Back pain is like death and taxes, you cannot escape the inevitable. What you can do is realize what are the underlying causes of back pain? Then do everything in your power to optimize your spine to help minimize the damage and maximize your ability to heal and then protect your spinal correction.
Why curves matter?
Up until recently many healthcare professionals (including most chiropractors) thought that the low back curve was suppose to look like a half circle or arc when looking at folks from the side. You know, looking at a person from the front they should be plumb and level. Now, from recent scientific studies the normal shape of the low back spine is elliptical in shape, with a bigger curve at the bottom (low back) that gradually slopes upward lessening the curve. Look at the picture below, the left image is normal.
Most chiropractors in West Hartford and the Hartford County are what I consider traditional chiropractors focus on three objectives, they are to improve your range of motion, decrease spasm, and decrease pain. This is what MOST chiropractors offer in the way of care, and I believe that most of these folks do a great job at what they do.
New way to look at the spine for low back pain relief.
Unlike traditional chiropractors, here at #Advanced Chiropractic, we focus on Structural Correction of the spine by utilizing gentle specific spinal corrections, structural remodeling tables, and complementary recommendations to correct Structural Shifts of the spine.
Normals are critical to understanding abnormal.
We all realize that there is a normal range for blood sugar (just ask any diabetic), normal range for blood pressure and even a normal range for body temperature. If you are outside these normal ranges this indicates a PROBLEM that needs attention. Many folks do not realize this is exactly the case for your spine, the underlying structure of your body does in FACT have a normal range. And when your spine is outside this normal range this leads to Secondary Conditions as low back pain.
How does an abnormal curve of the low back cause low back pain?
Think of the spinal bones (vertebrae) as Lego's stacked neatly on top of each other - STABLE. Non think of Lego's unevenly stacked - UNSTABLE. Your spinal bones must be in the normal range if not, just like the uneven stacked legos your spine will be unstable. This means your spine will not be able to tolerate the continuous harsh forces on your discs, your muscles and of course ligaments and nerves. This leads to damaged, degenerated discs, muscle tension and spasm, and of course pain. This is a structural problem.
What we look for at Advanced Chiropractic?
There are four signs that are clear indicators of a Structural Shift. These indicators are not related to age, or genetics. They are a result of physical trauma (repetitive or cumulative), chemical stress (trans fats, additives, chemicals), and un managed emotional stress and have disrupted the normal function of the spine. They include; 1.) Anterior Head Syndrome 2.) Degenerated/Damaged Vertebrae 3.) Nerve Impingement Syndrome 4.) Degenerated/Damaged Disc.
What is commonly done for low back pain?
First for most people is usually prescription medications. If this does not work out then physical therapy (which they do the same as traditional chiropractic). If that does not work out, then injections to numb the pain. In many cases when those other treatments do not work out, more evasive procedures are used.
Our approach?
As I mentioned, here at Advanced Chiropractic, we focus on the structural correction of your spine. We do this by utilizing specific gentle structural corrections, structural rehab and complementary recommendations. Our goal is to direct your spine to what's considered normal. By doing so, this will relieve pressure on the discs, which subsequently will relieve pressure on the nerves, thus relieving your low back pain.
Most folks who have acute and chronic low back pain have a low back curve outside normal range, when we enhance your curve to what's considered normal this will take the pressure off your discs. When the pressure is off - this gives your body the chance to heal properly. Healing properly is important to prevent recurring back pain. If your pain is recurring you did not heal properly.
For additional information, or to schedule for a Free Consultation call 860.523.5465
Have a GREAT Day
ADVANCED CHIROPRACTIC of West Hartford
Dr. Chris Chase - Certified Structural Correction Chiropractor, Dr.
Chris is the only Structural Chiropractor in West Hartford, and
surrounding communities. ADVANCED CHIROPRACTIC is a company that offers
Structural Correction services for women, children and men - which is
different from traditional chiropractors (not better BUT significantly
different).
Dr. Chris Chase is known for his directive focus to patient care and comprehensive approach to better health.
