Vertebral Subluxations

Poor posture is a leading cause of vertebral subluxations (misalignment of the spine). Vertebral subluxations cause a multitude of health problems, such as carpal tunnel, headaches, backaches, colic in infants, and ear infections. Vertebral subluxations can be corrected by chiropractic adjustments. Poor Posture can also damage soft tissue and cause added wear-and-tear on your joints. Good posture, on the other hand, can strengthen the skeletal system. The damage caused by poor posture can also cause pain in other parts of your body, such as your knees.

Common Posture Problems

“Military Neck” occurs when the bones in your neck are too straight. It causes a loss in your range of motion, and can result in “forward head posture” where your neck slants forward.

“Humpback” occurs when the curvature of your spine is abnormal. Exaggerations of normal thoracic (chest) curvature can put you at an “increased risk of chronic respiratory failure.” (Chest 1991;99:663). Even slight curves or humpbacks can wreak havoc on the spine and your overall health.

“Swayback” (or lordosis) is an abnormal forward curvature of the spine that creates a “shelf” appearance over the buttocks. It is associated with poor posture, osteoarthritis, neuromuscular problems, back surgery & hip disorders.

“Flatback” Syndrome is often congenital and is associated with adult degenerative scoliosis. It can also be caused by surgical fusion of the spine. With flatback syndrome, vertebral discs in the lower spine are pushed outward. This reduces the natural curve of the back and makes it appear flat.

Sitting Pretty

Reading with your head jutting forward strains your upper back, shoulders and neck. Over time, this leads to a straightening of your spine’s natural curve. This can dramatically increase your head and neck pain. Instead, keep your head aligned with your shoulders and keep the middle of your back fairly straight. Also, keep your feet flat on the floor and choose a chair that supports your back. Take stretch breaks and drink plenty of water.

Smart Standing

For good posture, stand with your weight evenly distributed but don’t lock your knees. If you’re standing for an extended period of time, make sure to rest often, and stand on a mat if possible.

Walking Well

While walking, start out straight and tall. Leaning forward or arching your back strains your muscles and spine. Too long of a stride can cause your body to lean back and put strain on your lumbar region.

Weight Matters

Obese patients are at a disadvantage when it comes to posture. Excess weight pulls you forward and misaligns your spine, compromising vertebrae in your lower back.

Check your Posture

Try to make good posture a priority. Ask Dr. FJ or Dr. Korie to teach you a simple posture check that you can perform. Practicing this posture check once a week will allow you to keep tabs on your posture and the alignment of your spine before it becomes a problem.

Gardner Schofield Chiropractic

Vitamin B12 serves an important part in maintaining strong nerves. It also helps in the production of red blood cells and plays a vital role in developing energy from protein, carbohydrates and fats. Your chiropractor knows the benefits of keeping your nerves healthy and free of subluxations.

How can I get more B12?

Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Another source is breakfast cereals that have been fortified with B12.

Specific foods that contain a good supply of this vitamin include:

- Mollusks                      - Clams

- Haddock                      - White tuna

- Rainbow trout            – Beef

- Milk                              - Eggs

If you’re not getting enough B12 or are having trouble absorbing it, you may notice symptoms such as fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite. Depression, memory loss, dementia and balance problems may also emerge because of low B12 levels. B12 can also lead to anemia, which results when your body doesn’t have an ample supply of red blood cells.  Red Blood cells supply your organs with oxygen, so a lack of B12 can lead to oxygen deficient organs.

Do you need a B12 supplement?

The people most at risk for a vitamin B12 deficiency are:

-       Strict vegetarians

-       People with stomach and intestinal problems

-       People over the age of 50

Pregnant or Breastfeeding?

Deficiencies in this vitamin are rare in most moms and moms-to-be. However, the fetus or infant who does not receive enough B12 can suffer serious and often irreversible neurological damage. It’s best to be proactive and talk to your chiropractor about getting the amount of B12 that’s right for you!

