Visit
151 Heritage Park Drive #401
Call
615-203-3505
Contact
[email protected]
Hours
M: 1-7pm | T: 7am-1pm | W: 9-11am, 2-6pm | Th: 1-7PM | F: 7-10:30am
Book Appointment

Category: Chiropractic

Chiropractic Treatment for Seasonal Allergies

Are you the kind of person who struggles with a stuffy or running nose when a new season comes? The next time you experience such signs, you may find it important to see a chiropractor and not just depend on over the counter prescriptions. You might be suffering from seasonal allergies.

So many people only associate chiropractic treatment with chronic pain management. However, the treatment does more. Provided that it’s something to do with the immune system, then a chiropractor will definitely help. But before we can go any further, let’s understand seasonal allergies first.

What Exactly Are Seasonal Allergies?

Seasonal allergies refer to the inability of your body’s defense to adapt to specific changes in the environment. In this case, the body becomes extra sensitive when you encounter the changes. The changes, what we call allergens, may be any of the following:

  • Heat stress
  • Pollen
  • Weed
  • Insect sting
  • Dust
  • Mold
  • Pet Dander
  • Specific foods

The Symptoms – How Do You Identify Them?

We’ve already mentioned a stuffy or running nose in the introduction. Other symptoms that may an indicator of seasonal allergies are:

  • Frequent sneezing
  • Itchy eyes
  • Body swelling, especially on the face
  • Headaches
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Skin Rashes

When these symptoms become severe in such a way that your life is interrupted, it’s wise to seek a treatment solution.

Why Do You Suffer From Seasonal Allergies?

You may be asking “how can my body react differently when we all get exposed to allergens at the same time?” Normally, you experience seasonal allergies when your immune system accidentally identifies an allergen as something harmful. So, it launches a response against it. Unfortunately, the response is exaggerated. It’s marked by the over secretion of a natural chemical known as histamine. Ordinarily, histamine is supposed to neutralize the effects of the allergen. This is to happen naturally. However, over secretion causes your blood vessels to dilate and the blood pressure to drop. The end results are some of the symptoms discussed above.

The problem with seasonal allergies is that the symptoms are hastened by specific climatic factors. They include:

  • Mold allergies happen more when temperature and humidity are high.
  • Pollen allergies are experienced mostly in the mornings.
  • Wind influences the distribution of airborne allergens.
  • Tree, pollen, and grass thrive when the days are warm and the nights are cold.

With these factors in mind, it may be hard to say that there is a specific ecological zone that’s free from airborne allergens.

What Are Your Treatment Options?

At the moment, there are four typical ways to address seasonal allergies. They are:

  1. Antihistamines – When you visit a medical doctor because of seasonal allergies, you’ll be prescribed antihistamines. These prescriptions are meant to counter the effects of histamine oversecretion. The problem is that the medications only treat the symptoms, but do not address the root problem. So, you are likely to go back to the doctor each season you are attached with seasonal allergies.
  2. Natural remedies – If you don’t want to take medications, then you can consider natural solutions. They are healthy. You basically don’t have to worry about side effects that are popular with antihistamines. Moreover, home remedies are readily available. The options include essential oils, local honey, vinegar, zinc, and vitamin C supplements.
  3. Preventive approaches – While antihistamines and natural remedies may work in certain cases, they do not tackle the root problem. In addition, antihistamines may have serious side effects. So, sometimes it’s smart to invest in preventive approaches instead of the two treatment options. You just have to know what the source of the allergens is and find ways to get rid of it or avoid it. In this case, you may need to:
  • Wash or replace old bedding which may be collecting the allergen.
  • Wash mats and rugs to get rid of the collected allergens.
  • Stay within regulated temperatures so as not to trigger an allergic response.
  1. Chiropractic Treatment – Whether you are looking for a preventive or curative solution for seasonal allergies, you have a perfect option in chiropractic treatment. Since the issue is directly related to the immune system, a chiropractor will help you fix it. However, one session is never enough and so you’ll need to see the specialist on several occasions.

What Role Does a Chiropractor Play?

A chiropractor plays several roles in as far as seasonal allergies are concerned. They include:

  1. Stress Relief

The main reason why your body reacts exaggeratedly to seasonal allergies is because of a defective immune system. Experts argue that your immune system may fail to fight an allergen (which is portrayed as a toxin) if it’s stressed by it. The effects are inflammatory responses like body itchiness and swelling. Research also shows that the adrenal gland which is responsible for secreting cortisol (the anti-inflammation hormone) becomes worn out by stress.

A chiropractor performs spinal adjustments (also known as spinal manipulation) on you to open the communication paths between the immune system and the brain. So, the adrenal gland is not affected in a negative way and cortisol secretion is regulated. Likewise, inflammatory responses by the immune system are controlled and so are seasonal allergies.

  1. Immune Boost

There’s a close relationship between the immune system (the defense system) and the nervous system (the coordination system). Remember, the brain and the spinal cord forms an important part of the nervous system that we call the central nervous system (CNS). When the immune system is stressed by an allergen, so is the CNS.

Actually, the effects are manifested on the spine in the form of subluxations (misalignments). A chiropractor helps to fix the subluxation through different spinal adjustment techniques. In the end, communication between the two systems (the CNS and the immune system) is restored and you are able to fight the allergen naturally.

  1. Dietary & Lifestyle Help

In addition to providing you technical support, a chiropractor will advise you on what changes you should make in relation to your diet and lifestyle. If the source of the allergen is food-related, you may be asked to avoid it. For example, you may be asked to skip celery or tomatoes if you are allergic to grass.

In terms of lifestyle changes, you may be advised to make the following adjustments:

  • Maintain hygienic conditions at home, especially where you sleep.
  • Adopt the right sleeping habits and patterns.
  • Find ways to avoid the effects of heat stress and cold
  • Do some exercises at home to keep your spine in good condition.

Closing Thought:

Seasonal allergies can be serious if not well addressed. By going for antihistamines and home remedies, you may be able to manage the symptoms. However, you may not succeed in getting rid of the problem. The root cause is best fixed by chiropractic treatment. You should consider it today.

How Chiropractic Can Keep Athletes Performing at Their Prime

The athletic sector is increasingly becoming competitive. Whether it’s combat sport or ball games, everyone wants to be on top of their game. There are records that need to be broken and milestones that need to be reached. You can only achieve it if you perform at your prime. We all hate losing, more so in front of a crowd. But at times, losing is not just a matter of not having the extra strength, speed or agility to dominate our opponents or beat the clock. Sometimes, it’s the inability to compete because of an injury.

