Posture

Practicing proper posture is more than correcting the way you look. It enhances your well-being. Doctors of chiropractic are specifically trained to provide hands-on care to naturally align and strengthen the spine. #ThinkChiropractic

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Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Disc

Chiropractic Care and Back Pain: Non-invasive Treatment for Bulging, Ruptured, or Herniated Discs

Discs give the spine motion; we are constantly using our discs. Move your back from side to side, you can visualize the give and take of the discs between the vertebrae. Without these discs, your spine couldn’t function and move. Intervertebral discs don’t really "slip", although the phrase "slipped disc" has come into popular usage to refer to bulging, ruptured, or herniated discs. Your discs are made up of the annulus fibrosus (the tough outer layer) and the nucleus pulposus (which contains a soft, gelatin-like center. When cracks occur in the outer layer of the disc, the material inside of the disc can begin to push out. Numerous factors can cause a disc to herniate. For example, there may be too much stress on the disc due to poor posture, repetitive motions, too much sitting, or an injury. In fact, a herniated disc can be caused by a combination of factors or a physical injury. For many people with back pain caused by a herniated disc the problem starts off small and then gradually builds until you start to feel symptoms, such as back pain.

Chiropractic Care and Herniated Discs

Chiropractor care can help address back pain and other herniated disc symptoms. At your appointment, we will go through your medical history, do a physical exam, and perform orthopedic and neurological tests. In addition, if we find that you have advanced loss of strength, sensation, reflexes, and other unusual neurological findings, then you will be referred to a spine surgeon. However, most intervertebral disc injuries are related to a herniated disc, and can be treated effectively with chiropractic care.

Treatment for a herniated disc may include spinal manipulation,and other chiropractic techniques to help ease your herniated disc symptoms. This will be an individualized treatment plan, but it may include manual therapyand therapeutic exercises.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Working Out With Sports Bra

Working out in a sports bra that doesn’t fit or isn’t the right support level can cause neck or back pain.

Chiropractor, Dr. Sherry McAllister, points out in an NBC News article that "The spine is designed to bend and flex with daily activity…And when restrictions occur, back pain begins."

Chiropractic care provides a safe and drug-free care option to prevent injury, boost your neuro-musculoskeletal health and improve your lifestyle without the use of drugs or surgery.

Fairport Chiropractic
1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Chiropractic and Headaches

How Does Chiropractic Work For Headaches?

Headaches are one of the most common complaints that we see at our office. Although there are many causes of headaches we have found that many different types of headaches originate from mechanical problems in the neck. Some headaches such as migraine and cluster headaches are related to vascular problems. These often include nausea and/or vomiting and can be quite disabling and require rest in a dark, quiet place sometimes for a half or a whole day. Other headaches can be categorized as "tension" headaches. These usually result from tightness in the muscles in the neck and upper back caused from stress, work, lack of sleep, sinusitis, trauma such as whiplash, and others. Pain can be felt in the upper neck or the back of the head as well as in the frontal, sinus region, top or sides of the head. It can vary from a throbbing pain to an ache to just a constant pain.

What most people don’t realize is that mechanical dysfunction of the vertebrae of the neck will cause increased muscle tension as well as irritate the delicate nerves that control blood flow into the head. Improving the movement or alignment of the bones in the neck can relieve the pressure and irritation that results in headaches. How do we get misalignments or dysfunction in the joints of the neck? This can be due to trauma such as falls or car accidents. Repetitive stress such as hours of work on a computer, poor posture or stress can also take a toll over time. In many patients it is a combination of activities that took place often years before which has led to chronic and recurring headaches. The examination evaluates these issues as well as attempts to rule out other more serious causes, which can occur but are more rare.

A thorough evaluation will be performed so headache patients can be properly managed. Treatment approaches include: adjustments, soft tissue therapy (trigger point stimulation, myofascial work), posture correction exercises and other exercises, education about job modifications, co-management with other health care providers, if medication or injection therapy is needed.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Research

VIDEO: MRI Shows Immediate Benefits of Chiropractic Adjustments

Research helps to explain why chiropractic is so effective for low-back pain. Using MRI scans, researchers were able to document the immediate benefits of chiropractic adjustments.

Patients with low-back pain have restricted mobility in the lumbar spine that results in degenerative changes and fibrous adhesions within the joints of the vertebrae. Researchers hypothesized that chiropractic adjustments increase gapping between the joints of the vertebrae, which breaks up adhesions and allows the joints to move freely.

In a new study, 112 patients with low-back pain were randomly assigned to receive either chiropractic adjustments, side-posture positioning, or two control treatments. Immediately after the treatment, they received an MRI scan that allowed researchers to analyze spinal gapping. The chiropractic patients had the most substantial spinal gapping, and patients treated with a combination of chiropractic adjustments and side-posture positioning had the greatest reduction in pain. This study shows how chiropractic can restore spinal health to decrease disability and pain.

