Each year thousands of Martin County residents are involved in car accidents. Here are 3 reasons to choose chiropractic care after a car accident. Some car accidents cause minor damage while others cause major damage. The severity of the damage to vehicles and the severity of the injuries vary. Did you know that the vehicle […]
Now Offering Massage Therapy
Looking for massage therapy in Stuart or Palm City, Florida? We are delighted to welcome Massage Therapist Sonia Eckweiler MA78962 to Advanced Wellness Solutions. MM40754
Sonia brings a lot to the table! (pun intended 😀). Her educational background is impressive. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University Tuiuti of Parana,Brazil. She also earned a specialization certificate in Anatomo-Kinesiology of the movement apparatus from the University Tuiuti of Parana,Brazil. She then went on to take Exercise Physiology course from the University of Murcia,Spain as well as nutrition course in Physical and Sports activity from the University of Murcia,Spain.
After moving to the US, she trained in massage therapy at the JSG School Massage Therapy & Body Work in New Jersey with a certificate of cranio sacral Reiki. She is also a CNA who speaks Portuguese, Spanish and English.
Sonia’s extensive experience, skill and background makes her the perfect choice for our practice. We trust Sonia to provide exceptional massage therapy care for patients suffering from chronic pain or a serious injury such as auto accident injuries.
A Passion for Massage Therapy
Sonia has a real passion for massage therapy, health and wellness. She says,
“My purpose of massage therapy is to target the source of the body’s pain via eliminating tense muscles. I help to increase flexibility and provide relaxation to affected muscles as well as the body as a whole.”
Sonia specializes in
- Swedish massage
- deep tissue massage
- trigger point therapy
- sports massage
- medical massage.
Research has shown that massage can reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure and increase blood circulation and lymph flow. It also relaxes muscles, improves range of motion and increases endorphins, which all can enhance medical treatment.1
Massage therapy can help treat stress-related physical conditions, including:
- Headaches and migraines
- Muscle spasm pain
- Back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Neck pain
- Pain from repetitive stress injuries
- Anxiety and depression
- Fatigue
We are excited to welcome her to our team and look forward to working together to get our patients feeling their best! To schedule an appointment with Sonia, you can call (772) 403-7640.
Gentle Chiropractic Care for Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose and to treat. While there’s no cure, gentle chiropractic care for fibromyalgia can help manage the pain, fatigue and poor quality sleep that afflicts patients.
Accepting new patients. Call 855-509-5400 to schedule your appointment.
We Accept All Major Medical Health Insurance and Medicare.
Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain in the joints, muscles, tendons and other soft tissues throughout the body. Patients may also experience other symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty sleeping, as well as memory and mood issues.
Not that long ago, if you were suffering from pain, fatigue and muscle spasms, your doctor would run a variety of tests. If the tests showed nothing and you kept pestering you doctor, that’s how you’d get diagnosed with fibromyalgia. That’s no longer the case. Today we know that fibromyalgia is a real and researchers are making progress unraveling this mysterious condition. For example, we now know that, fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune or inflammation based illness as was once suspected. Research studies suggest that the nervous system plays a role in the illness. Researchers believe that the fibromyalgia patient’s nervous system amplifies painful sensations, affecting the way the patient’s brain processes pain signals. 1
Gentle Chiropractic Care for Fibromyalgia
Chiropractic care can help manage the symptoms of fibromyalgia, such as pain, fatigue and quality of sleep. Gentle chiropractic care can help improve your sleep which is important because sleep helps you heal.
According to a clinical trial published by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2
“Chiropractic management improved patients’ cervical and lumbar ranges of motion, straight leg raise and reported pain levels.“
Many patients with fibromyalgia also suffer from headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome as well as anxiety and depression.3
Symptoms of fibromyalgia
- muscles spasms.
- fatigue
- poor quality sleep
- “fibro fog” which is characterized by trouble with remembering, learning, paying attention, and concentrating.
- widespread pain.
