The Healing Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been implemented for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine.  Today, quite a few sufferers all over the world are experiencing relief from their arthritic pain and other health challenges by coming in to see an acupuncturist on a routine basis.  In keeping with traditional Chinese acupuncture therapy, small needles are inserted into the body at specific points that are known to affect multifarious areas of the body.  In traditional therapy, only the needles are used, but on occasion and particularly in recent years, minute electrical currents are sent through the needles into the body, has been found to be an especially effective technique for arthritic pain.  Despite the fact that it may seem though it would hurt, it hardly ever does and, in fact, almost all people experience relaxation and pleasurable sensations during acupuncture treatments.
Chiropractic Treatment Eases Pain and Slows Joint Degeneration

For over a hundred years, chiropractors have been helping people suffering from back pain due to arthritis and other arthritic problems. A chiropractor treats people who are suffering from musculoskeletal and nervous system problems. Arthritis is generally inflammation and degeneration of particular joints within the skeletal system. Chiropractic medicine treats the aberrations of the vertebral column that restrict the activity of the nervous system. These misaligned vertebra, in addition to producing arthritic changes in the spine, can lower resistance and immunity, hence causing new health conditions. A proficient chiropractor has superb observational and diagnostic skills that assist in ascertaining physical aberrations and joint problems. Many chiropractors perform neurological tests and orthopedic examinations. Some will evaluate the posture of a person in order to identify postural deviations and may also study gait to determine faulty movement patterns that may produce new arthritic changes as well as add to current arthritic pain. Chiropractic care non-invasive, drug-free treatment and in addition will offer advice and provide education about the benefits of individual lifestyle changes, such as in exercise and nutrition, that will help to slow down joint degeneration in the body.

So, if you are experiencing arthritis, back pain, headaches, neck pain, hip pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, or balance challenges, and you’d like to do more for your body than simply taking medication, chiropractic and acupuncture may be able to help.  One way to find out  for sure is to go in to see a good chiropractor, like Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, or an acupuncturist in the area, and to permit an alternative healthcare professional to clarify for you definitively what these healing methods are going to be able to do for you.  It’s very possible that you will experience some relief from your pain even after only one visit.  With subsequent visits, you will maintain your improvements, and you might just discover that these natural treatments work best to relieve your painful arthritis.

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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!

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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.

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Non-trauma knee problems: Deficient mechanics of the knee joint and the corresponding stress on the soft tissues of the knee are, by far, the most common cause of non-traumatic pain. The patella or knee-cap is generally the area affected because many times the patella does not move sufficiently on the femur during bending of the knee generating abnormal stress on the tendons, cartilage and ligaments. This specific condition is normally called chondromalacia patella (CMP) or Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain). This dysfunction is due to imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that join to and move the patella. Imbalances in the muscles having to do with knee movement commonly originate from lower back ailments, particularly in the sacroiliac joint. Pain and dysfunction can also be caused by imbalances in the muscle groups that attach to the knee. For example, the muscles on the inside of the thigh, when strained and tight, can produce pain on the medial or inside of the knee.   Mechanical knee pain is also produced by gait deviations such as pronation.

The correspondent pain from overuse is most often experienced during activity, particularly stair climbing, running, jumping, and after rising after prolonged sitting. Many women appear to be predisposed to painful overuse conditions for anatomical reasons, however such conditions are many times due to wearing high heels on a regular basis.

The main treatment for mechanical or overuse injuries to the knee is to re-establish proper balance of the muscles, restore proper movement to the patella and other joints of the knee, and to correct any subluxations of the sacroiliac joints and bones of the foot.  In specific cases, a brace is adopted to assist with the adjustment of the patella or to secure the joint. Chiropractors, such as Dr. Bolt, are ideally trained to administer the correct diagnosis and care of these ailments.

Knee problems due to trauma: Traumatic injuries frequently occur during activities that involve running and jumping, such as football, basketball, and skiing. When the knee is extended or contorted beyond the capability of the ligaments that hold the joint together, tearing of these tissues can take place creating a sprain. Strains to muscles that give motion to the knee can arise when the muscles are torn during injury. As with a sprain, a muscle strain can range from a minor injury that requires little attention to a extreme injury necessitating surgery. Furthermore the two special knee “cartilages” located between the tibia and femur (called the menisci), which provide for fluid motion and cushioning, may also be torn during traumatic injury. This serious injury commonly requires surgical repair, or even removal if damaged severely.

Traumatic knee injuries can create serious pain and swelling and need prompt diagnosis and care. In most instances a competent chiropractor, such as Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, can manage these conditions, although there are some injuries that may necessitate the skills of an orthopedic surgeon. Nevertheless, it is crucial to stabilize the injured joint as soon as possible and to use ice on the injured area, if possible, until the injury can be examined.

Conditions such as poor mechanics and problems due to overuse, as well as traumatic injuries, need to be corrected at an early stage. Otherwise, the tissues of the knee joint, especially the cartilage, will start to erode. If tissue and cartilage erode, the bones will rub together unprotected and changes such as bone spurs can occur. This painful condition, known as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis, is frequently progressive with age.  Conservative treatment, such as chiropractic, can be extremely helpful in relieving the pain. Many individuals can additionally help themselves by keeping their weight down, doing exercises (especially in the pool), and wearing cushioned shoes or insoles.

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