If you've ever noticed a strange tingling or burning sensation in your hands or feet, suffer from chronic or intermittent pain, or often experience a feeling of numbness in your extremities, you may be dealing with neuropathy pain.
Nerve pain results from numerous medical conditions, most commonly diabetes, other metabolic issues, traumatic injury, toxin exposure, and even unexplained infections. The uncomfortable and often relentless symptoms affect every aspect of your body, from regulating the temperature of your hands and feet to healing from minor wounds. Here are four symptoms of neuropathy that you should know if you've ever suspected nerve pain to be the cause of your chronic discomfort:
Pain
This may seem obvious, but many people don't realize the root cause of just not feeling yourself. Whether you're in constant pain or it comes and goes, many people try to lay the blame for their pain on tiredness, lack of exercise, or bad habits. While it could very well involve these factors, too, over 10{115649cd14c12cd94f0d147e1e5923e5cfd090a3a81f6b6da2d6b334a1994be8} of the population suffers from neuropathy.
Tingling
When the nerve endings of the body give you that tingly feeling, that can indicate that they are performing abnormally or losing sensitivity. When the signals that travel from the body to the central nervous system located in the brain and spine are interrupted, this can cause a sensation of 'tingly' hands and feet. This is often one of the very first symptoms that people with neuropathy notice.
Burning
Similar to tingling, a sense of burning in the extremities can indicate an onset of neuropathy. The peripheral neuropathy that a large number of diabetics suffer from is often described as a hot, burning feeling in the legs and arms. A whopping seven million Americans suffer from burning in their feet due to neuropathy. This discomfort generally leads to overall frustration as well as loss of sleep and quality of life. But the majority of burning neuropathy cases can be treated by restoring balance and communication to the nerve endings, as Dr. Nygaard’s chiropractic care does.
Numbness
Loss of feeling completely in hands and feet is not an uncommon symptom of neuropathy. In fact, many diabetics and other nerve pain victims have to take extra precautions against numb body parts, as they may have so little feeling that they don't notice normal pain sensations such as a cut, burn, sore, or wound in their hands and feet. Numbness generally accompanies weakness, as the blood's circulation is stagnant and unhealthy in the unfeeling body parts. Restoring oxygen, nutrition, and feeling to these numb extremities is essential, and possible while working with a chiropractor like Dr. Nygaard.
Now that you are aware of these major symptoms of neuropathy, it may be easier for you to frame your pain in terms of your nervous system. Luckily, chiropractic care specializes in dealing with the nervous system, tweaking it to get its channels of communication flowing once again
Dr. Nygaard has been serving the Asheville community for 18 years and wants to help you in your journey to wellbeing.
It’s hard to know what the culprit is with neck pain – is it your pillow, headrest, or swivel chair? Is it your posture or that bike injury you had a few years ago? Perhaps it’s whiplash from a minor car accident that you never thought could have such long-lasting complications.
No matter what the influence – injury, exercise, posture, or another factor – neck pain is possible to beat. And one of the most promising, and absolutely non-invasive and drug-free, tools in the medical field is Atlas Orthogonal treatment, which works with your body to heal itself, not against it. Atlas Orthogonal works directly with the top bone of the neck to restore its proper alignment, building a bridge of health between the body and brain.
If there was one key to resolving upper neck pain, it lies in the gentle and specific adjustments that Dr. Nygaard performs to the top bone of the neck, the atlas. Deliberately manipulating the very first vertebrae in the neck allows your body’s natural healing defenses to kick in by restoring the organic flow of brain-body communication. Through this bone, the nerves of the brain stem run and disperse throughout the rest of the body. When your atlas bone is out of line, however, a communication barrier is put up between the brain and the rest of the body and often, signals are missed or do not go through properly. Just like a perfectly oiled machine, when the atlas bone is aligned correctly, the whole spinal column is likely operating well. When it’s out of whack, due to injury, a lifetime of poor posture and sleep positions, vigorous exercise, or any one of numerous factors, there is a distortion at the brainstem that can cause everything from immune system depression to swelling and pain in the neck area.
After a professional atlas evaluation and the correction of misalignment – or subluxation, the chiropractic term – is resolved, patients find improvement from a multitude of angles. Physically, they feel less pain, inflammation and swelling. Mentally, because the communication lines between the body and brain are cleared, there is a lifting of brain fog. Emotionally, some patients feel that there is an easing and relaxing into a dramatically improved quality of life.