If you’re suffering from the symptoms of fibromyalgia, you owe it to yourself to give gentle chiropractic a try. Schedule your appointment by calling: 855-509-5400
Gentle Chiropractic for Car Accident Injuries: Infographic
Car accidents seem to be happening more frequently these days. It turns out that while the number of car accidents is down due to reduced traffic volume, the rate of car crashes is actually up in many cities. Drivers under stress seem to be causing the injury and fatality rates to climb for both drivers and passengers.1 That’s why we’ve created an infographic illustrating why you should choose gentle chiropractic care for car accident injuries
Gentle Chiropractic Care for Car Accident Injuries
There are 3 Compelling Reasons to Choose Chiropractic Care after a Car Accident, When choosing a chiropractor, you may want to choose one that practices effective gentle chiropractic care.
Gentle chiropractic care will help prevent long-term, chronic pain conditions and allow you to achieve optimal recovery after an auto accident. Gentle Chiropractic Care is a newer method of chiropractic care. It replaces high-velocity adjustments with low-velocity, low amplitude manipulations. Gentle chiropractic adjustments target a specific area. Gentle chiropractic care is more comfortable and provides maximum benefit from minimal visits.
Car accidents are often violent. Subjecting occupants to incredible forces during a collision. The occupants of the car are thrown first one way and then the other. The motion of the occupants will be stopped by either the seat belt, the dashboard, or a door or window. The force of the accident puts incredibly pressure on the neck and back. Both the neck and back are sensitive to sudden movements and forces. It’s no surprise that the 4 most common car accident injuries are all forms of soft tissue injuries.
- Headaches
- Neck Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Back Pain
If you or someone you know has been in a car accident and you need gentle chiropractic treatment, call Advanced Wellness Solutions at 855-509-5400 to schedule an appointment.
Chiropractic Care Provides Chronic Pain Relief
One of the things we often hear patients say after treatment is, “I didn’t realize how much chronic pain was affecting my life!” It’s very gratifying to be able to provide chronic pain relief. We’re happy to help our patients get back to enjoying life instead of simply struggling to survive the day. Unfortunately, many chronic pain patients suffered needlessly and only find us as a “last resort” after they’ve tried everything else.
Living with chronic pain makes everything more difficult. Performing even the simplest tasks can be difficult when you’re in chronic pain. Whether it’s headache pain, back pain, neck pain or hip or knee pain, chronic pain leads to a stress reaction throughout the body. Chronic pain can cause muscles to tighten and spasm which in turn results in even more pain.
Studies show that chronic pain can elevate blood pressure, pulse rate, adrenaline and cortisol serum levels, putting hazardous stress on the cardio-vascular system. Chronic pain may also experience elevate serum lipids and glucose levels.1
So it’s clear that chronic pain is bad for your physical health. However, the damage caused by chronic pain doesn’t stop with your physical body. Chronic pain also affects your emotions, your relationships, and even your state of mind. Chronic pain is known to change the levels of stress hormones and neurochemicals found within your brain and nervous system. This disruption of the delicate balance can affect your mood, thinking and behavior.
People suffering from chronic pain tend to have poor sleep and sleep disturbances. This leads to fatigue, trouble concentrating, decreased appetite, and mood changes. Poor quality sleep, the frustration of dealing with chronic pain and the elevation of stress hormones can then depression and anxiety.
Overuse of Pain Relief Medication Can Cause Headaches
When you’re in chronic pain, it’s fast and easy to reach for pain relief medication. Unfortunately, repeated use of pain relievers can cause medication overuse headaches.1 Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is clinical diagnosis. It’s classified as a secondary disorder affecting patients who use pain relieving medication (OTC or prescription) more than two to three days per week.
The bad news: the most effective treatment for MOH is to stop using pain relieving medication.2
The good news: gentle chiropractic care can effectively treat chronic pain without drugs or other medication. Finding effective treatments for chronic pain can restore healthy sleep patterns which in turn can reduce blood pressure, pulse rate while lowering adrenaline and cortisol serum levels.
Dr. Danielle Hurd, DC practices effective gentle chiropractic at Advanced Wellness Solutions. Dr. Danielle pursues a drug free approach to chronic pain relief when prudent and possible. If she is unable to provide chronic pain relief, she will refer you to medical professional with the needed expertise in the appropriate specialty.
