Author Archives: The Upper Cervical Spine Center Chiropractor

The immune system is one of the essential systems in the human body. Its purpose is to identify any harmful element (microbe, bacteria) that enters your body and destroy it. This is your body’s first line of defense against various infections and illnesses. Thus, you should strive to keep it in good working condition. In this article we will answer a frequent question we get from people: can chiropractic boost your immunity?

What Is the Connection between Chiropractic and Immunity?

You may wonder – can I really try chiropractic for better immunity? This type of therapy is for neck and back pain and various other conditions associated with joints and the spine. That is correct. However, you should know that your immune system does not work independently from the brain.

Everything in your body is connected to the brain through nerves, even the various glands that form the immune system. And all the nerves pass through the spinal cord to meet the brain. Thus, when your spine is partially blocked or compressed by misaligned vertebrae, you get poor nerve function.

One of the functions which may be negatively affected by a spinal subluxation is the one controlling the immune system. 

How Can Chiropractic Boost Your Immunity?

In our clinic, patients come with a series of complaints: tense muscles, stiff neck, back pain, joint pain, etc. Many of them also suffer from various recurring health problems, all of them traceable to reduced immunity.

Here is one of the things that chiropractors learned over the year: chronic pain and stress can have a negative impact on your immunity. Your nervous system is focused on helping you cope with pain and/or stress, thus working overtime on this issue.

Meanwhile, you are experiencing poor appetite and a reduced energy level to be active and stay fit and healthy. Together, all these factors can make your immune system work less effectively.

Ways in Which Chiropractors Improve the Immune Function

Now, you probably want to hear about the practical ways in which chiropractic boosts your immunity. Here are some simple examples of procedures and their beneficial effect on your immune system:

1. Spinal Adjustments

Spinal adjustment is the most frequent type of chiropractic manipulation. Our chiropractors will identify the misalignment in your spine and apply manual adjustments to resolve it.

When the vertebrae regain their proper alignment, your spinal cord will pass signals from the brain to all parts of your body without obstructions or delays. 

2. Decompression

Spinal decompression is performed using a special table. The purpose of this procedure is to gently and safely stretch the spine, in order to relieve back pain or leg pain. Once you no longer have to live with chronic pain, you will be able to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle. At the same time, your immune system will receive the proper signals from the brain, and it will regain its full function.

3. Massage

Chiropractic massage is specialized to provide pain relief, reduce muscle tension, and improve blood flow. As part of preventive and ongoing chiropractic care, massage helps patients:

• Relieve pain
• Improve muscle strength and flexibility
• Recover after trauma faster.

It is also one of the ways in which chiropractic boosts your immunity, by helping you feel better and improving the overall nervous system function.

If you feel that your immunity is low, we can help you. Call our clinic to book and initial appointment and we will create a personalized chiropractic therapy plan for you to boost your immunity!

Humans are the only being on this planet to stand erect and walk on two legs. This gives us an extra horizon of vision, as well as the ability to perform many complex physical tasks. However, the modern world requires us to perform more tasks with our mind, using computers, and less physical activities. This kind of lifestyle has a negative impact on our posture, with many negative consequences. In this article, our chiropractors will explain why good posture is important for your health. We will also explain to you how chiropractic can help you correct poor posture and regain your full health and well-being.

Many of our patients are surprised when we tell them that they have poor posture and tell us: “but I don’t have a desk job.” They wrongly believe that correct posture is related only to how you are sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

In reality, posture is the way we carry our bodies at all times:

• When we stand up and wait in a queue
• When we walk or run
• When we sit down at lunch, on a sofa or at the desk
• When we lie down in bed to sleep.

The Importance of Good Posture

Now, why do chiropractors insist on correcting their patients’ posture? There is one simple answer: because this is how your body is supposed to be aligned in order to work properly.

You are putting excess pressure on a specific part of your body, instead of distributing it evenly across all joints, muscles, and ligaments. Over time, this can lead to:

• joint misalignments
• Bulging spine discs
• Inflammatory conditions (such as tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, and plantar fasciitis)
• Tense muscles.

