Niacin (also known as vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid), is one of the water-soluble B-complex vitamins that provides a range of health benefits, including reducing your level of “bad” LDL cholesterol while raising your level of “good” HDL cholesterol. The body uses niacin, as it does the other B vitamins, to convert food into energy and maintain a healthy nervous system. Niacin also plays a key role in the metabolism of fats, including the synthesis of such fat-based hormones as androgens, estrogens, progestins and stress-related hormones.

The benefit of niacin to healthy brain function has been demonstrated by a study showing its effectiveness in helping protect against age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study on nearly four thousand elderly residents of a Chicago community. Over a period of almost six years, the residents’ dietary data was collected and cognitive assessments were conducted. The results found a definite positive correlation between niacin intake and reduction in mental impairment.

A derivative of niacin, niacinamide, is often useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. William Kaufman has been studying the use of niacinamide in the treatment of arthritis since the 1950s and writes of its benefits, “It measurably improves joint mobility, muscle strength, decreases fatigability. It increases maximal muscle working capacity, reduces or completely eliminates arthritic joint pain.”

As the body is unable to absorb more than 250 mg of niacinamide at a time, it is more effective to take smaller doses more often (perhaps every one to three hours) than one large dose per day. It is estimated that nearly 70 percent of arthritis patients will experience increased joint mobility after four weeks of treatment.

Though niacin deficiency is uncommon, it tends to occur most often in populations that suffer from poverty, malnourishment or chronic alcoholism. This deficiency can lead to a disease called pellagra, in which the patient suffers from dermatitis, diarrhea and dementia. A severe lack of niacin can be deadly, if left untreated. Populations who use corn products (such as cornmeal) as the main staple of their diet often suffer from pellagra, as the niacin in corn is not easily absorbed by the body. Interestingly, adding limestone during cooking (often just by cooking food in high calcium content water) helps to make the vitamin bio-available, and Native Americans have incorporated ash from their cooking fires into their corn-based dishes for generations.

The recommended daily intake of niacin is 14-16 mg per day for adults, which can be easily achieved from eating a balanced diet. The food sources highest in niacin are yeast, meat, poultry, tuna, salmon, whole grain cereals, legumes and seeds. Other good sources are green leafy vegetables, coffee, tea and milk.

The spine develops from infancy into adulthood, gradually adapting itself from a C-shape, which is suitable for crawling, to an S-shape, which is the natural shape for two-legged walking. The natural curves in the spine serve to cushion impact from movement, absorb shock, preserve balance, and allow range of motion.

The three main curves in the spine are known as the cervical curve (the neck region), the thoracic curve (the upper back) and the lumbar curve (the lower back). There are 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral and 4 coccygeal. The sacral and coccygeal are the lowest vertebrae in the spine, below the lumbar area. Good muscle tone is important to help maintain proper posture and spinal alignment. It is also important for us to put effort into maintaining proper posture by training our bodies to walk, stand, lie, and sit such that the lowest possible amount of strain is placed on our spine, muscles, and ligaments.

Twenty-four of the vertebrae in your spine are moveable. They are cushioned by intervertebral discs which act like coiled springs. They are fluid filled and, as we age, become more brittle, causing us to get shorter. Osteoporosis, a common condition related to aging, as well as injury and strain, can cause spinal discs to herniate or bulge. This condition can cause significant back pain.

Damage to the spinal cord can cause numbness and loss of motor function. Injury to the cervical area can cause tetraplegia (also known as quadriplegia), while injury to the thoracic or lumbar area may result in paraplegia, or loss of the use of the legs and trunk.

There are several common spinal disorders. Lordosis, also known as sway back, occurs when there is abnormal forward curvature of the lumbar spine. Those who have abnormal curvature of the thoracic curve have kyphosis, or hunchback. Scoliosis occurs when there is a mild side-to-side curvature in the spine. Slight curves of less than 20 degrees do not usually present health or medical problems. Moderate curves usually need treatment because they can significantly limit physical activity.

Resources:

http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-AnatSpine.htm

www.spine-health.com

The short answer to this question is, “It depends.”

