Long-Term Results for Neck Injury
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: A neck injury such as a pulled muscle or a “knot” in the muscle is something we’ve all experienced. These little aches and pains usually go away on their own, or with a little massage from a loved one. But sometimes the neck injury is more substantial, such as in a whiplash or sports injury. In the case of long term effects of whiplash or other neck injuries, the ligaments such as the disk can be injured, and the nerves can be inflamed and irritated as well.
The long-term effect for neck pain is not good. Patients continue to suffer years later. One study looked at outcomes after five years and found that about 50% of patients continued to have pain and disability.
When the ligaments and muscles of the cervical spine are injured, the patient may guard their movements and not use certain muscles. This can lead to muscle weakness over time. As the neck muscles go, so goes the rest of the spine, or at least that’s what recent research shows. The investigators looked at a specific exercise that used the core trunk muscles. They followed the neck pain patients for two years and found that those with neck pain tended to get trunk muscle dysfunction, and eventually low back pain.
Following traumatic injuries to the neck, it is important to have a proper examination including x-ray. Getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step to getting you the treatment you need.
One study has shown that early intervention (within 4 days) in whiplash injury such as whiplash treatment, gave patients more relief, when compared to delayed (14 days) treatment.
As discussed above, many patients become chronic and have long-term pain after neck injuries. Others will develop secondary low back pain two years down the road. Because of these long-term effects, it is important to treat neck injuries in a serious manner. Ice will usually not be sufficient. These mechanical types of problems are also not correctable through medications and neck collars.
Specific chiropractic care following sprains to the neck may move the joints into better alignment and ease tension on the tissues. Mobility disorders such as limited range can also be improved with specific adjustments. As the joints begin to move more normally, exercises can be added to improve strength and range of motion. By treating neck problems appropriately and early on, the patient will be afforded the best chance for long-term success.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment with your best chiropractor in Houston for neck pain treatment by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Dr. Beecher’s April 11th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, April 11th, 2011
Mental Attitude: It Could Be In Your Head. Your emotional response to challenging situations can predict how your body responds to stress. People with high levels of anger and anxiety showed greater increases in a marker of inflammation than those who remained relatively calm. This could help explain why some people with high levels of stress experience chronic health problems. Over time, these emotionally-reactive individuals may be more vulnerable to inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, February 2011
Health Alert: Time To Get Healthy! A shortage of oncologists and the rising cost of chemotherapy and radiation therapies and imaging tests are making delivering quality cancer care increasingly difficult. By 2020, the shortage of oncologists in the US will be between 2,350 and 3,800, which represents a capacity of between
9.5 million and 15 million office visits. Cancer, March 2011
Diet: Vitamin E And Pneumonia. Vitamin E decreased pneumonia risk by 69% among those who had the least exposure to smoking and who also exercised. In contrast, vitamin E increased pneumonia risk by 79% among those who had the highest exposure to smoking and who did not exercise. Over half of the participants
were outside of these two subgroups and vitamin E did not affect their risk of pneumonia. Clinical Epidemiology, February 2011
Exercise: Fat Burner! Muscles are metabolically active, so the more muscle mass, the more calories you burn even when you’re not working out. For each pound of muscle you add, you will burn an extra 35-50 calories per day. Every 5 pounds of muscle added will burn 175-250 calories a day, or an extra pound of fat every 14-20 days. Mayo Clinic
Chiropractic: Better Immune System? Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York’s Preventive Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University, performed one of the most important studies showing the positive effect chiropractic care can have on the immune system and general health. In his initial 3-year study of 107 individuals who had been under chiropractic care for 5 years or more, the chiropractic patients had a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care.
The Chiropractic Journal, August 1989
Wellness/Prevention: A Leg Up? 9 million Americans over the age of 50 have peripheral arterial disease. Symptoms: 1. Claudication (fatigue, heaviness or cramping in the leg muscles that occurs during activity and goes away with rest). 2. Foot or toe pain at rest that often disturbs sleep. 3. Skin wounds or ulcers on the feet that are slow to heal. Risk increases if you: smoke, or used to smoke, have diabetes, have high blood pressure and/or abnormal blood cholesterol, if you’re African American or have a Vascular disease. Foundation, February 2011
Quote: “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” ~ Albert Einstein
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s April 2011 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!
