Win an iPad 2 or a $200 Visa Gift Card!

Enter to win either an iPad 2 or a $200 Visa gift card! We are continuing to collect donations for our sponsored team of women (Team "Steppin' Up for a Cure") walking in this year's 'Susan G. Koman 3 Day for a Cure' walk. Donations of $25 will get 1 entry, $50 will get you 2 entries and for $100 donations you will get 5 entries! But HURRY! This contest is only going until July 31st. Ther are tthree ways to donate, go to the team link at: http://www.the3day.org/site/TR​/2011/TwinCitiesEvent2011?team​_id=176083&pg=team&fr_id=1626, send a check payable to Susan G. Koman 3-Day for the Cure to: Life Wellness Center Attention: Angela Collignon or leave a cash or check at our Front Desk. The drawing will be held in August prior to the walk.

Quote of the Week:

“Do not undervalue the headache. While it is at its sharpest it seems a bad investment; but when relief begins, the unexpired remainder is worth $4 a minute.”- Mark Twain

Exercise of the Week: Plank Position with One Foot on Ball

Difficulty: Moderate

Start: Lie on ball, face down. Walk hands out to assume plank position with lower legs or feet on ball. The closer ball is to feet, the more difficult the exercise. Keep stomach tucked in and spine straight.

Exercise: Keeping abdominals contracted, and upper body still, lift one foot/leg straight up. Hold this finish position for 10-15 seconds. Switch legs. Hold for another 10-15 seconds. Place foot back on ball and walk hands back to rest position.

Topic of the Week: A Wry Neck Is Nothing to Laugh About

Have you ever experienced a kink in your neck that leaves your head tilted and painfully restricted when trying to turn it to one side? You probably had torticollis, or wry neck. This condition can be very painful.

Torticollis is a problem caused by a shortening of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle on one side of your neck. If you experience it, your head tilts toward the side of the tight muscle, with your chin pointing away from that side.

There are three main categories of torticollis:
1. Congenital
2. Spasmodic
3. Acquired

A child with torticollis at birth is considered to have the congenital version. This type is usually the result of a traumatic (and often assisted) birthing process. Although a limited number of cases of congenital torticollis are caused by serious spinal deformations or neurological disorders, sending every patient for x-rays would be excessive, according to some experts. Instead, careful examination of the infant with torticollis, together with a thorough review of the birthing experience, will usually determine the cause.

Most often when an infant with congenital torticollis is brought to a chiropractic clinic, the chiropractor finds a palpable knot in the SCM muscle (called an SCM pseudotumor) on the same side as the head tilt. Chiropractic examination of the cervical spine and a range-of-motion assessment also typically reveal rotary subluxations of the upper two vertebrae. If one or both of these conditions exist, the infant is a good candidate for chiropractic care.

Conservative treatment of congenital torticollis is usually quite successful. Chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as muscle manipulation and specific stretching exercises typically result in complete resolution of the symptoms within a few weeks. It is important to address these symptoms as soon as possible, otherwise long-term improper position of the head and neck can lead to cranial and facial distortions (plagiocephaly).

If congenital torticollis persists after a trial of conservative therapy lasting 2-4 weeks, the child should be further tested to rule out more serious problems. Other forms of treatment may include head and neck bracing, or surgery, to correct for an abnormally shortened and asymmetrical SCM muscle.

Adults Can Get Joint Torticollis too!
Adult-onset torticollis is usually classified as either spasmodic or acquired. If you have this condition, sometimes your head and neck are not stuck in the same position, but instead the muscles tend to spasm, leading to the occurrence of tremors or shakiness with head movements. In this case, chiropractic care has also been shown to be helpful in reducing symptoms.

The most common form of torticollis is the acquired type, which affects a large number of older children and adults. Although the symptoms are the same as the congenital version, acquired torticollis typically follows acute trauma or strain in the neck region. Whiplash from a motor vehicle accident is one example of neck trauma leading to torticollis.

