Hippocrates (Greek Physician 460-357 B.C.) said, “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.”
Chiropractors also have a favorite saying, “Your spine is your lifeline.” The reason is that your spine connects everything in your body. From your head to your toes, the spine connects everything with bones, tendons, ligaments, and nerves.
A fully functioning spine helps you stay mobile. It’s flexible so you can bend and turn, stand up, sit down, play golf, cook a meal, type, pick up your children, all the things in life.
But when a bone or tendon shifts and pinches a nerve, you may have a limited range of motion. You might find yourself in pain or feeling tingly or even numb down your arm or leg.
In other cases, you might have a disc that’s slipped out of place. The cartilage between discs can also break down leaving you in pain because the discs are rubbing against one another.
According to Georgetown University, 8 percent of American adults experience back pain. Maybe you’re one of them. Back pain can keep you from doing the things you love. It’s also one of the biggest reasons for missed work in the U.S.
Chiropractic healthcare workers hold to the belief that proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure (particularly the spine) will enable the body to heal without the use of medication and surgery.
Chiropractic Care May Give You Back Pain Relief
If you’ve ever thought about good posture, then you know that standing (or sitting) up straight is what doctors (and your mother), recommend. When your posture is correct, it reduces strain on your muscles and joints.
Yet, most of us have picked up bad habits over the years. We slouch, we spend long hours at the computer and more time bent over our phones. All of this often leads to neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and other pains.
No matter the reason for your back pain, if your body is in proper alignment, it will help your body heal. The spine, in particular, needs to stay in its lane so to speak. When it’s aligned in your body, it helps your body heal naturally. No surgery or medication is needed.
Chiropractic care can often help.
Over 22 million Americans visit a chiropractor annually and 7.7 million are seeking back pain relief.
31 million Americans experience low back pain at any given time.
Back pain is the single leading cause of disabilities according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010.
One-half of all working Americans say they have back pain symptoms each year.
Americans spend at least $50 million each year on back pain relief.
It’s time you found relief from your back pain. When you visit a chiropractor, you can expect the following:
Medical history taken
Physical exam with particular attention to the spine
Lab tests and diagnostic imaging to determine an appropriate course of treatment
Manual adjustments (joint manipulation) which involves controlled, sudden force to joints that pushes the joint beyond its normal range of motion
Nutritional counseling
Exercise and rehabilitation recommendations
Most likely, you’ll benefit from some lifestyle changes too. Maybe it’s more exercise (or different types of exercise) or diet changes. Or, upgrading your work environment so it’s more ergonomically friendly.
No matter what, your chiropractor will work with you to provide back pain relief, restore your range of motion, and overall, help you feel better. Our goal is to help you feel better and prevent further injury.
How Chiropractic Care Works
Traditional chiropractic care consists of discussing your medical history, pains, and concerns. Depending on your condition, your chiropractor will work with you on a treatment plan.
Typically, chiropractic adjustments consist of small spinal manipulations that use body weight. But we also have other tools to help as well. For example, here at McQuaite Chiropractic, we have “tapping” tools that help too.
Our overall goal is to help you feel your best. We want you to experience back pain relief and improve your mobility, so you feel great.
Dr. Jay Handt (guest speaker for New York Chiropractic Council and the International Chiropractic Association) believes, “Everything functions better when the nervous system functions at 100%.” Helping patients understand that “connecting the mind with the body” is a process…a lifestyle.
Dr. Jeff McQuaite in Doylestown, Pa. helps his patients ease back pain relief. Book your appointment today!
Landmark Study Finds Solution to Back Pain is On the Table
If you’re one of 31 million Americans who suffer from back pain each year, you’ll be excited by recent findings. SPINE Journal reports a 9-month study found participants experienced a significant decrease in their back pain with only one month of chiropractic treatments.
The study followed 60 patients suffering from chronic lower back pain for a minimum of six months. One group got no treatment though they thought they did (sham treatment), group two had 12 treatments for one month but no more, and the third group had 12 treatments for one month followed by 2x a month for 9 months.
“To determine any difference among therapies, we measured pain and disability scores, generic health status, and back-specific patient satisfaction at baseline and at 1-, 4-, 7-, and 10-month intervals.” PubMed.gov
The second group reported significantly less pain and disability. Remember, they only had 12 treatments for one month. However, at the 10-month evaluation, their pain and disability levels had slipped to pre-study levels.
Not surprisingly, the third group reported the best results at the 10-month evaluation. Remember, they had 12 treatments in a month followed by 2x a month for the next 9 months.
These results show regular chiropractic treatments reduce chronic back pain without drugs and without surgery.
