Many headaches are caused by the daily stresses of life. These certain types of headaches, known as tension headaches, form when there is a buildup of tense muscles in the neck, shoulders and back, creating a headache that can become unbearable. A chiropractor is able to loosen those muscles and reduce the headache with their spinal manipulation techniques. The chiropractor will give you advice for stretches and exercises that will help reduce the tense muscles.

A misalliance in the neck region is found to be the cause of other certain types of headaches, and with chiropractic care the neck can be corrected with adjustments, making chiropractic care the most common alternative therapy for headache sufferers. Posture issues can correlate with headaches as well, another issue that can be corrected with chiropractic treatment.

Headache sufferers notice pain decreases after several treatments as their muscles become less tight and nerve irritation decreases. By using chiropractic adjustments, stretching, nutrition and exercises that correct the spine, a patient is able to achieve optimal results. Chiropractors don’t use medications or surgery as a form of treatment, therefore your headache treatment will be handled with spinal adjustments and other hands-on techniques that your chiropractor has determined to benefit you the most. Your headache pain can diminish in a non-invasive way that is meant to help prevent headaches in the future and promote overall health.

Chiropractic adjustments have significant effectiveness for people who suffer from headaches. Patients that experience headaches of any sort benefit from chiropractic treatment with their hands-on techniques and spinal manipulations. Our chiropractic offers headache treatment in Fort Collins.

Contact Denver Chiropractic to learn more about headache treatment in Fort Collins. For those seeking a chiropractor in Plantation FL, consider the help of Rocky Mountain Chiro Care.  Their Specialized  Dr. Mathew Ullom BSc, can help through specialized treatment and care.

Dr. Mathew Ullom a chiropractor in Fort Collins offers a free of charge consultation to anyone looking into chiropractic and how it might help them. “This way you can make an informed decision, if chiropractic is right for you.” Dr. Mathew Ullom, BSc, DC is located at   220 W Prospect Rd Ste D, Fort Collins, CO. 80526. He can be reached by telephone at 970-491-9191.

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The Achilles, the largest, strongest tendon in the human body, was named after the fierce Greek warrior-god, who was known for his strength.  This tendon causes a downward flexion of the foot by connecting to the muscles of the calf.  The tendon is a principle driver in walking, running and jumping due to its sheer size and the strength of its attached muscles.   You definitely want to use it if you are going to to go anywhere.

We transfer a significant amount of force to the Achilles every time we produce movement and this force is exaggerated when running or even walking.  Microscopic rips and tears result from the trials of our everyday activities, but these tears heal overnight.  Overtime these tiny tears can wear on us, causing tendonitis, and healing can take a long time due to limited blood supply.  Some of the greatest perpetrators of this condition are imbalance and poor-fitting shoes.  Although these factors don’t help, long-term overuse is the main culprit.

Achilles Tendonitis

 Runners and athletes are some of the most common victims of Achilles tendonitis.  According to an article in the American Academy of Family Physicians, “Running produces forces up to eight times the body’s weight, placing significant repetitive stress on the tendon for long periods.  Tendonitis in athletes is usually caused by training errors such as incorrect running technique or wearing improperly fitting shoes.”(1)

It’s important to protect the feet in any activity because an injury to the Achilles would inhibit even the most simple of movements.  Proper healing is crucial to prevent chronic pain, correcting the foot function with chiropractic care fight here in in our Fort Collins Chiropractic office is the best solution for recovery.

Inversion and Eversion

 Excessively pronating the foot outward or inward can put unneeded stress on the Achilles tendon as it can cause imbalances at the foot and ankle joints, which will undoubtedly lead to injury.  This injury is one that affects men and women of all ages and can take time to restore proper function.  Dynamic Chiropractic states “The Achilles tendon bows in on the side of hyperpronation.  The calcaneous tilts inward, bringing the talus with it.  The stress can extend to the tibia and along the entire kinetic chain.” (2)

Recovery

Due to the pinnacle role the Achilles tendon plays in movement and action, it is crucial to recover this tissue properly.  Rest and ice should starting points for even minor cases.  Ice and rest will help reduce inflammation and restore the tendon’s functional range of motion.

