Epilepsy is a neurological disorder marked by frequent seizures, loss of consciousness and more. Seizures occur due to the spontaneous malfunction of the brain which is manifested by muscle spasms, body convulsions, and loss of awareness. Epilepsy can greatly hinder your quality of life
Current Treatments for Epilepsy
While medicine currently available can provide control, and help for many sufferers of this disorder. It is estimated of all who take the medicine 20% do not respond to this type of treatment. Some other treatments other than medication can be surgery, change of diet such as for children a ketogenic diet.
Something that can assist both children with epilepsy, and adults is chiropractic treatment. Since this is a neurological disorder chiropractic adjustments, and manipulation can relieve nerve pressure that may be causing issues for the nervous system, and body to communicate. It is a non surgical approach that can greatly improve the lives of this with epilepsy. Many cases have shown that regular chiropractic treatments may help lessen the amount of seizures that a patient experiences. If you, or someone you may know suffers from epilepsy in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Jolley is board certified in neurology by the American Chiropractic Neurology Board and can help. Come to The Center for Total Back Care for a free consultation by calling (480) 633-8293 or scheduling an appointment online today.
It seems like almost everyday we are told to exercise more, fad workouts gain popularity, some even promise you never have to exercise again if you follow a specific tip. But the truth is that exercise can greatly extend your quality of life, length of life, as well as hosting numerous benefits such as decreased inflammation, and lower blood pressure. The most of the exercise we do knowingly, or not is aerobic. Aerobic exercise is exercise that relates to the cardiovascular system like running, playing basketball, or going for a walk. Aerobic exercise helps with weight loss, and regulating blood sugar. Aerobic exercise also can reduce pain, and reduce back pain by improving blood flow to the spinal structures. Not all aerobic exercises are the same however. While running is great for increasing heart rate it sometimes can cause pain in the knees, and back because of its high impact. Low impact exercise is often best for the body, and health. Below are some examples of ow impact exercises that you can incorporate into your life.
Types of Low-Impact Exercise
Walking
Walking everyday can drastically improve your health, for just 30 minutes a day walking can greatly improve blood flow, and prevent back pain.
Swimming
Exercise in water allows low impact of your joints, while the water adds resistance. Making swimming naturally a fantastic exercise.
Stationary Biking
Stationary biking can provide the same aerobic benefits of bike riding, but in a controlled environment. In stationary biking you don’t have to worry about jstling, or uneven ground and unexpected obstacles. This type of workout can also greatly strengthen knees.
Elliptical Trainer
An elliptical machine stimulates, and mimics the movements off running, and jogging without the strain on your joints. This machines often have a variety of resistance levels to increase heart rate, and cardiovascular health
These are just a few examples of good low impact aerobic exercises. By implementing just one of these exercises in your routine daily for 30 minutes you can greatly improve your health.
At the Center for Total Back Care we take a complete approach to overall wellness of the body. While other clinics may focus on just symptoms we focus on relieving symptoms, by finding the root cause and then by putting in place preventative measures to avoid future pain, or discomfort. Accordingly a main cause of back and neck pain surprisingly can be one the most common things plaguing our society, which is stress. Not only does stress affect your mood, sleep, and overall wellbeing, but it also creates tension and tightening of muscles which causes neck pain. Below are three great tips for managing stress in your everyday life.
Exercise
Study after study has shown that getting moderate exercise in can drastically reduce stress levels. Exercise can be used to quickly metabolize the excessive stress hormones in your body and get you back to feeling normal. This doesn’t always have to be a full blown workout if feeling a little under pressure, or stressed just go for a quick brisk walk to get some fresh air.
Relaxation Techniques
There are many different techniques, for dealing with stress some use yoga, while others use breathing techniques. A quick trick to help with stress is to close your eyes, relax your neck, and shoulders and take three deep breaths. This can help refocus your mind, while also releasing tension built up in your neck and shoulders
Rest
Lastly a key stress management tool is rest. Lack of sleep can cause illness, and a host of other issues. Don’t be afraid to relax, rest doesn’t just mean sleep. Watch a favorite movie, take a bath, or just lay down for a bit. Rest is not only good for the body but also the mind. Sleep repairs both your body, and mind.
