With RLS, the symptoms vary from person to person, and it can affect people to varying degrees. Among the symptoms a person may experience, you have feelings of itchiness, tingling, numbness or feelings in the legs that are similar to what you would feel if insects were crawling on the skin. These sensations cause the person to want to move their legs repeatedly, and it can be quite disruptive to the life of the individual.

With many people, the condition is at its worst in the evening and it can interfere with their sleep. For this reason, restless leg syndrome is also considered a type of sleep disorder. Many patients that have restless leg syndrome will also experience what are known as periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS), which are essentially the involuntary jerking or twitching of the limbs. This is another way that RLS can be disruptive to the individual’s sleep.

While the exact causes of restless leg syndrome have yet to be discovered, it is believed that most cases are connected to some form of nervous system dysfunction. For this reason, chiropractic care can be one of the best forms of treatment for people that are looking for relief from restless leg syndrome.

When a person is getting these sensations in the legs that cause restless leg syndrome, it is essentially because the brain is receiving mixed or false signals from the nerves. Part of the purpose of chiropractic adjustments is to restore proper nerve function, and this can provide relief. The nerve supply to the legs come from the spine, so a chiropractic adjustment can relieve pressure or irritation to the nerves, and for many patients, this can be the key to getting the relief that they need.

In addition to this, a chiropractor can help to improve your sleep. Since the problem is usually at its most intense when the individual is trying to sleep, this may be point of importance for your chiropractor. In this, they might recommend making changes to your sleep routine or they might offer advice that can help the individual to sleep more comfortably.

Beyond the chiropractic adjustments and sleep counseling, the chiropractor may also employ the use of various other treatment options. For a person that has restless leg syndrome, nutritional counseling may be a part of the treatment plan. The chiropractor may also use treatment options like massage or they might apply heat therapy in the legs in order to relax the muscles. In treating restless leg syndrome, exercise can be an important component of the treatment strategy. To assist the patient in dealing with restless leg syndrome, the chiropractor may prescribe a number of different exercises that can help to address the condition.

Restless leg syndrome is a complicated condition, and it will generally take at least a few sessions to get the problem under control. However, there have been many patients that have experienced positive results when it comes to chiropractic care for restless leg syndrome. If you have restless leg syndrome, talk to a chiropractor about your treatment options and what you can expect moving forward.

The post How Chiropractors Can Help With Restless Leg Syndrome appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

For a person that has never been to a chiropractor, finding the right fit can be difficult. Every chiropractor is different, and you don’t want to go with the first one that you find. As a person seeking treatment, you need to understand that these professionals can be different in a number of ways, so you need to know what to look for when you are trying to select the right chiropractor for your needs.

Consider methods and specialties

In the world of chiropractic, there are many different techniques and methods that may be employed. Some chiropractors focus on certain methods, and this can make a difference for the type of care that a patient can expect. In addition to that, many chiropractors expand into offering a range of different treatments that can complement the chiropractic adjustments. If you are interested in things like massage, physical therapy or nutritional advice, then you might want to make sure that your chiropractor has the knowledge and the skills to integrate these forms of treatment into your plan.

As a further point, some chiropractors specialize in treatment for specific types of patients. Some practices might specialize in treating athletes, some might offer specific benefits for pregnant women, and there are others that are more of a general practice sort of clinic.

Are you comfortable with the chiropractor?

A good relationship between a chiropractor and the patient can be important. For this reason, it can help to meet with a few chiropractors to find one that you are comfortable with. You can interview the chiropractors over the phone, but it might be better to meet them in person. In this initial meeting, you can get a feel for the professional and the working environment to see if it is a place that you want to receive care.

When you work with a chiropractor, you need to open up to the professional about your health and in some cases, it might help to give them some information about your lifestyle. If you do not feel comfortable, then you might not want to give the chiropractor all of the information that they may need. Before you agree to treatment, make sure that you are starting out with someone that you will want to come back to for treatment.

Ask questions about your concerns

Whether you are going to the chiropractor for an injury or you just want the benefits of improved health, you are likely to have some concerns. In the first meeting, you need to have some of these concerns addressed. Explain your reasons for wanting to see the chiropractor and ask them about how they would provide treatment. A good chiropractor will listen to your questions, understand your concerns, and they should provide clear answers.

Now, with this being your first meeting, the chiropractor is unlikely to have a complete treatment plan worked up for you, but if you explain your issues, they should be able to provide an outline of how they would approach the situation.

Chiropractic care can be beneficial for a number of different reasons, but your level of success can depend on finding the right DC for the individual patient. Take the time to meet with a few chiropractors and try to find a professional that has the skills and knowledge to provide the care that you need, while also being a person that you feel comfortable with. It is well worth it to spend a little extra time to find the right chiropractor for your needs.

