The pain may be caused because of involvement in any strenuous activity, trauma or accident. The symptoms of lumbar back pain include weakness in the leg and loss of bowel and bladder control. In some cases, the patient might also suffer from a fever along with heightened episodes of pain, while coughing or sneezing. These symptoms are glaring indications of a severe lumbar back pain experienced by an individual.

If an individual experiences lumbar pain, because of a ruptured disc, then it might exert pressure on the nerves. If the sciatic nerve is pressurized, then the individual might face excruciating pain and even problems in mobility.

It is very important to adopt certain changes in the work styles and everyday activities, in order to prevent a constant back pain from developing. Different postures at the work place prompt lower back pain in individuals which can grow to dangerously severe proportions if not treated in time. Patients of lumbar back pain require a few weeks of rest for the pain to subside successfully, whereas in extreme cases surgical treatment may also be required.

Chiropractic Care and Lumbar Back Pain

Chiropractors provide non surgical treatment procedures for different musculoskeletal disorders like carpal tunnel, sciatica, neck and back pain. They offer joint manipulation and muscle adjustment services for the quick recovery and relief of patients. The treatment is focused on therapy sessions which aim to relieve the extreme pain suffered by the patients and provide them a healthy solution to their muscle strains and back pain problems.

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