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Disc Problems, Back Surgery and Chiropractic

drgilmore@backtoaction.com — 2009-11-03T15:58:03-08:00

As we all age, our discs may lose fluid and small cracks or lesions may form in the outer walls. Spinal discs are the flexible, gel-like pads between your spinal bones (vertebrae) that give your spine it's curves and flexibility. Discs affect your height too - you are about 1/4" - 1/2" taller when you wake up than when you go to sleep due to the effects gravity has your spine.
This damage may be caused or accelerated by the vertebral subluxation complex, a spinal distortion chiropractors correct. Your disc may bulge, irritate nerves and cause a lot of pain and discomfort. In severe cases disc damage may affect sitting, standing, walking or lifting and cause pain when urinating, defecating, sneezing and coughing.
Is Back Surgery Effective?
Back surgery for herniation should only be attempted as a last resort. Back surgery is a dangerous procedure with a high failure rate. In many people the disc is not causing the pain; many people have disc degeneration with no symptoms.
The Chiropractic Record
For many years chiropractic has been able to save people from spinal surgery. There are reports of an MRI or other imaging device revealing a disc herniation or protrusion in the neck or low back which has been reduced or completely reabsorbed under chiropractic care. Had they not sought out chiropractic, many of these individuals undoubtedly would have had surgery.
How To Prevent Disc Problems
Why wait until a disc becomes "hot" before exploring chiropractic care? Chiropractic has been a blessing to many sufferers of spine and disc problems, however it's not a "treatment" for conditions, however it is care for your entire body. Chiropractic care may help prevent your spine from deterioration and herniation.
Let Dr. Gilmore of Back To Action Chiropractic perform a simple chiropractic spinal checkup that may discover problems and prevent future operations. You get your eyes, teeth and blood pressure checked, why not your spine?

Sports and Chiropractic

drgilmore@backtoaction.com — 2009-10-28T11:02:26-07:00

Chiropractic can give your athletic endeavors an edge, improve your athletic ability by helping to keep you healthy and in top form and by keeping minor injuries from becoming major ones.
That's why chiropractic has been used by champions: LaDamian Tomlinson and Jerry Rice of the NFL, Tiger Woods of the PGA, Lance Armstrong - world class cyclist, Ken Norton and Evander Holyfield of boxing and John McEnroe and Martina Navrratilova of tennis. In all of these sports, chiropractors help keep the athlete on the field and help stop minor injuries without the use of drugs and surgery.
Better Reaction Time & Co-ordination
Athletes under chiropractic care were compared with a control group that received no care for agility, balance, power, speed reaction and hand reaction time.
After six weeks, the chiropractic group had a 10.7% improvement while the control group had a 4.5% improvement. After 12 weeks, the chiropractic group's improvement was 16.7%! "The chiropractic athlete reacts faster, coordinates better, executes fine movements with improved accuracy and precision, amounting to an overall better athlete."
Many amateur and professional athletes wouldn't dream of competing without first getting a chiropractic spinal checkup.
Severe Trauma? Athletes who are in trauma need chiropractic. The orthodox medical profession specializes int eh management of fractures, torn flesh, ripped tendons, dislocations, blood and fluid loss, and other emergency attention. However, victims of trauma leave the hospital with serious spinal subluxations from their accidents because M.D.'s are not trained to locate and correct this form of spinal damage. This is the real of chiropractic care.
What Chiropractic Does
At Back To Action Chiropractic, Dr. Gilmore will balance your spinal column and relieve stress on your muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. Sports injuries nearly always jar and misalign your spine and structures near it. A trauma to anywhere in the body can damage your spine - a blow to the ribs, legs, feet, head, shoulder or torso can radiate to it. If you play any sport you should receive a chiropractic spinal check-up to ensure that your spine is balanced and free from misaligned vertetrae causing "pinched" nerves (spinal subluxations).
To schedule an appointment for you free chiropractic check-up, call (425) 670-2600 or schedule online here.

Injury, Accidents and Chiropractic

drgilmore@backtoaction.com — 2009-10-21T14:39:48-07:00

It's officially fall in the Pacific Northwest, which means rain, wind and increased darkness. All of these factors can make driving more difficult and challenging and accidents unavoidable. Much of the pain and suffering resulting from traumatic injuries may, in many cases, be avoided with chiropractic care.
Every trauma has the potential to cause vertebral subluxations - an area of abnormal stress in your spine that upsets body balance, impinges, "pinches", stretches or compresses your nerves, and affects the health of your muscles, internal organs, discs, bones and brain. A subluxation can cause pain, organ or system malfunction.
Chiropractic is a system of healthcare that specializes in correcting vertebral subluxations. At Back To Action, Dr. Gilmore, correct the subluxations using safe, gentle, spinal "adjustment" techniques.
There may have been no broken bones or serious bleeding, but there was spinal damage. The medical doctors may have said you were fine, but MD's do not know how to analyze the spinal column for subluxations nor do they know how to correct them. Millions of people leave emergency rooms unaware that they are carrying around hidden spinal distortions that can cause severe health problems at a later date. Many people leave the emergency room with as much spinal damage as when they entered it. For that reason chiropractors belong in every emergency room in the country.
Anyone who has either been in an accident or suffered trauma, whether mild or serious and no matter how long ago, should see a chiropractor to have their spinal column checked for nerve pressure caused by vertebral subluxations. A chiropractic adjustment given by Dr. Gilmore can make the difference between life and death, between life with pain, disability and sickness and life with full recovery, activity and health.
To schedule a consultation with the Dr. Gilmore of Back To Action Chiropractic, please call (425) 670-2600 or schedule here.

