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Curious about JMT,Accupuncture, spinal decompression and chiropractic adjustment ( what work for buldging discs,pinched nerves and degenerative disc disease causing neck pain, arm and hand numbness and lower back pain.

I tried everything, including physical therapy, chiropractic therapy, steriod injections. I ended up having to have to separate surgeries for herniated discs in my neck. I had all of the symptoms that you list, and some that you don't, including spinal stenosis.

What you're describing sounds like cervical radiculapathy. Degenerative disc disease is a fancy way of saying you have arthritis in your spine.

There is no cure for arthritis. Your discs are deteriorating and they are pinching your nerves. While I'm told that physical therapy sometimes helps, it did not help me. I had excruciating pain in my arms and hands.

See your doctor. If you haven't had an MRI yet, its time to get one. This condition can permanently damage your nerves. See a neurosurgeon or an orthopaedic surgeon as soon as you can.

Good luck to you.

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anyone get seriously hurt or killed because of them? if so, please cite source so I can research

Yes, they are safe. It is estimated that 1 in every 2 million adjustments has lead to a death by stroke. Compare that to the 6,600 people die YEARLY from taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). You are many, many times safer than following popular medicine. Why else is the US ranked 37th in health?

The medical community is so quick to bash on the few times a stroke occurs by chiropractic adjustment (a stroke which would have also occured in a hair salon when leaning back during a shampoo, or checking before changing lanes) when medical procedures have caused more deaths than chiropractors have caused (see links below). The medical community tries to mask its numerous deaths by pointing out and advertising the very few deaths caused by chiropractors.

As for calling chiropractors quacks, that's just a stereotype. That would be like calling medical doctors "killers" since they are one of the top leading causes of death. EVERY profession has a few bad seeds. Anti-chiropractic people complain about having to go to a chiropractor many times before they get better (like with orthodontists), yet they don't mind having to take medication with toxic and possibly irreversible side effects 3 times a day before meals until the SYMPTOMS subside (not the root cause of pain) or until the bacteria (even good ones in your body) are destroyed by antibiotics. Yes, chiropractors don't go to medical school where they learn how to drug you. They go to chiropractic college, to learn how to assist the body in healing itself, without drugs.

I encourage you to read the links below about facts on chiropractic, in addition to the responses on Yahoo Answers. The last link is particularly interesting, siting the illegal conspiracy of the AMA against the chiropractic profession, a conspiracy that has led to a prejudice and misunderstanding of the chiropractic profession even to this day.

From a happy chiropractic patient, who obviously hasn't been killed by cervical adjustments.

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I was wrongfully termimated by a chiropractor not for work performance but refusing a personal adjustment.
I can't seem to find where exactly to report him. I've searched National board of chiropractors and can't find out where to report him

http://www.rld.state.nm.us/b&c/Chiropractic/Complaints/complaint.htm

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I've had vague dizziness, off balance symptoms and have had ALL the normal primary care tests, all normal/. But one chiro i went to see said C1 and C2 were locked up, he did manual manuvers for 2 months, no help. So Is it worth trying an atlas chiro? Wouldn't the regular chiro after 2 months had some success?
I've had vague dizziness, off balance symptoms and have had ALL the normal primary care tests, all normal/. But one chiro i went to see said C1 and C2 were locked up, he did manual manuvers for 2 months, no help. So Is it worth trying an atlas chiro? Wouldn't the regular chiro after 2 months had some success? done inner ear tests, MRI, ENG, EMG, blood tests, all nml
done inner ear tests, MRI, ENG, EMG, blood tests, all nml

Did your primary care do test on your inner ear? Dizziness, or vertigo, is usually caused by an inner ear problem.

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I hate spending 50 bucks on something so simple. These adjustments they do seem so easy, I think I could just get a partner to do alot of them.

its takes years to master the moves~~ doing it yourself or to someone else can cause serious damage

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Shin splints is a very common ailment that affects athletes but can also occur in the non-athletic individual. It is an inflammatory condition occurring either in the front of the lower leg or in the back. The cause for each is different.

Typically, with shin splints, a person will be doing some kind of athletic endeavor (walking a long distance would qualify), and begin to notice a soreness in the lower leg, either in the front or back of the leg. The more the person moves the more the condition worsens. Should the person stop, the pain will diminish somewhat only to worsen once the activity is resumed.

Anterior shin splints, or pain in the front of the lower leg, may be more prevalent running on hard surfaces, or running or walking down hill. After the heel hits the ground, in gait, the foot should slow down in order for the front of the foot to hit the ground. People with a tight heel cord (Achilles tendon), do not allow the foot to slow down so the muscles that control the forefoot and originate in the front of the lower leg are forced to overwork. This overworking of the muscle causes the muscle to swell and since the muscle is in a confined location in the lower leg, the swelling causes pain.

