Archive for chiropractic treatment
Wichita Chiropractor Reveals Recent Study on Failed Back Surgeries
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As your Wichita chiropractor I feel that it is my obligation to pass along the results of a recent study regarding failed back surgeries: Did you know that complicated spine surgeries that involve fusing two or more vertebrae are actually on the rise? You may find it surprising, or even shocking, to discover that experts estimate that nearly 600,000 Americans opt for back operations each year, and according to a study published in Spine several months ago, in just 15 years, there has been an eight-fold jump in vertebrae fusion operations. That statistic has most chiropractors, many public health experts, and even some surgeons concerned. In fact, Dr. Charles Burton, medical director for The Center for Restorative Spine Surgery in St. Paul, MN, said that spine surgery and fusion has gotten way beyond what is reasonable or necessary, and that there are some areas of the country where the rate of spine surgery is three or four times the national average. What’s worse, according to the study, in many cases surgery can even backfire, leaving patients in more pain!
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine reviewed records from 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation database who had diagnoses of disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of the limbs. Half of the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of curing low back pain. The other half had no surgery, even though they had comparable diagnoses. After two years, just 26 percent of those who had surgery returned to work. That’s compared to 67 percent of patients who didn’t have surgery. In what might be the most troubling study finding, researchers determined that there was a 41 percent increase in the use of painkillers, specifically opiates, in those who had surgery.
Researchers reviewed records from 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation database who had diagnoses of disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of the limbs. Half of the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of curing low back pain. The other half had no surgery, even though they had comparable diagnoses.
After two years, just 26 percent of those who had surgery returned to work. That’s compared to 67 percent of patients who didn’t have surgery. In what might be the most troubling study finding, researchers determined that there was a 41 percent increase in the use of painkillers, specifically opiates, in those who had surgery. The study’s lead author, Dr. Trang Nguyen, said that the study provides clear evidence that for many patients, fusion surgeries designed to alleviate pain from degenerating discs don’t work.
I have said it before (many times before), but it bears repeating: Before choosing surgery to get rid of your back pain, call your chiropractor for conservative chiropractic treatment first. Your chiropractor is a spine expert who is committed to helping back pain sufferers get out of pain through natural, non-invasive procedures. Call today. You have nothing to lose but your back pain!
3101 North Rock Rd #100 Wichita, KS, 67226 USA
info@wichitachiropractor.net • 316-636-4444
More Evidence of the Efficacy of Chiropractic Treatment for Relieving Low Back Pain
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Chiropractors everywhere will tell you the same thing: Conservative chiropractic treatment should always be considered prior to any back surgery. In fact, an entire chapter in a newly released textbook published by Springer Science+Business Media, Surgery For Low Back Pain, is dedicated to chiropractic treatment. The book was edited by a consummate group spine surgeons from Europe. The inclusion of chiropractic methods in clinical decision marks another example of the global growth and acceptance of healing benefits of chiropractic treatment.
Dr. Melody Shubert, your Wichita Chiropractor, wants you to know that there is a variety of chiropractic treatment plans that are highly effective when caring for your musculoskeletal system, from eliminating specific acute conditions to addressing your overall health concerns. Following a detailed examination and a discussion of your concerns, Dr. Shubert will recommend to you which approach would likely be the most beneficial for you. As your Chiropractor in Wichita, Dr. Shubert will suggest several treatment strategies from which you can decide depending on your most recent health crisis as well as your long term health and fitness goals.
It could be advantageous for you to have some awareness, beforehand, about the varied chiropractic treatment plans Dr. Shubert will likely suggest.
Relief Care is a type of chiropractic treatment approach made available to individuals who are suffering from any type of acute pain or discomfort, regardless of the cause of the challenge. The goal of this kind of therapy is to supply urgent pain relief. The length of the treatment process is likely to fluctuate as it depends exclusively on the extent of the affliction or dysfunction sustained by the individual and how quickly it can be remedied.
