Many patients with severe low back pain report that their pain came on suddenly when they did something as simple as bend down to pet their cat, put on their socks, or pick up the newspaper. Just about everyone would agree that a person's body should be able to handle such simple movements. So what has happened?
In every one of these cases, the joints of the patient's body were "all locked up" -- they were barely moving at all. When the joints in one area of the body do not move the way they should, other areas of the body are forced to move more in order to compensate. This creates a significant stress on those areas that have to pick up the slack, and it soon leads to pain and inflammation. At the same time, the areas that don't have normal movement will slowly worsen as the muscles continue to tighten, the joints stick together, and the ligaments and tendons shorten. This leaves the body in a very unstable condition; if left unchecked, this process will continue until the body can hardly move at all. That is how a person comes to suffer flare-ups of pain at the slightest provocation.
Most of us have seen people who have lost most of their normal mobility: they look like bodies have been starched stiff whenever they try to move around. This is especially prevalent among the elderly. Contrary to popular belief, however, this is not an inevitable effect of aging; rather it is the inevitable effect of not maintaining the body's mobility through exercise, healthy alignment, and body mechanics. There are people in their 60s, 70s, or even older, who are stronger and more flexible than the average person in their 30s, simply because they keep themselves exercising.
Maintaining mobility is critical in order to live free from pain and disability. Maintaining good mobility is not difficult, but it does not happen on its own. Just as in developing a good posture, it is necessary that you perform specific exercises and stretches to keep your muscles, ligaments, and tendons flexible and healthy. In addition, it is necessary that all of the joints in your body are kept moving correctly as well. Although this can be achieved to a great degree through stretching, most people also find routine chiropractic adjustments to be very beneficial.
Every five years or so a new fitness craze sweeps through the culture. Television news anchors blather on about the latest, greatest exercise programs. Newspapers and magazines publish features in their Sunday sections, filled with pictures of glistening, glowing, glamorous celebrities hard at work on the new routines.
Back in the mid-1980s, aerobics classes were the leading edge of these fitness booms. Then after people found out the hard way that all that jumping up-and-down caused stress fractures and other injuries, low-impact aerobics was the thing to do. The world of strength training has also seen many fads come and go. Exercising on Nautilus equipment, circuit training, and high-weight/low-rep training have all had their day. The most recent strength training fad involves using "kettlebells" rather than traditional dumbbells and barbells to move weight around.
Many people who try out brand-new workout styles eventually find that the things they learned long ago are actually the methods that work best. In terms of overall strength and fitness, the push-ups, pull-ups, squat-thrusts, jumping jacks, and standing long jumps that high school gym teachers used to make us do were actually very good for us and still are very good.
Most of those compound exercises we'd grudgingly do as teenagers, complaining and groaning all the while, were great for building core strength. In those days, though, no one was talking about core strength - the overall concept wasn't clearly defined as such. But the results of the workouts were plain for all to see. Core strength is now an important focus of overall fitness. Pilates classes - based on fundamental principles of core fitness - started to dominate the health-and-fitness media in the 1990s.
The rise of yoga classes as a fitness phenomenon has roughly paralleled the popularity of Pilates classes. Joseph Pilates developed his training methods in the 1930s and his programs have become widely known within the last 20 years. Yoga, of course, is an interrelated set of branches, styles, and disciplines, many of which are centuries old. Hatha yoga, a well-known method, was initially described in the 15th century by Yogi Swatmarama. Yoga has become a popular exercise program for people of all ages and levels of fitness. Participants in a typical yoga class include middle schoolers, teenagers, college students, and adults of all ages, including older adults in their 70s and 80s.
As a fitness method, yoga offers a complete range of activities in one hour-long class. A yoga workout includes strength-building exercises, rapid series of movements that are intensely aerobic, and flexibility routines.1,2,3 Participants learn how to focus and concentrate. Yoga students learn how to calm their mind. Participants learn how to breathe so that energy is available for the hard work of the class. Importantly, beginners can work at their own pace and are able to derive as much benefit as the most experienced students in the class.
