Stiff Neck

At the Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center in San Rafael, we want our patients to know we can use chiropractic to provide them with safe, fast pain relief from a stiff neck. But we also want them to know more about this condition so that they can avoid its most common causes.

Neck stiffness is often related to the levator scapulae muscle. It is what connects the cervical vertebrae to the shoulders and can become strained through repetitive motions such as the way swimmers turn their heads with each stroke or extended overhead lifting. It can also be impacted through repetitive straining thus causing misalignments of the cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae and suffer overuse as a result of people looking downward at a screen too much or thrusting their heads into an unnatural position. Some examples of the latter include sleeping on the front, which pushes the head back and resting the chin on the palm.

We can treat a stiff neck with adjustments, microcurrents, cryo/halotherapy and cold laser treatment. But first, the patient will need to undergo a thorough examination so we may be sure of the cause of their discomfort. In rare cases usually accompanied by fever symptoms, neck pain can also be due to bacterial infection.

Dr. Kent Carlomagno operates Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center at 710 C Street, Suite #12, San Rafael, California, 94901. To schedule an appointment, call 415-721-7520 or visit Summit Chiro and fill out a contact sheet.

Tailbone Injuries

At Dr. Kent Carlomagno’s Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center in San Rafael, we use non-invasive chiropractic techniques to treat a variety of back and nerve problems. A problem in the spine can have repercussions elsewhere in the body, and that’s especially true of problems in the lower back. Today, we’ll look at the lowest part of the back of all: the coccyx.

The coccyx is also known as the tailbone, but it’s actually a fusion of several vertebrae. It’s relatively rare for it to get bruised or broken, but it can be as the result of biking or horseback riding accidents or problems during pregnancy. When the coccyx is in pain, we call that coccydynia. A pinched nerve in this location can cause symptoms of sciatica, including incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and pain or tingling in one or both legs.

It will take some time for a coccyx injury to heal naturally, during which the patient will be in discomfort. We aim to reduce their pain through means such as adjustments and therapeutic pelvic floor exercises. We can also recommend specialty cushions or wedges that are easier to sit on for a person who is avoiding putting pressure on their tailbone.

Dr. Kent Carlomagno operates Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center at 710 C Street, Suite #12, San Rafael, California, 94901. To schedule an appointment, call 415-721-7520 or visit SummitChiro.net and fill out a contact sheet.

Chiropractic for Headaches

Different kinds of headaches have different causes. Those headaches which radiate from the back of the head are called cervicogenic because they originate in the top region of the spine. Fortunately for patients seeking headache relief, at the Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, Dr. Kent Carlomagno practices adjustments and other treatments for the causes of aches and pains.

Cervicogenic headaches are caused by pinched nerves in the neck vertebrae. The cervical nerves are divided into two sets, one on each side, and are easily stressed by chronic overuse and whiplash. In some people, keeping the neck stiff while staring at a screen all day is enough to cause cervicogenic headaches. A ruptured disc will put pressure on the neck’s soft tissues and inflamed soft tissue will put pressure on the disc.

Chiropractic patients often experience great improvement from cervical headaches after undergoing neck adjustments, as well as cold laser and microcurrent treatments. However, because cervicogenic headaches often present similarly to migraines, as well as other neck and head issues, Dr. Carlomagno will want to take x-ray images and have a complete understanding of the patient’s lifestyle and injuries before determining a diagnosis.

Dr. Kent Carlomagno operates Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center at 710 C Street, Suite #12, San Rafael, California, 94901. To schedule an appointment, call 415-721-7520 or visit SummitChiro.net and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Neck Pain Causes and Treatment

Neck pain is a chronic condition that millions of Americans live with on a daily basis. In most cases, neck pain is caused by an injury such as whiplash, but there can be many other causes to this pain. Your neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of your skull and contains seven small vertebrae. While your neck can move in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes your neck very susceptible to pain and injury.

You can sustain whiplash anytime there is a sudden acceleration-deceleration force that causes the rapid forward and backward movement of the head and neck. This can occur during a car accident or even during contact sports. While most people involved in a car accident recover quickly without and chronic pain, some will experience symptoms for years after the injury.

