Fort Point Chiropractic

How Chiropractic Will Help You Reach Your Health Goals

New Year's resolutions are often forgotten once February arrives. While you may have meant every word you said when you made your resolutions, achieving your health goals could be harder than you expected. If you're struggling to improve your health, chiropractic treatment could offer the boost you need to check off the items on your list. Take a look a few ways that chiropractic could help you this year.

Exercising Is Easier with Fewer Aches and Pains

Lounging on the couch seems like a much better option than exercising if your joints and muscles ache. Although a fall or injury can trigger pain, poor posture may also be responsible for your symptoms. Poor posture stresses your muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints and may even pull the bony vertebrae in your neck and back out of alignment.

Posture-related pain can occur if:

You slouch over your computer or steering wheel
Your hunch your spine and hold your neck forward when you stand and walk
You spend hours looking down at digital devices
Your job requires you to contort your body into comfortable positions
Chiropractic treatment is ideal for easing pain and stiffness, no matter what the cause. Your treatment plan might include:

Spinal manipulation therapy to realign your vertebrae
Massage therapy to loosen tight tissues and ease pain
Ultrasound therapy to heat deep tissues, relieve muscle tension, and break apart scar tissue that can contribute to stiffness
Traction to gently stretch your spine and reduce pressure on nerves, discs and tissues
Soft tissue mobilization to reduce tension on muscles and tissues and improve function and range of motion
Chiropractic Treatment Can Reduce Your Reliance on Pain Medication

Are you tired of relying on pills to relieve your pain or concerned about medication side effects? Whether you're worried about addiction or struggling with dizziness, nausea, drowsiness and other common side effects, chiropractic will help you reduce and manage your pain naturally.

Just because you can buy pain medication at the drugstore doesn't mean it's harmless. Taking too much ibuprofen could cause gastrointestinal problems or even damage your kidneys, while liver failure could occur if you take more than the recommended amount of acetaminophen.

Your chiropractor offers treatments that:

Target the source of your pain and prevent it from returning
Reduce inflammation, swelling and stiffness
Improve flexibility and range of motion
Enhance blood flow necessary for optimum function and healing
When you visit your chiropractor regularly, you may find you get fewer headaches or notice that your joint pain doesn't bother you as much as it once did. Thanks to the treatments, you may be able to take a lower dose of the medication or even stop taking it completely.

Chiropractic Helps You Manage Chronic Conditions

Do you need a little help controlling a chronic condition? Chiropractic may have a beneficial impact on many chronic diseases and conditions, including asthma, arthritis, migraines, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, fibromyalgia and insomnia.

If you have asthma, realigning your spine reduces tension on chest muscles and allows your lungs to expand fully when you take a full breath. Treatments can reduce the number of tension headaches or migraines you get, or reduce pain caused by fibromyalgia or arthritis.

Visiting the chiropractor could even help you lower your blood pressure. UChicago Medicine Researchers discovered that spinal manipulation decreased blood pressure in patients who had misaligned vertebrae in their necks.

Are you tired of broken New Year's resolutions? Why not improve your health with chiropractic?

What is Scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a three dimensional deformity of the spine which presents as a lateral curvature
when viewed from behind. The spine typically has curves when viewed from the side and these
curves distribute the mechanical stress across the body. Scoliosis affects between 2-3% of
people and typically starts between the ages of 10-15.
Scoliosis can occur for several different reasons including degeneration, congenital or
embryological malformations, or it can be idiopathic meaning the cause is unknown. About 80%
of those diagnosed with scoliosis fall into the idiopathic category and these curves usually begin
to develop around puberty.
Common signs or symptoms of scoliosis include back pain, muscle spasms, uneven shoulders,
waist, and/or hips, leaning to one side, a prominence of the ribs on one side when leaning
forward, amongst other possible physical deformities.

How is Scoliosis Diagnosed?
Scoliosis is determined via several tests which can include a physical examination, an x-ray, CT
scan, and/or MRI. The standard test used by pediatricians, chiropractors, and in school
screenings is called the Adam’s Forward Bend Test. As the individual bends forward the doctor
looks for asymmetries and abnormal curvatures in the spine. Although an important and helpful
tool for identifying scoliosis, this test cannot tell the doctor the type, degree, or severity of the
deformity. A positive Adam’s Test is usually followed up with an x-ray to determine the exact
degree and severity of the curvature.

Treatments
Treatment for scoliosis depends on a number of factors including age, degree of curvature, and
the location of the curvature. Depending on the severity of the scoliotic curve or curves and how
these impact the individual, several different treatment options may be available. Conservative
care can include chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue work, physical therapy, and/or observation
with periodic x-rays.
Other treatments that may be called for can include bracing and surgery. Braces are used for
individuals who have not yet reached skeletal maturity in order to prevent the curves from
progressing which is successful about 80% of the time. Surgery is usually only required in
severe cases where curves are 40 degrees or more and expected to progress or if the curve
affects the organs or nerves. The type of surgery done is based on the age and health
conditions of the individual but usually includes rigid rods to straighten the spine as well as
spinal fusion. Surgery risks and benefits should be carefully weighed, some of the risks include
pain, infection, severe blood loss, nerve damage, and paraplegia. There is no guarantee that
surgery will stop curve progression and symptoms in every individual but many patients do
benefit from surgery in severe cases.

How Chiropractic Can Help
Chiropractors utilize a variety of treatments including spinal adjustments, massage and other
soft tissue techniques, and exercises in order to treat a variety of conditions including scoliosis.
Chiropractic adjustments are used to increase joint motion, support the nervous system,
decrease muscle spasms, and decrease discomfort. Soft tissue techniques are used to alleviate
pain, increase range of motion, assist in tendon healing, and decrease adhesions and scar
tissue in and between layers of soft tissue. Exercises are used to correct muscular imbalances,
increase strength, and enhance stability of the spine.