Yoga classes provide life-affirming benefits that last all day long. Additionally the endorphin response is profound, enhancing well-being while simultaneously strengthening the immune system. Yoga is a total-body training system that literally involves the body, mind, and spirit.
1Williams K, et al: Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficacy of Iyengar yoga therapy on chronic low back pain. Spine 34(19):2066-2076, 2009
2Tekur P, et al: Effect of short-term intensive yoga program on pain, functional disability and spinal flexibility in chronic low back pain: a randomized control study. J Altern Complement Med 14(6):637-644, 2008
3Chandwani KD, et al: Yoga improves quality of life and benefit finding in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer. J Soc Integr Oncol 8(2):43-55, 2010
Which type of exercise is right for me? Is lifting weights going to give me the best result? Maybe I should concentrate on running - that will really help to strengthen my heart. What about yoga - everyone says yoga is good for flexibility. All of us, at one point or another, have had these conversations with ourselves. We're continually bombarded with exercise-related stories on television, in magazines, and in our electronic newsreaders. But many of us don't know how to put the information we're receiving to good use. We don't have a context or framework with which to assess the potential value in these media communications.
For most of us, a very good answer to the exercise conundrum is to do a variety of activities on a weekly basis. We know this intuitively. Concentrating on one type of exercise will usually lead to the loss of other important benefits. Again for most of us, across-the-board benefits are required. We need to maintain or increase a healthful amount of lean muscle mass. We gain this benefit from strength training. We need to maintain or improve cardiovascular strength and health. These are obtained from aerobic-type exercise such as brisk walking, running, swimming, or bicycling.1 We need to maintain or improve flexibility and stretchability. These benefits are gained from yoga. Each category of physical fitness is necessary for ongoing health and well-being. Thus, each of the three main categories of exercise is needed to ensure we obtain the full range of benefits.
It's important to be aware that each exercise category provides a distinct benefit, and as such no individual category is a "better" than the others. Doing exercise consistently is what counts. Going further, consistently doing a range of types of exercise provides lasting health benefits. There might be times when a person chooses to focus on one specific category. That's fine, provided that the other two categories continue to be incorporated on a temporarily reduced basis. After a while, the person will usually choose to return to a broader approach.
Finally, most people are familiar with strength training and the various types of cardiovascular exercise. Not everyone is familiar with yoga. There are numerous other activities that promote flexibility and stretchability, and yoga is not the only means of obtaining these benefits. But many people have discovered that yoga in itself is complete exercise. Regular yoga practice provides strength training, cardiovascular training, and deep training of the proprioceptive system (the body's awareness of position in 3-dimensional space) which leads to improved agility and balance.2,3 Regular yoga practice adds lean muscle mass and lowers the heart rate (as a result of improved cardiovascular capacity). Those who do yoga are "light on their feet". Yoga is a remarkable exercise system and could be sufficient in itself for long-lasting health and wellness. But when a person adds a weight lifting program and specific cardiovascular training, the remarkable benefits of cross-training kick in. The overall gains achieved are noticeably enhanced. Thus, a broad program of strength training, cardiovascular training, and yoga can lead to the best results.
1Snel M, et al: Effects of Adding Exercise to a 16-Week Very Low-Calorie Diet in Obese, Insulin-Dependent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012 May 8 (Epub ahead of print)
2Galantino ML, et al: Impact of Yoga on Functional Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors With Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Arthralgias. Integr Cancer Ther 2011 July 6 (DOI: 10.1177/1534735411413270)
3Kiecolt-Glaser JK, et al: Adiponectin, leptin, and yoga practice. Physiol Behav 2012 Jan 27 (Epub ahead of print)
While women are learning more and more about cervical cancer and its prevention, another "silent killer" remains relatively mysterious among doctors and patients alike. Ovarian cancer is only the seventh most common cancer among women, but it causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. Unfortunately, efficacy of early screening is negligible only because symptoms of the disease are vague and misdiagnosis is common.
