Do You Suffer From Tension Headaches or Migraines? Your Oxnard Chiropractor Can Help
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin in headaches and migraines
Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, knows thet origin of both tension headaches or migraines and how to eliminate their often disabling effects.
Tension headaches: We’d all agree that life can be a pain, now and then, and turn into a tension headache. The majority of people have experienced more than one. If you are someone who’s had a tension headache, then you know that it usually feels like a dull, aching head pain that is commonly accompanied by a sensation of tightness or pressure along your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. Sometimes, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and periodically you may experience a loss of appetite.
Tension headaches are commonly defined as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one person to another, and from one headache to another in the same person. You may have tension headaches quite frequently or they may take place infrequently. If your headaches take place fifteen or more days a month for a minimum of three months, they’re viewed as chronic. If tension headaches are interferring with your life, chiropractic management may be the remedy.
Migraine Headaches: Migraine headaches differ from the average tension-related headache. According to the National Headache Foundation, migraines frequently develop on only one side of the head. The throbbing or pulsating pain is accompanied by nausea or vomiting. One-fifth of migraine sufferers have auras, visual symptoms an hour before a migraine attack, and distrubances such as pulsating light, lines or dots.
Are you a person who experiences the painful symptoms of migraines? If you are, you know the upsetting, disabling effects that this kind of condition can have on your life. The pain of a migraine headache can sideline you for hours, for days, for a lifetime, and conventional over-the-counter medications are not only ineffective but, like prescription drugs, they all too often have alarming side effects. Chiropractic management may be the answer for you.
If you’re suffering from tensions headaches or migraines, it’s time to eliminate the pain and get your life back! chiropractic care has been shown to be highly effective. Get in touch with Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard today!
Your Oxnard Chiropractor Explains Why Proper Posture Can Help Reduce Knee Pain
Posted on 27. Jul, 2009 by admin in knee pain
From his years of experience, Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, knows that second only to spinal problems, knee pain and disability is one of the most frequent ailments of the musculoskeletal system. What causes this common problem? Often, insufficient mechanics of the knee, as well as impaired foot mechanics as the result of foot pain frequently cause painful knee conditions. Additional causes generally include overuse of the knee joint, ailments as the result of arthritic changes in the joint, and traumatic injury from sports and falls.
Non-trauma knee problems: Deficient mechanics of the knee joint and the corresponding stress on the soft tissues of the knee are, by far, the most common cause of non-traumatic pain. The patella or knee-cap is generally the area affected because many times the patella does not move sufficiently on the femur during bending of the knee generating abnormal stress on the tendons, cartilage and ligaments. This specific condition is normally called chondromalacia patella (CMP) or Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain). This dysfunction is due to imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that join to and move the patella. Imbalances in the muscles having to do with knee movement commonly originate from lower back ailments, particularly in the sacroiliac joint. Pain and dysfunction can also be caused by imbalances in the muscle groups that attach to the knee. For example, the muscles on the inside of the thigh, when strained and tight, can produce pain on the medial or inside of the knee. Mechanical knee pain is also produced by gait deviations such as pronation.
The correspondent pain from overuse is most often experienced during activity, particularly stair climbing, running, jumping, and after rising after prolonged sitting. Many women appear to be predisposed to painful overuse conditions for anatomical reasons, however such conditions are many times due to wearing high heels on a regular basis.
The main treatment for mechanical or overuse injuries to the knee is to re-establish proper balance of the muscles, restore proper movement to the patella and other joints of the knee, and to correct any subluxations of the sacroiliac joints and bones of the foot. In specific cases, a brace is adopted to assist with the adjustment of the patella or to secure the joint. Chiropractors, such as Dr. Bolt, are ideally trained to administer the correct diagnosis and care of these ailments.
Knee problems due to trauma: Traumatic injuries frequently occur during activities that involve running and jumping, such as football, basketball, and skiing. When the knee is extended or contorted beyond the capability of the ligaments that hold the joint together, tearing of these tissues can take place creating a sprain. Strains to muscles that give motion to the knee can arise when the muscles are torn during injury. As with a sprain, a muscle strain can range from a minor injury that requires little attention to a extreme injury necessitating surgery. Furthermore the two special knee “cartilages” located between the tibia and femur (called the menisci), which provide for fluid motion and cushioning, may also be torn during traumatic injury. This serious injury commonly requires surgical repair, or even removal if damaged severely.
Traumatic knee injuries can create serious pain and swelling and need prompt diagnosis and care. In most instances a competent chiropractor, such as Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, can manage these conditions, although there are some injuries that may necessitate the skills of an orthopedic surgeon. Nevertheless, it is crucial to stabilize the injured joint as soon as possible and to use ice on the injured area, if possible, until the injury can be examined.