Could Chiropractic Care Help Your Headaches?
Headaches are a very common health complaint. Sometimes, headaches are mild. Other times they can be frequent and severe, disrupting your life at home and work. Fortunately, chiropractic care for headaches can provide effective, drug free headache pain relief.
It’s important to take headaches seriously. You should see your doctor if your headache pattern changes, or if your headaches are getting worse.
Seek emergency care if you have any of these signs and symptoms:
- An abrupt, severe headache, often like a thunderclap
- Headache with a fever, nausea or vomiting, stiff neck, mental confusion, seizures, numbness, or speaking difficulties, which may signal a number of serious conditions such as stroke, meningitis, encephalitis or brain tumor
- Headache after a head injury, even if it’s a minor fall or bump, especially if it gets worse.
- A sudden, severe headache unlike any other headache you’ve experienced
- Headache that gets progressively worse over days and changes in pattern
Overuse of Pain Relief Medication Can Actually Cause More Headaches
If you have frequent headaches, you should know that repeated use of pain relievers can cause another type of headache, overuse headaches.1 Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is clinical diagnosis. It’s classified as a secondary disorder affecting patients who use pain relieving medication (OTC or prescription) more than two to three days per week.
The bad news: the most effective treatment for MOH is to stop using pain relieving medication.2
The good news: chiropractic care for headaches can help many different types of headaches. Current evidence suggests that chiropractic care, including manual therapy, can be effective in treating cervicogenic and tension headaches. Studies have also shown that chiropractic care can help decrease the intensity and frequency of migraines.3
Different Types of Headaches
Tension Headaches:
Tension Headaches:Chiropractic care is very effective at helping to manage tension headaches. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. Sometimes, a dull, aching pain is a tension headache. You may feel tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. You may also feel tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles.
Sometimes the pain of tension headaches can be so severe that it is difficult to distinguish it from a migraine. To make matters worse, it’s possible to suffer from both tension headaches and migraine headaches.
It’s rare to have migraine like visual disturbances, nausea or vomiting with tension headaches. However, like migraines, you may experience an increased sensitivity to either light or sound with a tension headache.
One way to tell if it’s a migraine or a tension headache is that physical activity often makes migraine pain worse, while it doesn’t for tension headaches.
Tension headaches are often due to a combination of stress and back or neck strain. That’s why chiropractic care has been proven to help provide relief for these headaches.
Migraine Headaches:
Migraine headaches are serious. They are surprisingly common and a leading cause of disability.4 Studies show that chiropractic care can help relieve migraine pain by reducing muscle tension and correcting postural strain on soft tissues. Study authors suspect that spinal manipulations also activate descending pain inhibitory pathways responsible for pain modulation.5
There is no cure for migraine headaches. Unfortunately, many medications used to treat migraine have alarming and disabling side effects. As a result, more people who are suffering from migraine headaches are turning to alternative care options such as chiropractic care. 6
Cluster Headaches:
Cluster headaches are a rare but devastating form of non-life threatening headaches. These headaches occur in cycles with each cycle lasting weeks to months. They are also called “suicide headaches” because of the extreme pain that they cause.
Cluster headaches result when the trigeminal nerve is pinched, compressed, or shifted improperly due to a spinal misalignment. This is why chiropractic care is ideally suited to treat cluster headaches.
During the cluster headache cycle, headaches can happen as frequently as every day and last for a few minutes to a few hours. After going through a cycle of cluster headaches, the sufferer will go into a period of remission. During this period of remission no headaches will occur. A period of remission can last anywhere from several months to years.
Because of the cycles of intense pain, patients who suffer from cluster headaches can be emotionally raw by the time they seek treatment. These headaches are severe and have earned the nickname suicide headaches for a reason.
TMJ Headaches:
TMJ headaches are caused by temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. Less severe TMJ problems can cause annoying and sometimes painful clicking. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction can cause a painful headache with a dull, aching pain in and around the ear. In some cases, the pain travels to the side of the scalp, back of the head or down into the neck. Tenderness in the jaw area and neck is common in these kinds of headaches. TMJ dysfunction is often made worse by chewing, excessive talking or yawning.