While prescription drugs are often effective against injuries, a majority of them are an addiction risk. Surgery, on the other hand, looks like a great alternative but may keep you in the sideline for a while. You don’t want to be benched when you should be helping your team win or making your country proud. So, what treatment should you go for that does not involve prescriptions or surgery? Well, there can only be one practical answer and it’s called chiropractic.

What’s Chiropractic?

Chiropractic refers to a hands-on healthcare practice that focuses on your muscles, bones (including the joints), and nerves. Any problem affecting any of these parts can be handled by an expert known as a chiropractor. The expert uses hands to manipulate your body, more so the spine, so as you can experience relief from different forms of discomfort. You also enjoy the restoration of nerve functions and energy boost.

In addition to providing spinal adjustments, a chiropractor can provide advice on fitness coaching, better nutrition, lifestyle adjustments, and soft tissue therapy. Generally, chiropractic is a licensed health field and so you should expect a certified health expert to attend to you. Moreover, research shows that it’s safe for athletes who are looking to perform at their prime.

What Role Does Chiropractic Play in an Athlete’s Life?

There are so many ways an athlete can benefit from chiropractic care. So, it’s a holistic approach that you need to perform at your prime. The whole idea is to do it without prescriptions or the need for surgery. Here are the general roles:

  1. Pain Relief

So many injuries cause unmanageable pain on your joints and muscles. The pain is directly related to the nerves that are affected. Normally, they become misaligned and this is what results in pain. A chiropractor helps to realign them so as you can get maximum relief from pain. As a treatment solution, chiropractic can help against back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, ankle pain, neck pain, and headache. Of course, chiropractic can be used alongside other natural ways of pain management.

  1. Injury Prevention

Chiropractic does not just help you manage the pain that comes with sports injuries. It’s also an effective preventive approach. As a matter of fact, research shows that 90% of top international athletes regularly seek chiropractic help for injury prevention so as they can perform at their highest levels. This is quite common in the NFL and NBA.

Chiropractic may not protect you from injuries completely but will definitely reduce their chances. This is because a chiropractor is able to keep your musculoskeletal system in the right condition so as to prevent postural imbalances, body stiffness, among other issues that may risk an injury. However, it should be insisted that you should do chiropractic routinely for injury prevention.

  1. Effective Training and Warming Up

So many athletic trainers consider chiropractic care as an important aspect of training. Therefore, they often refer their clients to chiropractors. With chiropractic care, you are able to train much better and survive the physical demands of working out. This is not all. The benefits extend to warming up. Since it’s customary to warm up before you can compete, you need to be in better shape. You should not suffer from muscle tightness, pain, or inflexibility. Chiropractic care can help you with this.

  1. Better Hand-Eye Coordination

Are you aware that you can enhance your hand-eye coordination ability by 30%? According to studies, this is possible just after a couple of months of chiropractic care. Usually, a subluxation (spinal misalignment) impairs the nerves that facilitate communication between the body and the brain. This reduces your hand-eye coordination. A chiropractor is able to realign the spine to get rid of subluxations. This boosts your hand-eye coordination. In the end, you enjoy better reflexes and body balance.

  1. Speed, Strength, and Flexibility

As an athlete, chiropractic can help you become faster, stronger, and more flexible. You need this to achieve optimum on-field performance. For example, by doing away with nerve restrictions, chiropractic helps you to enjoy a strong grip. Also, the adjustments make your muscles agile and this improves your jump height and running speed.

  1. Enhanced Range of Motion (ROM)

When training, you are likely to put excess pressure on your body. This creates a big health problem for your spine. Its alignment may be compromised and you may end up with joint stiffness or ache. For this reason, your ROM becomes limited. In the end, this reduces your athleticism. Simply, you are not able to train and compete as you should. Luckily, chiropractic care changes the narrative. It helps to enhance your ROM so as you can enjoy better muscle flexibility, bone support, and mobility.

  1. Speedy Recovery

By promoting pain relief, chiropractic helps you to move closer to your recovery. Several techniques are employed by a chiropractor to facilitate a speedy healing process. They include:

  • Stretching exercises and massages – Meant to improve your ROM.
  • Dry needling technique – Meant to release tension from your overwhelmed muscles.
  • Electrical stimulation –Meant to excite your tired muscles and to release tension.
  • Stainless steel devices – Meant to disintegrate tissue scars that form after an injury.

 

  1. Stress Relief

Lastly, considering how demanding some sports are, you are likely to be overwhelmed by pressure. The pressure does not just affect your body but your mind too. When your mind is overwhelmed, stress comes in. In the end, you cannot concentrate and this leads to poor performance. A chiropractor will help you achieve mental calmness. By helping your body relax, your mind will calm down in the end. This boosts your concentration power while in the field.

Closing Thought:

It’s clear that chiropractic is both a defensive and curative health approach in the sports world. You need it as an athlete if you are looking to stay competitive for a long time. It’s proven to be safe and has been effective over the years. So, you should be hopeful of some amazing results when you visit Healing Hands Chiropractic, located in Murfreesboro, TN!

15 Benefits of Local Honey

We all know what refined sugar can do to our health. Just think of issues like diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, and heart disease. Wouldn’t you want to avoid these risks and still be able to sweeten your food and drinks? Well, research shows that swapping refined sugar from local honey is tremendous for your health. It may be crucial in avoiding these health risks. But, what does local honey contains which makes it great for your health?

For one, local honey contains antibacterial molecules like glucose oxidase which are necessary for fighting pathogenic bacteria. This is important when it comes to promoting fast healing. Two, local honey is rich in antioxidants that are known to stimulate tissue regeneration. This comes into effect after you suffer tissue damage.

Three, local honey is naturally hygroscopic. What this means is that it helps your skin to stay moisturized and heal much faster. Last but not least, local honey is a vital source of energy. You need this energy for your body and brain. Having seen these amazing properties of local honey, it’s now time to see the roles that they play in your health and wellbeing.

  1. Allergy Relief

Each new season, people suffer from varying forms of seasonal allergies. But you don’t have to worry about this if you have local honey with you. It’ll help to build up your natural immunity so as you can be able to fight seasonal allergens like pollen and weed. The symptoms will be suppressed significantly, though it takes time.

  1. Lowers Blood Pressure

So many people with high blood pressure are susceptible to heart disease. This risk can be lowered by including local honey in your dieting. Studies show that honey contains amazing antioxidants which regulate your blood pressure. So, instead of it shooting up, it’s lowered to acceptable levels.

  1. Regulate Cholesterol

Just like high blood pressure, bad cholesterol is a risk for heart disease. When it builds up around your arteries, it may lead to a stroke or a heart attack. The levels need to be reduced. According to research, you can discourage bad cholesterol while improving good cholesterol by taking local honey.