Injury Prevention Tips Part II

drgilmore@backtoaction.com — 2009-10-12T15:02:18-07:00

In addition to the previous blog, here are some additional injury prevention tips to follow:

1) Check that equipment is appropriate and safe.

2) Introduce new activities gradually and make sure you are clear on how to perform them safely.

3) Allow lots of time for warming up before your workout/activity.

4) Review training and competition courses beforehand.

5) Train on different surfaces, using the right footwear.

6) Shower and change immediately after the cool-down phase (after exercise).

7) Stay away from potentially infectious areas when training or competing very hard.

8) Be extremely fussy about hygiene, particularly in hot weather.

Chiropractic care is not only exceptional in the treatment of acute and chronic injuries, but is equally successful in preventing future injuries when regular care is received. Simply, chiropractic focuses on the cause of the deficiency or injury and not just the symptoms.

For a free chiropractic consultation with Dr. Gilmore, either call (425) 670-2600 or schedule here.

Injury Prevention Tips

drgilmore@backtoaction.com — 2009-10-06T15:28:17-07:00

Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, the goal is the same: You undoubtedly want to lower your chances of incurring an injury while participating in your favorite sport; like hockey. Fortunately, there are some general rules for injury prevention that all apply to all sports, which is important because sports scientists suggest injury rates could be reduced by 25 percent if athletes too appropriate preventative action.

Here are some injury prevention tips you can use to stay healthy:

1. Avoid training when you are tired; you should be strong and ready to exercise.

2. Increase the amount of carbohydrates you consume during heavy training.

3. Match increases in training intensity or frequency with increases in resting. (Rest is how the body regenerates.)

4. Precede any increase in training load with an increase in strengthening.

5. Treat even seemingly minor injuries very carefully to prevent them from becoming a big problem. This is where chiropractic can become key.

6. If you experience pain when training, stop your training session immediately.

7. Never train hard if you are stiff from the previous training session.

8. Pay attention to hydration and nutrition (water before exercise, electrolyte drink during exercise and water after exercise).

9. Use appropriate training surfaces.

10. Check the training and competition areas are clear of hazards.

Chiropractic care is not only exceptional in the treatment of acute and chronic injuries, but is equally successful in preventing future injuries when regular care is received. Simply, chiropractic focuses on the cause of the deficiency or injury and not just the symptoms.

For a free chiropractic consultation with Dr. Gilmore, either call (425) 670-2600 or schedule here.

Kids, Sports and Chiropractic

drgilmore@backtoaction.com — 2009-09-23T14:46:57-07:00

Do you or your kids play sports? Be a better athlete with chiropractic and why sports celebrities are turning to chiropractic like never before!

Why have Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Joe Montana, and Emmit Smith all turned to chiropractic care? Because it has been shown to increase athletic performance as much as 16.7%. Chiropractic has also been shown to reduce your chance for injury. Athletes today are in the most competitive environment we have ever seen. Even school age children are finding competitive sports to be taxing on their bodies like never before, with expanded practice and game schedules. Chiropractic care plays a vital role in musculoskeletal performance, prevention of injury, and recovery from injury. That's why so many pro athletes are turning to chiropractic care.

There's good reason these athletes are turning to chiropractic care. A study published in the journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation, revealed that chiropractic care can increase athletic performance by as much as 16.7% over two weeks. Another study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research in 1997 revealed that chiropractic care increases your capillary count, meaning increased blood flow. The benefits of increased blood flow are substantial for any athlete. What do they know that you don’t? Chiropractic care offers exciting opportunities to be a better athlete and enjoy the sport you love!

Feel free to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Gilmore to determine whether chiropractic care at Back To Action is right for you.

Seattle Junior Hockey Injury Prevention Strategies

drgilmore@backtoaction.com — 2009-09-21T16:16:01-07:00

As a Sports Physician that treats athletes, I can guarantee you that the basic injuries we treat are tight muscles. This is usually caused from over-heating, lack of stretching, or dehydration. Everything else is due, in part, to the game itself.
You can do your part to prevent muscle cramps by making sure you drink plenty of fluid, and sip some during the game. You don’t need to get waterlogged! Just enough to keep you hydrated. Unless you are burning a huge amount of calories when you play, water is the best. Sports drinks are more for high-end players and aren’t usually needed for kids.
So my number one rule of Hockey Injury Prevention Strategies:

Stay Hydrated.

That’s it!

Next we’ll talk some simple strategies to help out with the second cause of tight muscles: Proper vs IM-Proper stretching.

Dr. Jason Gilmore is a local sports injury chiropractor working with adult and kid hockey players. If you or one of your kids are having muscle on joint pain, and would like to find out more on ways to eliminate pain, contact Dr. Jason Gilmore at 425-670-2600