OUCH!  Sinus headaches can cause  deep, throbbing pains in the front of your head and face.  They are caused by inflammation of your sinuses.  Your sinuses are eight spaces in the bones of the forehead, cheeks and temples that help you to breathe.  When they are inflamed, they can fill with mucous, make it difficult to breathe, and cause pressure in your head, even swelling  around your eyes and ears.

Sinus pressure can be caused by several things.  Often, infections like viruses and bacteria can block the passages, not allowing the mucous to drain.  Fungus, smoke, pollution, and allergies are also common culprits that inflame the sinuses.  So, how can you prevent or stop these invaders from creating unbearable pressure within your sinuses?

If your body is working properly, your resistance to germs, dust, temperature changes and other stresses are high.  A healthy body has properly draining sinuses.  Relieving stress on the nervous system and body structure will help ensure that the skull bones move freely and permit mucous to drain easily.  Treatment  can involve soft massage of the nose, forehead, and cheeks to relieve pressure on the sinus cavities and allow drainage.  Maintaining regular chiropractic adjustments will help keep your immune system healthy and help you relieve and prevent further sinus infections.  If you are experiencing sinus pain and are looking for relief, contact us today at 651-636-5560 or at chiropractorroseville.com .  We can help!

In good health,

Dr. Josh Norine

Suffering from chronic neck pain?  A recent study estimates that 7 out of 10 adults develop neck pain that lasts longer than 6 months at some point during their life.  So, what can you do to stop the pain?  Let’s examine how the neck muscles relate to neck pain and how you can stop it.

Neck pain can be caused by strain, sprain, whiplash, or misalignment.  All of these conditions have one thing in common:  neck muscles.  Neck muscles are designed to maintain a healthy curve in our spine and hold our head up all day.  These muscles are the longus capitus and longus colli, your deep neck flexors.  If you have chronic neck pain, then these muscles fatigue easily, get stiff, and unbalanced.

The good news is, you can find relief…no more sitting at the computer agonizing over your neck pain!  First, I suggest doing some simple chin tucks.  Keep your chin tucked in and head back.  This is a good exercise to start with.  Secondly, know that spinal manipulation given by chiropractors has been used for centuries to treat neck pain.   Research concludes combining chiropractic care with muscle strengthening to balance your neck alignment and muscles will indeed relieve chronic neck pain.

If you are suffering from neck pain, contact us for a free consultation at 651-636-5560 or chiropractorroseville.com.  We can help!

To your health,

Dr. Joshua Norine

If you experience pain in your hips, upper leg, low back, or buttocks, you know that sitting, standing, or exercising can feel horrific.  Every time your feet hit the ground, the shock is transferred up your legs to your hips and spine, and any spinal or muscle irregularity can cause you pain.

Likely causes could be a pelvic tilt, unequal leg lengths, a pinched nerve, and piriform muscle inflammation.  An irritated disc between your vertebrae can also cause radiating pain.  These are serious conditions and generally will not go away on their own.  Icing and anti-inflammatories can provide pain relief, but they will not treat the cause of the problem.

I recommend having a thorough exam to locate your specific cause.  At Hamline Health & Wellness, we analyze electronic muscle scans to locate your area of irritation.   We also give in-depth postural and balance tests along with trigger point muscle therapy to relieve tension.  X-rays can also be used to examine the vertebral alignment and disc status.  After examination, Hamline Health & Wellness offers one of the most integrated and specialized treatment for your specific needs.  Our Health Professionals meet each morning on EVERY SINGLE PATIENT CASE to determine your needs, progress, and treatment. Our Physical Therapist and Chiropractors utilize electrical stimulation, vibration therapy, muscle rehab and strengthening, and spinal adjustments.  If you are experiencing any painful symptoms in your hips, low back, or legs, contact us for a free consultation today at 651-636-5560 or at chiropractorroseville.com.  Treat the cause of your pain, not the symptoms.

In Good Health,

Dr. Joshua Norine

Low back pain during pregnancy is a common complaint I hear from patients.   As your uterus expands throughout pregnancy, your center of gravity changes, your abdominal muscles stretch and weaken, and your posture is affected causing a strain on your back.  This can manifest as pain in your lumbar region of your lower back , the back of your pelvis, and over the pubic bone.

