What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: Some of the confusion that people have about chiropractic healthcare is our terminology. Today I want to explain one of those terms, a chiropractic adjustment.
Patients will say that they are going to the chiropractor for an adjustment or to be adjusted. This is another term for a spinal manipulation. The adjustment is when the chiropractor uses their hands or an instrument to move a bone to improve motion and/or your body’s physical function. This is done by applying a controlled, sudden force to a joint causing the joint to move a very small amount.
Sometimes there is a slight “popping” noise as gas is released. Here is a video explaining that noise.
Most people comment on how good they feel after a chiropractic adjustment. Like a really good stretch, the neck and back feel much lighter and move more freely after an adjustment. In addition, the brain releases endorphins, which give us the feelings of pleasure and euphoria. These endorphins also block pain signals and stick around for a while to help us feel good.
These chiropractic adjustments are safe for any age patient following an examination. Once you understand the safety and positive benefits of a chiropractic adjustment, you can relax and enjoy the benefits of good health…naturally.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Chiropractic Maintenance Care
Houston Chiropractor Comments: One of the most common questions we get from our patients is how do they keep from having their problem reoccur. When they are in pain or having problems, they have some symptom that tells them that they need to come in to the office for treatment, but what do they do when they are not having those symptoms.
When patients first come to my office in Houston, TX, I first tell them what I can do for them, what they can do for themselves, and anything that they should not do to aggravate their condition.
After the patient’s problem has been resolved, the hard part begins. People need to become proactive to help minimize the possibility of the problem reoccurring. The first thing to do is to perform some regular stretches and exercises of the problem area. We show patients how to get the maximum benefit from stretching in the least amount of time. Most areas of the body can be stretched in 3-5 minutes, if you do the correct stretches in the correct order. Then it is a matter of strengthening the muscles that support the previously damaged area.
The next thing to do for maintenance is to make sure that you are not doing things that can cause problems. This would be things such as having a poor mattress and pillow, having your computer at the wrong height, sleeping in an awkward position, or carrying a large purse / computer bag on one shoulder.
Finally, it is making sure that any spinal problems are fixed before they start causing symptoms. Most chiropractors recommend that patients are seen for some periodic maintenance care with one time a month being average for non-acute conditions. In addition to adjusting your spine to correct any developing problems, your chiropractor can make sure that you are performing your regular stretches and exercises correctly. They can also answer most medical questions that you might have.
If you take care of your spine and maintain your health, you can minimize future health costs and complications. Make sure to experience the pleasure of health.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Movement is Medicine
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: In my 34 years of being a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), the main thing that I have learned about health, longevity, and recovering from injuries; is that movement is medicine.
When I first started treating patients in 1989, it was not uncommon for them to come to my office after being told to have a week of bedrest for their low back pain from their medical doctor. Their pain had not gotten any better and they were getting frustrated. What I noticed was that the sooner they started moving around, the sooner they started getting relief. By the early 1990’s we started seeing the surgeons and PT’s trying to get the patient moving as quickly as possible after surgeries.
I then started having my patients perform some stretches and exercises on a regular basis to prevent a reoccurrence of their problem. While it does not prevent a person from injuring themselves, it does make the recovery quicker and easier.
There are several ways to make sure that you are moving currently. A common thing nowadays is to have a fitness tracker that counts your daily steps. This challenges you to reach your steps goal every day. Several businesses promote taking walk breaks instead of coffee breaks. Taking a 10-minute break to walk around a building or office complex can greatly reduce your stress, improve your circulation, and give you mental clarity. It is common now for people to have standing desks or exercise ball chairs. These allow you to work on balance and core strength.
Find ways to increase your movement daily. This can be from taking the stairs instead of an elevator. Parking in the back of a car lot instead of up front. Sitting on the floor instead of a soft chair. Ride your bike when you can. Find any excuse to move just a little more. Your body will thank you later. 😊
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Sharing the Benefits of Chiropractic Care
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: Today I would like to ask people to share the benefits of chiropractic care. There are numerous people who benefit from chiropractic care, but it is also important that you share your experiences with other people. While many people enjoy being treated by their doctor of chiropractic so that they can get well without the need for dangerous drugs and possible surgeries, too many other people do not know what to expect when they visit a chiropractor. Instead, the fear of the unknown or just being uninformed keeps them from trying chiropractic.
When I was first opened my chiropractic office in 1990, I remember overhearing a conversation at the table next to me about a patient’s chiropractic visit. She was explaining to her friends how much better her back pain was and how she could play tennis again, pain free. She explained how her chiropractor had helped her so much. One friend asked her if she was not scared about getting her bones “cracked” and perhaps becoming worse off. Luckily, the patient explained what a chiropractic adjustment was and that it did not hurt at all. She also mentioned that she did not want to take medicine because she had children to take care off and the pills would not fix the problem. Her friend was surprised with the answer and said that she would consider going to a chiropractor in the future. It was wonderful seeing what an informed response could do to change someone’s perception.
Some people only think that chiropractors treat back pain or accident victims. They are surprised when they talk to someone who went for relief of their headaches or brought their child for earaches.
