A Chiropractor in Richardson Discusses When to Take Away the Car Keys

frightened older driverRemember when you were a teenager and you first got your license? You were so excited with a sense of freedom and independence. Well, as exciting as that time was is exactly how disheartening it is when an elderly person must give up driving for the sake of personal safety and the welfare of others. It’s not easy for family and close friends, either. And there’s always that nagging question—are we doing the right thing? Here, a chiropractor in Richardson discusses how to know when it’s time to take away the keys and how to start the conversation.

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True or False? Your Richardson Chiropractor Discusses Myths and Facts about Back Pain

back painHave you ever experienced back pain? Welcome to the club. Researchers estimate that 80 percent of people will have serious back pain at some point in life. Maybe that’s why there are so many falsehoods about back pain floating around—there are so many people talking about their aching backs! Do you know the difference between what is true and what’s false? A Richardson chiropractor certainly does.

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Did Sleep Apnea Cause Your Auto Accident in Richardson?

Tired young man sleeping inside the carThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine recently reported on a study showing that obstructive sleep apnea is connected to a significantly increased risk of automobile accidents. But when sleep apnea is treated properly, the risk is reduced. If you’ve recently been involved in an auto accident in Richardson and you seem to be tired during the day, then you should see a sleep expert for proper diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea.

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Wear Your Seat Belt, Avoid Injuries in an Auto Accident in Richardson

man putting on seat beltYour car has many safety features. Some are built-in, some are automatic and one works only if you use it—the seat belt. There have been dozens of studies conducted proving that seat belts save lives. So if you want to avoid injuries—and possibly even death—in case you’re in an auto accident in Richardson, then you better buckle up!

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Be Safe: Air Bags and Auto Accident Treatment in Richardson

auto accidentOn September 1, 1998, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 went into effect. Since then, all cars and light trucks sold in the United States are required to have airbags on both sides of the front seat. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), airbags have saved more than 28,000 lives in this country alone. This is certainly good news, however the bad news is that if you’ve been in a wreck that caused the airbags to deploy, then chances are you need auto accident treatment in Richardson. Read on to learn more about airbags.

How Does an Airbag Work?

When a car hits something, it rapidly loses speed. An accelerometer detects this change. If the deceleration is fast enough, then the accelerometer triggers the airbag circuit. (Normal braking can’t cause this.) An electric current passes through a heating element that ignites a chemical explosive. As the explosive burns, a massive amount of nitrogen or argon—both harmless gases—is generated to fill the bag. As the bag expands, it blows off the steering wheel’s plastic cover. The driver, who is still moving forward despite the car’s rapid deceleration, pushes against the bag, causing it to deflate. By the time the car is fully stopped, the bag has deflated.

How Do Airbags Save Lives?

If you’re in a serious car accident, airbags can mean the difference between life and death for you and other passengers. Airbags help protect passengers’ heads from striking rigid objects such as the steering wheel, dashboard or the side of the car. Researchers estimate that head protecting airbags can reduce driver deaths in the event of a side impact crash by up to 40 percent.

Can an Airbag Hurt You?

There’s really only one word to describe airbag deployment: violent. But in fact, it has to be that way in order to protect you. That airbag needs to be in front of you and fully inflated before you collide with something more harmful than the airbag. The average airbag inflates in 20 to 30 milliseconds, or at a speed of 200 miles per hour.

That’s a lot of force, so it is possible to be injured by an airbag. For example, people seated too close to a deploying airbag may sustain burns and other injuries. In addition, failing to wear a seatbelt or having an object between you and the airbag—a lap dog, a water bottle, your cell phone—can lead to serious injury, as well.

Children and small adults are most likely to be injured when an airbag deploys during an accident. A word of caution: rear-facing child safety seats should never be used in the front seat of a car, because an airbag could lead to serious injury or even death if it strikes the back of the car seat.

If you’ve recently been in a car accident—whether a serious collision with airbags or a minor fender bender—then pain management in Richardson can help you get over those aches and pains you may be feeling. Contact a chiropractor today for help.

Meet the Doctor

Dr. Zinovy Chukhman is a chiropractor in Richardson, Texas. He and his team at Align Right Chiropractic offer a variety of services to restore health and wellness, including chiropractic care, massage therapy, nutritional counseling and spinal decompression and rehabilitation. Call AlignRight Chiropractic for an appointment.

