Stress Can Cause Misalignments and Poor Health, Even Leading to Disease

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stress-misalignments-chiropractic-fort-myers-dr-kasterStress can cause you to have a lowered immune response which can lead to colds, flu, and illness.

Stress has a very tangible effect on your entire body, on your emotions, and on your mind. While small amounts of stress can be healthy and even a motivating factor, ongoing constant states of stress put your body into an unnatural version of the fight or flight response and can cause a world of problems.

When it comes to the world of chiropractic there are three kinds of stress that affect the skeletal system influencing alignment. They are the main reasons most basic components of human health.

CHEMICAL STRESS

Body chemistry affects muscle tone. When muscles tighten, the tension can pull on the bones that they are attached. This can cause misalignments.

Some of the most common causes of chemical imbalance or chemical stress include nutrient deficiencies (calcium, magnesium, potassium, and so on) smoking, alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, and other toxins.

Nutrients affect muscles by allowing them to relax. When your body has a lack of nutrients, quickly follows is the inability to allow the muscles to relax. Chemical toxins such as processed foods, smoke, alcohol, and VOCs can affect muscles by irritating the nerves. When we eat processed food, the body reacts to the food as it is a toxin. Because of this the nerves in the stomach send signals to the brain releasing stress hormones that cause a change in muscle tonicity. All of this affects the way our body is aligned.

PHYSICAL STRESS

When any physical stress occurs, bones can be shifted out of alignment due to impact, tension, or physical force. Strangely, although physical stress is the most well-known of the three, it is actually the least common cause of misalignments.

 

EMOTIONAL STRESS

Emotional stress is one of the most common reasons that the body ends up misaligned. Financial stress, job stress, political climate stress, family stress, and health-related stress just to name a few. These stress sources can cause us to subconsciously tighten our muscles, raise our shoulders, release cortisol, and remain on high alert physically. It causes an increase in tension and pulls on the skeletal frame.

Stress: The Outcome

Most misalignments are due to a combination of all three stress categories above. The unfortunate thing is that most people don’t go see the chiropractor until they feel pain. Pain is your body’s last form of defense when it comes to correcting itself.

Chiropractic care can be used preventatively. Getting adjusted regularly can stop a person from reaching pain and needing more frequent treatments. Signs that you could have a misalignment can include loss of range of movement, a pinching feeling, changes in body function, tight muscles, a decrease in body function, headaches, and random aches and pains. Also frequent colds are a sign of misalignments as they can prevent your nervous system from working full force.

It is important to regularly get checked by your chiropractor to make sure these three stressors are kept in check. If you have any questions about how these stressors can directly affect the way you are feeling, feel free to give us a call at 239-332-2555 www.kasterchiropractic.com.

 

Florida’s No-fault Automobile Insurance Laws

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Florida-no-fault-accident-pip-kaster-fort-myersIn years since 2012, all drivers licensed in Florida have been required to carry what is known as PIP coverage. That stands for Personal Injury Protection.

This much-needed rider allows you to get the medical help you may need following an accident regardless of fault or if the other party has auto insurance.

Unlike some other states, there are time constraints within which you are able to seek treatment for accident-related injuries.

In Florida, you have just two weeks (14 days) after an accident to start treatment.  If you do visit a doctor’s office or emergency clinic during this time frame you automatically lose your ability to use your PIP coverage. 

If you are not taken by ambulance from the accident scene please follow up with your doctor and your chiropractor as soon as possible.

Every policy issued in Florida carries the full $10,000 worth of PIP coverage, even though, in some situations, you may only be entitled to $2500, a reduced benefit. To access the full amount you must receive a determination of emergency medical condition. Many insurance companies will argue with you that you do not have a serious condition. Restrictions have been unjustly placed which discriminate against chiropractic physicians. because of this, we have to refer you out to another health care provider simply to get that determination on file.

If your auto insurer stops payment after $2500 for the $10,000 in benefits for which you pay a premium for, you may continue to obtain treatment with our office under a letter of protection if you are represented by a lawyer and are filing a claim for recovery against the at-fault driver.

