Dr. Pete Lazarnick "Dr. Pete": Blog

Spinal disc degeneration is a common part of the aging process. Although it is not always painful, it can cause soreness and puts people at greater risk for acute injuries. If you’ve experienced back pain or stiffness, help is available. At the Carrollton chiropractic office of Dr. Peter Lazarnick (Dr. Pete), we use a variety of modern technologies and therapeutic approaches to relieve pain and put the spine in the best position to heal itself. We can also teach patients how to better protect their spinal discs and preserve their function. The discs between the bodies of the vertebrae have two portions: a core of jelly-like substance called the nucleus pulposus, and an outer ring of rubbery material called the annulus fibrosus. As a person ages, the nucleus pulposus loses water and contracts, causing the annulus fibrosus to become misshapen. The shrunken discs will not work as well as shock absorbers, and as the annulus fibrosis develops small tears, it will release inflammatory prote...

When the back is misaligned, all sorts of health problems can result. Bone spurs are an especially insidious example because they may contribute to further pain and dysfunction. At our Carrollton chiropractic office, Dr. Peter Lazarnick (Dr. Pete) and his team work to provide people with safe, gentle pain relief, and can position the body so it’s best able to heal itself. Bone spurs tend to develop where bones rub against each other, or where connections between bones and ligaments have become inflamed. When a person has facet joint disorder, the cartilage in the joints between their vertebrae has eroded. This puts more pressure on the joints, and the resulting spurs make the back less mobile. When a person has degenerative disc disease, there is too much space between their ligaments and their vertebrae, and bony spurs develop to fill in the space. This is something that people are particularly vulnerable to as they age and their spinal discs become less elastic. It is usually not ne...

Regular exercise is essential for good health. The spine depends on muscle support to keep its discs from becoming herniated and its joint cushioning supple. But when people are reliant on a single form of exercise, they are at increased risk for overuse injuries. Runners are especially likely to develop lower back pain, so we at the Carrollton chiropractic office of Dr. Peter Lazarnick (Dr. Pete) wanted to offer some advice. Running is a high impact sport. It subjects the spine to a lot of jostling, which requires the spinal discs to absorb a lot of shocks. People are likelier to suffer a herniated disc if they are older or have ruptured a disc before, and a herniation in the lumbar region could lead to sciatica. More commonly, the muscles responsible for keeping the spine straight become strained, resulting in soreness in their immediate vicinity and more swaying in the back.  When a patient complains of lower back pain, we’ll examine them for slipped discs and hairline fractures. D...

Upper back pain, although not as common as lower back pain, affects many people. It has several potential causes, some of which a patient will have to change their lifestyle to avoid. At the Carrollton chiropractic office of Dr. Peter Lazarnick (Dr. Pete), we can help patients to uncover the cause of their pain and implement a holistic, non-invasive treatment plan that will restore them to a state of health. The twelve vertebrae in the thoracic region support the rib cage. They are not quite as mobile as those in the neck or lower back, and strains there are a bit less likely. However, a disc there could be herniated, especially in an older patient, and the joints are vulnerable to arthritis. A person may also strain their upper back muscles through overuse, particularly if they lift heavy objects improperly or regularly maintain an unhealthy posture. We’ll use imaging tests and tactile examinations to determine whether there is a spinal misalignment. Treatment options include chiropr...