The post 3 things To Consider When Choosing a Chiropractor appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

Chiropractic care can be good for so many different issues because it promotes the overall wellness of the body. When the body is properly aligned and the nervous system is free from dysfunction, it improves health and there are many conditions that can be addressed by ensuring healthy nerve function and by restoring the proper alignment of the spine.

Among the conditions that a chiropractor can help you with are those that relate to the sinuses. A Doctor of Chiropractic can provide treatment for issues like sinus headaches, sinusitis and allergies. In treating these conditions, the chiropractor will need to learn information about the patient, their health and they will need to perform a physical. This will provide the chiropractor with a better picture of the root cause of the problem, and then they can build a treatment strategy from there.

What may surprise some patients is that spinal manipulation may actually be able to provide relief for some sinus issues. The spine is the main pathway for the nervous system in the body, and when the spine is misaligned in a way that obstructs nerve function, it can cause any number of problems.

For some of the sinuses, they actually have a nerve supply that comes from the area of the neck. If the nerve is compromised in some way, it can affect the function of the sinuses and inhibit drainage. With some gentle adjustments, a chiropractor can restore the proper function of the nerves in this area, and this can provide relief for various sinus issues.

As an additional point, there are some sinus specific techniques that a chiropractor may apply. By applying pressure and making adjustments to the area of the sinuses, it can help to relieve pain and pressure that is causing pain or inhibiting the drainage from the sinus. Some practitioners may even use a technique that involves inserting small balloons into the nasal cavity. Once the balloons are in the nasal cavity, the chiropractor will then inflate the balloons to open the cavity. This can assist with drainage and relieve pain.

For treating sinus issues, a chiropractor may also supplement the care with things like massage and heat and cold therapy. In addition to that, it may also be recommended that you perform different nasal massage and stretching techniques when you are at home. In some cases, the chiropractor may also make different lifestyle and dietary recommendations.

When sinus issues are extreme, they can be quite painful, and it can make life miserable. Fortunately, chiropractic treatment can be an effective way to find relief. In seeking care for sinus problems, your chiropractor may want to see you several times over the course of a few weeks. If your sinus problems tend to be seasonal, then you might find the need to come back every year. With many sinus problems, you will find that as your treatment progresses, the frequency and intensity of the issues will subside.

The post Sinus Problems Chiropractic Can Help appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

If you are a person that is considering chiropractic care, or already receiving treatment from a chiropractor, there are some tips that can help you to maximize the benefits of treatment.

Find the right chiropractor

Different chiropractors may work better for different patients. When it comes to finding the right chiropractor, you need to understand that these professionals can vary in their methods and techniques, the different treatment options that they may provide, and some chiropractors specialize in different types of care.

Before you select a chiropractor, you should try to meet with a few to find one that will work well for your needs as an individual. Even if you find two that offer similar treatment options and use many of the same techniques, you may feel that you are simply more comfortable with one than you are with the other. Additionally, some chiropractors are very busy, and they might not be able to dedicate the level of attention that you feel you need.

Be honest with your chiropractor

While a chiropractor is going to be able to determine some things through examination, they have to rely on information from the patient to make accurate assessments. Your chiropractor is going to ask for information concerning your health, your eating habits, how you sleep and more. If you are a returning patient, they might ask whether you followed advice about diet and exercise and so forth. To properly assess the situation and form a treatment plan, the chiropractor needs the right information.

Improve your health

If you want to get the most from your chiropractic care, you need to be in the best health possible. Doing things like eating right, getting more exercise and losing weight can be an important part of getting better results.

With the goal of improved health, a chiropractor can help. Many chiropractors also have degrees in nutrition, so they can help with a diet plan, and they can also do things like prescribe exercise that can help the patient to achieve better health.

Listen to the chiropractor’s advice

With chiropractic care, achieving the best results possible is almost a team effort between you and your DC. In the office, they might perform adjustments and use things like massage, exercise and physical therapy, but they are also likely to recommend a number of things that you should do on your own.

A chiropractor may recommend exercise, they might offer nutritional advice, advice about sleeping habits and they might recommend that you change the type of mattress that you use or your shoes. If you want to maximize the results of your chiropractic care, then you should follow the advice of your chiropractor.

Posture

Poor posture is one of the leading causes of back pain and spinal dysfunction. If you have problems with your posture, it can limit the effects of chiropractic care. Additionally, poor posture can cause or contribute to future injuries. For this, you will need to work on improving posture.

