Saturday, April 19, 2014

What Do You Think About Your Chiropractor?

By Zane Durant * April 19, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

I have had some great chiropractors over the years, and I have come across some real "winners". This blog page is for people like you, to comment on their chiropractor. Tell us what you think about your chiropractor, their office, their treatment, etc at the bottom of this page.

Here are my recommendations for chiropractors. I move a lot, so I have had to find chiropractors all over the country.

Before I left Florida, I went to the Charnies. They were a husband and wife team, she worked pressure points, and he crunched. Very good results for me. They worked wonders on my migraines. I think it was an occipital issue.

When I moved to Maui, Hawaii, I went to two chiropractors, one, I called Dr. Crack, not so much for the treatment, but for the way he acted. I thought he was going to break me in half. I can't remember his name right now, but he is by the shave ice place in South Kihei. Then I went to Dr. Fortune, who was awesome.

In Reno, I go to Integrated Spinal Solutions, my doctor is Dr. Welch. Another awesome doctor of chiropractic. He knows when and when no to crack you. Believe me there is a difference. In South Reno, I would say choose Dr. Welch, out West, in Caughlin Ranch, please consider Dr. Xavier Martinez, who happens to be celebrating his 15th year in Reno, and 20 as a chiropractor.

Let us know what you think about your chiropractor below, or add you doctor to this free directory, and then comment on this page.

Friday, April 18, 2014

What's The Deal With Those Hang Up Machines

By Zane Durant * April 18, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

I have been personally dealing with a back issue for the last 5 weeks. I have gone from totally unable to move, to about 95% with the help of ice packs, regular chiropractic adjustments, and 7 sessions of decompression. The other day my friend dropped by and brought with him his "teeter hangup" for me to try. My wife told him I was wiped out and could use it if he wasn't.

This hangup thing is very similar to the decompression offered at the clinic. The difference is the clinic uses a system that clicks you into a belt then weights are used to relieve stress, the teeter hang up, and similar inversion tables lock your ankles in place, and then your weight pulls down on your spine as you hang upside down like a bat.

At first I was a little apprehensive at first because I was really bad before and I didn't want to make it worse. I started out slowly, and the first time I went back I could feel a nice long stretch. I was instantly sold. I did a couple of sessions yesterday, and a couple today, and it really works. I was sitting for a bit too long again today and after decompression on that inversion table I felt better.

I think personally that as a tool to keep things moving it's okay, but I still think regular spinal decompression ( 1 or twice per month ) is best, with an occasional adjustment if need be. 

I recommend my chiropractic clinic: Integrated Spinal Solutions in Reno. Dr. Dan Welch, Dr. Riley, are in the South Location, Dr. Martinez, and the rest of the team work in Caughlin Ranch. They offer the latest in chiropractic care including state of the art spinal decompression, EMS therapy, ultrasound therapy, massage, and personal trainers to help restore your core muscles to their former strength.

Monday, April 14, 2014

5 Weeks To Recovery

By Zane Durant * April 14, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

On March 10th of this year, five weeks ago, I did something bad to my lower back. If you read some of the past entries you will see how messed up I was. I like that phrase "was" because now that I am out of pain, I can look back with some astonishment at how bad my pain was.

Today I went back to the chiropractors, and got my 7th decompression treatment. I have to say, wow.. it's so nice not to hurt anymore.

I just got back from the gym. Soooo excited about that. I missed from March 10 to today so getting back to it came with mixed feelings. I wanted to get back in there, and I was also afraid of hurting myself again. You know they say you never know what's it's like to feel good until you are in pain.

Dr Welch, at Integrated Spinal Solutions is my chiropractor. His office is located in South Reno off McCarren and Longley Lane. He gave me the green light to start lifting again, but he recommended that I stretch twice as long as I usually do, which means twice as much as nothing.. which could be the reason I hurt myself if the first place.

I stretched, did a light workout, and my back feels fine. 12 minutes of cardio later and I am feeling like a million bucks. Man, there's nothing like getting back to it.

If you are recovering from back pain, take it easy. I used a lot of ice, 10 minutes every hour. That went on for weeks. Couple that with decompression, and you too can feel better.

