Archive for chiropractic
There are a number of chiropractic treatment plans the Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, offers that are highly effectual when treating the musculoskeletal system, from dealing with a particular concern to working with your overall health goals. Following a detailed examination and a discussion of your concerns, he will advise you as to which treatment plan would be most beneficial for you. As your Chiropractor in Oxnard, Dr. Bolt will offer you a number of treatment programs from which you can make a decision based on your present health problems as well as your long-term health and fitness pursuits.
It may be advantageous for you to have some understanding, in advance, regarding the various chiropractic treatment plans your Oxnard Chiropractor may provide for you.
Relief Care is a specific chiropractic approach proposed to those who are struggling with any kind of pain, ache or discomfort, regardless of the cause of the challenge. The purpose of this kind of therapy is to offer prompt pain relief. The length of the treatment phase is likely to fluctuate as the treatment depends entirely on the extent of the injury or dysfunction suffered by the individual and how fast it can be remedied.
Corrective Care is a “more advanced” form of chiropractic treatment. This is for those that have suffered with spinal issues over an extended period of time, which is to say, for those who have a persistent challenge that has developed into a more complicated condition resulting from their having delayed specific intervention. Restorative treatment invariably stretches over a longer time frame. How long treatment is needed is determined by the severity of the progressive injury and how fast the person responds to the treatment.
Maintenance Care, as the name implies, is intended to maintain or preserve any type of procedure already administered to a patient. Often, chiropractic care is extended solely after the initial treatments have been shown to be effective. The purpose of this type of chiropractic care is to avert the potential of the initial dysfunction returning and to discourage degenerative changes in the future.
wellness Care is presented to those that aren’t going through acute pain, but want to strengthen their overall health. Routine chiropractic treatment increases the movement of blood and oxygen in the body, boosts muscle flexibility, helps prevent work and play injury, and increases a person’s overall perception of well-being.
Regardless if you are currently in pain or you wish to increase your overall health, chiropractic care can help. Call Dr. Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, today!
Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, knows that trauma sustained from a fall, an auto accident, sports injury, or some other acute event can happen to both young and old, alike. However, commonly the knee challenges that most of us experience as we get older are diagnosed as “non-trauma knee problems.” In other words, our knee problems are the result of chronic dysfunction that, over time, has developed into substantial or even extreme knee pain. Chiropractors, like Dr. Bolt, treat nearly as many people with knee complaints as they do people with back pain. However, if more patients came in to see their chiropractor sooner for back care, it is less likely that they would incur knee problems in the first place. Why?
The answer is the compensatory, “chain-reaction” way in which the musculoskeletal system performs. The entire musculoskeletal system shifts and tilts in order to counterbalance an area of dysfunction. For example, pain in the patella (kneecap), also known as Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain), is frequently the result of imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that connect to and move the patella. These imbalances commonly begin in the lower back, especially in the sacroiliac joint. You may remember the old song, “…the knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone…” and so on. Chronic challenges are never isolated because we are whole, organic beings from our head to our toes, or to put it another way, we are one skeletal system from our skull to phalanges. That’s why restricted foot movements due to foot pain, will usually produce painful knee problems, and poor knee tracking will develop as the result of incorrect gait patterns such as pronation (walking like a duck with toes pointed out rather than straight ahead). And, finally, being overweight and the wearing of high heels on a regular basis will eventually create knee pain.
Chiropractic treatment can re-establish proper muscle balance, restore desired motion to the patella and other knee joints, and realign subluxations of the sacroiliac joints and bones of the foot. The tissues of the knee joint, expressly the cartilage, will continue to wear if knee problems are left untreated. If the bones start to rub on one another, bones spurs and other changes can take place.
Musculoskeletal problems, such as knee pain and degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), generally increase with age. You may have heard the saying: “Today you are younger than you will ever be.” So, don’t waste time, see Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, as soon as possible. In fact, call him today…for tomorrow’s sake!
Your Oxnard Chiropractor Warns: Don’t Let Excess Pounds Put Your Joints on Overload
Posted by: | CommentsYour Oxnard Chiropractor, Dr. Donald Bolt, treats many patients who are suffering from weight-related musculoskeletal problems. It is no secret that carrying around excess body weight, especially as we age, can cause a number of health problems from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes to back and joint pain. Extra body weight puts undue stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of American adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a very significant number and a big problem (no joke).