As the only Atlas Orthogonal chiropractor in Western North Carolina, Dr. Nygaard specializes in helping people in pain heal by creating a treatment plan specific to them. Using state-of-the-art diagnostic technology, he will examine you to assess the alignment of your neck. Even a minor misalignment can cause people major pain, so he will determine with absolute precision what the best alignment action is for you. The X-rays that Dr. Nygaard takes are computer analyzed for accuracy, and exact calculations are made that trigger a gentle instrument to adjust your atlas. There is no pain whatsoever, and in fact, some patients immediately feel relaxed and relieved directly after the adjustment.
For the future of your neck and a life free of pain, an Atlas Orthogonal adjustment might be the one thing you haven’t tried; it might be the one thing that works for you, for the long-term.
One of the main causes of neck pain is a condition called vertebral subluxation which results from misaligned vertebrae in the spine of the neck. Fortunately, chiropractors such as Dr. Nygaard are trained to pinpoint these areas and work with you on correcting them.
Chiropractic adjustments are safe and gentle maneuvers that can be used to fix these vertebral subluxations. Much research has been conducted that shows these adjustments can dramatically reduce neck pain and improve neck function.
According to a just-published study of over 2,000 adults who sought conventional and complementary remedies for neck pain; over half of the sufferers chose chiropractic care. 61{115649cd14c12cd94f0d147e1e5923e5cfd090a3a81f6b6da2d6b334a1994be8} of the chiropractic patients reported their care to be very helpful, while only 27{115649cd14c12cd94f0d147e1e5923e5cfd090a3a81f6b6da2d6b334a1994be8} of those seeking conventional care did.
While chiropractic adjustments may be beneficial for the treatment of neck pain, another technique called mobilization can be combined with it to provide even greater relief. Mobilization moves the neck through range of motion exercises to stretch muscles and boost circulation, and most of the time is used to set up a chiropractic adjustment.
Speaking of range of motion – according to a Canadian study, chiropractic care can offer immediate results by boosting neck range of motion, and in turn, decreasing pain.
Researchers studied 100 patients with neck pain, 78{115649cd14c12cd94f0d147e1e5923e5cfd090a3a81f6b6da2d6b334a1994be8} of whom reported endured pain. 52 of those 100 patients received chiropractic adjustments while the other 48 were mobilized. All patient’s neck range of motion were rated before and after treatment.
The results? Both groups felt lessened pain, but the reduction was more than 1.5 times greater in the group that received the chiropractic adjustment J Manipulative Physiol Ther.
While ROM, chiropractic adjustments and mobilization are all beneficial, exercise is also very important. Building muscle strength and muscle endurance, even in as little as 3 months can have dramatic results.
Want another reason why building neck strength is important? It can prevent many of the hateful headaches that over 45 million Americans suffer from, including chronic or migraine headaches. One report, which included 683 chronic headaches sufferers, found that chiropractic care is as effective as prescription medication for tension-type headaches J Manipulative Physiol Ther
Neck pain can sometimes be a sign of another health concern. If you suffer from neck pain, a visit to Dr. Nygaard will not only relieve your mind, but also your pain. Ignoring neck pain may exacerbate discomfort. Call Atlas Brain and Body today to get rid of neck pain for good!
The atlas (the top bone in the neck) is prone to misalignment more than any other vertebra of the spine. It is a freely moveable joint, and with the second vertebra (the axis) provides most of the motion between the head and neck. Every nerve in our body passes through the atlas and interference or nerve irritation at the level of the brainstem can cause countless serious health conditions.
Over 100 million Americans now live with chronic pain. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, this burden of everyday discomfort not only costs us our health and happiness, but also costs our country a cool $635 billion dollars annually - and that was back in 2010. More importantly, being in a constant state of inflammation affects our mood, our relationships, and our interactions with our fellow teammates in this thing we call life.
Preventative care is the key to unlocking the treasure chest of health that each one of us can access. Drug-free solutions don\'t have to be complex or expensive. Instead, they begin with the simple things: food, self-care, rest, a stress-less lifestyle, and, of course, top-notch chiropractic care.
The Most Common Types of Pain<
Lower back pain is the winner here. As a result of poor posture, bad ergonomics at work or at home. Looking for Safe, Effective Pain Management in Asheville, NC?
Read more about Pain Management.
Of all the body parts that gain wear and tear with everyday usage, our feet are perhaps the worst victims of our lifestyles. Whether we're totally sedentary, working at a desk job for 10 hours a day, or just the opposite, putting constant stress on our feet with extreme exercise and sports, our feet suffer. The 52 bones that the feet contain make up a full one-quarter of all the bones in the body, meaning that regular care for our feet is just as important as caring for the rest of your musculoskeletal system. About 20% Americans suffer from regular foot problems each year. If you’re searching a foot doctor in Charlotte NC, look no further. Dr. Nygaard, located in Asheville, NC is one of the most esteemed chiropractors in the state, and specializes in resolving painful foot issues.
