Tampa Chiropractor

Have you heard that chiropractors treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Well, that’s not entirely accurate. Chiropractors don’t “treat” ADHD. But, nonetheless, chiropractic care can definitely help children, and adults too, who suffer from it. The reason why chiropractic treatment is helpful is because ADHD is a neurological disorder. Chiropractic manipulations not only help to reduce nervous system impedence in general, but an adjustment can be intentionally directed to stimulate under-active areas of the brain and calm over-active areas as well. A large number of parents are choosing chiropractic care over the common medical practice of giving children Class 2 psychotropic drugs that in many instances have dramatic side effects including personality changes and permanent alterations in the brain. The chiropractic approach to ADHD is natural and drug-free. Nearly all of parents who’ve looked to chiropractic treatment for their children have noted incredible behavioral changes as a result.

Due to the differences between the manner in which boys and girls employ the two hemispheres of their brain, ADHD appears to afflict more boys than girls and, additionally, is often more obvious and easily discernible in the behavior of boys rather than of girls. Prominent symptoms include a hard time concentrating and sitting still, inability to control impulsive thoughts and behaviors, easily distracted by noises and activities, incessant movement of fingers, hands, arms, feet, or legs.

Quite a few children who display ADHD symptoms are hypersensitive to certain foods, such as dairy or gluten products, and sugars and artificial sweeteners. Additionally, they commonly have a hypersensitive reaction to additives in foods, herbicides and pesticides used to grow non-organic fruits and vegetables, and laundry products such as detergents, fabric softeners, and other chemicals. Often, the removal of these environmental factors can go a long way in reducing ADHD symptoms.

Determining the presence of spinal abnormalities and express responses to specific neurological tests are part of the complete examination given by your Tampa Chiropractor.

You may be able to help your child to get his or her life back in balance through natural, safe chiropractic care. Before taking drastic pharmaceutical measures, if your child exhibits the symptoms of ADHD, make an appointment with your chiropractor for a complete evaluation. Call today for the health of your child!

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Are you ready for this? For years (and years) chiropractors like me, plus nutritionists and other health-conscious professionals have been advising men, women, and children to lay off the fast foods. Everyone is aware already of the artery-clogging, fat-producing effects of a fast food diet. So, tell you something you don’t know, right? Well, here it is: It’s not just the fast food, itself, that can shorten your life span, but the wrapper it comes in that is a risk to your health and longevity, as well!

Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.

PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.

“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?

For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001

Technorati Tags: diet, fast food, health, pollution

If you’ve been driving around in a big tank-of-a-car and you’ve been in an auto accident, it’s easy to think that you haven’t been injured if your car doesn’t look “hurt.” After all, isn’t that why you’re driving a big vehicle? It’s for safety, right? Then you might be surprised to learn that research has shown that occupants of vehicles, both large and compact, can be hurt far more than might be anticipated from a minor auto accident. In fact, as far as your body goes, there’s truly no such thing as a “minor fender bender.”

Let’s face it. There are going to be reverberations when your body is forced to stop abruptly and without warning. An emergency room attendant may give you a clean bill of health because you haven’t broken any bones, and you might be given a prescription for drugs to relax the muscle spasms that you are undoubtedly experiencing due to the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you sustained from the impact. But, unless you’re actually treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained, your situation can go from bad to much, much worse. In fact, many people experience problems years after a car accident as the consequence of their not getting the help they required in the first place.

Your Tampa Chiropractor unequivocally knows what your body undergoes during an auto accident. Chiropractic techniques include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics impairment. And

If you’ve encountered a minor auto accident, you are more likely to need more repair than your car. Neck and back traumas are not only painful in the places in which they happen, but they can also produce pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and create headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

chiropractic care will provide you with a drug-free, natural road back to feeling good again.  It will assist in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – in the past. In addition, because your chiropractor has experience dealing with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you undergo less physical stress, but less emotional stress, as well!

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Hello, your Tampa Chiropractor here. I just read a great article about yoga for plus-size people. What a wonderful concept. I tell all my patients that “health begins right where you are today. You can’t wait for more time or less body weight.” However, up until now, yoga studios have not usually been purlieus for people of size. Striking a yoga pose has seemed to be an exclusive option for lithe, limber bodies. But, not anymore! Yoga classes for heavier people have been sprouting up all over the country with names like Buddha Body Yoga, MegaYoga, HeavyWeight Yoga, and Yoga for Round Bodies.

The ancient practice of yoga might be based on a philosophy of self-acceptance and non-competitiveness, but plus-size people usually feel too self-conscious to even try a yoga pose, much less try on a yoga philosophy. In addition, most yoga classes, even beginner courses, don’t address the needs of big bodies, says Michael Hayes, the owner of Buddha Body Yoga in New York. Poses considered standard for those who are fit or slim are often difficult or even impossible for heavier students.

