Oak Lawn IL Chiropractor Discusses Tension Headaches And How Chiropractic Care Can Help

September 2nd, 2010

Do you suffer from painful tension headaches? The best Oak Lawn Chiropractor, Dr. Gerald Helwig knows that life can be a pain from time to time. Sometimes the pain is caused by an accident or injury. Sometimes it can be the result of the cumulative effects of bad posture and poor gait. Sometimes it can be created by degeneration due to aging. However, many times pain, especially headache pain, can be the result of everyday stress.

Are you disabled by your tension headaches? Are you ineffective while working, or worse, forced to stay home from work? Do they keep you from enjoying your family and social life? Most individuals have experienced more than one tension headache in their life. If you are a person who has had tension headaches, the intense, dull ache in your head is familiar. Such pain is often accompanied by a sensation of tightness or pressure along the forehead or on the sides and back of the head. Sometimes, you may experience tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and once in a while you may lose your appetite or feel nauseous.

Most tension headaches are defined as mild to moderately intense, but the severity of the pain varies from one person to another, and can vary from one headache to another in the same person. Would you describe your tension headaches as occurring often? Headaches are considered chronic if they occur fifteen or more days days a month for a minimum of three months.

The good news is that chiropractic treatment can relieve your pain whether tension headaches are disabling once in a while or chronically. Whether an individual suffers from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, or headaches, Dr. Helwig has been helping the Oak Lawn Community to get out of pain for over twenty years. Just in case you didn’t know, chiropractor don’t just treat back pain. They take care of the entire musculoskeletal system!

So, if tension headaches have been holding you back from living the life you want, call Dr. Helwig, your Chiropractor in Oak Lawn, Illinois today. Don’t put up with headache pain another day!

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Could One Conversation Change What You Eat?

August 21st, 2010

via Integrative Nutrition Blog by Integrative Nutrition on 8/10/10

Many people shop labels.  Whether its high fashion or expensive cars, a label costs more; it means something to the consumer.  Food is no different.  People who care about the quality of the food they put in their body read labels.  If a label reads “high fructose corn syrup” or “trans fat” an informed consumer will bypass this product.  Whether a food has an organic label or not is also important information for today’s foodies.  If a product has the seal “USDA Organic” the consumer knows that the food was grown or prepared using organic practices and ingredients; however, the producer has paid a fee to the government to obtain that certification. 

Many small farmers cannot afford the high cost of the government’s organic label.  According to the Organic Trade Association, referenced in this article on Change.org, 92 percent of organic food sold in this country is sold by mass markets, like Wal-Mart, Costco, or grocery store chains.  By comparison, only 8 percent comes from farmers markets, co-ops, or CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture). 

Quite often the small farmers have organic growing practices; they just don’t pay for the expensive label.  How do you get this important information?  It’s easy; simply start a conversation with the person you are buying your food from.  When you visit the farmers market and you see they do not have an organic label, ask why?   Ask them about their growing practices.   Do they use pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals?  You won’t know until you ask. 

Do you only shop for products with the “USDA Organic” label?  Do local farmers in your area provide an opportunity to talk about their growing practices?  What are your conversations like?

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Repeated Concussions a Big Risk for Student-Athletes

June 15th, 2010

As a chiropractor I believe in exercise, whether it’s aerobics, bike riding, or team sports. Keeping the body active keeps the body healthy and strong. However, when it comes to sports activies, it seems that sports injuries are inevitable among young and old alike. And, though many sports injuries can be very serious, I was especially happy to see that there is a current focus on concussions among young athletes who participate in school sports. The question people are asking is: Are schools doing enough to protect their student-athletes? Do you, as a parent, feel that your child is safe when participating in sports at school?  Many parents worry that their young athletes are at risk for serious sports injuries, especially concussions. In fact, the latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health found that nearly two-thirds of parents of young athletes between the ages 12 – 17 worry that their children will get a concussion while playing school sports.

To make matters worse, researchers have found that youth athletes are more likely to sustain concussions and to take longer to recover from concussions than adults. Furthermore, if a second concussion occurs before a child’s brain recovers from the first, there is a possibility of long-term neurologic conditions.

When surveyed, most parents indicated that they would strongly support school requirements, such as:

    * If a student-athlete sustained a concussion, he or she would need to be evaluated and cleared by a doctor before returning to sports – 84 percent

    * Coaches should to receive education about the risks of concussions

    * After a concussion there should be a mandatory period of non-participation in sports

    * A certified trainer should be on-site for practices and games

High school athletic organizations, injury prevention groups and professional sports leagues have become increasingly active in promoting policies to minimize the risks of repeat concussions among young athletes. But, let’s face it, parents are in a unique position to recognize concussion signs and symptoms that occur outside of school, and to work with coaches, trainers, and other health care personnel to ensure that their child is appropriately monitored throughout his or her recovery and return to play.

