Magna Minute: Summertime Footwear

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6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #1 is...

Culprit No. 1: Your fancy office chair

Even an expensive, ergonomic chair can be bad for your back if you sit in it all day without a break. Sitting not only lessens blood flow to the discs that cushion your spine (wearing them out and stressing your back), but it puts 30 percent more pressure on the spine than standing or walking, says New York City chiropractor Todd Sinett, author of The Truth About Back Pain.

Be sure to stretch at your desk and get up every hour to walk around. Don’t assume that built-in lumbar support makes your chair back-friendly - in fact, for many people, lumbar supports don’t make a bit of difference, especially if they aren’t positioned properly (at the base of your spine), says Heidi Prather, a physical-medicine and rehabilitation specialist and associate professor of orthopedic surgery and neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

No matter what type of chair you sit in, make sure your head is straight (not tilted down) when you’re typing or reading. Avoid slouching and adjust your seat so it tilts back slightly to help alleviate some of the load on your back, Sinett says. And keep your feet planted firmly on the floor.

All information can be found here.

6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #2 is...

Culprit No. 2: The wrong shoes

When you strut in stilettos, your foot strikes the ground in a toe-forward motion rather than the normal heel-toe gait, stressing your knees, hips, and back, Sinett explains. "Wearing heels also alters the angle of your body so your weight isn’t evenly distributed over the spine," he says. This instability can set you up for pain and injury radiating from your knees all the way to your back.

Another shoe no-no: the backless kind (even flats and flip-flops), which allow your heel to slide around. Again, the lack of stability distributes your body weight unevenly, putting more pressure on your spine. Your shoe should firmly hold your foot in place to keep you stable and protect your back, says Sinett, who also advises sticking to heels that are less than three inches high.

Top 6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #5 is...

Culprit No. 5: The wrong bra

Large-breasted women obviously carry significantly more weight in front than those who have smaller breasts. This can lead to hunching and sore neck and back muscles, Sinett says. A bra that offers proper support can actually minimize that forward hunch and relieve pain, while one that doesn’t may exacerbate the problem, as you hunch or strain even more to compensate for uncomfortable straps or a band that rides up.

Research shows that many women wear the wrong size bra, but the right fit can mean the difference between sagging and supported; get fitted by a bra professional. Prather says you may want to try a T-back (a.k.a. racer-back) style. "It gives the body a cue to pull the shoulders back," she says.

Top 6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #6 is...

Culprit No. 6: Your crazy schedule

Just like the rest of you, your back muscles can tense up when you’re frazzled. Muscles are designed to contract and relax, Sinett explains, but when you’re stressed, they may contract so much that they can eventually start to spasm. Stress also boosts production of the hormone cortisol, which increases inflammation and can lead to achiness, he says.

On top of that, "Chronic stress can affect the way a person perceives pain," says Alan Hilibrand, MD, spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and professor of orthopaedic and neurological surgery at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. "So those who are stressed will often have a harder time managing back pain than those who aren’t." Low-impact aerobic exercise (think walking or working out on an elliptical trainer) may help relieve back pain and ease stress - so you can beat the pain for good.

Survive the Summer with tips from Dr. Rogers

Treating Sports Injuries

Sports and exercise are important steps to maintaining health. Unfortunately, however, injuries during participation in sports are all too common. Often, these injuries occur in beginners or those who don't use proper safety equipment or become overzealous about an exercise regimen. 

Strains and Sprains

• An acute twisting or overextension of a joint can lead to tears of muscles and tendons, called "strains," and tears of ligaments result in "sprains."
• In mild injuries, just a few fibers are torn or stretched. Severe injuries, where there is a tear through the full thickness of the structure, frequently require surgical intervention.
• The intervertebral disc, a ligament between the vertebrae of the spine that works as a shock absorber, can also be torn, resulting in a disc bulge and/or herniation.

Tendinosis

• In those who are training too much, overuse of a particular joint or joints in the body can result in pain and dysfunction. There injuries are called "overuse syndromes."
• A common overuse injury is tendinosis, a condition in which the tendon becomes inflamed from repetitive use.

Stress Fractures

• Some athletes may experience a stress fracture, which occurs when an abnormal amount of stress is placed on a normal bone, such as in a runner who rapidly increases the amount of mileage, rather than gradually progressing to longer distances.
• Shin splints are caused by microfractures on the front surface of the tibia (shin bone). This is most often seen in runners, although other athletes can be affected.

Diagnosis and Treatment
Sports injuries are most often diagnosed from the history of the activity which brought on the pain, along with a physical examination. In some cases, X-rays are necessary to rule out a fracture. Fractures require the application of some stabilizing device, such as a cast, after the bone is put back into position. Rarely, surgical intervention is required. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound may also be used.