Excessive weight, in the form of body fat, is hard on the structure of the human body. It was not designed for the added. Only an additional 20 or 30 pounds can put the musculoskeletal system literally on overload. Weight in the belly, for instance, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This creates compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression constricts nerve activity and produces painful inflammation. Weight-bearing stresses can cause a pinched sciatic nerve or create misalignments of the spinal column that impinge nerves. This is the reason that most overweight individuals suffer from low back pain. Misaligned vertebra can not only create new arthritic changes in the spine, but can continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place over time.
How can chiropractic help? Though a healthy body weight is absolutely indispensible for the ideal performance of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractic treatment relieves nerve restrictions in the spine and helps to restore motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, like in the low back, hips, and knees. And, exercise and physical activity is a lot easier when the spine is in alignment and the joints have healthy motion. Exercise will not only help in weight reduction, but it can actually delay degenerative changes as we age.
It is always best to discuss diet and exercise with a healthcare professional, like Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard. Chiropractors not only help individuals get pain relief from back challenges and joint inflammation due to arthritis but, in addition, they offer expert advice on the type of lifestyle changes that can aid an individual in staying healthier and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility as we get older do not have to be inevitable. The human body was designed for a lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if you’ve been throwing your weight around and all you’ve been getting in return is back and joint pain, Dr. Bolt can help relieve your suffering. Make an appointment today!
Your Oxnard Chiropractor Discusses New Research On Tai Chi and Knee Osteoarthritis
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Knee X-ray
Dr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, has treated many patients suffering from knee pain and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that causes a wearing away of joint cartilage in a number of areas of the body, including the joints of the knee. Second only to spinal problems, knee pain and disability is one of the most commonplace afflictions of the musculoskeletal system. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are an astounding 4.3 million people in this country over age 60 diagnosed with knee OA, and the CDC anticipates that half of the men and women in America may incur symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a reduced quality of life.
Why do so many adults develop OA? Undue stress over a period of time is a major determinant in the majority of musculoskeletal conditions that develop as we get older. That is why as people get older they are more at risk for developing OA in their knees, as well as other joints. Improper mechanics of the knee, improper gait, compensatory foot mechanics as an offset of foot pain, and overuse of the knee joint all produce excessive stress on the knees. Consequently arthritic changes in the knee joint occur. The majority of chiropractors advise their patients to try such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, as an adjunct to their chiropractic management. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that create mental relaxation, as well as increased balance, an augmentation of strength, and more flexibility.
A new study conducted by Tufts University School of Medicine has determined that men and women 65 years and older who suffer from knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, improved their physical capability and encountered less pain.Though in good health otherwise, the 40 men and women with confirmed OA that were picked for the Tufts study were on an average 65 years of age and overweight. Individuals were randomly chosen to participate in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.
Tai Chi incorporates many of the current exercise suggestions for OA, such as range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout. Furthermore, researchers noted that the “mental component” of Tai Chi stimulated a sense of well-being, life satisfaction, and perceptions of health that assisted the participants in dealing differently with chronic pain. Significantly, the group practicing Tai Chi experienced a substantial decrease in knee pain compared with those in the control group.
Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, can help to get rid of your current knee pain. And, regular chiropractic management, coupled with a natural practice such as Tai Chi, can keep you out of pain in the years to come!
Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Oxnard Chiropractor: Breakthrough Treatment is Now Available for Fibromyalgia
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard chiropractor is happy to announce breakthrough treatment for fibromyalgia. You don’t need anyone to tell you about the wearing symptoms of fibromyalgia if you are someone who suffers from the pain caused by it. The painful symptoms can be extensive, occurring above and below the waist, and include both sides of the body. The deep aching that accompanies the condition often radiates, shoots, burns, and even gnaws at your body.
As if the acute pain and suffering from fibromyalgia weren’t enough, a surprising ninety percent of fibromyalgia sufferers also have developed chronic fatigue syndrome, and you might be one of them. It is this “double whammy” that can result in your not only suffering from pain and fatigue, but also anxiety, headaches, numbness and tingling, dizziness, sleep disturbance, swollen feeling in tissues, stiffness, sensitivity to noise and stress, and cognitive impairment.
