There’s lots of reasons for the complaints of Vertigo. An inner ear problem, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, will oftentimes take place as the impact of a sustained head injury or serious cold. On occasion this particular vertigo can be caused by the aging process. The root cause, nevertheless, oftentimes is not known. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes perfectly this non- progressive condition that is brought on by, as its name tells us, a sudden change in head position. The difficulties are more often than not unforeseen and variable.

It is advantageous to look at the functionality of the inner ear in an endeavor grasp what stimulates the frequently incapacitating complaints of this sort of vertigo. The brain senses movement and sustains equilibrium utilizing the fluid within the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are tiny calcium carbonate crystals, medically known as otoconia. These crystals will float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the responsive nerve endings in the inner ear, they bring on the disorder of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.

The good news is that chiropractic therapy can reduce the symptoms of BPPV very quickly and effectively using a technique called the Epley maneuver. Through the use of this process, a chiropractor rotates the head of a BPPV sufferer into several different positions, letting gravity shift the calcium carbonate crystals into an area of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will create no subsequent dizziness.

Your chiropractor has helped countless people for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo employing the Epley Maneuver technique. In most cases, with just one treatment many patients no longer suffer from wooziness.  Call your Mount Laurel Chiropractor today!

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Knee X-ray

Men and Women that are at least 65 years of age or older who’ve been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA), that practice Tai Chi, increase their physical capability and encounter decreased pain, according to a new Tufts University School of Medicine study. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that causes a breakdown of joint cartilage. Chiropractors provide therapy for a large number people who suffer with OA in a number of regions of the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most prevalent dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal dysfunctions. In fact, an astonishing 4.3 million US adults over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it conjectures that half of the men and women in America may develop symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. The consequences of knee osteoarthritis are pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a diminished quality of life.

Are you wondering why so many people develop OA? Undue stress over time is a major element in the majority of musculoskeletal conditions that develop as we get older. Therefore, as people get older they are more likely to develop OA in their knees, as well as other joints. Incorrect function of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as a consequence of foot pain, and overload of the knee joint all produce undue stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint take place. In combination with chiropractic therapies, chiropractors wholeheartedly support natural, drug-free practices, such as Tai Chi (Chuan), that can mitigate knee pain. A traditional style of Chinese martial arts,Tai Chi features slow, rhythmic movements that produce mental relaxation, as well as improved balance, an increase in strength, and improved flexibility.

The 40 participants in the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age, overweight, and with confirmed OA, but in otherwise good health. Patients were chosen at random to engage 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 incorporates the variety of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is consistent with contemporary exercise advice for osteoarthritis. As an added benefit, researchers observed that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi encouraged 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 experienced 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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Even though hip pain and related problems can generally be traced to age-related degenerative conditions, particularly osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the “bad guy”. In fact, rather than being the original cause of the problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the eventual result of injury to your hips at a previous time.

Damage as the result of biomechanical problems, such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can produce changes in your gait that create hip pain. Furthermore, your gait may vary to compensate for new activities such as a job change, an alteration in the way you sit, a new sport or activity, or if you start driving for long periods of time on a regular basis..

In addition, gait asymmetries can occur from carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length dissimilarities, or foot pronation conditions. The point is, anything that produces an asymmetry or imbalance when you are moving can bring about painful hip problems.

As part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem, along with adjustments, 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 diminish on its own. Hip pain indicates that something needs to be remedied. Your chiropractor can help to get you out of pain, get back into balance, and get your life back!

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Even if kids don’t stay as active later in childhood, being active at age five helps them to avoid excess fat as they age. “We call this effect ‘banking’ because the kids benefit later on, similar to having a savings account at a bank. The protective effect is independent of what happens in between,” Janz went on to say.

Using a special scanner that accurately measures bone, fat, and muscle tissue, and an accelerometer that measures movment every minute, the UI team tested the body fat and activity level of 333 kis at ages five, eight, and eleven. Rather than relying on kids or parents to track minutes of exercise, the kids wore accelerometers to record their activity level for up to five days.

The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicates that kids who are active at age five end up with less fat at age eight and eleven, even when controlling for their accumulated level of activity.  The average five-year-old in the study got thirty minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day. For every ten minutes on top of that, kids had one-third of a pound less fat tissue at ages eight and eleven.

