Vacation Travel Tips

Traveling can be rough on the body. "Prolonged sitting can wreak havoc on your body." says Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of the ACA's Council on Occupational Health. "Even if you travel in the most comfortable car or opt to fly first class, certain pressures and forces from awkward positions can result in restricted blood flow. One of the biggest insults to your system from prolonged sitting is the buildup of pressure in the blood vessels in your lower legs. Contracting and relaxing the muscles help the blood flow properly."

Warm Up, Cool Down--- Treat travel as an athletic event. Warm up before settling into a car or plane, and cool down once you reach your destination. Take a brisk walk to stretch your hamstring and calf muscles. 

In an Airplane- Check all bags heavier than 5 to 10% of your body weight. Overhead lifting of any significant amount of weight should be avoided to reduce risk of pain in lower back or neck. 

* When stowing belongings under the seat, do not force the object with an awkward motion using your legs, feet, or arms. This may cause muscle strains or spasm in the upper thighs and lower back muscles. Instead, sit in your seat first, using your hands and feet, gently guide your bags under the seat directly in front of you. 

* While seated, vary your position occasionally to improve circulation and avoid leg cramps. Massage legs and calves. Bring your legs in, and move your knees up and down. Prop your legs up on a book or a bag under your seat.     

Travel By Car--Adjust the seat so you are as close to the steering wheel as comfortably possible. Your knees should be slightly higher than your hips. Place four fingers behind the back of your thigh closet to your knee. If you cannot slide your fingers in and out of that space, you need to re-adjust your seat. 

* Consider a back support. Using a support may reduce the incidence of low-back strain and pain. The widest part of the support should be between the bottom of your rib cage and your waistline. 

* Exercise your legs while driving to reduce the risk of any swelling, fatigue, or discomfort. Open your toes as wide as you can, and count to 10. Count to five while you tighten your calf muscle, then your thigh muscles, then your gluteal muscles. Roll your shoulders back and forth, make sure to keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. 

* Do not grip the steering wheel. Instead, tighten and loosen your grip to improve hand circulation and decrease muscle fatigue in the arms, waist, and hands. 

* Take rest breaks. Never underestimate the potential consequences of fatigue to yourself, your passengers, and other drivers.       

Check Out The New Billboard!!!

   

The first of our new billboard campaign has launched around the Bowling Green area.  You will be seeing more Magna Chiropractic billboards like this one in various locations within the coming months.

Interested in a Free Prize?

The first one to correctly answer the exact location of our first billboard pictured above will win a free Magna Chiropractic t-shirt and Biofreeze tube!!! 

Contact Magna Chiropractic at:

165 Natchez Trace, Suite 201

Bowling Green, KY 42103

Phone: (270) 746-9400

                              Pain in your heel?

Are you having stabbing pain that usually occurs with your very first steps in the morning? Does this pain decrease after you get to moving? Does your pain come back if you stand or get up from a seated position for long periods of time?  If you answered yes to some or all of these you may have what is called “Plantar Fasciitis.”

The next most common question typically asked is what is the Plantar Fascia?, and what is Plantar Fasciitis?

As noted in the picture below, the plantar fascia, runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. When there is pain and inflammation of this area it is called Plantar Fasciitis. It will commonly occur in one foot, but can at times be both feet.

                    

Who gets this? It can be commonly found in people who run or walk fast on a regular basis. We will give you more on what else to watch for if you are a runner in a later blog. Plantar Fasciitis can also be found in people who are overweight, women who are pregnant, and those who wear shoes with inadequate support. It’s commonly recommended to avoid loose, thin-soled shoes, as well as shoes without enough arch support or flexible padding to absorb shock. If you are a runner, then change your shoes every 500 miles.

Here is a list of things that increases your risk of developing plantar fasciitis:

1.      Age: Typically occurs between ages 40-60

2.      Sex: Women are more likely to develop

3.      Exercise: Long distance running, ballet dancing, and dance aerobics

4.      Faulty Foot Mechanics: Being flat footed, Having high arches, or Abnormal walking pattern

5.      Obesity: Added pounds can put extra stress on your plantar fascia.

6.      Jobs on your feet: Factory workers, teachers, and others who spend most of their work hours walking or standing.

7.      Improper shoes and addressed earlier.

What can you do at home for the short term:

1.      Put your feet up: Stay off your feet for several days when pain is severe.

2.      Apply Ice: Hold a cloth-covered ice pack over the area of pain 15-20 minutes three or four times a day or after activity.

3.      Decrease your miles: You probably won’t have to permanently retire your running or walking shoes, but it’s a good idea to cover shorter distances until the pain subsides.

4.      Take up a no or low impact exercise. Swap swimming or bicycling for walking or jogging while it’s bothering you.

5.      Arch support: you can add some arch supports to your shoes to help absorb some of the shock.

Before you start any home exercise program, it’s always recommended to consult your doctor first.

Why to get it checked out? Ignoring plantar fasciitis may result in chronic heel pain that hinders your regular activities. A heel spur can be a common after affect of untreated plantar fasciitis. You may also develop foot, knee, hip or back problems because of the way plantar fasciitis changes your walking.

What can I do to fix it? There are numerous treatments available for Plantar Fasciitis, one of the most beneficial  is chiropractic care for your spine, your foot, as well as active/passive soft tissue mobilization of the plantar fascia region to help fix and correct the problem.