For additional information, you may inquire at: 860-523-5465
At Advanced Chiropractic we can say for sure this, "Bad Posture is not ONLY muscle imbalance or a need to strengthen your core as many trainers in West Hartford preach". Yes, you will improve posture when you strength train properly and this will not change the structure of your spine at all.
The key is to combine Structural Correction (enhancing the spine and its ligament connections to normal range) and Strength Training (cross-fit, boot-camps, personal training or conventional gyms).
To many personal trainers and conventional chiropractors believe that folks just need one or the other, as a Structural Chiropractor (the only one in West Hartford and the Farmington Valley) I am here to make a strong declarative statement that is not ambiguous, "You need Structural Correction with Complementary Recommendations and Strength Training".
If you don't have both you will always have half the solution and therefore half the results, incomplete and this will cause you chronic recurring back pain to rear it's ugly head over and over again. This causes you to jump from one temporary solution to the next temporary solution, until drastic measures are necessary, because the "once in a while" back or neck pain has turned into debilitating pain requiring surgery.
Conventional chiropractors work to relieve pain, get you moving better and decrease muscle spasm and do a fine job, just like physical therapists. Personal trainers work to improve strength, stability and cardiovascular improvement, all worth while and necessary.
Structural Correction is a branch of chiropractic that focuses on bringing your spine back to within normal range to correct Secondary Conditions as; Poor Posture, back pain, neck pain, headaches. It's easy to understand, Structural Correction focuses on the ligaments and normal structure of the vertebrae (spine).
For example, think of your houses foundation, if the foundation is off a few inches, what do you think the Secondary Conditions that would be a result of an abnormal foundation? Cracks in the dry wall, squeaky floors, window and doors not opening properly - of course. Now, some would put a patch on the dry wall, a nail in the floors and wd-40 on the window frames, yet you and I know that the underlying problem is the foundation and the abnormal frame work.
What would you do?
Fix the foundation or do the temporary patch up jobs?
Most reasonable people would fix the underlying problem, the foundation - this is Structural Chiropractic in a nutshell. Correction vs. Temporary Patch.
Personal Trainers, Physical Therapist and Conventional Chiropractors are not concerned with bringing your spine back to with in normal range, it's just not their focus.
Structural Correction has one focus correct your spine back to within normal range to help relieve, improve Secondary Conditions, such as low back pain, neck pain, arm pain, sciatica, and headaches including Migraines. And then teach you how to protect your spine once it's corrected.
How do I correct an abnormal spine?
We use specific spinal correction utilizing two different instruments, Structural Rehabilitation with our Remodeling tables and Complementary Recommendations for you to do the other 23 hours of the day you are not in our office. Our focus eliminates the need for aggressive spinal manipulations, having you come in "forever" and we are not good at a "jack of all trades practice" that is why we only focus on Structural Correction.
Mention this blog post for a complimentary consultation, which is a conversation not a commitment and $75 Off Our Complete Structural Corrective Chiropractic Examination, which includes a full series of Structural Corrective Radiography's with Spinal Analysis, Digital Photographic Structural Correction Assessment, Laser Guided In-fared Heat Analysis and Chiropractic, Orthopedic & Neurological Tests with a customized written report, which also includes first day service with Structural Rehabilitation if necessary.
Have a GREAT Day!
About Dr. Chris...
Dr. Chris Chase is a Chiropractor that focuses on the Structural Correction of the spine at his practice Advanced Chiropractic, located in West Hartford,CT.
In contrast to traditional chiropractors whose goal is to provide
temporary relief of pain, Dr. Chase's goal is to shift the underlying
framework of the body back to the stability of what all healthcare
professionals agree is normal.
Dr. Chase can be reached at 860.523.5465
and www.advancedwesthartford.com or www.facebook.com/advancedwesthartford1
I work with many Dentists in West Hartford. Some Dentists (not all) realize,
when it comes to TMD (Temporal Mandibular Disorder aka TMJ) that there
is a Primary Condition which they know is occurring in the neck.
