SOHMA Integrative Medicine

We offer the best of Eastern & Western medicine without using drugs or surgery

chiropractor

What Does It Mean To Find The Best Chiropractic Care?

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Over the years, chiropractic care has become a widely accepted practice. So much so that many insurance companies often cover chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is a holistic approach to healthcare focusing on managing pain and preventing disorders of the musculoskeletal system, primarily concentrating on the spine.

When searching for chiropractic care, you should always look for the best provider to meet your unique needs and provide effective and secure treatment. Remember that chiropractic care should be a partnership between you and the chiropractor. Finding the right one for you can make a huge difference.

Remember that the “best chiropractic care” can differ from person to person; however, we’ll attempt to help you find the right one. Today we’ll explore a few key factors to consider when finding the best chiropractic care.

Chiropractor Qualifications

Chiropractors need to complete the required education and training. Making sure a chiropractor has the required licenses and certifications ensures expertise and competence. It indicates a chiropractor’s knowledge and assures patients of the chiropractor’s skills. A chiropractor with additional training can give further insight into a patient’s condition.

Getting an adjustment by an unqualified chiropractor can be incredibly dangerous. It can increase the likelihood of injury, worsening symptoms, or other complications. We highly recommend never to have any spinal manipulation done by someone unfit. 

Feedback and Reputation

Positive first-hand experience from friends and family can be beneficial. Referrals from trusted sources such as friends and family can help separate good chiropractors from the best. Occasionally asking your primary healthcare provider or other healthcare professionals can point you in the right direction. People working in the medical field often pay more attention to minor details, increasing the weight and importance of their opinions. Awards can help decide on great chiropractors as well. For example, SOHMA Integrative Medicine in Long Beach won back-to-back Best of Long Beach awards for 2022 and 2023.

Another great way to find the best chiropractor is to search online reviews and testimonials. Reviews are a great way to gauge the overall experiences of their patients. Typically if a patient isn’t satisfied with the chiropractor, they’ll make it known online. Keep in mind that some dishonest chiropractors may have false reviews. Since no one is perfect, it’s necessary to always read through the review instead of solely relying on the overall rating.

Communication

Feel free to be direct with a chiropractor if you can speak with chiropractors and ask them about their practice and treatments. Evaluate how well the chiropractor communicates with you. The best chiropractor will be able to listen attentively to your concerns. They should be able to explain the treatment and suggest or even recommend other treatment options if chiropractic is not enough or the wrong treatment for your personal issue. A great chiropractor will also involve a patient in the decision-making.

If you notice a chiropractor is trying to push you for long-term treatment while not justifying why properly, it should be seen as a red flag. This signifies that they only try to get your money and don’t care about your well-being.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

5 Benefits of Seeing a Chiropractor

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Visiting Chiropractors can help prevent and treat common pains.

It’s not uncommon for people to decide to visit a chiropractor after an injury or accident. And although chiropractic care is a great choice for treating some injuries, seeing a chiropractor regularly can have many benefits as well. It can be an excellent source of preventative maintenance for your body and help with recovery.

Join me as we go through 5  benefits of seeing a chiropractor you may not be aware of.

Minimize Migraines and Neck-Related Headaches

Chiropractic adjustments can help with chronic and acute headaches and neck pain. By manipulating the bones in your neck a chiropractor can release the build up of tension in your vertebrae and neck muscles. With less tension in your neck you may notice a decrease in neck related pains including tension headaches.

Some cases of migraines can leave some people unable to get out of bed, they can cause pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and in severe cases can be physically debilitating. Chiropractic care has been shown to help decrease the intensity of migraines in some patients. While others have noticed a significant drop in frequency of migraines. 

Improves Your Posture

Many people ignore their posture and tend to slouch when working long hours in the office or walking for long periods of time. By having poor posture you inadvertently leave your spine and joint miss aligned which can cause pain and soreness. 

By making adjustments to your shoulders, and spine a chiropractor can slowly move your joints back into the best position for good posture. Granted it is still up to you to maintain proper posture in order to avoid future problems. 

Reduces Pain and Improves Range of Motion

As we get older our bodies tend to lose some of our flexibility. But that shouldn’t be something we should accept all together. Yes, we’ll lose some range of motion, but many people see this and give up. They accept the loss of flexibility as a fact of life and won’t put the effort into maintaining the flexibility that they do have.

We still have the ability to keep much of our range of motion and flexibility; it’s just a bit more difficult to maintain. That’s when chiropractic adjustments come in. With regular chiropractic care many patients notice a return of range of motion and flexibility of their joints.

Reduces Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis among Americans affecting over 32.5 million Americans. This doesn’t mean you should be relegated to dealing with this pain. For osteoarthritis, chiropractic care is usually safe, natural, non-invasive and an effective treatment to reduce pain in your back, arms and legs. Chiropractic care can greatly improve the function of arthritis joints

Arthritic conditions caused by inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis should practice caution. Speak with your primary care provider and make sure it’s safe for you to have chiropractic done.

