One of the largest nerves in the head is called the trigeminal nerve.  Some people experience pain along this nerve that can range from a small ache to a stabbing or shooting pain similar to an electrical shock.  Sometimes the nerve pain may come and go intermittently, lasting only seconds, while other times it can last for minutes at a time.  This condition is called trigeminal neuralgia, and it can be absolutely debilitating.  Simple tasks such as putting on makeup, brushing your teeth, or even swallowing can bring about these painful sensations.  While it is rare, it is a painful condition that no one should have to suffer through.

Trigeminal Neuralgia Explained

Trigeminal neuralgia, also called tic douloureux, is a condition that affects the fifth cranial nerve, known as the trigeminal.  It is a long nerve in the head that is directly attached to the brain with branches that reach the scalp, forehead, teeth, gums, cheeks, jaw, nose, and lips.  The most common cause of Trigeminal Neuralgia is thought to be a blood vessel pressing on the nerve near the brainstem that rubs the membrane of the nerve, causing irritation.

There are two types of trigeminal neuralgia.  The first and most common type produces burning sensations and severe shocking pains.  Type 2, or atypical trigeminal neuralgia, is less extreme with sufferers complaining of a burning and aching feeling.  This type is more difficult to diagnose as its symptoms can be related to other problems, such as migraines or dental issues.  Both types are painful and difficult to live with.

Chiropractic Care Can Help with Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain

Chiropractic care is first and foremost focused on the spine and nervous system.  Because trigeminal neuralgia is associated with nerve problems, a Lithia Springs chiropractor will be […]

The bladder serves a specific function for the body, and when it doesn’t work properly, it can lead to urine leakage due to lack of sphincter control, also known as incontinence.  On average, one-fourth of Americans today report suffering from urinary incontinence, and it affects both men and women.  While many think that this problem only occurs in older women, it actually affects both men and women between the ages of 30 to 60, as well as those older than 60.  Women in the younger age range report instances of incontinence more often, at 30 percent, while less than 5 percent of men in this age range report experiencing incontinence.  Health factors such as obesity, smoking, diabetes, kidney disease, multiple pregnancies, or prostate problems can contribute to bladder leakage. There are many methods available to you to control or correct incontinence, but you may also be surprised to know that chiropractic care can alleviate the problem of incontinence.

Methods for Correcting Incontinence

To correct incontinence, some people can simply change certain behaviors in order to improve bladder function.  For instance, monitoring and limiting how much you drink at one time can help control how full your bladder gets.  Bladder training (or retraining) involves slowly increasing the amount of time between bathroom breaks in an effort to train your bladder to hold in your urine for longer periods.  Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles are also recommended.  In more serious instances, medication might be prescribed to control bladder spasms.  Surgeries, such as a sling procedure, are often recommended in extreme cases.  However, chiropractic care is also a great option to treat urinary incontinence, so if you’re struggling with it, be sure to consult a Lithia Springs chiropractor for more information before […]

Diabetes finds its root cause in the pancreas, the organ that creates insulin and helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Insulin signals the body to absorb the glucose found in food to convert it into energy. Without it, blood sugar levels can become dangerously high and a variety of problems can result. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to create any insulin or enough insulin to function properly. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body simply responds incorrectly to insulin.

Nearly 10% of the US population has diabetes, and another third of the population has prediabetes. Medical costs for those with diabetes are nearly twice as much as those without diabetes, and those with diabetes can expect to live between 10 and 20 years less than someone without diabetes.

How Do We Fight Diabetes?

So what do we do? As Americans, as children of aging parents, as parents of growing children… how do we fight this rampant, widespread disease? We begin by taking steps to improve overall health. The two most significant risk factors of type 2 diabetes (the most common variation) include being overweight and being inactive. We can start by encouraging our family and friends to be more active, lose weight if necessary, and eat a well-balanced and healthy diet. We can also make strides toward improving our overall health by getting under chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Care for Overall Health and Diabetes Prevention & Management

Chiropractic care is focused on whole-body health, and it aims to improve the brain-body relationship by restoring proper communication pathways in the body. Chiropractic will bring your body back into balance and will help it function optimally. It allows your body the freedom to heal itself and send clear messages from the brain to […]

Vertigo is a medical condition that causes feelings of spinning and unbalance, generally because of a problem with the inner ear.  Some other symptoms of vertigo include headaches, nausea, loss of hearing, ringing ears, sweating, or swaying.  Vertigo is a common ailment after a head or neck injury.   If you have experienced any of these symptoms or you suspect you have vertigo, Lithia Springs chiropractor Dr. Ronnie Bolar at Vital Life Chiropractic can help!

