Accidents

Accidents and injuries are commonplace. You can get whiplash from a sports collision, a car accident, or by even by just falling down. In fact, repetitive motion can give the same effect as a collision accident. Sometimes the effects aren’t felt for years; although more often they are felt immediately in the form of headaches, pains, a stiffness of the neck etc.

After an injury the immediate pain may diminish, the swelling may go down, and the muscles seemingly return to normal. BUT, that is rarely the actual case.

Such injuries should be treated as soon as possible, otherwise, the body may try to compensate for the injury and compound the problem. For example, you may find yourself bending, favoring one leg, hunching, etc.

It’s interesting that women tend to more in tune with their bodies than men. Men often believe they should “tough it out” or “work through it,” often compounding the problem.

For example, if your back was wrenched from an automotive, sports, or work accident, the chances are your spine was pushed out of normal alignment. Whiplash is the most common term used but is merely one of many things that can happen. The nerves, which travel through the spine, may be pinched or damaged as a result. Depending upon the location, it can affect your major organs such as your stomach or intestines, or cause symptoms such as allergies or headaches to occur. Additionally, you may experience muscle impairment.

The medical term for a misalignment of a part of your spine is subluxation. The bone is prodded back into place in a process called an adjustment performed by a chiropractor.

Unlike other medical practitioners who may give pills to hide the pain or recommend more intrusive procedures such as surgery, chiropractors help the body heal itself. So, unless it’s a medical emergency such as bleeding or a broken bone, consider letting a chiropractor help the body to heal itself as your first option.

Back Pain

Approximately 80% of all people have back pain at some time in their lives. Recurrence of back pain episodes is very high, with lifetime recurrences of 85% having been reported. If you have chronic lower back pain, it is important to know that we can help you feel better.

To treat back pain, we first locate and treat subluxations in the spine. Subluxation refers to an area comprising of functional and/or structural changes in joints, which can interfere with nerve transmission, disturb other organ systems, and undermine general health.

The goal of chiropractic care is not only to treat the pain, but to enable our patients to continue engaging in their normal activities rather than resting immobile in bed, relying on surgery, or hospitalization and medication which can be dangerous and needlessly expensive and crippling.

Back Pain: Low-back Pain

Do you or someone you know suffer from lower back pain?

… Because 80% of people suffer from it at some point in their life. It is estimated that lower back pain affects more than half of the adult population each year and more than 10% of all people experience frequent bouts of low back pain.

The lower back is a very susceptible part of the spine.

When healthy and functioning correctly the lower back can withstand tremendous forces without injury. However if it is out of alignment or has weakened supporting muscles something as simple as bending down can cause low back injury. Back pain probably will not heal on its own, pain may go away temporarily but it will probably return. Low back pain requires chiropractic care.

Causes of Low Back Pain

There are many different conditions that can result in low back pain, including: sprained ligaments, strained muscles, ruptured discs, trigger points, and inflamed joints. Most people understand how a sports injury can result in pain but sometimes even picking up something that you dropped on the floor can cause low back pain. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, psychological stress, kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss can lead to pain.

Other common causes include:

• Subluxations
• Disc herniation
• Sprains, strains and spasms (weekend warrior syndrome)
• Stress

Fortunately, chiropractic treatments for low back pain are usually pretty straightforward. Chiropractic adjustments and therapy often take care of the situation.

Chiropractic adjustments for low back pain have been repeatedly shown to be the most effective treatment for low back pain. Many major studies have shown that chiropractic care is more effective, cheaper and has better long-term outcomes than any other treatment.

If you or someone you know suffers from low back pain please contact us at our Holladay, UT chiropractic office. The Doctors and staff at Capstone Chiropractic look forward to working with you!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

You’re working at your desk, trying to ignore the tingling or numbness you’ve had for months in your hand and wrist. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain shoots through the wrist and into your arm. Just a passing cramp? More likely you have carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes compressed or squeezed at the wrist. The carpal tunnel – a narrow, rigid passageway of ligaments and bones at the base of the hand – houses the median nerve and tendons. Sometimes thickening from irritated tendons were others swelling narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed. The result may be pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm.

