Wednesday, April 25, 2012

BackTalk TV Show April 24th, 2012




BackTalk TV Show
April 24th, 2012
Host: Dr Greg Millar, Chiropractor
Guest: Dr Jamie Bunis, DC of Millar Chiropractic - Huntsville (Jones Valley) Ph. (256) 713-1830
Subject: General Chiropractic and back questions



Dr Greg Millar and Dr Jamie Bunis, chiropractors, discused back related topics and answered your questions live on the air on ABC WAAY TV Channel 31 Huntsville.





Copyright 2011 Millar Chiropractic Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this website including all links to other pages or websites herein including but not limited to text, graphics, images, comments, statements, or information from doctors, host or guest, and other material contained therein (Content) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not use this Content for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of Content you have seen, read or heard.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

BackTalk TV Show April 17th, 2012




BackTalk TV Show
April 17th, 2012
Host: Dr Greg Millar, Chiropractor
Guest: James Thacker, MD  of Huntsville Pain Management (256) 539-1000
Subject: Pain Management Procedures







Copyright 2012 Millar Chiropractic Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this website including all links to other pages or websites herein including but not limited to text, graphics, images, comments, statements, or information from doctors, host or guest, and other material contained therein (Content) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not use this Content for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of Content you have seen, read or heard.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

BackTalk TV Show April 10th, 2012

BackTalk TV Show
April 10th, 2012
Host: Dr Greg Millar DC CCEP, Chiropractor
Guest: Dr Dana Berthiaume, DC Chiropractor of Millar Chiropractic-Madison AL (256) 430-2700
Subject: Low Back Pain







Copyright 2012 Millar Chiropractic Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this website including all links to other pages or websites herein including but not limited to text, graphics, images, comments, statements, or information from doctors, host or guest, and other material contained therein (Content) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not use this Content for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of Content you have seen, read or heard.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Sciatica - Pain Down The Leg


Sciatica

Sciatica and Chiropractic
Pain that radiates from your lower (lumbar) spine to your buttock and down the back of your leg is the hallmark of sciatica. Occasionally, sciatic pain in men is caused by sitting on a wallet.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It starts in the low back, runs into the pelvis, through your hip area and buttocks and down each leg. The sciatic nerve branches into smaller nerves as it travels down the legs providing feeling to your thighs, legs, and feet as well as controlling many of the muscles in your lower legs. The term sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of this nerve of pain that runs down the leg. 

What causes Sciatica?

Sciatica is actually a sign that you have an underlying problem putting pressure on a nerve originating in your lower back. The most common cause of this nerve compression is a bulging or herniated lumbar disc. Piriformis syndrome is another common cause of sciatica. The piriformis is a muscle that lies directly over the sciatic nerve. If this muscle becomes tight or if you have a spasm in this muscle, it puts pressure directly on the sciatic nerve. In about 10% of the population the sciatic nerve actually courses through the piriformis muscle. In those patients sciatica is more common. Occasionally, sciatic pain in men is caused by sitting on a wallet or simply sitting too much. it can also be caused by standing too long, pelvic injury or fracture or even tumors. However the last two causes are morete rare findings in most doctors offices. 

How do I know if I have sciatica?

Pain that radiates from your lower (lumbar) spine to your buttock and down the back of your leg is the hallmark of sciatica. Sciatica may be accompanied by numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the affected leg. This pain can vary widely, from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating discomfort. Sometimes it may feel like a jolt or electric shock. Sciatic pain often starts slowly or gradually and intensifies over time. It's likely to be worse when you sit, cough or sneeze. In some cases, the pain is severe enough to make a person unable to move.
The pain most often occurs on one side. Some people have sharp pain in one part of the leg or hip and numbness in other parts. The pain or numbness may also be felt on the back of the calf or on the sole of the foot. The affected leg may feel weak.
Sciatica pain may get worse:
  • After standing or sitting
  • At night
  • When sneezing, coughing, or laughing
  • When bending backwards or walking more than a few yards, especially if caused by spinal stenosis

Signs and test

Your Millar Chiropractor will perform a thorough history and physical exam. This may show:
  • Weakness of knee bending or foot movement
  • Difficulty bending the foot inward or down
  • Abnormal or weak reflexes
  • Pain when lifting the leg straight up off the examining table
Tests determine on the suspected causes. They are often not needed unless pain is severe or long lasting. They may include:
  • Blood tests
  • X-rays
  • MRIs or other imaging tests

Home Treatment


  • Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Try ice for the first 48 - 72 hours, then use heat after that.
  • Consider taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) if your stomach can tolerate them.
Bed rest is not recommended. Reduce your activity for the first couple of days. Then, slowly start your usual activities after that. Avoid heavy lifting or twisting of your back after the pain begins. If you get better, you should start exercising again after 2-3 weeks. This should include exercises to strengthen your abdomen and improve flexibility of your spine. 
If at-home treatment measures do not help after 3 days see your Millar Chiropractor.