While it can be difficult to break the habits that lead to poor posture, your chiropractor can assist toy with making the proper adjustments. They can recommend exercises that will strengthen the muscles that provide support to the upper body, they might recommend certain ergonomic devices that can help with posture correction, and they may review your sitting and working habits to offer advice about adjustments that can be made.

If you are seeking treatment from a chiropractor, then you are already interested in taking steps to address a health concern. Since you are investing time and money in this treatment, it is in your best interest to do everything to get the most from the care. If you are having difficulties with some points of the treatment plan, a good chiropractor will work with you and find ways to help you get the best results.

The post Getting the Most Out of Your Chiropractic Visit appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

At the shoulder, you have a number of different tendons and ligaments that help to keep the shoulder stable while maintaining the full range of motion. In addition to this, the shoulder actually has two joints. You have the ball and socket joint where the humerus fits to the glenoid fossa, and you have the acromioclavicular joint at the top of the shoulder.

When it comes to shoulder pain or a lack of mobility at the shoulder, you have a number of different issues that could be the cause. In treating the shoulder, a chiropractor will need to perform an examination and ask a series of questions in order to assess the root cause of the pain.

Depending on the cause of the shoulder pain, various chiropractic techniques may be applied to address the problem. While most shoulder pain is the result of an issue with the shoulder itself, it is not uncommon for the pain to be the result of misalignment in the upper back or neck. The nerves that run through the shoulder and down into the arm can suffer from compression or inflammation near the neck and upper back. To relieve this pain, the chiropractor can perform adjustments to the spine and this should relieve some of the pain and discomfort.

Further, a chiropractor may need to perform adjustments to the shoulder itself. The socket of the shoulder joint is very shallow, and while this does allow for the great range of motion that the shoulder has, it also increases the risk of misalignment and dislocation. If the shoulder is misaligned, it can result in inflammation and irritation to the tendons and ligaments of the joint, and a chiropractor can correct this by performing gentle adjustments that will realign the joint.

With shoulder pain, poor posture and ergonomics can be a cause or contributing factor. The chiropractor may ask a series of questions to learn about your work life and they might assess your posture when you do things like work, use your mobile phone or sit and watch TV. To help relieve some of the pain, they might take steps to help correct issues with posture and ergonomics.

Exercise is another strategy that a chiropractor might commonly use to correct problems with mobility and pain in the shoulder. Depending on the problem, building strength in the muscles around the shoulder can improve stability, reduce pain and restore mobility. As an additional option, the chiropractor may also complement this by using physical therapy and massage.

A person’s sleeping habits can also aggravate shoulder pain. If the chiropractor believes this to be an issue, they might want to ask about your sleeping position, the type of mattress that you use and your pillows. To prevent shoulder pain in the future and possibly provide some additional relief, it might be recommended that the individual make some adjustments to the way that they sleep.

Chiropractic care can be a good solution to many of the most common shoulder problems. With shoulder pain, it is often a long-term problem, and if left unaddressed it can get worse. With some injuries, it may require the attention of an orthopedic surgeon, but this can often be avoided if the individual starts to address the problem early. By coming to a chiropractor, you could possibly avoid the need for treatments that involve drugs and surgery.

The post Treatment Options for Shoulder Pain appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

Folic Acid

The B Vitamins have been shown to be great for improving cardiovascular health, but folic acid is one of the most beneficial. Folic acid prevents arterial hardening and it helps blood vessels to maintain their elasticity. It does this by naturally lowering the levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood. High levels of homocysteine have been linked to arterial hardening and conditions like stroke. Research has suggested that a person’s risk of heart disease can drop significantly with increased consumption of folic acid. Green vegetables are the key to getting more of this nutrient. Things like spinach, broccoli, okra and asparagus can be great sources of folic acid.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a great heart healthy nutrient and it can be easy to add more to your diet. There are actually eight different antioxidant compounds that are referred to as vitamin E. It is also good for the overall health of your immune system. Studies have shown that vitamin E can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction. However, extra high doses of vitamin E can be harmful, so you want to manage the nutrient responsibly. Instead of taking a supplement, it is recommended that you go with introducing natural sources of vitamin E to your diet. Nuts and seeds can be a good way to get more vitamin E and you can find a good amount of this nutrient in whole grains, spinach, avocado, eggs and in some fish.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be beneficial to human health in a various ways. For the heart, it has been shown that they can help to regulate blood pressure and there is research that suggests that it can be good for preventing several forms of heart disease. The big problem with Omega-3 fatty acids is that our bodies cannot synthesize these compounds. Eating certain types of fish is the best way to introduce the good fatty acids to your diet. Eating albacore tuna, mackerel, salmon and sardines will give you the Omega-3 that you need they can also provide you with a healthy source of protein. Since it can be tough to get enough Omega-3 in a regular diet, taking supplements can help.