Chiropractors can provide significant relief of the pain caused by TMJ dysfunction by manipulation. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that the jaw can be adjusted. Adjusting the jaw is a delicate procedure that requires a skilled hand using a very light technique or gentle chiropractic care. Because of the finesse involved, there usually isn’t the satisfying “clunk” which accompanies many other joint manipulations.
Gentle Chiropractic Care for Headaches
Gentle chiropractic care replaces high-velocity adjustments with low-velocity, low amplitude manipulations. It is performed with a gentle touch, targeting a specific area. Gentle chiropractic care is more comfortable and provides maximum benefit from minimal visits.
7 Tips to Creating an Ergonomic Home Office
A lot more people are working from home these days. For many, it brings to mind images of relaxing on the couch while working. Few realize the importance of creating an ergonomic home office until they’re in pain. The image below was found by searching “working from home” on a popular image sharing site. If this is how you’ve been working from home, you may notice you have some new aches and pains. Your neck and back may be aching. Your wrists may hurt as well. Maybe you’re having headaches. Don’t wait until you’re in severe pain to ask yourself: Is your workspace helping or hurting you? Are you working productively? Or is working from home slowly crippling you?
(By the way, the points in this article applies to children who are homeschooling as well.)
If the decision to work from home was a sudden one, you probably didn’t give much thought to ergonomics. You set up your computer where you could and got to work.
Most people don’t realize that the workspace provided by an employer is designed with ergonomics in mind. Ergonomics draws on many disciplines to optimize the interaction between you and the work environment. Ergonomics is how you and your workspace interact.
When your home office isn’t set up with ergonomics in mind, eventually you’ll experience:
- headaches
- shoulder pain
- back pain
- neck pain
- wrist pain
Poor office posture injuries are repetitive use injuries.
Notice the word “eventually” above. You see, the human body is great at “making do” with whatever situation you put it in. This means, the first time you flop down on your couch to work, your body isn’t going to scream at you to stop. Instead, it will do its best to adapt. However, if you continue to put stress on your back, neck, shoulders, elbows and wrists with poor office posture, eventually you’ll experience the aches and pains described above. It’s not just people who work from home who can suffer from these injuries. Anyone who works in an office is susceptible to these repetitive use injuries. However, if you’re working from home and you haven’t set up your home office with ergonomics in mind, then you’re even more susceptible to these types of injuries.
Employers invest in trying to optimize workplace ergonomics because they want to increase productivity while decreasing injury and illness. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2013, musculoskeletal disorders cases accounted for 33% of all worker injury and illness cases. 1
Home Office Ergonomics Can Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders are among the most frequently reported causes of lost or restricted work time. These include:
- carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist pain)
- tarsal tunnel syndrome (ankle/foot pain)
- pinched nerves
- herniated disks (back/neck pain)
- tendinitis
- rotator cuff injuries (shoulder pain)
- epicondylitis (elbow pain)
- trigger finger (finger pain)
- muscle sprains, strains and tears
- low back injuries
- neck pain
These Musculoskeletal Disorders have one thing in common. They all have symptoms of pain, swelling, and numbness.
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders are often caused by :
- repetitive motion involving microtasks
- overexertion
- being rubbed, abraded, or jarred by vibration.
Creating an Ergonomic Home Office
You can reduce your risk of illness or injury by keeping workspace ergonomics in mind as you set up your home office.
Create an ergonomic home office by focusing on these key elements.
#1: Choosing The Proper Chair
It’s well worth the investment to purchase a quality chair. Keep in mind you will be spending 8 to 15 hours a day sitting as you work.
Don’t be fooled by clever marketing. The term “ergonomic chair” is used loosely at best and is lying at worst. Instead focus on finding a chair that fits you properly. If you are tall or short you may need to spend some extra time to find that perfect chair. One advantage to outfitting your home office is you can purchase the best chair for your body.
The height of the chair is paramount. You should be able to adjust your chair so your feet a flat on the floor and your legs are parallel to the floor. Tilts are helpful to get that angle just right.
