I believe that exercise, often in the form of sports activities, keeps the body healthy and strong. But, as a chiropractor I see a lot of sports related injuries, not just the weekend warriors, but young student-athletes. Sports activities seem to inevitably lead to sports injuries, and some are far more serious than others. That’s why I am happy to see that there is currently a focus on concussions, especially repeated concussions, among young athletes who participate in school sports. The question people are asking is: Are schools doing enough to protect their student-athletes? Do you, as a parent, feel that your child is safe when participating in sports at school?  Many parents worry that their young athletes are at risk for serious sports injuries, especially concussions. In fact, the latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health found that nearly two-thirds of parents of young athletes between the ages 12 – 17 worry that their children will get a concussion while playing school sports.

To make matters worse, researchers have found that youth athletes are more likely to sustain concussions and to take longer to recover from concussions than adults. Furthermore, if a second concussion occurs before a child’s brain recovers from the first, there is a possibility of long-term neurologic conditions.

When surveyed, most parents indicated that they would strongly support school requirements, such as:

    * If a student-athlete sustained a concussion, he or she would need to be evaluated and cleared by a doctor before returning to sports – 84 percent

    * Coaches should to receive education about the risks of concussions

    * After a concussion there should be a mandatory period of non-participation in sports

    * A certified trainer should be on-site for practices and games

High school athletic organizations, injury prevention groups and professional sports leagues have become increasingly active in promoting policies to minimize the risks of repeat concussions among young athletes. But, let’s face it, parents are in a unique position to recognize concussion signs and symptoms that occur outside of school, and to work with coaches, trainers, and other health care personnel to ensure that their child is appropriately monitored throughout his or her recovery and return to play.

Source: University of Michigan Health System

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Cincinnati Chiropractic

At my Cincinnati Chiropractic Clinic I treat many older adults who are affected by balance problems. In fact, 9% of adults, aged 65 and over, have episodes of dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related conditions. Good balance is essential, of course, in aiding seniors to stay independent and to avoid falling down and sustaining injuries that are often extremely serious or even fatal. But, what you may not know is that falls are the cause of a large percentage of work-related injuries for adults under 65 years of age, including individuals in their twenties and thirties. That’s right! Balance problems can happen at any age. That is why those who work in”precarious locations” like construction workers, roofers, oil platform employees, windows cleaners, or anywhere else where a ladder is involved are in danger of serious injury if their balance is “off.”

The chief function of good balance is to help us to manage and maintain our body position, whether we are standing still or moving, and whether we are on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance assists us in walking without staggering, arising from a sitting position without tottering, and in climbing stairs without tripping. In other words, good balance is extremely important to our health and well-being.

What you may not know could have a balance dysfunction without any idea of how threatening it may be. On occasion someone can “shake off” a dizzy sensation and the sensation may not come back for a while. The problem is that when sudden dizziness comes about at a decisive time, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is often certain.

The feeling by some individuals that they, personally, are spinning or that objects around them are moving is known as “vertigo.” About forty percent of people in the U.S. will have at least one incidence of dizziness that is acute enough to seek out a health professional, like your Chiropractor at Cincinnati Chiropractic. But, if you work at any of the jobs listed above, having a chiropractor check your balance prior to a distinct episode of vertigo, make corrections if needed, and then aid you in maintaining good balance, may save you from serious injury or worse.

Balance disorders are dangerous at any age. It is crucial for you to be evaluated and treated without delay if you believe that you may have a possible balance disorder. In fact, if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, even if the experience is seldom or infrequent, it is highly recommended that you discuss the symptom(s) with a chiropractor as soon as possible:

• Have you experienced a feeling of being “unsteady?”

• Has the room seemed to spin around you?

• Has there ever a time when you felt as if you were moving when you knew you were standing still?

• Have you lost your balance and/or fallen down?

• Have you ever felt as if you were falling?

• Has your vision ever become “blurred?”

• Have you ever felt disoriented, or lost a sense of time, place or identity?

As discussed above, balance problems are not isolated to a particular age group. From the time we learn to walk until we take our final step, our falling down is an ever-present possibility. If you work in a job that makes your falling down a “critical” event, you need to have your balance checked. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Call a Chiropractor today, and if you’re in the Cincinnati area, I’d love to be your Cincinnati Chiropractor!

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Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing

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It isn’t news to anyone that elderly people are more prone to bone fractures, especially of the hip. Fortunately, there are a number of preventative measures that older adults can take to help avoid bone fractures, especially from falls. As a chiropractor, I recommend a number of preventative measures to my older patients, not the least of which is for them to have regular chiropractic treatment to help to improve and maintain balance and to keep their body in good alignment. As far as I’m concerned, in addition to balance challenges and poor muscle strength, an aging body that is out of alignment is a hip condition waiting to fracture.

