What Exactly Is Chiropractic Care?
Restoring Mobility of the Spine
Chiropractic care mainly addresses the spine and relieves problems caused by dysfunctions of the spine. Your spine essentially serves two purposes: 1) it supports the weight of your body, allowing a great variety of movement, and 2) it encloses/protects the spinal cord, which connects your brain to the rest of your body. The spine contains 24 vertebral segments which connect to each other via a system of joints and are held together by muscles and ligaments.
Keeping your spine healthy means maintaining its full range of motion, without discomfort.
Problems arise when a joint in the spine becomes “stuck” and stops moving in its full range of motion. The lack of mobility leads to inflammation and swelling in the region surrounding the joint, along with muscle spasms and pain. It can also lead to symptoms which may not seem related to your spine (tension headaches, tingling or numbness in extremities, pain in knees/elbows, etc). Many things can cause a joint to get “stuck” such as a slip, fall, or even day-to-day routine activities. A spinal joint that is not working properly will require other joints to compensate, leading to altered motion patterns of the spine. Prolonged abnormal alignment of the spine can lead to permanent changes in the spinal structure which is why it is important to address spinal issues quickly.
A chiropractor focuses on restoring the full range of motion to a stuck joint utilizing precise and shallow adjustment of the spine. In most cases, the doctor will only use their hands to administer these adjustments. Often, when people complain of back and joint pain, they will say “something is out of place,” or “a bone in my back is dislocated.” Most often, this is not the case. Rather than being “out of place,” the joint is typically locked somewhere within its normal range of motion. The adjustments a chiropractor makes are done with the goal of restoring the normal motion of that joint.
Once the normal range of motion is reestablished, a person is able to move in a more comfortable manner. Other joints no longer have to compensate for the poorly moving joint. Pain, muscle spasm, and inflammation (the body’s most important defenses against dysfunctional joint movement) are no longer needed, and will dissipate.
See How We Can Help for more information on what types of treatment we offer at our office.
Have any questions about chiropractic care? Give us a call at 615-650-6533 or email us at info@eastendchiro.com.
Help with Headaches
Headaches Can Be Debilitating
Getting a chiropractic adjustment isn’t just for back pain. You might not think your back is related to that headache you’ve been getting over and over, but many issues we experience throughout our bodies relate to tension and misalignment of the spine—headaches included. It is estimated that 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches. And yet, we are told that headaches are not normal. So what’s the deal? East End Chiropractic can help you by discussing a treatment plan to relieve recurring headaches.
There are a few different types of headaches and numerous triggers. Identifying this is an important step in stopping painful headaches.
How do we get headaches? The spine protects our nervous system, which communicates sensations to the brain. When our spinal motion and alignment is off, this puts tension on the nerves, resulting in a headache. There are many other things that affect our bodies and can create headaches, such as foods, environment, and physical activity. Americans often sit in one position for long periods of time (such as sitting in an office chair) and this causes spinal tension and alignment issues.
What kinds of headaches are there?
Migraine. The ‘mother’ of all headaches, this type is often accompanied by nausea, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and intense pain that can leave you bedridden even after taking maximum doses of pain medication.
Pain in the neck. A cervicogenic headache is just that—pain that originates from tension in the neck. These headaches usually are felt on the side of the head.
Tension is the modern American’s middle name, and it comes with headaches that can feel like your head is gripped in a vice. These can also originate from tension in the neck.
The National Institute of Health has concluded that chiropractic care is effective in the treatment of headaches. While chiropractic care offers immediate relief from your headache symptoms, ongoing treatment may be beneficial in keeping your spine moving correctly to prevent recurring issues. We can also discuss ways to improve your lifestyle that will benefit your overall health and well-being.
Contact us today at 615-650-6533 to schedule an appointment.
Closing Out the Summer
As we wrap up summer and slowly move into the beautiful season that is fall, we have so many things to be thankful for. We really have had a great summer here at East End Chiropractic.
A number of months ago, we welcomed a new doctor to our building. Dr. Allan Redash specializes in functional, restorative, nutritional, and anti-aging medicine. He has been a wonderful addition to our Body in Balance family, which already provides physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and more. We love being part of a group of businesses committed to holistic wellness!
We spent quite a few afternoons out at the East Nashville Farmers Market this summer, meeting our neighbors and supporting local farms in the area. As we and our families have committed to eating better and cleaner foods, we’ve also committed to a more active lifestyle.
This fall, our office will be participating in two 5Ks and we hope you’ll join us! (We will be walking, so there’s no pressure to be in the best shape for this!)
- Shelby Bottoms Boogie 5K – October 5, 2013 at Shelby Bottoms Park in East Nashville
- Mayors Challenge 5K – November 17, 2013 at the Public Square in Downtown Nashville
We will keep you updated as we finalize some more things for fall. Check our Facebook page regularly for health tips, office updates, and upcoming events!
We are so grateful for you. For trusting us with your health and for supporting our small business.
Thank you.
How Well Do You Know Dr. John?
Take this quiz to see how well you know your favorite chiropractor…
True or False?
- Dr. John is from the same town in North Carolina that Ava Gardner comes from.
- Before studying to become a Chiropractor, Dr. John studied Fine Arts.
- Dr. John himself has endured back pain and has been helped by chiropractic treatments.
- Dr. John plays the trumpet.
- His favorite new TV addiction is Arrested Development.
- In his free time, he likes to do ballroom dancing.
- His favorite reads are autobiographies.
- He met his wife on a cruise.
- Dr. John is a cat person.
- He can cook a mean crab cake.
** Answers (don’t look ahead!)
- True. Dr. John is from Smithfield, NC. (near Raleigh)
- False. He began as a Psychology major. His parents wanted him to become a professional piano player for churches.
- True. This is what started Dr. John’s career. He was suffering from low back pain and a chiropractor in his church began to treat him. When his own health improved, he wanted to change course and begin his training to become a chiropractor.
- False. The piano.
- True. He says, “It is the funniest show since Seinfeld.”
- False. In his spare time, he likes to “putter” and do woodwork.
- True. He is hoping to read the new book about Steve Jobs next.
- False. He met his wife at a Health Fair.
- False. Dr. John has a beloved dog named Bindi.
- True. His crab cakes are mean.
