Health till 100

Posts Tagged ‘neck pain’

JOINT INFLAMMATION is a very painful, with multiple sets of conditions (100), progressively leading to joint damage, deformity and loss of mobility. Swelling of extremity joints is the hallmark of the syndrome. Chronic pain, disability and death are unfortunate results.

Joint inflammation has an estimated prevalence of 1 to 2%. Prevalence increases with age, approaching 5% in women over age 55. The average annual incidence in the United States is about 70 per 100,000 annually. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs two to three times more in women than in men. Although rheumatoid arthritis may present at any age, patients most commonly are first affected in the third to sixth decades.

Joint inflammation, collectively affect nearly 46 million adults and 300,000 children in the U.S. It is not selective. The condition can happen to anyone. All inflammatory joints effect the musculoskeletal system and shift stress to other joints.

Joint inflammation problems include:

• pain
• stiffness
• damage to joint cartilage (the tough, smooth tissue that covers the ends of the bones, enabling them to glide against one another) and surrounding structures.

HOW DO WE GET JOINT INFLAMMATION?

The blood has become obstructed by external cold or hot-damp or drying imbalancing influences. The condition includes:

• cold or hot and painful joints
• difficulty in flexing and extending the joints
• aversion to cold or hot with attraction to the opposite condition
• In some cases the limbs and joints will be aching, numb, painful
• overall physical body feels heavy.
• tongue is pale or the opposite

   

 There are graduating arthritic conditions where the site of pain and deformity are more intense, with heat or cold predominating, however, the primary appraoch is to get the obstruction to move. Health is re-established by countering imbalanced internal srtates of wind-cold/hot-damp/dry and altering external situations contributing to obstruction. Very important is the emotional status and its contribution, whether direct or indirect, to the blockage.

HOW DO WE GET BETTER?

JOINT INFLAMMATION: FOOD THERAPY  & HERBAL HERBS

“We are what we eat.” Most of us would agree that most conditions of imbalance are determined by what we put in our mouth. We unkowingly create imbalances by not being aware of how critical this area is, especially in the latter years. If we are choose foods and supplements which worsen our condition then it would serve us well to become very aware of our body type and foods which enhance balance. Below, you can begin to choose foods that deliver balance for this obstructive condition: 

Foods That Benefit & Foods To Avoid

Foods to Counter Joint Pain: Asparagus, Cabbage (poultice & ingestion), Celery, Cod, Cherry, Chives, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Ginger, Goats milk, Grape, Kelp, Oranges, Papaya, Pineapple (Bromelain), Pumpkin Seeds, Royal Jelly, Scallions, Sesame oll, Spelt, Spirulina, Soy products, Strawberry, Sprouts (mung, red clover, radish, mustard, lentil, adzuki, garbanzo, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds), Tumeric, Water melon, Barley products, Wheat grass products, Alfalfa products (tablets, tea), Chlorophyll foods, Almonds (5-6 dy.),

Foods to Avoid: Excess meat (some fish is best), Excess protein, Intoxicants (alcohol, coffee, tobacco, marijuana, etc.), refined sugar and other sweets, Oxalic acid foods (rhubarb, cranberry, plum, chard, beet greens, spinach), Solanine foods (Nightshade family veggies: tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, potato, if sensitive), Dairy (cow’s milk & bi-products), Nuts, Nut butters, oil-rich seeds,

“When the heart is calm, pain seems negligible.” — Inner Classic

  HERB FORMULAS FOR PAIN   Formulas are created and rendered, taking into consideration, a person’s constitution, environment, life energy (qi), lifestyle and emotional status to name a few concerns. Traditional Chinese Herbs and medicine focuses on bringing all these areas into balance. The primary element is to make an herbal composition with specific emphasis on painful joints while correcting the underlying condition in the body without creating more physical problems.

Additionally, the quality of the herbs are not the same. If lesser quality is contained in a formula then the results will not hold up as indicated in research findings. While it may sound impressive to make marketing statements that a formula containing an herb is beneficial it is not enough. The quality of herbs are very important. Red Panax Ginseng has been organized into 6 grades where each level delivers a unique response. Quality, alone, can determine whether the formula works or not. A seasoned herbologist does not skimp in this area, while many commercial manufacturing operations prefer profit when dealing with innocent distributers, who sell to wholesalers, retailers and then to you the consumer. The continuation of this American practice engenders herbology and products with a disreputable name. Employing herbal deficiency practices will gradually wear away customer trust so when true herbologists offer their services the challenge for customers to believe in our craft is hard.

