There’s a lot of causes for the manifestation of Vertigo. An inner ear malady, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, can on occasion arise as the aftermath of a sustained head injury or very bad cold. Occasionally this particular vertigo may be caused by the aging process. The origin, often times though, fairly often is unknown. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes perfectly this non- progressive malady that is brought on by, as its name indicates, a abrupt change in head position. The difficulties are as a rule unpredicted and variable.

It can be facilitative to look at the function of the inner ear in an effort understand what creates this commonly incapacitating difficulties of this kind of vertigo. The brain takes in changes in position and keeps balance employing the fluid contained in the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are tiny calcium carbonate crystals, also known as otoconia. The crystals are able to float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the responsive nerve endings in the inner ear, they generate the complaints of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.

The good news is that chiropractic therapy can remove the discomforts of BPPV very quickly and effectively employing a technique known as the Epley maneuver. By means of the use of this technique, a chiropractor turns the head of a BPPV victim into several different positions, letting gravity move the calcium carbonate crystals into a zone of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will create no subsequent dizziness.

Your chiropractor has helped innumerable individuals for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo employing the Epley Maneuver technique. Quite often, with just one treatment most patients no longer suffer from wooziness.  Seattle Chiropractors are experts when it comes to balance problems.  Make an appointment today!

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Knee X-ray

Men and Women 65 years and older who suffer from knee osteoarthritis (OA), that practice Tai Chi, improve their physical capability and experience decreased pain, according to a new Tufts University School of Medicine study. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that brings about a breakdown of joint cartilage. Chiropractors provide therapy for a large number men and women suffering from OA in a number of areas of the body, including the joints of the knee. knee pain and disability is one of the most widespread dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal complaints. In fact, an extraordinary 4.3 million US adults over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it predicts that half of the men and women in America may develop symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, functional disabilities, and a diminished quality of life.

Are you wondering why so many men and women develop OA? As with nearly all of the musculoskeletal dysfunctions that we develop as we age, undue stress to a joint day after day is a major determinant. It follows that as people age they are more susceptible to developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Abnormal function of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as an offset of foot pain, and repetitive use of the knee joint all create excessive stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint develop. As an adjunct to chiropractic treatment, chiropractors fully advocate natural, drug-free practices, such as Tai Chi (Chuan), that can mitigate knee pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that create peace of mind, as well as increased balance, an augmentation of strength, and improved flexibility.

In otherwise good health, the 40 adults with confirmed OA that were chosen for the Tufts study were on an average 65 years of age and overweight. Participants were randomly chosen to take part in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.

Tai Chi practice involves the kind of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is compatible with current exercise recommendations for osteoarthritis. As an added benefit, researchers observed that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi promoted a sense of well-being, life contentment, and impressions of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi exhibited a considerable decrease in knee pain.

Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

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As if the acute pain and suffering from fibromyalgia weren’t enough, a surprising ninety percent of fibromyalgia sufferers also experience chronic fatigue syndrome, and you might be one of them. It is this “double whammy” that can result in your not only suffering from pain and fatigue, but also anxiety, headaches, numbness and pins and needles, dizziness, sleep disturbance, swollen feeling in tissues, stiffness, sensitivity to noise and stress, and cognitive impairment.

If you are suffering from one, or both, of these two debilitating conditions, you may find it difficult to participate in even the simplest activities in life, and you may even be feeling depressed and defeated. Fortunately, your chiropractor can help you. Chiropractic techniques have been found to be highly beneficial in reversing trauma-induced injuries by reducing inflammation to the nerves in the brain stem and spinal cord that can bring about pain, neuromuscular dysfunction, and fatigue.

What do “trauma-induced injuries” have to do with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome? You may find the connection surprising

While the specific cause of these syndromes is unknown, recent research has pointed to traumatic neck injuries, such as whiplash and concussion, as risk factors for the onset of both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. And, here’s the thing: even though the pain and fatigue generated by spinal injuries can begin immediately, in many cases it can take quite a long time, perhaps months or years to develop. By the time fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms become apparent, these injuries may not be remembered.

When it comes knowledge the spine and how to take care of it, your chiropractor is an expert. Chiropractic treatment has been proven to be highly effective in reversing trauma-induced spinal injury. See your chiropractor today to see if chiropractic care the pain and suffering you’ve been experiencing from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

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Let’s face it. There are going to be reverberations when your body is forced to stop suddenly and without warning. An emergency room attendant may give you a clean bill of health because you haven’t broken any bones, and you may be given a prescription for drugs to relax the muscle spasms that you are doubtless experiencing as a result of the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you sustained from the impact. But, unless you’re actually treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained, your condition can go from bad to much, much worse. In fact, some individuals experience problems years after an auto accident as the consequence of their not getting the help they needed in the first place.