Source: University of Michigan Health System

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Santa Barbara Chiropractor: ChiropracticTreatment Can Ease The Pain Of Spinal Osteoarthritis (Spondylosis)

May 26th, 2010

Santa Barbara Chiropractor

I’ve always loved the old saying, “Growing old isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.” However, it’s nothing to joke about if the aging process is creating pain in your body! As a Santa Barbara chiropractor, I treat a lot of people suffering from age-related problems that likely would not have occurred if the original cause had been treated earlier in life, particularly when it comes to musculoskeletal breakdowns. Pain in the back, neck, hips, knees, and even the feet are frequently the result of needless stresses due to poor posture, improper gait, and repetitive overuse. If we only aware years ago how our aging body would feel today, eh? However, as they say, “hindsight is 20-20.”

As you can see from the list of complaints above, there are plenty of musculoskeletal problems that can, and frequently do, take place as we get older, however painful back problems are one of the most prevalent. Back pain that is age-related is generally the result of a degenerative disorder known as Spondylosis (spine osteoarthritis).

Spinal osteoarthritis is caused by prolonged deterioration and weight-bearing pressure on the spine that, over time, damages discs, joints, and surrounding ligaments. The specific area(s) and measure of the degenerative process of spondylosis is individual, varying from person to person. The areas that are generally affected are the cervical (neck), thoriacic (mid-back), or lumbar (low back). Depending on the severity of degeneration, Spondylosis symptoms vary from person-to-person as well, and can run a spectrum from minor pain and numbness to extreme sensory loss and muscular atrophy.

Repetitive stresses negatively affect the cartilage surrounding the joints and can encourage calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae. Adjacent nerves, blood vessels, and soft tissue can be constricted by these calcific deposits, also called bone spurs. This type of compression is at the root of Spondylosis.

Regular chiropractic adjustments and overall chiropractic management is beneficial in significantly slowing the aging process of the spine whether or not you are suffering from spondylosis. Even though “you can’t un-ring a bell” or “turn back the hands of time,” but it’s never too late to give your spine the consideration it deserves. When it comes to treating the spine, chiropractors are experts! See your Santa Barbara Chiropractor today, for the health of your spine.

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Chiropractic Internet Marketing Strategy: Do it Yourself or Outsource?

May 16th, 2010

Here’s an interesting question for you to consider: Do you want to keep your chiropractic internet marketing in-house or do you want to hire a professional? There are pros and cons to both, and the answer lies in your particular situation. Let’s check out the advantages and  disadvantages of both.

Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing

  1. There is a lower monthly cost involved in using someone already employed by you.
  2. The staff knows your practice intimately.  Your staff has a good understanding of your clinic’s particular services and, therefore, is able to describe your specialties easier than those who don’t know the specifics of your particular practice.
  3. You can communicate anytime. Being in-house it is easier to set up times to have meetings or just to chat about situations on the fly.

Disadvantages of in-house chiropractic website marketing

  1. The staff may not be fully aware of what SEO (search engine optimization) is, let alone how to accomplish it. In that case, a lot of education and training will be needed to make sure SEO gets done right.
  2. The staff may be overworked. Sometimes the time it takes to do SEO can be underestimated. It is an ongoing process that can actually be a full-time job.  If a marketing manager has been told to do SEO as well as his or her full time job, obviously that person will be overworked and feel overwhelmed.
  3. Attention needs to be paid to detail. This goes together with Point #2. If the staff is overworked, they have no time to check out search engine news and keep up-to-date on how the search engines have changed the game each week and what needs to be done to implement those changes to keep your clinic internet presence up in the rankings.

Advantages of using an outside professional

  1. Chiropractic marketing companies are specialists in the field.  They have experience in working on numerous clinics and their websites and optimizing them for SEO.  They know, first hand, what works effectively and what doesn’t.
  2. There is a dedicated team at the company who will be working on your site and can give it the attention it requires.
  3. The company has a specific plan and won’t be just jumping around, going from short term tactic to short term tactic with no organized strategy and no clear way to reach your desired goals. In other words, they have an “integrated” internet marketing strategy.

Disadvantages of a chiropractic internet marketing company

  1. Let’s face it, it can get expensive, but costs vary widely from company to company. Some companies out there are charging $600-$700 a month for their services. It is definitely worth your while to shop around and research before you buy.
  2. There is usually a commitment. Most chiropractic internet marketing companies will want you to sign up for at least six months to a year.
  3. Account management can be a problem. With high turnover rates at many companies, especially the big ones, there may be a chance that you’ll get handed from account manager to account manager just when you were building a relationship of trust. You may have to start over again, maybe even have to redesign and reiterate your strategy with the new manager.

