Sciatica

What is Sciatica?
The sciatic nerve, which is made up of 5 smaller nerves that exit your low back, is the longest and largest nerve in the body. It begins at your pelvis, and passes through your hip region and buttocks, before continuing down both legs. As it moves down each leg, the sciatic nerve branches out into smaller nerves. In addition to providing feeling to both your thighs, legs, ankles and feet, the smaller branches of the sciatic nerve control many of the muscles that make up the lower legs. Sciatica, is a term that describes pain that radiates along the course of this nerve.

What causes Sciatica?
When you have sciatica, or pain down your leg, it may be a sign that you have another problem in your body, where pressure is being put on a nerve in your low back. Most commonly, the cause of nerve compression in the lower back is a herniated or bulging lumbar disc. However, sciatica can also be caused by other conditions that target the spine, such as bone spurs, narrowing of the spinal canal and nerve root compression. Other conditions, including pregnancy and tumors, can also affect the nerves in the low back and cause sciatica. Another frequently seen cause of sciatica is piriformis syndrome. The sciatic nerve passes directly under the piriformis muscle in your pelvis. When this muscle tightens up, or becomes spasmed, it can put direct pressure on the sciatic nerve. Often times in men, pain down the leg is due to the fact that men carry their wallets in their back pocket and often sit on them.

How do I know if I have sciatica?
In the majority of cases, pain that begins in your lower back and travels to your buttock and down through the back of your leg, is most characteristic of sciatica. Other symptoms that you may notice in addition to your sciatic pain are tingling, numbness and muscle weakness in the leg that is affected. The severity of the pain can vary from a mild ache to a burning, sharp sensation or even severe debilitating discomfort. At times, the discomfort may be described as an electric shock or sudden jolt of pain. Over time, sciatic pain usually intensifies and becomes more intense when you increase pressure in your body, as in coughing, sitting or sneezing.

How is Sciatica Treated?
Often times, people suffering from sciatic pain are given a combination of stretches for the piriformis muscle and get adjusted by a chiropractor. The piriformis is attached to the sacrum, so when this bone is shifted out of alignment, it puts abnormal tension on the piriformis creating the sciatic nerve pain. Great results are achieved through natural and conservative methods by treatment from a chiropractor.

Bozeman Chiropractic

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, also known as median nerve neuropathy, has become a very common occupational health condition that many people are faced with each year. It is becoming more and more popular with the increase in trends for computer use in offices around the world. Millions of people are affected by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome each year, although it doesn’t have to be a condition that you suffer from.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by the entrapment of the median nerve at the level of the carpal bones in the wrist. This pressure can be caused by a traumatic injury like falling on your wrist snowboarding, or by repetitive stresses to the wrist, including typing, hammering, and chopping. Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can range from pain in the wrist, to numbness, tingling, burning, hand weakness and loss of grip strength. Many times this condition can produce symptoms that are worse at night because you are lying down and allowing more blood flow to the area and increasing the inflammation around the median nerve.

There are, however, other conditions that may closely resemble the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which causes it to be a highly misdiagnosed condition. Conditions that may resemble this are ulnar nerve neuropathy, pronator teres syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, and cervical nerve root impingement. Your chiropractor will be able to properly diagnose this condition and to rule out other causes of the symptoms that you are having.

There are a number of ways to treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and in many cases a chiropractor can adjust the areas of problem including the cervical spine or the arm and wrist if the doctor has extremity adjusting training. These adjustments, along with physiotherapies, stretching, and rehab exercises can in most cases alleviate or eliminate your symptoms associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Come visit us at Gallatin Valley Chiropractic of Bozeman to find out what is cause of your pain might be. Our licensed chiropractor, Dr. Dustin Rising is trained in extremity adjusting and will help you on the road to a speedy recovery.

Chiropractic Bozeman

April is Foot Health Awareness Month!

Your feet are referred to as the 'foundation' for the rest of the body and are essential for movement and activity. They provide support for everything that we do, starting with standing, walking, and running. The feet also help in protecting the bones, spine, and soft tissue from extra stress when moving. The importance of having stable, well-balanced feet is key for body support and functioning. Properly balanced feet affect posture, and the body's overall performance and efficiency, which will contribute to optimal health along with chiropractic.

Many people with foot problems actually have little to no pain in their feet. The pain that they experience will instead be distributed to other areas in the body, like the back, neck, hip, and knees. If one or both of your feet are not properly balanced it can result with improper posture and therefore unnecessary stress and strain in certain areas of your body. Your chiropractor will be able to tell you if you have postural imbalances and if your problems are coming from your feet.

Foot Levelers can help balance your feet and stabilize your body. They are customized to fit your feet and shoe by taking exact measurements of the bottom of each foot by a digital scan that is available at Gallatin Valley Chiropractic of Bozeman. Your lifestyle is also taken into consideration when custom fitting your foot levelers along with age, weight, and your activity level. This is to ensure that the best is made specifically for you to support your daily lifestyle.

Come into Gallatin Valley Chiropractic of Bozeman for your FREE digital foot scan so you can get your custom made foot stablilizer ordered today, and you will benefit from better posture, reduced pain, and overall better health. When our feet are properly supported, our body is properly supported.

http://www.gallatinvalleychiropractic.com

How to decrease inflammation...NATURALLY!

A good diet can make a huge difference on how we feel. Many of us rely on medications and quick fixes to feel better. But the truth is that by encorporating foods high in nutrition and working in a regular exercise routine, there is potential to omit or decrease the amount of medications and pain killers that are currently being taken.

Inflammation is a reaction in the tissue from an injury or infection. This area of tissue can become irritated with swelling and pain. It can also result with a loss in regular and functional movement. Arthritis, joint disfunction, and soft tissue irritation are often accompanied with inflammation.

