As we age, many of us start to feel pain in certain joints, particularly in the hands, hips, knees, feet and spine. This seems especially common in women. A doctor might make the broad diagnosis of arthritis, an inflammation of the joint that causes pain and stiffness, but do you know that there are at least 100 different types of arthritis that fall under this very broad umbrella?

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which occurs when the cartilage between the bones in the joint breaks down, causing pain as the bones grind against one another. Typical causes are aging, repetitive use, being overweight and a family history of the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder of the joints that usually begins between the ages of 30 – 50, is also quite common. Symptoms that include swelling, redness and a feeling of warmth usually begin in the small joints of the fingers, wrists and feet. More common in women than men, this condition can be very disabling, affecting one’s ability to work and lead a normal life.

Other common types of arthritis include gout, lupus, fibromyalgia, Scleroderma and carpal tunnel syndrome. Depending on the type and severity of the condition, physical therapy and different combinations of drugs may be prescribed to relieve pain and reduce swelling.

Can Chiropractic Help Your Joint Pain?
Chiropractic care may be helpful at both preventing arthritis and in reducing pain and lack of mobility in those who already have the condition. How? When a person has arthritis, pain keeps them from moving. Lack of movement reduces the use of the joint and decreases range of motion, which makes the condition worse.

Chiropractic adjustments may help to increase mobility in the joints, causing more movement and a reduction in pain. They also may help slow down the progression of the arthritic condition.

Chiropractic care may also help prevent arthritic conditions because it encourages specific behaviors and habits that contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle, such as diet, proper weight maintenance and exercise.

In addition, chiropractic adjustments help to keep the spine properly aligned and the nervous system, which controls the immune system, functioning optimally.

Call your Elkhorn Wellness Chiropractor today to get you Moving Well again! 

Is your pillow a pain in the neck? 

There are cotton ones, memory foam ones, cervical ones, feather ones, and more. When it comes to finding the pillow that’s right for you, it is a jungle out there! We want to help you figure out how to choose a pillow that will give you the support and great sleep that you need.

The Standing Test
First, a little test can help you envision what a pillow should do. Stand up straight with good posture; keep your shoulders back with your head held high.

Now, imagine keeping this exact position while lying down in bed, no matter what position you sleep in. Your pillow should support your head and neck so that you’re able to do just that in bed.

Different Pillows for Different Sleepers
As you can imagine, turning from your back to your side or stomach will change how a pillow is able to support you. For your own personal sleeping position, the same pillow that works for someone else may not work for you.

The best sleeping position for your spinal health is on your side. This allows your body to keep the natural S-curve that your spine has. Sleeping on your stomach can be very harmful to your spine since it forces you to crank your head to the side, causing neck pain.

When you’re out pillow shopping, just remember, your pillow should keep your head in line with your spine. 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to all your Elkhorn Chiropractor. Serving Elkhorn, Delavan, Lake Geneva, East Troy and Surrounding Walworth county areas.  

Slipped Disc
A disc can’t slip. But it can wedge, bulge, protrude and herniate. Chiropractic care may help.

Space for Nerves

The disc is a special cartilage between the bones of your spinal column. It attaches to the vertebra above and below it. This creates the separation between spinal bones so pairs of nerves can exit the spine.

Turning and Bending
Each spinal disc has a jelly-like “ball bearing” core that is contained by bands of fibrous tissue. Healthy discs give you flexibility for normal turning and bending. Improper lifting, slips, falls and car accidents can cause the core to shift:

Herniation - disc wedging narrows nerve openings. Obvious symptoms may not be present.

Protrusion – like a blister, the disc bulges where it is the weakest, causing nerve pressure.

Prolapse – with the cushioning and separating compromised by rupture, movement is painful.

Chiropractic First
Chiropractic has been a natural solution helping people with a variety of disc problems.

Joint Health
Keeping your joints healthy and moving well means 2 things: 1.) Your spine, nerves and nervous system is under minimal stress and 2.) The joints of your spine are healthy.  We suggest that you get checked for subluxation, nerve stress, or joint fixation every 7-10 days because when a joint is "stuck" or fixated for more than 14 days it starts to become arthritic.  Arthritis or arthritic changes are near impossible to reverse.  Getting adjusted once per week for maintenance of spinal hygiene or spinal health may seem like a lot or may sound expensive... And it probably would be at other Elkhorn, Delavan, and Walworth County chiropractic offices but we do not accept insurance.  It use to cost us thousands of dollars per month to bill insurance.  By cutting out the middle man we can offer the savings to the people that mean the most to us - our patients!  

