Cody B. Doyle DC, DIANM | Chiropractor Roanoke Tx 76262 | Board Certified Chiropractic Orthopedist

Board Certified Chiropractor Serving Patients in Roanoke, Keller, and Fort Worth Texas

COVID-19 Have You Stuck at Home? It’s a Great Opportunity to Start Taking Care of Your Back!

|

While we know this is a difficult time for many, being stuck at home can be a great opportunity to practice self-care. If you’re someone who suffers from back pain, take this time to learn some simple and effective ways to relieve it.

In this blog, Dr. Cody Doyle discusses the best back and shoulder stretches, how to sit and sleep properly, and exercises to improve your back health.

Back and Shoulder Stretches

The proper stretches can relieve pain by helping you maintain flexibility, promote range of motion, and improve blood flow. Choose a few of the following stretches to complete daily and spend 30 seconds on each stretch.

In this list, we’ll tell you the name of the stretch, what type of pain it helps with, and the steps to complete it.

1. Neck side bend and rotation: neck and upper back

  • Sit or stand facing forward
  • Tilt your head to the right
  • Hold for 10 seconds
  • Roll your head to the left slowly
  • When you reach your left shoulder, hold for ten seconds
  • Roll back to the right shoulder

Repeat this stretch two to three times.

2. Shoulder roll: shoulders and upper back

  • Stand up straight
  • Place your arms at your sides
  • Roll your shoulders from the back to the front in a circular motion five times

Repeat two to three times.

3. Overhead arm reach: shoulders and upper back

  • Sit up straight on a chair
  • Face forward
  • Place your feet flat on the ground
  • Put your right arm straight up
  • Reach to the left
  • Bend at the torso—you should feel a stretch in your shoulder and middle of your back
  • Return to the original position

Repeat five times then switch to your opposite arm.

4. Chair rotation: upper, mid, and lower back

  • Sit sideways in a chair
  • Place your feet directly in front of you on the ground
  • Rotate your torso to the right and reach for the back of the chair
  • For ten seconds, hold yourself in that position
  • Use your arms to rotate your torso further

Repeat three times for each side.

5. Cat cow: mid and lower back

  • Get down on your hands and knees
  • Place your palms right under your shoulders
  • Place your knees directly under your hips
  • Inhale and pull your pelvis in while rounding out your mid back
  • Pull your navel into your spine
  • Drop your head
  • Hold for three to five seconds
  • Breathe out and return to the original position
  • Tilt your face upward
  • Allow your back to sink towards the floor
  • Hold for three to five seconds

Repeat this stretch five times.

Other Helpful Stretches

The Cleveland Clinic offers short videos that show what each of these stretches looks like. They also include several other stretches, including:

  • Pec stretch
  • Child’s pose
  • Knee to chest
  • Butterfly
  • Thoracic extension

Best Sitting and Sleeping Practices

Lower back pain makes everything in life more difficult—even sitting and sleeping! It may take between 10 and 20 days for your back to heal, but learning how to sit and sleep properly will certainly help ease the pain.

Sitting

To reduce the pain in your lower back, follow these guidelines:

  • Sit as little as possible and only for 10 to 15 minutes at a time
  • Use a pillow or rolled-up towel for back support while sitting
  • Place your feet directly on the floor in front of you (use a stool if necessary)
  • Sit in a firm chair with armrests
  • Adjust your chair height
  • When turning, turn your entire body

Sleeping

Good, restful sleep is essential to living a healthy life. It’s also a great time to let your back muscles rest and reset. These five tips will help support your back and give you better sleep.

  1. Find the right position.

There are ways to support your back without having to completely change your sleeping position. If you’re a side-sleeper, slightly bend your legs at the knees and pull them towards your chest, then place a pillow between your legs.

Those who sleep on their backs should put a pillow under their knees and head. For additional support, roll up a small towel and place it under the back.