Treatment for acquired torticollis is similar to that prescribed for the other types.

Your chiropractor will adjust the areas of cervical subluxations, followed by soft tissue therapy for the tight and painful SCM or trapezius muscles. Although treatments often provide relief within a few days, it is important to consider ongoing chiropractic care after experiencing any form of neck trauma. It is common for chronic neck pain to develop following acute injury, and chiropractic can help prevent many of these problems from occurring.

Chiropractic care should be your number one choice for any musculoskeletal condition involving neck pain or alignment – especially torticollis!

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™

Could your lifestyle be making you sick?

What is your lifestyle? Not whether you are married or where you live, but rather, how are you choosing to live your life? What choices are you making to keep yourself and your family healthy and well?

It is startling to learn that some of the most prevalent causes of illness, disease, and death – including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes – are all heavily influenced by lifestyle. For example, we don’t usually think of cancer as a lifestyle disease. We think a person is unlucky if they have cancer, and often we have a fatalistic outlook toward news that someone has developed cancer. “It’s in their genes,” we say. Or “stuff happens – the luck of the draw.”

But only approximately 10% of cancers are based on genetics. The vast majority of cancer cases are very much related to how we live our lives – our environment, the food we eat, whether we exercise regularly, and the quality of our relationships. Within the last ten years medical researchers have been learning of the strong correlation between overweight/obesity and a person’s likelihood of developing cancer. It seems that fat cells are not merely passive storehouses of excess energy in the form of fat. Fat cells are metabolic furnaces that spew out a wide range of chemicals, including hormones and inflammatory agents that may often cause normal cells and tissues to become cancerous.

Most people and even some physicians are unaware of these facts. The connection between lifestyle and heart disease, and between lifestyle and type 2 diabetes, seems obvious. But cancer, too, is a lifestyle disease. The very good news is that by creating the willingness to make healthy lifestyle choices, you’re making positive long-term changes in your health and well-being.

Additional good news is that these choices are in your hands. Every day you get to choose a healthy lifestyle or not. Of course, some days or even some weeks just seem to go by without a real opportunity to do things that are healthy. You might be on a business trip in a country where it’s difficult to find good, nutritious healthy food. It might also be difficult to find the time to exercise when you’re on a travel schedule. That’s OK, though, because lifestyle is a lifetime project. If you’re eating healthful nutritious food most of the time and doing daily exercise most of the time, you can take a week off or even two weeks off here and there. The main goal is to be on a healthy lifestyle path the vast majority of the time.
Chiropractic care is an important component of healthy living. Chiropractic care helps ensure that your body is functioning at its maximum. Chiropractic care helps ensure you’re getting the most out of the healthy food you’re eating and the healthy exercise you’re doing. Your chiropractor will be glad to provide guidance on creating nutritional plans and exercise programs that will work for you.

Climbing that Mountain

You may have been considering making positive lifestyle changes for a long time. You’d love to lose a few pounds, maybe more than a few, and you’d love to be one of those people who somehow find the time to exercise every day. It’s certainly true that for people who make their own schedules it’s easier to plan time for exercise and food preparation. It is somewhat tougher for those who work on a more formal schedule and for those who are raising children. But regardless of your specific situation and your specific circumstances, each of us gets to choose how we’re going to find the time to do things that are in our long-term interest.

A truism is that if things don’t get scheduled, they don’t get done. For people very busy with commuting to work and raising a family, finding time to exercise might require getting up an hour earlier each day or going to bed an hour later each night. That’s just one of the many possibilities for “expanding” one’s day. The good news is that once you’re doing this, you become highly motivated to continue doing it because you begin to feel better and reap the benefits of your new health-focused schedule.

Congratulations to Miss Life Wellness Center!

Miss Life Wellness Center is a winner! Alexis Friesen is awarded the Miss Congeniality award at the Miss Lakeville pageant and first runner up at the 45th annual Royalty Pagent.

