Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

Pregnancy should be a special time in a woman’s life filled with joy, happiness and great anticipation for the arrival of a precious son or daughter.  Pregnancy should not be a time battling illness, pain and discomfort.

The chiropractic care provided at Atlantic Chiropractic and Wellness Center provides many benefits to women and their unborn children during pregnancy.  We’ve played an integral part in the health care of hundreds of pregnant women.

Utilizing our safe and effective chiropractic care, nutritional guidance and exercise plans, we help mothers-to-be stay healthy, fit and comfortable during pregnancy and properly prepare them for a smooth and easy birth.

Contact us to schedule an appointment by calling (386) 492-4881!  
We can help you have a healthy and comfortable pregnancy too!

Keeping Spine and Nervous System Healthy During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, expectant mothers undergo dramatic physical changes within their bodies in preparation for carrying a child and giving birth. The spine is one of the primary areas where these changes are felt the most and where a majority of problems start as misalignments in your spine, also known as subluxations.

Our chiropractors are specially trained physicians who keep the spine and nervous system healthy and free from subluxations.
Most people don’t realize how the spine and nervous system control all parts of the human body. But your developing unborn child certainly does.
When a mother’s egg is fertilized and pregnancy begins, cells start to multiple and divide. The first things these cells create are the brain and spinal cord. From the spinal cord, little branches of nerves begin to spread outward. The combination of the brain, spinal cord and nerves becomes the central nervous system. Once the central nervous system is in place, “buds” will form at the end of nerves. These buds are the beginning of all the vital organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys.

The brain and central nervous system literally are the origin of life and control every cell within the body. These cells form tissue, tissue forms organs and organs form systems. Put all these systems together and a human body is created.
The human brain controls every microscopic cell within the body and the brain communicates with each of the millions of cells via the nervous system. This is how the brain delivers the necessary energy and instructions to every part of your body to make it function.

There are many situations where the energy sent by your brain through your nervous system becomes filtered and distorted. This interference is known as a subluxation.
Bones or joints may become misaligned and nerves can become irritated, pinched, stretched or compressed which all causes inference in the flow of energy from the brain. When this energy is distorted or blocked, a variety of symptoms will surface including pain.

As a baby starts to develop and continues to grow, an expectant mother is experiencing 9 months of increasing stress on her bones, muscles and joints which can create subluxations.
Our chiropractic care keeps mothers-to-be free from subluxations and the pain and discomfort that are caused by these subluxations.

Preventing Common Pregnancy Health Conditions

Due to the changes a woman’s body experiences, pregnancy is a time where health conditions can quickly develop. We help expectant mothers stay healthy so they avoid such common pregnancy conditions as the following:
Back Aches/Back Pain
Neck Pain
Headaches
Hip Pain
Indigestion/Heartburn
Insomnia
Constipation
Fatigue
And More...

Healthy Nutrition and Diet

As outlined above, a healthy spine and nervous system are essential elements of a pleasant, problem-free pregnancy. Another crucial part is proper diet and nutrition.
A mother and her unborn child are dependent upon receiving the correct nutrition for proper development. What mom chooses to eat during pregnancy has an impact on her child receiving the correct nutrition.
At Atlantic Chiropractic and Wellness Center, we provide our expectant mothers who are patients with important guidance on diet and nutrition during pregnancy so they can make the right food choices for themselves and their baby.

Proper Exercise

Another important element for a pleasant pregnancy is getting the correct amount of exercise.
We work with expectant mothers to develop a customized exercise program that keeps them fit, prepares them for birth and helps them continue to look great after giving birth.

Preparation for Birth

Chiropractic care provides numerous benefits to expectant mothers and increases their probability of having an enjoyable pregnancy. The advantages of following our chiropractic care during pregnancy culminate at the birth of the child.  Our chiropractic care prepares mom and baby for birth. Certain chiropractic techniques relieve stress on the pelvis and uterus which helps the unborn child properly turn and position for a healthy birth.

Webster Technique for Breech Births

Dr. Larry Webster, a chiropractor and founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association developed the Webster Technique as a safe means to restore proper pelvic balance and function. It was developed to restore normal function of the mother and improve her comfort throughout pregnancy in preparation for a safer, easier birth.

Dr. Webster reported that in women who presented with a breech baby, the results of the adjustment appeared to normalize pelvic biomechanics and facilitate optimal fetal positioning.  As Dr. Webster taught other doctors of chiropractic this adjustment, they too reported positive changes in baby positioning.
At Atlantic Chiropractic and Wellness Center we have been utilizing the Webster Technique for many years and have seen the benefits of this technique for preventing breech births and facilitating safe and easy births for our patients.

For more information, please contact our office to see how we can help make your pregnancy a happier and healthier experience!   (386) 492-4881 or visit us on the web at www.atlanticchirofl.com!

Mighty Muscles!