Though whiplash is one of the most common causes of neck pain, there are also other factors that can play into your pain:

• Old age – degenerative disorders like osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease affect the spine as your grow older


• Daily life – having poor posture, being obese or having weak abdominal muscles can disrupt spinal balance causing neck pain


• Injury – when you make a sudden move involving your neck , your muscles react by tightening and contracting, causing muscle fatigue which can result in pain and stiffness

During your procedure, Dr. Carlomagno will perform exams to locate the source of your pain. Once determined, Dr. Carlomagno will either perform neck adjustments in order to improve the mobility of the spine and restore range of motion. Neck adjustments can also increate movement of the adjoining muscles, improving back function altogether. 

First Visit

When you come into our office, we want you to be comfortable. If you’ve never been to a chiropractor, you should know what to expect when you visit our beautiful Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center facility in San Rafael, CA. Our staff has trained extensively in the care of patients and our chiropractor, Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno has over 20 years of chiropractic experience. He specializes in helping people regain their spinal health, including care of difficult, chronic and acute injuries.

Before you even come in for your appointment, make sure to visit our website for information about all the services and technologies we offer at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center. You’ll also find useful information about general chiropractic care and you can even download pre-appointment forms to fill out before you come to our office, this means less time in the waiting room! Dr. Carlomagno is a dedicated doctor who was inspired to become a chiropractor after suffering life-altering injuries that resulted from a car accident. 

We want to make your first appointment as relaxing as possible. While many believe that chiropractic adjustments are painful, you should know that these adjustments are not painful, in fact, they can be quite soothing. Dr. Carlomagno maintains that he’s not healing patients; he’s just making the adjustments that help the body heal itself. With that in mind, remember that you’re coming in to relieve your pain, so any procedure that Dr. Carlomagno performs will go towards alleviating your pain. It doesn’t matter if you have headaches, stress related symptoms or you hurt your back walking down the stairs, Dr. Carlomagno is there to hear your concerns and relieve you of your pain.

If you would like to come in for an appointment, please give us a call or visit www.summitchiro.net for more information. We hope to see you soon!

Treat Lower Back Pain with Dr. Kent Carlomagno

The lumbar vertebrae in the lower back are larger than any others in our spine and are responsible for supporting the weight of the entire upper body. Although these vertebrae are strong enough to withstand powerful forces from the lower back muscles during lifting, bending and twisting, it is still common to experience lower back pain and injuries.

The cause of lower back pain is usually a muscle, nerve, ligament or spinal injury, such as a herniated disc. Poor posture and degenerative diseases can lead to lower back pain as well. This is because poor posture can accelerate wear and tear on the spine during movement, while degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, can cause structures in the spine to break down and put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. Nerve pressure in the lumbar spine can then cause pain and symptoms to spread from the back to the buttocks, legs and feet because the nerves that exit the lumbar spine travel to these areas.

If you’re experiencing lower back pain, you don’t have to resort to surgery or rely heavily on pain medication for relief. At Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center in San Rafael, CA, many patients find that their pain can be effectively treated through chiropractic practices, including adjustments, therapeutic exercise, electrical muscle stimulation and spinal decompression. These methods can alleviate tension, relieve pain and help restore proper movement.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kent Carlomagno, call (415) 721-7520. For more information on the chiropractor and his services, please visit www.summitchiro.net.

Chiropractic X-rays at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center

If having an X-ray done before your chiropractic treatment worries you, you should know that the FDA actually suggests not refusing X-rays. This is because the risk of not having an X-ray is greater than the small risk of exposure to radiation. X-rays allow chiropractors like Dr. Kent Carlomagno to determine that there are no fractures, cancer, malformations or other contraindications in your spine, ensuring that all chiropractic treatment performed is safe and not harmful. By studying your spine on X-ray before treatment, Dr. Carlomagno can provide effective adjustments that relieve your pain and increase your overall health in San Rafael, CA.

Although radiation is a valid concern, X-rays may not give off as much radiation as you think. In fact, flying long distances can actually expose you to more radiation than some X-rays, and a chest X-ray is typically only equal to the amount of radiation you would be exposed to in 10 days of your daily life. However, if you receive frequent X-rays, it can be smart to monitor your radiation exposure by recording how many X-rays you receive and how often. Be sure to take into account which body part is being X-rayed since different body tissues can absorb radiation in different ways.

X-rays of the arms and legs, or extremities, expose you to less radiation than chest X-rays, while lower torso X-rays exposes you to more radiation than chest X-rays. At Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, we mainly utilize spinal X-rays, which expose a patient to about 1.5 millisieverts of radiation or six months of normal background radiation. However, these X-rays are not performed frequently enough to put you at risk.

To schedule a chiropractic evaluation, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, please visit www.summitchiro.net.

