December 16, 2014

9 Tips for Finding the Best Chiropractor

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Search For The Best Chiropractor Near You

Finding the best chiropractor can be hard nowadays with so many out there.  Like everything else, finding the best chiropractor starts with doing research and understanding what it is you are looking for.  Referrals are typically the best way to find a good provider, whether it be from another provider or a friend. First hand experience from a friend is always extremely valuable, because a friend will be honest with you about what you are getting yourself into and ultimately if you should go through with it. However, if you are new to the area, or your friends and family are not familiar with chiropractic treatment, here is a helpful guideline and what to look for:

1. We encourage you to find a chiropractic physician that will listen to you, and answer your questions.

2. Look for a chiropractor that engages and empowers you through education and home exercises, which in turn will give you control over your health.

3. We recommend a chiropractor that integrates active care and functional care – such as stretching hip flexors, strengthening glutes, activating core. Active care typically involves the active participation of the patient, such as teaching proper breathing techniques and functional standing and sitting exercises. [youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-URrvHuKeo&list=UUywozp0WIbd3OU4N9KQlUag”]

4. Read the reviews for social proof. Looking for online reviews from third party sources, such as Angie’s List, Yelp, Google, Indy A List, etc., as opposed to the reviews on the chiropractor’s website, will paint a more clear picture of how other patients feel about the provider.

5. Verify that the chiropractor has a good rapport within the medical community, you may simply ask the office staff when you call.

6. Interview your doctor.  Meeting your potential chiropractor is not only a good way for you to experience what the environment is like, but it also gives you a chance to see how the doctor uses their time, and if they are attentive towards you. If the chiropractor doesn’t give you their full attention on that first day, you can probably assume that they won’t give you their full attention down the road.

7. Don’t feel like you have to commit on your first visit. Take your time; interview a few chiropractors until you find the one that is right for you.

8. Avoid the salesman; the best chiropractors shouldn’t be selling you big packages or pressuring you to start a treatment plan.

9. Ask questions, to get a better idea of what they do and how they do it.

Keeping these guidelines in mind will help you find the best chiropractor for you. For more helpful advice, or to learn more about Dr. Charbel, contact our Indianapolis chiropractic clinic today at 317-449-2020.


About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.
July 17, 2014

Think Sitting Can’t Kill You? Think Again.

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Our current society leads a very sedentary lifestyle. Most of us sit for eight or more hours a day at work, and if that isn’t enough, we sit to drive, eat, and as we’re unwinding for the day. Recent research on sitting and sedentary lifestyles suggests lack of activity throughout the day can be hazardous. Below you will find a few of the risks prolonged hours of sitting can have on your body and your health, and what you can do to alleviate those risks.

 Let me begin by highlighting a few of the health risks: 

·      Heart Problems – including increased blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.

·      Pancreatic Over Activity – idol muscles do not respond as well to insulin, causing the pancreas to produce more insulin, which can lead to diabetes.

·      Flabby Abs – core muscles are most active when they are trying to stabilize you, such as when you’re standing or being active.

·      Floppy Glutes – sitting all day causes your butt muscles to become lose, because they are not being used for their main purpose. The gluteus maximus muscle is one the strongest muscles in the human body, but if you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it, and no one wants a saggy butt.

·      Osteoporosis – the more weight you put on your bones, the stronger they become. When you sit all day your bones are not under stress, which causes decreased bone density and can lead to osteoporosis, especially in the female population.

·      Lack of Concentration – extended hours of sitting inhibits your breathing and oxygen intake into the system, including your brain; hence, your thoughts become foggy.

·      Neck Pain – poor posture with prolonged sitting causes neck muscles to become shortened, tense and tight, which can also lead to headaches.

 What Can You Do?

 ·      Take micro-breaks throughout the day, getting off your chair every 20 minutes or so. Take a short walk, or do some simple stretching in your office.

·      Whenever possible, do your work standing up, for example, while talking on the phone.

·      Stretch your hip flexors. Try exercises like the cat camel, and incorporate planks and side planks into your daily routine.