We all have them, but most of the time we pay no attention to them, unless of course we pull them in some way or exercise them too much so they ache a bit! But muscles are essential for movement because:

• They convert energy into the motion, just as a car engine makes your car run.
• Basically, you couldn’t do anything without muscles. For example, muscles in your larynx, mouth and tongue help you to speak, skeletal muscles help you to walk, run, climb, exercise and dance – these are the muscles that control voluntary movements.
• Muscles also help control body movements that you generally never even think about – your breathing, heart beat, facial expressions, food digestion, eye movements, blinking and other involuntary movements.

 Our body has more than 650 muscles, making up more than 40% of our body weight.

Without muscles – you wouldn’t be able to live very long, that’s for sure. Humans have more than 650 muscles, which make up more than 40% of your body weight. Heavy stuff!
How do muscles move? Well, muscles are made up of cells that contract and then relax. These cells use energy from the food you eat to do this, so without food, and the nutrients it provides, your muscles would be too weak to perform as they should.
Can you hurt muscles? Sure, you can and you often hear people say they have “pulled” a muscle, meaning it has been torn, similar to breaking a bone. However, unlike most bones that have to be re-set, muscles are self-healing.
Some fun facts about muscles:

• It really does take more muscles to frown (12) than smile (10)!
• Your eye muscles move more than 100,000 times each day!
• The smallest muscle is in your ear – it’s called the stapedius.

One way to improve the way your muscles work is to exercise! Exercise makes your heart beat faster, sending more blood out to your muscles, giving them the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to work properly. And when you exercise, your digestive system slows down to conserve energy that your muscles need.
But don’t forget muscles only move when commanded by your nervous system—the focus of your chiropractic care. Which is one reason athletes and those who want to be their best seek regular chiropractic care.

For more information, please visit www.atlanticchirofl.com or call our office at (386) 492-4881

Keeping Kids & Teens Active and Vital with Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors treat children and teenagers for a wide variety of health problems, from back and neck pain to posture imbalances to acute musculoskeletal injuries. Children and adolescents constitute a significant number of patients in chiropractic offices. Because of the family-oriented nature of many chiropractic clinics, chiropractors are in an excellent position to provide appropriate care throughout the lifespan, including during those formative years of childhood and adolescence. 

Back and neck pain are common health complaints among children and adolescents and recent studies have indicated that low back and neck pain is becoming increasingly common in children and adolescents, which suggests an increase in degenerative musculoskeletal conditions in future adults. 

Another study published in the journal Spine notes that the prevalence of low back pain increases sharply in the early teen years and that by the age of 18 (girls) and 20 (boys) over 50 percent experience at least one bout of low back pain. There is a clear role for chiropractic in reducing or preventing back and neck pain in children and teens through targeted treatment approaches and education about the importance of posture and other musculoskeletal health topics.

Atlantic Chiropractic and Wellness Center has experience treating children of all ages for pain-related issues resulting from lack of activity, over-activity leading to injury, poor posture or other musculoskeletal conditions.  If your child is complaining of headaches, back, neck, or other kinds of pain, make an appointment to see the doctors at Atlantic Chiropractic and Wellness Center so they can work with your child to keep him or her active and vital.

(386) 492-4881  or visit us on the web at www.atlanticchiorfl.com

Healing Chronic Shoulder Pain

As we get older, years and decades of mechanical stress may lead to deterioration of joints, ligaments, and tendons. This degenerative process, commonly known as arthritis, primarily affects weight-bearing joints such as the hips and knees and those found in the lumbar spine. The shoulder, too, is especially prone to undergo arthritic changes owing to its extreme mobility. The extensive range of motion at the shoulder is built-in to the design of this structure, but the tradeoff is instability. The design of the shoulder sacrifices stability for mobility.

Degenerative disorders of the shoulder typically involve the rotator cuff. This broad, flat structure is composed of the muscle-tendon units of the four rotator cuff muscles: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor. The thick covering of the rotator cuff surrounds the head of the arm bone and supports and strengthens the shoulder joint. But owing to the shoulder's inherent instability contrasted with its great mobility, the soft tissues of the rotator cuff undergo repetitive stress and strain. Ultimately, degenerative changes may occur, leading to the two prominent symptoms of pain and restricted range of motion.

An entire orthopedic sub-specialty focuses on treatment of chronic shoulder pain and includes long-term use of anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroid injections when medications do not provide sufficient relief, and eventually surgery to repair tears in the various rotator cuff tendons. "Revision" surgery is commonly performed when the benefits of prior surgery are exhausted.¹

The good news is that in many cases, a more optimal approach is available, one that utilizes the body's own natural recuperative powers. For many people, chronic shoulder pain can be reduced and chronic loss of mobility can be improved by engaging in specific activities and performing specific rehabilitative exercises. The goals of rehabilitation are to increase shoulder range of motion and build up shoulder strength. As these goals are accomplished, the likely result is reduction of intensity and frequency of occurrence of shoulder pain.

