Active Family Chiropractic

Empowering Your Health

Contact us at (518) 452-2800

Can a CBP Chiropractor help with arthritis/spinal stenosis?

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A CBP Chiropractor can help people with arthritis and/or spinal stenosis. It does depend on how severe the arthritis or spinal stenosis is. If there is natural fusion there isn’t a lot a CBP Chiropractor can do with those segments. Traditionally a person’s whole spine isn’t fused, so most people can be helped.

Arthritis, traditional osteoarthritis, the wear and tear type of arthritis, comes from bad structure over many years or it can come from a trauma you’ve had, such as a car accident or a slip and fall. Those things can start to change the structure of the spine. Then when that happens your body produces new bone to help stabilize the bad structure and that’s what arthritic change is. Unfortunately, the bones that grow are sharp and pointy and they start to become compressed.

Spinal Stenosis is when there is pressure from that arthritis around the spinal cord itself. So you’re starting to have major malfunction in the body because of direct pressure on the spinal cord. Whereas a lot of times arthritis will just affect the spinal nerve. One of the branches coming off of the spinal cord will become compressed. However, with something like stenosis it actually compresses the spinal cord. So whatever neural pathways which are being controlled by that are being affected.

For example, if someone has spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine a lot of times they lose bowel and bladder function, they have trouble with reproductive organs, or they start losing function in their legs because of the pressure on the spinal cord. All of these are global problems in the body versus specific problems which can stem from arthritis. Stenosis is certainly more severe than traditional arthritis and CBP chiropractic can help.

CBP Chiropractors can help by fixing the structure through adjustments. You must get a check-up first to determine how much can be done. With the right plan in place, you can start to fix your structure and get pain relief through CBP chiropractic care. So, make an appointment today.

For more information contact Dr. B at [email protected]

 

Why is Chiropractic care considered natural?

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Chiropractic care is considered healthy primarily because there are no unnatural things being forced into the body to get the body to change, such as medicine. It is considered natural because chiropractic does not use drugs or surgery to try to change the body.

The body is changed through adjustments to help the body function at a better rate so that you don’t have to rely on medication. That’s why it’s considered natural. Chiropractors don’t encourage medicine or surgery, unless absolutely necessary.

There are a lot of ways that you can heal your body by just getting your spine aligned. Your body has the power to heal itself and with correct spinal alignment, your nervous system can operate at a higher capacity.

So, get a spinal check-up today with a CBP chiropractor and get yourself on the path to a medicine and surgery free life. For more information contact Dr. B at [email protected]

How does CBP help with high blood pressure?

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What is high blood pressure and how can a CBP chiropractor help?

High blood pressure is a result of your body malfunctioning. People are not born with high blood pressure but it is something that develops over time and we have to figure out why that is.

There can be primary and/or secondary causes that lead to high blood pressure. Sometimes there are primary causes, which means something within the body is malfunctioning, maybe the heart is malfunctioning or the blood vessels are incorrectly shaped. Sometimes it’s a secondary cause which is lifestyle induced. It’s the foods that you eat, it’s your stress levels, or that you don’t exercise.

This is why in February the American Heart Association focuses on heart health and trying to make sure that people take care of their heart because that determines blood pressure. It’s very hard to control the things that people are exposed to. For example,  if people grow up with people smoking around them they are pre-disposed to high blood pressure because of that.

CBP can help.

Chiropractic care is it helps to increase the blood and nerve flow to nerves that control the heart functions. The more that your heart can function at normal rates and can tell your body how to work the better off your heart and blood vessels will be.

Chiropractic care does help people because the blood control center is right at the top of the spine where the brain ends and the spinal cord begins. This is where blood pressure is controlled. A lot of times when you see someone with substantial forward head carriage and present with high blood pressure, it is due to that pressure on the blood control center. So if we can find a way to identify that with a spinal check-up and then reduce the forward head position we can often help people naturally lower their blood pressure. It will also help them come off their medications naturally.

Each person will have their own challenges and a spinal check-up will help a chiropractor determine why a person has high blood pressure. High blood pressure doesn’t happen because you’ve reached a certain age. It’s due to your choices in diet and lack of exercise, your stress levels and some of it is due to what you were exposed to as a child.  So head to your chiropractor today and get your spine checked so that you can live a healthier life.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected]

February Heart Health: How can CBP help the functionality of your heart?

