Blog Posts - Stamford Chiropractor - Dr. Cristina Poulos at Stamford Balance

Could a chiropractor help you with your TMJ?

5/19/2016

TMJ Disorder/Syndrome

When the TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) is misaligned, it is called TMJ Syndrome. Common symptoms include the inability to open the mouth wide and a clicking or popping sound when the mouth opens or closes. In some cases, the jaw can even temporarily lock. Other TMJ symptoms can include headache; hearing loss; tinnitus (ringing in the ears); throat fullness; facial swelling; shoulder, cheek or jaw pain; neck ache; facial nerve pain; ear or eye pain; dental pain; nausea; blurred vision and even dizziness.

What structures are examined when evaluating the cause of TMJ pain?

Cervical Spine (Neck)
Shoulder(s)
Cranial Bones
Thoracic Spine (Upper Back)
Postural Changes
The TMJ itself

Chiropractic Approach to TMJ

Because structural and TMJ problems are often found together, many TMJ sufferers benefit from chiropractic care. Careful analysis is used to determine exactly where the problem is coming from (ex. cervical spine, cranial bones, shoulder, TMJ itself, etc.) and gentle chiropractic adjustments are used to correct any imbalances, which helps to relieve pain.

At Stamford Balance Chiropractic Studio, Dr. Cristina uses the Activator Method Technique to analyze and adjust the TMJ. According to a recent retrospective case series researching the Activator Method and TMJ, patients had on average an improvement of 80.9% ± 15.4% in reduction of symptoms. (1)

The TMJ and our nervous system

The chiropractic adjustments are used to relieve pressure on the spine, cranial bones and jaw, which studies show may help to correct or relieve a TMJ problem. Interestingly enough, an unhealthy skull/jaw alignment can also put great stress upon the spinal column. Problems to your general health and well-being can occur with TMJ dysfunction because of the important neurological connections around the area of the temporomandibular joint.

References:
1. Chiropractic Treatment of Temporomandibular Dysfunction: A Retrospective Case Series
Pavia, Steven et al. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , 279 - 284. http://www.journalchiromed.com/article/S1556-3707%2815%2900080-2/abstract

You can make your first appointment with Dr. Cristina by calling our office at 203-355-2830 or by booking online through our profile on ZocDoc.com.

Our partnership with Zocdoc means online scheduling for NEW patients

3/15/2016

Now NEW patients can schedule an initial appointment with us online because of our new partnership with Zocdoc.com! Now you'll be able to access our schedule online, fill out their demographic and insurance information and book an appointment right from your computer without even having to pick up the phone!

Are you a new patient? Click below to schedule your first appointment:

Powered by Zocdoc

Check out our profile below:

Dr. Cristina Poulos Zocdoc

Our current patients should still use our online scheduler here. Instructions for use can be found below.

Guide to our NEW online scheduling

1/12/2016

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and thought, "I wish I had scheduled an appointment with Dr. Cristina this week"? We are excited to have added online scheduling to the practice!

At this point, our online scheduling system is available to CURRENT PATIENTS only. If you are a new patient and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cristina to see her for the first time, you can give us a call at 203-355-2830, or you can request an appointment here and someone from our office will contact you.

Step 1: Go to Home Page

Online Chiropractic Appointment Step 1

Visit our home page: www.stamfordbalance.com and click on the calendar that says "Schedule Your Appointment Online Here."

This will take you to our online appointment scheduler so you can view available appointment times.

Step 2: Enter Your Information

Online Chiropractic Appointment Step 2

Entering your information here will match you to your file in our system.

TIP: Just make sure you use the same email and cell phone number where you get your email and text reminders from us. This is how our system recognizes you!

Step 3: Choose an Appointment Time and Submit

Online Chiropractic Appointment Step 3

The available appointment times are listed on the bottom of the booking screen. Click on the one that works best for your schedule, and then click the green "Submit Appointment Request" button at the bottom.

This will submit a "tentative" appointment. You must still confirm your appointment when you receive the confirmation in your email.

Step 4: Confirm your Appointment

Online Chiropractic Appointment Step 4

This is an important step!! Make sure you check your e-mail for an e-mail confirmation (it will come from reminders@drchrono.com) and click on the link to finalize your appointment. You are not booked into our system until you've clicked on this confirmation link.