A common symptom a chiropractor often deals with is inflammation. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, reviewing your diet is a great way to start. It is going to be very beneficial to avoid foods that promote inflammation. These will include foods that are highly processed and high in saturated fats. Foods high in sodium as well as sugary processed drinks, sweets, and pastries should also be avoided.

Examples of foods that actually promote inflammation are processed lunch meats, sausages, hots dogs, many fast foods, fatty meats, sugary foods such as sweetened cereals and pastry goods.

The foods you are going to want to choose are anti-inflammatory foods. These foods not only help with controlling inflammation, but will also make you feel better and reduce your risk of other chronic diseases. Anit-inflammatory foods include a balance of healthy fats and protiens that come from lean red meats, poultry, fish, nuts, and legumes. Omega-3 fatty acids are an excellent healthy fat that can easily be added in the diet through olive oil.

Carbohydrates consumed should come mostly from fruits, vegetables, and 100% whole grains. When selecting fruits and vegetables, think color! The more color the better. Choosing deep green leafy vegetables and a variety of bright colored fruits and vegetables will optimize the health benefits they have to offer. It is suggested that five or more servings of fruits and vegetables should be consumed daily, depending on individual caloric needs. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain fiber which is why they are an excellent anti-inflammatory food. High fiber diets can be a great way of controlling inflammation. Ask your Bozeman chiropractor for more information on high fiber foods.

Choosing beverages wisely is also an important part of a healthy diet. It is best to simply eliminate all sugary juices and sodas from the diet. Drinking plety of water is very beneficial. Other beverages that are good to consume are low fat dairy milk or soy milk, tea, and 100% unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices.

In addition to a healthy diet, there a number of natural herbs and supplements that can also help with inflammation. These include; Boswellia, White Willow Bark Extract, Gingerroot, and Bromelain.

It is very important and beneficial for everyone to have a well balanced, healthy diet. If you want to learn more about implementing a healthy diet, natural supplements, and receiveing care that will help control inflammation, Dr. Dustin Rising can help you at Gallatin Valley Chiropractic of Bozeman.

Bozeman, MT Chiropractor

Living your life in pain?

If you ignore a problem in your back, it often times goes away on its own. Sometimes you can get through a episode of pain with over the counter medications and rest. So you'd think. If the underlying cause of the pain is never treated, the back problem is sure to arise again, only the next time it might be a little worse and last a while longer.

Over time, any problem in the spine is bound to return until you take the necessary action to correct the problem and actually heal. A chiropractor is a back pain specialist that will properly diagnose your condition and determine the true cause of your pain, without just covering the symptoms you are having.

Pain from sciatica, disc herniations, facet syndrome, subluxation, and spinal stenosis all involve the spine and nervous system. This pain is your body's way of communicating with you that something is wrong, and it is unnatural to allow your body to stay in pain without getting it corrected.

How can this be avoided or fixed? Simple... Visit your chiropractor to find out what the underlying cause of the pain is. A good chiropractor will be able to diagnose your condition, alleviate your pain, fix the problem, and get you spine healthy once again. And if it is not a chiropractic problem, then your doctor should refer you to someone who can help correct the problem.

Don't assume that your back will always be a problem in life, and that it is something you will just have to deal with it. Pain is unnatural, and chiropractic is the natural solution to the underlying condition causing your pain. Without proper chiropractic treatment, your back pain will not heal and often get worse and lead to more serious conditions later on in life. So don't wait, see your chiropractor today!

Chiropractor in Bozeman, MT

Headaches and Chiropractic Care

The most common type of headaches which account for nearly 90% of all headaches are known as tension headaches. These headaches are most commonly caused by subluxation of the upper neck and back, usually in combination with trigger points in those areas. When the upper neck vertebrae lose motion or are out of alignment, a small muscle called the rectus capitus posterior minor goes into spasm. The problem is that this muscle has a small tendon that attaches onto the thin, pain sensitive dura matter of the brain.
With correct chiropractic spinal adjustments, this pressure can be released and the headache can disappear. Many people have these headaches and just deal with them on a day to day basis… do not let this happen to you! Come get checked out at Gallatin Valley Chiropractic of Bozeman and get your free headache consultation, and we will let you know if we can help you with your headaches. Let us know if you have any other stories to share or if you have headache questions yourself.
http://www.gallatinvalleychiropractic.com

How to Choose the Best Chiropractor for You

There is a ton of information out on the internet and ads everywhere about good and bad chiropractors....about true chiropractic miracles and money-hungry doctors.... and about good techniques and bad.
The one thing that I have noticed in any great doctor is the TRUST and CONFIDENCE that they have in their patients. Some doctors try to sign their patients up on extensive treatment plans involving pre-paid contracts and scare tactics. This only shows the doctors lack of confidence in their own practice. It shows a lack of trust in their patients to return for care, so they have to rely on pre-paid treatments and contracts to have the patient keep coming back.
Another thing... there are a million different chiropractic techniques involving everything from spinal adjusting to cranial work and nutrition, and each and every one of these works great for certain patients.... but when doctors claim that their technique is better than others, it only devalues chiropractic overall as a profession.
So, if you are reading this and wondering where to go if you are interested in chiropractic.... then go "use and abuse" the free consultations that most doctors should be more than willing to give....in fact they should be thrilled that you are interested in talking about chiropractic with them. Try this with MULTIPLE clinics in town, until you feel the right fit with a doctor. When you think one will work for you, then sign up for an appointment, get treated, and THEN decide if you want to continue with care with that doctor. It is just like a restaurant, try the food once before you go back again! Do not sign up for any treatment plans until you are sure the doctor is right for you. Take care and keep spreading the good word of chiropractic!
http://www.gallatinvalleychiropractic.com