Headaches and Chiropractic in San Rafael, CA

Headaches are one of the most common complaints that we hear from our patients, and although they can be caused by many different factors, mechanical problems in the neck and upper back tend to be a leading cause. This type of headache is called a tension headache, and chiropractic treatment can be very effective at alleviating and preventing them. At our office in San Rafael, CA, Dr. Kent Carlomagno can provide you with spinal adjustments to effectively restore your neck and back to proper function to eliminate and prevent further pain.

Tension headaches are a result of muscle tension in the neck and upper back, which irritates the nerves that control blood flow to the brain. This can cause you to feel pain in your upper neck or the back of your head, as well as in your head’s frontal region, sinus region, top or sides. These headaches can present as a throbbing, as an ache or just as a constant pain. Spinal adjustments can relieve the pain by improving the alignment and movement of the cervical vertebrae in the neck and taking undue stress off the neck and back muscles. This then relieves the pressure and irritation that causes your headaches.

From car accidents to stress to poor posture, there are a variety of factors that can contribute to the type of spinal misalignment that interferes with the neck’s ability to function properly. Muscles in the neck and back can become tight from stress, work, lack of sleep, sinusitis or trauma, and this tightness can cause a subluxation, which then further increases muscle tension. Regular chiropractic treatment allows you to correct the damage done by daily stress and trauma and prevent tension headaches altogether.

To schedule an appointment at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, please visitwww.summitchiro.net.

Achieve Better Health by Decreasing your Stress

From work deadlines and bills to family drama and annoying coworkers, stress invades our lives on a daily basis, and while we can’t completely eliminate stressors from our lives, we can learn to handle them better. Although some people are able to naturally deal with stress more effectively than others, everyone can benefit from working with a chiropractor. 

Regular chiropractic care, which improves nerve and spinal function, has a dramatic impact on improving your emotional, mental and physical states, which all determine how we deal with stress. While stress is known to interfere with our immune systems, studies have shown that those who receive regular chiropractic care have 200 percent greater immune competence than those who do not receive chiropractic care and 400 percent greater immune competence than those with cancer and other serious diseases. This means that chiropractic care can reduce the negative effects that stress has on our bodies and put us in a better state for dealing with future stressors.

Although we can’t remove the stress from your life, we can help you respond better to it. By removing interference caused by misalignment or subluxation, Dr. Kent Carlomagno can normalize your nervous system function and, therefore, increase the function of your entire body.

If you feel like stress is taking a toll on your life, we can help at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center. To schedule an appointment with the chiropractor and rid yourself of stress’s negative effects, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, visit www.summitchiro.net.

Stressed? Let Us Help You

From traffic jams and work deadlines to bills and annoying coworkers, stress invades our lives on a daily basis, and while we can’t completely eliminate stressors from our lives, we can learn to handle them better. Although some people naturally deal with stress more effectively than others, everyone can benefit from working with a chiropractor. 

Regular chiropractic care, which improves nerve and spinal function, has a dramatic impact on improving your emotional, mental and physical states, which all determine how we deal with stress. While stress is known to interfere with our immune systems, studies have shown that those who receive regular chiropractic care have 200 percent greater immune competence than those who do not receive chiropractic care and 400 percent greater immune competence than those with cancer and other serious diseases. This means that chiropractic care can reduce the negative effects that stress has on our bodies and put us in a better state for dealing with future stressors.

If you feel like stress is taking a toll on your life, we can help at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kent Carlomagno and rid yourself of stress’s negative effects, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, visit www.SummitChiro.net.

Chiropractic and Scoliosis

The spine is comprised of 24 small vertebrae: seven in the neck, 12 in the thoracic or middle back and five in the lower back—and when viewed from behind, these vertebrae stack up to form a straight line. While everyone’s spine usually curves slightly to the right or left or even twists in one or more of the vertebrae, if the curving or twisting is excessive, it is called scoliosis.  

In most cases of scoliosis, 85 to 90 percent, the cause is unknown and the condition is called AIS, adult idiopathic scoliosis. To treat this type of scoliosis, orthodox medicine has tried wrapping the torso in plaster casts, straightening the spine with rods and metal restraints and using electrical stimulation, but these methods are often overused and ineffective in the long run.

However, with new research on scoliosis showing that a disturbance or defect in the part of the nervous system that controls posture is a contributing factor in the condition, chiropractic treatment for scoliosis has become more valid than ever.

