Nutrition is an Integral Part of Healing

Charlotte nutrition plans are an essential component in the healing process for chronic illnesses. By approaching a chronic illness in a holistic manner, Dr. Darcey Walraven Ladner discovers the source of your illness and provides a comprehensive treatment plan. Many of the chronic illnesses that we treat are due in part to poor eating habits. Patients are often astonished when their neck or back pain is reduced just by making simple changes in their diet.

Our chiropractor designs a nutrition program based on each patient's individual needs, often in conjunction with our other therapy options. Dr. Darcey takes your lifestyle into consideration and develops a plan with you that is manageable. Not everyone is the same and neither are their nutritional needs. Some of us require different combinations of food in order to function optimally or prevent chronic illness.

Fibromyalgia and Healthy Eating

The most common symptom affecting our fibromyalgia patients is chronic muscle fatigue. A nutrition plan that is designed to eliminate toxins and restore nutrients to the body is essential. Most of the issues with muscle fatigue boil down to either a lack of nutrients or an increased need for nutrients in your muscles.

Many of the "miracle diets" out there only further irritate chronic illnesses, especially low fat diet plans or diet plans that discourage carbohydrates. You need the essential minerals and vitamins that are provided in fruit and vegetables for your muscles to function properly. You also need to consume healthy fats in order to support cell regeneration. In other cases, many of our patients have seen amazing results by cutting out refined sugars, caffeine, and alcohol.

Once the muscles are functioning at optimal level, they can support healing associated with back and neck pain. Muscle strength is essential to effective chiropractic treatment because the muscles help support the rest of the body. If you suffer from a chronic condition, we invite you to call us today to learn more about how our Charlotte nutrition plans can promote healing in your life.

Have you found that some of your chronic neck and back pain gets better if you incorporate certain foods or eliminate others from your diet?

Omni Wellness Center uses a variety of approaches to help you rehabilitate from injuries and feel better every day. Our chiropractor, Dr. Darcey Walraven Ladner, assesses situations individually and develops a unique treatment plan for each patient. We have found that physical therapy (PT), or physiotherapy, can make all the difference in recovering from injury or pain.

Chiropractic care and physiotherapy frequently work best together. Both therapies are all-natural, drug-free, and involve a great deal of hands-on care. Our Charlotte chiropractor uses her chiropractic skills to concentrate on issues relating to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Adding physiotherapy to these treatments helps stop the downward spiral of pain. If you’re in pain due to a condition like fibromyalgia or arthritis, you don’t want to move. But not moving causes muscles to stiffen and lose flexibility, creating even more pain. Therapeutic exercises help by gently stretching muscles and gradually restoring your flexibility.

Compassionate Care for Charlotte Injury Accidents

If you’ve experienced pain from an auto accident injury, work-related injury or sports related injury, physiotherapy is an integral component of your rehabilitative care regimen. If you’re suffering from back pain due to a slip and fall accident or neck pain due to whiplash, Dr. Ladner can bring your spinal column back into alignment and relieve any pressure caused by a herniated or bulging disc. Our physiotherapy treatments then help you rebuild strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. We may recommend stretching programs, core strengthening, weight lifting and other exercises. These are gradually increased in intensity as your body recovers.

Another component we may add to your treatment routine is laser therapy. By applying specific doses of laser light deep into your damaged tissues, we can increase blood circulation, reduce swelling, and accelerate your body’s natural healing processes. All of our therapies work together to help restore you to full health. Omni Wellness Center is here to help because our motto is, “Move well, look well, be well…care for the entire family.”

Has physical therapy made a difference in your life?

Charlotte Acupuncture Relieves Pain

All across Asia, for over 2000 years, people have sought pain relief and healing under the hands of skilled acupuncturists. In the East, needling is considered standard, first-line treatment for everything from neck pain and headaches to addiction recovery and depression. 

Under the hands of a certified, highly-trained acupuncturist, like our chiropractor, Charlotte acupuncture is a comfortable, energizing holistic treatment that helps our patients feel better while stimulating their nervous systems to begin internal healing naturally. It is an excellent complementary treatment to chiropractic spinal adjustments because it also operates on the principal that the nervous system must be unimpeded and in balance for the body to function properly.

Aligning Qi, Alleviating Back Pain and More

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the body’s organs and systems are all regulated by Qi (pronounced “chee”), which is the body’s energy flow. Modern scientific studies have been able to connect the traditional Qi concept to the central nervous system.