In turn, these problems caused by poor posture will lead to more health issues, from a stiff neck to chronic back pain and the sensation of numbness in hands and feet. If poor posture is not corrected over a long period of time, it can lead to serious health conditions, such as:

• Poor sleep quality
• Reduced range of movement
• Weakened muscles
• Digestive problems.

How Our Chiropractors Help

After looking at the problem, let us detail the solution for correcting poor posture. Our chiropractors know that each patient is unique, thus, each chiropractic care plan is tailored to their specific needs.

However, these plans generally include the following therapies:

1. Joint Adjustments

The first and foremost concern for any chiropractor is restoring the joints to their natural position. Poor posture can actually make your key joints become misaligned. Yes, your knees, hips, spine, and shoulders can be affected. Instead of moving smoothly, like a perfectly oiled mechanism, they will work at a reduced range, pinch nerves, and generate inflammation in the muscles around them.

The firm and precise adjustments will solve this initial problem. Afterward, the chiropractor will focus on helping the patient regain and maintain a correct posture at all times.

2. Chiropractic Massages

Therapeutic massage is highly specialized. Each technique aims to solve specific problems, from deep tissue relaxation to improving blood flow in the area. Massage for posture correction aims to strengthen the muscles in the affected area and encourage them to regain their flexibility.

Weakened muscles are the result of favoring one side of the body over the other when performing repetitive physical activities, such as lifting weights. The chiropractor aims to solve this issue so that the patient will gain a correct posture and distribute their weight evenly to all joints.

3. Teaching the Patient 

Poor posture can become second nature to many patients. This is especially the case with poor posture while working at the desk or using a mobile phone. In our experience, it takes an effort of will to keep a good posture after years of using a non-ergonomic chair or bending over the phone screen.

However, with a little effort and determination, plus the chiropractor’s support, it is possible to regain a good posture.

Our chiropractors are ready to help you regain your full health and use of your body, so call us now to schedule an appointment!

In almost every article on this blog, we have discussed about joint subluxations as the core reason for many health issues. From pain and numbness to digestive problems and ringing in your ears, we explained that a subluxation is the real cause of these symptoms. Since many of you wondered, we decided to dedicate an article to a detailed discussion on joint subluxations. 

What Is a Subluxation?

The subluxation is a partial dislocation of the joint. Any joint consists of a combination of bones, cartilages, muscles, and ligaments. They fit together like the pieces of a puzzle and allow smooth motion to the fullest range. When a subluxation occurs, one of these elements, usually a cartilage or a bone slips out of its natural position.

Despite the fact that we mostly talked about spine subluxations, this condition can affect almost all the joints in the human body. 

Causes and Symptoms of Joint Subluxations

A subluxation can be caused by several issues:

• Physical trauma – such as falling down or getting hit
• Overuse of the respective joint in work or sports
• Hyperextension – when a joint is extended beyond its normal range of movement.

Although minor subluxations can go unnoticed, in most of the cases the patient is aware that something is wrong. The most frequent symptoms of joint subluxation are:

• Sensation of instability
• Pain and swelling in the area
• Loss of movement or limited mobility of the joint
• Numbness
• Bruising.

As we said above, almost all the joints may suffer from subluxation, but some are more at risk than others. We will detail them below in decreasing order of risk.

Types of Joint Subluxation

1. Vertebral Subluxation

The spine is probably the biggest series of joints in the human body and the most vulnerable to wear and tear. The spine keeps us in an erect position and has to bear all the extra load we carry in our hands or on our backs.

Thus, vertebral subluxations are very frequent. From a herniated disc (one of the most serious types of subluxations) to very slight misalignments, any subluxation of the spine puts pressure on the spinal cord and causes a wide range of conditions and symptoms in the human body.

2. Shoulder Subluxation

When we fall down, we tend to put our hands forwards instinctively. While this may break the fall and protect the head and torso, it may also cause the shoulder bone to pop out of the socket in the shoulder blade. 

Alternatively, this type of joint subluxation may be caused by continued repetitive rotating movements of the shoulder, which cause the ligaments to become loose. This situation is frequent among tennis, baseball, and volleyball players.