Chiropractic care has benefited many patients. Surgical procedures are occasionally necessary, however before you get surgery, see your Holladay, UT chiropractor.

Chiropractic Adjustment

How Does It Work?

The chiropractic adjustment reduces spinal misalignments and results in increased range of motion, reduced nerve irritability, reduced muscle spasm, reduced pain, and improved function

The goal of receiving adjustments should be to restore the body to its natural state of optimal health. Chiropractors can use and recommend a variety of natural healing methods, including adjustments, massage, trigger point therapy, nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, and counseling on lifestyle issues that impact your health. Dr. Rowell and Dr. Fisher employ all of these holistic techniques.

The primary focus is simply to remove those things which interfere with the body’s normal, natural healing ability.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic widespread pain and also a heightened and painful response to pressure. These symptoms are not restricted to pain and include debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. Some patients also reported difficulty swallowing, bowel and bladder abnormalities, numbness and tingling, and cognitive dysfunction. Not all people with fibromyalgia experience all associated symptoms.

Fibromyalgia is linked to Lupis and chronic fatigue syndrome. You can think of these three conditions as laying on a continuum with fibromyalgia on one end, Lupus on the other and chronic fatigue syndrome in the middle.

Chiropractic care is critical for those who suffer from fibromyalgia. Because fibromyalgia causes the muscles to tighten up and lose some of their natural pliability, it results in a global loss of movement in the spine. This decreased range of motion can lead to increased pain, increase muscle tightness, a loss of movement, more difficulty sleeping, and the development of more and more trigger points.

The only option is to continually adjust the spine and keep it moving. It is important when seeking chiropractic care to make sure that the doctor is familiar with the muscular changes that occur with fibromyalgia so that they can adjust their treatment accordingly.

Other things to consider for fibromyalgia include getting enough sleep, exercising, making changes at work, eating well, and taking nutritional supplements.

Headaches

In medicine, a headache is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies. There are a number of different classification systems for headaches. The appropriate treatment depends on the underlying cause which we can help you determine.

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are the most common, affecting upwards of 75% of all headache sufferers. The most common cause of tension headaches is subluxation in the upper back and neck.

Migraine Headaches

Each year about 25 million people in the United States experience migraine headaches and about 75% of those are women. These are intense and throbbing headaches that are often associated with nausea and sensitivity to light or noise. You can reduce the likelihood of migraine headaches by making some lifestyle changes as well is receiving chiropractic care.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are typically very short, very excruciating and are usually felt on one side of the head behind the eyes. These are more common in men.

Chiropractic Care for Headaches

Numerous research studies have shown that chiropractic adjustments are very effective for treating tension headaches, especially headaches that originate in the neck.

A report released in 2001 by researchers at Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that “spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer lasting relief of tension-type headache pain than commonly prescribed medications.” These findings support an earlier study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Psychological Therapeutics. This earlier study also found that those who stopped chiropractic treatment after four weeks continued to experience a sustained benefit in contrast to those patients who received pain medication.

At our Holladay, UT (located just outside of Salt Lake) chiropractic office Dr. Rowell and Dr. Fisher are trained to determine which type of a headache you have and recommend the best course of care to correct the problem and relieve your symptoms. Many people think it is normal to have headaches weekly or even daily, but it’s not! If you or someone you know is suffering from headaches please contact us and let the staff at Capstone Chiropractic help.

Neck & Upper-back Pain

You really find out how much you move your neck during the day when you can’t do some simple movements. The head weighs 14 to 16 pounds and there are relatively few muscles supporting the neck, which means that the neck is very susceptible to injury.

