Month: January 2020

To get pain relief and prevent future pain and disability seek chiropractic care if you have an accident.

From best neck and back pain relief of Dr James Schofield’s Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic office.

Change is usually difficult but the benefits are worth it!

From the back and neck pain relief  chiropractic office of Dr James Schofield, North Hills Pittsburgh.

Chiropractic care is utilized by patients for various reasons. The majority of people initially seeking chiropractic treatment are generally looking for relief of neck pain and lower back pain. However, once pain relief has been achieved many find that there are additional benefits to be received through chiropractic health care. This article will discuss what I call the “three P’s” of chiropractic; namely, pain relief, prevention and performance.

Pain relief. As stated earlier, a large percentage of patients discover chiropractic because they suffer from neck or back pain. Chiropractic has been recognized as the gold standard for relief of spinal pain. Doctors of chiropractic specialize in diagnosing and treating the most common cause of spine pain, which is misalignments and improper movement of the joints of the vertebral column. By correcting improper movement of abnormal alignment of spinal vertebrae most patients get relief of spine pain without the use of drugs or surgery.

Prevention. Once pain relief has been achieved many users of chiropractic care find it is best to continue on with some type of preventative maintenance and supportive care. Usually, during the pain relief phase, chiropractors will introduce their patients to preventative stretching and strengthening exercises. Additionally, the doctor of chiropractic will counsel patients individually as to lifestyle advice such as posture and ergonomics. A number of patients also return for periodic maintenance chiropractic “tuneup’s” to keep their spine moving properly and in good alignment.

Performance. By keeping the spine in good alignment and allowing for proper movement patients discover that their life is enhanced overall. Because they are not in pain, they generally, feel better. Examples are: an improvement of energy, sleeping better, able to exercise vigorously and regularly. Many athletes and people involved in competitive sports find that regular chiropractic treatments give them a competitive edge in their particular sport. They also find that utilizing chiropractic for superior performance helps them to avoid injury or return from injury more quickly.

Performance also extends to women during pregnancy delivery of their babies. Most women who receive chiropractic care during their pregnancy tend to have less lower back and pelvic pain. Additionally, research studies show that women receiving chiropractic care throughout the pregnancy have quicker and less painful deliveries at the time of birth.

For nearly 125 years patients have found that chiropractic care helps with neck and back pain relief, prevention of recurring injuries and improved lifestyle performance.

Visit here for best neck and back pain relief Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractor. From the best back and neck pain relief UPMC chiropractic office.

“If you can’t fly, run; If you can’t run, walk; If you can walk, crawl; But by all means keep moving.”  Martin Luther King Jr.

From the low back pain and neck pain relief chiropractic office of Dr. James J Schofield.

Many people struggle with headaches. There are certainly various types of headaches. One person may have migraine headaches, another may have tension headaches, and someone else may have sinus headaches. What do they all have in common? In my 35 years of chiropractic practice I have found that the majority of headaches, are coming from the spine. This article will discuss headaches, important research concerning this condition and headache pain relief.

As I noted earlier, there are varying types of headaches. Let’s briefly discuss these. Migraine headaches are classically located on one side of the head. They are usually preceded by a “prodrome.” A prodrome occurs before the actual head pain. For some it might be a loss of peripheral vision, others may get a ringing in the ears and another might get a feeling of numbness in the facial area. Migraine sufferers usually experience a severe pain that can cause them disability to the point they may have to lie down in a dark quiet room.

Tension headaches, which also may be called muscular stress headaches, can be located anywhere in the skull. Some people get them in the back of the head, others might get them in the temples and another might find them to be all over the entire skull. Stress and tiredness tend to trigger tension headaches. Usually, they are mild to moderate in nature and those suffering from them are accustomed to continuing on with their day, albeit under duress.

Sinus headaches are usually located in front of the head and are located around the eyes, forehead and upper cheeks. They may occur with changes in weather, temperature or seasonal changes. They are confounding to those having them due to their unpredictability.