Treats Minor Neck or Spine Injuries

If you’ve ever been in a  car accident you understand well how painful whiplash can be. In general neck injuries can result from sports injuries, falls or other traumas. Symptoms of whiplash don’t appear right away, typically a day after an incident some symptoms can develop while other symptoms can appear days after.

Chiropractic care can be beneficial for neck injuries and sprains. A chiropractor will identify which spinal joints are being restricted or show abnormal motion. Using a gentile thrust technique they can stretch the soft tissue and stimulate the nervous system to restore normal movement to the spine.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

3 Risks of Chiropractic Care

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Chiropractors are licensed practicioners.

Generally speaking there are very few risks associated with chiropractic adjustments when performed by licensed and trained professionals. Chiropractic care has an excellent safety record. Many of the risks with adjustments are temporary and minor. Though there are a few risks that involve the patient’s health prior to the adjustment.

This is what we are going to go over today. Join me as we go through 3 risks of chiropractic care, how to minimize those risks or how to avoid them all together.  

Temporary Discomfort in Treated Area

When you go to the chiropractor, they are manipulating your spine, and joints. It’s common for some patients to experience discomfort in the treated area. Typically this manifests as achiness and soreness in the muscles and tendons around the joints being manipulated. The soreness usually only lasts a few hours post-treatment. In some patients the discomfort can last 24 to 48

 hours, but only on rare occasions.

One of the best ways you can reduce the amount of time you feel sore is by applying moisture and heat to your sore muscles. This will let your joints and muscles relax, another fantastic way to help ease soreness is through a warm Epsom salt bath.

Can Cause Low Back Injury

Although chiropractors are there to help treat back pain, there is a risk that there can be lower back pain injury. Usually this occurs when patients have underlying medical conditions that either the patient is unaware of, or doesn’t disclose those underlying conditions to the chiropractor. For those with those conditions, it’s important for you to discuss chiropractic care with both your chiropractor and primary care provider. These conditions include:

  • Severe osteoporosis
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Bone tumors
  • Osteomyelitis
  • Broken or fractured bones
  • Severe arthritis

Bleeding disorders, or structural instability issues can also be cause for concern so be sure to properly communicate any conditions you have.

Chiropractors want to improve your condition so you can get back to enjoying your day. As a patient, being upfront with existing conditions, health issues or challenges you have can greatly diminish any risks involved. You may think they are “small” or “no big deal” however we recommend letting your chiropractor know about any and all pre existing conditions you may have.

Risk of Stroke

This is possibly the rarest risk involving neck manipulation, but it is a possibility. Once again it is a rare risk, some high-velocity neck manipulation may result in a vertebral artery dissection, which can lead to a stroke.

A vertebral artery dissection is when the inner lining of the vertebral artery tears. This artery is located towards the back of our neck and is one of the 4 major arteries that supply the brain with blood. Once torn blood can enter the arterial wall and for blood clots. If a piece of the blood clot were to break off or the expanding artery wall can narrow to the point of restricting blood flow which can result in a stroke. Vertebral dissection can be caused by multiple reasons, not just chiropractic adjustments. Other causes of vertebral dissection include:

  • Automobile accidents
  • Contact sports
  • Roller-coaster rides
  • Mechanical stress

Vertebral artery dissection can also happen spontaneously, though usually the patient has an underlying connective tissue disorder that affects the blood vessels.

Symptoms of vertebral artery dissection may occur days or weeks after the tear, these include:

  • Slurred speech
  • Vertigo or difficulty walking
  • Sensory loss of an arm or leg on one side of your body
  • Trouble swallowing

If you have these symptoms after any blunt force trauma, not just after a chiropractic neck adjustment call 911 immediately as every minute counts.

The risk of suffering a stroke after chiropractic care is incredibly slim. But we want to make sure you are well informed about the risks of chiropractic care even if the risk is small.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

7 Reasons to See a Chiropractor

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Chiropractors help with various ailments that range from small injuries to helping with mobility.

It’s common to see Chiropractors online adjusting and manipulating patients and hearing satisfying cracks. Many times patients will feel an instant wave of relief other times it may take a few chiropractic adjustments to see improvements in your condition.

Chiropractors are healthcare professionals who specialize in manipulating the spine to help reduce pain, treat pain, and improve mobility and functionality of patients. On your first visit you may be asked about your general health, diet, daily activity and what conditions you have been dealing with. 

When should you see a chiropractor though? Today we’re going to give you 7 reasons you may want to consider seeing a Chiropractor.

Back and Neck Pain

The most common reason to visit a Chiropractor is when you’re dealing with neck and back pain. Though neck and back pain is common for nearly everyone, when you wake up several mornings dealing with that pain it may be time to visit a chiropractic office. Oftentimes after having a car accident you may be recommended to see a Chiropractor to avoid long-term damage. 