Problems in the neck can also contribute to:

• Headaches
• Muscle spasms in the shoulders and upper back
• Otitis media (inflammation in the middle ear, often mistaken for ear infection in children)
• Temporomandibular join disfunction (TMJ)
• Ringing in the ears
• Restricted range of motion
• Chronic tightness in the back
• Chronic tightness in the upper back

Whiplash is the most common form of injury to the neck. It results from the sudden movement of the head in any direction that results in damage to the supporting muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues in the neck and upper back.

Whiplash injuries need to be taken very seriously. If you have been in any type of auto accident please see a chiropractor. Even in minor accidents whiplash injuries may occur. Contact us at our Holladay, Ut chiropractic office immediately.

Poor posture is another cause of neck pain which sometimes results in headaches and is often the result of the body being misaligned. Slumped shoulders, reading in bed, more weight on one leg then another, and sitting incorrectly are just a few of the factors that can cause neck pain. A relatively new cause of postural abnormalities is cell phones. We are seeing postural abnormalities and degeneration in younger and younger patients due to poor posture when texting and using cell phones. If you are concerned about your teens posture and health please contact us for a consultation today and we will let you know if they are a candidate for chiropractic care.

Neck & Upper-back Pain: Whiplash

Whiplash is a condition of the neck, typically caused by an automobile accident. It occurs when the neck is projected forward and then backward, which can damage the soft tissue and nerves in the neck. While a standard medical doctor may prescribe pain medications to help with your discomfort, a chiropractor like one at Capstone Chiropractic, serving Salt Lake City, UT and the surrounding area, helps the healing process.

Definition of Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury that can cause pain, stiffness and a decrease in the range of motion in your neck. In some cases, your pain will worsen when you move. You might also experience pain and tenderness in your shoulders. It's also possible you'll experience blurred vision, memory problems, depression, irritability, headaches, dizziness or fatigue. Sleep disturbances are possible and so is ringing in your ears. Some people who have whiplash have tingling or numbness in their arms. Most often whiplash occurs from a rear-end auto collision, but it's possible it can arise from trauma, a sports injury or physical abuse.

How a Chiropractor Can Help

Usually, whiplash heals within a few months, especially when you utilize the services of a chiropractic expert. One of the treatments we may use to assist in reducing your pain and promoting a speedy recovery is a chiropractic adjustment. This particular treatment is comprised of our chiropractor moving the joints, so all areas of the spine line up with each other. This takes pressure off of the nerves and soft tissue that surround the neck. This particular treatment may help to increase your range of motion and will encourage the flow of blood to the area to speed up your recovery.

Another important aspect of chiropractic care for whiplash is exercise therapy. This treatment consists of our chiropractor guiding you through a series of exercises that stretch the muscles in your spine. The exercises promote blood flow to the area, so you receive adequate nutrients for the healing process. You build up strength in the muscles in your neck, so you're able to move it once again without pain. The exercises move at a pace that's tailored to your needs, so you regain your range of motion without discomfort.

Our chiropractor might recommend you undergo massage therapy. The treatment consists of a professional manually manipulating the muscles in and around the neck. This promotes blood flow to the area, so it heals more effectively. The message targets the tissue deep within your neck to reduce pain, so you're able to focus more on the recovery process.

Make an Appointment Today

If you suspect you have whiplash, schedule an appointment with a chiropractor at Capstone Chiropractice, serving Salt Lake City, UT and the surrouding areas, by calling (801)272-8500 or by making an appointment online: Book An Appointment

Pinched Nerve

This is a catchall phrase that is commonly used to describe the pain associated with a variety of conditions from subluxations, to Tunnel syndromes, to the referred pain from trigger points (see below) a pinched nerve is actually an irritated, or inflamed nerve where the nerve itself is not actually pinched.

In most cases they become irritated and inflamed when the bones, joints or muscles of the spine are not in their proper position, or are not moving properly, this condition is called a “subluxations,” the treatment of which is the specialty of a chiropractor.Trigger points are very tight knots of muscles that form when muscles are either chronically overworked were injured, and are often experienced as a pitching were burning pain.