So, what can you do to get relief?  First of all, avoid any exercise that requires extreme movement of your hips or spine.  For activity, swimming or water aerobics are a good option to alleviate back pain.  Then, I suggest getting an exam from our spinal rehab team.  At Hamline Health & Wellness, we offer treatments like trigger point therapy that relieve muscle tightness and ease the pain.  Our chiropractor can relieve spine misalignments which stress your muscles and nerves.  Chiropractic has shown to reduce labor pain and complications.  Our Physical Therapist creates specialized programs for our patients that strengthen abdominal and lower back muscles to help you maintain a good posture and healthy nervous system.

If you or someone you love is suffering from low back pain during pregnancy, call us today and schedule a free consultation.  The health of a pregnant mother is the defining factor in the health of her baby.  Take a step to ease your pain and improve the quality of your health.  Call us at 651-636-5560 or find us online at chiropractorroseville.com.

Yours in Good Health,

Dr. Josh Norine

Did you know that recent reports estimate asthma cases in the United States will double by the year 2020?  Currently, asthma is number one reason for student absenteeism in school and costs Americans a whopping $11 billion dollars annually!  Why is this condition such a growing problem?

Asthma causes “attacks” which can last for minutes and hour and can persist for a lifetime.  It can be triggered by allergies, stress, pollen, pollution and activity.  Why do some children develop asthma and others do not?  Research suggest that overuse of antibiotics and vaccines have caused an abnormal immune response  and make’s a child’s immune system overstimulated and oversensitive.  In children and adults who have asthma, the small tubes in their lungs called bronchioles become inflamed and even spasm when exposed to an irritant.  This leads to difficulty breathing.

A normal first line of defense within the immune system would allow air to pass through your nose, windpipe and bronchioles to filter, purify, warm and clean the air to prevent irritation.  Your nervous system is the central computer that runs your whole body including your immune system, lungs and bronchioles.  If your nervous system is functioning with no interference, your body should function normally.  If there is nerve interference within your spine and nerves, you will not have normal body function, leading to chronic conditions like asthma.

Chiropractors provide treatments that eliminate nerve interference within the body so it can function normally.  Studies have proven regular chiropractic adjustments can reduce asthma attacks and the need for medications, steroid, or inhalers.  We have helped hundreds of patients who have suffered from asthma in our clinic.  Listen to this testimonial: “I have had asthma for 8 years.  I have taken multiple inhalers and had no success.  The Dr.’s miraculous touch helped out my asthma.  I haven’t taken an inhaler for over two months.”  If you or family member suffer from asthma and want to stop using inhalers, nebs, and steroids, call us for a free consultation today at 651-636-5560 or contact us at chiropractorroseville.com.  We can clear the cause of the problem:  nerve interference, and suggest natural supplements to help you through this awful condition.  We can help.

Treat your body well and it will thank you,

Dr. Josh Norine

The chances of taking a fall or slipping on the sidewalk or driveway has increased with the amount of snow and ice we’ve experienced in Minnesota this year.  And, ouch, the stiff neck, sore back, and headaches can begin.  What should you do if you experience these symptoms after a fall?

First, if you suddenly strain your neck, put ice on it as soon as possible.  Ice will reduce inflammation and swelling.  My suggestion is to put an ice pack on the location that’s painful for 10 minutes, then off for 5 minutes.  Repeat this cycle until the area feels numb(generally 4-5 times).  Next, understand that neck injury and muscle strain can disrupt your sleeping habits and can lead to headaches, even migraines.  A misalignment of a cervical vertebrae in your neck due to the jerk of your fall or landing could cause a disc to bulge or herniate allowing pressure or blockages on your cervical nerves causing PAIN.  Muscle and ligament strain from the fall could also compress nerves leading to pain.

I suggest an exam and x-rays to rule out the possibility of a fracture or severe disc injury.  At Hamline Health & Wellness, we also perform Computerized Surface Muscle Scans to locate areas of intense muscle strain.  Locating the cause of the problem is always the first step.  From there, it is far easier to attack the symptoms to get you out of pain.  Our spinal rehab specialists meet everyday on every single patient visit.  We constantly monitor patient’s pain levels and prescribe treatment plans to passively treat them while in pain, including massage and electrical stimulation.  Our Chiropractors adjust structural damage, and our Physical Therapist designs strengthening and rehab routines to prevent any reoccurring symptoms.

