How Your Neck Could be the Cause of Your Dizziness

 

New research is finding one root cause of dizziness...imbalances in your cervical spine (neck).  It is estimated that upwards of 30% of our population suffers regularly from dizzy spells.  Dizziness is a term used to describe a range of sensations, such as feeling faint, woozy, weak or unsteady. Dizziness that creates the false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving is called vertigo.  These symptoms are not only scary to experience, they often hinder our daily lives and with extreme cases of dizziness can be debilitating. While there can be MANY causes for dizziness or vertigo, a 2020 study highlighted misalignments of the upper neck to be a cause of cervicogenic dizziness.  Cervicogenic dizziness is caused by functional issues in the cervical spine which inhibits normal movement of the muscles, ligaments, and receptors surrounding the vertebrae in the neck.  These abnormalities in the cervical spine have been known to be the cause of approximately 65% of dizziness in the elderly population.  A chiropractic adjustment can remove these misalignments to restore proper structure and therefore proper function of the nervous system.  Imagine having a kink in your garden hose.  Some water is still getting through, although it's not as strong or forceful as normal.  When you remove the kink in the hose, the water is able to flow freely without interference and function properly.  Dizziness is often a symptom that can go away immediately after an adjustment.  Finding the root cause of a symptom is of utmost importance to allow the body to function freely without interference.  

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

 

Sung, Y. (2020). Upper cervical spine dysfunction and dizziness.  Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 16(5), 385-391. doi: https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.204612.306

Image courtesy of Cell*Axys 

Benefits of Garlic-It's Not Just for Cooking!

 

Garlic-by now you know it makes your food taste wonderful, and have probably even heard of people taking garlic supplements to boost their heart health.  However, did you know that garlic directly impacts your immune system?  Garlic has been proven to decrease the number of colds by 60%, and of those infected with the "common cold," garlic was discovered to reduce the length of symptoms by 70%!  This powerhouse food was often prescribed to combat a variety of illnesses before modern medicine.  Not only does it boost your immune system and prevent infection, garlic (and its sulfur compounds) have been proven to lower blood pressure, reduce fatigue, lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, increases antioxidant enzymes while lowering oxidative stress, decreases bone density loss, and detoxes heavy metals from the body.  Even elite athletes take garlic because of its ability to increase cardiac stamina and raises their peak heart rate giving them a higher exercise capacity.  

If getting more fresh garlic into your diet isn't feasible, try a high-quality garlic oil.  A normal garlic dosage for fresh garlic would be 2 cloves of garlic a day to boost your immune system and enjoy the many benefits of garlic as mentioned above.  You may also substitute 1-2 drops of garlic oil.  In our home, we often use garlic oil (found at most health stores) and put a few drops on the bottom of my kids' feet, place socks over top of their feet while they sleep.  The scent of garlic oil is very STRONG, so use caution.  It is of utmost importance to get a high quality garlic oil or garlic supplement without added fillers.  Garlic is a simple, inexpensive way to help boost your health and immune system function and is one of the oldest forms of medicine known to man.  

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

Relief from TMJ

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJD) are caused by a dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and impact over 10million Americans yearly.  Commonly known as "lockjaw," TMJ causes pain and discomfort of the jaw as well as headaches, clicking of the jaw, ear pain, ringing in the ears, dizziness, unexplained tooth pain, grinding of the teeth, pain in the face and cheek, and muscle stiffness.  TMJ can also cause issues with the shoulders and neck including muscle soreness, loss of range of motion, and numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers.  When you open your mouth, the rounded upper ends of the mandible on each side of the jaw glide along the joint socket at the base of the skull. Then when you close your mouth they slide back to their original position. This is where many people with TMJ hear popping in their jaw.  While TMJD can be hard to approach in terms of care as they are often comprised of many factors, all of those factors have one thing in common: dysfunction occurs at the base level.  While many therapies focus solely on pain relief, such as needling, facial injections, and even surgery, one treatment focuses on removing the cause of  TMJD.  That treatment is specific cervical chiropractic adjustments.  By removing interference to the trigeminal nerve, the joint is able to move properly as well as release tension of the surrounding ligaments and muscles.  Have more questions about TMJ and other disorders of the jaw?  We can help.

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

Keep Your Lymphatic System Moving

 As we enter into colder months where we are exposed to less sunlight and are more sedentary, our body needs to keep its lymphatic system clear and moving to avoid getting sick.  Our immune systems and lymphatic systems are directly related.  The lymphatic system helps defend the body against illness-causing germs, bacteria, viruses and fungi. The system builds immunity by making special white blood cells (called lymphocytes) that produce antibodies which are responsible for immune responses that defend against these diseases.  The lymphatic system is also responsible for removing excess fluid from our tissues, as well as absorbs fatty acids and subsequent transport of fat, (chyle), to the circulatory system.  Furthermore, our nervous system is in charge of sending the signals to the lymphatic system to properly function and fight off disease by making immune-responsive cells.  When our lymphatic system isn't draining properly, you may feel congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, headaches, sinus pressure, tender or swollen lymph nodes, and overall malaise or weakness.  It is important to help our lymphatic system function properly by helping it to drain so we don't feel these symptoms.  Look at the picture above to see just how many lymph nodes we have throughout the body!  Neurologically-based specific chiropractic adjustments help to keep our nervous system functioning properly to ensure direct communication to the lymphatic system.  Drinking extra water, percussion of the lymph nodes, exercise, detoxifying the gut, and soft tissue stimulation also can help the lymph nodes to drain in times of over-activity.  