It is very important that the cause of any form of pain be properly diagnosed. At our Holladay, UT chiropractic office, the Drs. at Capstone Chiropractic have many tests and techniques to determine the cause and correct your nerve pain or dysfunction.

Pregnancy: During & After

During pregnancy a woman’s center of gravity shifts towards the front of her pelvis. This additional weight in front causes stress to the joints of the pelvis and the lower back. As the baby’s weight increases the curvature of the lower back is also affected compounding the problem.

Approximately 50% of all expectant mothers develop low back pain at some point during their pregnancy. This is especially true during the third trimester.

Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can relieve and even prevent the pain and discomfort frequently experience and create an environment for an easier, safer delivery. Alignment of the pelvis is extremely important for the health and comfort of mom and baby. At our Holladay, UT chiropractic office Dr. Rowell and Dr. Fisher have both helped many soon to be mothers and would love to help you. If you or someone you know is pregnant and experiencing back pain or discomfort please contact us.

Tips for pregnant women:

• Be sure to get adjusted regularly
• Gently exercise each day
• Wear shoes with arch supports
• Lift from the knees
• Lay on your side with a pillow between your knees to take the pressure off your lower back when you’re sleeping
• Eat several small meals or snacks every few hours
• Take vitamin supplements

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Chiropractic care can help many PMS sufferers.

PMS is thought to be a side effect of hormonal changes during the monthly menstrual cycle and can be made worse by stress, decreased serotonin levels in the brain, and subluxations in the lower back.

Although chiropractic care cannot fix the way your body responds to the hormonal changes that precede menstruation, several studies have shown that it can help decrease many of the symptoms without the potential side effects of prescription drugs

Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body running from your pelvis through your hip area and buttocks and down each leg where it then branches into smaller nerves. The term sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of this nerve.

Sciatica is actually a sign that you have an underlying problem irritating a nerve in your lower back. There can be a number of causes for this. Sciatica may be accompanied by numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the affected leg. The pain can vary widely from a mild ache to a sharper burning sensation or even excruciating discomfort. It may feel like a jolt or electric shock. Most often it starts gradually and intensifies over time. Dr. Rowell and Dr. Fisher have a lot of experience in treating and relieving sciatica. The vast majority of times sciatica pain can be relieved through a combination of stretches, deep tissue massage, and chiropractic care. Our Holladay, UT chiropractic office is located just outside of Salt Lake city. Schedule an appointment today!

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine that causes stiffness and pain. It is more common in women and begins in childhood. If detected early, scoliosis treatment will prevent it from worsening over time.

People with scoliosis have a sideways curve in their spine that makes a “S” or “C” shape. Unlike normal curvature of the spine, adjusting your posture will not correct the problem.

Chiropractic care can help improve this condition. At our Holladay, UT chiropractic office there are a number of tests that will allow Dr. Rowell and Dr. Fisher to determine whether or not you have this condition.

If you or someone you know has or may have scoliosis, please contact us immediately

Slipped Disk

A slipped disk is actually a misnomer because they do not actually “slip.” Rather, they may herniate or bulge out from between the bones. Pain results when irritating substances are released from this tear and if fragments touch or compress a nearby nerve.

Herniated discs are most likely to affect people between the ages of 30 and 40. Discarding ancient may be present without causing pain. The most common symptom is pain in the area of herniation that may radiate across the hips or into the products. You may also experience numbness or pain radiating down your leg to the ankle or foot. You may also notice weakness when extending your big toe and may be unable to walk on your toes or heels. In severe cases, you may experience changes in your bowel or bladder function and may have difficulty with sexual function.

Exercise therapy and chiropractic care can treat mild to moderate disc herniations. More advanced cases require some form of spinal decompression. Severe cases may warrant surgical intervention.

At our Holladay, UT chiropractic office Dr. Rowell and Dr. Fisher are trained to detect herniated discs and have many natural treatment options that can help relieve your symptoms and stabilize your spine.

Stress

Chiropractic care can help you with stress.

Everyone has stress and it seems to be increasing throughout the population. Studies indicate that stress can account for over 70% of all illness.

