The most common ankle injury is the sprain: a forceful stretching of certain ligaments on the outside of your foot that causes pain, swelling, and sometimes bleeding. Your ankle will heal on its own, but only if it is allowed to do so. Your body always heals itself, given the proper conditions. Using the acronym PRICE, here are the five most important things that you can do before consulting a doctor to help the healing of your sprained ankle: P - PROTECT: Your first job ought to make sure that you don't reinjure those ligaments. A second sprain is often worse than the first and will take even longer to heal. R - REST: This doesn't mean bed rest, nor that you should stay off your feet for 6-8 weeks. It does mean that you should play it safe. If there's no need to play soccer or jog the Peoria riverfront, you probably shouldn't. I - ICE: This is critical. The ice will not only have an analgesic effect (helping the pain go away), but it will also reduce swelling and inflammation in the area. Ten minutes on, an hour off. C - COMPRESS: Taping your ankle or wearing a simple air cast will help to compress your ankle, also helping to prevent additional swelling. If the tape is too tight you'll cut off all circulation to the foot, but the tape should be snug. E - ELEVATE: Again, this is an anti-swelling maneuver. If you can lift your ankle above the level of your heart, you'll be able to use gravity to get the fluids out of your foot and back to the rest of your body. A chiropractor can also help your ankle. The violent motion of the sprain may have misaligned your heel bone and other bones of your ankle. Until these bones are properly realigned, you'll aggravate those ligaments every time you walk or run. The gentle Activator Methods chiropractic technique that we use at Johnson Family Chiropractic will not aggravate your ankle pain further, but will help to restore the proper relationship between bones and the ligaments. Cold laser therapy, ultrasound therapy, and exercises can also be essential parts of your sprained ankle treatment plan to get you back up on your feet. If you have a sprained ankle, be sure to follow the PRICE method and contact your Peoria chiropactor today for a consultation.
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Top-flight athletes like Aaron Rodgers, Jerry Rice, and Joe Montana know the benefits of chiropractic care. By removing interference from the nervous system, Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) help these athletes to act strongly, react quickly, and execute flawlessly. Olympic athletes have learned this, too! According to an e-mail from Dr. Keith Overland, DC, president of the American Chiropractic Association, "there will 28 DCs in the Olympic polyclinic--a multi-disciplinary medical services team provided by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games--led by Tom Greenway, DC. In addition, there are 27 other DCs working with foreign countries and teams from around the world. Among them is ACA's very own District of Columbia delegate Angela Salcedo, DC, who is the team doctor of chiropractic for the British Virgin Islands. U.S. athletes will be cared for by an additional nine chiropractic physicians." In addition to all of these chiropractors providing treatment for the world's finest athletes, one chiropractor has a different job. Dr. Terry Schroeder, DC, coached the USA Men's Water Polo team to a thrilling silver medal in the Beijing Olympic Games. He will again lead the men's Water Polo team in London. Individual athletes have not been shy to applaud the individual chiropractors who provide them with care. A first-time Olympian this year, McKayla Moroney, will represent the USA in women's gymnastics. If you have been following women's gymnastics, you know that shortly before the Olympic trials in gymnastics, McKayla suffered a hard fall during practice: so hard, in fact, that she sustained a concussion and a broken nasal bone. But after ongoing care from chiropractors and chiropractic neurologists, McKayla has made a full recovery and is en route to the London games. The medical community surrounding the Olympic athletes represents truly diverse health care. Chiropractors, osteopaths, medical doctors, physical therapists rub elbows to help our country shine at the Olympic Games. Chiropractors are seen as valuable assets in a multi-disciplinary health care team. Just as chiropractors help the top athletes in the USA, so too chiropractors are available to help you reach your health care goals. Whether or not you are an athlete, you may find chiropractic helps you to be and feel your best. If you haven't experienced chiropractic, contact your gentle Peoria chiropractor today. It seems that this summer's record-setting heat and drought may finally turn a corner tomorrow with some storms and slightly cooler air. But until then, the National Weather Service has issued two warnings for the Peoria and central Illinois area today, both of which are worth reproducing in full: A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING. * TEMPERATURE...HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 100 TO 103 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. THE HEAT INDEX WILL BE ABOVE 105 DEGREES MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON. * IMPACTS...HEAT RELATED ILLNESS IS LIKELY WITH PROLONGED OUTDOOR EXPOSURE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS... IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE... WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. RESIDENTS WITHOUT ACCESS TO AIR CONDITIONING ARE ESPECIALLY AT RISK. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY...CALL 9 1 1. OTHER VULNERABLE POPULATIONS INCLUDE THE ELDERLY...YOUNG CHILDREN...AND ALSO PETS. PEOPLE AND PETS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT IN VEHICLES. BEAT THE HEAT... CHECK THE BACKSEAT. ...HEIGHTENED FIRE DANGER ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS TODAY... A VERY HOT AIRMASS WILL SET UP ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. THIS HEAT COMBINED WITH DEWPOINTS DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 60S DURING THE AFTERNOON WILL PRODUCE LOW AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 25 TO 30 PERCENT. IN ADDITION...IN A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AHEAD OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKING INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST...SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH VERY DRY VEGETATION DUE TO THE LACK OF RAINFALL THIS GROWING SEASON...WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE UNCONTROLLED SPREAD OF OUTDOOR FIRES. PEOPLE ARE DISCOURAGED FROM OUTDOOR BURNING. IF COOKING OUTDOORS...KEEP A CAREFUL WATCH ON THE GRILL. BURNING EMBERS CAN BLOW AROUND AND EASILY CATCH GRASS ON FIRE. IMPROPERLY DISCARDED CIGARETTES CAN ALSO START FIRES WHICH WILL SPREAD QUICKLY. And remember, here is a compilation of important tips on how to beat the heat, compiled by your gentle Peoria chiropractor.
