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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and Chiropractic

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Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when there is a compression of the median nerve in the wrist formed by the carpal bones and the transverse carpal ligament – a strip of tendon that supports the wrist from the bottom. The Carpal Tunnel is a narrow passageway in the wrist where tendons and nerves pass through to control the hand. These nerves and tendons are covered with a sheath of fluid that protects it. When a person uses the hand repetitively, swelling can happen due to the irritation of the chamber. As it swells, there’s no more space to accommodate the swelling thus the nerve is being compressed which results in  numbness and tingling in the hands, primarily the thumb and thumb pad, index, middle, and inner half of the ring fingers.

When a person uses their hands on a repetitive motion, like for example when typing, there is a tendency that it can result in carpal tunnel syndrome. There’s no known real cause for the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as it’s an idiopathic condition but those that are more prone to suffering from this syndrome are women and those with diabetes. Around 80% of cases of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are women and studies are still being conducted to understand why majority of cases are females.

The symptoms of CTS are usually experienced at night and are most likely caused by the sleeping position of the patient. As the patient unknowingly bends the wrist during sleep, the pain would then flare up. In cases of patients suffering from pain at night due to carpal tunnel syndrome, the patient can use a brace or a splint to keep them from bending their wrist and compressing the nerves while sleeping.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated through a chiropractic treatment. The patient must first undergo a series of examinations such as a physical examination and  x-ray to properly diagnose the patient’s case.  Since carpal tunnel syndrome is considered an RSI or a repetitive stress injury, the usual chiropractic treatment for this is by manipulation of the elbow and wrist and also with the manipulation of the patient’s cervical spine. Aside from this, the patient also has to rest the affected arm and to apply a cold compress to prevent further inflammation. A brace or a splint may also be advised for the patient to wear.

Spinal and arm manipulation is not the only chiropractic treatment available for treating carpal tunnel syndrome although it is the most common. An ultrasound therapy may also be conducted. In this type of therapy, a device that emits either high or low energy sound is used to the affected area. These energy sounds produce sound waves that penetrate into the skin and tissue thus relaxing the muscles and reducing the pain and inflammation. Cold Laser by Erchonia PL 5000 is another effective modality that will help to expedite the healing process and control the pain.

Chiropractic treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome is non-invasive. There’s no need for medications or surgery if you choose this treatment. Based on studies, the chiropractic treatment is also just as effective as the allopathic treatment for repetitive stress injury or RSI.

While I was doing research for this article I have come across a really interesting article on Eioba.com The title is: Kevin’s 52 Tips On Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Wrist Pain. This article covers every angle on how to prevent CTS and RSI. It is a must list for everyone who has wrist pain. Thumbs up Kevin for this information. I am also providing a list of exercises intended to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. Remember doing a quick five minute exercise warm-up before starting work, just as runners stretch before a run, can help prevent work-related injuries.

In conclusion I would like you to watch this excellent 3D video by Christopher Travers. It will help one to better understand about the patho physiology of CTS.

Question: Waht kind fo treatment did you or someone you know have for CTS?

Insomnia and 14 Tips on How to Cope with Sleep Problem

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Insomnia is a symptom which can accompany several sleep, medical and psychiatric disorders, characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep and/or difficulty staying asleep. Insomnia is typically followed by functional impairment while awake.

Most adults have experienced sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. An estimated 30%-50% of the general populations are affected by insomnia, and 10% have it as a chronic condition. Sleepless is a quite common problem but when it starts to become chronic, it becomes a big burden. Our body needs 6-8 hours of sleep. The older we become the longer hours of sleep recovery our body needs from every day’s stress.  My teacher Dr. Denofrio used to say: “Sleep is your weapon.”  If we are sleep deprived, we can’t function well and we easily get irritated and can’t concentrate.  Insomnia is most often caused by stress, illness, a change of the sleeping environment and many other factors.  There are five types of insomnia: Primary, Co-morbid , Transient, Short-term, and Chronic.

Patients who are suffering from insomnia for over a month are considered to have chronic insomnia. There are 3 divisions for chronic insomnia and they are as primary sleep disorders, secondary insomnia and idiopathic insomnia.

Primary insomnia is usually experienced by people suffering from stress or anxiety and is categorized as transient insomnia. It can also be caused by alcohol and coffee. This type of  insomnia will go away on its own as long as the root of the problem is cleared. Secondary insomnia, on the other hand, is caused by a psychiatric or medical problem as well as with extensive use of alcohol and drugs. Idiopathic insomnia has no known cause but sleeplessness still occur. Primary sleep disorders are caused by sleep syndromes and circadian rhythm disorders among others.