(Pictures courtesy of Jackson Forderer of thr Lakeville Patch)

Topic of the Week: New Research Reveals Numerous Benefits of Tai Chi

Tai chi is an activity that is growing by leaps and bounds, especially among older adults. As more of them retire, baby boomers continue to look for exercise methods that can improve health but have a low risk of injury. Tai chi perfectly fits the bill. The slow, flowing movements of this supple martial art - along with the emphasis on deep breathing - help gently stretch the body, improve balance and slash stress.
New research released in the last two years boosts support for tai chi improving health. Long known for its musculoskeletal benefits, tai chi shows it can help heart patients, stroke victims and depression sufferers.

The Origins of Tai Chi
Tai chi was first developed as a martial art in China over 1,000 years ago. It is closely associated with qigong – an ancient Chinese system of meditative breathing and movement. Practitioners of tai chi seek to cultivate the universal healing energy known as qi (pronounced chee), which flows throughout the body.
There are many different styles of tai chi, but almost all involve learning a sequential set of movements called forms. Each movement within a form usually has both a self-defense application and qi development strategy at its core. As you practice the form, you use meditative breathing to assist in circulating qi energy in your body and focusing your mind.

Martial Art Meets Modern Medicine
And what has Western medicine discovered about tai chi in the last few years? Let’s take a look.

Heart Failure & Stroke
According to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, tai chi offers several advantages for people suffering from chronic systolic heart failure, which causes the heart to weaken and unable to pump sufficient quantities of blood. At one time, exercise was not even recommended for patients with this heart condition.
The study showed heart failure participants who attended tai chi classes twice a week for 12 weeks reported improvement in their quality of life, elevated mood and stronger confidence to perform exercise-related tasks. The control group, which received health education instead of tai chi classes, had no improvement in these same areas.
Medical researchers at the University of Illinois and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University conducted a study on tai chi and stroke patients. The study authors found six weeks of tai chi practice helped patients dramatically improve their balance control.

Mental Disorders
Our high-paced, frantic world has no doubt increased the rates of depression and anxiety. About 10 percent of the American population suffers from depression.
A group of medical researchers analyzed 40 studies on tai chi and its mental health benefits. They concluded, “Tai chi appears to be associated with improvements in self-esteem and psychological well-being, including reduced stress, anxiety, depression and mood disturbance.”

Musculoskeletal Health
Arthritis is one of the most disabling diseases in society. The George Institute for International Health published a comprehensive analysis on tai chi’s impact on arthritis. After examining numerous studies researchers remarked tai chi helps boost pain relief and improve mobility among arthritis sufferers.
A large study focusing on the Arthritis Foundation’s tai chi program revealed that participants lowered pain levels, fatigue and stiffness.

Arthritis of the knee is a common problem among seniors. In the US, knee osteoarthritis will affect half of all Americans who reach the age of 85.

At Tufts University of Medicine, researchers studying knee osteoarthritis noted patients with this health condition, that participated in a 12-week tai chi program, were able “to reduce pain and improve physical function, self-efficacy, depression, and health status for knee OA.”

According to research by Texas Tech University Health Sciences, a group of post-menopausal women who practiced tai chi and consumed 4 to 6 cups daily of green tea for six months saw improvement in their bone health. The research also revealed this group of women slashed levels of oxidative stress. The antioxidants found in green tea and the stress reduction from regular tai chi may be responsible for slashing inflammation caused by stress.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™

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Thank you!

Thank you for everyone (runners, spectators and LWC staff) who made it out to this year's 2011 Pan-O-Prog races at Casperson Park on Saturday morning. Although a little wet at first, it was a great time. Additional thank yous go out to the staff of Puravida Fitness, the Lakeville racing crew and Mat at Stellar Sounds for the awesome DJ work! See you all next year!

Exercise of the Week: Plank Position with Feet on Ball

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Start: Lie on ball, face down. Place hands on floor and lift both legs to position body in a push-up (plank) position. Keep abdominals contracted (tummy tucked in) and spine straight.

