The old “stiff neck” season has begun! With cold weather comes tight muscles and the most common tight muscle injury is a stiff neck. It is actually the opposite of stiff it is an overstretched/over tight muscle. We tend to hold our neck muscles tight in the cold weather outside and maybe inside. This can sit fine until that one night you sleep stretching that muscle and the entire thing explodes. Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA chiropractor has some stretches to help you avoid this injury.
The muscle runs from the top medial part of your shoulder blade up in to your neck. So the way to stretch it is to separate those two structures. You can do the stretch standing or sitting.
Lengthen the muscle by raising the elbow above the shoulder on the side to stretch.
In this position, first rest the elbow against a door jamb. This rotates the outside of shoulder blade up and the inside of it down, which lengthens the levator scapula muscle.
Second, turn the head away from the side that is stretching and bring the chin down, stretching the back of the neck .
Third, place the fingers of the other hand on the top of the head and gently pull the head forward increasing the stretch slightly.
Hold this for about 30 seconds to a minute.
If this helps great you got some relief before going to your chiropractor. If they didn’t call for an appointment because it won’t usually improve on its own.
This time of year, can be more stressful than other times. Even with restrictions on getting together trying to make the holidays fun can be stressful even if the group is much smaller. Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor has some tips to help make the holidays less stressful.
It’s more important than ever to schedule enough time to get your zzz’s
Don’t over schedule
It’s okay to say “no” to events that aren’t important to you. Manage your time wisely and remember the time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.
Stay well.
Though we can’t always dodge those winter germs, remind yourself and your family to take your vitamins and wash your hands.
Eat healthy.
Leave the belly to Santa. Don’t go overboard on sugary cocktails and party treats. Eat a balanced diet with lots of whole grains and veggies and drink lots of water.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Let go of the idea of a perfect holiday and enjoy the one you’re having. In the end, it’s all about spending time with the people you love.
Close your eyes and breathe.
Promise yourself more time to savor the best parts of the season and plan to have a worry-free, hurry-free, smile-filled holiday.
Once we make it to middle age putting on weight becomes easier and easier. At the same time low back pain becomes more common. Sometimes the low back pain was coming no matter what and sometimes it is a factor of the weight gain. So, it is a factor but just how much. Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA chiropractor has some information that sheds some light on it.
According to the American Obesity Association, episodes of musculoskeletal pain, and specifically back pain, are prevalent among the nearly one-third of Americans who are classified as obese. The American Obesity Association also reports that more obese persons say they are disabled and less able to complete everyday activities than persons with other chronic conditions.
Some of the most common obesity-related problems include musculoskeletal and joint related pain. For people who are overweight, attention to overall weight loss is important as every pound adds strain to the muscles and ligaments in the back. In order to compensate for extra weight, the spine can become tilted and stressed unevenly. As a result, over time, the back may lose its proper support and an unnatural curvature of the spine may develop.
In particular, pain and problems in the low back may be aggravated by obesity. This occurs for people with extra weight in their stomachs because the excess weight pulls the pelvis forward and strains the lower back, creating lower back pain. According to the American Obesity Association, women who are obese or who have a large waist size are particularly at risk for lower back pain.
Obese or overweight patients may experience sciatica and low back pain from a herniated disc. This occurs when discs and other spinal structures are damaged from having to compensate for the pressure of extra weight on the back.
In addition, pinched nerves and piriformis syndrome may result when extra weight is pushed into spaces between bones in the low back area.
Arthritis of the spine that causes back pain may be aggravated when extra body weight strains joints. Those patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 25 are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than those with a lower BMI. The American Obesity Association recommends modest weight loss as a treatment for some types of osteoarthritis.
The effectiveness of back surgery may also be affected by a patient’s weight. Obese patients are at higher risk for complications and infections after surgery compared to patients who are not obese. For seriously overweight patients, paying attention to weight loss before undergoing back surgery may improve the healing process after surgery.
Identifying the Need for Weight Loss
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure commonly used by medical practitioners. BMI is a mathematical formula (BMI=kg/m2) that takes into account a person’s weight in kilograms and height in meters and calculates a number. The higher a person’s BMI falls on a pre-determined range of values, the higher the likelihood for obesity. Although there is some debate over the specific meaning of BMI measurements, a BMI of 30 or higher is typically considered to be obese, while a measure of 25 to 29.9 is typically considered to be overweight.
It is also important to evaluate where excess fat is carried on the patient’s body. Patients who carry more weight around their midsection are at greater risk for obesity-related health problems, such as low back pain. Weight loss for health considerations is often advisable for women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches.