For example, the number of recommended adjustments may depend on why you sought chiropractic care in the first place. Were you concerned with pain, or recovery from an injury, or did you seek care to promote your overall health and wellness? The national average when dealing with pain and injury is 20 to 22 adjustments per patient, per injury. When the initial pain or injury has been relieved and treatment moves more into the area of general wellness care and health maintenance, the number of adjustments is almost always a partnership between the chiropractor and the patients. They work together to determine overall goals and set up an appropriate treatment schedule.

Many patients find relief in their first visit and see considerable progress within a week or two of regular visits, and regular adjustments can become less necessary as your body stabilizes. Of course, this varies from patient to patient, depending on the nature of the injury and the stage of treatment they are in. In the first or acute stage, when the patient has first consulted a chiropractor, the primary goal may be to relieve pain and increase mobility, so several adjustments a week may be required to accomplish this.

However, the scar tissue and postural imbalance that can build up around spinal injuries can take some time to heal completely, so there may be a reconstructive or healing phase of treatment. This stage seeks to improve the strength and flexibility of soft tissue surrounding the area of the original injury. During this phase there are commonly fewer adjustments – from once a week to once a month. At first the patient may find in nearly every visit that their spine has slipped back out of adjustment and requires correction. When the spine starts holding its adjustments, however, treatment can be reduced to a check-up every few months.

The number of recommended adjustments may also vary depending on the nature of the services provided by the individual chiropractor. Some treatment approaches seek to correct problems in a few sessions, while others take a more long-term approach, constantly evaluating the patient’s progress and changing the treatment regimen accordingly to not just heal the immediate injury but develop a more healthy spine and lifestyle. Chiropractic care is to some extent an art form; there are many ways to adjust the spine, and many ways to determine whether the adjustment has been successful. This can depend on the chiropractor’s personal style, where they were educated, their experience, and many other factors.

To some extent the determination of how many adjustments you will need depends on you, your personal goals, and how much you want to benefit from chiropractic care. Some patients seek only resolution of pain or discomfort from an injury, and are not as interested in long-term therapies to improve their spinal and general health. Others choose to pursue treatment because they recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy spine, to prevent future injuries and increase their quality of life.

Resources:

http://www.ehow.com/video_4397485_how-many-chiropractic-visits-do.html

http://www.demosschiropractic.com/chiropractic-fidelity.cfm

http://www.oliverspecific.com/chiropractor/how-many-chiropractic-adjustments-do-i-need-part-2/

http://www.back2harmony.com/faqs_treatment.html#howmany

http://www.creatingwellnessdr.com/chiropractic-adjustments.php

Tuesday:     Dr. Kollias, Dr. Karen, Sonja, Luz, Debbie

Wednesday:     Dr. Kollias, Dr. Karen, Pam, Glo, Sonja, Ursula, Laura, Luz, Debbie

Thursday:     Dr. Karen, Sonja, Luz, Debbie

Friday:     Dr. Kollias, Glo, Lynn, Ursula, Sonja, Laura, Luz, Debbie

Saturday:     Dr. Karen, Glo,  Debbie, Luz

During your initial visit, you will be provided with a few registration and medical history forms by the office staff. Then the chiropractor will typically ask further questions about your health history and about your current problem or condition, such as:

• If you are experiencing pain, where is it located and when did you first notice it?
• Does the pain or discomfort seem to be the result of a recent injury or activity, or has it existed for some time?
• Are there activities or circumstances that make it better?
• Are there activities or circumstances that make it worse?

You may also be asked about any pre-existing medical conditions or prior injuries, your family’s medical history, and other treatments you have received from health care providers. Once completed, your chiropractor then will carry out a thorough chiropractic examination, with a special emphasis on the spine. In addition to general tests such as blood pressure, respiration, reflexes, and pulse, the examination may include certain tests to assess the range of motion of the injured or painful body part, muscle tone and strength, and neurological integrity. Additional diagnostic studies such as X-rays or laboratory tests may be performed or recommended.

