Monday, November 29, 2010

Orem Chiropractor - Chiropractic Improves Your Mental Well Being

As your Orem Chiropractor your mental well being isn’t what my care is directed towards, but in my consultation & evaluation of patients I definitely see those who have it and those who don’t.   

Chiropractic researcher Susannah Brockman of the University of Surrey, in the United Kingdom, picked a group of university students who had never had chiropractic care before this study.  She then followed these students through a month of chiropractic care and measured their psychological well being using several questionnaires. 

The researcher assessed the following mood states:

1.                Anxiety
2.                Dejection
3.                Fatigue
4.                Vigor
5.                Degree of stress in their life


They found that these first time chiropractic patients had dramatic improvement in their self defined mental well being.

A few possible mechanisms for chiropractic’s role in improving mental well being were given.

First, there is a non-specific effect on well being from the doctor patient encounter.  Simply from interacting with a professional may produce positive psychological effects.

Second, chiropractic care has a direct affect on the nervous system and an indirect affect on the immune system.  Chiropractic increases brain activity and therefore positive psychological effects.

They also note that other researchers have demonstrated an increase in blood levels of endorphins following a spinal adjustment.  Endorphins are chemicals in our body that produce sensations of pleasure.  So, with an increase in endorphins, following chiropractic care, it would not be surprising to see reduction in fatigue, depression and tension.

Because this study was carried out in a highly structured, research setting, the author stated that everyday chiropractic care, with its multiple approaches to treatment, should have a greater positive effect than was seen in this study.

A normal chiropractic visit to Orem Chiropractor R. Ned McArthur, D.C. is much more than a spinal adjustment.  Various diagnostic and treatment procedures are used like x-rays, nutritional therapy, oxygen therapy, lifestyle management, and several physio therapies are used to give you quick and lasting results.

Through examination Dr Ned discovered that my neck has had pain in it for some time.  I also, purposely, hid from the doctor that I have had a constant headache for a few years.  After a month I noticed the pain disappearing.  By the second month I no longer have headaches any longer and my neck pain is gone.

Brett W., Provo

Learn more about Orem Chiropractor R. Ned McArthur, D.C. at AskDrNed.com



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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Orem Chiropractor Successfully Treats Your TMJ & Jaw Pain

As an Orem Chiropractor I see a fair number of people who have been involved in car accidents and it is quite common for people to show up with pain in the jaw, clicking in the jaw, or crooked movement in the jaw.

Problems like this can have a serious impact on your quality of life. Along with the pain local to the TMJ, you may also experience headaches radiating to the jaw. These headaches can be quite severe, and demand attention.

A study in the Journal of the American Dental Association studied TMJ disorders after whiplash accidents.

In this study, they studied the cases of 1,158 people. They asked them about their jaw pain and movement before and after the whiplash injury. They compared people who got into a whiplash injury compared to those who were injured in other ways.

They found that people with whiplash injuries were more likely to have reduced or painful jaw movement in the TMJ than those who had other types of injuries. They also found that women were more likely than men to have this type of dysfunction. Head position and headrest position had no impact on the likelihood of TMJ dysfunction after the injury.

It is interesting to me that doctors as well as patients tend to minimize this disorder.  If you have been injured in a car accident and have this problem, let your health care provider know because this can easily become a chronic problem, plaguing you for years to come. 

Sometimes jaw problems originate from problems in the neck, so it’s also important to have you’re your upper neck checked by your Orem Chiropractor when you have jaw problems.

If you live in or near Orem, Utah, and are suffering from headaches, back and neck pain, or have been in a car accident, then you should see your Orem Chiropractor - R. Ned McArthur, D.C. right away, before the pain intensifies and leads to greater problems.

 I came to see Dr McArthur because of severe headaches.  When I became pregnant the headaches became almost unbearable.  Through treatments with Dr McArthur I have been feeling so much better.  Dr McArthur is a lifesaver!

Cassi D., Orem


To Learn more go to http://www.AskDrNed.com.  Emaildrned@askdrned.com , call or text 801-225-1311.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Orem Chiropractor R. Ned McArthur, D.C. Enhances Your Brain

This history of chiropractic is based on the fact that by using the joints and muscles of the body we can positively influence nerves throughout the body.

In the last decade we’ve learned more about the brain than we knew about it in the previous 150 years.  Some of the most exciting research in all of health & medical research is being done on the brain.  

In the February 2007 issue of Clinical Neurophysiology there appears an article titled, “Cervical Spine Manipulation alters sensorimotor integration: A somatosensory evoked potential study.”

In this study, researchers hooked up electrodes to volunteers. They were plugged in to the brain’s cortex, the brainstem, and the spinal cord. These hookups were measured using somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP). The people being studied had a history of neck stiffness, but not neck pain during the time of the study.

While plugged in to the machine, the patients being studied had their brain activity measured before a chiropractic adjustment to get a baseline measurement.  Then they received a chiropractic adjustment.  After having their neck adjusted the frequency of firing of their brain was measured.  In simpler terms frequency of firing is the level of brain activity.  They found that after people had their neck adjusted, there is an improvement of brain activity for a full twenty minutes afterward.

