Digestion and Chiropractic!

You might be asking how does the digestive system related to Crohn's disease and Chiropractic care have in common, well, an extensive study showed a direct connection between Crohn’s disease and spinal misalignments. Crohn’s disease results in inflammation along the small intestine, affecting any part of the digestive tract. Inflammation causes frequent emptying of the intestines and also diarrhea, and is painful.


The generally accepted theory around the culprit of Crohn’s disease is that the immune system is reacting to a bacterium or virus. To address the inflammation of Crohn’s disease, corticosteroids are typically recommended. But corticosteroids’ serious side-effects may put one at a greater risk of infection. Medication that inhibits the immune system is also commonly recommended. Researchers of the study sought to look for treatment options that boosted the immune system (as opposed to suppressing it) in a way that did not rely on the use of drugs.


An additional study linked ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel disorder, Crohn’s disease, and many other conditions with spinal displacements. This particular study revealed that when displacements are corrected, symptoms of Crohn’s disease improve dramatically. There’s an additional benefit to chiropractic care, research asserts. Along with treating the digestive condition, chiropractic care also seeks to improve the patient’s quality of life.


When you contact Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek, you’ll receive the appropriate evaluation for your digestive condition Chiropractors adjust misalignments of the spine that interfere with nerve function. These problems can be painlessly corrected. Also, misalignment correction has a way of eliminating the discomfiting symptoms.

People who endure digestive conditions find relief in chiropractic care, as it can bring balance to digestion’s innate rhythm..

If you have Crohn's disease, live in Durham or the surrounding areas of Raleigh, Morrisville, Brier Creek, RTP,  NC, contact Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek to get on the road to recovery as soon as possible.

Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica: Durham, North Carolina

Being a Chiropractor in Durham, NC,  I see patients from most of Wake County and other parts of the state that suffer with sciatica.  After treatments with medications, rest, and physical therapy the problem persists because these treatments do not get to the cause of the sciatica the majority of the time.

 If you have pain that shoots down your leg, experience numbness or tingling in your leg or foot, have weakness in your legs or even soreness and pain by your butt, you could be experiencing sciatica. 

Medication at best will just cover up the pain of sciatica, but it will not correct it.  Taking medication is like if you went to the dentist for a toothache or painful cavity and the doctor said for you to take some pain medication and anti-inflammatories but not treat the cavity.  You know that the cavity would continue to decay and get worse, eventually needing drastic procedures to fix what could’ve been prevented in the first place.  Yet, this is the way most doctors treat patients and you follow their lead.

Physical therapy has a slightly higher success in treating the sciatica as many times the PT will first do some therapies like electric stimulation or ultrasound to ease the pain and decrease the swelling, then do some stretching to loosen the muscles and probably finish with some strengthening exercises to try to stabilize the area.  Short term this gives relief but this in long term can cause problems as the underlying cause is still not being corrected and doing these exercises will just splint the area in the imbalanced position.  The problem will further degenerate years down the road.

Chiropractors look for the cause of the problem.  Many look for misalignments called subluxations, where the vertebra move out of place/alignment, putting pressure on the nerve, therefor causing the symptoms of pain, numbness and tingling, and leg weakness.  These bones moving out of place/alignment can cause a herniated disc, swelling and degeneration in the long run. By performing chiropractic adjustments, chiropractors reposition the bones of the spine to remove the pressure on the nerve, thereby getting to the cause of the problem.

Would you like your health professional to find the cause of your back pain and sciatica so you can enjoy your normal daily activities and time with friends and family?  Would you like to finally live without the pain and prevent future problems?

If you answer yes to these questions, live in Durham or the surrounding areas of Raleigh, Morrisville, Brier Creek, RTP,  NC, contact Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek to get on the road to recovery as soon as possible.

Chiropractic Adjustments and Brain Function !

Chiropractic Adjustments Improve Brain Function
Approximately 100 volunteers were examined with an electroencephalogram (EEG) before and after chiropractic adjustments.

A study presented at the International Research And Philosophy Symposium held at Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic finds that Chiropractic adjustments have a positive effect on the Central Nervous System (CNS), specifically on the four primary frequencies of brain function.

Brain function is measured on four primary frequencies: Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta. Alpha waves reflect the meditative, relaxing healing mode. Beta waves represent the active, busy brain. Theta waves reflect light sleep, relaxation and conceptual development. Delta waves represent the brain activity during deep sleep, repair mode and energy storage.

The study was conducted over a three year period. Approximately 100 volunteers were examined with an electroencephalogram (EEG) before and after chiropractic adjustments.

The EEG scans were examined to check the right/left balance, the amount of total activity, the primary regions of activity and the effect of the adjustment.

After receiving a chiropractic adjustment, post EEG scans revealed improvement in all areas of the volunteer’s brain function. Particularly, the researchers noticed an increase in the meditative Alpha brainwave patterns that are associated with a greater degree of relaxation, health and healing.

