Chiropractors Help Athletes Improve Performance

Chiropractic care helps athletes feel better and perform better.

Physical competition is not only healthy, but also very exhausting, due to the demands that athletes place on the body. With the wear and tear of sports, the body may be left sore, aching and even in considerable pain. Chiropractic care may not be the first thought in an athlete’s mind when it comes to recovery and performance. However, chiropractor care is natural and effective and can have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of all athletes, whether casual or high-level.

Sports chiropractic care aims to find the root cause of your problem and deal with it at the source. Some athletes may suffer from chronic back pain or migraines, while others may have difficulty getting a proper night’s sleep. Here at Innovative Chiropractic we work with athletes of all ages and abilities, helping to keep them on the field, healthy, and performing well.

Spinal Manipulation Benefits

Spinal manipulation has been treating multiple forms of pain and disease since the 1800’s, and today, more and more people are turning to natural treatment options such as chiropractic care, to help with their health issues.

An individual’s overall health is greatly affected by the spine and associated joints which play an important role. The science behind spinal manipulation aims at restoring the body’s natural balance and alignment. Chiropractors can help encourage positive physiological body changes through different adjustments to the lumbar, thoracic and cervical sections of the spine and other related joints.

The benefits of chiropractic adjustments are growing in popularity among athletes. Spinal adjustments are able to:

Improve nerve communication
Improve joint movement and coordination
Relieve pain from neck, back, and associated joints
Promote relaxation
Reduce inflammation
Improve breathing/respiratory function
Lower blood pressure
Better balance
Improve immune function
Boost energy levels

How Does This Help Athletes?

Chiropractic care is used by an estimated 90 per cent of top-level athletes to recover and improve their physical performance. Many high-profile athletes have regular outside chiropractor care during their playing season.

A chiropractor’s approach to wellness is one of the major benefits. A chiropractor identifies areas of possible concern or injury to the joints by looking at the body’s kinetic chain. The nervous system undergoes a great amount of daily stress, and when physical activity is added to the mix, malfunction and injury are possible. Chronic stress on your nerves and joints can result in greater pain or discomfort.

A safe and effective way for athletes to best support their body naturally is with chiropractic care, while, at the same time, providing protection from injury and promoting peak physical performance. If you’d like to experience all these benefits, contact Innovative Chiropractic in Mill Creek, WA today.

TMJ and Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractors can treat TMJ. Contact us today.

If you regularly suffer from jaw pain it is possible that you have TMJ (temporomandibular jaw disorder), which affects approximately 10 million people across the country, with it being more common in women than men. It may surprise you to know that a chiropractor can help with TMJ pain. The reason they can help is that your jaw is a small joint, and a chiropractor’s specialty, as joint and musculoskeletal specialists, is easing joint pain, including jaw pain, and increasing your level of health.

What is the Cause of TMJ Pain?

TMJ affects the jaw muscles and connected nerves between the jawbone and the skull, or temporomandibular. The symptoms can include:

Nerve pain
Headaches
Swelling
Teeth grinding
Pain when chewing
The jaw makes a clicking sound when opening and closing.

Possibly the misalignment, or grinding of teeth may lead to TMJ, though the exact cause is not known. Poor posture resulting in upper back or neck strain could also put a strain on the jaw. Another possibility contributing to TMJ is stress which often results in jaw clenching. However, all is not lost; long-term relief from TMJ is possible with chiropractic care by Innovative Chiropractic in Mill Creek, WA.

The Root Cause of TMJ can be Treated with Chiropractic Care

To relieve pain throughout the body, chiropractors focus on neurologically based care increasing overall health and function. Chiropractic care is perfect for managing TMJ symptoms because they can be traced back to nerve pain and besides the jaw is a joint. By adjusting the jaw joint, chiropractors are able relieve the tension causing the TMJ pain. If the spine and nerves are misaligned, they can cause interference which result in TMJ symptoms. By adjusting the spine, a chiropractor can remove misalignments and reestablish nerve communication, bringing you relief from TMJ pain. The big plus is that the body functions at higher levels of health, increasing your immune system function, giving you better digestion and relief from headaches, and so much more.

If others find chiropractic care for TMJ beneficial, so can you! Contact Innovative Chiropractic today to schedule an appointment.

Why Do Chiropractors Take X-Rays?

X-rays are an important diagnostic tool for chiropractors.