Diet and exercise are the keys to a long life and a healthy heart. Targeting certain nutrients can be a good way to make sure that you get what you need. If you are looking for more information about how to form a diet that will protect your cardiovascular health, the advice of your primary care physician or chiropractor can be a good place to start.

The post 3 Nutrients to Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

Take up strength training

The best defense against running injuries is a strong body. When the body is strong, it will be much better equipped to deal with the stress that comes from running. Increased strength will also improve your gait and help to keep it more consistent as you run.

As a runner, strength training will help, but you do not want to train like a person that views gaining strength as their primary goal. You want to strength train like a runner. You want to build more muscle in the legs and strengthen the stabilizing muscles. Plyometrics can be great for runners that are looking to build strength, stability and balance. Additionally, some light weightlifting and exercises to strengthen the core will be beneficial.

Maintain flexibility

Stretching is obviously important for before you run, but you also want to do some exercises to maintain flexibility on your days off. Before you run, you want to make sure to stretch every part of the body. Get every joint and all of your limbs. For the days that you do not run, you should try to build a short exercise routine that includes some stretches. Doing about 20 minutes of stretching every day can make a major difference when it comes to flexibility and it can help to prevent injury.

Take days off

If you are not already taking days off, then you need to work some off days into your schedule. It may feel like you are making big gains and getting your body ready for a race, but you are also putting the body under an extreme amount of stress. As you run every day, the wear and tear accumulates and after several days without a rest, it could result in an injury. Give your body time to heal in the middle of your training schedule and it will actually benefit you more than grinding it out every single day without a break.

Wear the right shoes

Wearing a pair of shoes that are well suited to you and the type of training that you do is also important. A good pair of running shoes will help the runner to control their form and they absorb more of the force when your foot impacts the ground. Finding the right pair of shoes for the runner can be difficult. A big part of finding the right pair will depend on the type of running, but your own personal biomechanics will play a role. The staff at a store that sells running shoes might be able to help you find the right pair for the type of training, but it is unlikely that they will be able to give advice about finding the right shoes for your body. When it comes to knowing whether the shoes are right for you, it is really just going to take putting them on and seeing how they feel when you run. If they don’t feel right when you are running or you feel more aches and pains when you are done, then it is likely that they are not the right shoes for you.

Visit a sports chiropractor

Some injuries can be the result of the body being out of alignment, and a visit to the chiropractor can help to restore the proper alignment of joints and bones. In addition to this, running does put a great deal of stress on the muscles and the nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments can help to address many of these problems, and a good sports chiropractor will offer additional treatment options that are specifically designed to meet the needs of a runner. Beyond this, chiropractic care can also be good for treating running injuries and for correcting small issues before they turn into a major problem.

While it may be impossible to make yourself completely immune to the possibility of a running injury, there is a lot that you can do to keep yourself injury-free. However, there are no shortcuts to injury prevention and you will find no single thing that is going to protect the body all on its own.

The post 5 Tips to Prevent Running Injuries appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

If you are going to seek the care of a chiropractor, then there is a range of factors that can determine the number and frequency of visits. One of the key determining factors in this regard is going to be the purpose of care. Common reasons for chiropractic visits include regular maintenance, the treatment of an injury, help with the resolution of a health condition and care for athletes that are looking to improve performance and prevent injury. Each of these reasons has a different goal and they all require different care strategies.

For a person that is coming for general maintenance and wellness, the visits can probably be fairly limited. However, this still depends on the person’s medical history, whether they have had any injuries in the past, their general fitness level, occupation, if they have any health conditions and if they have any issues with pain or mobility.

At first, the chiropractor is probably going to recommend treatment that is a little more frequent. This will give the doctor and the patient a chance to work out some of the basic issues that the individual is facing. As some of the issues that the person is facing start to improve, the number of visits will probably decrease and once they have reached a good base level of wellness, the patient can probably just come on an as needed basis or schedule the occasional visit for an examination and some basic preventative care.

If the patient is recovering from an injury or facing a significant health issue, then the chiropractor is probably going to want to see more of them, but it really does depend on the type of injury, the health history of the individual and the treatment options that are available. For some situations, the doctor of chiropractic might be able to limit the sessions and prescribe more home treatment like exercise and diet. For others, the doctor may need to see the patient more to perform hands-on adjustments and to monitor progress.