  1. Treats Low Libido

Are you surprised by this benefit? Well, it’s normal to be. Researchers argue that you can actually improve your sex drive with regular consumption of local honey. It helps both men and women to be easily aroused in bed. Thus, it can be used as a natural remedy for treating low libido.

  1. Improves Fertility

Local honey does not just improve sex drive but also helps to treat fertility issues. It’s known to improve sperm count and chances of fertilization. This happens when you consume it with unrefined goat milk. You’ll have to include this diet in your regular routine if you are looking to have the best results.

  1. Scalp and Hair Care

According to a finding by the European Journal of Medical Research, local honey is effective in getting rid of dandruff from your head and to minimize scalp itchiness. In addition, it helps to prevent premature hair loss. However, you have to apply it on your scalp and hair on a weekly basis.

  1. Skin Care

Honey plays two major roles on your skin. One, it’s a natural skin moisturizer. Basically, it helps to hydrate and soften your skin. To enjoy a smooth skin, you can either take local honey orally or apply it as an ointment. Two, it helps to reduce skin acne and eczema. To get rid of these conditions, you need to apply local honey topically.

  1. Sleep Aid

Local honey helps you to sleep better and healthily in two ways. One, it restores glycogen reserves in the body. The glycogen reserve protects your brain from lacking energy and so you don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night because you can’t sleep. Two, taking local honey eventually promotes the secretion of melatonin, a known sleep restorer.

  1. Weight Loss

According to a recent finding by the San Diego State University, local honey can be used to shed off some extra pounds. It has the power to boost your metabolism and so you tend to have more energy for working out. Additionally, local honey reduces triglyceride levels which are highly associated with weight gain.

  1. Treat Wounds

Local honey has several properties which makes it a great treatment solution for wounds. For one, it possesses antimicrobial elements that help it get rid of bacteria around a wound. Two, the antioxidants present in it stimulate tissue proliferation and regeneration. Lastly, it moistens the treated area to encourage fast healing.

  1. Suppresses Cough

Cough is a common condition, especially among children. The good news is that it can be suppressed naturally by taking local honey. You can use local honey as a cough syrup. Of course, you have to regulate the dosage since it’s very sweet and your kids may want more. A tablespoonful a day is okay.

  1. Anti-Cancer Effects

Very few foods have anti-cancer properties. Local honey happens to be one of them. Research shows that it can be used to prevent the growth of cancerous tumors and to also slow down the proliferation of existing ones. This is because local honey contains powerful phenolic compounds like Ferulic Acid, Gallic-Acid, Caffeic acid, and Syringic Acid. These promote anti-cancer effects.

  1. Energy Boost

Local honey contains about 80% natural sugar and the rest is water (18%) and nutrients (2%). The natural sugar is a source of energy for your brain. You need it to work out and to concentrate at work. No wonder local honey is referred to as the powerful fuel for your body and brain.

  1. Treats Hangover

You probably swear that you’ll never go back into drinking each time you wake up with a devastating hangover. Only to forget the pledge after you are feeling better. You actually, don’t have to go through such anguish. Just take local honey after you have had one too many and it will help to detoxify you. It metabolizes alcohol faster and this reduces its bioavailability.

  1. Improves Short-term Memory

A recent study by Reuters shows that menopausal women can have improved short-term memory if they take local honey frequently. However, the improvement isn’t that massive to argue that local honey alone can be used for memory boost. But still, a small improvement is better than no improvement.

Closing Thought:

With the above benefits in mind, it’s convincing that you need local honey in your life. It’s the perfect substitute for refined sugars when it comes to meal preparations and a great natural remedy when it comes to preventative and curative health. Whether you take it orally or apply it topically, the results are just incredible. It’s really worth your money.

Why Spending Time Outdoors Is Great for Your Health

The latest finding by the Environmental Protection Agency shows that the average person in the US spends 97% of their whole life indoors. Of this share, 87% represents time spent inside a building and 6% represents time spent in automobiles. However, the research concludes by recommending more outdoor time. With the kind of work that most of us do, it can be difficult to spend time outdoors. But still, it’s important to find a window of opportunity to be outside in the park or the forest for a breather and to interact with nature.

Are you aware that spending time outdoors is a natural medicine? Well, it helps to improve your physical, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. Simply, it can help you avoid the risk of early death. In general, spending time outdoors is great for your health because of the following 10 reasons:

  1. Distressing Effects

The outdoors normally changes your mental expressions. One study records that students who take time in the outdoors experience reduced stress levels. This is because cortisol, the stress hormone, does not fully express itself when you are out there interacting with nature. The other effect of the outdoors is a reduced heart rate. This is according to another study. The study recommends having time to enjoy nature even if it’s to observe things from your window.

  1. General Happiness

So many people suffer from anxiety and depression because of spending so much time in a confined space. This robs them the opportunity to experience what real happiness is like. A certain study shows that spending time in the outdoors will not just bring about stress relief but will also enhance your mood and lower anxiety. Basically, you become calmer and positive when you interact with nature. Actually, another finding recommends the outdoors as a supplementary treatment to your existing depression treatment.

  1. Prevents Inflammation and Fatigue

Inflammation is associated with autoimmune disorders, cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. Such conditions can be prevented by spending time outdoors. One study shows that people who spend most of their time in the woods register lower incidences of inflammation when compared to those who spend most of their time indoors. Another research shows that the outdoors boost your mental energy and this helps to prevent fatigue. This is because you are able to expose your brain to a restorative environment when you go out often.

  1. Memory Boost

Are you aware that your memory is much improved when you are outside than when you are indoors? Well, research shows that your short-term recognition ability is improved by 20% when you go outside. Whether you go for a walk or just a brief breather in the outdoors, it helps you to remember things that you wouldn’t have remembered had you stayed indoors.

  1. Improved Immunity

Your body’s natural defense can be improved significantly by nature. It becomes easier to fight off health threats like cold and flu. A 2010 review actually recommends the forest environment for an immunity boost. According to this review, the forest allows you to inhale a natural immune booster known as Phytoncide. The chemical naturally kills unhealthy cells and infectious agents that are introduced into your body. What’s incredible from this study is that the Phytoncide effects are realized up to 30 days after a forest adventure. Essentially, this means that you can go for a forest adventure once a month.

  1. Vitamin D Synthesis

You probably know from elementary school that the sun is good for vitamin D. However, not everyone is making the effort of getting enough vitamin D and this why risks like hip fractures, cognitive decline conditions, cancers, heart disease, and pregnancy complications are so common. Even though you can get vitamin D from foods and supplements, the main source is the sun and there are no questions about it. For this reason, you should try to spend at least 25 minutes daily under the sun so as to stimulate vitamin D synthesis. You don’t have to do it when the sun’s rays are too strong. Just do it when it’s convenient for you, more so the morning hours.

