What Is Myofascial Tissue?

Myofascial tissue is a type of thin, strong, fibrous connective tissue that extends throughout your body to provide support and protection to your muscles and bones. Myofascial tissue fibers are made up of collagen and elastin fibers that are arranged in a web-like structure and that are suspended in a fluid called ground substance. With a tensile strength of more than 2000 pounds, it provides a strong support for the muscles, while at the same time allowing for flexibility. You can think of myofascial tissue as being similar to a mesh bag that contains your groceries. It is pliable, and can expand and contract as the contents of the bag change. It envelops your body like a wet suit, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.

Dr. Janet Travell first used the term myofascial in the 1940s in reference to problems with musculoskeletal pain and what are called trigger points. Travell is the author of Myofascial Pain & Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, a seminal reference work for practitioners of trigger point therapy. Myofascial release involves the use of a practitioner’s elbows, knuckles or other tools to slowly stretch out the tightened myofascial tissue, thus removing knots and adhesions.

Healthy myofascial tissue is soft and relaxed, however, trauma and inflammation to the tissue can cause it to become tight and more rigid, and knots or adhesions can develop in the tissue that can cause a restriction in motion and lead to the development of “trigger points” that can cause pain anywhere in the body. Chronic neck and back pain, muscle spasms, headaches, difficulty breathing and reduced flexibility may all be due to a problem in the myofascial tissue.

Trauma from whiplash, a fall, the effects of surgery or chronic bad posture are some of the things that can contribute to myofascial pain syndrome. But it’s not just physical stress such as injury and illness that can cause the myofascial tissues to tighten. Emotional stress can have the same effect. This tightening can cause increased pressure on the muscles, nerves and organs that leads to chronic pain.

Many chiropractors are trained in myofascial release therapy, which can relieve pain from many conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, headaches and fibromyalgia. They will stretch and loosen the tightened fascia that are restricting blood flow to the area, which will increase circulation and lymphatic drainage and take the pressure off nerves that have been compressed at trigger points.

Why Use a Chiropractic Service?

A lot can be said about getting a chiropractic service. In case you have a problem which has been troubling you for some time and you reckon that it has connected with neuromuscular problems, then it may be relevant to consult with a chiropractor. One of the reasons why there are many people seeking service from chiropractors these days is because they’d rather clear up their problem without having to take medicines. Chiropractors in most cases try to get to the cause of the problem with no need of prescribing supplements or any medications.

Among the issues that chiropractors work on relates to severe headaches. A headache could be a pain sensation that is experienced at the forehead or even at the back of the neck. Any sort of headache is worth investing by seeking the service of a chiropractor. The key reason is simply because severe headaches could possibly be the result of a misaligned cervical area. This condition can lead to a pinched nerve that’s cutting off the supply of blood to your head. Due to that, this tends to lead to extreme headaches.

What other conditions can chiropractic service treat? There are times when a nagging back pain won’t disappear completely or perhaps some form of soreness goes down one’s leg. Pain Sensation that extends down your leg often refers to sciatic nerve pain. This painful sensation is caused by the sciatic nerve which is pinched off by a misaligned area of your vertebrae. A chiropractor can check out these parts of the body and then determine where the imbalance resonates from. By locating these misaligned discs and bones, a chiropractor can figure out the best plan of action for your needs.

A misaligned spine can cause various kinds of complications. There are people who described pain sensation that they experience on a part which is far away from the cause of the problem. This sort of extending pain is known as referred pain. Referred pain can be hard to identify so the chiropractor may possibly request the person have an x-ray or an MRI to better locate the cause of the problem.

The chiropractor will ask many types of questions and check your mobility as well as your flexibility. With this, the job a chiropractor does is very comprehensive and provides for an improved diagnosis of the problem. The best chiropractic care may be accomplished when the patient and also the chiropractor work jointly with one another. In that respect the individual must follow the chiropractor’s advice so as to optimize the recuperation.

Is Your Headache An Early Warning Sign?

Headaches are so common that people often think that getting one is a normal part of life and give it little thought. Headaches do not always signal a deeper, underlying problem. But like a fever, they can also be a warning sign.

That’s why headaches may be an indicator that an individual needs to see a chiropractor and discover chiropractic care for themselves.

There are several triggers that can lead to headaches, which include:

• Chemical stressors (i.e., hormonal changes)
• Physical stressors (i.e., structural problems)
• Emotional stressors (anxiety)
• Reaction to medication even pain relievers
• Dehydration
• Alcohol

Specific chiropractic adjustments can help correct spinal joint dysfunction created by the various chemical, emotional and physical stresses in an individual’s life.

