Approaches to Subluxations

Chiropractic is a lot more than just pushing on someone’s back to make it feel better. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, we believe in putting the body in the optimal position to heal itself, using minimally invasive, non-addictive means. Part of that means using spinal adjustments to treat vertebral subluxation complexes, but those are more than just regular back pain. They’re misalignments in the spinal column that could become more severe if they’re not corrected.

 

The spinal column is made up of bones, called vertebrae, that are connected to each other by facet joints in back and spongy, shock-absorbing discs between their main bodies. The bundle of nerves that makes up the spinal cord runs through a canal made up of hollow spaces in the vertebrae behind their flat parts, and the nerves to the rest of our bodies branch out of the spinal cord through small holes in the vertebrae. A vertebral subluxation complex is what we call it when an injury causes a vertebra to move out of its usual position. This could compress the nerves exiting through it, causing them to experience pain, tingling, or numbness. It could also press down on blood vessels, prompt inflammation, and distort the shape of the spinal discs.

 

A subluxation may be painful, but the body can adjust to it. However, this would not be good for the spinal column’s overall integrity, and would likely further strain its supporting muscles and allow the affected area’s blood flow to remain restricted and its nerves to have difficulty relaying messages. A chiropractic adjustment is the most simple way of dealing with this. With a controlled, gentle amount of force, a chiropractor would return the vertebra to its optimal position. This would remove the impingement on the nerve and allow the body to heal fully. But it works better when the rest of the body hasn’t experienced wear from overuse due to compensating for a subluxation.

 

If you are experiencing back pain, visit Dr. Carmelino Caratozzolo at the ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355. We’ll help determine whether a vertebral subluxation complex is the cause and what your best course of treatment is.

Leg Pain and Back Problems

If you’re interested in learning about chiropractic, you’ve probably heard of sciatica. This condition is caused by compression of one of the sciatic nerves, which travel from the lower back to the leg. In fact, there are several connections between the back and legs running through the pelvic region, and as experts in musculoskeletal health, we at ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge want our patients to understand why noninvasive treatment of the lower back may be the best thing for their leg pain.

 

Nerves emerge from the lumbar, or lower back region, of the spine through small holes called foramina. The nerves could be constricted at their point of origin if a person is suffering from inflammation due to a damaged spinal disc or facet joint, if a person’s vertebrae have slipped out of position, or a nearby muscle is being stretched tightly over a bony spur. The nerves could also be compressed further down in the pelvis if there is a problem in one of the piriformis muscles, which connect the lumbar spine to the top of the leg.

 

Not all leg pain is due to nerve compression. There are several other muscles in the pelvic region that could tighten, pulling on the lower back, and some of them pass over and compress bursae. If we determine that a patient’s pain is due to a musculoskeletal problem, we have several treatment options for reducing inflammation. Those include chiropractic adjustments to fix subluxated spinal joints, extremity adjustments to restore leg and foot joints, and low-level laser therapy to accelerate healing. We will also help patients devise therapeutic exercises that will reduce the risk of their muscles cramping again and help them to ease the burden on the spine.

 

If you’ve suffered from pain, tingling, or numbness in your lower back or one of your legs, schedule a visit to Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at the ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

Occipital Adjustments

If you’ve felt ringing in your ears, a tense jaw, and pain in your shoulders, the problem may be originating from in between them. “Cervicogenic” is the word we use to describe pain that radiates from the neck. Although it may sound scary, Dr. Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center is specially trained to perform occipital adjustments, allowing him to remove pressure in the neck. If this sounds like it could be the solution to your problems, read on.

 

Many nerves emerge from the spinal cord in the cervical region. The nerves leading to the arms branch out in the lower section, while the trigeminal nerve, which leads to the face and top of the head, branches from the top. When a person suffers whiplash, the soft tissues in their neck will likely become swollen from being frayed, and the person may even suffer a herniated spinal disc. This could compress one of the nerves at their root, or the other injuries may be painful in their own right.

 

Occipital adjustments use gentle, controlled force to adjust the top of the neck, where it meets the base of the skull. This will help to loosen the soft connective tissues, allowing blood to flow more freely and reducing swelling. Adjustments can also be done on the lower part of the neck to take pressure off the spinal discs and move them back into place. As the patient recovers, we will teach them neck flexibility exercises that will help them to prevent a relapse, and better postural techniques if we determine that something in the patient’s lifestyle may have strained their necks and made them more vulnerable to whiplash or chronic inflammation.