So, if your body weight has been holding you back, and if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to start getting healthy and fit, it looks like that moment has arrived. Check to see if there’s a yoga class for plus-size people in town. If not, maybe you can start one!

For the complete article go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/health/nutrition/14fitness.html?_r=1&em

Technorati Tags: excess weight, plus-size, yoga

Hi, your Tampa Chiropractor here. I just read a great article in the New York Times about foot pain. Did you know that a huge number of people develop foot pain in their 60s? If you have foot pain and you’re 60 or over, you may already be painfully aware of this fact. But, the problem can actually start as early as the 20s and 30s.

Age related factors such as diabetes and circulation problems can contribute to foot pain. But, excessive weight, improper footwear, and a sedentary lifestyle can also be contributing factors, as well, and at any age. Obviously, proper footwear and regular exercise, then, can play a crucial role in preventing foot problems.

Amazingly, the average person walks the equivalent of three times around the Earth in a lifetime. So, it’s not surprising that in a recent survey for the American Podiatric Medical Association, 53 percent of respondents reported foot pain so severe that it hampered their daily function.

Being farthest from the heart, the feet can often be the first part of the body to manifest complications like poor circulation and loss of feeling, both of which can lead to poor wound healing and amputation. In addition, the most common foot conditions that occur with age are arthritic joints, thinning of the fat pads cushioning the soles, plantar fascitis (inflammation of the fibrous tissue along the sole), bunions (enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe), poor circulation and fungal nails.

Excess weight simply adds to these problems. The force on your feet is about 120 percent of your weight. “Obesity puts a great amount of stress on all the supporting structures of the foot,” said Dr. Bart Gastwirth, a podiatrist at the University of Chicago.

“A lot of people think foot pain is part of the aging process and accept it, and function and walk with pain,” said Dr. Andrew Shapiro, a podiatrist in Valley Stream, N.Y. Though some foot problems are inevitable, their progress can be slowed. If you’d liked slow the progress down, here are a few questions and conditions that are important for you to address: 1) Do you have poor circulation? 2) Do your parents complain about their feet? 3) Do you have flat feet or high arches? Either puts feet at risk. 4) If you can bend back your thumb to touch your lower arm, the ligaments in your feet are probably stretchy, too, Dr. Gastwirth said. 5) Do your shoes fit? In the podiatric association’s survey, more than 34 percent of men said they could not remember the last time their feet were measured. 6) Do you wear high heels? “The high heel concentrates the force on the heel and the forefoot,” Dr. Gastwirth said. 7) Do your feet ever see the light of day? 8 ) Have you seen a podiatrist?

Believe it not, however, putting more mileage on your feet is the best way to exercise the muscles and keep them healthy. So, it’s important to lighten up, weight-wise, and wear shoes that are supportive and fit properly. And, if you’re experiencing foot pain, visit an experienced health care professional and find out why…before you walk too many more miles.

To view the original article, go to http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-footpain-ess.html
 

Technorati Tags: excess weight, foot pain, obesity, podiatrist, poor circulation

You’re not alone if you’re feeling low back pain. Low back pain afflicts many people, a surprising 80% in fact, making it second only to the common cold in its pervasiveness. However, unlike the common cold, waiting for your back pain to “run its course,” and taking prescription or over-the-counter remedies while you wait, is not the answer. The majority of back pain won’t go away by itself. Frequently, if your pain goes away, it is often due to the fact that your body has compensated for the problem, thus producing new conditions. Low back pain is nothing to sneeze at! You need to seek the advice of a back pain expert, like your chiropractor, if you’d like to defeat your back pain permanently!

Oftentimes back pain is a mystery to most people who suffer from it, and chiropractors are skilled in solving that mystery. Sufferers want to know why it is that they have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries prior to the onset of their condition? The answer is that the cumulative effects of unsuitable sitting posture, poor work habits, improper lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors create most back pain. These factors eventually add up and create stresses and imbalances on the spine creating subluxations that can become serious back problems. The process is similar to the front end of your car being out of alignment. When you persist in driving anyway, there is disproportionate wear and tear on your tires. If you choose not to get the problem fixed, the situation could worsen until a tire “blows.” When the spine is misaligned, the health of the spine is put at risk. It’s not only a problem waiting to happen, so to speak, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as simple as bending over to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that produces back injury. The surrounding back muscles go into spasm when thistakes place to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

When it comes to dysfunctions of the spine, chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors. They provide highly qualified diagnosis and experienced treatment for all muscular-skeletal dysfunctions. In addition to offering welcomed relief to individuals suffering from back pain, but they are aware of what will help you to avoid further back pain. As an adjunct to effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will provide you with a personal exercise plan and recommend additional healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.

