Is Your Pain Radiating Or Referred?
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: You may be under the impression that pain is simply pain, but that isn’t the case to your chiropractor. That’s because where you’re feeling pain may not be the location of the cause of it at all! The type and location of pain you’re experiencing helps your chiropractor to diagnose the underlying problem. Here’s how your chiropractor can tell the difference between referred and radiating pain, and the difference it can make for you.
What is Referred Pain?
Referred pain tends to be pain that is less focal and contained to a general area, an area usually close to the source of the pain. The pain does not travel down specific nerve dermatomes. This type of pain is often associated with trigger points, which your chiropractor is trained to look for when they perform an exam to try to understand the source of your pain.
Trigger points are basically small knots in the muscle where the muscle fibers are contracted and irritated. The resulting pain feels dull and aching, often deep and steady. It can happen when you’re at rest or when you move, and the range in the level of pain you experience can be significant. The pain can result in muscle aches and pains, headaches, low back pain, neck pain, jaw pain, or even mimic symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
What is Radiating Pain?
For many patients who seek the help of a chiropractor, they come in complaining of pain that radiates. That means that it starts in one place but travels to another, usually along the path of a nerve. This type of pain is also called radicular pain and is usually caused by nerve irritation. Pay attention to if the pain crosses 2 or more joints, like from your neck across your shoulder and elbow and into your hand.
A great example of radiating pain is sciatica. If your sciatic nerve is irritated, then it can cause pain across your buttock and down your leg to your toes.
How Can We Help You?
Your chiropractor will do a medical history and examination to try to determine if your pain is referred or radiating. Once they have determined the cause of your pain, they can then begin to treat the underlying condition to alleviate the pain with spinal adjustments and physical modalities.
They can also advise you on changes you may need to make to your lifestyle so that the issue doesn’t reoccur. This may include dietary changes, exercise changes, or a more ergonomic setup at your office with frequent breaks for proper stretching.
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 As We Age
NASA Area Chiropractor Comments: As I get older, my idea of aging changes. I have noticed that there is a difference between being old and acting old. Our bodies change and we have to change what we do to enjoy our bodies to the fullest. One of the best things that a person can do to help slow the effects of aging is to receive regular chiropractic maintenance. Your chiropractor can show you a variety of ways to minimize the effects of getting older.
The most obvious way is thru chiropractic adjustments. Manipulating the spine allows the joints to go thru their full range of motion. This helps to prevent adhesions in the joints from limiting their motion. The adjustment also helps with the joint receptors which aids in decreasing joint pain and discomfort and helps to minimize the use of pain medications.
Chiropractic care also increases the range of motion in the spine and extremities. This is why many top professional sporting teams have team chiropractors. Greater motion means that you can bend and move further without injuring yourself. In addition, most chiropractors will show you specific stretches that will help you retain your gains.
Chiropractic has also been shown to increase balance and coordination. Spinal manipulation helps with the mechanoreceptors in the posterior joints of the cervical spine. When spinal defects, due to injury or degeneration, cause a decrease in joint proprioception, the patient begins stand with their legs further apart and walk with an uneven gait. Spinal manipulation and balance techniques will help to correct this. This will help decrease the incidence of falling.
Finally, chiropractic increases your health and well-being. When you have less pain and can move around more, you feel better. You have a better quality of sleep and you can do more of the activities that bring you joy.
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!
ESCOLIOSIS
Escoliosis es una condicion compleja que afecta mucho mas que solo la columna vertebral.Existen distintos tratamientos pero no existe un solo ajuste o terapia que sea efectivo en todos los casos. Como resultado, es crucial que todos los tratamientos para escoliosis se personalicen de acuerdo a las necesidades de cada paciente.En Beecher Chiropractic, el Dr. Ward Beecher ofrece planes personalizados para tartar la escoliosis,estos son basados en protocolos claves que compreban resultados consistentes y predecibles.
¿Que es la escoliosis?
La escoliosis causa una curvatura en un lado de la columna. Esta condicion afecta cualquier region en la columna,pero es mas comun en el area del pecho y la espalda baja.La escoliosis puede ocurrir tambien como resultado condiciones neuromusculares,genetica,una postura incorrecta y muchos otros factores.
