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...

If you’ve ever played contact sports, you’re doubtlessly familiar with stingers. Also called burners, stingers are injuries felt in the neck and shoulder. Although they are often short-lived, they could be a sign of more trouble to come, which is why we at the Carrolton chiropractic office of Dr. Peter Lazarnick (Dr. Pete) want our patients to seek an evaluation if they suffer one. The nerves to the arm emerge from the neck vertebrae and bundle together in the shoulder. If the head is suddenly pushed too far while the arm is being pushed the other way, the shoulder nerves may be briefly compressed. This would cause a sudden, shooting pain accompanied by a feeling of heat or numbness. A person’s first stinger usually does not last for more than a few minutes, but having suffered one puts them at greater risk for suffering more, which may get worse. We use imaging testing and manual examinations to determine whether a patient has suffered damage to the spinal column itself. If the proble...