Difficulty Sleeping

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of recovery. If you are unable to sleep, your body will have a difficult time healing naturally. However, even if you feel like you’ve slept over 7 hours but have difficulty waking up or feel tired after you wake up you may have poor sleep quality. While you’re asleep your body is busy recovering from the day, and if your spine is misaligned it can cause your body to stress over the pain. This can also cause irritation and stiffness in the neck as well as pain in your arms and legs. A chiropractor can realign the vertebrae in your spine to reduce pain, increase sleep quality allowing you to rest better.

Headache Pain

Headaches can be caused by a variety of reasons, some can have them after poor sleep, staring at computer monitors for hours, allergies, subluxations or simply just because you ate too much ice cream. The severity of headaches can range from a mild brain freeze to a crippling migraine. Although you can take an ibuprofen or aspirin to help with the pain you may be ignoring underlying problems if it happens often. For some people headaches occur because of pressure built up in their neck and spine, a chiropractor can adjust the neck to release tension and relax the neck muscles reducing the frequency and strength of headaches.

Alternative Medicine

Many people mask their pain symptoms with pain pills which rarely deal with the root cause of their physical pain. It’s not uncommon for Americans to take over the counter pain relievers in the morning to help them deal with chronic pain.

What if instead of just dealing with the symptoms you do something about the reason for the pain?

Back pain can be caused by compressed or slipped discs, spinal adjustment or spinal decompression can help with long-term pain relief. Chiropractic adjustments can also help improve your posture which can benefit the rest of your body as well. 

Mental Health

When making chiropractic care a regular part of your health routine many patients express how great they feel. Chiropractors relieve pain in your back and neck allowing you to get out of pain and into balance, and back to play. Feeling less pain means you no longer have to fight your body to perform activities and focus on the moment and fun and enjoy yourself again.

Improved Physical Health

While you may not be looking to be a professional athlete, chiropractic adjustments can help you improve your physical health. A Chiropractor understands the human body and how it’s supposed to move and will be able to test your range of motion and determine if you are dealing with any issues. If you enjoy an active lifestyle a chiropractor can help you to continue to enjoy it with less pain.

Overall Health

Chiropractors specialize in the spine, which connects to the rest of your body. Even if you are not suffering from debilitating pains, a chiropractic adjustment may make you feel holistically better. Patients who have regular chiropractic adjustments report improvements in their daily lives. From feelings of well-being and happiness to increased strength and a stronger immune system. 

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

4 Questions Every Patient Should Ask Their Chiropractor

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Chiropractor Consultation

Going to a new doctor can be intimidating. It can even be scary. If it’s your first time visiting a chiropractor you may have heard legends of “neck cracking” and “pulling machines”. It’s ok to be nervous or even scared.

At SOHMA we want you to feel comfortable. We encourage you to ask questions about how all of the doctors and staff are going to help you heal. We have put together a list of questions that have been asked of us and ones we feel every patient should know.

When you come and visit us please feel free to ask us any of these questions or any questions that concern your health treatment.

#1 Is there ever a time you would refer me to a different doctor?

Our goal is to treat you and help you recover. Sometimes we can help you get to a level that is better than you ever thought possible. With all of that said there are times we might have to refer you to a doctor for additional tests that we cannot do at our facility. There may be times that we would refer a patient for surgery if that is the only option that is left to them. Rest assured our primary goal is your health and care. Whatever it takes to help you we are going to do. Throughout your treatment we will always advise you of your options and what is available to you.

#2 How many visits will I need to feel better?

We have discovered that some chiropractors recommend a certain number of visits. They instruct patients that they must come to 3,5, 10, or some other number as part of the program. Our approach at SOHMA is to treat you in a manner where your overall health improves and continues to improve. Each Chiropractor at our office will go over your treatment plan and what they anticipate happening. Some individuals heal faster than others. The important issue is that we make sure your treatment program is custom tailored to you and your needs. Please ask us how many visits we believe it will take and we are happy to have that discussion with you.

#3 How long do I have to wait for an appointment?

No one likes waiting. At SOHMA we respect your time. Our goal is to keep all patients on time and to reduce waiting time to a minimum. That happens because our patients know to arrive on time or even slightly early for their appointments. Rest assured you will never feel rushed during your appointment. The goal is to improve your health and those who choose to have SOHMA help with their needs.

#4 Will I ever have to get an X-Ray?

We believe that Chiropractors should have X-ray machines as part of their facilities. It is important to get a diagnosis for each patient as accurately as possible. One of the methods to do this is to take x-rays when there is a question. If a Chiropractor doesn’t have X-rays as part of their diagnosis methods that should be of concern to you as a patient. We have discovered over our years and 1,000’s of patients here at SOHMA that there are plenty of times an X-Ray is needed. As with all of our care and treatment options we will always go over what your treatment options are and how they affect you specifically.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us if we are right for you. Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from Long Beach and the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.