Call our Elkhorn Chiropractic office today!  Whether you're looking for symptom relief or true health maintenance, you've found the right office! 

Elkhorn Chiropractor and Sciatica Pain

Sciatica is a distracting pain that begins in the lower back and extends down one or both legs. It typically worsens with periods of sitting or standing.

The discs between the spinal bones of the lower back are often involved.

Trauma can cause one or more discs to bulge. This crowds nearby nerves, causing irritation and inflammation. Coughing, sneezing or other kinds of movement can be painful. If neglected, the nerve irritation extends down one or both legs along the sciatic nerves. The pain appears in the leg, but the culprit is often the lower back!

Common symptoms of sciatica include:

• Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting
• Burning or tingling down the leg
• Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot
• A constant pain on one side of the rear
• A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up

Fortunately, there is hope.  Improving joint motion in the lower back with a program of chiropractic adjustments has produced results for many people.

It all starts with a consultation and thorough examination. If we think we can help, we’ll tell you. And if we don’t think we can help, we’ll tell you that too and refer you to someone we think can. Get started today by calling our chiropractic office in Elkhorn, WI.  We've helped many in the Delavan and Lake Geneva areas through chiropractic.  Why not you? 

Chiropractic and Sciatic pain


Sciatica pain is often so debilitating that it forces people to miss work and other normal activities.  Of all patients with low-back pain, sciatica patients have the highest level of disability (1).  In fact, patients with sciatica are disabled for an average of 72 days according to Norwegian public-health records.

Fortunately, a recent study offers hope to sciatica patients: chiropractic care can speed the recovery from sciatica flare ups and allow patients to return to work sooner (2). The study evaluated 44 Norwegian workers after they came to the hospital with severe sciatica pain. Most of those patients had been experiencing pain for three or more weeks prior to their hospital visit.

The hospital chiropractor examined each patient to evaluate his/her posture and gait, range of motion, and palpation of the lumbar spine. The chiropractic then performed various joint adjustments to the spine and other limbs that had been injured through patients compensating for pain. Ice treatment was also used to relieve soft tissue soreness. Patients were treated daily in the hospital and later three times a week for the first two weeks. Some patients needed additional follow-up treatment but typically did not exceed 14 treatments.

In matter of 21 days, 91% of patients returned to work full-time. Two patients returned to work part time. Researchers concluded this study demonstrates the potent benefits of collaboration between chiropractors and orthopedic surgeons. Chiropractic care can put an end to your sciatica pain so you can begin living your life fully again.

If you or someone you know is struggling with sciatic or back pain symptoms don't hesitate to call or email us.  

Your local Elkhorn Chiropractor: serving Delavan, Lake Geneva, Fontana, Williams Bay, East Troy and the surrounding Walworth County areas. 

1. Arana E, Marti-Bonmati L, Vega M, et al. Relationship between low back pain, disability, MR imaging findings and health care provider. Skeletal Radiology 2006;35(9):641-7.
2. Orlin JR, Didriksen A. Results of chiropractic treatment of lumbopelvic fixation in 44 patients admitted to an orthopedic department. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2007;30:135-139.

How many times have you blamed your back pain on the humidity or change in barometric pressure?  Well, research published in Arthritis Care & Research suggests that weather has absolutely nothing do to with your aches and pains – contrary to this extremely popular belief.

In a case-crossover study, researchers in Australia interviewed 993 individuals who experienced a sudden bout of back pain and compared them to meteorological reports for the timeframe of onset of pain, as well as one week and one month prior. This study occurred over the course of one year (between October 2011 and November 2012) allowing them to view data such as humidity, air pressure, temperature, wind direction, and precipitation, from every season.

They found that regardless of what the weather was doing outside, it had no considerable impact on what was happening inside the study participant’s bodies when it came to back pain. They did notice a small effect of wind speed on back pain, increasing it slightly when winds picked up, but noted that the effect was so minimal that it “was not clinically important.”

So, what does this mean? Perhaps there are other factors that make it appear that weather is the cause of more achiness and hurt. For instance, maybe you are more active when rain is in the forecast because you know that your activities are going to be limited in the days ahead. Or, it is even possible that the pain is triggered simply because you expect it.

No matter what the cause, regular chiropractic care can minimize your back pain and help you live a more active life. That way you can enjoy yourself – rain or shine.