Sleeping on your stomach is one of the worst positions for your back. However, you can lessen the pressure on your lower back by placing a pillow under your lower abdomen and pelvis. Sleep with a pillow under your head as long as it doesn’t cause more strain on your back.

  1. Get a new mattress.

Mattresses today come in all levels of comfort. It can be difficult to decide whether a firm mattress or soft mattress is better for your back, but the best thing to do it try them out. Pay attention to how your back feels after you’ve slept in a hotel bed or at someone else’s house.

Placing your mattress on the floor will give it more support than when it is sitting on a box spring. Try this for a couple of nights to see how the extra support affects your pain. You can make your mattress softer by adding a mattress topper. As a bonus, you’ll avoid the expenses of buying a brand-new mattress!

Talk to a chiropractor to help you determine whether a firm or soft mattress is best for you.

  1. Be careful when getting in and out of bed.

So many people throw their backs out while getting in and out of bed. To avoid further pain in your back, make slow movements and avoid bending at the waist.

When getting into bed, sit on the edge of the bed, then as you lie down on your side, bring your legs into the bed. Once your settled, adjust to the proper sleeping position.

  1. Exercise your core.

Strengthening the muscles in your abdomen, hips, pelvis, and lower back eases back pain and lowers the risk of muscle spasms. We’ll discuss some of the best exercises to relieve back pain in the next section.

  1. Do yoga before bed

Yoga doesn’t just reduce your back pain, it also lowers stress levels and encourages better sleep. Your chiropractor can help you decide which yoga stretches and poses are best for your back pain.

Back, Shoulder, and Neck Exercises

Exercising the muscles in your back, shoulders, and neck is essential to reducing and preventing further pain. Complete these seven exercises at least three times a week and always after stretching.

  1. Row for upper back
  2. Face pull for upper back and shoulder
  3. Scapular squeeze for upper back and shoulder
  4. Wall angles for neck, shoulders, and upper back
  5. Reverse dumbbell fly for shoulders and upper back
  6. Lat pulldown for shoulders and upper back
  7. Superman for mid and lower back

Click here for instructions and short videos on how to complete these exercises.

Talk to a Chiropractor

When it’s possible to visit with a chiropractor, schedule an initial consultation. Chiropractors like Dr. Doyle are passionate about helping their patients achieve total wellness through natural and conservative treatments.

To meet with our Roanoke, TX chiropractor, call (817) 767-5430 today.

Should I visit a chiropractor?

|

Should I go to a chiropractor

Do you suffer from back or neck pain? Do frequent headaches interfere with your life?

If so, you may wonder what the best treatment option is.

Did you know your local chiropractor offers effective treatment solutions that are noninvasive and drug-free? That could be why approximately 22 million Americans visit a chiropractor each year. With those visits, 35 percent, or around 7.7 million, seek care for relief from back pain caused by sports injuries, accidents, and muscle sprains and strains.

If you are in the Roanoke, TX area, Dr. Cody Doyle offers safe, effective treatment options for your pain. With over two decades of experience, he has successfully brought relief to thousands of suffering patients.

But Dr. Doyle goes above and beyond chiropractic care. He also offers acupuncture and myofascial release therapy, as well as other alternative therapies, such as nutrition counseling, ultrasound therapy, muscle stimulation, and education regarding home exercise.

And he treats a lot more than just neck and back pain. Keep reading to learn the surprising conditions chiropractic care can help.

What is a chiropractor?

A chiropractor is someone licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic, with the initials DC after their name. When you see these initials, you know your provider has received extensive training in disorders of bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments.

Training and education to be a chiropractor include a four-year undergraduate degree (usually a “pre-med” type of degree) and four years of chiropractic school (approximately 4,200 instructional hours). In addition, they have taken and passed a National Board Exam.