Drug-Free Approaches to Preventing Headaches

Are headaches preventing you from feeling great?

You can feel better without taking possibly hazardous medications! Here’s how:

Get Adjusted Regularly 

Much of the pain associated with headaches doesn’t stem from the head, but from the cervical spine. Headaches are often a sign of a misaligned spine. When this disorder affects the spine of the neck, it can cause chronic pain and limited mobility.

One study of over 5,000 people showed that around 40% of incidences start in the cervical spine (Wien Med Wochenschr 1994:144:102-8)

To help prevent vertebral subluxations, schedule regular adjustments with Dr. FJ or Dr. Korie.

Research shows that chiropractic adjustments slash neck pain and headaches. One study of 683 patients found that chiropractic care was as effective as prescription medication for tension headaches and migraines and more effective than massage.

Check Your Posture

Many people who suffer from headaches have a reduction, absence, or reversal of their normal cervical spinal curves. Adjustments can help improve this curve, but there are things you can do on your own as well. Ask Dr. FJ or Dr. Korie to show you how to properly hold your neck and  improve your overall posture.

Skip the Painkillers

Overusing headache medications can actually cause more headaches. These are called Medication Overuse Headaches (MOH). Research shows that both prescription and over-the-counter pain medication may instigate headaches, which actually cause you more pain. Getting adjusted regularly can prevent headaches and ease the use of pain medication.

Look Out for Other Drugs

Many medications list headaches as a possible side effect, including birth control, hormone replacement therapies, antidepressants, cold medicine, decongestants, allergy medicine, heart medication, and drugs for high blood pressure.

Overuse of certain vitamins and dietary supplements may even cause headaches, such as iron, and vitamins A and D. On the other hand, some may avert headaches, such as magnesium and B-complex vitamins.

If you think a medication may be causing you headaches, seek natural alternatives such as diet and exercise. However, do not discontinue the use of a medication without checking with the prescribing doctor.

Skip the Coffee

Although caffeine may help the symptoms of headache for some people, it can also cause drug rebound tension headaches and lead to migraines.

Prevent Eye Strain

Vision problems can cause headaches. Eye strain from the computer can lead to head pain as well.

Research shows that employees who spend at least 11 hours per week working on the computer were 50% more likely to suffer from weekly headaches, compared to those who did not use the computers. (Am J Epidemiol 1999;150:1223-8)

Limit Alcohol and Avoid Smoke

Drinking alcohol, even in moderation, can lead to headaches in some people. Red wine and beer, which contain the chemical histamine, are the worst for those who suffer from migraines.

Smoking, or even inhaling secondhand smoke, can increase the risk of headaches.

Exercise Everyday

Daily aerobic activity can prevent headaches. Exercise can also keep depression under control, which can reduce the number of headaches you get. Regular exercise is just as, and possibly more, effective than antidepressant medication for emotional depression (Psychoso Med 2000;62).

Limit VOC Exposure

Chemical fumes from gas, cleaning products, perfumes and paint can cause headaches. These materials produce VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) that can trigger headaches and allergy symptoms in some people.

Exposure to VOC’s can also increase your risk of getting cancer (Am J Ind Med 2005;48;157-67)

Get Some Sleep

If you suffer from headaches, make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Also, try to maintain a sleep schedule, where you go to sleep and wake up around the same time every day. Sleep deprivation and an inconsistent sleep schedule can increase headaches.

If you get headaches mainly in the morning, you may want to be tested for sleep apnea. Snoring is also linked with chronic headaches (Neurology 2003;60;1369-71).

Manage Anger and Stress

Holding in anger can be a major stressor, and a cause of headaches. Try to control your anger through yoga, exercise, meditation or prayer.

Dissect Your Diet

Some foods can trigger headaches and migraines. Try to avoid cheese, chocolate, and refined carbohydrates. If you’re sensitive to gluten, try to avoid wheat. Avoid processed foods, and preservatives. Sugar substitutes such as aspartame may also be linked to headaches.

