Process of Disc Degeneration

A herniated disc can be a big problem. Besides being sore, it may cause pain or numbness to radiate to other parts of your body and contribute to further dysfunction in your spinal column. But there is a difference between a disc that becomes herniated due to an injury and degenerative disc disease. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we provide holistic, low-risk treatment for both, but we want to focus this week on the importance of managing disc degeneration.

The spinal discs are shock absorbers and supply much of the spine’s height. They are interspersed between the bodies of the articulated vertebrae, with the exception of the top two vertebrae. Spinal discs consist of an inner ring of gel called the nucleus pulposus and an outer ring of fibrous material, called the annulus fibrosus. One of the common problems with aging is that the nucleus pulposus loses water, causing it to become less springy and putting the annulus fibrosus at greater risk of developing small tears. As the annulus fibrosus degenerates, it becomes deformed, creating a risk that the disc will bulge outward and compress nearby tissues. It also releases proteins that trigger inflammation, restricting the patient’s movement.

A herniated disc can cause a throbbing ache, and if it’s compressing a nerve root, the patient may also feel a shooting pain along that nerve. In those cases, we can provide chiropractic adjustments to put the discs and vertebrae back in the right place and use therapeutic massage to reduce inflammation. It’s not clear why the nucleus pulposus loses water with age, but musculoskeletal maintenance can help keep pressure off the spinal discs. Therapeutic exercises will keep the back muscles strong and flexible, and our nutritional counseling will help patients maintain a healthy weight.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

Stiff Neck Muscles

Neck pain is scary. If you feel your neck muscles gradually becoming more fatigued, you may wonder whether you’ll be able to go about your normal activities, or whether you’re going to be in too much pain to move. Fortunately, help is available. At Kosak Chiropractic, we provide fast, non-invasive treatments for a variety of musculoskeletal problems, including those in the neck. But we also want patients to know how to avoid relapses, so let’s take a closer look at neck stiffness.

Any muscle can stiffen when it’s strained and kept in the same position for too long. The neck contains several complex muscles, but the ones likeliest to suffer from wear and tear are the levator scapulae. These muscles, one on each side, connect the backs of the upper cervical vertebrae to the back of the shoulder and are responsible for moving both. They are at particular risk for wear when a person hunches forward in front of a computer or while looking at a mobile device. They can also be overused by repetitive motions, such as swimmers turning their heads to the side with each stroke, or by a person sleeping on their front, forcing their head back and sideways.

Sometimes, neck pain is caused by a herniated disc compressing a neck muscle. Our office can assist patients with herniated discs by providing chiropractic adjustments, but for people who are simply suffering strain, we can provide therapeutic massages. We will also teach neck stretches that will restore the flexibility of the levator scapulae and other muscles. Lastly, we help patients to identify areas in which they can adjust their lifestyle to keep better posture. Remember, keep your monitor at eye level and raise your phone instead of bending your neck.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

Osteoarthritic Hip Pain

Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield treats aches and pains by taking a holistic perspective on health. If a patient is suffering from hip pain, it won’t just be their hip that’s affected, but also their lower back and legs. But by the same token, improvement in hip function can improve overall health, and we offer several non-addictive, complementary treatments for strengthening hips affected by osteoarthritis.

When a person has osteoarthritis, the cartilage that cushions the bones in their joints is eroding. This causes the bones to rub together, triggering inflammation and the growth of bony spurs. Wear and tear is a factor in osteoarthritis, and as the cartilage on the ball of the femur gets worn down, grinding between the femur and socket of the hip changes the hip’s mechanics. The muscles and ligaments surrounding the hip joint are complex, allowing the leg to move in all directions, and as they experience more friction, they become strained. The hip will often stiffen, leading to deterioration of the muscles between the leg and lower back.

Hip pain will often be worse when a person has been lying down or seated for a long time. Although it is tempting to rest for long periods, inactivity will cause further atrophy of the hip muscles. Instead, they need to be strengthened and made more flexible through therapeutic exercise. We can help by prescribing personalized work-out routines as well as providing anti-inflammatory treatments such as therapeutic massages and electric muscle stimulation. We also advise patients on better posture to reduce stress on their pelvic joints, and perform chiropractic adjustments on lower back vertebrae that are under stress due to tight muscles.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

Back Pain in the Office

With so many people staying seated most of the time, it’s no wonder that back pain is so common. Maintaining any position for too long causes muscles and tendons to seize up, but office workers, especially, tend to sit in a way that puts excessive stress on their joints and soft tissues. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we utilize a variety of complementary, non-invasive treatments to restore people to health. But to prevent back pain from returning, they need to know how to sit properly.

The best posture to hold when seated is one that allows most of your musculoskeletal system to remain aligned. When seated at a desk, you’ll want your chair to be at a level that allows your thighs to be perpendicular to the floor while your feet are flat on the ground. Your elbows should also be slightly elevated, allowing you to reach straight forward to your mouse and keyboard. Your computer monitors should be at eye-level when you are sitting straight, and you should sit as far back in your chair as you can, with your back resting on the back cushion. Above all, you want to avoid slouching forward or backward, and to not have anything in your back pockets.