Patient who suffers from lack of sleep can find a relief from this condition with chiropractic care. Combination of chiropractic adjustments and deep tissue massage will help to facilitate the neurological impulse flow  from your brain – central nervous system (CNS) to the peripheral nervous system (PNS). CNS and  PNS control the function of every single organ in our body. Deep tissue massage will help facilitate the blood flow to your musculoskeletal system (MSS), thus help to  repair micro damges that your body sustained throughout the day. The process is happening while one is asleep. The balance between CNS -PNS and MSS will allow  your body to have a chance to  rejuvenate.  Pleas take a look at this video I found on Youtube by Shannon Scarlett. This is a perfect example of how much information our CNS is processing every day.

But, it is too general to say that chiropractic care would help in all cases of insomnia.  There are different cases of insomnia that requires different approach. A medical professional would offer the advice to the patient as he/she can diagnose the root cause as to why the patient is suffering from insomnia.

Nonetheless, chiropractic care and other treatments are available for the patient to see what works for them. But, these treatments would work optimally if the patient also makes lifestyle changes and avoid as much stress as possible. Below are 14 tips on how to cope with Insomnia:

1. Take warm bath before going to bed

2. Get a Massage

3. Listen t a Sothing, Soft Music

4. Drink Herb Tea – Camomile, catnip, anise or funnel

5. Eat  a Bedtime snack

6. Avid Coffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco

7. Sleep in Well-Ventilated Room

8. Get Some Cardiovascular Exercises During the Day

9.  Keep Regular DedTime Hours

10. Don’t Sleep In

11. Get Up Early In the Morning

12. Avoid Illuminated Bedromm Clocks

13. Keep room Dark

14. Avoid Exercises 3-4 Hours Before BedTime

Question: What Other Techniques Did You Use in Order to Help Yourself to fall Asleep?

Frozen Shoulder Syndrome and Chiropractic Rehabilitation

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frozen shoulder

Frozen Shoulder Syndrome and Chiropractic Rehabilitation

Frozen shoulder (FS),medically referred to as adhesive capsulitis, is a disorder in which the the connective tissue surrounding the glenohumeral joint, becomes inflamed and stiff, and grows together with abnormal bands of tissue, called adhesions, greatly restricting motion and causing chronic pain. Some people experiencing this kind of problem don’t go for any forms of treatment in order to gain back the motion of their joints. The condition will get better eventually without treatment but it will take a very long time to do so. The pain and the reduced Range of Motion without any form of treatment means only one thing, you won’t be able to function to a full capacity. The more you try to move your joint, the more pain you will experience. Therefore, it is best to seek treatment for pain control. There several options for patients who have frozen shoulder pain:

1. Oral and Injectible Steroids

2.Hydrodilation and Hydroplasty

3. Chriopractic rehabilitation with Physical Therapy

4. Manipulation Under Anesthesia

Frozen shoulder(FS) is more common for people between the ages of 40 and 60. If you have diabetes, you are more prone to experiencing frozen shoulders as around 20% of diabetic patients also suffer from this condition at one point. Though, the actual causes of FS are still inconclusive but there are risk factors that may increase your chances of suffering from this condition. The conditon is twice more common in women than men. If you are between the ages of 40 and 60 and female who has diabetes, you have a higher risk of acquiring a frozen shoulder. Endocrine problems also increase your chance of experiencing a frozen shoulder. If you have Parkinson’s disease, you are also at a higher risk of suffering from a FS. Lastly, if you suffered from a shoulder injury or trauma and you immobilized your shoulder joints for a long period of time, you have the highest risk of developing a frozen shoulder.

According to health professionals who treat FS, the condition generally follows a course of three stages:

  • Stage one: a slow onset of pain, and the shoulder gradually loses the range of motion. This stage can last from six weeks to nine months.
  • Stage two: a slow improvement in pain relief, with stiffness remaining. This stage can last from four to nine months.
  • Stage three: a “thawing” as shoulder slowly regains motion and pain is relieved. This stage can last from five to 26 months.

There are two options for a treatment of FS: nonsurgical and surgical treatment. As a rule of thumb, the health care professional would advise the least invasive treatment first before they ask for a surgical intervention. For nonsurgical treatment there are chiropractic care and physical therapy, manipulation under anesthesia, as well as pain control using steroid medication.

