Why You Should Visit Your Chiropractor This Winter
Not sure if you need to see the chiropractor this winter? Whether you have a few aches or pains or want to avoid illness and injuries, visiting the chiropractor can help you protect your health by:
Easing the Pain of Winter Injuries
Although many people become less active during the winter months, a surprising number of injuries occur when it's cold outside. In fact, more than 20,000 workers were injured in one year due to snow, sleet, or ice, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unfortunately, weather-related injuries are just as likely to happen during your free time, particularly if you enjoy winter sports. Skiing, sledding, snow tubing, snowboarding, ice skating, and hockey all share one thing in common: speed. The faster you move, the more likely you'll hurt yourself if you fall.
During the winter, even venturing outside your front door can be hazardous. Slipping on an icy sidewalk or overdoing it while shoveling snow can lead to sprains or strains and may even cause misalignments in your spine.
Chiropractic eases pain and stiffness in your muscles, tissues, and joints, and reduces inflammation naturally. Your chiropractor uses several techniques designed to treat pain, including spinal manipulation (commonly called adjustments), massage, soft tissue mobilization, and ultrasound therapy.
Lowering Your Risk of Injuries
Your spine supports the weight of your body, protects your spinal cord, and makes it easy to move, walk, and bend. During an injury, one or more of the vertebrae that make up the spine may move out of alignment. Misalignments, or subluxations, press on nerves, triggering pain, or pull on muscles, creating imbalances that may make one side of your body weaker than the other. When muscles and joints are weak, it's easier to lose your balance when you're zooming down the slopes or simply trying to avoid slipping on a patch of ice.
A subluxation can also affect your balance or make it harder to keep a firm grip on your ski poles. Luckily, spinal manipulation, a common chiropractic treatment, can help improve balance and grip strength. Brazilian researchers who examined the effects of spinal manipulation on grip strength in judo athletes discovered that strength improved by as much as 17 percent after the treatments.
During spinal manipulation, your chiropractor realigns the vertebrae in your spine using his or her hands or a small device called an activator. Once your spine is properly aligned, muscle tension, a key factor in imbalances, decreases. Visiting the chiropractor for adjustments, even if you don't notice any symptoms, corrects imbalances and subluxations that could cause falls or injuries.
If getting in shape or trying a new sport was one of your New Year's resolutions, you'll want to schedule a visit with the chiropractor before you begin your new fitness routine.
Helping You Stay Healthier
Although it's impossible to completely prevent illness, chiropractic treatment might help you avoid winter colds and other sicknesses. If out-of-place vertebrae press on nerves essential for immune system functioning, it may be harder for your body to find and kill germs. Regular adjustments correct misalignments before they can cause pain or affect your immune system.
Chiropractic treatments also decrease inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation has been linked to many diseases and conditions, including heart disease, asthma, allergies, arthritis and bowel diseases, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Chiropractic helps you stay healthy year-round. If you're ready to make a winter appointment, get in touch with our office.
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Ice, Sleet, and Snow-Related Occupational Injury and Illness Rate Down in 2017, 3/4/2019
PubMed: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics: Effect of Cervical Spine Manipulation on Judo Athletes' Grip Strength, 1/12
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22079053
Harvard Health Publishing: Understanding Acute and Chronic Inflammation, 4/1/2020
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-acute-and-chronic-inflammation
National University of Health Sciences: Everything You need to Know About Chiropractic Medicine for Athletes, 6/12/2020
https://blog.nuhs.edu/the-future-of-integrative-health/chiropractic-medicine-for-athletes
Custom Orthotics Could Be What You Need to Fight Foot Pain
Sore, aching feet are a common problem in the U.S. In fact, 51 percent of adults surveyed by the American Podiatric Medical Association reported struggling with daily activities due to foot pain. Custom orthotics can ease pain and make walking and standing much more comfortable.
What Are Orthotics?
Orthotics are shoe inserts that cushion, align, and support your feet. The inserts are available in both over-the-counter and custom varieties.
What Is the Difference Between Drugstore and Custom Orthotics?
Over-the-counter orthotics use a one-size-fits-all approach to relieving foot pain. While the shoe inserts may be helpful for some people, they might actually worsen pain for others. Custom orthotics are designed by your chiropractor to address your specific foot issues. The inserts are made from a physical or digital impression of your foot to ensure a perfect fit.
Who Can Benefit from Orthotics?