Furthermore, misalignment of spinal vertebra in the neck and upper back is frequently overlooked cause of headaches. For whatever reason, stress, anxiety, seating position, or other factors cause a person to tense up and put pressure on the spinal column. Over time, the spine compensates by moving certain vertebra and putting pressure on interior nerves and tissue. Nerves and blood vessels can be detrimentally impacted when bones of the spine lose their normal position or motion. When spinal nerves and related tissues are stretched or irritated, a throbbing headache, neck pain, tense muscles and other health problems can occur. While aspirin and other medicines may relieve the pain, they do not address the underlying problem.

Some medicines also have side effects that can cause serious health problems.

Chiropractic care is a natural, drug free solution to relieving headaches.

A thorough chiropractic examination can determine reduced range of motion, loss of normal spinal curves or mechanical restrictions. The chiropractor will determine which vertebra to adjust, how often and for how long. A chiropractic adjustment is a gentle guided push on the vertebra. It’s so gentle it can be performed on a new born baby. An adjustment can be made to the back, neck or any of the extremities. Patients usually feel relief within days, sometimes even immediately.

Along with correcting more serious problems, patients frequently report relief from headaches following treatment by a chiropractor. While some may realize immediate relief, others may take longer to see correction of their problem because of a spinal problem that has existed for many years without detection.

Regardless of what onsets headaches, they can disrupt the balance of an individual’s nervous system resulting in a tightening of muscles. This tightening puts stress on the spinal column, causing spinal misalignments known as subluxations. Untreated, subluxations can lead to irreversible spinal degeneration.

Chiropractic care correcs spinal misalignments without painful surgery or medications that may produce side-effects. The result is a more safe, effective approach to treating headaches and related physical problems.

Migraine, Tension, Cluster Headaches – Causes and Cures

Headaches plague most people at some time. But what they may not realize is that frequent headaches can be an indicator of potentially more serious problems. Even more surprising to many is that chiropractors may be just the professional they need when suffering from headaches.

A chiropractor can diagnose potential problems by reviewing a patient’s medical history, along with conducting a thorough examination. This is because many headaches begin with a spinal misalignment in the neck, or cervical spine which can produce pain and headaches.

Nerves in an individual’s body carry vital information about pain and the musculoskeletal functions. Because of this, a spinal misalignment can lead to nerve interference and dysfunction. The result is that individuals may experience muscle stiffness, spasms, muscle tension, pain, and eventually chronic headaches.

Specific chiropractic adjustments can help correct spinal join dysfunction created by the various chemical, emotional and physical stresses in an individual’s life. An adjustment is a gentle, specific, push on the vertebra to guide it back into place. It is so gentle it can be performed on children, even newborn babies.

Patients frequently report relief from headaches following treatment by a chiropractor. While some may realize immediate relief, others may take longer to see correction of their problem especially if the problem existed for many years without detection.

There are several triggers that can lead to headaches, which include:

• Chemical stressors (i.e., hormonal changes)
• Physical stressors (i.e., structural problems)
• Emotional stressors (anxiety)
• Even medications intended to relieve headaches can intensify their pain

Regardless of what onsets headaches, they can result in disruption of the balance of an individual’s nervous system. The result is alteration of the spinal column, causing a series of spinal misalignments known as subluxations. Untreated, subluxations can lead to irreversible spinal degeneration.

Chiropractic care can help correct spinal misalignments created by various stressors, regardless of the cause. The result is a more-effective approach to treating headaches and related musculoskeletal problems without painful surgery or medications that may produce side-effects.

Using pain medication to treat headaches is dangerous for two reasons. First it may provide short term relief of pain but the source of the problem is not corrected and the injury becomes more inflamed and difficult to treat. Second, certain ingredients in pain medication put stress on the stomach, the kidneys and the liver. Over time, medication can cause problems with these organs and the headache is still there.

Treating headaches usually begins with identifying the different types of headaches including:

• Migraine Headaches, which usually result in:

1. One-sided pain associated with nausea
2. Moderate to severe pain
3. A throbbing sensation
4. Extreme sensitivity to light, sound and touch
5. Visual “aura”

• Tension Headaches. These usually involve:

1. A steady, dull pain that produces the sensation of wearing a cap
2. Mild to moderate pain
3. Tension in the neck or head
4. Moderate sensitivity to light or sound

• Cluster Headaches, which may result in:

1. Pain near the forehead or around the eyes
2. Excruciating pain
3. Penetrating, throbbing pain
4. A series of headaches
5. Watery, swollen eyes

Chiropractors have a very high success rate treating headaches. Many patients are surprised how simple the chiropractic philosophy is once they understand the chiropractor is simply guiding misaligned vertebra back in place and that is the source of their pain.