During your initial visit, you will be provided with a few registration and medical history forms by the office staff. Then the chiropractor will typically ask further questions about your health history and about your current problem or condition, such as:

• If you are experiencing pain, where is it located and when did you first notice it?
• Does the pain or discomfort seem to be the result of a recent injury or activity, or has it existed for some time?
• Are there activities or circumstances that make it better?
• Are there activities or circumstances that make it worse?

You may also be asked about any pre-existing medical conditions or prior injuries, your family’s medical history, and other treatments you have received from health care providers. Once completed, your chiropractor then will carry out a thorough chiropractic examination, with a special emphasis on the spine. In addition to general tests such as blood pressure, respiration, reflexes, and pulse, the examination may include certain tests to assess the range of motion of the injured or painful body part, muscle tone and strength, and neurological integrity. Additional diagnostic studies such as X-rays or laboratory tests may be performed or recommended.

The medical history, physical examination and diagnostic tests all help to determine a specific diagnosis. The chiropractor will explain the diagnosed condition to you and determine if it is likely respond well to chiropractic care. If so, the chiropractor will explain the proposed chiropractic treatment plan or other treatments to you and the anticipated length that the treatment should take. Both short- and long-term goals for your treatment will be discussed, and additional therapies may be recommended for future visits, such as:

• Application of heat or cold to affected areas.
• Massage and stretching.
• Modalities to speed healing of soft tissues and improve pain control, such as electrical stimulation and traction.
• Rehabilitative and general exercise to improve muscle balance, strength, and coordination.
• Lifestyle counseling about healthy eating and weight loss.

Many chiropractors begin treatment during your first visit, although some may wait until the next appointment to perform the first adjustment. During a typical adjustment, you will be placed in various specific positions while your chiropractor treats the affected areas. For example, you may be asked to lie face down on a padded table specifically designed for chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractors then use their hands to apply a controlled, quick force to a joint, which extends it beyond its usual range of motion. The goal of this maneuver is to increase the range and quality of motion in the area being treated and to aid in restoring health. You may hear cracking or popping sounds as your chiropractor manipulates your joints during the treatment session. This is similar to cracking one’s knuckles, that noise that you hear is just a gas bubble releasing in the joint fluid.  It’s completely normal and does not hurt. 

As your course of treatment continues, your chiropractor will evaluate your progress, to see how much your treatments are helping, and may adjust the recommended treatment regimen accordingly.

A growing number of families in the U.S.—both parents and children—are discovering the benefits of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including chiropractic care.  The good news is that you’re never too young or too old to benefit from the types of therapies a skilled chiropractic physician can provide.  Today’s state-licensed chiropractors generally have the training and experience to work with patients from early childhood through to advanced age.  However, some practitioners also choose to focus on the unique needs of specific types of patients.

Many chiropractors who specialize in pediatrics are members of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) and have attended postgraduate courses that focus on the care of pregnant mothers, infants and children.  The ICPA is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1986 by Larry Webster, DC.  The association offers advanced training workshops and seminars for healthcare professionals, in addition to its chiropractic certification.  It also has a referral service for parents and publishes a wide variety of materials designed to educate the general public about chiropractic medicine for children and adults.

How Children May Benefit From Chiropractic Care

As children enter school and begin interacting more with other kids in a different setting, they become susceptible to having their spine and nervous system compromised.  From poor sitting posture in the classroom to heavy backpacks in the hallways and rough-housing on the playground, there are a variety of new health risks.  Chiropractic care can help address these sorts of risks as well as others that may seem less obvious.

For instance, there is evidence that chiropractic care may help prevent or relieve many common cold and allergy symptoms, including sneezing, coughing and itching or watery eyes.  This is not to say that a visit to the chiropractor will “cure” the common cold or that the underlying illness will be eliminated, even temporarily.  However, the research suggests that spinal manipulation and other therapies frequently used by the chiropractor may help to strengthen a child’s immune system over time.

Treating Infants

Chiropractic treatments are tailored to every child according to their specific circumstances, including their height and weight.  There is no minimum age and even newborns may safely benefit.  In fact, chiropractic care is encouraged for babies as a chiropractic physician may be able to detect spinal problems that could lead to colic, ear infection or asthma.  Early detection may help prevent the development of these conditions and other complications while improving a young patient’s quality of life.