Almost everyone associates X-rays with broken bones, however, today medical professionals use X-rays to investigate broad spectrum of potential issues including:

Bone loss and dislocations
Calcifications
Arthritis
Infections
Tumors
Digestive issues
Heart issues

Since chiropractic care makes use of spinal manipulation and other techniques involving movement of skeletal elements either with the hands or with the use of an instrument, a chiropractor is able to see on an X-ray exactly what is happening in the body regarding alignment and structure. The X-ray also reveals other information such as scar tissue or arthritis in a particular area. This information helps the chiropractor to form a treatment plan.

Common issues that X-rays can confirm include:

Scoliosis
Forward Head Posture
Minor/major spinal trauma
Prior Spinal Fractures
Shoulder and Pelvic Malalignment
Degenerative Joint/Disc Disease

Are X-rays Safe?

People are often concerned about radiation exposure during an X-ray. However, the part of your body being X-rayed will only be exposed to low-level radiation for a fracture of a second. Generally the amount of radiation exposure during an X-ray is much the same as between a few days to a few years of natural radiation exposure from the environment.

Here at Innovative Chiropractic, we only recommend X-rays to patients who would medically benefit from the imaging. We have found that, in some cases, the potential benefits do not compensate for the associated costs.

If a chiropractor recommends X-ray imaging you may consider asking some of these questions:

What specific reason do I need to have an X-ray?
How will X-ray imaging be of real benefit to me if I’m not experiencing pain?
What other methods or diagnostics are there?

Chiropractic X-ray Imaging Benefits

Even though most chiropractors have the ability to quickly identify issues, misalignments and pain sources through physical examination, there are cases where X-rays are a necessary treatment tool to locate the exact cause of the problem and gain a full picture understanding of a serious spinal health concern. X-rays are a valuable tool to chiropractors, acting as their eyes when it’s not possible to accurately diagnose a problem with a physical exam.

In this way, chiropractors such as Innovative Chiropractic can assess the images and determine what the exact problem is and develop the best plan of treatment. At times some serious spinal injuries might need a different type of care and surgery or other medical care may be more appropriate than spinal manipulation.

Contact Innovative Chiropractic in Mill Creek, WA today to set up an appointment. We’ll do everything we can to properly diagnose and treat whatever is wrong.

Be Sure to Visit a Chiropractor After a Car Accident

The longer you wait to see a chiropractor after a car accident, the more chance you have of chronic pain.

Car accidents occur every single day of the year. With many degrees of severity and, if not addressed soon after the accident, they can leave the victims with both short and long-term injuries.

Injuries and bodily damage aren’t always obvious immediately after a car accident. The intense emotions and adrenaline place your body in a surreal state camouflaging any internal damage. You may start to feel aches, pains, or perhaps more serious problems in the next few days or even weeks, as a result of the accident.

It is a good thing to check in with your general practitioner, and besides that it is recommended that you see a chiropractor after a vehicle accident as most injuries from a car accident are musculoskeletal related. The longer you wait after the accident without proper examination, the more chance there is of chronic pain and musculoskeletal misalignment.

Here are some reasons why you should see your local Mill Creek chiropractor as soon as possible after a car accident:

Diagnosis

Many of the injuries from a car accident such as soft tissue injuries, fractures, sprains, and concussion are not easily noticeable, and their reaction time may be delayed. A chiropractor can determine possible spinal misalignments, muscle strains and other musculoskeletal injuries, providing treatment as soon as possible before they worsen.

Proper Alignment restored

It is a common occurrence for the spine to become misaligned by the sudden jarring movements of the body caused by car accidents, resulting in displaced vertebrae and swollen discs. Inflammation starts to take place, nerves become irritated or numbed and back pain manifests itself. By restoring proper spinal alignment a chiropractor can help:

Reduce pain
Improve joint movement
Improve blood circulation
Speed up the recovery process

Inflammation and Soft Tissue Damage Reduced

Soft tissue damage is normal in a high impact incident such as a car accident, due to the muscles, tendons and ligaments being stretched beyond their normal limits by the seat belts and airbags. Inflammation and soft tissue damage can be reduced and healed by a chiropractor using a variety of joint manipulation techniques and therapies. Nerve function can be restored by adjusting the joints neat the inflamed areas or damaged tissue. The realigned joints are then able to release positive healing hormones in the body to stimulate inflammation reduction.

Headaches and Whiplash

The rapid acceleration or deceleration of the neck during a car accident can significantly damage the muscles, tendons, nerves and discs causing headaches and whiplash. Because a chiropractor specializes in the spine, joints, ligaments and tendons, the head and neck will be properly addressed through spinal manipulation helping to restore proper alignment.

Looking for the Best Car Accident Chiropractor in Mill Creek

If you are the victim of a car accident in the Mill Creek, WA area, then the team at Innovative Chiropractic encourage you to contact us and receive a full assessment of your health following the incident. It is important to be aware of the emotional side of a car accident and seek treatment to help address the physical and emotional effects of the experience on your body. Contact us today.

