6 surprising health benefits of sex for men

Most men would agree that there’s nothing better than getting intimate with their partner and enjoying a healthy sex life. It brings you closer together, boosts your mood and it feels good! But, did you know that there are genuine health benefits related to sex?

It’s true! Even if you’re currently struggling with ED, or a low libido – wondering how much does HGH therapy cost? Click the link to find out more – when it comes to regular sex, there are plenty of health benefits involved. What to know more? Read on for 6 surprising health benefits of sex for men.

Sex makes you happy

This one is pretty obvious, but medically speaking sex allows you to banish all those stress hormones that bring you down and instead, you get to enjoy oxytocin for several minutes once you’ve climaxed. If you remain close to your partner after sex (it’s difficult to stay awake, granted) but if you spend some time cuddling, touching and kissing etc you’re likely to enjoy the effects of oxytocin for much longer. Your partner will certainly benefit from additional intimacy.

You can lower your risk of prostate cancer

Recent scientific studies have shown that the more you ejaculate, the lower your risk of prostate cancer will be. Results show that regardless of age, there is a significant reduction in the risk involved. Although these findings require more research, it’s a good incentive to get a little more sex in your life and enjoy some additional solo sessions too.

You get some pretty good sleep

Again, oxytocin comes into play here. But after sex, it's normal for a man to feel sleepy. It's this wonderful hormone that allows you to sleep like a log after being intimate, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed and re-energised.

You get your body moving

We all need a little more exercise in our lives and while having sex won’t necessarily have the same effect as a run or intensive gym session, it still has plenty of physical and fitness benefits. Some men can burn up to 100 calories during sex depending on the intensity and the longevity of the session. It’s a great way for you both to keep fit! As sex is actually considered a form of cardiovascular exercise, sex can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and heart problems later in life.

A sex session a day keeps the doctor away

Ok, so you don’t need to have it every single day, but studies have shown that having sex regularly helps your body to produce more salivary immunoglobulin which helps boost your immune system and keep those germs and bugs at bay.

It's a natural pain reliever
 
We all know the joke about our partners being “too tired” or suffering with “a headache”, but in reality, sex is regarded as a natural pain reliever. The release of endorphins reduces pain and increases pleasure, therefore having sex whilst your head is hurting can potentially reduce the pain! It may not cure your headache, but you’ll probably feel a little better afterwards!

This is a guest blog entry.

The Essentials of Clinical Trial Data Management

Accurate and high-quality clinical data is of critical importance for every CRO medical company.

Effective clinical trial data management involves accuracy in data collection, data entry, data reporting and data validation.

Establishing and maintaining high standards of quality requires consistency in implementation across individuals and teams in the CRO medical organization.

Clear communication in data management can prevent costly mistakes by staff which can put the clinical trial at a huge risk.

The following clinical trial data management elements can help in improving a CRO medical company’s data management standards at every stage of the clinical trial.

Accurate and Relevant Data Collection

Standard practices need to be established by CRO medical companies to produce accurate and relevant data.

The methodologies used for clinical trial data management should be targeted towards the objectives of the clinical trial, resulting in an improvement in data quality.

This process will also help in the elimination of non-critical data. This is important because minimizing the risk of verifying such data lowers risk factors during endpoint analysis.

With the right guidance, clinical data integrity can be vastly improved and data quality variation among the individuals and teams in CRO medical companies can be significantly reduced.

Critical data points identification

Critical data points should be identified at the beginning of a clinical trial process. This requires determining which data needs to be measured in relation to achieving the end goal.

Fundamentally, clinical trial data management appears straightforward but the collection of non-critical data for purposes like patient safety can pose significant challenges.

It requires time and effort by the clinical trial data management team to ensure this data meets required qualified standards.

Aside from being able to identify additional data points, proper Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) helps reduce the effort of data managers working with large volumes of data. This ultimately improves data quality.

Developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Accurate and quality collection of clinical trial data helps minimize time spent in identifying and rectifying inaccurate data.

This requires a clear definition of responsibilities for each role as well as organizational practices.

This ensures uniformity in operations minimizes the chance of errors occurring and makes it easier to identify the cause of errors when they occur.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) should be developed in collaboration with staff members.

This ensures everyone has a clear understanding of the tasks which are involved in the collection of data as well as the organizational practices.

This also provides an opportunity to identify deviations from best practices and document a course-correcting process which can correct these if they occur.

Educating Staff

A common hurdle found in clinical trial data management is the lack of industry-wide visibility in best practices. CROs create standard procedures of their own which makes it difficult to compare one organization’s management practices with similar organizations in the industry. As a result, there could be best practices which an organization may not have considered.

Educating staff members keeps them up-to-date on clinical trial data management processes which are practiced in the industry. It also keeps them motivated, builds confidence and raises their competency levels which lead to better results.

Using the Right Systems

In the process of developing SOPs which conform to industry best practices, it is important to look at constantly improving the quality of clinical data collection.

Collecting accurate and quality data is a key requirement of clinical trial biometrics data management and is largely dependent on the systems which are being implemented.

When managing data, the use of electronic data capture (EDC) systems should be considered to encourage staff to follow best practices. The systems should be easy-to-use and result in a reduction of potential errors when reporting.

An effective EDC system needs to be secure, minimize inaccurate data collection and allow data to be exported effectively. Some systems offer features such as edit checks,  audits, conditional forms, time point tolerances and allow medical coding language to diminish the potential for improper data entry and increase the integrity of your clinical data.

If the clinical trial involves investigational new drug (IND) testing, the EDC system should be validated and should also be compliant with 21 CFR Part 11.

In addition to all of this using the right systems also have other benefits such as meeting electronic signature requirements and robust communication with vendor systems. This elevates the value of clinical trial data for sponsors.

Steps Involved in Clinical Data Management

The following are steps involved in clinical trial data management:

Generating Source Data: This includes data such as patient diaries, medical records and laboratory results.

Transcription: In case paper Case Report Forms (CRFs) are used, clinical site records are transcribed onto these.

Data Entry: Data from the CRFs and other sources, are entered in the clinical trial database. Using
 Electronic CRFs (eCRFs) allows data entry from source documents directly to the database.

Data obtained from paper CRFs are generally entered twice and reconciled to reduce the error rate.

Data are always checked for accuracy, completeness and quality. This can require queries to be raised to the clinical site.

Locking: When data is considered final, the database is locked
 
Reformatting Data: For ease of analysis and reporting, listings, tables and figures are generated.

Data Analysis: Data is analyzed and reports are produced. Results are documented and additional high-level reports are produced. These include Clinical Study Reports (CSRs) and Investigator’s Brochures (IBs).

Archiving: Database and other study data are archived.

While these are the common steps which are followed, they are not necessarily in order. For example, longer studies commonly require generating intermediate discrepancies as well as listings to identify problems which need to be corrected before the study is completed.

This is a guest blog post.

The Truth About Overweight Women & IVF

In-vitro fertilization helps those who are struggling to conceive to experience a healthy pregnancy. This assisted reproductive technology method works by using surgical and medical procedures to help sperm fertilize an egg, and allows the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. During this procedure, the doctor will remove eggs from the woman’s body and mix it with sperm in a lab setting. “While most people are familiar with the basics of IVF, they may have preconceived notions about what’s really happening with the procedure and how it affects people who are considered overweight,” says Conceive Health, a fertility clinic.

For starters, there’s a common misconception that overweight people with a higher BMI than “average” will be unable to have a successful IVF procedure. There’s a reason why this myth continues to be perpetuated.