Once you've confirmed your appointment, you'll get a confirmation e-mail and your visit will pop up in our schedule. We'll look forward to seeing you!

And, of course, you are still always welcome to give us a call at 203-355-2830 if you'd rather make an appointment by phone. We'll see you soon! :)

Let's talk about Spider-Man's Spine...

10/9/2015

In honor of New York Comic Con this weekend, we had our favorite Comic Book producer, Mike Dolce of www.mikebooks.com co-author our blog post this week. Together, we weighed in on some of Spider-Man’s best and worst positions for spinal health!

1. Spider-Man #1 : The Squat

Mike: The most obvious place to start is Todd McFarlane who redefined Spidey’s look in the early 1990’s. He also pioneered the incorrect posture pose that probably had Peter Parker reaching for the Advil after a day of crime fighting. This particularly famous cover looks harmless enough, except when you consider how long it must have taken him to get out. I’d bet after 4 hours of crouching like that, Spidey was regretting ever spinning this web.

Dr. Cristina: Although this position may look painful, the squatting position is actually a really good one for our spine and pelvic musculature! I’d fix Spider-Man’s squatting posture in this position to make sure his spine is more upright and closer to neutral position like in the picture of our workout buddy here. Extra bonus of squats: they’re VERY beneficial during pregnancy, and better for strengthening the pelvic musculature than kegels are!

Is it time for your spinal tune-up? Call Stamford Balance Chiropractic Studio today: 203-355-2830.

2. Spider-Man Pin-Up: The Forward Bend

Mike: For the final McFarlane pose Todd creates the visual that Peter is an actual spider, but the yoga-centric pose here can twist your spine into knots if you try it at home.

Dr. Cristina: Sorry Mike, I’m going to disagree with you again here! Forward flexion poses, similar to child’s pose in yoga, are great spine and pelvis openers. They can help elongate the spine by opening up disc and joint spaces, and stretching our paraspinal muscles, which run from the base of our skull to our pelvis. We would fix Spider-Man’s poisoning in this picture so both arms were straight out in front of him, and his knees were positioned evenly on either side if his hips like the yogi we have pictured here.

3. Peter Parker Spider-Man #20: The Hyperextension

Mike: Erik Larsen was another fan favorite to take the Spidey reigns when McFarlane left Amazing Spider-Man to start his own Spider-Man title. And in keeping with his predecessor, Larsen exhibited a penchant for some outrageous poses that could send you into traction if you tried it at home.

Dr. Cristina: This is one we can agree on! Hyperextension of the lumbar spine like this, is rarely, if ever, beneficial for our spines. Movements like this can cause or aggregate something we refer to as spondylolisthesis, which is forward slippage of a vertebra in our spine. This is more common in athletes of sports that require hyperextension of the lumbar spine (gymnastics, weightlifting, diving, football linemen) and can be the source of on and off low back pain throughout life. Luckily, adjustments can be beneficial during pain episodes, and core-strengthing exercises can help chronic problems. Hyperextension can also cause spinal problems and pain in someone without Spondylolisthesis, so I tell most patients to avoid this type of movement.

4. Heroes Reborn Captain America: The Anterior Head Translation

Mike: Okay, this isn’t Spider-Man, but this pin-up from Heroes Reborn: Captain America is too infamous to pass up. Forget the anatomical inconsistencies – bottom line? Cap needs a reverse boob job here. His back must be killing him!

Dr. Cristina: Again, I can agree with Mike on this one, but for different reasons. While Captain America’s huge pec muscles may be causing some of the strain and increased stress on his spine, I think the bigger culprit is his anterior head posture. Every inch your head moves forward adds an extra 10 pounds of stress and pressure to your spine. This can lead to pain, spasm, headaches, degeneration of the spine, and even decreased lung capacity! Luckily, corrective chiropractic care helps take stress off of the spine, and can help lead to improved posture, and decreased anterior head translation. Get this guy to a chiropractor!

Check out some posture improvements a couple of our patients have made:

If you’re going to New York Comic Con at the New York Javits Center this weekend, be sure to stop by Mike’s Booth (#1166). He’s a talented comic book artist who just came out with a new graphic novel, The Undone.

Fun facts you may not know about Chiropractic...

