Chiropractic Office: Anatomy 101!

The human body is a marvelous creation, but how much do you really know about it? Here are a few questions from a chiropractic office to test your basic knowledge of the human anatomy. Just for fun, match the body part in column one with one of the numbers in column two.

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1. Ribs                                                                 a.   5

2. Normal oral temperature                                     b.  12 pairs

3. Permanent teeth                                                c.   46

4. Spinal column bones                                          d.   33

5. Senses                                                              e.   206

6. Chromosomes in a fertilized egg                          f.    98.6

7. Kidneys                                                             g.   32

8. Total bones in body                                             h.   2

9. Small intestine length in feet                                 i.    About 20

10. Adult brain weight in pounds                               j.    3½ to 4

How many answers did you get right? Don't worry--you're not alone! (*See the answers below.)

Many people do not understand how their own human body works and how all the different parts affect each other. If one part is injured, pain may often be felt in various other parts of your body. The nervous system is the master system of the human body, controlling every function within our body. If you are experiencing neck or back pain from an accident, or from just daily life, don't put off calling your chiropractic office to get help and find relief from pain.

If you're looking for a chiropractic office to advise you about an exercise program, call McKim Chiropractic or go to http://www.mckimchiropractic.com for more information and to schedule an appointment. Our licensed and certified staff is committed to helping the residents of Boise, ID,Nampa, ID, and Caldwell, ID, stay safe while exercising!

1. 12 pairs; 2. 98.6; 3. 32; 4. 33; 5. 5; 6. 46; 7. 2; 8. 206; 9. About 20, 10. 3½ to 4

Chiropractic Therapy: Part 1 of Living Stress Free!

The motions of daily life, if done incorrectly, can result in stress and injury to the spine. There are several daily activities that we all perform with much thought. However, if done incorrectly over a period of time, they will cause pain and long-lasting injury to the spine. Many people find themselves seeking chiropractic therapy to relieve the stress caused to their spine and lower back. Your chiropractor can advise how to avoid these types of injuries by learning the correct way of performing them.

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Please consider the following tips for four daily activities:

Sitting – Choose a chair that is firm enough to support you comfortably

• Don't slouch!
• Sit with your feet flat on the floor or on a low footstool with your knees slightly higher than your hips with your back firmly against the back of the chair.
• Avoid crossing your legs at the knees—this can aggravate existing back conditions and interfere with circulation to your lower limbs.

Standing – Stand with your head level

• Stand with your head level. When standing in one place for very long, put one foot on a 4-6-inch stool to help keep pressure off your spine.
• Avoid wearing high heels if you are going to be on your fee for long periods of time.

Working at a Desk – Make sure your chair fits correctly

• Take frequent stretch breaks.
• Sit with your knees at a 90-120-degree angle. An angled footrest may help.
• Allow for two inches between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knees.
• Choose a chair that tilts back so you can rest while reading your computer screen.
• Elevate materials or your computer screen to avoid neck fatigue.

Lifting – Avoid twisting and turning motions

• If you have to turn to place an object down, step in the direction of the turn, don't just twist at the waist.
• Always bend at your knees when lifting anything heavier than 10 percent of your body weight (e.g., a child or heavy box).
• When lifting, plant your feet about 12-18 inches apart, kneel or squat in front of the object, and lift with the big muscles of your thighs, arms, and shoulders as you straighten up (not with your back).
• In situations where it is difficult to lift correctly (getting grocery bags out of the car), bring the bag to you first and then lift carefully.
• Use equipment to help lift heavy objects whenever possible.
• Be sure your path is clear before you lift an item to avoid tripping.

There will be more tips coming next week on living stress-free, so stay tuned...

If any of the activities above are causing stress and pain in your body, chiropractic therapy may be the solution for you. Call McKim Chiropractic today or go to http://www.mckimchiropractic.com for more information and to schedule an appointment. Our licensed and certified staff
is committed to helping the residents of Boise, ID, Nampa, ID, and Caldwell, ID receive the best chiropractic therapy possible to live life pain-free!

Spinal Decompression Therapy: The Facts About Back Pain

The American Chiropractic Association reports that at any given time, an estimated 31 million Americans are afflicted with back pain. It is also the number one cause of activity limitation in young adults. In fact 50% of all adults in the United States suffer from back pain symptoms each year. Traditional treatments for back and spine problems include surgery or chiropractic adjustment. Spinal Decompression Therapy is an alternative FDA approved treatment option that has shown very good results.

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• Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, it is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor's office (following upper-respiratory infections).
• Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions (such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer).
• Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain (and that's just for the more easily identified costs.)
  
  
• Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives.

You can get back to enjoying life thanks to a revolutionary technology for alleviating back pain—the DRS Profocol™. This treatment provides outstanding and predictable results, providing relief from pain for many patients whose conditions would have traditionally made them candidates for surgery or other invasive treatments.

