Unfortunately, it may not be possible to remove the stress from a busy life. However, with the help of your chiropractic doctor, you can respond better to the unique challenges you face. Doctors of Chiropractic are experts at finding areas where stress has accumulated in your body. Your spine and nerves are a major focus of a chiropractic examination. Finding the "weak links" in your spine (the major communication pathway of your nervous system) and helping restore better function, can make a profound difference in your response to stress. Similar to exercise, chiropractic adjustments can help restore motion to spinal joints and reduce tension in the nervous system, improving your ability to tolerate and adapt to the stresses of modern life.
Call Dr. Larson today @ 941-954-3700 to schedule a complete and thorough evaluation, and learn how you can erase the devastating symptoms and effects of modern day stress.
Headaches
There are many types of headaches each with various triggers and causes. A frequent and overlooked cause of headaches is the malfunction of spinal bones in the neck and upper back. When the bones of the spine in this region lose their normal position or motion, sensitive nerves and blood vessels to the head can be affected. When spinal nerves and related tissues are stretched or irritated, they can produce throbbing headaches. Aspirin and medications may cover up these warnings signs, but they do not correct the underlying structural cause. Fortunately, many people experience correction of their problem and relief of their symptoms through chiropractic care.
Specific chiropractic adjustments can help correct spinal joint dysfunction created by the various chemical, emotional and physical stresses in our lives. If a thorough examination reveals reduced range of motion, loss of normal spinal curves, or mechanical restrictions, then chiropractic care should be considered. After a complete explanation, you’ll receive a care program designed for your unique spinal problem.
Many patients report headache relief after just a few adjustments. Others find that the correction of their condition takes longer because their spinal problem has existed undetected for many years. Every patient responds differently. Benefit from the drug-free results millions have enjoyed by consulting Doctor Lars Eric Larson. Call to schedule a thorough examination. GET STARTED TODAY!
Neck Pain
Reducing Symptoms - Correcting The Cause
A popular response to neck pain is taking drugs to mask the problem (aspirin, Advil, pain killers) or treating its symptoms (muscle relaxants, massage, hot packs). But, neck pain is not caused by a lack of aspirin or drugs in your system! The chiropractic approach to neck pain is to locate its underlying cause. This begins with a complete case history and thorough examination. Special attention is given to the structure and function of the spine, and its affect on the nervous system.
Are the proper spinal curves present? Are the nerve openings between each pair of spinal bones free and clear? Is the head balanced? Are the shoulders level? These and other considerations are used to create a plan of specific chiropractic adjustments to help improve the motion and position of spinal vertebrae. With improved structure and function, neck pain often diminishes or totally disappears - without addictive drugs or harmful side effects!
One study, published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that patients who received chiropractic care reported significant improvement in their neck function and a reduction in their neck pain whereas those taking painkillers did not.
A Common Health Complaint
Is it hard to look over shoulder? Do you feel a constant achy sensation or throbbing pain in your neck? Do you notice a "grinding" sound as you turn your head? Don't suffer needlessly! Contact Doctor Larson immediately for a thorough history and examination.
The Chiropractic Lifestyle
Chiropractors are experts in the care of the bones, nerves, muscles and connective tissues that make up about 60% of your body. All of the joints in your body are part of this musculo-skeletal system and its optimal function is necessary for overall good health. Ask Dr. Larson for more information about a care program that may include specific spinal adjustments, exercise recommendations, nutritional advice or other conservative methods of care based on your health history, age, current symptoms and lifestyle. Call 941-954-3700 today!
Back Pain
Low back pain results in millions of dollars of lost workdays and untold suffering around the country. Many factors can be responsible for low back pain. Improper sitting or lifting, overexertion, trauma, or inherited spinal abnormalities may contribute to the cause. Many of the pain-sensing nerves of the spine are in the facet joints, the two interlocking “fingers” at the back of each spinal bone. The normally smooth surfaces on which these joints glide, can become rough, irritated, and inflamed. In addition, spinal bones may misalign and interfere with spinal nerves causing certain areas of the body to lose proper function.
The chiropractic approach is to help restore a more normal motion and position of affected spinal bones with specific chiropractic adjustments. The simplicity and success of this approach had been documented in numerous research projects and has helped many patients avoid risky surgery. Many research projects show conservative chiropractic care is safer and often more effective than back surgery, and more effective than any other methods of care.
Chiropractors are experts in the care of the bones, nerves, muscles and connective tissues that make up about 60% of your body. All of the joints in your body are part of the musculo-skeletal system. Its optimal function is necessary for overall good health. Ask Dr. Larson for more information about a care program that may include specific spinal adjustments, exercises recommendations, nutritional advice or other conservative methods of care based on your health history, age, current condition and lifestyle.
Find out if your health concern is a chiropractic case, and enjoy the positive results that millions of patients have already discovered. Get started today! Call 941-954-3700.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Traditionally thinking, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be caused by the cumulative damage of repetitive wrist and hand motions. Symptoms may include pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or a loss of strength in the hands. The carpal “tunnel” refers to the space created by the bones in the wrist. A spinal nerve, tendons, and blood vessels pass through this opening. If one or more of the bones forming this tunnel should “collapse”, then inflammation, nerve pressure, and painful symptoms can result.
