Cocoa Beach Chiropractic Orthopedist

Can receiving spinal adjustments make a person healthier? If so, how would you measure it? Treating patients with chronic, long-term disabling back pain is truly a challenge. A commonly utilized medical approach to treating these patients (after the initial less invasive course of treatment has failed) is the use of opioid pain relievers (OPR). Opioid pain relievers are commonly used when treating patients who experience long-term pain. This group of medications includes oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone, and others. Guidelines published on the treatment of chronic low back pain are clear: ALL other less dangerous approaches should be used first (and for obvious reasons). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that in 2007, nearly 100 people died DAILY from drug overdoses in the United States, with most caused by prescription medications. This is three times more than the rate calculated in 1991! Also, there was a 98.4% increase in Emergency Room (ER...

Let’s first look at the anatomy of the neck in order to better understand the structures of the cervical spine that can generate pain.  Starting at the back of the spine, the facet joints allow us to move our neck and head in all directions, and each facet joint is surrounded by a joint capsule that is rich with nerve endings and when swollen, can generate pain both locally and radiating.  One study of volunteers with existing neck pain looked at the various pathways that pain travels when investigators injected each individual facet joint capsule with normal saline solution. Interestingly, the subjects felt pain in parts of the body other than just the neck. For example, injecting the C6 facet joint capsule consistently reproduced radiating pain down the arm into the thumb side of the forearm and hand, similar to when a disk herniates and a nerve root is pinched. The primary difference was that a deep aching pain occurred in this area, as opposed to a more ...

Poor posture in children has become an epidemic.  While you may be familiar with the causes of poor posture – heavy backpacks and slouching over an iPhone or video game to name a few – the long term effects of poor posture can be devastating.  If gone unchecked and untreated, poor posture that starts in childhood can grow into a lifetime of aches and pains. Here are 3 reasons to check your child’s posture early: 1. Spinal Curvature  – as the body succumbs to improper posture, the natural “S” curve of the spine begins to change shape.  These veterbral misalignments are called  subluxations (1)  and can cause blood vessel constriction (which cuts off nutrient and oxygen supply to muscles) and nerve restrictions. 2. Neck & Back Strain  – a spine out of alignment puts extra  stress and strain (2)  on the muscles supporting it.  Over time, this leads to neck and back strain and – as the body begins to overcompensat...

The average adult spends 50 to 70 percent of their time sitting.  Most of this time is spent at a work desk or computer.   Desk work can be taxing to your body, especially your spine .  When sitting in a flexed position for an extended amount of time, your body begins to conform to this position resulting in neck and back pain, headaches and spinal degeneration!  Proper ergonomics in your workplace are vital for a healthy working environment. The basic definition of ergonomics is, the study of efficiency in working environments.  The Department of Health and Human Services defines ergonomics as the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to employee capabilities.  The principles behind ergonomics are used to improve employee’s working conditions making their jobs easier and more productive.   Effective ergonomic workspaces not only improve safety and productivity, but also make for happier and healthier employees! ...

Whiplash pain can be much different from other types of injuries. When a car accident is severe, the pain will come on right away. If the injury produces a mild or moderate sprain, sometimes it takes a few days for the pain and inflammation to reach its maximum extent. Sometimes it is stiffness that is the prominent symptom and the patient notices this in the first few weeks after the accident. A delay in pain is often seen in low speed collisions where typically there is very less damage to the vehicles. There are a lot of factors that determine the extent of injury following a low speed whiplash. One of these is the neck posture prior to impact. Was the head turned? This can occur if the patient was looking at the rear view mirror during the collision. Low speed collisions can occur in parking lots. If the patient was turned to see if a space was clear, this can make a simple trauma result in a significant injury. Besides the position of the patient prior to the coll...

We all know what it’s like to have neck pain—whether it’s after a long drive, pinching the phone between the head and shoulder, star-gazing, or from talking to someone who is seated off to the side. There are many causes of neck pain, but the question of the month is, how do chiropractic adjustments help neck pain? Let’s take a look! Chiropractic, when broken down into its fundamental Greek derivatives, means “hand” (cheir) and “action” (praxis). The technique most often associated with chiropractic is spinal manipulation where a “high velocity, low amplitude” thrust  is applied to specific vertebrae in the spine, which does several things:  1) It restores mobility in an area with restricted movement;  2) It stimulates the sensory “neuroreceptors” in joint capsules, which has a muscle relaxing reflex effect;  3) It can affect surrounding neurological structures in certain parts of the spine such as the parasympathetic (cranial & sacral ...

Is there a “normal” or “best posture” out there? If so, what is it? Posture is largely inherited; however, there are also environmental, social, and other forces that can affect posture. Some say “good posture” is the position that places the least amount of strain on the body, particularly the muscles and ligaments that hold the body together. A common cause of poor posture is called forward head carriage (FHC), where the head sits forward of the shoulders, placing a greater strain on the back of the neck and upper back to hold the head upright. Looking at the spine from the side, the opening of the ear should line up with the shoulder, hip, and ankle. There have been studies that suggest every inch (2.54 cm) of FHC increases muscle strain in neck and upper back by 10 pounds (4.5 kg). That means a 5 inch (~12.7 cm) FHC adds an extra 50 pounds (~22.7 kg) of strain on the neck and upper back to hold the head upright. So what can we do to improve our posture? First, stay a...