·      Keep a foam roller at your office and use it a few times a day. We have many helpful videos on our YouTube channel.  Foam rolling your back during the day, for example, can be very beneficial.[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1e8tIA_MeI&list=UUywozp0WIbd3OU4N9KQlUag”]

 If sitting is unavoidable, make the most of it: 

·      Sit with a neutral neck over your shoulders.

·      Keep your shoulders down and relaxed.

·      Keep your arms close to your body, with your elbows at 90 degrees.

·      Knees at 90 degrees, with feet on the floor.

·      Use a chair with a lumbar support, or create your own by rolling a small towel and placing it behind your back right above your belt line. 

At our affordable chiropractic clinic, we educate our patients on the importance of good posture. For a healthy lifestyle, movement is imperative. Start moving more today, before you realize you’ve aged and are barely able to ambulate, let alone enjoy an activity.

If pain is keeping you from enjoying activities you were once able to enjoy, call our Indianapolis chiropractic clinic today at 317.449.2020 to see how we can help.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.
June 19, 2014

How Does Dry Needling Work?

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Reset Your Muscles and Tissues with Dry Needling

I am often asked what dry needling is, and how it works. Dry needling, in a sense, is very similar to acupuncture, when it comes down to the tools that we use. We use very thin filaments, which are inserted into the tissues, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are dysfunctional and deranged. However, with dry needling, our main focus is on musculoskeletal pain, reduction of pain, and enhancement of soft tissue function.

In a simple form, dry needling normalizes and resets the muscles and tissue to its original homeostatic function. For instance, if a muscle is too tight, tense, and has trigger points and adhesion, dry needling resets it back to a normal density with no spasms or tension. On the other hand, if the muscle is inhibited and is not functioning, as it should, dry needling will reset the mechanism in that muscle, helping to reawaken it.

There are several theories about how dry needling works. One of the predominate theories was proven by observing the brain in a functional MRI, while a patient was treated with metal needles that were not conductive to magnetic fields. This study showed, that the brain sensors responsible for pain reduction became more active, and in turn secreted pain reduction chemicals, such as endorphins.

Another theory suggests that the very thin filaments that are inserted into the tissue, even though they are quite thin and unnoticeable in almost all instances, create damage to thousands of cells. The brain perceives this damage, and initiates a healing effect and rejuvenation of the tissue.

In another study, it was shown that the biochemical changes that occur around the needle are favorable in reducing inflammation and pain.  A final theory of how dry needling works is a study that suggests that a properly placed needle in a triggered point of a muscle or tendon, will send a signal to the nervous system in a reflex form, which will reset the muscle and tissue fibers.

Dry needling differs from acupuncture, in a sense that it does not follow the meridian channels, and focuses primarily on musculoskeletal pain. At our Indianapolis chiropractic clinic, we utilize dry needling for a variety of symptoms, such as runner knee pain, TMJ, and headaches.

If you have been suffering with pain and are looking for an alternative treatment, contact Integrated Health Solutions, an affordable Indianapolis chiropractic clinic, today at 317.449.2020.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.
June 6, 2014

What You Should Know About Pain

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Understanding The Three Factors of Pain

Over the past few centuries, our understanding of pain has evolved to include new contributing factors. Pain is an individualistic experience, however it is also considered a biopsychosocial experience.

Biological Factors

The biological component is simply your body. The organs or tissues, such as ligaments, muscles and/or nerves could be deranged and damaged, thus sending signals to the brain which in turn interprets those signal and decides whether to signal pain or not. We should not ignore the fact that the psychological factor can also affect the biological component of the pain model. States of depression and anxiety can manifest itself in the body, causing tension, spasm and tightness in areas such as the traps, the neck and the jaw.

Psychological Factors

Psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety and depression, can actually worsen the experience you have with pain. Recent studies show that patients who have a negative psychological condition prior to surgery, such as hip replacement, were prone to a longer period of pain during recovery.