Acupuncturists like Dr. Darcey study extensively to understand all of the meridians or “energy pathways” of the body, which correspond to pressure points in the skin (which are connected by body's connective tissues and nerves). The acupuncturist can then insert long, thin, sterile, FDA-approved needles into these various points in the skin to stimulate the nerves and connective tissues to rebalance their functions. Here at Omni Wellness Center, we have helped countless patients experience relief from back pain, headaches and even fibromyalgia through skillful application of these needles.

Before a session, Dr. Darcey will ask you a myriad of questions to fully understand your physical, mental, emotional and lifestyle outlook. Some may find the questions disconnected, but under TCM, everything is connected; the way we think, live, eat, work, sleep, etc. all have a direct effect on our health. So this information is necessary for the acupuncturist to be able to proceed.

Have you ever visited an acupuncturist? What were the conditions you needed help with, and how did you feel afterward?

Chiropractic Treatment for a Herniated Disc

Your spinal column is made up of vertebrae, or bones, stacked one on top of the other. Between the bones are discs, or soft cushions that prevent the bones from rubbing together. A herniated, or slipped, disc occurs if one of the cushions wears down and ruptures, so that the material inside the disc leaks out, causing pain and numbness in the body. Charlotte chiropractor, Dr. Darcy Walraven Ladner, treats herniated discs using chiropractic techniques such as spinal adjustments, physical therapy, and spinal decompression.

Signs and Causes of a Herniated Disc

A number of factors can lead to a herniated disc. Age is one of the primary causes. In some people, the discs begin to wear down in middle age. Another common cause of the condition is stress placed on the spine. Stress can come from a number of sources. If you are overweight, the extra weight puts pressure on the discs and can cause a rupture. Work-related stress is another cause. If you work a job that requires you to lift heavy objects or a job that requires a lot of repetitive movements, you are at a higher risk for a slipped disc. Lifestyle choices such as smoking or a lack of exercise can also lead to a slipped disc.

Back pain is a common sign of a disc problem, as is pain in the arms and legs. If the disc ruptures in your neck, arm pain is more likely. Leg pain is common if the disc ruptured in your lower back. You may also experience feelings of numbness or muscle weakness due to damage to the nerves.

Chiropractic Treatments

Charlotte chiropractor Dr. Walraven Ladner offers several treatments for disc problems. Spinal adjustments put your spine back into position and relieve pressure on the disc. Therapy exercises and stretching help reduce pain and strengthen the muscles. Depending on the severity of the condition, you may need spinal decompression therapy to relieve pressure on the nerves in your back.

Have you suffered from a herniated disc and back pain? What treatment helped you?

Charlotte Chiropractor Provides Relief
From Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia sufferers know that this disease can be debilitating and painful. The good news is that chiropractic care can help relieve tightness, tenderness and pain. Our team of professionals at the Omni Wellness Center, led by Charlotte chiropractor Dr. Darcey Walraven Ladner, is here to help.

Fibromyalgia Syndrome -- or FMS -- affects from three to six percent of people in the U.S. This rheumatoid disorder causes fatigue, pain in muscles and bones, and is associated with symptoms such as: sleep disturbances, headaches, depression, diarrhea alternating with constipation, numb, tingling extremities, weakness, dizziness, and memory loss.

Though the exact causes of FMS remain unknown, it is sometimes associated with changes in body chemistry, like high stress levels, inadequate sleep, anxiety and infection. Many FMS sufferers experience back pain or tender spots along the spine and in other muscles and tendons.

Chiropractor Addresses FMS Through Comprehensive Treatment Plans

Fortunately, chiropractic regimens effectively treat FMS. Our chiropractic center uses comprehensive methods such as: spinal adjustments, exercise, nutrition counseling, acupuncture, and massage.

One of the hallmarks of FMS is muscle tightness. Pain causes muscles to lose flexibility and the spine responds with a loss of movement that -- in itself -- causes muscle tightening and pain. Spinal adjustments help relax muscles and restore movement.

Exercises tailored for Fibromyalgia-Syndrome patients are also effective for relieving FMS-related pain. Our staff creates a series of gentle, beneficial exercises that you can do at home to increase flexibility and range of movement. Exercise -- such as brisk walking, swimming or biking -- also reduces stress, which can in turn help with FMS symptoms.

Nutrition is another important component in FMS treatment. Eating a balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables provides vitamins, minerals necessary to repair muscles, while an increased fiber intake helps prevent digestive issues. Dr. Darcey is experienced in providing customized nutrition plans for patients suffering from a variety of chronic pain conditions.

Finally, acupuncture and massage work in tandem with other chiropractic methods to treat back and neck pain associated with FMS. Our clinic is dedicated to helping you overcome FMS and achieve total wellness.

Which methods have you found most effective in treating FMS?