Orthotics relieve pain caused by a variety of foot conditions, including:
What Are the Type of Custom Orthotics?
Your chiropractor will recommend a type of orthotic depending on your foot condition. Orthotic types include:
Ready to ease your foot pain with orthotics? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with our chiropractor.
Sources:
Medscape: Plantar Fasciitis, 1/22/2019
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/86143-overview
American Podiatric Medical Association: Public Opinion Research on Foot Health and Care: Findings from a Survey of 1,000 US Adults, 3/2014
https://www.apma.org/files/APMA2014TodaysPodiatristSurveyAllFindings.pdf
Medscape: Plantar Fasciitis, 1/22/2019
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/86143-overview
Healthline: Orthotics: Are They the Answer to Your Foot, Leg, or Back Pain? 3/19/2019
https://www.healthline.com/health/bone-health/orthotics#takeaway
Healthy Eating for the Holiday Season
It's never easy to turn down a holiday treat. After all, special foods are the highlight of the holiday season for many of us. Fortunately, it's possible to follow your healthy eating plan and even enjoy a few favorite snacks by making a few changes to your eating habits.
Why a Healthy Diet Is So Important
A healthy diet includes a mix of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, lean meats (or other sources of protein), and healthy carbohydrates and fats. Unfortunately, the fats and carbohydrates that make holiday foods taste so good are often the unhealthy kind.
White flour and sugar, two unhealthy carbohydrates, are often found in holiday treats. The same foods may also contain undesirable saturated and trans fats, including shortening, margarine, fatty meats, butter, coconut oil, and whole-fat dairy products. Fried and processed foods, in particular, may contain too many carbohydrates and saturated and trans fats.
Although an occasional treat is unlikely to cause health problems, eating a diet high in carbohydrates and unhealthy fats on a regular basis may raise your blood sugar and increase your "bad" cholesterol level. Eventually, you may gain weight or be at risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or having a stroke.
How to Eat Healthy During the Holidays
Keeping these guidelines in mind will help you avoid holiday eating pitfalls.
Need a little help with healthy eating? In addition to easing your aches and pains, your chiropractor offers nutrition advice that will help you improve your health. Give us a call to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
North Dakota State University Extension: Now You’re Cookin’: Recipe Makeovers!, 8/2021
https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/now-youre-cookin-recipe-makeovers
Washington Post: Cooking Oil Spray Can Do More Than You Think. Here's How to Get the Most Out of It, 1/18/2019
Harvard Health Publishing: 12 Tips for Holiday Eating, 8/28/2019
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/12-tips-for-holiday-eating-201212242506
Nutritionix: Sugar Cookie, Baked - 1 Medium (3" Diameter)
https://www.nutritionix.com/i/usda/sugar-cookie-baked-1-medium-3-diameter/5a3a7d1b1a7a99546acdfdae
Nutrionix: Cheesecake Oreo
https://www.nutritionix.com/food/cheesecake-oreo
It's Always a Good Idea to Visit Your Chiropractor After an Auto Accident
Are you dealing with a few aches and pains after a motor vehicle accident? It's not unusual to develop a few aches and pains after an accident. Luckily, a visit to your chiropractor can ease your pain and reduce your recovery time.
How Accidents Affect Your Body
Strong forces exerted on your body cause injuries during car accidents. When your car suddenly decelerates from 60 mph to 0 after hitting another car or a tree, you may be thrown against the side of the car or hit your head against the dashboard. Although your seatbelt helps protect you from serious injury, it doesn't keep your body completely still during an impact. Unfortunately, injuries occur at any speed and aren't limited to high-speed crashes.
The abrupt change in movement during a crash strains muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons and may even alter the alignment of the vertebrae in your neck and spine.
A car accident triggers your fight-or-flight response and floods your body with adrenaline, a hormone that gives you extra energy to deal with dangerous situations. Thanks to the effects of adrenaline coursing through your body, you may not feel any pain at first. A few hours or days later, you might begin to notice a nagging pain and stiffness in your neck or back.
Using Chiropractic to Combat Pain
Chiropractic treatment eases pain and stiffness and improves range of motion, mobility, and flexibility. Treatments are designed to:
Whiplash and Chiropractic
Whiplash, a painful injury that affects the neck, is a common motor vehicle accident injury. During the collision, your neck whips back and forth or from side to side. The motion may cause misalignments in your vertebrae and damage tissues, muscles, and ligaments. In some cases, whiplash can injure the rubbery discs that cushion your vertebrae.
