Posts by Karen
Breathing made Easier by Chiropractic
Asthma is a disease with a high prevalence in the population with the standard treatment response being either an inhaler or prescription medications such as inhaled steroids, which help manage the illness but rarely resolve it. While these are traditionally effective tools for providing relief from the different types of asthma, (allergy-induced, exercise-induced, nighttime asthma, smoking-induced and cough-variant asthma), some people are seeking a more natural and alternative mode of treatment that may help them deal with the root cause and ultimately resolve their condition, helping them to move on from relying on inhalers or steroid medication.
A complex disorder that involves inflammation of the airways, accompanied by bronchial constriction of the muscles along the walls of the airways, asthma is often aggravated by environmental factors which leads to the classic symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and can progress to a more serious degree whereby the sufferer may seek emergency medical care.
Chiropractic’s role comes in resolving spinal misalignment and determining which external or lifestyle factors may be contributing to the condition. Resolving misalignment of the vertebrae can help improve the function of those nerves involved in the respiratory system, including the ones that influence and coordinate the function of the lungs and diaphragm. By focusing on the region of the spine that corresponds to the chest, we fight back against the constriction of the airways that characterizes asthma and open up the thoracic cavity. If you have asthma, there is a great possibility that chiropractic treatment can help you breathe better. As with almost every condition, a treatment plan should always be individualized to account for your unique needs and desires.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Stretching for Sciatica
Sciatica is no joke: the symptoms associated with sciatic nerve compression include stiffness and pain in the lower back and buttocks, tingling in numbness in the lower extremities, hip pain and weakness in the leg. The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body and influences many of the muscles on the backside of the lower body. The causes of sciatica are many and varied, including herniated disc and subluxation, degenerative bone disease, piriformis syndrome and even general instability in the sacral and lumbar regions of the spine. Chiropractic is an excellent modality for responding to sciatica because through hands-on adjustment and trigger point therapy we can release the tension and tightness from muscles that may be contributing to irritation of the sciatic nerve. Spinal traction and the associated decompression is good for alleviating the pain and impingement associated with nerve pain from herniated discs.
No matter the cause of your sciatica, almost everyone can benefit from basic strengthening and stretching in the lower back. Simple stretches that can be done from the bedroom, but will make a world of difference in your suffering from sciatica include:
- Knee to chest: simple, lay on your back with knees elevated and feet flat. Pull one leg up toward your chest and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat twice with each leg.
- Piriformis stretch (of which there are multiple varieties).
- Creating a 4: Lay on your back with legs elevated and feet flat. Cross your right ankle over the left knee and clasp your hands behind the left knee. Pull your left leg up toward your chest whilc pressing the opposite direction with your right leg. Hold this position for 30 seconds then repeat with the other leg.
- Stretching the hip flexor: start in kneeling position with left leg down. Place hands on right knee and lean into it, you should feel a stretch in the hips and the hamstrings. Hold this position for 15 seconds then repeat with the other leg.
While sciatica is not entirely avoidable, it can be eased by dilligent stretching. Try doing these simple stretches once in the morning and once before bed and feel the tension float away. If you are in too much pain to perform even these motions, it may be time to talk to a health professional about determining the root of your pain; our ears are always open at Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Scar Tissue
The regeneration of tissue after injury is a necessary and standard part of the body’s healing response. The same way a cut on your skin will bleed, scab and scar, a similar process happens on the inside of your body, when trauma (from acute injury or repetitive motion), causes cells to die off. Cells must necessarily regrow and the new fibrotic tissue that forms during the reparative process is often called scar tissue. The main problem is that the new tissue is, by some estimates, only 60% as elastic as the original tissue, meaning that an area with excess scar tissue can be stiff and painful. The problem is worsened when scar tissue adheres to the healthy connective tissue nearby, trapping a region and subjugating it to reduced range of motion and pain.