If you have any of the following conditions, it may be a sign that you are suffering from stress:

• anxiety/nervousness
• insomnia
• back pain
• relationship problems
• constipation
• shortness of breath
• depression
• stiff neck
• fatigue
• upset stomach
• weight gain or loss

There are many ways to handle stress and they are covered in Dr. Rowell and Dr. Fisher’s spinal care classes.

Vertebral Subluxation Complex

Chiropractors are the only professionals who are trained to diagnose and treat what is called spinal subluxations (misalignments). Another way to xplain misalignments is a bone out of place, which results in pressure on the nerves.

Here are some of the problems that can occur when untreated misalignments, which may result in vertebral subluxation complex (VSC):

1. Bones: If the vertebra is out of position, not moving properly, or undergoing generation this can frequently lead to a narrowing of the spaces between the bones through which the nerves pass; often resulting in irritation or impingement of the nerve itself. Think of it as a water hose with a knot in it.
2. Nerves: There can be a disruption of the normal flow of energy along the nerve fibers, causing the messages traveling along the nerves to become distorted. The result is that all of the tissues that are fed by those nerves received distorted signals from the brain and, consequently, are not able to function normally over time. This can lead to a whole host of conditions, such as peptic ulcers, constipation, and other organ system dysfunctions.
3. Muscles: Since nerves control the muscles that help move the vertebrae as we move in different directions, muscles have to be considered to be an integral part of the vertebral subluxation complex. Muscles both affect and are affected by the VSC. Subluxation can irritate the nerve, the irritated nerve can cause a muscle spasm, the spasmed muscle pulls the attached vertebrae further out of place, which then further irritates the nerve and you have a vicious cycle. It is no wonder why very few subluxations just go away by themselves.
4. Soft Tissue: The Vertebral Subluxation Complex. will also affect the surrounding tendons, ligaments, blood supply, and other tissues as the misaligned vertebrae tug and squeeze connective tissue with tremendous force. Over time, the soft tissues can become stretched out and the ligaments become hard like bones, leading the spine with either a permanent instability or restriction.
5. Body Chemistry: Inflammation can also increase in the affected areas.

These changes can get progressively worse over time if they are not treated correctly, leading to chronic pain, inflammation, arthritis, the formation of bone spurs, loss of movement, muscle weakness, and spasms as well as many other conditions.

In order to be truly healthy, it is vital that your nervous system is functioning free of interference from subluxations. Chiropractors are the only health professionals trained in the detection, location, and correction of the vertical subluxation complex through chiropractic care.

Wellness Care vs Medical Care

The main difference between wellness care and standard of medical care is that wellness care seeks to turn on the natural healing ability of the body standard medical care seeks to treat a symptom by adding something from the outside— a medication, a surgery, or procedure. Chiropractic care helps the body to heal itself.

For example, if a patient has high blood pressure a standard medical approach would be to choose a drug that lowers blood pressure and ask the patient to take the drug. While this may serve to lower the blood pressure it may also ignore the underlying cause that is making the blood pressure high. There may also be possible side effects complicating the person’s recovery.

The wellness approach looks for underlying causes of any disturbance or disruption, which may or may not be causing symptoms at the time, and make whatever interventions and lifestyle adjustments necessary. When the body is working properly it tends to heal effectively. This is also true for mental and emotional health.

You should be proactive when it comes to wellness. You need to treat your body well and not wait until you’ve heard it before you decide to take care of it.

Healthy is not merely the absence of disease any more than wealth is the absence of poverty. Problems may progress for years without causing symptoms for example heart disease often develops unnoticed for many periods of time before it strikes.

People sometimes have a multitude of excuses as to why they can’t afford the time or money to invest in their health. But the truth is that you must invest in your health today, or at disease may bankrupt you in every way later. If you don’t have the time and money to improve your health while you feel good, what makes you think you will have the time and money to improve your health once you’ve lost it? You can make time for wellness now we can make time for sickness later. The choice is yours.