The researchers noted that some of the volunteers already had balanced and active brain scans and the adjustments had little effect on their post scans. They felt this was a good indicator that the adjustments had no negative effects on brain activity.

Commentary: The implications of this study are profound indeed. Over and over research is proving that chiropractic care has the ability to positively affect body function on a far greater level than simple pain relief.

 Dr. Craig French is the Doctor of Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek in the RTP, Durham, Raleigh area.  To schedule an evaluation call  919-596-2900 

Chiropractic and Headaches

Headaches plague millions of people each year.  They are a major cause of lost work days, canceled events, and… canceled romance.

Headaches that are reoccurring (chronic) are the most bothersome and debilitating.  For women, it can be associated with the menstrual period.  Changes in estrogen levels can somehow affect vasoconstriction (blood vessel contraction) leading to headaches.

Migraine headaches are a different animal.  As most migraine sufferers know, these headaches can be preceded by an “aura”, a feeling of light headedness, and they can last more than a day.   Fear of light (photophobia) can be a factor.  And many migraine sufferers report nausea during the event.
The medical literature is full of research studies on migraines, but the causation remains a mystery.  Some medical researches attribute it to abnormal electrical signals firing in the brain, while others attribute it to hormonal abnormalities.  The typical migraine sufferer is usually prescribed strong medications like Imitrex.  Some patients find that chiropractic adjustments for migraines help reduce the frequency and strength of their headaches.

Tension headaches are perhaps the most common type of headache.  These headaches are associated with a sensation of a tight band around the head, and base of neck.  Tension headaches can be caused by previous trauma to the neck, as in a whiplash from a car accident that resulted in a shifting of one or several neck vertebrae.  The misaligned vertebrae can cause nerves to fire inappropriately, causing the muscles around the head to contract.

Chiropractic adjustments to the cervical spine ((neck)) can help alleviate and even eliminate chronic headaches.  If you have a history of injury to your neck, or perhaps know you have neck issues (neck pain, poor posture, reduced flexibility), you might find success with chiropractic treatment for headaches.

Dr. Craig French is the Doctor of Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek in the RTP, Durham, Raleigh area. 
To schedule an evaluation call             919-596-2900      

Whiplash Symptoms and Treatment!

Here is what the Mayo Clinic has to say about Whiplash:

Whiplash is a neck injury that can occur during rear-end automobile collisions, when your head suddenly moves backward and then forward — similar to the motion of someone cracking a whip. These extreme motions push your neck muscles and ligaments beyond their normal range of motion.

Whiplash injuries can be mild or severe. Treatment typically begins with over-the-counter pain relievers and ice applied to the painful neck muscles. If pain persists, prescription medications and physical therapy may be helpful.

Most people recover from whiplash in just a few weeks, but some people with whiplash injuries develop chronic conditions that can be extremely painful and disabling.

My Take: Sure, many people that suffer a whiplash injury to the neck or low back feel better after a short period of time...but have they really recovered from the injury? 

I have learned from many years of treating neck and back pain from whiplash trauma...that it's best not to leave musculoskeletal symptoms related to a car accident or other whiplash cause untreated.

What happens is the bones of the spine get knocked out of place and stay there...even though you feel better. In addition...the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that were injured from the whiplash, do not heal properly.

They end up being weaker, less flexible, more pain sensitive, and prone to re-injury.

In order for the bones of the spine (and spinal discs) and the surrounding soft tissues to heal properly the right conditions need to be in place such as proper position and motion. Allowing the injured parts to heal on their own sets the stage for chronic neck or back pain down the road.

More often than not, patients that present to Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek with chronic neck pain and headaches, have a history of whiplash injury from an auto accident.

It's sure a lot easier to treat a whiplash right after it happens than to treat a chronic back, neck pain, or shoulder pain syndrome years later.

Here's the deal...If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident...recently or in the past...you should get checked out by a chiropractor. Don't wait until the neck or back pain becomes chronic and hard to treat...do it NOW!

Dr. Craig French is the Doctor of Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek in the RTP area. To schedule a complimentary whiplash evaluation call 919-596-2900 and mention this blog post.

Your Gut and Depression..what is the connection..

Most people fail to realize that your gut is quite literally your second brain, and actually has the ability to significantly influence your:

• Mind
• Mood
• Behavior

So while modern psychiatry still falsely claims that psychological problems such as depression are caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain, researchers keep finding that depression and a variety of behavioral problems actually appear to be linked to an imbalance of bacteria in your gut!

