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Sciatic Pain Relief in Mill Creek

Sciatic Pain Relief in Mill Creek

by | Sep 23, 2019 | Advice, Informational, Injury

Seeking Relief for Sciatic Pain

You’ve probably heard about sciatica and think of it in terms of your older relatives or acquaintances.  In truth, it is an all too common and painful symptom that affects people of various ages and degrees of fitness in Mill Creek.  At Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness, we are experienced at treating sciatic pain and helping our patients find permanent and non-invasive relief.

What Causes Sciatic Pain?

The sciatic nerve is a long nerve that runs from your lower spinal column down the back of both legs to just below your knees.  The nerve can become irritated or can be compressed by the vertebrae in patients that are overweight and sedentary or can be caused by not exercising regularly, sleeping on a too soft or hard mattress, when pregnant, or by wearing high heels for long periods of time.

Commonly, once the nerve is irritated and inflamed, patients can experience a variety of symptoms in either one leg or the other including:

  • Burning or tingling down the affected leg
  • Constant or shooting pain in the back, buttocks, leg, or foot
  • Lower back pain
  • Hip pain
  • Weakness or numbness in the leg or foot
  • Bladder weakness

What Treatment Options Are Available in Mill Creek?

Once your sciatica has been diagnosed through a comprehensive neurological examination, a conservative approach is a good start with chiropractic manipulation, stretching, and massage.  These non-invasive techniques coupled with heat therapy and cold/ice treatment can provide relief and help you resume your normal day-to-day activities in Mill Creek.

Now that the pain has subsided and you are on the mend, it will be crucial to prevent further deterioration or problems.  At our clinic, we are dedicated to offering lifestyle enhancement through nutritional guidance and support as well as toxicity evaluation and exercise counseling.

As healthcare professionals, our goal is to provide natural, non-invasive health alternatives that bring long-lasting relief and guide people in making lifestyle changes that have positive results and promote healthy habits.  By focusing on your body’s natural restorative ability to self-heal, you can reach your full potential and optimal performance.

Please to contact us at our Mill Creek Location to explore treatment options for relief of sciatic pain, as well as to discuss the natural and healthy benefits of chiropractic manipulation.  All of us at Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness wish you health and freedom of movement.

Tips for Reducing or Avoiding Back Pain

Tips for Reducing or Avoiding Back Pain

by | Sep 18, 2019 | Advice, Informational, Injury

Tips for Reducing or Avoiding Back Pain

It’s common for people to think that back pain and discomfort are a normal part of life and something that must be accepted.  They learn to both accommodate and adapt as ways to function while minimizing the aches and pains as much as possible.  But what if we shared some simple tips for protecting your back that would improve your quality of life and help you to enjoy your daily activities while out and about in Mill Creek.

back pain blog in mill creek

Tips for Protecting Your Back and Reducing Back Pain

As healthcare professionals in Mill Creek, we understand that people will often resolve to live with back pain when it isn’t necessary.  Along with these simple tips and lifestyle enhancements, there are treatments that can help as well.  But first, try these tips:

Get Up, Move Around and Avoid Prolonged Sitting

Whether professionally or for enjoyment, most of us spend long hours at the computer or sitting in one place with our eyes glued to our phone screens.  The human body, with all its complex wonder, was designed to move.  When we sit for long periods of time, it compresses the discs in our spine and creates sore muscles and a feeling of stiffness in our backs and necks.

Rx:  Get up and walk around.  Getting up and moving a little each hour will remove pressure on your spine and alleviate the pain that is rampant in our society today.  Stretching and bending is another way to improve your physical wellbeing when tasked with long hours in front of a screen.

Healthy Nutrition and Hydration

Maintaining a healthy weight has many benefits and certainly goes a long way in keeping your back pain-free.  In particular, it’s imperative to keep weight off your midsection.  When you have excess weight around your middle, it causes an imbalance and pulls on the lower back muscles continually weakening them and making you more susceptible to pain and injury.