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Chiropractic Biophysics adjustments can help with all of the functions of your body, even your heart. But can it help the functionality of your heart?

As we know the spinal cord controls the entire body. The nerves that control the heart are in the middle part of the body, a little bit higher than your heart, in the upper back region. If you happen to have a misalignment in your spine, which you can get from slips or falls or posture habits, that can start to affect the nerve function to the heart.

You might not necessarily notice it when it’s a small amount of nerve functionality missing. However, you will certainly notice it when there is a large amount of nerve function loss. That is when it will result in a body signal, such as palpitations, or heart problems, like an abnormal heart rate.

It can also cause problems when you are exercising. Many people who are experiencing a subluxation, nerve compression, around their heart may suffer from exercise-induced asthma.

For this reason and many more, it’s important that every person gets a spinal check-up. It will allow you to identify these issues early so that you can address them and get the care you need.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected].

Can CBP help with snoring, insomnia, and sleep apnea?

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People often wonder if CBP (Chiropractic Biophysics) care can help with snoring, insomnia, and sleep apnea. The important thing to remember about any physical malady is to figure out where the problem is coming from. It is important to understand what is going on. Why is it happening?

Ask some questions.

Is it physically related? Is someone suffering from insomnia because they have an imbalance in their brain chemistry which is creating an adrenaline dump so that they’re amped up all the time? Or are food choices causing insomnia? Are you drinking coffee or caffeine too close to bedtime?

It could be that you are subluxated. If your body isn’t working correctly then your body cannot function correctly because the nerves that are controlling those body parts are compressed by the spinal subluxation.

The first thing you have to do is ask questions. Why is this happening? Once you can figure out what the cause is then you can apply an appropriate solution.

Can CBP adjustments help?

We have found at Active Family Chiropractic some people who have previously been suffering from snoring, sleep apnea, and insomnia have found relief through CBP adjustments. There have also been people who have needed additional help.

Those are individuals with deviated septums, for example, or a physical deformity which causes the snoring or the sleep apnea. In those cases, they will not be able to stop snoring or stop having sleep apnea without some sort of intervention such as surgery or a machine.

CBP care helps a lot of different people with a lot of different ailments if it’s related to subluxations in the spine. If it’s a deformity of some sort of structural component such as a deviated septum, then most likely it’s not nervous system pressure which is causing the problem it’s the actual structure that is causing the problem. Structure always dictates function.

Go to your CBP chiropractor.

It is important to start by asking why is this happening. What are some factors that are contributing to my snoring, insomnia, and/or sleep apnea? The place to do that is with your CBP chiropractor. The doctor can ask those important questions so you can better understand how your body functions and if your snoring, insomnia, and/or sleep apnea are caused by your structure or by a subluxation. So make an appointment with your CBP chiropractor today and maybe you could get a good night sleep tonight.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected]

Why aren’t there more CBP Chiropractors in Albany?

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CBP stands for Chiropractic Biophysics and it is a specific technique within chiropractic care. Being a CBP practitioner is more labor intensive for the doctor because you have to do thorough examinations. You have to do x-rays. You have to analyze the x-rays and then you have to present that information to the patient in a way that is different from the way most people go to chiropractors for, which is pain management.

CBP Chiropractors have to present a whole different foreign concept of total body wellness through correction of the spine instead of just focusing on pain management. So what winds up happening for a lot of patients is, they contact a chiropractor because they want pain relief but chiropractic care is so much more than that. However, most chiropractors don’t bother to tell patients that. They just focus on what the patient is interested in which is the pain management part of it. Once the pain management has happened then the person disappears and they don’t continue.

Chiropractic care was not designed to do that. It was designed to take care of your spine, even if it doesn’t hurt because that is what keeps your body healthy. That concept is foreign for a lot of people. Especially the Western philosophy of medicine which, promotes reactionary care which, is to wait until something is hurting or wait until your injured to go get medicine or go get fixed. Versus the Eastern philosophy of medicine which, is to take care of the body that you have before it’s hurt before it gets sick. It’s a lot easier to stay well than to try to get well. Because of this, there are a lot of people who don’t know or they don’t think about being preventative.