In Good Hands
A Free Monthly Newsletter For The Friends and Patients of Ward Beecher DC
“An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.” – Dwight D
Eisenhower
“How 55-80 Year Olds
Increased The Size Of Their Brains!”
Scientific Study Shows How You Can Stay Mentally Sharp As You Age
Also In This Issue:
Study finds childhood obesity linked to health habits – not genes
New research shows trans fat intake linked to depression
Study shows children with ADHD benefits from dietary changes
30-50% of children use energy drinks – why they may harm their health
Scary trend: Why young people prefer “virtual computer lives” to the real world
Japanese researchers say dogs can be trained to sniff out cancer!
Want To Live To Be 96? A special tribute to Chiropractor, Jack LaLanne,
his amazing feats, special achievements and the health blueprint he left for you…
Houston – How would you like to have a bigger, more powerful brain?
Sadly, the hippocampus, a part of the brain key to memory and special navigation, is known to shrink as we age.
This shrinkage starts in late adulthood and is responsible for memory loss and impairment.
Now, There Is New Hope
According to the Los Angeles Times, a new study published by the
Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed
“a program of aerobic exercise, over the course of a year, can increase the size of the hippocampus… in adults ages 55- 80.”
In the study, 120 people from ages 55-80 who did not exercise previously were split into 2 groups; 60 were put into an aerobic exercise
How Man’s Best Friend Might
Save You From Cancer
According to Japanese researchers,
“a specially trained Labrador proved nearly as good at identifying those with cancer as a conventional colonoscopy examination.”
Furthermore, dogs can be trained to sniff out bowel cancer even in the early stages of the disease.
In a series of experiments, a specially trained Labrador sniffed either the breath or stool samples of patients and detected cancer as well as traditional colonoscopy.
In other experiments, trained dogs have been used to sniff cancers of the skin, lungs, bladder and ovaries.
According to an article in Guardian,
“In later tests, the dog correctly identified 33 of 36 people with bowel cancer after sniffing their breath, and 37 of 38 cancer cases after sniffing a stool obtained from the patient.”
program that consisted of walking around a track 3 days a week for 40 minutes per session; and the other 60 did a program consisting of stretching and weights.
Results: According to the
Los Angeles Times article, “The group doing aerobic exercise had increases in hippocampus volume: up 2.12 % in the left hippocampus, and 1.97% in the right hippocampus. The stretching group, on the other hand, had decreased hippocampus volume: down 1.40% on the left and 1.43% on the right.”
What’s important to note is the article said it is never too late to start and it suggested that some very simple exercise programs may be a cost- effective way to treat a
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widespread health problem, without the side effects of medication.
Study Finds Childhood Obesity
Linked To Health Habits – Not Genes
A study found, when 1,003 Michigan 6th graders were examined, obese children were “more likely to consume school lunch instead of a packed lunch from home and spend two hours a day watching TV or playing a video game.”
According to an article in Science Daily, the study suggests unhealthy habits are feeding the childhood obesity trend. “For the extremely overweight child, genetic screening may be a consideration,” says study senior author Kim A. Eagle, M.D., a Cardiologist and a Director of the U- M Cardiovascular Center. “For the rest, increasing physical activity, reducing recreational screen time and improving the nutritional value of school lunches offers great promise to begin a reversal of current childhood obesity trends.”
Here’s a startling fact: Childhood obesity has
TRIPLED in the U.S. in the last 30 years, and obesity among U.S. children ages 6-11 has gone from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008.
According to the Science Daily article,
“researchers found that 58 percent of obese children had watched two hours of TV in the previous day, compared to 41 percent of non-obese children. Forty- five percent of obese students always ate school lunch, but only 34 percent of non-obese students ate school lunch.”
Significantly fewer obese kids exercised regularly, took physical education classes, or were a member of a sports team.
In the study, 15% of the students were obese, but almost all had unhealthy habits. Over 30% drank regular soda within the previous day, less than 50% remembered eating 2 servings of vegetables in the same time period, and only 30% said they exercised for 30 minutes for 5 days during that week.
One of the biggest take home messages (besides realizing that it’s habits making us overweight — not just our genes) is that almost all the students can drastically improve their diet and exercise, not just the 15% who are obese. According to the AmericanCollege of Preventative Medicine, heart disease and diabetes are two of the most common preventable chronic diseases. Both have their preventable causes
in what we eat and how much we exercise, and both start from the habits we obtain in childhood.