Corrective Care is a “more advanced” type of chiropractic treatment. It is for those who have lived with spinal complaints over a long time period, that is to say, for those who have a persistent condition that has evolved into a more complicated issue resulting from not pursuing proper care. Corrective treatment regularly stretches over a longer time period. How long treatment is needed is determined by the extent of the progressive injury and how swiftly the person responds to the treatment.
Maintenance Care, as the name suggests, is intended to maintain or protect any form of chiropractic therapy already given to a patient. Many times, chiropractic treatment is extended solely after the initial treatments have proven to be successful. The intention of this kind of chiropractic care is to remove the possibility of the initial problem coming back and to forestall degenerative changes in the future.
Wellness Care is provided to individuals who are not experiencing acute discomfort, but wish to increase their overall health. Routine chiropractic treatment improves the circulation of blood and oxygen within the body, enhances muscle flexibility, helps in avoiding work and play injury, boosts the autoimmune system, and increases an individual’s all round sense of well-being.
Whether you are presently in pain or you wish to improve your overall health, chiropractic care can help. Call Dr. Shubert, your Wichita chiropractor, today!
As a Wichita Chiropractor, Dr. Melody Shubert treats a lot patients who have sustained sport injuries. In fact, injuries are not unusual with any type of sport. You can often avoid getting injured in a certain sport, however, by finding out what injury is likely to occur, and then doing whatever it takes to avoid it. The truth is, though, that sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Consequently, it’s important to be physically fit to make injury less predictable, or less traumatic.
Prior to starting a sport, such as golf, the most critical thing you can do is to be certain that you have the proper fitness level. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, keeping your joints mobile and your muscles limber, preparing your body prior to activity, using proper form and good postures during activity, and giving yourself plenty of cool down and relaxation time, you will probably keep your body safe from injury.
Golf injuries don’t only happen to amateurs. It has been conjectured that close to a third of pro golfers playing in the same time frame are playing injured. The good news is that all-round good health and fitness can reduce the number of injuries that you may experience and might possibly preclude some of them completely.
Proper body strength in the muscle areas most employed in a sport, such as golf, is crucial. However, it’s also still prudent to make sure your spine is in good alignment and that it has good mobility prior to setting out to build muscle strength. A proficient golf swing relies on your spine’s capacity to effectually move in a rotational manner. Back injuries are the most common kind of injuries sustained by golfers. To be certain that your spine is in appropriate alignment and there is effectual movement in the vertebrae, see a chiropractor, like Dr. Shubert, your Chiropractor in Wichita. Chiropractic treatment can make a big difference in helping you to avert back injury.
Once you’ve “straightened,” it’ll be time to strengthen. A safe, injury-free day on the green depends upon your being prepared for your golf game. You can warm up your muscles and make muscle strain less likely by doing golf stretching and flexibility exercises. Whole body range of motion (ROM) exercises will enhance flexibility, often rather fast, in all parts of the body. Furthermore, elastic band conditioning can provide functional golf range of motion advantages and can increase needed energy in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Sports professionals, such as chiropractors, are adding elastic band training to their golf conditioning programs because the bands offer dynamic resistance that ordinary weight lifting does not offer.
A large number of golfers have painful “Golfer’s Elbow” in addition to back pain. Despite the fact that golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are nearly the same injuries, there is a minute difference between them. Tennis elbow affects the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow disturbs the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can be a reaction to a single intense action, such as (in golf) hitting the mat at the driving range or thrusting down on a hard fairway surface. Repetitive stress from smaller shocks, though, is most often the protagonist. Moreover, it can come upon those who abruptly start playing too much golf. For example, if a person that generally plays golf once or twice a month elects to play in a tournament, he or she is conceivably at risk for developing the injury.
