Top Chiropractor in San Leandro, CA

San Leandro Chiropractor

Low Back Pain Prevention and Maintenance

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lower back painMany of my patients ask me the same question over and over again: “How often and how long do I have to see a chiropractor for low back pain problems?” I always provide the same answer: “How often do you change oil in your car, do tune up, replace brake pads and tires and many other things that a vehicle requires in order to run properly?” Our body is a bio mechanical machine that requires as much care and maintenance is the vehicle you drive every day. Every day stress such as work, commute, household activities will eventually lead to low back pain problems. Sacrum and Lumbar spine are the center of the gravity for our bodies. If that area is deconditioned mechanical problems are inevitable – misaligned vertebrae in a lumbar spine or misaligned Sacroilliac joint. This misalignment (subluxation) will cause the irritation to the nerve root and will result in a muscle spasm which will cause more pain and discomfort. The longer one waits for this pain and discomfort to go away the greater the possibility that this problem will get worse.

Back in 2010 I have written a blog post – “Healthy Hints for a healthy Back” which describes how to properly stand and walk, sit, lift, sleep, drive and work. Following these simple advices will guarantee that your low back vertebraes will maintain proper alignment and injury to a soft tissue of the para-spinal musculature of the lumbar spine will be avoided or minimized.

Another blog post that was written the same year – “Lower Back Exercises.” talks about a conditioned para-spinal musculature of the lumbar spine and how it helps to prevent a low back pain. A series of exercise samples with pictures have been provided for your overview. Only ten to fifteen minutes a day will keep your low back young and strong.

Nothing can really replace a visit to your local chiropractor. A great full spine adjustment will make you feel really good. It will stimulate your peripheral and central nervous. Add electrical stimulation and moist heat for fifteen minutes and follow up with fifteen minutes deep tissue massage by a certified massage therapist and you will feel like a car that just had a complete tune up done, brans new tires installed and brake pads replaced. I get adjusted and get all of the therapies mentioned at least once a week some times more than once a week. My low back would fail me long time ago if I would not exercise on regular bases and did not get chiropractic care.

if you are not doing any of the three advices mentioned above, make a change in your life now. The sooner you start the better the chances that your low back pain will never bother you in a future.

If you have anything to add to this post, please feel free to Post a comment or share your thoughts through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or comment section below to join the conversation.

 

 

Chiropractor and Signs You Should See One

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CHIROPRACTOR

Signs You Should See A Chiropractor

This is a guest post by Michael Valhalla about Chiropractor. How many times have you caught yourself saying, “it will just go away”, or “I’ll just take some pain pills”? It’s always the easiest way out to think that your pain is going to go away. Maybe it will! But letting a pain go on and on is like saying that the check engine light on the car will just go away. Letting pain linger can bring more damage to the body than you may really know. To prevent further damage to the body, below are some signs that indicate you should see your chiropractor for help.

Trauma Pain – Accidents that are caused from sports injuries or car accidents or even a hard fall can result in some underlying problems that a chiropractor can detect. Auto accidents can have long lasting injuries to the body and treatments need to begin soon after an accident to limit inflammation and help to restore normal movement. These things can lead to nerve damage, broken bones, herniated disks and torn ligaments. Many of those issues will go away by themselves, but most will need some chiropractic help to get rid of. Remember that just because your car looks fine, doesn’t mean you are!

Extremity Pain – When you have constant pain in the arms and legs you should see a chiropractor. Pain in the extremities is a sure sign that something is inflamed and could mean a possible disc problem, nerve problem, or other serious problem that needs to be diagnosed by a chiropractor.

Range of Motion – This is one of the most clearcut signs that you should see a chripractor. If you can’t move your arm in your shoulder socket as much as you usually can, or you feel a pinch everytime you bend your ankle a certain way. It would behoove you to make an appointment!

Waking Pain – Pain that is so painful that it wakes you up at night could be a sign of a serious problem that a chiropractor needs to evaluate. Rest assured that these will not go away with simple rest – you’ve already proven that that’s definitely not the case!

Numbness/Tingling – Frequent numbness or tingling (especially in the legs or back area) is a serious sign that you need to get help. Most of the time, this is some type of issue with a nerve, and a doctor is the only one that can tell you what this is. Not doing so could result in irreversible pain and/or damage.

When it comes to seeing a chiropractor, keep an open mind. Many people are misinformed at what they can do and there is more than enough evidence that proves the therapeutic benefits, as well as safety benefits, of a chiropractor. They have the same education as a medical doctor, they accept insurance, and they are very helpful for many common injuries. So, don’t even spend another minute in doubt. When in pain, see your chiropractor.