Conditions such as poor mechanics and problems due to overuse, as well as traumatic injuries, need to be corrected at an early stage. Otherwise, the tissues of the knee joint, especially the cartilage, will start to erode. If tissue and cartilage erode, the bones will rub together unprotected and changes such as bone spurs can occur. This painful condition, known as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis, is frequently progressive with age. Conservative treatment, such as chiropractic, can be extremely helpful in relieving the pain. Many individuals can additionally help themselves by keeping their weight down, doing exercises (especially in the pool), and wearing cushioned shoes or insoles.
Observation By Your Chiropractor in Oxnard: Foot Pain, Especially in Your Heel, Can Often Be a "Shocking" Experience
Posted on 09. Jul, 2009 by admin in foot pain
Your Oxnard Chiropractor, Dr. Donald Bolt, is well-aware that a sedentary lifestyle, especially enforced by foot pain, can only lead to more health problems. Why? Because movement is good for the whole body. From your head to your toes, your good health is determined by how much physical activity you get on a regular basis.
So, why do so many people suffer from aches and pains in their feet? After all, aren’t our feet made for walking? Yes, but they weren’t designed for abuse. The average, healthy person takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not including activities such as running and aerobic exercise. But, often those steps are made by people walking incorrectly, with poor gait patterns and bad posture. In addition, a large number of people wear badly-designed, poorly-fitting shoes.
Moving the body through space incorrectly on feet that are inhibited from functioning correctly cannot help but to cause aches and pains not only in a number of places in our feet, but in other parts of our body. For example, if an individual over-pronates (walks like a duck) in a pair of poorly made or unevenly-worn shoes, or in a pair of high heels, that person is not only likely to develop foot and ankle problems, but will probably experience problems of the back, knees and legs.
One of the most well known foot problems is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a wonderful, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that encircles the muscles on the bottom of the foot, adheres the heel bone to the ball of the foot, supports the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock.
There are many factors that contribute to the development of Plantar Fascitis. One such factor is short and tight calf muscles. When calf muscles get short and tight they exert a strong pull on the back of the heel bone, producing undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia. How do calf muscles get short and tight? In addition to running and jumping activities such as aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, and tennis, the wearing of high heels can cause the problem.
Other factors that contribute to Plantar Fascitis include sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity, abnormal walking patterns (such as over-pronation), improper footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (especially barefooted), and obesity.
Once an individual develops Plantar Fascitis, the condition is frequently not easy to manage and can become intensely painful and persistent. If you are suffering from heel pain, Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, will be able to determine the cause of your problem and what chiropractic management is best suited. Such care might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, special taping and, in some cases, orthotics.
Can Chiropractic Adjustments Help Your Asthma Symptoms? Ask Your Oxnard Chiropractor
Posted on 29. Jun, 2009 by admin in asthma
Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, knows that it might surprise you to know that chiropractic adjustments can help your asthma symptoms. Finding out as much as you can about alternative treatment for asthma and getting the kind of help you need is extremely important. A greater number of Americans than ever before say they are suffering from asthma. It is one of this country’s most prevalent and costly diseases. In fact, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, each day 40,000 people are absent from school or work because of asthma; 30,000 people undergo an asthma attack; 5,000 people visit the emergency room due to asthma;1,000 people are admitted to the hospital due to asthma; and, 11 people die from asthma.
Allergens or irritants that are breathe into the lungs, and result in inflammation that clogs and constricts airways, are most often the cause of asthma symptoms. Symptoms include laborious breathing, wheezing, coughing, and constriction in the chest. In severe cases, asthma can be deadly. Pharmaceuticals may temporarily decrease the symptoms of asthma, but there is no medical cure.
Despite the fact that chiropractic is not a treatment for asthma, per se, current research published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research documented the results experienced by 81 children with asthma who were given chiropractic adjustments. The two-month study reported that those under care experienced a 45% decrease in the number of “attacks” and that 31% of the subjects voluntarily decided to decrease their medication.
You are probably wondering how an adjustment of the spine affect respiration, and just what technique a chiropractor uses to reduce the persistence and severity of asthma attacks. Chiropractic adjustments remove nervous system interference. Almost all of nerves that are in charge of bodily functions exit between the spinal vertebrae and continue to their destination. This includes those nerves that affect the respiratory system. If restricted, nerves that are in charge of the diaphragm can have a profound effect on how beneficially the respiratory system functions. It isn’t inexplicable, then, why so many men, women and children receiving chiropractic adjustments report augmented breathing and an abatement in their asthmatic symptoms.
Chiropractic may be beneficial for you, or someone you love, who has asthma, if it is generated by, or aggravated due to spinal subluxation. Call Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, today, to find out if chiropractic adjustments can help you to breathe a little easier.
