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Picture a traffic jam during rush hour. All those cars trying to travel down the same expressway simultaneously. The same thing is happening in your neck. Since the nerves and blood vessels pass through small openings between these vertebrae, a misalignment can substantially reduce the amount of blood and nerve impulses going to your face and brain. Thus, the headaches. Not all headaches are caused by neck problems. Some are due to lack of sleep, allergies or perhaps a bona fide problem within the skull. Regardless of the cause, always have your headaches examined by a physician.
However if you get frequent headaches, it’s possible that cervico-genic headaches may be your problem. Or, as some may say, “tension headaches”. Chiropractic care in Ocean County can drastically improve this type of headache. A good rule of thumb is if you experience headaches more than twice a week, we’d suggest having your condition looked into further because chances are it can be successfully addressed.
Answer: studies have found that your nerve irritation is the result of a previous injury that the patient was unaware of or something that occurred so long ago they had forgotten about.
What is really interesting is how fragile the neck can be and how easy it is to have problems result from that area. For example, since the link between the head and the rest of the body is your neck, the neck is vulnerable to even slight irritation which may cause a misalignment of the vertebrae in the neck. Now imagine if your car were to be rear-ended. This is why whiplash can occur in accidents in which the vehicles were only going 5-miles per hour. Numerous studies have proven this to be in fact quite common.
A good rule of thumb is if you experience headaches more than twice a week, we’d suggest having your condition looked into further because chances are it can be successfully addressed by a Chiropractor in Ocean County.
The kids come home from school and the first thing you hear is, “I’m hungry. What can I eat before dinner?” Because all of us are over-scheduled to the max, often we mumble something about checking out what’s in the pantry. Minutes later they’re mowing down something that isn’t exactly your definition of healthy. So why don’t we talk about some recommended smart snacks for kids, as suggested by Baylor College of Medicine:
“Keeping the kitchen stocked with great-tasting, high-calcium snacks can help busy kids get plenty of bone-building calcium in their diet. Keep an eye out for foods with product labels showing at least 10 percent of the daily value of calcium,” said Dr. Steven Abrams, an associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. Ten percent DV of calcium translates into 100 mg. The current dietary calcium recommendation for Children between the ages of 1 and 3 is 500 milligrams, which is equivalent to one and two-thirds cups of milk. Kids between 4 and 8 years of age need 800 milligrams each day, while those in the peak bone-building ages, 9 to 18, require 1300 milligrams per day, or the amount found in four and one-third cups of milk. Because adolescence is a key period for bone development, we are very concerned that less than one in five teenage girls and only one in two teenage boys get enough calcium in their diet,” said Abrams, a research scientist at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center. Later in life, inadequate dietary calcium can increase the risk for bone fractures due to the crippling bone disease osteoporosis.
Here are a few healthy, high-calcium snack ideas: Fruit smoothies made with fresh or canned fruit, juice, yogurt and ice; Low-fat mozzarella sting cheese; Wheat flour tortillas and melted low-fat cheese quesadillas; Cottage cheese and fruit; Low-fat/fat-free plain, fruited or frozen yogurt. There’s no substitute for the right balance of proper diet and vitamin/ mineral nutrition. There are several supplements that we supply in our clinic that might help & even aid in YOUR good health.
If you or any one you know suffer from osteoporosis, contact a Orthopedist in Ocean County for advice and more information.
Carpal Tunnel is the #1 Most Reported Workplace Medical Problem.
Did you know that because of the prevalence of people desk jobs, carpal tunnel syndrome is becoming one of the most common medical problems in the workplace? The course traveled by many is surgery, however there are conservative non surgical options.
Warning: Here’s What Carpal Tunnel Feels Like…
When you’re working at your computer do you feel pain, numbness, tingling or aching in your hands? Do your hands ever feel swollen or “clumsy”? These are the most common symptoms of carpal tunnel.
What the Government Tells Us…
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, carpal tunnel is now the most common reported medical problem in the workplace. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome accounts for nearly 60% of work related injuries. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimates that Carpal Tunnel costs $27 billion annually in medical treatment and lost income. Until recently there were only three choices for sufferers: (1) Do nothing. (2) Take anti-inflammatory medication or wear hand splints. (3) Surgery. The recovery period is lengthy often leaving you out of work for months.