Chiropractic is an excellent treatment for dispelling excess scar tissue after injury. Modalities such as the Graston Technique, Active Release Technique, and Myofascial Release are effective at breaking up scar tissue and returning mobility to a region. Even simple, targeted massage can get into the knots of tensions known as trigger points and break them up. If scar tissue is adhering to healthy tissue, then there is a force actively pulling your body out of alignment and this can be easily combatted with gentle, hands-on manipulation.
At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope, we can help determine if your pain and range of motion restriction is caused by scar tissue build up, and if so, treat it effectively and efficiently.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Starting Fresh
For many people who have been exercise-free for years, entering the gym can seem like an insurmountable obstacle. The sheer amount of information available at a second’s notice regarding health and wellness can also be overwhelming and leave you feeling disenchanted. However, the blatant reality is that if you want to live longer and feel better, regular exercise is almost indispensible. Besides helping you to maintain a healthy weight, exercise is good for things like promoting better circulation and stimulating endorphins to help manage stress. If you are amongst the millions of Americans who want to feel better and look better but are at a loss as to how to start, give our office in Park Slope a call. We have found that a face-to-face, human-to-human conversation can be the catalyst you need to get motivated and excited about working out. Here’s how:
- A clear plan: the main benefit of interfacing. There is no grey area or internet overload; we hash out your health goals, your priorities and limitations and go about setting up a plan to deal with achieve success in a concrete manner.
- Starting slow: what are you comfortable with? What are your strengths and what do you absolutely detest? Not everyone is cut out to be a gym rat, but almost everyone can find their happy place with specific workouts and stretches.
- Accountability partner: this is key. Great things are built by teams, and we want to be your go-to-resource for information, chiropractic care, acupuncture and accountability.
- Managing pain: Certainly working out is made miserable by pain. If an injury or chronic pain is holding you back, we need to correct this so you can stop using pain as an excuse.
A fresh start is attainable if you go about it the right way. As a doctor of chiropractic and acupuncture, I am completely invested in your health and well-being. Let’s start on a path toward a healthier, happier you together and let’s start today.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Expertise Award!
Chia Chia Chia
What if 2 tablespoons of some magical ingredient per day could fortify your bones, regulate your nervous system, and combat inflammation in joints? I can tell you that this prospect would make a chiropractor and acupuncturist very excited. Fortunately, this is not a mere pipe dream: the ingredient is sold in most health food stores and goes by the name of chia seeds. These little black seeds, derived from the Chia plant are dietary superstars.
1 ounce equates to roughly 2 tablespoons and this is what you will find:
- 4 grams of (clean) protein
- 11 grams of fiber
- 9 grams of (healthy) fats, half of which comes from omega-3s.
- Varying percentages that contribute to your RDA for: manganese, phosphorous, calcium and magnesium, all of which are important for bone density.
The best part is that they are tasty: you can mix them into just about any meal and barely notice a difference in flavor or texture. Mixing them into hot foods helps to break them down from a dry seed to a mushy consistency so you barely notice they are in the food at all. But your body will notice and you will feel an uptick in functions across the board. For people managing conditions relating to chronic inflammation, the regular administration of omega-3s is essential. They are also chalk full of anti-oxidants which help fight the oxidation of other molecules in the body.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Bed Rest No Longer
Bed rest was once the prescribed course of treatment for many debilitating injuries involving back pain and stiffness, including: herniated discs, pulled muscles, muscle spasms and spondyloisthesis, among others. However, time has shown that bed rest can actually be counterproductive to health plans that are attempting to heal an injury and return the sufferer to a, “normal level of activity.” With all but the most serious of back injuries, a health plan that includes a good deal of low-impact activity and stretching is now considered the key to a successful recovery.
Bed rest can actually delay recovery because it perpetuates a system whereby muscles atrophy and supportive soft tissues weaken. Consider the example of a herniated disc in the lower back, where pain is severe enough to dissuade the sufferer from attempting any activity. As days pass by spent in the illusory, “comfort,” of the sofa and bed, muscles in the core weaken from lack of use, meaning that they cannot be reliably called upon to share the burden of the upper body’s weight with the intervertebral discs. Furthermore, those same discs are losing water and stiffening which makes them vulnerable to injury.