For a diagnosis of what’s causing your neck pain and expert occipital adjustments, schedule a visit to Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Herniated discs are a common problem, and one of the leading causes of lower back pain. Besides causing local soreness, they may pinch one of the sciatic nerves, causing shooting pain or numbness down a patient’s leg. At the ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, we provide safe, fast-acting relief for people who are suffering from herniated discs, but treatment may vary depending on whether the disc has suffered an acute injury or long-term degeneration.

 

The spinal discs function as shock absorbers and help to keep pressure off the spinal joints. They are made up of a gel-like center, called the nucleus pulposus, and an outer ring of fibers, called the annulus fibrosus. In a person with degenerative disc disease, the nucleus pulposus loses water, making the disc less effective at absorbing shocks and putting it at risk of becoming deformed. Small tears in the annulus fibrosus cause it to release proteins that trigger inflammation, and changes in the nucleus pulposus’s shape may cause it to bulge outward, compressing nearby nerves.

 

The causes of disc degeneration are not fully understood, but lifestyle modifications can ease pressure on the spinal discs. Keeping the core muscles strong will allow them to share the discs’ burden, and maintaining good posture will keep them from straining. We can provide chiropractic adjustments to spinal discs that are out of place and reduce inflammation through treatments such as low level laser therapy and pulsed electromagnetic fields. We can also provide patients with a nutritional analysis that will inform more individualized preventive treatments.

 

If you suffer from back pain or are interested in preventive care, visit Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at the ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

Introduction to Spinal Spurs

Spinal spurs sound scary, and it’s true that they can cause pain. But with the right treatment, they are manageable. The ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge does more than relieve symptoms; we also put patients in the best position to care for their own wellness and avoid pricey and more dangerous interventions. Therefore, we wanted to say a bit about bone spurs in the spine and why they should be treated early. 

 Bones are alive, constantly breaking down and re-growing new tissue. Spurs are what happen when they grow tissue in an inappropriate place, often in response to inflammation. When a person’s spinal discs are degenerating, they are unable to absorb shocks and the discs’ protrusion may irritate nearby muscle and ligament tissue. The irritated tissue thickens with inflammation and distorts the vertebrae’s growth pattern. Additionally, people with osteoarthritis are at risk of developing bone spurs because the erosion of their joint cartilage causes their bones to rub together. The rubbing triggers inflammation in their joints and abnormal growth of replacement bone tissue. 

 

Spinal spurs could cause shooting pain, tingling, or numbness by compressing a nerve at its root. More commonly, they cause soreness. After using visual imaging to diagnose a bone spur, our treatment options include chiropractic adjustments to reduce stress on dislocated joints, soft tissue therapies such as electric muscle stimulation to reduce inflammation, and therapeutic stretches to improve flexibility. We may also recommend strengthening exercises to reduce the burden on the joints and improve posture. 

 

To prevent the development of spine spurs and manage symptoms associated with them, contact Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355. 

Osteoarthritis and Sleep Deprivation

If you suffer from arthritis, you’ve doubtlessly lost a lot of sleep to it. You’ve probably also noticed that arthritis exists in a vicious circle with sleep deprivation; the more scared you are of pain, the less you sleep, and the more sensitive you become. So how do you break free of this cycle? At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, we utilize minimally invasive, fast-acting pain relief methods for people suffering from joint damage. Those include chiropractic adjustments, high-tech treatments, and lifestyle changes.

 

Osteoarthritis is a kind of joint inflammation in which the cartilage that cushions joints suffers wear-and-tear damage, triggering swelling. If you are are tired, your soft tissues is less elastic and are more prone to irritation. People who dread pain tend to lose sleep out of fear of it, and the nerves pain travels along become over stimulated. People with chronic inflammation may also develop bony spurs, which could further stretch soft tissues and erode cartilage.

 

While you cannot do anything to completely stop the degenerative disease process of osteoarthritis, you can help to slow the process through regular chiropractic care and good nutrition. Chiropractic adjustments help to restore joints to their proper place, making them less likely to push against nearby tissues. In addition to correcting spinal misalignments, at ACT wellness Center, we utilize a variety of anti-inflammation soft tissue treatments, including low level laser therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF). We can recommend wedge pillows that provide you with better joint support while sleeping. A bio-nutritional consultation may help to determine how your diet may be triggering inflammation. Many people sleep better when they reduce their intake of sugar and limit their screen time before bed, and when they stretch throughout the day to remain limber.

 

For holistic anti-inflammation treatments and relief from joint stress, visit Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.