Back pain is no laughing matter, especially when it affects every aspect of your daily life. For many Americans, that's reality - estimates show that almost 16 million people in the US have chronic back pain problems. These are people who have trouble with everyday chores and activities, like driving to work, cooking dinner, and playing with their children. For some, chronic back pain affects their ability to put food on the table and support their families.
And while back problems manifest in physical pain, there's the mental side of the issue too. When you can't live a normal life, anxiety and depression can set in, creating a problem that leads to life-changing medical treatment through addictive medicines and invasive back surgeries. Fortunately, a more reliable, less invasive solution exists for people suffering from issues like pinched nerves, sciatica, lower back pain, and bulging discs.
Seeing a chiropractor in Folly Beach, SC, from Back 2 Health Physical Medicine may be the long-term answer to your back pain problems. To understand the benefits of seeing a chiropractor, it's important to first understand what chiropractic care can do for your body.
The foundation of chiropractic care comes from the idea that a healthy spine leads to a healthy body. The nerves near the vertebrae that make up the spine can quickly become squeezed when they are out of alignment, leading to a lot of discomfort. The pain and other problems caused by this misalignment can be reduced by restoring natural alignment.
To do so, a chiropractor in Folly Beach, SC, uses time-tested techniques and a small amount of concentrated pressure to relax joints that have become frozen in troublesome positions, encouraging the natural movement of each vertebra. When the spine is properly aligned, the spinal nerves can transfer signals to and from the brain normally, resulting in a healthy spine and a healthier individual.
Spine health is critically important for every person on earth, as it protects your nervous system and ensures it functions normally. When your spine is degraded, dysfunction often follows, leaving your nervous system lacking and unable to perform at the highest level. On the opposite side of the coin, a flexible, strong, healthy spine with fluid joint motion and proper curvature better protects your nervous system.
Think of it like this: when your spine is misaligned or unhealthy, information from your brain to your nervous system can flow without interruption. But when there's a "kink" in the spine, those communications slow down, almost like when a video is buffering online, and you have to wait for playback. That's where a chiropractor in Folly Beach, SC, can be incredibly helpful because they can help correct spinal issues and, by proxy, maintain your nervous system.
When your spine is strong and healthy, it provides numerous benefits, including:
At Back 2 Health Physical Medicine, our chiropractors use a variety of adjustment techniques to provide relief from back pain. Some adjustments use a manual approach that involves a "popping" sound, while others do not. No two patients are exactly the same, so we use the techniques that we believe are best for each patient. Some people worry that popping noises during adjustments can damage their spines. However, this noise, known as cavitation, is simply gas released from a joint and is perfectly normal.
In fact, stretching can cause your skeleton to "pop" without you even hearing or feeling it. There are other adjustment techniques that use instruments, specific movements, or a chiropractic table to align the spine. The risk of injury from chiropractic adjustments is negligible when seen by a trained and licensed professional. Chiropractic adjustments are far less risky than many other basic medical procedures. The truth is that the chiropractic profession has an excellent safety record and very high patient satisfaction and is one of the few choices that patients have for non-invasive treatment.
Benefits of chiropractic adjustments can include:
Chiropractic adjustments are drug-free, all-natural, non-invasive techniques that grant patients more mobility and less back pain. These adjustments also help maintain your spine health. As we mentioned above, when your spine is aligned correctly, your nervous system works as it should, and back strain can be reduced and even eliminated. If you're interested in restoring your mobility and joint function and eventually enjoying a healthier range of motion and less back pain, it's time to see a chiropractor in Folly Beach, SC.
The Chiropractic Doctors of Back 2 Health Physical Medicine are experts at locating and analyzing the improper placement of the vertebrae and correcting back issues, enabling the body to return to its proper alignment. This is key in correcting the "vertebral subluxation complex," which can interfere with your body's normal functioning and long-term health.
Used by almost every chiropractor, this technique is very common and used for three primary reasons:
Using extreme precision and targeted thrusts, chiropractors use this adjustment when a patient's range of motion is affected by misaligned bones and joints. It is also helpful for spinal realignment.
Also called manual therapy or spinal manipulation, this adjustment is utilized by chiropractors and physical therapists alike. Though this technique is considered a manual therapy like the Diversified adjustment, more stretching and less rigorous thrusting motions are involved. This chiropractic technique helps relieve joint pressure, improves nerve functionality, and reduces inflammation.
