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Personal Injury Prevention

A personal injury can occur when a person is distracted or not paying attention to his or her surroundings. This may include a slip, a fall, or an automobile accident. Upon injuring yourself, your top priority should be seeking quality chiropractic care to improve your joint mobility and decrease your chances of developing long-term chronic pain. Dr. Loren Morgan can treat personal injuries with drug-free, chiropractic therapy. Dr. Loren Morgan evaluates and treats your personal injuries. He uses manual therapy with occasional adjustments and combines it with soft tissue rehabilitation to position your joints and restore normal movement. With soft tissue rehabilitation, he includes things like spinal adjustments, massage therapy, stretching, trigger point therapy and range-of-motion and strength exercises. He provides you with education on nutritional supplements, ice packs and active range and postural motion exercises that you can do at home to speed up your recovery. If you have que

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Pinched nerves aren’t just a problem in the back; they can also cause pain and numbness along the arm and shoulder. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is one of the most feared conditions among people whose jobs require them to make repetitive hand motions or expose them to vibration. Because treatments are more effective if it’s caught early, we at Morgan Chiropractic want our patients to be able to recognize it.  The carpal tunnel is a canal in the wrist made up of bones and sturdy connective tissue. Through it runs the median nerve, which travels from the neck to the thumb and first three fingers. If something becomes inflamed and presses down on the carpal tunnel, it will compress the median nerve. This could result in pain, tingling, numbness, or loss of function between the fingers and the shoulder. One distinctive trait of CTS is the sensation of shocks traveling up the arm. Tingling in the fingers is often the first sign of CTS. While people can reduce their risk of it developing fur

What is a Slipped Disc?

Slipped discs are such a common injury it’s unsurprising we see a lot of them at Morgan Chiropractic in Anchorage. Usually the accumulative result of wear and tear, slipped discs are one of the leading causes of missed work and back pain. However, we offer safe treatments and tips for prevention. With the exception of the atlas and axis vertebrae at the top of the spinal column, each of the vertebrae are separated by a spongy disc. These discs are made up of fibrous rings with a gelatinous center. They function as shock absorbers that are flexible enough to allow the spine to bend. A slipped disc, also known as a herniated or ruptured disc, is one that has become misshapen, and the gelatinous center may be pushing the fibrous ring out of place or have broken through it. This will make the disc far less effective at absorbing shocks and may result in pain and inflammation, particularly if the protrusion compresses a nerve. Slipped discs don’t always cause pain, but when they occur in th

Chiropractic Massage Heals the Body

Massage is a general term for pressing, rubbing and manipulating your skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The technique itself may range from light stroking to deep pressure. At Morgan Chiropractic, Dr. Loren Morgan has diagnosed your condition he may recommend that you benefit from one of our many different types of massage therapy. Studies have found that massage therapy is helpful for anxiety, digestive disorders, headaches, fibromyalgia, soft tissue strains or injuries, sports injuries, temporomandibular joint disorders, and many more. Beyond the benefits for specific conditions or diseases, some people enjoy massage because it often produces feelings of calm, comfort and connection. In addition to relaxation, massage therapy is medically beneficial for improving posture, lowering blood pressure, improving flexibility and range of motion, as well as improving rehabilitation after injury. If you have questions or concerns regarding chiropractic massage therapy, please give us a c

Safety Tips for Raking

As we enjoy the fall foliage, it’s important to make sure we’re raking properly. Many of the injuries we see at Morgan Chiropractic in Anchorage could have been prevented with better safety protocols. To help our patients stay healthy, we wanted to pass along some advice. Anytime we do yard work, we should avoid wearing jewelry or other dangling objects. While clothing should be breathable and unrestrictive, it should also be form-fitting. Shoes should be close-toed and have non-skid soles. Prior to raking, spend about five minutes warming up by doing dynamic stretches that will increase blood flow to your limbs. Use a rake that is lightweight, but with a long enough handle that you don’t have to stoop down. One of your hands should be near the handle’s top, the other mid-way down. Stand in a scissor position next to the leaf pile and avoid twisting your torso. About every ten minutes, switch hand positions, and be sure to keep your head up. Take care not to fill the bag all the way to

Spinal Curvature in the Elderly

One of the most visible back ailments the spinal curvature that often appears in older people. Although common, this condition is not natural. We at Morgan Chiropractic in Anchorage want our patients to understand the value of preventive care. With proper nutrition and exercise, it is possible to keep the back strong and supportive throughout life. An overly rounded upper back is referred to as “kyphosis.” There are several potential causes, including infections and blockages. But in the elderly, the likeliest cause is osteoporosis. In people over fifty, the bones may begin losing density. This is a condition called osteopenia. Bones are living tissue, constantly being resorbed and rebuilt, but in people with osteopenia, the rate of resorption has outpaced the rate of new growth. When osteopenia develops into osteoporosis, the bones have developed enough gaps to resemble a honeycomb. Weakened bones are at risk of developing tiny fractures. These breaks might not even be noticeable to t

Spinal Adjustments

The common goal of most chiropractic techniques is to restore and enhance joint function, with the general goals of resolving joint inflammation and reducing pain.  A chiropractic adjustment, also known as spinal manipulation, is a common therapeutic treatment for lower back pain, neck pain and more. With spinal manipulation, Dr. Loren Morgan of Morgan Chiropractic uses his hands to apply a controlled, sudden force to a specific joint to treat affected areas.   Dr. Loren Morgan of Morgan Chiropractic adapts treatment plans to meet the specific needs of each patient. Typically, chiropractic treatment plans involve some forceful and less forceful spinal adjustment techniques during the same visit, or over the course of treatment. Overall, adjustments are an excellent way to keep the body functioning at its highest level. When the body is in alignment, the body is able to respond and perform as it was designed too. If you have questions or concerns regarding spinal adjustments, please giv