Well it is time to dust off the gym membership and get in there. But before you start any exercise regime you need to first have a plan. By plan I don’t mean order a new pair of shoes. Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor has a few things for you to consider.
Question Yourself
What are your goals?
Lose weight… Increase cardio performance… But if you’re of a certain age or have certain cardiovascular risk factors, you may need to see your physician before beginning a program that involves vigorous (as opposed to moderate) aerobic activity.
Here’s how exercise intensities are typically defined:
Low-to-Moderate
Something you can do for about 60 minutes. Usually included in the 60 minutes is a slow gradual warm up leading to brisk pace.
Vigorous
Name says it all. Usually after 20 minutes of this type of exercises fatigue starts to set in. Heart rate and breathing significantly increased.
Are you planning to participate in vigorous activities and are a man over 45 or a woman over 55? You should receive a medical exam first. The same is true for individuals of any age with two or more coronary artery disease risk factors. If you’re unsure if this applies to you, check with your physician.
Now the standard questions you need to ask yourself:
A “yes” to any one of the following questions means you should talk with your doctor, by phone or in person, before you start an exercise program. Explain which questions you answered ‘’yes’’ to and the activities you are planning to pursue.
Have you been told that you have a heart condition and should only participate in physical activity recommended by a doctor?
Do you feel pain (or discomfort) in your chest when you do physical activity? When you are not participating in physical activity? While at rest, do you frequently experience fast, irregular heartbeats or very slow beats?
Do you ever become dizzy and lose your balance, or lose consciousness? Have you fallen more than twice in the past year (no matter what the reason
Do you have a bone or joint problem that could worsen as a result of physical activity? Do you have pain in your legs or buttocks when you walk?
Do you take blood pressure or heart medications?
Do you have any cuts or wounds on your feet that don’t seem to heal?
Have you experienced unexplained weight loss in the past six months?
Are you aware of any reason why you should not participate in physical activity?
If you answered “no” to all of these questions, and you passed the first round of questions, you can be reasonably sure that you can safely take part in at least a moderate-intensity physical-activity program.
But again, if you are a man over 45 or a woman over 55 and want to exercise more vigorously, you should check with your physician before getting started.
As your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor I treat patients of all ages. I do hear quite often from patients do you adjust children? Of course, I do! Most kids are harder on their bodies than adults are. The adjustment technique is very different for an 80 lb. kid and a 250 lb. man but the health benefits and structural changes are the same. Here is some information by the ACA that will help you understand why it is a good idea to have your child adjusted.
According to Dr. David Sackett, the father of evidence-based medicine, there are three prongs to the evidence-based decision: clinical expertise, scientific research and patient preference. While chiropractic has more than 100 years of clinical expertise from which to draw, our profession is still quite young when it comes to its base of scientific research—a state that is even more so for one of our youngest subspecialties, chiropractic pediatrics. Dedicated researchers are working hard to fill in these gaps. Recent studies are beginning to confirm what our century of clinical experience has already shown—that chiropractic care for children is not only safe, but also effective for a variety of pediatric conditions.
Dr. Joyce Miller and her colleagues at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in the U.K. have contributed much to our knowledge of chiropractic pediatrics in the past few years. Here is a brief summary of some of their latest studies:
Safety study: Miller et al. examined 781 pediatric patients under three years of age (73.5 percent of whom were under 13 weeks) who received a total of 5,242 chiropractic treatments at a chiropractic teaching clinic in England between 2002 and 2004.¹ There were no serious adverse effects (reaction lasting >24 hours or needing hospital care) over the three-year study period. There were seven reported minor adverse effects, such as transient crying or interrupted sleep.
Nursing study: Miller et al. also performed a clinical case series of chiropractic care for 114 infants with hospital- or lactation-consultant-diagnosed nursing dysfunction.² The average age at first visit was three weeks. All infants in the study showed some improvement, with 78 percent able to exclusively breastfeed after two to five treatments within a two-week period.
Colic: Browning et al. performed a single-blinded randomized comparison trial of the effects of spinal manipulative therapy and occipito-sacral decompression therapy on infants with colic.³ Forty-three infants younger than eight weeks of age received two weeks of chiropractic care. Two weeks and four weeks after beginning treatment, the infants in both treatment groups cried significantly less and slept significantly more than prior to receiving chiropractic care.