As adults, we can change these habits any time we want and live a longer and healthier life just about instantly, but children need guidance to make the same healthy choices.
Many In Younger
Generation Prefer Online
Fake Life To Real One
Have you ever wanted to change your life? Maybe even wanted to be someone else?
If so, you are not alone. Now, a younger generation has found a way to make this desire a reality. Well… sort of…
According to an article in Dailymail, “A study has found that children are often more happy with their lives online than they are with reality, as it allows them to be who they want… They say they can be exactly who they want to be – and as soon as something is no longer fun they can simply hit the quit button.”
Even more shocking, according to the study, one in eight young people are in contact with strangers and often lie about their appearance, age and background.
The study also reveals 45% of younger people between the ages of 11-18 surveyed said they were happier with their online life than their real one.
“One told researchers: „It‟s easier to be who you want to be because nobody knows you and if you don‟t like the situation you can just exit and it is over.‟ Another said: „You can say anything online. You can talk to people that you don‟t normally speak to and you can edit your pictures so you look better. It is as if you are a completely different person.”
What’s more, 47% said they act differently online than in real life.
Experts warn this may be creating a generation of people who will not function adequately in society.
And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health.
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Presented by Beecher Chiropractic Clinic 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston TX 77062 (281) 286-1300
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)
Who Else Wants To Live To 96 And Be As Healthy As A Horse?
A special tribute to Chiropractor Jack LaLanne, his amazing feats, special achievements and health blueprint he left for you…
I’m sure you’ve heard of Jack LaLanne. Everyone has – he’s a legend among legends. But, what do you really know about him? If you are like most people, you probably have no idea why he is truly one of the most important people to have lived in the last 100 years. For starters, Jack was an unhealthy child with anger problems who was addicted to sugar. He stated he had violent episodes directed at him and others. Jack described himself as “a miserable goddamn kid… it was like hell.” Besides having a bad temper, he also suffered from headaches and bulimia, and dropped out of high school at age 14. The following year, at age 15, he heard health food pioneerPaul Bragg give a talk on health and nutrition, focusing on the “evils of meat and sugar.” Bragg’s message resonated with LaLanne and it instantly changed his life. He said he was “born again” and focused on diet and exercise. He began working out every day and went back to school. LaLanne made the football team, went to college and became a Doctor of Chiropractic.
But, LaLanne knew he could touch more lives if he didn’t practice Chiropractic, and that’s what he really wanted to do. So, Jack became a health and fitness pioneer. Since he did so many amazing things – the best thing to do is to list them: 1954 (age 40): Jack swam the entire length (8,981 ft/1.7 mi) of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, under water, with 140 pounds (64 kg; 10 st) of air tanks and other equipment strapped to his body; a world record. 1955 (age 41): Jack swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed. When interviewed afterwards, he was quoted as saying that the worst thing about the ordeal was being handcuffed, which significantly reduced his chance to do a jumping jack. 1956 (age 42): Jack set what was claimed as a world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes on You Asked For It, a television program hosted byArt Baker. 1957 (age 43): Jack swam the Golden Gate channel while towing a 2,500-pound (1,100 kg; 180 st)cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile (1.6 km) swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles (10.5 km). 1958 (age 44): Jack maneuvered a paddleboard nonstop from the Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore. The 30-mile (48 km) trip took 9.5 hours. 1959 (age 45): Jack did 1,000 star jumps and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour and 22 minutes to promote The Jack LaLanne Show going nationwide. LaLanne said this was the most difficult of his stunts, but only because the skin on his hands started ripping off during the chin-ups. He felt he couldn’t stop because it would be seen as a public failure. 1974 (age 60): For the second time, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf. Again, he was handcuffed, but this time he was also shackled and towed a1,000-pound (450 kg; 71 st) boat. 1975 (age 61): Repeating his performance of 21 years earlier, he again swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater and handcuffed, but this time he was shackled and towed a 1,000- pound (450 kg; 71 st) boat. 1976 (age 62): To commemorate the “Spirit of ’76”, United States Bicentennial, he swam one mile (1.6 km) in Long Beach Harbor. He was handcuffed and shackled, and he towed 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people. 1979 (age 65): Jack towed 65 boats in Lake Ashinoko near Tokyo, Japan. He was handcuffed and shackled, and the boats were filled with 6,500 pounds (2,900 kg; 460 st) of Louisiana Pacific wood pulp. 1980 (age 66): Jack towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida.The boats carried 77 people, and he towed them for over one mile (1.6 km) in less than one hour. 1984 (age 70):Handcuffed, shackled, and fighting strong winds and currents, Jack towed 70 rowboats, one with several guests, from the Queen’s Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary, 1 mile.