Tratamiento para la Escoliosis
El tratamiento exacto para la escoliosis varia de paciente a paciente,pero existen ciertos componentes envueltos en casi todos los tratamientos. El tratamiento comienza con radiografias de precision que sera utilizados para poder determinar el funcionamiento de la columna y asi poder ver la escoliosis. Las radiografias proveen tambien una imagen clara de que esta pasando en otras partes del cuerpo tales como cuello y cadera.
Utilizando toda esta informacion, podemos entonces desarrolar un tratamiento comprensivo que incluye tecnicas quiropracticas avanzadas,ejercicios,y en algunos casos terapia adicional.El numero de sesiones requeridas dependen de la severidad de la escoliosis y otro numero de factores.
Una vez que su columna ha sido alienada correctamente,empezariamos la fase de rehabilitacion para asegurar la columna este asegurada correctamente y que la curvature no regrese. Cuando la curvature de la columna se deja sin tratar,esta puede empeorar y eso la traera sintomas severos.
En Beecher Chiropractic,luchamos para porveerle un tratamiento para la escoliosis efectivo que restaure el alineamiento propio,su funcion y aliviar el dolor. Los tratamientos quiropracticos no son quirurgicos y no se necesita el uso de medicamentos son peligrosos y causan adicciones. relieve pain. Chiropractic treatment is non-surgical and does not rely on the use of often dangerous and addictive pain medications.
Si usted pertenece a esos millones de personas que padecen de escoliosis.conatctenos hoy.
New Year’s Health Goals
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Every year people start the year by saying what they will do different this year. They make goals. Unfortunately, they typically don’t follow thru with their goals.
This year will be different. 😊
For improved health there are a couple actions that will lead to the best results. These actions are fairly easy to do, but you must remain consistent.
First, is to make sure that you are getting enough GOOD sleep. Studies have shown that the best rest is in a cool, dark room in a bed with enough support. It is helpful to put away your phone or iPad before going to bed and to refrain from caffeine. A good night’s rest will help to lower your blood pressure and to reduce inflammation.
Second, is to resolve to stop using tobacco and to minimize your use of alcohol and caffeine. This will help you to reduce your stress level, help you sleep better and prevent consumption of empty calories.
Third is to reduce the amount of your stress. Stress can increase the chance of a stroke or a heart attack. Take time to exercise, walk, talk to a friend, read a book or just practice meditation. All of these things will help reduce your stress levels.
Fourth is to get a check up from your doctor and chiropractor. These doctors can answer your health questions and give you important information. Your chiropractor will make sure that your joints are properly aligned and that you are able to move to your full potential. Your medical doctor can check your lab results to see if you need to change your diet or need medication management.
The final goal is to make sure that you are at your ideal weight. For most people this means losing weight. Being overweight can lead to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol or blood clots. Most people find greater success by focusing on lifestyle modification instead of just dieting. By eating healthy and exercising you can’t help but to lose weight. With a variety of apps and devices available, it helps to keep you focused on modifying your activities and caloric intake.
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!
Holiday Spinal Havoc
Houston Area Chiropractor Comments: As the song goes, this is the most wonderful time of the year! We get to decorate our house and office. We go to parties and travel to see our family. We go shopping and carry large bags and boxes. Unfortunately, this sometimes causes us to eat too much, not exercise and forget to stretch.
While taking the time to enjoy your friends and family, make sure to take the time to not overeat or drink to excess, make the effort to continue your exercises and continue to do your daily stretches. By making the effort to continue to do the correct things now it will minimize the chance of having any spinal pain return.
Enjoy the holiday season, but remember to take care of your spine at the same 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!
Disability vs Impairment
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: One aspect of my practice is to perform independent medical examinations (IME’s). These examinations can be for workers compensation or for personal injury cases. Usually, as a part of my examination report, I will be asked several questions. One the questions that is frequently asked usually involves determining if the person has an impairment or a disability. For most people these seem like the same thing, but they are different.
The most commonly used definitions for disability and impairment in Texas come from the AMA’s “Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment” 4th Ed. In that guide, impairment is defined as “an alteration of an individual’s health status. The impairment becomes permanent when it has “become static or stabilized during a period of time sufficient to allow optimal tissue repair, and one that is unlikely to change in spite of further medical or surgical therapy”. An impairment will interfere with a person’s activities of daily living (ADL’s). A specific numerical value will be given to show what percent of the person has been permanently impaired.
A disability is defined by the same guide as being “an alteration of an individual’s capacity to meet personal, social, occupational demands or statutory or regulatory requirements, because of an impairment.” The disability is the relationship between a person’s impairment and their life requirements, especially their occupation. In short, a disability is the difference between what a person can do and what they want or need to.