Your Oxnard Chiropractor Discusses Recent Survey: Chiropractic Patients Report High Satisfaction
Posted on 16. Jun, 2009 by admin in back pain
Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, wants you to know about a recent survey on back pain and patient satisfaction he found “highly satisfying.” A recent Consumer Reports survey included 14,000 Consumer Reports subscribers, found that “hands-on” therapies, led by chiropractic care, were the top-rated treatments for people suffering from back pain. In fact, chiropractors were given the highest “satisfaction with care” ratings, well above those given to medical doctors who administered various forms of care to back pain sufferers
The survey, reported in the publication’s May 2009 issue, found that more than half of the respondents had “pain (that) severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred throughout the year.” The report stated that while many go to a primary care physician first for diagnosis and treatment, the majority were disappointed with the results.
On the other hand, 59 percent reported that they were “highly satisfied” with the care they received from chiropractors. The next highest rated practitioners were physical therapists (55 percent) and acupuncturists (53 percent), followed by “specialized” physicians (44 percent) and primary care physicians (34 percent).
Respondents were also asked to rate the types of treatments they received. Again, chiropractic/spinal manipulation got top honors, with 58 percent rating it as “helping a lot.” Spinal injections were next highest, rated at 51 percent, followed by massage (48 percent) and physical therapy (46 percent). Other highly rated treatments included prescription medications (45 percent), yoga (44 percent), movement therapy and acupuncture (both 41 percent).
According to a Dynamic Chiropractic article on that report, “Chiropractic ranked first out of 11 treatments, including massage, acupuncture, and exercise, in its ability to treat back pain. More readers said that chiropractic ‘helped me feel much better’ than any of the other therapies.” Prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs ranked eighth and 10th, respectively.
So, if you’ve been “highly satisfied” with your chiropractic care, you’re not alone! In fact, more and more people are turning to chiropractic treatment not only for back pain relief, but for a wide variety of painful conditions from sports and repetitive stress injuries to arthritis. And, if you’ve never tried chiropractic, give Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, a call today and find out what you’ve been missing!
A public version of the report can be found on the Consumer Reports Web site
Your Oxnard Chiropractors Offers A Natural, Drug-Free Approach to Treating ADHD
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin in pediatric chiropractic
Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, believes that good chiropractic care includes pediatric chiropractic. Have you been told that chiropractors treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Well, that’s not exactly the case. Even though chiropractic care can absolutely help children, and adults too, who suffer from ADHD, chiropractors don’t actually “treat the condition, per se.
Then why is chiropractic treatment so beneficial? The reason is because ADHD is a neurological disorder and chiropractic adjustments can positively affect neurology. Chiropractic treatments are not only effective in reducing nervous system disturbances in general, but an adjustment can also be precisely directed to stimulate under-active areas of the brain and calm over-active areas as well.
Quite a few parents these days are choosing chiropractic care over the conventional medical practice of giving children Class 2 psychotropic drugs that frequently have dramatic side effects such as personality changes and permanent alterations in the brain. The chiropractic approach to ADHD is natural and drug-free. The vast majority of parents who’ve opted for chiropractic treatment for their children have reported stunning behavioral changes as a result.
Because of the differences between the ways in which boys and girls use the left and right hemispheres of their brain, ADHD seems to afflict more boys than girls and, additionally, is often more conspicuous and easily discernible in the behavior of boys rather than of girls. Some of the symptoms that are most pronounced include a hard time concentrating and sitting still, inability to control impulsive thoughts and behaviors, easily distracted by noises and activities, incessant movement of fingers, hands, arms, feet, or legs.
A large number of children who exhibit ADHD symptoms are hypersensitive to particular foods, such as dairy or gluten products, and sugars and artificial sweeteners. Furthermore, they generally have a hypersensitive response to additives in foods, herbicides and pesticides used to grow non-organic fruits and vegetables, and laundry products such as detergents, fabric softeners, and other chemicals. Often, the removal of these environmental determinants can do quite a bit to lessen ADHD symptoms.
Determining the presence of spinal anomalies and certain responses to specific neurological tests are part of the complete examination offered by your chiropractor.
You may be able to help your child to get his or her life back in balance through natural, safe chiropractic care. Before taking drastic pharmaceutical measures, if your child exhibits the symptoms of ADHD, make an appointment with Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, for a complete evaluation. You and your child could be looking at a healthier, happier, more well-adjusted future!