The backrest of your office chair should be separate from the seat. You should also make sure you can adjustable the height and angle. Be sure the chair supports the natural curve of the spine. Pay close attention to the lumbar region of the chair. Make sure your chair offers proper support in the curve of your back.
What about Exercise Ball Office Chairs? While an exercise ball is great for working out, it is not your friend as an office chair. For most people, the height of the ball is not suitable for desk work. (See the image above for proper positioning.) While it’s good to exercise your core, these exercises should only be done for a short period of time, not for an entire 8-hour workday.
#2: Choosing the Proper Keyboard/Mouse
Many office workers suffer from tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries caused by poorly designed keyboards and mice or positioning.
Finding the right keyboard and mouse is difficult because there is no “one size fits all” product or solution. While there’s no one product that is right for everyone, there are things to keep in mind to help you find the perfect match!
- Distance: Proper sitting posture dictates where you should place your keyboard.
- Angle: The keyboard should have a slight negative angle of about 15 degrees
- Height: Your posture and desk height dictates the correct height of your keyboard and mouse
- Mouse: the most important thing is make sure you don’t twist your wrist while using the mouse
What about Wrist rests?
Often a wrist rest is used as a support rather than a rest. It should only be used, ideally, when a sharp or hard surface is present that you are constantly coming into contact.
#3 Laptop: Ergonomic Friend or Foe
Unfortunately, your laptop is an ergonomic foe! Laptop computers are much more convenient and portable than desktop varieties. However, it’s the ability to use your laptop anywhere that makes it an ergonomic foe! Using it while in bed or while seated on the sofa is a recipe for neck, shoulder and back pain. In addition, the keyboard is flat which means your wrists won’t be properly positioned.
If you must use a laptop computer, don’t use the laptop’s keyboard and mouse pad. Instead, purchase an ergonomic keyboard and mouse and attach them to your laptop just as you would to a desktop. Place the laptop on a flat surface and position the screen to the proper height. (See the illustration above.) When you do this, you will find it very uncomfortable to use the laptop’s keyboard/mouse.
#4: Using the Phone
Do Not Cradle Your Phone!
If you are on the phone and typing, cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder can be hazardous to your neck. Cradling the phone can lead to neck spasm, headaches and ear pain.
Using speakerphone is the fastest and easiest solution. If using your phone’s speakerphone isn’t an option, invest in a good headset. It will literally save your neck!
#5 Choosing a Desk
Height is by far most important factor in choosing a desk for your ergonomic home office. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) recommends a general height desk of 28.7″ plus or minus 1″.
Many people work from home from their dining table. Standard dining table heights are 28″ – 30″so it’s possible your dining table is the proper desk height. It’s also possible that your dining table is just a bit too tall or short. In the Work From Home Office Ergonomics illustration above, make sure your arm rest allows your elbow to be at a 90° angle while working at your table. If not, shoulder, wrist, neck and back pain can result.
#6: Positioning Your Monitor
- Distance: Your monitor should be set up 20 inches away or at arm’s length
- Elevation: The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. The monitor should be directly behind your keyboard. If you wear bifocals, lower the monitor an additional 1 to 2 inches for more comfortable viewing.Tilting your head back to try to read your monitor can lead to headaches and neck pain.
- Angle: 10-20 degrees A greater angle will cause you to hold your head at an uncomfortable angle, leading to neck strain.
- Glare: Glare on your screen causes eye strain. Placing your monitor and desk perpendicular to the window works best. Whatever kind of lighting you use, position the monitor so that there is no distracting glare.
#7: Footrest
Footrests are a way to shift postures or provide support for the feet if the chair cannot be lowered. Unfortunately, using a footrest when the chair is too high provides only one place for the feet to rest.
- Height: Footrests should be adjustable. Adjust the footrest until the thighs are parallel to the floor +/- 1-3 inches.
- Rocking: When using a footrest, be sure to shift postures frequently. The rocking action on all-plastic footrests tends to wear out quickly, so look for durable models.
Chiropractic Care Can Help!