Common Foot Problems That We See
Here are some of the most common areas of the feet where people experience pain
Heel Pain
Pain on the bottom of the foot can range from painful conditions like plantar fascitis ('heel pain syndrome'), heel spur syndrome, and metatarsalgia. Heel pain syndrome occurs in 2 million people each year and can come on suddenly or gradually develop over time. It can be caused by obesity, which causes significant stress to fall on the heel. Chiropractic treatment is very useful in helping to manipulate the bones of the feet so that the stress is evenly distributed across the foot, relieving pain.
Pain at the Ball of the Foot
Beneath the area at the top of the foot where the toes join the rest of the foot is the ball. This area is particularly susceptible to conditions like metatarsal bone misalignment, also called metatarsalgia. Other foot problems in this area can result from fractures, breaks, or other injuries, or even from wearing the wrong shoe.
Pain on the Top of the Foot
Although less common that either of the two previous types of pain, top of the foot pain can be excruciating. Whether you've worn tight-fitting heels your whole life or your feet have slightly high or very low arches, you may experience pain in the bones and joints that inflames the surface of the foot. No matter how the top of the foot pain has gotten to where it is today, chiropractic care can aid in correcting it by delicately setting the bones of the feet back into place, eliminating discomfort.
Here at Atlas Brain and Body, we also see patients with foot problems on the side of the foot or heel problems, such as Achilles tendonitis. No matter what the source of your foot pain, we will work with you to ease you into a pain-free life, without expensive surgeries or dangerous medications. The health of your feet is in your hands; making an investment in their well-being now will provide you with years of pain-free walking and motion.
Dr. Nygaard has been serving the Asheville community for 18 years and wants to help you in your journey to wellbeing. Specializing in upper cervical and Atlas Orthogonal treatment, neuropathy, disc compression, migraines, auto accident recovery.
Dr. Nygaard is the only doctor in the Western North Carolina area with this area of expertise and care. He is happy to customize a safe and effective treatment plan for you, so your free initial pre-consultation today.
A headache is one thing, a thing that affects roughly half of the worldwide population at least once per year. But a headache that you can’t understand is an entirely different animal, resulting in not only confusion but frustration. While you can work on minimizing your triggers as long as you know what they are, a headache that comes on out of the blue can be as puzzling as it is painful. You might think about what you’ve eaten that day, what you’ve had to drink, whether you’ve exercised, or how many hours you’ve been staring at the dim flicker of your computer screen. But here are some little understood causes of headaches you might not think about.
A Medication Overdose Headache
Of the over 200 types of headaches that plague the world’s population, there is one that many people are unfamiliar with. Yet, according to Manjit Matharu, neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, one in fifty people who complain of a headache are suffering from a medication overdose headache. In the UK, for example, the BBC has reported that up to one million people have absolutely preventable headaches that result solely from the intake of too many pills. In our pharmaceutical-reliant society, this is no surprise. But, of course, it is a vicious cycle: people take pain medications for various issues, wind up with a headache, and dose themselves with more meds. In this detrimental spin, there is no room for the body to heal itself.
Headaches After Trauma
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a well known fact of life, but post trauma headaches? While common, this phenomenon is less accepted, though just as prevalent. Although the most common types of headaches are migraines and tension or stress pains, trauma headaches are frequently seen amongst those who have experienced a physically jarring or fight-or-flight situation. A car accident or a sports injury are good examples of trauma that might spur a pattern of headaches minutes, days, or even months later. Other accompanying symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vertigo, brain fog, memory loss, sleeplessness or excess, and habit alteration. When you’ve experienced a traumatic event, your top priority should be taking care of your health. This may mean seeing a chiropractor like Dr. Nygaard who can help in reversing the effects of the trauma by realigning your body to its natural self-restoration.
Drug-Free Headache Relief
Luckily, there’s at least one healing modality that offers completely non-invasive, drug-free, and actually safe headache therapy. Dr. Nygaard specializes in helping people get to the root cause of their headaches, by making minor adjustments that help the brain and body to communicate with each other more easily, thereby improving your pain response and overall health.