Exercise: Walk hands forward, maintaining a steady plank position. Most difficult position: only feet are left on ball. Hold at finish position for 15-30 seconds. Walk hands back to start position. Repeat 3-5 times.

Quote of the Week:

"Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still." - Chinese Proverb

Topic of the Week: The Many Facets of Pain

For most of us, pain is one of those things in life that we do our best to avoid, get rid of, or try to ignore. Why wouldn’t we? It hurts!

But did you know that pain can be considered a great blessing?

Without pain, you could never learn from experience how detrimental certain things in the environment can be to your health. Without pain, you may otherwise continue down a path that puts you directly in harm’s way. Without pain, and its contrast to joy, how could we ever really know what makes us feel good?

Pain is popular subject these days. A recent issue of a national news magazine was entirely devoted to the subject. Topics discussed included chronic pain, referred pain, intractable pain, and traditional and alternative methods used to treat it. The bottom line: there are a lot of different types of pain, and many different ways to alleviate it.

Pain classifications include:

• Acute pain – immediate onset of pain caused by physical trauma and resulting inflammation. The pain is usually sharp and intense. Intermittent ice and rest are recommended for at least 72 hours.

• Chronic pain – pain that lasts longer than the naturally expected healing time for an acute injury. The character of the pain can be sharp, dull, burning or aching. Consulting a health care professional is always the best idea in this case.

• Referred pain – pain that is felt in an area of the body that is not injured. Chiropractors can help identify this type of pain in patients.

• Psychosomatic pain – pain that is felt in the physical body, with origins in mentally or emotionally charged events. Therapists trained in mind-body specialties are recommended here.

But what really causes pain?

Scientists and medical experts once defined pain as a nociceptive response – which is your body’s reaction to a stimulus based on the activation of nerve endings called nociceptors, and the transmission of this information to your brain, where pain is then felt. However, based on a number of more recent advances in pain research and observation, the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) has created a more updated definition.
“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.”

This definition is particularly interesting because it includes the phrases sensory and emotional experience and actual or potential tissue damage. This updated meaning reflects the emotional component of pain. The main point is: If you expect to feel pain in any given situation, most often you will feel the pain – even when actual tissue damage does not occur. Personal experiences, cultural differences, and degrees of fear and anxiety all influence the sensation of pain.

What will you do when YOU have pain? You may try a number of different things until you find the right choice for you.

More of us are seeking natural methods to deal with pain and disease. According to a survey conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), as early as 1997, more people were making visits to their alternative therapists than to their traditional medical doctors.

Based on information obtained from yet another survey conducted by the NCCAM, the use of alternative therapies is shifting its focus to the use of mind-body techniques like relaxation breathing and meditation.4

Chiropractors have been helping their patients deal with pain for over 100 years. The number one reason patients seek chiropractic help is to reduce the level of their pain. And according to a summary article written for the Journal of the American Medical Association (based on the NCCAM data), more people seek a chiropractor to help with their back pain, neck pain, arthritis and sprains than most other alternative healing therapies. Chiropractors know how to identify the cause of your pain. By treating the spinal subluxation, chiropractors also enhance the body’s natural ability to heal on its own. They restore proper alignment and nervous system function, which optimizes mind-body communication. Your chiropractor knows pain. Let your chiropractor help you feel better.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™

Exercise of the Week: Alternating Arms/Legs Extension

Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced

Start: Lie on back with arms relaxed overhead. Position exercise ball between ankles so it can be lifted off floor. Keep legs bent to approximately 90 degrees.

Exercise: Holding ball between ankles, bring knees toward chest. Reach for ball and take into hands. Return arms and legs back to starting position. Perform same movement, this time returning ball between legs. Return to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.

Quote of the Week:

“Pain is deeper than all thought; laughter is higher than all pain.” - Elbert Hubbard

Topic of the Week: How Do Multivitamins Benefit Your Health?