Jack was also the first to: open a modern health spa, have a nationally syndicated exercise show on television, have athletes work out with weights, have women work out with weights, have elderly work out with weights, have a combination health food bar and gym, have a weight loss Instant Breakfast meal replacement drink, have a coed health club, combine weight training with nutrition, have an edible snack nutrition bar, sell vitamins and exercise equipment on television, teach scientific bodybuilding by changing the workout every 2-3weeks, encourage the physically challenged to exercise, and he also developed many of the exercise machines and equipment that are still used today. Jack said, “If man made it, don’t eat it.” He also said he NEVER ate dessert. Just doing those two things could change your life.
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don’t be a stranger.
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Presented by Beecher Chiropractic Clinic 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston TX 77062 (281) 286-1300
Did You Know?… Tea is a great food for health! 1. Tea, without sugar or honey, only has two calories per cup. 2. Steeping tea for three to five minutes produces the most antioxidants. 3. Milk in your tea doesn’t reduce tea’s health benefits. 4. The maximum amount of antioxidants contained in tea comes from brewing loose leaves or from tea bags. (Tea in powders or bottles has little or no helpful antioxidants!) 5. Tea in products applied to the skin has little or no health enhancing properties. Teas, especially white and green teas, can help with the following: Stimulate mental clarity, reduce the risk of certain cancers, reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood sugar levels, help prevent viral infections, help prevent bad breath, and help prevent tooth decay. Also, because the water used in tea is boiled, this makes tea safer to drink than tap water…
Tip Of The Month – Dietary Changes May Help ADHD.
Also: Consumption Of This Is Linked To Depression.
You are what you eat. This is not just a catchy saying – it is the absolute truth. Yet, most people ignore this “truth” and suffer from preventable diseases, aches and pains. Most seem to think it is easier to eat junk and take a pill later. There is always a miracle medicine to save you, isn’t there? The truth of the matter is…No, There Isn’t. It is abundantly clear and becoming clearer
each and every day that taking medication is no substitute for eating right, exercising and practicing proper maintenance care. Clearly, having your teeth pulled and replacing them with dental implants is no replacement for brushing and flossing your teeth and going to the dentist for routine check-ups. Eating fat, sugar and processed foods for 40 years and then thinking a drug or surgery is going to save you is even more foolish. Here is some research on what you and your children eat that you will find very interesting. Study #1: What You Eat and ADHD – A recent study found putting children with ADHD on a restrictive diet to eliminate possible, unknown food allergies decreased hyperactivity for 64 percent of kids. In the study, 41 kids completed the elimination diet and 32 saw decreased symptoms. Here’s a really important part: When certain foods thought to be “triggers” for each child were reintroduced, most of the children relapsed. The elimination diet, which lasted 5 weeks, consisted predominantly of rice, white meat and some vegetables. Among 50 kids given a “control” diet that was just a standard, healthy diet for children, significant changes were not noted. Due to the results, lead author of the study and a psychiatrist at the Nijmegen Medical Centre, Jan Buitelaar, recommended the elimination diet become part of the standard of care for children with ADHD. Here’s An Important Note About This Study – Many doctors frown upon the elimination diet, not because of its results, but because it is
“difficult.” Because it is perceived to be hard and many won’t do it, it is tossed aside for an easier approach. Of course, it is “easier” to take medications, but is the easiest approach usually the best? Study #2: Eating This Increases Depression Risk – According to Dr. Joseph Mercola’s health blog, “Consumption of trans fats can increase your risk of depression, according to new research. However, healthier fats may actually reduce your risk.” Participants in the study with the highest level of trans fat consumption had up to a 48% increase in the risk of depression. Study #3: Report Says Energy Drinks Unhealthy – According to a new report published in the Journal of Pediatrics, popular energy drinks may be harmful to children’s health. These risks are amplified if the child has diabetes, ADHD or a heart condition. The report also stated that 30-50% of children consume these drinks and they do not substantially increase performance or energy levels. Sales of products such as Red Bull, Full Throttle, Monster Energy and Rockstar are expected to reach about $9 billion in the U.S. this year, with children and young adults under 25 providing most of the revenue. Because these drinks are considered supplements, they are not regulated by the FDA.