If you are someone who experiences the distressing symptoms of one, or both, of these two pernicious conditions, you may find it impossible to take part in even the simplest activities in life, and you may even be feeling depressed and defeated. The good news is that your chiropractor can help you. Chiropractic treatment has been found to be highly beneficial in reversing trauma-induced injuries by reducing irritation to the nerves in the brain stem and spinal cord that can trigger pain, neuromuscular dysfunction, and fatigue.
You may be curious, at this point, about what “trauma-induced injuries” have to do with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. You may find the answer surprising
While the exact cause of these syndromes is not known, recent research has pinpointed traumatic neck injuries, like whiplash and concussion, for example, as risk factors for the onset of both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. And, here’s the thing: although the pain and fatigue caused by spinal injuries can begin immediately, often it can take months or even years to develop. By the time fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms arise, these injuries may not be remembered.
When it comes knowledge the spine and how to take care of it, your chiropractor is an expert. chiropractic care has been shown to be extraordinarily beneficial in reversing trauma-induced spinal injury. If you’ve been experiencing the pain and discomfort caused by fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, see your Chiropractor in Oxnard, Dr. Bolt, to see if chiropractic treatment can help to eliminate your suffering.
Your Chiropractor in Oxnard Can Help You to Stop Suffering From Hip Pain Now!
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, wants to help you stop suffering from hip pain as soon as possible. He’s well aware that your hip pain most likely wakes you up in the night and makes it impossible for you to get a good night’s sleep. He also knows that when you get up in the morning, or when you get out of your car, you’re probably stiff and find it initially difficult to move your legs, and that when you do finally move, you experience pain in one or both hips whenever you twist or rotate them or when you cross your legs. How does Dr. Bolt know all this? He’s relieved the hip pain of hundreds of patients with these complaints. If all of the symptoms just mentioned sound familiar to you, it is likely that you have imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to generating hip pain, can in the course of time produce degenerative joint disease in your hips if not treated.
Even though hip pain and related problems commonly point to age-related degenerative conditions, especially osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis (OA) isn’t always the perpetrator. In fact, rather than being the original source of the problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the end result of injury to your hips at a previous time.
Gait changes caused by biomechanical injury such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can produce hip pain. Also, if you change jobs, alter the way you sit, take on a new sport or activity, or start driving for long periods of a regular basis, your gait may alter to compensate for these new changes.
In addition, gait asymmetries can occur from leg length dissimilarities, foot pronation problems, even carrying a baby or small child on your hip. The point is, anything that produces an asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion can cause painful hip problems.
As part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem, along with adjustments, Dr. Bolt may prescribe orthotics and will offer suitable progressive rehabilitative exercises that include muscle stretching and strengthening.
Hip pain won’t go away on its own. Hip pain means that something needs remedying. Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, can help you to get out of pain, get back in balance, and get your life back now!
Your Oxnard Chiropractor Offers Important "Pillow Talk"
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, is wondering if your pillow might be contributing to your neck pain. If your neck pain is making your days miserable, chiropractic treatment can brighten your days, and bring tranquility to your nights, by eliminating your neck pain at its source. Once you are out of pain, Dr. Bolt will likely provide exercises to help you to strengthen your neck, as well.
However, in addition to the neck pain relief you’ll receive by your Oxnard Chiropractor by day, there is something important you can do for your neck at night. Neck pain is commonly exacerbated by sleeping on an inappropriate pillow. That’s why it’s so important to use a good pillow, one that is designed to support your neck. Some pillows are just too hard, while others far too soft, and others are just plain too flat. If you sleep on a pillow that has inadequate neck support, you will probably wake up with neck pain, and possibly back pain and shoulder pain as well.
Cervical pillows are specially designed to take care of neck and shoulder problems and offer support to the natural lordosis (curve) of the neck. An orthopedic pillow supports the head, aligns the neck vertebrae in a neutral position, supports the head, and allows better shoulder rotation.
Even a good pillow, however, needs to be renewed periodically due to the breakdown in materials. Although some brands of pillows cost more, they frequently last longer. A good quality orthopedic pillow, whether it’s down feathered, a foam-type, or poly-filled, will offer you needed comfort and support.
A good, cervical pillow should form itself to support your neck and head in the healthiest position whether you sleep on your back or side. Support on both your side and back positions is extremely important, and you will want to consider your own personal sleeping habits when choosing a pillow. If you are in the habit of sleeping on your back, then you will need to select a pillow that has been especially designed to provide neck and upper back support. If you are a side sleeper, then you will want a bit higher pillow that will supply enough room for your shoulder position. When you are sleeping on a proper orthopedic, it should provide enough support to inhibit your head from going sideways, or rolling and tilting unnaturally.
