Is your Sacroiliac Joint Causing Your Back Pain? A Back Doctor Can Help

Is your Sacroiliac Joint Causing Your Back Pain? A Back Doctor Can Help

If you’re suffering from lower back pain, you might have a problem with your sacroiliac joint, or your SI joint. Your sacroiliac joint is located in your pelvis. It links the iliac bones, or the pelvis, to the sacrum, which is the lowest part of the spine above the tailbone.  This condition is painful and a back doctor may be able to help you.

Causes of Sacroiliac Joint Pain

As with other bones and joints in the body, your pelvis bones and your SI joint can become damaged both through injury as well as normal wear and tear. Injury could cause the joint to get disrupted or misaligned, and the supporting ligaments may be damaged. Among the causes of SI joint pain are trauma in your past, or degenerative disease. Other causes of SI are unknown.

Symptoms of SI Pain

Symptoms come in either acute or chronic form. If your symptoms are immediately obvious you have acute symptoms. On the other hand, if your symptoms begin to come over time, you’ve got chronic symptoms. You may feel problems or pain in your upper legs, buttocks, or higher on the spine. These symptoms are most obvious when you’re sitting, lifting, walking, or running. You might feel your symptoms between your lower leg and your lower spine or anywhere in between. Many back doctors miss the SI joint when diagnosing your back pain. Make sure yours is checking your SI joint.

People Most at Risk for SI Joint Problems

  • Anyone can have problems with their sacroiliac joint, but some groups of people are more at risk:
  • People who’ve had significant injuries that caused a disruption of the SI joint
  • People whose pelvis motion is asymmetric. Asymmetric motion might happen if your legs are significantly different length, or if one leg is weaker than the other. Worn out or inappropriate footwear can alter your steps and cause stress repetitively on your sacroiliac joint
  • Women who have been through pregnancy. In addition, women are generally at an increased risk for problems in their sacroiliac joint due to their broader pelvises. The broader pelvises coupled with a greater curve in the lumbar spine combines to increase risks of sacroiliac problems.

How to diagnose Sacroiliac Joint Problems

Sacroiliac Joint issues are difficult to diagnose because they share many symptoms with other disorders your back doctor is going to look for. Keep these tips in mind:

  • SI joint problems often feel like spinal disc pain. Be sure your back doctor checks your SI joint if you feel spinal disc pain.
  • SI Joint problems frequently happen along with other spinal problems like degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, sciatica, or herniated discs. If you’ve been injured and you’ve been diagnosed with any of these problems, have your back doctor check the SI joint as well.
  • Suffering pain after your lumar spine surgery you may have a sacroiliac joint problem instead of or in addition to your lumbar problem.
  • If you’ve had lumbar surgery in the past, there’s an increased risk that you’ll have SI joint problems, even if you don’t feel the symptoms now.

Because these challenges in diagnosing your pain exist, it is important for you to bring up concerns about SI joint problems with your back doctor. Your doctor will use a variety of tests to examine your back and pelvis to determine whether SI Joint problems cause your back pain. They may use X-rays, CT-scans, or MRIs to diagnose your SI Joint disorder.

If you or someone you love shows symptoms of SI joint pain, the team at Relax Holistic will offer you a free consultation and chiropractic analysis. You can contact them at their West Hollywood office, their Marina del Rey office, or their Culver City office.

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Candida and Its Effects On Your Overall Health

Candida and Its Effects On Your Overall Health

Candida is a common condition but is also less well known. Many bodily disorders are associated with Candida, so it is important to recognize if you do have it.

Candida is yeast overgrowth and it can affect many different areas of the body. Yeast overgrowth emits toxins into the body that result in chronic illness and causes a variety of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and ‘foggy’ brain.

If you have Candida, don’t fret. We will go over how to test for it, understand its causes, recognize the symptoms, and offer holistic care options available to you for treating it.

Testing for Candida

A simple way to test whether you have a yeast imbalance is to take the spit test. This is something you should do first thing in the morning without having put anything in your mouth yet.

You will need to grab a clear glass and fill it with distilled or filtered water. Do not use tap water as it may contain many impurities that will affect your test. Collect saliva in your mouth with your tongue and spit it into the glass. Observe what happens to your spit for 15 minutes to see if yeast colonies are present in your saliva.