Reference
Cramer GD, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging zygaphosphyseal joint space changes (gapping) in low back pain patients following spinal manipulation and side-posture positioning: a randomized controlled mechanisms trail with blinding. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2013; pii: S0161-4754(13)00055-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.04.003. [Epub ahead of print]

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Vegetables

The benefits of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and arugula.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Newsletter

Dealing With A Pain In The Neck

If you are suffering from chronic neck pain, you definetly know it! An estimated 7 in 10 adults develop it at some point in their lives. The big question, of course, is what you can do about it? Fortunately neck pain is usually treated effectively by chiropractors. In fact, recent guidelines on neck pain point to spinal manipulation as a recommended treatment. It is also important to recognize that exercise can be very helpful. The reality is that neck exercises can be gentle and easy to do, and don’t require a lot of equipment or time. There are certain muscles in the neck that are designed to help us maintain our normal and healthy curve of the spine. Unfortunately we look down most of the day, reading, working on computers, watching TV, etc. These deep neck flexors often fatigue quickly setting the stage for neck pain. To start your exercise program do simple chin tucks while sitting or standing. Simply tuck your chin in and hold it until you feel the muscles fatigue. As you get more comfortable with this movement progress to range of motion exercises and then isometric strengthening. Remember the goal is to increase the endurance of your neck muscles.

Precautions To Include With Your Summer Activities

Enthusiasm for summer sports and general fitness activities can go beyond your body’s physical limitations. In your efforts for better health you can overdo exercise when the thermostat reaches the high 80’s or 90’s. The result can be heat exhaustion, heat cramps or even heat stroke.Profuse sweating, following strenuous exercise or physical labor in an extremely hot atmosphere, are situations which can bring on serious heat reactions. Such conditions are more likely to happen to some people than others, specifically, elderly persons, small children, persons with chronic mobility issues, overweight people, especially if they live in a normally moderate climate.Athletes, sports enthusiasts or physical laborers, especially should supplement excessive fluid loss. Drinks low in refined sugar are best. The sweeter the drink, the longer it remains in the stomach, and thus the longer it takes to replace the fluid lost from the body. Alcoholic beverages are contraindicated.Direct effects of heat alone are not the only hot weather danger. If your body temperature builds and fatigue sets in, your coordination and discretion could be impaired, inviting other types of injuries.

Fish Prevents Fat

Now there is more evidence that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can reduce heart disease. In particular, eating fish seems to reduce the fat deposits on artery walls. A recent study conducted with 223 heart disease patients is revealing. One group received a fish oil concentrate and the other took a placebo. After two years, researchers compared their findings of the two groups. Not only did those taking fish oil have fewer heart related problems, their heart imaging showed twice as much improvement as the placebo group. Fish with the greatest supplies of omega-3 include salmon, mackerel, herring and trout. If you are a vegetarian, a small amount of flaxseed can be substituted.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Flip Flops

FLIP-FLOPS AND BACK PAIN: IT’S NO COINCIDENCE

Don’t Let Your Choice of Summer Footwear Slow You Down

Picnics, pool parties, flip-flops and ice cream – for many of us, these are the hallmarks of summer. But you can probably guess which one of them may not be so good for your back. Especially if you already suffer from back problems, wearing flip-flops (or “slides”) may not be the best strategy for avoiding discomfort. But you don’t have to ditch these comfy and convenient shoes altogether.

It’s easy to understand the appeal of flip-flops when the weather turns warm. They’re quick to put on and take off, they let your feet stay cool and comfortable, and they easily withstand getting soaked now and then. But your standard flip-flop offers zero foot and ankle support, provides minimal cushioning, puts you at greater risk of trips and falls, and – most concerning for your lower back – causes you to walk differently than you would in a regular shoe.

Not only do you have to pinch or curl your toes to keep the shoes from flying off while walking, but you also actually shorten your stride for this purpose, which puts unusual strain on your feet, hips and lower back muscles. Your foot contacts the ground differently in flip-flops, too, with more pressure put on the outside edges and less on the heel. This causes a slight rotation of the lower portion of your leg, which in turn changes the angle of your pelvis and prompts increased torsion of the lower spine. Such changes to your body mechanics can cause stiffness and pain in the lumbar region, which may worsen over time. Knowing this, here are some things to keep in mind the next time you slip on that flimsy footwear.

Don’t “live” in your flip-flops.

These shoes do have legitimate uses – for example, they’re great for public locker rooms and showers, and even for that quick trudge to the backyard or to the beach. But with their lack of arch support and thin, floppy rubber soles, they’re NOT made for long walks, any form of quick movement, or continuous use while shopping, visiting a theme park, or going anywhere where you’ll be on your feet for very long.

Take it slow.

Running, jumping, and quick sideways movements are to be avoided while wearing flip flops due to the risk of falls and lack of support and shock absorption they offer.

Healthier alternative: Sport sandals and hybrid “sneaker-sandals.”

The wide variety of “sport sandals” and hybrids on the market may also offer good alternatives to the typical flip-flop. These sandals mimic sneakers in the way that they securely hug your feet with comfortable straps and toe guards, a contoured foot bed, actual arch supports, and heel cups – all of which can provide greater stability and proper alignment of your feet, knees, hips and lower back.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Health Greatest Asset

Chiropractic care can provide pain relief and enhance your health.

See a doctor of chiropractic today.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724