Rx:  In Mill Creek, we are lucky to have access to lots of local farms, markets, and restaurants that offer good healthy food.  Get excited about good nutrition by visiting local farmers’ markets or take a cooking class.  And don’t forget to hydrate and drink lots of water to aid in losing unwanted weight.  Maintaining a healthy weight may be the single most important thing you can do to reduce the burden on your back and Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness can help you customize a nutrition plan so you can achieve your goals.

Start, Refocus, or Continue a Sensible Exercise Program

Along with a solid nutrition plan, sensible exercise not only helps with weight control, but also keeps joints limber and improves flexibility.  Without exercise, our bodies become stiff and our various systems no longer work at peak performance.

Rx:  Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness can help you with exercises that you enjoy and that’s in your fitness range as well as teach you to protect your back.  Warm up properly prior to beginning your exercise session and cool down when you are finished.  And most important, if you are beginning a new exercise regime or picking one up after time away, protect your back by starting slow and building up over time…don’t jump right in and train for a marathon.

Lifting Heavy Items Using Good Body Mechanics

Many back injuries, as well as general back pain, occur when you use poor lifting techniques or body mechanics.  This causes strains and sprains that can be debilitating and are easily avoidable.

Rx:  Know your limits!  Don’t try to lift too much; sometimes it’s better to make two or three trips rather than risk a serious back injury.    When lifting, keep your back straight and lift with your legs.  And finally, don’t twist when lifting, if you must turn, move your feet and not your back and shoulders.

All of us at Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness wish you health and freedom of movement.  Please contact us at our Mill Creek Location for more tips on body mechanics and nutrition, as well as to discuss the natural and healthy benefits of chiropractic manipulation.

Bulging Disk Pain Relief in Mill Creek

Bulging Disk Pain Relief in Mill Creek

by | Sep 16, 2019 | Informational, Injury

Relief from Bulging Disc Pain through Chiropractic Treatment

Have you ever experienced debilitating back pain?  It can be excruciating and rob you of life’s joy, but there may be relief for a bulging disc without invasive surgery or endless pain medications.  You may be suffering from a bulging disc and with gentle spinal manipulation, massage, exercise, and nutritional counseling there is an excellent chance that you can relieve the pain and enjoy a comfortable future.

What is a Bulging Disc?

Your spine has concentric rings or discs of a cartilage-type substance between each of the vertebrae that cushion and lubricate your spinal column making it comfortable to move and bend and to prevent the bone from grinding together.  When one the vertebral discs begins to protrude past the outer edges of the vertebra it is more likely that nerves or tissue may become inflamed and painful.  

Bulging discs are quite common and often remain asymptomatic.  However, following an injury or as part of the normal aging process, they can become irritated and cause numbness and tingling in your extremities or back and eventually pain.  Left untreated, these painful discs can herniate creating an even more agonizing situation.

What are the Symptoms?

There are a wide range of symptoms that indicate a bulging or inflamed disc and because the bulging disc creates pressure points on nearby nerves, it can create a range of sensations including:

  • Moderate to severe pain
  • Mild to significant tingling and numbness located: 
    • In the hands, arms, and shoulders with an affected disc that is located higher up the spinal column 
    • In the feet and legs for discs located in the more common lumbar or lower back area
  • Muscle weakness or spasms
  • Overactive reflexes

People who have led a sedentary life, been smokers, or worked in a profession that requires a lot of heavy lifting may be more at risk for the deterioration that leads to bulging disc pain.  Left untreated, a bulging disc can eventually herniate which causes increased pain and inflammation, so it is best to seek help early once pain has become problematic.

Chiropractic Treatment for a Bulging Disc in Mill Creek

Patients in the Snohomish community that are seeking a natural and non-invasive solution should be evaluated by an experienced chiropractor skilled in assessing a holistic treatment plan that would include a combination of the following based on the patient’s needs:

  • Gentle spinal manipulation and realignment
  • Custom-fitted lumbar brace for support at home or work
  • Soothing massage therapy 
  • Nutritional and supplemental guidance focused on healthy eating habits and weight loss (if appropriate)
  • Guidance in ergonomic solutions and exercise options
  • Custom-made orthotics to provide foundational support going forward

Chiropractic treatment can be a gentle and effective solution for bulging disc-related back pain and can help the patient avoid the disc herniating, causing a significant increase in symptoms.  Should the initial evaluation determine that the patient needs more extensive treatment, they would be referred to an experienced medical doctor for follow up.  

