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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

How to Get More Information

How to Make an Appointment

Learn More About Us

Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

How to Get More Information

How to Make an Appointment

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

We seem to hear different things from the medical community every few years about either the positive or negative effect that coffee has on our health. So what is the most current information? Is coffee good or bad for your health? The answer, in short, is that it’s a little of both.

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

Warming up properly before you do weight training is important in helping to avoid injury to your muscles, and may reduce post-workout aches and pains. A proper warm up increases circulation, giving your muscles more oxygen and conditioning the muscle fibers so they become more pliable.

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

The parasympathetic nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, and the enteric nervous system comprise the autonomic nervous system in the body. The autonomic nervous system is continuously active and is responsible for unconscious regulation of our glands and organs. The parasympathetic nervous system takes care of “rest and repair” activities, such as salivation, tears, sexual arousal, urination, digestion and defecation. These activities are complementary to those of the sympathetic nervous system, which activates processes associated with the “fight or flight” response. 

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

Becoming a chiropractor is no easy feat. The training to become a practicing chiropractor is akin to traditional medical doctors and involves years of academic training and hours of patient contact work. In order to work professionally, a chiropractor must undertake a long period of academic training and a certain number of hours of internship before they are offered a license to practice. In general, chiropractors get a first professional degree, otherwise known as a second entry, in chiropractic treatment. Ordinarily, the general route to become a chiropractor involves a four-year undergraduate degree as a pre-requisite to apply for the degree in chiropractic medicine. 

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

Sales of bottled water have grown at a steady rate, and it’s estimated that people spend between $50 and $100 billion worldwide each year for the stuff. But is it worth it? In a nutshell, bottled water is expensive, bad for the environment and no healthier for you than tap water.

In terms of cost, bottled water can be up to 10,000 times more expensive than tap water. Municipal tap water costs $0.0015 per gallon, whereas bottled water can cost up to $10 a gallon. This works out to 7 cents an ounce. In comparison, gasoline (which most people find expensive) is less than 3 cents an ounce. Additionally, 40% of bottled water is drawn from the same municipal water sources your tap water comes from, but is simply filtered, something you can easily do yourself at home.

Bottled water is bad for the environment in a few ways. First of all, the production of water bottles is very resource intensive, using 17 million barrels of oil, enough to power 1 million cars for a year. Second, only 1 in 5 water bottles are recycled, amounting to 3 billion pounds of wasted plastic that ends up in landfills, and as they are not biodegradable, they will linger for generations, taking thousands of years to decompose, slowly leaching pthalates and other chemicals into the groundwater.

One of the main reasons people buy bottled water is due to the belief that it is healthier than tap water; however, this is a myth. Municipal tap water must adhere to strict monitoring standards as to water quality, something bottled water companies need not do. For instance, bottled water does not need to be checked for E. coli contamination, does not need to provide the water source, is not required to produce regular quality reports and can still be distributed when tap water level standards are not met. Municipal water must be tested for coliform bacteria upwards of 100 times per month, while bottled water is tested once a week. In fact, 22% of bottled water tested proved to have chemical contaminants at levels above state health limits.

The only real benefit of bottled water over tap is if you are traveling in an area where the water is not reliable or there is no access to clean water, or to have some on hand in case of a natural disaster. Apart from that, it is better to make up your own water bottles at home. If the taste of the water in your municipality is not great, an inexpensive carbon filter can easily be used to make it taste just as good as the bottled version.

Good health is a combination of many factors including your nutrition, preventative care, appropriate corrective care and the small choices you make every day in the course of living. If you have questions about this article, your general or spinal health, please ask. We are here to help!

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

The five vertebrae in the lumbar region of the lower back are the largest and strongest in the spinal column. However, because the weight of the whole upper body rests upon the lower back, lumbar pain and stiffness is the single most common problem of the muscular and skeletal system, accounting for more sick days than nearly any other medical condition. During their life, 80% of people will experience lumbar pain at some point, and many will be plagued by it for a large portion of their adulthood.