You haven't tried spinal decompression? Now, you have to be kidding me? Is you chiropractor just "cracking you?" Man, get into the 21 century and try spinal decompression therapy. You will be soooo glad you did too!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Why Your Leg Is Tingling

By Zane Durant * April 12. 2014 * Reno, Nevada

It's hard to believe but the shooting pain you are feeling right now shooting down your leg is not normal pain, it's called sciatica. Normally you have a cut, there's some pain, right there at the source of the pain. Spinal pain is different because of the way our nerves.

The spine is broken up into several parts. You neck area, from your head to your shoulders is called the cervical spine. It contains 7 flexible bones that allow your head to move back and forth and from side to side. There are a lot of nerve endings running through the spine, and these carry messages from the brain, and blood and oxygen to the head.

The next part of your spine from your shoulders downward is called the "thoracic" area of the spine. If you have pain between the shoulders, or shortness of breath when you try to move, you could have an issue with your middle thoracic spine.

The lower part of your spine is made up of the lumbar region, the sacrum and the tailbone. Lots of nerves are running in and out of the bones, one of which is called a sciatic nerve. It extends through the rear end, and down to the leg so when you have a low back problem, chances are you also have pains in your leg, behind the knee, and nothing will stop it.

When you are feeling pain like this, you need a chiropractor. Tell them which area you think is the cause. They will be amused that you even know the word lumbar.

Chiropractic therapy is the only way to treat this kind of pain. 2 seconds can stop the numbness and tingling pain. Call Integrated Spinal Solutions for more information about sciatic pain.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Improper Lifting Can Injure

By Zane Durant * April 11, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

Man I tell you. I was "this close" to a "Rock" body. I was going to the gym 5 nights a week (I go at night because nobody else is there and the gym is all mine). This "Rock" workout has me doing 5 sets, so when you add heavy weights to it, it has a tendency to overload your spine.. and that's what happened to me.. an overloaded spine.

At the base of our spines lie the lumbar, the sacrum and the tailbone. In the gym, I was overdoing it with the sit ups. 100 per day I guess is too much. I will have to double-check that with the trainer at ISS, because it was working.. all of it was working, that's the frustrating part.

I hurt my low back lifting and twisting, at least, I think it was that, or the sit ups, or working at my desk too long. One of the many dumb things I do to myself caused it, and it knocked me out for a month.

My back injury was no joke. It still hurts a little right now so I am trying to keep this blog entry short. I do want to know about your experience with lifting. Have you injured yourself? What did you do for it? Please comment below.

If you are new to Reno, Nevada, and you don't know a good chiropractor, let me recommend Integrated Spinal Solutions in Caughlin Ranch. Dr. Martinez, is celebrating his 20th year. Dr. Martinez, or one of his associates can help you today, so call now for an appointment.

If you are not sure "how to lift" while at the gym, please talk to a physical trainer before you injure yourself. Integrated Spinal Solutions has an in house physical fitness center where licensed fitness instructors help you with your workout, as well as your posture.

Talk to Angelique Calligari about Massage while at ISS.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Back Pain Diary: Day 24

By Zane Durant * April 7, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

Three weeks, and three days ago I injured my lower back. The cause could have been many things, but I have narrowed the field to sitting too long at my desk at work, bending and twisting while carrying 45 pound weights in the gym, or maybe it was something else.. but in any event, I went through some serious pain over the last couple of weeks, which has now finally subsided.

When I first went to the chiropractor's I thought to myself that, "oh, it's just a little problem, I will be better in no time." The last time I threw my back out I was flat on my back for about 10 days, then I was fine. This time, 24 days of pain.

Today, I had a 2 o'clock at Dr Welch's office. I did not get decompression today, just a manual adjustment. My sacrum has been jammed, and it was pinching all kinds of nerves down there. I had numbness in the left leg, a stabbing pain in the rear, and now, all that's gone. I do have the slightest bit of pain in the calf area, but I am sure that will go away tomorrow, or the next time I go in for decompression.

My chiropractor is the bomb. If it wasn't for him, and his treatment, I am sure I would have thought that I needed surgery. He even said to me after seeing how bad I was that if I did not respond to treatment he was going to recommend an MRI just to be sure that part of my bone had not broken off or something.