Although further investigation is needed to learn what happens to the bodies of the active kids that keeps them in better shape down the road, Janz said that it may be possible that the active 5-year-olds didn’t develop as many fat cells, improved their insulin response, or that something happened metabolically that supplied some protection even as they became less active.

Weight moderation, however, isn’t the only benefit of early exercise. As a chiropractor I have noticed in my own practice that active kids have fewer of the usual childhood health problems, such as catching colds and the flu. Chiropractic care is, without a doubt, extraordinarily beneficial in helping kids to stay healthier. But, in addition, the stimulation to the brain that happens during activities, especially those that necessitate “cross pattern” motor movements of the larger muscles, i.e., right hand/left leg and left hand/right leg, such as crawling, running, climbing, and skipping, also boosts the autoimmune system and keeps kids healthier.

Too many children today are overweight and unhealthy. Though part of the problem is an unhealthy diet, inactivity is also a major contributing factor. If you have a five-year-old who prefers to watch television or play video games rather than participating in more active play, help your child to get up and get moving into healthier activities. Moderate to vigorous activity will not only benefit your child now, but will help to build a healthier future. You can bank on it!

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However, before you make a decision to add an extra cup of coffee to your daily routine, let me elaborate by saying that under “Related Stories” on the website were at least two articles regarding studies that demonstrated the negative effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

Almost every point of view, I’ve noticed, especially when it comes to health and longevity, can be confirmed, or at least bolstered, by other related studies. The “good/bad” studies related to caffeine certainly aren’t, of course, the only ones. Nonetheless, it did get me to considering about the likelihood that there will never be just “one thing” that will absolutely help we, humans, to live longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological creatures. We are free to engage in life. We’re not bred in a cage! And, furthermore, though Alzheimer’s disease is likely on the rise, obviously we, cage-free humans, have not been “artificially induced to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t absolutely the “one thing” that is going to reverse or prevent it.

Our body is a splendid, complex system that is based on homeostasis, that is to say, balance. It is likely, then, that good health is about a healthy, balanced approach to living, instead of our jumping on the bandwagon of the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one particular thing under the illusion that it will reverse all of the other over-indulgent and unhealthy things we have done to our bodies.

I believe, as a doctor of chiropractic, that every moment of the day we have an opportunity to make decisions that will assist us to live longer, healthier lives, healthy choices for our body and mind. We know what actually “feels” beneficial and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for us. So, the next time you reach for that extra cup of coffee or that second glass of red wine, I hope that you’ll think about this. Neither one of those things is the “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.

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One of the most well known foot problems is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a wonderful, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that encircles the muscles on the bottom of the foot, adheres the heel bone to the ball of the foot, supports the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock.

There are many factors that contribute to the development of Plantar Fascitis. One such factor is short and tight calf muscles. When calf muscles get short and tight they exert a strong pull on the back of the heel bone, producing undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia. How do calf muscles get short and tight? In addition to running and jumping activities such as aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, and tennis, the wearing of high heels can cause the problem.

Other factors that contribute to Plantar Fascitis include sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity, abnormal walking patterns (such as over-pronation), improper footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (especially barefooted), and obesity.

Once an individual develops Plantar Fascitis, the condition is frequently not easy to manage and can become intensely painful and persistent. If you are suffering from heel pain, your chiropractor will be able to determine the cause of your problem and what chiropractic management is best suited. Such care might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, special taping and, in some cases, orthotics.

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Asthma symptoms can be caused by allergens or irritants that are breathed into the lungs, resulting in inflamed, clogged and constricted airways. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, and constriction in the chest. In severe cases, asthma can be deadly. There is no medical cure for asthma though drugs may temporarily decrease the symptoms.

Although chiropractic is not a treatment for asthma, per se, current research published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research catalogued the results experienced by 81 children with asthma who received chiropractic management. The two-month study reported that those under care experienced a 45% decrease in the number of “attacks” and that 31% of the subjects voluntarily chose to take less of their medication.

