Month: September 2021

There’s no question chiropractic treatments work. Decades of research have proven that chiropractic care is effective in treating back pain. Chiropractors utilize manual spinal manipulation. The concept behind this treatment is that when your body’s musculoskeletal structure (specifically the spine) is properly aligned, your body will be able to heal itself without the need for medications and surgeries.

It’s a great alternative treatment for individuals who are seeking natural methods of healing. According to studies, manipulating your spine using the hands can help restore and improve joint mobility. Joint restriction may be caused by repetitive stress, falls, and the lack of back support. Chiropractic care provides pain relief from aching bones, joints, and muscles. It’s also effective in treating pain in your tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

Since chiropractic care is widely known, it doesn’t come as a surprise when hundreds of chiropractors are offering their services to the public. It can be challenging to find the best one. Not to worry because we’ve compiled some tips that will help you find the best chiropractor.

#1 Personal Choice

If you don’t want to become dependent on pain killers or if you cower at the thought of going under the knife, you may want to give chiropractic care a try. Chiropractors received training and education allowing them to treat joint, muscle, and spinal problems. It all boils down to personal choice. You have to decide for yourself what treatment you want and once you make that decision you can start from there.

#2 Referrals

If you rely on the Internet for answers you’ll only end up even more confused. We suggest you talk with your primary care doctor about your intention of partnering with a chiropractor. Doctors can refer you to a chiropractor they know. Or, if you have family members who are receiving chiropractic sessions you may ask them for recommendations.

#3 Research

Research can be done online and offline. We’re not saying you can’t trust the Internet. If you can’t get referrals from your doctor, family, and friends, you can do your research online. Keep in mind that anyone can post virtually anything on the World Wide Web so you have to be careful when you read blogs, articles, and forums. Only visit websites that are credible and trustworthy. We also suggest you list down the names of chiropractors who live near you. It would be impractical if you look for chiropractors from a different state.

Once you have that long list you can narrow down your options by researching about them one by one. Check their website and social media pages and read what other people are saying about them. If a chiropractor gets consistent five stars, spend more time researching about him or her. You’ll thank yourself later for your efforts.

#4 Credentials

Their reputation and the experiences of their customers are not the only pieces of information you should check and validate. The most important detail about your research is their licensure. Anyone can claim to be a chiropractor. If you don’t dig deeper, you might end up with an unlicensed chiropractor and this can be very dangerous since they will be applying force on your spine. If they didn’t receive proper training and education, they could injure you. Learning about their skills, experience, and training is important for your safety. Also, check for a history of malpractice. When you review their credentials check where they completed their training, what hospital they trained at, and any certifications they have.

#5 Experience

Experience is just as important as having impressive credentials. Chiropractors who have been in the industry for quite a while are exposed to different problems and it means they’ve tried and tested various solutions. When they are faced with a problem, they’ll know what works and what won’t. They can also treat both simple and complex cases.

#6 Gender

Since chiropractors will invade your personal space during treatment, it’s important that you feel comfortable around them given their close proximity to you. Consider the gender when choosing your chiropractor. This will help narrow down your options and stop you from becoming too overwhelmed. Some people feel more comfortable being handled by someone of the same sex while others prefer the opposite.

Takeaway

If you apply these tips listed here we are confident that you’ll successfully find the best chiropractor for you. Just be patient, don’t rush, take your time and do your research. Trust us, your efforts will not be in vain. Good luck on finding a chiropractor!

There are three different types of Eye care professionals – an ophthalmologist, an optician, and an optometrist. In this post, we’ll focus on optometrists. An optometrist performs primary health care for people who are experiencing vision problems. Optometrists received training and education so they can check people’s eyes and come up with an accurate diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, an optometrist will recommend corrective lenses to solve the problem.

To obtain a Doctor of Optometry degree, one must complete a four-year program after successfully graduating from college. They can have the option to pursue additional training or they can opt for a specialty fellowship once they are done with their optometry degree.

What Do Optometrists Do?

Optometrists perform eye exams as well as vision tests. They also treat conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and aging eyes. They prescribe and provide contact lenses and eyeglasses as well as vision therapy and low-vision aids. They can also detect disorders, injuries, and diseases of the eyes.

What Are the Common Vision Problems Optometrists Treat?

Myopia or nearsightedness is a condition where your vision is good when an object is in close range but when the object moves farther, you won’t be able to see it clearly. This happens when your eyeball is too long. This condition can be diagnosed during an eye examination. Some of the treatments prescribed for nearsightedness include photorefractive keratotomy (PRK), radial keratotomy (RK), LASIK, contacts, eyeglasses, and acrylic corneal implants.

Hyperopia or farsightedness is the opposite of myopia. When you have hyperopia, you can see clearly at a distance but you won’t be able to at close range. This condition occurs when your eyeball is short as measured from the front to the back. It’s also possible that your cornea has less curvature. If the curvature is little, it will decrease the distance between your retina and cornea. As a result, the light will converge behind the retina instead of on it.

According to optometrists, mildly farsighted individuals don’t necessarily need corrective treatments. But, if the hyperopia is moderate to severe, you’ll need several treatments. Some of the treatments prescribed for patients with moderate and severe hyperopia are LASIK, contact lenses, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and eyeglasses. Your optometrist will discuss what options are best for you.

Astigmatism is a condition wherein the curvature of your lens or cornea is irregular or uneven. This will result in distorted or blurry vision. Oftentimes, people with astigmatism experience eye fatigue, squinting, eye strain due to squinting, and headaches. Most people who have astigmatism got it from genetics. If the astigmatism is minor, treatment may not be necessary but if the astigmatism is severe, your optometrist may recommend LASIK surgery or prescribe corrective eyeglasses.

Presbyopia (Aging Eyes) or aging eyes is a condition wherein the lens of your eye becomes less flexible. When you lose your lens’ flexibility, it will be difficult for you to focus on objects clearly like printed words from books and magazines. With presbyopia, your vision of distant objects will not be affected.

Sadly, as you age, you will be prone to presbyopia. Even if you lead a healthy lifestyle, presbyopia is inevitable. The good news is that it can be treated through corrective lenses. Optometrists can prescribe you trifocals, bifocals, progressives, multifocal lenses, monovision therapy, and single-vision reading glasses.

Should I Visit an Ophthalmologist or an Optometrist?

A lot of people get confused whenever they experience problems with their visions. They don’t know if they should call an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.

If it’s just for a routine eye checkup, you can see both an ophthalmologist and an optometrist. However, if you think you are suffering from an eye health problem like glaucoma or a cataract or if your diabetes is slowly affecting your vision, the best person to see is an ophthalmologist.

How Often Should You Have Your Eyes Examined?

Even if your vision seems fine, you’re still advised to see an eye health professional every year. For young adults, you should visit your eye doctor once in your 20s. Twice a year checkups are recommended if you reach your 30s. For adults between forty and sixty, you are recommended to visit your eye doctor regularly depending on your health. For adults sixty-five years old and above, every two years are ideal. For children, it should be at birth, the moment they reach six months, three years old, and right before grade school.

Takeaway

Besides the routine checkups, you should see your optometrist when you experience vision changes, eye pain, and eye irritation like itching and redness. Having your eyes examined regularly will help catch problems before they worsen.