Active Family Chiropractic

Empowering Your Health

Why do Chiropractors adjust from the bottom up?

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Have you ever wondered why your Chiropractor adjusts you from the bottom up? Why is it important for them to look at your feet or legs first instead of where it hurts?

Chiropractors check posture from the feet up because your feet or legs could project a postural problem that is higher up. So they always start from the bottom and work their way up. It’s also best to stimulate the body from the bottom up because the pelvis stabilizes the body in gravity. Chiropractors want to make sure that they start there.

They will then move up the body to the atlas, which is the reset button for the body. There are a lot of nerve endings in the atlas, which is right below your skull. That adjustment tells your body’s nervous system to remember that this is the new posture that we want and to please remember it.

Do you have other questions about how the Doctor goes about adjusting your spine and why? Ask Dr. B at [email protected].

 

 

How is CBP different from other Chiropractors?

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To say all Chiropractors are the same is to say that there is only one doctor for all medical needs from childbirth to surgery. Although that may have been true in the 1600’s, modern medical personnel are as varied in their specialty as there are fish in the sea. The same is true for Chiropractors and CBP chiropractors are the specialists in their field.

What is CBP?

CBP or Chiropractic BioPhysics is the most researched type of Chiropractic care. Education for these Chiropractors does not end with the 3-5 years of Chiropractic schooling. It will include yearly seminars on advancements in their technique as well as the research, clinical trials and writing of studies in order to gain advanced certifications.

CBP uses measurable and repeatable results to show progress. By using x-rays and orthopedic tests, they can track a person’s progress which is seen in the photo below.

So just how different is CBP from other types of Chiropractic care?

It is different in every aspect except for the use of some similar style techniques learned in Chiropractic school. To start, the analysis of the spine is different. CBP Chiropractors do a thorough exam of the spine including orthopedic tests and x-rays to determine structural issues. Other Chiropractors typically will not take x-rays and will begin to adjust just through a cursory exam using palpations of the spine or thermo-scans which are not definitive for diagnosing subluxations, as  they need to be seen on x-ray.

Why are x-rays important?

X-rays are important because they will show definitively what is wrong with the spine. X-rays will show subluxations, but it will also show things that could potentially be dangerous to adjust, like a broken bone. If it’s a hairline fracture, that isn’t something that can be felt through palpations. To adjust without being able to see what exactly is going on in the spine can be dangerous.

Once x-rays are done, what’s next?

Once we know what the issues are with the spine, the technique used is vastly different from other chiropractic care. CBP chiropractors do mirror-image adjustments versus what is learned in chiropractic school, which is a non-specific type of adjustment. CBP targets specific issues you have with your spine.

For example, if your lower back aches, the issue might be that you are carrying your head too far forward and it is putting extra pounds of pressure on your lower spine. This issue would be identified by a CBP chiropractor through their exams and x-rays.

What are mirror-image adjustments?

Mirror-image adjustments are used by CBP chiropractors to counteract re-occurring subluxations. For example, if you come into the office and you have a rotated spine, a CBP chiropractor will adjust in the opposite direction to counteract that imbalance. Over time this type of adjustment helps to change the structure of the spine to neutral.

 

What is traction?

Traction helps retrain ligaments and muscles, to stretch tight muscles and to strengthen weak muscles. This is an important component to sustaining spinal correction.

Neck traction tables.

How else is CBP different?

CBP chiropractors typically do not use other modalities such as electro-stimulus machines. Those tend to be used by general chiropractors and physical therapists for symptoms and do nothing to correct spinal structure.

CBP Chiropractors look at healing your spine long term. They aren’t in it for the quick fix. You wouldn’t go to the gym and expect to go from fat to fit in one session, why would you expect the same from your spine? Your spine is the most important part of your body. CBP chiropractors want to help people by realigning their spines through focused adjustments and retraining your spine with traction. Continued CBP care will help to improve your quality of life.

 

For more questions about CBP chiropractics and their processes please email Dr. B. @ [email protected]

Ow! My Sciatica is acting up!

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What is sciatica? If you’re anything like me, you could be very wrong on what you thought sciatica pain actually is. I always thought it was a pinched nerve from the front part of the hip. I suppose I was partly correct. It is a “pinch” of a nerve, just not in the location I thought.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a commonly misused term for what people describe as a lower back pain that shoots down their leg. Sometimes this is a true sciatic nerve compression and sometimes it’s not. One of the first things your chiropractor will do is to rule out muscle involvement because the sciatic nerve travels through one of the buttock muscles. If that buttock muscle is tight, it can compress that branch of the sciatic nerve and create similar symptoms. However, true sciatica is a compression of the sciatic nerve at the spine itself, where it emerges from the spinal cord.

One of the defining characteristics of sciatic pain is a shooting pain that travels down the back side of the leg. It can travel all the way down the leg as far as the foot and can be accompanied by a numbness and tingling.

What are some things you can do to alleviate the pain?

The first thing you want to do is to make sure that you find out the source of the pain. If it’s compressed at the spinal level itself, through a subluxation or something else like a disc herniation, the only thing you can do is consult with a medical professional, namely a chiropractor, to discover the extent of the damage. This should be the first step for anyone. Once the problem has been identified, then the appropriate solution can be applied.

A lot of times someone will complain of sciatic pain but it’s really just the compression of the sciatic nerve by the buttock muscle. If this is the case, one thing you can do is to take extra time to stretch the buttock muscle. You can also use a foam roller to roll out the tightness of the buttock muscle. Another thing to do is to avoid sitting. Sitting increases the pressure on the sciatic nerve. If you have any type of sciatic pain, you want to try to avoid sitting at all costs.

Another thing you can do is to get a massage, acupuncture or even take an Epsom salt bath. All of these can ease the tension of muscles and release compression of “pinched” nerves.

Regular visits to your Chiropractor can also help. Chiropractors can find if there is an issue with the structure of the vertebra. Once this is identified, they are able to restore that structure to as close to normal as possible through specific adjustments and in-office traction, and in the process, alleviating pain.

Are you experiencing sciatica pain? Make an appointment with your Chiropractor and take care of your spine today.

For more information on sciatic pain and how it can be treated email Dr. B @ [email protected].

Correct Holiday Gift Wrapping. Wrap your holiday gifts the right way!

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This is the season of giving…and gift wrapping. Whether you are wrapping one gift or 50 believe it or not there is a right way to wrap gifts.We’re talking about saving yourself some backache. Many of us try to wrap our gifts in secret and that leads us to wrap our gifts in odd locations… like the floor. Here are some tips so you can have an ache-free holiday!

Stop wrapping your presents on the floor!

You’re looking for a flat surface to wrap your gifts. Sometimes the floor seems like the best option, but it’s not. Wrapping on the floor puts your back into a compromised position. Instead of being able to keep your posture in alignment, you’re actually putting a curve into your lower spine, producing pinching of the nerves in that area, which leads to aches and pains. So save your back and look for a raised surface.

Find a table or a counter.

This is going to be your best bet for wrapping your presents. You want to make sure that you can maintain a straight back while you work. This will help to prevent those aches you can feel from slouching. Wrapping presents on a table or counter will also prevent you from putting your body into positions it probably shouldn’t be. Save your back and wrap on a raised surface.

Remember to stretch.

Staying in the same position for any extended period of time is not good for the body. Although you might want to get all of your wrapping done in one “sitting”, make sure to take breaks. Get up and stretch. It will help keep you limber and ache-free this holiday season.

If you have any questions call Dr. B at Active Family Chiropractic. She will have some great tips on stretching and keeping you fit during this holiday season.

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