The holiday season is here. This is a joyful time of year to be with our family and friends.  However, if you are eating too much or traveling too much, it can get your body run down.  Some find the cold weather causes musculoskeletal pain and discomfort. Other patients have reported a neck and back injury from a “great, big unexpected hug”! Moreover, patients reported the stress of figuring out what to give as a gift?  Here’s why you should give the gift of health with chiropractic this holiday season for your family and friends…or even for yourself!

Regular Chiropractic Care Improves Your Overall Health

Pain relief isn’t the only thing chiropractic care is good for. The immune system is also improved with regular visits to your family chiropractor. The brain and the spinal cord control your central nervous system, which controls every function of your body. Your family chiropractor can put you back in alignment with adjustments.  So regular adjustments to your spine will get your nervous system functioning at it’s optimal level. And the nervous system affects the body’s ability to fight disease through your immune response.

Furthermore, the nervous system also communicates with the endocrine system to maintain a state of homeostasis. Homeostasis is the optimal state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by your body. The endocrine system is a series of glands that produce and secrete hormones that the body uses to control and coordinate your body’s metabolism, energy level, reproduction, growth and development, and response to injury, stress, and mood.

Regular Chiropractic Care Reduces Your Stress Level

Additionally, getting regular chiropractic care can help reduce your  stress level.  As you can see in the connections in the body described above, chiropractic adjustments play a role in even hormonal and sleep regulation. Chiropractic adjustments may not be able to remove the stressful holiday triggers, but it can help your body cope. By eliminating much of the tension that builds in the spine, chiropractic adjustments can remove the stress by taking pressure off your nerves.   

Chiropractic is safe, natural and cost effective

Conventional medical drugs offer temporary alleviation of most musculoskeletal symptoms, while covering up the underlying causes and potential cure of these conditions. Only covering up the symptoms of these conditions with drugs instead of treating them, can worsen the problem and/or possibly lead to needing surgery. Chiropractic treats the root cause, decreasing stiffness, inflammation and pain. Chiropractic can offer real and lasting cures to get rid of neuromusculoskeletal pain by improving function naturally without drugs or surgery.

The Research Shows

The following is some research that backs up the enormous benefits of chiropractic medicine:

Patients who saw a chiropractor as their initial provider for low back pain (LBP) had 90% decreased odds of both early and long-term opioid use.

Kazis et al. (2019), BMJ Open

Researchers analyzing the prevalence, patterns and predictors of chiropractic utilization in the U.S. general population found that, “Back pain and neck pain were the most prevalent health problems for chiropractic consultations and the majority of users reported chiropractic helping a great deal with their health problem and improving overall health or well-being.”

Adams et al (2017) Spine

 “Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy in conjunction with standard medical care offers a significant advantage for decreasing pain and improving physical functioning when compared with only standard care (conventional care), for men and women between 18 and 35 years of age with acute low back pain.”

Goertz et al. (2013), Spine

Older Medicare patients with chronic low back pain and other medical problems who received spinal manipulation from a chiropractic physician had lower costs of care and shorter episodes of back pain than patients in other treatment groups. Patients who received a combination of chiropractic and medical care had the next lowest Medicare costs, and patients who received medical care only incurred the highest costs.

Weeks et al (2016), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics

Chiropractic “manipulative therapy improves the function of the musculoskeletal system, which then causes a change in the input from the nervous system, which in turn may have a positive effect on other neuromusculoskeletal tissue, organ dysfunction, tissue pathologic condition, or symptom complex.  Reflex mechanisms that support these ideas have indeed been documented…” (1)

Haldeman S, Modern developments in the principles and practice of chiropractic, 1980 (1)

Black Friday is over…Are you still looking for a perfect gift this holiday season? Why not give the gift of health with Chiropractic this holiday season?  Call Dr. Natalie Meiri at 561-253-8984 today to make an appointment.

References:

(1) Sato A: Physiological studies of the somatoautonomic reflexes. In Haldeman S, editor: Modern developments in the principles and practice of chiropractic, East Norwalk, CT, 1980, Appleton Century-Crofts.