However, the nerve, which supplies your hand with information, starts at the spinal bones in the lower neck. When these spinal bones lose their normal motion or position, they too can cause problems and symptoms in the fingers and wrist. In addition, bones or muscles in the shoulder, elbow or forearm may entrap this nerve, called the median nerve. Thus, carpal tunnel syndrome may not be “just” a wrist problem.
Doctors of chiropractic are trained to find and correct the problem at any of these crucial junctions. Specific chiropractic adjustments can help return malfunctioning joints to normal motion and position. When this occurs, nagging symptoms are resolved.
If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms, then schedule an appointment for a thorough evaluation and examination today. Dr. Larson has had tremendous success helping patients with this condition. Call today!
Sciatica
An all too common health complaint
The sciatica nerves are the largest (and longest) nerves of the body, typically the size of your thumb in diameter. Each of the two sciatica nerves is formed by four or five nerves branching off each side of the spinal cord and running down the back of each leg. When these nerves are irritated or affected by the inflammation of nearby soft tissues, doctors refer to this as sciatica. The result can be an intense pain shooting down either or both legs. Specifically, pain is caused when the sciatica nerve roots are irritated, twisted, stretched or pinched as they exit the spine. One of the most common causes of sciatic leg pain is the Vertebral Subluxation. This occurs when spinal bones lose their proper motion and alignment. A bulging or herniation of the soft pulpy discs, which separate each spinal bone, can accompany it.
This impairment usually involves some type of acute physical stress such as improper lifting, but could also start with the inactivity of a seated job or poor posture. The emotional stress of everyday living and chemical stress from a poor diet or too many medications may aggravate this condition. A full-blown sciatic flare-up can involve the entire sciatic nerve path resulting in symptoms of lower back pain, burning, cramping or numbness that radiates into the thighs, legs, ankles, feet and toes. The pain produced by sciatica may also be limited to various points along the nerve, such as the buttocks, knees and lower leg.
In the past, treatment has involved pain medications, muscle relaxants, physical therapy, and even surgery. The most conservative and effective approach involves chiropractic adjustments to the spine. Doctors of chiropractic are trained intensely over several years to correct the underlying cause of sciatica. They use carefully directed and controlled pressure to remove the interference from spinal structures. These specific techniques, called chiropractic adjustments, have helped countless individuals by reducing nerve irritation and its associated pain.
Sciatica, like other health problems that can be traced to the spine, often responds dramatically to the restoration of normal spinal function through conservative chiropractic care. Research shows that when treated with chiropractic adjustments, sciatica cases have an 8-9% greater rate of recovery than if patients were to use therapy or standard medical care. Doctor Larson has had great success treating individuals with this painful condition. Call today to schedule a thorough examination. Don’t suffer needlessly. Call 941-954-3700 today!
Children & Subluxation?
A subluxation is a loss of normal alignment or position in a spinal bone, which causes the associated nerve to become irritated. If your child’s body is stressed, physically, chemically, or emotionally, then subluxations may occur. This in turn causes a disturbance in nervous system function. This loss of normal spinal function and accompanying neurological disturbance, are together called spinal subluxation. Some common examples which cause subluxation include falls and sports injuries. Less obvious causes are too many medications or emotional stress from school. Subluxations result in the impairment of your child’s nervous system to accurately receive, process and respond appropriately to changes taking place within her body or her environment.
When should children have their first chiropractic check-up?
One of the most physically, chemically and emotionally demanding events in life is birth. Because the birth process is unavoidably stressful, newborns are particularly susceptible to becoming subluxated during the birth process. This type of injury, however, may not be immediately obvious. If a subluxation is left uncorrected, then it may not become apparent for many years. To ensure your children get the right start in life, they should be checked by a chiropractor as a normal part of post-natal care. This will facilitate their optimum growth and development. If your older children have not had a chiropractic check-up, the sooner they are examined by a chiropractor the better. It has been shown that negative patterns, if laid down early in life, may persist and limit a child’s future growth on a number of levels throughout their lifetime. The sooner subluxations are detected and corrected, the sooner your child can begin taking advantage of their own full potential. Call Dr. Larson today @ 941-954-3700 to schedule a thorough examination for your child.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine that often begins in childhood, when the bones of the spine are still growing. In many cases, the exact cause of scoliosis is unknown. Scoliosis can be detected by observing uneven shoulder heights, a loss of structural balance, or a change in posture. Typically, spinal x-rays are taken to determine the full nature of the condition.
Unfortunately, the most common treatment approach has been to wait and see how bad it gets, resorting to unsightly braces, or eventually surgery if it progresses too far. The chiropractic approach is different. Doctors of chiropractic use specific spinal adjustments that are often combined with corrective exercises. If detected early enough, chiropractic doctors have had excellent success with scoliosis cases.
Early detection and correction through chiropractic care is vital for optimum results. Do you know someone who could benefit from a chiropractic examination? Call Dr. Larson today @ 941-954-3700 to schedule a thorough examination.