These
Dentist call me in (Structural Chiropractor – a branch off of
chiropractic that is different from traditional chiropractor) to assist
in addressing the Primary Structural Condition in the spine.
This Primary Structural Condition is called, A.H.S or Anterior Head
Syndrome and has a primary role in TMD.
You see when the spine,
specifically the upper portion of your neck has abnormally shifted
anterior or forward more than an inch – this produces harsh forces on
the muscles of the neck and jaw. Your Jaw, has a very specific
alignment, just like your neck and when these joints are outside normal
range Secondary Conditions show their ugly head, such as TMD, pain,
headaches,grinding, poor sleep, poor posture, etc.
Common approaches for TMD are:
- pain medications
- muscle relaxers
- dental orthotic
- tens unit
- Dental surgery
What our solution entails, is correcting the abnormal positioning of
the spine back to with in normal range along with a dental orthotic if
the TMD is severe enough and if it is warranted from the Dentist.
You
see, the above common approaches only get to the surface pain and NOT
the underlying Primary Structural Condition.
Our combined care reduces
or eliminates AHS (Anterior Head Syndrome) which removes the harsh
forces off the muscles of the jaw and neck, then we work with your
nerves to help them regain normal information flow to the jaw joint –
the technical name for this is neuro-muscluar-structural correction or (I know a mouth full) structural correction to keep it simple.
This is why our approach is successful when many other treatments
have failed – we look to the Primary Condition, while others (which even
when they give temporary relief) only look to treating symptoms.
Something to think about....
Every time you open your mouth your neck muscle contract or tighten.
Think about that… every time you eat, talk or yawn your neck muscles
are active.
Now, if your spine is outside normal range each time your
mouth opens this adds harsh forces of pressure onto your jaw and neck
joints, resulting in pain, headaches, etc. Structural Chiropractic care
(our care) is a smart opportunity that should be at the top of your
list of considerations if you have TMD.
If results
matter than the technique matters
Have a GREAT Day!
About Dr. Chris...
Dr. Chris Chase is a Chiropractor that focuses on the Structural Correction
of the spine at his practice Advanced Chiropractic, located in West Hartford,
CT. In
contrast to traditional chiropractors whose goal is to provide temporary relief
of pain, Dr. Chase's goal is to shift the underlying framework of the body back
to the stability of what all healthcare professionals agree is normal.
Dr. Chase can be reached at 860.523.5465
and www.advancedwesthartford.com or www.facebook.com/advancedwesthartford1
Breast augmentation is common and has many beneficial outcomes. In my
practice I have seen breast reductions just as often as I have seen
breast enhancements. What is common for both situations is a desire to
look and feel better.
So what is a Chiropractor who focuses on Structural Correction of the spine talking about breast augmentation?
Good question. Please read on.
Back
pain, as you can image for women with breasts that are considered out
of proportion with the rest of their features plays a significant role
in back pain, along with the social and mental aspects. It's much more than bad posture
especially, if the woman developed early in life (early bloomer)
compared to her class mates. This causes usually a rounded shoulder,
hunched look - in an ill attempt to "hide" her breast development (out
of fear of attention and criticism).
- How Strong Is Your Foundation? Normal is on the Left abnormal is on your right.
- Our patient post breast augmentation (breast reduction), with an abnormal structural shift of her mid back (thoracic spine).
Black LINE indicates NORMAL the RED Line is where she was and is ABNORMAL
As the old saying goes, "as the twig is bent, so grows the tree".
The young girl grows into a young women with the pronounced rounded shoulders and hunched back. This is NOT just bad posture.
These young women have changed the shape of their normal spinal
structure to outside the normal range. Even with the breast
augmentation, the abnormal spinal shift remains and detracts from the
over all ascetic of the young women form.
See the example below:
We've all seen a spine before and I'll guess the last time you have seen a spine was probably your High School Biology class.
The example to the left is a BEFORE Standing Neutral lateral radiography of the Thoracic spine - just means this is the side view of a patients mid back.
At
the top, where the number 2 or Second Thoracic vertebra is located- is
the very top of your thoracic spine (mid back), and down by the number
10 or tenth thoracic vertebra is the lower portion of the mid back.