Chiropractic care is a successful method in easing the frozen shoulder pain. Doctors of Chiropractic use TENS units, Ultraound, Erchonia Cold Laser PL 5000, stretching, educating patients about lifestyle change and diet.  The length of time spent on the chiropractic treatment depends on the severity of the condition. If the pain is more advance it can take months to rehabilitate the shoulder. Chiropractic can limit the devastating effects of all forms of physical disability such as FS. At this point research into its cause remains inconclusive.

As a general rule, prevention is better than cure. With chiropractic care, you can prevent FS even before it sets in. When you start feeling a slight pain in your shoulder area, you can try chiropractic care to avoid the stiffening of the joint that causes extreme pain and immobilization. If prevention is unsuccessful, treating the frozen shoulder with chiropractic care requires the use of modalities, chiropractic adjustmnts and deep tissue massage. This treatment is used to manage the pain, inflammation and increase range of Motion.

In the majority of cases, chiropractic involves few risks and has been proven beneficial in treating a FS syndrome. Reputable chiropractic professionals will assure their patients of the best program to follow in maintaining optimum physical movement and a quality life.

Car Accident Injury and Chiropractic

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People who got into a car accident and survived should consider themselves very lucky.  Some  injuries caused by a motor vehicle accident can cause lifetime damage to the body and no amount of treatment could get one back to one old self at 100% copacity. Still, by getting the right treatment, you could get back as much motion and sensitivity to the damaged body part than none.  

The severity of the car crash injury varies from the impact and the passenger’s safety while inside of the car, but the most common car accident injuries are on the face and head, brain, neck, arm and shoulders, back, foot, leg and knee as well as with the psychological injury or post traumatic stress disorders. Of course death is also a possible result of a very traumatic car accident injury. For those who had injuries that are non-life threatening, there are many treatments that will help in reducing the pain and swelling as well as for rehabilitation to gain back movements and senses. Such treatments include physical therapy as well as chiropractic treatments.  

Whiplash is a very common injury suffered during car accidents where there is a sudden neck distortion. In fact, it’s one of the most common injury when two vehicles collide. Whiplash car accident injury was not easily detected in the past because soft tissue injuries were hard to detect using x-rays or radiographs. Now with MRIs, ultrasounds and CT scans, such injuries are now detected. All of the car insurance companies cover Whiplash injury rehabilitation. However, in the past it was considered as a fraud or a lie when patient complain of pain where no bones were broken.  

Chiropractic rehabilitation is a great choice of treatment to remedy whiplash and accident related injuries. Many patients suffering from whiplash reported faster recovery and less pain with the help of chiropractic treatment.  

Whiplash  injury is evident when the patient feels pain in the neck, shoulders, lower back , jaw, headache, anxiety and fatigue. Chiropractic treatments help the patient by helping in the restoration of the movements of the spine as well as by reducing the muscle spasm, pain, iflammation and avoid fabrotic tissue foramtion. Chiropractic treatment also heals the ligaments and tendons that had been affected by a car accident injury. The chiropractic treatment don’t only relieve the patient of pain but it also helps in preventing any long term effects from the autombile collision.  

Please take a look at this High Impact Rear-End Collision – Neck Injury VIDEO:  

  

Most of the time, in order to get the best possible result, chiropractic treatment is combined with other specialists and modalities. After a course of chiropractic rehabilitation a patient can rereferred for therapy sessions of  Physical Therapy, Acuputnure and Medical Doctor.  In my office each treatment consists of chiropractic manipulation and physiotherapy modalities in the form of menual traction, moist heat, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, Erchona PL5000 laser and myofascial release for the relief of muscle spasm and pain.  

Car Accident Statistics –  

Car Crash Stats: There were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States in 2005. The financial cost of these crashes is more than 230 Billion dollars. 2.9 million people were injured and 42,636 people killed. About 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the United States — one death every 13 minutes.

In 2003 there were 6,328,000 car accidents in the US. There were 2.9 million injuries and 42.643 people were killed in auto accidents.

In 2002, there were an estimated 6,316,000 car accidents in the USA. There were about 2.9 million injuries and 42,815 people were killed in auto accidents in 2002.

There were an estimated 6,356,000 car accidents in the US in 2000. There were about 3.2 million injuries and 41,821 people were killed in auto accidents in 2000 based on data collected by the Federal Highway Administration.