Contact us today to schedule an evaluation and stop living with back pain.

Treating Auto Accident Injuries

Treating Auto Accident Injuries

by | Sep 11, 2019 | Informational, Injury, MVC

Powerful Chiropractic Treatment Options for Car Accident-Related Pain in Mill Creek

Whether a minor fender bender or a serious, multi-vehicle crash, car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye and the residual pain can be life-altering.  From a health perspective, chiropractic diagnosis and treatment for car accident injuries and the associated pain has proven effective as a long-term healthcare solution that focuses on alleviating the discomfort instead of masking it with drugs.

Gentleman driving in car - Chiropractic treatment for car accident injuries

Common Injuries Associated with Car Accidents

The injuries sustained in car accidents are typically to the neck, back, and shoulders.  These injuries can occur when your cervical spine is suddenly and unexpectedly “whipped” backwards and then forwards with great force in what is commonly referred to as Whiplash.  This type of injury is most common in rear-end collisions when the subject doesn’t know it’s about to occur.

Conversely, when someone sees an impact coming, they will typically brace themselves in anticipation.  This leads to strained or pulled muscles in the back and neck areas that happen as a result of overstretching and cause significant pain, swelling, and discomfort.

Chiropractic Treatment for Car Accident Injuries

Each set of back and neck injuries is unique, and your chiropractic treatment plan should be customized to reflect the best care for you.  Some of the common healing therapies recommended include:

  • Spinal manipulation
  • Exercises to strengthen the affected areas
  • Medical massage therapy
  • Advice on lifestyle and nutritional choices that will aid in recovery and for the future

Seeking treatment and relief from a doctor specializing in chiropractic treatment for car accident injuries would include a thorough consultation exam that identifies the best solutions to resolve your pain and return you to healthy activity.  After the acute injury and pain is treated and subsides, patients often find an ongoing preventive regime of spinal manipulation and massage healing and curative in the longer term.

Isolating and Treating the Root Cause

When traumatic neck and back injuries result from a car accident, traditional treatment methods rely heavily on pain medication to mask the root cause.  A more holistic and natural course of treatment combines various chiropractic techniques with massage, ice and rest.  Chiropractic treatment for car accident injuries is a proven modality that is supported by insurance providers and can provide relief from the first treatment.

As a member of the community in Mill Creek and Snohomish County, our chiropractor understands the healthy and engaged lifestyles of our residents and is dedicated to returning our patients to top shape quickly.  Contact us today to learn more about your treatment options.

Neck Pain

Neck Pain

by | Sep 4, 2019 | Advice, Informational, Injury

Neck Pain in Mill Creek

Are you suffering from neck pain in Mill Creek? Much of the suffering from the upper back region, including your neck, happens on the job. Up to 40% of work injuries are to the neck, arm, shoulder and back. That may be, you say, but I’m too young to suffer from neck or back pain. Maybe not. Two-thirds of all back problems occur to people under 30. Surprising, isn’t it?

Symptoms

While some experience neck pain just in their neck, for some it sometimes it spreads, leading to headaches and stiffness. With neck pain, some people may feel a “kink” in their neck or upper back, or a shooting pain in the shoulder or arm. Sometimes, they’ll notice restricted movement in these regions doing the simplest of tasks, such as putting on a coat or brushing their hair. They may even feel a loss of strength in their arm. Or starting to lose their grip! A burning, tingling or numbing sensation may be felt in the area in question. After the back, the second most common complaint is neck pain. The neck is very vulnerable to stresses and strains and often reacts violently to seemingly insignificant accidents or falls. While the neck is hurting, you may want to protect it by hindering its movement but “stopping the neck from moving when you have neck pain is probably one of the worst things you can do,” Dr. Kochelayev says. “If you have a sore neck, certainly don’t push through pain, but work within your comfortable movement pattern”.