Multivitamins are a long-time staple in the ever expanding world of supplements. They have been around for decades and have been the subject of much debate among health researchers. Can multivitamins actually help prevent serious diseases?
The debate is still not over. However, most health professionals agree people in North America do not eat enough healthy foods and frequently fail to meet their daily minimum nutritional requirements. Studies show calcium, magnesium, vitamins C, D and E are especially low in our population.
Other factors also contribute to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Many fruits and vegetables grow in nutrient deficient soil. Today’s produce often has much lower levels of nutrients compared to only a couple of decades ago. To make matters worse, fruits and vegetables lose even more nutritional content during transport and storage.
The support for daily multivitamin use is confirmed by a number of well-regarded medical institutions, including the Harvard Medical School. In an article that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Harvard medical specialists commented that low nutrient intake increases the risk of long-latency deficiency diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological problems. Taking a multivitamin with minerals has proven effective at protecting health in numerous studies. Research reveals consistent multivitamin use may help your body by reducing inflammation, cutting the risk of chronic disease, boosting the immune system and protecting neurological function.
However, the National Institutes of Health responded to the Harvard article by cautioning people that more research is needed, and taking a multivitamin does not guarantee protection from developing serious diseases.
Also, multivitamins do not contain fiber and some other beneficial plant nutrients, which is why eating plenty of healthy whole foods is important. Of course, your chiropractor also recommends you exercise and maintain an appropriate weight level.

Everybody Is Different
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to multivitamins. Your age, your sex and your state of health all must be taken into consideration.
Your best option is to talk to your chiropractor before purchasing a multivitamin. He or she is familiar with your health background and can recommend what multivitamin – or any other supplements – would be right for you.

Men
Studies show multivitamin supplementation can benefit men in a number of ways. A randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled study enrolled 215 men between the ages of 30 and 55. After being divided into two groups, half of the men received a multivitamin and the other half received a placebo. After 33 days, the multivitamin group reported feeling less stress, improved mood and enhanced energy. This group was also more successful at completing mental tasks. The placebo group saw no health benefits.
Men should not take a multivitamin that includes iron (unless they have an iron deficiency). Their bodies do not require as much iron as women, and getting too much iron can damage the internal organs.
Women
Research also confirms multivitamin’s therapeutic value for women. A long-term study of 88,000 women who used multivitamins consistently over 15 years showed a reduced risk for colon cancer.
Human Psychopharmacology published a study that revealed women taking multivitamins performed better in extended multi-tasking activities and felt less fatigue. The same research indicated the multivitamin group slashed levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is a risk factor for heart attacks and stroke.
And in a Swedish study, women aged 45 to 70 who took multivitamins reduced their risk of first time heart attacks.
Children
Like adults, today’s kids do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, and eat too much low nutrient processed foods. Their immune systems face an uphill battle against ever increasing environmental toxins and pollution. Obese children have additional stress inflicted on their bodies by excessive weight.
Unfortunately, many multivitamins for children contain too much sugar and chemical binders. Children should never be given adult multivitamins, as it could overwhelm their smaller livers. Talk to your chiropractor for advice and recommendations about multivitamin options for your kids.
Seniors
Your nutritional needs change throughout your life. As you age, your digestion system becomes less effective at absorbing nutrients. Seniors are more likely to suffer from serious or chronic diseases that can impact nutrient levels in the body. Multivitamin supplementation may be effective at counteracting some of the nutritional challenges that seniors’ face.
* * *
If you are not eating as well as you should, a daily multivitamin may help you to meet proper nutritional requirements. But make sure you are not overdosing on vitamins if you combine your multivitamin with other supplements. If you are not sure about this, ask your chiropractor! Do you have a history of cancer? Talk to your doctor or chiropractor before consuming multivitamins.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes
only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained
herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

Exercise of the Week: Exercise Ball in a Supine Position

Difficulty: Moderate to advanced

Start: Lie on back with arms to side, palms up. Position ball behind legs so it can be lifted off floor with hamstrings/adductors.

