Dr. Wayne Coghlan: Chiropractor - Locum tenens

Repetitive Strain Injury! Repetitive strain injury is typically caused by rapid, repeated use of muscles and joints (hammering), or by holding a muscle in a sustained load/position (using the computer mouse). It affects a broad variety of people from athletes such as tennis players and golfers to trades people like jackhammer operators and assembly line workers. Video gaming, and even crafts like knitting are all associated with repetitive strain injuries. It is not the one time that you do the activity that hurts you… If it were you would likely know enough to stop… or I hope you would. Rather, each time you do the activity, there is a little bit of injury. Normally, if you do the activity once in a while, the tissue heals and all is well. With repetitive strain however, you re-injure the tissue before it has healed. Inflammation, the normal healing mechanism of the body sets in and a gradual onset of numbness, tingling and burning sensations, swelling and aching pain are among th

An Environics survey* identified that among recent back pain sufferers who went to a chiropractor, “an overwhelming majority” of nine in ten (92%) were very (69%) or somewhat (23%) satisfied with their treatment. This compares well with our own survey were patients reported well over 85% satisfaction with the results of their treatment, and their impression of experience with the clinic. This is gratifying as we work hard to understand and meet the needs of each of our patients and clients. In addition to an accurate diagnosis and plan of management, I help the patient understand how they came by their injury so they can best avoid it in the future. I often recommend medication to help a patient through a tough period, yet when the pain diminishes does not mean that the injury itself is resolved. The pain of a relatively minor injury may subside within a few days, yet it may take at least a few weeks for the tissue to stabilize and the injury to heal. More severe injuries may tak

A multivitamin a day may keep heart attacks away Readers will be familiar with my evaluation that supplementing one’s diet with good multivitamin is smart in today’s modern world. According to new a study published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who took a one-a-day supplement were 40 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack than their peers who didn’t use multivitamins. A Nurses’ Health Study reported that regular multivitamin use was linked with a 24 per cent lower risk of heart disease. A study of more than one million healthy U.S. adults, demonstrated that multivitamins were associated with a 25 per cent lower risk of dying from heart disease. Another study included 33,933 Swedish women aged 49 to 83 years, the vast majority (93 per cent) having no history of heart disease. At 10 years of follow up, women who were free of heart disease upon enrolling in the study, taking a daily multivitamin reduced the risk of heart attack by 27 per cent. Th

More Information On Vitamin D. Studies of vitamin D have been on the rise in recent years, and with good reason—a 2009 estimate suggests that nearly three quarters of teens and adults in the U.S. are deficient in this vital nutrient. Vitamin D deficiency not only causes rickets, a skeletal disorder in which the bones are soft and weak, but has also been associated with a rapidly increasing range of chronic conditions like cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Now, two new studies suggest a link between vitamin D and neurological disorder: Older people with insufficient vitamin D levels may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease and experience cognitive decline. Humans can obtain vitamin D by eating oily fish or fortified foods, and it is also photosynthesized in the skin upon exposure to adequate amounts of ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight. Major factors that influence vitamin D status in humans include season, latitude, age, skin tone, diet and supplement use.

BACK FACTS: Headaches Tension type headaches (TTH) are one of the most common forms of headaches yet they are not well understood. Most people describe having a band of pressure around their head that can last from 30 minutes to a week. TTH can be related to muscles tightening in the back of the neck and scalp. One of the best way to combat tension headaches is through lifestyle changes. Here are some helpful tips. Exercise regularly. This can help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches. Exercise relieves stress, relaxes your muscles and increases the levels of beta-endorphins, which are your body’s natural stress relievers. So don’t just sit there, go for a walk, bike ride or run. Healthy lifestyle. Behaviours that promote general good health may help prevent headaches. This includes following regular eating and sleeping schedules and avoiding excess caffeine and alcohol. Stress management. Stress is a commonly reported trigger for tension type headaches. Reduce st

FAQ: What is the basis of chiropractic? The nervous system affects all tissues of the body, directly or indirectly. This is most evident when a nerve is pinched in the neck or lower back. Typically a person will feel numbness and/or a pins and needles sensation and/or pain along the course of the nerve. A little bit of irritation on the nerve can create a nuisance- it may bother the person but doesn't stop them from their daily activity. A lot of compression on the nerve can create disabling pain and over the long term and lead to loss of reflexes and muscle function. Sciatica is a pain typical of a pinched nerve in the lower back. Without correction, the problem can lead to a drop foot. Pinched nerves are commonly caused by the bones in the spine being out of proper alignment and/or arthritic deterioration of the spaces that the nerve passes through. The goal of chiropractic treatment is to relieve the pressure on the nerve where it is compressed, where it emerges from the

The following is from the Harvard Health News Letter and gives a reasonable explanation of sciatica and treatment options. At one time, a person with sciatica was automatically sent for surgery, and at that time, it require some techniques that would be considered crude by today's standards. Most people did recover, perhaps more by rest and medication and time of recovery, as they did by the surgery itself. So what was the value of invasive techniques compared with the risks and costs.. In Ontario, the patient would have minimal expenses, yet it adds to the tax burden of social health care costs. There is no such thing as a free lunch.. or surgery. Surgical treatment for low back problems has improved and is far less invasive. yet the same caveats remain - would it get better on its own, with conservative management, and is surgery necessary or even helpful to get the patient ahead. When you come to see me for your leg pain, I determine if your problem is a true sciatic (ner