Pinched Nerve? A Chiropractor Can Help

What is a pinched nerve, and how can a chiropractor help?

The main symptom experienced with pinched nerves is pain. Pinched nerves can also cause numbness, weakness, or even a tingling sensation in parts of the body which surround the affected nerves. For instance, if the pinched nerve is in your back you may experience pain in your buttocks and back and down into your leg. One of the most prominent symptoms of pinched nerves, however, is back pain.

Risk Factors for a Pinched Nerve Developing

Your risk of developing a pinched nerve may be increased by certain factors. For example, if you are living with osteoarthritis the risk factor of developing a pinched nerve is relatively high, since joints become enlarged increasing the risk of bone spurs. The likelihood of a pinched nerve developing can be increased by a person’s body mass, posture, age, as well as genetic background.

Get Help from a Chiropractor

Chiropractic treatment for a pinched nerve is to decrease pressure on the affected nerve. Using chiropractic adjustments a chiropractor is able to help with the decompression of the disc. If more treatment is needed, traction machines or decompression machines are also used to help relieve back and neck pain even more.

Our Chiropractors Can Help

You don’t have to live with a pinched nerve. Our team at Innovative Chiropractic is here to help you if you are suffering from joint or nerve pain. Schedule an appointment and find out how we help patients in the Mill Creek WA area live pain free.

Is Chiropractic Care Good for Sciatica?

Suffering from sciatica? Chiropractic care can help.

Sciatica is a condition that affects up to 40% of the population. The symptoms include: a sharp shooting pain which travels down your leg, or a dull persistent deep ache, or numbness and tingling. If, during long periods of sitting or standing, you experience discomfort or persistent low back or leg pain, you could very well be dealing with sciatic nerve irritation.

What is Sciatica?

When the sciatic nerve is entrapped, irritated, or compressed the set of symptoms experienced are referred to as Sciatica. Being the largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve originates in the lumbar spine and travels down the back of each leg. The nerve becomes compressed at times by injuries, degenerative spinal changes, or muscular tension, causing the painful symptoms known as sciatica. Patients often confuse sciatica with other types of low back pain possibly caused by strained muscles or improper lifting methods.

Sciatica Symptoms

Radiating pain travelling from the low back, through the buttock and down the leg
Usually only one side of the body is affected, though in rare cases bilateral sciatica can be experienced
Burning sensation in the low back, buttock or leg
Numbness of the buttock, leg, or foot
Tingling radiating down the leg

Many patients find their symptoms become more severe during long periods of standing or sitting, as well as with activities requiring a slight forward bend, such as preparing meals or washing dishes.

Sciatica Causes

Herniated Spinal Disc: The most common cause of sciatica, affecting about one in fifty individuals, is disc herniation. When the gelatinous inner layer of a disc pushes through the tough outer layer it applies pressure on the sciatic nerve root, causing pain.
Spinal Stenosis: A narrowing of the spinal canal from which the sciatic nerve originates can occur with the natural aging process, putting pressure on the sciatic nerve root.
Injury: Sudden, traumatic injury or improper lifting techniques can cause injury to the sciatic nerve itself or to the surrounding structures, resulting in pressure on the nerve.

How Can Chiropractic Therapy Help Sciatica?

One of the most effective, yet gentlest forms of treatment for sciatic pain and irritation relief is non-invasive chiropractic therapy. Once your chiropractor has determined the underlying cause of your sciatica symptoms, the most effective course of treatment will be formulated, and may include:

Active Release Technique: Also known as movement-based massage, can help release the tension, reduce pain and restore normal range of motion.
Spinal Adjustments: Your vertebrae are helped back into alignment with gentle spinal manipulation, reducing pressure on the sciatic nerve root.

If you have low back pain or believe you are suffering from sciatica, we, at Innovative Chiropractic in Mill Creek, WA, are dedicated to delivering compassionate, knowledgeable and effective treatment to our patients. Call us today!

Should You See a Chiropractor During Pregnancy? Yes.

Chiropractic adjustments are effective and safe. Find out more here.

Aches and pains in the lower back and abdomen are part of the experience for many pregnant women. In fact, approximately half of pregnant women will, at some point before they deliver, experience back pain. Fortunately, relief may be found with chiropractic care. Having chiropractic care during pregnancy may result in these benefits.

Is Chiropractor Care Safe During Pregnancy?

Chiropractic care doesn’t involve drugs or surgery, instead it is the maintenance of the spinal column and the adjustment of joints that are misaligned, reducing spinal nerve stress and promoting health throughout the body.