Exercise: Lift ball just off floor. Pull stomach inward while inhaling and lift head and shoulders. As you exhale, tilt sideways, reaching for ball. Keep arms parallel to floor at all times. Return to starting position, then switch sides.

Quote of the Week:

“I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.” - Brian Tracy

The Next Ten Years

What does the future hold in store? None of us can know with certainty, although some predictions are possible. Stock market indexes will rise. Then they'll fall. Then everyone will hope that the indexes will rise again. Hemlines will fall. Then they'll rise. Then in two or three years they'll fall again.

The French have a saying for all this - plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. But is this really true? Superficially, it appears as if things have changed a lot in 10 years. The Internet exploded. Cell phones are everywhere. In the United States an African-American man was elected president. Longstanding dictatorships were toppled in the Middle East.

But if we look below the surface, not much is different. Cell phones are primarily used to indulge in time-wasting chatter. The Internet serves three main functions, all of which embody the most mundane aspects of human existence - as a shopping mall, a center for interminable and meaningless gossip, and a convenient platform for gambling and other illicit activities. The U.S. federal government is embroiled in policy debates which have stagnated for more than 40 years. Global geopolitics appears similarly entrenched.

So the French saying gets it right. The more things change, the more they do stay the same. But if this is true for us personally, the existential bind we encounter can have disastrous results. If in ten years our lives are exactly the same as they are now, if neither growth nor development has taken place, what is the point of it all? If nothing I do makes any difference, why do anything at all? Why exert any effort? Of course, many people find themselves in exactly this position. Personality disorders are the direct result of such ennui. Many global pharmaceutical companies have been built on the billions of dollars spent annually on antidepressant medications, anti-anxiety medications, and sleep aids by millions of people in great distress.

But the next ten years have the possibility of being gloriously impactful.1,2,3 Things do not necessarily remain the same. The actress Betty White has reinvigorated her career at age 89. Jeff Bridges won a Best Actor Academy Award at age 61, highlighting a 40-year career. The 2010 Best Original Screenplay Academy Award went to the 73-year-old first-time winner David Seidler. Leon Russell, the beloved musician/songwriter, was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Well into his 60s, Russell observed that he had been "lying in a ditch on the side of the highway of life" when he his career was suddenly, unexpectedly resurrected by Elton John.

In the next ten years, for us, anything is possible. But in order to move beyond the "same old, same old" we are required to make a choice. Another old saying, "if it's going to be, it's up to me", remains true today. We need to make choices on our own behalf, choices that will further our growth and development and the growth and development of our loved ones. We can create a spectacular next ten years.

Chiropractic Care and the Next Ten Years

It is very possible to have a rewarding, fulfilling life when one's health is not good. But most people would acknowledge that good health, or at least improving health, helps to make the road much easier. With good health one has more energy, and with more energy one can do more things.

Chiropractic care addresses many components of good health and helps a person achieve good health from a holistic or global perspective. Chiropractic care primarily focuses on the spinal column and nerve system. Improving spinal biomechanics and optimizing nerve system function improves energy levels throughout the body. Chiropractic care helps reduce pain, so you can get more out of your exercise. Chiropractic care helps makes rest more efficient, so you can get more out of your time spent sleeping.

The many benefits of chiropractic care help you achieve higher levels of health and wellness. Chiropractic care supports all your other activities and endeavors in the field of health care.

Run with Team LWC!

Come run with the staff of Life Wellness Center at the Lakeville Pan-O-Prog Run - Saturday, July 9th. Once again, LWC is a proud sponsor in this annual event. LWC and Puravida Fitness staff members will be running and stretching out the runners. The running course will take you along the beautiful west side of Lake Marion. Race lengths include a 1 mile, a 4 mile and a 1/2 mile Fun Run for kids. Live DJ music provided by 'Stellar Sounds'.

Welcome Dr. J!

Please help us welcome our new Physical Therapist, Dr. Josiah "Dr. J" Thunshelle to our clinic. Feel free to leave him a greeting here on Facebook or say hi to him the next time you are in our clinic.

