Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The SURPRISING truth about Acne, Chronic Pain and your Chiropractor?

Why would a person go to a chiropractor for an acne problem? "It just doesn't make sense." It is a "medical" problem. It is a "dermatological" problem. It "runs in the family". It is "chronic and I was told I'm just going to have to live with it."

These are common things patients have said to me when I mention that I may be able to help their acne problems. I usually evaluate the skin of the face, shoulders, back and arms during the course of my examination. Why? Remember the precept of 3-D Chiropractic: "traumatic events of youth," whether physical or emotional can lead to tensing of various muscles which can become chronic.

Chronic tension in the muscles leads to a slight decrease of circulation in the muscle itself and the surrounding tissues. In this context, circulation is defined blood flow, nerve flow, energy flow and most importantly for acne sufferers, lymph flow. Your acne could be caused by a backup of lymph flow known as lymph edema (swollen glands). This is due to chronic muscles tension of the neck and jaw interfering with the proper drainage of lymph channels. Lymph channels in the body drain away waste products between cells as a natural process of cell activity.

As you can see from the accompanying illustration, are the all too of ten forgotten circulation that drains waste products of all systems. The process is easily slowed or blocked by chronically over-tense muscles. Therefore, acne could not only be on the face but on the back as well.

When I see changes in the skin, such as acne, I immediately wonder which flow has been disturbed to cause these symptoms. If the waste products are not being drained away from tissues, build up continues until swelling forms under the skin, becoming acne. In mild cases better skin care, creams, and avoidance of sweets or oily foods may be able to reduce the symptoms. However, in severe or chronic cases, this alone will not solve the problem.

In a previous newsletter we wrote about temperomandibular joint pain or jaw pain and how various injuries to the jaw in the past can lead to jaw pain in the present. These same injuries are often the cause of jaw tension that interferes with the lymph drainage from facial skin causing acne or in severe cases, cystic acne.

A thorough history will often reveal some trauma to the jaw in the past that was never properly treated. Acne sometimes doesn't show up until later and the connection to the trauma is almost never made.

Once the diagnosis is made, treatment is directed to the muscles of the jaw and home exercises are given to teach the patient how to treat their own muscles at home using Pressure-Plus-Motion (PPM) methods and jaw relaxation techniques.

We have many testimonials of our success with acne reduction but I wanted you to read one in particular below that should give hope to many of your friends or family with these problems.

Call us if you or a friend has tried everything else and it seems like you're "just going to have to live with it;" we may be able to help. Remember that at 3-D Chiropractic, we love a challenge! Please call us or send this newsletter to a friend that you feel could be helped. We would love to hear from you.

Sincerely, Dr. Al

Testimonial

"Thank you Dr. Nunez! God Bless you and your gift."

"I'm so thankful for what Dr. Nunez has done for me. His method/technique has tremendously helped me overcome over 13 years of persistent painful cystic acne breakouts on my face. At times, my acne was so bad that simply speaking was unbearably painful! My jaw-line and cheekbones used to be covered with overlapping cystic acne, which would throb relentlessly. Upon seeking Dr. Nunez's help, I learned that an old injury to my jaw, at age 14, had caused tension in the jaw-line resulting in the lack of blood flow in the area, hence causing the cystic breakouts which started about a year after the incident had occurred.

Throughout those years I took numerous medications and antibiotics prescribed by different doctors, tried every product advertised, tried out facials of different sorts, and just about every home remedy I heard of. Some things helped a little for a short period of time, some aggravated the acne more, while the others had no affect at all. I honestly tried everything short of Accutane which was an option I wasn't willing to resort to, due to all the controversial side effects involved.

Since Dr. Nunez's treatments, my acne has cleared, only leaving behind the scarred memory of the cystic monsters that had taken over my face, and my life. He has also helped eliminate the frequent tension headaches I endured during those years, along with the clicking and locking of my jaw, of which I was told only surgery, could cure. I've learned that every other treatment out there helps with the symptoms (the acne) stemming from the root of the problem. You cannot treat this disease without treating the source, or the reason why you're breaking out in the first place. "

-Delightfully, Acne Free

Acne Medication

On average, Americans spend more than $100 million a year for various over-the-counter products related to acne problems. The overall cost of acne treatment exceeds $1 billion annually in the United States. Most acne treatments are not a treatment at all. The ones that do work in patients take up to twelve weeks for a positive result to show. Some medications can even cause acne to get worse before it gets better, leaving patients with increased discomfort and dissatisfaction. In addition, each skin type may be sensitive to different medications. In other words, what may work for one person may not work for another. As previously stated, Americans spend immense quantities of money on taking the bet on a medication that may or may not be effective. Over the counter medications may seem like a cheaper alternative to prescription acne treatment, but these will cost more in the long run as they have an even lower chance of effectively clearing skin of acne. A person may have to try several medications and wait years until finding a medication that successfully clears skin. The bottom line is this: acne medication is an expensive and tedious gamble.

Chronic Acne

Although 85% of Americans will experience acne at some point in their lives, not everyone will have to suffer the consequences of physical pain and agony associated with chronic acne. This goes beyond an occasional pimple  or even a rare breakout. People with severe acne may have extremely red, inflamed, and deep acne lesions that could lead to scarring. While acne is commonly associated with being a cosmetic issue, its more severe cases are much more. This type of chronic acne can affect people from teen years as “adolescent acne” to “late-onset acne.” Like most medical problems and discomforts, the cases vary from person to person. There are many factors and causes of acne, but with so much of the population suffering from its discomforts, there are also many options for treatment. Medication and lifestyle changes may be effective initially, but can also fall short in the long run. It is important to assess every component of one’s acne to discover causes and, ultimately, cures for chronic acne.

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