It seems ridiculous to say, “just get up and get moving,” in this sense. But to give this sufferer the best chance of a successful rehabilitation, we need to help them move somehow depsite the pain. We provide the chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture treatment, spinal decompression, therapetuic massage, and other modalities that will address the injury and reduce pain. From here, we show you how light aerobic activity such as swimming or walking, when combined with proper nutrition and a good dose of stretching, can help you heal quickly and return to a state of normal activity.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Protect Your Neck with Acupuncture
How is your neck feeling these days? There is no getting around it; necks are fragile structures and neck pain is a common complaint in our office. Regardless of statistics, there are very few adults who could honestly say they have never felt a twinge of pain in their neck. Much of this pain is a manifestation of muscle strain, ligament injury and nerve compression, all of which respond well to the treatment modalities we offer at Community Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Park Slope. While treatment depends on personal preference, I would like to give you some reasons why acupuncture is a viable and extremely effective method of treatment for neck pain.
Western medicine is successful in many cases relating to neck pain, but there are chronic conditions that continue to elude more widely accepted methods in the US. With acupuncture, we use the insertion of needles to stimulate specific points of the body, creating a therapeutic effect. As a natural pain-killer, it is immensely effective: by stimulating endorphin release, the pain is masked. Furthermore, it inhibits the nervous system from sending pain signals to the brain. We focus on stopping the pain first, so that we can use other modalities, including chiropractic adjustment, to improve range of motion and reduce inflammation.
Chronic neck pain is a blight on anyone’s life. Treating with over-the-counter medication is only scraping the surface. If you are looking to find the cause of your persistent pain and start treating it naturally, give our office in Park Slope a call.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Acupuncture for the Relief of Arthritis Symptoms
Essentially a family of conditions involving chronic inflammation and stiffness in the joints, arthritis prevalence is on the rise in the United States. According to the CDC, by the year 2040, some 78 million adults 18 years and older will be affected by some form of doctor-diagnosed arthritis. As there is no clear cure, there are naturally myriad remedies on offer, ranging from medication to lifestyle adjustment to specific dieting and exercise. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we offer another dimension to the arsenal against arthritis: acupuncture.
Acupuncture is a particularly potent natural pain-killer. By stimulating the body’s release of endorphins, our brain’s natural pain threshold is heightened. This pain-masking effect is further enhanced because it inhibits the body’s ability to send pain signals to the brain through the nervous system. The fundamental benefit of acupuncture is that it provides these bonuses with minimal feasible downside, as compared with pharmaceutical and over-the-counter medication. Furthermore, we can combine acupuncture with chiropractic adjustment to effect great improvements in joint mobility.
While there is no distinct cure for arthritis, the addition of acupuncture can be used to great effect within the framework of your already-established pain management plan. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you to create a plan for living beyond your arthritis pain.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Acupuncture for Anxiety
Acupuncture is a natural remedy for anxiety. Typical treatments for anxiety include interfacing with a therapist and anxiety medication which comes with unascertainable side effects to the individual. Each of these is effective in their own right, but a natural alternative to consider is acupuncture. While it may not be for everyone, we have found great success in easing the severity of anxiety symptoms with acupuncture.
Acupuncture works by dealing with the roots of anxiety. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, anxiety would arise as the body’s response to an interference in the flow of energy, or Qi. It also makes sense from a traditional perspective: factors, both within our control and without, can affect our emotional health: injury and stress, poor dieting, and environmental changes are the most common. Chronically high stress levels often lead to serious health issues, especially down the road. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we want to help you in the fight against stress, to help you preserve a more quality lifestyle.
An acupuncture treatment for anxiety involves the insertion of thin needles with the desired end result to stimulate the body’s production of painkilling chemicals and to stimulate the region of the brain that controls emotion. With the needles, we attempt to restore balance of Qi in the body, freeing you of pain and allowing you to feel less stress. It is not as far-fetched as it sounds: many people are finding great relief with acupuncture for anxiety. Give our office in Park Slope a call at (7180 398-3100.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.