Bad Disc Slowing You Down?

Bottom Line: Spinal discs play an essential role in your low back, acting as small shock absorbers and giving you the ability to move in many different directions. Your discs are comprised of two major parts- an outer ring of cartilage which provides support and a jelly-like center that facilities motion. As age and injuries catch up with us, the disc can herniate. A herniated disc is when the middle (the jelly) of the disc breaks through the outer wall irritating a spinal nerve and causing severe pain in your back or leg. Researchers have found this most often occurs between the ages of 35-50.

Why it Matters: Almost everyone knows someone who has suffered from pain caused by a herniated, slipped, or bulging disc. The pain can be so intense that many people think surgery is the only way to correct it. Well, we have good news. Research has shown people who choose chiropractic adjustments had the same amount of relief as those who chose surgery! And what about those medications that mask the pain but fail to correct the problem? Well, research has shown chiropractic adjustment to be significantly better than many of the common drugs prescribed for back pain.  Here are some take away points:

– Top-research journal, SPINE, has recommended the use of adjustments for back pain

– Adjustments were shown to provide significantly more relief than medications

– Adjustments have been shown to be just as effective as surgery for taking care of herniated discs

Next Steps: Your spinal discs stay healthy by having strong muscular support and a full range of motion. Keep your spine stabilizing muscles healthy by committing to daily exercise. And what about maintaining a full range of motion? It’s easy! Chiropractic adjustments gently and effective help restore proper range of motion in your neck, mid-back, and low back.  When your spine is moving well with appropriate support- you are going to be feeling great!

Science Source:

Spinal High-Velocity Low Amplitude Manipulation in Acute Nonspecific Low Back Pain. SPINE. 2013

Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for Sciatica? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2010

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Back Facts to Keep You Active

Bottom Line: Nothing can slow you down faster than a bad back. It can be difficult to exercise, play sports, or even get to the grocery store when your back hurts. Age, lack of exercise, excess weight, improper lifting, and too many hours sitting can all result in low back pain. Research has shown that over 80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their life. The good news is that researchers have also found that chiropractic care can not only help get you back on track after an injury, but could also help prevent future episodes of low back pain from occurring.

Why it Matters: Your spine is a marvel of engineering and design. Curves in your neck, mid-back, and low back distribute the load of gravity just like Roman architecture. The spinal discs act as a natural shock absorption system that is both strong and flexible. And winding its way through it all is our spinal cord and nerve roots- the magnificent communication system within our body. Keeping your back healthy is much more important than just avoiding aches and pains. A stable and supported back is essential to maintaining a high quality of life. Here are a few take away points:

– The nervous system is protected and housed within your spinal column as it travels to and from your brain to body

– Back pain is often caused by the muscles or discs of the spine

– Chiropractic care has been shown to help over 90% of people find relief from back pain while also providing a statistically significant improvement in function

Next Steps: Doctors can assess the “health” of your spine through x-ray and a physical exam looking at range of motion, strength, and posture. By periodically checking your spine, we can help you take a pro-active approach to your spinal health. Research has shown that maintenance chiropractic care can help evaluate, detect, and prevent future episodes of low back pain. And, as you now know, spinal health is directly associated with living your best life!

Register for the Workshop NOW!   

March 27th @ 7pm – How to bulletproof your low back

Science Source:

A Nonsurgical Approach to the Management of Patients with Lumbar Radiculopathy Secondary to Herniated Disk: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study with Follow-Up. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2009
Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcome? SPINE. 2011

Frog Soup

In order to prepare frog soup you’ll need a few things:

A live frog

A kettle or pot

Water

Now if you try to boil the water and throw the live frog into the soup, he’ll immediately jump out, but if your clever you’ll put the frog into a pot of cold water and gradually turn up the heat and he wont notice the rise in temperature till its to late and you’ll have frog soup…

This is allot like your spines, we notice the major accidents that cause us pain, but allow the slow process of degeneration to creep up on us until its too late and the neuro-surgeon says “your going to lose the ability to use your arm in the next 2 years if you dont’ have surgery”… aka your a dead frog in boiling water or Frog Soup…

The national average age for a chiropractic patient’s first visit is 47 years old. How long have you been seeing the dentist? What would your teeth look like if you saw your dentists for the first time at age 47? Why then do you wait till pain sets in or you have a traumatic accident before seeing a spine specialist – a Chiropractor? Your spine is a living thing that requires your attention.

Is back and neck pain natural? What causes it? How do you get it to go away?

If you said “it’ll go away on its own or Alieve, Tylenol, Advil, Asprin – then your in line with Eisenstein’s Definition of Insanity “doing the same thing over and over again and thinking your going to get a different result” because you never actually correct the bio-mechanical problem, you just cover it up…

By the time a child is 5 years old they’ll have 200 significant fall, occasionally these falls injure the bio-mechanics of the spine and need to be addressed just like cavities need to be filled. (I was first checked at 3 days o;d and I’ll compare my x-rays with any 44 year old male, who’s ready to take the challenge, I have over 128 stitches in my head from 4 car accidents, rugby, skateboarding, etc.)

If you’ve neglected your body for years, get up from the computer now and call your local chiropractor to be evaluated…. Are you perpetuating the Frog Soup mentality in your children?

Your health is our concern,

Trace Palmer, DC

Chiropractor – Richmond Hill, GA

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