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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However, before you opt to add an extra cup of coffee to your morning routine, let me warn you that under “Related Stories” on the website were at least two articles regarding studies that showed 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.”

Nearly any point of view, I’ve noticed, particularly when it comes to age-related health issues, can be confirmed, or at least bolstered, by other related studies. The “yin-yang” of caffeine benefits-deficits naturally aren’t, by any means, the only ones. Nonetheless, it did get me to pondering about the reasonableness that there will not ever be simply “one thing” that will with absolute certainty help we, humans, to live longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological creatures. We are free to engage in life. We’re not confined to a cage! And, furthermore, though Alzheimer’s disease may be on the rise, obviously no one has been “singled out 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 an elegant, involved system that is based on homeostasis, that is to say, balance. Consequently good health is about a healthy, balanced way of living, instead of our jumping on the bandwagon of the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one particular thing in the hope that it will reverse all of the other over-indulgent and unhealthy things we do to our bodies.

I believe, as a chiropractor, that every single day we have an opportunity to choose healthfully for our body, to decide what will help us to live longer, healthier lives. We know what genuinely “feels” life enriching and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for our body. So, the next time you reach for that extra cup of coffee or that second glass of red wine, I hope that you’ll keep this in mind. There is no “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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Allergens or irritants that are inhaled into the lungs, and create inflammation that clogs and constricts airways, are generally the cause of asthma symptoms. Symptoms include laborious breathing, wheezing, coughing, and tightness in the chest. In extreme cases, asthma can be deadly. Pharmaceuticals may temporarily decrease the symptoms of asthma,however there is no medical cure.

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

What is the method by which chiropractic care decreases the persistence and intensity of asthma attacks? How can an adjust of the spine affect respiration? Nervous system interference is removed through chiropractic adjustments. Most of nerves that regulate 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 impeded, nerves that control the diaphragm can have a profound effect on how vigorously the respiratory system functions. It isn’t puzzling, then, why so many men, women and children receiving chiropractic treatment report improved breathing and a decline in their asthmatic symptoms.

If you or someone you love has asthma, and it is produced by, or made worse as the result of spinal subluxations, chiropractic may be beneficial. Call your chiropractor today and see if chiropractic adjustments can help you to breathe a little easier.

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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 Colorado Springs 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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