Most cases of ovarian cancer occur among women over 50 years of age, however the disease can occur in younger women. And risk increases if family members have been diagnosed with the disease.
In a recent study at the University of Washington School of Medicine identified the six symptoms most often and closely associated with ovarian cancer. Researchers compared the clinical histories of women diagnosed with the disease to the histories of "high-risk" women who did not have the disease.
The most common complaints among those women with cancer included the following:
Any one of these symptoms was considered predictive of ovarian cancer risk if it had been present for less than one year, more than 12 days a month. Conceivably, it would be easy to assume these symptoms resultant of premenstrual syndrome or menses itself. Bloating, abdominal bloating and a feeling of fullness are also common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The message here is to take these symptoms very seriously, especially those lasting longer than two weeks a month, as they may be more than PMS or digestive discomfort. Address your doctor's questions regarding family history with utmost thoroughness. Awareness - among both patients and doctors - is the first line of defense. And for those suffering from ovarian cancer, regular chiropractic care has been proven time and again to ease pain and improve quality of life during the healing process. A 2001 study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics followed a 54-year-old patient who was able to cease all pain medication following only two chiropractic visits! The focus of chiropractic care is not to directly treat pain, but more specifically, to assist the body in healing itself. Studies show that cancer patients who see their chiropractor experience pain less frequently and to a lesser degree.
You're getting ready to launch your new business. And, being a savvy entrepreneur, you've been spending a lot of time doing research on the Internet. Entering searches, following links, cutting-and-pasting, typing, mouse-clicking, dragging-and-dropping.
By the time you're ready to "go live" you've begun to notice a dull ache in your wrist (the one that does most of the mouse-ing). There's an annoying tingling sensation in your thumb and the tendons in your forearm hurt whenever you move your fingers.
"Oh, no," you think. "I've got carpal tunnel syndrome."
However, the news is probably not as bad as that. It's much more likely you've developed repetitive stress syndrome, which can be effectively treated by a chiropractor.
Repetitive stress syndrome is often misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome by family physicians, internists, and even many orthopedists. The doctor thinks, "wrist pain and thumb pain, must be carpal tunnel". This path of least resistance leads to much unnecessary neurologic testing, needless medication, and unwarranted surgeries.
Real carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is actually uncommon, usually associated with pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, or decreased thyroid activity.1,2 Also, pain is more noticeable at night, rather than during activity. Finally, a quick test for CTS is to place the tips of your thumb and index finger together, forming a circle. Hold the circle closed while another person tries to pry your fingers apart. If your fingers are strong and can keep the circle closed, you probably don't have CTS.
The wrist, tendon, and forearm pain most of us experience after too much time at the computer is due to repetitive stress syndrome (RSS) - basically, too much of the same activity repeated frequently over too long a time. These new pains can be very uncomfortable and cause significant limitation and frustration.
The primary solution is rest and avoidance of the irritating activities. In practice, rest can mean relative rest.3 One key approach for computer-related repetitive stress is to begin using the opposite hand to do mouse or trackpad activities. This may take a while, but it's a highly effective method. And, once your non-dominant hand gets up to speed, you've got two hands that are smart, not only one!
What about chiropractic treatment? Several trouble spots may contribute to RSS, particularly tight shoulder and neck muscles. Your chiropractor will do a complete physical examination and determine the sources of the problem.
Treatment may include gentle chiropractic manipulation to improve the mobility of your neck and remove stress from that area of your spine. Trigger point therapy will relieve pain and relax tight muscular "knots" in your shoulder girdle and forearm.
Treatment combined with relative rest and rehabilitative exercises will likely result in rapid improvement - decreased pain, greater mobility, and a renewed focus on the work you want to get done, rather than the pain that is getting in your way!
1Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm.
2Piazzini DB, et al. A systematic review of conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Clin Rehabil 21(4):299-314, 2007.