Now that you’ve taken a moment to look at the pros and cons of both keeping your internet marketing in-house or hiring a professional, the solution to SEO and your internet marketing strategy will depend on the size of your practice, the time and staffing you can devote to it, and your overall long-term goals.

Now, of course, we are a chiropractic internet marketing company that specializes in helping chiropractors with their internet presence. So, I will admit that I am a bit biased on the side of your hiring an expert to do it right. If you are thinking of hiring a company to develop and implement your internet marketing strategy, it is tremendously important for you to hire one that specializes in chiropractic clinics. Why? Because we understand the chiropractic profession intimately. Therefore, in the long run it will save you both time and money not having to explain what chiropractic is about to some general SEO company. There are several of us out there.

If you are going to go with an outside company, be sure to read the fine print. Look at the bottom of their page for a disclaimer. If they have one, read about their “typical” results. You don’t want to be fooled by outrageous claims even though such hype can be enticing. Remember, your internet marketing strategy is just one stream of new patient leads. Even though chiropractic internet marketing is fast becoming a great source for new patient leads, and even though internet marketing gets more important with every passing day,  and even though it is a crucial area in which to generate new patient leads, it is still not the only source of marketing you will need to succeed in your practice.

Whether you choose to keep your internet marketing in-house or to hire a professional, you want to be sure that the time and money you spend on SEO gets you where you want to go. A member of your staff that does your internet marketing for “free,” while squeezing those efforts in-between other tasks, may “cost” you in the long run. A professional whose sole focus is internet marketing, won’t lose sight of your goals. Internet marketing is essential to your practice, so choose your chiropractic internet path wisely.

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Helpful Practices That May Help You Avoid Hip Fractures From Falls

May 8th, 2010

It isn’t news to anyone that elderly people are more prone to bone fractures, especially of the hip. Fortunately, there are a number of preventative measures that older adults can take to help avoid bone fractures, especially from falls. As a chiropractor, I recommend a number of preventative measures to my older patients, not the least of which is for them to have regular chiropractic treatment to help to improve and maintain balance and to keep their body in good alignment. As far as I’m concerned, in addition to balance challenges and poor muscle strength, an aging body that is out of alignment is a hip condition waiting to fracture.

According to a new study by Dr. Marian Hannan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Program at the Institute for Aging Research, elderly people who eat more protein are less likely to suffer hip fractures. Why? Because consuming proteins such as meat, eggs, fish or cheese helps to build stronger muscles in the legs, which, in turn can reduce an older individual’s chances of falling.  In addition to helping to build stronger muscles, other studies have shown that protein intake can increase bone density.

For more on protein study go to: dailymail.co.uk

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Corona Chiropractor Explains How Chiropractic Treatment Can Eliminate Hip Pain

May 7th, 2010

Corona Chiropractor

Your Corona Chiropractor offers a highly successful non-surgical, drug-free approach to decreasing hip pain and often getting rid of it altogether. Hopefully, it goes without saying that surgery should be a last resort whenever possible. Therefore, before you schedule a surgery to replace that hip, ask yourself the following questions: Is it out of the question for you to get a good night’s sleep because your hip pain wakes you up in the night? When you arise in the morning, and/or when you step out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it hard at first to move your legs? Do you feel pain in one or both hips when you cross your legs or rotate or twist your hips? If so, you may have asymmetries and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing your hip pain, can lead to osteoarthritis in your hips in the future if not treated. The good news is that whether or not degenerative changes have already started, chiropractic treatment can help!

You may be getting older and it may be true that your hip joints aren’t what they used to be. Nonetheless, did you know that your hip pain (and related problems), which normally point to age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be generated by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In the majority of cases, rather than being the root cause of your pain, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is typically the consequence of a earlier injury (or injuries) to your hips.

Frequently, hip problems have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, as in the case of walking. If you “pronate” when you walk, like a duck, with your toes pointing away from your body, it is inevitable that you will develop pain in your hips as a result of the asymmetrical pressure on your hip joints as your body attempts to compensate. Thankfully, you can make changes in your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can help you to do it.

Moreover, you may have had gait changes as the result of an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical alterations create hip pain. Of course, if not corrected, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, which is the wear and tear that creates degenerative changes.

Other situations that can occasionally adversely affect the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that makes it necessary for you to move your body in atypical ways. Also, ferrying a child (or grandchild) on one hip can cause hip pain. Even the way you sit or driving for long periods of time on a routine basis can cause hip injury and pain.

Isn’t it good to know that not every pain is caused by “old age,” although we may suffer from more pain due to the progressive capacity of untreated injuries.

In addition to your adjustments, as an integral part of your chiropractic management, your Corona Chiropractor will suggest individualized rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also evaluate your gait and may offer simple pattern changes.