Massage, spinal manipulation, soft tissue mobilization, ultrasound, and other therapies help injured tissues heal after whiplash and relieve pain, numbness, tingling and headaches, while improving range of motion.
Although chiropractic treatment is most beneficial immediately after an accident, the therapies your doctor uses could help reduce your symptoms even it's been months or years since your accident.
A case report published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine examined the benefits of chiropractic for a patient who had been injured in an accident three years prior. After treatment, she reported improvements in pain and quality of life and was finally able to stop taking opioids.
Have you been in a car accident? Make your appointment with the chiropractor today.
Sources:
Johns Hopkins Medicine: The Science of Addiction
Spine Universe: Whiplash: 5 Things You Should Know
Dealing with Back Pain? A Herniated Disc Could be the Cause
Nagging pain in your back could be a sign that you have a herniated disc. Although back pain often improves after a few days of rest, herniated discs cause symptoms that may last weeks or months. Herniated discs can happen at any age, but are more common in older people.
How a Herniated Disc Causes Back Pain
Your spine is made up of a series of small bones called vertebrae. Rubbery discs between each vertebra help you move and bend easily and absorb shock when you jump, run, play sports, or do yardwork. These spinal discs are composed of a soft inner core covered by a tough outer coating.
Herniated discs occur when the outer coating of a spinal disc tears. When a disc is herniated, moving causes the soft inner core to ooze through the protective coating and presses on nerves in your spine. This pressure can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on where the herniated disc is located. According to Medline Plus, herniated discs most often occur in the lower back or neck.
If your herniated disc is in your neck, you might notice pain in your neck or shoulder that travels to your arm and hand. A bulging disc in your back could trigger pain in your back, legs, buttocks, and feet. Tingling, numbness, and weakness can also occur. The pain usually affects just one side of your body and may feel worse at night or after you wake up in the morning.
What Causes Herniated Discs?
Herniated discs may be caused by:
Age can also be a factor in developing the condition. Years of wear and tear takes a toll on discs and makes them more likely to herniate. Younger people who spend a lot of their time playing video games or using digital devices are also at increased risk of developing herniated discs.
Treating Herniated Disc Pain with Chiropractic
Chiropractic treatment eases the pain of a herniated disc and could help you avoid surgery. In a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapies, researchers reported that spinal manipulation treatment improved symptoms in 90.5% of patients after 3 months and in 88% of patients at one year.
Chiropractors use several treatments designed to:
Depending on the location of your herniated disc and your symptoms, your doctor may recommend one or more of these treatments:
Do you think you have a herniated disc? We can help relieve your pain with chiropractic treatments. Give us a call when you're ready to schedule your appointment.
Sources:
Laser Therapy: Low Level Laser Therapy for Patients with Cervical Disk Hernia, 9/30/2012
Chiropractic Economics: Drop Table for Herniation, 11/11/2014
Medline Plus: Herniated disk, 7/25/2020
Got Jaw Pain? You May Have TMJ
Frequent jaw pain can be a symptom of temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), a condition that affects the joints in your jaw. Chiropractic treatments offer an effective way to ease TMJ pain and relieve jaw stiffness and other symptoms.
How TMJ Affects Your Jaw
Jaw joints make it possible to open and close your mouth when you chew, speak, and swallow. These joints are located on either side of your face just below your ears. TMJ, also called TMD (temporomandibular disorder) occurs when structures in and around the joints become inflamed, sore, or misaligned.
TMJ may affect the bones or discs in the joints or the muscles, ligaments, and tissues that help the jaw move smoothly. This painful condition affects 10 to 35 million Americans, according to the TMJ Association. Women are also more likely to develop TMJ than men.
TMJ symptoms include:
TMJ Causes
Although it's not always possible to determine why you have TMJ, the condition may be caused by:
Although it was once believed that a bad bite could cause TMJ, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research reports that research hasn't shown any link between TMJ and the way the teeth fit together.
Relieving Your TMJ Symptoms with Chiropractic Treatments
A subluxation, or misalignment of your spine, could be the reason that you're suffering from TMJ symptoms. Misalignments in the vertebrae in your back and neck can affect the position of your jaw. The vertebrae, a series of small bones in the back and neck that protect your spinal cord, allow you to bend and move easily. A subluxation not only affects a vertebra, but can also cause muscles and tissues to tighten. In some cases, subluxations press on nerves, causing or increasing pain.