Remember, we’re always here, to help your body heal and maintain the health you deserve.
This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please call our office at 281-286-1300.
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Presented by Beecher Chiropractic Clinic 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston TX 77062 (281) 286-1300
Dr. Beecher’s April 4th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, April 4th, 2011
Mental Attitude: Delay Alzheimer’s! Mastering a second language seems to delay getting Alzheimer’s as bilingual patients did not contract Alzheimer’s until 5 years later than monolingual patients. Even if you’re not bilingual, there are other ways to exercise the brain like word games, crosswords, word search. Ellen Bialystok, York University, Feb 2011
Health Alert: Too Much Drinking! 5.9% of adolescents ages 12-14 drank alcohol in the past month and 44.8% received their alcohol for free from their family or at home. People who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are six times more likely to develop alcohol problems than those who start at age 21 and older. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, Feb 2011
Diet: Allergic To Food? 17 million people in Europe suffer from food allergies, with 3.5 million younger than 25 years old. Allergies in children under 5 have doubled over the last ten years and trips to the emergency room for severe anaphylactic reactions have increased seven-fold. Allergic reactions are probably increasing due to changes in nutrition patterns, exposure to environmental factors such as cigarette smoke and changes in lifestyle.
European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Feb 2011
Exercise: New Toy. A wireless device, the iSense, can predict and detect the status of muscles during training. The iSense helps optimize performance by building the bridge between what the brain is telling the athlete and what the muscles are actually doing. The iSense device detects the tiny electrical signals muscles produce when contracting. Muscle fatigue can promote muscle growth, but can also cause serious injury when the level of fatigue is high. When muscle fatigue is not detected soon enough, it can often lead to pain and injuries. The system will guide the user during training to act as a warning device, to avoid unnecessary strain on the muscles and avoid injury.
Essex University, AlphaGalileo Foundation
Chiropractic: Watch Your Back! Half of working Americans suffer from back pain each year. 25% of American adults reported they suffered from back pain for at least a day within the last three months and lower back pain is the
5th most common reason people visit the doctor. CDC
Wellness/Prevention: Wear A Helmet. Severe head trauma is the most frequent cause of death and severe disability in skiers and snowboarders and accounts for 15% of all skiing and snowboarding related injuries. Injuries include epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, other traumatic intracranial hemorrhage, skull fractures and cervical spine injury. Helmet use reduces head injuries 35%, with another study suggests head injury reductions range from
15-60%. Helmet wearers decreased the need for neurosurgical procedures, length of hospital stay, and incidence of death. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, March 2011
Quote: “The player who loses his head and his cool, is worse than no player at all.” ~ Lou Gehrig
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s January 17th, 2011 Chiropractic Newsletter
This weeks Health News Update discusses health advice for cold weather, the benefits of fruits and vegetables, how yoga could help the prison population and the benefits of chiropractic care.
To download this week’s newsletter, please click here.
Low Back Pain and Your Emotions
Clear Lake City Doctor Comments: This article discusses how anger and emotional expression may affect your back pain. For years many medical doctors thought back pain was more of an issue in the brain than the spine. Research has shown this to be the case in many who are disabled from work. But mechanical sprain injuries of the spine are also critical to body function and how much pain you may experience. You just cannot separate the brain from the body and expect to tackle a difficult problem like low back pain.
Researchers at Duke University looked at this complex problem by measuring the amount of emotional expression, anger, and back pain in patients. The studies included 61 persons with chronic low back pain. The results were quite interesting. Patients who reported greater conflict with regard to expressing emotions may be experiencing higher pain and anger.
Have you ever considered that how you express your emotions could affect how much the back hurts? Do you hold on to angry thoughts and feelings? Ignoring these issues does not make the problem go away. And covering-up your emotions with a cocktail of medications doesn’t seem like a good long-term solution, especially with the unhealthy side effects that can sometimes occur.