8/12/2015

Stamford_Chiropractic

Usain_Bolt_chiropractor

Olympian Usain Bolt getting adjusted with the Activator

1. Chiropractic care focuses on optimal health and function: When your spine is properly aligned and balanced, your body works better. How come? Proper alignment of the spine minimizes stress on your nervous system so your brain and body can communicate without interference.  

2. Professional athletes LOVE chiropractic! Numerous athletes have credited their chiropractors in helping them perform at their best. (Including this year’s US Open winner, Jordan Speith, who thanked his chiropractor in his winner’s speech at his green jacket presentation!) Other professional athletes who are avid fans of chiropractic include Aaron Rodgers (who’s dad is a chiropractor!), Michael Jordan, Andy Murray, Usain Bolt and Ryback (Just to name a few)! Fun Fact: Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) are utilized by all 32 National Football League teams! (1) 

3. Chiropractors take care of the WHOLE person - chiropractors who use a holistic wellness-centered approach (like Dr. Cristina) focus on the function of the entire spine. This is important because everything in your body is connected, and our bodies can only function at their best when the entire spine is in alignment. 

4. Patients LOVE us! Research has shown that Doctors of Chiropractic provide a patient centered, whole person approach to health care marked by greater interaction and better communication, resulting in consistently higher patient satisfaction ratings than other doctors in different fields. (2) 

5. The first chiropractic adjustment helped restored a man’s hearing - A man named Harvey Lillard felt something “give out” in his back, and he lost his hearing immediately. 17 years later in 1895, he told his story to a man named DD Palmer, who felt his back and gave him what he referred to as a “crude adjustment” to his upper back. After that interaction, Harvey reports being able to hear again! (3)  

6. Chiropractic is beneficial for ALL ages - even babies and kids! There are many stresses on the spine that can happen to babies and children early on in life: the birth process, tumbles as the child learns to walk, sports injuries, heavy backpacks, playground falls, etc. Although these stresses may not result in pain immediately, they can cause an imbalance in the spine as it’s growing and developing, which can set the stage for dysfunction and problems later on in life. Check out our other post on chiropractic care for kids.

7. Chiropractic patients are healthier than the general population - a 7 year study tracked patients who saw a chiropractor as their primary health intervention, and they were shown to have 83% less pharmaceutical costs, 62% less outpatient surgeries, 60% fewer hospital admissions, and 59% fewer days in the hospital. (4)

Are you getting adjusted at Stamford Balance Chiropractic Studio yet? Contact us to see how chiropractic may be able to help you function at your best! Call us at 203-355-2830 or request an appointment online.

Sources:
1. Professional Football Chiropractic Society (PFCS) 2010 www.profootballchiros.co
2. Gaumer G, PhD. Factors associated with patient satisfaction with chiropractic care: survey and review of the literature. JMPT 2006 July-Aug; 29(6):455
3. http://www.acatoday.org/pdf/Chiro_History.pdf
4. Clinical Utilization and Cost Outcomes From an Integrative Medicine Independent Physician Association: An Additional 3-Year Update. Sarnat, Richard L. et al. Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics, Volume 30, Issue 4, 263 - 269.

Spinal Safety at the Beach

7/22/2015

Everyone deserves to relax at the beach, but we can’t let our spinal health go by the wayside! It only takes 10-15 minutes in one position for our ligaments to begin to lose elasticity, which can put stress on your spine and nervous system. These tips can help prevent injuries and encourage spinal health!

Stamford Chiropractic Health

Get up and take a walk – Just like I commonly tell patients to get up from their desks at work for at least 10 minutes every hour, you need to keep that rule in mind at the beach as well! Take advantage of the beautiful weather and break from your office and get your body moving! Barefoot walking (aka "grounding") in the sand has numerous health benefits for the spine and nervous system.
Don’t look down at your book – We all love catching up on summer reading at the beach, but arching your neck forward while reading your books may cause problems in your cervical spine. You can combat this by holding your book closer to eye level while keeping your head and neck upright.
Try not to spend too much time laying on the sand face down – this popular sun tanning position can be a potentially harmful position for your spine because it can cause stress on the vertebrae in your lower back and neck. Keeping your head in a neutral position, or lounge chairs with a cutout for your face like this one (http://www.brookstone.com/Ergonomic-Comfort-Lounger) can help prevent stress on your spine!
Drink plenty of water - Our intervertebral discs are the shock absorbers for our spine. Keeping hydrated helps to nourish your spinal discs since they are primarily made up of water.
And most importantly, make sure you RELAX - Stress builds up in our body and causes dysfunction in our body and nervous system. Relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing (along with regular chiropractic adjustments) help reduce and manage the stress that builds up in our body and nervous system. When we reduce the stress in our bodies, they can heal and function better!