Communicating with Members of Your Child’s Healthcare Team

As both adults and children are turning to alternative medicine as a way to prevent or treat common ailments, there is an increasing need for patients (or their parents) to communicate effectively with members of an expanded healthcare team.   In most cases, your child’s  primary care doctor (usually a pediatrician, general practitioner or chiropractic physician) will play a key role in coordinating care.  Remember that a good chiropractor will always tell you when a particular condition may be outside his or her scope of practice and will refer you to other specialists as appropriate.

Studies have shown that children who visit the chiropractor on a regular basis are likely to grow up with better posture and have fewer illnesses than their classmates.  If you’d like to find out more about children and chiropractic care, please call our office today to make an appointment.

Fysh, Peter DC (December 16, 1994) Upper Respiratory Infections [Electronic version] Dynamic Chiropractic, Vol. 12 No. 26; Retrieved August 30, 2011

International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) homepage (2010) Retrieved August 30, 2011: from http://icpa4kids.com/about

Palevsky, Lawrence M.D. (October 8, 2008) Holistic Approaches to Asthma, Retrieved August 30, 2011; from http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/holistic-approaches-to-asthma.html

The answer to this question is not a simple one as many people tend to associate any type of neck pain with having whiplash.  The first thing is to find out is whether or not you have whiplash.

Is it Whiplash or a Pain in the Neck?

Whiplash is defined as an injury to the neck, by moving the head forward and then backward in a rapid fashion that places strain on the neck muscles and ligaments.  Whiplash is most common when the victim has been rear-ended, or hit from behind by another vehicle but can result from physical abuse (such as shaken baby syndrome) or contact sports. The symptoms of whiplash vary and are not limited to –

• Restricted joint movement in spine or limbs
• Displacement of spinal discs, also known as a herniation, which causes sharp pain down one or both arms; It also can create small tears in spinal tissue and damage the nervous system, which is followed by numbness, tingling and muscle weakness
• Chronic pain in the neck area
• Cognitive dysfunction that may include difficulty concentrating

When to See a Physician

If you have unrelated neck pain that persists for a period of time or you experience the following:

• A shooting pain through one or both arms
• Tingling or numb feeling in one or both arms or hands
• Inability to touch chin to your chest

You may want to see a chiropractor or other medical professional as they can diagnose an underlying problem.  If you are not having any of the symptoms or find it goes away after changing positions, it may just be the result of poor posture.

The Severity of Whiplash

For some, neck pain resulting from an accident can be treated with ice and a light brace.  Other times, it may disappear on its own or a person may find themselves feeling:

• Pain in their jaw
• Significant damage to ligaments, discs, nerves or joints
• Difficulty swallowing
• Nausea
• Irritability or unable to concentrate

If any of these symptoms persist, they should see a chiropractor so that x-ray as well as other tests may be performed to determine if there is an underlying problem.

Seeing the Chiropractor

The primary objective of the chiropractor is to use gentle manipulations that treat the spine and discs so that they are aligned properly.  These manipulations are also designed to reduce muscle spasms and rebuild muscle strength with the aid of physical therapy.

The chiropractor will first focus on reducing inflammation and check the neck, mid and low back. From there, the range of motion, disc injuries and muscle spasms will be examined. Other factors that will be noted are walking, posture and spinal alignment.  A comprehensive exam provides an understanding of the individuals’ body mechanics. X-rays and /or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be taken along with the patient medical history to determine whether they can be treated.

Some cases of whiplash may only require ice and heat therapy to reduce inflammation and relax the muscles, respectively.  Non-medicinal treatment may include acupuncture, massage or Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

If you or someone you know may have experienced any or all of symptom described, then give our office a call today at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractor in Springfield, VA.

At my chiropractic office in Springfield, VA, we treat a wide range of running injuries.  With more and more people taking up recreational running in the US, the number of running associated injuries have also increased. Commonly reported cases include: shin splints; patellofermoral pain syndromes; Achilles tendinitis; flat feet; and compartmental syndromes and stress fractures. All these injuries are a result of cumulative stress reactions to soft tissues and bones. While running, the musculoskeletal system may absorb up to 250-300% of the runner’s weight on the heel strike [1,2,3], and this exerts stress on the body.

Chiropractors are generally contracted to help alleviate pain and non-specific symptoms associated with running, usually from the gradual onset of regular stress on the soft tissues and bones. If these symptoms are caught early, they can then be effectively managed and reduced in a short period of time [4]. Chiropractic treatment can help excessive pronation [5], the inward rolling of the hind foot and the midfoot beyond the acceptable parameters of general walking and running; prolonged internal rotation of the internal extremity [6], the inward rotation of the femur, which transmits stress to the pelvic region; and excessive supination [7], and those with very high arches who are very sensitive to stress reactions and fractures.

