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Showing posts from November, 2017

Why People Lose Height as they Age

When people think of back problems, probably the first image that comes to mind is the stooped posture often seen in older people. At the Catalina Medical Center in Redondo Beach, we want our patients to know that this painful ailment is not an inevitable part of aging, but is something that can be treated through chiropractic. The most common cause of spinal curvature in the elderly is osteoporosis. This disease is the result of bone breaking down without enough new growth to replace it. Over time, the vertebrae become so weak that they can be cracked easily by common movements with the patient hardly even aware of it. All those little cracks add up to the vertebrae collapsing, causing the afflicted to lose height and stoop over. Anybody can get osteoporosis, but it is more common in women. One good way to prevent it is to maintain high levels of calcium intake. But at our office, we can also prescribe therapeutic exercises for strengthening the muscles supporting the spine and provid

Warm-Up Stretches

At the Catalina Medical Center, we provide comprehensive, non-invasive treatments for a number of ailments affecting the spine and soft tissues of the limbs. Injuries to the muscle, tendon, and ligament groups are common, which is especially sad since a lot of them could be avoided if people knew how to warm up properly for a work-out. One of the worst mistakes you can make before exercising is stretching a limb that is still “cold.” While stretching is important, the kinds of static stretches in which a person holds a pose for a time should be saved until the cool-down. When warming up, stretches should be dynamic, meaning that they involve continuous movement. Some examples of these are arm circles, high kicks, and lunges with a twist. Yoga is particularly well-known for its large number of dynamic stretches. Some athletes target the particular part of the body they are planning to work most during the session, but regardless, warm-ups will take about five minutes to be effective. No

Chiropractic Adjustments

Does your back feel like it just needs a good crack? Then it’s time to visit our doctors at Catalina Medical Center for an adjustment. A chiropractic adjustment is also known as spinal manipulation or hand manipulation is a common therapeutic treatment for lower back pain. The goal of this treatment method is to increase the range of motion in patients as well as reduce nerve irritability. A chiropractic adjustment will involve one of our doctors using their hands to apply a high velocity, short lever arm thrust to a vertebra. Often, patients will feel a sense of relief as the subluxation is released. It should be known that nothing is being cracked, but simply adjusted and put back in place. There are typically no side effects related to chiropractic adjustments though the patient may experience mild soreness afterward. If you have questions or concerns regarding chiropractic adjustments, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit  www.catalinamed