What many people are learning is that cold laser has an excellent track record treating some forms of carpal tunnel. Surgery should be the last resort. In 80% of the cases where surgery has been completed, the symptoms have returned within two years. Increasingly patients are turning to conservative based treatments to treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is why more and more people are seeking out chiropractic cold laser treatment as their first line of defense against Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Only after non-invasive options have been tried should one consider surgery, in our opinion.
If you or a loved one think they have some of the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel than I’d encourage you to get your condition looked into at your earliest convenience. To determine whether someone is appropriate for this procedure, we welcome patients or their referrals to call our Carpal Tunnel Treatment Clinic in Jackson or Point Pleasant New Jersey and we’ll schedule them for a diagnostic appointment.
Answer: Did you know that your body is an engineering miracle? It is truly amazing what I’m about to describe about your spine and body. The cervical spine of your neck consists of 7 interlocking bones. Kind of like lego’s. The brain stem becomes the spinal cord which is the “information super highway” of your nervous system. This is what enables your heart to beat without your conscious awareness, keeps you digesting food, feeling pain, experiencing pleasure, and all the…
Miracles of life
we experience!
The forward curve of the neck is known as a lordosis. This curve is what enables you to turn your head side to side and gaze toward the ceiling. An injury such as whiplash can cause the spine joints to be compromised or perhaps cause ligament damage. When the spine loses its natural shape, it can pinch the nerves coming out of the spine. We call these misalignments a joint dysfunction and they alter the way your nervous system sends and receives sensations. Ill health can result, because it throws off the bodies ability to communicate within itself. The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae in the lower back. Like the neck, it should have a natural curve. Like tributaries of a river, nerves exiting the spine in this area form the sciatic nerves which run down the back of each leg.
A healthy spine allows you to be and do your best by protecting the vital nervous systems link between your brain and your body. It can also prevent the following conditions:
- Low Back Pain, Neck and Mid-Back Pain (including “sciatica”, and “pinched nerves”)
- Bulging, Slipped & Herniated Disc
- Spinal Stenosis
- Sprains and Strains
- Sports-related Injuries
Knowing your power foods is important, but more important is knowing how to work them into a healthy diet. Power foods rich in phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fiber are vitally important to living well and living long. Stephanie Beling, M.D., author of Power Foods, offers helpful information on what power foods contain which nutrients. Dr. Beling’s list is reproduced in part below.
Vitamin B1: Brewer’s yeast, sunflower seeds, dried beans, salmon, brown rice, and whole grains.
Vitamin B6: Bananas, wheat germ, chicken, salmon, and brown rice.
Vitamin A: Sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, cantaloupe, broccoli, winter squash, and apricots.
Vitamin B2: Broccoli, spinach, Brewer’s yeast, soybeans, eggs, and whole grains.
Vitamin B12: Salmon, milk, eggs, tofu, chicken, and shellfish.
Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, green peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cantaloupe, strawberries, potatoes, and tomatoes.
Calcium: Broccoli, kale, almonds, sesame seeds, figs, apricots, yogurt, low-fat milk, salmon, greens, tofu, and blackstrap molasses.
Good health doesn’t have to cost a lot!
Investing in good health is cheap compared to being sick and unwell. Just ask anyone in the hospital. You have the power to make it happen. Right now. If you’d like some help achieving vibrant health and energy, please call our offices. Quite bluntly, smart patients know the value of investing in themselves and by that we mean a WELLNESS APPROACH to care. Now is the perfect time to begin! If not now, then when?? If you’d like to learn more about proper nutrition, please call the Ocean County NJ Pain Clinic!
Knowing what your power foods are, can add years to your life!
When walking through the grocery store … you’ll be astonished at the variety of food choices! One study says that the average grocery store size has increased 31% in a decade! They keep getting bigger and bigger, and the food choices larger and larger. Yet isn’t it ironic that in a day and age where there are more and better food choices than ever, so many people can be unaware of the importance of certain “wonder foods” that keep them healthier? Commonly referred to as power foods—foods rich in essential disease-fighting or disease-preventing nutrients—these dietary musts do much to stave off illness, aging and even help with recovery and healthy healing from ORTHOPEDIC INJURY. The Pain Management Doctors in Ocean County NJ have expertise and are esteemed leaders in nutrition for injury rehab.
Here’s a list of the nine Power Foods:
- Power food #1: Red, yellow and orange fruits. Think citrus fruit.