Causes of Vertigo

Vertigo is usually caused by three main conditions. First, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, known as BPPV, occurs when calcium particles have cluttered the inner ear over time. While the cause of this condition is unknown, the majority of cases have occurred in older individuals. Second, Vestibular neuritis is another vertigo-related condition caused by ear infections. The nerves in the inner ear become inflamed, giving rise to vertigo. And third, Meniere’s disease can also precipitate vertigo. This disease produces fluid buildup and pressure in the inner ear that can lead to vertigo or even long-term hearing loss.

Chiropractic Care for Vertigo

While many people have sought treatment for vertigo through physical therapy, medication, or even surgery, these methods can be ineffective and come with many side effects. Chiropractic care in Lithia Springs is a better alternative because it treats the root cause rather than just the symptoms. Lack of motion or misalignment in the spine can cause faulty signals to the brain about the rest of the body, so the chiropractic adjustments will work to correct the misalignments and remove nerve interference.

Chiropractic adjustments will reposition any fragments in the inner ear (vestibulocochlear apparatus), otherwise known as the “balance center” of our body. If too much debris has been deposited in the inner ear, vertigo can occur. This debris will […]

Most people know that chiropractic care can help with back pain, immune function, and overall health and wellness, but did you also know that chiropractic care can help improve athletic performance? Whether you’re just starting an exercise regime, you’re a well-established gym junkie, or you are an aspiring professional athlete, you want to stay healthy and injury-free and you want to improve your performance, and chiropractic can help!

Lithia Springs chiropractor Dr. Ronnie Bolar has seen first-hand the effects of chiropractic on athletic performance. As the world is turning more and more to non-traditional healthcare, chiropractic is among the most talked-about ways to heal from injuries, improve wellness, and prevent sickness, and for good reason.

Chiropractic Care in the NFL

It is estimated that 90% of the world’s top-tier athletes use chiropractic care on a regular basis. As of 2015, every single NFL team has a chiropractor work with their team in some capacity, and 77% of NFL trainers have referred players to a chiropractor for some form of treatment or evaluation. Many well-known NFL players have spoken about the benefits of chiropractic and how vital chiropractic care is to their success. Some of these NFL players include Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Reggie Bush, Jerry Rice, Michael Strahan, and Marques Colston.

Chiropractic Is Beneficial for All Athletes at All Levels

Even if you’re not an aspiring professional athlete or a football player who experiences a lot of hard hits, chiropractic care is still incredibly beneficial for helping you heal from a sports-related injury or improving your overall athletic performance. Those receiving chiropractic care experience shorter recovery time from injuries and hard workouts, increase performance when it comes to speed, agility, and reaction time, and have improved balance and power in their workouts or sports […]

While arthritis is incredibly common, it is not actually just one disease, like many people think. It consists of multiple forms of joint pain or joint diseases, including degenerative arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, infectious arthritis, and metabolic arthritis. Since so many variations exist, even within the different categories, treatment for arthritis varies based on the type of arthritis, as well as several factors of the individual suffering, such as age, pain severity, and overall quality of life.

Types of Arthritis Care

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative form of arthritis, and it is by far the most common form of the disease. It occurs when the cartilage on the ends of the bones rubs away and the bones rub directly against each other at the joints, resulting in pain, swelling, and stiffness. Psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common types of inflammatory arthritis, and they are characterized by immune system problems that result in an attack on the joints. While arthritis typically affects older individuals more often and more severely, people of all ages can experience the effects of joint problems.

The most typical arthritis care includes changes in diet, increasing physical activity levels, and some variations of pain management, if necessary. While many arthritis sufferers are concerned primarily with ridding themselves of pain and increasing their quality of life, healthcare providers are generally more focused on long-term solutions, such as preventing joint and organ damage that can occur from arthritis. Thankfully, medication is not the only way to treat both the short- and long-term problems associated with arthritis.

Chiropractic Care for Arthritis

Since chiropractic care directly affects the musculoskeletal system as well as the central nervous system, it is an ideal option for care of all kinds of arthritis. The focus on function is also key, […]