Bones of the Spinal Column

 

Spinal column health and wellness are essential to daily life. Dr. Jay McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center is committed to helping Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, and Nitro, WV residents keep their spines in the best possible shape.

Makeup of the Spinal Column

The spinal column is an intricately-designed system that supports your body and its movements. It is made up of 33 bones that are separated into five regions, each of which has its own job.

Cervical Region

The cervical spine has seven distinct bones that are labeled C1 to C7. The C1 bone is located at the base of your skull and is responsible for moving your head up and down. The C2 is directly below that and allows your head to move from side to side. The C7 is the lowest bone, which stops at the top of the shoulders.

Thoracic Region

The thoracic spine or the mid-back has 12 bones labeled T1 to T12. The purpose of this entire region is to protect your lungs and heart while holding your rib cage together. As such, this area does not move like the cervical or lumbar region.

Lumbar Region

The lumbar spine is the lower back region. It’s made up of five bones, labeled L1 to L5. These are responsible for bending and lifting, as well as holding up the weight of the body.

Sacral Region

Your sacral spine connects your hip bones and the spine. There are five bones in this region, labeled S1 to S5. As they are fused together, they have very limited movement.

Coccyx Region

The coccyx spine is made up of four bones that are also fused together. They have one important job: to provide a way for the pelvic muscles and ligaments to stay attached.

Other Features

The bones are a very important part of the body, but they can’t do their job alone. In between the bones lies a cushion or disc that helps protect the bones and provide shock absorption. There are also ligaments, muscles, tendons, and nerves that ensure everything is supported and working properly.

To keep your spinal column in optimal health, Dr. Jay McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center offers the residents of Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, and Nitro, WV natural, holistic chiropractic care. Through various treatment methods, he can help you keep every component of your spine operating efficiently.

Be proactive in your spinal column health and wellness. If you live in Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, and Nitro, WV, schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center at (304) 776-1520.

Is Chiropractic Treatment Safe for Pregnant Women?

Many pregnant women experience aches and pains in their lower back and hips as their baby grows. It begs the question: how does a mother find relief? There are natural remedies to combat pregnancy discomforts, such as seeing a chiropractor for safe manipulations and adjustments. According to the American Pregnancy Association, “There are no known contraindications to chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. All chiropractors are trained to work with women who are pregnant.” Dr. Jay McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, is dedicated to safely alleviating pain associated with pregnancy.

Chiropractic care alleviates pain associated with a baby growing heavier in a mother’s stomach, such as a misaligned spine or protruding abdomen. In fact, a pelvis that is out of alignment can restrict the amount of space the baby has to develop, which in turn can lead to birth defects. Proper alignment of the pelvis also lowers the chances of a complicated delivery.

Regular chiropractic care during pregnancy has other benefits as well:

-Controlling symptoms of nausea
-Reducing labor and delivery time
-Maintaining the health of fetus and mother

Are you pregnant and think you can benefit from safe chiropractic treatment? We are happy to address any questions or concerns that come up. Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center is located at 642 Cross Lanes Drive in Nitro, WV 25143. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drjbackdocwv.com or call the office at 304-776-1520.

Chiropractic Care for Knee Pain

Knee pain can affect anyone, from a professional football player to somebody just running errands on a Sunday. It is, unfortunately, a common occurrence that usually goes ignored. Leaving knee pain untended can progress whatever is going on into something worse. We at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, are here to alleviate your knee pain. We also want to prevent it from coming back with careful manipulation, stretching, and adjustments.

The knee is responsible for balance and stability and happens to be the joint in the body that bears the most weight. If you notice any knee pain while sitting, walking, or going up and down the stairs, these are all indications that something is wrong. Additionally, any clicking, popping or grinding sounds while kneeling or squatting indicate knee damage. Dr. Jay McClanahan approaches knee pain treatment with a combination of therapies that integrate the strengthening and stretching of the knee with chiropractic adjustments.

Unlike your primary doctor, a chiropractor is trained to assess your knee and work out a treatment plan suited to your injury. Chiropractors take a more holistic approach to injuries, avoiding drugs and instead performing safe adjustments to alleviate discomfort. They also manage the possibility of pain recurring with routine treatment, depending on the patient.

Do you have knee pain that just won’t go away? We can get you started on a treatment plan suited to your injury. Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center is located at 642 Cross Lanes Drive in Nitro, WV 25143. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drjbackdocwv.com or call the office at 304-776-1520.

What is Subluxation?