Germ-Free Mice Engage in High-Risk Behavior

In the featured study published last month in Neurogastroenterology & Motility, mice that lack gut bacteria were found to behave differently from normal mice, engaging in what would be referred to as "high-risk behavior." This altered behavior was accompanied by neurochemical changes in the mouse brain.
According to the authors, microbiota (your gut flora) may play a role in the communication between your gut and your brain, and:

"Acquisition of intestinal microbiota in the immediate postnatal period has a defining impact on the development and function of the gastrointestinal, immune, neuroendocrine and metabolic systems. For example, the presence of gut microbiota regulates the set point for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity."

The neurotransmitter serotonin activates your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by stimulating certain serotonin receptors in your brain. Additionally, neurotransmitters like serotonin can also be found in your gut. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain!
So it actually makes perfect sense to nourish your gut flora for optimal serotonin function as it can have a profound impact on your mood, psychological health, and behavior.
The authors concluded that:

"[T]he presence or absence of conventional intestinal microbiota influences the development of behavior..."

This conclusion adds support to another recent animal study, which also found that gut bacteria may influence mammalian early brain development and behavior. But that's not all. They also discovered that the absence or presence of gut microorganisms during infancy permanently alters gene expression.

Through gene profiling, they were able to discern that absence of gut bacteria altered genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control. This suggests that gut bacteria is closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior. These behavioral changes could be reversed as long as the mice were exposed to normal microorganisms early in life. But once the germ-free mice had reached adulthood, colonizing them with bacteria did not influence their behavior.

According to Dr. Rochellys Diaz Heijtz, lead author of the study:

"The data suggests that there is a critical period early in life when gut microorganisms affect the brain and change the behavior in later life."

In a similar way, probiotics have also been found to influence the activity of hundreds of your genes, helping them to express in a positive, disease-fighting manner.

The Gut-Brain Connection

When you consider the fact that the gut-brain connection is recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, and that there's no shortage of evidence of gastrointestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases, it's easy to see how the balance of gut bacteria can play a significant role in your psychology and behavior as well.

With this in mind, it should also be crystal clear that nourishing your gut flora is extremely important, from cradle to grave, because in a very real sense you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut, and each needs its own vital nourishment.
Interestingly, these two organs are actually created out of the same type of tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. This is what connects your two brains together, and explains such phenomena as getting butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, for example. (For an interesting and well-written layman's explanation of this connection, read through Sandra Blakeslee's 1996 New York Times article Complex and Hidden Brain in Gut Makes Stomachaches and Butterflies.)

Your gut and brain work in tandem, each influencing the other. This is why your intestinal health can have such a profound influence on your mental health, and vice versa.
As a result, it should be obvious that your diet is closely linked to your mental health. Furthermore, it's requires almost no stretch of the imagination to see how lack of nutrition can have an adverse effect on your mood and subsequently your behavior.

Continue here for the whole article..

Cheerleading The Most Dangerous Sport for Women!

 

Inside Cheerleading: The Most Dangerous Sport for Women

The Risks, the Rigors and the Role of Chiropractic Care

By Brenda Duran

On a warm evening in 2003, Krista Parks was beaming with pride on a football field as a cheerleader at the University of Memphis. This was her moment - her squad was practicing for the national cheer championship in Orlando, Fla.

Parks was to pull off an ambitious stunt - a high front flip in the air from the top of the pyramid, landing in the arms of her squad; instead, she lost her momentum and fell head first onto a 2-inch foam mat on concrete. The result: a broken neck, a blood clot in her brain and multiple fractures.

"I couldn't feel or move anything," Parks recalled. "I was pretty miserable."

Following the incident Parks underwent three surgeries, had to wear a neck brace, and then had to deal with years of physical therapy. A permanent shunt was placed in her spine to help drain fluid from her brain because her body can no longer do it. 

Today, she is also dealing with life-altering changes to her cognitive abilities - loss of memory, delayed comprehension and mental fogginess.

 

"It's not just throwing around pom poms, it is a real, dangerous athletic activity that comes with risks," said Parks, now executive director for the National Cheer Safety Foundation. "There is a lot that needs to be done to make it safer." 

And one of the things that can make it much safer - and healing faster - is consistent chiropractic care, she said.

"Chiropractic care has helped me with pain management, I can sleep better and not have to finish my day in agonizing pain," said Parks, who also works as a physical therapy assistant at Spinal Healthcare Associates in Memphis, Tenn. "It's an approach to pain management I really love."

Since she started chiropractic care for her catastrophic injuries a few years ago, Parks said her pain level has decreased to the point where she can function much better on a daily basis.

The Most Dangerous Female Sport

In a 2009 report, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury (NCCSI) Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C., declared cheerleading the "most dangerous female sport in the United States" based on injury data they obtained from 1982-2008 that showed approximately two-thirds of severe school sports injuries over the past 25 years were from cheerleading.

The reason is quite straightforward: At many high schools and colleges, and at the professional level, it is no longer enough for the cheer squad to simply coordinate chants and perform dance routines.