For Women, Back Pain Treatment in Richardson is Essential

Busy momUnfortunately, equal rights do not apply to back pain, because the fact of the matter is women have it more than men. Why? Because women tend to be the caregivers, which means they are the ones schlepping the kids, the laundry and the groceries. That’s all in addition to having a full-time job that can add stress. So if your back hurts, you may need to look no further than your average daily routine to find the reason. And you don’t need to look far for back pain management in Richardson either. Dr. Chukhman offers several types of chiropractic treatment and related therapies for pain relief. In the meantime, read on to find out what you can do differently at home and at work to help your aching back.

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Get Pain Management in Richardson

main in painIf you’ve recently had an injury or are uncomfortable due to a repetitive motion on the job, then pain management in Richardson from your chiropractor may be the solution. A pain management doctor specializes in evaluating, diagnosing and treating various types of pain, including acute and chronic pain. Whether your pain is the result of injury, nerve damage or muscle damage or even a combination of these, a pain management doctor can devise a program to help relieve your discomfort.

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See Dr. Z for Neck Pain Treatment in 75080

woman massaging neckWhat a pain in the neck. No, seriously—we’re talking about that pain in your neck. Sometimes that pain can be due to age-related wear and tear or an accident. These causes warrant seeing your chiropractor for neck pain treatment in 75080. However, there are other factors that could be contributing to your neck pain including how you sleep at night and the pillow you use. Read on to learn more about how to get a better night’s sleep without hurting your neck.

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Wellness Doctor in Richardson Discusses Scoliosis

Wellness Doctor in Richardson Discusses ScoliosisStand up straight! Didn’t everyone’s mother tell them that when they were a kid? Well, turns out mom was right. Good posture and good health are connected. Some people, however, simply cannot stand up straight because their spine is curved. In some cases, the condition is called scoliosis. Read on to learn more about scoliosis, the symptoms and treatment from your wellness doctor in Richardson, Dr. Zinovy Chukhman.

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Pain Management in Richardson Happens Night and Day

Pain Management in Richardson Happens Night and DayHow can sleeping affect your neck and back pain? In so many ways. Not only do you need to get enough sleep, but you also need to be aware that your sleeping position can help or worsen your pain. That’s why Dr. Chukhman offers the following tips as part of your pain management in Richardson.

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How Can I Gain Better Mobility?

Fit woman stretchingMobility is really a catchall term that refers to a number of factors—muscles, joints and tendons, for instance—that contribute to your ability to move freely. What can inhibit your mobility? Muscle imbalance is one common reason.

Let’s consider a person who sits at a computer all day for work. In this case, the shoulders are probably pulled forward, which creates a strength imbalance between the front and back of your body. Over time, this imbalance can begin to be a problem. Eventually, you will need to work on stabilization and mobilization in order to fix the imbalance and prevent injury.

How is Muscle Imbalance Identified?

There are tests that a chiropractor can do in order to identify improper movement patterns that can lead to muscle imbalance. Once these tests are completed, then a series of corrective exercises can be recommended.

Five Tests to Identify Muscle Imbalance and Injury Risk

Here are five tests that can be done to find slight movement irregularities throughout the body. With each one, your chiropractor looks for signs that may indicate muscle imbalance.

Deep Squat. Holding a rod or bar overhead, you’ll drop into a deep squat. Performed correctly, your knees should remain over your ankles, your spine will be straight and neutral and your feet should remain on the ground.

In-Line Lunge. With this movement, the rod is held behind your back and parallel to your spine. Then, you perform the lunge. Your knees should stay in line with your feet and your torso should remain upright and not tip forward.

Rotational Stability. Get down on your hands and knees. Now extend the right arm and right leg until they are parallel to the floor and then squeeze the elbow and knee together underneath your mid-section. Repeat a few times and then do the same on the left side. This exercise tests for weakness or asymmetry in your core.

Hurdle Step Over. While holding a bar across the back of your shoulders, you’ll need to step over a low hurdle or just bring your knee up to waist high and take a step forward. You should be able to do this without wobbling and be able to lift your hip high enough to clear the hurdle.

Trunk Stability Push-Up. This push-up is a little different. Men align their hands with their foreheads while women align their hands underneath the chin. Then do a standard pushup. Your back should not dip down—a sign of core weakness. In addition, an imbalance between your chest and upper back will show in the way your shoulder blades move during the exercise.

Fixing a Muscle Imbalance

Depending on the results of these five test movements, a plan of corrective exercises will be developed. Corrective exercise is designed to undo all of the imbalances the body makes during a normal day in order to restore correct structure.

Meet the Doctor

Dr. Zinovy Chukhman is a chiropractor in Richardson. He is trained in several chiropractic treatment methods that help with pain management. Contact our office today for an evaluation.