Your chiropractor genuinely knows what your body experiences during a car accident. chiropractic techniques include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics impairment. And when it comes to rehabilitation strategies, your chiropractor is an expert

If you’ve encountered a minor auto accident, you are more likely to need more repair than your car. Neck and back traumas are not only painful in the regions in which they occur, but they can also cause pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and cause headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

You can get back on the road to feeling good again with drug-free, natural chiropractic care.  It will help to put the trauma of your accident where it belongs – behind you. Moreover, because your chiropractor has experience working with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you experience less physical stress, but less emotional stress, too!

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Tension headaches: Let’s face it, life can be a pain, now and then, and turn into a tension headache. Many people have been impacted by more than one. If you’ve had a tension headache, then you likely experience it as a dull, aching head pain that is frequently accompanied by a feeling of tightness or pressure along your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. On occasion, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and periodically you may experience a loss of appetite.

Tension headaches are generally defined as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one headache to another in the same person, as well as from one individual to another Tension headaches can occur from time to time or you may have them nearly all the time. If your headaches take place fifteen or more days a month for a minimum of three months, they’re viewed as chronic. If tension headaches are disrupting your life, chiropractic management may be the solution. Make an appointment with your chiropractor today.

Migraine Headaches: Migraine headaches differ from the average tension-related headache. For example, migraines frequently develop on only one side of the head, according to the National Headache Foundation. The throbbing or pulsating pain is accompanied by nausea or vomiting. One-fifth of migraine sufferers have auras, visual manifestions an hour before a migraine attack, and symptoms such as pulsating light, lines or dots.

Do you suffer from migraines? If you do, you know the upsetting, debilitating effects that this kind of condition can have on your life. The pain of a migraine headache can sideline you for hours, for days, for a lifetime, and conventional over-the-counter medications are not only ineffective but, like prescription drugs, they all too frequently have dangerous side effects. It’s time to eliminate the pain and get your life back! Chiropractic treatment has proved to be highly effective in relieving and eliminating migraine headaches. Get in touch with your chiropractor today!

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The path of sciatic pain is usually from your low back, through the buttock(s), and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of your leg(s). Often, the pain may even travel into your knee. Sitting, as well as motion, can generate pain. On occasion lying down will decrease, or perhaps temporarily get rid of the pain. Nonetheless, sciatica will not go away permanently without proper management.

The clinical diagnosis of sciatica is referred to as a “radiculopathy”, a medical term that means simply that a disc has bulged from its normal position in the vertebral column and is causing pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve. This type of pressure is extremely painful.

Additional pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles encircling the spine, can occur during and after prolonged sitting, specifically in a awkward position. In general, an explicit event or particular injury doesn’t create sciatica, but rather it tends to develop over time as a consequence of average wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Over time the lower spine loses its ability to function normally during everyday requirements.

Finally, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, which then lets the soft nucleus push the disc outward. If the disc presses on sensitive tissues, it produces the pain that is generally referred to as a slipped disc. If the disc pushes on the spinal nerve, an individual can develop sciatica.

With chiropractic adjustments and therapies, which frequently includes postural exercises, most disc problems, including sciatica, can be alleviated. If you are suffering from sciatic pain, it is vital for you to seek chiropractic attention.

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Pain, numbness, pins and needles, and tingling in the fingers are the first symptoms of CTS. These symptoms are frequently noticeable at night and routinely wake people from their sleep as they feel compelled sit up in bed and shake-out and/or rub the hands in order to ease these unpleasant feelings. In addition, activity can cause the hands to feel clumsy or weak, and fatigue easily. Eventually, grasping small objects with the thumb and fingers can be markedly affected and, without treatment, can develop into an entire disability of the hand.

In order to confine the debilitating symptoms resulting from the advancement of CTS, expert diagnosis and suitable treatment are essential.  If you are suffering from the pain and disability associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, it would be beneficial for you to try the most non-invasive approach first. As mentioned above, chiropractic care is drug-free, non-surgical, and highly effective. Call your chiropractor today and learn more about what safe and natural chiropractic can do for you.

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Nearly all injuries can be categorized into two fundamental types: injury from trauma such as a slip, fall or collision, and injury as the result of overuse or repetitive stress.