Even in modern times, some doctors refuse treatment because the patient is deemed overweight. One New York Times article profiled the story of Gina Balzano, who was essentially told she was too fat to have a baby in 2013 when she weighed 317 pounds. Many clinics consider a BMI of over 50 (around 300 pounds for a 5’5 woman) the cutoff point for treatment. At other clinics, it’s even lower.

Balzano was told that her doctor would not see patients for IVF with a BMI of under 30. To put this into perspective, a 5’5 woman who weighs 180 pounds has a BMI of nearly 30. Unfortunately, this isn’t too far off from what overweight women have to deal with in the reproductive health care industry. One study analyzed recordings of 117 doctor visits among a pregnant group, and found that doctors were less likely to ask overweight women about their lifestyle habits and provided less information about responsible care.

But to fully understand both sides of the coin, it’s important to consider why so many clinics prefer not to give IVF procedures to women with higher BMIs. The rate of prenatal conditions, such as stillbirths, miscarriages, and pre-eclampsia, increases with higher BMI. On the other hand, although the chance of complication does increase with weight, the chances of those complications are low. Furthermore, another Scandinavian study found that losing weight prior to pregnancy doesn’t help—and could actually have a negative impact on pregnancy.

This isn’t just an issue happening in the United States. There are cultural biases surrounding larger people all around the world. One study conducted in Australia found that doctors in prenatal care expressed less approval and sympathy for patients that were above average weight, compared to those that fell within standard weight guidelines. While these experiences and details seem grim, changes are underway. Doctors in Australia are currently fighting against current IVF guidelines that recommend clinics to turn obese patients away.

Still, many doctors take a more progressive approach to IVF with overweight women, and prefer to address each patient that’s in front of them. “Obesity can require special care, but a majority of women with BMI over 30 don’t have a complicated pregnancy and do have healthy babies,” said Dr. Chloe Zera, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

For these forward-thinking doctors, a woman is not a number, and is certainly not her BMI. A great clinic will always address a woman’s health from a holistic perspective, talking to her about her dietary and lifestyle habits. Many women—even vegans with careful diets—have struggled with their weight their entire lives.

In fact, one study analyzed nearly 300 IVF lifecycles and found that body mass index had no effect on IVF. A larger study conducted in 2018 analyzed the IVF success of just over 50,000 American women found that while obesity is linked to lower egg levels, it doesn’t necessarily mean an IVF procedure will be less successful.

For women who struggle to conceive, statistically speaking, that struggle would continue if they had a lower BMI. Even with surgical weight loss, there remains a high chance that those same struggles would continue. The problem is expounded when doctors assume the issue with conceiving revolves around weight. Instead, more doctors are choosing to understand the patient and analyze all aspects of treatment and possibilities.
 
This is a guest blog entry.

Chiropractic Care for Back Pain Relief

Are you suffering from back pain? Do you find it difficult when standing or sitting? Do you find it challenging when lifting household objects? If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, perhaps you are experiencing back pain and it can surely affect your everyday activities. Back pain is common but can certainly make tasks unnecessarily problematic such as missed workdays and is the leading cause of disability.

Signs and Symptoms of Back Pain

Remember that back pain is not one size fits all condition that influences every person in one way or another. This makes sense since the pain is associated with multiple factors. Some common signs and symptoms of back pain are the following:

• Muscle weakness in back and thighs
• Numbness throughout body
• Shooting pain from thighs to the upper back
• Pain when standing for longer durations
• Trouble sleeping due to discomfort
• Decreased range of motion
• Stiffness in body
• Pain near the tailbone
• Pain while walking, exercising and performing basic everyday tasks

With all of that being said, there is good news for you. If you are experiencing back pain, there are many ways to naturally alleviate the pain and help prevent any future occurrences. Many people experience back pain and assume that it will be overcome with bed rest. However, don’t forget the fact that one of the most effective solutions is to naturally treat the pain. A specific amount of caution is important while suffering from pain. Still, stretching and exercise are the easiest ways to relieve back pain. Read on to learn know more about it.