The most effective way to find an orthopedic pillow that is appropriate for you is to consult with a health care professional, Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard.
Your Oxnard Chiropractor Won't Let You Play With Shoulder Pain
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Donald Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, knows that your shoulders work hard for you. They are expected to execute a large number of movements during your day. Whether you’re working or playing, this variety of complex motion helps you to do what you need to do. But, you have been overburdening your shoulders if you are currently suffering from shoulder pain. In other words, you might be engaging in repetitive activities like lifting and other arm movements, especially those done overhead, like throwing a baseball, swinging a golf club or tennis racket, or just placing objects on high shelves. Nerve inflammation, joint stress, and wear and tear of the tissues surrounding the shoulder joints can happen as the result of these types of repetitive activities. Actually, if your shoulder is healthy, these repetitive movements shouldn’t produce pain. But, if you are suffering from pain in your shoulder, it is an indication that there’s a dysfunction that needs to be addressed.
Shoulder muscles can become tight, and even weak, if the nerves are inflamed, and movement is painful and limited. This commonly happens in the ligaments and a group of muscles (and their tendon attachments) referred to as the rotator cuff. These muscles and tendons attach your upper arm bone with your shoulder blade and also help to lock the ball of your upper arm stably in its shoulder socket. It is the arrangement of this elegant combination that affords the opportunity for the greatest range of motion of any joint in your body.
The severity of this shoulder impingement syndrome can extend from a slight “catching” pain with activity (particularly raising your arm overhead), to an almost total loss of ability to use the shoulder. Do not, under any circumstance either ignore your shoulder pain or keep doing an activity while in pain. It is essential for you to get help for your shoulder pain as quickly as you can because the problem will only go from bad to worse. Unhappily, if left untreated, some shoulder problems, such as Rotator Cuff Syndrome, often end up requiring surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
Your Chiropractor in Oxnard, Dr. Bolt, is an authority when it comes to muscular-skeletal conditions, and he’s very knowledgeable about what to do to relieve your suffering. And because chiropractic care focuses on the reason for your shoulder pain, it is treated at its source. Dr. Bolt will help to restore natural mobility to your shoulder joints, and he will talk to you about rehabilitation exercises that will not only support you in getting rid of your current shoulder problem, but will help to prevent shoulder problems in the future.
Your Chiropractor in Oxnard Offers A Surprising Solution to Your Allergy Symptoms
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Donald Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, knows that everyday life can be miserable if you suffer from allergies. A walk in the garden, a play date with Fluffy, a shellfish stew, or even something as small as a nut can generate such unwelcome symptoms as itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash. To make the situation worse, for some of us allergic reactions can progress from just plain irritating to dangerous and life-threatening as our air passageway begins to close and we have a problem breathing. If you have allergies, it may seem to you, from time-to-time, that your environment is an antagonistic place and that the world around you is, truly, out to get you!
You may wonder why it is that other individuals seem so unaffected by the environment, while your body reacts, or rather overreacts, to it It’s a great question. The answer is that some people, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that actually “freaks out” when they are confronted with common substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.
Can a chiropractor really help with your allergy symptoms? You bet! And, you may be surprised how chiropractic treatment helps. Even though chiropractors don’t treat allergies, per se, quite a few people notice that they experience relief from their allergy symptoms after getting chiropractic adjustments. This relief occurs because chiropractic manipulation affects the complete nervous system, including the autoimmune system. Still wondering about those allergies? When there’s an impedance in the nervous system, in conjunction with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose task it is to assist you in adapting and responding appropriately to your environment, can become under-active or overactive. The problem is the latter when it comes to your allergies. Since chiropractic manipulations decrease or remove disturbances in the nervous system and bring the body back into balance and harmony, the adjustments bring that same balance and harmony to the autoimmune system as well. A strong immune system responds appropriately to commonly named allergens in the environment.
So, as explained above, Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, doesn’t directly treat allergies. You could say that relief from your allergies comes about as part of your well-adjusted and healthy nervous system. If you’d like to get back into harmony with your surroundings as soon as possible, make an appointment with Dr. Bolt today.