Long-term sequelae of colic: Research has shown that children who were colicky as infants suffer from poor behavior and disturbed sleep as toddlers. Miller et al. performed a survey of parents of 117 such toddlers who had received chiropractic care as infants vs. 111 who had not received chiropractic care.4 They found the treated toddlers were twice as likely not to experience long-term sequelae of infantile colic, such as temper tantrums and frequent nocturnal waking. In other words, colicky infants who had received chiropractic care were twice as likely to sleep well and to experience fewer temper tantrums in their toddler years.
That is just a sampling of some of the great work that is being done by the dedicated and hard-working researchers focusing on chiropractic pediatrics.
References:
Miller JE, Benfield K. Adverse effects of spinal manipulation therapy in children younger than 3 years: a retrospective study in a chiropractic teaching clinic. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2008;31(6):419-422.
Miller JE, Miller L, et al. Contribution of chiropractic therapy to resolving suboptimal breastfeeding: A case series of 114 infants. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2009;32(8):670-674.
Browning M, Miller JE. Comparison of the short-term effects of chiropractic spinal manipulation and occipito-sacral decompression in the treatment of infant colic: A single-blinded, randomised, comparison trial. Clinical Chiropractic 2008;11(3):122-129.
Miller JE, Phillips HL. Long-term effects of infant colic: a survey comparison of chiropractic treatment and non-treatment groups. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2009;32(8):635-638.
Most people’s goals when they take on a new exercise program is weight loss. For the most part it is a pretty well-known fact that you burn about 100 calories for every mile you run. You read that right… Run two miles than eat a few M&M’s and you broke even! So now let’s look at other forms of exercise and see how they stack up. Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor has a few different ways you can exercise and maybe up that number.
Strength training, or resistance training, includes lifting free weights, using weight machines, working with resistance bands and performing body-weight exercises. Although this type of exercise doesn’t burn many calories, it keeps your muscles and bones strong and can increase your metabolism, which means you burn more calories throughout the day. A total-body strength-training workout at least twice a week is vital for maintaining overall health.
Calories Burned
Most strength-training workouts burn only a modest amount of calories compared to aerobic activities. Half an hour of moderate weightlifting burns 112 calories if you weigh 155 pounds and 133 calories if you’re 185 pounds, according to the Harvard Medical School. Vigorous weightlifting burns 223 calories for a 155-pound person and 266 calories for a 185-pound person. Half an hour of body-weight exercises like pushups and pullups burn 167 calories if you weigh 155 pounds and 200 calories if you weigh 185 pounds. Perform these at a more vigorous intensity and you can burn 298 calories at 155 pounds and 355 calories at 185 pounds.
Heavier Weights
Lifting weights just 5 to 10 percent heavier than the ones you currently use may help you burn 500 to 600 more calories per strength training session. Heavier weights with which you can perform only 6 to 8 repetitions are a better option than light weights with which you can perform 12 to 15 repetitions. Using heavier weights boosts your metabolism more post-workout than using light weights.
Compound Exercises
Compound exercises, which involve multiple joints, burn more calories than isolation exercises involving just one joint, such as biceps curls. Compound exercise options include pushups, pullups, barbell squats, lunges, bench presses, military presses and deadlifts. Ideally, aim to involve as many muscles as you can in each exercise. For example, you might perform a body-weight squat with a bicep curl.
Circuit Training
A circuit-training routine that combines strength training and cardiovascular exercise can increase your calorie-burning rate. This type of circuit training involves alternating between strength training and cardiovascular exercise with no rest between each exercise. You might do strengthening for one minute then cardio for one minute. Or complete a circuit of five or six strength-training exercises, do high-intensity cardio for one to five minutes, then repeat the strength-training circuit. Always start your workout with a cardiovascular warm-up of at least five minutes.
Tennis elbow is the new age gamers elbow. It has become more common due to video games and computer work. It is a specific overuse injury and your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor has some information that may help you diagnose it. So, I have to put myself in harms way to relay the information.
Causes
The part of the muscle that attaches to a bone is called a tendon. Some of the muscles in your forearm attach to the bone on the outside of your elbow.
When you use these muscles over and over again, small tears develop in the tendon. Over time, this leads to irritation and pain where the tendon is attached to the bone.
This injury is common in people who play a lot of tennis or other racket sports, hence the name “tennis elbow.” Backhand is the most common stroke to cause symptoms.
But any activity that involves repetitive twisting of the wrist (like using a screwdriver) can lead to this condition. Painters, plumbers, construction workers, cooks, and butchers are all more likely to develop tennis elbow.
This condition may also be due to constant computer keyboard and mouse use.