A chiropractic program typically looks something like this:

  • First year: Courses in biochemistry, spinal anatomy, general anatomy, and chiropractic principles.
  • Second year: Courses in pathology, imaging interpretation, clinical orthopedics, chiropractic procedures, and research methods.
  • Third year: Courses in integrated chiropractic, dermatology, pediatrics, practice management, clinical internships, and ethics and jurisprudence.
  • Fourth year: Clinical internship, when the student completes rotations in a clinic or hospital and studies chiropractic care under a licensed chiropractor.

In addition, many chiropractors, such as Dr. Doyle, spend a tremendous amount of time learning about various other specialties, such as sports medicine, nutrition, rehabilitation, and acupuncture.

What is chiropractic care

The main treatments chiropractors perform involve hands-on spinal and joint manipulations to achieve proper alignment of the spine and the body’s musculoskeletal structure. When joints are out of proper alignment, it can cause pain in the neck, back, head, hands, arms, feet, and legs.

Proper alignment allows the body to heal itself naturally without drugs or invasive treatments, such as surgery.

These manipulations restore joint mobility caused by tissue injury from trauma, such as a car accident or fall, and repetitive stress, such as from performing the same stressful movements over and over.

What conditions can a chiropractor treat?

Typically, patients go to a chiropractor for pain relief from injury to joints, muscles, and connective tissue, such as ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. While some patients receive chiropractic care as an adjunct to other treatments, many patients find relief from their pain with chiropractic care alone.

Chiropractic care can relieve pain that is acute, chronic, or from repetitive stress in the back, neck, head, and upper and lower extremities.

Examples of chronic pain include diagnoses like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or degenerative disc disease.

Acute pain can be caused by things like moving heavy furniture, a fall or car accident, or being tackled too hard. Acute pain typically does not last longer than six weeks.

Repetitive stress can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff (shoulder) pain, and plantar fasciitis (foot pain).

However, many patients also seek chiropractic care for issues not involving pain.

Some surprising conditions chiropractors treat successfully include:

  • Migraine and tension headaches
  • Seasonal allergies
  • Neuropathies
  • Weight loss
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Gastrointestinal issues
  • Insomnia
  • Pregnancy-related pains
  • Preparation for labor and delivery to reduce the pain of childbirth
  • Infertility
  • Weak immune system

You may wonder how a chiropractor can help with these conditions. The fact is, nerve impulses travel between your entire body and your brain through the spine, which is the root of your nervous system. When your spine is out of alignment, it puts the body under tremendous stress and can cause a multitude of problems.

Many illnesses and issues are worsened or caused by this stress, with activates the “fight or flight” reaction in the body. This increases your heart rate and blood pressure and redirects your blood away from your digestive system, organs, and extremities.

Over time, this wreaks havoc on your body and increases your risk of diabetes, muscle tissue damage, infertility, slowed healing, and damage to your immune system.

When put back into proper alignment, your body can process and manage stress in a much healthier way, allowing your body to heal itself.

Also, spinal adjustments improve blood circulation and reduce spinal nerve irritation. This helps your brain to turn off the fight or flight response, which also assists the body in healing.

In addition, Dr. Doyle can recommend helpful vitamins and supplements, teach you home exercises and relaxation techniques, and help you improve your posture.

What does chiropractic care involve?

At the first visit, Dr. Doyle will perform a comprehensive examination, which includes any necessary x-rays and gathering information about your medical history, current medications, and lifestyle factors. Next, he will discuss your symptoms, concerns, goals, and desires, and answer any questions you have. Once he has an accurate diagnosis, he will work with you to come up with a treatment plan.

The goal of chiropractic care includes restoring the function of joints, muscles, and connective tissue to align your spine and musculoskeletal system. This will also improve your range of motion, which helps prevent additional injuries.

Chiropractic treatment involves manual adjustments, where Dr. Doyle will manipulate your joints into proper alignment using sudden but controlled force. While some patients fear the adjustments will cause pain, you do not need to worry. Occasionally there is a very quick moment of “pain,” as if you were pinched, but it abates instantly. Then, what you will notice is the relief of pain as the adjustment reduces the irritation of your muscles, joints, and nerves.