But even the best posture is unhealthy when a person doesn’t move around enough. People should stretch every half hour and get out of their chairs to walk around at least every ninety minutes. Most people are advised to get in at least twenty minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Stretching out the hips and legs will help reduce strain on the lower back, as will increased core strength. If a person is currently suffering pain, we can help to diagnose their condition and provide treatments, including massage therapy for soft tissues and chiropractic adjustments.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

Facet Joint Disorders

One of the reasons back pain is so common is that it has many different causes. Our spinal columns are complex systems, and there are several points where wear or breakage can cause widespread discomfort. We utilize a wide range of safe, holistic treatments at Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield to ensure that our patients heal properly, but first, we need to be able to identify the cause of their problem. When a person has intermittent bouts of back pain that radiate to nearby limbs, they may have a facet joint disorder.

In the backs of the vertebrae are bony arches through which the spinal cord runs. Attached to these arches are protuberances that connect to the protuberances of the vertebrae above and below, forming facet joints. The facet joints allow the spinal column a bit of tortion and bend, but they mostly keep the vertebrae in place. When they are damaged, whether through wear and tear or an injury, it is likelier that a vertebra will become displaced and that inflammation will develop around the joint.

Facet joint disorders rarely affect the spinal nerves. Pain may radiate through the muscles to the upper leg or arm, but rarely further. However, the symptoms of facet joint damage otherwise appear similar to herniated discs, which is why we’ll need to perform manual and imaging diagnostics. Treatments for facet joint disorder include spinal adjustments, massage therapy, electric muscle stimulation, and therapeutic ultrasound. We may also recommend that a patient engage in therapeutic exercises that will strengthen their back muscles, relieving pressure from the facet joints.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

Introduction to Scoliosis

One of the most infamous kinds of spinal misalignments is scoliosis. This term describes a sideways curve in the spine, usually in the upper back. Although most people know of scoliosis primarily from its most extreme cases, it’s not that rare. With the noninvasive treatments at Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we can help patients to manage whatever discomfort they may experience and get realigned.

Sometimes, scoliosis can be traced to a deformity outside the spine, such as muscle damage or one leg being shorter than the other. Degenerative conditions in elderly people can lead to breakdowns in the spinal column. But usually, scoliosis is seen in teenagers experiencing a growth spurt and no cause can be definitively established. Although it can happen to boys and girls, it tends to get worse in girls without intervention. Having the shoulders and hips out of alignment puts stress on the back’s soft tissues, which can cause them to become sore, but the patient often doesn’t feel anything during the condition’s early development.

One of the reasons pediatricians want children to have annual check-ups is so they can look for signs of developing scoliosis. Bracing is sometimes recommended as a preventive or corrective measure. We can provide safe pain management solutions, including spinal adjustments, therapeutic massages, and electric muscle stimulation. We can also help patients to manage other conditions resulting from scoliosis, such as neck or hip pain.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

Knee Pain

Knee pain is a common musculoskeletal problem. The good news is that it is highly responsive to conservative treatment. The bad news is that problems in the knee can cause skeletal misalignments further up the body, including in the lower back. As a holistic practice, we at Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield offer a variety of treatments to help patients recover full use of their knees and keep up the health of the rest of their bodies.

The kneecap is a sesamoid bone, which means it doesn’t directly connect to the rest of the skeleton. It is located atop cartilage at the bottom of the femur and is fastened down by tendons. Knee pain is scientifically known as petellofemoral pain syndrome and it is experienced as a dull ache that develops when a person has been active or had their knee bent for a long time. It results from overuse, but athletes are not the only people who can get it. When the kneecap is out of place, it may further aggravate the surrounding soft tissue.

People experiencing outbreaks of knee pain should implement RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression, elevation). We can perform adjustments to ensure that the knee joint is aligned properly, but physical therapy may be necessary to restore the leg’s range of motion. We can also reduce inflammation and speed recovery time by performing therapeutic massages. A patient may need to put greater emphasis on low-impact exercises, such as cycling, to guard against a relapse.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Lower back pain is one of the most common afflictions in the United States, and it has several potential causes. Among the lesser known ones is sacroiliac joint dysfunction. When patients are suffering from joint problems, Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield provides safe treatments that target the source of a problem, as well as its symptoms, so we wanted to talk a bit about what makes sacroiliac joint dysfunction distinct.

The sacrum is a body of fused vertebrae at the base of the spine. The iliac bones are the crests of the pelvis it connects to. Dysfunction in these joints may cause inflammation, called sacroiliitis. Pain here can radiate through the lower back, pelvic region, and legs and tends to be worse after a prolonged period of standing or using the gluteal muscles. Although sacroiliac joint dysfunction can be caused by an infection, it is much likelier to be due to a degenerative condition or a traumatic injury that has damaged the structure of the joint.

Our treatments for sacroiliac joint dysfunction include manual adjustments of the bones and soft tissue manipulation for loosening muscles, such as electrical stimulation and massages. We can also prescribe therapeutic exercises that will strengthen the pelvic muscles and keep them flexible during recovery, allowing them to better support the sacrum in the future. Our office’s nutritional counseling service educates patients on what nutrients they need to keep their joints cushioned and lubricated and how they can control their weight to prevent their pelvic joints from being overburdened.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.