Engaging in an overall strength training program is an important general approach to managing chronic shoulder pain.^2,3 Strength training should be done progressively, starting with light weights and building up over time. Exercises specific to the shoulder include seated dumbbell or barbell presses, dumbbell or cable lateral raises, seated bent-over rows, and internal and external rotation exercises done with very light dumbbells on a flat bench. If one has experienced an acute shoulder injury, early rehabilitation should precede rehabilitative strength training. Early rehabilitation includes pendulum exercises and finger-walking up a wall in both forward-facing and side positions.

Your chiropractor is experienced in injury rehabilitation and will be able to help you design an effective flexibility and strengthening program for improved shoulder function.

 

 Chronic injuries require specific rehabilitation and a long-term approach. Patience is required and it is important to recall that the problem has developed over the course of years and will not be fixed in a matter of weeks or months. Progress should be obtained in the short-term, but such situations usually require consistent, ongoing attention to achieve a long-term solution.

Performing the appropriate rehabilitative activities is critically important and chiropractic care can be of great assistance in getting the most out of your exercise program. Regular chiropractic care improves the mobility of your spinal column and removes nerve interference which may cause tight, inflamed muscles. The result is a body that is optimized for good health and full function. By enabling maximum spinal mobility and maximum function of your nerve system, regular chiropractic care helps maximize your body's ability to recover from chronic injury.

Please let us know if we can help you improve your health in any way!

(386) 492-4881 or reach us on the web at www.AtlanticChiroFL.com

¹Keener JD: Revision rotator cuff repair. Clin Sports Med 31(4):713-725, 2012

²Lewis JS: A specific exercise program for patients with subacromial impingement syndrome can improve function and reduce the need for surgery. J Physiother 58(2):127, 2012

³Andersen LL, et al: Effectiveness of small daily amounts of progressive resistance training for frequent neck/shoulder pain: randomised controlled trial. Pain 152(2):440-446, 2011

What's Your Tuba Player?

Your brain and nervous system is the conductor that orchestrates the workings of your entire body. With clear communication, the beautiful music we know as “life” is produced.

But many people have a problem with their tuba player! For some the tuba player could be their thyroid. Or their gall bladder. Or their stomach. Or their lower back. Or whatever.

Their tuba player can’t see the conductor! That causes one of two things. Sometimes the tuba player just sits quietly. Other times, the tuba player goes overboard.

The medical approach would be to surgically remove or chemically suppress the tuba player. The chiropractic approach is to restore the connection between the tuba player and the conductor. Naturally, that involves locating and correcting interference to the controlling commands that travel over the nervous system.

Chiropractic care can bring harmony to your music of life! Call us, and let us help you orchestrate the health and wellness you deserve!

(386) 492-4881 or reach us on the web at www.atlanticchirofl.com or give us a +1 on our Google Plus page!!!

Wanting More From Your Care?

What are you hoping to get from your chiropractic care? Less pain? Less tightness? Or more health? More movement? Or more life?


Many people begin care because they have an ache or a pain they want to silence. In other words, they start out wanting less. As they learn what chiropractic care is (and what it isn’t) they discover it could offer more. More of what they really want. Participating in that discovery is one of the greatest joys of our practice.

Some don’t see the implication between a proactive (more) and a reactive (less) approach to their health. Instead, they prefer to come in only when they have obvious symptoms. No worries. We love them just as much. Everyone shows up at a different place on this journey of self discovery. We’re merely here to serve, whether they want less or more.

Please call us if you have any questions, or have a person in mind you would like to refer to our office!
(386) 492-4881 or on our website at www.atlanticchirofl.com

What Exactly Is Whiplash?

When you think of whiplash, most people immediately think “car accident.” But a fall or many types of repetitive movement may also cause whiplash. Sometimes the symptoms from whiplash take days or even weeks to manifest themselves, but the damage it causes can last for years.

What exactly is whiplash? It’s a condition in which the joints in the back of the neck, joints that usually slide easily over one another, are forced together, causing damage to the nerves, discs, ligaments and muscles all around them.

The symptoms? Generally, these include headaches, dizziness, neck and arm pain, decreased attention span, an inability to focus and fatigue. These symptoms can be both very painful and downright debilitating to the whiplash sufferer.

It helps to come into our practice immediately for a thorough examination if you have been involved in an accident and suspect that you might be the victim of a whiplash injury. The earlier you establish the proper intervention, via chiropractic adjustments, the better your chances for a full recovery.

Of course, chiropractic adjustments also help older whiplash injuries, but recovery is usually slower and care during the acute phase generally takes longer.

We manage whiplash injuries with careful and precise neck adjustments, sometimes ice and rehabilitative exercises that are designed to address the injured neck and shoulder muscles and joints. This has been shown to be very effective in managing the symptoms of whiplash, particularly the headaches that often accompany this type of injury.

Visit www.atlanticchirofl.com for more info!