If you have experienced a fall or any of  the symptoms I’ve mentioned, contact us today at 651-636-5560 or chiropractorroseville.com.  We can help you.  Don’t wait for the pain to worsen.

Healing the community without drugs & surgery,

Dr. Joshua Norine

Winter storms….Slippery roads….Black ice….    the ultimate test to Minnesota drivers each season.  Inevitably, accidents occur on our winter roads.  While most often the crashed cars are repaired or replaced, many people who experience a crash ignore the effects the impact has had on themselves and their body.

Pain from an injury can be sudden and severe, but most commonly it arises slowly even days and weeks after the accident.  Car accident injuries can effect various parts of the body.  Head, neck and back injuries are the most common experienced by those in an auto crash.  Neck injuries, however, like whiplash tend to be the most annoying injury associated with rear end impacts.  Whiplash injures the soft tissues in your neck which consist of muscles, ligaments, and nerves.  It causes neck pain and limitation of head movement.  Muscle strain from whiplash can cause aches and stiffness that spread to your upper arm, shoulder, or back.  Pinched nerves from the injury can cause shooting pain to travel down the hand into the fingers.  Headaches, feeling dizzy or sick to your stomach may signal herniated disc that’s pressuring your spinal cord.  Yikes!  These injuries can horribly affect your quality of life!  This is no way to live.

If you have experienced any of these symptoms after an accident, I recommend getting treatment for your injury.  At Hamline Health & Wellness, we offer free consultations which use an Electronic Muscle Scan to first identify areas of soft tissue damage.  If damage is recognized, we recommend taking an full Dr.’s exam and x-rays to identify structural traumas.  Then, our team of Spinal Rehab Specialists design an individual treatment plan to  get the patient first out of pain, reduce inflammation and spasm, and then move to various passive and active treatments to help the patient restore mobility and strength.  We offer Physical Therapy, Massage, and Chiropractic treatments to help patients recover from injuries in a natural way rather than using medicine or surgery.  If you are interested in learning more about how to treat neck pain or whiplash, or are interested in scheduling a free consultation and muscle scan, call us today at 651-636-5560 or contact us at chiropractorroseville.com

To your health & well being,

Dr. Josh Norine

Persistent lower back pain, tight muscles, and shooting pain from disc injuries can be debilitating.  More than 65 million Americans suffer from low back pain every year.  For some, activity, stress, or a structural problem in their spine causes one of their discs to bulge.  Discs are located between your vertebral bones and act as shock absorbers that protect your spinal cord and bones.  When injured, the discs can bulge and press on a nerve root, causing pain and irritation.  The disc will bulge and become misshapen just as a jelly donut might with pressure on it.  This pressure causes nerve irritation and pain in the lower back,  pain and muscle weakness in the legs, and even numbness.

Living with this pain is excruciating and unnecessary.  It is of UTMOST importance to understand your options to relieve your pain.  Surgery can be avoided.  Agreeing to being cut open and having your spine altered could cause permanent changes in your health and body functioning.  Surgery is one of the riskiest treatments for any back pain and offers some of the worst results when compared to less invasive therapies.  Do yourself a favor and do some background research on Failed Back Surgery Syndrome.  Millions still experience back pain after surgery.

So what do I recommend?  I suggest finding an non-invasive therapy to get you out of pain and examine precisely the SOURCE of the nerve irritation, then provide individualized NON-INVASIVE treatment to rehabilitate the injury.   Spinal Decompression is a technique which is widely effective in treating disc injuries and low back pain.  It is non-invasive and it is far less expensive than back surgery.  At Hamline Health & Wellness, we offer sessions on a spinal decompression table to relieve pressure on the spinal discs.  This helps the “jelly” in the donut, (the flexibility and cushion of your discs), to become soft and gel-like again. A flexible disc relieves nerve irritation.  We offer passive therapies like electrical stimulation, iontophoresis, and manual therapy to help relieve your pain.  We also offer our patients the benefits of a Massage Therapist and a Physical Therapist in our office.  We want to cure our patients problem, get them out of pain, and lastly help them strengthen their body for full recovery and to prevent recurrences due to weakness.  If you are interested in learning more about avoiding surgery through decompression or want to schedule a consultation, contact us at chiropractorroseville.com or call us today at 651-636-5560.  Remember, back surgery should be your LAST resort.