Yeast colonies are present if you see:

  • Saliva stays at the top and you see thin strands that look like strings or spider legs extending downward
  • Saliva floats to the bottom and looks cloudy
  • You observe little specs floating in saliva

Symptoms

Candida can affect all parts of your body as it doesn’t discriminate. Here are different areas of the body that Candida effects and their symptoms:

Head: dizziness, fatigue, mood swings, anxiety, depression, insomnia, bad breath, migraines, headaches, poor memory, brain fogginess in the morning, cravings for sugar, earaches, sinusitis, poor vision, floaters, and learning disorders

Body: joint pains, fibromyalgia symptoms, muscle weakness, rashes, itching, eczema, chronic fatigue syndrome, sore throat, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, digestive problems, insomnia headaches, fever, swollen glands, exhaustion, swollen body and weight gain

Digestion: abdominal gas, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating after eating, constipation, diarrhea, cramping, GERDS, indigestion, vomiting, and stomach pains

Genito-urinary: Vaginal yeast infections, premenstrual syndrome, infertility, impotence, prostatitis, jock itch, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, and acid reflux

Causes

The most common type of candida involves gut flora.  The health of intestines is key to the overall health of your body. When your gut flora is unhealthy, you will usually suffer adversely. Several other factors that influence yeast overgrowth in the body are:

  • Antibiotics – One or more cycles of antibiotics is enough to weaken the digestive system.
  • Regularly eating refined sugars, starches.
  • Regularly drinking soda or alcohol.
Candida and other intestinal conditions affect your holistic health

Curing Candida with Holistic Care

If any of these observations occur, don’t panic as Candida and most diseases of the body can be easily addressed!  It takes just a little guidance and a bit of willpower for 3 months to rid oneself of unwanted yeast. You may need to change your diet as well as consider holistic care options such as acupuncture.

Our Relax Holistic Acupuncturists can address concerns of symptoms you may have arising from yeast, with acupuncture treatments that correct yeast imbalance and dampness in the body.

Relax Holistic has three convenient locations in West Hollywood, Marina del Rey, and Culver City. Call for a free consultation and they will be happy to discuss any health concerns with you.

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Start A Meditation Regimen Today, You Will Not Regret It!

Start A Meditation Regimen Today, You Will Not Regret It!

Meditation is defined as the mind and body connected through breathing. Meditation is not only relaxing but can also help you become more attuned with your body and the environment around you. It is a highly enjoyable activity and there are so many variances to how you can practice it.

As a holistic care option for stress relief, meditation is wonderful. The emotional effects of sitting quietly and going within are profound. The deep state of rest produced by meditation triggers the brain to release naturally occurring neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Each of these brain chemicals has been linked to different aspects of emotional well-being. This means you’ll be happier and less stressed as a result of meditation!

Here are several ways you can include meditation into your daily life as well as benefit from its wonderful health effects.

Yoga and meditation. Silhouette of man in moontains.

Meditate on the Breath

This is a method that will come more naturally to you as you continue to practice and become more comfortable with it. Start with 2 minutes a day and gradually increase from there as you adjust meditation into your daily routine.

You will need to choose a peaceful environment to practice, such as space outdoors surrounded by plant-life or in a quiet room with a large window.  Begin by focusing on your intentions for the day. Take a deep breath and inhale for 4 counts. Hold your breath for 2 seconds, then release for 4 counts in your exhale. Make sure to hold and extend your exhale.

You can also use visuals while breathing and this will help you to become calm. As you inhale, imagine your breath circulating along the back of your spine to your 3rd eye chakra. On the exhale, imagine a blue light filling up you solar plexus chakra, located just below the belly button. You can use various visual exercises while meditating. Over time you will be able to utilize favorite visual meditations as you observe what works best for you.

Meditate on the Chakras

While meditating on the chakras you will need to visualize the same color as the area of body you are concentrating on. Visualize your breath along with the chakra color. You will begin with the heart and move up and down the chakras.

Take 3 breaths in and out for each chakra. Inhale for 4 counts, hold breath for 2 counts, exhale for 2 counts while extending your breath. Start the cycle over again for each chakra.