Fortunately, there is a single type of conservative care that is blessing for headache pain alleviation. Research has found that the cause of headaches is frequently found by correcting spinal misalignments in the upper neck. In fact, the Journal of Occupational Trauma published a research article that said: “Headaches are more frequently caused by spinal stress than any other condition.”

A doctor of chiropractic is trained to evaluate the upper spinal bones of the neck for misalignments and improper motion. If there is abnormal alignment or motion of these bones, called vertebrae, it can irritate nerves that cause migraine, tension, and sinus headaches.

Chiropractors are also trained to restore proper alignment and motion to the upper spinal vertebrae by way of a chiropractic adjustment. A chiropractic adjustment is very safe, gentle conservative. Many headache sufferers are used to taking medications for headaches. These drugs may have unhealthy side effects. Chiropractic care is known to be a non-pharmaceutical alternative for headache pain relief.

For over 125 years chiropractors have cared for patients suffering from headaches and provided pain relief.

From the headache pain relief chiropractic office of Dr. James J Schofield. See our video for Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic headache pain relief.

When I meet someone new and they ask me what I do, I tell them I’ve been a practicing chiropractor in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh for 35 years. The majority of their responses, in some way, indicate they believe I treat back problems with chiropractic adjustments. This is certainly true. I am able to give patients pain relief for their back and neck problems by adjusting their spinal misalignments. In fact, I have always considered spinal adjustments to be the gold standard in the treatment of most back problems. However, there are adjunctive methods of treatment, that I also utilize. This article will discuss a particular adjunctive treatment modality that I also use at times called Myofascial Disruption Technique (MFDT).

Myofascial Disruption Technique is a hands-on technique commonly used by doctors of chiropractic that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into connective tissue restrictions to help eliminate pain and restore motion.

Let’s further explore MFDT. Myo is a term that means muscle. Fascial denotes fascia. The fascia is a type of connective tissue that holds and connects different parts of our body together. Fascia is not muscle tissue, ligaments, tendons, skin or organs. It is the diffuse, broad, fibrous tissue that is found all over the body that is somewhat flexible and allows our bodies to move properly. A good example of fascia is that found along the bottom of our feet called the plantar fascia. This fascia inserts at the front of the foot and extends back to the bottom of the heel. It is attached to the bones and the small muscles of the arch of the foot. When this fascia gets irritated it is called the plantar fasciitis.

There is fascia all over the body. There is a broad sheet of fascia along the side of the thigh called the Tensor Fasciae Latae. Another fascial area is in the lower back, called the lumbar fascia.

Normally muscles and fascia are smooth and the fibers form a flawless matrix. However, at times muscles and fascia can become disrupted. The fibers can become separated, pulled from their insertions, wrinkled or otherwise damaged.

MFDT is a method I like to use for these types of injured tissues. By applying pressure into these damaged muscle and fascial tissues we are able to repair the fascia and muscles and bring pain relief.

In October 2019 a research study was published in Clinical Interventions in Aging that documents how well this technique works. In a study involving 45 elderly patients with nonspecific low back pain, those treated with a combination of Myofascial Disruption Technique and core strengthening exercises three times a week for six weeks experienced improvements in low back pain and function, lower body flexibility, fear avoidance behavior, and overall quality of life.

As mentioned earlier, while I love using chiropractic spinal adjustments to bring neck and back pain relief, I also use Myofascial Disruption Technique as an adjunct to get faster and better healing for my patients.

Visit Dr James Schofield, chiropractor, neck and back pain relief. Discover UPMC chiropratic back and neck pain relief.

I had numbness in my fingers caused by a pinched nerve in my neck. I really had not done anything to get help. My family members recommended Chiropractic.

Dr. Schofield listened to my problem, did X-Rays to identify the problem, did adjustments, and gave me an exercise program. I like to go bowling, golf, and play sports. I have been able to do things pain free as a result of the adjustments and exercises. I can do things now that I was unable to do before my care.

I would encourage anyone who is not sure about Chiropractic to try it.  It works!  Don’t expect immediate results, it is a process that includes doing exercises.  Dr. Schofield is very understanding and knowledgeable.  He can direct you, but you need to help yourself as well!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR from Dr James Schofield’s chiropractic back and neck pain relief office.