There is a relatively standard treatment protocol for most types of sports injuries, which involves:

• • Rest. Generally no more than 48 hours of rest and/or immobilization is needed, depending on the severity of the injury.
  • Ice or heat can help with pain reduction and tissue healing.
  • Compression of the area may reduce the amount of swelling from the injury.
  • Elevation of the injured arm or leg above the level of the heart is thought to be helpful in reducing swelling.
  • Joint manipulation. Recent research has shown that, in some cases, joint manipulation can help with pain reduction and more rapid recovery.

Prevention  

In many cases, sports injuries can be prevented. Proper conditioning, warm-up and cool-down procedures, understanding proper techniques and using appropriate safety equipment can substantially reduce injuries.

How Can MAGNA Help

At Magna Chiropractic, we have many tools and resources to help you prevent as well as treat any and all of your sports injuries. Prior to participating in your sport, our office offers some beneficial treatment options with Kinesiology Taping. Here is how it works, the tape is applied along muscles, ligaments, and tendons (soft tissue) to provide a lightweight, strong, external support that helps to prevent injury and speed recovery.

The tape works differently for different injuries. It can lift and support the knee cap, holding it in place for Runner's Knee. It can support sagging muscles along the arch of the foot, relieving the connective tissues for Plantar Fasciitis. It can also lift the stress off of shin splints to allow pain release and give the body a better opportunity to recover. Depending on how it is applied, it supports, enables, or restricts soft tissue and its movement.

By stretching and recoiling like a rubber band, the tape augments tissue function and distributes loads away from inflamed or damaged muscles and tendons, thereby protecting tissues from further injury. Please check out the following link for more information on this very impressive treatment option that MAGNA offers for you: Kinesiology Tape

If you fall victim to a sports injury, MAGNA also offers multiple treatment options to improve your condition. From Joint Manipulation of the affected joint and associated spinal segments, to pulsed ultrasound that helps to heal your joint supporting tissues. MAGNA is also proud to offer cold laser which is a treatment modality that promotes blood flow to damaged areas, reduces swelling caused by bruising or inflammation, as well as increase cell reproduction and growth to get you back on the field or course at a faster rate. 

As always, proper spinal motion achieved through regular Chiropractic Adjustments will help your body function at it's highest capacity. 

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Forward Head Posture

In the poster on the left, the first sketch (top-left) represents “perfect” head posture. A line dropped from the center of the external auditory meatus (EAM) would land directly in the center of the shoulder (the tip of the acromion process). The graphic on the right demonstrates the progression of forward head posture (occasionally referred to as “anterior head translation”).

According to Kapandji (Physiology of the Joints, Volume III), for every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned, because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping onto your chest. This also forces the suboccipital muscles (they raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 Suboccipital nerves. This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches.

Rene Cailliet M.D., famous medical author and former director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Southern California states:

“Head in forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine. This can pull the entire spine out of alignment. Forward head posture (FHP) may result in the loss of 30% of vital lung capacity. These breath-related effects are primarily due to the loss of the cervical lordosis, which blocks the action of the hyoid muscles, especially the inferior hyoid responsible for helping lift the first rib during inhalation.”

Persistent forward head posture (a.k.a “hyperkyphotic posture”) puts compressive loads upon the upper thoracic vertebra, and is also associated with the development of Upper Thoracic Hump, which can devolve into Dowager Hump when the vertebra develop compression fractures (anterior wedging). A recent study found this hyperkyphotic posture was associated with a 1.44 greater rate of mortality.

It's not uncommon to observe 2" of anterior head placement in new patients. Would you be surprised that your neck and shoulders hurt if you had a 20-pound watermelon hanging around your neck? That's what forward head posture can do to you. Left uncorrected, FHP will continue to decline. Chiropractic can be very corrective, especially in the hands of a chiropractic rehabilitationist. Our specialty is in reversing the joint fixations (what we refer to as “subluxations”) and in re-invigorating the muscles that normally retract the head.

Complete article found here

Magna Minute: Spring Time Tips

Help Support The Magna Chiropractic Relay For Life Team In The Fight Against Cancer

For more information about Warren County Relay for Life, please visit our official webpage: click here

Dishman McGinnis Eagle Run 5K

Magna Chiropractic hangs out at the Eagle Run 5K, taking care of runners using kinesio tape and stretching techniques. Awesome Day!

Magna Minute: Information on Healthcare Symposium

Healthcare Symposium...Thursday, March 1st from 6 - 8:30 PM

Introducting A New Product To Our Rehab Program: The Halo Trainer

We just got this item in the mail today, the Halo Trainer allows you to determine the level of difficulty for developing a strong core. For more information, check them out here: halotrainer.com

Happy Healthy Essentials

Check out Happy Healthy Essentials for your opportunity to develop a LIFE STYLE CHANGE...

Contact Jodie Hawley or Lilly Van Wyk
Happy Healthy Solutions
165 Natchez Trace, Ste 201
Bowling Green, KY 42103
Phone: (270) 843-6781
Fax: (270) 746-0240

Our New Inflatable Spine

Unfortunately, it didn't come equipped with a foot pump!

Thanks to Tavie for blowing this up!

Magna Minute: Reaction To Dr. Oz Segment on Chiropractic Care