Stress is like an iceberg. Sometimes we can see the tip, but we don't always see or know how deep it goes. We all have it, we all need it to grow, but too much or the wrong kind of stress can make us sick. Stress is all around us. It's in our head, it’s in our heart, it’s in our breath, it’s in our diet…it even keeps us attached to earth by way of gravity. So, as stress is unavoidable and always there, it is what you do to be ready for it, or how you handle it when you're experiencing it, that makes you stronger.

The spine is an important place to look because vertebrae (spinal bones) can be dislodged from their normal positions due to stress, trauma and other chemical or emotional imbalances. The displacement, even by a small fraction, can really affect your entire nervous system and, consequently, your body’s ability to handle any more stress without intervention of some sort. Over time, this nerve stress caused by vertebral subluxation (a partial dislocation, so to speak) can affect any and every organ, tissue, and cell in the body.

Imagine the amount of life being choked by a nerve that is just being squeezed to death, or even just pressed on somewhat. That nerve has a "relationship" to a joint that was damaged by an old accident, or some debilitating experience or illness, whether you can recall it or not. As that joint ages and becomes more diseased and weaker, so will the nerve.

With treatment, as the joint becomes more healthy, so will the nerve. More information will be dispersed and an area that had less life, will now have more. The more life and information the nerve carries, the easier those cells, tissues, organs and systems can work together to help you deal with stress. This will impact overall vitality in the body.

In addition to the correction of the spine and nervous system, chiropractors would suggest that healthy eating, adequate and proper exercise and self-care (massages can be helpful here) and an overall good attitude are all important to having a balanced life. Stress, in a balanced life, is much easier to face than stress through a crumbling body.

Who should go to a chiropractor? The short answer is anyone with a spine and nervous system. The spine is a remarkable stack of funny shaped bones (vertebrae) separated by these little cushions called discs. Through the center of the spine runs the spinal cord. Basically the spine acts as our circuit board connecting our brain and body.

People have unique points of view based on how chiropractic has changed their lives, and everyone can benefit from it. From infants all the way up the age range, including the mom who no longer deals with daily migraine headaches to the grade-schooler who no longer wets the bed (and can now enjoy sleepovers) to the construction foreman who was spared from back surgery. There are even chiropractors with special certifications to work on animals, including horses, dogs and birds.

There are histories of people who have undergone chiropractic care recovering from nearly every disease known to man. Chiropractic care is not just for when you hurt your back or for treating symptoms, it's for enhancing your life. It can bring more light; it can allow more flow of energy to an area that may be blocked or deficient. Chiropractic can enlighten and empower you to deal with stress of any sort, or prevent illness before it has the chance to form.

Chiropractic can change lives! 

I always offer a free consultation and I’d be honored to talk about any concerns you have… 

What exactly is a pinched nerve? That question usually brings a lot of thoughts to mind because if you've ever had a "pinched nerve," you've felt misery. Sharp and intense shooting pain-- that doesn’t cease-- is the main symptom that first comes up. Other symptoms like burning, tingling, or numbness are associated with a “pinched nerve." 

In actuality, rarely are nerves truly “pinched." More often, they're compressed, or pressed by tissues like ligaments or bones. These altered and uncomfortable "pinched" sensations are more often caused by irritation of rubbing, stretching, scraping or squeezing of the nerve within an improperly moving joint.

Nerves transmit information for pretty much everything that goes on in your body. They let you feel, see, hear, smell, and taste. They tell your muscles what to do, keep you breathing, pumping, and digesting. When stress (mental, physical, chemical, emotional, etc.) interrupts this flow of energy between your brain and the rest of your body, it can drastically affect your health.

As a chiropractor, my job is to find these stressed, and irritated areas- also known as subluxations- where the life is being choked. Once the problem has been found, an adjustment to the area is made to establish proper joint function and bring improvements to the body’s ability to communicate information. It's best to catch subluxations before they turn into crippling pain, and cause too much wear on the protective barrier around the nerve. In these rare and extreme cases, this can lead to severe intervention. However, this is typically preventable.

My job is to remove the interference before it goes that far. Just like dental cavities that don't always ache, not all subluxations cause pain...at first. Keeping your spine free of nerve stress is critical for maximum health and mobility.