That is what CBP Chiropractic care is. It is preventative care of the body. So that is a challenge in and of itself and might be a reason that many chiropractors don’t bother. It is also labor intensive for the doctor because they have to perform x-rays. If you are getting adjusted and you don’t have x-rays done you are taking the chance on permanent problems being done to your body. A doctor has to know what is going on structurally inside before they adjust and that can only be seen through x-rays.

If you go to other states that have different philosophies on health you’ll find there are more CBP chiropractors there. If a state has a philosophy of wellness you may find more CBP practitioners in that state.

The other reason is that CBP is a diplomate, which means that you will have to do additional schooling after chiropractic college. There may be a lot of chiropractors who don’t want to do extra training or extra education and that’s another reason there may not be more CBP chiropractors. It is not a branch of chiropractic care that is taught in the basic school systems so it is extra training that you will have to go for which can be expensive and time-consuming.

Doctors should always be learning and CBP Chiropractors have to always learn in order to keep their certifications up. Would you rather get care from someone who has a First aid certification or an EMT? I don’t know about you but I would rather receive care from an EMT, so why would you see a Chiropractor when you can see a CBP Chiropractor?

Do your body a favor and put it on the track to wellness. Make an appointment with a CBP doctor today and get on the road to health.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected].

 

Do Chiropractic adjustments cause strokes?

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As a Chiropractor, Dr. B gets asked this question all the time. Adjustments do not cause strokes. Let’s start there.

There have been a few instances where there have been pre-existing conditions, meaning that the patient had problems with the arteries in their neck, that were undiagnosed problems. The patient then had a negative response to the adjustment, whether it had been a stroke or something of that nature. The problem is that their arteries already had the issue and it created something of a ticking time bomb.

People have strokes every day. The only time it’s ever linked with Chiropractic adjustments is right after a Chiropractic adjustment. This happens when the arteries in the person’s neck are already compromised. This happens by the virtue of the person’s choices such as what they eat. If you are eating really bad foods that clog your arteries it will lead to blockages which can cause strokes.

People have strokes in this country all the time. It’s the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. However, it is only brought to the media’s attention when it is in consort with a Chiropractic adjustment. It is very rare when it does happen.

Chiropractic care is not dangerous, it is extremely safe. Active Family Chiropractic goes an extra step to ensure that there is no way that they could create a problem with someone like, inducing a stroke, by performing a very thorough exam to test for the compromise of those arteries. They also take x-rays which can show if a ligament is calcified and putting pressure on the arteries. They make sure to take care and note if there are any pre-existing issues within the patient before any adjustments are done.

Chiropractics adjustments are done every day all over the world and there are so many people who benefit from Chiropractic care. Don’t be afraid to get an adjustment it’s one of the safest and best things you can do for your body. So call your local CBP Chiropractor and make an appointment today!

For more information contact Dr. B at [email protected].

Why might I have increased pain after an adjustment?

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Have you ever wondered why sometimes when you get an adjustment you might have increased pain? Sometimes people will have increased pain after an adjustment and one of the main reasons for this is dehydration.

A lot of people do not drink enough water and then they get an adjustment and their muscle responds to the adjustment, so they end up having a muscle spasm or some kind of muscular reaction. This can sometimes stay with a person for a while, presenting as a muscle ache or pain.

Another reason might be that other Chiropractors may put too much force into the adjustment. They may try to muscle through an adjustment because their technique isn’t as good and that can cause strained muscles.

Another factor might be tight muscles. At Active Family Chiropractic, patients are encouraged to stretch and warm up before getting an adjustment in order to loosen tight muscles. That way they don’t have muscular reactions to an adjustment.

However, pain after an adjustment is usually a cause of dehydration or a tight muscle. So drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and make sure to stretch before your adjustments.

For more information contact Dr. B at [email protected].

Can you correct scoliosis?

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Have you ever noticed that one of your legs might be longer than the other? Or maybe you cannot sleep on your stomach because one of your hips jams uncomfortably into the bed? You may have some degree of scoliosis and it may be correctable.