If you haven’t set up an ergonomic home office, you may already be feeling the effects. Sometimes simply changing your workspace can help alleviate your pain. If it doesn’t, gentle chiropractic care can help. If you work on a computer all day, be sure to ask Dr. Danielle about adjusting your wrist. Chiropractic care focuses on treating all of your joints and muscles.
3 Reasons to Choose Chiropractic Care after a Car Accident
Each year thousands of Martin County residents are involved in car accidents. Here are 3 reasons to choose chiropractic care after a car accident.
Some car accidents cause minor damage while others cause major damage. The severity of the damage to vehicles and the severity of the injuries vary. Did you know that the vehicle crash damage does not directly correlate to the degree of occupant injury? It’s true. A study published in the Society of Automotive Engineers, 1 dispels this widely held myth. That means, even if your car accident was minor, your injuries could be serious, even life altering.
Unfortunately, it’s common for people to develop chronic issues as a result of a seemingly minor accident. What’s worse, you may not be aware that you’ve been injured immediately following the accident.
Chiropractic care is the best option for musculoskeletal injuries, including those suffered in car accidents. As a chiropractor, Dr. Danielle can treat many of these injuries without drugs or surgery. Fortunately, the injuries suffered in most minor auto accidents don’t require surgery and drugs. However, if prescription drugs and/or surgery are required to restore you to optimal functionality, Dr. Danielle will provide guidance in finding the right resources to help you achieve this goal.
Here are the top three reasons to choose chiropractic care after a car accident in Martin County, FL
#1: Imaging can’t catch micro-tears that are caused by a car accident.
Unfortunately, medical imaging such as X-rays or MRIs can’t detect the micro-tears in ligaments and muscles after a traumatic injury like those resulting from an auto accident. These microscopic tears in the muscle are why you may wake up with severe pain the day after an accident. Whiplash is a soft tissue neck injury that occurs when the neck snaps back and forth in a rapid motion. That rapid snapping back and forth causes microscopic tears in the neck muscles.
Soft-tissue injuries (a.k.a. micro-tears in ligaments and muscles) like whiplash can take a long time to heal. One study found that more than 70 percent of people who visited the emergency room after a car accident were still in pain six weeks later. Other researchers have noted that nearly half of whiplash sufferers continue to experience symptoms three months later, while 25 percent remain symptomatic for six months.2
Traumatic injuries such as those suffered in a car accident often include micro-tears and micro lesions. These cause inflammation which in turn causes pain. 3 Studies show that chiropractic adjustments help the body release anti-inflammatory Interleukin 6 (IL-6)4. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) plays an integral role in the body’s healing ability, including trauma, burns, cancers and infections.5
#2: Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident Helps Heal Internal Scar Tissues
When you hear the word “scar tissue” you might think of the scar from a nasty fall off your bike when you were young. Your body also forms this special type of tissue inside your body when your ligaments and muscles are injured. Just as the scar tissue you see on your skin doesn’t look or act like your undamaged skin, the scar tissue inside your body doesn’t have the same elasticity or mobility of uninjured soft tissue.
When scar tissue forms in the ligaments, especially those in your neck or back, it can lead to long term pain and reduced mobility. Scar tissue continues to grow and change throughout the recovery process which may take from twelve to eighteen months.6 Prompt chiropractic care after a car accident is very effective at remodeling scar tissue. Chiropractic treatment and stretching of scar tissue helps align the collagen fibers, allowing it tolerate daily activities. 7
Studies show that car accident victims treated within one week of their accident saw the best overall improvement. 8 Many chiropractors refer to this time period as the “golden week” because the inflammatory reaction which occurs during this period, if left unchecked, will produce scars and adhesions that make future management more difficult.
#3: Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident Releases Pain Relieving Hormones
Studies also show that chiropractic care helps release pain reducing hormones.9 These hormones provide natural pain relief from both acute and chronic pain. They will help relieve the pain from the acute injuries suffered in a car accident. Fortunately, they don’t stop there! They will also help any other areas that were causing pain before the accident.