How is Sciatica Treated?

The vast majority of the time, sciatic pain can be relieved through a combination of stretches, deep tissue massage of the piriformis muscle and chiropractic care. We often utilize cold lasers, ultra sound and deep e-stimulation. Occasionally, in cases where chronic spasm of the low back or piriformis muscles is causing the sciatic pain, it may be necessary to do a procedure called a dry needling or a steroid injection, where a medical pain specialist injects a small amount of anesthetic directly into a spasmed muscle to break the spasm cycle. However, this is typically not necessary.  When the cause is a bulging or herniated disc, decompression traction may be indicated. First we need to locate the point of nerve compression and then treat that compression. Your Millar Chiropractor has many tools in his treatment toolbox to properly diagnose and treat your sciatica. Call Millar Chiropractic today and set your appointment.
Dr Greg
March 15th, 2012

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Copyright 2012 Millar Chiropractic Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this website including all links to other pages or websites herein including but not limited to text, graphics, images, comments, statements, or information from doctors, host or guest, and other material contained therein (Content) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not use this Content for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of Content you have seen, read or heard.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

deleted post

Someone hacked this account and posted on this site. The post was immediately removed.

Copyright 2011 Millar Chiropractic Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this website including all links to other pages or websites herein including but not limited to text, graphics, images, comments, statements, or information from doctors, host or guest, and other material contained therein (Content) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not use this Content for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of Content you have seen, read or heard.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Stop Low Back Pain Today

Stop Most Low Back Pain Today




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Remember to Stretch
Exercise is a three-step process: stretching, exercising, and abdominal strengthening. Stretching prepares you for the work of exercise, and is done first — before anything else — gently and gradually.
You may be tighter than usual on a particular day. This is not important — you should never try to stretch to where “you think you should be”. Just stretch, making sure to pay attention to what you’re doing. It’s easy to injure a muscle if you’re thinking about something else, or if you’re rushing, trying to squeeze in some stretching before dashing off.
You never know until you hurt it how much you use your lower back all day long. When your lower back is injured, every movement becomes painful. Simple actions, such as getting out of a chair or bending over the sink, become excruciating, and your daily routine becomes difficult and frustrating.

Back pain affects 60 to 80 percent of U.S. adults at some time during their lives, and up to 50 percent have back pain within a given year. Some of these problems are easily treated and low back pain never return, but in twenty percent of patients low back pain becomes chronic and the person continues to have recurrences and exacerbation (episodes).

Effective treatment of uncomplicated low back pain involves treatment in a chiropractor’s office and beginning and continuing an exercise program. A recent study conducted by the Medical Research Council, a research organization based in the United Kingdom, has found that patients given a combination of spinal manipulation and exercise experienced greater improvement in back function and greater reduction in pain compared to those treated with spinal manipulation or exercise only.

Much mechanical lower back pain is associated with tight leg muscles (hamstrings and quadriceps) and weak abdominal muscles. Leg muscles need to be stretched and abdominal muscles need to be strengthened to avoid recurrences of low back pain. This is a daily event. We recommend that a person spend about the same amount of time each day on their back doing exercises as they do brushing their teeth. (4 min a day)

People are generally not aware of these relationships. You may know you “should be exercising”, but you may be unaware of the importance of stretching. Also, abdominal strengthening is usually the last thing a person thinks of when he or she thinks of doing exercise.
Abdominal strengthening helps support the lower back. Spinal muscles are not designed to carry your body weight. If your abdominal muscles are weak, then your back muscles will be used to carry your body weight, and eventually you’ll have low back pain. Abdominal strengthening not only helps keep your lower back healthy, but also helps maintain good posture. Postural benefits include an easy, relaxed gait; muscles that are long and supple, rather than short and tight; and an open chest that allows for easy, smooth breathing. Your body is continuous. Everything’s connected. A lower back problem often affects many other areas. By making sure to stretch daily and by including abdominal exercises in your home exercise daily routine, you can help ensure having a low back that works.

As a Huntsville AL Chiropractor, Madison AL Chiropractor, Decatur AL Chiropractor, Millar Chiropractic. we have tried this program successfully on many patients.