Technorati Tags: back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, low back pain

Scoliosis an Introduction

A normal spine is straight, without much change from one side to the other, when the body is looked at from behind.Scoliosis is a disorder that is generally associated with a lateral, or side-to-side, curvature of the spine.The condition shouldn’t be confused with unsatisfactory posture, although it oftentimes gives the appearance that the person is leaning to one side. Scoliosis is a puzzling deformity that is expressed by both lateral curvature and rotation of the vertebra often producing a distinctive “rib hump” in the mid or thoracic spine. This is produced by the vertebrae in the area of the major curve rotating toward the concavity and pushing their attached ribs posterior thus producing the symptomatic rib hump seen in thoracic scoliosis. The pulmonary and cardiac functions can be impeded if the thoracic curve and rib rotation is more than 70 degrees. Oftentimes later in life in untreated severe idiopathic infantile and juvenile scoliosis patients, this degree of curve and subsequent cardiac and pulmonary changes can be life threatening.

Anatomy

If a person were to observe the trunk from a side view, the spine would display four normal curves: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral. In the lower spine there is a normal “C-shaped” curve called swayback or lordosis, while the thoracic curve in the chest region has a “reverse C” called a kyphosis. Increased kyphosis in the thoracic area is called hyperkyphosis, while increased swayback is termed, hyperlordosis. Scoliosis changes regularly accompany alterations from normal on a side view. A few round back deformities are simply due to unhealthy posture and can often be resolved with postural exercises. A small portion of individuals with kyphosis have more rigid deformities than the postural type, which are seen in conjunction with vertebral deformity. This class of deformity, called Scheuermann’s kyphosis, is much harder to treat than postural kyphosis, and it’s cause is unknown.

Even a layman can help to identify a child or fully-grown individual with scoliosis just by observing the person in a standing position, preferably with no shirt and in , and observing the following:

• One shoulder may be raised than the other.

• One scapula (shoulder blade) may be higher or more pronounced than the other.

• There may be more space between the arm and the body on one side when the arms hang relaxed at the side.

• One hip may seem to be more elevated or more pronounced than the other.

• The head is not centered over the pelvis.

• One side of the back appears higher than the other when the individual is analyzed from the rear and asked to flex forward until the the spine is horizontal.

The child or adult should be sent to a healthcare professional, such as a chiropractor, for further evaluation once scoliosis is suspected. your chiropractor would be happy to help.

There are various roots and many kinds of scoliosis, nevertheless the most prevailing, by far, is Idiopathic Scoliosis, which accounts for about 85 % of all cases. “Idiopathic” means “no known cause” and is witnessed with equal frequency in boys and girls in the mild or low curve magnitudes. Depending on the age of onset, this condition can be sub-classified into infantile, juvenile and adolescent cases. Idiopathic Scoliosis often runs in families and may be due to genetic or hereditary influences. However girls, for unknown reasons are five to eight times more likely than boys to have their curves grow in size and require treatment. The most general time for the development of Idiopathic Scoliosis is during adolescence when children are ending the last major growth spurt. Unfortunately, at this age young people are hesitant to allow their body to be seen by parents and other adults, so it is wise to have this age group viewed on a regular basis.

It is crucial that if a scoliotic curve is discovered in a growing adolescent, the curves be monitored for any change by a periodic examination and on occasion standing x-rays. In ninety percent of cases, the scoliosis is mild and does not require active treatment, though| increases in spinal deformity require evaluation to determine if a brace or other management is needed. In a small number of patients, surgical treatment may be needed.~Surgery may be necessary for a small number of patients.

Brace therapy (orthosis) is recommended for both juvenile and adolescent children when an increase in their scoliosis or kyphosis is identified, or when new conditions of moderate scoliosis or abnormal kyphosis are found. There are quite a few styles of braces, all created to prevent curves from increasing by acting as a buttress for the spine during active skeletal growth. Bracing is effectual in stopping curve progression in a very large number of skeletally-immature adolescents. However, braces normally will not make the spine entirely straight, and cannot always keep a curve from progressing.

Scoliosis has no simple resolution. Nearly all cases, even though frequently monitored, are not actively treated. Severe cases are infrequently treated surgically, but the general medical treatment for moderate symptoms is a brace. You may want to see your local chiropractor first.

Specialized exercise, electric stimulation of spinal muscles, nutritional programs, and chiropractic treatments are among many modalities offered besides bracing. It looks as if the best results have been maintained with a multi-faceted approach to the care of this condition.

There are chiropractors, that have expertise managing scoliosis conditions.

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