  1. Better Eyesight

Studies show that doing an outdoor activity has protective benefits on your eyes and may help to reduce myopia (shortsightedness) risks. This is more important for children than for adults. But still, an adult who’s active in the outdoors has better eyesight than the one who spends most time indoors. So, you need to reduce the amount of time that you stay glued to the screen and learn to go out often. Besides, staring on the screen is not healthy for your eyes as the rays are often too strong. Conversely, allowing your eyes to focus on a distant thing in the outdoors improves your visual range as opposed to focusing on a near thing in the indoors.

  1. Improved Concentration

As discussed, nature exposes your brain to a restorative environment. This means that you can concentrate much better when outside than when inside. One investigation that featured two groups (one in the city and the other in the woods) shows that the latter group focuses more than the former. The same goes for kids. Nature helps them to concentrate much better and it can be used to manage ADHD (Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder).

  1. Better Sleep

So often, sleeping patterns are dictated by two factors; melatonin and natural rhythm. Melatonin is a hormone that aids in sleeping. The effectiveness of these two factors is influenced by the sun. Spending time in the outdoors, especially under the sun, helps to boost them. In the long run, it becomes easy to fight insomnia and nighttime wakefulness. Basically, you need natural light to sleep better.

  1. Reduced Hypertension

Hypertension (high blood pressure) can be a serious risk if it’s not managed. The good thing is that you can lower it by spending time outdoors. Going for a short walk may help to bring down blood pressure to a manageable level. According to a Japanese study, you can lower blood pressure and average pulse by 2-4%. This may look like a small margin but may be the difference between life and death.

Closing Thought:

With all these benefits, it’s motivational to start spending more time outdoors. Whether it’s going for a hike, exercising in the outdoors, eating out or taking your kids to school, you need to do it diligently; knowing that it’s good for your health. Simply, every opportunity of spending time outdoors is worth grabbing.

Chiropractic Care for Migraines

It’s estimated that 38 million Americans suffer from different forms of migraines. Sadly, the statistic also includes children. On a global scale, the number rises to a billion. As a matter of fact, migraines are among the top three most prevalent conditions globally. The sad reality is that a majority of patients are unable to function as normal when attacked.

Generally, migraines can be severely painful when they attack and the pain can be difficult to control. So, the best treatment approach for the condition has to be a preventive one. You need to stop it from occurring. Seeking chiropractic care is one of the few preventive approaches that you can seek.

What Are the Symptoms?

We’ve mentioned a severe and hard-to-stop kind of headache. It’s important, nonetheless, to know that the pain can be experienced either on one side or both sides of the head. Additionally, pain is usually throbbing. You may feel like your head wants to explode. Other symptoms that show up are:

  • Hypersensitivity to the sense of touch, smell, and taste.
  • Lightheadedness
  • Sometimes, fainting
  • Light sensitivity

In an extreme case, a migraine can result in partial paralysis. Most people experience warning signs (auras) before a migraine attack. They include signs like flashing lights, nausea, and blurry vision. This gives them roughly 30 minutes to either prevent the attack or find ways to minimize it. It’s generally important to know what you can do when you face the auras. You can talk to your doctor about it. But before that, knowing what causes migraines is the first treatment approach. This is because you are able to avoid contact with the trigger.

What Are the Causes?

Migraines can be triggered by so many factors and they vary from individual to individual. The commonest are:

  • Alcohol (more so wine) and caffeine-based drinks
  • Some food s (for example, chocolate, cheese, and salty foods)
  • Low blood sugar (especially after skipping meals)
  • A change in weather
  • Hormonal changes in women (during pregnancy and menstruation)
  • Some medications (for example, oral contraceptives)
  • Psychological stress
  • Sensory stimuli (for example, a strong smell or bright light)
  • Sleep issues ( either not sleeping adequately or oversleeping)
  • Intense physical activity

Researchers argue that the reason you experience a migraine attack after exposure to any of the above triggers is that your serotonin levels fall below the normal levels. As a result, insufficient serotonin is not able to control pain and other symptoms of a migraine attack.

What Are the Treatments?

We’ve already mentioned chiropractic care; which we’ll look at shortly. The other option is medication treatment. However, it’s important to know that migraine treatment can either be preventive or abortive. Preventive treatment involves taking daily prescriptions so as to reduce the likelihood of suffering a migraine and to also reduce its severity in case it attacks. An abortive treatment, on the other hand, refers to medications given to treat the symptoms once you are attacked. It’s meant to stop the migraine attack. The prescriptions have to originate from your doctor.

Besides medications and chiropractic care, other treatments for migraine are:

  • Nutritional supplements – Supplements such as vitamin D, Omega-3, and magnesium are important in treating migraines. Nonetheless, it’s advisable to first talk to your chiropractor or GP before taking any supplement for migraine management.
  • Acupuncture – In the case of alternative medicine, acupuncture is just as popular as chiropractic care. So, you can also consider the technique for migraine. It’s one of the oldest and most effective treatments for a range of illnesses.

What is the Role Played By Chiropractic Care?

When it comes to chiropractic care, it’s both a preventive and abortive approach. This makes it a great treatment. Normally, the objective of chiropractic treatment is to not only reduce the severity of migraine pain but to also minimize its frequency. In this case, a chiropractor will employ different manual techniques to try to address the migraine and other contributory factors such as muscle tension on the neck, back, and shoulders, neck stiffness, and postural issue. Some of the techniques that a chiropractor may employ to treat migraine are:

  1. Spinal Adjustments

Here, a chiropractor will target to restore motion ranges by gently manipulating the spine and its surrounding tissues. The technique is meant to bring relief to the spine and eventually to your head. You may feel some ‘off’ symptoms like slight headache and general tiredness. Such symptoms clear over time.

  1. Muscle Release

This technique is all about relaxation. It may involve some forms of gentle massage on muscle tissues. The objective is to clear muscle stiffness and tension. Tight muscle knots are also cleared. The technique is normally done on your neck and back. In the long run, the migraine is managed since its sources are shut by muscle release.

  1. Hot and Cold Therapy

When it comes to reducing the intensity of throbbing pain, a chiropractor may resort to this option. It involves using either hot packs or cold ice packs on the area. Some chiropractor may combine the two. The technique can be used before or after spinal manipulation.