Spine and Wine Open House

6/1/2015

Drop by the new office location anytime between 6-9 pm for some food and drinks! Friends and family are welcome!

Text Neck... The Next Epidemic?

5/27/2015

Can you guess how much time the average American spends looking down at his or her phone? According to the analytics firm Flurry, it’s 3 hours per day! This is not great news for our spines.

Recently, Dr. Kenneth Hansraj published a study in the National Library of Medicine recognizing this downward facing posture (which he refers to as “text neck”) as a serious problem affecting our population today. (1) Looking at our phones (or tablets, computers, etc.) for so long throughout the day can cause premature degeneration or “wear-and-tear” on the joints in our cervical spine.

In his study, he calculated the increase of weight and pressure that different head and neck angles exert on the joints in the spine. The human head weighs about a 10-12 pounds. As the neck bends forward and down, the weight on the cervical spine begins to increase, which leads to extra wear-and-tear on the spinal joints. This extra strain on the neck causes incorrect biomechanics in our spines, which can cause pain, stiffness, soreness, muscle spasm, shoulder pain, and/or headaches.

So, as your neck bends forward more, it increases the weight that’s exerted on your cervical spine:
At a 15-degree angle, it’s 27 pounds
At a 30-degree angle, it’s 40 pounds
At a 45-degree angle, it’s 49 pounds
At a 60-degree angle, it’s 60 pounds

This could also explain why we’re beginning to see these early signs of spinal degeneration in children as young as 12 years old. Check out my tips below to see how you can help prevent extra wear-and-tear in your spine when looking at your mobile devices:

1. Hold your phone up - When you’re sitting or standing, start to become aware of your posture. If you hold your phone out in front of you rather than downward (as if you were taking a selfie), you can minimize the amount of pressure on your spine. (Or, if you're really ambitious, you can check out this interesting device from the start-up Neckset, Ltd.)
 
2. Stretch your chest and neck - Chest openers and neck stretches are great exercises to reverse some of the stress that’s caused in our body from looking downward all day. Here are two of my favorite stretches to do during the day:  

At Left: Doorway chest stretch. Above: Neck extension stretch.
Hold each stretch for 8-10 seconds and repeat these throughout the day.

3. Get to your chiropractor! - As stress (in this case, physical stress) accumulates on the spine, it’s important to get your spine checked for misalignments we know as subluxation. Alterations in our biomechanics lead to degeneration of our joints. Regular chiropractic adjustments help optimize joint mechanics, which helps to reduce the progression of chronic degeneration in our spines. (2)

Don’t have a chiropractor yet? Give us a call at 203-355-2830 or request an appointment online to set up a spinal check-up for you or your children today.

Sources:
1. HANSRAJ, KENNETH K. "Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head." Surgical technology international 25 (2014): 277-279.
2. Srbely J. Spinal manipulative therapy and its role in the prevention, treatment and management of chronic pain. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2012;56(1):5-7.

How your health is like a safety pin

1/19/2015

Chiropractic and the "Safety Pin Cycle"

Sometimes, when we’re thinking about the way our bodies work, we can think if it like a safety pin. The top, or the clasp of the safety pin, is like our brain, which generates nerve impulses to control and regulate our entire body. We can look at the edges and the hinge of the safety pin as your body. Our brain is like a big computer that sends messages through the spinal cord and nerves that control every action in our cells, tissues and organs. Then, nerve impulses are sent back up, from your body to your brain. These messages let your brain know that your body is working correctly. When your brain and body are communicating properly, we can compare this to a closed safety pin.

Proper communication between the body and brain is the definition of TRUE HEALTH.

Many things can interfere with nerve impulses either to or from your brain. Sometimes, misalignments in your spine (subluxations) can be the cause of these altered messages to or from your brain. When you have subluxations in your spine, we compare this to an open safety pin - it means your brain and body aren’t communicating property. When this happens, your organs and tissues won’t work right, and the result is poor health and dysfunction in your body.

