Category: Chiropractor

Do you experience pain, burning, tingling, or numbness in the back of your legs? You might be dealing with sciatic pain. This neurological condition impacts the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body. With up to 40% of people experiencing sciatica at some point in life, it’s one of today’s most prevalent pain conditions. 

In this article, we’ll discuss what you need to know about sciatic pain, including its possible causes and treatment options. 

What Does Sciatic Pain Feel Like?

The sciatic nerve extends from the lower back through the buttocks and down the backs of the legs. So, you may experience sciatic pain at any point along this pathway. 

Sciatic pain is often accompanied by neurological symptoms like tingling, burning, numbness, weakness, and a pins and needles sensation in the affected area. The pain and neurological symptoms may worsen after extended periods of sitting, coughing, or sneezing. 

What Causes Sciatica?

Sciatic pain occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated or compressed. This may result from the following spinal conditions:

• Herniated disc
• Spinal stenosis
• Spinal injury
• Degenerative disc disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Spinal tumors or cysts
• Pregnancy: Sciatic pain can arise during pregnancy as the growing fetus imparts pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Additionally, you may be at a higher risk of developing sciatica if you have a sedentary occupation, are obese, have a previous spinal injury, or have poor posture.

How is Sciatica Treated?

Mild cases of sciatica can resolve on their own with at-home treatments like heat/cold therapy and over-the-counter pain medications. However, when sciatica doesn’t improve after a few weeks, it may require medical intervention. 

Chiropractic care and physical therapy are conservative treatments that can help alleviate sciatic pain. An experienced PT can provide exercises that take pressure off of the sciatic nerve, often by strengthening the muscles that support the spine. A chiropractor can restore spinal alignment with manual adjustments, among other methods, to stimulate healing and reduce spinal alignment.  

Schedule an appointment at Florida Wellness Group to learn more about the available treatment options for sciatica. 

Your immune system is responsible for protecting your body from foreign intruders, including viruses, bacteria, toxins, and fungi. So, it’s no wonder that patients today are looking for the best ways to keep their immune systems in top shape. 

Chiropractic care centers around the alignment of the spine to alleviate concerns relating to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. While most people think about chiropractic care as a treatment for back pain, it offers numerous health benefits, including enhanced immune function.  

How Does The Spine Affect The Immune System?

Your spine contains the spinal cord which, together with the brain, comprises the central nervous system. The central nervous system, or CNS, transmits messages between the brain and the other parts of the body. 

When the spine is injured or out of alignment, it throws off and slows down the central nervous system’s route of communication. This may not only cause pain but also compromise the immune system.

With disrupted communication between the brain and the rest of the body, the nervous system may take longer to identify threats. This, in turn, slows down the immune system’s response to external threats. 

How Does Chiropractic Care Boost Immunity?

Faster Immune Response

Chiropractic care helps correct spinal misalignment to restore the function of the nervous system. As a result, the nervous system can trigger a faster immune response to foreign invaders. 

Lymphatic System Stimulation

Additionally, chiropractic care kicks the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system, into high gear. The lymphatic system is responsible for removing toxins from the body to prevent infection and disease. 

Reduced Stress Hormones

Chiropractic care also helps reduce the production of stress hormones, like cortisol, that may compromise your immune function.

The skilled chiropractors at Florida Wellness Medical Group can help you overcome signs of a weak immune system to more effectively avoid sickness and disease. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!

Chiropractic care is widely used as a treatment option for conditions impacting the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Through manual adjustments, rehabilitative exercises, and lifestyle counseling, a chiropractor can help you live more comfortably and healthily. 

With those facts in mind, many patients wonder when to begin chiropractic treatment. This article will discuss the different age groups that can benefit from chiropractic care and how it could work for you. 

Is Chiropractic Care Safe For Children?

Chiropractic care is considered safe for children as young as just a few months old. Typically, chiropractors will see children under the age of 18, and some chiropractors will treat babies under the age of two. 

A chiropractor can help resolve health concerns in infants and children including:

• Colic
• Poor spinal alignment
• Difficulty latching and breastfeeding
• Sleep problems
• Digestive problems
• Asthma
• Low energy levels
• Behavioral issues
• Headaches

In infants and children, chiropractors make extremely gentle, safe adjustments. Bringing your child to a chiropractor early on can serve as a preventative strategy for various health problems, including poor posture and back pain.

Reasons To Visit a Chiropractor

For adults, it may be time to visit a chiropractor if you’re experiencing:

• Chronic back or neck pain
• Headaches
• Symptoms from a sports or auto accident injury
• Joint and/or muscular pain
• Sleep disorders
• Stress and anxiety
• Stiffness and a lack of mobility
• A sedentary lifestyle increases the pressure on the spine
• Discomfort during pregnancy, including headaches, back pain, and poor sleep 

Adults and children of all ages can benefit from chiropractic care. Even if you’re not currently experiencing one of the health concerns listed above, a chiropractor can improve your overall wellbeing and prevent future health complications. 

