Advanced Chiropractic Care: More Than Just Spinal Manipulation

When it comes to chiropractic care, spinal manipulation is just the beginning. Not only can you receive spinal manipulation and back adjustments, you can also explore even more treatments from advanced chiropractors. By expanding the scope of treatment, they can help you better maintain the wellness of your body.

Don’t limit yourself. Advanced chiropractors can show you a variety of exercise programs and treatments that can be done in your home or in their office. They help get to the underlying cause of pain.

 By exploring all of the treatment options that your chiropractor has available, you could find a treatment program that works better than you could imagine. Learn more below and explore a few chiropractic treatments that you may want to consider.

Disc Decompression

Disc decompression is a treatment that can help with relieving pain from degenerative disc diseases and other issues like sciatica, and spinal stenosis. It is a non-surgical procedure and offered by many advanced chiropractors. Pain relief is important for reviving normal exercise and work routines.

Using a traction table the spine is gently stretched releasing pressure on spinal discs. When pressure compresses the discs in the spine, irritation and inflammation can occur, causing pain. All of these factors contribute to issues that cause lower back pain. Accompanied by active and passive treatment options, disc decompression can completely remove pain and return you back to your normal life.

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy is a chiropractic treatment where lasers are used to stimulate body tissue. This stimulation reduces pain by enhancing the body’s natural healing process. Lasers emit light to different areas of the body, allowing tissue to regenerate and heal the area. It also reduces inflammation with can also cause pain.

Low-level laser therapy is the use of red and near infrared monochromatic light. It is a short term treatment used to treat conditions such as, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other causes of acute pain. Cold laser therapy is another name for low-level laser therapy. Doctors use small hand held lasers so treatment is fast and you can be back to your normal routine quickly. Take a look at this real world example of how a Berkeley chiropractor use laser therapy to treat his patients.

Exercises to Balance the Muscular System

Combined with chiropractic care, exercise is important to help manage pain. Different exercises are taught by the chiropractor but can be done in your home. By strengthening muscles and conditioning the heart, digestion and blood circulation is increased enhancing the body’s healing ability.

With a well-balanced muscular system, the chances of acquiring a debilitating injury are reduced. Different stretch and strength movements aid in the support of back bones and nerves. Exercise helps to improve muscle and bone function and that is important for the control and prevention of muscular and neurological disease.

Advanced chiropractors can demonstrate proper exercise techniques to prevent injury while exercising and doing everyday things. Safety is important and the tips they provide can lead to an improved and long lasting function of the back.

Remember to keep an open mind when visiting the chiropractor. An advanced chiropractor can do much more than just back adjustments and spinal manipulation. They can provide other treatments such as laser therapy and disc decompression. They can also show exercises that can improve, enhance, and preserve the function of the muscles and nerves.

For more information on advanced chiropractic care, visit:

Hamilton Chiropractic
1313 Gilman St, Ste B
Berkeley, CA 94706
Phone: (510) 526-3362
ChiroMik.com

Embrace Massage Therapy with a New Intention

Science has shown that professionally-conducted massage therapy works wonders in more ways than one. The health and wellness benefits of massage can go much deeper than helping to release muscle tension, aches, and pains.

So during your next visit to your massage therapist, perhaps you should embrace the massage with a certain intention. Whether to relax and relieve stress or promote healing in ailing parts of the body, a brief discussion with your massage therapist can pinpoint the perfect type of massage (along with the proper mindset) to help make you a better human being. Below are a few intentions to consider.

Enhances Flexibility

Sports injuries are far more common today than ever before. But in addition to injuries resulting from athletic pursuits, many individuals encounter minor injuries (pulled muscles, sprained anxles, etc.) from leading a sedentary lifestyle. In short, not keeping joints, ligaments, and muscles in motion can make one's system rigid and highly in-flexible.

In addition to embracing a slightly more active lifestyle that incorporates movement, flexibility can be greatly enhanced through massage therapy. With a good deep tissue massage for injury relief or prevention, your muscles, joints, tendons, and connective tissue become more fluid, hydrated, and less susceptible to injury.

Evaporates Stress & Anxiety

Countless research studies have proven that massage therapy significantly reduces both blood pressure and thus heart rate. In turn, this helps encourages the release of feel good endorphins throughout the body, such as serotonin and dopamine.