Of course there is a difference between “blowing up” at someone and expressing emotions appropriately. Have you tried opening up to someone? A friend or counselor can help show how your emotions can be dealt with constructively. Some patients have severe emotional conflicts and may require psychological support. Others can become more “in tune” with the emotional side of life through simple awareness. Does your back flare up around emotional periods of your life? We can help with the mechanical stresses of the spine, but to maximize your potential you have to consider emotions and the brain. By integrating a mind-body approach to health, the complexity of back pain is addressed more fully. This may get you more engaged with life, more active, and with a healthy outgoing attitude.
Being in chronic pain is no fun, for us, as well as our friends and family. So if you think your emotions (or lack of emotions) may have something to do with your back pain, consult a competent health care provider who addresses the whole person. When patients can confront these issues in a calm and supportive environment, the need for medications if often reduced.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com. or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Headache Triggers and Causes
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: We often think headaches are caused by different stressful triggers. It could be long days at work, or staring at a computer screen all night, or the aggravation of a long commute in a traffic jam. Some of us get headaches after drinking red wine, or eating certain foods. While these triggers make headaches develop and worsen, they are not the underlying cause of the problem. Some people get headaches after exercise or working in the garden but these activities cannot be considered the cause-they are aggravating factors.
What is often overlooked is: why are your defenses no match for these minor life stressors? Why do you get the headache and your friend who has the same experiences does not? Even in the case of the flu you have to consider the strength of the person’s immune system more so than the virus. Older adults who get the flu tend to have a worse problem than someone younger.
In the same way you have to look at symptoms such as head pain. Serious causes such as tumors or strokes have to be ruled out, but these types of problems are very rare. Headaches are common in society today. Have you seen the pain reliever aisle at the supermarket recently? I think over-the-counter medications are one of the new ‘food” groups.
But consider common causes for headaches. Is there a spinal problem that causes the neck to go forward creating tightness and muscle tension? What is the underlying weakness that needs to be corrected? We rarely look at the causes of things. Our healthcare system is more concerned with covering up bothersome symptoms with medications. A more long-term and natural solution is to seek out the underlying cause of a problem and get it fixed. In many cases it is the spinal injury that is producing weakness that causes the headache. Getting these problems corrected can get you back in the game and improve your quality of life. Imagine a future where exercise will no longer be a headache trigger, but a way to further strengthen your body.
Pain is an expression by the body of a problem. It is a signal to your brain that something is wrong and action needs to be taken. Rather than masking the symptoms, why not consider consulting a doctor of chiropractic to see if there is an underlying spinal cause?
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com. or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Are Physical Therapists Like Chiropractors?
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: This is a fairly common question that I get asked in my office. While the simple answer is no, physical therapists do have some similarities in treatment to chiropractors. First and foremost, each individual practitioner in each profession treats in his/her own unique way so the comments below are generalities.
Doctors of Chiropractic (DC’s) diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system which affect the nervous system and therefore one’s general health.
Chiropractors aim to maintain, restore, maximize and develop one’s functional ability through specific spinal adjustments, physical modalities and rehabilitative or therapeutic exercises. Physical therapists use rehabilitation therapy and general mobilizations, usually under the orders of a doctor, to help restore a patient to their pre-accident or illness status. Chiropractors use a holistic approach to treatment that focuses not only on the physical, but the psychological, social and emotional well being of the individual through diagnosis, treatment and intervention. The chiropractor then will typically give the patient home based exercises and stretches to prevent a reoccurrence after care is completed.
Chiropractic doctor’s practice combines aspects from both alternative and mainstream medicine. Most chiropractors work with the patients other doctors to coordinate the necessary care of the patient based on the diagnosis that we determine thru our own specific examination. Depending on the specialty of the chiropractor, he/she may have a more nutritional, neurological, sports or in my case orthopedic type of practice.
Physical therapists (PT’s) on the other hand practice in different settings such as outpatient clinics, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, extended care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, hospices, education and research centers, occupational environments and fitness centers. Care is typically directed by the diagnosis and orders of a doctor, though some PT’s are currently allowed direct access.
Chiropractic doctors and physical therapists are both currently using evidence based research to expand their knowledge and further help our patients. Hopefully in the future DC’s, PT’s and other providers of physical medicine will work together for the greater good of our patients with all providers knowing the strengths and limitations of their care.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com. or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