DID YOU KNOW?: You can install our mobile app on your smartphone! With just a push of a button, we will know you need medical assistance and get you in as soon as possible. http://drkasters.com/web-app-download/

If you are in an accident – don’t worry about the specifics right away. Call our office at 239-332-2555 and come in for a post-accident evaluation, treatment plan, and adjustments. Let’s get you on the road to health and we will file all the paperwork for you.

For More Information on PIP Laws in Florida:

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation can assist you if you experience a problem or have a complaint. You can submit a complaint online by going to their consumer services website at https://apps.fldfs.com/eservice.

Chiropractor | Nutritionist in Ft Myers, FL.

Fort Myers Chiropractor, Dr. Jason B. KasterChiropractic care is a safe, alternative treatment when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of many conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent it as soon as possible?

Dr. Jason B. Kaster, a chiropractor, and nutritionist in Fort Myers can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.

Chiropractic Treatment May Relive Arthritis Pain

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Chiropractor Arthritis-fort-myers-dr-kasterPainful joints make even the most simple movements unbearable at times. In cool weather and rain, they ache even more when you have arthritis.

While there is no cure for arthritis, it has been shown that chiropractic adjustments can lessen the severity of the pain you experience making the condition easier to live with.

Chiropractic is an amazing modality.
No two patients can be treated in the exact same way.There are over 150 techniques that chiropractors employ to manually adjust the spine, muscles, and joints with varying degrees of gentle force. Which techniques are used is dependent on the condition(s) of the patient. 

Chiropractors focus on the correlation between structure and function, says Dr. Jason Kaster, D.C. who has been in private practice in Fort Myers, Florida for over 17 years.

When a joint is out of alignment it can’t move as designed. The aim of treatment with our practice is to restore proper joint function. The freer the movement you have the better you will feel.

If you have neck or back pain because of osteoarthritis, chiropractic is one of the safest routes of therapy.

Your chiropractor may use manual spinal adjustments or manipulate soft tissue to help relieve tenderness and muscle spasms. You may also be asked to do traction which slowly stretches the joints to increase range of movement, as well as ultrasound, ice, and heat. At-home physical therapy exercises they may assign you can do wonders as well. 

 Please take note: If you have an inflammatory disease (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis) you need to be more careful and really talk with your doctor and listen to your body. If your medical doctor has told you that you have active swelling in your joints, chiropractic may not be the right path for you.

That doesn’t mean we can’t help. It just means we woud just need to take a different approach to the treatment for your case. A consultation is advisable to get you going on some alternative safe and effective therapies.

They may include:

Electrotherapy. These tiny electric pulses are not painful. They treat soft tissue injuries by stimulating nerves and muscles.

Low-level cold laser. This therapy uses a non-heat-producing laser or light that penetrates deep into the tissue, sometimes reducing inflammation.

Ultrasound. Many think of ultrasound as imaging technology, but when applied to soft tissues and joints, sound waves can also produce a massaging effect that helps reduce swelling and decrease pain and stiffness.

Infrared sauna. Imagine having a hot compress warm up your joints from the inside. These rooms use controlled amounts of heat to relieve pain and increase circulation.

Medical Doctors Agree

The American College of Physicians released updated guidelines in 2017. They now support the use of non-pharmacologic therapies. This includes chiropractic as well as acupuncture, as first-line treatment of pain, before medication.

If you are living with arthritis call the office of Dr. Kaster today. We would love to see how we can help you feel better and live well.

Chiropractor | Nutritionist in Ft Myers, FL.

Fort Myers Chiropractor, Dr. Jason B. KasterChiropractic care is a safe, alternative treatment when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of many conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent it as soon as possible?

Dr. Jason B. Kaster, a chiropractor, and nutritionist in Fort Myers can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.

239-332-2555

www.drkasters.com to learn more!

The Benefits of visiting your Chiropractor after an Accident

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car-accident-injury-dr-jason-kaster-fort-myersChiropractic and Car accident healing go together like peanut butter and jelly.

I know that’s a weird analogy, but I just want to closely link the two in your mind. If you have been in even just a minor fender bender, it is vital to go see your chiropractor as well as get checked out in the ER.