JOINT INFLAMMATION takes time to develop and when the underlying cause is acknowleged then its possible to resolve rapidly. According to Traditional Chinese herbs and medicine, the primary problem underlying arthritis is obstruction with painful results. With varying degrees, there is an exhaustion of both the Liver and Kidneys and insufficiency of the physical energy (qi).

Mark Hammer, C.M.H., Master Herbalist,   Longevity Mountain    

Tags: Health, nutrition, exercise

Chiropractic and Neck Pain

Whenever we arise in the morning with a stiff and painful neck, the inclination is to blame the condition on our pillow, bed, or sleep position during that night. We also attempt to figure out what is occurring when sudden neck movement causes a sharp pain that feels as if “something” has slipped out of position or that a nerve is being “pinched.” Though it may seem so, one isolated occurrence is rarely the cause of most neck problems, but rather the cumulative effects of improper sitting posture, unhealthy work and lifestyle habits, and lack of beneficial exercise for strength and flexibility. Obviously, some neck misalignments are due to traumatic events such as a whiplash accident, a fall, or a sports injury.

In order to understand neck pain, it is important to be aware of the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the neck are made up of posterior joints, called facets, that attach vertebrae to one another and serve to direct the motion of the spine. Inter-vertebral discs, composed of tough cartilage, connect the “bodies” of the vertebrae. This dense cartilage surrounds the nucleus, a soft material in the center of the inter-vertebral discs. The main function of the disc is as a shock absorber and spacer between the vertebrae. In a canal located between the body and the facets of the vertebrae is the spinal cord. The spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae and impart the energy to make the muscles and other organs of the body function. They also carry impulses from the body to the brain concerning pain, touch, position, temperature, as well as other senses.  The nerves that go out from the neck are responsible for the entire upper extremity including the shoulder, elbow and hand, as well as structures of the head and neck. The neck has a natural forward curve when viewed from the side that helps properly balance the weight of the head, as well as to decrease stress on the neck joints. For more information please feel free to visit your Colorado Springs Chiropractor.

Risk Factors: Neck Pain and Computer Use

Computer use has risen dramatically over the years, at home and in the workplace. Nowadays, a substantial amount of people spend eight to ten hours a day, or more, bent over a keyboard and staring at a monitor. When we sit with our head in a forward bent position-the posture that most desk workers take on-the ligaments that hold the facets together and the muscles in the neck are put under tremendous strain. In addition, the normal forward curve of the neck becomes reversed producing more stress upon all the surrounding tissues of the neck. All of this can lead to spinal problems including disc herniation and subluxations, which are the primary causes of spinal nerve irritation. Besides general pain, spinal nerve pain in the neck can produce symptoms like headaches, eye problems, giddiness, arm and hand pain (and paraesthesia), as well as shoulder pain.

Headaches and Chiropractic Care

Headaches or migraines are frequently associated with misalignments of the cervical spine. Symptoms, from a dull ache to throbbing pain, are produced when the cervical vertebrae lose their natural position or motion and sensitive nerves and blood vessels, connected with structures in the head are stretched or irritated. In many conditions the tight knots in the muscles of the neck, called trigger points, can also refer pain to the head.  Many other factors are associated with headaches such as toxic fumes, certain foods, additives such as MSG, alcohol, caffeine, and stress. However one must always look at the tissues and alignment of the neck when contemplating the cause of headaches and migraines. Chiropractic care has been shown to singularly helpful in the treatment of headaches. Your Colorado Springs Chiropractor can give you further information regarding treatment and pain relief.

Whiplash and Chiropractic Care

Unfortunately, many people are involved in car accidents. Almost certainly the most common auto accident is when one car collides into the rear-end of another car. During such an accident, the passenger in the front car gets his or her head forcibly wrenched backward and then forward causing damage to the structures of the back and front of the neck. Such a powerful force can cause damage to the ligaments, muscles, facet joints, discs, and spinal nerves. In addition to neck pain and immobility, symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vertigo, arm and shoulder pain, tingling in the hands and fingers and weakness of the arm and hand are associated with whiplash injury. Immediate evaluation and x-rays are vital in order to rule out a fracture. More often than not in many cases, the injuries are principally to the soft tissues and joints. Proper care is essential in recovery from the pain and symptoms of whiplash, and also to prevent future disability. Your Colorado Springs Chiropractor is has years of experience in treating whiplash injury, and is more than capable of managing the case from beginning to end.

Tags: Health, exercise, nutrition