Chakras are characterized by color and different areas of the body:

  • Violet –  top crown of your head
  • Indigo – third eye
  • Blue –  throat
  • Green – heart
  • Yellow-   pancreas solar plexus
  • Orange  – sexual power
  • Red  –   root end of the spine- survival

Moving Meditation

Meditation doesn’t have to be sedentary. Many forms of meditation also include movement while breathing. Tibetan Rites is a great moving meditation that utilizes all aspects of the body to move and communicate together. Tai Chi has similar meditational benefits.

A simple way to practice is to find a space outside and walk at a slow or medium pace while focusing on your feet. Notice when your toe touches down on the ground, when your foot is flat on the ground and when your toe points back upward. Feel the roll of your foot and observe sensory details.

Healing Benefits

Meditation is one of the best holistic care tools that has been around for millennia. It helps to counter the brain’s negativity bias, releases stress, fosters positive intentions, and helps one enjoy the peace of present moment awareness. A large body of research has established that having a regular meditation practice produces tangible benefits for mental and physical health, including:

  • Decreased blood pressure and hypertension
  • Lowered cholesterol levels
  • Reduced production of “stress hormones,†including cortisol and adrenaline
  • More efficient oxygen use by the body
  • Increased production of the anti-aging hormone DHEA
  • Improved immune function
  • Decreased anxiety, depression, and insomnia

As researchers have found, meditation can help you tap into your brain’s deepest potential to focus, learn, and adapt. While scientists used to believe that beyond a certain age, the brain couldn’t change or grow, we now know that brain has a quality known as plasticity, enabling it to grow new neurons and transform throughout our lives. Meditation is a powerful tool for awakening new neural connections and even transforming regions of the brain.

Improves Negative Thinking and Boosts Creativity

We each have an estimated 50,000 thoughts a day—unfortunately, many of these thoughts can be repetitive and negative as our brain naturally wants to find problems with things.  The mind tends to get stuck in thought loops that make it hard to be creative or inspired.

Regular meditation will help with acceptance and is a powerful practice for going beyond habitual thought patterns and into a state of expanded awareness.

Continued Peace of Mind

Having a regular meditation practice will continue to benefit you and your well-being.  A regular practice will lead to peace of mind, improved sleep and focus throughout the day. You won’t regret it if you just try it!

Relax Holistic can provide other great holistic care suggestions and practices to improving your life on a daily basis. Visit us today, we have three convenient locations in the Los Angeles area!

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Is Your Body’s PH Balance Optimal?

Is Your Body’s PH Balance Optimal?

You may have heard of pH Balance and wondered what all the hype was about. The body’s pH balance has a great impact on your overall health. PH stands for “power of hydrogen”, which is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. The total pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with 7 considered to be neutral. A pH less than 7 is said to be acidic and a pH greater than 7 are alkaline. The ideal pH for the body is slightly alkaline, between 7.3-7.45.

The body will usually regulate this naturally, but at times we may need help if our body is compromised by poor diet or excessive stress. There are many holistic care options for treating the body’s pH balance, here are a few different methods to start getting your body’s pH balance on track.

Begin By Testing Your Body’s pH Balance

You can begin by seeing what your own body’s pH Balance is by using a testing strip with both saliva and urine samples. Using a test strip should be done 60 minutes before eating a meal and again 2 hours after eating to give a more accurate range of your body’s pH levels. Testing a few times in a week will provide more accurate results as well.

  • Testing the pH of your urine for a healthy range should be between 6.0 and 6.5  in the morning, and between 6.5 and 7.0 when you test in the evening. If the pH is not within these ranges, it may show that your body is having trouble removing acids and maintaining optimal amounts of minerals meant to protect over-acidity of the body. You can improve your urine’s pH by taking supplements of sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
  • Testing the pH of your saliva should show a pH level between 6.5-7.5 at all times. This will also show digestive enzyme activity in the body. Be sure to cleanse your mouth as well as wait two hours after eating or drinking so that food matter will alter results.

