Chiropractor Everett, WA | Family Chiropractic Center

Everett Chiropractor describes intermediate neck exercise

editor — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:38:15 +0000

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no exercise equipment.
It works the longus capitis, longus colli, SCM (sternocleidomastoid) muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to increase neck strength and muscular endurance.
The benefits are improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin by lying on the back with the head extended off the table, maintaining a chin tuck position.
Slowly extend the head back towards the floor and then raise the head, returning to the initial neutral starting position and repeat as instructed.
Move slowly through the range of motion.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Chiropractor in Everett explains knee exercises for beginners.

editor — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:38:12 +0000

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to increase knee strength and muscular endurance.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin lying on floor facing up.
Bend knees so feet are firmly on floor.
Extend arms upward toward ceiling.
Activate core muscles.
Lift hips off floor to attain a bridge position with knees, hips and shoulders in alignment.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Initially, you may develop some cramping in the back of your thigh. A simple hamstring stretch before and after may prevent this from occurring.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Chiropractic hip exercises for Everett

editor — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:40:54 +0000

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the gluteus medius/minimus, piriformis and hip lateral rotators muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to Increase hip strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury

Begin lying on side on the floor with legs extended.
Top leg should attain a straight line through hip and shoulder.
Bottom leg may be bent for added stability.
Activate core muscles.
Lift top leg upward, abducting leg as foot simultaneously rotates. This will result in a toe-up position.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Everett Chiropractor shares ankle exercises for beginners.

editor — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:38:07 +0000

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the peroneus longus/brevis, tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, gastrocnemius, soleus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to improve muscular endurance, ankle strength, and proprioception.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin seated in a chair with good posture.
Extend leg.
Attempt to write alphabet from A through Z with toes, moving ankle in all directions.
Repeat for prescribed sets.

Chiropractor Everett shares low back exercises for beginners.

editor — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:42:18 +0000

Here is a simple exercises that you can do at home with no equipment.

It works the multifidus, erector spinae, transverse abdominus, oblique muscles.

The purpose of this exercise is to Increase low back strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention

Begin lying on your back.

Extend arms above head flat on floor.

Activate core and lift knees above hips and maintain a 90/90 hip and knee position.

Activate core.

Lift one arm off the floor and raise it towards ceiling until above shoulder level while simultaneously extending one leg downward towards floor.

Pause momentarily.

Return to start position, alternating sides.

Core activation should be maintained throughout entire exercise.

Repeat for recommended repetitions and sets.

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Chiropractor Everett shares shoulder exercises for beginners.

editor — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 13:41:29 +0000

Body: Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.

It works the areas related to the shoulder such as deltoid – anterior, deltoid – lateral, pec major – clavical head, and coracobrachialis muscles.

The purpose of this exercise is to Increase shoulder strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury p

Begin on floor on hands and knees.

Hips should be above knees and shoulders above hands. Attain a straight spine position.

Activate core muscles. While maintaining a straight spine, reach forward until arm is at shoulder level. Slowly return to start position.

Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Chiropractor Everett shares intermediate level abdominal exercise.

editor — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 04:28:45 +0000

Involves no equipment.

This exercise works the abdominal, oblique internal/external, iliopsoa muscles.

The purpose is to increase abdominal strength and muscular endurance.

The benefits include improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin lying on floor.

Lift knees so that a 90º position is attained at hip and knees. Place hands beside ears. Activate core.

Lift shoulder off floor approximately 6 inches attempting to bring elbow toward opposite opposite knee so that both simultaneously meet.

Return to start position and repeat on opposite side. Continue alternating sides until recommended repetitions are complete.

Fibromyalgia and Cord Compression?

thedoc — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:13:45 +0000

Fibromyalgia is a difficult problem to diagnose or determine its cause. Since exercises, diet, and weight loss can be so helpful to fibromyalgia patients, we may think they can completely solve the problem.

Chiropractors recognize the importance of good spinal posture in affecting a variety of health problems, including fibromyalgia. It’s important to not think of the disease as having a single solution, but rather as a more complex entity, needing a comprehensive approach. But is there any research on the spine being involved in patients with fibromyalgia?