While the Emergency Room is fantastic at diagnosing and treating cuts, scrapes, abrasions, broken bones, and internal injuries – they do not deal with misalignments (subluxations) nor do they find or do anything to help with soft tissue injury. Both of these can not only be incredibly painful, but they can also lead to chronic long term health issues and pain down the road.

Why Chiropractic Works:

1. Inflammation Reduction: Microtears happen in the muscles and ligaments, an X-ray will not see them. These tears are the cause of waking up in pain and not understanding why because the imaging looked normal. Chiropractic uses spinal manipulations to realign the spinal cord causing your body to release anti-inflammatory substances into the brain.

2.Non-obvious injuries: While broken bones and bruises may be obvious after a crash other injuries like whiplash and soft tissue injury are not visible or even apparent directly following the accident itself.

3. Pain Relief without Drugs: People take pain medication believing it will heal them. It does make you feel better for a short time. Drugs are only masking the symptoms they are not healing. This can lead to a cycle of addiction in order to avoid pain.

4. Scar Tissue Build Up Reduction: Scar tissue build in order to try and heal the injuries. It causes stiffness and pain. Chiropractic can help break up the scar tissue as it forms allowing the body to heal properly with a full range of movement.

5. Range of Motion:

If you suffer an injury during a car wreck, the inflammation often causes even more problems.

Your blood and nutrients will not be able to circulate to the areas it needs to go because the inflammation will slow the healing process. In receiving chiropractic adjustments, it will mobilize your spine, restoring range of motion and allowing the body to begin the natural healing process at a much faster rate.

Along with these reasons chiropractic can also help you avoid pain long term. Untreated pain can continue for years if not a lifetime. Documented soft tissue injuries also can help your medical and legal claims in a suit. You will need proper documentation to get your medical bills covered.

If you are in the SWFL Fort Myers area we would love to see you in our office. We specialize in car accident injury. Call the office of Dr. Jason Kaster, D.C. today at 239-332-2555. You may also visit www.drkasters.com to learn more about the practice. Feel free to call with any questions you may have! We look forward to seeing you.

Chiropractor | Nutritionist in Ft Myers, FL.

Fort Myers Chiropractor, Dr. Jason B. KasterChiropractic care is a safe, alternative treatment when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of many conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent it as soon as possible?

Dr. Jason B. Kaster, a chiropractor, and nutritionist in Fort Myers can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.

The Aftermath of a Car Accident – How to Cope

car-accident-fort-myers-dr-jason-kaster

car-accident-fort-myers-dr-jason-kasterCar accidents are one of the most traumatic experiences you can have in life. That horrible feeling that time is slowed, the brace for impact, and finally that jarring body jolting slam as the collision happens… there is a moment of pause where everything just stands still… and then reality sets back in and you have to gather your thoughts and refocus… “Am I hurt?”

Immediately following an accident you will be asked if you would like to go to the hospital to be examined.

In Florida, you have 14 days to seek medical treatment for an accident from any and all sources. The claim must be started or you by law release your right to coverage under your insurance’s PIP (personal injury protection) as well as potentially your right to sue for damages.

Even a minor accident can throw your body out of alignment causing soft tissue damage. It’s in your best interest to go see your chiropractor as soon as possible.

Soft tissue injuries lead to pain, swelling, and inflammation. It is vital that they are properly treated to ensure the best healing circumstance possible and get you on the road to recovery.

Your health should be your number one concern in an accident. At the office of Dr. Jason Kaster, D.C. they specialize in auto accident recovery offering not only chiropractic but many alternative adjacent therapies such as decompression, ultrasound, and electro-stimulation as well as therapeutic massage services right in the office.

When you visit your chiropractor a claim will be initiated by your insurance carrier. You may also keep a journal and claim mileage to and from all medically related appointments for reimbursement. They will pay your doctor(s) directly in your name. This allows you to get the treatment you need with no upfront out of pocket cost.

PIP with no additional medical coverage selected in Florida is valued at $10,000.  If you have elected additional medical coverage that can be utilized as well. This can go a long way in getting you back to health. If medical bills exceed your allowed amounts you may want to consult with an auto injury attorney as well.

If you have been involved in an accident in Southwest, Florida please call 239-332-2555 or visit www.drkasters.com for more information or to schedule your appointment.