For What?
What are the benefits of a visit to Cape Town Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is effective for a wide variety of conditions. Here are some of the more common conditions helped with Chiropractic care
ADD/ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common condition that tends to emerge in children during their early school years. It is not entirely certain what causes ADHD, but the current thought is that it is a combination of an overactive nervous system, coupled with a decrease in the brain’s ability to filter out extraneous sights, sounds, thoughts and emotions.
Although Chiropractors don’t directly treat ADHD, there are a number of things that your Chiropractor can do to help eliminate things that stress a child’s nervous system, such as:
- Remove spinal subluxations that irritate the nervous system
- Suggest dietary changes to avoid common problem foods
- Suggest changes to the home to help reduce exposure to toxic chemicals
LOWER BACK PAIN
Eighty percent of people suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. In fact, it is estimated that low back pain affects more than half of the adult population each year and more than 10% of all people experience frequent bouts of low back pain.
The susceptibility of the low back to injury and pain is due to the fact that the low back, like the neck, is a very unstable part of the spine. Unlike the thoracic spine, which is supported and stabilized by the rib cage. This instability allows us to have a great deal of mobility to touch our toes, tie our shoes or pick something up from the ground, but at the cost of increased risk of injury!
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has become one of the most common occupational health problems seen today. It is often found in people who work at computers or perform other repetitive motions and tasks for extended periods.
There are a number of different ways to treat this condition. In most cases, a Chiropractic adjustment to the neck and affected area is an extremely effective solution. These treatments, along with stretching and strengthening exercises, can in most cases effectively relieve and eventually eliminate the associated symptoms.
BEDWETTING
Bedwetting can be stressful for all involved. Chiropractic can help by removing any irritation that may be affecting the nerves that control bladder function. These nerves exit an area of the spine called the sacrum. In adults, the sacrum is one large fused bone at the base of the spine that is very resistant to injury. However, during childhood, the sacrum is separated into five individual segments. If these segments become misaligned, due to a fall or other type of trauma, they can compromise the nerves that are responsible for bladder function.
While Chiropractic is not typically a treatment for bedwetting, countless children have been helped by getting adjusted. In fact, a number of clinical research studies have demonstrated that Chiropractic care can help children suffering from bedwetting.
HEADACHES
Each individual’s case is different and requires a thorough evaluation before a proper course of Chiropractic care can be determined. However, in most cases significant improvement is accomplished through adjustments of the upper two cervical vertebrae, in addition to adjustments to the junction between the cervical and thoracic spine. Your Chiropractor will also help you identify food and lifestyle triggers that must be avoided.
Numerous research studies have shown that Chiropractic adjustments are highly effective for treating headaches, especially those that originate in the neck.
SCIATICA
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. The term sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of this nerve. It originates from nerve branches in your lower back and runs through your pelvis, your hip area, buttocks and down each leg. The sciatic nerve branches into smaller nerves as it travels down the legs providing sensation as well as muscular control of the lower limbs.
Sciatic pain often starts gradually and intensifies over time. It’s likely to be worse when you sit, cough or sneeze and is a sign that you have an underlying problem putting pressure on the nerves in your lower back. The most common cause of this nerve compression is a bulging or herniated lumbar disc accompanied by chronic low back subluxations. The vast majority of the time, sciatic pain can be relieved through Chiropractic care and accompanying light stretches.
SCOLIOSIS
Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine that causes stiffness and pain. It is more common in females and begins in childhood. Usually this curve makes the waist and/or shoulders uneven. And unlike the normal curvature of the spine, adjusting your posture will not correct the problem. If it is detected early, Chiropractic care can help prevent this condition from worsening over time. We will look at your overall health examining your spine as well as other factors of your lifestyle.
Regular visits to observe the progression of scoliosis, are an integral part of living a full and happy life. Scoliosis can be treated in various ways Chiropractic along with physical therapy to loosen tight muscles will help to alleviate pain and restore normal functionality.
ALLERGIES & ASTHMA
Allergies are often treated with Chiropractic care. Many allergic and asthmatic reactions are caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system and/or respiratory system. Researchers have found that the immune and respiratory systems depend on normal communication from the brain and spinal cord to control and coordinate their functions properly.
Therefore, if your neck is misaligned, it could cause an imbalance in your nervous system function. This upper cervical spinal joint irritation could possibly produce or exaggerate asthmatic and allergic symptoms.
NECK/UPPER BACK PAIN
The flexibility of the neck, while it has the least amount of muscular stabilization and also has to support and move your head (about 6-7kgs depending on the size of the person), means that the neck is very susceptible to injury. The spinal cord branches through an opening in the vertebrae to send nerve impulses to every part of the body. Between each pair of cervical vertebrae, the spinal cord sends off large bundles of nerves that run down the arms and to some degree, the upper back. This means that if your arm is hurting, it may actually be a problem in the neck!
