In this piece, we will dwell on chiropractors and enlighten you on what to expect during a session.

Describing Chiropractic

Chiropractic treatment is a holistic treatment that seeks to correct various issues, including back pain, neck pain, headaches, and various other disorders. It works based on the sense that the body has the power to heal itself, and that normal function can be restored once the spine is properly aligned. As seen at WHS, a renowned chiropractor Guelph clinic, the process may involve various treatment techniques depending on the patient’s needs. Some of these may include the following:

• Spinal adjustments
• Spinal manipulations
• Spinal decompression
• Shockwave therapy
• Laser therapy

This means that each chiropractic session may vary and differ from the other. 

What Happens During the Intake? 

A chiropractor session isn’t so different from the ordinary visits you make to your healthcare providers. The environment there is also similar to what you have been used to in your normal visits to the doctor. For instance, you could be required to fill in a questionnaire that is meant to seek knowledge about your medical history. The chiropractor will then ask you to indicate the areas in your body where you are feeling discomfort on a diagram of the human body. This will give them an idea of where to focus during the session.

The Physical Examination 

After you have filled in the questionnaire and it has been reviewed, the physical examination then begins. The examination is focused on the spine and other areas or pressure points you may have indicated in the questionnaire. You may have thought that your chiropractor will only focus on the areas in pain or bring discomfort, but this is not usually the case.

This is because, sometimes, an injury in one area might lead to secondary irritations in other areas. This is why you might complain of lower back pain and notice the chiropractor performing a neck exam.

In case you are wondering, the physical exam will include a variety of assessments such as motion tests, palpation, muscle strength comparison, reflex testing, neurological, and orthopedic tests, which are mostly focused on the areas of complaint. The physical examination will then determine the next course of action.

Treatment Plan 

After the assessment has been completed, the chiropractor comes up with the most appropriate treatment plan for you. In most cases, this depends on various factors, which include the following:

• How intense your injuries or irritation are.
• Your overall health.
• The current condition of your spine – this may depend on your or previous injuries if any.
• What are your concerns or goals of going for the session (this is usually the most important item in coming up with the treatment plan).

The chiropractor will always develop a treatment plan depending on the results of the physical examination and the discussion you two had. During the discussion, you get to explain your issues to the chiropractic expert as well as the goals you want to achieve. The practitioner will also advise you on the best course of action, and from there, you can choose what you are comfortable working with.

Typical Treatment 

The chiropractic treatment is usually more of an adjustment than the casual treatment that you would be offered by your doctor. The treatment is more of therapeutic manipulation that will use controlled force, leverage, manipulation direction, and other forces that are directed to the specific joints.

Chiropractors will mainly concern themselves with joints as they are the most common points of discomfort for most people. The treatment will take more than a day depending on the intensity of the irritation. It might even take weeks until you feel okay. Also, the chiropractic adjustments may also include non-manual therapies such as application of heat or ice, electrical stimulation nutritional supplements, or even counseling on diet and weight loss.

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Do note that glucosamine and chondroitin are nutritional supplements, so they are not similar to pharmaceutical drugs. Of course, the data contained herewith should never replace the guidance and advice of your physician. However, it could help you make a more educated decision about including this supplement in your life. Now let’s get started.

What exactly are these two components?

Glucosamine and chondroitin are both sulphates that naturally occur in your body. They are typically found in connective tissues. These substances are also abundant in the cartilage that covers the ends of your bone joints. Unfortunately, stores are depleted with aging so it will be beneficial to order Glucosamine and Chondroitin online in order to help boost your health.

What can this tandem do?

These sulphates are the primary building blocks for your body’s proteoglycans. Simply put, these are big molecules in your cartilage that give it a protective buffer. Without this covering, you will feel pain because the buffering is minimized. When you take glucosamine and chondroitin orally, it is absorbed by your body and can be found in cartilage about four hours after you ingest it. It inhibits cartilage breakdown and has the potential to build it up.

Additionally, studies have shown that taking this dynamic duo has the same effect as your steroidal drugs, but without the nasty side effects of steroids like moon face, water retention, spiked heartbeat, and the like. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulphates have unique anti-inflammatory effects that can help you fight to swell and manage your pain.

Who should take this supplement?

Those patients who suffer from osteoarthritis will benefit from taking this combination supplement. When cartilage becomes worn out, that’s when your bones are exposed and begin to rub against each other. This friction causes severe pain and inflammation.

Sadly, modern medicine has still no conclusive treatment to stop the progression of this disease. It can only provide therapeutic drug medication to address the pain, which comes with corresponding unwanted side effects. However, taking glucosamine and chondroitin supplements can help address the underlying causes right in your cartilage.