Golf makes distinctive requests of your body. The game is generally longer than the majority of other sports and that can lead to fatigue. Whenever the body is fatigued, poor posture and decreased coordination often follow. This combination can produce an assortment of injuries. In addition, the shoulder muscles are liable to injury due to the repetitive swinging of the golf clubs. Just as attention should be given to make sure that your muscles are stretched and warmed up prior to starting your golf game, be sure to rest your body properly between games.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is often a surprising injury associated with golf. But, this injury can be the result of numerous games of golf played over a number of months constantly. As it is an affliction that occurs as a result of repetitive stress, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a severe injury creating disability and, on occasion, requiring surgery. However, if a health professional, such as your Wichita chiropractor, discovers it at an early stage, chiropractic treatment and, sometimes, the use of a brace will relieve the problem.
Quite a few golfers seem to feel that injuries are merely an inescapable part of a golfer’s life. Nonetheless, a healthy, mobile spine, dedicated preparation, specific exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and maintaining a an appropriate fitness level, and sensible rest and recuperation after your game is over, can make injuries much less a part of your golfing experience.
Dr. Shubert knows that risks are involved in any sport. She can help to relieve the pain of sports injuries you may have already sustained, and she can help you to straighten and strengthen to prevent injuries in the future. Let Dr. Shubert, your Wichita Chiropractor, help you to get on with your game!
If You Have Scoliosis, Treatment By Your Wichita Chiropractor Can Help
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Melody Shubert, your Wichita Chiropractor, is highly knowledgeable when it comes to the condition known as Scoliosis, and she wants you to know as much as you can about this aberrant side-to-side (lateral) curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is not limited to a singular age group. If you aren’t familiar with the way scoliosis appears, you might inadvertently confuse it with poor posture because very often an individual who has scoliosis gives the appearance of leaning to one side. But, there are several ways to tell the difference between poor posture and scoliosis.
If you were to observe an individual with scoliosis in a standing position, you would probably notice that one shoulder is higher than the other, and that the scapula (shoulder blade) is raised or more prominent. You might also notice greater space between the arm and the body on one side if the person’s arms were hanging freely at his or her sides. Additionally, one hip may be raised or more pronounced than the other. And lastly, the head will not be in plumb with the pelvis.
Scoliosis can be mild in nature or quite severe. In fact, both pulmonary and cardiac functions can be hindered if the curve and rib rotation are severe enough. The cause of scoliosis in 85 percent of cases is unknown. This type of scoliosis (Idiopathic) tends to run in families and is considered to have a genetic component.
In general, Idiopathic Scoliosis develops during adolescence when the body is completing the last major growth spurt. Girls more frequently develop this type of scoliosis. A scoliotic curve, if found, should be monitored for any progression. Your chiropractor can provide periodic examinations and, if necessary, will suggest standing x-rays.
As mentioned above, most (nearly 90 percent) of scoliotic curvatures are mild to moderate, and do not require a brace. Therefore, regular chiropractic care in these cases by Dr. Shubert, by your Chiropractor in Wichita, would be therapeutic in both in decreasing and adjusting any compensatory musculoskeletal conditions that might occur.
Chiropractors like Dr. Melody Shubert, your Wichita Chiropractor, help many people who have developed OA in a number of places in the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most widespread problems of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal abnormalities. In fact, an astounding 4.3 million men and women in the US over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it anticipates that half of the people in America may incur symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee OA causes pain, immobility, functional disabilities, and a decreased quality of life.
Why do so many men and women develop OA? Undue stress over the years is a major determinant in the majority of musculoskeletal problems that develop as we get older. It follows that as people get older they are more at risk for developing OA in their knees, as well as other joints. Improper mechanics of the knee, irregular gait, compensatory foot mechanics as an offset of foot pain, and repetitive use of the knee joint all cause inordinate stress on the knees. Consequently arthritic changes in the knee joint develop. The majority of chiropractors suggest such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, in addition to their chiropractic care. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that create peace of mind, as well as improved balance, an increase in strength, and more flexibility.
A new study conducted by Tufts University School of Medicine has found that patients that are at least 65 years of age or older who suffer from knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, improved their physical capability and encountered a decrease in pain. Osteoarthritis is a general form of arthritis that causes a breakdown of joint cartilage.