At the beginning of your chiropractic treatment, you are in an “urgent care” phase, and more frequent visits may be needed. This is important because the benefits of chiropractic care have a cumulative effect, and repeat treatments are needed to train the body, just like repeat exercise is needed for strength training.

After a few weeks, however, most patients can move to the rehabilitation phase, which requires less frequent visits. Once your pain is well controlled, you go into maintenance. At this point, treatment is pretty much “as needed.”

Are you ready to see how good a chiropractor can help you feel?

If you are in the Roanoke, Trophy Club, Keller, or Southlake area, call (817) 767-5430 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Doyle. He would love to help you get on the road to health and wellbeing.

 

Benefits of Visiting a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist

|

There are multiple benefits of both chiropractic treatment and acupuncture. You may experience the best results, however, with a combined treatment of both. The two go hand in hand and complement each other. Bringing them together offers tremendous advantages.

At Doyle Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Roanoke, TX, Dr. Cody Doyle is a chiropractor and acupuncturist who has over two decades of experience. He can offer you a treatment plan customized for you that gets you on the road to recovery faster.

chiropractor and acupuncturist

What treatment does a chiropractor offer?

When the spine is not in alignment, patients experience pain and inflammation. Chiropractic care is a nonsurgical, drug-free, holistic approach to helping the body heal and be healthy through manipulation of the spine. The manipulations, sometimes called adjustments, put the spine back into alignment, reducing pain and inflammation. Added benefits include improved mobility, function, and overall wellness.

Rather than masking pain with medications, chiropractic care goes to the root of the problem and fixes it.

Also, the spine communicates with the nervous system, which is responsible for the coordination and function of all the organs and muscles in your body. Therefore, a misaligned spine can produce numerous symptoms and conditions people don’t usually associate with chiropractic care.

When performed properly, spinal adjustments can help with many issues, including:

  • Allergies
  • Fatigue
  • Respiratory issues
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Weight gain
  • Boosts immunity
  • Improved digestion
  • Increased energy

How can an acupuncturist help my pain?

Acupuncture involves the use of flexible, hair-thin needles that the acupuncturist places at particular pressure points. This produces an effect on the nervous system that decreases both chronic and acute pain. In addition, acupuncture causes the body to release endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers.

Many patients experience more pain relief with acupuncture than they do with pain medication.

Acupuncture can reduce musculoskeletal pain, including the low back and neck. It can also reduce or eliminate headaches.

Other types of pain acupuncture can relieve include:

  • Labor pain
  • Dental pain
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Arthritis pain

Acupuncture can also help relieve respiratory disorders and reduce nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

Chiropractor and Acupuncturist in One Doctor

Since Dr. Doyle is both a chiropractor and acupuncturist, he can provide both modalities to improve your health and pain so you can heal and recover. This is good news for patients suffering from neck or back pain, as when these treatments are combined, patients improve faster.

Chiropractic care gets the structural system in alignment, and acupuncture helps control inflammation. Combined, they work together to help the body stay relaxed.

If you have ever heard the saying that one plus one equals three, the sum of spinal manipulation plus acupuncture is even better. Not only are they highly compatible, but they complement each other so patients can feel better and return to normal activities quicker.

This is because both treatments help improve the nervous system, producing the force of multiplication in pain relief, relaxation of muscles, and reduction of inflammation.

The combined treatments can also help other issues. For instance, they can help reduce pain and inflammation for joint issues both pre and post-surgery.

Additional issues combined treatment can help include:

  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Sinus pain
  • Allergies
  • Insomnia

A Doctor You Can Trust

If you live in the north Fort Worth area, including Colleyville, Trophy Club, Grapevine, and Southlake, contact Dr. Doyle online or call (817) 767-5430 today to schedule your consultation. He will perform a thorough examination and come up with the best treatment plan for your unique needs.