How are these taken?

The standard dosage is 1500mg for glucosamine and 1200 mg for chondroitin once every day. This often comes in pill or capsule form. There is reported improvement such as minimized pain from three weeks onwards. Patients should track their progress with this treatment and share it with their physician.

Are there any side effects of taking this?

The majority of people who take this suffer no side effects. It is well tolerated by the body. However, there are minimal instances where some patients noted they experienced nausea, loose stools, and gastric upset. However, it must be reiterated that these are very few and far between. Generally speaking, this supplement has no adverse side effects.

In the end

Before you begin taking this supplement, do remember to consult with your doctor. Even if these two sulphates are naturally found in your body, you want to make sure you are taking the right quantities. Also, note that brands come with different formulations so you must research to find a reputable company that produces premium glucosamine and chondroitin supplements.

About the author

Steffy Alen is a copywriter and content strategist. She helps businesses stop playing around with content marketing and start seeing the tangible ROI. She loves writing as much as she loves the cake. 

 Photo credits

• howtogym

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After a grueling leg training session, or doing any intense physical activity which involves a lot of sprinting (and involves primarily the legs), I sometimes get a slight pain and in worse cases a bit of swelling on my right knee.  Nothing serious, as it returns to normal after one or two days, and yes I have had it checked out and X-ray’d and it is all fine. But I decided to use this ‘opportunity’ to try out these new therapeutic bandages called Physicool. Physicool is basically a bandage which is soaked in a coolant liquid, which you then wrap around your joint/muscle or area that needs attention.  It is supposed to have the same effect as applying an ice pack to your muscle/joint to reduce pain and inflammation. Now at first glance I was a bit skeptical and really did not think it would have much of an effect, after all, how could it possibly have the same effect as an ice pack which is kept at a very low temperature and is frozen?

Let’s take a look in more detail, what exactly it is, how to use it, and the effects it had.

What is Physicool?

Physicool, an internationally-acclaimed therapeutic bandage that combines cooling with compression and is now available in Dis-Chem stores around South Africa.

This re-usable cooling bandage is more effective than ice and easier to use, with no refrigeration required. Ideal to treat inflammation and bruising whilst helping to speed up recovery.

Physicool is a natural cotton bandage containing a harmless coolant. It draws heat out, rather than driving cold in, instantly treating inflammation and bruising of muscles, tendons and ligaments.

What you get? And how much is it?

Physicool coolant spray and re-usable bandages are available from Dis-Chem in two sizes:

• Ankle and knee
• Wrist, thigh and shoulder,

as well as the 500ml Coolant Spray or Combo pack (spray and bandage). The prices range from R113 to R200. The packaging of Physicool is also pretty impressive.  All the products have their own zip lock durable bags.

How do you use Physicool?

Physicool is very easy to use. The bandage you receive is already pre-soaked in the coolant spray. You just squeeze out any excess coolant from the bandage and unwrap the bandage around your muscle/joint and leave on for anywhere between 20 minutes and 2 hours. Once done you wrap the bandage back up and place back into its own zip lock bag. Then pour a few capfuls of the coolant into the bandages zip lock bag, zip it up and shake the bag so that the bandage absorbs all the coolant and you are ready to go again.

Effects

On the initial contact of the bandage with your skin, you do feel a slight tingling sensation. You can feel the temperature difference and you can feel the bandage is quite cold. I kept the bandage on for just over an hour and it remained at a very cool temperature the whole time. It actually felt somewhat like an ice pack was placed there, but without that ‘cold’ sting which an ice pack gives after a few minutes of application. It did feel comfortable and soothing and somewhat hydrating. It felt as though my skin was cold, but my knee and muscle underneath was actually warm. The initial tingling sensation also returned every now and then. Once I removed the bandage, my knee did actually feel somewhat better, immediately, and the swelling had gone down slightly. I was also surprised that even after a hot shower it  felt as though the bandage was still wrapped around my knee, and I still had that feeling that i said above, ( where my skin was cold, but my knee and muscle underneath was actually warm). The next day, my knee had no pain and was not swollen at all!

So, I would say this is quite an impressive product which does work and it would be worthwhile looking into if you AT TIMES struggle with joint or muscle pain. If you have a constant pain please go see a Doctor and get it checked out!

For more info visit:

• www.ivohealth.co.za
• 0860 456 123
• info@ivohealth.co.za
• www.facebook.com/ivohealth

*Please note: Prices are correct as of date of post, FitNish.com cannot be held liable for any change in price or description of products reviewed.

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