Good Posture and Sleeping/Sitting Support Helps Too
Good posture protects your back too. If you strengthen your core with yoga, pilates, barre, or other exercises, you’ll also strengthen your lower back.
Add a supportive pillow, mattress, and work-station so your body is supported in its best posture whether you’re sleeping or awake. Whether you sleep on your side, stomach, or back, there are a variety of different pillows out there to support your neck. It’s worth discussing the best type of pillow for your back pain and sleeping habits with your chiropractor.
Quick Results are Possible
Other studies show spinal manipulation is an excellent back pain solution. Many patients with chronic lower back pain achieve quicker results than standard physical therapy practices alone.
In fact, you might find yourself more productive and enjoying greater mobility after such treatment. One professional writer who suddenly found it painful to type stemming from back pain got relief after just two sessions.
The secret is in the follow-up. As the study shows, consistent treatments realign the body which reduces your pain. When you think about it, it makes sense. If your back pain is caused by years of poor posture or an accident, it won’t be gone overnight. Though many people do find relief within their first visits.
If back pain is holding you back from going about your day-to-day life, you might also want to consider chiropractic care. It’s a safe and natural approach to back pain relief.
How about you? Are you ready to see if chiropractic treatments can help your chronic back pain? Dr. Jeff McQuaite is a Doylestown Chiropractor who offers free consultations. Book yours today.
The American Chiropractic Association estimates 35 million people visit the chiropractor each year. You might wonder, “do you need a chiropractor?”
After all, most people turn to the chiropractor due to neck or back pain, but as they discover more about the benefits of chiropractic care, they realize it has other purposes too.
Have you ever heard the expression, “your spine is your lifeline?” If you haven’t heard it, it’s common in chiropractic circles. Your spine connects everything in your body.
From your head to your toes, your body is a vast network of nerves, bones, tendons, and ligaments. They all connect to one another like a complex freeway system to keep you healthy.
If something isn’t working well, say, you have a pinched nerve from spending too many hours hunched over your computer, then it’s painful. That relates to your shoulder position, upper and lower back and your hips, etc., and most likely throws your body out of alignment. This has a trickle-down effect. For example, it’s common for someone to have one leg shorter than the other due to body trauma, sitting habits, or accidents. If not addressed, this often leads to other problems.
The Benefits of a Healthy Spine
When your spine is straight and aligned, you’re less likely to have:
Frequent Headaches
Joint or muscle pain
Chronic back pain
Limited range of motion
Pinched feeling in your neck/shoulders
Regular chiropractic care also reduces chronic inflammation which is linked to serious diseases like cancer and heart disease. Chiropractic care can also help with allergies, migraines as well as musculoskeletal misalignment. We treat the problem on a physical level to help your body heal rather than masking your systems with painkillers.
Doesn’t that sound like a great alternative?
All over the world, more than a million chiropractic adjustments are given every day. Hands-on spinal manipulations are common, yet, also treatments like tiny electrical stimulus and ultrasound can help. Your chiropractor will assess your medical history and current health so we can give you the care you deserve.
If you’ve never been to a chiropractor, here’s what you can expect on your first visit to our chiropractic office in Doylestown, PA. It’s safe and natural.
Additional benefits that many people don’t understand how proper body alignment can help them are:
Improves Sports Performance
Improve Sleep
Help with Migraines / Headaches
Boost Your Immune System
Avoid Medication
Reduce Doctor and Hospital Visits
Pregnancy and Fertility
Assists with Chronic Pain
Your chiropractor can help you feel your best and is an optimal addition to your wellness lifestyle.
Due to COVID-19, we are currently working with certain patients considered “Life-Sustaining.” We are closed to wellness or maintenance clients during this period of crisis.
Once we’re through this period, we hope you’ll consider, “do you need a chiropractor” and realize the answer is “yes.” A chiropractor is beneficial for health and mobility. Take care and see you soon.
Taking your baby to the pediatrician for wellness checks is common. Taking your baby to a chiropractor is less common for many. Yet, according to the U.S. National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, roughly 8% of chiropractic patients are five years old or younger.
If your child is often fussy or doesn’t sleep well, a baby chiropractor may be able to help.
After all, there’s no reason not to use the resources available to you. Yet, we understand, you might have concerns. You might think of a chiropractor as the person who helps your back pain, surely your little one doesn’t have back pain, do they?
It turns out they could have pain or discomfort that gentle chiropractic treatment may relieve. Chiropractors worldwide share stories of helping babies reduce persistent problems like colic, gas, acid reflux, ear pain, and more.
According to the Journal of Chiropractic Pediatrics, parents seek a pediatric chiropractor for concerns with feeding problems. While few studies have conclusive results, overall, parents are happy with the results.