In this method, your chiropractor uses a spring-loaded handheld device to apply gentle impulses to affected areas and vertebral segments of your spine. By applying this technique to targeted areas across your body, you can benefit from less back pain, fewer headaches, and a range of other conditions. The Activator is also great for patients who want to avoid large, forceful adjustments or movements.
Using a specialized table that flexes and distracts your spine in a rhythmic motion, this technique works best for disc injuries that cause uncomfortable symptoms like leg and back pain. Patients often love this style of adjustment when they are recovering from a recent injury or are extra sensitive to other chiropractic techniques.
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae and discs, several muscles, and eight pairs of spinal nerves. When poor posture or injury compress your cervical discs, the pressure can herniate your discs, which is an excruciating condition. When you have a herniated disc, pain radiates down the backs of your arms and can even cause numbness. While some patients opt for surgical spinal decompression, it should only be used as a last option, as it doesn't always help with pain relief and can cause other areas of your spine to degenerate.
At Back 2 Health Physical Medicine, our highly-trained chiropractors can perform non-surgical spinal decompression, using gentle stretching and traction to decompress your spine. This non-invasive option releases disc pressure and has been shown to reverse disc herniations when applied soon after an injury.
While some patients may experience slight discomfort as their spine stretches, it's much less painful than surgical options. When finished, many patients notice immediate results, while others need a few sessions to experience relief. When combined with ongoing chiropractic care and a customized exercise program from Back 2 Health practitioners, spinal decompression can be very effective.
If you notice any of the following symptoms, it's important you make an appointment with a chiropractor soon, as you may qualify for spinal decompression:
Information from the American Chiropractic Association tells us that three in four people that visit a chiropractor in Folly Beach, SC describe their experience as "very effective." That's not a bad batting average. Whether you're suffering from chronic back pain that has plagued you for years or have recently been in an auto accident, your chiropractor can help you get back to living a normal life with little downtime and recovery.
Surprisingly, though, many people don't know that great chiropractic care goes beyond your spine and neck. Here are a few interesting facts to consider when seeing your chiropractor, which may end up benefitting your overall health.
There's a misconception that chiropractic care isn't meant for pregnant women. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, chiropractic adjustments can benefit pregnant women. With the proper techniques, a woman's pelvis and uterus can be rebalanced, creating more room for baby and mom. This can help facilitate a healthier birth and can reduce lower back pain in pregnant women.
Yes, your chiropractor is probably your go-to source for back pain relief. But did you know that chiropractors can help with insomnia, digestive problems, headaches, anxiety, and more? During your appointment at Back 2 Health Physical Medicine, talk to your chiropractor about your wellness and health goals. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Yes, you read that right. Professional chiropractic care can help you fight off illnesses because adjustments often decrease inflammation and boost brain activity. When that happens, your immune system benefits. A more robust immune system means fewer sore throats, colds, and stuffy noses.
If there's one thing chiropractors are "known" for, it's cracking backs. But when a chiropractor makes adjustments, and you hear a popping noise, it's not because your back is cracking. It's because built-up gas in your joints is being released, almost like gas from a soda bottle. This gas release actually alleviates uncomfortable pressure and can help move your skeletal structure into optimal alignment.
One of the biggest myths about chiropractors is that they're less trained and less qualified than MDs. The truth is that chiropractors spend as much time studying and refining their skills in school as medical doctors. The difference is that medical doctors focus on surgery and pharmaceuticals, while chiropractors focus more on neurology and nutrition.
Are you suffering from headaches and sleepless nights because your muscles are strained? Are you unable to work or put food on the table because of a pinched nerve? Do you have trouble completing everyday tasks because you lack mobility? No amount of over-the-counter or even prescription pain pills can provide a long-term solution for such issues. Fortunately, seeing a Back 2 Health chiropractor in Folly Beach, SC, can provide the long-lasting relief you need.
At our chiropractic office, doctors and practitioners take an integrated approach to chiropractic care and back pain relief. Our goal is to restore proper alignment to your spine to accelerate your recovery time and prevent further injury. If chronic back pain has taken over your life, it's time to visit our chiropractic office in South Carolina.
It all starts with a comprehensive exam performed by one of our chiropractic doctors. Once your evaluation is complete, our team creates a personalized treatment plan created for your body, not someone who matches your age and weight. That way, our chiropractors can address the underlying causes of your symptoms instead of masking your pain.