Lumbar Rotation

This chiropractic application involves adjusting the spine to relieve tension and enhance flexibility. The exercise simply feels great! This workout requires you to lie down with your back on the ground and bend your knees. Extend your arms either right or left and position your back to the floor. Now gradually bring your knees on the right side without any back movement and maintain the position for approximately 15 seconds. Perform it again on the left side. Repeat the exercise three times and you will eventually feel better.

Pelvic Tilt

Let’s move towards the next important training exercise. The pelvic tilt barely requires you to move. For this exercise, you need to lie on your back while keeping your knees bent and position your hands behind the head. Make sure the arch of your back should come in contact with the floor. Next, use your abdominal muscles while pushing your back into the ground and ensure there is no space in between. Repeat the exercise for about 12 times for 10 seconds each.

Knee to Chest
 
The exercise is very much understandable so make sure to pay careful attention to assist your spine and hips. The workout requires you to lie on your back while keeping your legs down. Curve one knee and take hold of it with your hands. Now pull it to your chest and stretch it as far as possible. Repeat the exercise with the other leg and hold for about one minute. Perform it for at least three times.

Hamstring Stretch 

The hamstring stretch is another common exercise frequently recommended by chiropractors. The exercise restricts flexion of the pelvis at the hip joints and forces your back to encourage forward bending at the waist. Stretching hamstrings can be performed in multiple ways. One primary technique is proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. It’s a perfect blend of contraction against stretching, rest and resistance.

• Lie on your posterior
• Hold your knee straight and let your assistant grip your foot
• The helper lifts the leg up to the hamstring muscle length and holds this position
• Force against your helper’s resistance for a count of 8
• Now relax the hamstring muscles
• When the hamstring muscle is stress-free, extend the hamstring muscle gradually and steadily flexing the hip. The assistant pushes your ankle and leg upward and keep this stretch for a count of 8 or 10.
• Repeat the exercise for 3 times with each leg

Spinal Bridge

The spinal bridge stretch incredibly strengthens your back. Nevertheless, it applies slight pressure on the neck. Be careful if your cervical spine is experiencing any inflammation or pain. To begin, lie on your back. Twist your knees and position both feet flat on the surface. Next, firmly push both feet to the floor and lift from your hips. Bring your hands together beneath your tailbone and press through the shoulders to bring your hips up. Keep the position for approximately 15 seconds while consistently pressing your glutes. Lastly, gently bring your hands towards your sides and palms directing down. Bring your hips in the downward direction and roll one vertebra at a time. Repeat the exercise for at least 5 times.

Cat-Cow Stretch

The cat-cow stretch is not only a popular chiropractic back pain workout, but also a common yoga position to enhance flexibility in the backbone. Begin with the knees square underneath the hips. Position your wrists directly under the shoulders. Spread the fingers and balance the weight. Make sure you don’t put a lot of pressure on the wrists. Now breathe in deeply and push your stomach to the ground while bringing your face up. Try to lift your tailbone upwards and this is it. The next step is breathing out and around your spine, push in your pelvis and arch your back like a cat. Get your chin towards the chest. Repeat it 5 times.

Conclusion

If you are suffering from back pain, it’s high time to consult a back specialist Snellville. They will recommend a range of exercises for support, balance, and flexibility to help you strengthen your muscles and take off excessive pressure off your spine. You must not ignore the pain at any cost since it can transform into something worse. Even if the pain is bearable, it needs to be addressed to avoid any complications in later life. A chiropractor is going to be your best companion to help ease the symptoms and treat the underlying causes.

This is a guest blog entry.

Chiropractic Therapies for Pain Relief

Chiropractic medicine is a health care occupation committed to the non-surgical treatment of physical and psychological health disorders from the nervous system to anxiety or depression. Typically, chiropractors concentrate on spinal manipulation and treatment. If you are suffering from back pain that lasts more than a week, it’s time to consult a chiropractor for a comprehensive evaluation. Your chiropractor will design a specific course of treatment for you. Many people respond effectively to treatment and soon get back to their everyday activities.

