There are many reasons for the complaints of Vertigo. An inner ear affliction, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, can occasionally arise as the consequences of a sustained head injury or intense cold. On occasion this particular vertigo can be the result of the aging process. The cause, nevertheless, frequently is not known. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes completely this non- progressive malady that is attributable to, as its name suggests, a sudden change in head posture. The symptoms are usually surprising and variable.

It can be beneficial to look at the function of the inner ear in an attempt grasp what leads to the commonly incapacitating symptoms of this type of vertigo. The brain takes in motion and keeps equilibrium employing the fluid found in the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are tiny calcium carbonate crystals, known as otoconia. The crystals likely will float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the sensitive nerve endings in the inner ear, they cause the problems of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.

The good news is that chiropractic therapy can remove the manifestation of BPPV very quickly and effectively using a technique known as the Epley maneuver. By means of the use of this process, a chiropractor rotates the head of a BPPV sufferer into several different positions, letting gravity carry the calcium carbonate crystals into a zone of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will stimulate no further dizziness.

Your chiropractor has aided numerous individuals for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo employing the Epley Maneuver technique. Generally, with just one treatment the majority of patients no longer suffer from dizziness.  Call your Colorado Springs Chiropractor today!

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Knee X-ray

Men and Women over 65 years of age who suffer from knee osteoarthritis (OA), that practice Tai Chi, increase their physical capability and encounter a decrease pain, according to a new Tufts University School of Medicine study. Osteoarthritis is a general form of arthritis that causes a breakdown of joint cartilage. Chiropractors provide therapy for many individuals who have developed OA in a number of regions of the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most widespread conditions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal dysfunctions. In fact, an extraordinary 4.3 million men and women in the US over age 60 have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it conjectures that half of American adults may incur 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 decreased quality of life.

Are you wondering why so many adults develop OA? As with nearly all of the musculoskeletal dysfunctions that we develop as we get older, inappropriate stress to a joint over time is a major determinant. Therefore, as people get older they are more likely to develop OA in their joints, including the knees. Incorrect mechanics of the knee, irregular gait, compensatory foot mechanics as the result 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. In combination with chiropractic therapies, chiropractors fully advocate 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 generate peace of mind, 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 osteoarthritis of the knee. Otherwise they were healthy. Individuals were randomly picked 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 involves many of the contemporary exercise recommendations for OA, such as range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout. As an added benefit, researchers observed that the “mental component” of Tai Chi promoted a sense of well-being, life enjoyments, and personal concepts of health that assisted the participants in dealing differently with chronic pain. Significantly, the group practicing Tai Chi experienced a substantial decrease in knee pain compared with those in the control group.

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 generally point 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 source of the problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the ultimate result of injury to your hips at a previous time.

Damage as the result of biomechanical issues, such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can produce changes in your gait that create hip pain. Moreover, your gait may shift to counterbalance new body demands 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 imbalances can occur from carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length variances, or foot pronation problems. In other words, anything that generates an asymmetry or imbalance when you are moving can develop into painful hip problems.

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

hip pain won’t vanish on its own. Hip pain means that something needs to be corrected. 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 continue to be as active later in childhood, being active at age five assists them in avoiding 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.

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

Even when controlling for their accumulated level of activity, the study (published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine) indicated that kids who are active at age five end up with less fat at age eight and eleven.  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 required to discover what happens to the active kids’ bodies 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 occurred 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 discovered in my own practice that active kids have fewer of the usual childhood health challenges, like catching colds and the flu. chiropractic treatment is, naturally, particularly beneficial in helping kids to stay healthier. But, in addition, the stimulation to the brain that occurs 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.

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

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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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The survey, reported in the publication’s May 2009 issue, found that more than half of the respondents had “pain (that) severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred throughout the year.” The report stated that while many go to a primary care physician first for diagnosis and treatment, the majority were disappointed with the results.

On the other hand, 59 percent reported that they were “highly satisfied” with the care they received from chiropractors. The next highest rated practitioners were physical therapists (55 percent) and acupuncturists (53 percent), followed by “specialized” physicians (44 percent) and primary care physicians (34 percent).

Respondents were also asked to rate the types of treatments they received. Again, chiropractic/spinal manipulation got top honors, with 58 percent rating it as “helping a lot.” Spinal injections were next highest, rated at 51 percent, followed by massage (48 percent) and physical therapy (46 percent). Other highly rated treatments included prescription medications (45 percent), yoga (44 percent), movement therapy and acupuncture (both 41 percent).

According to a Dynamic Chiropractic article on that report, “chiropractic ranked first out of 11 treatments, including massage, acupuncture, and exercise, in its ability to treat back pain. More readers said that chiropractic ‘helped me feel much better’ than any of the other therapies.” Prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs ranked eighth and 10th, respectively.