Change Your Diet

One of the most convenient and effective ways to reduce the body’s level of acidity is to hydrate first thing in the morning and throughout the day with an alkalizing drink. Lemon juice added to water provides alkaline minerals and bicarbonate precursors in the form of citric acid.

Certain food groups are also crucial to controlling pH balance in the body and are considered acidic, alkaline or neutral. It is good to change your diet to include more alkaline foods than acidic foods.

Here are a few examples of differing food groups and their pH levels:

  • Acidic: Meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, grains, and alcohol.
  • Neutral: Natural fats, starches, and sugars.
  • Alkaline: Fruits, nuts, legumes and vegetables.

Alkaline foods include green juice, vegetable juice, fruit juice, garlic, berries, oranges, bananas, figs, kale, pumpkins, squash, peas, green tea, and most other fruits and vegetables. However, avoid processed fruit juice and some fruits that are quite acidic, e.g. cranberries, plums, rhubarb, blackberries, and prunes. Great alkaline protein sources include almonds, but avoid most meats and dairy for their high acidity.

Check Your Medications

Certain medications can cause your pH balance to be acidic. If you are not sure, speak to your doctor. If the medication is necessary and you cannot avoid it, you may help combat the acidic pH by eating more alkaline foods.

Monitor Your Stress Level

If you made dietary changes and included less acidic foods in your diet and still notice a high acid pH balance, stress could be the culprit. Stress does things to your body that you may not be aware of, including altering your pH balance.

Reduce stress by incorporating meditation, yoga, or Tai Chi into a daily routine. Other holistic care treatments such as acupuncture, and stress reduction techniques will be helpful in reducing stress and acidity.

Benefits You Can See!

Having optimal pH balance of the body will be noticeable. Health benefits include neutralizing free radicals, reduced sick days, stronger bones and teeth, reduced inflammation, and increased energy levels.

Chiropractors and acupuncturists are available at Relax Holistic to address any dietary concerns you may have and help you with holistic care options for balancing your body’s pH levels. They can help and are knowledgeable in health regimens, diet, nutrition, and exercise!

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TMJ Shows Us That Everything In Our Body is Connected

TMJ Shows Us That Everything In Our Body is Connected

You probably have heard the statement about your body that ‘everything is connected’. The ligaments, the muscles and the joints of the body all work together in harmony so that your body is healthy and in peak performance. When something is disjointed within this system, it can greatly impact your health and well-being. TMJ is a perfect example of this.

TMJ, also known as TMD, refers to Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. The Temporomandibular Joint connects your jaw to your skull. This joint affects a lot of your daily activity. It affects the ability to open your mouth, chew, speak and the overall health of your cranial muscles.

You may experience problems with this joint if the muscles or ligaments that control its movement are having issues. Many people may dismiss the symptoms early on and may not realize they have this condition. By recognizing the symptoms and causes of TMJ, you can revive the health of your temporomandibular joint with many holistic care options such as acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments.

Common Symptoms

Do you or someone you know regularly grind their teeth? You may even notice that you wake up in the morning with jaw pain. These can be common symptoms of TMJ. Other symptoms can involve different areas of your body other than the jaw including ear aches and headaches. Over time, these symptoms cause damage that may include erosion of the joint, improper alignment of the joint, or damage of the joint cartilage.

Common symptoms include:

  • Pain in your jaw, cheek, teeth or front of the ear when you chew or yawn
  • Clicking noises in the jaw
  • Jaw Lock when opening your mouth
  • Poor occlusion of the teeth
  • Headaches
  • Symptoms relating to the ear, including hearing issues, dizziness or earaches

Causes

Common causes of TMJ disorder include serious jaw trauma, dislocation or dental work.  Maybe you have experienced head trauma that now affects this joint. Even physical or emotional stress can cause TMJ. Emotional stress at work or within your daily life can lead to teeth clenching or grinding. Mineral deficiencies may be another cause.

Statistics show that women are three times as likely to suffer from TMJ as men. Scientists are now studying how female hormones might be correlated with this disorder.

Treatment & Relief

Acupuncture is a great method of relief from TMJ. Acupuncture provides short-term relief from painful TMJ disorder symptoms.  Our Acupuncturist will determine the cause of TMJ by focusing on the meridians of the body. Meridian imbalances are related to other organs in the body. Treating areas of the body with needle pressure can rebalance the body and provide some relief of symptoms.