Chiropractic manipulation is a manual process that uses a modified approach developed during many years of chiropractic education. They frequently use their hands to mildly move dysfunctional joints commonly known as subluxations. The procedure mostly focuses on the spinal alignment to restore or improve joint and nervous system functioning. This allows your body to heal resulting in the restoration of function and eventually reduce pain and disability. Here are the four most common treatment techniques to help you get rid of pain:

1 Soft Tissue Therapy
 
Your chiropractor focuses on muscles to relax and soothe them. There are multiple ways to bring comfort to muscles since it’s the source of pain such as manual release treatment that involves muscle stretch while exerting pressure. They may apply trigger point therapy including direct pressure on the painful muscle areas. Also, they may use instrument assisted soft tissue therapy which applies gentle pressure and stroke over the area.

2 Manual Therapy
 
In case your joint is not moving appropriately, your chiropractor is more likely to apply a treatment technique to help you achieve sufficient motion within a joint. This can be achieved through manipulation or joint mobilization. The procedure uses a gentle movement that stretches the joint. 

3 Exercise Therapy/Self-Management

Your chiropractor will recommend a set of exercises to assist with your pain and ensure it doesn’t come back. They are more likely to provide you with safe lifting approaches, tips for an appropriate body posture and other strategies to prevent re-injury.

4 Spinal Manipulation

Also known as spinal manipulative therapy, it’s a strategy where specialists use their hands or a specific instrument to apply a regulated thrust. They use a force of certain magnitude in a particular direction to the joints of the spine. Though the degree of force can considerably vary. Spinal manipulation differs from spinal mobilization which doesn’t include a thrust. The force is applied in a joint’ movement and can be easily regulated by the patient. Spinal therapy is often performed by chiropractors. Other than chiropractors, you can also consult osteopathic physicians and physical therapists since they are also proficient in spinal manipulations.

How Chiropractic Treatment Works
 
Traditional chiropractic adjustments frequently concentrate on spinal manipulation and alignment to help with pain management and encourage the body for self-healing abilities. Readjustment of the spine is believed to minimize pressure on the central nervous system. Lower back pain and headaches are the most common conditions treated by a chiropractor. Your consultation sessions will predominantly include a comprehensive evaluation. The specialist will ask you to explain your symptoms and subsequently may recommend X-rays and other tests that will help you get better with time. Following the discussion sessions, your chiropractor will develop an all-inclusive treatment plan. Pain management involves a range of visits for the best pain management therapy.

In every visit, your chiropractor may use a specific degree of pressure on important parts of your back and realign your spin and regulate pain. This pressure may be sudden or less in intensity applied with hands or using a designated instrument. Your treatment plan may also include massage although make sure to discuss with your chiropractor about different techniques. You will also be given:

Heat and Cold: Chiropractors may switch between heat and ice therapy to help patients treat pain. Ice packs are often used to numb the back for about 15 minutes and then move towards a heating pad. The heat wrap or warm water bottle will help restore blood flow and result in quick healing.

Exercise: You will be given a detailed set of instructions for an exercise program that primarily focuses on stretching and strengthening the back.

Massage: Chiropractors may use massage techniques on soft tissues to improve circulation and pain associated with back pain.

Dietary Management: Chiropractors will provide you detailed instructions on an improved diet. They may also recommend dietary supplements after spinal manipulation.

How Do Chiropractors Help with Lower Back Pain? Millions of people around the world suffer from low back pain at one or another point of their life. This pain is commonly considered as non-specific which means that there is no specific underlying pathology. In simple words, the pain you are encountering comes from the functioning of your spine and the supportive structure around your spine such as nerves, joints, and muscles. In very few cases, low back pain can be instigated by pathologies such as dense fracture, cancer, spinal infections, and herniated discs.