Check Your Blood Pressure 

Scientists say that people with chronic headaches should be tested for high blood pressure. Severe hypertension has been associated with headaches for a long time, but newer research shows that even mild to moderate hypertension can cause headaches (Arch Intern Med 2000;160;1654-8).

Gardner Schofield Chiropractic

SCOLIOSIS  

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a lateral curvature in the spine.  The convexity of the curve usually is present in the right upper back and in the left lower back, although various curve patterns are possible. Scoliosis is clinically significant in approximately five percent of youngsters, age 10 to 14.

Scoliosis predisposes patients to back pain, headaches and other posture related disorders. In the most severe cases it can affect the functioning of organs, including the heart.

Early detection, why is it important?

Early treatment may prevent the progression of scoliosis, leading to a less severe curve and fewer related health problems. Chiropractic care, if treated early enough, may even reverse scoliosis. Also, early treatment may help prevent surgery.

Why should my child get checked by their Chiropractor?

Unlike most scoliosis checks, your Chiropractor can provide a more comprehensive spinal checkup, which is essential in detecting scoliosis in its early stages. Chiropractors spend years focusing on spinal disorders; therefore, they are thoroughly versed in the alignment of the spine.

Spreading the Word

Chiropractors like Dr. Korie and Dr. FJ are seeing growing interest in chiropractic care for children. Studies show that getting adjusted helps with lots of childhood ailments, and costs less than traditional medical care.

Safe and Gentle

 Both Dr. FJ and Dr. Korie use safe and gentle techniques to adjust children. These techniques are modified for even the smallest of patients!

Ease Their Pain

Spinal problems can begin at birth. The birthing process itself wreaks havoc on the spine. Wobbly walkers tend to tumble. Older children get out of alignment through sports activities, poor posture, and through everyday activities. Researchers estimate that 50% of children suffer from low-back pain. Luckily, chiropractic adjustments can ease their pain. Chiropractic care helps with neck pain, too.

Attack ADHD

 Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prevents children from maintaining their focus in every aspect of their lives. Preliminary research shows that chiropractic care has a “highly significant” influence on improving the symptoms of ADHD.

 End Ear Infections

 Many young children suffer from chronic ear infections. One study of 46 children ages 5 and under showed that 93% of the ear infection episodes improved by 75% in 10 days or less. 43% improved after only 1 or 2 adjustments. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1996;19:169-77)

Kick Chronic Constipation

 Misalignment can be a cause of chronic constipation. Getting adjusted can get your digestive system back on track! Taking chlorella as a supplement can also help! Ask Dr. FJ or Dr. Korie about the benefits of chlorella.

Sports-Injury Solution

Older children are often involved in sports or other physical activities. Chiropractic care not only helps heal the body faster after injury, but can also help prevent potential sports-related strains and sprains.

Set a Good Example 

Teaching your child to turn to medication only when absolutely necessary can help them to avoid potentially harmful side-effects and discover the incredible healing power of the body. Emphasize prevention rather than dependency on medication. Teach your children how to be healthy!

Gardner Schofield Chiropractic

Tea is widely known for its medicinal properties since it first sprouted 3,200 years ago in the Chinese province of Yunnan. The best known teas are green, black, white and oolong. The harvesting and processing of the tea leaves determine how a tea is classified by type. White tea and green tea leaves are steamed to stop oxidization, but they do not undergo fermenting or processing like black and oolong tea.

Is Tea as good as Veggies?

Tea contains antioxidants which are powerful molecules that help defend your body against attack from disease. Black tea and green tea have as much as ten times the amount of antioxidants than fruits and vegetables. Green tea has also shown promise in the treatment of breast cancer. It contains the antioxidant EGCG, which has been shown in research studies to help slow the progression of cancer cell growth. Green tea may also help prevent; bladder, lung, stomach and colon cancer. This powerful tea may also help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Herbal Teas

If you are looking to avoid caffeine, herbal teas are a great alternative. They usually contain a mixture of herbs, flowers, roots and similar ingredients. Most herbal teas do not actually contain tea, while containing healthful properties, most are not as high in antioxidants as a genuine tea.

