First of all, what is a disc?

The spine is made up of vertebrae, which have cartilage discs between them. The discs act as both a shock absorber and a shock distributor. If you jump up and down, imagine what would happen to the stack of bony vertebra that make up the spine without the cushioning of the discs. The discs are also attached to the vertebra above and below it. This creates the separation between the spinal bones so pairs of nerves can exit the spine. Each spinal disc has a jelly-like “ball bearing” core that is contained by bands of fibrous tissue. Healthy discs give you flexibility for normal turning and bending, without discs, the spine simply could not function. Improper lifting, slips, falls, car accidents and years on neglect can cause the core to shift, which can result in;

Herniation – when there is a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of the disc, which allows the soft, central portion to bulge out.

Protrusion – like a blister, the disc bulges where it is the weakest, causing nerve pressure.

Prolapse – with the cushioning and separating compromised by rupture, movement is painful.

Rupture – this can be quite painful, as the soft center of the disc leaks, putting pressure on the adjacent nerve roots and spinal cord.

Bulge – is when the inner fibers of the outer portion of the disc tear, allowing the inner material to cause a bulge, kind of like a bad tyre.

Back surgery is extremely invasive, and because surgery is not always totally successful in correcting the problem, it would be wise to seek out the services of a doctor of Chiropractic first, to try a more conservative procedure.

How can Chiropractic care help me with my disc problems?

Chiropractic care (which involves no use of surgery or drugs) is chosen by many patients who embrace this alternative approach to treat the cause of back pain. Chiropractic is the worlds’ third largest healthcare profession and had established itself as a mainstay in the back care industry.

The purpose of Chiropractic care is to remove interferences in the nerves, caused by the bones of the spine putting pressure on the nerves of the spine. Early diagnosis is the best way to begin because if the interference is caught early Chiropractic care can prevent from any permanent damage occurring.

To prevent suffering from a “slipped disc” look after your spine, have good nutrition, good posture, exercise, and practice safe lifting of heavy objects.
But most importantly visit your chiropractor regularly!

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Causes of Scoliosis

Congenital or genetic in nature; you are 20% more likely to develop Scoliosis if someone in your family also has Scoliosis.

Idiopathic; Is the most common cause of Scoliosis, which develops in children around the age of 9, and continues during the adolescent growth spurt, which has an unknown cause.

Some of the symptoms of Scoliosis include:

One leg appears shorter than the other
Head is not centered directly above pelvis
Waist appears uneven
Back pain
Sometimes curvature of the spine is visible. (The body tilts to either the left of right, or one shoulder blade is raised higher than the other)
Fatigue. (Especially postural fatigue – feeling tired when standing, sitting etc)

Regardless of the cause, early detection can be helpful. As in serve causes if Scoliosis is aloud to advance it can interfere with the lungs, heart and many other vital organs.

Chiropractic and Scoliosis

Early detection is crucial in scoliosis to prevent the condition becoming worse. This problem cannot be adjusted by correcting your posture, unlike other spinal problems.

Chiropractic adjustments can help improve the structure and function of the spine as well as help retrain and strength muscles to improve posture in patients with Scoliosis.

Due to the significant numbers of patients who suffer from Scoliosis and found relief from Chiropractic care, health experts and doctors have recommended Chiropractic as one of the first approaches to be used for this particular condition. Results of using Chiropractic care range from improved stability, reduced size of curves, prevention of further progression of the curves and even total correction.

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The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest of all the body’s nerves. It runs from the spinal column near the pelvis down each leg and can be as wide as your thumb. The sciatic nerve controls muscles in the back of your knee and lower leg and also provides feeling to the back of your thigh, sole of your foot and part of your lower leg. Each sciatic nerve is made up of five smaller nerves that branch into the thigh, knee, calf, ankle and foot. When this nerve becomes inflamed it creates a condition, which we call sciatica. Sciatica is characterized by pain, numbness and weakness in the lower extremities. Commonly pain and numbness are located at the calf, foot or back of the thigh and shooting pain down the leg all the way to the toes, which often causes sensations of burning, cramping, tingling, numbness and depending of the level of acuteness, degrees of pain ranging from an aching nuisance to throbbing to extreme and overt pain and is usually on only one side of the body. (Acute sciatica is said to be one the worst pain that a human has to endure).