Well, I took the decompression, about 7 times over three weeks, I got three adjustments as well, lots of electronic stimulation, and ice, ice, ice.

If you have suffered a similar injury, please leave your story below. If you are new to Reno, and are looking for a chiropractor, I recommend any of the doctors at Integrated Spinal Solutions.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Why A Pain In Your Butt Originates In Your Back

By Zane Durant * April 6, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

Over the last three weeks I have found out first hand what it's like to have a back problem. Three weeks ago Friday, I woke up with a pain in the back when I bent over, it got MUCH worse before it got better. Now I am suffering from what doctors call "sciatic" pain.

You see, I have a lower back issue. The chiropractor told me is either a herniated or bulging disc that is the source of the pain, which is now shooting down my backside, into the left leg. It gets better when I lay on my side, but if I lay flat is goes numb. I still can't sit for very long. Right now I am set up in the bed with a laptop so I can work.

When your spine has an "disc out" it hurts to high heaven. You lose all use of your limbs, a couple a weeks ago I couldn't get my right leg off the floor to put my pants on. I couldn't bend over to dry off in the shower.. which normally would make for some funny jokes, but it was me, so I wasn't laughing.

No kidding. I was really in pain. I got relief from spinal decompression therapy at my neighborhood chiropractor. (Integrated Spinal Solutions).

Now I am about 85 percent better. I still have that stabbing pain in my leg, and my butt hurts right in the middle of my butt cheek. It's like someone has an ice pick, and every so often, they poke me.

There is nothing wrong with my leg. Nothing wrong with my butt, it's my back. Once I get an adjustment on Monday, I should be feeling better. 

Tell us about your experience with chiropractic care below. And check back often to Chiropractic Today! 

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Neck Is Out: Causes Dizziness

By Zane Durant * April 5, 2014 * Reno, Nevada Chiropractic

Have you ever had weird tingling in your arm, a strange numbness that happens all of a sudden? Well, it could be a couple of things. If you have shortness of breath, it could be a heart attack, so get your self to the hospital. If there is no shortness of breath, the cause may be a "vertebral subluxation". Basically that means that your neck bone has a pinch and it is sending pain down into your arm. What you need, is an adjustment.

Our heads rest not on our shoulders, it rests on seven small neck bones. When one of these seven bones is out of place, it can cause pain in various parts of your body. This blog entry looks at each part of the neck, and how it can affect your overall health.

The head is made up of several bones. The lowest part of the back of the head is called "the occipital bone". This is the intersection where all the nerves of the spine pass through into the brain. You can imagine this location must be a main source of headaches.

You have lots of nerves running through your spinal column. Your "Great Auricular" nerve passes though the occipital into the next part of the spine.

Your first vertebra is called a "cervical 1 or C1" When the C1 is out of place you can experience dizziness, migraine headaches, pain in the eyes,  tension across the forehead, or at the back of the neck.

If you experience dizziness from a headache, contact a Reno chiropractor.


Friday, April 4, 2014

Why Chiropractic? It Works, Duh!

By Zane Durant * April 4, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

When I was going up in the 60's chiropractic wasn't new, but it wasn't understood as it is today. Back then a general doctor might tell you to avoid the chiropractor, or the might even have gone as far as saying the word "quack".

Nobody is "quacking" now, as a matter of fact, doctors of all kinds come to the chiropractor regularly. When a patient complains of minor back pain, or recurring headaches, a GP is just as likely to recommend spinal decompression or chiropractic adjustments, and they do prescribe medications.

My doctor actually recommended cervical spinal decompression for my headaches, and he told me the best clinic to have the treatment, which was Integrated Spinal Solutions in Reno.

If you know someone who suffers with constant backaches, or if can't sleep flat on your back at night, please get them to a chiropractor for an evaluation. A few minutes in the office might end your back pain for good.

Did you know that minor injuries to your back can pop up later? You can fall down "skimming on the beach" and years later wake up unable to move. The reason? Sometimes you will have a hairline injury to a vertebra, and then one day a tiny piece of the bone breaks away and gets caught up in between your disc and your cushion.