NC Headache Clinic Frees Patients From Headache-Causing Drugs
One-quarter of American households include someone who suffers from migraines, and the most popular treatment for these painful, often throbbing headaches is prescription or over-the-counter medication. Why not? It’s fast and easy, and seems to get the job done. But did you know that a large percentage of severe headaches are actually caused by these drugs? The World Health Organization has reported that as many as 5{115649cd14c12cd94f0d147e1e5923e5cfd090a3a81f6b6da2d6b334a1994be8} of all headaches might be drug-induced. When someone has a migraine or other unrelated pain such as arthritis, they often pop a pill, hoping that the pain will go away. When it doesn’t, they take another one, increasing the severity and length of their headaches each time. The cycle must be broken.
Drugs Worsen Headaches and Health
The side effects of the drugs that are used to manage pain typically include ‘headache’ as one of the listed symptoms. How’s that for irony? Nausea, vertigo, neck, jaw, and throat pain are just a few of the side effects listed on the most popular pain medications. According to the BBC in England, over one million people are experiencing headaches as a result of their pill-popping habit. These are utterly preventable, and can be addressed healthily with chiropractic care which gets down to the heart of the issue, analyzing the root cause of the headache instead of putting a ‘bandaid’ of medication on it.
Don’t Cover Up Your Pain (Could this be re-titled as Your Guide to Pain Management in Asheville, NC)
Smothering your pain is not the answer. Rather, it leads to a whirlpool of pain, stress, and frustration that you can’t seem to fight your way out of. If you’ve found yourself reaching for pain medications to smother your pain, we understand. It’s only natural to want to feel good. But by working with Dr. Nygaard to examine the cause of the pain, there is hope to resolve it without having to rely on headache-inducing, costly, and dangerous medications for the rest of your life.
At Atlas Brain and Body, a top-quality NC headache clinic, it is our mission to provide with you with resources, health, and help along your way to a drug-free, pain-free lifestyle. We were the first NC headache clinic to have digital x-rays, and pride ourselves on offering you a friendly, professional environment where you will be seen, heard, and understood.
When the painful force of a migraine hits you, it can be impossible to describe. Like being hit in the head with a rock for some people and like being needled by a thousand tiny stingers for others, migraines occur in over 38 million Americans.
It is often said that until you’ve experienced a migraine, you can’t understand it. Caused by any number of things, migraines result in misery across the board. With one in four American households containing a member who experiences migraines, there’s no doubt about how widespread they are.
But what you probably don’t know is just how strange some of the causes of migraines can be.
Regardless of whether your migraine has sprung from a lightning storm, your monthly cycle, or a minor or major car accident, we are here to help. With you, we will co-create a treatment plan that may include Atlas Orthogonal adjustment and upper cervical care that gets to the root of migraine causes. Read what our patients have had to say about our migraine treatment.
Been moving furniture lately and forgetting to lift with your knees and not your back? Or perhaps you slipped and feel on an icy step and your back just hasn’t felt right since? You’re not alone, and you don’t have to turn to prescription medications to smother your pain.
Over one-third of those who pay a visit to their chiropractor are seeking relief for their back pain. Sports and professional injuries, physically demanding jobs, and motor vehicle accidents are some of the most common causes of lower back pain…but what’s a person to do who has struggled with severe lower back pain for months or even years?
Chiropractic Care is the Answer to Acute or Chronic Back Ache
The evidence for addressing lower back pain successfully points directly to chiropractic care. In 2010, a study involving nearly 3000 patients with acute or medium-term pain in the lower back demonstrated that quality chiropractic care beat out all the other treatment options. More than physical therapy, various doses of pain medication, and exercise regimens, chiropractic care resolved the problem and put patients on a path to a pain-free life.
Slipped or herniated disc causing nerve problems and pain in your spinal area or lower back? This issue is best addressed with a chiropractic care plan specific to neuropathy. A good chiropractor knows the precise arrangement of nerves and how painful they can be if pinched or lodged in the wrong position.
Stay Drug-Free and Healthy While You Heal
The best physical environment for healing is a body as clean as possible from prescription drugs. Contrary to popular belief, pharmaceutical medications don’t confront problems head on – they simply veil the symptoms. The true, root cause of back pain is often a misalignment between the delicate nervous system, the spine, and the joints in that area. Between an upper cervical alignment, a spinal disc decompression, and various other gentle techniques, chiropractic care manipulates your body carefully into its best shape so that you can continue healing on your own and conquer lower back pain for life.
After you make an appointment with one of our knowledgeable staff, you’ll see Dr. Nygaard, the sole doctor and owner of our clinic, who will perform an assessment of your physical health and develop a treatment plan for you specific to your pain and health goals. We help you work within your lifestyle to address your pain holistically, paying attention to all the cogs of your moving wheel.