Chest pain can be frightening since we all associate chest pain with the heart. Of course, you should first see your primary care doctor if you suspect your chest pain is a cardiac problem. There can also be chest pain due to esophageal disorders.  So the chiropractor treats chest pain from musculoskeletal causes. And musculoskeletal causes account for approximately 13 % to 30% of chest pain cases. Here are 6 causes of neck and chest pain a chiropractor can help with to learn about.

1. Muscle Strain or arthritis

You may have osteoarthritis (wear and tear arthritis) in your cervical spine (neck).  So the chest pain can be a referral from your neck problem.  Furthermore, you may have also strained a muscle.  Even a single event or repetitive overuse event can cause this. These activities could be weight lifting, cleaning the house or moving furniture. Exceeding the limits of a muscle’s ability to withstand a given load or overstretching the muscle is a culprit.  This may cause damage to the muscle or tendon.The main muscles to consider in your chest are the pectoralis major and minor, the serratus anterior (fan-shaped muscle at the side of chest), and the intercostals (muscles that run between the ribs).

2. Tietze’s Syndrome

This  occurs mostly in women over 50 years old.  The syndrome causes moderate to severe pain in the upper part of your chest on one side with swelling. An inflammatory reaction would be present at the clavicle (collarbone), sternum (breastbone) and rib areas. The cause is unknown, but cases have occurred due to overexertion. For example, prolonged coughing or exertion such as moving furniture. It is bilateral (both sides) in 30% of cases.

3. Costochondritis

This occurs in women younger than 50 years old. Costochondritis is similar to Tietze’s syndrome. However, costochondritis is distinct in that it involves multiple rib articulations (joints). Again, the cause is unknown. Laboratory testing is done in individuals suspected of having an underlying rheumatoid etiology (chronic inflammatory disorder cause).

4. Slipped Rib

A slipped rib may cause a popping or clunking sensation in the lower ribs, usually associated with an exertion maneuver such as a bench press or other lifting maneuver. Your rib may pop in and out with a specific type of maneuver. Here loosening of the lower costal cartilages occurs.  This is often due to direct trauma or constant over contraction of the chest muscles which allows the rib tip to curl upward. Chest pain may result if this impinges on a rib or an intercostal nerve.

5. Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia occurs more in women (5 :1).  You will have aching, fatigued, and stiff sensations in multiple muscle groups. Yet again, the cause is unknown. It maybe due to a disturbance in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.  Cold, damp weather, fatigue, a sedentary position or overexertion, mental stress, and poor posture may make it worse. A minimum of 11 of 18 bilateral (both sides) tender areas designated by the American College of Rheumatology is used for diagnosis.  Heat therapy, mild to moderate exercise, and stress reduction are recommended. 

6. Intercostal Neuritis

Intercostal Neuritis pain occurs unilaterally (one sided), extending in a band around the chest. It may be idiopathic (unknown cause), or the result of herpes zoster (shingles), diabetes, or a osteophytic encroachment (due to wear and tear arthritis).

Herpes zoster is due to a varicella virus infection. Firstly, it is the same virus as in the chicken pox. Secondly, it can happen during periods of emotional or physical stress. Thirdly, the pain is followed in 3 to 5 days by a vesicular rash (fluid filled rash).  

Lastly, your pain could be due to a rib subluxation (chiropractic misalignment) which may be determined by your chiropractor.

Getting regular chiropractic care from a West Palm Beach chiropractor can relieve your neck and chest pain naturally. Moreover, chiropractic is a holistic and natural way to not only treat existing injuries, but to keep your body in its best working condition.

Contact Meiri Chiropractic today at 561-253-8984 on the 6 causes of neck and chest pain a chiropractor can help with or/and other ailments.