Jonesboro chiropractic care for back pain helps you bring back proper alignment to your spine and release pressure on the nervous system. Improving the misalignments in your spine can result in positive results for both acute and chronic low back pain. When regulated through a comprehensive chiropractic session, it will help you with multiple preventative approaches by concentrating on both your lifestyle and surrounding setting. Your chiropractor will help you determine any rare pathologies that can potentially result in back pain and make a referral where required.

Final Thoughts: 

Setting goals for the chiropractic treatment plan primarily depends on the patient’s pain and activity intolerance. The ultimate goal for the pain treatment framework is the prevention of physical and psychological disorders. The application of active care such as patient-driven exercises, ergonomic modifications, and activity modification focus on accomplishing these objectives. Many studies reveal that chiropractors are rated among the best in patient satisfaction. The high satisfaction level leads to overall efficiency, patient communication and provides practical advice and information.

This is a guest blog entry.

Chiropractic Care: Relief from Anxiety and Depression

If you are suffering from depression or anxiety, you can surely rely on chiropractic care. It primarily involves a mind-body approach that adjusts physical symptoms to improve psychological health. A chiropractor is equipped with an all-inclusive approach for your mental health and considers every possible way to make you feel better. Most people are unable to understand the significance of chiropractic care on both physical and psychological health. As soon as you come to know its standing, you will realize it can improve many lives.

Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety

Millions of adults around the globe face mental illness every year. While anxiety disorders are very common, depression is the ultimate cause of disability. Symptoms are unique to every patient, though some of the most common indications include:

• Exhaustion and failure to sleep
• Headaches or migraines
• Muscle tension and rigidity
• Aches and discomforts throughout the body
• Inability to relax

These physical symptoms can worsen psychological symptoms and it will become more challenging to live every day with anxiety or depression. Fortunately, chiropractic care is an effective solution to ease these physical symptoms.

Aims for a Mind-Body Approach

Chiropractic care focuses on determining an appropriate balance between your mind and body. A chiropractor can do this perfectly by evaluating various health issues including manipulations, therapies, wide-ranging exercises, and diet and supplements. Chiropractic care definitely leaves no stone go unturned. Even some little changes such as using omega-3 in your diet may have a great influence on anxiety symptoms.

Correcting Misalignments Which Influence the Nervous System

Our moods are frequently controlled by the chemistry of the body. The chemistry is your organs and even the brain is well monitored by the nervous system. Any misalignment of the backbone particularly the first, second or third vertebrae can apply considerable pressure on the brain resulting in interference neurologically and chemically. Some people prefer medications to modify their brain chemistry. On the other hand, people looking for non-medication therapy look forward to re-aligning the backbone which can surely do wonders for your mental health.
 
Relieves Tension, Painfulness, and Headaches

Patients going through depression or anxiety often suffer from muscular tension. Chiropractic care can assist in minimizing tension and rigidity. Besides, it helps in relieving pain associated with tension headaches. Many patients with physiological health disorders are more likely to suffer from migraines. This sort of relief can have a major influence on all those who are battling mental health disorders. Typically speaking, chiropractic care and massage therapy can truly help in reducing pain after psychological health diagnoses.

Holistic Approach to Patient Care

Anxiety is not simply a mental illness; it can be life-threatening if not treated on time. The situation gets worse over time eventually leading to extreme depression and mental suffering. According to many studies, chiropractic care can result in significant improvement in the patient’s psychological, physical and social well-being. This refers to the correction of vertebral subluxations improving the quality of life without using any medication.