To the right is the anterior or where your chest is, to the left is the posterior or back.
What's Normal?
Normal range for the thoracic spine (mid back) is the black line. The red dashed line is abnormal, the red arrows indicate Degenerative Disc and Joint Disease or Osteoarthritis. Notice
the disc spacing between the vertebrae (back bone) at the levels 7
& 8 & 9 - notice how thin the spacing appears.
This young female patient had moderate to sever mid back pain, and she
had moderate hunch back or granny hump appearance, which is the primary
reason she sought out our unique focus of care. Even after she had her breast reduction surgery.
How
she appeared and her health are big factors for her, much like teeth on
a child or adult when they are crooked. The Orthodontists straightens
the teeth to function better AND have a pleasing smile as well. Same
principle with our care, to Structurally Correct for Optimum Health and
to enhance your symmetry, which is ascetically desirable. The surgeons
with their skills reduced the patients breast significantly - however
the structural damage was done. The breast reduction helped tremendously
(and I recommended this procedure), yet our care enhanced the total
outcome the patient desired.
This AFTER Radiographic (X-ray) study of the same female patient AFTER her Initial Phase of Care that was customized to her needs.
- Normal
Look at the Dramatic difference. And as a bonus to the patient look at the spacing between 5 & 6 - 8, all gained height.
The patients symptoms or as I call them Secondary Conditions, the reason I use the word Secondary because they are a result of the Primary Abnormal Structural Shift of the Thoracic spine.
In
other words, her mid back was outside the normal range causing
increased pressure on her discs, stress and strain to the muscles,
ligaments and obviously the bones.
- This Primary Condition Anterior Head Syndrome, also distracts from the ascetics of our patient (the goosed neck appearance).
But
this is only half the story you see, the spine is like links in a
chain, if one link or section of links are abnormal this can effect the
other section- just look at the Radiography of the Cervical Spine or neck, which was contributing to this patients mid back pain and appearance.
As you know this is the side view BEFORE radiography of our patients cervical spine, and as you can already tell the black line is normal and the red line is abnormal.
Because
of the abnormal structural shift (Anterior Head Syndrome) of the skull
relative to our patients thoracic, or the classic goosed neck"
appearance - this causes abnormal forces or increased weight, by at least 10 pounds(the weight of a bowling ball) to primarily the neck but also the mid back. In
other words if I just looked at her mid back and not her ENTIRE spine,
then the most important piece of the puzzle would of been missed -
leading to a less than ideal out come for our patient.
What
our patients come to understand, and we realize that most patients want
the "patch up job" - yet, once they have had a few patches, they look
for something more in line with our service, which is Structural
Corrective Chiropractic Care. I'm not saying our care is better, what I will say we have a different focus that our patients appreciate.
Young
women, girls are more and more at risk because of our modern life style
(Texting, computer games), which leads to a commonly called structural
condition called Texting Neck or Anterior Head Syndrome
Our focus
is to correct this abnormal structure so you or your child can live
pain free, look their optimum and function normally. It's
easy to understand, once your spine is in the normal range, this gives
your body the chance to heal. The tension is no longer on the bones,
muscle, disc and nerves.
Think of your satellite dish on your
house and the wires that run to the box on your tv, if those wires are
interfered with - what do you think the signal would be... blurry right.
Well,
this is similar to what happened in our case above when her spine was
abnormal.... this caused interference, and the inference had
accumulated over a long period of time, resulting in Secondary Conditions, such as; Headaches, TMJ and Mid Back pain along with a dramatic disadvantageous appearance.
Our
focus is to detect and then correct abnormal structure of the spine in
girls and young women to help them function optimally and enhance their
look. We do this well and is all we do - we do
not dabble in other procedures(which is an option many (not all)of my
colleagues like to offer), we focus exclusively on structural
correction.
Have a GREAT Day!
Dr. Chris and the Advanced Crew....
Advanced Chiropractic Facebook Page
Advanced Chiropractic Site