What causes Sciatica?

Sciatica can be caused by many different things, but occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed, irritated or inflamed. Which sometimes can be traced back to a certain event, such as a car accident. But also years of bad posture, poor muscle tone, excess weight and countless other causes can set the stage for Sciatica. Standing, sitting, walking, running, heavy lifting, bending, twisting, or even sneezing can then bring on symptoms.

Chiropractic and Sciatica

Whenever pain relief is discussed- whether for sciatica or any other injury, it is important to distinguish between just relieving the pain and actually treating the cause of the pain. Most short-term pain relief is just that… short-term. If the underlying cause of the sciatica is not corrected the pain will inevitably return.

Doctors of Chiropractic offer drug-free and non-invasive care to address sciatica. The Chiropractic approach to sciatica is to help restore the way your spine works, reducing nerve irritation therefore revitalizing your body’s own healing ability.

Chiropractic theory states that in order for the body to be optimized for health, the neurological pathways must remain open and unrestricted.

Quite often people with sciatica wait until the pain becomes unbearable before they contact their chiropractor. Waiting can cause long-term damage, it is important to contact your Chiropractic when the pain originally begins.

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Absolutely!!! Not only is it safe, but also highly beneficial and a great way to relieve added stress caused by the hormonal changes that “loosen” the ligaments, preparing the body for birth, as well as the added weight gain on the spine which can cause vertebral *subluxations. As the system and organs are now providing for two it is essential they are functioning at optimal condition for the baby’s healthy development.

The muscle strains and back pain of pregnancy are very real and can be more than just a nuisance. At least half of all expectant mothers will develop lower back pain at some point during their pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. Because of the additional weight, there is an increase in stress on the framework of the body. Chiropractic can also help reduce the occurrence of leg cramps, pain between the shoulder blades, headaches, problems with nausea and digestion while pregnant.

How Chiropractic Helps?

Chiropractic care is a great alternative to over-the-counter and prescription drugs for back pain. Since the chiropractor adjusts the spine to resolve and prevent the cause of back pain, there is no medication involved. Besides making you feel better during pregnancy studies have shown that women who have consistent Chiropractic care throughout their pregnancies have shorter and less painful labors with fewer complications and interventions and less stress on their body.

Wouldn’t you want this if you were pregnant?!?

After Birth

The birth process, even under natural and controlled conditions is potentially traumatic on a baby. If the delivery of you’re baby involved; prolonged pushing stage, forceps, vacuum extraction or other forms of assisted delivery, the chances of you’re baby having a misalignment (vertebral *subluxation) are great. If the vertebral *subluxations, are big enough, the functioning of the major systems in the body can be compromised and cause health problems in infancy and/or later in life. Eg; feeding / appetite / digestion / sleeping problems, colic and bed-wetting.

The Chiropractic ‘adjustment’ of a young infant’s spine differs from that would be necessary for an adult. The adjustment process is modified to ensure that only the lightest thrust is used to correct the subluxated segments. In fact the amount of pressure used is comparable to the amount of pressure you could press on your closed eyelid without any discomfort.

What can be more important to you as a parent than your child’s health? Getting you’re baby checked regularly by a Chiropractor will ensure your baby the best opportunity to grow and develop at his/her full potential.

*Subluxation; a subluxation is the result of spinal bones with improper motion or position affecting nerve communications between your brain and your body.

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WRONG!! Studies have shown that roughly a third of all people suffer from headaches. So yes they are common, but no they are not normal.

A headache (Cephalgia) is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It is one of the most common locations of pain in the body. A headache can be caused by many different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain as it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of pain-sensitive structures around the brain.

As many as 45 million people suffer from chronic and/or severe headaches that seriously interfere with their lives.

Signs and Symptoms; headaches vary in intensity and have different symptoms.