Isn’t it time to start on the road to recovery?

 

Can a Chiropractor Ease my Chronic Pain?

|

Do you suffer from ongoing back or neck pain? Did you know your chiropractor can help with chronic pain? Dr. Cody Doyle treats patients in the north Fort Worth area at Doyle Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Roanoke, TX. He has over two decades of experience in reducing pain for patients in Keller, Southlake, Grapevine, Colleyville, and Trophy Club in his Roanoke, TX office, and he can help you too.

Chiropractic care is an effective, safe, and natural treatment option that considers the whole person for patients experiencing chronic pain. While the most commonly known treatment of a chiropractor is spinal manipulation, Dr. Doyle offers several other holistic, natural, and conservative options to rid you of your pain.

chiropractor ease chronic pain

What is the first step in finding relief from chronic pain?

Before Dr. Doyle can do anything to treat your pain, he will need to know what is causing it. The first thing he will do is perform a physical examination. He will also want results from any necessary diagnostic testing. Most often, this means x-rays; however, some patients may require additional testing, such as an MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound imaging.

Once Dr. Doyle has diagnosed your condition, he will work with you to develop a customized treatment plan based on your unique needs and desires. This may include a combination of several treatment methods to achieve optimal results.

In addition, he will provide education regarding things you can do to improve health and pain, such as proper posture, exercises, nutrition, and relaxation methods.

How does spinal manipulation improve pain?

Dr. Doyle has an insatiable desire to learn and understand the latest techniques in alternative medicine. He will put this knowledge to work in helping you to be as healthy and pain-free as possible.

Chiropractic therapy focuses on the structure of the body. The most commonly known chiropractic treatment option is spinal adjustments and manipulations. This involves the therapeutic movement of the spine to return it to proper alignment. This is done by applying strong but quick pressure between the vertebrae of the spine.

When the body is properly aligned, pain is reduced, function is improved, and the body is better equipped to heal.

What are other chiropractic treatment options for chronic pain?

While spinal adjustments and manipulation are the mainstays of chiropractic care, Dr. Doyle goes above and beyond to offer numerous other safe, effective, and all-natural drug-free treatment options for your pain.

Thanks to his quest to learn everything he can about alternative treatment, his patients experience improved health and decreased pain.

Once he learns the cause of your pain, he will work with you to determine which modalities will help you the most.

Some of the possible treatment modalities he may offer you for chronic pain include:

  • Acupuncture
  • Deep myofascial release massage
  • Hot and cold therapy
  • Therapeutic exercises
  • Herbal remedies
  • Muscle stimulation
  • Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
  • Ultrasound therapy
  • Auriculotherapy
  • Weight loss treatments
  • Nutritional and detoxification programs
  • Treatments for allergies

And since Dr. Doyle continually learns more, he frequently adds new techniques and treatments as he perfects his protocols.

Don’t Let Chronic Pain Interfere with Your Quality of Life

If you suffer from chronic pain, there is no better time to begin treatment to change your life for the better. Call 817-767-5430 or contact us online today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Doyle.

Isn’t it time to get on the road to recovery?

What Are the Best Exercises for Sciatica?

|

woman with sciaticaBone spurs, herniated discs, injury, and spinal stenosis are the most common causes of sciatica—pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve. This pain reaches from the lower back and down one of the legs and causes pain, inflammation, and numbness. Sciatica can be debilitating, but it doesn’t have to be.

Dr. Cody Doyle can work alongside you to create a treatment plan to relieve your sciatic nerve pain. The treatment plan may be a combination of chiropractic, acupuncture, and exercise. Contact our Roanoke, TX chiropractic office today at 817-767-5430 to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Doyle.

