What To Expect On Your First Chiropractic Visit
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: Most patients have no idea what to expect on their first visit to a chiropractor. If they are lucky, they have a basic idea of what will happen from the person or doctor that referred them, but they are not sure exactly what will occur. Some patients have just heard good things about chiropractic and want to try it no matter what the visit entails. Other people have no idea what will go on, they just know that the traditional medical approach isn’t giving them the permanent relief that they want.
The first visit at my office is very similar to any orthopedic doctor’s office. After the new patient paperwork is filled out you are brought to an exam room. At the start of the visit, I will ask if you have any questions that I can answer before I start asking you about your complaint. Most people don’t have any questions, but it is easier to answer their inquiries at the beginning so that they don’t forget what it is that they want to ask me.
The next part of the visit is taking a history of what is bothering you. Finding out what caused your problem, if anything makes it better / worse, and any treatments you have already tried. This will help me to determine what type of examination I need to perform.
The next part of the visit is the examination. This involves several nerve and orthopedic tests to determine what is actually causing the pain or problem. At this point I will be able to determine if this is a case that I can help so that that I can begin treating, do I need to take an x-ray / order an MRI, do I need to refer you to a different type of doctor, or can you resolve the problem on your own with proper stretches and exercises.
If we can treat you, we will go over the various options. This may involve spinal adjustments, physical modalities such as ice/heat, muscle stimulation, traction, or ultrasound or various exercises and stretches. If we cannot treat you, we will tell you what you can do and / or refer you to the appropriate doctor.
In summary, your first visit here is just like any other doctor’s office. We are just trying to find out if we can get you well without the need for drugs and / or surgery. Most people are relieved to find out that they can get relief on their first visit.
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!
Do Auto Accidents Cause Permanent Injuries?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Frequently patients will say that they had an auto accident at some time in the past and that it caused all of their current complaints. They will say this even if they only have the pain every couple of years and the rest of the time, they are active and pain free. They will believe it to be true even thought their x-rays do not show any degenerative changes from the accident. They are convinced that it is true because some doctor told them in the past that they are permanently impaired from the accident, even if it was minor.
These people will limit their activities and exercises because they have been told something that usually isn’t true.
While some accidents cause permanent injuries, they are the exception instead of the rule. Most auto accidents only cause minor discomfort or no pain at all. If the pain resolves in 2-3 days while using ice and OTC medication, you are fine.
If the pain persists after 72 hours, it is best to be examined by a doctor that treats musculoskeletal injuries on a daily basis. In my 33 years of being a doctor of chiropractic (DC), I have found that chiropractors are best suited to diagnose what is wrong with you and to determine what is the best treatment. Most general practice MD’s do not treat muscular pain regularly and therefore typically only prescribe medication for pain, inflammation and muscle spasms. Orthopedic and neurosurgeons are looking for problems to operate on. Most problems will resolve with chiropractic care and physical therapy. If the problem is surgical in nature the chiropractor will make the appropriate referral to a surgeon.
In addition, it is also important what treatment is performed. Some patients will only go to a physical therapist who only treats the muscular complaint and does not check to see if the patient has any joint misalignments. This is similar to having your car hit a curb and not realigning the tire. Eventually it will wear unevenly. The chiropractor can gently adjust the bone back to where it should be.
In my 33 years of being a chiropractor, I have found that most people who have pain as a result of an accident can be pain free in 2 – 8 weeks of therapy. It is important that you do the proper treatment, therapy, and exercises in the correct order. The patient is then shown home-based exercises and stretches to maintain their gains. This is similar to a dentist fixing your teeth and then showing you the correct way to brush and floss.
Treat your injuries correctly after an accident and you will be able to live your life fully without fear of future problems.
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!
Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: From time to time, I will still have people tell me that they refuse to try chiropractic because they are worried about being hurt or paralyzed. They will typically say that they heard something from someone about it being dangerous or they think that it “looks “ scary.
