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4 Middle Back Pain Causes

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middle back pain causes

Mid back pain consists of pain and dysfunction in the middle part of the spine, the area between the neck and the lower back. Known as the thoracic spine it also involves the ribs that attach at either side of the spine. Because of the ribs this region is already naturally stiffer that the other areas of the back.

There are many muscles that run along this part of the spine. There are long muscles that run down along the thoracic spine along with small short muscles connecting each segment. When these muscles get injured, they become inflamed and painful with daily activities. The pain can remain localized to the joint or muscle or the pain can radiate out to the side of the body.

Middle Back Pain Causes

  • Muscle strains and sprains – one of the most common sources of pain and injury in the middle back area. Muscle strains and sprains commonly occur from bending down to pick something up, irritation from repetitive activity, an accident, or even a work or sport injury.
  • Posture Related Injuries – have become a growing trend over recent years. More people are using computers and technology which is leading to more people spending time at a desk leaning forward or in a slouched position placing significant stress and tension on the spine.
  • Arthritis and Joint Degeneration – another very common source of pain, primarily seen with aging. Over time the facet joints, the small joints on both sides of the spine connecting each segment together, can become arthritic and begin to wear out, causing pain and limited motion.
  • Rib Problems – the ribs attach into the spine on both sides and wrap around into the sternum connecting in the front of the body. Ribs can become injured due to an injury, a fall, or even poor posture over time. The joints where the ribs attach on each side of the spine or the muscles that separate each rib running along the side can become irritated and painful. This could lead to middle back pain or the pain can wrap around with the ribs.

Middle Back Pain Relief

If you are experiencing middle back pain, there are steps you can take to alleviate your pain so you can enjoy your life without limitations.

  • Rest – Initially, you should rest this area to prevent further strain or injury and allow healing to take place naturally.
  • Ice or Heat – can be applied to the affected area to help with pain or inflammation.
  • Exercises – there are specific exercises you do to help improve the mobility in the mid back region, loosen the muscles, and increase strength.

If you continue to experience middle back pain chiropractic care may be the best option. Upper Cervical Orthogonal Chiropractor, Dr. Stunk, is an expert in eliminating middle back pain. Be proactive about getting relief and schedule an appointment for a complimentary consultation. We would love to help you feel better.

Migraine Pain Relief

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Vertigo, Dizzy, Dizziness, Spinning, migraine pain

How Many People Suffer From Migraines

According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraine pain affects 36 million people in the United States. Every minute, six people in the U.S. go to a hospital complaining of a headache or migraine. Out of those six people, four of them are likely to be women.

What is a Migraine

A migraine is defined as a severe headache caused by intense throbbing in one area of the head and usually comes with nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and sometimes vomiting.

What Causes Migraine Pain

Migraine headaches can be caused by imbalances of the chemicals in the brain such as serotonin. Migraines can also be hereditary. The majority of migraine sufferers have a family history of them.

Migraine Pain Triggers

Some people know what can bring on a migraine headache. That being said, knowing and avoiding migraine triggers doesn’t always prevent one from occurring. Common migraine pain triggers:

Allergies and allergic reactions
Fluctuations in estrogen in women
Bright lights and the glare of the sun
Certain smells or perfumes
Foods such as aged cheese, chocolate, foods containing nitrates (like hot dogs and bacon),and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Drinks such as red wine, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages.
Smoking or second-hand smoke
Emotional stress
Intense physical exertion

Migraine Pain Relief

Over the counter pain relievers may help relieve mild migraines in some people. Aspirin, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), acetaminophen (Tylenol), combination of acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine (Excedrin Migraine) are the most common over the counter pain relievers.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique and Migraine Pain Relief

Traditional chiropractic treatments involve moving, stretching and manipulating the spine using up to 30 pounds of pressure. People who suffer from migraines may be leery about having someone adjust their neck by force.

Rather than using heavy pressure Upper Cervical Chiropractic treatments use sound wave percussion to gently correct the spine. Many clients report headache and migraine pain relief immediately. Others may find that several visits are needed to find relief. Everyone responds differently to treatment but I have a success rate of over 90% with headaches and migraines.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic treatments have longer lasting effects and many people require fewer visits to the doctor when compared to other treatments. Our care may be gentle and simple on your body but it provides remarkable results in the form of improved health and better migraine pain relief.

If you have been suffering from headache or migraine pain for more than a week, then you should see a doctor. Upper Cervical Orthogonal Chiropractor, Dr. Jim Strunk, is an expert in eliminating migraine pain. Be proactive about getting migraine pain relief and schedule an appointment for a complimentary consultation.