 

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

Research Suggests Allergies May Stem from Gut Imbalances

 

Allergies can be seasonal or year-round, which leaves most to turn to allergy medications to hopefully find relief from annoying and painful allergy symptoms.  Patients often suffer from runny nose, cough, itchy, watery eyes, redness of the skin and eyes, nausea, vomiting, sneezing, skin blisters, and even swelling of the face and joints.  While allergy medications can provide symptomatic relief, we need to understand how our allergies work on a functional basis to help determine where they might be coming from. Allergies are a result of a respiratory disorder, however researchers are finding that allergies can come from issues beyond the respiratory system.  A 2020 study looked specifically at gut health and their effects on allergy symptoms.  They found that poor gut health can play a big role in respiratory diseases by ways of the gut-airway axis.  Specifically, patients suffering with constipation were studied and if those patients also suffered with allergies.  It was found that those patients with constipation were more likely to also suffer with allergies in a study of almost 60,000 patients!  Basically, the study indicated that poor plumbing of the gut leads to poor respiratory health.  This is especially noted in the pediatric patient population of the study.  It is important to clean or detox the gut on a regular basis especially if you are suffering from allergies.  Need ways to detox your gut?  Our office can help! 

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

Wu., M., Jan, M., Chiou, J., Wang, Y., & Wei, J C. (2020). Constipation might be associated with risk of allergic rhinitis:A nationwide population-based cohort study.  Plos One, 15(10). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0239723

Finding the Cause of Migraine Headaches

 

It is estimated that over 38 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches, and over 4 million of those with migraines are diagnosed with chronic migraines.  This means that over 4 million people have a migraine headache for 15 or more days!  Migraines should be taken seriously as it is the 6th most disabling condition in the world.  Some patients experience migraines that can last up to 72 hours!  Many people experience nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, fatigue, sensitivity to light and noise, and a heightened sense of smell among many other symptoms.  Finding out your triggers is an important step I often tell patients when helping determine the root cause of the headaches.  Keeping a migraine log of onset of symptoms, foods eaten, migraine intensity, sleep patterns, etc can help prevent triggers from happening. I've seen even certain smells such as  perfumes or essential oils that can trigger a migraine attack.  In our office we also look at the structure of the neck and spine and how that can contribute to migraine headaches.  When interference (otherwise known as subluxations) are found to the nervous system, it can cause migraine headaches to occur.  Specific, neurological-based chiropractic adjustments remove interference to allow the nervous system to function properly.  This results in decreased migraine headaches or even total relief of migraines in some cases.  Find a chiropractic physician that takes x-rays to be as specific as possible, and preferably an upper cervical specialist chiropractor to get specialized care for your migraines.  While medications or botox injections can help in times of crisis, they simply cover symptoms of migraines without addressing the CAUSE of the migraine.  Look to the foundation of the body to determine if the structure is aligned so that it can function at its best!

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

Working from Home? Tips for Maintaining Spinal Health

 

Our office has seen a large increase in patients with back and neck pain, hip pain, and elbow/shoulder pain with the recent work/school from home orders.  Protecting your spine by maintaining proper positioning is essential to feeling our best and preventing pain.  It is estimated that over 42% of reported absenteeism from work is related to back pain.  As shown in the diagram above, when positioning is compromised, our shoulders round and the back hunches, our feet go behind our knees, the head moves forward creating a large amount of pressure and weight not supported by the neck, and our elbows drop to below our wrists. The loss of curvature of the neck and spine is what causes pain and discomfort. Our hips can become unbalanced then as well often causing sciatic nerve issues.  Here are a few tips for maintaining proper spinal health while working from home.

-start your day with a balanced breakfast

-take meditation breaks. turn off the screen, put down your phone, and take 12 deep breaths with your eyes closed.  its amazing what a short "brain break" can do for your mental and physical health!

-take stretch breaks often. preferably every 45 minutes to an hour. get up and move around, go for a short walk, or do stretches.

-drink plenty of water. you should be consuming at least half of your body weight (in ounces) every day.  Meaning for a 100lb individual, you should be drinking at least 50oz of water daily.

-keep shoulders relaxed, elbows close to your body, and bent at 90-120 degree angle. avoid reaching for the mouse or keyboard, have them as close to the body as possible.

-protect your lumbar spine when sitting by leaning slightly back, not forward, balanced hips (no sitting on one leg) and a cushioned seat. even place a small pillow in the low back to help support the lumbar spine.

-support the thighs by having them fully on the chair, knees bent with the feet on the floor slightly in front of the knees, never behind the knees.

-keep head level and do NOT look down at the screen!  keep the eyes at 20-30 degrees difference to the middle of the screen. This is by far the most important thing you can do to maintain spinal health!

-GET ADJUSTED! adults and children both should be receiving regular chiropractic checkups  to not only protect their spine but to boost immune system function!  Keeping your spine balanced prevents future issues and injuries. 

Want more tips, stretches, or exercises? Call today to schedule your appointment with either of our fantastic physicians! 704-394-8556

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com