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a three-part movement of the spine, rotation, flexion, and translation of the components of the spine. In order to fix it, you need to counter all three movements, which is why traditional Chiropractic care cannot help you. There are two reasons why they cannot help you, 1) they typically do not take x-rays so they cannot see what is happening with your spine, and 2) if they do they do not have the knowledge or the training to apply the forces of the technique as well as an in-office traction.

How can scoliosis be corrected?

Only with structural corrective adjustments and in-office traction, which is the Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP) technique. Any other attempt to correct it through the traditional Chiropractic care will not because you need to address the ligamentous and muscular components as well as the structural components of the spine. That is why CBP is so effective at reducing scoliosis because it addresses both of those things.

Some scoliosis is too far beyond correction, for example, the angle could be too severe, that it will actually compromise people’s body parts, their organs, at that point a Chiropractor will have to refer out in order to stop that progression. However, if you can catch it early enough you can certainly identify what is happening, apply the appropriate solution, and reduce the shifting.

How do I know if my scoliosis is beyond correction?

Your spine will be contorted to a degree where it is interfering with your organs. If this is the case seeing a Chiropractor for a check-up should be your first step. Once the problem is identified then a course of action will be recommended. If the scoliosis is extreme enough surgery might be recommended or wearing a scoli brace.

What is a scoli brace?

A scoli brace is mostly designed for youth, people who are still growing because as they grow, they can grow straighter with the help of the brace. The other is post-menopausal women because scoliosis tends to progress at a rapid rate in this group. However, if the scoliosis is too bad then a surgical consult will be recommended.

How do I find out if my scoliosis is correctable?

You would have to get a check-up with a CBP Chiropractor. The check-up will entail an exam, x-rays and a consultation. CBP Chiropractors use x-rays to be able to see what angle the scoliosis is and how severe it is. At that point, they would then be able to determine whether it was extreme enough to refer out or something that could be handled in office. The x-rays and exam also give the Chiropractor the information on how to correct the spine.

To see if your spine is in good working order make an appointment with a CBP Chiropractor and get on the road to healthy.

For more information ask Dr. B @ [email protected]

 

What causes a muscle knot?

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What causes a muscle knot?

Muscle knots can come from a lot of different things. In terms of CBP, when you have poor spinal structure, subluxations, which are misalignments in your joints, can cause severe problems with your muscles. If your head is shifted all the way to your right then all the muscles on your right side will be shortened because the attachment sites are closer to one another. So everything on that side is going to get very short and tight. Then everything on the opposite side gets very stretched, elongated and weakened.

A poor spinal structure could be the root of the issue.

Depending on what structural problems you have, you could be overworking some muscles and underworking others. This is where a lot of muscle knots come from and it’s also where a lot of injuries come from. It is a muscular imbalance due to a bad spinal structure. It is also one of the most overlooked things by Physical Therapists, Osteopaths, Fitness Trainers, Massage Therapists, just about anyone in that world, they overlook the fact that spinal structure dictates muscular function. So that’s where muscle knots come from and that’s why you seem to get the same ones over and over again. Because your muscles are pulling unevenly due to what your structure is doing.

The issue could be a lack of stretching!

You can also get muscle knots if you don’t do proper mobilization after exercise. So say you go out to weed the garden, you’re pulling, tugging, bending, and twisting, your muscles are getting a workout but instead of stretching you go inside and flop on the couch. This will cause muscles knots. After any type of activity, you need to stretch. If you don’t all of the muscle byproducts, metabolic waste, that you just caused by using your muscles will settle into your muscles and cause muscle knots, instead of being flushed out of your system by drinking water and stretching.

Dehydration also plays a role.

The last thing that can cause muscle knots is dehydration. If you don’t have enough hydration in your muscles then the metabolic waste will stay in the muscles and that will give you even more aches and pains. It’s important to stay hydrated. You can become dehydrated even if you don’t think that you’ve done a lot of activity. Something like weeding a garden, even if you are not sweating, will dehydrate you.

How do I get rid of muscle knots? Where do I start?

In order to decrease and eliminate the frequency of muscle knots, it is important to stretch, hydrate, and above all else make sure your spine is in good alignment by getting regular check-ups with your CBP Chiropractor.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected]

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