Archive for sciatica
Let’s face it, there’s just nothing good to say about belly fat. In fact, when you look at all the studies that have come out recently about the adverse effects of excess weight around the midsection, even Santa Clause doesn’t look all that jolly anymore. As a Wichita chiropractor, I’ve explained to my overweight patients who are experiencing low back pain that too much weight in the middle is likely the culprit. The spine wasn’t designed to haul around excess weight on a regular basis. As an individual puts on extra fat in the belly, the spine starts to distort and compress, which creates pain and discomfort. Belly fat can also cause the pelvis to tilt forward and pinch the sciatic nerve. But, if low back pain and sciatica aren’t enough to get you to change your eating and exercise habits, how about this: A new preliminary study suggests that excess fat in the abdomen during middle age can actually boost the risk of dementia later in life!
It is estimated 24.3 million people worldwide suffer from dementia. In the new study, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine examined the medical records of 733 people with an average age of 60 years. (Note: Nearly 70 percent were women.) The study found that increasing levels of body-mass index in middle-aged individuals corresponded with lower brain volumes when they are older, i.e., lost mental capacity, especially when the excess fat was in the middle.
So, there you have it. You have one more good reason to get rid of those extra pounds, especially around your midsection. Lose the weight, lose your back pain, but don’t lose your mind!
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Ask Your Wichita Chiropractor If Chiropractic Care Can Stop the Pain of Sciatica
Posted by: | CommentsSciatica is an extraordinarily painful condition. The good news is that chiropractic treatment can help. Dr. Melody Shubert, your Wichita Chiropractor, knows about the pain of sciatica, the deep discomfort that is constant during your waking hours and interferes with your daily activities.
The path of sciatic pain is usually from your low back, through the buttock(s), and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of your leg(s). Many times, the pain can even radiate into your knee. Motion and sitting, alike, can produce pain. On occasion lying down will decrease, or perhaps momentarily eliminate, the pain. Nonetheless, sciatica cannot be corrected without suitable management, and chiropractic treatment is highly effective.
The clinical diagnosis of sciatica is referred to as “radiculopathy”, a medical term that means simply that a disc has distended from its usual position in the vertebral column and is placing pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve. This type of pressure is extremely painful.
Additional pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles encircling the spine, can happen during and after prolonged sitting, especially in a improper position. In general, an explicit event or exact injury doesn’t create sciatica. Instead, it tends to develop over time as a consequence of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Over time the lower spine loses its capacity to function normally during everyday requirements.
The final result is that the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, which then lets the soft nucleus extend the disc outward. If the disc puts pressure on sensitive tissues, it generates the pain that is frequently called a slipped disc. If the disc puts pressure on the spinal nerve, an individual can develop sciatica.
With chiropractic adjustments and therapies, which often includes postural exercises, most disc problems, including sciatica, can be alleviated. If you are experiencing sciatic pain, it is essential for you to seek help as soon as possible. Call Dr. Melody Shubert, your Wichita Chiropractor. She’s a spine expert!