Maximizing the benefits?

Health experts say you should brew tea for two to five minutes to ensure you get a good helping of antioxidants. You may want to steep fermented teas, like black and oolong, for five minutes, as these teas take longer to release their antioxidant compounds. Be cautious when adding milk or cream to your tea as they dampen its health benefits, so best to drink it clear!

10. Meditate, Reduce your Stress, Smile, Laugh, Think Positive!!

Attitude is everything!

9. Get Your Exercise

Exercise not only helps you feel better and look better, but it keeps your body running top notch and boosts your immune system.

8. Drink Lots of Water and Avoid Caffeine

Divide your body weight in half. This is the number, in ounces, of water that you should be drinking each day. (If you weigh 100 pounds, drink 50 ounces, if you weigh 200 pounds, drink 100 ounces, etc). Caffeine dehydrates you, which hampers your immune function.

7. Avoid Pain Medication

Pain medications strip your cells of glutathione, which is necessary for a healthy immune system. They can also have negative side effects such as heart attacks, strokes, liver and kidney failure and certain kinds of cancer.

6. Supplement With Quality Omega-3

Everyone needs Omega-3 every day, it’s very important to your immune system. Your body cannot produce Omega-3, you must get it through your diet. Take a quality Omega-3 supplement to keep yourself healthy. If you need help finding a quality supplement, ask Dr. Korie or Dr. FJ!

5. Get Some Zzzz’s

Your body needs sleep to regenerate and rebuild. Loss of sleep drains your immune system. Try to get 8 hours of quality sleep per night.

4. Eliminate Sugar, Sweets, Simple Carbs and Fake Sugar

These foods suppress immune function for hours after you eat them. Avoid high fructose corn syrup as well.

3. Cleanse Your System

The average person has at least 91 chemicals in their body tissues. Some people have up to 500! That’s a lot for your immune system to deal with. Your body is so busy fighting these chemicals, that it can’t fight of the cold and flu viruses. Ask Dr. FJ or Dr. Korie about taking Chlorella, it’s a great supplement to help detoxify your system.

2. Build Great Cells

Chiropractic adjustments and nutrition are two of the best natural ways to keep your immune system healthy. There is no drug more powerful than the food you eat every day. Eat fresh, organic, whole, natural foods. Avoid processed and refined “junk” food.

 1.    Get Regular Chiropractic Adjustments

Research has shown over and over again that getting adjusted has a positive impact on immune health. Your immune system is controlled and coordinated by your nerves. Making sure your spine and neurologic system are functioning well ensures that your immune system has the best chance to fight off disease.

Gardner Schofield Chiropractic

Painkillers are Problematic During Pregnancy

Medical doctors may advise expectant mothers that there is no downside to using analgesics such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen. However, new research studies show a clear connection between prenatal use of over-the-counter pain relievers and impaired fetal development. Additionally, the mother is exposed to the usual dangers posed by these drugs, including damage to liver and kidneys.

Chiropractic Care: The Natural Alternative to Pharmaceuticals

Doctors of chiropractic are spine specialists. They are able to remove nervous system interference that occurs when the spinal bones become misaligned. These vertebral subluxations, as chiropractors call them, can easily be detected and removed by means of a chiropractic adjustment, which is a gentle maneuver that realigns the spine. Chiropractic eliminates the cause of pain, making the use of dangerous drugs unnecessary.

Each Trimester Increases Maternity Back Pain

During the first trimester of your pregnancy, some muscle tension may be felt. However, it is during the second and third trimesters that the greatest stress will be placed on your spine. As the baby grows, you will gain 25 to 35 pounds, which puts pressure on the pelvis and can add up to excruciating back pain!