How do we get these subluxations in the first place? They’re the result of physical, chemical and emotional stress in our lives.

Chiropractors who focus on the holistic spinal care locate and reduce subluxations with safe and natural adjustments. These adjustments allow the body and brain to communicate properly, which leads to better health and well-being, because the body now has the ability to heal and function without interference.

Do you think you may have spinal misalignments causing a miscommunication between your brain and the rest of your body? Call our office today at 203-355-2830 or request an appointment online to see if subluxations could be a cause of dysfunction in your body.

5 Tips for a Healthier Workplace

10/15/2014

Healthier Workplace

Most of us spend the majority of our days at work, and for about 80% of the United States population, that can mean sitting for an average of 7 hours a day. Sitting for this long everyday has not only been linked to an increase in pain, but also heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, brain fog, osteopenia and even certain cancers. Check out this infographic from the Washington Post for details on the negative effects of sitting all day.

These 5 tips can help combat the negative effects of sitting all day AND help break up the workday so you can stay more alert and focused! (What boss wouldn’t want that for their employees?!)

1. Take breaks! I tell my patients everyday, make sure you’re taking breaks though the workday. You should be getting up out of your chair for at least 10 minutes every hour. This could mean standing up when you’re taking a phone call, making extra trips to the copier, or simply getting up to take a break and stretch. Can’t remember to get up every hour? There are some great smart phone apps our there like Stand Up! – These will bing or buzz your phone once an hour to remind you to get up and get moving! Bonus Tip: do some "deskercises" during your breaks - get some great ideas here.

2. Change up your workstation – standing desks are becoming increasingly popular for good reason. Not only can it combat the hazards of sitting all day, but it can also help us burn calories, tone muscle, increase blood flow and improve metabolism. [2] In the office, I notice a significant difference in my patients who use stand-up desks compared to the ones who sit all day – the ones who stand have healthier spines and end up maintaining their adjustments for longer than the ones who sit. Don’t feel like standing all day? Swap out your desk chair for an exercise ball instead! It will force you to maintain good posture and activate your core.

3. Use Proper Ergonomics – If you have to sit in your desk chair, make sure you’re using proper ergonomics. Your feet should be touching the floor with your knees and hips at 90 degrees. (You may need to place something under your feet to prop them up if you’re petite like me!) Your monitor should be directly in front of your head while it’s at a neutral position (at a distance that doesn’t require you to lean in or strain to see the screen). Shoulders should be relaxed and your forearms should be parallel to the floor. Some other great tips on ergonomics can be found here.

4. Find a “Wellness Buddy” – Partner up with a co-worker who wants to start making some healthy changes in his or her life, too. Check in on each other throughout the workday – this could be a reminder for a stretch break, reminder to stand up, or a quick walk to the other person's desk. Research tells us that working out with a partner helps us perform better and stay motivated. [3]

5. Visit Your Chiropractor – Work can be stressful, and this stress can unfortunately lead to stress and damage on your spine and nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments remove areas of interference to your nervous system so your body can more easily adapt to these external stresses, which can prevent problems down the road. Regular chiropractic care has been linked to some great benefits for the workplace including less pain, increase in creativity [4] and improved quality of life [5].

Don’t have a chiropractor yet? Give us a call at 203-355-2830 or request an appointment online to set up your spinal check-up today.

Sources:
1. Matthews CE, George SM, Moore SC, Bowles HR, Blair A, et al. (2012) Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors and cause-specific mortality in US adults. Am J Clin Nutr 95: 437–445. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.019620
2. http://www.juststand.org/tabid/816/language/en-US/default.aspx
3 .Aerobic exercise is promoted when individual performance affects the group: a test of the Kohler motivation gain effect. Irwin, B.C., Scorniaenchi, J., Kerr, N.L. et al. Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2012;44(2):151-9.
4. Masarsky, C.S. and M. Todres-Masarsky. “Effect of a Single Chiropractic Adjustment on Divergent Thinking and Creative Output: A Pilot Study, Part I.” Chiropractic Journal of Australia, 2010.
5. Mark J. Marino and Phillippa M. Langrell. A Longitudinal Assessment of Chiropractic Care using a Survey of Self-Rated Health Wellness & Quality of Life: A Preliminary Study. Vol 3(2):1-9.

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