Vertebrae often become misaligned due to injuries or posture issues. Holding your head downward to look at digital devices or slouching can can cause misalignments, as can your sleeping posture. If your pillow doesn't adequately support your head, you might develop a subluxation in your neck or jaw. Do you sleep with your hands under your chin? This habit could also be a contributing factor in jaw pain and TMJ.
Spinal manipulation, a type of chiropractic treatment, that corrects subluxations can ease your jaw pain. The treatment involves realigning the vertebrae with quick thrusts. Your chiropractor may use his or her hands or a special instrument to improve the alignment of your spine.
A jaw adjustment may be recommended if a misaligned joint is causing your pain. Using gentle pressure, your chiropractor stretches the joint slightly and eases it back into its usual position. In some cases, TMJ pain can also be due to tense muscles or trigger points in your jaw muscles. Trigger points are hard knots of tissue that send pain radiating through your jaw.
Your chiropractor may use massage or soft tissue mobilization to treat tight muscles and trigger points in the muscles in your jaw, neck, and shoulders. In addition to relieving muscle pain, massage also floods your body with dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. These hormones help you feel calm and relieve tension. If your TMJ is related to stress, regular massages can help you feel relaxed, reduce headaches, and keep your muscles loose.
Are you struggling with TMJ pain? Chiropractic treatment offers the ideal way to ease your jaw pain. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
TMJ Association: I've Got TMJ, Now What?
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: TMD
Medline Plus: TMJ Disorders, 1/24/2022
Chiropractic Economics: Using Chiropractic Instruments to Relieve TMJ, 7/26/2016
Too Much Tech Could Be Causing Your Neck Pain
It's hard to imagine a life without smartphones, laptops, and tablets. These digital devices make it possible to shop, work, and keep in touch with friends and family from practically anywhere in the world. Although digital devices are undeniably convenient, they're also the reason that many people suffer from neck pain these days. Luckily, your chiropractor offers treatments designed to relieve your pain prevent permanent damage to your neck.
The Link Between Tech and Neck Pain
If you walk through any public place, you'll probably notice plenty of people engrossed in their phones. Nearly all of them will hold their phones around waist level and bend their heads forward.
Unfortunately, that posture stresses the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your neck and may also change the alignment of the vertebrae, the small bones that add stability to your spine. Misalignments in the vertebrae, called subluxations by chiropractors, are a common source of neck pain.
The problem has become so common that it's even been given a name: text neck. Text neck affects people who keep their heads held forward for long periods of time. In fact, Saudi Arabian researchers discovered that more than 68% of the medical students in their study had text neck syndrome as a result of cell phone use. Other studies and case reports describe similar results.
Tech-related neck pain can be a problem even if you don't spend much time looking down at digital devices. Spending long hours working on a computer or playing video games are also risk factors for pain. You may be just as likely to experience neck and back pain when you're hunched over your screen at work or battling an enemy invader from your couch.
Do These Symptoms Sound Familiar?
Signs and symptoms of neck pain caused by tech use include:
Subluxations can lead to pinched nerves and increased pain if a misaligned vertebra presses against a nerve. Constant stress on your neck and spine may also increase your risk of arthritis, bone spurs, slipped discs, and herniated discs. In some cases, text neck can lead to kyphosis (hunchback), an abnormal curve in the upper back.
No matter your age, balance problems caused by poor posture can result in falls. Subluxations and muscle imbalances may also increase your risk of an injury if you do happen to fall or lose your balance.
Rounding your shoulders and dropping your head when using digital devices prevents your lungs from expanding fully when you take a breath. As a result, less air enters your body, and your heart must work much harder to circulate oxygenated blood.
What You Can Do to Prevent and Relieve Neck Pain
These tips not only reduce pain, but can reduce your risk of developing permanent damage to your spine:
Concerned about your neck pain? Chiropractic treatment offers an effective, natural way to treat your pain and reduce your risk of long-term damage. Contact our office to make an appointment.
Sources:
WebMD: Text Neck and Other Tech Troubles, 11/26/2014
SPINE-Health: How Does Text Neck Cause Pain?, 10/26/2018
Heart Health Benefits of Chiropractic Care
Heart health probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think about chiropractic care. Although most people associate chiropractic treatment with back and neck pain relief, treatments also help you improve your heart health. In fact, regular visits to the chiropractor offer a simple way to protect your heart.