Due to the frequent occurrence of lower back pain and its effect on the quality of life, chiropractors have developed considerable skill and experience in dealing with it. Since lumbar pain can be caused by several conditions, having a knowledgeable chiropractor is particularly important in order to choose the correct form of treatment and help to prevent recurrence.

The majority of lower back pain is due to muscle and ligament strains and sprains of non-specific origin, usually through a combination of overuse, overloading (carrying or lifting heavy objects), poor posture and lack of exercise. Non-specific back pain is benign in that it is not caused by a structural problem in the spine, but can still be immensely painful and disabling for the time it takes the muscles to heal.

Other causes of lower back pain may be more serious and longer-lasting. These include:

Scoliosis – improper curvature of the spine.

Facet syndrome – inflammation of the spinal facet joints. Facet joints protect the spine from excessive movement and can be damaged by sudden movement, leading to pain and stiffness. Spinal osteoarthritis (spondylosis) is an extreme case of facet syndrome caused by age-related degeneration of the facet joints.

Herniated (slipped) discs – trauma or overloading may cause damage to the discs of cartilage between adjacent spinal vertebrae. As a result, the soft inner part of the disc may bulge through the fibrous outer covering, usually leading to much pain and inflammation.

Sacroiliac syndrome – inflammation in either the sacrum or iliac bones of the pelvis, causing acute lower back pain. Inflammation may be caused by either too little movement (hypomobility) or too much movement (hypermobility) in the sacroiliac joint. Hypomobility is usually the result of joint degeneration, whereas hypermobility occurs when the ligaments become overstretched and loose.

Pregnancy – lower back pain is common in pregnancy due the extra load placed on the spine.

Some causes of lower back pain will resolve themselves within a week or two, but can be helped along by a qualified chiropractor. Even minor damage to the spine and related muscles can leave a weakness in the affected area and put you at risk of the pain returning.

More serious lumbar conditions are also known to respond well to chiropractic manipulation and treatment, and provide a good alternative to either long-term use of pain-killers or invasive surgery. In addition to treating your condition, chiropractors can offer a great deal of advice regarding exercise and lifestyle choices in order to keep your back as healthy as possible and prevent the distress of ongoing and recurrent injury.

Every body is different. If you have questions about this article or whether chiropractic is an appropriate choice for your specific situation, please ask. We are here to help!

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Your blood pressure can change on a regular basis, depending on what you are doing, your diet, temperature, overall health, level of stress and the medications you may be taking. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a common problem these days, though hypotension (low blood pressure) can sometimes cause problems too. So just what is considered “normal” in terms of blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the measure of force on the body’s arterial walls as the heart pushes blood through the body. The amount of blood being pumped, in addition to how large and flexible your arteries are, determines your blood pressure. Two measurements are responsible for determining your blood pressure: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.

Systolic pressure is the measure of pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts, and diastolic pressure is the pressure measured when the heart is at rest. The accepted measurement of “normal” blood pressure is considered a systolic measurement just below 120, and a diastolic measurement just under 80 (written as 120/80). Anyone with a measurement higher than that, but below 140/90, has pre-hypertension or “high-normal,” and someone whose blood pressure is higher than 140/90 has hypertension. A measurement higher than 180/110 indicates a hypertensive crisis, and emergency care should be sought.

Though a person with blood pressure lower than 90/60 is considered to have hypotension (low blood pressure), in general, the lower your blood pressure, the better. Low blood pressure is not considered a problem unless it is causing symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, in which case a doctor should be consulted, as it may indicate dehydration or a more serious medical problem.

High blood pressure is the more common problem, as it makes the heart work harder and is damaging to the arteries, leading to a greater risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disorders. Systolic pressure rises in many people as they age, due to the buildup of arterial plaque over time and stiffening of the arteries. About a third of American adults have high blood pressure.

