Archive for chiropractic
San Jose Chiropractor: As We Age, Extra Weight Can Add Up to Big Problems
Posted by: | CommentsIt is no secret that carrying around excess body weight, especially as we age, can cause a number of health problems from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes to back and joint pain. Extra body weight puts unnecessary stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of U.S. men and women are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a tremendous number and a huge problem (no pun intended).
The human body was not designed to carry around extraneous weight in the form of body fat. Even an additional 20 or 30 pounds can put the musculoskeletal system literally on overload. Weight in the belly, for instance, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This produces compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression restricts nerve activity and produces painful inflammation. Most individuals who are overweight suffer from low back pain caused by a pinched sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that impinge nerves due to weight-bearing stresses. Misaligned vertebra can not only create new arthritic changes in the spine, but can continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place over the years.
Where does chiropractic care fit in? Though a healthy body weight is absolutely indispensible for the ideal function of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractic treatment relieves nerve restrictions in the spine and helps to restore motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, like in the low back, hips, and knees. And, exercise and physical activity is a lot easier when the spine is in alignment and the joints have improved movement. Exercise will not only help with weight loss, but it can actually delay degenerative changes as we age.
It is always best to discuss diet and exercise with a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor. In addition to helping men and women suffering from back pain and joint inflammation due to arthritis, chiropractors offer highly knowledgeable advice on the kind of lifestyle changes that can aid an individual in staying healthier and more active through the years. arthritis and immobility as we get older do not have to be inevitable. The human body was meant to move, to walk, even to dance, without pain, for a lifetime.
So, if you’ve been throwing your weight around and all you’ve been getting in return is back and joint pain, your chiropractor can help relieve your suffering. Make an appointment today!
1221 Lafayette St. Santa Clara, CA, 95050 USA
info@mysanjosechiropractor.com • 408-985-8118
San Jose Chiropractor: Chiropractic Adjustments Can Take the Pain Out of Growing Older
Posted by: | CommentsLet’s face it, there’s just no getting around the fact that as we age our body doesn’t feel or respond the same way as it did when we were younger. It hardly seems right that our body seems to become less “cooperative,” while our mind appears to improve and become more “inventive.” We’re stiff when we get out of bed; many of the activities we do during the day make us sore in the evening; and, if we’re not mindful, even a motion as simple as turning too quickly or reaching down to pick up a dropped pencil, can send our back or some other muscle group into spasm. But, things don’t need to go from bad to worse because there is natural treatment available that can not only slow down the aging process of the body, but help us to avoid some of those problems altogether.
For instance, arthritis. In point of fact, barring pharmaceuticals, traditional medicine does little to take care of this age-related condition. What is the basis for such a limited approach? The answer is that most medical professionals focus only on the symptoms of arthritis. The chiropractic approach is to look for the root of the affliction and treat the pain at its source. For over one hundred years, chiropractors, like your San Jose Chiropractor, have been treating individuals suffering from back pain and other challenges caused by arthritic changes in the musculoskeletal system.
Repetitive stresses, years of poor gait and improper posture, and inadequate movement cause degeneration of certain joints over time and create the arthritic changes the body experiences as you age. chiropractic adjustments restore motion back into your joints and ease any vertebral misalignments that may be creating irritation and restriction. In addition, did you know that misaligned vertebra, along with causing arthritic changes in the spine and escalating pain, can also reduce your resistance and immunity? It’s an authoritative fact, and this might be one of the reasons why it may seem that as you age you develop more health issues and that it often takes longer for you to feel better again. According to research done on older individuals, those who received regular chiropractic care stayed healthier. In fact, you could say that, as you get older, chiropractic treatment is good for what ails you!
When it comes to the health of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractors are highly proficient whether it’s the small, growing frame of an infant or the full-grown body of a mature adult. Your chiropractor is experienced in working with the aging process of the body and has exceptional observational and diagnostic skills that help in detecting spinal misalignments and joint degeneration. A chiropractic examination can, in fact, frequently reveal some age-related conditions before they’ve had a chance to create noticeable pain. Furthermore, your San Jose Chiropractor can assess your posture and check your gait to identify faulty patterns that could generate further arthritic changes.
So, if feeling your age has become a painful experience, call your San Jose Chiropractor today!
Knee X-ray
A new study conducted by Tufts University School of Medicine has determined that patients 65 years of age and over who’ve been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, enhanced their physical capability and encountered less pain. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that causes a wearing away of joint cartilage. Chiropractors provide therapy for many men and women suffering from OA in a number of places in the body, including the knee joints. Second only to spinal problems, knee pain and disability is one of the most prevalent afflictions of the musculoskeletal system. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are an astounding 4.3 million people in this country over age 60 diagnosed with knee OA, and the CDC predicts that half of the people in America may suffer from symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a reduced quality of life.
