The More About Chiropractic The Better!

In the recent issue of Dynamic Chiropractic it was reported that chiropractic adjusting was superior to medication for the treatment of lower back pain. Patients also reported longer lasting effects, felt healthier and felt greater satisfaction. This is something that chiropractors have known for eons in anecdotal cases, but it's good to get it backed up in a double blind randomized control trial, which is the gold standard of research methodology. The study continues to add credence that chiropractors should be the first line of defense in treating lower back pain which is the number one cause of loss of productive and disability in the world. Not only did chiropractic show superior results but take into account the fact the drug interaction claim one hundred and fifty thousand lives a year. Medical doctors should be bending over backwards to refer patients to the chiropractor of their choice.

The sad truth is many medical doctor will not see the research or let their bias get in the way of clear evidence the chiropractic is not only the most effective but also has the greatest satisfaction rate out of any healthcare provider. Once the evidence is published it usually takes about five years for the evidence to be applied clinically in the field. It takes the same time for a drug to stop being prescribed once it's ruled ineffective. Every chiropractic patient should spread the word that chiropractic is the best thing a patient can do in seeking musculoskeletal pain relief, they can help keep people healthy and perhaps off dangerous and ineffective medications. While some medications are helpful and needed there is just as many that are overused and dangerous. If you know someone who wants the best evidence patient care and be satisfied visit our Frisco Chiropractic office    

Plantar Fasciitis, Help Me!

In our Frisco chiropractic office plantar fasciitis is a common complaint in patients with foot pain. Plantar Fasciitis is an irritation of the plantar fascia which is on the bottom of the foot. It is usually caused by an over pronation of the foot during gait and occurs in athletes as a micro-injury that adds up to cause the condition. The plantar fascia gets very inflamed due to the improper biomechanics of the foot. The diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is usually easy to determine and the hallmark complaint is the first step in the morning being very painful. On radiographic study there can also be a calcaneal spur which is seen in this condition.

Chiropractors are well versed in treating musculoskeletal conditions and plantar fasciitis responds well to chiropractic. The overall treatment protocol should first be focused on decreasing pain and inflammation. The method to decrease inflammation is going to be cryotherapy, in our Frisco chiropractic office we usually tell patients to fill an empty soda bottle with water and freeze it. We then instructed the patient to roll the frozen bottle with their foot for a certain period of time, this method works well. Also therapy to the soft tissues around the foot like stretching can also be a useful tool as tight muscles pull the foot out of place during gait. Chiropractic care will also involve chiropractic adjusting of the joints in the foot that are fixated and an evaluation of the lumbar spine could reveal a biomechanical problem. Along with home exercises and continued care a patient should respond quite favorable to chiropractic care for this condition.      

What Is Better For My Muscles, Ice Or Heat?

Well it really depends, both can be harmful and both can be helpful, it really depends on what stage of healing you are in. There are three types of phases during the healing process and your chiropractor will be able to identify and recommend which one is best for you. The phases of healing are the acute, sub-acute, and chronic. The acute phase is usually the first seventy-two hours of the injury, the sub-acute phase is from after the first seventy-two hour to two weeks, and the chronic phase is anything after two weeks.

Due to the physiological process of each phase cryotherapy or heat therapy can be indicated or contraindicated. The first phase is going to be the acute and ice phase, ice will be recommended to help decrease inflammation and help gate with the pain. The process of reducing the inflammation with help the tissues heal faster and regain functionality sooner. If heat is used in the acute phase, while it may feel good at the time, the next day will be extremely painful. Large gatherings of exudate or liquid will be present causing the area of injury to swell, also this swelling will promote pain, and the area of injury will be unusable for a few dates.

The next phase is the sub-acute phase which as stated above ranges from after the first seventy-two hours to two weeks. These phases can overlap and it's your chiropractors job to assess the current situation. In the sub-acute phase I still like to recommend ice treatment most of the time. The ice treatments continue to decrease pain, and only slightly decrease inflammation. If a patient has problems with ice I will recommend an ice-heat contrast therapy, with heat for ten minutes then ice to follow up. The ice-heat contrast therapy can act as a pumping acting to first bring the exudate to the area and the cold to contract and pump it away.

The last phase is the chronic phase, which is after two weeks from the injury date. During the chronic phase heat is going to be beneficial. The heat usually helps the tight muscles to relax and breath so to speak, most people also report just the general feeling that heat feels good. The heat seems to elongate the muscle fiber to make them more pliable meaning the muscle will be able to help preform a larger range of motion. Heat is also used in muscle work or reforming tissues, where the heat is used to relax and elongate the muscles and after the therapy ice is used to make sure the treatment does not have painful effects. If you have an injury it is always important to get it evaluated by your chiropractor first since they are experts in musculoskeletal injuries.  

It's Funny What We Find In Our Back Yard

A few friends were assisting me in chopping down some pretty tall plants when my wife noted about some of these not-so-friendly-looking plants. She pointed to one of the plants that I was getting ready to knock down. "I said I do believe that is milk thistle, I believe it's got some therapeutic value. "I explained how cool and interesting that was as I continued to work. However the following day I did some research. Low and behold, this spiny, purple-flowered plant has been used for thousands of years as a remedy for a variety of ailments.  According to Rational Phytotherapy, a classic, science-based guide to herbal medicine, that milk thistle I chopped to the ground is considered one of the few plant-based medicines to have undergone "state-of-the-art pharmacologic testing" and well-controlled research studies.

If something this easy is growing in our backyard and has great value then why are we going to the store and buying other items that seem like garbage. The point is you know what your getting when you grow things in your back yard or even in a farmer's market. If you can eat locally produced foods in a high abundance I can guarantee we would be healthier. We would not need food sensitivity test or have as many food allergies. The problems with food from long distances is a logistical problem. How do you keep fresh foods that stay fresh in a truck for a week? It's easy you genetically modify them to grow larger and stay fresh and healthier longer. The problems are this is not good for us as humans, we need to eat naturally grown food, that's how we were made. If you grow foods out of your back yard I'm sure they can be just as therapeutic as the wonderful milk thistle plant.