If you're constantly feeling stressed and anxious, a good wholesome massage may be in order. Almost any type of massage can help encourage feelings of calmness and relaxation (with the exception of deep, deep tissue massages which are often directed toward healing and rehabilitation. Opt for a long 60 or 90 minute massage, and let the stress evaporate.

Relieves Tension and Headaches

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Studies have shown that over 3 million people in the U.S. report dealing with migraine headaches. This is mostly due to individuals experiencing enormous amounts of stress coupled with poor sleep and rest.

Regular massage therapy can significantly help promote much needed relaxation (and stress-relief), and thus evaporating the potential onset of a migraine or tension headache. Tell you massage therapist that in addition to focusing on a general relaxation massage (or Swedish massage), you'd like to place some attention on the cranial area, such as the temples.

Improves Post-Surgery Healing & Rehabilitation

The post-surgery rehabilitation process is a critical phase after any surgery, whether knee surgery or breast augmentation surgery. It is during the post-op rehabilitation and recovery stages when your body needs to be stimulated in the right manner.

Research has made evident that patients after surgery who receive regular massage treatments can heal their bodies quicker. This has been particularly noted among athletes who undergo reconstructive surgery of the limbs, as well as women who are healing from breast augmentation surgery. In essence, massage therapy helps to promote increased blood flood and circulation in parts of the body that need it most, and thus accelerates the recovery process.

Ecourages Easier Breathing

One of the most clear signs of anxiety and stress in an individual is constricted breathing. Short and shallow breathing makes it nearly impossible to fully relax and unwind. For this reason, massage therapy can provide the ideal solution to achieve a complete relaxed state to make breathing easier and more fluid.

On physical level, constricted breathing is often caused by tight muscles in the rib cage as well as the abdomen. Precision massage treatment can help release these problematic tight spots, all while helping your body relax. Specific health benefits can help alleviate a number of respiratory issues, including asthma, bronchitis, sinus problems, and allergies.

Regular and professional massage therapy can be a complete game-changer in how you lead your life. Massage not only help us on physical level, but can also offer mental and emotional health benefits. If you can afford to invest in regular massage treatments, do it. It's one of the best forms of healthcare that your body will love.

This article was contribute on behalf of the Bloomington, IL massage therapists at N8 Touch Massage. Offering a wide range of massage therapies to the people of Bloomington, IL, N8 Touch Massage is haven for holistic healing and relaxation through the art of massage. To learn more about N8 Touch Massage of Bloomington, IL, you can visit the website or check them out on Google+.

How a Chiropractor Can Help Optimize Your Athletic Performance

Chiropractic is a medical practice that specializes on disorders of the nervous system and musculoskeletal system with specific focus on the spine. In addition to these two areas, chiropractors also deal with the effects that such conditions have on the general well-being of the body of a patient.

Simply put, chiropractors handle a wide variety of issues, such as head and neck pain, low back pain, joint pain of the limbs, and even pain deriving from the lower extremities. Regardless of pain, all of these issues correlate with mobility (or lack thereof.) 

Joint immobility and movement restriction could be as a result of a number of factors. Athletes often encounter bouts of such immobility due to muscle strain or injury in the course of training and exercise.

This could mean that an athlete has over-worked their muscles, undergone stress with poor movement mechanics, and/or continued training without restoring proper mobility with stretching and other forms of release. In many cases, a professional chiropractor can offer a sound solution.

Chiropractic Treatments that Help Restore Mobility

In the exercise of their profession, chiropractors usually perform a number of procedures aimed at restoring mobility and proper movement mechanics. One of the most common procedures that some chiropractors Bloomington, IL use is spinal manipulation or adjustments. Here, the chiropractor will aim at restoring mobility of your joints by applying force into the joints that have become immobile.

The injury you suffer usually has the effect of altering the spinal posture and this situation could extend for some time. So as to remedy such cases, you may have to undergo therapy in which chiropractic physicians specialize in. In injuries of this nature, controlled force would be applied to the injured location for the purpose of restoration.

