Tag: Pain

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Therapetic treatment

Foot Problems

What causes foot problems?

Your feet are extremely complex structures composed of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and skin. They may develop certain disorders (some of which originate in other parts of the body). They are also subject to injuries and other problems caused by normal wear and tear over years of supporting the weight of your body and making it possible for you to stand, walk, run, and jump.

The most obvious symptoms of foot trouble are pain and dysfunction (limping, favoring one foot or the other, inability to put weight on the heel and/or the toes). Foot pain can be due to ill-fitting, inappropriate footwear that cramps your feet; injuries that keep you from walking well–or at all; sprains which stretch or tear ligaments (which connect bones); and stress fractures of bones in the foot, which can result from accidents or overuse while engaging in sports or exercise. Just as foot disorders may originate elsewhere in the body, problems experienced in the feet can cause difficulties in other parts of the body.

How can foot problems endanger other parts of your body?

Foot pain and dysfunction caused by illness or injury can force you to modify your gait (the way you walk) and create significant stresses on the joints of your legs, hips, and lower spine. Your feet are the foundation for your entire body. When they suffer from pain, misalignments, malformations, and malfunctions, your whole body is placed in jeopardy. Even without pain, foot dysfunction can cause your whole body to overcompensate, which can lead to back pain and even headache, not to mention the emotional stress of discomfort and limitations on movement that can spread from the feet upward.

Who suffers from foot problems?

No one is safe from foot problems. But older or overweight individuals, diabetics, and serious athletes and dancers who place great demands on their feet are more prone to foot disorders than others are. If you are troubled by chronic or recurrent foot pain and/or dysfunction, you would be wise to consult a chiropractor, who has experience relieving such pain and preventing it from causing even more painful and disabling joint, muscle, connective tissue, and nerve problems in other areas of your body.

What can chiropractic do?

A chiropractor can help you overcome foot and ankle problems that can cause additional problems in other structures: your legs, hips, lower back. Your chiropractor will employ a number of diagnostic tests, including examining your gait and foot function, and take a thorough history to assess the nature of your foot problem. He or she will palpate (move) your feet and ankles to measure any limitations in range of motion, to identify what is causing your pain, and determine the best course of treatment or if referral to a specialist is called for.

Chiropractic adjustments of your feet–and elsewhere in your body, as required–can restore function and relieve pain. As a result, other body structures can be relieved of or protected from painful disorders stemming from or causing your foot problems. In addition, your chiropractor may recommend shoe inserts (orthotics) to help solve some of your foot problems and can provide nutritional and lifestyle counseling that could help reduce biological and psychological stresses on your body as a whole, improving your overall well-being, including your foot health.

Source:ChiroFind.com

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Positive thinking

Moving In Real Time

We all go through times when we wish we could press a fast-forward button and propel ourselves into the future and out of our current circumstances. Whether the situation we are facing is minor, or major such as the loss of a loved one, it is human nature to want to move away from pain and find comfort as soon as possible. Yet we all know deep down that we need to work through these experiences in a conscious fashion rather than bury our heads in the sand, because these are the times when we access important information about ourselves and life. The learning process may not be easy, but it is full of lessons that bring us wisdom we cannot find any other way.

The desire to press fast-forward can lead to escapism and denial, both of which only prolong our difficulties and in some cases make them worse. The more direct, clear, and courageous we are in the face of whatever we are dealing with, the more quickly we will move through the situation. Understanding this, we may begin to realize that trying to find the fast-forward button is really more akin to pressing pause. When we truly grasp that the only way out of any situation in which we find ourselves is to go through it, we stop looking for ways to escape and we start paying close attention to what is happening. We realize that we are exactly where we need to be. We remember that we are in this situation in order to learn something we need to know, and we can alleviate some of our pain with the awareness that there is a purpose to our suffering.

When you feel the urge to press the fast-forward button, remember that you are not alone; we all instinctively avoid pain. But in doing so, we often prolong our pain and delay important learning. As you choose to move forward in real time, know that in the long run, this is the least painful way to go.

Source:Daily Om

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Therapies

Chiropractic

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Chiropractic is a branch of the healing arts which is based upon the understanding that good health depends, in part, upon a normally functioning nervous system (especially the spine, and the nerves extending from the spine to all parts of the body). “Chiropractic” comes from the Greek word Chiropraktikos, meaning “effective treatment by hand.” Chiropractic stresses the idea that the cause of many disease processes begins with the body’s inability to adapt to its environment. It looks to address these diseases not by the use of drugs and chemicals, but by locating and adjusting a musculoskeletal area of the body which is functioning improperly.

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The conditions which doctors of chiropractic address are as varied and as vast as the nervous system itself. All chiropractors use a standard procedure of examination to diagnose a patient’s condition and arrive at a course of treatment. Doctors of chiropractic use the same time-honored methods of consultation, case history, physical examination, laboratory analysis and x-ray examination as any other doctor. In addition, they provide a careful chiropractic structural examination, paying particular attention to the spine.

The examination of the spine to evaluate structure and function is what makes chiropractic different from other health care procedures. Your spinal column is a series of movable bones which begin at the base of your skull and end in the center of your hips. Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves extend down the spine from the brain and exit through a series of openings. The nerves leave the spine and form a complicated network which influences every living tissue in your body.

