Oak Lawn IL Chiropractor Discusses Tension Headaches And How Chiropractic Treatment Can Relieve Them
Are you suffering from painful tension headaches? Dr. Gerald Helwig, the best Oak Lawn Chiropractor, understands that life can be a pain from time to time. Sometimes the pain is caused by an accident or injury. Sometimes it can occur because of the cumulative effects of bad posture and poor gait. Sometimes it can occur from degeneration due to getting older. And, many times pain, especially headache pain, can be caused by everyday stress.
Are you sidelined by your tension headaches? Are you ineffective while working, or worse, forced to stay home from work? Do they interfere with your family and social life? Most people have experienced more than one tension headache in their life. If you are a person who has had tension headaches, then you know that the pain generally feels like an intense, but dull ache in your head. Such pain is commonly accompanied by a feeling of tightness or pressure along the forehead or on the sides and back of the head. On occasion, you may feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and once in a while you may lose your appetite or feel nauseous.
Most tension headaches are defined as mild to moderately intense, but the severity of the pain varies from one person to another, and can vary from one headache to another in the same person. Do your headaches occur frequently? Headaches are considered cronic if they occur fifteen or more days days a month for a minimum of three months.
The good news is that chiropractic treatment can help you whether tension headaches are interfering with your life once in a while or chronically. Whether someone suffers from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, or headaches, Dr. Helwig has been helping the Oak Lawn Community to get out of pain for over twenty years. That right! Chiropractors don’t just treat back pain. They address the entire musculoskeletal system!
So, if you are suffering from tension headaches that have kept you from living your life fully, call Dr. Helwig, your Chiropractor in Oak Lawn, Illinois today. Don’t put up with headache pain another day!
Is your commute helping you lose weight?
Do you use public transportation to get around your city or town? If you do, a new study suggests that the extra bit of walking to and from your rail or bus stop will help you lose weight.
John M. MacDonald, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studied the effects of a new light-rail line in Charlotte, N.C says that using the subway or bus increased the physical activity, and therefore the body-mass index, of people who started using it.The New York Times reported that those Charlotte residents surveyed who began to walk to the light rail instead of driving to work walked on average 1.2 miles total on their commutes to and from work. The average weight reduction found was 1.18 B.M.I. point.
If you commute by public transportation, you can increase your daily physical activity by getting off a stop earlier. Everyone else can incorporate more exercise into their daily routine by using the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator, walking or biking short distances instead of using the car, or parking far away from the entrance of a store where you are shopping.
What are other ways to incorporate more movement into your life?
Regulatory Protection is Needed for Student-Athletes
I believe that exercise, often in the form of sports activities, keeps the body healthy and strong. But, as a chiropractor I see a lot of sports related injuries, not just the weekend warriors, but young student-athletes. Sports activities seem to inevitably lead to sports injuries, and some are far more serious than others. That’s why I am happy to see that there is currently a focus on concussions, especially repeated concussions, among young athletes who participate in school sports. The question people are asking is: Are schools doing enough to protect their student-athletes? Do you, as a parent, feel that your child is safe when participating in sports at school? Many parents worry that their young athletes are at risk for serious sports injuries, especially concussions. In fact, the latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health found that nearly two-thirds of parents of young athletes between the ages 12 – 17 worry that their children will get a concussion while playing school sports.
If You Suffer From Hip Pain, Your Corona Chiropractor Offers Chiropractic Management That Can Help You Get Out Of Pain Now!
When it comes to hip pain relief, your chiropractor in Corona offers highly successful non-invasive, drug-free treatment. As most of us know, surgery should be a last resort whenever possible. So, before you decide on hip surgery, ask yourself the following questions: Does hip pain wake you up in the night and make it impossible for you to get a good night’s sleep? When you get out of bed in the morning, and/or when you step out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it initially hard to move your legs? Do you feel pain in one or both hips when you cross your legs or rotate or twist your hips? If so, you may have asymmetries and misalignments in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing your hip pain, can lead to degenerative joint disease in your hips in the future if not treated. The good news is that whether or not degenerative changes have already begun, chiropractic treatment can help!
It may be true that you’re getting older and your hip joints just aren’t what they used to be. Even so, are you aware that your hip pain (and related problems), which normally point to age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be generated by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In the majority of cases, rather than being the root cause of your condition, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is typically the result of a past injury (or injuries) to your hips.
More often than not, hip problems have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, as when you are walking. If you tend to walk “pronated” with your toes pointing away from your body (like a duck), sooner or later you will develop pain in your hips due to the asymmetrical stress on your hip joints as your body attempts to compensate. Thankfully, you can learn to correct your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can show you how to do it.
Moreover, you may have had gait changes because of an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical changes create hip pain. There is no doubt that, if not remedied, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, i.e, wear and tear that creates degenerative changes.
Other circumstances that can sometimes injure the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that requires you to move your body in atypical ways. Also, carrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can create hip pain. Even your sitting position or driving for extended periods of time on a routine basis can cause hip injury and pain.
So you can see that not every pain is caused by “old age,” even though we may experience more pain as the result of the progressive activity of untreated injuries.
