Conditions...

Lower Back Pain | A Pain In The Neck | Blood Pressure | Headaches

Lower Back Pain

Do you have a nagging dull low back pain? Do you get back pain when sitting or standing? Does your low back feel tight? Do you have buttocks and leg pain?

Low back pain is an all too common health complaint. 85% of Americans will suffer incapacitating low back pain in their lifetime.

Muscle Spasms - Muscles and back spasms occur in any muscle, but usually happen in the lower back. Spasms can be a result of old or new injuries, and vary in degree of severity.

Strains and Sprains - Strains and sprains are injuries from overuse or repetitive motion. They also involve injuries to a joint with possible tearing of ligaments or tendons. When you suffer a strain/sprain there is usually enough force to cause abnormal function of the spinal joint.

Disc Injuries - Slipped, ruptured, or degenerated discs are caused from years of forceful movements of the spine, often following falls or auto accidents. Disc injuries do not always require surgery and can be treated with proper care and maintenance.

Sciatica - One of the most common causes of low back pain and sciatica (leg pain) is the loss of normal function of vertebrae in the low back. These vertebrae become jammed or twisted causing abnormal disc wear, muscle function, and nerve pressure.

Health Source's approach to low back pain and sciatica is to locate its underlying cause. This begins with a complete consultation, x-rays if necessary and a thorough chiropractic, orthopedic, physical and neurological examination from a qualified expert. This is followed up with a prescribed treatment of care.

Home Care During Treatment
During treatment for a low back injury, the experts at Health Source suggest several precautions that will allow you to heal faster and prevent a recurrence of the injury.

• Do absolutely no lifting until your chiropractor says you may resume such activities.
• Lie down as much as possible, getting up only on specific instructions by your doctor of chiropractic.
• When lying down, assume any position that will afford relief of pain. as you improve, your chiropractor will instruct you as to the proper position for your particular back problem.
• Take a mild natural laxative, if needed, so that you will not need to strain when having a bowel movement.
• As you begin to improve, you may stand and walk for short periods of time, as directed. Avoid the "sitting" position, as this puts the greatest strain on the low back, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.
• Stay out of soft chairs. Use a straight-backed chair and sit as erect as possible. Do not sit for prolonged periods until your physician has given you permission to do so.
• Avoid walking up or down stairs, and do not walk on rough ground.
• To get out of bed, turn to the good side, draw the knees up, push yourself into a sitting position using the arms, place the feet on the floor, place your hands on the thighs, and stand up, allowing the back to assume its most comfortable position.
• Do not use heat on your back unless your doctor of chiropractic has prescribed it. He or she will tell you how to use it if heat is needed at all.
• Do not bend forward to put on trousers, socks, shoes, etc. When bending, do so with the knees bent. Do not bend from the waist.

Back pain can be serious. Before you get to the point of regular pain, spinal degeneration or worse, schedule a consultation with Dr. Scott Crill at Health Source.

A Pain In The Neck

Minor neck aches, pain, and stiffness are something we all suffer from time to time. They are usually brought on by overwork or holding the head in an awkward position, such as sleeping or incorrect posture. Fortunately, these are minor situations and clear up after a day of rest or a good nights sleep.

5 Easy ways to prevent common neck pains:

• Don't sleep on your stomach. This can cause harmful stretching and twisting of the neck muscles.
• Don't stack several pillows while sleeping. Doing so will put stress on the upper back and neck.
• Don't watch television or read while laying down. This can contort the neck. Always sit upright.
• Take frequent breaks or change positions when doing work that requires you to bend your neck downward or face the same direction for a long period.
• Don't use purses or bags with a shoulder strap. The weight can pull on the neck and disturb the nerves that support the shoulders, arms and hands. Instead, tie a knot in the shoulder strap and carry the purse or bag in your hand.

Recurring Neck Pain

Recurring aches, pains and stiffness in the neck is often a symptom of a serious problem. In fact, repeated episodes of stiff neck often indicate the early stages of joint or disc degeneration.

If these underlying problems are left untreated, they can lead to permanent damage to the neck and a life in constant pain.

