Health is more than the absence of symptoms. It is a way of staying healthy and getting the most out of life. Maximize the full energies of your innate health potential by taking advantage of the latest in chiropractic and mind-body science. Chiropractic is the number one choice for relieving pain and increasing your quality of life - all within a natural, non-drug, non-surgical healing environment.

Dr. Petrarca not only offers healing chiropractic care, but in addition has a health and fitness focus to keep you happy, healthy, and whole. To find out more or to make an appointment, call (724) 733-7590.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Chiropractic Care is a very important component in overall health and wellness. In order to understand how chiropractic works, we need to first understand the basic premise of chiropractic. This requires a short lesson in anatomy. The spine is composed of 24 bones that sit stacked upon one another in a seemingly precarious S-shaped fashion. The spinal cord, which is a direct extension of the brain, runs through the center of these bones. The brain is the master computer system of the body. It controls and co-ordinates all of the other body systems. Its vital messages are transmitted to the body via the spinal cord and its branches, which are called spinal nerves. The brain, spinal cord and the spinal nerves are collectively termed the central nervous system. If we segregate any two of the spinal bones or vertebrae, we find that near the back of the vertebrae there is a notch in the one above and a notch in the one below. When we put the notches together we find that we have a hole. These holes are what accommodate the 62 spinal nerves.

The holes where the spinal nerves exit also have soft tissue, which surround the nerves. This basically allows just enough room for the nerves to exit from between the vertebrae. Each of the spinal bones have a number of muscles, which attach to it and each bone has a certain range of movement. If the normal range of movement of the bones or joints of the spine is decreased, it will cause an increase of stress on that joint. It will also cause an increase of stress on the tissues surrounding the joint and the nerves. This will have two detrimental effects. Firstly, from a mechanical perspective, the joint will prematurely deteriorate, leading to arthritis and disc degeneration. Secondly, it has been shown through studies that, even a microscopic amount of stress on a nerve can lead to interference with the normal transmission of impulses through that nerve. This will lead to impairment of normal function and performance of the parts of the body to which the nerves transmit messages. The resulting nerve interference may be slight and will often go unnoticed because its onset is usually not sudden. Pain is also not normally evident.

When vertebrae become jammed up or stop moving properly, it is called an intervertebral subluxation. Chiropractors are specialists in locating intervertebral subluxations and diagnosing their negative ramifications. They are also specialists in restoring normal movement to the spinal joints, which helps to restore normal nerve function at that level. This is accomplished through a treatment referred to as spinal manipulation.

This restoration of proper nerve flow allows the body to perform at its optimal level. Circulation to and from your muscles increases, which means that more energy builders (glucose) are delivered and more negative byproducts (lactic acid) are removed. The muscles glide better, which improves mechanical efficiency and movement.

The bottom line for anyone involved in sports, is that we must endeavor to pursue our own personal athletic goals regardless of whether we consider ourselves amateurs or professionals. This requires persistence, dedication, hard work and, most importantly, education. In auto racing, it doesn't matter what type of vehicle is being raced, the owners always stress the importance of a pit crew in the race. A chiropractor is an integral part of any serious athlete's pit crew in their bid to achieve ultimate performance. In order to achieve your personal athletic best, make chiropractic an integral part of your life.

After all, maximizing your full potential is complete health and you owe it to yourself to experience complete care!