Archive for chiropractor

Let’s face it, there’s just nothing good to say about belly fat. In fact, when you look at all the studies that have come out recently about the adverse effects of excess weight around the midsection, even Santa Clause doesn’t look all that jolly anymore. As a Santa Barbara chiropractor, I’ve explained to my overweight patients who are experiencing low back pain that too much weight in the middle is likely the culprit. The spine wasn’t designed to haul around excess weight on a regular basis. As an individual puts on extra fat in the belly, the spine starts to distort and compress, which creates pain and discomfort. Belly fat can also cause the pelvis to tilt forward and pinch the sciatic nerve. But, if low back pain and sciatica aren’t enough to get you to change your eating and exercise habits, how about this: A new preliminary study suggests that excess fat in the abdomen during middle age can actually boost the risk of dementia later in life!

It is estimated 24.3 million people worldwide suffer from dementia. In the new study, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine examined the medical records of 733 people with an average age of 60 years. (Note: Nearly 70 percent were women.) The study found that increasing levels of body-mass index in middle-aged individuals corresponded with lower brain volumes when they are older, i.e., lost mental capacity, especially when the excess fat was in the middle.

So, there you have it. You have one more good reason to get rid of those extra pounds, especially around your midsection. Lose the weight, lose your back pain, and don’t lose your mind!

Mesa Chiropractic
1809 Cliff Dr. Santa BarbaraCA93109 USA 
 • 805-963-2069

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Comments (0)

As a Santa Barbara Chiropractor, I often hear a common question asked by those considering chiropractic care: “If I start going to a chiropractor, will I have to always go?” I often wonder why this particular question doesn’t come up for someone who goes to a general medical practitioner. Think about it: How strange would it be if someone asked, “If I go to Dr. Smith for a general checkup and he gives me a prescription for a temporary condition I might have, will I have to see him ‘forever’?” The answer is “Of course not.” You don’t have to see Dr. Smith again, but you probably will for your yearly or bi-annual checkup and, naturally, in between if you’re not feeling well.

The same is true when you go to see a chiropractor. Most of the time, individuals go to see a chiropractor because they’re in pain (not feeling well). After the chiropractor has treated them and gotten them out of pain (a ‘prescription,’ so to speak, for a temporary condition), the chiropractor will probably suggest maintenance care (a general checkup even when you’re feeling okay). The only difference is that a chiropractor will likely suggest that you come in monthly. Why? Because chiropractors are all about preventative care whenever possible. Maintenance care is like a “tune up” that not only helps your body to maintain the “crisis” treatment you received when you were in pain and keeps you healthier and stronger so that you can avoid future injuries, but during your maintenance visit your chiropractor can make sure that you don’t have a “temporary condition” that needs to be corrected before it becomes “crisis” treatment.

Cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, bad work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related influences can produce pain, often excruciating pain, in your back, neck, shoulders, hips, knees, etc. Getting “checked out” and “readjusted” on a regular basis keeps small conditions from becoming big problems.

So, to the question “If I start doing to a chiropractor, will I need to go “forever”? The answer is “No, but you may want to, for your health’s sake!”

Technorati Tags: , ,

Comments (0)

Your Santa Barbara Chiropractor, Dr. Jamie Phillips, wants you to know that there are quite a few chiropractic treatment plans that can be efficacious when caring for the musculoskeletal system, from focusing on explicit muscular disturbances to addressing overall health concerns. After a thorough examination and discussing your concerns, she will advise you as to which strategy would likely be the most effective for you personally. As your Chiropractor in Santa Barbara, she will supply you with a range of treatment options from which you can select in accordance with your current health crisis as well as your long term health goals.

It may be useful for you to have some concept, in advance, about the range of chiropractic treatment plans your chiropractor will provide.

Relief Care is the type of chiropractic program offered to people who are experiencing almost any pain or uncomfortableness, no matter what the reason for the challenge. The intention of this type of therapy is to offer you fast pain relief. The length of the treatment process is likely to fluctuate as the treatment depends completely on the scope of the condition or dysfunction sustained by the person and how fast it can be corrected.

Corrective Care generally is a “more advanced” type of chiropractic treatment. It is for individuals who have suffered from spinal issues over a long time period, that is to say, for those who have a chronic condition that has evolved into a more difficult situation caused by not getting specific intervention. Remedial treatment oftentimes extends over a longer period of time. How long treatment is necessary is based on the extent of the progressive breakdown and how effectively the person responds to the treatment.

Maintenance Care, as the name indicates, is intended to maintain or sustain any kind of treatment previously administered to a patient. On many occasions, chiropractic care is extended only after the initial treatments have proven to be effective. The aim of this type of chiropractic care is to minimize the possibility of the original issue coming back and to avoid degenerative changes in the future.

wellness Care is extended to individuals who are not challenged by acute discomfort, but wish to strengthen their overall health. Routine chiropractic treatment increases the circulation of blood and oxygen inside the body, increases muscle flexibility, assists in discouraging work and play injuries, and boosts an individual’s total sense of well-being.

