CHIROCARELA.COM: Blog

If your job requires you to regularly carry heavy objects, you’ve hopefully been trained in doing so safely and follow those instructions. But if you only carry heavy things sporadically, you can easily make a mistake that will result in a back injury. People who have already suffered slipped discs are especially vulnerable, and we at ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale frequently see people with preventable injuries. Therefore, we wanted to provide some guidance on heavy lifting. Before you pick the heavy thing up, prop open all the doors between it and your destination. If possible, get a dolly, and wear shoes that have good traction. Make sure you’re not wearing anything that could snag, and that there are no upturned carpets or other walking hazards on your path. You may also want to do a short warm-up. When you pick up the object, get a feel for its center of weight before lifting it, and then use your legs to propel yourself upward from a squat. Keep the object at chest-level and center...

There are many different forms of arthritis we treat at ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale. Although not every treatment is appropriate for every cause of joint pain, we employ a wide variety of therapies, all of which are minimally invasive. One type of arthritis we can care for is ankylosing spondylitis, which primarily affects the spine and hips. Ankylosing Spondylitis is poorly understood and varies a lot between patients, but it generally causes periodic inflammation on one side of the pelvis. It may become worse with time and spread up the spine and into the joints connecting the jaw to the head. Treatment revolves around keeping the joints mobile so that when inflammation subsides, there is less risk of the joints growing bone spurs that will cause them to fuse together. Maintaining good posture is crucial for ankylosing spondylitis patients. They are often tempted to hunch over in response to pain, but we can work with them on therapeutic stances and exercises that will reduce sorene...

Full health requires that your musculoskeletal system be aligned. But if there’s a problem in your knee, you will not only be in pain, but may also overcompensate by throwing your pelvis and lower back out of alignment. As chiropractors, we at ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale take a holistic approach to health, so we wanted to discuss a bit about what causes knee pain and how we combat it. The kneecap, or patella, is a sesamoid bone. These means it floats on a bed of cartilage and is anchored down by ligaments and tendons. When those tissues fray and the kneecap moves out of place, the patient is said to have patellofemoral syndrome and their cartilage may be eroded by the dislocated bone. Their knee will become inflamed as a result, causing it to stiffen and become sore. Patellofemoral syndrome can result from acute or chronic injuries. We can reduce swelling in the knee through methods such as low-level laser therapy delivered through an Echronica laser. This will increase the flow of bl...

At ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale, Dr. Jack Alajajian and his staff offer a multitude of safe, minimally invasive treatments for sciatica. When a patient complains of numbness, tingling, or a shooting pain down their leg, we employ advanced technologies to reduce their swelling and remove pressure from the sciatic nerve. But there are several ailments that can cause sciatica, and treatment varies between them. One potential cause patients should be aware of is Piriformis Syndrome.   The sciatic nerves branch off from the spinal cord in the back’s lumbar region, which is the lower part. The piriformis muscles connect the sacrum, the part of the spine below the lumbar vertebrae, to the top of the femurs. They are wedge-shaped and located deep within the body. To travel from the lumbar spine to the legs, the sciatic nerves must pass through or around the piriformis muscles. Consequently, when the piriformis muscles are inflamed, the sciatic nerves are compressed, causing a person to feel sc...

Dr. Alajajian and staff treat numerous musculoskeletal problems, including “frozen shoulder.” Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is a condition that involves stiffness in the shoulder joint. This happens when the tissue around the shoulder joint loses its synovial fluid, causing discomfort and limited mobility. If you have significant shoulder pain, we recommend that you come in and see your Glendale chiropractor so that the root of the problem can be diagnosed. We would be happy to get you set up on a treatment plan! Symptoms of a frozen shoulder: - Stiffness - Very limited mobility - Dull or achy pain - Difficulty doing daily activities - Increase in these symptoms over time Women are more susceptible to this condition than men, and especially affects people who have had a stroke or mastectomy. Dr. Alajajian and staff are committed to helping our patients reach the full extent of their mobility and live pain-free lives. We treat frozen shoulder with a variety of exerc...