Copyright 2011 Millar Chiropractic Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this website including all links to other pages or websites herein including but not limited to text, graphics, images, comments, statements, or information from doctors, host or guest, and other material contained therein (Content) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not use this Content for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of Content you have seen, read or heard.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

A New You - Your New Reality

A New You - Your New Reality


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120-Day Makeover
Your body's cells and tissues are constantly undergoing replacement, remodeling, and makeovers. For example, your red blood cells - the cells that carry oxygen from your lungs to every other part of your body - replace themselves every 120 days. Other cells with such a high rate of turnover include the cells lining your gastrointestinal tract - stomach, small intestine, and large intestine - and hair cells.
Ultimately all of your body's cells die and are replaced. What this means is that the "new you" doesn't have to be the same as the "old you". As you get healthier - eat more nutritious foods, exercise regularly, and get sufficient restful sleep - your new replacement cells also become stronger, fitter, and healthier.
For most people, chiropractic care is an essential ingredient in becoming healthier. Chiropractic care helps improve the functioning of your nerve system, which in turn helps every system of your body function more effectively and efficiently. With respect to health and well-being, chiropractic care helps your desire for a "new reality" become a reality.
Is it possible to create "a new you" personal reality? So-called unscripted reality television shows say you can - "The Biggest Loser" being one of the more popular of these tell-all and show-all programs. But most of us realize that these shows don't closely represent reality as we experience it. What causes us to tune in anyway? The answer is that even though reality shows may be scripted or controlled, they do contain an element of reality regarding the actual problems of the participants/contestants. We empathize with their struggles, and hope to discern some new knowledge that may help us overcome our own hurdles. But can a real person, in real life, make long-lasting changes in lifestyle, health, and wellness?  "A New Reality"

The provisional answer is yes.1,2,3 A real person can lose significant weight and keep it off. A real person can become physically fit, even though she hasn't exercised for 20 years, or ever. A real person can create a nutritional food plan that covers all the basics and also tastes great. A real person can sleep seven or eight hours a night, most nights, and have the ongoing experience of feeling well-rested. A real person can enjoy meaningful and fulfilling relationships with family and friends. In short, a real person can design and have a real life, even though from today's perspective such a rewarding life might seem an impossibly unattainable goal.

Your new reality is possible, but it doesn't come for free. If no effort were involved, every person in the developed world would be living happy, creative, self-fulfilled lives right now. You can see that is not the case when you look around at your workplace, the local market, or the shopping mall. How many people appear to be happy and engaged? How many appear anxious or stressed? Many times, anxiety and stress far outweigh happiness and enjoyment. For many, our default way of being seems to include worry, disorganization, disorder, and breakdown. These conditions lead to anxiety, which leads to stress, which leads to more worry and anxiety. When they form, these negative habits of thinking and action are habitually ineffective; they continue to be negative influences on our lives until we abolish them. In terms of health and well-being, our negative habits lead to the opposite conditions - we aren't healthy and we don't feel good about ourselves.

The world around us works the same way. Every moment, the universe is tending to greater entropy - the breakup of organized energy patterns and greater disorder. On the other hand, life has the power to reverse the natural tendency toward entropy. Life creates structure. Life creates organization. Think of honeycombs. Think of dams. Think of skyscrapers. Think of human endeavor.

Why then do human lives often seem to fall apart so easily? The missing secret ingredients include intention, planning, effort and mental state. And not only the effort required to keep the whole thing operational. Extra effort is called for to really make a difference. Extra effort that we take on our own behalf. In order for us to create a new personal reality, extra effort will be required. Weeks, months, and years of extra effort. This sounds like a lot. It is. The good news is that the payoff can be huge. The real payoff is the person you become as part of this process of renewal. You become your authentic self and reach "Your New Reality".
 
For years as a Huntsville AL Chiropractor, Madison AL Chiropractor, and Decatur AL Chiropractor, of Millar Chiropractic Clinic. we are often asked questions about how does one reach that reach that new reality. We often tell our patients to start today by following their DREAM. Where "D" stands for Diet (any thing you eat is your diet); "R" stands for rest (that includes sleep and rest at peace; "E" stands for Exercise; "A" stands for adjustments to keep the system optimally working; and "M" stands for mental state (perhaps the most important of all).

1Totsikas C, et al: Cardiorespiratory fitness determines the reduction in blood pressure and insulin resistance during lifestyle intervention. J Hypertens 29(6):1220-1227, 2011
2Lohmann H, et al: Fitness consultations in routine care of patients with type 2 diabetes in general practice: an 18-month non-randomised intervention study. BMC Fam Pract 11:83, 2010
3Ryan AS: Exercise in aging: its important role in mortality, obesity and insulin resistance. Aging Health 6(5):551-563, 2010

Copyright 2011 Millar Chiropractic Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this website including all links to other pages or websites herein including but not limited to text, graphics, images, comments, statements, or information from doctors, host or guest, and other material contained therein (Content) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not use this Content for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of Content you have seen, read or heard.