At Florida Wellness Medical Group, we have advanced chiropractic facilities and an experienced team of chiropractors on staff to help you attain your health and wellness goals. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!

Migraine affects millions of Americans and billions of people around the world. It’s a condition that can be debilitating and disruptive to day-to-day life. Migraine treatment can also be tricky, given that not all patients experience relief from traditional treatment methods. Chiropractic care, however, is gaining recognition as a potential route to recovery for people suffering from migraines. At Florida Wellness Medical Group, we offer care from a team of skilled chiropractors and can develop a treatment plan to help you experience migraine relief. 

What Is Migraine?

Before delving into the benefits of chiropractic care for migraine, let’s cover what migraine entails. Migraine is a neurological condition that’s most commonly associated with severe headaches. A history of migraines in the family makes you more likely to develop the condition, either in childhood or early adulthood.  Continue reading

Scoliosis is a very common spinal disorder that can cause pain throughout the body. But with prompt diagnosis and treatment, it’s possible to prevent a case of scoliosis from becoming more severe and reduce discomfort. Florida Wellness Medical Group provides treatment for scoliosis from our team of trained medical professionals, including chiropractors. 

Scoliosis: The Basics

Scoliosis is an irregular spine curvature, and it affects millions of people across the United States. People with scoliosis have a spine that curves sideways or in the shape of a letter S or C. Most cases of scoliosis don’t have a clear cause, and it’s generally diagnosed at a young age. Continue reading

A herniated disc is a common spinal injury. Also called a slipped disc, it may lead to pain and a loss of sensation throughout the body. But, many treatment options are available at Florida Wellness Medical Group to help you recover from a herniated disc. 

What Is A Herniated Disc?

Discs are found in between each vertebra in the spine. These discs work to absorb shock and cushion the bones in the spine. The middle of each disc is soft, while the outside has a rubber-like texture. If the outside of the disc (called the annulus) tears and some of its center (the nucleus) protrudes from the tear, a herniated disc occurs. Continue reading

Back pain plague that vast majority of Americans. According to the American Chiropractic Association, almost 31 million Americans experience lower back pain at any given time. Furthermore, almost 80% of the American population will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is the single leading cause of disability, prevent people from doing what they love.  

But, there is good news. Many of these back problems are preventable, and most patients can improve their back health with just a few changes to their daily routines.

The solution is through spinal hygiene.

What Is Spinal Hygiene?

Spinal hygiene is similar to oral hygiene, except the focus is on your spine instead of your teeth.

With oral hygiene, you take preventative steps daily by brushing and flossing to keep your teeth strong a healthy. You also likely take bi-annual steps to visit your dentist for deep cleanings and care.

Spinal hygiene follows this same process.

You perform regular exercises, stretching, and relaxation techniques for day-to-day spinal care, and then visit your chiropractor every few months for guidance and corrections.  

In the same way that your teeth will rot and form cavities if you don’t care for them, your back is at risk of degenerating from too much stress and a lack of care.

Spinal Hygiene Exercises That Prevent Lower Back Pain

If you notice that you experience lower back pain, whether it’s from lifting heavy items at work or sitting for too long, there are steps you can take to prevent spinal degeneration (the loss of normal structure and function of the spine over time).

A few popular stretches include:

• Trunk Rotation Stretch: Start on your back with your knees bent. Keep your back against the ground and rotate your legs as far as you can. Hold both ways up to 10 seconds.
• Child’s Pose: This is a favorite post in yoga classes. Begin on all fours and extend your arms in front of you, while relaxing your hips on your legs.  
• Cat-camel Back Stretch: Start on all fours and extend your back to the ceiling. This is the camel post. Then bring your back to the ground in the cat pose. Hold each post for five seconds.
• Hamstring Stretch: Sit with one leg extended and one leg tucked. Reach for your extended foot and hold for at least 10 seconds.

You should talk to a medical professional before you attempt any of these stretches. You can also ask for recommendations for additional poses and back exercises to try.

When Should You Get Checked for Spinal Degeneration?

Spinal degeneration isn’t just an elderly issue. The rise of computers and smartphone use has lead to spinal degeneration cases across all age groups.

The magazine of Chiropractic Economics found that nearly 40% of 20-year-olds have signs of spinal degeneration. Similarly, almost 10% of 10-year-olds showed similar results. Kids might not be hunched over an office desk all day, but they are playing video games or developing “text neck.”  

Because spinal degeneration is found in people of all ages, it’s never too early to get checked.

Learn More About Spinal Hygiene at Florida Wellness

Don’t wait until you have serious back problems to see a chiropractic professional. Schedule a chiropractor intake at Florida Wellness and take the first steps toward good spinal hygiene.

Call us at 844-935-5669 or request an appointment.