Topic of the Week: Facet Joint Syndrome – A Chiropractic Specialty

You may not have heard of facet joints, but they are extremely important to the well-being and function of your musculoskeletal system.

Facet joints are special articulations in the spine that allow one vertebra to move over another. They come in pairs, located in the very back of each vertebral body (except for the very top vertebra – the atlas). Depending upon their orientation, they will influence the plane of movement that each vertebra will typically move through.

For instance:
• In the lumbar spine (lower back), the facet joints are oriented more front-to-back. This allows these vertebrae to move more easily in flexion/extension – and less in rotation.
• In the thoracic spine (attached to the ribs), the facet joints shift to a more side-to-side orientation, which allows for less flexion/extension and more rotation.
• In the cervical spine (neck), the angle the facet joints assume will vary from level to level. The very uppermost two vertebrae have facet joints that are almost horizontal and a bit dome shaped, allowing for a great freedom of movement in all directions?

The facet joints of the spine belong to a group of joints called synovial joints. These are fluid filled spaces, with a smooth layer of cartilage covering both joint surfaces. Since the joint cartilage does not receive direct blood supply, movements of the joints themselves will create a variable pressure gradient that brings nutrients in and out of this enclosed space. This is why you do not want to have vertebral joint restrictions, or subluxations. Without proper movement, the joint surfaces will not receive their proper nutrition, and accelerated aging or degeneration may result.

The term facet syndrome defines a collection of symptoms associated with these joints when they get irritated, inflamed and/or arthritic. This term was first used in the 1930’s to describe lower back pain that was thought to have originated from these joints.
Since then, researchers have confirmed the facet joints can be a source of pain – as injections of fluid directly into the facet joints can reproduce the patients’ symptoms. On the other hand, by directly injecting an anesthetic into the same joint, the symptoms can be reduced.

It makes sense that facet joints can become painful because:
• They contain a number of nerve endings inside them. These nerves relay information to the brain regarding joint position and movement, allowing for proper balance, coordination, and postural alignment. These nerves can become irritated by compression or inflammation, resulting in pain.
• Facet joints are surrounded by ligaments. Ligaments are connective tissue structures that provide stabilization, or a limited range of motion, to the joints. However, these ligaments are also innervated and pain-sensitive – so, if a joint is moved too far past its normal range, these ligaments can become sprained (i.e. rolling over on your ankle).

What Causes Facet Joint Syndrome?
Although facet joint pain is not always consistent, typically a person with this condition will complain of sharp pain in the area of the facet joint, with restricted movement of the spine – especially extension or rotation. The area involved is usually sensitive to the touch, and often you will find muscle tightness and spasm in the immediate area surrounding the joints.
Irritation of the facet joints is common, and can be caused by a number of factors. Although facet joint syndrome can be caused by acute trauma (like hyperflexion and hyperextension), the most common cause of this syndrome is misalignment of the spine. Focal areas of misalignment, called subluxations, will predispose the facet joint to abnormal stress and strain, which in turn can create inflammation and irritation.
Postural stress and muscle tension can also make it more likely that you will experience facet joint syndrome.

What Is the Best Treatment for Facet Joint Syndrome?
Chiropractic adjustments are specifically designed to alleviate the pressure and pain caused by vertebral subluxations. The positive effects of the adjustment are felt immediately when the joint cavitates (pops). This sound is generated by the release of pressure within the joint, and with less hydrostatic pressure on the intra-articular nerves, the joint is less painful. In addition, with better joint alignment, all the structures that support the joint are alleviated of abnormal stress and strain, and the patient is able to relax. Of course, if inflammation still exists in and around the joint, other measures are usually required to bring down the sensitivity of the joint (like ice or other anti-inflammatory substances); however the positive effects granted by the chiropractic adjustment are usually more immediate, and more long-lasting than other treatment options.
If you think you might be suffering from facet joint syndrome, see your chiropractor!

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™