What can cause these ailments you may ask? For the neck these can be bad or rigid posture, muscle weakness, arthritis, accidents (whiplash), nervous tension, “pinched nerve” and/or bad work habits. While for the upper back, these can be spinal dysfunction, stresses at work, injuries, disease, posture defects and/or problems from arthritis.

If you are experiencing any symptoms explained here and would like to know more, please  call 425-737-5343 to make an appointment and we will be happy to answer all of your questions!

Understanding Your Health Insurance

Understanding Your Health Insurance

by | Aug 26, 2019 | Advice, Informational

Understanding Your Health Insurance

When searching for a chiropractor, one of the top things people ask is how chiropractic care works with their health insurance coverage. Health insurance can be very helpful, yet confusing to navigate as a consumer. Here are our most frequently asked questions, so you can understand the way health insurance works and confidently use your benefits.

Is chiropractic covered by health insurance?

Great news! Most health insurance plans include chiropractic care (e.g. Regence, Premera, United Healthcare, Aetna, Ambetter). Keep in mind, plans through the state government may not cover chiropractic care for adults.

It’s important to note that typical insurance plans will most likely not cover all the care needed for a normal patient. Choose a chiropractor who is reasonably priced, so visits are still affordable out-of-pocket if you need to continue care beyond your insurance’s covered amount of appointments.

How do I choose a health insurance plan that covers chiropractic care?

When selecting your health insurance plan, look for one that includes alternative care, such as chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, and massage. Research if these insurance plans designate a maximum number of chiropractic visits. Plans that focus primarily on HMOs, trauma-based insurance, or emergency coverage are less likely to cover alternative care.

What is the difference between a deductible, a co-pay and co-insurance?

Deductible: The deductible is an amount of money that you must cover out-of-pocket before your health insurance will cover benefits for the rest of the year. At the beginning of a new year, the deductible starts over and must be fulfilled again.

Co-Pay: A co-pay is a fixed fee you pay out-of-pocket for healthcare visits. Co-pays usually do not count towards the deductible.

Co-Insurance: Once the deductible is reached, the insurance company will cover a percentage of the bill, and you will pay the remainder.

How about when I need a lot of work?

Your health insurance plan has an out-of-pocket max. This is the maximum amount you would pay for health coverage throughout the year. Your deductible, co-pays, and your co-insurance all cumulatively count towards this amount. When you reach your out-of-pocket max, all eligible medical expenses are covered at 100%.

Our absolute top priority is helping you heal and move well. We do not want cost to be an obstacle. Dr. Gabrielle Soucy says, “At our clinic, we never let finances get in the way of care. If a payment plan is needed, we will sit down with our patients and find a solution.”

How is health insurance changing?

Health insurance seems to always be in the news, and usually not in a good way. Indeed, benefits are going down, while deductibles and premiums are going up. Dr. Sergey Kochelayev states, “Deductibles and visit copays are increasing at an alarming rate every year, while the benefits covered by the insurance continues to lessen. We used to see plans that would cover up to 25 chiropractic visits or even unlimited visits per year based on medical needs with no deductible and only a $20 co-pay. Now these same plans only cover 10 chiropractic visits per year with a $2,000 deductible and a co-pay of $50 per visit. Our US health care system is going in the wrong direction!” Now more than ever, it is important to be a smart consumer and pay attention to your health insurance benefits as they change from year to year.

Health assurance

At Amazing Life Chiropractic, you will be confident our focus is always on your overall health. Not only do we eliminate your symptoms, but we also address the underlying causes to your health problems so they don’t return! By helping our patients heal and stay healthy, the result is they often have fewer overall medical bills. You can trust we will work with you to create a personalized care plan that makes sensible use of your health insurance coverage. Call us at 425-737-5343 or visit our website to learn more and schedule your appointment today.