Why do so many people develop OA? As with nearly all of the musculoskeletal dysfunctions that we develop as we age, undue stress to a joint over the years is a major element. That is why as people get older they are more susceptible to developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Incorrect function of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as the result of foot pain, and repetitive use of the knee joint all produce undue stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint occur. Most chiropractors suggest such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, in combination with their chiropractic care. A traditional style of Chinese martial arts,Tai Chi features slow, rhythmic movements that generate mental relaxation, as well as increased balance, an augmentation of strength, and improved flexibility.
Though in good health otherwise, the 40 adults with confirmed OA that were selected for the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age and overweight. Patients were randomly picked to participate 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 involves the kind of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is consistent with contemporary exercise recommendations for osteoarthritis. As an added benefit, researchers observed that the “mental feature” of Tai Chi promoted a sense of well-being, life satisfaction, and impressions of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi exhibited a substantial 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.
Your San Jose Chiropractor: You Don’t Need to Suffer With the Pain of Sciatica
Posted by: | CommentsYour San Jose Chiropractor knows that sciatica is an intensely painful affliction. If you suffer from sciatic pain, you are, sadly, all too acquainted with the deep pain that shadows your waking hours and interferes with your daily activities.
The path of sciatic pain is normally from your low back, through the buttock(s), and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of your leg(s). Many times, the pain can even radiate into your knee. Sitting, as well as motion, can be painful. Occasionally lying down will lessen, or perhaps briefly eliminate, the pain. However, sciatica will not go away permanently without suitable care.
“Radiculopathy,” the medical term for the clinical diagnosis of sciatica, means simply that a disc has bulged from its normal position in the vertebral column and is causing pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve. Such pressure is especially painful.
Increased pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles encircling the spine, can occur during and after prolonged sitting, specifically in a poor position. For the most part, an explicit event or particular injury doesn’t produce sciatica, but rather it tends to manifest over time as a consequence of commonplace wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Over time the lower spine loses its capacity to function in a healthy way during everyday requirements.
The final result is that, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, which then lets the soft nucleus protrude the disc outward. If the disc presses on sensitive tissues, it generates the pain that is often referred to as a ruptured disc. If the disc puts pressure on the spinal nerve, an individual can develop sciatica.
Most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be eliminated with chiropractic adjustments and management that commonly includes postural exercises. If you are suffering from sciatic pain, it is essential for you to seek chiropractic attention.
Dr. David Hoewisch Asks: Do You Suffer From Tension Headaches or Migraines?
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Hoewisch wants to help if you are sidelined by tension headaches or migraines. If you are, you are painfully aware of their disabling effects.
Tension headaches: Let’s face it, life can be a pain, on occasion, and result in a tension headache. Many people have been impacted by more than one. If you’ve had a tension headache, then you likely experience it as a dull, painful ache in your head that is sometimes accompanied by a sensation of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. Sometimes, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and at times you may experience a loss of appetite.
Tension headaches are commonly characterized as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one headache to another in the same person, as well as from one individual to another Tension headaches can occur from time to time or you may have them nearly all the time. If your headaches occur fifteen or more days a month for at least three months, they’re diagnosed as chronic. If tension headaches are interferring with your life, chiropractic management may be the solution. Contact your chiropractor today.
Migraine Headaches: Migraine headaches differ from the typical tension-related headache. For instance, migraines generally take place on only one side of the head, according to the National Headache Foundation. They throb or pulsate and are accompanied by nausea or vomiting. One-fifth of migraine sufferers have auras, visual manifestions an hour before a migraine attack, and symptoms like pulsating light, lines or dots.
Do you experience the painful symptoms of migraines? If you do, you know the upsetting, incapacitating effects that this type of affliction can have on your life. The pain of a migraine headache can sideline you for hours, for days, for a lifetime, and typical over-the-counter medications are not only ineffective but, like prescription drugs, they all too frequently have dangerous side effects. It’s time to finally get rid of the pain and get your life back! chiropractic treatment has proved to be powerful in relieving and eliminating migraine headaches. Call your chiropractor today!
Your San Jose Chiropractor: Chiropractic Treatment Can Eliminate Hip Pain
Posted by: | CommentsYour San Jose Chiropractor wants you to know that chiropractic treatment can not only relieve hip pain, but often eliminate it completely. Do you experience pain in one or both hips whenever you twist them or when you cross your legs? Does the pain wake you up in the night and make it hard to get a good night’s sleep? When you get up in the morning, or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it initially difficult to move your legs? If any of these symptoms sound familiar, then it is likely that you have imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to generating hip pain, can eventually lead to degenerative joint disease in your hips if not treated.
Though hip pain and related problems regularly point to age-related degenerative conditions, particularly osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the “bad guy”. In fact, instead of causing the original problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the ultimate result of damage to your hips at a previous time.