So, if you’ve been “highly satisfied” with your chiropractic care, you’re not alone! In fact, more and more people are turning to chiropractic treatment not only for back pain relief, but for a wide variety of painful conditions from sports and repetitive stress injuries to arthritis.

A public version of the report can be found on the Consumer Reports Web site

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Why does your body react, or rather overreact, to the environment with such an intense allergic reaction while other individuals seem unaffected? It’s a valid question. The answer is that some people, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that virtually “freaks out” when they are confronted with ordinary substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.

Can your chiropractor help with your allergy symptoms? You may be surprised by the answer. Even though chiropractic care doesn’t treat allergies, quite a few individuals notice that they experience ease from their allergy symptoms after getting chiropractic adjustments. The reason for this is because chiropractic adjustments affect the whole nervous system, including the autoimmune system. When there’s an impedance in the nervous system, along with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose task it is to assist us in adapting and responding appropriately to our environment, can become under-active or overactive. In the case of your allergies, the problem is the latter. Because chiropractic manipulations decrease or remove disturbances in the nervous system and bring the body back into balance and harmony, the manipulations provide that same balance and harmony to the auto-immune system as well. A vital immune system reacts appropriately to so-called allergens in the environment.

So, as pointed out above, your chiropractor doesn’t actually treat allergies. You could say, instead, that relief from your allergies is clearly the by-product of a well-adjusted nervous system. Make an appointment, today, to see your chiropractor and get back into harmony with your environment.

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How can chiropractic help to relieve the symptoms of PMS? Chiropractic treatments get rid of nerve disturbance in your body. Every cell, fiber, tissue, organ, and system in your body is governed and regulated by your nervous system. Your reproductive system is included in this master regulation. If your reproductive system isn’t performing properly because of nerve disturbance, it can cause an array of symptoms such as those associated with PMS. You would most likely experience agitation, pain, heavy bleeding, or severe cramping if your reproductive system were overactive. Missed periods or infertility can be caused by an under-activity reproductive system. On the positive side, if nerve impingement is creating your PMS symptoms, then chiropractic care can assist because adjustments restore unimpeded activity to your nervous system and, hence, assisting it in functioning more normally.

A larger number of women find an improvement in their reproductive health, in conjunction with improved general health, while under chiropractic care. So, if you’ve been thinking that your PMS is just in head, think again! And, make an appointment to see your Colorado Springs Chiropractor as soon as possible. Chiropractic management provides  an all natural answer for PMS that could assist you in avoiding periodic misery, without medication, and keep you healthy and active all month long.

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Due to the differences between the manner in which boys and girls employ the two hemispheres of their brain, ADHD appears to happen to more boys than girls and, in addition, is often more obvious and easily recognizable in the behavior of boys as opposed to of girls. Evident symptoms include difficulty concentrating and sitting still, lack of ability to control impulsive thoughts and behaviors, easily distracted by noises and activities, chronic movement of fingers, hands, arms, feet, or legs.

Quite a few children who display ADHD symptoms are hypersensitive to particular foods, such as dairy or gluten products, and sugars and artificial sweeteners. Additionally, they commonly have a hypersensitive reaction to additives in foods, herbicides and pesticides used to grow non-organic fruits and vegetables, and laundry products such as detergents, fabric softeners, and other chemicals. Often, the elimination of these environmental determinants can go a long way in decreasing ADHD symptoms.

Your Colorado Springs Chiropractor will give your child a comprehensive chiropractic examination, determining if there are spinal deviations and checking for express responses to specific neurological tests.

You may be able to assist your child in getting his or her life back in balance through natural, safe chiropractic care. If your child exhibits the symptoms of ADHD, before taking drastic pharmaceutical measures, call your chiropractor to make an appointment for a complete evaluation. Call today for the health of your child!

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When your body is forced to stop abruptly and without warning, there are going to be reverberations. You might be offered a clean bill of health by an emergency room attendant if you haven’t broken any bones, and you may be given a prescription for medication to relax the muscle spasms that you are surely experiencing due to the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you received from the impact. But, your condition could go from bad to far worse unless you’re treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained. In fact, many individuals experience problems years after an auto accident due to the fact that they didn’t get the help they needed in the first place.

Your Colorado Springs Chiropractor absolutely understands what your body experiences during a car accident. Chiropractic techniques include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics impairment. And your chiropractor is an expert in rehabilitation strategies.

If you’ve experienced a minor auto accident, although your car may not require much repair, no doubt, you do. Neck and back injuries are not only painful in the regions in which they happen, but they can also produce pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and create headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

chiropractic care will provide you with a drug-free, natural road back to feeling good again.  It will go a long way in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – behind you. Furthermore, because your chiropractor has experience communicating effectively with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you experience less physical stress, but less emotional stress, as well!

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