Massage is effective in relieving TMJ pain. Some massage therapists specialize in TMJ and even work on the muscles inside the mouth to release tension surrounding the jaw.

Chiropractic care treatments may alleviate some of the symptoms of TMD through manipulation of the jaw and muscles surrounding the temporomandibular joint. This can be a huge relief from tension and pain.

You Don’t Need to Suffer from TMJ

TMJ can end up being very uncomfortable to live with without treatment. With holistic care treatments, such as acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and other non-evasive treatments, you will be able to find relief from TMJ. Once your practitioner confirms the diagnosis, you’ll be given a treatment plan based on the specifics of your situation.

The health care team at Relax Holistic will diagnose the cause of your discomfort by looking at the upper cervical vertebra, cranial bones and reviewing your nutritional status. Treatment at Relax Holistic may include holistic care options such as chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, and massage.  Treatment could also include ultrasound, specific cranial adjusting, or even physiotherapy which manipulates the muscles in the mouth. Contact them today at any of their three convenient Los Angeles locations for relief from your TMJ symptoms!

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Erase Chronic Headaches with Acupuncture Treatments!

Erase Chronic Headaches with Acupuncture Treatments!

Headache pain comes in all forms. It can be mild and irritating or severe and debilitating. They can build up slowly or come on suddenly. Most of us can relate to what a debilitating headache can do to our day, mood and sense of well-being. Maybe you are a regular sufferer of headaches? That central pain in the forehead, a lingering pain behind the eyes, or a sensitivity to light might be reoccurring and are just as annoying as symptoms you experienced last time.

Whichever form a headache does decide to appear, most people agree they want instant and lasting relief. Holistic care options are seen as some of the best stress relieving methods of reducing headache pain since most headaches appear as a result of stress.

Acupuncture treatments are an ancient Chinese technique in which very fine needles go into points on the body. Acupuncture helps ease headaches  by correcting energy imbalances and reducing stress.

treat tension headaches with acupuncture at Relax Holistic

Tension Headaches

This is the most common type of a headache, which can be closely related to dehydration, hunger, stress or even a misaligned neck.

Characteristics of this headache include:

  • a tight band around the head
  • bilateral location
  • mild to moderate intensity
  • pain lasting from 30 minutes to one week
  • light or sound sensitivity
  • not attributed to another health disorder

Receiving acupuncture treatments are a great option to do at some of the first symptoms of tension headaches. If you are a regular sufferer, then acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments might benefit you.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches are also common and may last up to 4 days. Some of their more extreme symptoms such as seeing auras around lights, nausea, or extreme pulsating pain differentiate Migraines from most headaches.

Common symptoms of migraine headaches include:

  • pulsating pain or pounding on 1 side of the head
  • moderate to severe discomfort
  • pain can be worse while standing
  • nausea and/or sensitivity to light
  • seeing an aura around objects or light

The best remedies to rid yourself of migraines is by receiving acupuncture, chiropractic care, and rest. Acupuncturists often find that Migraines can be related to imbalanced meridian circulation in the liver, gallbladder, kidneys. Acupuncture and herbal remedies to support the treatment are the best options to improve the body chemistry and stop the problem at its source.

Cluster Headaches

This is the rarest form of a headache, occurring in only about 1% of the population. The pain felt can be so severe that some people describe the feeling as having an ice pick hitting their head. The reason cluster headaches are named so is because they are known to occur in a concentrated time span of hours to days to over several weeks. A common cause of Cluster Headaches could be due to allergies and temperature changes.

Relief with Acupuncture and Chiropractic Treatments

Instead of popping a pill, try a holistic care option to relieve your headaches. This will take care of your symptoms at the source rather than covering up symptoms with medication.

Regular chiropractic adjustments or acupuncture treatment will provide relief for the longtime sufferer of frequent headaches. At the first symptoms of a migraine or a cluster headache be sure to visit an acupuncturist for early relief. Even for those pesky tension headaches, a chiropractic adjustment may be all you need.