Posterior shin splints generally occur when in people who are moderately to severely pronated or more commonly known as flat footed. People who exhibit this type of foot structure force their feet to overwork, thus causing the muscles in the back of the lower leg to also overwork. Again, this overworking causes the muscle to swell and since it too is in a confined space, pain will occur.

As previously stated this condition generally occurs in athletic people, but people exhibiting certain types of foot structure, who are called upon to do a fair amount of walking can also experience shin splints.

Symptomatic treatment of the condition is through the use of icing the area and taking anti inflammatory medication such as aspirin, Aleve, Motrin, Advil, etc. Also, avoiding the type of walking surface that caused the problem would be indicated. This is acceptable treatment for the short term, but not considered a solution to the problem.

The best way to alleviate the problem on a permanent basis is to have your feet examined by a foot specialist to determine the type of foot structure you exhibit and thus find the cause of the problem. Generally, an orthotic, usually a prescription type of device will be indicated, but certain individuals may also experience relief with an over the counter type device. In addition to an orthotic, the athletic individual should also examine his athletic shoes as there are various types of shoes on the market, many of which may help correct the abnormality in the foot structure and thus relieve the symptoms.

The non athlete should also examine his or her shoes as flimsy type shoes may exacerbate the abnormality in that person’s foot structure and bring about the pain associated with shin splints.

Other conditions that may mimic shin splints include stress fractures of the lower leg, along with muscle tears. Anyone who is suffering from shin splints that do not respond to the above mentioned treatments should consider having an MRI to rule out theses possibilities.

Lastly, a condition that mimics shin splints but has the potential for more serious consequences is known as “anterior compartment syndrome”. It is basically a more severe form of anterior shin splints, however, in this case the excessive swelling of the muscle will cause excessive pressure on the nerves resulting in numbness in the area and weakening of the muscles into the foot. Equally important, the blood supply in the affected area is cut off. The patient will complain of numbness in the foot and leg, along with pallor (due to the circulation being cut off), along with excessive pain. This is considered a medical emergency and immediate medical care is indicated

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Pregnancy and sciatica are the possible worst combinations. For a woman, normally, pregnancy is an amazing time. But if you suffer from back pain at such a crucial time, it could be a terrible condition, to live with. Nothing brings relief. When the cause of pain is diagnosed as sciatica, it is double tragedy, the physical pain coupled with psychological pain.

Sciatica tends to cause pain in the specific area of the back. That is, in the lower back and the hip area. It is due to Sciatica and Sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Pregnancy related back pain mostly occurs in the mid to lower back.

There is no cut and dry method to treat sciatica. You have to decide the line of treatment in consultation with your physician. Patience is the watch word, in deciding and following a particular course of treatment. Even in extreme cases of pain, over the counter medications for sciatica need to be avoided. When you are pregnant, this remedy could be worst than the disease.

Therapeutic bath is however good for curing sciatica pain. Fill the immersion bath tub with 135 liters of hot water at 400 C. Put 1 to 2 kilograms of Epsom salt in the hot water and it will dissolve within minutes. The patient is expected to drink a glass of cold water and have the head covered with a cold towel. Now, how to lie over the tub? This procedure is to be done under the supervision of a therapeutic bath specialist.

Apart from the sciatica pain, this bath is supposed to be a panacea, for rheumatism, neuritis, kidney disorders and other types of skin infections.

About the precautions to be taken for this bath, avoid the bath one hour before the meal and three hours after the meal. The water to be used for the bath must be clean, and the water once used, should not be used again. Watch the temperature of the water and the duration of the bath carefully and do not go over the prescribed limits. During pregnancy this bath can be taken only till the third month.

For proper control of the sciatica pain during pregnancy, decide the day’s schedule by applying proper thought. Plan the way you will walk, you will sit, when to use the pillow, the type of bed, the schedule for taking food and all such things. Let there be total discipline in your life. Select and do some of the most friendly yoga exercises, But do it in consultation with your physiotherapist.

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Dear Back Pain Sufferer,

Can you remember a time, when you actually had a good nights sleep and woke up feeling refreshed? If you’re struggling to remember, then chances are, you can probably relate to Katie’s story. Read on..

Katie Blake, age 39, a married mother of two from Somerset, UK, began suffering from chronic back pain after a near fatal car accident which occurred in January 2006. She has recently been feeling very low, due to lack of sleep caused by her back condition. When asked how her back pain had been affecting her sleep, here’s what she had to say,

“Since suffering with chronic back pain after the accident, I’ve found that I constantly toss and turn from one side to another just to try and get some relief.

There are nights when the pain seems so unbearable, almost as though my lower back is splitting in two; that trying to change sides literally leaves me in tears. So, I prop myself up with cushions and try to force myself to lie still on my back, only to wake up as stiff as a board the next morning.