In addition to the three techniques, a chiropractor may also recommend the following:

  1. Lifestyle Changes

By identifying the triggers for your migraine, a chiropractor may recommend a few changes in your sleeping pattern, diet, and workout routine. For example, if some foods are not kind to you, the chiropractor will assist you to find their alternatives. Simply, the expert may help you arrive at a healthy diet. Of course, you have the option of consulting your nutritionist. Furthermore, a chiropractor may also recommend home stretching exercises that you can do at home.

  1. Relaxation Techniques

The goal of relaxation techniques is to alleviate stress. Basically, a chiropractor helps you to find ways that you can manage anxiety at home. Some of the relaxation techniques that the expert may recommend are:

  • Meditation
  • Breathing exercises
  • Massage therapy
  • Yoga

Closing Thought:

Though there are different techniques that Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic can use to treat migraines, the expert knows which one is right for you. So, you just have to trust them. you are guaranteed some amazing results in the long run. If you have been looking for a way to finally manage migraines, then it’s time to calling Healing Hands Chiropractic today!

Chiropractic’s Role in Preventative Health Care

Most people consider seeing a chiropractor when they are hit with unmanageable pain on their back and spine or when their neck is too stiff to allow them to turn. While these are enough reasons to see the expert, you don’t have to wait until such a point. If you do, it may take longer to diagnose the root cause and the same goes with the recovery. Not forgetting how much you’ll spend when the condition is severe. This brings us to preventive chiropractic care.

Basically, it’s all about seeing a chiropractor before you experience a major problem on your spine, back, shoulder, head, or any other issue that falls under the docket of the expert. Generally, preventative chiropractic intervention is all about maintaining your health just as it’s about addressing health issues before they turn severe. At the end of the day, your body becomes a well-oiled machine that’s able to work like brand new. We recommend visiting Healing Hands Chiropractic, located in Murfreesboro, TN, for your chiropractic care! It can help play the following roles in preventative health care:

  1. Prevents Injury Risks

So many athletes around the world suffer from injuries because their muscles and bones are not conditioned to take extra stress or physical aggression. However, seeking preventative chiropractic treatment helps a long way in streamlining your bones and tissues so as they are able to withstand the physical demands that come with the sport. Whether it’s on the main field or on the training ground, you are able to stay in great shape. This also applies to work-related injuries. So many people suffer from back pain because they overwork or sit at the same place for too long. Preventative care helps them to reduce the risk tremendously since misalignments on the spine are easily diagnosed and treated early.

  1. Keeps You Physically Active

Not everyone needs the same number of chiropractic visits. Some people are more active than others and so they may need fewer visits. However, all of them have the same objective – they want to stay active. Depending on your goal, a chiropractor can help you. The expert will help you find an ideal long-term commitment that’ll boost your level of activeness in your respective discipline. Whether it’s a sport or work, you are able to perform remarkably. For example, a chiropractor may work with your sports therapist to ensure that your on-field performance is improved. Likewise, a chiropractor may work with your physiotherapist to ensure that you are able to do manual work at home without risking your back or spine.

  1. Improves Posture and Motion

Not many people can claim that they have perfect posture. Unfortunately, a majority of them develop issues such as a curved back before their time. While such an issue is associated with old age, it’s not a good sign when you are still young. You need chiropractic care to correct misalignments within your spine so as to regain your posture. The technique employed is called spinal adjustment. The same technique can be used to improve your motion. You become more flexible and agile. Simply, you regain your youthfulness after the treatments.

  1. Treats Chronic Pain at a Less Serious Stage

People experience different forms of chronic pain every single day. They range from back pain to migraines. But, did you know that chronic pain is treatable even before it can be pronounced ‘chronic’? Well, leave it to chiropractic experts. They know what to do to stop your body from aching. They do this by establishing the real triggers for your chronic pain and dealing with it at an early stage. But still, you have to make several visits to a chiropractor before chronic pain is totally managed.

  1. Promotes a Healthier Lifestyle

As part of your consultation, a chiropractor will help you make a few lifestyle adjustments so as to help you enjoy better long-term health. Issues that the expert may touch on include better sleep, healthier diet, and ideal exercises. With respect to better sleep, a chiropractor may recommend a certain sleeping position or pattern or even a change of the mattress. In the case of a healthier diet, a chiropractor will take you through nutritional counseling so as to help you know what foods you should take and what not to. Lastly, a chiropractor will suggest the perfect stretching exercises that you can do at home routinely to keep you healthy.

  1. Boosts Natural Immunity

Research has proven over and over again that chiropractic care is good for your immunity. Actually, regular spinal adjustments go a long way in preventing common issues like cold, flu, and allergies. Such conditions happen when communication between the immune system and the nervous system is shut by spinal misalignment. A chiropractor is able to treat the misalignment through spinal adjustment and this ensures that effective communication between the two systems is restored. Also, it becomes easier to fight infectious agents as a whole when your immunity is boosted.

  1. Improves General Wellbeing

You need preventive chiropractic intervention to improve your physical and emotional wellbeing. Emotionally, you need chiropractic treatment to enjoy stress relief and improved mood. The right chiropractic care will help bring calmness to your body and mind. Physically, you need preventative care to sleep better, walk better, and to avoid different forms of aches. Simply, chiropractic care plays a significant role in all aspects of your health. This makes it one of the most crucial preventative health practices.

  1. Saves You Money

Lastly, when seeking preventive chiropractic care, you are focusing on addressing a health issue before it becomes complicated. As you already know, complicated health issues affecting the spine, back, and neck are expensive to diagnose and treat. They require expensive tests and sometimes even surgery. Although visiting a chiropractor periodically may cost you money, it’s not as much as what you can spend on MRI and X-ray or what you can pay for a surgery.

Conclusion

Preventive chiropractic care is important for your health. Whether you are seeking it to improve your health, to prevent future health problems or to avoid a relapse, the decision is always a smart one.Contact Healing Hands Chiropractic today to get started! As they say, prevention is better than cure. This is clearly evident in the above discussion.

Is Sitting the New Smoking?

Whether you are having dinner, studying, driving, typing or watching TV in your living room, all these activities have one thing in common; they involve sitting. So, it’s quite illogic to think that you can avoid sitting in totality. However, Dr. Elliot O’Connor of UW Sports Medicine warns that there are so many risks associated with prolonged sitting, a condition called Sitting Disease. In fact, Dr. O’Connor calls sitting the new smoking. But why?

According to the doctor, sitting doesn’t kill you right away but does it over time. This is the same thing with tobacco smoking. His sentiments are seconded by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. According to the journal, sitting just like smoking exposes you to the risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In addition, there are other risks such as diabetes, obesity, and disability.