If you or someone you know and care about suffers regularly from any type of a headache, then be sure to get in touch with Relax Holistic.  Our  team diagnoses and treats frequent or mild headaches. Acupuncture and Chiropractic care can improve and eradicate chronic headaches. We are available and open to help you 7 days a week, call for an appointment today!

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The Five Tibetan Rites

The Five Tibetan Rites

The Five Tibetan Rites are a 2,500-year-old series of exercises that have anti-aging and stress reducing benefits. Similar to the yoga that originated in India, these include a series of poses. They are fun to practice since they incorporate continuous movement.

Holistic care regimes can incorporate these exercises. Perform the Five Tibetan Rites first thing in the morning to increase your energy level for the rest of the day. You will also notice improvements to flexibility and strengthening of muscles with a regular practice.

We hope you enjoy doing these as much as we do, and that you look forward to waking up your chakras, focusing your body’s energy throughout, and increasing overall positivity.

Rite 1

This first position requires you to stand up straight with your arms outstretched and horizontal to the floor. Palms should be facing down towards the floor. Keep your body and hips square, arms at shoulder length and feet are hip distance apart.

Spin your body around clockwise while maintaining balance. The crown of the head should be drawn up toward the ceiling while keeping your focus on a spot in front of you as you count your rotations. You should experience some dizziness as you spin. Gradually increase the number of spins from two to 21. It is a good idea to have a chair or other piece of furniture nearby in case you become unsteady and need something to grab onto. Over time increase the amount of spins you can perform while keeping balance.

Rite 2

Lie flat on a floor or bed. You may decide to use a yoga if you decide to use the floor. With you back and legs flat, fully reach your arms along the sides of your body, while keeping finger close together and palms facing the floor. Place your fingers underneath your sacrum if you experience lower back issues.

As you lift you head off the floor, inhale deeply, tucking your chin into your chest. Simultaneously lift your legs into a vertical position, keeping knees straight. If you are comfortable doing so, extend your legs over your body toward your head. Hold this position for a few moments. Upon exhaling, slowly lower your legs and head to the floor, keeping your knees straight.

Breathing:

Inhale while you lift your legs and head, exhale while you release your head and legs back to the floor. Allow all of the muscles to relax completely on the exhale and lowering of the body.

Rite 3

Kneel on a rug or mat with your toes curled under. Place your hands on the backs of your thigh muscles. As you tuck your chin in toward your chest, lean forward as far as is possible. Return to original straight position. Next, slide your hands down the backs of your thighs as you draw your shoulders back and your head up towards the sky. Arch and open your upper back. Lower back should remain straight. Slowly return to an upright position and repeat.

Breathing:

Inhale as you arch your spine in either direction. Exhale as you return to an erect position.

Rite 4

Sit down with your legs straight out in front of you and your feet about hip distance apart. Arms and hands will be straight along your side, palms flat on the floor alongside your hips. As you gently drop your head back, raise your torso so that your knees bend while your arms remain straight. You are basically in a table-top position. Slowly return to your original sitting position. Rest for a few seconds before repeating this rite.

Breathing:

Inhale as you rise up into the pose. Hold your breath as you tense your muscles. Exhale fully as you come down to sitting position.

Rite 5

Lie down on your belly. Face your palms down and in line with the bottom of your shoulder blades. Lift you chest up by curling your toes under and drawing your shoulders back. Your arms should be straight. Look straight ahead of you. If you are more flexible then you can draw your head back with your gaze above you. Then draw your hips up and back, extending your spine, into downward-facing dog pose. Repeat by moving back and forth between downward- and upward-facing dog.

Then draw your hips up and back, extending your spine, into downward-facing dog pose. Then repeat.

Breathing:

Inhale as your lift your chest up. Exhale as you push back into downward-facing dog.

Holistic Care and Overall Well-Being

If you enjoy these series of exercises, you can gradually increase the num
ber of repetitions you do of each. Start off with 5 to 7 repetitions, and in no time, you’ll be able to do 21 repetitions of these poses in one session.

Relax Holistic can provide other great holistic health suggestions and practices to improving your life on a daily basis. Visit us today, we have 3 convenient locations in the Los Angeles area!