Our doctors at McKim Chiropractic specialize in spinal decompression therapy, and treat qualifying patients with the DRS Protocol™, a non-surgical alternative to treat back pain associated with spinal and disc problems. Call McKim Chiropractic or go to http://www.mckimchiropractic.com for more information about spinal decompression therapy. Our licensed and certified staff is happy to help the residents of Boise, ID, Nampa, ID, and Caldwell, ID, obtain pain-free living.

Infant Chiropractic - Head-start to a Healthy Life!

A newborn's spine may be subject to abnormal stress as a result of a difficult birth, a breech presentation, caesarean birth, obstetrical error, or abnormal in-utero position during the last trimester. Such spinal stress can lead to many health problems. Because many doctors recognize these symptoms of spinal stress in newborn babies, they may recommend infant chiropractic care to prevent future problems as the baby develops.

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For over a hundred years, the doctors of chiropractic have recorded dramatic responses from some infants after a chiropractic spinal adjustment with conditions as varied as Erb's Palsy (in which an arm is limp or undeveloped), unbalanced facial and skull symmetry, foot inversion, colic, torticollis (twisted neck), "nervousness," and ear, nose and throat infections.

More and more parents are beginning to understand the importance of infant chiropractic care. With a healthy spinal column, a child's body can better deal with sore throats, ear infections, stomach aches, fevers, measles, mumps and the hundred-and-one other problems that often make up a young life. Without infant chiropractic care into adolescence, some children will live in continued sickness, condemned to a life of taking medicines and perhaps even surgery.

If you have a newborn baby and would like more information about infant chiropractic care, our doctors of chiropractic will be happy to help you. Call McKim Chiropractic today or go to http://www.mckimchiropractic.com/ for more information and to schedule an appointment. Our licensed and certified staff is committed to helping the newborn babies of Boise, ID, Nampa, ID, and Caldwell, ID get a head-start for a healthy life!

Shoulder Chiropractor: Suffering from Shoulder Pain?

The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the human body. We are able to reach over our head, behind our back, and across the front of our body. This extreme motion in the shoulder can lead to shoulder injuries rather easily. The shoulder joint is very shallow and is held together mostly by ligaments. The muscles surrounding the shoulder are what actually give it most of its stability and strength.

Suffering from Shoulder pain? Our expert Boise ID Chiropractor for Shoulder provides painless therapy for these symptoms. Visit McKim Chiropractic Treatment Boise ID at for expert care.

Shoulder pain can range from a mild annoyance to inability to move the shoulder, and can actually come from many different causes. Mild shoulder pain following over-use is often caused by swelling and inflammation of the muscles, tendons or joint. This is referred to as tendonitis or bursitis and will often go away on its own in a few days. However, pain that lasts more than a few days should be evaluated by a shoulder chiropractor.

• Rotator Cuff Syndrome -- Lasting or more severe pain can indicate more serious conditions such as rotator cuff syndrome, which is caused by inflammation, swelling, or even tears in the muscles and tendons in the rotator cuff. Any activity that involves a lot of overhead arm motion, such as swimming, throwing, or even sleeping with your arm up, can cause rotator cuff syndrome. It causes shoulder pain in the front and side of the shoulder, and often feels worse at night. Lifting the arm to the side is very painful. Another complication of rotator cuff syndrome is degenerative changes in the shoulder. If not rehabilitated properly, years later the shoulder can develop calcium deposits in the tendons or osteoarthritis in the joint itself.
• Frozen Shoulder -- Rotator cuff syndrome can lead to other shoulder problems if not treated quickly and effectively. People will stop using the shoulder because it is too painful. This can actually lead to frozen shoulder, a condition caused by adhesions that develop between the tendons and ligaments. These adhesions actually cause the structures to get stuck together, and can severely limit any shoulder motion.

Shoulder Pain and Chiropractic

You should seek an evaluation if you have shoulder pain that lasts past a few days. Even though there are many causes of shoulder pain, the treatment for most conditions is similar. It is important to keep the shoulder moving to avoid the complication of frozen shoulder. Your shoulder chiropractor will tell you what shoulder motions to emphasize and which ones to avoid as your injury heals. Therapeutic treatments, such as ultrasound and ice, can be used to remove the inflammation in the shoulder, which will usually result in a significant decrease in pain. Specific muscle stretching and at home exercises are used to correct any muscular imbalances between the upper back and chest, to help ensure smooth and even shoulder motion. Most shoulder conditions do not require surgery.

To determine if chiropractic care could help you manage your shoulder pain, schedule an appointment with our shoulder chiropractor at McKim Chiropractic. Call today or go to http://www.mckimchiropractic.com/ for more information. Our licensed and certified staff is committed to helping the residents of Boise, ID, Nampa, ID, and Caldwell, ID, find relief from pain!