Do you have numbness or a stabbing pain in the leg or rear end? You have a lower disc problem. It could get better if you try spinal decompression. Have you tried spinal decompression? What did you think about it. Please comment below about chiropractic adjustments, your chiropractor, and if you have had decompression therapy, what you though about that too.


Thursday, April 3, 2014

Migraine Headache: Day 121

By Zane Durant * April 3, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

Most migraine sufferers have a migraine that lasts for several hours. Maybe it will last a day or two. These people I call the "lucky ones" because I have to live with migraines almost constantly. Today, April 3, is my 121st day of this migraine.

That's right! This migraine started on December 3 of last year. I have had a horrible hot needle like pain behind my right eye for 4 months straight. I have to say I am losing my "you know what" because the pain won't go away, and I have a General Doctor that doesn't understand the pain I am in, or he is more afraid of the DEA that he is worried about my pain.

So everyday, the first thing I think about, is why does my eye ball feel like it's going to explode.. oh, yeah.. the migraine. Then it hurts all day long, until I go to bed. Same thing tomorrow. It might go away though. As a matter of fact, it hasn't always been this way.

About 8 years ago I got a migraine that wouldn't go away. It lasted for about 4 months, and then it stopped. I didn't know why it started, or why it stopped. Back in the 1980's I also had a bout of migraines, but they went away when I was about 28, at least back then they were one or two day migraines, not for months at a time.

So after that first four month migraine, they only came back once in a while for a few years, I would get one and then it would last a couple of days and go away. About three years ago, they started lasting long again. The first one was a month, then it went away for a couple of weeks then it came back again, and I lived like that for about a year.

Then the mother of all headaches came. 167 days long. It was the worst pain you can image for six months straight. Then one day, I was sitting on the couch watching TV and all of a sudden, like someone turned off a light switch, the pain STOPPED. I was afraid to move, really, I was totally freaked out. I was pain free the rest of that day, and then the next, and the next. My wife was freaking out, thanking God, asking me not to "over do it" and I all the while was just happen to be breathing, without a migraine.

I lived migraine free for 87 days. I know because I count both the good days and the bad now. So anyway, that pain free time lasted almost three months, and I was so happy. I wanted to "do something" but we were broke, cruises were out, no vacation time, but I was damn happy not to have that migraine.

It came back December 3, 2013 and has not gone away for one moment in the last 121 days. The only time it got any better was when I was in my chiropractor's office, and my chiropractor asked me if I had had a massage therapist look at my neck, and I said, no.

He went into the back office and came back with Angelique Calligari, and licensed massage therapist and she went to work on my neck for five minutes. In that five minutes she was able to bring down the pain level from a 8 to a 3. I am going to have to schedule some massage time because it really did lessen the pain.

The other thing I can do is cervical decompression. I am scheduled for one of those this week, I will let you know how it turned out.

Do you have migraines? What do you do for treatment? Do you recommend any doctor? Do you have long-term migraines like me? How long is your longest migraine? Any idea what might me MY problem? Please comment below.


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Left Leg Numb and What to Do About It

By Zane Durant * April 2, 2014 * Reno, Nevada

So I totally ruined my workout routine; I was up to some serious weights before I injured myself. Now I have spent 19 days sitting in bed because I can't sit in a chair, and I have trouble sitting and standing.

I have had 6 spinal decompression treatments over the last couple a weeks. and three adjustments. I was really messed up, so I literally went from crawling on the floor and not being able to stand at all to now I hurt a bit, and my stinking left leg is numb. I have a stabbing knife like pain in my left butt cheek too. What do I do about it? Ice.

Hopefully my chiropractor can fix this problem tomorrow, because I am over being sick, or I should say, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

The pain in my leg is coming from my lower back. In the lumbar region of my spine there are 5 bones, these are connected to the sacrum and also to the tailbone. Also, weaving in and out of these vertebrae are nerve endings. My spine is stuck somewhere down there, let's call it the "nether region" and with decompression, I will eventually get those vertebra to open up.

Once that happens I will feel much better. In the meantime, I will have to stick to ice packs, maybe a hot bath once in a while, and I must at all cost avoid long periods of time sitting in a office chair.

I have rigged my laptop so I can work from bed. You should do the same during recovery.

Do you have any recommendations for our readers? Please leave your message about remedies for low back pain, or any other chiropractic topic.