Chiropractic care helps millions of people heal from their injuries so that they can continue to work, play and live their lives to the fullest. Click on the following video to watch Jerry Rice tell his story about how chiropractic care helped him in his life.

On August 28th Kylie and I traveled up to Penticton, BC to volunteer at Ironman Canada and register for next years race. We were also able to cheer on many of our friends who were competing this year. While Kylie worked in the transition area helping athletes with their bikes I had the opportunity to work in the Ironman Medical Tent. As you can imagine, there were more than a few athletes that required our attention after an event of this magnitude. Each athlete was quickly assessed after they crossed the finish line to determine whether they needed to head into the medical tent or if they could go to the food and massage area. I worked in the first area of the tent where we monitored each athlete, taking vitals, making sure they replenished their fluids and arranging for their dry cloths to be sent to the tent. Once they stabilized and could get up and around on their own we would release them. If they wouldn’t improve or started to deteriorate we would have them taken over to the other side of the tent where the medical staff could arrange IV’s, medications or transport to an area hospital if needed.

It was a great experience, definitely different from what I see in the office on a day to day basis. It is amazing to see how the mind is able to push the body to get to the finish line, and then once it has achieved that goal, how everything wants to shut down and rest. It definitely emphasized the importance of proper training, proper pacingand having a sound nutrition and hydration plan when racing such a grueling event. I enjoyed working as part of the team with the nurses, paramedics and doctors in the tent, but you can be sure I don’t want to see them after my race there next year

A large percentage of our population suffer from headaches. Most people accept these headaches as if they are normal. Although headaches are common, if you are experiencing them on a daily or weekly basis they are certainly not normal. There are different types of headaches, each with its own characteristic symptoms and causes. Headaches may be due to dehydration, skipping meals or the effects of alcohol. The more common types of headaches include migraines, tension headaches and cervicogenic headaches. The vast majority of headaches are associated with problems in the neck.

Migraine Headaches: There are two types of migraines: Classic Migraines (migraines with aura) and Common Migraines (migraines without aura). Classic migraines are preceded by a prodrome which is a progressively increasing blind spot surrounded by flashing lights. Common Migraines do not have a prodrome and account for 80-85% of migraines. Migraines usually affect women and present as a one-sided throbbing headache that is aggravated by bright light and noise. There appears to be a number of triggers including: changes in sleeping habits, environmental pollutants, medications (vasodilators) and certain foods such as chocalate, nuts, wine and cheese.

Cervicogenic Headaches: These headaches are the result of pain referral from soft tissue and spinal structures in the neck. They affect men and women and can occur daily. They may be associated with reduced or painful neck ranges of motion. These headaches usually feel as though they originate at the back of the neck or base of the skull. Poor posture, especially forward head carriage is the prime cause of this type of headache. there is usually associated muscle tightness and tenderness in the neck area.

Tension Headaches: These also occur frequently in both men and women and typically get worse in the afternoon or early evening. Pain is usually felt at the back of the head or over the eyes and my last for days. NSAID’s may provide some temporary relief but do not eliminate the headache. There is often overlap between tension and cervicogenic headaches.

Doctors of Chiropractic specialize in the treatment of the bones, muscles and nerves (the neuromusculoskeletal system). Using a thorough health history and physical examination a chiropractor is able to diagnose the cause of your headache and then recommend the appropriate treatment plan. This plan may include chiropractic manipulation, therapeutic massage, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, cervical traction, dietary changes, and specific stretches and exercises. The goal of the treatment plan is to not only eliminate the headache but to address the underlying cause of the pain.

Ask anyone who has had a massage and they can tell you how wonderful it feels. Not only does massage therapy feel great but it has terrific therapeutic benefit, especially in conjunction with Chiropractic. In practice, I frequently treat people with either chronic or more acute injuries that have a great deal of associate muscle tension or tightness. By combining massage with chiropractic care the muscle tension is reduced and the adjustments not only hold better but less force is required to achieve the range of motion or alignment we are trying to achieve.

I interviewed and had massages from a number of massage therapists before hiring Suzy. (A tough job, I know). Suzy is a licensed massage therapist who lives in Highland with her husband Mark and her daughter Sabrina. She has worked in the dental field since 1994 and felt it was time for a career change. She finally decided to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a Massage Therapist and feels that her love of helping others is now even more fulfilled. Suzy has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Exercise Science from Cal Poly and received her massage training at Everest College. She is very involved in the AYSO, her daughters girls scout troop and is the coordinator of the Sacred Heart Academy Golf Tournament.

Schedule an appointment with Suzy today to get rid of that stress and tension!