As a mother-to-be, you face unique challenges during the third trimester as your body prepares for the miracle of childbirth:

• The baby’s head may put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Although the pain begins in the lower back, it will radiate down one or both legs, making it difficult to maintain good posture.

• An increase in the hormone relaxin is meant to ease delivery by relaxing the pelvic joints, but the spine’s joints are also affected. This results in back pain.

• In anticipation of breastfeeding, the breasts enlarge and grow heavier. This may lead to a stooped posture resulting in headaches, as well as upper back and neck pain.

Chiropractic Allows Breech Babies to Turn

While most mothers would prefer a natural childbirth, cesarean section deliveries are on the rise. One major reason is breech presentation, which is when the baby’s feet or buttocks are still pointed toward the birth canal at the 8^th month of gestation. Historically, when the baby failed to assume a head-down position, both the baby’s and the mother’s lives were endangered.

Why do babies fail to turn? Most often, it is because of musculo-skeletal constraints within the uterus. A chiropractic adjustment called the Webster technique realigns the pelvic bones, ligaments and muscles, allowing the baby to change position as nature intended.

Self-Care to Relieve Back Pain During Pregnancy

Here are some tips to prevent back pain:

• Avoid high-heeled shoes, which exaggerate the center-of-gravity shift
• Maintain muscle tone by engaging in low-impact exercise, such as swimming or walking
• Sit in chairs that support your back
• Sleep on your side and place a pillow between your knees
• Treat yourself and your baby to regular chiropractic care

Chiropractic Adjustments Mean a More Comfortable Childbirth

The dreaded pain of delivery can be eased by means of regular chiropractic care. Vertebral and pelvic subluxations are corrected before they have a chance to cause pain. In 1991, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics published a retrospective study of 170 women, which found that chiropractic adjustments reduced the intense lower back pain typically felt during labor and allowed the study’s participants to enjoy a more pleasant birth experience.

After your precious child has arrived in the world, it is important for both of you to receive a checkup from your chiropractor. This will ensure that there were no subluxations caused by the trauma of the birth process, and get you both off to a great start together.

West Bend Chiropractors Can Help

Chiropractors Dr. F.J. Schofield and Dr. Korie Gardner have helped many pregnant patients get out of pain.

Call (262) 334-8188 to schedule a consultation at their West Bend, WI office today.

The shoulder has the distinction of being the human body’s most mobile joint, and also the most complex. It is a notoriously common site of injury, and shoulder pain is a common reason for seeing a chiropractor. Our office helps many patients with shoulder complaints.

Increased Mobility Equals Increased Risk of Injury

The shoulder’s fragility is inherent in its structure, which must combine strength and mobility. The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, with only the soft tissues of the rotator cuff (muscles, tendons and ligaments) to provide stability. By comparison, the ball and socket joint of the hip has an outer ring made of bone. That’s why people rarely dislocate a hip joint, while it’s common to hear of a dislocated shoulder.

Where Shoulder Pain Begins

Aside from cases of direct contact injury, shoulder pain usually originates in the neck. Any change to the structure of the neck causes “referred pain” in the shoulder. The cervical spine has 7 vertebrae that have a natural curve toward the front of the body. When the curve straightens due to postural issues, the condition is called forward head posture or FHP, which is the most frequent cause of shoulder pain.

FHP and Vertebral Subluxations

In chiropractic terms, the misalignment of a spinal bone is called a vertebral subluxation. Left uncorrected, the vertebrae can rub against each other, impinging nerves, destroying spinal discs, and causing FHP. When the neck supports the head (as heavy as a bowling ball) so that the weight is carried in front of the body, there is tremendous mechanical stress placed on the shoulder girdle. The shoulders begin to roll forward, which alters natural arm movement. Tendonitis and muscle spasms are the result. Eventually, what started as a simple subluxation issue progresses to a full-blown case of osteoarthritis affecting the neck, the shoulders, or both.