Here are five exercises you can try at home to relieve your sciatica pain:

1. Sciatica nerve floss

Sciatic nerve flossing can decompress your sciatic nerve and relieve lower back pain. To perform this exercise, follow these instructions:

  • Sit upright on a chair with your feet hanging off the side or placed on the floor in front of you.
  • Put your hands on your thighs.
  • Extend the pained leg straight out and look straight up.
  • Lower your leg and head (looking down at your lap) at the same time.
  • Do ten reps, three times a day.

2. Cat and Cow

To prevent further damage, use a low range of motion when practicing this exercise. Here’s how to use the cat and cow exercise to relieve your sciatica:

  • Kneel on your hands and knees. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders and knees positioned under your hips.
  • Take a deep breath.
  • Arch your spine while you exhale and hold the position for two seconds.
  • Inhale while you tighten your stomach muscles and round your back. Hold for two seconds.
  • Repeat this motion ten times.

3. Deep thigh stretch

If your sciatic nerve pain begins in your piriformis muscle (in the buttock area), this stretch can help relieve the tension.

  • Lie on your back with bent knees and feet flat on the floor.
  • Place your right ankle on top of your left knee.
  • Pull your thigh towards your chest with your hands or a band. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Do the same for your right leg.
  • Repeat this two more times on each side.

4. Half cobra pose

Extend your spine and reduce pain with the half cobra pose. Repeat the following steps ten times:

  • Lie on your stomach.
  • Prop yourself up on your elbows but keep your hips on the floor. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds.
  • Lie flat on your stomach.
  • Each time you prop yourself up, work your way to staying up for 30 seconds.

5. Full cobra pose

Take caution with this exercise, but if your back allows, the full cobra pose can push back any disc material that is causing your pain.

  • Lie flat on the ground with your hands flat on the ground next to your shoulders.
  • Keeping your hips on the ground, push up until you feel a slight stretch.
  • With each stretch, slightly push yourself further and hold for longer.
  • Repeat this exercise five more times.

Why should I seek chiropractic care?

In addition to these stretches, Dr. Doyle can use the proper adjustment techniques to relieve your pain even faster. Chiropractic care offers drug-free pain relief, reduces inflammation, and restores your range of motion. With over 20 years of experience, you can trust Dr. Doyle to create a treatment plan that suits your specific needs.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Let us help you live a pain-free life with a personalized chiropractic treatment plan. Contact our Roanoke, TX office today at 817-767-5430 today.

How Chiropractic Care Boosts the Immune System

|

happy family during fallCooler weather, warm colors, hunting season, and pumpkin-flavored everything are some of the first things that come to mind when we think about fall. Unfortunately, these enjoyable things also come with the stress of upcoming holidays, fear of the flu, and unhealthy eating habits that cause a blow to the immune system. A weakened immune system makes you more susceptible to developing a cold, influenza, and other illnesses.

Your Roanoke family chiropractor, Dr. Cody Doyle, can help you and your loved ones fight off sickness by boosting your immune system with regular chiropractic care. Because your brain, nervous system, and immune system are all connected through the spine, musculoskeletal manipulation dramatically improves their health and function. Regular chiropractic adjustments can increase the chemical messengers, called cytokines, in your body that strengthen your immune system’s response against bacteria, germs, and viruses.

Contact our team at Doyle Chiropractic and Acupuncture today at 817-767-5430 to schedule an appointment.

The Evidence

It’s believed that the science of chiropractic became popular during the 1918 Flu Pandemic. According to The Official History of Chiropractic in Texas by Walter R. Rhodes, DC, statistics reveal just how effective chiropractic was in treating influenza. Here are some of those numbers:

  • In Davenport, Iowa, medical doctors treated 4,953 cases and had 274 deaths. Chiropractors treated 1,635 cases with only one death. Based on these numbers, had the chiropractors treated every patient, there would have only been five deaths.
  • In the whole state of Iowa, medical doctors lost one out of every fifteen patients while chiropractors lost only one out of every 789 patients.
  • Nationally, chiropractors treated 46,394 patients and had only 54 deaths.
  • Chiropractors in Oklahoma lost only seven out of 3,490 patients and saved 25 after medical doctors gave up on them.