We at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, understand that accidents happen. A slip, bump, fall, or another sudden trauma has the ability to cause subluxation, a misalignment in your spine. When or if an accident occurs, Dr. Jay McClanahan is readily available to get you on a personalized treatment plan. While the main goal is to correct the misalignment of your vertebrae and alleviate discomfort, we also work to prevent future subluxations by building up your spinal health.

If you are experiencing subluxation, symptoms include:

- Swelling
- Numbness and tingling
- Limited mobility
- Pain or discomfort
- Degeneration of surrounding muscles, nerves, and bones

Did you know that subluxation is a partial dislocation of the spinal cord? You can probably guess that the pain is no walk in the park. Subluxations are identified through a chiropractic exam, which consists of manual palpation and x-rays. During the manual exam, Dr. McClanahan will check the alignment of your pelvis, joints, and spine. Depending on the severity, treatment options may include medication, rehabilitation, surgery, closed reduction, or a shoulder brace. Leaving subluxation untreated will create more issues for the individual, such as the degeneration of the discs. Your body will try to compensate for subluxation as well, taking on a new, unhealthy shape. Don’t wait to seek treatment! Dr. McClanahan will help.

Do you think you are experiencing subluxation? We’d be happy to take a look and get you started on a treatment plan. Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center is located at 642 Cross Lanes Drive in Nitro, WV 25143. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drjbackdocwv.com or call the office at 304-776-1520.

Therapeutic Exercise

Therapeutic exercise is important for restoring and rebuilding strength, balance, endurance, flexibility, and stability, all in an effort to correct a patient-specific problem. These exercises can also improve your overall health, fitness, and quality of life. We at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, want you to achieve the highest point of rehabilitation and physical fitness with our non-invasive methods. Contact the office of Dr. Jay McClanahan to begin your road to optimal health!

With therapeutic exercise, Dr. McClanahan will work with you to:

- Increase your mobility
- Improve your balance
- Reduce your overall rigidity
- Release any muscles, tendons, or fascia that are contracted
- Mobilize your joints
- Improve your circulation
- Improve your respiratory capacity
- Improve your coordination
- Improve your posture

Therapeutic exercise has also been proven to reduce stress and improve sleep quality. With all of its numerous benefits, everyone should consider partaking in therapeutic exercise. Could you be a good candidate for therapeutic exercise? We are happy to address any concerns or questions you have!

Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center is located at 642 Cross Lanes Drive in Nitro, WV 25143. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drjbackdocwv.com or call the office at 304-776-1520.

Workout Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Back

Exercising is important for your health, and at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center we encourage all our patients to be active. There are simple mistakes we can make exercising that causes more pain, so keep these in mind while exercising so your workout truly benefits you! 

Not warming up, or replacing a warm-up with a lot of stretching, is not the right way to start exercising. Light warm-up exercises will raise your heart rate and increase circulation, providing better blood flow to muscles.  Even five minutes of light cardio exercise and some easy stretching can have this effect. It is most important to stretch after a workout. When muscles have been warmed up and worked out, stretching will feel easier and can prevent soreness by releasing lactic acid built up in the muscles.

Even people who exercise regularly can experience strain if they don’t train their core. Core and abdominal strength are essential for supporting the spine, and abdominal muscles should be trained with every workout.  No matter which muscle group is being exercised, proper form and good posture are important to avoid injury.  The most common mistake people make working out sounds very simple but is critical: going too far.  This includes pushing the limits in term of any weights you lift, too much twisting of the spine, and exercising excessively.  Listen to your body’s response and slowly build strength rather than pushing yourself over the limit. Come see us for help correcting your workout routine to make sure you are helping, not hurting yourself with exercise.

To learn more about proper workout form and all the services provided at the practice, visit www.drjbackdocwv.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Jay McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, call 304-776-1520.

Prenatal Chiropractic Care

The body goes through many changes during pregnancy, and some women experiencing pain and discomfort assume there will be no relief until the due date. But that’s not true! At the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center, we can help expectant mothers maintain a healthy pregnancy with prenatal chiropractic adjustments.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy is a safe and effective way to care for a woman’s changing body and prepare for delivery.  In later stages of pregnancy when the abdomen begins to protrude, the back and pelvis respond to this change. For some women, this can result in a misaligned spine or joints. Maintaining pelvic balance and alignment during pregnancy is possible, and prenatal chiropractic adjustments can help.  A healthy pregnancy benefits the mother and baby, all the way through to labor and delivery!

To learn more about chiropractic adjustments and all the services provided at the practice, visit www.drjbackdocwv.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Jay McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, call 304-776-1520.