Dr. Wayne Coghlan: Chiropractor

FAQ: What is the basis of chiropractic? The nervous system affects all tissues of the body, directly or indirectly. This is most evident when a nerve is pinched in the neck or lower back. Typically a person will feel numbness and/or a pins and needles sensation and/or pain along the course of the nerve. A little bit of irritation on the nerve can create a nuisance- it may bother the person but doesn't stop them from their daily activity. A lot of compression on the nerve can create disabling pain and over the long term lead to loss of reflexes and muscle function. Sciatica is a pain typical of a pinched nerve in the lower back. Pinched nerves are commonly caused by the bones in the spine being out of proper alignment and/or arthritic deterioration of the spaces that the nerve passes through. The goal of chiropractic treatment is to relieve the pressure on the nerve where it is compressed, where it emerges from the spine. In less complicated cases, a simple adjustment of the j

Pondering the rubber band. Meagan was trying to get my attention the other day and being the creative soul she is, found a convenient rubber band and fired it at me! In one of those Eureka "ouch!" moments, a flash of inspiration came upon me. No... I didn’t run naked down the street like Archimedes... Not since college days anyway. Hmmmm? Find yourself a rubber band. It may surprise you that a rubber band with all it’s marvelous uses can even improve your health. Go ahead ... pick it up ... it won’t bite. Consider the fresh rubber band you have in your hand. When new, the band is soft and flexible. You stretch it, it snaps back. You can work with it and even have some fun! That’s the way your ligaments, muscles and tendons are supposed to be, soft and supple and stretchy. Imagine now the rubber band neglected and left out in the dry air and harsh sun. It won’t be long before it becomes stiff and brittle. Try to stretch that and you’ll see what being stiff is all abou

In The Right Place: A delightful lady asked for my evaluation numbness in her hand that had been bothering her on and off for several years. By gently moving and pressing on the side of her neck, I was able to reproduce the numbness in her hand. The source of the numbness was a pinched nerve and chiropractic was definitely the correct therapy. I recommended a course of treatment for her and the results have been good. In addition, we were able to identify the reason for her injury. How she sat at the computer was straining her neck and this was the cause of her complaint. A few modifications have helped prevent a relapse!