The medical history, physical examination and diagnostic tests all help to determine a specific diagnosis. The chiropractor will explain the diagnosed condition to you and determine if it is likely respond well to chiropractic care. If so, the chiropractor will explain the proposed chiropractic treatment plan or other treatments to you and the anticipated length that the treatment should take. Both short- and long-term goals for your treatment will be discussed, and additional therapies may be recommended for future visits, such as:

• Application of heat or cold to affected areas.
• Massage and stretching.
• Modalities to speed healing of soft tissues and improve pain control, such as electrical stimulation and traction.
• Rehabilitative and general exercise to improve muscle balance, strength, and coordination.
• Lifestyle counseling about healthy eating and weight loss.

Many chiropractors begin treatment during your first visit, although some may wait until the next appointment to perform the first adjustment. During a typical adjustment, you will be placed in various specific positions while your chiropractor treats the affected areas. For example, you may be asked to lie face down on a padded table specifically designed for chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractors then use their hands to apply a controlled, quick force to a joint, which extends it beyond its usual range of motion. The goal of this maneuver is to increase the range and quality of motion in the area being treated and to aid in restoring health. You may hear cracking or popping sounds as your chiropractor manipulates your joints during the treatment session. This is similar to cracking one’s knuckles, and there are rarely any feelings of pain or discomfort.

As your course of treatment continues, the chiropractors at Sheldon Road Chiropractic & Massage Therapy will evaluate your progress, to see how much your treatments are helping, and may adjust the recommended treatment regimen accordingly.

Resources:

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/what-expect-first-chiropractic-consultation

http://www.ctchiro.com/FAQ.php

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/chiropractic/introduction.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chiropractic-adjustment/MY01107/DSECTION=what%2Dyou%2Dcan%2Dexpect

http://www.mychiro.com/chiropractic.htm

http://www.pazdelchiropractic.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10

Chronic pain may also start suddenly, but what differentiates it from acute pain is that it persists; it extends beyond the normal range required for healing. Accidents and diseases can result in pain that lingers long after the event that caused it. The problem is that the longer we feel a chronic pain, the more our bodies and brains compensate and change to accommodate it. This can lead to not only a decreased sense of well-being but actual degradation of our physical health. Medical treatment of chronic pain tends to rely on drugs to mask or reduce the pain, but rarely addresses the root cause of the pain. Chiropractic treatment has been found to be a safe, drug-free, non-invasive treatment for many types of pain, but may be most effective when dealing with chronic pain.

We can define chronic back pain as pain that has persisted longer than three months. The pain may be neuropathic (caused by actual nerve tissue damage, and usually experienced as a sharp pain or burning sensation), or nociceptive (caused by an injury or a source outside the nervous system, experienced as a constant dull ache). This type of chronic pain commonly occurs in adults between the ages of 30 and 50, but may also appear in other age groups as a result of lifestyle practices or injury.

Chronic pain due to nervous system irritation or nerve injury can lead to a number of corollary symptoms – lower back pain, changes in posture or stature, lack of mobility, problems with balance, and over time, actual muscle loss. Chiropractic can be very effective in treating these conditions. Because the long-term goal of chiropractic is to create a healthy spine as the basis for general wellness, it can also help to reestablish normal functioning and eliminate the root causes of chronic pain. Many chiropractors are also trained in methodologies such as trigger point therapy and massage, which have been shown to alleviate chronic pain. Your chronic pain treatment may also include some form of exercise plan, either on your own or under the supervision of a physical therapist, to help you rebuild your strength in the affected areas.

If you are experiencing this kind of pain, consult with Sheldon Road Chiropractic & Massage Therapy to assess whether it may be successfully treated with chiropractic adjustments and/or related therapies. Chiropractic care can be very effective in treating chronic pain on its own, but also integrates well with traditional medical care, without the risk of drug side effects or surgery. Chiropractic treatment may be an effective therapy for you to help with long term pain management, and possibly achieve the elimination of the pain itself.

Resources:

http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Chiropractic-and-Chronic-Pain