• Pain in the head
• Visual impairment (blurred vision)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Hearing impairment
• Confusion
• Discomfort
• Irratability

What can cause headaches?

The causes are many; spinal misalignment-nerve irritation/interferences, certain foods, toxic fumes, preservatives and alcohol. Spinal misalignments (*subluxations) are shown to be involved in up to 80% of all headaches.

Does you child frequently complain about having a headache?

The problem with headaches in children, however, is that they may be more difficult to diagnose in terms of cause and effect. This is especially true with younger children, because they frequently lack the verbal skills or experience to effectively communicate what is wrong or what they are feeling.

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache found in children (just like in adults) and usually involve about 75% of all childhood headaches. Triggers may be lack of sleep, tension in the home or school environment, second-hand cigarette smoke, skipped meals, poor nutrition, eye strain and bright lights.

Migraine-type headaches, though more infrequent, also affect children and if a parent suffers from migraines, their child is 50% more likely to experience them as well.

Migraine triggers include foods, such as chocolate and caffeine, lack of sleep, missed meals and, particularly in females, hormonal changes.

How Chiropractic helps

What do you do when you suffer a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There is a better alternative.

Your spine protects your nervous system, which starts with the brain and becomes the spinal cord. When the vertebrae in your neck are unable to move properly, it irritates or puts pressure on the nerves in that area. This can cause headaches. Chiropractic care addresses the cause of many types of headaches and therefore they are capable of removing or dramatically reducing the occurrence and frequency of these headaches, because they are usually due to *subluxations in the spine. They achieve this by performing Chiropractic adjustments to remove pressure on the nerves, which then also helps to improve nerve function.

On a study conducted by the government of New Zealand it found that the majority of people who suffered from spinal misalignments had their headaches relieved or their condition improved through Chiropractic care.

If you know someone who numbs their body with drugs, trying to stop the pain from their headaches, urge them to give us a call so we can determine the underlying cause of their headaches, to help them live a pain-free and drug-free life.

*Subluxation; a subluxation is the result of spinal bones with improper motion or position affecting nerve communications between your brain and your body.

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Symptoms are typically classified under the following subsections:

Behavioral; nervousness, irritability, mood swings, tiredness and depression.

Gastrointestinal; bloating, diarrhea, constipation and cravings.

Reproductive; breast tenderness, cramping and altered libido.
How does Chiropractic help with symptoms of PMS?

Many women with PMS look to prescription drugs as a cure. While these drugs may help with PMS symptoms, they do result in many side effects/complications. It’s not surprising many women are turning to a natural solution such as Chiropractic, which can actually alleviate the cause.

*Subluxations interfere with the way your nervous system works, getting in the way of normal communication that takes place between your brain and your body. When *subluxations occur, they compress nerves that exit from that particular area of the spine, affecting the organs and systems that those nerves control. When those nerves can’t function properly, there are usually consequences for the part of body under control of those nerves. Women with undetected *subluxations can suffer from a wide variety of female health problems including pelvic pain, PMS, incontinence, sexual dysfunctions and even infertility.

When *subluxations disturb the nerves that are responsible for the reproductive system it can result in;

Over activity- such as heavy bleeding or severe cramping.

Under activity- missed periods or infertility.

Distorted activity- cells that normally line in the uterus, implant elsewhere causing bleeding, pain and reduced fertility.

While Chiropractic care isn’t a treatment for PMS (or any other condition), many women who suffer from this notice improvements while under chiropractic care.

Restoring a more normal functioning nervous system helps the entire body work the way it’s supposed to.

*Subluxation; a subluxation is the result of spinal bones with improper motion or position affecting nerve communications between your brain and your body

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The amount of physical damage to a car evolved in a car accident may not relate to the intensity of the neck injury/whiplash. Even “fender-benders” can cause hidden injuries that can develop into pain, headaches and arthritis.

What is Whiplash?

