October 2007 - Vol 2, Issue 10
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Greetings!

Welcome to the Sauganash Wellness Center newsletter. We'll be passing along tips about back and body health, as well as sharing news about the office. Please let us know what you think and what kind of information we can provide here that would be useful to you and your family. Also, email or call with any questions you may have!

Skeleton
Fall Already?!
The leaves have already started to change and Halloween is right around the corner!

Be sure to have plenty of fun celebrating Halloween, but be safe and help prevent accidents and injuries in children and adults alike!

Click on the link below for more information....

Neck Pain
Your Amazing Incredible Neck

Inside your neck are your neck bones (cervical vertebrae), spinal and cranial nerves, spinal cord, blood vessels, glands (including the thyroid and parathyroids), voice box (larynx), esophagus, trachea, brain stem, and many muscles, ligaments and other structures. With all that, it's still able to gracefully balance your head and turn, tilt and bend without damaging its vital "occupants." That's amazing, because if your neck's functions are interrupted for even a few seconds, you'd lose consciousness and begin to die.

The Cervical Spine

Cervix is the Latin word for neck, meaning a constricted area (the uterus and urinary bladder have a neck or cervix too). Your seven small neck bones are called cervical vertebrae, numbered C1 to C7.

Inside your cervical vertebrae lies your spinal cord, a continuation of the brain down your neck and back. Protection of the spinal cord it extremely important because an injury to it can result in instant paralysis or death.

Your vertebrae are connected to each other by discs, ligaments and tendons that help give he neck its shape (the cervical curve). Between the vertebrae are openings where nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, fat and connective tissues are found.

Neck Problems

With all of the neck's complexity it should come as no surprise that neck problems are common. They may develop suddenly from a trauma such as a whiplash or fall, or slowly as a result of spinal imbalance, vertebral subluxations, emotional stress or bad posture. Damaged or irritated neck nerves can cause more than neck pain. Pain in the face, shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers as well as reduced neck motion may also occur. Other neck problems include headaches, vision difficulties, dizziness, ringing in the ears, decreased attention span, learning and memory impairments, nasal problems, tongue and throat problems.

The most serious neck problems - such as fracture, dislocation or severe tissue damage - can be fatal if not given emergency medical care. Most other neck problems, however, although not life threatening, can impair your health if not corrected.

Neck Pain

Pain in the neck can be caused by irritation, inflammation, injury, or infection. Pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, hand or head most frequently results from irritation of cervical nerve roots in the region of the intervertebral foramen, encroachment of the vascular supply as it courses through the vertebral canal, or invasion of the cord in the spinal canal.

Disc Degeneration & Herniation

Disc herniation (or rupture) is relatively rare but can be the source of intense pain. Sometimes surgery is needed in this instance, especially when it's due to trauma. However, in many cases, chiropractic and massage techniques can re-establish the integrity of the disc and prevent the need for neck surgery. These should be explored if possible.

Disc degeneration is a more common cause of pain, nerve root and spinal cord irritation. Although many doctors tell their patients that the cause of disc degeneration is age, age alone cannot be blamed for the condition because it can be found even in young children. The most common cause of disc degeneration are years of spinal imbalance, spinal subluxations, physical trauma or emotional stress.

Spinal Imbalance - Cause of Neck Stress

Let us suppose that one day you carried a bowling ball around for the entire day, but instead of carrying it closely at your side, you held it a little distance from your body. You'd get tired very fast! It's the same with your head. If it's properly balanced that's fine, but if it's held even a little off center you will start to suffer from fatigue as well as stress on your neck.

Arthritis

If unhealthy, your neck's normal forward curve may reduce, become straight or "military" or even reverse it's curve. Over time arthritic changes in the vertebrae such as lipping or spurring (bony growths); disc thinning or degeneration; or deterioration of muscles, ligaments, and other structures may occur. In spite of all these changes, however, here may or not be pain. In fact, studies show little or no correlation between the degree of pain felt in the neck and arthritic changes found on x-rays and MRI.

Lipping, spurring and other irregularities (osteoarthritis) do not in themselves constitute a disease but are rather defense mechanisms that arise to stabilize an off-balance spine.

Recent research has shown that chiropractic care can reverse some of the effects of osteoarthritis - something that had previously been considered impossible.

The Orthodox Medical Approach

The standard medical approach to neck pain is painkillers, muscle relaxers and/or anti- inflammatories. If the pain doesn't subside, an orthopedic surgeon may be consulted and more drastic treatment - cortisone or other injections - may be administered. When should the physician resort to surgery? As a last resort. Clearly, a patient should not consent to anything as drastic a neck surgery without first consulting another healer - in particular, a chiropractor!

The Role of the Chiropractor and Massage Therapist

When the spinal bones are off center, the small openings through which the nerves travel may become narrower causing irritation to the cervical nerve roots and may also put pressure on the spinal cord. Also, the musculature in the neck can become very tight and sore as they try to correct and support the imbalance. Chiropractic spinal care and massage therapy counter the effect of stress, spasm, and unnatural wear and tear by relieving your neck of the vertebral subluxation complex, relaxing the muscles, tendons and ligaments and restoring proper movement to the spinal column.

Chiropractic and Neck Injury

Since most medical doctors and physical therapists are not trained to locate and correct vertebral subluxations, and accident victim will leave the emergency room with as many subluxations as they had when they entered. Without chiropractic spinal care, a neck injury might continue to cause silent damage for decades before the problem is recognized; by that time it may be too late for a complete recovery.

Get a Spinal Checkup

Everyone with a spine needs to have it checked periodically by a chiropractor. Just as periodic dental checkups are necessary to keep your teeth healthy, so a chiropractic spinal checkup is necessary to ensure a nervous system that is free from vertebral subluxations permitting you to experience greater healing and well-being.

Is it Safe to Have Your Neck Adjusted?

YES. Chiropractic's non-surgical, drug-free approach to health places chiropractic among the safest of all health care practices. Remember, chiropractic takes nothing out of the body and puts nothing in. As a result, chiropractors enjoy one of the lowest malpractice rates of all health care professionals. Please click on the link below for more information.

(Adapted from Koren Publishing)

Come in, give us a call or email us and find out how our chiropractic and massage treatments can reduce pain and enhance your health. We apply a range of approaches -- from physical rehabilitation to nutritional counseling to acupuncture -- to address problem areas, treat injuries or encourage overall wellness. Give us a call at 773.283.4470 or email us at [email protected] to make an appointment.
CLICK HERE for your chance to win a
FREE ONE-HOUR MASSAGE!

At the end of each month we will select one lucky winner at random to win a one-hour massage at Sauganash Wellness Center.

One entry per day per person. GOOD LUCK!

Free Aromatherapy Treatment with Your First Massage Session
Take care of your body in the new year with a massage and a get a complimentary aromatherapy treatment ($10 value). A layering of essentials oils -- such as lemongrass, cypress, helichrysum -- open the senses, alleviate stress and improve your mood. Offer good for first time massage clients. Call or email for your appointment today. Mention you saw this offer in the newsletter!



Massage Gift Certificates Available!

Massages make great gifts!
60-minute massage gift certificates are $75.00
30-minute massage gift certificates are $50.00

Massage packages available:
Buy 5 one-hour massages GET ONE FREE!
- or-
Buy 6 half-hour massages GET ONE FREE!

Sincerely,


Dr. Deanna Minkler
Rachel Shaffer, LMT
Sauganash Wellness Center

phone: 773.283.4470
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