Stiff Neck Relief

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Neck pain is a pretty common complaint that most of us have experienced at one time or another. Having a stiff neck or neck pain is no fun. It can interfere with your daily activities in a big way. Take driving a car as an example. You probably don’t realize how much you turn your head while driving until you have a stiff neck. That’s just one example of how it can disrupt your routine.

We hope that this article will help you to prevent and/or find stiff neck relief.

What is a Stiff Neck?

A stiff neck will usually feel tight and is uncomfortable, if not impossible, to move your head from side to side or in an up and down motion. Quite often, a stiff neck is caused by muscle strain but it can also be a symptom of other problems. So what can actually cause you to have a stiff neck?

Stiff Neck Causes

There are a number of things that can cause you to have a stiff neck or neck pain. Here are some of the most likely causes of neck pain and their description.

  • Any accident that caused your head to move around violently can damage the neck muscles, which can cause you to have a stiff neck.
  • Emotional stress. Stress can cause your muscles to tense up and give you neck pain.
  • Viral infections, such as the flu can often come with symptoms like a stiff neck.
  • Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis can cause inflammation and pain in the joints including the neck.
  • Spinal problems. A herniated disc or a pinched nerve can cause neck stiffness that sometimes will radiate into your arms and legs.

You have a better chance of preventing getting a stiff neck when you know what can cause them. Let’s next look at what to do to relieve your neck pain when prevention isn’t possible such as in the case of viral infection or injury due to an accident.

How to get rid of a stiff neck

If you are someone who gets a stiff neck from time to time, then you may want to know how to relieve the pain. Here are some things you can do to help ease your neck pain:

  • Use ice. To help reduce the inflammation that causes a stiff neck, apply a cold pack or ice wrapped in a towel, for no more than 20 minutes. Do this several times a day.
  • Use heat. Heat can help relax sore muscles. Try taking a warm shower, or using hot compress. However, use this technique with caution. Sometimes heat can aggravate inflammation.
  • Over-the-counter pain relievers. Try pain relievers such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, or aspirin. Be sure to follow the directions on the package.
  • Take a few days off from sports, heavy lifting, or other activities that can aggravate your neck pain symptoms.
  • Stretch your neck muscles by slowly turning your head to one side and hold it for 30 seconds. Then do the same thing in the other direction and up-and-down. Go very slowly and stretch as far as your pain allows.
  • Make an appointment. Call Dawn of Health Chiropractic and let Dr. Strunk help take away your pain.

If you have been suffering from a stiff neck for more than a week, then you should see a doctor.  Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractor, Dr. Strunk, is an expert in eliminating neck pain. Be proactive about getting stiff neck relief and schedule an appointment for a complimentary consultation.

Causes of Lower Back Pain

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The lower part of the spine is called the lumbar region and starts just below the ribcage. It’s the part of your back that is subject to a lot of stress and strain. When we stand, it’s the lower back that supports the weight of our upper body. When we bend over or turn at the waist, it’s the lower back that gets involved in the movement.

Just about everyone, at some point in their life, will experience lower back pain. In fact, it is one of the top causes of missed work. Today, we’re going to look at some causes of lower back pain but first you may want to know …

back pain…is your back pain acute or chronic?

Low back pain symptoms can range from a dull ache to a stabbing pain. The pain can make it difficult to easily move or even stand up straight.  Acute back pain comes on suddenly and lasts less than six weeks. Back pain that lasts for more than three months is considered to be chronic.

Causes of lower back pain

Most of the time back pain is going to be caused by an injury due to sudden movements or not lifting heavy objects correctly. But low back pain can also be caused by certain diseases, like cancer of the spine, Lumbar osteoarthritis, and pelvic inflammatory disease, just to name a few . Here is a list of the most common causes of lower back pain:

Lifting incorrectly – if you lift or pull heavy objects and don’t use your legs, you could cause your muscles and ligaments in your back to be stretched or torn which in turn causes lower back pain.

Carrying too much day after day – even though you may carry your backpack, purse, or computer bag over your shoulder, it’s the lower back that has to support the upper part of your body that carries it.

Bad posture – sitting for a long time with bad posture, also known as slouching, puts a lot of strain on your lower back. Your back will support your weight better if you don’t slouch and keep your weight evenly balanced.

Muscle strain – the muscles and ligaments in your lower back help keep the bones of your spinal column in place. When you strain these muscles by stretching them too far, you can weaken the muscles so they aren’t able to keep your spine in alignment causing lower back pain.