When there is a sudden movement, backwards, forward or sideways causing the neck and head to be thrown very quickly in one direction and then rebounds in the opposite direction, this is called whiplash. Whiplash is not only caused by car accidents, but falls and many types of repetitive movements can also cause whiplash, even-though whiplash injuries to the neck, is by far the most common injury that results from car accidents.

Whiplash can cause; damage in the joints, nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments of the neck, also causing vertebral *subluxations. Most doctors give painkillers to mask these injuries. Neck pain is the number one symptom of whiplash but certainly not the only one. Some people experience; numbness in their shoulder blades and arms, headaches, pain in their eyes, visual problems, difficulty hearing, ringing in the ears and dizziness.

Often the pain and other symptoms of the injury are not immediately experienced at the time of the accident and if the *subluxations do not get corrected, you may continue to have these symptoms for many years, as whiplash injuries do not heal themselves. By visiting a Chiropractor before severe pain begins you can often avoid the lengthy ordeal of addressing these issues over a long period of time.

Of course, chiropractic adjustments also help older whiplash injuries, but recovery is usually slower and care during the acute phase generally takes longer.

Chiropractic care for Whiplash injuries

Whiplash can cause severe spinal stress and result in numerous *subluxations, which can cause or contribute to health problems straight away or later in life. Chiropractic care after a whiplash accident is a great, natural care option to eliminate these problems.

The Chiropractor will work with you and/or you’re family to assure that all issues are addressed quickly and that all underlying causes for pain are also treated. Correcting the problem by realigning the spine. Chiropractic care uses the natural healing process of the body.

Children that have been involved in car accidents

When a child has been involved in a car accident, it is always a good idea to have them checked out by a Chiropractor. Even though a child is secure in a car seat or buckled into a seat belt, damage can occur in an accident. By having these issues addressed early, the child will not suffer from the affects of the incident now or later on in life.

Accidents vary in their severity from “fender-benders” to full collisions, but regardless any time your car is stuck there is a large chance of being injured therefore it is important to get checked out by you’re Chiropractor soon after you experience a car accident. Even if you are not experiencing any symptoms, to ensure optimum health.

*Subluxation; a subluxation is the result of spinal bones with improper motion or position affecting nerve communications between your brain and your body.

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Pain of any kind, at any age, is a sign that something isn’t right. Pain is the way your body signals that a limit has been reached or a problem has developed.

Causes of neck pain:

Daily Life: sleeping in a funny position, sitting too long at your desk, poor posture, obesity, playing sports-muscular strains, improper lifting/bending.

Growing Older: Age-related disorders such as osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease directly affect the cervical spine.

Injury and Accidents: falls, slips, and car accidents.

Symptoms of neck pain:

• Neck soreness on one or both sides
• Tingling sensation
• Pain around the shoulder blades
• Numbness or weakness in arms
• Burning pain
• Stiffness
• Dizziness/nausea
• Headache/s

Symptoms of back pain:

• Pain radiating down into leg
• Numbness in certain parts of leg
• Pain is worse when cough of sneeze
• Pain or stiffness around spine, neck or hips
• Pins and needles
• Continuous aching

(There are a variety of symptoms for neck and back pain as there is a variety of causes, therefore symptoms are not just limited to the ones listed.)
How to treat neck/back pain?

You have a few choices when it comes to treating your back/neck pain, but what really works?

X – Ignore it (problems may get worse)

X – Bed rest – may prolong the problem

X – Medicine – numbs the body, therefore doesn’t treat the cause

Then how can I treat my back/neck pain you may ask!?

When it comes to treating neck and back pain, Chiropractic care has an excellent success rate. It’s drug free and non-invasive care is been much appreciated by patients.

Was Chiropractic care your first thought when you hurt your back/neck? It should have been!!

By performing an adjustment on the back/neck, a chiropractor can remove any interferences in the nerves caused by the bones of the spine putting pressure on the nerves of the spine, which then can alleviate your neck/back pain and other symptoms you maybe experiencing. (By returning the proper function of the nervous system this treats the cause, and not just numbs the body like medication can do.)
How many visits will it take to the Chiropractor to get rid of my back/neck pain?