People between 35 to 54 years old are commonly affected.
Sometimes, there is no known cause of tennis elbow.
Symptoms
Symptoms can include any of the following:
Elbow pain that gets worse over time
Pain that radiates from the outside of the elbow to the forearm and back of the hand when grasping or twisting
Weak grasp
Exams and Tests
Your health care provider will examine you and ask about your symptoms. The exam may show:
Pain or tenderness when the tendon is gently pressed near where it attaches to the upper arm bone, over the outside of the elbow
Pain near the elbow when the wrist is bent backward against resistance
An MRI may be done to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment
The first step is to rest your arm for 2 or 3 weeks and avoid or modify the activity that causes your symptoms. You may also want to:
Put ice on the outside of your elbow 2 to 3 times a day.
Take NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin.
If your tennis elbow is due to sports activity, you may want to:
Ask your provider about any changes you can make to your technique.
Check the sports equipment you are using to see if any changes may help. If you play tennis, changing the grip size of the racket may help.
Think about how often you play, and whether you should cut back.
If your symptoms are related to working on a computer, ask your manager about changing your workstation or your chair, desk, and computer setup. For example, a wrist support or a roller mouse may help.
A chiropractor can show you exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles of your forearm.
You can buy a special brace (night splint) for tennis elbow at most drugstores. It wraps around the upper part of your forearm and takes some of the pressure off the muscles.
Your provider may also inject cortisone and a numbing medicine around the area where the tendon attaches to the bone. This may help decrease the swelling and pain.
If the pain continues after 6 months of rest and treatment, surgery may be recommended. Talk with your orthopedic surgeon about the risks and whether surgery might help.
Shoulder pain is one of the most common non-spinal things I see as your Chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area. Most people notice the pain with working with their hands in front of their bodies. Another common complaint is trying to put on a jacket or reaching in the back seat of their car. There are several causes to generic shoulder pain but this is one of the most common.
Biceps Tendinitis
Biceps tendinitis is an inflammation or irritation of the upper biceps tendon. Also called the long head of the biceps tendon, this strong, cord-like structure connects the biceps muscle to the bones in the shoulder.
Pain in the front of the shoulder and weakness are common symptoms of biceps tendinitis. They can often be relieved with rest and medication. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to repair the tendon.
Anatomy
Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint made up of three bones: your upper arm bone (humerus), your shoulder blade (scapula), and your collarbone (clavicle).
Biceps tendons
The biceps tendons attach the biceps muscle to the shoulder bone.
Glenoid. The head of your upper arm bone fits into the rounded socket in your shoulder blade. This socket is called the glenoid. The glenoid is lined with soft cartilage called the labrum. This tissue helps the head of the upper arm fit into the shoulder socket.
Rotator cuff. A combination of muscles and tendons keeps your arm centered in your shoulder socket. These tissues are called the rotator cuff. They cover the head of your upper arm bone and attach it to your shoulder blade.
Biceps tendons. The biceps muscle is in the front of your upper arm. It has two tendons that attach it to bones in the shoulder. The long head attaches to the top of the shoulder socket (glenoid).
The short head of the biceps tendon attaches to a bump on the shoulder blade called the coracoid process.
Description
Biceps tendinitis is inflammation of the long head of the biceps tendon. In its early stages, the tendon becomes red and swollen. As tendinitis develops, the tendon sheath (covering) can thicken. The tendon itself often thickens or grows larger.
The tendon in these late stages is often dark red in color due to the inflammation. Occasionally, the damage to the tendon can result in a tendon tear, and then deformity of the arm (a “Popeye” bulge in the upper arm).
Biceps tendinitis usually occurs along with other shoulder problems. In most cases, there is also damage to the rotator cuff tendon. Other problems that often accompany biceps tendinitis include:
Arthritis of the shoulder joint
Tears in the glenoid labrum
Chronic shoulder instability (dislocation)
Shoulder impingement
Other diseases that cause inflammation of the shoulder joint lining
Cause
In most cases, damage to the biceps tendon is due to a lifetime of normal activities. As we age, our tendons slowly weaken with everyday wear and tear. This degeneration can be worsened by overuse — repeating the same shoulder motions again and again.
Many jobs and routine chores can cause overuse damage. Sports activities — particularly those that require repetitive overhead motion, such as swimming, tennis, and baseball — can also put people at risk for biceps tendinitis.
Repetitive overhead motion may play a part in other shoulder problems that occur with biceps tendinitis. Rotator cuff tears, osteoarthritis, and chronic shoulder instability are often caused by overuse.