Chiropractors do not treat disease, but they do treat spinal nerve stress, which can interfere with proper nervous system function. By removing stress on the spine and nervous system, the body is able to resist disease of all kind, and recent studies suggest that scoliosis is included.

Clinical studies have shown that chiropractic has decent results in controlling, reducing and correcting scoliosis, and at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, Dr. Kent Carlomagno has had success in helping his patients who suffer from the condition.

To schedule an appointment with our San Raphael office, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, visit www.SummitChiro.net.

Custom Foot Orthotics

Foot orthotics are devices that are used to correct any biomechanical abnormalities in the foot and ankle. Orthotics perform functions that make standing, walking, running and other sports-related activities more comfortable and efficient by correcting the angles at which the foot strikes the walking or running surface. Here at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, we offer custom orthotics as a conservative approach to solving many foot conditions that lead to pain in the knees, ankles, hip, back and neck.

 

We use orthotics to treat imbalance in the feet caused by fallen arches. Through their 3D Laser Scanner, Dr. Carlomagno is able to determine if the arches are collapsing and if it is necessary to use orthotics to alleviate or prevent potentially painful conditions. Custom-fit orthotics are used to help realign the bones within the foot and ankle. Realigning these bones will take pressure of other parts of the body such as the back, neck, shoulders and hips. Orthotics also help with distributing weight properly and take further pressure off of toes, bunions and other parts of the foot.

 

Custom fit orthotics are much more effective than the over-the-counter options made available at various drug and grocery stores. Pre-packaged, non-prescription shoe inserts are not made for individuals; they are mass-created and do not offer the type of support most individuals need. Custom-fit orthotics are specially-made devices that are designed to support that specific patient’s needs. While over-the-counter shoe inserts may be a less-expensive option, custom-fit options are the best choice for those suffering from any number of pain or discomfort.

 

If you are experience back, neck, shoulders or hip pain, you might be in need of custom foot orthotics. Call us today to set up an appointment! 

What’s Your Athletic State?

As an athlete are you in a depleted or a replenished state? Do you feel strained and limited when you performed physically, or do you feel activated and rich with potential energy? If you feel you’ve gone from a replenished to depleted state much faster than in the past, there is a reason for that.  As we age, the ability for the energy chain molecules to replenish themselves retards. Our adrenal system is not so easily activated. So what do you do to regain your high energy potential? Have you assessed your need for adrenal support?

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno, D.C.

Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center  

How Much Do You Care About Your Health?

How much do you care about your health? If we were to measure this as a percentage and compare it to the obesity rate here in America, for most people it would only be about 40%. In other words, less than half the population of American is consciously engaging with their health from a proactive, preventative approach. Most Americans look at health from a disease model perspective, as in taking a pill to treat their symptoms rather than maintaining a functional, wellness standpoint, which starts from the inside out. As a result of this attitude, many individuals expect their doctor to be responsible for their health and neglect the opportunity to take control. Relying upon a doctor to take care of your health for you places the burden on someone who cannot possibly be responsible in this matter. So I encourage you to ask yourself this: Are you participatory in caring for your health or reactionary?

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno, D.C.

Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center  

The Nervous System Connection

How would you describe your mental connection with all that surrounds you? Are you in tune with who and what you interact with in your environment? If you ever feel what many people call “mental exhaustion” it should surprise you to know that focus requires energy and intention, which can become depleted and replenished like other forms of energy. Since the amount energy you have at a given time can be considered finite, how you choose to distribute that energy plays a big role into what you gain in return. The more passionate or attracted you are to something the more likely you are to do well at it or succeed in learning it.  This may seem obvious, but if you’re not getting what you want out of life, or if you feel you’re not reaching your full potential for success, consider how you’re interacting with environment, what you’re focused on and how your nervous system not only connects across your body, it connects you to the outside world.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno, D.C.

Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center

Mental Energy, Focus and Balance

In exploring the mind body connection, it’s important to assess your state of mental energy and focus.  As your read these words, pause for a moment and ask yourself:  Is your energy in high state, a centered and calm state, or low energy state? The answer is directly related to a very unique part of the brain known as reticular formation. The brain’s reticular formation in located in the brainstem in a group of nerve fibers.  This part of the nervous system has influence on positive and negative mental stimulus and deals with a number of functions that include motor function, awareness, attention, arousal and cardiac reflexes.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno, D.C.

Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center  

Source: http://biology.about.com/library/organs/brain/blreticular.htm