Problems in the neck can also contribute to headaches, muscle spasms in the shoulders and upper back, ringing in the ears, otitis media, TMJ disfunction, restricted range of motion and chronic tightness and fatigue in the neck and upper back.
COLIC
Colic is seen in young infants and characterized by an unusual amount of crying. Although no one is certain what causes colic, there are a number of things that likely contribute, such as an immature and irritated nervous system, food sensitivities (like cow’s milk) and gastrointestinal upset.
Because the birthing process is very stressful on the neck of a new-born, it is very common for there to be numerous subluxations in the neck and back that can irritate their tiny and delicate nervous system. The theory that a misaligned spine may contribute to colic is supported by the frequent improvement in symptoms with gentle Chiropractic adjustments.
EAR INFECTIONS
Almost half of all children will suffer from at least one middle ear infection (otitis media) before they’re a year old. Otitis media commonly emerges when there is improper drainage of the lymph system in the neck, or when the muscle that is supposed to keep bacteria or viruses from entering the eustacean tubes malfunctions.
Instead of treatments that try to kill the bacteria or virus, or surgeries that place “tubes” in the ears. A more natural approach would be to fix the underlying cause of the infection, which is the abnormal mechanical functioning of the lymphatic’s, muscles and nerves. This is most effectively done through gentle Chiropractic adjustments. By helping to restore the normal function of the tissues of the neck, otitis media can usually be significantly reduced or completely eliminated in most children.
PMS
Premenstrual syndrome is thought to be a side effect of hormonal changes during the monthly menstrual cycle and can be made worse by stress, decreased serotonin levels in the brain and subluxations in the low back.
Chiropractic care cannot fix the way your body responds to the hormonal changes that precede menstruation, although several studies have shown that it can help decrease many of the symptoms of PMS without the potential side effects of prescription drugs. Since the nerves that exit the low back are responsible for regulating all of the tissues in the lower abdomen, any pressure or irritation that can be alleviated through Chiropractic care can be helpful.
“SLIPPED” DISC
Discs in the lower back do not actually “slip”. Rather, they herniate or bulge out from between the bones. A herniation is a displaced fragment of the center part (nucleus) of the disc that is pushed through a tear in the outer layer of the disc. Pain results when irritating substances are released from this tear and also if the fragment touches or compresses the nearby nerve.
Many factors decrease the strength and resiliency of the disc and increase the risk of disc herniation: Life style choices, poor posture, daily wear and tear, injury or trauma, and incorrect lifting or twisting further stress the discs. If the disc is already weakened, it may herniate with a single movement or strain.
Mild to moderate disc herniations can usually be treated conservatively with stretching, exercises and Chiropractic care. More advanced cases will often require some form of spinal decompression, such as traction or mechanical decompression, in conjuction with Chiropractic care. Occasionally, a herniation may be severe enough to warrant surgical intervention.
SHOULDER PAIN
Shoulder pain can have a number of different causes, ranging from a traumatic injury, to a chronic problem like arthritis, joint misalignment or repetitive stress injuries.
Chiropractic care can be an extremely effective treatment for shoulder pain regardless of its cause. A Chiropractor will often begin with an examination of the patient’s neck area since shoulder pain can frequently be the result of “referred” pain from the neck as the nerves which innervate the shoulder girdle and it muscles originate from there, the shoulder joint itself will also be evaluated for misalignment. Whether the shoulder pain is connected to the neck or is limited to the lower part of the shoulder, it can generally be treated with non-invasive methods of natural healing such as Chiropractic care.
WELLNESS
Chiropractic is a holistic approach to healthcare, it encompasses your overall health and is so much more than simply a means of relieving pain. Ultimately, the goal of Chiropractic treatment is to restore the body to its natural state of optimal health or homeostasis.
Chiropractors understand that within each of us is an innate wisdom, a life force, that will express itself as perfect health and well-being if we simply allow it to. Therefore, the focus of Chiropractic care is simply to remove any physiological blocks to this proper expression of the body’s innate wisdom. Once these subluxations are removed, health is the natural consequence.
It is important to remember that, your spine experiences normal wear and tear. Regular Chiropractic care can help you feel better, move with more freedom, and stay healthier throughout your lifetime and help you avoid many aches and pains, your joints will last longer and you will be able to engage in more of the activities you love.
Regular Chiropractic care, eating a healthy diet, taking vitamins and supplements, regular exercise, keeping your weight under control and managing stress are all part of an overall wellness lifestyle that, if followed, results in a longer, healthier and pain-free life!