Research shows that the specific chiropractic adjustment affects the autonomic nervous system, which in turn affects the blood pressure.
A groundbreaking study was published in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2007 which showed that a specific chiropractic adjustment of the first cervical vertebrae (just under the head) lowered blood pressure. At the time of this writing, larger trials are underway to expand our scientific knowledge of this phenomenon. The Activator Methods analysis and instrument adjusting system has also been studied for blood pressure effects. A large randomized clinical trial showed significant changes in blood pressure after the Activator adjustment. Another study showed that Activator adjustments lowered anxiety and blood pressure. The purpose of the Activator Methods chiropractic adjustment is to eliminate vertebral subluxations and promote proper nervous system communication and function. One of the many positive "side effects" of the chiropractic adjustment is the restoration of normal body function, such as the restoration of normal blood pressure. It is possible that the Activator adjustment may be one avenue for you in helping to lower your high blood pressure. Neck pain is very common and creates a heavy cost on the American health care system. It affects approximately 14% of the population yearly. Yet, the current treatment for neck pain is often uncoordinated, disorganized, and costly. Most sufferers will consult their medical doctor, receiving muscle relaxant, anti-inflammatory or pain medications, or if that fails, a referral for physical therapy or traction.
After repeated failures, frustrated chronic neck pain sufferers may turn to such alternatives as Chiropractors, Naturopaths, acupuncture, or massage. Each approach has its successes—and its failures. Researchers are beginning to look into ways to increase the patient’s health and satisfaction, while hopefully reducing costs. Dr. Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD of Harvard Medical School and Dr. Arnold Milstein, MD, MPH of Mercer Health and Benefits examined the costs and benefits of the various health care approaches to treating neck pain. The full Mercer Report is attached to this article or it can be accessed at http://www.yes2chiropractic.org/files/2012/05/evidence_based_assessment.pdf. In order to evaluate overall treatment effectiveness and costs, researchers use the Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) to compare outcomes. A value of 1 would be symptom-free or “perfect” health, a 0 is death, and 0.5 means moderate pain which limits some self-care abilities. The total costs of a treatment that yields an additional year of ideal health determines the cost per QALY. This incremental cost-effectiveness ratio can then be used to determine the comparative value of various treatments. Interventions with cost-effectiveness ratios below $50000 to $100000 per QALY are generally considered to be cost-effective. Doctors Choudhry and Milstein reported in the Mercer Report that medical physician care for neck pain cost $579 (not including muscle relaxant, anti-inflammatory or pain medications) with an efficacy (QALY) of 0.77. Physiotherapy-led exercise had an efficacy of 0.79 at a cost of $952. This results in an incremental cost effectiveness ratio of $18665 (increased cost divided by increased efficacy, numbers have been rounded). This is well below the $50000 to $100000 threshold for being acceptable as cost-effective. Chiropractic care had an efficacy of 0.82 at a cost of only $277, resulting in an incremental cost effectiveness ratio of negative $6035. Not only was Chiropractic more effective, it resulted in a greatly reduced cost to achieve this effectiveness! Because sufficiently detailed drug costs were lacking, drug expenditures were not included in the analysis. This would very likely have increased the medical costs compared to the Chiropractic costs, further increasing the cost savings seen in Chiropractic care. Dr. J G Moellendorf, DC, ND, LCP notes, “What makes this information especially significant is that we have two highly respected medical researchers concluding that seeing a Chiropractor for neck pain is not only more effective, but less costly than other forms of treatment!” To see just how cost efficient Chiropractic care was, Doctors Choudhry and Milstein found that by doubling the fees for Chiropractic care, the savings were only reduced from $6035 to $5995. If the costs were increased by five times, the savings would still be $5875 compared to medical care (medication costs not included). If exercise therapy was done by Chiropractors rather than by physical therapists, the 1 year costs would drop to $464, saving $114 per patient. The Mercer Report also noted the findings of researchers Nelson, Metz, and LaBrot who observed that when Chiropractic care was utilized, there was reduced use of x-ray, MRI, CT scan, hospitalization, and surgery; resulting in substantial cost savings long term. It was observed by the Mercer Report that nearly 50% of chronic spinal pain sufferers consult a Chiropractor for care. Chiropractic was found to be more effective than other modalities in treating neck pain. When combined with other modalities such as exercise, it was even more effective. Source: prweb.com |
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DisclaimerUnless otherwise attributed, all content is written by Kyle Johnson, DC, of Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria.
All images used are under Creative Commons license. Although every effort has been made to provide an accurate description of our chiropractic care and its benefits, the information given on this website and blog is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, medical advice for any condition. If you have any questions regarding your condition, you should seek the help of Dr. Johnson in person, so that he may properly assess your condition. This blog is provided by Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria, S.C., proudly located in Peoria, IL. |