While chiropractic treatment can help with pain and injuries, its biggest advantage to runners and athletes is preventive care. Many runners, athletes and non-athletes may ask – why pay for chiropractic treatment when there is no pain to treat? It’s much easier to maintain good health and prevent injury than to treat somebody already in pain. The danger with running injuries is that they are likely to be caused by repetitive stress and alignment problems that take time to develop, and an even longer time for the pain to start. If our bodies were designed with perfect alignment, then we would be able to cope with the regular stress running delivers. However, very few of us do have perfect alignment, and in many cases those with flat feet or high arches are at risk to extra cumulative stress to the body. [8]

In preventive cases, a chiropractor can give a good overall evaluation, teaching the patient how to prevent injuries and maintain good alignment – thereby reducing the chance of injury. For those looking for preventive treatment, your chiropractor can help assess and evaluate your condition by offering scans of your feet, testing for strength imbalances and an analysis of your posture. In addition, the chiropractor can also suggest a program suited to your needs to prevent injury in the future.  If you or someone you know is suffering from a running related injury give us a call today at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractor in Springfield, VA.

One of the most common condition that we treat at my chiropractic office in Springfield, VA is Migraines.  Migraine sufferers have to endure a pain that is recurring, severe and can last up to 72 hours. Warning signs such as an “aura”, which is a type of visual disturbance, and nausea, sometimes accompany migraines. Many sufferers find that conventional medicine and prescription drugs offer little relief from their condition, and many are turning to alternatives methods of treatment in order to manage the pain. One such alternative is chiropractic treatment.

A holistic approach to pain relief, chiropractic treatment focuses on aiding numerous health issues through massage, spinal manipulation and adjustment of the body’s soft tissues and joints, predominantly in the back. But is it effective against migraines?

In February 2000, a study published by Dr. Tuchin et al. [1] cited the possible benefits of chiropractic treatment in alleviating or easing both the pain and frequency of recurring migraines. The study used a sample of 127 migraine patients, all of whom suffered from at least one migraine per month; this sample was divided into two groups – one control group who received inactive treatment, while the other group received chiropractic treatment, focusing on aligning and treating specific areas of vertebral swelling and misalignment. The study concluded that those who received chiropractic treatment experienced subsequent improvement in the duration of the study, showing reduced pain and frequency of their migraines within two months of treatment. The latter group also reported a decline in the need of migraine medications. Further results from the same study found that one in five sufferers from the chiropractic treatment group had a 90% reduction of migraine frequency, while 50% found significant improvement in the severity of their migraines.

Recent studies conducted by R. Bryans et al. published in 2011 [2], concluded that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, were found to improve both cerviocogenic headaches as well as migraines. A systematic literature search on controlled clinical trials on the topic of migraines and headaches involving chiropractic treatment, published through August 2009, was conducted using a selection of medical and alternative therapy databases. Research found that chiropractic treatments such as spinal manipulation and massage could significantly help patients who suffer from chronic or episodic migraines, whereas sufferers of tension-type headaches did not respond to such treatment.

While using alternative methods of treatment such as chiropractic care can help sufferers to gain more control over their migraines, it should be treated as another form of support or extra help, instead of completely overlooking conventional medical care.  If you or someone you know suffers from migraines give us a call today at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractor in Springfield, VA.

When it comes to making important choices about treatment options for back pain, it’s worth looking at the experiences of others who have found something that works.  In recent years, the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center has surveyed the magazine’s subscribers to do just that.  In April and May 2009, Consumer Reports released some of its findings publicly.  A summary appears below.

About the Survey Participants

• More than 14,000 participants who had suffered from lower-back pain in the prior year but had never had back surgery.
• More than half reported that pain severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer.
• Many reported that pain interfered with sleep, sex and efforts to maintain a healthy weight.
• 88% reported that the pain recurred through the year.
• Most had tried five or six different treatments.

How Respondents Ranked the Healthcare Providers Who Had Treated Them

*Defined as either Completely Satisfied or Very Satisfied.

⁺Difference in ranking for Physical Therapist and Acupuncturist were not statistically significant.