One high reading in itself does not necessarily indicate that you have high blood pressure. For example, many people find that just visiting the doctor’s office is stressful, which temporarily raises their blood pressure while there, and it falls back to normal levels once they leave. However, if either the systolic or diastolic reading remains high over a period of time, then treatment for high blood pressure will be necessary, which can involve changes in diet and lifestyle and/or medication.

Good health is a combination of many factors including your nutrition, preventative care, appropriate corrective care and the small choices you make every day in the course of living. If you have questions about this article, your general or spinal health, please ask. We are here to help!

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Aging is influenced by our genes, environment, and lifestyle. By the time we reach middle and old age, these factors have had time to make a significant impact on our health. Some of these influences may be positive, others negative. Everyone ages, of course, but we do not all age in the same way or at the same rate. While much of the aging process remains a mystery, we are learning more about it all the time. Most importantly, we’ve learned that our chronological age has little do with our biological age.

The environment affects our health, particularly where we live and work. Our exposure to the sun, infectious diseases and toxic chemicals are important factors as well. Lifestyle choices such as the food we eat, the drinks and drugs we consume, how much we exercise and how much we sleep can all play a factor in our rate of aging. What scientists cannot tell us yet is which of these has more influence than the others, because that varies from individual to individual. Part of the reason for this variation is genetic.

Genes are powerful predictors of longevity – but there is more to the story. Family history definitely influences your health and how long you will live, but through your own choices you can make a difference in the power of genetic predisposition. You can affect your own longevity positively or negatively, to some degree. New genetic tests make it possible to know if you are predisposed to breast cancer, for example. Some women who are predisposed to breast cancer then choose to have their breasts removed to lower the chances of acquiring the condition.

Diet and exercise can play significant roles in health and longevity. According to current research, it is never too late to start eating better or exercising and reap the benefits. Even elderly people can see a significant improvement in their health and well-being and a reduction in the incidence of some diseases by starting on a balanced eating and exercise program suitable for their age and health status. No matter your age, maintaining a healthy weight and a moderate level of fitness will give you a far better chance of long life than someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle.

Smoking is another significant predictor of disease and death. Any smoker who quits reduces their chances of having a heart attack.

As you can see, there is no “magic bullet” to stop or reverse the aging process. However by examining our family history, lifestyle and environment, and by making thoughtful choices every day of our lives, we can affect the chances that we will succumb to diseases and disability early or late in our lives.

Good health is a combination of many factors including your nutrition, preventative care, appropriate corrective care and the small choices you make every day in the course of living. If you have questions about this article, your general or spinal health, please ask. We are here to help!

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.

Of the three K vitamins, vitamin K1 (phytonadione) is the one we get from plant foods, and is the most important one for proper coagulation of the blood (or “Koagulation” in German, which is the origin of vitamin “K”). Without vitamin K we would eventually bleed to death from any small wound or bruise. It may also help prevent both osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. It plays a role in reducing inflammation and regulating cell growth.

Consumption of vitamin K may also reduce your risk of contracting non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that those who had the highest intake of Vitamin K1 had the lowest risk of contracting the disease, slashing their risk by 45 percent.

Vitamin K1 is associated with higher bone mineral density, and thus is helpful in preventing osteoporosis and reducing the rate of bone fractures. It also reduces calcium buildup in the arteries, protecting against atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

Though deficiency in vitamin k is uncommon, newborn infants, people who are malnourished or those who suffer from alcoholism are at the greatest risk of deficiency. Also, as absorption of vitamin K (and all other fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, E and D) depends on bile, those who have had their gallbladder removed may be at risk of developing a vitamin K deficiency. Some signs of deficiency are easy bruising, increased menstrual bleeding, nosebleeds, bleeding gums and blood in the urine.

It is a fat-soluble vitamin, and the best sources of it can be found in such green leafy vegetables as kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, lettuce and parsley. It can also be found in vegetable oils, potatoes, tomatoes, oats and asparagus. 