How a Simple Subluxation Can Cause Shoulder Problems

Between each of the vertebrae in the spine, there are small openings that allow nerves to branch off from the spinal cord, then travel along the shoulders and down the arms. Vertebral subluxations pinch the nerves where they exit the spinal cord, leading to dysfunction of the rotator cuff muscles. The shoulder girdle becomes imbalanced, leaving some muscles underused and others overused. Nervous system interference paves the way for rotator cuff tears, dislocated shoulder joints and bursitis.

Abnormal Friction Creates Bursitis

When the nerves that control the rotator cuff muscles misfire, abnormal friction within the shoulder joint is the result. Dysfunctional friction causes inflammation of the bursa, which is a small sac of synovial fluid that provides a smooth gliding surface for all the components of the joint. Standard medical treatment involves injecting steroids into the bursa, which has the negative side effect of weakening the rotator cuff soft tissues, setting the stage for further injury. Alternatively, doctors of chiropractic seek and correct the underlying cause of a health problem, rather than masking the symptoms with potentially dangerous and often ineffective drugs and compounds.

Chiropractic Care Relieves Shoulder Pain

Wisconsin chiropractors Dr. Korie Gardner and Dr. F.J. Schofield are experienced at detecting and eliminating the true source of shoulder pain. Call Gardner Schofield chiropractic at (262) 334-8188 and schedule a consultation with Dr. Korie and Dr. F.J. at their West Bend office today.

On any given day in our West Bend chiropractic office, we might see a female patient who has experienced a recurring sharp pain in her calf. Or it could be a construction worker with pain that radiates down the back of his leg. Or perhaps our patient is a senior who has no pain, but who has lost strength in one leg. As varied as these symptoms are, they all point to one condition: sciatica.

Sciatica is a Common Complaint

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It exits the base of the spinal cord and divides to travel down the back of the legs. While the pain may be felt in the legs or feet, sciatic pain begins in the lower back at the place where the sciatic nerve is impinged by a subluxation.

Vertebral Subluxation

The lower back (lumbar spine) has 5 articulating vertebrae, which can become misaligned. In chiropractic terms, this is called a vertebral subluxation. The misaligned spinal bone may impinge directly on the sciatic nerve, or it may lead to other types of spinal dysfunction. Herniated discs are one consequence and muscle spasms are another. Any of these problems may lead to irritation and inflammation of the sciatic nerve.

Sacral Subluxation

The sacrum gets its name from the Latin and Greek words for strong bone. It is situated between the pelvic bones and provides support for the spine and torso. It isn’t easy to dislodge the sacrum or its rigid sacroiliac joints. However, it does happen. Did you ever fall from a horse? Were you shaken up in a car accident? Did you slip and fall on an icy sidewalk? Or did you misjudge the distance from the curb to the street and feel a reverberating jolt travel through your bones? Any of these incidents can result in the sacrum or its joints becoming subluxated. Over time, this spinal dysfunction will be felt as pain in the sciatic nerve.

Chiropractic Relieves Sciatic Nerve Pain

Before true healing can begin, the original cause must be located and corrected. Bed rest doesn’t help relieve sciatic pain because the subluxation is still there. As soon as you stand up, the pain will begin again. The same is true with pain medications. While they may temporarily silence pain signals, as soon as the drugs wear off, the pain returns. Chiropractic corrects the spinal dysfunction that is the source of sciatic nerve pain.

West Bend Chiropractors Offering Specialized Care for Sciatica

For West Bend residents suffering from sciatica, Dr. F.J. Schofield and Dr. Korie Gardner offer care that is customized to the patient’s needs. Only chiropractors have the training required to detect and correct the underlying cause of sciatica. Once a chiropractic adjustment has been made to correct the subluxation, healing of the surrounding soft tissues can begin. In time, inflammation subsides, resulting in permanent pain relief.

Are you in the vicinity of West Bend, Wisconsin, and suffering from sciatica? Dr. F.J. and Dr. Korie are here to help. Call (262) 334-8188 to schedule a consultation today.