It doesn’t matter if you are presently experiencing pain or you would like to increase your overall health, chiropractic care can help! Call your Santa Barbara Chiropractor today!

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Comments (1)

Do you know that chiropractic therapy has been increasing in popularity for years and that it is continuing to increase yearly as the favored healthcare choice for many individuals? As a Santa Barbara Chiropractor, I am very excited that people are making a choice on chiropractic care due to the many added advantages that such therapy can provide. No other medical method is less invasive to the body and, at the same time, is able to promote the body’s innate ability to heal itself instead of masking symptoms with pills.

Let’s face it, wherever there’s a musculoskeletal structure, such as within the human body, there is the possibility of musculoskeletal dysfunction such as upper back pain and neck pain, pain in the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee joints, and ankle and foot pain. No one is immune from misalignment of the spine and joint inflammation, even though numerous health issues are often the effect of sports injuries, accidents, and the aging process. Regardless of the source, just about any type of movement on a traumatized area of the body can not just result in pain or suffering, but temporary disability. And, needless to say, certain musculoskeletal dilemmas, if left untreated, can lead to permanent disability.

It has been said of chiropractic treatment that its “many benefits surpass” merely correcting a specific problem. And, though fixing a particular condition is excellent, in point of fact, someone who comes in to see a chiropractor for lumbar pain, for instance, not only benefits from specific pain relief, but also enhanced circulation, a lowering or elimination of lactic acid, easier travel of oxygen and nutrients within the body, more flexibility, much less general pain and soreness, faster recovery time, a more tranquil feeling, and the reduction of future injuries! Is it any wonder why chiropractic care has become the treatment of choice for so many people?

In combination with offering expert musculoskeletal care, chiropractors also include education and counseling when it comes to improving your total health and wellness. Chiropractors are well aware that in order for you to become healthier and stay that way, it is important for you to decide on a natural, healthy way of life, including consuming plenty of water to keep the body hydrated, following a nutritiousl diet program, and creating a consistent stretching and exercise routine.

Chiropractic care doesn’t exactly work “miracles, ” but it can come pretty close in many areas that may possibly surprise you. For example, chiropractic care helps women that are pregnant give birth more easily. It can strengthen developmental abilities of babies, particularly increasing motor skills, and it can frequently stop scoliosis. Chiropractic adjustments for children will help lessen asthma conditions, ear infections, and even bed-wetting. Along with the positive factors just stated, consistent chiropractic management can help adults to feel more vital and full of energy, which in turn accelerates productivity and life enjoyment. And, ultimately, for aging baby boomers and the growing senior population, not only can chiropractic care assist in lowering age-related disorders and keep seniors more active in later years, it can decrease the balance problems that all too commonly end up in critical injury from falls.

If you are already visiting a chiropractor, that’s great! You have no doubt already experienced most of the added benefits mentioned above. If so, why not enlighten a pal about chiropractic? Don’t let somebody you care about fall victim to the sort of misinformation pertaining to chiropractic care that can keep them from living their life more fully. If someone you care is living with pain, tell that person about your chiropractor in Santa Barbara today! She can help and your loved one will thank you!

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments (0)

What does the term, “vertigo, ” mean? Vertigo is a name for the dizzy disturbance a person suffers within a fixed environment. The perception is that the outer world is tilting and even spinning. Vertigo may be quick and short- lived or constant. But remember, in any case, the exact source of vertigo needs to be defined and the appropriate treatment carried out.

There’s lots of causative factors for the complaints of Vertigo. An inner ear problem, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, can occasionally happen as the impact of a sustained head injury or intense cold. Many times this particular vertigo might be caused by the aging process. The basis, however, frequently is not known. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes perfectly this non- progressive problem that is caused by, as its name signifies, a abrupt change in head position. The difficulties are as a general rule surprising and varied.

It is usually helpful to look at the performance of the inner ear in an endeavor grasp what brings about the ofttimes incapacitating difficulties of this type of vertigo. The brain takes in movement and maintains balance utilizing the fluid found in the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are tiny calcium carbonate crystals, known as otoconia. These crystals usually float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the responsive nerve endings in the inner ear, they bring on the disorder of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.

The good news is that chiropractic treatment can relieve the manifestation of BPPV very quickly and effectively using a technique which is called the Epley maneuver. Through the use of this procedure, a chiropractor turns the head of a BPPV sufferer into several different positions, letting gravity relocate the calcium carbonate crystals into a space of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will create no further dizziness.