Are Chiropractors Safe for Babies?
Let’s address the big question first. You probably see your little darling as a delicate creature, and it’s your job to protect them. What would a baby chiropractic treatment be like?
First, your baby chiropractor is a licensed practitioner. Any experienced pediatric chiropractor has a range of techniques they can use on anyone, large or small. They’ll adjust accordingly. Chiropractors often use gentle adjustments with their fingers to help your baby’s body readjust.
The whole point of chiropractic care is to restore your body’s natural balance and help it heal itself. So yes, a pediatric chiropractor is safe for babies. Like any professional, they’ll talk with you about your concerns and make recommendations based on the baby’s needs.
How Do I Know If My Baby Needs a Chiropractor?
If your baby is having trouble feeding, sleeping, or seems overly irritable, you can take them to a chiropractor for an assessment. Like older people, babies can have misaligned joints or a spinal problem. They can have digestion issues and cause trapped gas.
Many parents and chiropractors find babies find relief for all kinds of reasons with quality chiropractic care.
Chiropractic care is safe and gentle. Find a reputable chiropractor near you if you don’t have one already. In Doylestown, Pa., Dr. Jeff McQuaite offers a free consultation so you can have all your questions answered.
When Can a Baby Go to the Chiropractor?
Right away. Newborns can go, and they can go anytime they’ve passed another milestone. For example, learning to sit up, crawl, and, yes, walking. All that falling can cause spinal problems.
As your baby grows up, a pediatric chiropractor can be a healthy part of their wellness care. Your chiropractor can help your child be aware of the benefits of healthy posture, exercise and even share recommendations for how to handle heavy backpacks. And, of course, your child’s chiropractor can help them maintain a healthy spine and potentially help protect them from sports injuries.
Do you have a newborn who’s exhibiting signs of discomfort or unhappiness? Visit a baby chiropractor and see if they can diagnose the problem. Chiropractors can be a great resource for your family!
Back pain can hit at the most random times. You bend down to pick up your dog’s leash and wham! You’re clutching your back in pain.
Could it be a herniated disc? Maybe. Also known as a slipped or ruptured disc, if these discs crack open they can spill their gooey substance, hit the nerves and cause you to grimace in pain.
You probably kow your spinal cord runs from the base of your spine to your neck. You may also know 24 bones known as vertebrae form your spine with flexible discs that fit in between the bones in your spinal column.
Filled with a jelly like substance, the flexibility of the discs help you bend, wiggle, run, dance, and do all the things people want to do that require flexibility.
However, when a disc shifts out of place or ruptures and that fluid leaks out, it can bump up against the nerves and be painful.
Herniated Disc Definition
Dictionary.com, defines a herniated disc as “an abnormal protrusion of a spinal disk between vertebrae, most often in the lumbar region of the spine, causing pain due to pressure on spinal nerves.”
Symptoms of a Herniated or Slipped Disc
When an invertebral disc cracks and the disc material leaks out, that material can irritate the surrounding nerves. The disc can also slip and press on a surrounding nerve which is often called a pinched nerve.
As a result of a herniated disc in your lumbar, you can feel pain, tingling or numbness in your leg or legs. If the herniated disc is in your upper or mid back, you might experience that pain or tingling in your arms.
The other thing that can happen is your discs can slowly wear away. This is typical in people with degenerative disc disease.
In some cases, you can have a herniated disc and not even know it, there are a few common signs and symptoms:
Arm and/or leg pain
Numbness and tingling – usually on one side of the body
Weakness of your arm/leg
Pain that gets worse while standing
You can have a slipped or herniated disc in your neck or spine. Typically, symptoms are experienced only on one side of the body.
If the herniation is very large and presses on the spinal cord or the cauda equina in the lumbar region, both sides of the body may be affected, often with serious consequences. Compression of the cauda equina can cause permanent nerve damage or paralysis. The nerve damage can result in loss of bowel and bladder control as well as sexual dysfunction. This disorder is called cauda equina syndrome.
Spinal disc herniation can occur in different locations:
Cervical – These most often occur in the neck and symptoms can affect the back of the skull, the neck, shoulder girdle, scapula, shoulder, arm, and hand.
Lumbar – These occur in the lower back and Symptoms can affect the lower back, buttocks, thigh, anal/genital region and may radiate into the foot and/or toe. The most commonly affected nerve is the sciatic nerve that runs the length of your back and down your legs.
More common is general pain and symptoms like those mentioned above on the side of the body.
What Causes a Herniated or Slipped Disc?
Your lifestyle, injuries, and age can lead to break down in these discs which then lead to pain.