Similarly to rest and ice, recovering can be accelerated by the use of well-supporting footwear, orthotics, kinesio tape and stretching.  Stretching can benefit recovery and enhance the natural range of motion in the foot.  A chiropractor’s understanding of the kinematics of the body can help aid your recovery, by restoring proper foot function so that the achilles heals properly.  Footwear should be used that is arch-supporting and allows for good ankle stability, which can prevent further injury.

It would be helpful if our muscles and tendons were strong as the Greek soldier Achilles, but it is important for our patients understand the repercussions of injuring such a critical part of the body.  Our bodies go to war each day and common wear and tear can defeat even our greatest soldiers.

Dr. Mathew Ullom, BSc, DC was a scholarship athlete and is currently the Fort Collins Sports Chiropactor for the CSU Men’s Rugby team.  He has dedicated much of his free time to studying sports injuries and prides himself on getting athletes back in the game as quickly as possible.

(1)  Mazzone,, Michael F., McCue, Timothy. (May 2002). Common Conditions of the Achilles Tendon. www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0501/p1805.html

(2)  Charrette, Mark. (May 2004). Structural Imbalance and Postural Support. www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=46197.

Chiropractic proposes that disrupting the electrochemical signals sent down the spinal cord to the nerves throughout the body will have a negative impact on health in a variety of ways.  The body’s nervous system is as intricate as it is delicate, and nature has developed a stalwart shield to protect it, while allowing for natural human motion.  To protect the most important of organs, the brain, the skull has developed around it giving way to the brain stem and spinal cord, which are protected by the spine.  This brilliantly engineered spine allows you to walk upright, twist and turn thanks to 31 vertebra stacked neatly together, creating holes called foramina for nerves to exit the spinal cord.

What exits these foramina are the millions of nerves that carry messages from the brain to every aspect of the body, but since there is significant movement throughout our delicate spines, sometimes vertebra can slip out of line.

Chiropractors make sure each of these 31 vertebra are in line and articulate correctly so that the brain signals can be sent through the nerves, to their targets without disruption.  Chiropractors care for the spine and the systems around it to make sure the brilliantly intricate nervous system can function to its fullest potential.   However, if these disruptions, termed subluxations, are not corrected the effects can be disastrous and can ultimately lead to a loss of function.

Chiropractors have long been opposed to the over-prescription of drugs, use of food additives, fluoridation of water and a plethora of other contemporary issues that can disrupt natural well-being.  They embrace the growing body of evidence that health is comprised of a well functioning nervous system, proper eating and sleeping habits, exercise, and emotional and spiritual wellness.  A healthy spine is one that can function properly, and is properly inline to allow the body to function at its optimum capacity.  Seeing your Fort Collins Chiropractor today will not only allow your body to heal and function better than ever, but also will promote long term health and prevent disease.

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The discs in your spine just don’t have a lot of nerve endings, or even a dedicated blood supply for that mater, so the damage to them from past injuries isn’t noticed until the disc ruptures or the bulge is big enough to affect the surrounding tissues.  All of those past injuries and repetitive motions can cause micro tears in the disc, and eventually after years of slightly tearing the same portion of the disc it turns into a big tear and the nucleus pulposus, the jelly like center of your disc, pushes out though the tear and puts pressure on the surrounding tissues or even the nerve.  Then all of a sudden you feel excruciating pain and your muscles seize up to protect you from doing more harm.

So how do micro tears occur and how can you stop them?

For a disc, motion is life, and when the area is not moving correctly, like with a subluxation which causes decreased flexibility, muscle spasms, and ligamentous issues.  This puts a bunch of strain on your spine which your body dissipates the best it can by malforming the discs.  Here are a few things you can to help prevent this:

• When lifting bend at the hip instead of the low back keeping that nice curve in your spine.
• Don’t twist when lifting heavy objects when your low back is flexed.
• When carrying heavy objects keep them as close to your body as you can.
• Move slowly in the morning and gently stretch to help loosen things up.
• Strengthen your spinal muscles, ask your Fort Collins Chiropractor about what exercises work well for this.
• Use good posture and proper ergonomics at work and at home.