3Akuthota V, et al. Shoulder and elbow overuse injuries in sports. Arch Med Phys Rehabil 85(3 Suppl 1):S52-58, 2004.
Your mind has finally stopped racing and you've just nodded off, only to be rudely awakened by a deep knot of sudden pain in your thigh, calf or in the arch of your foot. Athletes and high heel wearers alike are often awakened from sleep by the infamous nocturnal leg cramp or "charley horse." And though these occasional cramps usually are not serious, they are undeniably painful and downright annoying.
The exact cause of leg cramps is not known, however, they are most often associated with dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. That said, and you've heard it before, drinking the optimal amount of water - 7 to 8 eight-ounce glasses of water per day - is the first line of defense against "charley." Staying hydrated is also important for overall health, so the water speech bears repeating!
Also, simple stretches before bed can stave off cramps. Try this simple stretch before you hop into bed each night:
Just remember, when stretching, to take it slowly. Jolting right into a deep stretch and quick bouncing motions through the stretch are mistakes that can cause injury.
If you're still bothered by occasional cramping, your diet may need slight supplementation. According to Charles Kuntzleman, EdD, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, taking a daily supplement of 400 IU of Vitamin E is usually very helpful. If the cramps persist, your body may be experiencing a lack of calcium and magnesium, found in dark green, leafy vegetables such as kale and broccoli. Dr. Kuntzleman suggests supplementing with daily dosages of up to 1,000 milligrams of magnesium and 500 to 1,000 milligrams of calcium.
Circulation is crucial for rushing nutrients from food and supplements to the areas of the body that need healing most. Chiropractic adjustments can improve circulation and greatly reduce healing time. Remember to inform your chiropractor if you're experiencing muscle cramps.
Tennis elbow often gets better on its own, but the majority of people who have persistent pain show improvement through non-surgical treatment.
Tennis elbow is actually a misnomer in that it occurs in roughly only five percent of people who play tennis. Anatomically, the cause of tennis elbow is repetitive use of the forearm extensor muscles, especially if they weren't used much previously. Practically any occupation, sporting endeavor, or household activity that has repeated use of the forearm and wrist may lead to this condition. Certain activities and occupations are more commonly associated with tennis elbow, such as plumbing, painting, fishing, butchering, computer use, and playing certain musical instruments. Tennis elbow is most common in adults between the ages of 30 and 50, but can affect people of all ages.
People with tennis elbow complain of pain that expands from the outer elbow into their forearm and wrist. The pain primarily occurs where the tendons of your forearm attach to the bony areas on the outside elbow. In addition to pain, people with tennis elbow experience weakness that makes it particularly difficult to hold a coffee cup, turn a doorknob, or even shake hands. Tennis elbow can cause weakness when twisting or grabbing objects.
In many cases, your doctor can diagnosis tennis elbow simply by listening to you describe your symptoms, performing a physical examination, and learning about your lifestyle and activities. However, if your physician suspects other reasons like a pinched nerve, fracture, or arthritis are causing your pain, he may suggest X-rays, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), or Electromyography (EMG).
A chiropractor will be able to determine if a misalignment in your spine, neck, or shoulders may be causing an overcompensation injury. In some cases, a basic chiropractic adjustment may be all your need to stop your symptoms of pain. Your chiropractor will also work with you to determine which activities may have caused your injury and will have you rest your arm while refraining from the trigger activities. Your chiropractor will also likely tell you to apply ice to the outside elbow two or three times a day for two to three weeks. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin, help reduce pain and inflammation while your elbow is healing. Compression, by using an elastic bandage, is helpful to provide relief and prevent further injury. Lastly, elevating your elbow whenever possible will limit or prevent swelling.
If rest and ice do not alleviate your tennis elbow symptoms, then a physical therapy plan is often the recommended next step. You will learn exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons in your arm. Your chiropractor or physical therapist will also work with you to develop proper form and technique regarding the activity that was the likely culprit to developing your tennis elbow. Depending on the severity of the injury, your chiropractor or physical therapist may suggest you wear a brace or forearm strap, which will reduce stress on the injured tissue while it heals.