How Respondents Ranked Selected Back Pain Therapies

In July 2011, Consumer Reports published an updated report describing how Americans use alternative approaches to healthcare as well as their experience with various therapies and their providers.  Chiropractic care once again was reported to be the most popular approach to back pain relief and was ranked most highly in terms of patient satisfaction.

How Your Chiropractic Physician Can Help Relieve Back Pain

Your Doctor of Chiropractic can help relieve back pain and restore mobility by using a drug-free, hands-on technique called a “chiropractic adjustment”.  He or she may also use other manual therapies, such as Active Release Technique, Graston Technique, to complement this primary treatment.  In addition, many chiropractors are skilled in designing exercise and nutrition programs for their patients that will help their bodies resist injury and function properly.  By focusing on both immediate pain relief and the underlying causes of back pain, your chiropractor can help you achieve a healthier overall lifestyle.

If you or someone you care about is suffering from back pain, give our office a call today at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractor in Springfield, VA.

Headaches are a common condition that we treat at my chiropractic office in Springfield, VA .  95% of women and 90% of men have had at least one in the past 12 months.  And for about 45 million of us, those headaches are chronic.

While a wide variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications have been developed to relieve this pain, they generally do little to address the underlying cause of the problem.  In addition, many of these compounds can have unwanted side effects, particularly if they’re used often, over a prolonged period of time or in combination with other medicines.  A growing awareness of both the limitations and risks of pharmaceuticals has led many headache sufferers to explore alternative approaches to managing them, including chiropractic.

Understanding Headaches

Headaches occur for many reasons and can vary greatly in their intensity and duration.  They may arise on their own (these are termed “primary headaches” and account for about 90% of all headaches) or be triggered as a result of some other health condition (described as “secondary headaches”).  Chiropractic physicians most commonly encounter three types of headaches in their work:

• Tension headaches are primary headaches that are brought on by unrelieved muscular contractions in the head, neck and shoulders, usually as a result of stress that cannot find an outlet.  These muscular contractions can themselves become the source of broader tension and stress throughout the body, setting in motion a feedback loop that eventually produces a headache.

• Migraine headaches are also primary headaches.  They are sometimes referred to as vascular headaches because they happen when blood vessels in the head suddenly expand, or “dilate”.  However, we know that the nervous system and genetic factors are also leading contributors.  Sufferers report a wide range of triggers and related symptoms.  Research into the exact cause of migraines is ongoing, and the condition has stubbornly resisted efforts to find a pharmaceutical “silver bullet”.

• Cervicogenic headaches are secondary headaches produced when pain begins in the neck or back of the head and is referred to the forehead or the area behind, in and around the eyes.  Trauma, chronic tension and disease are some of the more common initial sources of neck pain that is referred to the head.  Trigger points in the neck, shoulder blade and spine may also be sources of these headaches, though they can be much more difficult to identify.

How Chiropractic Can Help

There is a large and growing body of medical research that suggests chiropractic care can be effective in preventing or reducing the frequency and severity of primary headaches.  There is also some evidence that it may have benefits for cervicogenic headache sufferers.

Chiropractic adjustments of the spine and neck is used to improve the alignment of the spine and relieve muscle tension.  It also reduces nerve irritation and improves vascular flow.  Your chiropractic physician may also include massage and other therapies as part of a well-rounded treatment plan.  He or she will likely suggest exercise, stretching and relaxation techniques as well as nutritional strategies designed to help prevent future headaches.

If you or someone you know is looking for headache relief give us a call today at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractor in Springfield, VA.

Pain coming from compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve is called sciatica. Sciatica – which can include pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness – is really a symptom indicating an underlying problem, not a diagnosis in and of itself. This article will explore in detail the findings of a recent controlled study comparing spinal manipulation (chiropractic) and surgery for people whose sciatica did not respond to traditional medical treatment approaches.

The study discussed here was conducted by the National Spine Center in Alberta Canada and published in October of 2010 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. The 40 study participants all had sciatica lasting over 3 months which had not responded to treatment with pain medications, lifestyle modifications, physical therapy, massage therapy or acupuncture. They had all been referred by their primary care physicians to spinal surgeons who had deemed them appropriate surgery candidates.

Instead of having all the patient proceed with surgery, they were split into two groups – one group to undergo a surgical microdiscectomy and the other group to be treated with standardized chiropractic spinal manipulation by a single chiropractor. (If not satisfied with the results they obtained from their assigned method, the patients were allowed to switch to the other treatment plan after 3 months.)