Another study by Annals of Internal Medicine shows that Sitting Disease leads to early death among adults. This is with respect to those who spend 6 hours or more sitting on a daily basis. However, the study shows that more inactive women (at 94%) are affected than inactive men (at 48%). You may argue, “But I work out?” Unfortunately, you are not off the hook. According to Dr. O’Connor, even a person who works out but later lives a sedentary life is at risk of suffering Sitting Disease.

Dr. Brian Liem, also from UW Sports Medicine, insists on including standing in everything that you do that involves sitting more than an hour as the best way to prevent Sitting Disease. The doctor argues that it helps to strengthen the postural muscles and this eventually leads to a better posture. The doctor concludes that standing is equally as important as sitting and thus the two should be alternated.

What Sitting Does to Your Body

A new British Campaign dabbed “Get Britain Standing” calls prolonged sitting ill-health. This is because over £1 billion is used yearly to combat complications resulting from Sitting Disease. According to Gavin Bradley, the man behind the Get Britain Standing initiative, prolonged sitting is bad for us but we never realize it until a complication arises. This is the case of smoking. Mr. Bradley argues that one thing happens when you sit for long – your metabolism slows down and this affects processes like fat breakdown and glucose regulation.

In the end, this improves the risk of becoming obese and suffering serious conditions like heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. A finding by Mayo Clinic concludes that you conserve about 352 calories in every two hours of sitting and this is a leading cause of obesity. Doctors generally recommend physical activities as a way to improve metabolism and this includes standing and walking more as opposed to sitting.

Additionally, a sedentary lifestyle affects you in the following ways:

  • It weakens and wastes your gluteal and leg muscles.
  • Shortens your hip flexors, leading to hip problems.
  • Interferes with your overall body posture

Technology and Sitting

In this age, it’s hard to do some things without resorting to technology. The problem is that most devices require you to take a sit. Without realizing it, you find yourself spending hours sitting at the same place without even making a move. It’s likely that you own a smartphone, a TV or a computer at home. Think of how many hours you sit down staring at the screen. If you work in an office, then you probably spend three-quarter of your office hours behind the desk.

Even though technology is an important part of our lives, it doesn’t mean that you should give in to the demands of a sedentary life. For starters, staring at your PC contributes to the shortening of the hip flexors and abdominal muscles. It also makes your chest to curve and the shoulders to weaken. This may manifest itself in form of a hump on your upper back. Even though these symptoms are quite uncommon, Dr. O’Connor argues that they are a real possibility.

Aging and Sitting

According to a REGARDS study, the older you get, the more you sit. in the long run, this increases the risk of suffering from conditions like stroke and heart attack which are known to cause early deaths. The mental functions are also affected as you become more sedentary. Studies show that an older person sits at least 9 hours a day. This is a risk by itself since it provides the body with little time to stretch.

What’s the Solution?

You probably are wondering what to do after learning the dangers of Sitting Disease. Considering that it’s almost impossible to use a computer or a phone without taking a seat, the solution is to inculcate standing in between the sitting. For example, you should stand after every 30 minutes of sitting. This will ensure that your back and hip muscles are stretched enough and you enjoy a better posture. Actually, the American Heart Association recommends sitting less and moving more as a way to overcome heart conditions related to Sitting Disease. Other things that you can do include:

  • Stretch where you are – You can do it under the desk, when you halt your car, and on your sofa while watching TV. This is meant to readjust your muscles and to help you gain a better posture.
  • Stand when having your lunch – If the lunch break is the only time that you can stand for a reasonable amount of time when at work, you should take advantage of it and eat while standing. It doesn’t make sense to sit again after coming from the office.
  • Do the one-leg balance when brushing your teeth or when watching TV – This encourages proper blood supply and combats back muscle stiffness.
  • Performing aerobic exercises – There are simple aerobic routines such as leg raising and arm stretching routines that you can do regularly to stretch your body. The WHO recommends doing moderate aerobic routines for at least 2.5 hours every week.
  • Take the stairs if possible, instead of the elevator, to encourage stretching.
  • Park a distance away to encourage more walking.
  • Find a fun activity to do like swimming, dancing, and yoga.

Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches

Headaches are so common in the sense that two-out-of-three people in the world suffer from them. A headache can be frequent or occasional. It can also be throbbing or dull. Others are complicated by nausea, a running nose, and swelling. It all depends on the trigger or cause. You can suffer a headache because of an environmental stimulus like noise, unsafe light from a computer or a smartphone, and because of stress. You can also suffer a headache from driving, sitting behind a desk, sleeping on your tummy, and playing computer games for long.

Research shows that 5% of the headaches are caused by physical triggers. However, the remaining 95% of the cases do not have a specific trigger since a headache itself is the primary trigger. So, they are not associated with any other ailment besides a headache. A good example is migraines. Regardless of the type, studies show that headaches can be treated by chiropractic care. So that you may understand what the role that chiropractic treatments play in managing headaches, let’s briefly look at the headache types that are treated by the traditional practice.

Common Types of Headaches Treatable by Chiropractic Care

  1. Migraines

Migraines, according to most people, are the most severe form of a headache. The unfortunate thing is that they are not just painful but they are also characterized by symptoms like light sensitivity, temporary loss of vision, and vomiting. In addition, these symptoms are recurrent. There is no apparent trigger for the condition as they can range from foods to sleep patterns. Seeking chiropractic care is key to addressing the real trigger of your migraines and overcoming the condition.

  1. Cluster Headache

A cluster headache can be as severe as a migraine. Nonetheless, it doesn’t last as long as migraines and has the habit of recurring often. You are likely to experience one-sided pain alongside nasal congestion and tears. According to experts, a cluster headache is seasonal and may be mistaken for an allergy. The pain is usually associated with a misalignment of the cervical area and you need chiropractic care to correct it.

  1. A Tension Headache

Some people confuse tension headaches with migraines. Unlike migraines, tension headaches are generally the least severe. The condition won’t inhibit you from continuing with your normal routine. You also don’t suffer an issue like vision loss as it’s the case of migraines. However, it’s characterized by symptoms like poor posture and sleep interference. You need chiropractic help to address these symptoms.

  1. A Rebound Headache

Are you a painkiller addict? Then, it’s likely that the headaches that you experience most of the time are a rebound type. It occurs when you overuse OTC prescriptions such as Advil and Tylenol. The symptoms of this headache are similar to the withdrawal effects of alcohol. Chiropractic treatments will not only help you treat the condition but also to prevent it.