Social Factors

Social factors, such as our work environment, family, or lifestyle, can also influence our perception of pain. Many of our patients report that their pain intensifies when they are at work, or when they are involved in an argument with a significant other. When exposed to a negative social environment, pain intensifies; science contributes this to the brain perceiving the environment as hostile and resorting to a flight and fight mechanism acting as a sense of protection.

Mind Over Matter

These factors contribute to our pain, because pain is perceived at the brain level. One of the most interesting phenomenon of pain is that it is not necessarily an experience at the site of the pain. For example, you might have a herniated disc, but you will not be aware of it until your brain decides to signal that the tissue is harmful, at which point you will feel the pain in your back.

Scientific findings have proven that there are individuals with disc degeneration, herniated discs, rotator cuff tears, bulging discs, etc.  who are completely asymptomatic. This reinforces my previous statement, that the pain is an experience at the brain level affected not only by the tissue but also by your mood and your perception of your environment. If the brain decides to signal that, for example, the disc bulge is harmful, then it is at that point that you will feel the pain which is a form of protection to alert us that there is a need for modification.

At Integrated Health Solutions, an affordable chiropractic clinic, we educate our patients on the cause of their pain. We explain to them that pain is not necessarily a direct correlation in the harm of the tissue, but instead the pain is simply a signal for the need of modification. When patients understand that the pain is not creating more damage to the injury, we actually find they experience a reduction in pain.

At our Indianapolis Chiropractic clinic, we strive to educate our patients on the different factors that affect pain, in hopes of expediting their healing. Through this education, in most cases, the patients are able to reduce the external factors that negatively affect their pain experience, whether it is psychological or environmental, by doing so, it helps us obtain our goals in fewer visits.

If you’ve been dealing with pain, and would like to learn more about the factors that may be contributing to it, contact our office today at 317.449.2020.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.
May 30, 2014

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Even the Slightest Pain after a Car Accident

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[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgFt55sg1lw&list=UUywozp0WIbd3OU4N9KQlUag” title=”Tess%27%20Testimonial%20for%20Shoulder%20and%20Neck%20Pain%20after%20an%20Automobile%20Accident%20″]

Treatment of Injuries Caused by Car Accidents

At Integrated Health Solutions, a large percentage of our patients have experienced some sort of trauma, whether it is from a sports injury or involvement in a motor vehicle accident. When it comes to injuries sustained from accidents, it is from our experience and patient feedback, that an individual does not always feel the pain immediately.  Many of our patients have reported that they did not feel any pain until a few weeks after the accident. This is because our body has an immense ability to keep us from sensing pain.  However, the soft tissues have been affected since the time of the trauma.

Many people who experience physical trauma believe that the pain will eventually go away on its own. We have had patients come to us six months, and even a few years, after their accident, who have unfortunately realized the pain is now a chronic problem and are desperate to feel better. Because of this, we suggest anyone involved in a car accident pay attention to any of their symptoms, some of which may include, but are not limited to: blurred vision, dizziness, clenching of the jaw, pain in the shoulders, neck and back, and headaches.  If you experience any of these symptoms, we encourage you to seek professional help.

Many times, we see patients who have gone to the emergency room after their accident, which is excellent for an initial triage however the main concern of the emergency room is to make sure you do not have any life threatening injuries or fractures. Some patients may be given medication to help with their pain, but please keep in mind that the medicine is doing just that, it’s helping you deal with the pain, not treating the source of it.

We encourage our patients to consider rehab to help reactivate the soft tissue that was damaged in the accident. Different kinds of soft tissue therapies help loosen up the adhesion and fibrotic formations that set in after injury to muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. Acupuncture is a phenomenal tool for decreasing pain and inflammation, and rejuvenating the tissue. Chiropractic care will help centralize the joint and help with proper mechanics.  At Integrated Health Solutions, we follow this integrated approach to help treat the cause, not just cover the symptoms.

If you have been involved in an accident, or have experienced an injury, please seek medical attention by a provider who specializes in restoring soft tissue integrity, joint mechanics, and who is focused on addressing the cause of the pain, not just masking it.  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting us at 317.449.2020.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.