Traumatic Injuries

These injuries cause the debilitating difficulties often associated with trauma. As a rule injuries to the ligaments (the tissue that connects bone to bone) and to muscles are the most frequent, though the trauma of fractures and dislocations frequently occurs in contact sports. A strain is any harm to either a muscle or its tendon, and a sprain is harm to ligaments.  The most frequent areas for these kinds of injuries are the ankles, knees, and shoulders, although other areas can be affected including the low back and neck. Injuries to the neck and low back can be extremely serious as the spinal cord or spinal nerves can also be affected.

A traumatic injury may be relatively benign, such as a “muscle pull” or ankle twist. But, some can be quite serious and require surgery. It is based upon the degree of tearing of the tissues, the area of the body, and the age of the person. Most sprains and strains are identified with some degree of swelling and frequently with internal bleeding, particularly with injury to the ankles and knees. Strains and sprains need proper attention, especially during the initial stages of an injury, to insure proper healing and protect against future disability. Therapy from a competent health-care professional, such as your Seattle chiropractor, is highly recommended.

If you’ve sustained an injury, the best course of action is to see a professional. Until assistance is accessible, remember the acronym, PRICE:
P    Protect injury from further damage
R    Rest the injury
I     Ice injury to reduce swelling, bleeding, muscle spasm, and pain
C    Compress injury with a specialized support or elastic bandage to support injured tissues
E    Elevate the injury, expressly when the damage is to ankles and knees

As previously mentioned, appropriate evaluation and treatment are essential to a total recovery. A chiropractor can ascertain the extent of your injury and begin proper recovery treatment. When appropriate management is provided during the various stages of healing, the majority persons who have experienced sprain and strain injuries will recover. If not carefully monitored and treated, a sprain or strain injury can result in long-lasting joint instability, painful or weak joints and muscles, and lack of mobility. Expert management of your sports injury by a chiropractor with years of experience in sports injury management will insure that your injury heals properly. If you have sustained a traumatic injury, call your Seattle chiropractor.

Overuse or Repetitive Strain Injuries

These injuries are becoming more prevalent, especially among people pursuing sports such as golf, tennis, bowling, and any other activity that demands the same motion over and over (repetitively). An activity as natural and healthy as running, particularly on a treadmill, can also be a factor.

Essentially, overuse or repetitive stress injuries occur when an individual is occupied in a repetitious activity that causes a very small strain to tissues, particularly tendons and muscles, that alone would not create a problem, but repeated many times has an accumulative effect.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most frequent kinds of overuse injuries. After a while the muscle or other affected tissue develops changes that no longer allow it to function properly, resulting in pain, stiffness and disability. There are two kinds of factors that predispose a person to these types of problems:  1) Intrinsic, i.e., found within a person’s own body, and 2) Extrinsic, i.e., external factors that can often be changed or controlled by the person.

Some of the most common intrinsic factors for injury

Age is the mostwell-established intrinsic factor for injury. The older a person is, the easier it is for that individual to get injured. Congenital abnormalities are another factor. There are those who are born with joint or muscle problems. And, ultimately, previous injuries are a factor as they generally prohibit the joints or muscles from functioning properly.

Extrinsic factors for injury

Extrinsic factors are plentiful.  A wrong grip size of a tennis racket, worn-out running shoes, an uneven treadmill surface, or a too-hard surface for soccer are all examples of insufficient sports equipment that can produce problems. Incorrect technique, like an improper golf grip or swing, can produce stress and strain injuries. All sports activities demand an amount of pre-conditioning, which is why people who are out of shape who continue to extend the duration of an activity without building up slowly, as well as those who lack flexibility, are injured most often. Warming up is vital prior to sports activities and lack of warm-up, that is, not stretching or preparing for an activity is a widespread cause of injury.  And, finally, but perhaps surprising to some, stress is a factor. Being tired or stressed can produce tense, inflexible muscles that are too tight for most activities.

There are a number of factors that are extrinsic and, therefore, within a person’s control. Before embarking on a new sport, or as a way to ward off injury in a current sport, it’s wise to get an assessment of your overall body condition. If you’ve been injured, it is crucial to seek out a qualified professional, like a chiropractor, to diagnose the nature of the injury and prepare a plan of therapy. If left untreated, an injury will not only prohibit an individual from participating in a favorite activity, but can significantly affect someone’s life in general. Treatment such as joint manipulation, massage, bracing, and specific exercises is generally needed to stabilize the condition. A chiropractor is and excellent source of help. Call a chiropractor if you’re either thinking of beginning a new activity, you’re feeling pain related to a current sports activity, or you’ve sustained a sports injury. Your Seattle Chiropractor has years of experience helping people just like you.