Lower Blood Pressure
High blood pressure makes the heart work harder and increases your risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease or vision loss. In some cases, high blood pressure can be caused by a misaligned Atlas vertebra in the neck. Located at the top of the neck, the Atlas vertebra connects your head to your spine and helps keep your spine stable. Car accidents, injuries or poor posture can cause the vertebra to move out of alignment.
In addition to causing high blood pressure, misalignment of the Atlas vertebra may trigger:
University of Chicago Medicine researchers discovered that realigning the Atlas vertebra with a chiropractic adjustment can lower blood pressure in people who have high blood pressure. The adjustments dropped blood pressure by the same amount as taking two blood pressure medications at once. Chiropractic adjustments, also called spinal manipulation, involve quick thrusts to the spine that realign the vertebra and restore normal function.
Less Inflammation
Chronic inflammation causes or contributes to a variety of health problems ranging from arthritis to heart disease to type 2 diabetes. Inflammation may make it easier for plaque to form in your blood vessels. The fatty, waxy substance clogs the vessels, decreases the amount of oxygen your tissues and organs receive, and may increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, kidney damage, vascular dementia and other health conditions.
Adjustments and other chiropractic treatments relieve inflammation naturally. In a study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, spinal manipulation treatments had a positive effect on key inflammatory markers in the body in patients with low back pain.
Improved Nervous System Function
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems help control your heart rate variability (HRV), the time between heartbeats. HRV varies naturally depending on your emotions and activity level. Your HRV is considered high if there are variations in the time between each heartbeat. If you have a low HRV, the time between heartbeats doesn't change much. A high HRV is a good sign and means that your heart can easily adapt to a variety of environments and circumstances. A low HRV may increase your risk of heart disease, inflammation, depression, obesity and other diseases and conditions.
Your nervous system may not work as well as it should if misaligned vertebrae or tight tissues press on the nerves, irritating them. Unfortunately, that might increase your risk of low HRV. Adjustments and other chiropractic treatments relieve pressure on the nerves, allowing them to function normally once again.
Better Lung Function
The heart and lungs together work together to keep your body healthy. The oxygen from the air you breathe passes from your lungs into your bloodstream. Every beat of your heart sends oxygenated blood to your organs and tissues. Your heart won't receive the oxygen needs if a misaligned vertebra presses on a nerve that serves the lungs.
Relieving pressure on the nerve with a chiropractic adjustment may improve lung function, which in turn helps keep your heart healthy. Treatments also loosen tight chest or back muscles that may be affecting your ability to take deep breaths.
Chiropractic care is a good option for anyone but may be particularly helpful if you have a condition that affects breathing, like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Are you ready to enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of chiropractic? Get in touch with us to make an appointment.
Sources:
American Heart Association: Health Threats from High Blood Pressure, 3/4/2022
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: What Is Atherosclerosis? 3/24/2022
Science Direct: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 5/2006
It's Back to School Time! Has Your Child Seen the Chiropractor?
Want to ensure that your kids are ready for their return to the classroom? Add a visit to the chiropractor to your back-to-school checklist. Chiropractic care offers a variety of advantages for children, including these important benefits:
No More Pain
Whether your child spent the summer learning new skateboard tricks, playing outdoor games, or participating in a sports league, he or she may be feeling a little sore now. Falls and bumps during games can cause subluxations, misalignments in the vertebrae in the spine. Subluxations, a common source of pain, can also affect the range of motion in a joint and cause stiffness, swelling and numbness.
Pain can also be a concern if your child's favorite activity was reading or playing video games. Unfortunately, good posture may not be a priority when your kids are enjoying the adventures of their favorite fictional heroes or battling opponents online. Over time, poor posture pulls the vertebrae out of alignment, which may cause headaches and make muscles and tissues painfully tight.
It's not easy to concentrate on a math problem or remain seated for 7 or 8 hours a day when you're in pain, whether you have a minor ache in your knee or nagging neck or back pain. Luckily, your child's chiropractor offers several treatments designed to relieve pain and correct spinal misalignments.
Spinal adjustments realign the vertebrae in the spine, easing pain and loosening tight tissues. Massage, soft tissue mobilization, hot and cold therapy, and other techniques may also be used to treat pain. According to the American College of Physicians, non-drug treatments like spinal manipulation, are often helpful for back pain and should be tried before medication.