Throughout the world, more than one million chiropractic adjustments are performed every day, and complications are rare. Chiropractic care is believed to be safe during pregnancy, but under certain circumstances, chiropractic care may not be a good idea.

Before seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy always get your doctor’s approval. If you are experiencing any of the following, chiropractic care is generally not recommended:

vaginal bleeding
ectopic pregnancy
placenta previa or placenta abruption
moderate to severe toxemia

While all chiropractors receive pregnancy-related training, some specialize in prenatal care. Ask if prenatal care is their specialty or obtain a referral from your doctor.

Chiropractors will use adjusting tables to accommodate the growing bellies of pregnant women, as well as techniques that won’t place pressure on the abdomen.

How Can Chiropractic Care Help?

You’ll experience many hormonal and physical changes during your pregnancy, with some of them impacting on your posture and comfort. Your center of gravity starts to shift as your baby becomes heavier, with your posture adjusting accordingly, possibly resulting in a misaligned spine or joints.

You may find other uncomfortable changes during pregnancy might include:

a protruding abdomen increasing the curve of your back
pelvic changes as your body starts preparing for labor
adjustments to your posture

These issues can be addressed with regular visits to a chiropractor during your pregnancy. Besides pain relief, adjustments designed to restore balance and pelvis and spine alignment will do so much more for you than just make you feel better.

What’s Next?

First speak to your doctor if you’re considering chiropractic care because of the back, hip, or joint pain you are experiencing in your pregnancy. They can recommend a qualified local chiropractor and help you decide if chiropractic care is right for you and your unborn baby.

Chiropractic care is usually safe and effective during pregnancy. Besides managing pain in your back, hips and joints, it also establishes pelvic balance. Providing your baby with as much space as possible during pregnancy. This may give you a faster, easier labor and delivery. Contact Innovative Chiropractic in Mill Creek with any questions.

Seven Questions & Answers About Chiropractic Adjustment

Chiropractic adjustments are effective and safe. Find out more here.

Many questions are asked about chiropractic adjustments. Here we have provided answers to some of the most common questions.

Will an adjustment hurt?

Most patients find chiropractic adjustments painless. Some new patients who are unaccustomed to relaxing during treatment, may involuntarily stiffen or resist the adjustment, resulting in them feeling a small amount of discomfort until they are able to relax. If a patient has had a recent trauma such as whiplash, they may fell a mild discomfort. Many patients experience a sense of relief, calmness and a feeling of wellbeing after an adjustment and others experience improved mobility.

What is the “popping” sound?

Adjusting your vertebrae releases tiny pockets of gas from the joints, causing a “popping” sound. Popping your knuckles makes the same sound. It is not an indication that the adjustment is working or not, and not everyone hears this sound.

Are adjustments safe?

The safety and effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments have been documented by many research studies. They are considerably safer than consuming medications or undergoing spine surgery. Research has shown that chiropractic adjustment complications are rare.

Can I adjust myself?

No, it is dangerous to adjust yourself. Only skilled professionals should perform chiropractic adjustments.

Do other types of professionals perform adjustments?

These techniques are performed by some osteopaths, but these days this is rare. 95% of all adjustments in the world are performed by chiropractors. Just be wary of anyone who makes similar claims, such as massage therapists, physical therapists, or “healers” who don’t have the credentials, qualifications, or experience of a chiropractor.

What conditions are chiropractic adjustments used for?

Because they are a precise method of restoring proper movement, chiropractic adjustments are useful for correcting:

Certain kinds of headaches
Stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, arms, hands, hips, legs and feet
Sciatica
Whiplash and other injuries and trauma to the body
Leg pain and nerve complaints
Scoliosis
Sports injuries and most muscular skeletal injuries including sprained joints and ligaments, tennis elbow and strained muscles
Tendonitis and Bursitis (conditions of inflammation of soft tissues and tendons)
Arthritis
Repetitive strain disorders including carpal tunnel
Fibromyalgia (chronic muscle stiffness and pain)

What if I need surgery?

Chiropractors believe and emphasize that conservative care should be the first response to most illnesses and injuries. Chiropractors are, however, trained to recognize when an injury is outside their scope of practice and, if necessary, will refer a patient to the appropriate medical specialist.

Innovative Chiropractic is proud to be your Mill Creek chiropractor. Contact us today if you have any questions, or if you’d like to make an appointment.

Whiplash Pain and Symptoms Can be Helped by Chiropractic Care

See a chiropractor to address the root causes of your whiplash pain.