Author: Natalie Meiri, D.C.         Posted: 11/07/21

Many patients have presented to my office in tremendous pain stating they had a pinched nerve.  Recently, a patient on his pain diagram drew lines from his neck radiating to his hand and low back radiating into his thigh and foot.  Finally, he wrote, “I have a pinched nerve”. He wrote 10/10 for the pain level.  He certainly did have a pinched nerve and several.  Read on to find out about a “pinched nerve” and what it really means.

What is a “pinched nerve”?

The term “pinched nerve” is a colloquial term.  It’s not a formal, literary or true medical term.

Pinched nerve is used to describe one type of damage or injury to a nerve or set of nerves. It may result from compression, constriction, or stretching of the nerve(s). Symptoms can include numbness, “pins and needles”, burning sensations, and pain radiating outward from the injured area.

A pinched nerve can occur at a number of sites in your body. A pinched nerve frequently is associated with pain in the neck or lower back.  This type of pain can be caused by inflammation or pressure on the nerve root as it exits the spine. A herniated disc in your lower spine, for example, may do this causing pain that radiates down the back of your leg.  This is a problem with one of the discs that sit between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack to make your spine. A herniated disc occurs when some of the nucleus pulposus (soft central portion) pushes out through a tear in the annulus fibrosus (tough outer portion).  A herniated disc, which can occur in any part of the spine, can pinch a nearby nerve. 

Several problems can lead to similar symptoms of numbness, pain, and tingling in the hands or feet, but without pain in the neck or back.  

This can include peripheral neuropathies. So a peripheral neuropathy, is a result of damage to the nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves). It is a disease characterized by pain or loss of function in the nerves that carry signals to and from the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) to other parts of the body.  

With carpal tunnel syndrome (neuropathy at the wrist), the median nerve runs through an osteofibrous tunnel created by the transverse carpal ligament and carpal (wrist) bones. Direct compression from ganglions (sac-like swelling or cyst), fractures, and dislocations is possible.  However, it is more common to have a history of direct external pressure on the tunnel.  Also, a history of prolonged wrist use in full flexion or extension (down or up) can be the culprit. Pressure inside the tunnel increases in these extreme repetitive positions. Additionally, other factors may contribute such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, connective tissue disorders and fluid retention as in pregnancy. Deficiency in B vitamins may predispose you to carpal tunnel syndrome as well.

Similarly, in tarsal tunnel syndrome (neuropathy at the ankle/foot), the posterior tibial nerve may be stretched or compressed in the tarsal tunnel.  This tunnel is also a osteofibrous tunnel formed by bands of fascia called a retinaculum, calcaneus (heel bone), distal tibia (shin bone), and malleolus (ankle).  Hyperpronation (ankle bone turns inward) is often the cause of tarsal tunnel syndrome. This is due to tightening of the retinaculum or arch of the abductor hallucis muscle of the foot. This muscle enables the up and down movement of the big toe.  However, trauma, swelling, ganglions, and anatomic variation (different from normal anatomy) may also cause compression.

Pinched nerves  can develop suddenly or gradually.

Sudden compression usually occurs in a trauma such as a fall or car accident. More gradual compression usually occurs over time due to bony changes that develop with the aging process and/or due to repetitive activities. Development of bony overgrowth and bone spurs occurs with osteoarthritis. In addition, there may be narrowing in the spine due to bony overgrowth in the spinal canal where the nerves are located.  Furthermore, spinal stenosis puts pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. This causes pain in the low back and legs.

As you can see, nerves can be “pinched” at many sites. You will need your doctor to examine where the nerve is irritated.  Chiropractic manipulative treatment/ adjustments along with soft tissue techniques, therapeutic exercise, electric muscle stimulation, and ice/ heat therapies will provide relief for your pain. 

Through regular visits, you can get pain relief and improve your health with chiropractic treatments without drugs or surgery. Pain due to a “pinched nerve”?…and chiropractic care at our West Palm Beach clinic is the best solution!

Call our office at 561-253-8984 which serves West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and North Palm Beach.  Ask about your pain due to a “pinched nerve” and chiropractic care or make an appointment.