- Power food #2: Red, yellow and orange vegetables. Think peppers.
- Power food #3: Leafy green vegetables. Think spinach.
- Power food #4: Mushrooms. There are more kinds than just button!
- Power food #5: Garlic.
- Power food #6: Whole grains. Think cereals and breads.
- Power food #7: Beans.
- Power food #8: Soy products.
- Power food #9: Nuts and seeds.
What are the benefits? Improved health! And consider this. Studies have demonstrated that consuming more power foods can lead to weight loss, healthier hair, improved personality, less PMS and better looking skin. Keep these 9 foods in mind the next time you’re in the grocery store. For more advice on what vitamins and/or supplements are right for your body type, please call the Pain Clinic in Ocean County NJ and let’s talk. We’re here to help!
Source: Power Foods, Stephanie Beling, M.D.,
Do you know what happens with your metabolism when you sit down to a big dinner after having eaten small amounts throughout the day? The answer: your body experiences an insulin spike. Think of an insulin spike as a “high” from which our body must come down. So, to keep your metabolism and hormones on an even keel, spread out your meals, eat portions of moderate size, go for nutritious snacks, and begin the day with a good, high-fiber breakfast. And watch those late night snacks.
Nutrition Tip, Pain Clinic Ocean County NJ.
Omega-3s (Fish Oil) May Reduce Degenerative Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia)-Must Read Information!
Wow! Imagine a study showing that a supplement, which many of our patients are already taking for inflammation, pain and tissue remodeling and repair, may also BOOST the production of MUSCLE PROTEIN in OLDER individuals (>50 years of age). That’s pretty amazing don’t you think?
Why is Losing Muscle Mass and Function (Sarcopenia) such an important problem?
Sarcopenia, lean muscle loss and increased fatty tissue gain to displace the lost muscle, is a condition that affects the older generation, and is linked to a loss of lean body mass, strength and function. In the US, some 45% of over-65 year-olds are thought to be impacted by the condition. A person in their 20s will have muscle that is up to 60 percent fat-free mass, whereas this drops to less than 40% for a 70 year-old.
Taking a high quality/potency fish oil supplement is one tool we can use to help stave off SARCOPENIA:
Daily supplements of omega-3 fatty acids may boost the production of muscle protein in older people, and reduce the risk of degenerative muscle loss, suggest data from a new human trial.
Four grams (4g) per day of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA such as found in our very own NORDIC NATURALS Pro-Omega product) for eight weeks (8wks) were found to increase the rate of muscle protein synthesis associated with increased supply of amino acids and insulin, according to findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February 2011 by Smith et al. from Wash U School of Med in Missouri.
“Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults: a randomized controlled trial” G.I. Smith, P. Atherton, et al. Feb. 2011. AJCN
Call our Ocean County NJ Pain Clinic to experience an integrated, rehab program including Omega-3 Fat supplementation.
Written by Dr. Hector Lopez.
Wow, we must get asked a dozen times a week our opinions about “what kind of mattress or pillow should I buy?” Plus every time we turn on the TV there is an advertisement for the latest greatest mattress. So what’s the low down on selecting mattresses and pillows that are right for someone with neck, back, or sciatica pain? Here are 6 useful selection tips: 6 Mattress & Pillow Selection Tips
- A mattress should provide uniform support from head to toe. If there are gaps between your body and your mattress (such as at the waist), you’re not getting the full support that you need.
- If you do have back pain and your mattress is too soft, you might want to firm up the support of your mattress by placing a board underneath it. But do this just until the pain goes away; such firmness is not good for “routine” sleeping.
- Every few months, turn your mattress clockwise, or upside down, so that body indentations are kept to a minimum. It’s also good to rotate the mattress frame every so often to reduce wear and tear.
- If you’re waking up uncomfortable, it may be time for a new mattress. There is no standard life span for a mattress; it all depends on the kind of usage it gets.
- Choosing a pillow: When lying on your side, your head and neck should remain level with your mid and lower spine. When lying on your back, your head and neck should remain level with your upper back and spine. In other words, your pillow should not be so thick that it causes your head and neck to be propped up or angled sharply away from your body.
- Important Reminder! If your back pain jackson nj lasts more than 2 weeks and the above tips don’t help, please seek out one of our doctors at our Jackson Pain Center.
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