Recent research (Holman AJ. Positional cervical spinal cord compression and fibromyalgia: a novel comorbidity with important diagnostic and treatment implications. J Pain 2008; May 20 epub.) has looked into a specific problem seen in fibromyalgia patients: spinal cord compression. The scientist took MRIs of fibromyalgia patients with the neck in different positions such as max forward and backward bend. These positions can show the spinal cord is compressed/pinched where a neutrally positioned MRI or CT scan may not. In the study, 71% of patients with fibromyalgia had positional cervical spinal cord compression.

So what does this mean? It means if you have fibromyalgia there may be an undetected cervical compression problem that may also be affecting you.

Good neck posture and mobility are keys to good health. We can diagnose your condition and see if there is a spinal component to your problem that may have been overlooked. Sometimes it’s the low back pain that keeps us from exercising and ultimately getting rid of the fibromyalgia-inactivity-pain cycle. And, as the research above suggests, maybe the problem is in the neck and this needs to be addressed in a specific and comprehensive manner. Sometimes immobility in one area of the spine is compensated for in another, which can make your ability to heal somewhat lessened. Maybe the neck has been a concern of yours for a long time since the fibromyalgia symptoms came on following a neck trauma such as a whiplash. If you also suffer from headaches and have spinal pain, these are important clues that some of your symptoms may be spinally related.

It’s important to view your fibromyalgia symptoms from a global perspective, and not just think of one isolated issue as the root cause, and the only place where treatment needs to be directed. If you would like a complimentary consultation to begin to address your health concerns, call Milham Family Chiropractic at (425) 379-2556, to make an appointment. You may be a candidate for drug free relief!

Hand Pain and Its Causes

thedoc — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:51:42 +0000

When hand pain strikes, it can be a difficult problem to deal with since we use our hands for so much; our work, our play. It can also be distressing psychologically to have a part of your body not working as it should.

Hand pain can be a difficult thing to diagnose since there are many causes of hand pain. One familiar cause is a carpal tunnel syndrome. This is where the bony tunnel in the wrist is narrowed, entrapping the nerves that pass through and go into the hand.

Another cause for hand pain is a thoracic outlet syndrome. The thoracic outlet can be compressed in the shoulder girdle region causing hand pain, often at night.

The last thing to consider with hand pain is a neck problem such as a disc lesion compressing the nerves in the neck causing referred or radicular (nerve root) pain into the hand.

These problems can independently cause hand pain or they can all co-exist to varying degrees. You are entitled to more than one cause, correct? Getting a proper diagnosis is the first key to a full correction of a problem. If your hand is being treated with analgesics (pain killers), there may be a reduction in pain ssensations but pain medications cannot release an entrapped nerve. You might also want to consider that pain is a signal. The problem that is causing the pain should be a patient’s focus. When the fire alarm goes off at home do we think to put out the fire alarm, or put out the fire? Pain is the fire alarm, not the fire.

Recent research (Nork KM, et. al. False positive rate of thoracic syndrome diagnostic maneuvers. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 2008;48:67.) has shown that differentiating between these three unique disorders with clinical test can be problematic, since false positive tests are more a rule, rather than an exception. Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome wer one of the most frequently misdiagnosed groups of patients.

You may also nee x-rays of your spine to fully get at the cause of your hand pain and determine the best course of action; pills, surgery or specific chiropractic care. Chiropractic is an often-overlooked conservative form of care. It carries very low risks, and shuld be a considered option for anyone who is considering bracing, medications or wrist surgery.

If you would like to discuss your health concerns, we are always available for complimentary consultations. Just call (425) 379-2556 at Milham Family Chiropractic to schedule an appointment today. You may be a candidate for drug free relief!

Thinking about Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression?

thedoc — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:31:24 +0000

If you’re thinking about Spinal Decompression you need answers to some important questions. Here are some answers to aid you in your process.

Spinal Decompression is an option for people with chronic back pain or bulging or herniated discs, degeneration, sciatica, and facet syndrome. There are also options for cervical treatment for those with neck problems.

As a treatment it is non-invasive, non-surgical and the decompression relieves pressure on the nerves by creating negative pressure to heal the herniated or degenerated disc. This negative pressure draws nutrients and oxygen back into the disc that will nourish and restore the disc material and relieve pressure.

The treatment program is tailored to the individual needs of each person. For most patients there will be 20 or more treatments of 15-30 minutes each. Following each treatment a cold pack will be applied to help further reduce inflammation.

This article is not intended to substitute for a professional advice. Call Dr. James Milham at Milham Family Chiropractic as you consider available treatment options. Our number is (425) 379-2556.