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The effect of alcohol consumption on your health can be either positive or negative, depending on the amount you drink. Like most things, moderation is the key to getting the greatest benefits from alcohol. Those who drink moderately generally live longer and in better health than those who either abstain completely or drink heavily.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), moderate drinking lowers your risk of heart disease by 40 to 60 percent. And people who normally consume one or two drinks daily have the lowest rate of mortality, according to the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association. The mortality rates of those who have suffered a heart attack are 32 percent lower than those of abstainers. The moderate consumption of alcohol leads to a lower incidence of strokes and can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, osteoporosis and prostate problems.

A European study found greater arterial elasticity in volunteers who had a drink of beer, wine or spirits each day, compared to those who were abstainers. In another study of over 18,000 men from the Physicians Health Study, those who increased the number of drinks they consumed from one to six per week showed a 29 percent lower risk of contracting cardiovascular disease. This was also found to be useful to diabetics, who achieved a 58 percent reduction in heart disease risk by consuming an alcoholic drink every day.

Alcohol has been shown to increase your “good” HDL cholesterol while reducing your “bad” LDL cholesterol, in addition to decreasing clotting and increasing blood flow to your heart. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the risk of stroke to be cut in half for those who take two alcoholic beverages per day.

A standard drink is considered to be one:

• 12-ounce bottle or can of beer

• 5-ounce glass of wine

• 1 ½ ounce serving of distilled spirits (the equivalent of a shot glass)

“Moderate” drinking is considered to be the consumption of one to three alcoholic drinks per day, depending on your body size. Less than that provides only minimal health benefits and more than that leads to a number of health problems, including liver disease, cirrhosis, cancer, high blood pressure and depression. The over-consumption of alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide, according to a study in The Lancet.

Of course, those who are pregnant, suffering from alcoholism or have adverse reactions to alcohol should abstain, as the benefits do not outweigh the risks. But for most healthy adults, moderate alcohol consumption will help them live longer and healthier lives.

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It is good news that your pain is gone. Chiropractic practitioners are experts at detecting, correcting, and preventing spinal misalignments, which can quickly provide pain relief. However, there are two important reasons to return to your chiropractor even though you are feeling better.

First, the underlying problem may not yet be completely corrected. While you may temporarily feel better, if your spine is still structurally misaligned, it will silently continue to degrade. The longer a misalignment has to degrade, the more seriously it affects your body. Your symptoms may return and may be even worse than before. This could cause damage to your spinal structure, in addition to the part of the body that the particular spinal area serves.

It’s not that different from taking medicines. Many people are prescribed a medicine and then take it just until the pain stops. However, this still leaves some of the damaging microbes in the body; in fact it leaves the strongest ones, which then multiply and cause further illness. You will want to be sure that your treatment has completely eliminated the underlying misalignment, and that the process has been able to restore your body’s natural function before you determine that treatment is complete.

Another reason to return to the chiropractor is because they do not just treat existing problems, they provide excellent preventive care. Regular visits to the chiropractor can prevent new subluxations from occurring, and can catch early ones soon enough to halt or reverse the process. Your chiropractor will work with you to determine the most appropriate frequency of periodic spinal adjustments and regular examinations, based on the severity of your current subluxations and your general state of health.

It is also important to remember that subluxations may not cause symptoms. They may begin at birth and lead to later disease or dysfunction. Regular contact with a chiropractor can keep you on top of your health in such a way that problems and symptoms are less likely to develop. Even (or perhaps especially) children can benefit, as their spines are still growing and problems later in life can be avoided with proper spinal alignment during youth.

Finally, since chiropractic treatment is all-natural and avoids medicines or invasive procedures, there is no reason not to continue to have regular chiropractic care. Good chiropractors provide a holistic approach to diagnosing and treating your health, and are not afraid to refer to you to another kind of specialist should you need one.

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Chicago chiropractor, Dr. Matthew Nuesse founded Chicago Spine and Joint Care to bring pain relief to residents of downtown Chicago and Loop area workers. We take great pride in making every patient feel comfortable in our office and making you an informed part of your health care and future wellness.