Better Sleep
Kids do better in school when they've had a good night's sleep. In fact, poor academic performance was linked to sleep problems in a Norwegian research study. Pain or stress may make it difficult for your child to fall asleep or stay asleep. Chiropractic care relieves pain naturally and also helps your child relax. Treatments prompt the body to release serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, hormones that improve your child's mood, enhance relaxation, and relieve stress.
Fewer Illnesses
A crowded classroom is the perfect environment for germs to circulate. Although it's not possible to prevent all illnesses, chiropractic treatments can reduce your child's risk of getting sick. Adjustments relieve pressure on the nerves that serve the organs and immune system. When the nerves function normally, it's much easier for the immune system to do its job.
Visits to the chiropractor may lower the number of colds, ear infections, sinus infections, and other illnesses your child gets and also reduce allergy and asthma flare-ups.
Reduced Chance of New Injuries
Your child is more likely to become injured during gym class or sports practice if his or her spine is misaligned. Misalignments affect the body's balance, restrict normal movement of the joints, and cause one side or area of the body to become abnormally tight. When this happens, sprains, strains, and other injuries are more likely to occur, even if your child isn't involved in a particularly strenuous activity. Visiting the chiropractor throughout the year will help reduce the likelihood of injuries.
Backpacks are a common source of pain and injuries for school-age kids. Nemours Kids Health notes that shoulder, neck, or back pain can happen when kids arch their backs or bend forward in an attempt to redistribute the weight of the backpack. These unusual postures strain the vertebrae and tissues and cause a variety of symptoms ranging from pain to numbness.
Regular visits to the chiropractor keep your child's spine aligned correctly and his or her muscles loose and relaxed. If your child struggles with a heavy backpack, swap his current pack for a lightweight one. Ideally, the weight of the backpack should be about 10% of your child's body weight. Look for a backpack that offers several compartments for even weight distribution. Ask if your child can keep a set of school books at home, rather than carrying them back and forth every day. If the school district can't provide duplicate copies of books, you may be able to purchase them online.
Have you made your child's back-to-school visit with the chiropractor? If not, give us a call, and we'll arrange a convenient appointment time.
Sources:
Sleep Foundation: Improve Your Child’s School Performance with a Good Night’s Sleep, 4/29/2022
Nemours Kids Health: Backpack Safety, 5/2020
Healthline: 10 Benefits of Chiropractic Care, 3/2/2021
How Your Chiropractor Can Help with a Rotator Cuff Injury
Your shoulder pain could be caused by an injury to the soft tissues in your rotator cuff. Rotator cuff injuries often occur in athletes but can affect anyone. No matter the cause of your injury, your chiropractor offers treatments designed to relieve pain and increase range of movement.
Causes and Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Injuries
The muscles in the rotator cuff stabilize your shoulder joint, allowing it to move easily. Rotator cuff injuries occur when a tendon that connects the shoulder muscles to the bone tears or becomes strained or inflamed. An injury can also happen if the bursae in the shoulder become inflamed. Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that help the tendons and bones move smoothly.
You may be more likely to develop a rotator cuff injury if you:
Rotator cuff injuries are painful and may make it difficult to raise your arm. Your arm may also feel weak, or you might notice numbness or tingling in your arm or hand.
Treating Your Rotator Cuff Injury with Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care provides a natural way to treat your rotator cuff injury. Treatments could decrease your reliance on pain medication and help you avoid surgery. Your chiropractor offers several helpful treatments for rotator cuff injuries, including:
Wondering what you can do about your rotator cuff symptoms? Relieving your pain can be as simple as scheduling an appointment with our office.
Sources:
MedlinePlus: Rotator Cuff Injuries, 1/8/2024
https://medlineplus.gov/rotatorcuffinjuries.html
Manual Therapy, Posturology & Rehabilitation Journal: Effect of Spinal Manipulation on Shoulder Pain and Range of Motion in Individuals with Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy, 11/12/2016
https://www.mtprehabjournal.com/revista/article/view/1036
Science Direct: International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine: Spinal Manipulation Combined with Exercise Therapy Could Be More Effective than Exercise Therapy Alone for Shoulder Pain and Disability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, 12/2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1746068923000329
Cureus: Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment for a Chronic Rotator Cuff Tear: A Case Report, 9/30/2023