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Scoliosis Can Be Helped with Holistic Care

Scoliosis Can Be Helped with Holistic Care


Treat your body well by using its natural healing powers. Hospital and doctors’ visit are expensive and may not fix the problem at its root. Holistic care is non-evasive and can correct many health issues such as Scoliosis.

Scoliosis is not a disease, but rather the term to describe any abnormal, sideways curvature of the spine. Characteristics include an ‘S’ or ‘C’ shape to the spine. The cause is widely unknown, but fortunately, there are preventive, holistic health treatments available.

If neglected, abnormal curvature of the spine could lead to deceptive health problems in the future. That is why it is so important to recognize the symptoms of Scoliosis and receive holistic care early on.

Causes

No definitive answers exist as to the cause of Scoliosis. It is still somewhat of a mystery as to why some individuals get it, and others do not.

The largest affected population are children. The condition, which causes the spine to twist or curve as it forms, is most common to occur around the ages of 5-15. If a parent has Scoliosis, then their children are more likely to inherit it. This leads professionals adopting genetics as the culprit to early spine deformation.

Even in adult patients, its presence is unknown as to its causation. Adult Scoliosis could be a side effect of past or present health issues. The patient may have had neurological trauma or mild Scoliosis since childhood. Other physical causes could be muscle spasms, bad posture, or having legs at different lengths.

In the elderly, Scoliosis may appear from osteoporosis, misalignments with shrinking discs and postural muscle weakness.

Symptoms

You can prevent Scoliosis by recognizing the symptoms early. Lateral curvature of the spine is the most common indicator to see a chiropractor for further analysis.

Early signs to look for include:

• One-shoulder higher than the other

• One hip higher than the other

• Shoulder blade protruding on one side more than the other

• Uneven waistline

• Uneven shoe wear

• Clothes fit unevenly

• Leaning to one side

• Pain in the legs or back

Advanced cases cause protruding rib cages on one side of the body or misalignment of the hips, knees, and feet. The most severe cases affect breathing and organ functioning.

Treatment

Holistic care is non-evasive and if done early enough, can completely align the spine to a healthy state. Scoliosis treatments may include chiropractic care, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, spinal manipulation, traction, electric muscle stimulation, and exercise.

Chiropractic adjustments work with the body’s own healing abilities by slowly straightening the spine. Chiropractic care can even relieve patients from symptoms experienced after the scoliosis surgery.

Acupuncture and therapeutic massage are great at relieving muscle pain and other symptoms associated with Scoliosis.

At times it is recommended to have custom orthotics as part of the Scoliosis treatment. The health of the feet and spine relate directly to each other.

If Scoliosis goes untreated, you may find it hard to function or participate in physical activity. Advanced cases would require surgery. The most common surgery uses Herrington rods, which are metal rods permanently implanted along the length of the entire spine to straighten it out.

Preventive Care

At Relax Holistic, our trained doctors look at the entire picture in determining the right plan for your overall health. We examine your spine, feet, and overall well-being in determining the best care options for our patients.

Our holistic care treatments consider both long-term relief and prevention. It couldn’t be any easier to make an appointment with us as we have three convenient office locations in the Los Angeles area. Please feel free to contact us today!

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Traditional Chinese Medicine

 

HOW DOES TCM WORK?

Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes Chi, or Energy, that runs along 14 major meridians throughout the body. In order for the body to be healthy, Chi (Energy) must be balanced.

When Chi is blocked in any way, disease, pain or emotional problems may result.

Traditional Chinese medicine treatment regulates the energy flow, strengthens the organs and increases the body’s resistance to disease.

What to expect from your first visit:

Your first appointment will consist of a comprehensive evaluation and treatment.

This will include a standard Western and Eastern medical history exam, an Acupuncture treatment and a Nutritional consultation.
Eastern analysis includes Pulse and Tongue diagnosis.

Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques:

  • Acupuncture
  • Electric stim. acupuncture
  • Herbology
  • Cupping
  • Moxibustion
  • Energy enhancement exercises such as Chi Gong

Acupuncture is useful as an adjunct to medical treatment and is an acceptable alternative management program.

