Hello all. You may or may not know that we provide acupuncture treatments here as well as chiropractic services.  Acupuncture as a treatment can be done many ways.  One of the treatment options is cupping. Cupping tends to come and go in popularity as a treatment but is commonly used at this time.  You may have seen a friend that has peculiar round bruises on their shoulder or leg. These minor bruises are caused by cupping.  In general cupping is used to reduce pain. It does this by pulling fluid from deeper tissues toward the surface where the body can more easily dissipate it. Its as simple as that.  Classic cupping uses glass bulbs which are rubbed with alcohol, set on fire, and quickly dropped onto the treatment area. As the air in the bulb cools it forms a vacuum and pulls the skin up and the fluid under it towards the surface. The suction causes the bruising. In our office we use a hand pump to make the vacuum in small bell jars. It works the same but it’s a bit safer than the fire method.

It occurred to me this weekend that I have three big anniversaries this year. This January was the 25^th anniversary of graduating Chiropractic College. March was the 25^th year of being licensed in Texas. September will be the 25^th year I have had this practice. So, 25 years of working as a Chiropractor in Denton.  Lots of memories, and lots to be thankful for. Thanks to all of you that are currently or have been patients over the years.

Spring has arrived, and with it, seasonal allergies.  Not that they ever truly went away this winter, but they do appear to be getting worse. Acupuncture provides an effective alternative treatment to reduce allergy symptoms. Usually a series of four treatments over a two-week period is effective for the relief of symptoms. If you would like to try acupuncture for your allergies please call our office and make an appointment.

From time to time patients ask me what they can do at home to either speed their recovery and reduce their pain. One of the main causes of pain is a trigger point. It is a bundle of muscle fibers forming a knot. When pressure is applied to this knot, it causes pain at the point of pressure and at a distant point. The pain is usually a numb, burning, ache that is difficult to describe.

A classic example is to put pressure on the trigger point beside the shoulder blade.   You will then feel pain in the anterior chest or pain down the arm. The most effective treatment is to apply pressure to the point and hold for 10 to 20 seconds then release. I have found that, for my own use, a Thera Cane makes it easy to do this at home when there is no one around to get to the points you can not reach yourself. There are many types of these devices available. If you have an interest, we can order one for you or feel free to order one yourself from Amazon. 

Thera Cane at Amazon

As spring approaches, you may find yourself faced with the need to start getting your yard and/or garden into shape.  Here are a few things to remember

1. If a mower or other device has a pull start and it doesn’t want to start. Walk away for a bit. Don’t just keep pulling that rope. I have to work on a lot of shoulders every spring due to cranky mowers and weed eaters.
2. Try to pace yourself. If you have not done any yard work for several months your body is not ready to work pulling weeds, spreading mulch and mowing all day. Trying to do everything in one day will likely get you a trip to see us.
3. If you are of the mindset that prevention is better than cure. You might try coming in for adjustments before things get too bad. Typically if you come and see us when you don’t NEED to , then you never NEED to come see us!

Adjustment options

The basic treatment in a Chiropractic office is the adjustment. At its heart, This is the re positioning of restricted joints to return normal function to the skeletal system. This in turn causes the musculature to relax, releases pressure on the lymph chains so they can efficiently remove fluid,  and returns blood flow to the tissues.

The difference in our office is that we give you options on the type of adjustment you receive. If you have been getting manual adjustments and are comfortable with them, they are available. If, however you are less than enthusiastic about hearing a popping sound in you neck and/or back we have two other options: The VersAlign Device and the Activator. Both are instruments that are used to restore motion to the restricted joints. You can see them in use on our web site.  With these options I can always find a way to adjust you that is effective and comfortable for you.

Soft tissue work after your adjustment

In most Chiropractic offices the treatment you receive will be an adjustment to reduce restrictions in joint movement. Then possibly a therapy or two that can reduce muscle spasm and pain. The difference in our office is that after your adjustment I will spend some time checking the muscles for trigger points. Think of these as small knots in a part of the muscle instead of whole muscle cramps like you may be familiar with if you have ever had a calf muscle spasm. They have the unique quality of causing pain in another area when pressure is applied. An example would be when I find a trigger point next to a shoulder blade. When pressure is applied, they often cause pain in to the persons neck or down their arm. Once I find a trigger point, I can cause the muscle to relax simply by applying light pressure to the point. Over the years I have found that if I can reduce these trigger points the patients pain reduces more quickly and the patient progresses more quickly.