Your hip pain won’t disappear on its own. Hip pain means that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If put off, more than likely that you will eventually require that hip replacement surgery. So, don’t wait until it’s too late. Your chiropractor in Corona can eliminate your hip pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!

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Not All Carbohydrates Are Equal

May 1st, 2010

As a chiropractor who works with athletes, both young and old, and one who preaches a healthy diet in addition to regular chiropractic care, I am often asked by my more active patients about “fuel foods,” especially before a big high school football game or prior to a weekend warrior event. The most frequently asked question is: Are carbohydrates the best source to “fuel my sport”? And, my answer is “yes and no.” If you play sports, it’s important for you to know that even though carbohydrates burn off quickly, and are generally the best source of energy (and I recommend them highly), other factors come into play when the body is under the “stress” of the game. And, while pasta, energy bars, fruits, breads, yogurt, potatoes, cereals, and milk may all be great energy foods to eat before your sport, you should also include high sources of protein, including meat and peanut butter. Why? Because even though carbohydrates give you energy, proteins rebuild your cells and help you to maintain your muscle mass. 

Another important thing to remember is that not all carbohydrates are equal. And while healthy fats can be an excellent source of energy during your sport, it isn’t wise before the game to eat fats that digest too slowly, like the fats contained in potato chips, fried foods, doughnuts, candy bars, and other sugary foods. Not only can hard-to-digest fats cause stomach cramping, but these types of fats are hard on the body systems for many reasons.

Maintaining an active lifestyle is important to overall health. But, doing it right and not overdoing it will make a big difference in how well you perform.

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San Diego Chiropractor Asks: Could Those Extra Pounds Be Putting Your Joints on Overload?

April 28th, 2010

San Diego Chiropractor

As a Chiropractor in San Diego, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. What’s an extra pound or two? Over time, extra weight can add up to a large number of health problems from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back problems and joint degeneration. Even a few additional pounds put undue stress on organs, like the heart, not to mention on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of men and women in America are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a very significant percentage and an enormous problem (no pun intended).

Though we try to pretend otherwise, most of us know that the human body has not evolved to carry around surplus weight in the form of body fat. A mere excess of 20 or 30 pounds can, in point of fact, overload and encumber the joints and muscles of the body. Added weight in the tummy, for instance, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This shift puts pressure on the joints of the low back. Painful inflammation results as this joint compression restricts nerve activity. Most men and women who are overweightsuffer from low back pain caused by  a compressed sciatic nerve or spinal misalignments that constrict nerves as a consequence of weight-bearing stresses. If left untreated, misaligned vertebra generally create new arthritic changes in the spine over time, as well as persist in irritating the degenerative changes that have already taken place.

Here are the ways in which chiropractic treatment can help. Perhaps, it should go without saying that a “normal” body weight is necessary in order for the musculoskeletal system to act and respond in the way it is meant to. Chiropractic treatment can not only relieve pain generated by excess weight compensation, but it can aid in weight reduction. Here’s how. Chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the vertebral column and assist in getting mobility back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, especially in the low back, hips, and knees. And, obviously exercise and physical activity is a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the spine is in alignment and the joints have good motion. Not only will exercise help with weight reduction, but it can actually reduce degenerative changes as we age.

Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can talk to you about your diet and exercise options. In addition to caring for men and women suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors offer qualified advice on the kinds of lifestyle corrections that can help you to stay healthier, more energetic, and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be unavoidable. The structure of the human body is intended to carry a person through an entire lifetime of pain-free movement.

So, if you’ve been thinking that a few extra pounds won’t hurt, think again! As your chiropractor in San Diego, and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I’d like to help you to make healthier choices. Make an appointment today!

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If You’re a Woman, Take a Walk!

April 21st, 2010
As a chiropractor, I recommend daily exercise to all of my patients.Regular moderate exercise improves the health of every system in the human body, including the musculoskeletal system, my specialty. Exercise helps to keep joints mobile, reduces the symptoms of arthritis, increases bone health, and improves muscle performance. In other words, exercise is essential to good health. And, because I know that most of my patients are very busy people, I always suggest that they make exercise as much a necessary part of their day as brushing their teeth or having a nutritious meal, which is to say that they don't need to put on special clothing and head for the gym to get a beneficial workout. That's why I was very interested in an article I just read in the health page of msnbc.com that described the results of a study done on women that linked a moderate activity like walking to a substantial decrease in stroke risk. In addition to walking, the study looked at vigorous activities like running, swimming and biking, but didn't find a link between those activities and the 37 percent reduction in stroke risk that walking provided.

So ladies, take a walk! Do it for your health's sake! For more information on this interesting story, click the link provided above.

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