Chiropractic, as a profession, began in 1895. Currently there are over 100,000 chiropractors in over 100 countries. It is estimated that more than 35 million Americans are treated by Doctors of Chiropractic annually. That is a lot of people being treated by chiropractors.
Is there a chance of some adverse reaction, yes, but the likelihood is very small. Depending on which study you look at, it is anywhere from 1 out of 20,000 manipulations to 1 out of 6 million manipulations. And, not all of the manipulations are performed by chiropractors. Some of the adverse reactions are from manipulations performed by medical doctors, massage therapists or people who thought that they knew what they were doing.
Typically, the only reaction to a chiropractic adjustment is that of relief. Most patients have a decrease in their pain or discomfort.
The likelihood of an adverse reaction is greatly reduced with a proper examination and history. Look for “red flags” that might show underlying problems. If the exam shows the possibility of a fracture, take an x-ray. Doctors need to know when manipulation is contraindicated and know when to refer the patient out for a 2nd opinion.
If the proper steps are taken, chiropractic adjustments are very safe. At our clinic, thousands of chiropractic adjustments are performed each year without any known complications.
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!
Best Exercises for Low Back Pain
Houston Chiropractor Comments: A common question that I get from patients is “What are the best exercises to prevent low back pain?” The problem is most people want to start performing the exercises before their back is ready for them to begin.
Typically, you do not want to start exercises, besides light walking or swimming, before the pain and muscle tightness begins to go away. A common statement in rehabilitation is that movement is medicine. Slow walking, even just up and down a hallway or around a room, or swimming is very beneficial. This allows the small muscles of the spine to move which helps to minimize any swelling and reduce soreness.
The next step to reducing your back pain is to begin stretching it. The best low back stretches can be found on our website @ Videos – Beecher Chiropractic : Houston, TX Chiropractor .
After you begin to regain or improve your flexibility, you can now begin to strengthen your low back with exercises. The best exercises are bridges, pelvic tilts, leg raises, Supermans, and planks.
Bridge
- Performed by lying on the ground and bend the knees, placing the feet flat on the floor hip-width apart.
- Press the feet into the floor, keeping the arms by the sides.
- Raise the buttocks off the ground until the body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.
- Squeeze the buttocks with the shoulders remaining on the floor.
- Lower the buttocks to the ground and rest for a few seconds.
- Repeat 15 times and then rest for 1 minute.
- Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Pelvic Tilt
- Lie back on the floor with knees bent and feet flat, keeping the arms by the sides.
- Gently arch the lower back and push the stomach out.
- Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.
- Flatten the back and pull the bellybutton in toward the floor.
- Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.
- Increase the number of repetitions daily, building up to 30
Leg Raises
- Lie on your back with the legs together.
- Keep the legs straight.
- Draw the bellybutton into the spine to engage the core muscles.
- Raise the legs about 18 inches, keeping it straight and extended.
- Hold the position for 2 seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Perform 3 sets.
Supermans
- Lie face down on the ground and stretch both arms out in front of the body, keeping the legs stretched out and flat on the ground.
- Raise both the hands and feet, aiming to create a gap of about 6 inches between them and the floor.
- Try to pull in the bellybutton, lifting it off the floor to engage the core muscles.
- Keep the head straight and look at the floor to avoid neck injury.
- Stretch the hands and feet outward as far as possible.
- Hold the position for 2 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat 10 times.
Plank
- Lie face down on the ground and either place your hands or elbows on the ground in a push-up position.
- Press your body up just like you were doing a push-up
- Try to pull in the bellybutton and tighten the buttocks to engage the core muscles.
- Keep the head straight and look at the floor to avoid neck injury.
- Hold the position for as long as you can. Your ultimate goal is 2 minutes.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat 3 times.
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!
Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Patients are usually surprised when they see pregnant women in my office receiving treatment. They usually want to know if it possible to hurt the baby or what benefit could it be for the mother.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy is safe for both mother and child!