Arm & Shoulder Pain
The joints in your body can lose their normal motion and position leading to symptoms of pain, swelling, and loss of function. Many people are surprised to learn that joint pain in the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, ankle, or knee can often be helped by chiropractic care.
When joint function is impaired, there is reduced range of motion, inflammation, calcium buildup, and scar tissue.
This can be caused from repetitive motions, improper sitting, overexertion, slips, falls, accidents, and other causes. Awareness of these types of problems has become more common with terms like “tennis elbow”, runner’s knee”, “frozen shoulder”, and “carpal tunnel syndrome.”
The traditional treatment of these problems can involve splinting the joint to reduce movement, pain medications, muscle relaxants, steroid injections, and even surgery.
Today a more common sense approach is being taken. Joint mobilization, like chiropractic care for the spine, is being used in the care of elbows, wrists, and other joints of the body. Helping to restore normal range of motion to joints that have become “locked-up”, “jammed”, or injured, leads to improved blood circulation, reduced scar tissue, and a speedy healing process.
Doctors of Chiropractic are uniquely trained to detect and help restore proper joint function of the spine and the extremities. Find out if you can be helped, by arranging for a consultation and thorough examination. Call Dr. Larson today @ 941-954-3700!
Sleep Problems
Sleep is one of the most important periods of the day for your brain. A healthy and restful sleep is important each and every night. Does it take you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep? Do you wake frequently throughout the night or too early in the morning and then have a hard time going back to sleep? Do you feel groggy and lethargic during the day after a night’s rest?
If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then you may be suffering from sleep debt. This can substantially affect your health and your life. Sleep is not merely a break from our busy routines. Sleep is essential for good health, proper mental and emotional functioning and ultimately our safety.
Insufficient sleep may result in reduced productivity and concentration, impaired memory, decreased learning and logical reasoning abilities. It can also lead to an increase in feelings of stress, which may cause difficulties in all areas of life. There is mounting evidence that long-term sleep debt may be a factor in managing the conditions of diabetes, obesity and a weakened immune system. A National Sleep Foundation poll found that 60% of American adults routinely experience sleep problems.
Although everyone’s individual sleep needs may vary, most healthy adults need an average of eight hours of sleep each night. However, the quality of sleep is usually more important than the quantity of sleep. Getting proper sleep without interruptions from your environment or internal factors will help maintain your body’s natural sleep pattern and result in more restful and restorative sleep.
Doctors of chiropractic have helped countless individuals restore normal sleep patterns by correcting subluxations in the spine. Subluxations of the spinal bones are misalignments that result in nerve interference. When the spinal bones lose their normal position and proper motion, nerves can be twisted or stretched. Since your nervous system controls all body function, it is imperative for normal sleep patterns to have a nervous system that is working properly. Dr. Larson is an expert at detecting and correcting subluxations. Call today to schedule a thorough examination!
Orthotics
Are For Everyone
Q: What are Orthotics?
A: Sole Supports Orthotics are a style of flexible, custom-made foot arch supports which are worn in shoes. Orthotics from Sole Supports are scientifically designed for the individual's unique postural problems, provide custom support for the three arches of your feet, and help improve total body wellness.
Q:What do they do?
A: Orthotics help your feet maintain their structural and functional balance. Your feet are the foundation of your body, and they serve you in three important ways: they support your body whenever you stand, walk or run; they assist you in moving from one place to another; and they help protect your spine, bones, and soft tissues from damaging shock stress as you move. Any weakness or unstable positioning in your feet can, over time, contribute to postural problems in the rest of your body. Sole Supports Orthotics help to keep your arches in a stable position throughout the day.
Q:Why do I need Sole Supports Orthotics? What's wrong with a pair of those off-the-rack shoe inserts I've seen in my local drugstore?
A: No one else's feet are exactly like yours. If your feet are contributing to a postural problem in another part of your body (or if your body is putting stress on your feet), your chiropractor will need to perform corrective adjustments. Each pair of custom-made, flexible Orthotics is created for the individual, supports all three arches of your feet, and is designed specifically to help your doctor's adjustments "hold" better. "Off-the-rack" shoe inserts are "mass produced" and cannot provide the specific level of support you need to keep your feet and arches in their proper structural positions.
Click here to find out if Orthotics are right for you
Posture
What People Want to Know About Posture
Q: How do postural distortions get started?
A: Your posture is a window into your spine and nervous system. It reveals how we adapt to stress. Common examples include uncorrected physical stress from the birth process, childhood sport injuries, automobile accidents and even unresolved emotional pressures. As a result of these and other stressors, our bodies assume a defensive, protective posture.
Q: What are the early signs of postural problems?
A: During our examination we look for the head tilting to one side, forward head position, a lowered shoulder or a hip that has improperly rotated. We also look at the way you walk, unusual shoe wear or a leg that appears contracted (shorter). We encourage parents to have their children evaluated so these same issues can be resolved at an early age.
Q: Are arthritis and posture related?
A: Yes, arthritis (spinal decay) can result from an abnormal, long-standing adaptation to gravity. The body deposits calcium in malfunctioning joint surfaces in an attempt to shore up or "splint" the joints. Bone spurs, and eventually fusion, can result.
Symptoms