Using these as definitions, a person can be impaired, but not disabled. If a concert pianist loses his hand, he is impaired and disabled since he can no longer play the piano. If a business manager loses her hand, she has an impairment, but she is not disabled since she can still perform her job.
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!
When Should I Stretch?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: I was asked this question earlier today and I had to explain my answer. I view stretching a muscle and passively taking a joint thru a motion as different. Stretching of the muscle is best done after the muscles are warmed up. I tell my patients that the best time to stretch is after your exercise is over. This is the time that I spend 5 – 20 minutes taking the muscles that I have just used and stretch them out. Some of the stretches are passive, some are active and sometimes I use machines or rolling devices. When doing these stretches remember to change up your stretching routine. You do not want to do the same motions every single time. Mix it up.
Taking a joint thru motion is different in my opinion. Long term patients know that I am a fan of taking joints thru motion when I first wake up in the morning. I do this before I even get out of bed. Since it is being done lying down, we have taken gravity out of the equation. The motions allow the little “kinks” that occur while you are sleeping to release. It also allows your body time to wake up completely. This allows you to get out of bed with the “creaks and groans” that come with age. The muscles are awakened and you minimize the risk of falls or imbalance.
Try doing both of these every day. You will find yourself energized with a decrease in muscle soreness. In addition, flexibility will help to prevent occurrences of back or joint pain and minimize the times that you need to see 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!
Best Exercise to Prevent Back Pain
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: One thing that I have learned from being a chiropractor for almost 30 years is that if the stretches and exercises that you give people take more than a few minutes, they will not do them. I have covered the stretches in previous blogs as well as in my YouTube videos, but I haven’t discussed the best exercise to prevent back pain. Doing the stretches and exercise will greatly reduce the likelihood of you having your back pain return.
The best exercise is the plank. The easiest form of the plank is to get in a push-up position, but rest on your forearms instead of your palms. Ultimately you want to be able to hold this position for 1 minute. If you can not do 1 minute yet, hold it for 10 seconds and the rest for 5-10 seconds. Then hold it for another 10 seconds and keep repeating until you reach 1 minute. This is an exercise where proper form matters more than the length of time. If you have poor form and allow your back to sag it can actually aggravate your back pain. If you get bored with doing the simple plank there are a variety of modifications that you can do to challenge you.
The key thing is to just do it. Don’t do the plank periodically. Everyday you should stretch, plank and brush your teeth. 😊
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!
Helping To Stop The Opioid Epidemic
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: When I was in Chiropractic College 30 years ago, I remember my professors stating that for the treatment of back pain it should be; chiropractic first, medication second and surgery last. The intent was to see if a drugless surgery free solution could be found to get the patient out of pain and back to enjoying their life. If chiropractic did not resolve the problem then we would look at co-managing the patient’s problem with their medical doctor with the appropriate medication. Finally, if chiropractic and medication did not help, then we would look for a surgical solution.
As people started having less time to fix and maintain their problem with proper exercises and stretches they started looking for the “quick fix” of taking drugs for pain relief. They have surgeries for problems that could have been resolved without surgery. They don’t do the follow-up exercises and stretches after their rehabilitation. Unfortunately this does nothing to fix the cause of the pain and eventually they need more and stronger drugs.
Opioids are some of the strongest drugs available to reduce pain, but unfortunately they carry serious risks and side effects. Overdoses on these drugs were 5 times higher in 2017 than in 1999, with 70,000 drug overdoses in 2017 of which 68% involved opioids. Currently 130 people die every day in America from an opioid overdose.
Take the time to fix the problem first instead of masking the symptoms with drugs. Remember to do chiropractic first, drugs second and surgery last. If you have to have surgery, remember to continue with your exercises and stretches.
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!
Does Chiropractic Treatment Require A Referral From My MD?
Does Chiropractic Treatment Require A Referral From My MD?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: This question does not get asked much now as it did 30 years ago when I started my chiropractic career. As chiropractic care has become more mainstream people now know that a doctor of chiropractic does not require a medical referral, unlike going to a physical therapist who needs a referral from a medical or chiropractic doctor to be treated in Texas. We are portal of entry doctors for most musculoskeletal complaints and can be seen by anyone. The only time that a patient requires a referral from their medical doctor to a chiropractor is for certain insurance HMO’s to be reimbursed.
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!