Avoid herniating a disc with chiropractic care is the best solution, however if it has already occurred, chiropractic care has shown amazing results in reducing pain and muscle spasms caused by disc herniations.  Spinal Decompression has also been shown on pre and  post MRI’s to pull disc bulges back in.

Don’t let pain stop you from living the quality of life you are accustomed to!  Give our office a call, 970-491-9191, today and schedule a free consultation to see if we can help you.

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Physical Therapy for neck and back pain complaints usually includes passive modalities, such as ice, heat, muscle stimulation, ultrasound, or laser therapy, as well as stretching and strengthening exercises.  Analysis of the research shows reasonable proof (depending on the duration and area of complaint) for these adjunctive therapy modalities. Many times these therapies are performed by a physical therapist or their assistant at the request of your primary care physician.  Interestingly enough, many providers have discovered these modalities work more effectively after correct biomechanics have been established.

The primary difference of chiropractic care is adjustments or spinal manipulation of the spine.  Chiropractors are the undisputed experts in this area due tho their extensive training on the spine and nervous system. This is without doubt, one of the reasons why chiropractic care has a distinct advantage over physical therapy in the conservative treatment of neck and back pain.  Adjusting the spine has a direct effect on the biomechanics of the spine, which as we touched on earlier establishing proper biomechanical patterns is the first step of spine care.  An area of concern for some is the cracking or popping noise of high velocity techniques.  Many chiropractic techniques are much more gentle and no twisting or popping is used in their execution.  Summit to Shore Chiropractic specialists can discus with you which type of adjustive technique will best serve your needs.  Chiropractic care is only administered by a Doctor of Chiropractic.  Your Fort Collins chiropractor has been trained to evaluate, diagnose, treat or refer you to another provider without the aide of another physician; although they may coordinate care with many primary care providers in your area.

After improving the biomechanics of your spine, with an adjustment, your chiropractor may choose to use some passive modalities to aid in soft tissue healing.  Additionally, home exercises may be prescribed or modifications to your current workout routines may be discussed.  Many research studies have shown more favorable results for neck and back pain were achieved with chiropractic care vrs. physical therapy alone.  In my experience I believe this is because 1) A specific chiropractic adjustment is one of the most efficient, powerful and safe ways of influencing the spine and nervous system, and 2) chiropractors not only have superior knowledge of the subluxation of spinal segments, but additionally the knowledge to tailor passive modalities and exercises to your needs (if necessary).

For many neck and back pain sufferers, chiropractic is the best choice possible for their care for their pain.  This short post is merely the tip of the iceberg of what chiropractic care can do for your pain and your life, check out some of our testimonials.

The trend in research continues to show how safe and effective chiropractic care is for spinal and many other conditions.  More and more primary care physicians in the know are sending their patients to chiropractors each and every day, but remember you don’t need a referral to make an appointment call 970-491-9191 today!.

What makes chiropractic so different than any other type of health care? Why is the care at Rocky Mountain Chiro Care so distinctive? Dr. Mat a Fort Collins Chiropractor shares his perspective below…

 1. Wellness

  Now we have all heard the phrase “wellness” tossed around, but what does it really mean? Wellness is defined as living a life of optimal health and vitality. But how does one attain wellness? Dr. Mat coaches his patients toward wellness by empowering them with accurate information and giving them specific chiropractic adjustments.

 Research at the University of California Irvine has shown that patients under chiropractic care are  more likely to experience positive changes in their overall wellness. The study showed a relationship between chiropractic care and reported improvements in wellness as well as changes in healthy lifestyle choices, which lead participants to practice more positive health lifestyles, which also has a direct effect on improvements in wellness (J of Altern Comp Med 2004;10:357-67.)

 2. Prevention

Most other health care systems might as well be termed “disease care,” since they focus on managing the symptoms of disease process after it has already occurred. Chiropractic is different! Dr. Mat teaches his patients how to prevent these health issues before they start, encouraging patients to change their health mentality. Always reminding them that health is not a matter of chance, but one of choices. A big part of prevention is taking a holistic approach. Chiropractor’s don’t focus on chasing symptoms, but rather how the body functions as a whole. Dr. Mat realizes that in every person is a delicate balance of mind, body and spirit.  All three parts need to be addressed in the healing and prevention process.

