As a chiropractor, I often hear of people telling me that they have to “crack” their own neck on a regular basis or they may ask me, is it all right to crack my own neck? The answer is NO, it’s not okay and here’s why:

Most of us have witnessed someone cracking their neck, and we think it is no big deal. It may feel good or provide temporary relief, but manipulating your own neck can be hazardous to your health. The neck contains not only ligaments, blood vessels, muscles, nerves, and bone but also the lower part of your brain stem and spinal cord. These structures are responsible for the communication between the brain and the body as well as sending oxygen to the brain.

The more you “crack” your own neck the more you want to do it. It can seem addicting! It tends to be a malicious cycle, and a good reason to get the underlying problem addresses at a chiropractic office. If you’re experiencing tightness or stiffness within your neck, there’s a good chance that you are developing a structural problem.

Mobilizing your own neck can create instability within the cervical spine. The ligaments that are designed to support and stabilize your neck become stretched and lax.  This creates more work for the supporting muscles. Over time these overworked muscles become weak. In addition it leads to hyper- mobilization and instability. As the joints become more unstable, the body works to counteract this by laying down more bone. This leads to an irreversible condition called osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. When degeneration is present there is more compression on the spinal structures such as the disc and nerve root which creates health problems and often pain.

Chiropractors are trained in making specific adjustments in the cervical spine. Receiving chiropractic adjustments allows for the proper motion of the joints which counteracts any osteoarthritis or slows down the degenerative processes.  It also prevents many of the health problems that self “cracking” can cause. In addition, a chiropractor can correct any structural issue that is causing the discomfort and urge to “crack” your own neck in the first place.

If you or someone you know experiences neck tension or the urge to pop your own neck, call 952-681-2863 now to take advantage of your free consultation at Relief Plus Chiropractic.  Dr. Sara Hillesheim is a chiropractor at Relief Plus Chiropractic in Minnetonka MN.  We are here to help you improve your life and create a healthy future!

As chiropractors, we look to the posture and structure of the body as a window into your spine. Because the spine houses the spinal cord, its integrity plays a major role in your health.

Thomas Edison said it : “The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”

Having proper footwear is essential to good health. They lay the foundation and support our frame. Since we are upright and mobile creatures, we place a lot of stress on our joints, especially the feet.

When the body is misaligned, abnormal stress is placed on the joints. For example, if the hips are unleveled, one leg may appear shorter than the other.  This causes added strain on the hip, knee, and feet joints on one side.

The same is true of the reverse. When there is an injury in the foot, it can affect the joint of the knee, hip, or even lower back. It could cause pain in these joints or even arthritis which is often silent until well underway.

There is a relationship between these joints working as a kinetic chain, and you can see that when one part of the body is affected, it can throw off the others.

Of course people have different footwear needs. There isn’t a magic shoe that works for everybody. This comes from genetic differences, structural challenges as well as history of trauma. Trauma might include anything from being on your feet often for extended periods of time to foot surgery. It could also include prior injury to the foot, ankle, knee, hip, leg, or spine! Just about any injury to a joint could alter your gait and place different strains on your body.

Good shoes support proper load bearing of the joints and can be very preventative in avoiding injuries, whether acute or wear and tear type injuries.

For example, wearing high heels has its fashionable appeal, but can wreak havoc on your posture. They alter your posture and put pressure on the front part of your foot. These small joints are not designed to handle all of the added pressure. Plus with less support, acute injuries are more common.

A chiropractor can help to alleviate joint dysfunction in the feet, ankles, knees and spine. A thorough evaluation will also reveal how much stress from your gait is affecting the rest of your body.

Dr. Sara Hillesheim is a chiropractor in Minnetonka MN near Wayzata, Excelsior, Hopkins, and Deephaven. At Relief Plus Chiropractic, we are here to serve you and help you reach you health goals. To see how you can benefit from chiropractic and for your FREE consultation please call our office at 952-681-2863.

In our country from a very young age, people are used to taking Tylenol. While the causes of headaches and pain are vast, there has yet to be a case where the cause was a deficiency of an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as Advil, acetaminophen such as Tylenol.

Just because it’s over the counter and approved by the government does not mean that it’s safe.

These over the counter drugs may help you feel comfortable during the acute phases of an injury by reducing pain and inflammation. However, they come with side effects. They are still drugs and have an adverse effect on the body.

It also should be known that they do not promote soft tissue healing and often times worsen degenerative bone changes.

Long-term use of NSAIDs has been shown to cause serious health problems, leading to more than 100,000 hospitalizations and 16,500 deaths a year in the United States alone. About 80% of people who experience serious problems from taking NSAIDS, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, have no warning. Unfortunately, you can’t feel your liver degrading or your stomach lining eroding until it’s severe.

NSAIDS cause liver, stomach and kidney stress. These over the counter meds can interact with prescription drugs as well as alcohol.

• 17,000 people die each year just from aspirin.
• Acetaminophen is one of the most common poisoning overdoses worldwide. (Many accidental)
• Tylenol is the #1 cause of liver failure in the U.S.
• NSAIDs can be hard on the kidneys and cause kidney failure.