Your chiropractor has assisted hundreds of persons for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo by using only the Epley Maneuver technique. In most cases, with only one treatment many patients no longer suffer from wooziness. Make an appointment with your Santa Barbara Chiropractor now!

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Comments (0)

It is no secret that carrying around excess body weight, especially as we age, can cause a number of health problems from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes to back and joint pain. Too much body weight puts extra stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Recent studies have revealed that more than half of the adults in the U.S. (62 percent) are overweight or obese. That is a very significant number and an enormous problem (no pun intended).

The human body was not designed to carry around extra weight in the form of body fat. Only an additional 20 or 30 pounds can put the musculoskeletal system literally on overload. Weight in the belly, for instance, causes the body to compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This produces compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression constricts nerve activity and produces painful inflammation. Weight-bearing stresses can cause a pinched sciatic nerve or create misalignments of the spinal column that impinge nerves. This is the reason that most overweight individuals suffer from low back pain. Misaligned vertebra can not only cause new arthritic changes in the spine, but can continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place over the years.

You may be wondering how chiropractic can help. First of all, to be clear, a healthy body weight is a necessity in order for the musculoskeletal system to perform the way it is meant to. That said, in addition, chiropractic treatment relieves nerve impedence in the spine and helps to restore mobility back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, like in the low back, hips, and knees. A spine in alignment and joints that have healthy movement make exercise and physical activity a lot easier. Exercise will not only help with weight loss, but it can actually decelerate degenerative changes as a person ages.

It is always best to discuss diet and exercise with a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor. Chiropractors not only help individuals get pain relief from back challenges and joint inflammation due to arthritis, but in addition they offer highly knowledgeable advice on the kind of lifestyle changes that can aid an individual in staying healthier and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility as we get older do not have to be inevitable. The human body was meant to move, to walk, even to dance, without pain, for a lifetime.

So, if you’ve been throwing your weight around and all you’ve been getting in return is back and joint pain, your chiropractor can help relieve your suffering. Make an appointment today!

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Comments (0)

If you’re over forty years old you know that as we age our body doesn’t feel or respond the same way as it did when we were younger. It hardly seems fair that as our mind appears to improve and become more “inventive,”  our body seems to become less “cooperative.” We’re stiff when we get out of bed; certain activities during the day make us sore at night; and, if we’re not mindful, even something as simple as turning too fast or bending over to pick up a dropped object, can cause our back or some other muscle group to go into spasm. The good news is that there is natural treatment for us, “boomers,” that can not only slow down the aging process of the body, but help us to avoid some of those problems altogether.

Take arthritis for instance. In point of fact, barring pharmaceuticals, conventional medicine fails to take care of this age-related affliction. What is the reason? It is because most medical professionals treat the symptoms of arthritis. Chiropractic care, on the other hand, not only is beneficial in relieving the pain of arthritis, naturally, without drugs, but it finds the origin of the affliction and eliminates it.  For more than a hundred years, chiropractors, like your Santa Barbara Chiropractor, have been treating people suffering from back pain and other conditions created by arthritic changes in the musculoskeletal system.

Arthritic changes occur as your body ages because, over time, wear of particular joints takes place as a consequence of repetitive stresses, as well as years of incorrect gait, improper posture, and insufficient movement. Chiropractic treatment restores motion back into your joints and reduces pain, and it readjusts any vertebral misalignment that may be causing irritation and restriction. In addition to causing arthritic changes in the spine and increasing pain, did you know that misaligned vertebra can also lower your resistance and immunity? It’s true, and this may be one of the reasons why it may seem to you that as you get older you experience more health problems and that it often takes longer for you to feel better again. Studies have shown that older individuals who are under chiropractic care stay healthier. In fact, you could say that, as you get older, chiropractic treatment is good for what ails you!

Chiropractors are highly proficient when it comes to the health of the musculoskeletal system, from the small, growing frame of an infant to the full-grown body of a mature adult.  Your chiropractor is experienced in working with the aging process  of the body and has special observational and diagnostic skills that assist in finding spinal misalignments and joint problems. In fact, a chiropractic examination can frequently reveal certain age-related changes before they’ve begun to create noticeable pain. Furthermore, your Santa Barbara Chiropractor can check your posture and analyze your gait to determine if there are any faulty patterns that could create further arthritic changes.

So, if feeling your age has become a painful experience, make an appointment with your Santa Barbara Chiropractor today!

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Categories : arthritis
Comments (0)
Knee X-ray

Knee X-ray

Research done by Tufts University School of Medicine has found that patients that are at least 65 years of age or older with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, enhanced their physical function and encountered a decrease in pain. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that brings about a breakdown of joint cartilage. Chiropractors help many people who have developed OA in a number of places in the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most commonplace dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal complaints. In fact, an astounding 4.3 million US adults over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it anticipates that half of the men and women in America may incur symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a decreased quality of life.