These results, and a number of other stories involving children and the military, led many to receive chiropractic care and many others to join the chiropractic profession.

Another study completed by the chief of cancer prevention research at New York’s Preventative Medicine Institute, Dr. Ronald Pero, showed that 107 individuals who had regular chiropractic adjustments had a 200 percent stronger immune system than those who did not receive chiropractic care. It also showed that the chiropractic patients’ immune systems were 400 percent stronger than those who have cancer or other serious diseases.

What’s weakening my immune system?

Besides visiting Dr. Doyle, one of the most important things you can do to strengthen your immune systems is to find out what is weakening it. When you visit our Roanoke family chiropractic office, Dr. Doyle can help you figure out the cause of your symptoms and suggest lifestyle changes you can make to keep your immune system strong.

Factors that lead to a weak immune system include:

  • Insufficient exercise
  • Lack of sleep
  • Improper nutrition
  • Stress caused by trauma, thoughts, toxins, and technology

Exercise, healthy eating habits, good sleeping habits, and reducing stress will give your body the strength and nutrients it needs to fight against bad bacteria and viruses.

Whatever the cause of your illness, Dr. Doyle will work with you to create a personalized plan to promote overall wellness.

Contact Our Roanoke Family Chiropractic Office Today

Chiropractic care is a drug-free, noninvasive solution to many health conditions. Dr. Doyle believes in your body’s natural ability to heal with a little help from proven and safe chiropractic methods. To get started with your regular chiropractic treatments, contact our friendly team today at 817-767-5430.

What Are the Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve?

|

Injury, poor posture, or repetitive movements can result in compression on a nerve. Over time, this pressure can result in a painful condition commonly known as a pinched nerve. Nerve compression tends to occur in vulnerable places where there is little soft tissue for protection. Often, these points of injury are near ligaments, tendons, and bone. The resulting damage (and pain) can be minor, moderate, or severe. 

Dr. Cody B. Doyle, a chiropractor and acupuncturist, treats pinched nerves in Roanoke, TX. Dr. Doyle has more than 21 years of experience in delivering holistic and effective treatment. If you are experiencing the symptoms of a pinched nerve, early treatment is critical to increasing your chances for optimal health outcomes and the prevention of further nerve damage.

Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve

A pinched nerve in your neck or spine can radiate pain outward. Early symptoms often include neck or low back pain. It is common for pain to reach the shoulders, arms, legs, and even the hands. Common symptoms include:

  • Neck pain
  • Lower back pain
  • Numbness
  • Tingling
  • “Pins and needles” sensations
  • Burning sensation
  • Pain during certain movements
  • Sudden onset of weakness

A pinched nerve can be the cause of other conditions, such as:

 

  • Peripheral neuropathy: Peripheral neuropathy results from nerve damage. The condition can interfere with muscle movement or restrict normal sensations.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common form of mononeuropathy that results from strain. Individuals who perform repetitive tasks are at increased risk for developing this often painful condition. 

 

If left untreated, scarring and swelling near the nerve can result. For some patients, rest can alleviate the symptoms of a pinched nerve. By abstaining from the movements that led to the pinched nerve (such as improper sleeping posture), some individuals are able to naturally recover. If your symptoms perpetuate or become more pronounced, you should seek relief at our Roanoke chiropractic clinic. 

Treatment Options

While medications, injections, and even surgery are sometimes used to treat a pinched nerve, Dr. Doyle prefers using non-invasive treatments. Each condition is unique, so your treatment plans will be custom-tailored to your specific needs. After your thorough examination, Dr. Doyle may recommend any of the following:

  • Chiropractic (Diversified, Activator, Thompson, or Gonstead methods)
  • Acupuncture
  • Herbal remedies
  • Massage therapy
  • Therapeutic exercises
  • Auriculotherapy
  • Nutritional planning and detoxifications programs
  • Weight loss treatments

Once you have been fully treated, you will want to take proactive steps to prevent the return of a pinched nerve. It is important to understand common risk factors for a pinched nerve, which include diabetes, overuse of certain muscles, obesity, pregnancy, and prolonged bed rest. 