Is My Neck Pain Serious?

Often symptoms can tell a lot about the underlying causes of neck pain. For instance:

• A neck that is relatively pain-free in the morning and worsens as the day goes on frequently indicated strain, fatigue or muscular weakness.
• A neck that is stiff and painful in the morning and feels better as the day goes on may indicate underlying disease such as arthritis..
• Neck pain that is aggravated by coughing or sneezing may indicate serious disc involvement.
• Dizziness, light-headedness, or pain that develops when the head is turned or elevated is strong evidence of a neck problem.

Is It More Than Just A Pain In The Neck?

Following is a test to help measure the severity of neck pain. Check any of the following symptoms that you have experienced or are currently experiencing:

• Recurring stiff neck
• Constant pain in the neck, face, ears or scalp
• Frequent headaches
• Recurring pain in the shoulder or arm
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or fingers
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pains
• Dizziness

If you checked any of the above, you may have the symptoms of a serious neck problem. Call Dr. Scott Crill at Health Source for a consultation (916) 789-0222.

The Biomechanics Of Neck Pain

The seven cervical vertebrae (also known as spinal bones) in the neck have highly mobile joints, allowing you to bend your head forward, backward and rotate as necessary. Because of the extreme flexibility, the neck lends itself easily to injury and pain.

Your neck is the vital passageway that allows your brain to communicate to the rest of your body, allowing it to coordinate almost all body functions. Even minor injuries can easily cause damage to the supporting muscles, tendons, ligaments and vertebrae of the neck. Which, left untreated, can cause major disruption to even the most basic of body functions. So a simple injury left untreated can become a lot more than a pain in the neck.

Neck pain can be serious. Before you get to the point of regular neck pain, spinal degeneration or worse, schedule a consultation with Dr. Scott Crill (916) 789-0222.

Blood Pressure

Normal blood pressure varies from person to person. Variations are common because of differences in height, weight, age, sex, temperament, body build, occupation, and even health history.

Because blood pressure varies in individuals, even under different circumstances, it is difficult to speak in terms of a normal blood pressure. In fact, blood pressure depends on several factors, such as the strength of the heart, resistance and elasticity of the blood vessel walls, and the amount and viscosity of the blood inself.

Every person has a blood pressure range that is normal for him or her. Slight deviations may be expected and should not be considered a sign of any dangerous internal development. However, severe deviations up and down and between systolic and diastolic ratios, persistently found, are frequently a sign of an abnormality that should be located and promptly corrected. For this reason it is important to have your blood pressure checked regularly by a professional.

When your doctor measures your blood pressure, two readings will be taken. One measurement is called a systolic reading, and the other a diastolic reading. The systolic reading indicates maximum pressure within an artery during a pulse, and the diastolic indicates the sustained pressure within the artery when the blood vessel is relaxed between heartbeats.

High Blood Pressure

A serious deviation from one's normal blood pressure may be due to a specific cause. In some cases, this may be caused by emotional stress, such as anxiety, frustration, and worry. Sometimes, it is related to being overweight or eating too much, or too much of the wrong foods. Sometimes, it is caused or aggravated by hereditary factors, infections, tumors, nerves, inactivity of certain glands, or impaired function of the kidneys. Whatever the cause, it should be diagnosed and treated.

High blood pressure may be a symptom of arteriosclerosis, commonly called hardening of the arteries. Abnormal changes take place in the blood vessel tissues, and fatty materials and chemical salts are deposited, resulting in arteries becoming less elastic and smaller in internal diameter.

Symptoms of chest pain, headache, hot flashes, nervousness, insomnia, and visual disturbances may or may not be associated with high blood pressure. When they are present, they should be reported to your doctor of chiropractic immediately.

Low Blood Pressure

It is the total circulation and not blood pressure per se that determines the amount of nutrition supplied to the various parts of the body. Low blood pressure is usually not considered dangerous unless the pressure indicates that circulation is being impaired.