So what happened? Both groups made significant improvements over baseline scores – meaning  that they saw noticeable improvements whereas previous approaches had failed. A full 60% of the study participants benefitted from chiropractic spinal manipulation to the SAME degree as if they underwent surgery. And, after 1 year there was no difference in outcome success based on the treatment method. That means that a full 60% of people referred for surgery by their primary care physicians and accepted as surgical candidates by the neurosurgeon could actually get similar results with chiropractic. That is a lot of potentially unnecessary cutting, anesthesia and ER time.

There is one paragraph in the results section of this study that is easy to overlook, but incredibly important. There were originally 120 candidates of which 60 met the study criteria and were asked to participate. Of these 60, 20 refused. Why? Because they had never been offered spinal manipulation as an alternative to surgery! They didn’t want to participate in the study and be randomly placed in the surgery group without first trying the spinal manipulation! This is incredibly telling. Not only does it demonstrate that there is still a lot of education about chiropractic that needs to happen among the public and among primary care providers, it also demonstrates that people understand the risks and costs of surgery and want to exhaust other possibilities first.

This was the first study to ever look at people who had failed traditional medical management of sciatica. Currently most patients that fail ‘conservative care’ are referred for a surgical evaluation. Now we know that 60% of these folks could avoid surgery and get similar long-term outcomes with chiropractic.

Please share this article with anyone considering surgery for sciatica.  To find out if chiropractic would be appropriate for your sciatica condition give us a call at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractor in Springfield, VA to learn more.

Get Up Every Hour
A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology discovered that people who sat for four or more hours a day outside work had a 50 percent greater risk of dying from any cause than those who sat less than two hours a day. I recommend taking a minute-long walk at least once an hour. Every step counts toward the 10,000 you should be taking every day.

Eat an Egg
This nutritional powerhouse does a body good: One egg provides 13 percent of your daily protein requirement and only 4 percent of the average recommended daily calorie count. Plus, it contains a hefty dose of lutein, an antioxidant that protects your eyes from macular degeneration and UV damage. An egg a day may even help prevent Alzheimer’s: The yolk is a significant source of choline, a nutrient that reduces inflammation in the brain.

Take Chromium
Research shows that the trace mineral helps maintain proper blood sugar levels by increasing cells’ sensitivity to insulin, steeling your body against type II diabetes. Swallow 200 micrograms a day of chromium polynicotinate.

Don’t Forget to Floss
When left to their own devices, the bacteria hiding between your teeth will infect your gums and enter your bloodstream, where they can cause inflammation in your arteries and contribute to plaque buildup on blood vessel walls. Recent studies have linked gum disease to other problems, too, ranging from respiratory infections to neurodegeneration.

Check Your Pulse
Before you get out of bed in the morning, press your index and middle fingers against the inside of your wrist below your thumb and count the beats for 30 seconds. Then double that number. A 2010 study found that compared with a normal resting rate of 60 beats per minute, a rate of 90 or above triples a woman’s risk of dying from heart disease. If your heart rate is high, consider adding more omega-3 fatty acids to your diet.

Do Self-Massage
Stress damages every organ in your body. For quick relief, press your thumbs against the sides of your nose just below your browbone; then walk your index and middle fingers across your brows and finish by lightly rubbing your temples. Massage prompts a drop in cortisol and adrenaline and a surge in feel-good endorphins.

I would also add receiving regular chiropactic adjustments from your chiropractor in Springfield, VA to the list.  Chiropractic adjustments take stress off of the nervous system allowing the body to optimally heal and function.

In my previous posts, I have discussed the most effective lower back exercises and stretches that I utilize in my Springfield Chiropractic office.

Today I am going to talk about the most effective stretching tool ever invented.  It’s called a foam roller and it’s one of the most simplest and cheapest stretching aids you can buy.   You can use the foam roller to stretch out your tight hips, legs, back and even improve your posture.  A foam roller costs about $20 and it either comes in white, blue, and black colors.  The white is the most comfortable going up in density to the black roller which is very hard.  I use a foam roller daily to stretch out and work out the tight knots in my muscles.

In the video below the person shows you how to work your legs, hips, back, and improve your posture using a foam roller.  You can purchase a foam roller from any of the local running stores, athletic stores or from my chiropractic office in Springfield, VA.  Start using the roller as demonstrated for at least five minutes every day and you will see a huge difference in your overall flexibility and mobility.

If you or a family member is suffering from neck pain, back pain or hip pain call our chiropractic office in Springfield, VA at (703) 912-7822.