Acupuncture Treats Several Conditions:

  • Asthma
  • Arthritis
  • Back Pain
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Circulatory problems
  • Colds
  • Colitis/IBS/ Digestion problems
  • Constipation
  • Chemical dependency/Addiction
  • Depression
  • Diabetes
  • Disc problems
  • Eczema/Psoriasis
  • Fatigue
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Flu
  • Hair Loss
  • Headaches
  • Heart problems
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Herpes
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Infertility Nervousness
  • Immune System/HIV
  • Insomnia
  • Kidney Problems
  • Knee pain
  • Liver problems
  • Menopause/PMS
  • Nervousness
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Sports Injuries

Sports Injuries

Chiropractic, acupuncture, and therapeutic massage can help treat injuries to all athletes, from professionals to weekend warriors. When you’re injured, it’s important to recover as quickly as possible. We offer specific treatments for various sport injuries that can assist your body to heal quickly.

A woman is holding the knee of a man.
Doctor examining a knee Injury
A person sitting on top of a bed.
Massage therapy for sports injuries

Effective physical therapy is essential to continue strenuous exercise and demanding sports with a faster recovery.

Most injuries are problems involving the ankles, elbows, the back, the shoulders, and the knees. Overworking the muscles for a long period,   hyperextension or hyperflexion  injuries of the joint, sprains and strains are common and effectively treated.

Chiropractors

Chiropractors are uniquely qualified to deal with injuries to joints muscles, connective tissue, and the underlying skeleton.

Pain management is an important part of healing. Opioids and pain killers  mask injuries instead of treating them. They invite additional injuries when the pain signal doesn’t warn the injured person to slow down or stop. We can use  acupuncture to relieve pain without prescribing dangerous, addictive drugs. Acupuncture treatments also improve circulation and ease inflammation at the site of the injury, another important way to shorten recovery time.

Avoiding Recurring Injuries the Natural Way

Holistic health experts are skilled at dealing with problems like ergonomics, diet, and exercise. That’s why they not only help you recover from injuries, they can help you avoid them in the first place.

If you have problems with recurring injuries ask your chiropractor or acupuncturist what you can do to avoid future problems. Simple things like changing your posture or running style can cut down on repetitive injuries. In many cases, small tweaks can even improve your performance.

Common Sport Injuries

The most common sports injuries we encounter in our clinic:

  • Rotator cuff injuries
  • Tennis elbow
  • Lower back stenosis
  • Acute muscle strains
  • Chronic sprains
  • Wrist injuries
  • Ankle and knee sprains
  • Golfer’s elbow
  • Sciatica
  • Rib contusions

Our practice involves looking at the patient’s overall health as well as any injury.  Treatments may include chiropractic adjustments, ultrasound, physiotherapy, acupuncture to reduce inflammation and improve circulation, traction, therapeutic massage, stretching, and even dietary advice. A combination of these all-natural techniques is sure to get you back to full strength faster.

Rapid Release Technology

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How does Rapid Release work?

Soft tissue disorders are usually a result of overuse, injury or surgery. Injuries cause micro tears in the fascia on the muscles. Fibrous adhesion tissue replaces normal tissue when an injury heals. Adhesions can spread, trapping nerves, causing pain and numbness or limiting range of motion. Commonly adhesions are un-diagnosed.
We believe that RRT is the most effective way to treat painful scar tissue and break down adhesion with a lasting effect. It feels good and is completely safe. Rapid Release gives high speed targeted vibration to break down scar tissue and adhesions in muscles and arthritic joints.

Here is a partial list of conditions caused by scarring of soft tissue:

  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • tendonosis
  • muscle spasms
  • trapped nerves
  • range of motion
  • contractures
  • neuromas
  • adhesions
  • back pain
  • shoulder pain
  • ankle pain
  • headaches
  • knee problems
  • tennis elbow
  • temporomandibular joint disorder

Look Out for Training Injuries

The most common sports injuries occur when you’re in training. Training almost always involves repetitive exercises that can cause tendinitis or stress fractures of a bone.

Talk to your holistic health expert at Relax Holistic before you begin a new training or exercise routine. They can help your avoid technique errors and dietary deficiencies that can lead to injuries. Relaxing, deep tissue massage can keep you limber and performing at your peak, too. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

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