Symptoms
Pain or tenderness in the front of the shoulder, which worsens with overhead lifting or activity
Pain or achiness that moves down the upper arm bone
An occasional snapping sound or sensation in the shoulder
Nonsurgical Treatment
Biceps tendinitis is typically first treated with simple methods.
Rest. The first step toward recovery is to avoid activities that cause pain.
Ice. Apply cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day, to keep swelling down. Do not apply ice directly to the skin.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines. Drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen reduce pain and swelling.
Steroid injections. Steroids such as cortisone are very effective anti-inflammatory medicines. Injecting steroids into the tendon can relieve pain. Your doctor will use these cautiously. In rare circumstances, steroid injections can further weaken the already injured tendon, causing it to tear.
Chiropractic/Physical therapy. Specific stretching and strengthening exercises can help restore range of motion and strengthen your shoulder.
If you haven’t gotten your plants in the ground you are missing out on all this rain. On the flip side you can still use these tips to help prevent a back injury. As your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor I see lots of yard work/gardening injuries this time of year. You generally don’t think of it as work but a bag of mulch is the same as lifting weights but it is a lot harder to balance. Here are some tips to help you prevent an injury.
Gardening can be enjoyable, but it is important to stretch your muscles before reaching for your gardening tools. The back, upper legs, shoulders, and wrists are all major muscle groups affected when using your green thumb.
A warm-up and cool-down period is as important in gardening as it is for any other physical activity,” says Dr. Scott Bautch, a member of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. “Performing simple stretches during these periods will help alleviate injuries, pain and stiffness.”
To make gardening as fun and enjoyable as possible, it is important to prepare your body for this type of physical activity. The following stretches will help to alleviate muscle pain after a day spent in your garden.
Garden Fitness Stretches
Before stretching for any activity, breathe in and out, slowly and rhythmically; do not bounce or jerk your body, and stretch as far and as comfortably as you can. Do not follow the “no pain, no gain” rule. Stretching should not be painful.
While sitting, stretch your leg out in front of you, knee straight, and prop your heel on a step. Then lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of the thigh, or the hamstring muscle. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Do this once more and repeat with the other leg.
Stand up, balance yourself, and grab the front of your ankle from behind. Pull your heel towards your buttocks and hold the position for 15 seconds. Do this again and repeat with the other leg.
While standing, weave your fingers together above your head with the palms up. Lean to one side for 10 seconds, then to the other. Repeat this stretch three times.
Do the “Hug your best friend” stretch. Wrap your arms around yourself and rotate to one side, stretching as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for 10 seconds and reverse. Repeat two or three times.
Finally, be aware of your body technique, body form and correct posture while gardening. Kneel, don’t bend, and alternate your stance and movements as often as possible to keep the muscles and body balanced
After the Bulbs Are Planted
If you feel muscle aches and pains after your day in the garden, there are ways to alleviate the discomfort. Apply a cold pack on the area of pain for the first 48 hours or apply a heat pack after 48 hours, and consider seeking the services of a doctor of chiropractic in your area.
Doctors of chiropractic (DCs) practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. While best known for their expertise in treating the musculoskeletal system and their use of spinal manipulation, DCs have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.
With the increased use of computer keyboards, video games and other computer devices wrist and carpal tunnel injuries have increased worldwide. I have to say in my Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractic office I have also seen a spike in carpal tunnel complaints. It is very important to take breaks and stretch your wrists and forearms to avoid a bigger problem.
The forearm and digit energizer series is a great way to manage that fatigue and pain you are feeling creep into your hands and wrists from excessive typing, gripping, or handstand walking.
This series is challenging and can place your hands into a position that they may not be comfortable being in to start, so exercise restraint on your first time. If you find your hands, wrists, or fingers are tender in any of these stretches, try first to reduce the pressure applied, and then slowly and progressively increase that pressure over time until you gain a full range of motion. We encourage you to challenge yourself with the finger flexing and neuromuscular components shown as well. You will be surprised at how much dexterity you gain from just a few round of this series, and the fatigue you feel when you first begin is expected. However, in time, when your fingers are dancing across your keyboard pain free and you suddenly are able to shuffle a deck of cards like a riverboat gambler, you will understand why we call it the energizer series!
A couple things to remember:
Complete 5-10 good reps of all the exercises shown, and take the time to slow down the movement and get a good amount of time under tension for these small endurance muscles.
Spend more time, 60-90 seconds, in the stretching ranges that are especially difficult or hard to stretch.