According to a new study by Dr. Marian Hannan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Program at the Institute for Aging Research, elderly people who eat more protein are less likely to suffer hip fractures. Why? Because consuming proteins such as meat, eggs, fish or cheese helps to build stronger muscles in the legs, which, in turn can reduce an older individual’s chances of falling.  In addition to helping to build stronger muscles, other studies have shown that protein intake can increase bone density.

For more on protein study go to: dailymail.co.uk

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Corona Chiropractor

Your Corona Chiropractor offers a highly effective non-invasive, drug-free approach to decreasing hip pain and frequently eliminating it altogether. Whenever possible, surgery should be seen as a final option. So, before you decide on hip surgery, think about the following questions: Is it out of the question for you to get a good night’s sleep because your hip pain wakes you up at night? When you get up in the morning, and/or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it initially hard to get your legs moving sufficiently? Do you feel pain whenever you rotate or twist them or when you cross your legs? If these symptoms sound familiar, it is likely that you have imbalances and misalignments in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing your hip pain, can lead to osteoarthritis in your hips in the future if not treated. The good news is that chiropractic treatment can help whether or not degenerative changes have already started!

It may be true that you’re getting older and your hip joints just aren’t what they used to be. But, did you know that your hip pain (and related problems), which generally signal age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be created by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In many cases, rather than being the original source of your pain, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is frequently the outcome of a previous injury (or injuries) to your hips.

As a general rule, hip problems have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, like walking for instance. If you “pronate” when you walk, with your toes pointing away from your body (like a duck), sooner or later you will experience pain in your hips from the asymmetrical tension on your hip joints and your body’s efforts to compensate. However, you can learn to alter your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can show you how to do it.

Additionally, you may have undergone gait changes as the result of an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical changes generate pain in the hip(s). There is no doubt that, if not treated, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, like wear and tear that leads to degenerative changes.

Other activities that can occasionally impact the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that makes it necessary for you to move your body in unfamiliar ways. Also, ferrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can generate hip pain. Even your sitting position or driving for prolonged periods of time on a regular basis can cause hip injury and pain.

Isn’t it good to know that not every pain is caused by “old age,” although we may suffer from more pain due to the progressive activity of untreated injuries.

In addition to your adjustments, as an integral part of your chiropractic management, your Corona Chiropractor will suggest special rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also study your gait and may recommend simple pattern changes.

Your hip pain won’t vanish by itself. Hip pain means that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If ignored, more than likely that at some point you will require that hip replacement surgery. So, don’t wait until it’s too late. Your chiropractor in Corona can relieve your hip pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!

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As a chiropractor who works with athletes, both young and old, and one who preaches a healthy diet in addition to regular chiropractic care, I am often asked by my more active patients about “fuel foods,” especially before a big high school football game or prior to a weekend warrior event. The most frequently asked question is: Are carbohydrates the best source to “fuel my sport”? And, my answer is “yes and no.” If you play sports, it’s important for you to know that even though carbohydrates burn off quickly, and are generally the best source of energy (and I recommend them highly), other factors come into play when the body is under the “stress” of the game. And, while pasta, energy bars, fruits, breads, yogurt, potatoes, cereals, and milk may all be great energy foods to eat before your sport, you should also include high sources of protein, including meat and peanut butter. Why? Because even though carbohydrates give you energy, proteins rebuild your cells and help you to maintain your muscle mass. 

Another important thing to remember is that not all carbohydrates are equal. And while healthy fats can be an excellent source of energy during your sport, it isn’t wise before the game to eat fats that digest too slowly, like the fats contained in potato chips, fried foods, doughnuts, candy bars, and other sugary foods. Not only can hard-to-digest fats cause stomach cramping, but these types of fats are hard on the body systems for many reasons.

Maintaining an active lifestyle is important to overall health. But, doing it right and not overdoing it will make a big difference in how well you perform.

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Santa Barbara Chiropractor

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, When you consider the alternative, getting old isn’t so bad.” But, if the aging process is creating pain in your body, you are painfully aware that aging is no joke! As a chiropractor in Santa Barbara, when it comes to musculoskeletal challenges, I see too many age-related breakdowns that likely wouldn’t have taken place if the primary cause had been treated earlier. Pain in the back, neck, hips, knees, and even the feet are commonly the result of undue stresses due to poor posture, improper gait, and repetitive overuse. If we only knew then how our aging body would feel today, eh? But, as they say, “hindsight is 20-20.”

As you can see from the list areas of pain above, there are plenty of musculoskeletal challenges that can, and often do, develop as we get older, however painful back problems are one of the most prevalent. Back pain that is age-related is most often caused by spine osteoarthritis, or Spondylosis, a degenerative disorder.

Spinal osteoarthritis is caused by increased wear and weight-bearing pressure on the spine that eventually damages discs, joints, and surrounding ligaments. The area of the body and degree of the degenerative process of spondylosis varies from person to person. The regions that are generally affected are the cervical (neck), thoriacic (mid-back), or lumbar (low back). Spondylosisi symptoms very from person to person and depend on the severity of the degeneration, and can range from negligible pain and numbness to extensive sensory loss and muscular atrophy.