From simple chiropractic adjustments to more involved spinal decompression solutions, your chiropractor will work tirelessly to heal your back and body so you can live a normal life free of pain and mobility problems. If you're ready to give your back the attention it needs, your recovery starts at Back 2 Health Physical Medicine. Contact our office today to schedule your initial appointment.
Published: Nov. 13, 2024 at 12:45 PM PST|FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of Folly Beach is taking precautions to protect the dunes and birds that contribute to the island’s habitat and integrity.Folly Beach Leaders approved updates to the Dune Management Plan, which protects the dunes that protect the island at the edge of the beach and serve as a critical habitat. Coastal Consultant Nicole Elko wrote part of the plan and calls Folly Beach home.“The dune management plan is really one of many city plans th...
Published: Nov. 13, 2024 at 12:45 PM PST|
FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of Folly Beach is taking precautions to protect the dunes and birds that contribute to the island’s habitat and integrity.
Folly Beach Leaders approved updates to the Dune Management Plan, which protects the dunes that protect the island at the edge of the beach and serve as a critical habitat. Coastal Consultant Nicole Elko wrote part of the plan and calls Folly Beach home.
“The dune management plan is really one of many city plans that helps to address climate change and sea level rise, and this one in particular, really helps the city fulfill the requirements of the federal renourishment agreement,” Elko says.
The dune management plan provides checkpoints and projects to make sure the dunes are not eroding. As a part of the plan, the city is finishing installing protective wooden fences that trap and retain sand on the dunes during the windy winter. Come spring of 2025, teams will plant grasses on the dunes to help root them into the environment.
“Some of the goals are to monitor, restore and protect the dunes. And under each of those goals, we have action items, for example, under monitoring, we measure the beach and dune annually. So we’re looking at the vegetation, how much the dune has grown, if it’s gotten taller, if it has eroded. And these types of metrics help us plan for future renourishments,” Elko says.
Elko says aside from being an aesthetic addition, the dunes serve the island in a lot of ways.
“A wide beach is great, but you need the elevation of the dune to kind of act as a levy against storm surge and protect the community. Then the dunes also provide habitat for nesting sea turtles, for shore birds. Then the final element is, sort of the aesthetic,” Elko says.
Concerning the wildlife and birds, Folly Beach City Council also approved promoting ‘Lights Out Nights’ and asking residents and businesses to turn off non-essential lights at night during critical bird migratory periods in the spring and fall.
Jen Tyrrell is an ornithologist who works with the Audubon Society and lives on James Island. She is working with leaders to raise more awareness about light pollution interfering with bird migration.
“Most songbirds migrate at night to avoid daytime predators, and when they migrate at night, they use celestial cues and stars and polarized light to navigate. And so when they’re flying through the night and buildings are lit up and there’s a lot of reflection from the ground, they get disoriented, and they can run into buildings and structures,” Tyrrell says.
Folly Beach will participate in campaigns to encourage conscious light usage during the upcoming migration times between March and May, and August through October.
“60% of birds that hit a structure like that will die, even if they get up and fly away. You think it was just stunned, but most of them will die within a few days. So it’s very important for their population. And about a billion birds a year will die from building collisions and window collisions. So it’s a huge problem,” Tyrrell says.
Tyrrell says she has seen it herself at Folly Beach City Hall and has plans to petition Charleston to participate in the program before the spring migration. The program asks people to take actions similar to sea turtle protections, and while the birds in question are not endangered as the sea turtles are, Tyrrell says they deserve the same protection from light pollution.
“If you’re looking to reduce your outdoor lighting at home, think about how you need your lighting, or what’s the purpose of your lighting. Is it for safety, using motion sensors? Use it only when needed, and then also have it pointed downwards so it’s not reflecting into the sky causing glare,” Tyrrell says.
Folly Beach leaders like Public Works Director, Eric Lutz, say these are year-round considerations the town looks at to protect the integrity of the island for the people and animals who live there year-round and for all visitors.
“It’s important out here, we try to protect all of our habitat, and we have lights out for turtles, but we realize it’s extra important to cover the birds as they’re migrating. And the dunes are starting to build up now, with the sand fencing that went in, all that will help build and restore the dunes and keep them healthy for habitat,” Lutz says.
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