Chiropractic care reduces the inclusion of nervous activity using manual means and helps the body to restore normal functioning which is crucial for behavioral changes. Spinal manipulation eradicates any nerve interference which considerably minimizes muscle tension, soothes the body, and aligns spinal cord. The reticular activating system (RAS) is a free network of neurons in the brain which controls the overall consciousness. With Marietta chiropractic treatment, RAS functionally sits in the first cervical backbone commonly known as the atlas. The complete chiropractic therapy includes:

• Focuses on the patient’s intrinsic restoration abilities
• Acknowledge dynamics among the lifestyle, surrounding environment and health
• Concentrates on the understanding of causes of mental illness and applies techniques to eradicate associated symptoms
• Understands the significance of the nervous system and its relationship with the structural and monitoring abilities of the body
• Recognizes the multifactorial nature of the chemical, structural and psychological influences on the nervous system
• Perfectly balances the advantages over the risks of clinical interventions
• Monitors progress and effectiveness through applicable diagnostic processes
• Avoids any unessential obstacles in the doctor-patient sessions
• Focuses on a hands-on and patient-centered approach to positively influence functioning through the structure
• Works for early intervention and focus on timely analysis and treatment of functional and rescindable conditions

Be Aware of Options

Many of us experience increased stress whether due to family problems, workload or financial concerns. This stress can result in multiple insecurities and symptoms of psychological illness. It is important to get familiar with diverse options when the mental stress steps in your life. Do not only consider visiting a physician for temporary relief with the use of synthetic medications. Instead of simply consulting a physician for medication, it’s important to educate yourself for other options and ensure your spine is checked and there aren’t any misalignments. You never know if there are any misconfigurations in your spine as a result of trauma or excessive work that you might not be aware of. If you truly want to get relief from the mental health symptoms, chiropractic care is a proven technique that will certainly improve the quality of your life in the long run.

Final Thoughts:

To conclude this, seeking help from a chiropractor can have a positive influence on your mental health. In addition to proven research, there have been multiple studies regarding the importance of chiropractic care on depression and anxiety. With the increasing cost of traditional health care, many people look forward to alternatives that are both effective and affordable. If you are suffering from any of the symptoms discussed above, it’s high time to consult a chiropractor near you to deliberate a potential treatment plan for these symptoms.

They will perhaps design a tailored plan primarily depending on your mental health condition. Once a plan is formulated, you are more likely to have multiple sessions with your doctor involving diagnosis, evaluation, range of exercises and manipulation, and a progress report. Nothing is more important than peace of mind and to get that peace, make sure you are not suffering from any mental health disorders particularly anxiety or depression that can be life-threatening later on. Be safe and consult today!

This is a guest blog post.

Significance of Visiting a Chiropractor for Whiplash

Whiplash is a common injury that frequently occurs after car accident and may result in chronic neck pain and rigidity. Since these symptoms are not apparent after an accident, many people still wait for several days and the condition gets worse. Therefore, most chiropractors recommend visiting the clinic immediately after an accident whether you are experiencing any symptoms or not.

By visiting a chiropractor, you can figure out in case you have whiplash and receive treatment right away. On the other hand, you must seek chiropractor care if you experience any headaches, shoulder pain, neck pain, and stiffness. Without undergoing any treatment, the pain linked with whiplash can last for several upcoming months and years. Initial treatment for whiplash can considerably minimize the risk of long-term complications.

What Is Whiplash?

Before we jump into how a chiropractor can help you, let’s go through what whiplash is. It’s a common traumatic neck injury that often occurs when the head is suddenly forced forward or backward and abruptly whipped in the opposite direction. Under these circumstances, the muscles and ligaments in your neck stretch beyond the normal range of motion. Consequently, this can result in a soft tissue sprain or tear, eventually causing pain and discomfort. A few common symptoms of whiplash are the following:

• Neck pain and rigidity
• Pain in arms, back, and shoulders
• Poor vision
• Headaches specifically at the back of the head
• Faintness
• Extreme exhaustion
• Trouble in concentration

Most symptoms appear in a day or two following the trauma. In some cases, it can take up to a week or even more for symptoms to become obvious. Slight to moderate cases of whiplash typically get better over time with rest, over-the-counter pain relievers and use of ice. Some natural treatments such as physical therapy or massage can significantly help in releasing tension to assist you in restoring range of motion. Though one of the most common treatments for a whiplash injury is chiropractic care. A chiropractor uses a range of natural remedies to ease your discomfort and help your body get comfortable at the earliest.