  1. A Sinus Headache

This type of a headache is characterized by a running nose. In a severe case, the face may swell. So, it’s generally a rough experience. The funny thing though is that once the swelling subsides or the running nose stops, the headache fades. Even though a salt water spray or a decongestant may help, you need to talk to a chiropractor about the right adjustment. The expert will advise you on the ideal treatment depending on your headache.

Headaches and Chiropractic Treatments

Headaches are among the most popular conditions treated by chiropractic care. Studies show that 10% of patients who visit a chiropractor do it solely to treat headaches. 90% of them are likely to see a reduction in their headaches. Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic may perform any of the following practices to help you treat a headache:

  1. Perform a spinal manipulation technique on you: This is meant to try to improve your spinal function. The techniques will also target to alleviate the weight and stress that’s placed on your spinal system. They include:
  • Spinal mobilization – The role of this technique is to reduce oxidative stress. The stress causes damage to your body by triggering a headache, among other concerns. Therefore, a chiropractor will try to relieve the stressed spine by gently manipulating it using hands.
  • Maintenance care – This is meant to prevent a headache from recurring. In this case, a chiropractor will perform minor massages on the back of your head to help get rid of and prevent recurring headaches.
  • Muscle rub – This involves using a traditional remedy like cayenne to rub your tensed muscles. Cayenne helps to promote circulation and in the long run, treats and prevents headaches.
  • Essential oils massage – The chiropractor may also decide to use lavender oil, peppermint oil or any other essential oil to reduce your sensitivity to headaches. Using the oils, the expert will massage you gently on the head.
  1. Provide posture and workout advice: The expert will suggest physical routines like yoga postures that you can do to improve your body positioning and to relax at home. The routines will help to relieve muscle tension.
  2. Recommend a nutrition plan: The expert may suggest a change in diet, for example, a gluten-free diet, to help to prevent headaches.

Preventive Approaches

According to the American Chiropractic Association, there are a number of chiropractic practices that you can do to prevent headaches. They include:

  • Learn to take a break when doing something that involves long hours of sitting or long hours of staring at a screen. Whether it’s reading over the internet or typing for long hours, learn to take pauses every 30 minutes. This will help to stretch your head and to position it into a comfortable position.
  • Take at least 8 glasses of clean water a day to rehydrate your body. Since headaches are related to dehydration, you are able to counter the effects by drinking plenty of water.
  • Engage in low-impact physical exercises such as aerobics and walking.
  • Avoid clenching your teeth even when disappointed or angry as this stress your TMJ (temporomandibular joint). The Irritation of the joint easily translates to a headache.

Closing Thought:

There is no doubt that better chiropractic care is key to preventing and treating the most common headaches. Dr. Dee is well trained to help you get rid of the discomfort. They know the relationship between your spine and the head and so they are the ideal people to consider when either of the parts has an issue. If you been trying different treatments for headaches to no avail, it’s time you seek chiropractic help. Contact Healing Hands Chiropractic today!

 

 

Chiropractic Care for Athletes

So often in a competitive sport, the difference between winners and losers are a few microseconds. For this reason, athletes need all the extra speed and strength that they can amass to try and beat each other with any possible time difference. As they struggle to do it, the likelihood of them sustaining an injury is high. This is why injuries are widespread in competitive disciplines like football, basketball, basketball, sprinting, swimming, and skating. But despite this risk, sportspersons are always eager to impress as no one wants to lose. Some of them will even go as far as using banned substances so as to recover fast from injuries.

Injuries, however, are not the only concern for athletes. Since athletes want to step up their performances whenever they get to the field, this has led to some of them relying on performance-enhancing substances. Unfortunately, a majority of these substances are illegal but sportspersons still take chances. The good news though is that they can boost their on-field performance without using any banned performance enhancers. Similarly, they can prevent injuries and recover from them without using any illegal prescription. The solution is in a hands-on technique called chiropractic care.

About Chiropractic Care

In this technique, Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic, located in Murfressboro, TN, gently and methodically manipulates the spine and the injured parts so as to realign them. The aim is to clear subluxations(misalignments). There basically is no drug used or surgical procedure done. Unlike drugs which may bring about adverse reactions or the possibility of an addiction or the need for surgery which may bench you for months, you have a better chance of a safe and quick recovery with chiropractic care.

For so many years, chiropractic care has been a key consideration in the competitive sports sector. Actually, studies show that 90% of athletes in the world employ chiropractic cared to improve their on-field performance and to also prevent injuries. The primary aim of chiropractic care is pain relief but it can also achieve other objectives. Generally, here are the main goals of chiropractic care for athletes.

Injury Prevention

In a competitive sport, two things are key in winning; range of motion and flexibility. Apparently, these two factors are what causes injuries when your body can’t cope with the demands. Chiropractic care prepares your body for both factors so as to limit the chances of sustaining an injury when your body is asked to give more on the field. A spinal misalignment (what we are calling a subluxation) normally puts unnecessary stress on your whole body. This often increases the risk of suffering an injury as you compete. Chiropractic care helps to get rid of the extra burden that’s placed on your misaligned spine by clearing subluxations. This is how you are able to regain postural balance when competing and are able to do it without risking an injury.

Improved Training

A good number of athletes get injured while training. This is because they either stretch themselves too much or they carry weights that their body cannot sustain. So, joint problems are a key thing in the training grounds and the gyms. This, nonetheless, doesn’t have to be the case always since chiropractic care can help. It’s designed to help you train more effectively by boosting your joint adaptability and muscular strength. So, when you try to overstretch, your body is able to cope with the demand. This is one of the reasons who most athletes’ trainers turn to chiropractic care when they realize that their students are prone to injuries when training. Normally, a good sports chiropractor will examine your whole body – knees, shoulders, elbows, back, hips, and neck. This is meant to ensure that all is well when training and you are able to do it with agility and strength.

Enhanced On-Field Performance

Chiropractic care is crucial in improving your overall competitiveness in sports. A subluxation, however, has the power to interrupt the functioning of other systems. This is because they are all connected to the spine, directly or indirectly. This makes your level of performance to dwindle. With regular chiropractic care, the spine is adjusted accordingly so as to treat subluxations completely. This means that your spine is able to regain its effectiveness and so as the other affected systems.

In the long run, this translates to enhanced field performance. You become more agile, stronger, and faster. According to a study, chiropractic care improves the eye coordination ability of an athlete by 30% and general performance by 6.12% just within three months of therapy. The biggest beneficiaries based on the study are footballers, basketballers, and MLB players. Therefore, there is no doubt that you stand to step up your overall athleticism on the field.