Accidents, falls, stress, tension, overexertion, and countless other factors can result in a displacements or derangements of the spinal column, causing irritation to spinal nerve roots. These irritations are often what cause malfunctions in the human body. Chiropractic teaches that reducing or eliminating this irritation to spinal nerves can cause your body to operate more efficiently and more comfortably.

Chiropractic also places an emphasis on nutritional and exercise programs, wellness and lifestyle modifications for promoting physical and mental health. While chiropractors make no use of drugs or surgery, Doctors of chiropractic do refer patients for medical care when those interventions are indicated. In fact, chiropractors, medical doctors, physical therapists and other health care professionals now work as partners in occupational health, sports medicine, and a wide variety of other rehabilitation practices.

Source:ChiroFind.com

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Meditation

Manage Arthritis Pain The Creative Way

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How your mind may prove the best manager of pain.

Relieving pain has always been one of the chief goals of medicine, yet doctors traditionally haven’t addressed it as a separate problem, focusing instead on underlying diseases. That perspective is changing as studies find that relieving pain helps people fight their illnesses better. It’s now becoming common for doctors to view pain almost as a distinct disorder — or at the very least, a “fifth vital sign” (along with temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure) that must be controlled for overall good health. Most treatments for arthritis both help ease pain and fight joint breakdown, but that’s only the start of pain-control methods at your disposal.

Take Your Mind Away
It’s clear that pain is as much a mental experience as a physical one. Ever get a sports injury that didn’t really hurt until after you stopped playing, laughed off a bump on the head, or kissed away a child’s boo-boo? That’s the nebulous power of the mind at work against all-too-real pain.

As pain signals zip back and forth between the brain and far reaches of the nervous system, they can be influenced in a number of different ways. One theory holds that gates in the nervous system’s circuitry can be closed to pain if competing signals use the same pathway. That may allow you to curtail pain by filling your head with more pleasant thoughts through meditation, hypnosis, or exercises using imagery. Other research suggests that the way you interpret pain can change its impact on the body, making a sense of control, good spirits, and lack of anxiety potent buffers against suffering.

Picture Yourself in a Boat on a River
You don’t need mind-blowing psychedelic excess to take your brain beyond your pain. You just need to focus on thoughts that are pleasant, calm, and engaging. Some of the best ways to do it:

1. Distract yourself. When pain flares, avoid dwelling on it by keeping yourself occupied. Any engaging activity such as reading, working a puzzle, watching TV, visiting friends, working on a craft, or going to an artistic performance can help. If you’re stuck with nothing to do, try mind games such as counting backward from 100, listing the 50 states, or remembering the names of all your primary school teachers.

2. Meditate. Settle into a comfortable chair in a quiet corner. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Focus your mind on a simple word or phrase tied to your breathing. Those are the basic elements of meditation, which can ease pain by calming both your mind and body.

3. Take a mental trip. Wherever you go, there you are — but your mind can still be far away: strolling a beach at sunset, saluting the world from a mountaintop, or playing care-free in your old childhood home. To practice the technique known as imagery, picture yourself moving from one vivid setting to another. To engage as much of your brain as possible, focus on these elements:

    • Sensation.

Imagine how your whole body is affected by the soothing rock of a boat in calm waters or the wafting of a gentle breeze on your skin.

    • Smells.

Olfactory signals are closely linked with memories and emotions, and are thought to calm the same part of the brain that processes pain.

    • Colors.

Vivid hues are not only a feast for the mind’s eye, they can also be used to represent your pain. Example: Visualize your pain as a red spot on your body that fades and dissipates as it’s struck by the warming rays of the sun.

    • Temperature.

Imagined warmth is often more soothing (unless, perhaps, you live someplace oppressively hot). Imagine yourself in the temperate dawn of a tropical paradise.

    • Setting.

Picture yourself in locations you associate with relaxation or happiness — an island, a childhood vacation site, a favorite room.

From: The Everyday Arthritis Solution

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Healthy Tips

Best Sleeping Positions For Back Pain

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If you’re waking up sore and achy every morning and your mattress is new, you may need to re-evaluate how you’re sleeping, says Scott D. Boden, M.D., director of the Emory Spine Center in Atlanta. Lying flat on your back forces your spine into an unnatural position, which can strain your muscles, joints, and nerves. “Your spine isn’t meant to be straight,” he says. “It has three natural curves: one in your lower back, one in the middle of your back, and one near your neck.” His advice:

  • Lie on your side in the fetal position with your knees bent and a pillow tucked between your legs. This will take the most stress off your back.
  • If you must sleep on your back, prop a big, fluffy pillow under your knees to reduce the pressure on the sciatic nerve in your lower back.
  • Use a small pillow or a rolled-up towel under your neck as long as it doesn’t push your chin too far forward.
  • Don’t sleep on your stomach. Sleeping facedown can exaggerate the arch at the base of your spine and cause strain.  Advice…..Sew or tape a tennis ball to the front of your nightgown or nightshirt. We guarantee your stomach-sleeping days will be over.
  • CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Source:Reder’s Digest

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