Contact your local Elkhorn Chiropractor: Serving children and families for the Delavan, Lake Geneva, Williams Bay, Fontana, East Troy and surrounding Walworth County areas. 

Reference

Steffens D, et al. Weather does not affect back pain: Results from a case-crossover study. Arthritis Care & Research. DOI: 10.1002/acr.22378.

Chiropractic for Children

Why would a child have a spine and nervous system problem? Traumatic births. Learning to walk. Slips. Falls. The list is endless. Yet, because children have such an adaptive capacity, these problems are often brushed off as “growing pains” or just a “phase they’re going through.”

“As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.”

When a child has some form of physical trauma or physical stress it puts their nervous system into a higher state of stress, or what we call "fight/flight".  

How does this happen? 

Most individuals and parents understand that the central nervous system is a very important system, if not, the MOST important system in maintaining and coordinating health.  But most people don't understand the details of the central nervous system.  The nervous system works in two modes of operation: 1.) sympathetic or "fight/flight" or "gas pedal" and 2.) parasympathetic or "growth/development" or "brake pedal". These two modes of operation, for the most part, are an autonomic (or automatic) response to our environment or our lifestyle.  

When your little one is running around the soccer field, his/her sympathetic nervous system automatically engages to enhance other systems like the cardio-respiratory centers to increase heart rate, increase breathing, pushing blood and oxygen to fuel their muscles, and at the same time it weakens the response for systems such as immune modulation, growth and digestion.  This "fight or flight" mode is designed to be "turned on" for a short period of time and then "turned off".  So when your little one shakes hands at mid field and goes back to the van with mom and dad, the parasympathetic nervous system should automatically turn on while the sympathetic or "gas pedal/fight/flight" should be turned off so they can absorb and digest their healthy post-soccer game snack that mom has prepared for them.  Make sense? 

So what's the big problem? 

One thing we must understand is "we cannot be in GROWTH and PROTECTION mode at the same time".  

The biggest problem we see is the sympathetic or "gas pedal - protection mode" response gets "STUCK ON" for kids at an early age because of some sort of birth trauma (scheduled C-section, emergency C-section, vacuum, forcep delivery, increased in-utero constraint, breech position, etc), early childhood slips and falls, or mom experiences a very stressful pregnancy.  

Because this protective "gas pedal" response gets "stuck on" the nervous system never has a chance to "grow and develop" and coordinate the other immature or developing systems such as: immune system, digestive system, endocrine, etc... 

The BIGGER problem. 

We live in a time where more children are suffering from chronic illnesses than ever before (allergies, ADD/ADHD, autism, breathing difficulties, gut problems, immune system imbalances, eczema, auto-immune disorders, etc) and the reason is simply STRESS (stressful pregnancy for mom, birth trauma for baby, GMO food, environmental chemicals, etc...) that has caused our "gas pedal" response to get "stuck on" and our body, or our children's bodies, never get to "grow and develop" as they are designed to. 

How does Chiropractic and keeping your pregnancy less stressful help PREVENT this epidemic of sickness in our kids?   

Your nervous system's role is to "perceive your environment and coordinate the behavior of every cell."  When mom conceives, a half cell from dad and half cell from herself meet to form one cell (This ONE cell has all the functions of growth, respiration, reproduction, digestion, perception, etc that the ENTIRE body will need after it is bore into the world in roughly 9 months).  This cell then undergoes replication and division for the next 9 months to grow a perfectly healthy baby.... but only if mom is under minimal stress.  When mom's nervous system perceives a stressful environment it activates her "gas pedal" response. When this happens, mom's nervous system, which is coordinating the behavior (development) of her soon-to-be baby's tissues, organs, nervous system, etc.., does so, stressfully.  Under these stressful circumstances; fear, pressure, poor diet, lack of movement, environmental toxins, etc..., it is very difficult to "grow and develop" a baby with healthy, well-functioning tissues, organs and systems.

The chiropractic adjustment, because it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, applies the "brakes" and slows mom's nervous system down and hence, allowing the "growth and development" of her baby to happen normally and naturally and a good doula or midwife will educate and empower soon-to-be mommas with the knowledge to make the best informed decisions for herself but more importantly, the baby - minimizing the emotional (mental) stress of mom during her pregnancy and help minimize the risk of birth trauma and other unnecessary interventions.   