Your chiropractor in Corona will treat our hip problem directly, and as part of your chiropractic management will offer special rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also study your gait and may recommend simple pattern changes.
Your hip pain won’t go away on its own. Hip pain is a sign that there’s a problem that requires correcting. If left untreated, there is a good possibility that at some point you will require that hip replacement surgery. So, don’t wait until it’s too late. Your Corona Chiropractor can get you out of pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!
Chiropractic Internet Marketing Strategy: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
Here’s an interesting question for you to consider: Do you want to keep your chiropractic internet marketing in-house or do you want to hire a professional? There are pros and cons to both, and the answer lies in your particular situation. Let’s check out the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing
- There is a lower monthly cost involved in using someone already employed by you.
- The staff knows your practice intimately. Your staff has a good understanding of your clinic’s particular services and, therefore, is able to describe your specialties easier than those who don’t know the specifics of your particular practice.
- You can communicate anytime. Being in-house it is easier to set up times to have meetings or just to chat about situations on the fly.
Disadvantages of in-house chiropractic website marketing
- The staff may not be fully aware of what SEO (search engine optimization) is, let alone how to accomplish it. In that case, a lot of education and training will be needed to make sure SEO gets done right.
- The staff may be overworked. Sometimes the time it takes to do SEO can be underestimated. It is an ongoing process that can actually be a full-time job. If a marketing manager has been told to do SEO as well as his or her full time job, obviously that person will be overworked and feel overwhelmed.
- Attention needs to be paid to detail. This goes together with Point #2. If the staff is overworked, they have no time to check out search engine news and keep up-to-date on how the search engines have changed the game each week and what needs to be done to implement those changes to keep your clinic internet presence up in the rankings.
Advantages of using an outside professional
- Chiropractic marketing companies are specialists in the field. They have experience in working on numerous clinics and their websites and optimizing them for SEO. They know, first hand, what works effectively and what doesn’t.
- There is a dedicated team at the company who will be working on your site and can give it the attention it requires.
- The company has a specific plan and won’t be just jumping around, going from short term tactic to short term tactic with no organized strategy and no clear way to reach your desired goals. In other words, they have an “integrated” internet marketing strategy.
Disadvantages of a chiropractic internet marketing company
- Let’s face it, it can get expensive, but costs vary widely from company to company. Some companies out there are charging $600-$700 a month for their services. It is definitely worth your while to shop around and research before you buy.
- There is usually a commitment. Most chiropractic internet marketing companies will want you to sign up for at least six months to a year.
- Account management can be a problem. With high turnover rates at many companies, especially the big ones, there may be a chance that you’ll get handed from account manager to account manager just when you were building a relationship of trust. You may have to start over again, maybe even have to redesign and reiterate your strategy with the new manager.
Now that you’ve taken a moment to look at the pros and cons of both keeping your internet marketing in-house or hiring a professional, the solution to SEO and your internet marketing strategy will depend on the size of your practice, the time and staffing you can devote to it, and your overall long-term goals.
Now, of course, we are a chiropractic internet marketing company that specializes in helping chiropractors with their internet presence. So, I will admit that I am a bit biased on the side of your hiring an expert to do it right. If you are thinking of hiring a company to develop and implement your internet marketing strategy, it is tremendously important for you to hire one that specializes in chiropractic clinics. Why? Because we understand the chiropractic profession intimately. Therefore, in the long run it will save you both time and money not having to explain what chiropractic is about to some general SEO company. There are several of us out there.
If you are going to go with an outside company, be sure to read the fine print. Look at the bottom of their page for a disclaimer. If they have one, read about their “typical” results. You don’t want to be fooled by outrageous claims even though such hype can be enticing. Remember, your internet marketing strategy is just one stream of new patient leads. Even though chiropractic internet marketing is fast becoming a great source for new patient leads, and even though internet marketing gets more important with every passing day, and even though it is a crucial area in which to generate new patient leads, it is still not the only source of marketing you will need to succeed in your practice.
Whether you choose to keep your internet marketing in-house or to hire a professional, you want to be sure that the time and money you spend on SEO gets you where you want to go. A member of your staff that does your internet marketing for “free,” while squeezing those efforts in-between other tasks, may “cost” you in the long run. A professional whose sole focus is internet marketing, won’t lose sight of your goals. Internet marketing is essential to your practice, so choose your chiropractic internet path wisely.
Your Chiropractor in Wichita Is An Expert When It Comes to Treating Sciatica
As a Wichita Chiropractor for over twenty years, I have helped a significant number of patients suffering from the pain of sciatica, therefore, I’m genuinely aware from experience just how debilitating sciatic pain can be. Sciatica sufferers are unfortunately all too familiar with the type of deep pain that often radiates through the lower part of their body, persists during the day and inhibits almost all of their daily activities.
Could your low back pain be caused by sciatica? You are probably suffering from sciatica if your pain radiates from your low back, through one or both sides of your buttocks, down the large sciatic nerve in the back of one or both legs, and possibly radiates into one or both knees. Also, sitting, as well as activity, can be painful. Frequently lying down will decrease, or occasionally even temporarily eliminate the pain. However, it’s important for you to be aware that sciatica will not go away without appropriate treatment.