The main reason that pregnant women choose to see me is either a friend, their midwife or their obstetrician told them that we could help with their back pain. Chiropractic helps to reduce lower back, neck, and joint pain by gently adjusting the bones back to their natural position. As the pregnancy progresses, two main things happen that lead to an increase in pain and discomfort. The new mother puts on weight and the ligaments gradually increase in laxity. The adjustments help to ease the pressure on the joints and allow the supporting muscles to relax.
By keeping the spine and pelvic joints in the proper positions most women have a reduced time of labor and delivery. They also typically have a reduced need for pain medication during delivery and thru their pregnancy.
Chiropractic care has also been shown to help with breach babies. There are chiropractic techniques that can be performed to help turn the infant into the proper position. This helps to prevent the possible need for a C-section.
Finally, women who receive chiropractic care during their pregnancy have been shown to have a faster recovery time after delivery.
I have been blessed to help many pregnant women during my 33 years of practice. It is always a joy to help them on their journey to motherhood.
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!
Benefits of Spicy Food
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Being the son of a Cajun mother and married to a Cajun wife, I have always been exposed to spicy food… and loved it. I also took it for granted. I assumed that most food from around the world was seasoned and spicy also. Living in Houston had exposed me to several other cultures and I always enjoyed their spicy food.
Recently I read several articles that explained the health benefits of spicy food. I was glad to read that the food that I enjoy eating was also good for me. At least some of it. 😉
Several spices such as turmeric, garlic, ginger, cinnamon and chili have many health benefits.
A study from Harvard in 2015 showed that eating spicy food six or seven days a week lowered mortality rate by 14%. This occurred even if you only ate the spicy food one time a day.
Several studies have shown that certain spices can raise your resting metabolic rate and also suppress your appetite. Turmeric has also been shown to suppress fat tissue growth.
In Ayurvedic medicine, ginger and garlic have been used for their anti-inflammatory properties. A compound in turmeric, curcumin, may reduce inflammation in the body.
In chili peppers there is a compound called capsaicin which has been shown to slow and kill cancer cells.
Cumin and turmeric help to kill bacteria with their strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
There are other benefits, but this should give you the idea that adding spice to your meals will have several benefits. Enjoy the benefit of “kicking it up a bit” with spices.
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!
Bed Rest for Low Back Pain?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: I recently had a new patient come in that had been suffering with severe low back pain for a couple weeks. They had gone to their family doctor for treatment and had been told to take muscle relaxants, pain pills and to stay in bed for a couple days with bed rest.
I instantly knew why this patient was still in pain.
Despite their medical doctor’s best intentions, his advice was severely outdated. Even when I was in chiropractic school in the mid 1980’s, this advice was being proven wrong. Some of the older doctor’s back then would advise patients to take 1 or 2 weeks off work with absolute bed rest when they had a severe low back complaint.
During the 1980’s studies showed that the key to a quick recovery was early movement. Patients were advised to begin moving as soon as possible and treatment incorporated stretching and exercise ASAP.
Treatment for different spine complaints change over time. It is always best to be treated by a doctor who examines and treats patients on a daily basis. At Beecher Chiropractic Clinic we treat hundreds neck and back pain patients every year and know what treatments get the best results in the shortest amount of time.
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 Care Can Help You Reach Your Health Goals in 2022
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: This time of the year people set their personal goals for the new year. Some of those goals involve your health. These can be general goals like sleeping more, losing weight or doing something to reduce pain and stiffness.
Including regular chiropractic care in to your routine can help you reach those goals.
The purpose of chiropractic is to properly align your spine by removing any joint irritation and inflammation. The vertebrae or joints get out of alignment while exercising, sitting at a work station, or poor posture and sleep habits. These joint misalignments cause irritation of the joints, inflammation of the supporting muscles, and a decrease in joint flexibility/mobility.