Dry Needling Is Now Offered At The Center for Total Back Care With Dr. Jolley’s recent certification in Dry Needling The Center for Total Back Care is pleased to offer this additional treatment with our other treatments to further help treat and decrease neck and back pain.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry Needling is a special technique done by specially certified Chiropractors, and Physical Therapists in which a dry needle is inserted to treat a myofascial trigger point.. The needle is inserted to stimulate the tissue, and does not inject medication. But is instead intended to release trigger points, relieving muscle stiffness, and increasing mobility. Dry Needling is extremely effective at relieving pain, its benefits are due to it being able to reach areas that traditional massage, or an adjustment may not be able to reach. Dry Needling isn’t acupuncture but instead is rooted in modern medical techniques and has many case studies supporting its effectiveness. What kind of a needle is used when receiving treatment? A thin filiform needle is used to penetrate the skin, and stimulate trigger points. Pain is minimal, if not nonexistent when receiving treatment. While dry needling is extremely helpful with relieving back, and neck pain. It is but one tool used out of many in a treatment plan. Contact us today, to have Dr Jolley create a custom tailored treatment plan that best will take care of your specific health needs.
Often times when tweaking your back, or feeling discomfort you may often think ice, and laying down for awhile is what is best. However, while resting for a short period may help, long periods of rest can cause increased weakness in your back, causing further weakness, and pain in your back. According to a special health report from Harvard Medical School. Resting for prolonged periods doesn’t only affect your back negatively, but can also “lead to digestive issues such as constipation, and an increased risk of developing bloods clots in your pelvis, and legs.” Bed rest can also negatively effect your mental state, and put you at a higher risk for depression. So the question comes, when experiencing back pain what should you do instead? The first thing is to evaluate what caused your back pain in the first place, was it a specific activity you were doing? Is your mattress not supportive? Or maybe the shoes you have aren’t supportive? Whatever it may be, see if you can make little changes that are causing the pain. Another important thing to do is make sure you are stretching, not only does stretching increase flexibility, and blood flow, but it also increases strength. We have many different resources for at home stretches, to relieve back pain. Stretching in turn can condition your muscles for the future, when further strains may be put upon it. If none of these help then it may be time to see your local chiropractor. At the Center for Total Back Care, our experts can put together a specialized program, and treatment plan to get you back to feeling yourself. With a preventative approach The Center for Total Back Care not only will get to feeling back to normal, but will also focus on helping strengthen your back to prevent future pain. When trying to find a Chiropractor in Mesa, call us today!
Often when we think of back pain we think about “where” we feel it. The challenge is identifying what might be contributing to it. Our feet are our foundations for our posture. They help maintain proper spinal alignment when standing, provide shock absorption from ground forces, and they provide stability. If you feet hurt or are improperly supported they can increase back pain or make you more susceptible to injury. So what are the best shoes for back pain?
First, let’s consider what footwear is not good for back pain. Sandals can be some of the worst footwear when it comes to back pain. Sandals are the most basic of footwear, and only provide a barrier between your foot and the ground. They are often designed to be “carried” by the foot and require the foot to activate more muscles to help carry them along. Most have little or no arch support and are highly unstable. These types of shoes should be avoided, especially when experiencing back pain.
Women’s high heels are also poor footwear when it comes to back pain. High heels put the foot in an unnatural position, compromising its ability to provide stability. It also requires the wearer to constantly engage their hip and back muscles in order to maintain balance. This constant tension can increase back pain.
Old shoes are also a culprit. Shoes are like tires on a car, when worn out, replace them. Every individual has their own foot strike pattern, which over time wears out the shoe and can lead to decreased stability and support. Replace heavily worn shoes about every 3 months, even if sole wear is not visible. The wear may be inside the shoe where it is not visible.
So what does a proper shoe look like? Well, first the shoe needs to fit the activity you are doing. The key component in buying any shoe is knowing what its intended use is. If you are hiking, does the shoe have good grip on unstable surfaces and proper ankle support? If you are a runner, is it light weight and have proper cushioning and support for your type of foot strike? A runner wouldn’t wear a hiking shoe, and a hiker wouldn’t wear a running shoe. Start here when considering a shoe.
Find the right fit. The design of a good shoe requires a proper fit. Our foot size doesn’t stop changing after our teen years. While our foot might stop growing, the foot anatomy can start to change by flattening. This flattening can increase your shoe size and affect what you thought was a good width. Check your shoe size periodically to see if there are any changes. Even the best shoes won’t work for you if the fit isn’t right. Be aware, sizes between brands can be different to so always try a pair on first and don’t be afraid to return a shoe if it ends up not being the right fit. Check a stores return policies so you don’t get stuck with a pair of ill-fitting shoes.
Get foot orthotics to properly fit your foot. Shoe manufacturers design their shoes to meet a general populations’ needs. The orthotics built into the shoe, don’t always address your specific needs. You can often get orthotics fitted for you by a Podiatrist or Chiropractor/Physical Therapist.
So the best shoes for back pain are shoes that provide proper protection, support, and stability for the activity you are doing. Be prepared to invest into good footwear if you have back pain, it can dramatically improve your quality of life!
People diagnosed with osteoporosis and osteopenia should probably avoid certain yoga poses. Osteoporosis is characterized with a person with low bone density. Performing Yoga poses that require extreme flexion or extension can result in stress fractures in the spine.