3. Spinal Focus

When looking for the root of a problem, it almost always leads back to the spine. After all, the nervous system, which is housed in the spine, controls every function of the human body. Chiropractor’s identify subluxations. A subluxation is a misalignment of the vertebrae in the spine, causing restricted movement or an imbalance in nerve function. So why is a subluxation so powerful? Nerves enter and exit the spinal cord between the spinal bones (vertebrae). Consequently, a misalignment in the spinal vertebrae may cause a misfire of the nervous system. A nervous system that is not working at 100% can cause a plethora of problems, such as back pain, headaches,  infantile colic, gastrointestinal problems, multiple sclerosis, infertility and insomnia — just to name a few.

4. Patient Satisfaction

 Dr. Mat strives to provide not only the very best care,  but also a healing atmosphere.  Research has shown that chiropractic patients have very high satisfaction rates, stating that their experience was not just “good” but “excellent”.  And 95% percent of them said they would be happy to refer others to their chiropractor (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2001;24:552-5).  Other factors of care were also rated as “excellent: the doctors skill,  bedside manner, availability of appointments,  ease of contact with the office,  time spent in office, time spent with the chiropractor, understanding of in office treatment.

 Research in both Spine 2003 and J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000, showed that back pain sufferers were more satisfied with the care and results they received from their chiropractor then the care they received from their family medicine physician.

5. Self Healing 

The basic premise of Chiropractic is the principal that the body has the innate ability to heal it self as long as the body is in balance.  Chiropractors do not claim to heal patients, they help by removing neurologic interference so that the body can heal itself naturally.  There are many different types of interference that the body must deal with:  poor nutrition, outside stress, lack of exercise, surrounding environment, toxins, poor quality sleep, dehydration, and of course vertebral subluxations.  It isn’t possible to deal with all of these stressors at once but the more of them that we can limit the easier moving towards health will be.

Now that you know what makes chiropractic so distinctive from other types of health care, it’s time to embrace this unique approach toward wellness and share it with your friends, family, and co-workers..

We need to treat the system first, doing the foundational work so that the system will calm down, relax and be more in a healing mode.  I work at the Cottonwood Dental in Alamosa with dentists that specialize in TMJ problems and basically I deal with everything else besides the jaw-teeth/tooth relationship, which is the dentists responsibility.  Things such as cranial distortions, sutural membrane tension patterns, and pain patterns as well as all the mechanics of the spine and pelvis are what I focus on.  I even look at the feet/foot relationships, checking for correct foot posture that is relative to postural muscles that can affect the jaw.

When you take this holistic approach and if symptoms, pain, and headaches don’t resolve, then will  even get into diet, nutritional, and psychological stress factors.  We start at the base creating a foundation to work off of structurally and then follow what your body needs.

The reality is that no one has a pat answer, there is no quick fix, and there is no shortcut to TMJ.  TMJ has always been, and still is a black hole in healthcare because; there is no one specialty that has all the answers.

The reality of the stresses of our life is amazing, we are constantly multitasking, talking on the phone while driving, and thinking about other things while doing something else instead of living in the moment.  It’s just un-natural, we are so amazingly over stressed and over stimulated, that we are not able to focus on what our bodies need, and how deficient we are in things like nutrition, exercise and rest.  That’s the core of what yoga and meditation is all about, calming your nervous system down and becoming more in touch with how much tension you are carrying in your body.

TMJ is so much about clenching patterns and tensions you carry, that if you look at all these factors its overwhelming.  You can’t possibly fix or change all of them but, you need to address and acknowledge them so that you know where the problems are coming from and that you can actually manage them.

At Rocky Mountain Chiro Care It is our number one goal to get you better quickly, without the need of surgery or any type of drugs.  Give us a call 970-491-9191 and schedule your free consultation to see if we can help you..

Related: Toronto Dentists.

The Tunnel

The carpal tunnel is a band of ligaments and small bones that cover wrist. Painful signs can result when pressure is placed on nerves that live in this nerve “tunnel.”  Irritation of this nerve can be as a result of an carpal bone with an irregular motor pattern or an overuse syndrome from common everyday actions like typing, cutting, hammering, using a screwdriver or pushing.