Calcium is deposited in the tissues around the vertebrae due to repetitive stresses that negatively affect the cartilage surrounding the joints These calcific deposits, known as bone spurs, can constrict adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue. This type of compression is at the root of Spondylosis.

Whether or not you are suffering from spondylosis, regular chiropractic adjustments and overall chiropractic management can considerably slow the aging process of your spine. It may be true that “you can’t un-ring a bell” or “turn back the hands of time,” but it’s never too late to give your spine the attention it deserves. When it comes to treating the spine, chiropractors are experts! See your chiropractor in Santa Barbara today, for the health of your spine.

Technorati Tags: age-related back pain, age-related neck pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, spine osteoarthritis, Spondylosis

San Diego Chiropractor

As a Chiropractor in San Diego, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. Before you let the seams out in those slacks or skirt, there are some things that you need to know relating to those few seemingly benign extra pounds you may have gained. Over time, extra weight can add up to a substantial number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Extra pounds put undue stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. A whopping 62% of American adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a very significant number and a sizable national health issue (no pun intended).

It is likely no surprise to you to learn that the human body was not intended to transport additional poundage in the form of body fat. Just an additional 20 or 30 pounds can veritably overload and even overwhelm the joints and muscles of the body. Added weight in the abdominal region, for example, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This angle produces compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression inhibits nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. A larger percentage of people who have a heavy midsectionsuffer from low back pain caused by  a pinched sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that restrict nerves as a result of weight-bearing stresses. If not addresses, misaligned vertebra not only continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have taken place already, but can develop into new arthritic changes in the spine in the future.

Here are the ways in which chiropractic treatment can help. Perhaps, it should go without saying that a “normal” body weight is essential in order for the musculoskeletal system to function in the way it is built to. Chiropractic treatment can not only ease the pain created by excess weight compensation, but it can aid in weight reduction. Here’s how. Chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve compression in the spinal column and help to get motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, particularly in the low back, hips, and knees. And, obviously exercise and physical activity will be a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the spine is in alignment and the joints have good motion. The added benefit of exercise the, in addition to helping with weight reduction, it can actually inhibit degenerative changes as the body ages.

It is always best to review your diet and exercise choices with a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor. In addition to treating individuals suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide proficient advice on the type of lifestyle corrections that can help an individual to stay healthier, more energetic, and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be compulsory. The structure of the human body is intended to carry a person through an entire lifetime of pain-free movement.

So, if those extra few pounds have started to add up to a lot of pain, as your chiropractor in San Diego and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I can help. Make an appointment today!

Technorati Tags: arthritis, back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, excess weight, joint inflammation, weight loss

Chiropractic Marketing

Social Media is the “hottest” topic on the Internet today. If you’ve been giving some thought to getting on board, but don’t know where the platform is, let’s take a minute to talk about the “Who, What, When, Where, and How” of social media and you, that’s “Who.” Then you can make up your mind whether or not to add Social Media to your chiropractic marketing strategy.

Social media marketing may seem familiar in some ways to other chiropractic marketing strategies you’ve engaged in in the past, and yet unfamiliar at the same time. In the “familiar” category, you’d never consider trying any type of marketing plan without taking the time to understand what it’s about and what you want to get from it. What are your goals? Once you’re clear about what you want, you’ll be more capable of using social media to your best advantage.

When you are ready to begin your social media venture, but before you start, it will be necessary for you to make certain that you “own your name” on all the social media outlets, that is to say, make sure that your name or the name of your clinic is attainable so that you can use precisely same name on every one of the social channels you desire to use. When you’re ready, there’s a service, which is absolutely free, that will assist you with your search. Knowem.com is the who to go to. This service will research where your name is and/or if it’s attainable or not on a sufficient number of social media sites.

When you have “locked up” all of your social media accounts, the next step is to decide where you would like to be active. Starting with only a small number of social media sites is preferable because, let’s face it, you have a clinic to run and patients to see. You won’t want to get active in too many social media sites. So, how do you choose the best sites for you? The big ones (where most of the action is) are facebook, twitter, linkedin, and Youtube.

What your social media activity mission should be is to build a real presence in your community. What you don’t want to do is “sell” on your social media sites, that means don’t sell your clinic, don’t sell services or products, don’t sell anything! The benefit of social media is for you to go out and network with the community. Of course, let them know what you do, but do it by becoming a participant. Social media works the same way as social networking offline. People on social media sites don’t want to be sold to, plain and simply. Social media sites are a lot like a neighborhood backyard barbecue. People are standing around chatting about who they are and what they do, and then someone asks you what you do. Or, maybe you start the conversation by (just) stating, “Hello, I’m Dr. ____. With social media marketing, the same dynamics apply. “Work” your social media sites in the same way you’d work your offline networking communities, which is to say, answer the questions and concerns that get potential patients interested in the who that’s you!

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So ladies, take a walk! Do it for your health's sake! For more information on this interesting story, click the link provided above.

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