Although some individuals seem to have a lower blood pressure than that considered average, this does not seem to be an important factor unless it appears as a sudden drop from a person's normal blood pressure. Anemia, autointoxication, heart weakening, shock, and hemorrhage are a few common causes.

Common symptoms of low blood pressure include fatigue under slight exertion, dizziness, apprehension, inability to concentrate on anything except oneself, ringing in the ears, and tingling in the fingers and toes. Such symptoms should be reported immediately.

Cause For Concern For The Total Individual

Because so many different functions, systems and structures can be involved in the cause or aggravation of either high or low blood pressure, it is important that the overall health of the individual be considered. Often, the nervous system is involved either directly of indirectly.

If you have any concerns please contact Health Source today and our team of professionals will perform the necessary diagnosis to determine the cause and prescribe appropriate treatments.

Headaches

If you suffer with headaches, do not let anyone tell you they are "normal". Headaches are far from normal and are often symptoms of severe underlying problems.

Headaches can result from many conditions. But research has revealed many headaches can be traced to the area of cervical vertebrae (spinal bones of the neck).

Because the neck is extremely mobile, there is constant danger of displacement of one or more of these vertebrae, which may compress and irritate the cervical nerves.

Intermediate causes of headache include digestive, eliminative, kidney and heart problems; eye problems (chiefly eye strain); infected tonsils; nerve pressure from spinal conditions involving cervical and other areas of the structural system; and sometimes, though very rare, brain problems. In women, disorders of the reproductive system are often the cause of headaches.

Although popping a pill may seem to be an easy answer to headache pain, it is not. It merely masks the symptom, pain: the underlying problem remains. as you become immune to the pain drug, you will require higher doses, which will not stop the pain.

If you are a headache sufferer, the best thing you can do is seek professional help by call Health Source for an immediate appointment. There is absolutely no reason for you to suffer for even one more day. Even if you have suffered for years, and visited many types of health specialists without relief, Health Source's team of professionals can offer the solution that you have been looking for. Our team of professionals have examined and successfully treated numerous headaches for many years.

Common Types Of Headaches

Tension Headaches - The most common type of headache. They are caused by muscle strain, or contraction. The pain is usually located on the forehead or the back of the head and neck. The pain is usually described as a dull ache, or a bandlike sensation surrounding your head as if you were wearing a tight bathing cap.

Usually, these headaches begin gradually and then last from a few hours to several weeks. Factors that may trigger them include stress, diet, fatigue, and poor posture.

Migraine Headaches - Migraine headaches is a general term and may take many forms. The headache pain occurs when the blood vessels of the head dilate (expand) and press on sensitive nerve endings. Conditions that may trigger migraine headaches include stress, certain foods, fatigue and the menstrual cycle.

The most common type of migraine is called a common migraine. Another type of migraine headache is known as a classic migraine. These headaches are often preceded by an "aura" (unusual visual sensations, such as blotches or sparkles), or by sensations of weakness, numbness, or tingling. The victim may also experience nausea, vomiting, cold hands and feet, and a feeling of soreness or exhaustion afterward. Though these headaches are just as severe as the common migraine, they generally do not last as long (24 hours or less).

Cluster Headaches - Cluster headaches are sometimes classified as migraines because the pain is caused by dilation of the blood vessels. The name "cluster" describes the way the headaches come in distinct clustered episodes. In other words, you may have a bout of headaches for a week or two and then not experience them again for some time. Attacks usually last 15 to 30 minutes and occur in violent, punishing repetition. More men than women suffer from these headaches, and most sufferers are over 40 years old. Alcohol is a common trigger.

Other Types Of Headaches - To list and describe all the many types of headaches would fill an entire book. Some other types of headaches include those due to cervical or neck headaches, dental problems, eye disorders, allergies, and sinuses. Two very serious, though much less common, causes of headaches are brain tumors and inflammation of the membranes covering the brain. This is why it is very important to have a thorough examination to determine the type and source of headache pain.

A headache can be serious. Before you get to the point of regular pain or worse, schedule a consultation with Dr. Crill for further evaluation (916) 789-0222.

Call us today for your free consultation and get on your way to start feeling better!

916-789-0222