Can a chiropractor help a herniated disc?
A disc herniation does not always require surgery. Yes, there is a specific chiropractic technique called COX Flexion Distraction technique. This technique may help you avoid surgery. It is a nerve decompression technique that when utilized with consistency by the patient, helps to reduce the severity of a herniated disc or bulge, leading to less pressure on the nerves of the low back, which leads to fewer symptoms like pain, weakness, and numbness. If you have sciatica coming from pinched nerves in the low back, caused by a herniated disc, this technique is non-invasive, requires no medication and is very effective. Herniated discs and nerve compression, nerve symptoms are the chiropractors domain. By addressing the underlying causes, symptoms and function improve and you get back to your life and the things you love. Your body has the capacity to heal itself, but it requires no interference in the healing system of brain and nerves. Cox Flexion Distraction technique removes pressure on nerves, improving healing capacity, by addressing the underlying issue, in this case a herniated disc. If you are looking for a potential solution that is different than conventional therapies that you’ve likely tried and have not worked (you...
read moreWhich Should I Do First, Chiropractic or Massage Therapy?
Which should come first? Both chiropractic and massage therapy are great and extremely helpful, but they are very different. The focus of therapeutic massage is the function of muscles and fascia, their function, and their relationship with the rest of the body. Massage therapists use techniques to work the muscles to a state of better function The focus of chiropractic is correcting nerve interference due to spinal stress on the nerves, that allows for better brain-body, body-brain communication, resulting in better healing, better adaptation, and better health.\ As a general rule, chiropractors have more objective testing for the nervous system and neuro-muscular system. Massage therapists who are not also chiropractors, generally have far less training than a doctor of chiropractic. But that’s ok, they are very well trained to do their job as a massage therapist. That being said, A lot of information from a chiropractic examination will translate into valuable information for the massage therapist. A test commonly used in chiropractic offices is called a Surface EMG. It measures neuromuscular activity and electrical activity in the muscles of the back, much like an EKG does with the heart. This test and many others are valuable to both...
read moreHow Should I Teach My Child To Protect Themselves From Bullying?
Worried about your child’s safety and wellbeing but don’t know where to turn? Bullies are in our lives from childhood to adulthood, and how we learn to deal with them impacts our lives more than theirs. Childhood bullying trauma can destroy an entire life. Empowering your children through education and peaceful strategies for controlling situations and escaping potentially harmful ones is at the core of success. Nothing is more upsetting than seeing your child’s spirit broken by kids who are likely victims of the same bullying, harassment and abuse that they themselves are delivering. KIDPOWER International and KIDPOWER Maine are hosting 2 upcoming events in Portland, Maine. Course facilitator, Bo Jespersen is trained to teach your child strategies of avoidance, empowerment, peaceful diffusion of difficult situations, and other techniques to avoid threatening, dangerous and otherwise unpleasant people. He empowers your children to stop bullying safely. The two upcoming workshops are each 1 hour long. The cost is $10/family. This is not a “drop off” event, parents need to stay to help their children and to learn the techniques to help their kids remember and practice them after the workshop. The video below demonstrates some of what is taught in...
read moreDoes Back Pain During Pregnancy Lead To A C-Section?
Reduce your potential risk of an emergency c-section. Pain is your body’s way of alerting you of a problem. Some problems make labor and delivery even more difficult, which in turn leads to “fetal distress” at which point the doctor will order a c-section so that your baby is not “damaged.” Pelvis and low back pain, like all other warning signs, have causes. Some of these causes lead to dystocia, or difficult labor and delivery. “Dystocia” or abnormal progress in labor is a common problem that is being looked at more closely as the incidence of C-Sections at some hospitals in the United States approaches 100%. Dystocia is also loosely defined as failure to progress during labor, lack of progressive cervical dilation or lack of fetal descent. Before we look at the three most common causes of dystocia, lear about CPD and “abnormal progress”, both of which are common reasons that doctors give for the need for c-section. In many circles, CPD and “abnormal progress” are not legitimate reasons to have a c-section, ultimately it’s the parents’ call. Cephalopelvic distortion (CPD) is often blamed for dystocia and the need for a c-cection. CPD is a situation where the baby’s...
read moreHow to use a foam roller on your back muscles.
Using a foam roller on the muscles of your back is good. We humans are just like pasta dough. The more we knead and roll ourselves out, the softer and more adaptable we become. (Learn how to make pasta dough with Dr. Lou) The majority of our patients have extremely tight muscles alongside the spine. Typically, the only way for them to make headway on “paraspinal muscle tension” is to get very frequent massages or to do something at home, like use a foam roller on a daily basis. A quick stretch or massage a month is not going to do the trick. Muscle tone doesn’t change that easily, particularly when your daily activities are contributing to the tension in the first place (work, childcare, etc). What does using a foam roller do for you? Using a foam roller improves blood flow to the muscle, tenderizes and loosens the muscle, it improves flexibility and reduces the risk of injury. It only takes a few minutes a day and it may have a profound impact on the health of the muscles of your back. But for the cost of the roller, it’s free. What does using a foam roller potentially...
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