What is the technique by which chiropractic care lessens the frequency and intensity of asthma attacks? What does an adjustment of the spine have to do with respiration? Nervous system interference is eliminated through chiropractic adjustments. The majority of nerves that control bodily functions are routed to their destinations after exiting between the spinal vertebrae. The nerves that affect the respiratory system are contained in this network. If restricted, nerves that control the diaphragm can have a profound effect on how beneficially the respiratory system functions. It isn’t puzzling, then, why so many adults and children receiving chiropractic adjustments report improved breathing and an abatement in their asthmatic symptoms.

If you or someone you love has asthma, and it is generated by, or aggravated as the result of spinal subluxations, chiropractic may be beneficial. Chiropractic could help you to breathe a little easier. Call your chiropractor today!

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Younger generations growing up in the digital age are also joining the ranks of the “typing wounded.” Surveys at two universities found that 40 to 50 percent of undergraduates experienced upper-extremity pain from using their computers. Colleges do not build dormitory furniture to be ergonomically adjustable, said Dr. Benjamin Amick, scientific director of the Institute for Work and Health in Toronto, who was a co-author of those studies. “They build it to be indestructible.”

In addition to repetitive stress problems, sitting at your computer too long places your upper back in a sustained, stressful posture, especially if you tend to lean forward when you’re working. This also puts your neck at an unnatural and strained angle. Lower back pain, in addition to being generated by simply sitting for long periods of time without getting up and moving around, is aggravated by bad posture.

Problems caused by extended computer use can not only lead to an inability to perform your work duties, but can keep you from enjoying the rest of your life, too. Your Mount Laurel chiropractor can assist in eliminating the lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that you are currently experiencing. After that, it is important for you to become mindful of your body as you sit at your computer, and to give your body what it naturally needs. You can cultivate the habit of both sitting straight in your chair (as opposed to slouching) and relaxing your shoulders. This will help to relieve tension in your lower and upper back and neck. Take time to stretch periodically to ease muscle tension and encourage healthy blood flow. If your work station permits, sitting on an exercise ball can not only aide in keeping you in a beneficial posture, but can help to strengthen your core muscles as well. (Make sure that the ball is the right size so that when you are seated on it your arms are at a ninety-degree angle to your keyboard.)

Good posture for ease of movement, variety in the motions that you do, and short breaks to relax and stretch will go a long way in keeping your computer work (or play) pain-free.

Partial source: The New York Times, Health Review, June 22, 2009

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As our age-related risks of chronic disease increase, regular physical activity can actually slow down the trend. In addition, research has shown that people who have already developed coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Type 2 diabetes, and other age-related chronic diseases can benefit substantially by increasing their physical activity and, therefore, often can manage their chronic illness with fewer medicines.

Furthermore, some studies suggest that the cardiovascular benefits an individual gets from physical activity may also help the brain stay healthy. “Physical activity influences the frontal region of the brain,” says Dr. Bradley Hatfield, professor of Sports Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. So, if you’ve been wondering what the best thing is that you can do to keep your brain young, the answer may be for you to take a long walk. A key factor is that exercise thickens the brain tissue and builds more synapses in the brain.  The brain has 10 billion nerve cells, called neurons, and on average, neurons are connected to each other through 10,000 synapses.  Every time we exercise, more synapses form and the active brain gets stronger.

On a regular basis, being physically active increases the quality of life (period). Some of the benefits include improved energy levels, mental sharpness, balance, strength, flexibility, and weight control. Moreover, regular aerobic exericise has been shown to help in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress.

So, even though the facts point conclusively to the validity of the “move it or lose it!” warning, they also confirm that it is never to late for you to “move it” and regain your health!

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Any movement is a step towards better health and physical fitness. Walk a lap (or two) around your house or apartment. Put that TV remote away and get up to change the channels. As your body becomes accustomed to moving again, you will probably discover that you actually want to move more. Then you can slowly add additional movement to your daily routine. Increase the walk around your house to a walk around the block, a walk in the park, or even a walk through the shopping mall. Walking with a friend can often help to keep you on track(especially on those days when you’d rather sit and veg, then get your body moving). If you are physically able, take the stairs instead of using the elevator as often as you can. Park farther away from the entrance to the supermarket and make it a goal to put more and more parking spots between you and the entrance.

After a few weeks of regular physical activity, you will begin to feel the healthful benefits of movement. Then you’ll be ready for new ways to build flexibility, fitness, and muscle strength. Your chiropractor can advise you on how to become more physically active and help you to development an individualized program.

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