We see this when we ask our patients to write an online review. We want them to let people know what their chiropractic experience was and their results. Many people assume that everyone knows the benefits of chiropractic care, but in fact they do not. In 2022 35 million people in America used chiropractic care, but that is only 10% of the population.
If more people tried drug free chiropractic care, then we could reduce our dependance on opioids, require less surgeries, and experience the pleasure of health.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Preventing Youth Sports Injuries
Houston Chiropractor Comments: In my opinion, kids getting involved in youth sports is one of the best things that they can do. Not only do they get the benefit of performing exercise to strengthen their bones and muscles, but they learn about time management, commitment and teamwork. Unfortunately, it is not without injuries.
I had the joy of helping coach several of my children’s youth teams. While it is common for parents to help coach, especially at the youth level, it is not always the best way to prevent injuries. While I had a good understanding of several sports, others, such as soccer, I had no understanding on how to train them.
The lack of proper training from at a young age leads to bad mechanics and overtraining. More than 3.5 million kids ages 14 and under receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year. 90 percent of student athletes report some sort of sports-related injury. 54 percent of student athletes report they have played while injured. 62 percent of organized sports-related injuries occur during practice.
Of these sports basketball has the most injuries overall, but the number of injuries varies with each age group. Football is the most dangerous sport for children ages 5 to 14, while basketball has the highest number of injuries among people ages 15 to 24.
One of the best things to do is to get a preseason physical. In Texas, the male and female sport participants are required to get a physical to play Intermediate or High School sports by a doctor or nurse. Every year we find at least one child who is not cleared to play due to an undiagnosed problem.
Another thing that I suggest is to talk to the athletes about understanding the difference between pain and soreness. Some of the athletes think that it is a badge of honor to be able to play with the pain. Unfortunately, this usually leads to a worsening of the injury.
The kids should be encouraged to play a variety of sports and to cross-train. I see young athletes that are playing on an indoor and outdoor soccer team or they are playing on 2 different select baseball teams. If the child is very good at a young age, some of the coaches/clubs will try and keep the team together and play year-round. The child needs to either play another sport or take time off to prevent an overuse injury.
The team needs to make time for a proper warm-up before practice and adequate stretching when the practice is over. Make time to do both of these.
The young athlete needs to stay properly hydrated, eat a healthy well-balance diet, and make sure to get adequate rest.
Finally, the athletes need to wear the proper equipment for their sport. They should not be playing basketball in running shoes or playing soccer in high-top basketball shoes. This also is true for the proper protective equipment and correct sized equipment like tennis racquets and soccer balls.
If you have any questions about a possible injury or how to possibly prevent a problem in the future, please contact us. We have been treating athletes of all levels and ages for over 30 years in our office in Clear Lake City, TX and we can help you.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Chiropractic Treatment For Paresthesia
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: Recently I have had two separate patients referred in to my office with a diagnosis of paresthesia from their medical doctor. While I was performing my history and examination, I asked them if they knew what paresthesia was. They were not exactly sure, so I told them that it was an abnormal touch sensation, such as burning or prickling, that occurs without an outside stimulus.
Their medical doctors had ruled out any neuropathy that was linked to deficiencies (like with B vitamins), diabetes, infections, and exposure to toxins like alcohol or heavy metals. My job, as a chiropractic doctor, was to find out if it was caused by any nerve compression or injury.
One of the patients had been involved in an auto accident that had caused neck and arm complaints. Specific chiropractic adjustments of the neck and upper extremity were able to remove the irritation of the nerve and alleviate the symptoms. Physical modalities were able to remove the inflammation and the patient was able to have a complete recovery.
The other patient had been sleeping on a hard metal bunk for several months while overseas working. His problem had been gradually getting worse over time until his employer sent him back home. His condition required extensive soft tissue work to break down the muscle scar tissue with IASTM, performing nerve flossing as well as specific stretches and exercises. He was able to recover approximately 90%.
It is important that if you have any sort of change in your arms or legs that involve numbness, tingling, burning or weakness, that you get evaluated by a doctor that has treated these conditions. You can start with your doctor of chiropractic first to see if it is caused by a mechanical complaint or by your medical doctor to see if there is another cause, but do not wait several weeks or months. Waiting can allow the paresthesia to become permanent to some degree.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
How To Choose A Great Chiropractor
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: A problem that some of my patients have when they move away, is how to find a great chiropractor in their new city. Some people have never been to a chiropractor before, but they hear wonderful stories from their friends and want to experience the benefits of chiropractic care themselves.
All of the doctors say that they are the best and their websites and advertisements say wonderful things about their clinics, but are they really good doctors with your best interest at heart or their own.
One of the best things to do is to get a referral from a friend or doctor who recommends the chiropractor. In the 33 years that I have been in practice, I have noticed that patients feel the most relaxed when their doctor or good friend gives them our name and number. They already have more trust in your judgement if other people vouch for you.
Another things to do is to check and see if the chiropractor is on your insurance plan. The insurance companies make sure that the doctor is following published treatment guidelines and uses an accepted fee schedule. This helps to prevent overtreatment and surprise billing.
