pain relief

Live A Life Without Pain Through Chiropractic Treatment

Michael Schuneman, DC
May 23, 2017June 16, 2020

Every year, more and more people live highly uncomfortable lives encumbered by pain without perhaps realizing that their pain is not only manageable but also treatable. By visiting a qualified and specialized chiropractor in Colorado Springs, many would not have to suffer this kind of pain.

How can chiropractors help?

Because of the kind of conditioning and messages we see daily, most people believe that chiropractors are specialists who only deal with back and neck pains. The truth of the matter is that the best chiropractors in Colorado Springs deal with a lot more than just neck and back pain. Fully trained and licensed chiropractors strive to restore and optimize human health.

While honestly, this often involves a lot of pain management to help patients achieve the best health, chiropractic treatment goes beyond just pain management. Adjustments to the body, beyond just the neck and back, helps the body to function better. In a nutshell, the best chiropractic adjustments give patients an opportunity to live a full life without pain, without hampered movements and with a full range of motion. Using a set of highly specialized skills, chiropractors:

Check for any type of misalignment in the patient’s skeletal structure.
Treat any fixations or abnormalities of movement, often referred to as vertebral subluxations.
Apply a gentle, corrective force to the affected area to bring the patient back to optimal health.
Advise the patient on how to prevent further or future injuries.
Rehabilitate and guide the patient back towards a pain-free existence.

The difference between a chiropractor and a medical doctor

While both chiropractors and medical doctors seek to bring patients back to good health, there is a distinct difference in how the each approaches the subject. With medical doctors, the approach is usually all about medication and treating the symptoms. Whereas, with the best chiropractors in Colorado Springs, it is all about a holistic approach–one that includes identifying, correcting and advising the patient on how to manage and get to the source of their health issues. The best chiropractors show the patient how to live a healthier, more injury-free life while enjoying a full range of motion and better physical, mental and spiritual health.

Short-term benefits of chiropractic care

By visiting a chiropractor regularly, the patient stands to experience a wide variety of benefits, including:

Increased mobility and improved range of motion.
Pain relief for arthritic joints.
Decreased muscle spasms and stiffness.
Better balance and coordination.
Enhanced healing.
Better physical performance as well as energy and enthusiasm.
Headache relief.
Improved immune system function

With professional and expertly delivered chiropractic adjustments in Colorado Springs, patients stand a chance to lead better lives free of physical pain and less emotional distress. From regular visits and excellently administered adjustments, muscle spasms, stiffness, limited mobility and poor physical performance can be a thing of the past. It might take a little bit of time, but persistence and continued treatments have helped millions achieve better health. Life Symmetry Chiropractic is committed to helping people live a full life without pain by providing the best possible individualized chiropractic treatments.

Looking For Knee Pain Relief?

Michael Schuneman, DC
May 22, 2015June 15, 2020

There are many causes of knee pain. To be up front, I will admit that I do not have the answer for all causes of knee pain, but I do have a safe and effective solution for some of the most common causes of knee pain.

There are over 700,000 total knee replacement surgeries performed each year in the US. The major reason for knee replacement surgery is due to osteoarthritis – or the ‘wear and tear’ arthritis. Osteoarthritis of the knee is basically caused when there is too much stress put on the joint and it begins to break down. This can be from just increased or repetitive stress to the joint or even normal stresses that are applied unevenly to the joint, putting stress in areas where it is not supposed to be.

As mentioned before there can be many causes of knee pain but a very common cause of knee pain is arthritis. Arthritis can lead to pain and disability and if it continues to progress will lead to a partial or total knee replacement.

Some of the most common medical treatments include pain medication or corticosteroid shots. But unfortunately both these treatments are used to decrease the pain without addressing the underlying cause of the arthritis – the stress on the knee joint!

How Chiropractic Can Help

As a chiropractor in Colorado Springs I see knee pain quite frequently. In those with knee pain, I often see imbalances in the muscles surrounding the knee as well as misalignments of the bones making up the knee joint. This is important because muscle imbalances and misalignments of the joint both lead to extra stress being put where it is not meant to be. This extra stress can increase the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis.

The chiropractic treatment for these muscle imbalances and misalignments is to adjust the knee and work on the muscles to restore proper balance. I have seen great success in helping patients alleviate knee pain. While current thought is that you cannot stop or slow the progress of osteoarthritis, this way of thinking does not make sense to me. There are many factors that effect arthritis for the reasons mentioned above, and I believe patients are less likely to either get osteoarthritis or have it progress because we address some of the underlying causes of imbalance and misalignment.

If you thought this was interesting or have a question, feel free to leave a comment below. If you know someone that could benefit from this information please share it. Thanks!

Reference

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/inpatient-surgery.htm accessed May 20, 2015

Best Yoga Poses To Alleviate Lingering And Debilitating Back Pain

Michael Schuneman, DC
March 5, 2015June 15, 2020

Suffering from back pain is no fun, and it can be difficult to imagine that doing exercise could make the pain any better. However, the following yoga poses can help to stretch the back while promoting proper posture and building strength. Depending on the cause of the back pain, yoga can be a great way to help. In addition to yoga, anyone suffering from back pain is encouraged to contact a chiropractor in Colorado Springs. At Life Symmetry Chiropractic, we believe in working with each of our patients to restore their quality of life. When a person needs chiropractic treatment in Colorado Springs, let our friendly and professional staff help.

Here are a few basic yoga poses that can help to stretch tight muscles in the low back and hips that can be a major cause of back pain. As with any stretching, take it easy and don’t over do it, and if it is more painful than just a good stretch, you are probably better off not doing it and getting further evaluation. If you need some help with what the poses look like you can easily find pictures of the poses online.

Downward-Facing Dog

Perhaps the most recognizable yoga pose, downward-facing dog is great for stretching the back. The pose helps to elongate the back extensors that help support the spine, maintain good posture and operate without pain. To perform the pose correctly, start in table pose on the hands and knees and raise the knees away from the floor. Lift the tailbone as high as possible and focus on moving the feet as close to the floor as possible. Because it is important to have a straight back, bend the knees if necessary to lift the tailbone higher.

Child’s Pose

To a person that does not practice yoga, child’s pose may appear to be devoid of any activity; however, it is far from a restful position. Because the back is elongated against the top of the thighs with the arms stretched over the head, this is a great position for alleviating lower back pain. Start in table position before sitting against the backs of the legs while moving the arms forward. Ultimately, a person’s chest should rest on the top of their thighs while the hands point towards the top of the mat.

Pigeon Pose

Although challenging for a newbie to yoga, the pigeon pose helps to loosen tight hip muscles that can contribute to pain in the lower back. Start the pose in downward-facing dog then bring one leg towards the chest and bend it so that it is pointing to the side and lower the hips towards the floor. Although the goal is to make the foot of the bent leg perpendicular with the side of the mat, it may not be possible. To give the hips more support, use a block under the hip of the bent leg.

I hope you have found these yoga poses helpful. Back pain is not something you should have to live with. If you need further help with your back pain, please contact us.