Spinal Decompression Treatment for a Herniated Disc

If you are suffering from pain caused by a herniated disc, you may be a candidate for spinal decompression treatment. The primary goal of treatment is to help relieve pain and other symptoms resulting from the herniated disc. To achieve this goal, each patient's treatment plan is individualized based on the source of the pain, the severity of pain and the specific symptoms that the patient exhibits. In general, patients usually are advised to start with a course of conservative (non-surgical) care, such as spinal decompression treatment, prior to considering spine surgery for a herniated disc.

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For lumbar and cervical herniated discs, spinal decompression treatments of around four to six weeks will help reduce pain and discomfort. In addition to this treatment, patients may find it helpful to use a combination of treatment options at once. For example, treatments focused on pain relief (such as medications) may help patients better tolerate other treatments (such as manipulation or physical therapy). In addition to helping with recovery, physical therapy is often used to educate patients on good body mechanics (such as proper lifting technique) which helps to prevent excessive wear and tear on the discs.

Conservative approach to herniated disc treatment

In addition to spinal decompression treatment, a combination of the following conservative treatment options can be used through at least the first six weeks of discomfort and pain:

• Physical therapy, exercise and gentle stretching to help relieve pressure on the nerve root
• Ice and heat therapy
• Manipulation (such as chiropractic manipulation)
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen, naproxen or COX-2 inhibitors)
• Narcotic pain medications
• Oral steroids to decrease inflammation
• Epidural injections to decrease inflammation

If you are suffering from a low back pain condition, please give us a call. Our doctors at McKim Chiropractic treat patients with the DRS Protocol™, a non-surgical spinal decompression treatment to relieve back pain associated with spinal and disc problems. Before prescribing a course of treatment, you will be given a thorough examination to determine whether you are a candidate for the DRS Protocol™ Therapy.

Call McKim Chiropractic today or go on-line to http://www.mckimchiropractic.com for more information and to schedule an appointment. Our licensed and certified staff is happy to help the residents of Boise, ID, Nampa, ID, and Caldwell, ID, live pain free.

A Chiropractic Office Offers Exercise Warm-Up Tips!

It's that time of year when everyone is getting out in the fresh air to run, walk, play tennis, soccer, or some other form of strenuous exercise. Even though a thorough warm-up will extend your workout time by a few minutes, it is important to make it a part of your work-out routine. Don't skip it! Otherwise, you may be seeking the services of a chiropractic office to straighten you out! Runners who do not adequately warm up prior to training are at greater risk of injury and poorer performance than those who do.

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Why is a proper warm-up important? It prepares the body for increasingly vigorous activity, allows it to work more efficiently, and reduces the risk of injury. It increases . . .

• heart rate;
• breathing rate; and
• blood flow to the muscles;

Warm-up Tips! Whether you are a casual runner that only makes it around your block, or one that is training to run the Boston Marathon, here are nine warm-up recommendations offered by a chiropractic office:

1. Jump rope for a few minutes, keep your legs slightly bent, land on the balls of your feet and flex your ankles to push off the ground.
2. With your knees bent at about 30 degrees, slowly lower yourself into a half-squat, and slowly rise again. Repeat 5 times.
3. With your knees flexed about 45 degrees, hop approximately three feet from side to side, keeping your knees flexed and landing lightly.
4. Standing on an upward slanting surface, rise up onto the balls of your feet and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
5. Walk or sprint up and down a set of stairs (or a step-box).
6. Put your hand on a chair (or a wall) for balance and raise one leg while simultaneously bending the opposite knee until you are in a half-squat on one leg. Repeat with the opposite leg, then do another 15-20 times.
7. While leaning with your back to a wall and your feet approximately a foot away, lift your toes and the balls of your feet as high as you can, pivoting from the ankle. Lower your toes near the floor, without touching, then lift them again. Repeat 15-20 times. Rest for 20 seconds, then do another set.
8. Do 10 sets of lunges, alternating legs each time. Try to keep your knee from bending more than 90 degrees, keeping the knee positioned directly above your heel. The leg behind you should be slightly bent.
9. Starting with your knees slightly bent, dip down then jump up as high as possible, coming down with your knees bent, and immediately jumping up again. Continue jumping like this 10 times, rest for about 30 seconds and repeat the set once or twice more.

A word to the wise: Even professional runners need the services of a chiropractic office!

If you're looking for a chiropractic office to advise you about an exercise program, call McKim Chiropractic or go to http://www.mckimchiropractic.com for more information and to schedule an appointment. Our licensed and certified staff is committed to helping the residents of Boise, ID, Nampa, ID, and Caldwell, ID, stay safe while exercising!