Disc herniation can result from general wear and tear. In other words, they’re more common as people get older. Minor back pain and chronic back tiredness are indicators of general wear and tear which can lead to injury. However, if you have a job requiring lifting and squatting, then you’re more susceptible too.
People who are overweight are at greater risk too. Combine that with a sedentary lifestyle and you get weak muscles which lead to many aches and pains including things like a slipped disc.
How to Protect Your Spine
Regular exercise and good posture are two ways you can protect yourself from a herniated disc. Nothing crazy but walking, light cardio, and yoga/stretching are excellent ways maintain your flexibility. You’ll also want strengthen your core and lower back. If you need to lift heavy items, lift with your legs and not your back and use a back brace when possible.
Fortunately, a simple regimen of rest, heat and ice can help a herniated disc heal naturally. However, a professional diagnosis can set your mind at ease and help you feel better quickly. For a personalized herniated disc definition and how it applies to you, see Dr. McQuaite in Doylestown, Pa. He will x-ray you to pinpoint the problem and create a treatment plan for you.
Spring temperatures are finally here and for many of you, that means seasonal allergies. You want to get out and enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather. However, if you’re suffering from itchy eyes, sneezing, and other allergy symptoms, then it’s not so fun.
It might sound crazy but chiropractic treatment can help you find relief from seasonal allergies.
As a natural immune booster, chiropractic has no negative side effects. However, it does soothe the nervous system and boost your overall immunity.
Unlike allergy medications that leave you groggy and fuzzy-headed, chiropractic treatments can help you feel better.
But first, what brings on those frustrating allergies?
What Causes Spring Allergies?
Pollen is the biggest trigger of spring allergies. It’s a case of packing a major wallop into a tiny package. You probably know pollen is tiny particles whose purpose in life is to pollinate other plants. However, when it gets stirred up – by the wind, by cutting the lawn, gardening, etc. it tickles your nostril lining and causes you to sneeze.
Before long, it’s traveling in your body and sending your immune system into overdrive. Basically, an allergy attack is your body overreacting to something in your environment.
Your body overcompensates with a chemical cascade of antibodies. These are called immunoglobulin E (IgE) and they have a purpose which is to neutralize the offender. Pollen in this case. Each antibody is quite specific. For example, it may react against certain types of pollen and not others. That’s why you might experience seasonal allergies in certain parts of the country but not all.
Even if you’ve suffered from allergies all your life, you may be able to find relief through some simple lifestyle changes.
Three Solutions to Find Natural Allergy Relief
Neti pot – Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have recommended these for years and they’ve recently caught on in the mainstream. The reason it works is it literally cleans out your nose to rid it of pollen and other allergy triggers. Though it can take a little getting used to since it involves pouring water into your nostrils.
You can find a neti pot at any drugstore these days.
Fish oil – You may be aware of the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids on your hair, skin, and even mental health. But did you know they can boost your immunity too? Good sources include salmon, spinach, and pine nuts.
Chiropractic care – Many people associate chiropractic care as a treatment for back pain but in actuality, it’s great for your overall health too. It can boost your body’s immune system by helping it perform at its best.
When you get a chiropracticadjustment, it realigns your spine through a series of manipulations. This affects your entire body because your chiropractor puts tendons/muscles/bones “back into place” so your body can communicate easier with your brain.
As chiropractors like to say, “your spine is your lifeline.” It addresses your spring allergies at the root rather than masking symptoms like medications too.
Can chiropractic help with your seasonal allergies?
It’s All In Your Spine
Imagine your spine is out of alignment. This is typical if you haven’t been seeing a chiropractor. You might feel back or neck pain or not. But years of sitting in front of a computer, playing sports or other activities will take their toll on your body. The result is typically neck or spine (or both) out of alignment.
This can impact messages traveling through your body. Instead of a clear path for messages to travel back and forth from your brain to your toes and back, things get blocked.
The scratchy eyes, runny nose, and fatigue that accompany seasonal allergies is a symptom that your body isn’t operating as well as it could.
When your chiropractor realigns your spine, any pinched nerves or out-of-whack bones are put back into place opening up those pathways.
This gives your body relief because it’s not trying to compensate for them. When you think of your whole body working together it makes sense. Each muscle, tendon, and bone connects to another and stems from the spinal column in some manner. Therefore, if you have a pinched nerve in your shoulder your body is working hard to protect the area around it.
This overcompensation in one area can lead to weakness in another.
Regular chiropractic treatments put everything back in place. You get both pain relief andallergy relief.
Are you in the Central Bucks County area and ready for relief from seasonal allergies? If so,Dr. Jeff McQuaite has a greatintroductory offer for new patients. Book your appointment today and enjoy Spring without the headache and sniffles.