 

 

Hay Fever and Chiropractic Benefits

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hay fever

Hay Fever and Chiropractic Benefits

This is a guest post by Dr. James A Devine DC, from Seattle about Hay Fever.

The return of blue skies and warmer weather has me excited, but those suffering from seasonal allergies may share my enthusiasm for the arrival of spring and hay fever with it.  Along with daffodils and tulips, springtime brings pollen that once again has hay-fever sufferers sneezing and wiping their eyes.

The body’s immune system, in addition to preventing disease and infection and combating stress, deals with the invasion of foreign substances such as pollution, dust and pollen.  Allergic reactions happen when the body’s immune system overreacts to allergens and overproduces neutralizing chemicals such as histamines to correct the problem.  An immune system not operating effectively will often over-react to pollen and other irritants.

Traditional allergy treatments only deal with the symptoms and do nothing to address the cause. It is a little known, but true fact, that antihistamines can cause heart problems, especially if taken in conjunction with alcohol and sedatives.  Chiropractic care, on the other hand, releases stress on a patient’s nervous system and allows the immune system to operate more effectively.

A healthy, stress-free body is more capable of fighting off allergens without the use of harmful medications. Subluxations or misaligned spinal vertebra put pressure on a nerve, which places stress on the nervous system and make the body more susceptible to disease.  Chiropractic adjustments remove subluxations and the resulting the nerve interference and allow the immune system to work optimally.  Free from nervous system stress, the body can work more efficiently to neutralize allergy-causing chemicals in the environment.

Symptoms that you might be suffering from seasonal allergies include:

  • Sneezing
  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Congestion
  • Sinus headaches
  • Sinus pressure

Chiropractic is a conservative, natural and effective, drug-free approach for treating seasonal allergies.  If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, it is a great time to visit your chiropractor!

 

Ear Infections in Children and Chiropractic Care

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EAR INFECTIONS

Ear Infections in Children and Chiropractic Care

Many parents know that dealing with painful ear infections at night is not fun. Children scream through an agonizing pain. At least that what my wife and myself have been experiencing the last couple of nights. We were stressed out and our four and half years old boy was even more stressed out. Fortunately our son was breast fed till he was 20 months old and I have to admit that it is a heroic act on my spouse’s behalf. Until recently we did not have any problems with ear infection and pain.

November was a month that our family was traveling a lot all over the country. That means only one thing, lots of time on an airplane full of people who most likely carry some sort of virus or cold infection, eating out and lack of exercises. These three main factors will do some serious damage to an adult’s health but child is taking it to a whole different level. Their fragile immune system has to fight new invaders every day.

Before I go into an explanation of a pain and suffering process of ear infection I would like to explain what it is and what the treatment procedures for such health problem. The ear has two functions – hearing and balance and it consists of three different parts – the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. I am not going to bore you with its function and anatomy, you can simply click on links that I have provided if interested. Kids develop ear infections more frequently in the first 2 to 4 years of their life for several reasons:

  • Their eustachian tubes are shorter and more horizontal than those of adults, which allows bacteria and viruses to find their way into the middle ear more easily. Their tubes are also narrower and less stiff, which makes them more prone to blockage.
  • The adenoids, which are gland-like structures located in the back of the upper throat near the eustachian tubes, are large in children and can interfere with the opening of the eustachian tubes.

A number of other factors can contribute to kids getting ear infections, such as exposure to cigarette smoke, bottle-feeding, and day-care attendance (that was our case as well in addition to travel). Ear infections also occur more commonly in boys than girls, in kids whose families have a history of ear infections, and during the winter season when upper respiratory tract infections or colds are frequent.

There are several options available for treating middle ear infections in children. One of the most popular is use of antibiotics where child has to take during a course of ten days or so. Sometimes this treatment will not work because it could also be a viral infection. For those children who have chronic infections in some cases, an ear, nose, and throat doctor will suggest surgically inserting tubes (called tympanostomy tubes) in the tympanic membrane. This allows fluid to drain from the middle ear and helps equalize the pressure in the ear because the eustachian tube is unable to.

In our particular case I have adjusted my son’s right occipital region about four nights in a raw. On a fifth night he slept through without any pain at all. It has been about a month since the last episode and so far he did not complain about any ear pain at all. Research showed that 80% of the children who get chiropractic care were free of ear infections for at least six-month period. Maintenance for one or two times of every four to six weeks would be necessary for this result. Chiropractic adjustment mobilizes drainage of the ear in children. Continues drainage of fluids will eliminate the infection and will strengthen the immune system and help the child to recover much faster.

 If you have anything to add to this post, please feel free to Post a comment or share your thoughts through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or comment section below to join the conversation.