Safety Concerns for Kids taking Pain Reliving Drugs

Tylenol is also typically the first go –to for parents when their baby or child has a fever or experiences discomfort. In fact the majority of babies are given Tylenol within the first 6 months of their life.

Now, a major study of over 20,000 children suggests that giving this popular medicine even as infrequently as once per year could have a permanent, life-threatening health effect.

Researchers at the University of A Coruna in Spain asked the parents of 10,371 children ages 6-7 and 10,372 adolescents aged 13-14 whether their children had asthma and how often they had been given acetaminophen within the previous year as well as when they were babies.

The children in the younger age group who had received the medicine only once per year were at 70% greater risk for asthma while those receiving Tylenol once a month or more were shockingly 540% more likely to have asthma.

The study, published in the European Journal of Public Health, also found that children who had even a single dose of Tylenol before their first birthday had a 60% risk of developing asthma.

In the older age group of 13 and 14 year-olds, asthma was 40 percent more likely if they had taken acetaminophen within the previous 12 months. The young teenagers were 250% more at risk if they took it once a month.

Find the Cause for Long Term Pain Relief

Pain is your body signaling to you that there is a problem that needs to be addressed.  Covering the pain up with over the counter drug relief does not solve the underlying problem.

Taking a Tylenol or Advil is like putting duct tape over the “Change Oil” light in your car.  They symptom is gone, but the problem remains.  The danger happens as the problem continues to worsen silently as the symptoms have been dampened or diminished.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are not designed to get you through life as a means to manage your aches and pains.

Over the counter drugs are not a good long-term solution because of all the damage that can be done. Instead, try natural methods to reduce pain.

Natural ways to reduce pain and inflammation include ice, heat, supplements such as bromelain, natural topical ointments, and of course chiropractic care. A chiropractic exam can help determine the cause of the pain or symptoms and can be incredibly beneficial in preventing future aches and pains.

Dr. Sara HIlleshiem is a chiropractor at Relief Plus Chiropractic in Minnetonka MN near Wayzata MN and Hopkins MN. At Relief Plus Chiropractic our approach to care allows us to get great results with a number of conditions without the use of drugs.  Call us today at 952.681.2863 to learn more. – See more at: http://www.reliefplusmn.com

Headaches, colds, and pain are a few symptoms that are not tolerated in today’s world. People look to a quick fix to find temporary relief.  The human population has been trained to cover up symptoms or suppress them, typically by reaching for a drug. While the drug reaction within our bodies can help us to feel better, it can be dangerous because there is no longer motivation to seek out the cause and correct for underlying issues. Left undealt with, they can progress and impair our health which in turn increases the “need” for medications in the future.

In today’s society, 61 percent of American adults utilize at least one drug to cope with a chronic health problem.  This percentage has increased 15% since 2001. More than 25% of seniors take at least five medications daily.

More medications have been the result of increased rates of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. The guidelines for treatment of conditions such as blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol have also been changed so that these conditions are treated and medicated sooner. In addition, the pharmaceutical companies have spent massive amounts of money to market to consumers directly.

Drugs have a place in our modern world, but when taken carelessly, the consequences can be daunting. Drugs can have serious side effects that don’t appear until months or even years after taking the drug.

The double blind placebo controlled study unfortunately does not guarantee safety and efficacy in drug therapy. This is a study in which half of participants are given the drug and the other half of test subjects is given a placebo unknowingly.

During the double blind placebo controlled study, all participants are instructed to refrain from taking any other medications. Therefore, reactions to the combining of drugs cannot be determined from this study. In real life, there are combinations of prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, and herbal and homeopathic medicine taken simultaneously all the time. We now realize how drug interactions, even though previously reported to not have side effects, can have severe side effects and can even cause deaths. While the public becomes the test subjects to see how the drugs will interact with other drugs, the Department of Health does their job to tell doctors of these “new” side effects as quickly as possible. However for some it is too late.

As more information becomes available, it is noteworthy that the consumer must take responsibility for his/her health.  We cannot rely on doctors or medicine. Prevention is the best healthcare and many times there are safer choices than drug therapy.

Chiropractic – The Easy Choice

With chiropractic, there are no chemical interactions and the side effects are the benefits!  Many report better sleep, more energy, improved focus, getting sick less frequently, less pain, decreased allergy symptoms, eliminated headaches, better digestion, and more!

A chiropractor works to remove interference to the nervous system in order to create a healing environment in the body. This allows the body to function at a higher level. Because the nervous system is the master system controlling all organs and bodily functions, miraculous healing takes place when the nerve flow is restored.

The only way the body knows how to work is if the brain tells it what to do. For the body to work efficiently and effectively, it is best to keep the nerve pathways (communication pathways) open at all times.

If you have any questions or would like more information, give us a call at (952) 681-2863. Take advantage of our FREE consultation to see how Dr. Sara Hillesheim and the Relief Plus Chiropractic staff can help you experience chiropractic!