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HEALTHY LIFESTYLES: Hammersland shares chiropractic benefits

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Dr. Jamie Hammersland owns Elkader Chiropractic Center. The clinic is located at 690 East Bridge St., and offers chiropractic care for the whole family.

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

 

Since he was a freshman in high school, Elkader Chiropractic Center owner Dr. Jamie Hammersland wanted to work in chiropractic medicine, and he wanted to do it close to family. 

 

But when he graduated from college, Hammersland took a job in Illinois, far removed from his parents in Calmar, and that’s where he stayed for about four years. 

 

Then, around 2011, his parents told him about the local chiropractor who was looking to sell his business. After a six-month process that included numerous conversations, job shadowing and making sure Hammersland would be a good fit for the community, he purchased the business. It was a decision he called “a big jump,” with a lot of built in risk and hopes that patients would stay. 

 

In the short term, he was finally home, close to family and building a family of his own, which now includes wife Amy, who does all the secretarial work around the office, and two young sons, Owen and Griffen. 

 

The challenges early on weren’t easy, including learning all the unforeseen things that come with owning a business and the task of replacing a figure like outgoing owner Dr. Dean Ferguson, who had worked in the community since the late 1970s. 

 

“He was well respected. I had big shoes to fill,” Hammersland recalled. 

 

One thing that helped in transition was the fact  Hammersland and Ferguson both practiced a similar technique. Given the methodical nature of the changeover, business remained steady.

 

Of course, one has to ask, going back to being a freshman in high school, of all the medical practices to enter, why did Hammersland choose this one? It’s already known he chose Elkader because of proximity to family, but why this field of medicine? 

 

Well, it actually goes back further than high school, to when Hammersland was an infant. That’s when his parents first started taking him to the chiropractor. Not that Hammersland remembers those early years, but the intervening years made an impression. So did the idea of trying to find and fix the cause of an issue, rather than just work on the symptoms. 

 

“I like to go after treating the cause of an issue rather than going after the symptomatology of an issue. I like to go after the root cause of an issue…where it originates from,” Hammersland explained. 

 

While some people think chiropractic medicine is all about cracking bones and fixing back pain, there are actually numerous health benefits associated with making a trip to the chiropractor. One of them, which has gained importance during the pandemic, is the treatment’s ability to boost the immune system. 

 

As Hammersland discussed, and several studies he cited pointed out, such as one from the Chiropractic Journal of Australia, “chiropractic manipulation had a positive effect on T and B lymphocyte, NK-cell, plasma beta-endorphin and antibody levels and phagocytic activity, all of which are known to play roles in the body’s immune response function.” 

 

Hammersland also noted a more recent study from Chiropractic & Osteopathy, which detailed how, after receiving spinal manipulations, there was a “significant increase in immunoglobulin m,” which led researches to conclude that spinal manipulation can boost the body’s immune response. This adjustment can also help counteract rising levels of stress, which have a negative impact on overall health. 

 

Besides that, Hammersland listed a slew of other issues chiropractic medicine can help with across all ages. Starting with infants, Hammersland mentioned the trauma of the birthing process on babies as they pass through the birthing canal, so he treats infants as a preventative measure after this experience. Also, a chiropractic adjustment in young children can help with sleeping issues, ear infections, reflux issues and ADHD symptoms. 

 

As kids get older and become teenagers, it becomes more about helping with athletic injuries and adjustments to deal with back and neck injuries. 

 

When it comes to adults, the most common issues Hammersland sees are pain related, such as low back pain, headaches and neck pain, but he also deals with the occasional digestive issue and heartburn. 

 

One thing that has been on the rise since he started practicing over 10 years ago is neck and lower back issues associated with the rise in technology. Cell phone and computer use have led to posture problems and a phenomenon where people are actually growing spurs off the back of the skull from constantly looking down. While doing adjustments for these issues, Hammersland provides a list of posture and ergonomic exercises to ease the problem. 

 

Furthermore, chiropractic medicine promotes and can help people lead a healthier lifestyle in other ways. One of them, especially for older people, can increase range of motion. That allows people “to bend better and turn around more easily.” 

 

In this way, it also helps the elderly, such as grandparents, be more active with their grandchildren or just in general. That activity—and that increased ability toward socialization—has a positive impact on health. 

 

It can also help people return to physical activities after suffering an injury or due to lower back or knee pain, and workout regimes are vital for healthier lifestyles. 

 

Hammersland also noted that an adjustment could actually improve someone’s sleeping habits, allowing them to get a healthy amount of sleep. 

 

Additionally, Hammersland said chiropractic medicine can help stroke patients regain neurological function and assist with heart arrhythmia, and he’s seen great results with Bell’s palsy patients. 

 

Another thing it can do is serve as an early detection system for other health related issues. Since Hammersland is focused on finding the root cause of an issue, recently, he was unable to do so with a pre-teen patient, so he referred that patient on and it turned out that the patient had spinal cancer. 

 

Whatever the symptoms, an estimated 35 million people go to a chiropractor, so despite critics, there is widespread belief it’s beneficial. Hammersland is aware some people have fears, but there are different techniques chiropractors can use to ease that worry. 

 

It’s also not a one-size-fits-all-approach at the office, and each person is treated as an individual. Hammersland will utilize different techniques for different cases and he always starts with the least invasive way first. It’s all about “allowing the body to do it’s own healing,” which is healthier than immediately resorting to medications, he said.

 

Hammersland also believes people should exercise and maintain healthy eating habits, some of which he will recommend depending on the treatment. 

 

Treatments begin with an initial visit that lasts about 60 minutes and includes things like a neurological exam and strength testing, even before an adjustment is done. After that, the typical visit lasts 10 to 15 minutes and should be scheduled depending on the severity of the issue. 

 

On that note, Hammersland said, “Don’t let your issues go too long to the point of there being no resolve to them. The earlier you address an issue, the better you’re going to have as far as results.”

 

“Always keep exercising,” he added. “Movement is important. If you don’t use it, you lose it. That’s what happens in regard to muscle tissue. If you don’t use muscles, you lose them.”

 

For more health related content, check out the Times-Register’s Healthy Lifestyles special section included with this week’s paper, or find the section under the Times-Register "Special Sections" tab.

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