Signs of CTS vary from wrist ache, numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, the inability to grip things, and even a lack of sleep because of the pain.

Therapy

There are many different ways to treat CTS.  Typically, a chiropractic adjustment to the affected carpal bones of the area proves to be very effective treatment.

Many time individuals are stunned to find out  that the reason for their wrist pain  could also be as a result of irritation to the nerve from the musculature of the arm or joints of the neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist. Subluxations in the neck may compromise any structure between it and the tip of your littlest finger. This is often called the double crush syndrome.

These treatments, along with exercises and physical therapies such as myofascial release or laser therapy, stretching, and strengthening exercises, can in most cases effectively alleviate and eventually eliminate the symptoms associated with CTS.

Other Extremities

Chiropractic techniques that work so well with the spine can be applied to other joints of the body too. Virtually every joint in the body is susceptible to fixations and irregular movement patterns that can impair function and range of motion. Trauma, micro-traumas, vibrations and repetitive motions are often culprits.

Shoulders, hip problems, knees, ankles and even the jaw problems have been shown to respond to chiropractic care. Find out before resorting to to more drastic treatments such as surgery!

Chiropractic First

It just makes sense to take the more conservative approach first: chiropractic first, drugs second and surgery last! Schedule a complimentary consultation and to find out what many others already know, Chiropractic Works!  Call 970-491-9191 today.

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You may have never heard of “Text Neck” or “Blackberry Thumb” but what about hyperkyphosis or an upper cross syndrome.  They are becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society and may be shortening your life.

When you’re using your phone your head goes forward and stays in that position for an extended period of time.  Biomechanically this causes your shoulders to roll forward and your mid back to round (hyperkyphosis) creating an upper cross syndrome.

This posture affects the space available for your heart and lungs reducing making them work harder.  Which causes you to take shallower breaths limiting the oxygen you breath in changing the chemistry in your body.

Even small amounts of hyperkyphosis in older individuals has been shown to increase risk of mortality rates by 1.44 times which is equivalent to being obese.[i],[ii]

“Text Neck” is a recognized 21^st century syndrome and is caused by increased stress and muscle spasms in the neck and shoulders.  Excessive texting has also been associated with:  insomnia, burn out, tendonitis of the thumb, and increased stress.[iii]

Posture has been a long overlooked in our society, and research continues to pour out telling us how important it is.   I’m not telling you to throw your phone away, just be “smart” with it.  Don’t spend hours a day on your phone.  Sit up straight, take a break after five minutes of texting, hold you phone up instead of texting in your lap, and don’t text in bed, and of course visit your favorite Fort Collins Chiropractor!

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Could an apple a day really keep the doctor away?  Maybe, but that apple may be covered in pesticides.

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables are irresputable, to put it simply they are good for you.  The downside to them is if they are laden with chemicals that are toxic to your nervous system.  Producers use these chemicals to keep the bugs away or to produce better yields.  Today I wanted to talk about the pesticides and how to avoid them when shopping.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) “Picking five servings of fruits and vegetables from the 12 most contaminated would cause you to consume an average of 14 different pesticides a day,”   They compiled this data from the USDA pesticide data program in which food samples that were ready to be eaten were used, which means they were washed or peeled before testing.

I don’t know if you have kids, but mine love to eat apples over just about every other fruit. Year in and year out the highest levels of chemicals are found in apples and celery and if you are looking for a place to start that would be it.

On the flip side choosing fruits and vegetables from the “Clean 15” list is a great way to limit chemicals in your produce selection.  According to EWG eating foods from the “Clean 15” list will slash the pesticide volume by more than 90%!  A few of the produce items in this list include onions, sweet corn, pineapples and avocado.

With the price of organic being higher than their pesticide laden counter parts, These lists is where should you start.  You can download a handy shopper’s guide that is put out by the Environmental Working Group that will make it easier to see what items are most important to choose organic when you are out shopping.

Dr. Mathew Ullom is a Chiropractor in Fort Collins who is concerned for the health of his community, spending much of his time trying to educated individuals on how to live healthier lives.  If you would like to schedule a free consultation to discuss your health concerns, call 970-491-9191..