You may be asking why so many men and women develop OA. Inordinate stress over a period of time is a major determinant in the majority of musculoskeletal conditions that develop as we get older. Therefore, as people age they are more susceptible to developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Abnormal mechanics of the knee, improper gait, compensatory foot mechanics as a consequence of foot pain, and overuse of the knee joint all produce excessive stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint take place. In addition to chiropractic care, chiropractors wholeheartedly advocate natural, drug-free practices, such as Tai Chi (Chuan), that can decrease knee pain. A traditional style of Chinese martial arts,Tai Chi features slow, rhythmic movements that produce mental relaxation, as well as improved balance, an increase in strength, and improved flexibility.

The 40 men and women selected for the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age, overweight, and with confirmed osteoarthritis of the knee. Otherwise they were healthy. Individuals were picked at random to take part in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.

Tai Chi practice involves the type of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is compatible with prevailing exercise advice for osteoarthritis. Furthermore, researchers noted that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi promoted a sense of well-being, life satisfaction, and personal concepts of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi experienced a substantial decrease in knee pain.

Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Comments (0)

Your Santa Barbara Chiropractor knows how painful fibromyalgia can be, but you don’t need anyone to tell you about the difficult symptoms of fibromyalgia if you suffer from the pain produced by it. The deep aching that radiates, shoots, burns, and even gnaws within your body can be widespread, affecting regions above and below the waist, and often including both sides of the body.

As if the extremely painful symptoms of fibromyalgia weren’t enough, a surprising ninety percent of fibromyalgia sufferers also experience chronic fatigue syndrome, perhaps you may be one of them. This “double whammy” can leave you not only suffering from pain and fatigue, but also anxiety, headaches, numbness and pins and needles, dizziness, sleep disturbance, swollen feeling in tissues, stiffness, sensitivity to noise and stress, and cognitive impairment.

If you are someone who suffers from one, or both, of these two devastating conditions, you may find it extremely hard to engage in even the simplest activities in life, and you might even be experiencing depression and feeling defeated. Fortunately, your chiropractor can help you. Chiropractic treatment has been proven to be highly beneficial in reversing trauma-induced injuries by decreasing inflammation to the nerves in the brain stem and spinal cord that can cause pain, neuromuscular dysfunction, and fatigue.

You may be wondering, at this point, what “trauma-induced injuries” have to do with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. You may find the connection surprising

While the specific cause of these problems is not known, current research has pointed to traumatic neck injuries, like whiplash and concussion, for example, as risk factors for the onset of both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. And, here’s the thing: although the pain and fatigue caused by spinal injuries can come on immediately, often it can take quite a long time, perhaps months or years to develop. By the time fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms arise, these injuries may not be remembered.

When it comes knowledge the spine and how to take care of it, your chiropractor is an expert. chiropractic treatment has been proven to be extraordinarily beneficial in reversing trauma-induced spinal injury. If you’ve been experiencing the pain and discomfort caused by fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, see your chiropractor today to discover if chiropractic management can help to end your suffering.

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Your Santa Barbara Chiropractor knows that sciatica is an extremely painful condition. If you suffer from sciatic pain, you are, unfortunately, all too experienced with the deep pain that shadows your waking hours and interferes with your daily activities.

Sciatic pain commonly travels from your low back, through the buttock(s), and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of your leg(s). Frequently, the pain may even radiate into your knee. Motion and sitting, alike can be painful. On occasion lying down will decrease, or perhaps briefly eliminate, the pain. However, sciatica will not go away permanently without proper treatment.

“Radiculopathy,” the medical term for the clinical diagnosis of sciatica, means simply that a disc has bulged from its original position in the vertebral column and is causing pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve. Such pressure is extraordinarily painful.

Added pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles encompassing the spine, can happen during and after extended sitting, especially in a improper position. Usually, a specific event or definite injury doesn’t create sciatica, but, on the contrary, it tends to develop over time as a by-product of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Over time the lower spine loses its ability to function normally during everyday stresses.

Finally, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, which then lets the soft nucleus extend the disc outward. If the disc presses on sensitive tissues, it generates the pain that is generally referred to as a slipped disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve, an individual can develop sciatica.

Most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be alleviated with chiropractic adjustments and therapies that usually includes postural exercises. If you are experiencing sciatic pain, it is important for you to seek chiropractic attention.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Categories : sciatica
Comments (0)

Call (805) 963-2069
or
Just Fill Out The Form to Try Our Special Offer,
Start To Feel Better, Today!

Name:
Email :
Phone:
Medicare/Medi-Cal excluded by Law
chiropractic websites Santa Barbara Chiropractor Santa Barbara Chiropractic chiropractors Santa Barbara Chiropractic Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Chiropractors Chiropractor Santa Barbara Privacy Policy