You should also check the chiropractors credentials by accessing their state licensing board’s website to confirm qualifications and any possible disciplinary action.
Contact the doctor’s office via phone or email and ask some questions. If by phone, is the receptionist pleasant and respectful. If by email, do they respond quickly and will they answer your questions.
Once you go in the office, the doctor should perform a history and an examination. X-rays do not always need to be taken. Ask why they are needed. The chiropractor should give you an expectation of when you should see improvement and what will change if it doesn’t occur. The doctor should not try to sell you a treatment package at the start of care. They need to make sure that you will respond to their treatment first. Not everyone responds the same to care. Some people need more therapy and others less. No “cookie cutter” treatment plans should be given. You should see a noticeable reduction in your symptoms in 2-weeks or less if the proper therapy is being performed.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Health Benefits of Chiropractic
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: As the new year begins, people set their goals and make resolutions. One of the main goals tends to be making healthier choices. People want to eat better, drink less alcohol, exercise more and generally improve the quality of their lives.
This is where Chiropractic care comes in. 😊
Research has found that chiropractic adjustments may be an effective treatment for various forms of neck and/or back pain. Seeing a doctor of chiropractic may also lower your need to take pain relievers or undergo more invasive treatments like surgery.
Chiropractic care can improve your posture. Standing up straight will allow you to feel more energetic and vibrant.
Spinal adjustments from a chiropractic doctor have been shown to minimize migraines and neck related headaches.
Regular chiropractic care has been shown to reduce pain and improve range of motion of your spine and other joints. This will help to reduce symptoms of chronic conditions like osteoarthritis.
Many patients notice an improved immune function. When the nervous system has a lot of irritation, it can lower the body’s ability to fight of infections. Removing that irritation allows the body to operate at its maximum potential.
Many patients report improved digestion, lowered blood pressure and better asthma control with regular maintenance adjustments.
Another benefit is healthier pregnancies. Through the years we have helped dozens of women to have less discomfort during their pregnancy and easier deliveries of their baby.
Finally, by easing the spinal tension and related pain you are able to relax and enjoy a more peaceful slumber.
If you wish to experience the pleasure of health, schedule a chiropractic appointment today.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Chiropractic Relief For Sciatica
Bay Area Chiropractor Comments: One of the most painful things that patients come to my Houston, Texas office for treatment is sciatica. They cannot find a comfortable position to relax. They have sharp pain radiating down their leg. They are trying to find any relief.
Sciatica is when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, causing pain to radiate from the lower back, through the buttocks, and down the leg. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It starts at the lower portion of the spinal cord, passes deep in the buttocks, runs down the back of the thigh before dividing above the knee joint.
Some doctors and patients think that any pain that radiates down the leg is sciatica, but that is not true. That is why it is important that you are examined by a doctor that can make an accurate diagnosis and has the experience to treat the sciatica several different ways. You don’t want to waste your time doing things that don’t give you relief.
In my 34 years of being a chiropractor, I have been able to treat the majority of my sciatica patients with complete relief of their symptoms in 2-8 weeks. Most of the patients respond well to chiropractic spinal adjustments and physical therapy. Some patients respond better to doing stretches and exercises that can be primarily done at their house or at a gym. A few of my patients require co-management with a medical doctor that understands sciatica for medication management.
If the sciatica does not show a reduction in pain by at least 50% in 2 weeks, then ordering an MRI would be appropriate. We would then know if we needed to change the type of treatment being performed or if we needed to refer the patient to another provider.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
IME’s and Peer Reviews
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Independent Medical Examinations (IME’s) and Peer Reviews have become common in the modern health care system. As a chiropractic orthopedist in Houston, Tx that performs both of these, I am aware that most patients do not know what they are.
An Independent Medical Examination (IME) is similar to getting a 2nd opinion. At my office we perform IME’s for both Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC), as a designated doctor, and for insurance companies. The actual IME is an examination performed by a doctor on a patient who was not previously involved in the treatment of that patient, to evaluate the patient’s course of prior treatment and current condition.
The purpose of the IME can vary depending on who orders the examination. The examination can be ordered by an insurance company, the patient, or an attorney representing the patient. Typical questions asked are, is the patient at maximum medical improvement (MMI), is there an impairment ratine (IR), what is the extent of the injury, and can they safely return to work (RTW). Currently only 250 MD’s, DO’s, and DC’s have passed the requirements of the TDI-DWC to perform these designated doctor examinations. The rigid requirements to perform these exams are carried over to the insurance IME that is typically performed as part of an accident claim.
A peer review is the evaluation of work of another doctor in the same field of care. Typically the review will make sure that the minimum documentation standards are being met and that the treatment rendered is supported in the medical records. It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. The review will show if any of the documentation requirements noted in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) are absent and if any of the treatment exceeds the accepted treatment guidelines. This also helps the reviewed doctor to improve the medical records for future patients.
I have performed 100’s of peer reviews and IMEs over the last 30+ years. I am currently on the Medical Quality Review Panel (MQRP) for the TDI-DWC and I am a Standards of Care Reviewer (SCR) for the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (TBCE).
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