Enhanced ROM (Range of Motion)

As an athlete in a competitive discipline, you are likely to put extra pressure on your body, more so the back when working out or competing. Such pressure can have a detrimental impact on your spine and this limits your range of motion. This is why you feel discomforts in form of stiff joints and muscle cramps. Regular chiropractic care is meant to improve your ROM. This means that your spine doesn’t have to suffer when stretching, running or jumping. You are able to do it without worrying about pain. According to a 2017 study, it’s pain that limits one’s range of motion and employing chiropractic care is key to achieving maximum pain relief. This means more ROM in the end.

Rapid Healing

By relieving you from possible pain and by fixing spinal misalignment, chiropractic care plays an important role in ensuring a speedy recovery process following an injury. So, you are guaranteed a shorter healing period. Some of the routines used by a chiropractor to facilitate this include:

  • Combination of motion movement with massage therapy to bring about muscle relaxation.
  • Muscle stimulation aimed at releasing muscle tension.
  • Dry needling aimed at fighting muscle tension.
  • Stainless steel technique aimed at disintegrating scar tissues.

As a sportsperson, there is nothing you’ll ever wish than to spend minimal time on the bench after sustaining an injury. This is not always the case with most therapies.

Bottomline

Generally, chiropractic care helps all types of athletes to become more competitive. Right from the training to the field, they are able to attain optimal success. No wonder athletes around the world are turning out in masses to seek chiropractic care! Whether you are a member of a professional sports team, a high school athlete, a trainer, or someone who just like keeping fit, Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic can help you!

 

Chiropractic Treatment for TMJD

So many people associate the term chiropractor with either the spine or the back. While these areas are the most handled by the expert, a chiropractor can also help correct discomforts in other areas. For example, the expert can help to reduce jaw discomfort and pain. One major problem affecting your jaw that can be handled by a chiropractor is the dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Temporomandibular joint disorder (JMJD) is a very common problem globally. Surprisingly, a majority of people are not aware of the condition until they are diagnosed by a doctor. According to a recent report by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), about 75% of individuals in the US show signs of JMJD. Before we go any further, let’s first understand the disorder.

What Exactly is TMJD?

The temporomandibular joint is what connects your lower jaw to the skull (just in front of the ear). A number of facial muscles are attached to it. The joint allows you to chew, yawn, and dialog. You can locate your TMJ easily by just opening your mouth and feeling with your fingers the part that’s in front of the ear. If there is a problem with the TMJ, the resulting effect is a TMJD.

What Causes the Condition?

There are generally different causes of TMJD. The commonest is physical injury. it’s a common cause of acute TMJD. It causes a sharp but brief pain in the temporomandibular joint. A physical injury, in this case, may be in form of:

  • A dislocated jaw
  • A sprain in the jaw
  • A whiplash

Other causes include:

  • Grinding of the teeth when you are sleeping. This is because the jaws are overworked unnecessarily.
  • Hereditary conditions – Some forms of TMJD can be inherited from a parent.
  • A serious infection such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
  • A traumatic experience in the mouth following dental surgery.

How Can You Know If You Are Having TMJD?

The simplest way to do it is to identify the symptoms. TMJD is characterized by the following symptoms:

  • Throbbing pain: This the primary symptom for TMJD. The pain is massively felt in the jaw area. There are cases where the ears, the teeth, and the head experience ache. In some limited cases, the pain stretches to the shoulders, the arm, and the back.
  • Restricted Mobility: Since the temporomandibular joint is affected, mobility in the area is limited. It can also be locked in a chronic case. Patients with a locked TMJ are not able to either open or close their mouth.
  • Vertigo: Vertigo is a condition where you find it difficult to hear things. Since the TMJ runs close to the ear, you can be sure that your hearing will be hampered.
  • Difficulty in swallowing: The TMJ muscles that are responsible for facilitating swallowing are rendered ineffective. In a severe case, it becomes impossible to swallow anything at all.
  • Bite alterations: Some people feel like they are not chewing anything even if they are struggling to do it. This is because they can’t feel the teeth coming into contact with each other. There are others who can’t chew at all.
  • Jaw click: This happens when you open or close your mouth. It’s a possible indicator of a headache problem that originates from the TMJ even if the jaws themselves are not painful.

The Role That Chiropractic Treatments Play in TMJD Correction

Traditionally, TMJD treatments have been the responsibility of the oral surgeons, orthodontists, pain managers, and rheumatologists. Nowadays, chiropractors are joining in. They are taking an active role because TMJD is a neuromusculoskeletal condition and this is their field of specialization. A good number of patients respond well to chiropractic treatments and there are indicators that the technique is one of the most reliable TMJD treatment options. Recently, the NIDCR and the NIH (National Institute of Health) endorsed chiropractic treatments as an alternative to dental surgery when it comes to treating TMJD. Unlike dental surgery, chiropractic care is non-invasive, thus kinder to you.

What Happens During the Diagnosis?

Once you show the discussed TMJD symptoms, the chiropractor will run a conclusive diagnosis to establish that it’s really TMJD. The diagnosis will involve physical exams and x-rays. Physically, the chiropractor will ask you to perform repetitive chewing motions as he or she observes the performance of the jaws. The expert will also look for possible inflammation in the joint. The x-ray is done to just ascertain the extent of the dysfunction. The images will clearly indicate everything that is happening in your mouth.

What Happens During the Treatment?

The objective of chiropractic treatment is to readjust and realign your jaw so that the temporomandibular joint can click back into position. This will help to clear the dysfunction. During the jaw adjustment process, your chiropractor will apply some pressure either on the jaw or on other TMJ related parts such as the skull and the upper spine. In addition to the pressing, the chiropractor will include a soft tissue-based therapy like Active Release Technique (ART) to reinforce the jaw adjustment process. The technique is done to disintegrate scars tissues, abnormal adhesions, and other buildups on your temporomandibular joint. ART can work on its own but it gives the best performance when combined with other chiropractic treatments.

What Is Expected After TMJD Treatment?

It’s important not to overwork or hurt your temporomandibular joint after the treatment. In this case, you should:

  • Eat soft foods such as stewed vegetables, soup, and milkshakes. The foods will give you sufficient nutrients and will allow you to stay away from hard foods no matter how nutritious or yummy they are.
  • Avoid putting ice on your jaw. This may stir pain and discomfort. You need to let the healing and restoration happen naturally.
  • Avoid chewing gums or any other activity that involves repetitive jaw mobility until the joint completely heals.

Bottomline

TMJD is a dysfunction that causes pain and discomfort. In addition, a majority of functions are hampered. Therefore, you have to take the right treatment action to correct it. As seen above, there’s no doubt about the effectiveness of chiropractic care in treating TMJD. The therapy will help to restore the temporomandibular joint to its original purposeful status. Contact Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic, located in Murfreesboro, TN today to get help!