A few steps you can take to prevent this condition include:

  • Exercising regularly (with a focus on strength training and flexibility)
  • Maintaining good posture and body positioning
  • Limiting repetitive activities or taking frequent breaks
  • Maintaining a healthy weight

Treat Your Pinched Nerve Symptoms in Roanoke, TX

While other doctors may recommend injections and medications for a quick fix, Dr. Doyle will take the time to look at your body holistically. By changing certain habits and developing new ones, you can prevent pinched nerves from returning. To schedule your consultation or treatment with Dr. Doyle, please contact our office online or call (817) 767-5430.

 

Causes and Treatments for Upper Back Pain

|

Upper back pain is often caused by poor posture, injury, or muscle overuse. By adopting proper habits, patients can proactively work to promote healing while preventing further injury. If you are seeking relief from back pain, Dr. Cody B. Doyle is an esteemed chiropractor and acupuncturist who has served the Roanoke, TX community for over 21 years. Our office is always welcoming new patients. To schedule your next consultation, contact our staff online or call (817) 767-5430.

Causes of Upper Back Pain

An article published in Occupational Medicine found that 17 percent of adult women and 9 percent of men experience frequent bouts of upper back pain, which is also known as thoracic spine pain or TSP. The upper back consists of the area between the base of the neck and the bottom of the ribcage. There are 12 bones that make up the upper back. The first bone of the thoracic spine is located at the base of the neck, and the last bone can be found just below the ribcage. Upper back pain can occur anywhere between these bones.

Common causes of TSP include:

  • Poor posture: Slouching and other forms of poor posture can lead to a weakening of the back muscles. This can lead to unnatural pressure on the spine, discs, neck, and ligaments. This pressure can lead to pain over time as well as other complications. 
  • Muscle strain: Repetitive movements can overuse and strain muscles. The same physiological factors that affect a baseball pitcher can affect an individual’s upper back.
  • Injury: Pain from an injury is often quickly noticeable. Sometimes, it can take a day or two to surface. The sooner you see a qualified chiropractor, such as Dr. Doyle, the sooner you can begin healing from an injury. 
  • Herniated disc: This cause of pain is more typical of lower back injuries. Dr. Doyle can determine if a herniated disc is the cause of your TSP. 
  • Pinched nerve: If a herniated disc puts pressure on a nerve, numbness or pain can result.  

Treatment Options

When treating your symptoms, Dr. Doyle will look at your back holistically. Our Roanoke medical office offers:

  • Chiropractic and myofascial release therapy
  • Acupuncture and auriculotherapy

Dr. Doyle may recommend behavioral and lifestyle changes as well. Exercise and stretching can help your back muscles to become stronger and more durable. Correcting your posture will be important as well. Other tips Dr. Doyle may recommend include:

  • Taking period rests
  • Taking breaks to walk around 
  • Using a standing desk 
  • Physical therapy

Tips for Preventing Injury to Your Back

Once you have been treated for upper back pain, you will want to take steps to prevent reinjuring yourself. Proven tips for preventing injury to your upper back include:

  • Taking breaks from long periods of sitting to stretch
  • Warming up before physical activities
  • Using proper form when lifting weights
  • Scheduling regular messages
  • Avoiding the use of heavy purses or backpacks
  • Becoming mindful of your posture 
  • Using a back support

Treat Upper Back Pain in Roanoke, TX

Dr. Cody Doyle has more than 20 years of professional experience treating upper back pain. If you recently injured your back or if you have experienced prolonged periods of back pain, we welcome you to schedule a consultation or examination online. You can also reach our office at (817) 767-5430.