Radiculopathy
One of the clinical diagnoses of sciatica is called a “radiculopathy”, a medical term that means simply that a disc has protruded from its normal position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve. Such pressure is extremely painful.
Increased pressure on the intervertebral discs, as well as imbalances in the muscles surrounding the spine, can take place during and after long periods of sitting, specifically in an awkward position. A particular event or injury isn’t usually the cause of sciatica, but rather sciatica is likely to evolve over time as a consequence of ordinary wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine. Over the course of time the lower spine can lose its ability to function normally during everyday stresses.
If this takes place, the intervertebral disc undergoes small fissures or cracks, which then permit the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. Pain is generated as the disc pushes on sensitive tissues. This condition is frequently called a ruptured, or slipped, disc. Sciatica is the result of the disc pressing on the spinal nerve. Fortunately, most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be totally alleviated with chiropractic adjustments and management that often includes postural exercises.
Periformis Syndrome
Periformis syndrome is another cause of sciatic pain. Periformis syndrome occurs when the periformis muscle, which is superficial to the sciatic nerve, goes into spasm and irritates the nerve. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, this particular sciatica can be significantly relieved by sciatica stretches that your chiropractor will suggest.
It is essential for you to see your chiropractor for treatment if you are experiencing sciatic pain. If you are in the Wichita area, as your Chiropractor in Wichita, I invite you to come in to see if I can get you out of pain and help you to get your life back!
Help Your Young Baseball Player to Avoid Injury
Okay, as a chiropractor I continue to advise my patients, young and old alike, that routine exercise is a vital component to good health. And, since one in three children in the US is either overweight or obese, it’s apparent that getting enough exercise is becoming a national crisis. That said, exercise, especially when it involves sports activities, should be engaged in with the utmost caution. And, not just for the middle-aged “weekend warrior,” but for children as well. In fact, here’s a shocking statistic regarding kids and the “great American pastime”: According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2008, nearly 200,000 children aged 14 and younger, were treated in hospitals, doctor’s offices and emergency rooms for baseball-related injuries.
- Always take time to warm up and stretch before and after play. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury, specifically:
- If a child is pitching, he should concentrate on stretching his arm, shoulder and back muscles.
- If a child is catching, the focus should be on the legs and back.
- Children should not be encouraged to play through pain. It is important that they take breaks.
- Limit the number of teams on which your child is playing in one season. Kids who play on more than one team are especially at risk for overuse injuries.
- Wear a batting helmet at the plate, in the “on deck” circle waiting for your turn at bat, and during base running.
- Coaches must teach and allow practice of proper sliding techniques before using a bag, including breakaway bases. Players younger than 10 should not be taught to slide.
Exercising Can Make You Both Healthy and Wise
“Motion is Life.” That is my mission statement as a chiropractor, and my goal is to get as many of my patients as possible moving into pain-free daily exercise routines. There’s just no getting around it, our bodies are meant to move, and when we don’t let them (or in some cases “make them”), every system in our body suffers. Exercising is crucial to our overall well-being, and not just for physical health and strength, but mental “power” as well. In fact, a new study, led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has found evidence that regular exercise speeds learning and improves blood flow to the brain.
I’m sure that if you already exercise you are aware that your thinking tends to become more clear and sharp after a good workout and cool down, even though you may have been unaware that by exercising you were actually increasing the volume of blood flowing to your motor cortex. The point is, exercise is clearly a “smart” thing to do. So, keep it up if already exercise, and if you don’t, GET MOVING. But, see your chiropractor first to be sure you’re well-adjusted! The findings are available in the journal Neuroscience.You Can’t Afford to Injure Your Joints
I just read an interesting article in the health section of newyorktimes.com about the “financial” benefits of protecting your joints. As a chiropractor, when it comes to the health of the joints of the musculoskeletal system, protecting the joints from injury and unnecessary wear and tear are key to preventing painful and often debilitating problems as our body ages. As I mentioned in past articles, degenerative arthritis can be appreciably decreased and even avoided with proper education, exercise, and treatment. However, I have found that, unfortunately, it’s hard for people to “get motivated” now to do something about potential problems. But, adding a financial incentive may just do the trick!
Did you know that more than 400,000 people a year have one or more hips or knees replaced? And, did you know that the cost for a new hip or knee is $30,000 to $40,000? Even if you have insurance, your out-of-pocket expenses can still be quite substantial, especially when you include the cost of days off from work. The article offered several “preventative measures” that might help your joints to stay healthy longer. And, with the exception of its suggestion that glucosamine and chondroitin “probably are of limited benefit,” I am in agreement with the article’s joint protection suggestions.- control your weight
- stay active in “low impact” exercise and sports
- try to avoid injury
- get fit
- be skeptical*
The article in its entirety is well worth the read (and implementation), even if your current motivation is a only financial one. Click on the link for more information.
* I have witnessed the highly beneficial results of glucosamine ahd chondroitin supplementation.