Regular chiropractic care can help maintain proper joint alignment to reduce the inflammation and irritation. Your chiropractor can show you proper stretching techniques to help maintain your flexibility. As you feel better, it becomes easier to exercise and lose weight. The exercise will also help you to sleep better.
If you have any questions on how to make 2022 better than 2021, please contact me.
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 Care for Sciatica
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: 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.
Sciatica can be caused by several things. It can be from stress, depression or negative emotions which deprive the nerves of oxygen leading to pain, weakness or tingling. Carrying extra weight or bad posture can pull and irritate the sciatic nerve. A herniated disc or a vertebra being misaligned can also irritate the nerve as well as a spinal tumor.
It is important that you get a proper diagnosis from a doctor that treats sciatica regularly. Some health providers who don’t regularly treat back and nerve complaints incorrectly call all pain that radiates into the leg, sciatica. This leads to a mis-diagnosis and a delay in the proper treatment and pain relief.
After the cause of the sciatica is determined, then the correct treatment can begin. The majority of the cases respond well to chiropractic spinal manipulation, physical therapy, and lifestyle changes. A few of the cases will need to be co managed by a medical doctor.
The purpose of the spinal manipulation is to move the vertebrae or pelvis so that they allow the muscles to relax and remove the irritation to the nerve. It is important to know which vertebrae specifically needs to be adjusted. It is also important to know which vertebrae should be left alone.
Certain types of physical therapy work better for sciatica than others. It is important to know when to perform passive therapies and when active therapies or exercises should be included. Ice and heat are 2 types of therapy to be used, but it is important to know when to use each. Typically, if you can point to a specific area that hurts or is painful you will use ice for 20 minutes. If a large region is achy, but not painful, you will use heat for 20 minutes.
Lifestyle changes would include things like what position you sleep in, is your chair straight up or leaning slightly back, how you lift objects and others.
If the sciatica does not show a reduction in pain by at least 50% in 2 weeks, then ordering an MRI or a referral for medication from a medical doctor would be appropriate.
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!
Best Pillow for Sleeping
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: A common question that I get from patients with neck pain is “What is the best pillow for sleeping?”. This question usually comes from a person who has had neck pain for a period of time or wakes up regularly with a sore neck.
This is actually a very important factor in getting relief from your neck pain. One of the main factors in getting well, is getting adequate, deep, restorative sleep. The wrong pillow or sleep position prevents that from happening, delaying recovery.
First, I would like to talk about the best position for sleeping. The best position, if possible, is flat on your back. This takes any neck rotation out and allows the muscles to relax in a natural position. If this position is impossible due to acid reflux, breathing issues, or just a snoring partner 😊, then the next best position is on your side.
When I say on your side, I mean literally on your side. Not twisting around with your head turned more than 90 degrees. Usually this will involve a pillow between your knees to prevent your hips from twisting and a body pillow to keep you from rolling towards your chest.
The worse position is on your stomach. Now I know that many of you like this because it “feels comfortable”, but it causes neck problems. When you lay on your stomach you will notice that it feels better turning your head in one direction instead of the other. This causes the neck muscles to stretch more on one side and tighten more on the other. This leads to your neck not being able to properly rest and recover. This also prevents you from having the best night sleep that you can.
Regarding the best pillow, the thickness should be about the width of YOUR palm. For me that is about 4 inches and for my wife it is about 3 ½ inches. This will elevate your head up enough so that it isn’t leaning backwards while sleeping while not pushing your head too far forward, stretching your neck muscles and ligaments. This position will also work well if you need to sleep on your side.
Be careful with pillows with built in “cervical curves or support”. These work great as long as you don’t move and the pillow stays perpendicular to your neck, but if you or the pillow move… you now have your head and neck going off in a slight angle. This will irritate the joint which will produce pain and discomfort when you wake up. Make sure that the pillow is firm enough that it gives you support while soft enough to allow you to properly rest.
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!