The number of chiropractic adjustments required varies based on the nature of your condition-how long the problem has been there and the cause, the health of your spine and what the Chiropractor finds upon your first/second visit (The Consultation & Examination, and reviewing of the x-rays)
Tips to prevent back and neck pain

• Avoid lifting heavy objects
• Live a happy and healthy lifestyle – diet and exercise
• Have your work area set up properly
• Download our stretching guide
• Life with your knees
• Maintain good posture

Most importantly see your Chiropractor regularly!

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The American Lung Association reports that an astonishing four million children under the age of 18 have had an asthma attack in the past 12 months. In fact, this chronic condition accounts for more childhood hospital admissions than any other condition. It’s the most widely reported reason for chronic absenteeism from school.

How Chiropractic can help with Asthma?

Chiropractic is not a cure for asthma. However, many who suffer from asthma report reduced frequency and severity of their asthma attacks. (With no drugs!) Care for Asthma suffers is based on two goals; relief of symptoms and preventing future symptoms from developing.

The nervous system is the central computer that runs the whole body and all of its functions; the functions of the legs, arms, digestive system, sinuses, immune system, etc. and even the lungs. As long as the nervous system is allowed to function with no interference, the body should work normally. Quite often there is nerve interference directly correlated to the nerve supply needed for lung function, found in asthma suffers.

Your diaphragm is the primary muscle used for breathing. Nerves that control each breath leave your brain and exit the spinal cord in the mid-neck area. Spinal problems in this area can have a profound affect on the nerve supply to the diaphragm. Reducing *subluxations in the spine may help restore proper nervous system control of the lungs and improved function can begin.

If you or a loved one suffer from Asthma and are looking for a better alternative than steroid type drugs, give the team at Quantum Chiropractic a call, and experience the safer, natural, non-drug form of health care!

*Subluxation; a subluxation is the result of spinal bones with improper motion or position affecting nerve communications between your brain and your body.

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People that live stressful lives have an extremely high chance of developing vertebral *subluxations. Over the months, or years, the health of this person will slowly decrease, as their nerve supply will gradually degenerate their bodies. By removing these *subluxations, with spinal adjusting, these people can live a better and healthier life.

There are three types of stress:
Physical Stress; being born, slips and falls, repetitive motions, postural distortions (falling asleep with your neck twisted) and also whiplash injuries from car accidents are physical stresses.

Mental Stress; Frustration, grieving the loss of a loved one and depression. (Ever noticed the posture of someone who is depressed?)

Chemical Stress; Pollen, alcohol, preservatives, tobacco and drugs.
These three types of stresses all have negative affects on your body, especially on the nervous system if the stress builds up and is not dealt with. Chronic stress can contribute to; high blood pressure, damage of muscle tissue, diabetes, infertility, damage to the immune response and slowed healing from disease and injury. Stress has also been linked in human research with cardiovascular disease.

Ever felt the negative effects that stress has on you’re body? The neck and back pain, knots in the shoulder, headaches, muscular pains and fatigue. What can you do to stop having these negative effects on your body? Stop stressing? Easier said than done in most cases!!

Stress cannot be eliminated and unfortunately a Chiropractor cannot make a job less stressful, or create a quieter, calmer world. What Chiropractic care can do is help you develop healthy responses to stress, reducing potential physical damage.

How stress relates to Chiropractic?

Chiropractors work with the spine and nerves. Nerve impulses travel from the brain to the rest of the body. One effect Chronic stress can cause on the body is prolonged muscle tension and contraction. This muscle tension creates uneven pressure on the bony structures of the body, often leading to misalignment of the spinal column. (*Subluxations)
Chiropractors are able to identify the areas of the nervous system that are impacted negatively by stress through the *subluxations in the spine. The adjustments that a Chiropractor does release muscle tension, reduce spinal nerve irritation, improve blood circulation, which all helps the body return to a more balanced, relaxed state allowing the body to function normally.

*Subluxation; a subluxation is the result of spinal bones with improper motion or position affecting nerve communications between your brain and your body

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