3. Knee Subluxation

This type of subluxation is quite frequent among children and teenagers. It is caused by a sudden fall on the knee, causing the kneecap to become dislocated. As children learn to bicycle, skate or rollerblade, this is a very common injury.

4. Elbow Subluxation

Elbow subluxation can be the result of trauma or overuse (this situation being better known as the tennis elbow condition). Unfortunately, many parents cause their small children this type of subluxation by mistake, when they lift them in the air by the hands and swing them. During the first years of life, the elbow is not fully developed to support the child’s weight.

Elbow subluxations often go undiagnosed for a long period of time in adults, because the joint may appear to be working properly. 

Why Should You Try Chiropractic for a Joint Subluxation?

Chiropractors probably know more about the joints in the human body than other doctors. Our specialization focuses on identifying joint subluxations and helping them return to the natural position in a non-invasive manner.

Although chiropractic manipulations appear strong and energetic, in reality the specialist applies the exact pressure necessary to achieve the maximum benefit with minimum discomfort for the patient.

If you feel any kind of pain or difficulty in moving a joint, call our clinic and book an appointment. We will give you a thorough physical examination, identify the issue and create a custom treatment plan for you. Contact us today!

Many people experience less than optimal eyesight, but there is no clear reason why. Tests perfumed by ophthalmologists do not indicate any problems, nor the need to wear eyeglasses. With all their options exhausted, some people come to accept that they have to live with poor vision. We believe that chiropractic care for eyesight is the right choice for this people.

Why Chiropractic Care for Eyesight?

When you think of going to a chiropractor, your first mental image is that of spinal adjustments to get rid of a stiff neck or chronic back pain. However, you must remember that every organ in your body is controlled by your brain through nerves. The same thing is true for your eyes.

We say that we see with our eyes; but we actually see with our brain. The image captured by the retina and sent to the brain through the optic nerve is upside down. The brain decides that the sky should be up and the earth down and makes us see things as they really are. Thus, chiropractic care for eyesight is not such a far-fetched idea. In fact, it may be the only solution to help you improve your clarity and depth of vision.

How Does Chiropractic Care for Eyesight Work?

Now, let’s talk about what may be wrong with your eyesight that a chiropractor can correct. In the course of your daily life, you put a lot of stress on your spine, even if you are not aware of it.

Here are just some issues that may lead to minor subluxations of the spine:

• Sleeping in an incorrect position or using a pillow and mattress that do not offer you optimal support
• Poor posture sitting down at the desk
• Performing repetitive movements
• Lifting heavy weights, including grocery bags.

Now, you may not be able to feel these slight misalignments of the vertebrae of your spine if you were to palpate yourself. But even a 0.4 mm misalignment can put pressure on the nerves in your spinal cord and cause them to work improperly.

What can a chiropractor do to help improve your eyesight?

1. Chiropractic Care for Eyesight Improves Nerve Function

Spine adjustments can be the solution to your eyesight problems. The chiropractors at our clinic are well trained and have extensive experience in identifying and solving subluxations of the spine.

Depending on the severity of the case, the chiropractor will prescribe adjustment sessions every few days, and then every few weeks. After the first few sessions, you will already notice an improvement in your eyesight.

2. Chiropractic Manipulations Restore Blood Flow to the Optic Nerve

Adjustments and massages performed by a chiropractor can restore blood flow if it is interrupted by tense muscles or joint misalignments. In many cases, chiropractic care for eyesight also improves other conditions the patient was complaining of, such as a stiff neck or muscle knots between the shoulder blades.

After all, if the optic nerve is affected, it is likely that other nerves are also not working properly. By solving the issue that causes your poor eyesight, the chiropractor will also improve your overall health and restore the full use of your body. 

3. The Chiropractor Can Lower Pressure in the Eye

High blood pressure or pressure on the optic nerve can cause permanent damage to the eye, including glaucoma (which can lead to blindness). Various case studies have proven that chiropractic care for eyesight can help reduce pressure on the eye and/or the optic nerve and improve the condition of patients with glaucoma.

You should not ignore eyesight problems, because they can degenerate into blindness. If the ophthalmologist cannot find any specific problem causing your poor vision, try chiropractic care for eyesight. Call our clinic now to set up an initial appointment!