Nerve sensors monitor all of the joints and muscles in our body.   These sensors feed information to the brain, brainstem, and the cerebellum. Whenever there is a loss of movement in any joint, there is a marked loss of information going into the brain.  This information is like water in your sprinkler system.  Water can still go through your pipes and sprinkler heads to water your lawn, but if there is a problem an area of your lawn will get less water and it might take some time before you actually see the results in your lawn.

The same thing happens with this nerve stimulation to the brain.  It’s still going to the brain, but it less than it should be.  The brain requires this information to take care of many different basic functions.  Without it the brain’s ability block pain is greatly reduced.  Other consequences of this decrease in brain stimulation can be stiffness and numbness as well as posture, balance, digestion and sleep problems. 

Through chiropractic adjustments and other therapies, Orem Chiropractor – R. Ned McArthur, D.C. will correct and enhance your brain function to end your pain and health problems.

After visiting with Dr McArthur I soon discovered that these headaches I was having, from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed, could be solved with chiropractic care.  I really enjoyed how the doctor sat and listened to me and really wanted to help me. He told the truth.  I had been having these headaches for months and was always taking pills.  Since beginning my care I am so much more alert, I have more energy, I’m not taking a lot of pills and I don’t snap at anyone anymore either because I am not in the constant pain that I use to be in.  I would recommend Dr McArthur to others because he has helped me so much and I really feel better.  Others deserve that.  I also enjoy all of the energy that Dr McArthur and the office staff has.  They are always happy and eager to help you, definitely great customer service.

Karyn H., Orem

To Learn more go to http://www.AskDrNed.com.  Email drned@askdrned.com , call or text 801-225-1311.

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Orem Chiropractor - R. Ned McArthur, D.C. "Does A Body Good"

This title is a play on an advertising campaign the dairy industry did years ago.  Here’s why I think chiropractic is better at “Doing A Body Good.”

Reason number one – flexibility.  Flexibility means joints of the body have as much mobility as possible.  The joints of your joints have a poor blood supply because if there were blood vessels in the joints, they would be crushed, or collapsed every time you moved or put pressure on them. Think of your joints like a sponge.  They absorb nutrients from fluids all around the joint and being able to absorb the nutrients is dependent upon movement.  So, joints get nutrients not from blood, but from movement. Chiropractic care corrects and maintains proper joint movement. If a joint stops moving, the fluids become stagnant and the discs of your spine are unable to absorb nutrients leading to break down.

Joints receive nutrients with movement.  So when you are flexible your joints receive their needed nutrients making them last longer, feel better, and lest vulnerable to injury.  Your Orem Chiropractor – R. Ned McArthur, D.C. helps you achieve this with stretching, exercises, therapy and adjustments.  Many people notice an almost instant result after an adjustment feeling joints “move into place.”

Also, with more flexibility from chiropractic, the nerve sensors in your joints are more active.  This helps the brain control and maintain all of the different bodily structures and functions, including muscles. 

Reason number two - better muscle coordination.  Due to the increased activity in the nerve sensors in joints after an adjustment your muscle coordination and control increases.  This means that you’ll be less likely to injure yourself, whether you are playing sports, playing with your kids, or playing with your housework.

When the brain detects that joint motion isn’t as it should be muscles go into spasm to protect the joint.  In the short term it’s a good thing.  If the joint motion isn’t corrected the muscle will stay in spasm and lead to further loss of flexibility, which leads to joint decay, pain, and other health problems.  As stated above, restoring normal joint mechanics with chiropractic adjustments will help the normal muscle programming.

As an example, a simple test to perform to check the function of your back muscles is called the “modified Trendelenburg” test.  Do this yourself by standing and then lifting one knee and foot as though you were stepping up onto a giant box.  If you feel shaking, your low back muscles are having a difficult time controlling or protecting the joints of your back and if it hasn’t already, it may lead to injury or back problems in the future.
Clinically, this can be corrected with a course of Brain Based Chiropractic methods and procedures that are unique to the office of Orem Chiropractor – R. Ned McArthur, D.C

Reason number three – better balance.  As stated earlier chiropractic adjustments increase the activity of nerve sensors in the joints.  The nerves from the joints then travel to several different destinations in the brain.  One is called the cerebellum.  Another is the vestibular nuclei.  These two areas of the brain are highly involved in balance, coordination and body position awareness. The muscles and joints of the neck have the most direct influence on these two areas of the brain.  Therefore, when there is a problem in the neck many problems can result, but one of the most severe is a dizziness, balance and coordination problem.   

With a proper care plan of Brain Based Chiropractic, Orem Chiropractor – R. Ned McArthur, D.C. can help you have more flexibility, better muscle coordination and better balance.  These results will not only give you less pain and better health, but a better lifestyle.  If you haven’t already give us a try and you’ll discover why chiropractic “does a body good.”


The main reason I began seeing Dr McArthur was for my neck pain, dizziness, and headaches.  It was affecting my studies and my social life.  I couldn’t do things with out feeling pain and getting dizzy.  I coldn’t sit in class or church.  Since I began treatment I can play sports and concentrate in school.  Dr McArthur is a casual guy that’s down to earth.
Steve M., Orem

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