In otherwise good health, the 40 adults with confirmed OA that were chosen for the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age and overweight. Patients were randomly picked to take part in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.
Tai Chi practice involves the type of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is compatible with contemporary exercise recommendations for osteoarthritis. Furthermore, researchers observed that the “mental component” of Tai Chi promoted a sense of well-being, life contentment, and perceptions of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Significantly, the group practicing Tai Chi exhibited a meaningful decrease in knee pain compared with those in the control group.
If you are suffering from knee pain, see Dr. Melody Shubert, your Chiropractor in Wichita. She’ll get you out of pain and recommend the proper exercises that will be best for your knees.
Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Your Wichita Chiropractor Can Relieve Your Child's Earaches and Ear Infections
Posted by: | CommentsAs a Wichita Chiropractor, Dr. Melody Shubert is happy to count a large number of children as patients in her chiropractic office. If you have children, you may already know that earache is the most prevalent basis for office visits to a pediatrician. By the age of three years, more than 70 percent of children will have had at least one episode of earache, and about a third will have had three or more occurrences. It may be surprising, however, that earache is also the most widespread reason for children under the age of five years to be escorted by parents to the chiropractor’s office. That’s right. Many parents prefer chiropractic treatment for their children’s earaches because it is natural, non-invasive, and drug-free. Here’s why chiropractic care is effective:
When a child with an earache is determined to have a middle ear infection by the pediatrician, the general treatment involves a course of antibiotics. Advanced research, however, has ascertained that this type of treatment is often imprudent. The basis for the child’s middle ear infection may not be due to bacteria, and since antibiotics are only effective against bacterial pathogens, quite often there will be no positive result. This is because numerous cases of middle ear infection can be generated by a virus, and viruses do not respond to antibiotics. This may explain why children develop chronic ear infections.
One of the intentions of Dr. Shubert is to determine whether or not the body’s inability to combat the earache or ear infection is due to inflamation of the small nerves in the spine (called free nerve endings). An aberrant tension in the small muscles of the neck is created when these nerve endings are irritated. This muscle tension can place pressure on the lymphatic drainage ducts resulting in inadequate drainage from inside the ear, thus preventing the body from being able to naturally fix the problem. Furthermore, balance can also be affected.
Inadequate drainage of lymphatic ducts can be identifed by a proficient chiropractor, like your Chiropractor in Wichita, if there is elevated tension in the neck and paraspinal muscles on the side with the earache. In addition, your chiropractor will palpate to see which spinal vertebrae are either moderately out of alignment or not moving within their normal range. This problem may have been the result of any one of the variety of bangs, jolts and falls that almost all children experience in the early years of their life. Frequently, a short series of spinal adjustments and manipulation of the neck muscles can help to restore normal lymph drainage.
Advanced Research and Guidelines
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ear infection, the most prevalent childhood disease second only to the common cold, accounts for nearly 30 million doctor visits each year. In addition, at least 6 million courses of antibiotics are unnecessarily prescribed for the affliction. Just recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines for treating pediatric ear inflammation, and specifically recommended a period of “watchful waiting” since, in many cases, infections clear up on their own, without medication.
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) applauds the AAP on the guidelines and emphasizes that chiropractic care is a “good first option” for treating ear infection conservatively. “Doctors of chiropractic have been treating children for decades with great success – helping them to avoid painful ear infections, antibiotic overuse and resistance, and ear tube surgery,” said ACA President Donald Krippendorf, DC. “Particularly when dealing with young children, drugs and surgery should be an absolute last resort.”
If your child is suffering from an earache or an ear infection, contact Dr. Melody Shubert, your Wichita Chiropractor, as soon as possible.