When you’ve got to get up early, to sort out two young kids on after virtually no sleep at all, well, what can I say, it’s no laughing matter is it!”

Unfortunately, Katie’s story is not an isolated one. In fact, just like you, she is among one of the thousands of chronic back pain sufferers, whose quality of sleep is affected in a negative way, by their pain.

Two Thirds Of Back Pain Sufferers Have Sleep Trouble

A recent study conducted by the National Sleep Federation revealed that:

?As many as two thirds of chronic back pain sufferers have sleep trouble.
?The more severe the pain, the more likely it is to affect sleep
?Disrupted sleep can make the pain feel worse
?Traditional pain relief medication, such as analgesics can disrupt the sleep patterns and make getting to sleep more difficult.

Vicious Cycle

So as you can see, it’s pretty much a vicious cycle where you find it difficult to get to sleep because of the pain and the less sleep you get, the worse the pain feels.

Assuming you’ve been in the position, where you’ve experienced insomnia; you’re probably familiar with the effects it can have on your body, such as:

* Feeling un-refreshed and lacking in energy the next morning
* Poor concentration levels
* Feeling irritable
* Impaired ability to think and speak

In a moment, I would like to offer you a glimmer of hope in the form of a natural therapy that might just help you break ‘the more pain equals less sleep cycle’, that you’ve probably become accustomed to.

Therapeutic Powers

Today, I’d like to share information with you, about a therapy that promotes the deep and restorative sleep that has been eluding you all this time. I’m talking about the natural therapeutic powers of Magnetic Therapy.

You’re probably wandering what Magnetic Therapy can do for you; well, let me begin by telling you what it is.

Magnetic therapy can be defined as a safe, natural and non-invasive method of applying high strength magnetic fields to the body for therapeutic purposes. It is a form of complementary therapy based medicine used to treat certain medical conditions by exposure to permanent or pulsed magnetic fields.
It is truly a time-tested therapy, which has been around since 2000 BC. The Ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Indians and Greeks were among the first to use it and give recognition to its’ therapeutic benefits.

I feel it’s important to say that Magnetic Therapy isn’t used as some sort of mystical cure for ailments or diseases. Instead, it’s natural forces are used to kick-start your bodies own systems in to action. Next, we look at how it does this.

When high strength magnets are placed directly above the site of injury or near a major artery, they generate a localised Magnetic Field that is powerful enough to penetrate right through the skin and bones, down to the cells.

This magnetic field also triggers a chemical response, which causes the iron content in your blood to become responsive to it. This reaction results in improved blood circulation. One of the functions of blood, is to transport oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the cells, tissues and vital organs in the body.

Consequently, as the blood circulation system begins to improve, the knock on effect is that more oxygen and nutrients are transported directly to where it’s needed, i.e., to the damaged cells and soft tissues at the site of pain or injury.

On receiving the required fresh supply of blood, oxygen and nutrients, the bodies own healing processes can begin to work on repairing the damage to the cells and soft tissues at an accelerated rate. Whilst the bodies essential repair works get under way, the brain sends out signals to release the internal painkillers i.e. the Endorphins that get on with the job of relieving the pain.

As well as stimulating the bodies healing processes, the Magnetic Field also relieves pain, by tackling any inflammation present. It does this by drawing out excess fluid and toxins from the surrounding tissues and then expelling them on route via the Liver and Kidneys. Once the excess fluid and toxins are removed, the swelling will begin to reduce.

Now, you recall that earlier, I mentioned about Magnetic Therapy ‘promoting deep restorative sleep’, well stay tuned, because we’re going to get into that next.

Magnetic Therapy In Your Sleep

Here’s a fact for you,

Scientific research conducted by a key specialist in the area of Magnetic Therapy, namely, Dr. W.H. Philpott MD of Oklahoma has shown that effects of magnets are at their most powerful at night, and here’s why. Every living thing on this Earth is dependent on Magnetic Energy. In fact, the earth itself is a huge magnet, and as such produces natural Negative Magnetic Energy force.

During the day, we are exposed to the Positive Magnetic Force from the Sun and Negative Magnetic Force at night from the Earth.

The following explains the effects that each type of energy has on the human body.

Effects of Magnetic Energy

Positive Magnetic Energy from the Sun

* Promotes deep and restorative sleep
* Supports the healing process
* Decreases inflammation and relieves pain
* Increases cellular oxygen

Negative Magnetic Energy from the Earth

* Stimulates wakefulness
* Inhibits the healing process
* Can increase inflammation and aggravate pain
* Decreases cellular oxygen

According to Dr. W.H. Philpott’s theory on the effects of Magnetic Energy, the Pineal gland, located in the centre of the head, acts as a sort of control centre for the immune system, hormones, and enzymes in our bodies.” This gland actually contains Magnetic crystals, and is acutely sensitive to the effects of Magnetic Energy.