Good exercises for people diagnosed with osteoporosis would be low impact strength based training. Avoid high impact exercises and ones that push extreme ranges of motion. Consult with a medical provider before starting any exercise program.
Studies have shown that lack of sleep can contribute to increasing our perception of pain. So how do you get a good nights sleep to reduce back pain?
Those of you with back pain are saying, how do I get a good nights sleep when my back is killing me? It can be tough to achieve but here are some tips to help you get a better nights sleep.
Check your mattress and pillow – If you have a mattress that is over 10 years old, it’s time for a change. Pillows should be replaced about every 1-2 years.
Sleep cool – Your body stays in deeper sleep longer with the proper room temperature. It is recommended your sleeping temperature be between 60-67 degrees.
Watch what and when you eat and drink – Avoid foods that may trigger heartburn before you go to bed. Foods that are high in sugar can also create a restless night sleep. If you are hungry, eat a handful of nuts, fruits like berries and bananas. With drink, avoid caffeine and alcohol, try non-caffeinated tea or warm milk. Have water by your bed, but try not to drink too much, or you may need to get up throughout the night to got to bath room.
Sleep in the right position – Avoid sleeping on your stomach and try to sleep on you back or side. For back sleepers with back pain, try a pillow under your knees to take some of the stress off your back. For side lying position, try a body pillow to help keep your spine alignment.
Avoid exercise before bed time – Exercise amps up your body making it harder to go to sleep. Try not to workout 3 hours prior to bedtime.
Turn off your electronics – Light from your phones, computers and televisions can keep your brain from preparing for sleep. Put the phone down and on silent and disconnect from other electronics in order to get a good nights sleep.
Give yourself the time for sleep – Plan for 8 hours of sleep. Go to bed early enough to allow yourself to get enough sleep. As we get older, the more likely we get up earlier and earlier, regardless of work or life schedule.
These are some things that you can do to help you get a better night sleep when you have back pain. Consult with your physician if your back pain is not letting you get a good nights sleep.
When most people think of back pain and an athlete, they think of Tiger Woods. His recovery is a well documented long dedicated process. In 2018, his return stunned the golf world as many sports writers had written his career as over. He is now back this week starting his 2019 season. So what can we learn from how athletes recover from back pain?
First, Tiger Woods began his process taking the most conservative route to recovery, physical therapy. He understood that once surgery takes place, the success rate and outcomes begins to diminish. Athletes are highly motivated to return to their optimal performance and are willing to put the hard work and consistency of treatment that is required in physical therapy. The challenge with the athlete is listening to their body through the process and not pushing themselves, which can set them back. Tiger Woods experienced this.
The next phase is going through less invasive treatments that help relieve pain temporarily to help in the recovery process. This can include nerve blocks and steroid injections. For an athlete this can help them address the pain and discomfort while they progress in their physical therapy.
Finally comes the surgical options. If the physical therapy and injections do not help the athlete they begin the surgical route. Tiger Woods surgical journey began in 2014. He had choices, do I take the more aggressive surgical route, which would limit his ability to return to golf, or do the more conservative surgeries. He knew the conservative route would mean the potential for multiple surgeries and multiple rehabilitation programs before he could “potentially” return to competitive golf. The same drive and determination that made him the #1 golfer in the world, helped him choose the more difficult path.
Over the next 3 years he dealt with setbacks and disappointments. He had the sports community saying he was done. He even let the possibility of him not ever golfing again to creep into his thoughts. But, when he returned last year, he shocked everyone, even himself and found success at the end of the road by winning the Tour Championship.
The athlete mindset is what we all need when dealing with back pain. There are no quick fixes, no magical surgery, no pill to get you through it. It takes hard work, a tough mentality, willingness to commit to the process.
Sitting at a desk all day can be a real pain in the back and really hurt productivity. In the past we have covered how to properly set up your workstation, but static postures for 8 hours a day can really do a number on your back. Here are 3 great stretches at desk for back pain. Perform 3-4 times daily.
Seated Twist
Seated Twist Stretch – Crossing your legs, place the opposite hand on the knee on top and twist towards the top leg’s side. Stretch should be gentle and held for 3 seconds. Reverse to the other direction. Perform 3 times.
Seated Side Bends
Seated Side Bends – Place your hands behind your head with elbows pointed out, while seated. Gently bend side to side in a slow controlled movement repeat 5 times each side.
Seated Pirformis Stretch
Seated Piriformis Stretch – While seated raise your leg and place the outside of your ankle/foot on the opposite knee. Place hand on foot and ankle, keeping back straight and bend forward up until you feel a stretch, hold for 30 seconds. Perform once per side.
You should feel no pain after performing these stretches. Consult with your physician before starting any stretch program.