Your Wichita Chiropractor Knows That Your PMS Isn't Just in Your Head
Posted by: | CommentsAs a woman, and as your Wichita Chiropractor, Dr. Melody Shubert can confidently tell you that your PMS symptoms are not just in your head! In fact, at one time or another, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) impacts and estimated 90% of women and nearly 20% of those women afflicted undergo severe to disabling symptoms. Telling a woman that her PMS is “just in her head” can be not only just plain risky, it’s also just plain non-factual! There are physiological reasons for PMS in most cases, including one that you might find surprising — spinal misalignment. That’s right. Your back could actually be the “offender.” Spinal misalignment, expressly in the lower back, can frequently cause a complex variety of female health problems in addition to Premenstrual Syndrome, such as pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence, and even infertility.
How can chiropractic treatment help to relieve the symptoms of PMS? Chiropractic adjustments get rid of nerve impedance in your body. Your nervous system controls and regulates every cell, fiber, tissue, organ, and system in your body. Your reproductive system is included in this master regulation. If your reproductive system isn’t functioning optimally because of nerve impedance, it can generate an array of symptoms such as those connected with PMS. When your reproductive system is overactive, you might experience agitation, pain, heavy bleeding, or severe cramping. Missed periods or infertility can be caused by an under-activity reproductive system. Fortunately, if nerve impedance is creating your PMS symptoms, then chiropractic management can help because spinal manipulations restore harmony and balance to your nervous system and, hence, help it to function more normally.
Along with improved overall health, many women experience recovered reproductive health, as well, while under chiropractic care. So, if you’ve been thinking that your PMS is just in head, think again! Then call Dr. Shubert, your Chiropractor in Wichita. Chiropractic management offers a natural, drug-free answer for PMS that could help you to escape periodic misery, without medication, and keep you pain-free and energetic all month long.
Your Wichita Chiropractor: Neck Pain Can Make You One of the "Typing Wounded"
Posted by: | CommentsYour Wichita Chiropractor, Dr. Melody Shubert, knows all too well that if you sit for extended periods at a computer, you may be experiencing neck pain, as well as lower back pain, upper back pain, and pain that radiates down one or both of your arms with accompanying pins and needles or numbness. Neck pain and shoulder pain are, in fact, the most common upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems among computer users. In a 2002 study tracking 632 computer users newly hired at major Atlanta companies, Dr. Fredric E. Gerr, an occupational medicine physician and ergonomics investigator at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues observed that roughly 60 percent developed neck or shoulder pain in the first year, though the study did not track how long symptoms persisted.
Younger generations growing up in the digital age are also joining the ranks of the “typing wounded.” Surveys at two universities found that 40 to 50 percent of undergraduates experienced upper-extremity pain from using their computers. Colleges do not build dormitory furniture to be ergonomically adjustable, said Dr. Benjamin Amick, scientific director of the Institute for Work and Health in Toronto, who was a co-author of those studies. “They build it to be indestructible.”
In addition to repetitive stress problems, sitting at your computer too long places your upper back in a sustained, stressful posture, especially if you tend to lean forward when you’re working. This also puts your neck at an unnatural and strained angle. Lower back pain, in addition to being generated by simply sitting for long periods of time without getting up and moving around, is aggravated by bad posture.
Problems caused by extended computer use can not only lead to an inability to perform your work duties, but can keep you from enjoying the rest of your life, too. Dr. Shubert can assist in eliminating the neck pain, and lower back pain and/or upper back pain that you are currently experiencing. After that, it is important for you to become mindful of your body as you sit at your computer, and to give your body what it naturally needs. You can cultivate the habit of both sitting straight in your chair (as opposed to slouching) and relaxing your shoulders. This will help to relieve tension in your lower and upper back and neck. Take time to stretch periodically to ease muscle tension and encourage healthy blood flow. If your work station permits, sitting on an exercise ball can not only aide in keeping you in a beneficial posture, but can help to strengthen your core muscles as well. (Make sure that the ball is the right size so that when you are seated on it your arms are at a ninety-degree angle to your keyboard.)
Dr. Shubert, your Chiropractor in Wichita, offers these tips for pain-free computer activity: good posture for ease of movement, variety in the motions that you do, and short breaks to relax and stretch. These will go a long way in keeping your computer work (or play) pain-free.
Partial source: The New York Times, Health Review, June 22, 2009
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