The Pineal gland secretes the sleep hormone Melatonin throughout the night, when the Earth’s Negative Magnetic force is dominant.
The body requires high levels of Melatonin to enable a good night’s sleep.

Significant advances in magnet technology have enabled scientists to duplicate the Earths negative energy and harness it in form of high strength magnets.

Therefore, when you use magnets to surround yourself in a Magnetic Field at night, the effects are intensified for two reasons, 1) The Earth’s Negative Magnetic Energy is at it’s most powerful and 2) The body is in its’ resting and healing phase. As such, you are able to benefit from:

* A deep restorative sleep that will leave you feeling energised and refreshed when you awake
* Improved circulation that will feed your cells with those vital nutrients and oxygen to enable faster healing
* Reduced if not eradicated aches, pains and inflammation
* The effects of the bodies resting stage, which allows the body to heal itself more efficiently at night.

Hopefully by now, you can begin to see how using Magnetic Therapy can help you break, the vicious more pain less sleep cycle.

In addition, it may interest you to know that there are self-help Magnetic Products readily available that are specifically designed, to provide this nighttime therapy. They are Magnetic Bed Pads or Magnetic Mattress Covers. These products have a series of high strength magnets sewn inside them. In addition, they have been clinically proven to be a safe and effective form of natural pain relief.

So, as I bring this article to an end I just want to say, don’t let back pain continue rob you of the deep restorative sleep that your body so desperately needs. Give Magnetic Therapy a try, who knows, it could work for you.

Donna Gray

DISCLAIMER

* The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only. The author of this article is not a medically trained physician; therefore, any theories or suggestions put forward are intended to supplement and not replace the advice of medically or legally trained professionals.
* All matters concerning your health require medical supervision.
* Please ensure that you consult your GP prior to adopting any suggestions put forward by Magnetics 4 Back Pain, as well as about any condition that may require medical diagnosis or medical attention.
* Magnetics 4 Back Pain is not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury sustained either directly or indirectly from information put forward in this article.

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Many computer users around the world face the problem of back pain. Having your back against the wall usually means you’re in trouble. But for certain yoga positions, having your back firmly against a wall will aid health.

In Hatha Yoga, the practitioner forms what Swami Gitananda calls body geometry–triangles, straight lines, circles and parallel lines. When you do a posture, always stretch your body to its utmost limit and then hold it there for a slow count of 10, gradually building up the time, until each posture can be maintained for 30 seconds. Holding a posture is essential to yoga because it gives the body a chance to settle into the stretch and loosen up. Then each time you stretch it will be just that little bit farther.

Many of the sideways, or lateral, stretches in Hatha Yoga require that the body face forward, with hips level and back and spine tilting neither forward nor back. Beginners tend to lean forward to increase the stretch. But leaning forward is wrong and will actually detract from benefits and possibly cause harm. To perform these stretches properly, make sure to keep your spine firmly against a wall. The wall acts as a prop. Even those who have practiced yoga may find that they cannot bend as far as they thought they could when they do the postures properly. The extra time spent in forming careful postures will pay off: Your body will gain excellent flexibility and strength.

Some of the useful asanas are:

The Diamond Posture (Vajrasana)

Kneel on a thick carpet or blanket with your knees close together. Sit back on your heels and stretch up from your hips, balancing your head well so that a line drawn through ear, shoulder, elbow and hip would be straight. You should sit up in this posture for greatest benefits.

The Locust (Salabhasana)

Most yoga students are familiar with this posture. Lie flat, face down, chin on floor. Make your hands into fists and push them either under your thighs to help the lift, or place them alongside your body. Exhale and lift legs from your hips, tightening your buttocks and stretching your legs up and back. Hold position for as long as possible, exhale, return to starting posture and repeat.

The Dog Stretch (Adho mukha svanasana)

Lie face down, legs stretched back, buttocks tightened and knees pulled back. Place hands just below shoulders, exhale and lift head, then chest, shoulders and torso, pushing down from your pelvis and straightening your arms. From the back of your head to your tailbone, your body should be curved back. Push shoulders back and down. Push head back more. Stay like this as long as possible with normal breathing. Come down very slowly, and relax.

The Twist (Bhardwajasana)

Kneel on the floor and sit back, bringing both feet to the right of your hips. Straighten your right arm, bring it across your body and turn to the left. Place your hand, palm down under your left knee. Exhale, turn your body more to the left and clasp your right elbow with your left hand, from the back. Turn your head and gaze over your right shoulder. Fold position for a few breaths and then twist and look back over your left shoulder. Shoulders should be at right angles to the body. Come back to starting position and repeat on other side. You should do this posture once every hour if you have lower back pain.

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