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Non-trauma knee problems: The most prevailing cause of non-traumatic pain is poor mechanics of the knee joint and the related stress on the soft tissues of the knee. Normally, the part of the knee affected is the patella or knee-cap. Frequently the patella does not move fluidly or does not move sufficiently on the femur during bending of the knee generating undue stress on the tendons, cartilage and ligaments. This particular condition is normally called chondromalacia patella (CMP) or Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain). This condition is due to imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that attach to and move the patella. Lower back ailments, expressly in the sacroiliac joints, are one of the foremost reasons for imbalances in the muscles having to do with knee movement, and subsequent knee problems. Imbalances in muscle groups that join to the knee can also lead to pain and dysfunction. For example, the muscles on the inside of the thigh, when strained and tight, can cause pain on the medial or inside of the knee.   Deficient foot mechanics that cause gait abnormalities such as pronation, are one more cause of mechanical knee pain.

The associated pain from overuse is most generally experienced during activity, especially stair climbing, running, jumping, and subsequent standing after prolonged sitting. A number of women seem to be predisposed to painful overuse conditions for anatomical reasons, although such conditions are many times due to wearing high heels on a regular basis.

It is important to re-establish proper muscle balance, restore appropriate motion to the patella and other knee joints, and to correct any subluxations of the sacroiliac joints and bones of the foot.  In certain cases, a brace is adopted to aid with the positioning of the patella or to secure the joint. Chiropractors are highly experienced in providing knowledgeable diagnosis and care of these ailments.

Knee problems due to trauma: Traumatic injuries often occur during sports that involve running and jumping, such as football, basketball, and skiing. When the knee is extended or twisted beyond the capability of the ligaments that hold the joint together, tearing of these tissues can take place causing a sprain. The muscles that give motion to the knee can also be torn during injury causing a strain or pull of the muscle. As with a sprain, a muscle strain can range from a slight injury that necessitates little care to a serious injury necessitating surgery. In addition the two special knee “cartilages” located between the tibia and femur (called the menisci), which allow for fluid movement and cushioning, may also be torn during traumatic injury. This serious injury commonly needs surgical repair, or even removal if damaged severely.

Traumatic knee injuries can cause serious pain and swelling and need immediate examination and attention. In most instances an experienced chiropractor, such as your Seattle Chiropractor, can take excellent care of these types of injuries, although there are some injuries that require the skills of an orthopedic surgeon. Whatever the case, it is vital to stabilize the injured joint right away and to use ice on the hurt area, if possible, until the injury can be assessed.

Conditions such as poor mechanics and problems due to overuse, as well as traumatic injuries, need to be eliminated at an early stage. If not, the tissues of the knee joint, particularly the cartilage, will begin to erode. In that event the bones will rub on one another, and changes such as bone spurs can take place. This painful affliction, known as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis, is frequently progressive with age. Common treatment may involve medications such as NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Fortunately, there are natural anti-inflammatory supplements that are very effective such as rosemary, glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, bioflavinoids, curcumin. Conservative treatment, such as chiropractic, can be extremely helpful in alleviating the pain. Your Seattle Chiropractor will be happy to recommend anti-inflammatory supplements. In addition, people can frequently assist themselves by keeping their weight down, doing exercises (especially in the pool), and wearing cushioned shoes or insoles.

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Even though hip pain and related problems can generally be traced to age-related degenerative conditions, especially osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the perpetrator. In fact, rather than being the original cause of the problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the ultimate result of damage to your hips at a previous time.

Gait changes as the result of biomechanical injury such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can produce hip pain. Also, if you change jobs, alter the way you sit, take on a new sport or activity, or start driving for long periods of a regular basis, your gait may alter to compensate for these new changes.

In addition, gait asymmetries can be caused by carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length dissimilarities, or foot pronation conditions. Strictly speaking, anything that produces an asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion can bring about painful hip problems.

Along with your adjustments, as part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem your chiropractor may suggest that you wear orthotics. Your chiropractor will also offer suitable progressive rehabilitative exercises that include muscle stretching and strengthening.

Hip pain won’t disappear on its own. Hip pain means that something needs correcting. Your chiropractor can help to get you out of pain, get back into balance, and get your life back!

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