Unfortunately, turning to pain pills can actually make pain worse in the long run. Contrary to marketing messages that imply otherwise, pain medications do not speed up the healing process. Pain medications (both OTC and prescription) can be very beneficial for the first 7 – 10 days after a traumatic injury. Used in the short term, these can provide symptomatic relief while chiropractic care breaks up scar tissue and adhesions, relieving stiffness, pain and the discomfort it causes.
We’re learning that you won’t find the solution to pain – even chronic pain – in a pill. Not only are opioid medications dangerous and addictive, they can actually cause your pain to worsen. Studies show that when you use an opioid pain reliever, it sets off a chain of immune signals in the spinal cord that amplify pain rather than dulling it, even after the drug leaves the body. 10
Prompt Chiropractic Care is Key
Gentle chiropractic care will help prevent long-term, chronic pain conditions and allow you to achieve optimal recovery after an auto accident. Gentle Chiropractic Care is a newer method of chiropractic care. It replaces high-velocity adjustments with low-velocity, low amplitude manipulations. It is performed with a gentle touch, targeting a specific area. Gentle chiropractic care is more comfortable and provides maximum benefit from minimal visits.
If you or someone you know has been in a car accident and you need gentle chiropractic treatment, call 855-509-5400 to schedule an appointment.
Preventing Running Injuries
When this appeared in my news feed, I was intrigued. Tiger Woods on career regret: Running ‘destroyed my body and my knees.’
“Tiger Woods was asked by a fan what he would tell his younger self The five-time Masters winner responded, ‘Not to run so much.’ Woods would run 30 miles a week for the first six years of his Tour. He believes that it ultimately caused him injuries resulting in four back and five knee surgeries “
Of course, other factors played a role in Tiger’s injuries, including the biomechanics of the golf swing. The modern golf swing encourages maximum rotation of the spine relative to the hips. This increased twisting of the lumbar spine, combined with a more powerful downswing, puts increased force on spinal discs and facet joints and tremendous pressure on the trailing side of the spine. It’s why 72 % of pro golfers receive regular chiropractic care provided by PGA chiropractic staff.1
However, from what I have seen in my practice, I would agree with Tiger. Running is extremely hard on your body. If you choose to run to stay fit, your top priority should be to prevent running injuries.
In my practice I see a fair number of runners and their injuries related to running, especially new runners. Most of my new to running patients have started running to get in shape and/or lose weight or to condition for another sport such as golf. These injuries vary in severity but are most often straightforward to treat. I will send the patient off with strong recommendations for cross training. I also make a referral to a specialty running shoe store to be fitted for appropriate shoes. Sadly, patients do not always follow my advice. When they don’t, they end up back in my office with the same or new injury due to their new workout routine. This can be very frustrating for the patient. They want to get in shape or improve their golf game, but injuries set them back and leave them feeling discouraged.
This brings me back to the Tiger Woods article. Are golfers and other athletes setting themselves up for failure by running? In my opinion many are. It may be an unpopular opinion but as a practicing chiropractor, I believe now more than ever, “Not everyone should be a runner.” There I said it, out loud. Here’s why.
Running is a high impact, repetitive activity that puts a lot of stress on your body. This can lead to both acute and chronic injuries, especially if proper protocol is not followed. I have seen countless injuries from running that could have been avoided if an alternative exercise had been chosen. There are several exercises that can be just as effective in weight loss and conditioning without the risk of injury or high impact running. These activities include bike riding, walking, and swimming. When I see a patient who is running and is plagued by injuries, it’s time for a serious discussion about alternative forms of exercise. I want to help them achieve their fitness goals without the pain and injuries.
I say this not to dismantle the running community. However, I want to say that running isn’t for everyone and that is okay. There are alternative forms of exercise that are effective and may be better suited for your body type. Do not be ashamed if running is not for you.
Preventing Running Injuries
If running is your passion, then you need to do so safely and effectively. In order to prevent injuries, you need to do more than just throwing on a pair of well-worn tennis shoes and head out the door.
Sixty percent of runners experience an injury severe enough to sideline them from activity.