Along with how frequent the visits need to be, another concern is the duration of the treatment program. Just as with frequency, the amount of time that you will need to see the chiropractor will vary depending on the circumstance. For a problem that is not particularly complex, there is the potential for there to be a resolution in just a few visits. For more complicated issues, it may take several visits over the course of many months. Once the issue has been resolved, you can then make a decision concerning the potential for regular maintenance.

When you first visit a chiropractor, they are going to perform an examination, ask questions about your lifestyle and review your health history. The information that they learn during this evaluation will help them to provide an initial assessment and that is when they will provide a recommendation for the frequency of visits. After some treatment, the chiropractor will reassess the treatment strategy based on the progress that has been made.

The post How Often Should I See A Chiropractor? appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

While all of these benefits may be great, people spend far too little time thinking about the ways in which using these devices can affect the body. Neck pain is one of the most common issues that is associated with Smartphone and tablet use. People tend to assume an unnatural posture when they use these devices and as a result, it puts added pressure on the spine.

Think about how you position your body and hold the device when it is in use. If you are sitting, then it is likely that you have your arms either resting in your lap or at about waist level. If you are standing, then holding it close to the body and near the chest is one of the most common positions. With the device in these positions, it causes the user to slump their shoulders and place the head in a forward tilt.

When you tilt the head forward and round your shoulders like this, it puts more pressure on different sections of the spine and it holds certain muscles in a stressed position. When you spend a significant amount of time in this position, it can result in tightness in the neck, shoulders and upper back. Additionally, it can cause a misalignment in the affected areas of the spine, disc herniation and compress nerves.

If you use these mobile devices often, then you need to make an effort to be aware of the posture that you assume when you are using them. When you go to use your device, make sure that your shoulders are rolled back and in a comfortable position and keep you neck straight with your ears directly above your shoulders. In addition to this, you want to make sure to take breaks from device use. Whether it is a tablet, a Smartphone or a laptop, you want to take regular breaks to stretch the body and restore normal blood flow.

If you look in the different app stores, you will also find apps for your device that claim to be able to help with your posture when you use the device. Essentially, they use the sensors in the device to detect the way in which the device is being held and it uses indicators to let you know whether you need to adjust your posture. The efficacy of these apps is unknown, but if they are free, it can’t hurt to try one of them.

It wasn’t long after the introduction of text messaging before chiropractors started to see more patients that were complaining of neck pain, tightness in the shoulders and headaches. However, that was before mobile technology had so much to offer. With the wave of devices that have come on the scene and their adoption by so many consumers, these types of problems with the neck, shoulders and upper back are starting to become the norm. If you use any of these devices and especially if you have children that do, then you need to take steps to prevent the issues that can come with overuse and poor posture.

The post Neck Pain From Texting & Constant Device Use appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.

Picking a backpack

To start with, you want to pick a backpack that is right for the individual. If you are buying a backpack for a child, you want to make sure that it is the appropriate size for their body. If it is too big, it will pull the child’s shoulders back and this will cause them to compensate by bending forward at the hips or by arching their back. This will compress the spine in ways that are unnatural and it can lead to back pain.
You also want to look at certain design features of the backpack. With more compartments, it will be easier to distribute the weight evenly in the pack. Additionally, you want to look for a backpack that has nice wide straps and padding on the straps.

Wearing the backpack

Many people that wear backpacks do not wear or carry them in the correct way. When you wear the pack correctly, it distributes the weight better and it limits the amount of pressure that is put on any one section of the spine, but if you wear it improperly, it will put more pressure on some sections of the back or cause the person to carry the weight with an unnatural posture.

You want to make sure that you wear the pack using both shoulder straps. The single strap method that many people use is bad for the back and it can cause problems with the shoulder on the carrying side. You also want to keep the straps tight. Your body will handle the weight best when it is close to the body.

Loading the backpack

The loading of the backpack will also make a difference. The first thing to consider is the amount of weight in the backpack in relation to the weight of the wearer. The physical condition of the individual does make a difference, but for children, you probably do not want the pack to exceed 15% of the child’s bodyweight and for an adult that is in good physical condition, going to about 20% should be alright.

You also want to make sure that the items are loaded into the pack correctly. Aim for as even a load as possible, using the different compartments to distribute the weight. Additionally, you want to try to keep the heavier items nearest to the part of the pack that is going to close to the body.

As a final tip, just try to do things to take care of yourself better. A person that is fit and healthy will always be able to deal with a burden better than a person that is not. A healthy diet and some exercise to strengthen the stabilizing muscles in the body will help any person to reduce their risk of injury in all of the things that they do.

The post Tips to Prevent Backpack Injuries appeared first on Clearwater Chiropractic.