Armor yourself with knowledge and your body will thank you,

Dr. Josh Norine

“Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we’ve no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”

Let it Snow…..until you have to shovel, that is!  As Minnesotans, we all know the pleasures of shoveling after a fresh snow fall.  Dealing with wet, heavy snow; blowing snow, snow drifts, slippery sidewalks, & filled in driveways have become a part of our daily routine during the winter season. When the amount of snow fall continues to rise, so do the incidents in snow shoveling injuries. The most common complaints are chest pain and low back pain.  Shoveling snow is one of the main causes of heart attacks and low back strain in our state.  It’s been said that lifting 10 shovels of snow in one minute can take as much energy as climbing seven flights of stairs!  Snow shoveling is a workout!!

So, what can you do to prevent your risk of injury?  I think choosing a shovel that’s right for you can make a big difference.  Choose a shovel that is ergonomically correct, a shovel with a curved handle.  Many hardware stores sell ergonomically designed snow shovels at a low price.  These shovels help you keep your back straight allowing reduced spinal stress.  Another tip is to choose a shovel with a smaller blade.  This way each shovel’s load will weigh less, putting less strain on the spine.  Lastly, lift with your legs, not your waist or back.  If you lift heavy snow with a shovel using your back, often the L5 vertebrae of your lower back is compromised.  Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow, and never twist your body to dump the snow.  Always try to dump the snow in front of you.

What should you do if you do strain your back while shoveling?  If you do strain your back, help is nearby….at Hamline Health & Wellness in Roseville, MN!  We specialize in treating patients who have low back pain and strained muscles due to traumas like shoveling injuries.  We offer the expertise of several health professionals:  Physical Therapist, Chiropractor, and Massage Therapist.  These professionals will examine you and then meet as a team to develop a specialized treatment plan to get you out of pain.  We start with passive therapies to ease the pain and inflammation.  Then, we help you strengthen the injured area to prevent reoccurence.

If you are interested in learning more or want to relieve pain from a shoveling injury, call us today at 651-226-4350 or contact us at chiropractorroseville.com.  We don’t want you to dread the next snowfall.  Let us help.

To your health,

Dr. Josh Norine

There are two basic causes of lower leg numbness & tingling.   One cause is poor circulation often found in diabetics, and the second, most common cause, is  Nerve Irritation.  To understand nerve irritation, you need to understand how your brain sends messages to the rest of your body.  Your brain is connected to your spinal cord which runs through your vertebral column.  Nerves branch off of the spinal column and carry vital messages to your limbs, organs, tissues, and cells.  If you are feeling a numbness or tingling in your legs, you most likely have a blocked signal from your spinal column to your nerves.  You’ve got a blocked signal from your brain causing irritation.  Most often the irritation happens in a movable joint like your vertebrae.  When this occurs, picture your spinal cord like a garden hose.  What happens when you put a rock on a garden hose?  The water cannot travel through at the same volume, sometimes, it may even stop water flow completely.  If your vertebrae become misaligned due to strain or trauma, those joints act like a “rock on a garden hose” by interfering with the signal traveling from your brain, causing irritation.  The good news is:  when you take a rock off the garden hose, the water flows again!  The same holds true of your nerves.  If the misaligned vertebrae is realigned, the irritation is removed, and flow of signals throughout your nervous system is repaired.

I feel the best way to locate the irritation or misalignment is to get a proper x-ray.  This allows you to see where the distortion is taking place.  After taking x-rays at our spinal pain & rehab clinic, we hold a team care conference on each specific patient case.  The conference includes analysis from our Exam Dr., Physical Therapist, and Chiropractor.  From there, the team creates a specialized treatment plan for each patient to relieve their symptoms, get them out of pain, and restore strength.  We offer a more well-rounded approach to helping our patients because we provide the expertise of Physical Therapy & Chiropractic under one roof.  If you have experienced this type of tingling & numbing, we can help.  Call us for a consultation today at 651-636-5560 or contact us at chiropractorroseville.com.  You don’t have to live with the pain.

Live life to its fullest,

Dr. Josh Norine