There are many injuries that can occur while running including:
- broken bones
- lacerations and sprains
- overuse or chronic injuries
Acute injuries such as broken bones, lacerations and sprains require immediate medical attention. However, running involves a low-grade, abnormal force being applied repeatedly over a prolonged period of time. These are classified as overuse injuries.
Overuse injuries from running include:
- stress fractures,
- shin splints,
- iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome,
- runners’ knee,
- achilles tendonitis,
- plantar fasciitis
The thing about overuse injuries is that they happen slowly over time. So, if your hip starts hurting for no apparent reason, you should suspect that the pain is from an overuse injury.
If you’re going to run for exercise, you must address four key factors:
These factors are proper shoes, flexibility, strengthening and training schedules.
#1 Proper shoes: I can’t overstate the importance of proper footwear if you’re going to run. Shoes are the only equipment you need to run. The wrong shoe or an ill fitted shoe can wreak havoc on your body if not appropriate for your foot and running style.
The best way to avoid injury is to prevent it. Since running shoes are the only protective equipment runners have to safeguard themselves from injury, choosing the correct running shoe is important. I refer my patients to a specialty running store close to my office to ensure they have the right shoes for them.
#2 Flexibility: Lack of flexibility can make one prone to overuse injuries such as iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome, shin splints, runners’ knee, and achilles tendonitis. This is where cross-training is important. Yoga and Pilates can directly improve your flexibility.
#3 Strengthening: Appropriate strength of the core and other major muscle groups are crucial for high impact exercise. This is another time where cross-training is important. Such cross-training options include Yoga, Pilates, and Strength training with weights. These can offer reduced risk of injury, activation of other muscle groups and aid in injury recovery without sacrificing fitness level.
#4 Training Schedules: Many researchers acknowledge that “training error” is the main source of injury. These training errors include rapidly changing the volume ran and/or rapidly changing the running pace. Both changes can lead to their own set of injuries.
A study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy 1 showed that rapid change in running volume may lead to the development of patellofemoral pain syndrome, iliotibial band syndrome, and patellar tendinopathy, while change in running pace may be associated with the development of Achilles tendinopathy, gastrocnemius injuries, and plantar fasciitis.
In plain English, runners need to stick to a training schedule and plan the distance and pace according to your fitness levels. There are many couch-to-5k programs for the novice runner as well as apps that you can download that will help to customize a plan for your fitness levels and goals.
Regardless of your training schedule, you must warm-up before running and stretch after running. This will help to avoid injury and keep you on track. If you do not have time to warm-up and stretch afterward you do not have time to run.
Even with the best preparation and a strict adherence to your training schedule, running injuries can still happen.
If an injury occurs it is important to react appropriately. A 2017 survey 2 asked athletes and coaches, “Which factors do you believe influence the risk of running injuries?” An overwhelming majority of the athletes and coaches reported “Ignoring pain” as a risk factor for running injury.
If you have an acute pain, you should seek medical attention ASAP.
For an overuse injury the following first aid is recommended:
- Reduce training, using pain as a guide
- Apply ice to injured area 15 to 20 minutes, three to four times per day
- Use compression to decrease swelling
- Elevate injured area if possible
- Take aspirin or ibuprofen as directed on package instructions. If you need to take OTC pain relievers for more than seven days, seek treatment with knowledgeable medical professional such as a chiropractor or physical therapist.
To prevent further injury, determining the cause of an injury (e.g., tight muscle or weak hip muscles) is key. This is where you need to find a knowledgeable chiropractor or physical therapist.
You should see a knowledgeable chiropractor or physical therapist if:
- Pain continues despite decreased training
- Pain persists beyond 10-14 days
- Pain medications are needed to train
- Pain resolves with rest, but recurs once you resume training
Did running play a part in Tiger Woods’ myriad of injuries? Most likely, especially combined with the physically demanding sport of golf. What if he had been instructed to cross-train instead of running 30 plus miles a week? Would he have been able to avoid his injuries and surgeries? Perhaps, but hindsight is 20/20. Which is why I’m sharing this information with you now.
The best advice is listen to your body. Pain is a signal that something is wrong. Don’t ignore it. When in doubt, seek a professional’s help.