Source: National Institute of Health and Mayo Clinic
The theory that an irritated spine may contribute to colic is supported by the frequent improvement in symptoms with gentle chiropractic adjustments. Because the birthing process is very stressful on the neck of a newborn, it is very common for there to be several subluxations in the neck and back that can irritate the tiny and delicate nervous system. It has also been observed that babies with colic seem to need more attention and are more sensitive to the things around them than other babies - again indicating that there are some neurological differences.
Both the mother's and the baby's diet can be huge factors in the development of colic. One of the biggest offenders is cow's milk. Babies should not have cow's milk, or dairy in any form for that matter, until they are at least two or three years old. Cow's milk contains the sugar lactose which many newborn babies cannot digest very well, not to mention that cow's milk contains many proteins that are not good for an infant's digestive system.
Another potential dietary contributor to colic is the mother's diet while breastfeeding. Women who breast feed should stay away from spicy foods, alcohol and tobacco, as well as to avoid eating too much of any one particular food. A semi-bland, high-protein diet that excludes dairy is probably best - at least during the first three or four months of breastfeeding.
If your baby suffers from colic, there are a few things that you can do to help:
Bedwetting is stressful for everyone involved. Lack of bladder control can cause embarrassment, shame, and interfere with normal social development. All of the causes of bed-wetting are not fully understood. There are children whose bladders are underdeveloped for their age and who have difficulty recognizing when their bladder is full. This is much more common in children under four years of age.
If a child, who had been dry at night for a period of time - weeks or months - suddenly starts bed-wetting again, this may be a sign that something is wrong. Most often this happens when some form of stress is in the child's life: a new baby in the home, moving to a new neighborhood, or a divorce. Bedwetting may also be a sign of physical or sexual abuse or some other disease process. If your child wets the bed after having been dry at night in the past, it is important that they be seen by a doctor. The bed-wetting may be a sign that stress or a disease is causing the problem.
Chiropractic can help by removing any irritation that may be affecting the nerves that control bladder function. These nerves exit an area of the spine called the Sacrum. In adults, the sacrum is one large fused bone that is very resistant to injury. However, during childhood, the sacrum is separated into five individual segments. If these segments become misaligned, due to a fall or other type of trauma, they can compromise the nerves that are responsible for bladder function. While chiropractic is not typically a treatment for bedwetting, countless children have been helped by being adjusted. In fact, a number of clinical research studies have demonstrated that chiropractic care can help many children suffering from bedwetting. Contact us today!
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common condition that tends to emerge in children during their early school years. The most common signs of ADHD are:
It is estimated that between three and five percent of children have ADHD - approximately two million children in the United States - and is much more common in boys than girls. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD. However, because many normal children may show some of these same behaviors as well, it is important that a child receive a thorough examination and appropriate diagnosis before any treatment is considered.
It is not entirely certain what causes ADHD, but the current thought is that it is a combination of an overactive nervous system, coupled with a decrease in the brain's ability to filter out extraneous sights, sounds, thoughts and emotions. Although chiropractors don't directly treat ADHD, there are a number of things that your chiropractor can do to help eliminate things that stress a child's nervous system, such as:
The most common medical treatment is the use of the drug methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin. Ritalin is actually a stimulant drug that normally speeds up the activity of the nervous system. But for reasons that are not entirely clear, it tends to have a calming effect on those who suffer from ADHD; possibly by increasing the activity in the area of the brain responsible for filtering out extraneous sensation. The problem with taking Ritalin is that it does not do anything to resolve the cause of the ADHD, it only masks the symptoms. Continued use of Ritalin over long periods of time has also been shown to have detrimental effects on the brain itself. It is important as a parent to look at all treatment options before placing your child on Ritalin and chiropractic care is a great place to start. Contact us today!