Gait changes as the result of biomechanical problems such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can cause hip pain. Furthermore, your gait may vary to counterbalance 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 imbalances can be caused by carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length discrepancies, or foot pronation problems. In other words, anything that creates an asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion can cause 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 applicable 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. Get out of pain, get back in balance, and get your life back now!
Dr. David Hoewisch is a strong believer in pediatric chiropractic, as well as getting kids active, rather than TV or computer bound. Some kids are “naturally” active. But, at times, it can feel draining attempting to keep up with a five-year-old who is. In fact, if you have an active child of this age, or if you’ve ever been around one for any length of time, you may have found yourself longing for the kid to just stop moving for a little while. But, new research is affirming the long-term health benefits of this whirlwind of activity. In fact, according to a new University of Iowa study, instead of making an effort to slow these little ones down, five-year-olds ought be aided in being as active as possible. Why? “Because it pays off as they grow older,” said Kathleen Janz, lead author of the study and professor of health and sport studies in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Even if kids don’t stay as active later in childhood, being active at age five helps them to avoid excess fat as they get older. “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. Rather than counting 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 research is necessary to learn what happens to the active kids’ bodies that keeps them in better shape down the road, Janz said that it could be that the active 5-year-olds didn’t develop as many fat cells, improved their insulin response, or that something happened metabolically that offered some protection even as they became less active.
However, as exciting as this study is, weight moderation is not the only benefit of early exercise. As a chiropractor I have discovered in my own practice that active kids don’t have as many ordinary childhood health problems, like catching colds and the flu. chiropractic care is, without a doubt, exceptionally 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 these days 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 chooses 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 activity will not only benefit your child now, but will help to build a healthier future. You can bank on it!
Your San Jose Chiropractor Offers Lasting Relief From Heel Pain (Plantar Fascitis)
Posted by: | CommentsDr. David Hoewisch knows why you may have foot pain and how to treat it. We all know that movement is good for the whole body, right? From our head to our toes, our good health is determined by how much physical activity we get on a regular basis. So, why do so many people suffer from aches and pains in their feet? After all, aren’t our feet made for walking? Yes, but they weren’t designed for abuse. The average, healthy person takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not including activities such as running and aerobic exercise. But, often those steps are made by people walking incorrectly, with poor gait patterns and bad posture. In addition, a large number of people wear badly-designed, poorly-fitting shoes. Moving the body through space incorrectly on feet that are inhibited from functioning correctly cannot help but to cause aches and pains not only in a number of places in our feet, but in other parts of our body. For example, if an individual over-pronates (walks like a duck) in a pair of poorly made or unevenly-worn shoes, or in a pair of high heels, that person is not only likely to develop foot and ankle problems, but will probably experience problems of the back, knees and legs.
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.
Your San Jose Chiropractor Offers Results of A New Consumer Reports Survey on Back Pain
Posted by: | CommentsYour San Jose Chiropractor wants you to know that your choosing chiropractic care for your back pain is a wise choice: I just read about a recent Consumer Reports survey of its readers that I, as your chiropractor, found “highly satisfying.” The survey, which included 14,000 Consumer Reports subscribers, found that “hands-on” therapies, led by chiropractic care, were the top-rated treatments for people suffering from back pain. In fact, chiropractors were given the highest “satisfaction with care” ratings, well above those given to medical doctors who administered various forms of care to back pain sufferers
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
Your San Jose Chiropractor Offers A Surprising Solution to Your Allergy Symptoms
Posted by: | CommentsYour San Jose Chiropractor knows that everyday life can be miserable when you have allergies. A walk in the garden, a play date with Fluffy, a shellfish stew, or even something as small as a nut can generate such unwelcome symptoms as itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash. But, on occasion our allergic reactions can progress from just plain irritating to dangerous and life-threatening as our air passageway becomes constricted and we have a problem breathing. If you have allergies, it may seem that, from time-to-time, your environment is a intensely unfriendly place and that the world around you is, truly, out to get you!
You may wonder why it is that other individuals seem so unaffected by the environment, while your body reacts, or rather overreacts, to it It’s a great question. The answer is that some people, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that actually “freaks out” when they come into contact with everyday 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, a lot of individuals notice that they experience relief from their allergy symptoms after receiving chiropractic adjustments. This relief comes about because chiropractic adjustments affect the complete nervous system, including the autoimmune system. When there’s a disturbance in the nervous system, in addition to other problems, the autoimmune system, whose task it is to help us adapt and respond appropriately to our environment, can become under-active or overactive. In the case of your allergies, the breakdown is the latter. Because chiropractic adjustments decrease or remove disturbances in the nervous system and bring back balance and harmony to the body, the adjustments bring 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 explained above, your chiropractor doesn’t actually treat allergies. You could say, instead, that a decrease in your allergies is simply a part of a well-adjusted nervous system. If you’d like to get back into harmony with your surroundings as soon as possible, make an appointment with chiropractor today.