Athletic injuries which fall under the chiropractic field normally force the injured tissue to undergo a number of changes that may be chemical, physical or in other cases both. The changes envisaged here may then lead to inflammation and reduced productivity on the part of the patient. In addition, one may suffer pain that would make it impossible to lead a productive sports life.

Benefits of Working With a Chiropractor

Since any form of muscle or nervous system disorder usually has a huge impact in the productivity of an active client, chiropractic therapy is normally a good alternative treatment. Practitioners in this area employ a hands-on approach to the diagnosis and treatment. This ensures recovery from serious injuries and eventually the restoration of full mobility in the cases of an athlete.

One advantage of taking the chiropractic adjustment alternative as opposed to other avenues is that this particular treatment rarely causes any forms of discomfort. In essence, patients with muscular or nervous disorders would be guided to recovery without any side effects that are common with other practices. The only downside that one may have to deal with is that of soreness which is to be expected with such forms of treatment.

In addition to restoring the ability of an injured party to participate in physical activity, chiropractic therapy, adjustments and its other constituents may also be used to compliment other forms of pain-relieving or muscle-restoration therapies. Thus, other than the benefits of well-being that one can acquire from chiropractic exercises, its complimentary aspect makes it even more suitable in dealing with all forms of sports injury.

Is Rolfing the New Deep Tissue Massage?

Rolfing is a stem of soft tissue manipulation that seeks to organize and restore the whole body. Rolfing affects the body posture and structure by manipulating the myofascial system.

Similar to massage, Rolfing is usually applied or administered by a qualified practitioner, but in a series of 10 or so sessions with the objective of maximizing individual well being and mind.

It's a hands–on body work system that improves structure and coordination, manipulates fascia and also improves energetic movement through the body.

Rolfing, in a way, is like deep tissue massage, but slightly different. Learn more about this powerful form of body work and why it's becoming the new form of massage treatment for individuals in need of more rehabilitative care. 

Intentions of Rolfing

The main purpose of Rolfing is actually to balance and realign your head,chest,shoulders,legs , and pelvis in order to create lasting changes in your body. This technique actually takes a holistic approach to improve the quality of life through your body.

By re-educating your movement patterns and re-aligning your body, you can greatly reduce or completely get rid of chronic pain issues, have more energy and increase flexibility.

Rolfing has given many people a chance to reduce or eliminate dependent on expensive time consuming maintenance programs that don’t deliver positive results. The main intentions of Rolfing are:

1. Improve posture and alignment - You will be able to sit and stand straighter and taller with less effort. You will also breathe easily and feel lighter.

2. Aches and pain - Rolfing will reduce pain and tension in your body. This is because this technique will make your body more balanced and symmetrical.

3. Improves Flexibility - Rolfing will enable you have easier movements and a wider range of motion in the joints. Older people will appreciate a sense of youthfulness as earlier movement pattern will be restored.

4. Performance and well being - You will use less energy for any given movement and also be able to perform movements with ease and greater efficiency.

5. Stress and well being - Rolfing will help relieve paint and also contribute to your overall well being. You will experience psychological growth as the emotional history that is stored in your body gets released. Free and more responsive body will support you better in every aspect of your life.

How Rolfing Relates to Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage mainly focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscles. It works by tackling the stress that can block circulation and cause inflammation, pain and limit movement.

Although Rolfing differs from deep tissue massage, they have some common characteristics. Some of those characteristics include:

• Both work to realign the body
• The both help you to relax
• They both help to relive stress, pain muscle tension and inflammation
• They both help to improve circulatory and respiratory problems
• They both improve flexibility

However, unlike deep massage tissue which often focuses on relaxation and relief of muscle discomfort, Rolfing is aimed at improving body functioning and alignments. Rolfing is different from deep tissue massage in that practitioner are trained to care for overall ease and balance throughout the body rather than focusing on area with tension.

Furthermore, Rolfing can speed up pain recovery by reducing pain, muscle tension and stiffness. Unlike other forms of massage therapy which is usually a onetime treatment, Rolfing structural integration is usually performed in a series of 10 sessions.

The practitioner begins with your head and works down to the feet. In addition, Rolfing practitioners believe that Rolfing is actually a spiritual process. Many people who have undergone through this process have reported to have experienced emotional catharsis.