Chiropractors, doulas and midwives work together to help keep mom and the baby in "growth and development" mode.  Because let's face it..... the 9 months of pregnancy is the biggest growth and development phase anyone will ever go through!     

This is a great reason to consider a doula or midwife as well as a chiropractor for your pregnancy. 

    - Chad Schleiger, D.C. 

  

 

Imagine balancing a 12 lb. (5.5 kg.) bowling ball on the tips of your fingers.... all day long.  

That’s just one of many things your neck must do. Your neck and shoulders work hard. Even the smallest deviation in the relationships of the seven bones of your cervical spine (neck) can cause pain and reduced head and neck mobility.

Minor and Major
Generally, we see two types of neck pain cases. Minor neck and shoulder pain involve sensations of discomfort, stiffness or soreness. If these symptoms last for more than 14 days or the joints have been stuck for 14 days or longer, they start to undergo arthritic changes -arthritis!  These changes are irreversible so we consider them major.  Just small minor stressors that build up over time such as, credit card bills, flat tire, family relationships, etc can cause ill-health in our bodies, especially our spine and nervous system. 

Response to Stress
Physical, emotional or chemical stress can affect the frequency and severity of neck pain. For many of us, the neck and shoulders are the “weakest link in the chain” and so stress shows up here.

Often, emotional stress is the overlooked culprit. Ever hear of something being a “pain in the neck”? Fear, anger or frustration can trigger the tightening of our neck muscles without our even being conscious. In time, chronic muscle spasms set in. Which can lead to headaches.

Some over-the-counter pain reliever might dull the pain, but it ignores the underlying cause.

Sometimes this can be the tricky part of a chiropractor's job because most (90% or more) of spinal misalignments or what we call "subluxation" occur without any symptoms at all.

So we use a couple of outside measures to find internal mishaps in your body.

During the examination on your first visit to our practice, we use a number of tools and techniques to determine the presence and extent of any misalignments in your spine.

When your spine is not aligned properly, nerve interference is often the result. This can affect your entire body, even your immune system. Chiropractic care is designed to reduce this nerve interference, which then permits your body to assume its true, healthful vigor.

How do we determine whether there are misalignments in your spine? Well, we generally use a number of different diagnostic tests, which may include one or more of the following:

Leg length tests – A contracted leg, causing one leg to appear shorter than the other can be a common sign of spinal misalignment.

Gait – We may have you walk as we notice any pelvic or spinal abnormalities that affect your stride or the way your heels strike the floor.

Bending – Bending in different directions and at different angles can reveal spinal problems such as inflexibility or scoliosis.

Rotation – Restricted movement when turning your head to the right or left can be a significant clue that misalignments are present.

Posture – Checking your posture from the side can reveal a forward leaning head and other postural distortions. From behind, we’ll note a high shoulder or hip.

Palpation - This is an easy check that chiropractor do with their hands while they feel your spine to look for any imbalances in your spinal column. 

In the early, easiest-to-correct stages, spinal misalignments often produce no noticeable symptoms. Yet. A spinal checkup in our practice can reveal problem areas that we can address before they become headaches, back pain or more serious health issues.

Call our Elkhorn Wellness Chiropractic Office today! 

You’re valued. Your loved ones adore you! No matter how many or few, near or far, they cherish you and need you around for a long time.

You deserve health. You deserve to feel your best, to have energy, be happy and move easier. You truly deserve to live the incredible life you’ve been blessed with.

You can. Health is about being better than you used to be. Your fitness is all mental; your body won’t go where your mind doesn’t push it. So push yourself and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll achieve.

You have time. One hour is roughly 4% of your day. So work smarter, not harder and get up early enough to take care of yourself each day for that jog, gym class or stroll around the park. It’s not about having time, it’s about making time.

You’re in charge. There are many aspects of life that are far beyond our reach, out of our control. But the way you treat your body, the way you care for yourself, you can control that. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll

You’re an example. So much about parenting, leading and living is about setting the example. If you want to inspire others to do good, be healthy and enjoy life, then go out there and do the same!

You’ll enjoy it. It’s amazing how much feeling goes into your health. Taking care of you is the gift that keeps on giving. By eating right you’ll feel great, by sleeping enough you’ll feel energetic and through exercise you’ll feel empowered and happy.

In the end, we’re all blessed. Don’t take for granted the opportunity you have to live the most incredible life. We’re here to remind you of this because we value you, we know you deserve it, we know you can and we know your best life is just around the corner!

Call our Elkhorn Chiropractic office today!