Your Body as a Whole

Even if you are experiencing pain in your neck, remember that other parts of your body, specifically the spine may also get affected. Considering this fact, a chiropractor evaluates and treats your body for awhile. Instead of merely focusing on obvious symptoms, they carefully look for the underlying cause of the pain. A chiropractor analyzes and identifies the areas of limited movement, muscle spasm, disc or ligament injury. They examine the way you sit, walk and move to comprehensively understand your body mechanics and spinal alignment. Instead of providing one size fits all treatment, they formulate a customized treatment plan for your individual needs. Further, they focus on preventive measures and self-care as an important key to keep you healthy in the long-term.

Chiropractic Whiplash Treatments

Your treatment plan primarily depends on the critical nature of your whiplash injury. One of the most common chiropractic techniques is spinal manipulation. A few spinal manipulation practices involved are the following:

Flexion-distraction technique: This hands-on practice is a non-thrusting and mild type of spinal manipulation to help heal herniated discs with or without arm pain. Whiplash injury is more likely to worsen a herniated disc. The chiropractor frequently uses a slow pumping action on the disc rather than using direct force on the spine.

Instrument-assisted manipulation: This is another commonly used non-thrusting technique. Using a focused hand-held instrument, the chiropractor applies force without pushing into the spine. This certain type of manipulation is particularly helpful for older patients who may have degenerative joint syndrome.

Specific spinal manipulation: The chiropractor detects spinal joints that have limited or any abnormal motion often referred to as subluxations. Using this specific technique, they will help restore the movement of the joint with a smooth and mild thrusting technique. This tender thrusting stretches soft tissues and assist the nervous system to return normal motion to the spine.

Soft Tissue Therapies

Since whiplash involves soft tissue injury, a Tucker whiplash chiropractor is more likely to treat you with one or more soft tissue therapies. The ultimate objective of the treatment plan is to restore proper muscle function. This predominantly involves applying pressure to muscles or stretching as we have discussed above. Therapeutic massage is a common therapy frequently used in easing muscle tension. Besides, trigger point therapy includes identifying painful joints in a muscle and exerting direct pressure on these specific points. Similar to other techniques, the goal is to ease muscle tension and pain. Mainly depending on the intensity of your injury, the chiropractor may also apply muscle energy therapy or multiple stretches and resistance techniques. They may also use an activator or a relevant instrument to treat any of the affected areas.

Other Natural Therapies

Though most of the rehabilitations performed in a chiropractic treatment center are hands-on, there are other options available as well. One common therapy includes the use of an interferential electrical stimulation machine. The machine uses a low-frequency electric current to stimulate wounded muscles. The process results in minimizing pain and tenderness. If you are suffering from any serious muscle spasms, your chiropractor may prefer using ultrasound. The ultrasound machine transfer waves deep into your muscle tissues that encourage muscle relaxation and improved blood flow.

Conclusion:

Though whiplash frequently occurs after a car accident, you may also suffer from it after high-impact sports, a sudden fall or even amusement park rides. When you are suffering from whiplash, there are several ways to minimize your pain without injecting any medication. Don’t assume your pain will get better with time. It can even get worse, affecting both your physical and psychological health.

With chiropractic care, you can get back to normal activities. Chiropractors carry out diverse exercises and therapies to combat any mechanical and neurological symptoms of whiplash. The best part is the treatment will be performed without using any dangerous pharmaceuticals or surgery.

Whiplash can be devastating, and here chiropractor care can significantly help ease your symptoms as your body restores.

This is a guest blog entry.