Sciatica – this kind of lower back pain can be caused by a bulging or ruptured disc that presses on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve connects the spine to the legs. As a result, pain from sciatica may radiate down a leg.

Neck misalignment – when your neck is in misalignment, it can throw off the alignment in the rest of your spine causing lower back pain.

Prevent Low Back Pain

You know the saying “an ounce of prevention”? Well here are some tips to help prevent lower back pain.

  • When picking up something heavy, bend at the knees, not at the waist.
  • Avoid sleeping on your stomach. Instead, sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees or sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees.
  • Stand up straight with your weight evenly distributed.
  • Sit up straight in your chair with your shoulders back.
  • Lose weight. Remember, your lower back has to carry the weight of your upper body.

If you are experiencing lower back pain, come in and see us at Dawn of Health. We would love to help you feel better.

 

Both Migraines and Depression can Change the way Your Brain Functions

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Depression, Migraines, HeadachesAccording to a CBS News report, a study found that people that who are depressed and have migraines have smaller brains. The authors of the study were trying to find out if having both depression and migraines affected the brain. Study author Dr. Larus S. Gudmundsson from Bethesda, MD – who is a researcher at The National Institute on Aging and The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences – said in a news release, “Our study suggests that people with both migraine and depression may represent a unique group from those with only one of these conditions.” The findings of this study were published on May 22, 2013 online at Neurology.

This is not the only study to find brain changes in those patients with migraines. A March 2013 study in Radiology reports that there is less tissue over the part of the brain that processes pain in those that suffer from migraines. Additionally, a November 2012 study in JAMA states that small lesions are more likely to be found on the brains of women who suffer from migraines.





MIGRAINES APEX NORTH CAROLINA



Treatment Providing Hope in Apex, North Carolina

An upper cervical chiropractor from New York has been doing some amazing research with upright MRI’s. His research is giving hope to migraine sufferers. He has found that the flow of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) to, from, and through the brain changes when someone has a misalignment in the upper neck area. This fluid is what lubricates the spinal cord and brain.

An obstruction happens when the first few bones of the neck become misaligned. This can cause a buildup of blood and CSF that, in turn, leads to increased intracranial pressure. This pressure can be decreased by as much as almost 29% when this misalignment is corrected by an upper cervical chiropractor, such as Dr. Jim Strunk of Apex, North Carolina. Then CSF flow can once again become normal.

These changes in blood flow and CSF may be the underlying cause of the brain changes that are being seen through the research noted above. These findings are consistent with the research of the upper cervical organization that is looking at changes, with phase contrast MRI’s, in blood flow to and from the brain in migraine patients.

Pain is not the only problem with migraine headaches. They are also damaging your brain. Call Dr. Strunk today to see if you can get some relief.





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The Sports You Play and Your Concussions

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Concussion, Sports, Neck Pain, Neck Injury, MTBIPost-Concussion Syndrome

A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), and it is usually the result of a blow to the head that can occur due to a car accident, sport-related injury, physical altercation, or other means. The common misconception is that a person must have lost consciousness in order for a concussion to have occurred, but that is not necessarily the care.

Both a concussion and post-concussion syndrome (PCS), which are lingering symptoms that occur due to this MTBI, can occur even if there is no loss of consciousness doe to the initial injury. It is also important to note that PCS is neither dependent nor related to the severity of the initial head injury.
MIGRAINES APEX NORTH CAROLINA

Most people who suffer from PCS begin to experience symptoms within seven to 10 days of the initial injury. Most of those people, as well as most of all PCS sufferers, will only experience these symptoms for up to three months after they begin. Though, it is possible that a person may go on to experience symptoms for more than a year and possibly for years.

Contact Sports

Sports, such as football, soccer, hockey, basketball, lacrosse, martial arts, and others that include a great deal of physical contact may often lead to concussions. People who play those sports may not notice the symptoms right away, and they may not manifest themselves for a while.

Though, an injury involving the head or neck, no matter how minor it may be, can result in post-concussion syndrome. The scary thing is that that type of head injury may not only cause physical damage, but it can also cause psychological damage.

Upper Cervical

While the physical and psychological effects of that concussion may go on for weeks, months, or even years, there is something you can do to stop it. All of that pain you are suffering due to that concussion is because of a misalignment in your upper cervical spine, which are the top two vertebrae in your neck. A misalignment in those two bones of only ¼ of a millimeter can place enough pressure on your brainstem to hinder your brain's ability to communicate with your body.

If your upper cervical chiropractor finds any misalignments in your upper neck vertebrae, they will make the necessary adjustments in order to relieve that pressure. Allowing the brain to communicate with the body will allow the body to begin to heal itself.

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