Finding relief after a whiplash incident becomes critical because whiplash pain can be excruciating. A car accident is the most common cause of whiplash injury. Other causes are sports injuries, excessive shaking and even headbanging at concerts. A rear-end accident is the most common cause of whiplash injury due to the sudden backward and forward motion of the head, resulting in neck injury or musculoskeletal problems. This can result in limited neck movement, headaches, neck, shoulder and back pain. Most people instinctively reach for painkillers to relieve their whiplash pain. Instead of correcting the root of the problem they only provide temporary relief. Why not consider Innovative Chiropractic’s offer of relief without risks by having chiropractic adjustments.

How Chiropractic Eases Whiplash Pain

The primary focus of chiropractic care is the spine, which is why it is a great way to relieve painful whiplash symptoms. Your chiropractor will assess your spine and after pinpointing problem areas, will correct any spinal misalignments that are causing the whiplash pain. Not only will this non-invasive method provide relief from whiplash pain, it will also restore proper movement and reduce inflammation. The advantage of chiropractic adjustments is that they can ensure that every part and function of the body is working properly once again. Because nerve communication is restored by adjustments, you can not only experience relief from pain, but also be sure tour body is performing at the best possible levels of health.

Others Have Overcome Whiplash Pain with Chiropractic Help

Studies of whiplash symptoms have been undertaken to investigate the benefits of chiropractic care. People with whiplash symptoms in one study, reported whiplash pain levels averaging 7.1. After visits to the chiropractor over 10 weeks the average pain level had dropped to only 0.6. another study focused on people with chronic whiplash syndrome. 93% reported a significant improvement in pain levels and other symptoms after undergoing chiropractic adjustments.

Is whiplash pain keeping you from your normal daily activities? You will experience health, well-being and a pain-free life once you begin chiropractic care with Innovative Chiropractic in Mill Creek, WA. Give us a call today.

Does Weather Affect Chronic Pain?

People often report changes in the weather affecting their chronic pain. Is it true?

We all know someone who insists that when a storm is on the way their arthritis pain increases, or their shoulder pain is worse when winter approaches. Is this true or is it just another old wives’ tale? Can weather changes actually make pain worse?

You may not believe it but there might be a strong connection between weather changes and aggravated pain symptoms.

Some scientists have been conducting a study of people residing in four different US cities who suffer with chronic pain. Almost 70% of them said that even before the weather changed, they felt changes in their pain levels.

The science behind the connection between weather and pain goes beyond rain or cold weather.

How Pain Is Affected by Barometric Pressure

Although pain symptoms are associated with rainy or damp weather, it is actually barometric pressure, which is the weight of the atmosphere around us, that is the main culprit.

The barometric pressure starts dropping when severe weather is approaching. This means there is less air pressure pressing against the body, which allows tissues to expand placing more pressure on the joints and we feel an increase in pain symptoms.

Spring

Those suffering from chronic pain during spring rainy months, might feel an uncomfortable pressure in their joints, which could be caused by the change in barometric pressure. However, not everyone feels these symptoms.

Summer

In the same way, a change in symptoms is experienced by chronic pain patients when in a humid environment. Once again, this is due to low barometric pressure combined with high humidity, both of which cause high blood pressure, causing ligaments, muscles and body tendons to expand.

Winter

In 2007 a study was undertaken on the impact of weather changes on osteoarthritis of the knee sufferers, and they found that patients pain increased with every 10 degree drop in temperature.

Spinal Conditions Aggravated by Weather

Most spinal conditions can be aggravated by changes in barometric pressure and the weather, which cause expanded tissue or muscles, inflammation, and dehydrated joints.

Spinal conditions such as:

Arthritis
Joint pain
Osteoarthritis
Nerve pain
Muscle pain
Sciatica
Scoliosis
Spinal stenosis

What Can I Do to Ease Changes in Pain Caused by Weather Changes?

We can’t avoid weather or barometric pressure changes around us, but we can try promoting circulation with heating therapies to help ease the symptoms.

Try these tips and ideas to fight pain.

Keep active to increase circulation
Try water therapy by soaking in a hot bath
Cover the painful area with a heating pad
Use a warm towel or over-the-counter heat wraps
Include heat therapy into your wellness routine

Can chiropractic help?

Even though your chiropractor can’t change the weather for you, chiropractic care can reduce existing inflammation and encourage healthy tissue by making sure your spine is aligned and all the connective systems are working in harmony.

Let Innovative Chiropractic Help You Fight Weather Related Pain

Contact us today if you or someone you know is experiencing aggravated, weather related pain symptoms. We at Innovative Chiropractic in Mill Creek are committed to helping you find the relief you are looking for and helping you take control of your wellness.