Your Oxnard Chiropractor Warns: Minor Car Accidents Can Make a Big Impact on Your Health
Posted on 22. May, 2009 by admin in whiplash
Your Oxnard Chiropractor, Dr. Donald Bolt, knows from his years of experience that a minor car accident can make a big impact on your health and may even cause whiplash injury. If you’ve been driving around in a big tank-of-a-car and you’ve been in an auto accident, if your car looks “uninjured,” it’s easy to presume that you are not hurt, either. After all, isn’t that why you’re driving a big vehicle? It’s for safety, right? Then you might be surprised to learn that research has revealed that occupants of vehicles, both large and compact, can be injured far more than might be anticipated from a minor auto accident. Actually, as far as your body is concerned, there’s really no such thing as a “minor fender bender.”
When your body is compelled to stop abruptly and unexpectedly, there are going to be repercussions. An emergency room attendant may offer you a clean bill of health because you haven’t broken any bones, and you may be given a prescription for drugs to reduce the muscle spasms that you are surely experiencing due to the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you received from the impact. But, unless you’re actually treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained, your condition can go from bad to much, much worse. In fact, quite a few individuals undergo problems years after a car accident because they didn’t get the help they needed in the first place.
Dr. Bolt truly understands what your body goes through during a car accident. Chiropractic care includes treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics impairment. And when it comes to rehabilitation strategies, your Chiropractor in Oxnard is an expert.
If you’ve experienced a minor auto accident, even if your car may not require much repair, more than like you do. Neck and back injuries are not only painful in the areas in which they occur, but they can also produce pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and create headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.
chiropractic care offers a drug-free, natural road back to feeling good again. It will assist in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – in the past. Moreover, because Dr. Bolt has experience dealing with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you undergo less physical stress, but less emotional stress, too!
Your Oxnard Chiropractor Can Eliminate Your Low Back Pain
Posted on 11. May, 2009 by admin in back pain
Your Oxnard Chiropractor, Dr. Donald Bolt, treats a lot of people just like you, and can eliminate your low back pain. You’re not alone if you’re feeling low back pain. Low back pain bothers a large number of people, an amazing 80% in fact, making it second only to the common cold in its prevalence. But, contrary to the common cold, waiting for your back pain to “run its course,” and taking prescription or over-the-counter remedies while you wait, is not the remedy. The majority of back pain won’t leave on its own. Frequently, if your pain eases, it is often the result of your body’s compensating for the problem, therefore producing new conditions. Low back pain is nothing to sneeze at! You need to consult a back pain specialist, like your Chiropractor in Oxnard, if you intend to eliminate your back pain permanently!
Many times back pain is a mystery to many of the people who are afflicted by it, and chiropractors, like Dr. Bolt, are proficient at solving their conundrum. They want to know why it is that they have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries prior to the onset of their condition? The answer is that the cumulative effects of improper sitting posture, bad work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of routine exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors generate most back pain. These factors add up over time and create stresses and imbalances on the spine producing subluxation that can become serious back conditions. The process is similar to the front end of your car being out of alignment. When you persist in driving anyway, there is irregular wear and tear on your tires. If you don’t get the problem fixed, the situation could worsen until a tire “blows.” When the spine is misaligned, the stability of the spine is jeopardized. In other words, it’s not only a problem waiting to happen, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as effortless as bending over to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that generates back injury. The surrounding back muscles go into spasm when this occurs to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back.
When it comes to problems of the spine, chiropractors, like Dr. Bolt, have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors. Dr. Bolt offers expert diagnosis and effective treatment for all muscular-skeletal dysfunctions. He not only gives welcomed relief to those suffering from back pain, but he knows what will help you to avoid further back pain. In addition to effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, Dr. Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, will offer to you a personal exercise plan and recommend additional healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.
Are Chiropractors Authentic Physicians? Your Oxnard Chiropractor Has The Answer
Posted on 17. Feb, 2009 by admin in Oxnard Chiropractor
As your Oxnard Chiropractor, I would like to set the record straight about chiropractors everywhere. Chiropractors, also called doctors of chiropractic, treat patients who are suffering from nervous system problems. Chiropractic adjustments provide relief for patients having problems of the vertebrae.
Chiropractic medicine treats the abnormalities of the joints of the extremities) that hamper the function of the nervous system. These misaligned vertebra can lower resistance thus creating new health conditions.
A chiropractor’s education is very similar to medical and osteopathic education that requires three to four years of undergraduate studies and an additional 4 years of post-graduate education. Chiropractic coursework includes spinal anatomy, orthopedic courses, nutrition, and philosophy.
In the area of x-ray study, chiropractors actually have many more hours of education than medical doctors. chiropractic coursework in x-ray consists of x-ray safety, techniques, factors, positioning, and interpretation. In addition, chiropractors have more hours of study in nutrition than students in medical school receive.
As your Chiropractor in Oxnard, I will add that a proficient chiropractor should have extensive experience, as well as excellent observational skills that help in detecting joint problems.
