Did you know that chiropractors are licensed to not only treat problems with the neck and back but also other joints in the body? We can treat many thing including muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and sometimes nerve issues. One area we see quite a bit is shoulder pain and problems in the shoulder. This could be many different issues including rotator cuff strains, ligaments sprains, impingement, frozen shoulder, etc. The first thing to do when shoulder pain starts is to increase range of motion, ice and avoid re-injury. Often the neck and upper back muscles are tight from restricted neck and upper back motion. Make sure to get checked for neck and upper back dysfunction along with the stretching. Here is a good exercise shown by Dr Scott Owens one our fantastic Roseville Chiropractors. The Codman arm swing is a good first exercise for many people with shoulder pain as it promotes movement in the shoulder. This exercise may not be the best for every shoulder condition so make sure to checked out by one of our chiropractors to make sure this exercise is right for you!
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A while back I was talking to a patient of mine who has been dealing with back pain for a couple of months. She had been feeling better with chiropractic adjustments and exercising but had a bad flare up. She was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to help out around the holidays with cooking and decorating since it required a lot of standing and lifting which made her back really hurt. She asked if she should buy a back brace and if that would help with her back pain. I want to go over what I told her and when you should and should not get a back brace.
Firstly let’s go over what a back brace does. The most common area to use a back brace is in your lower back or lumbar region of your spine. A back brace is meant to help stabilize your lower back with outside support. It does this by wrapping snuggly around your lower back and core muscles. By doing so it does decrease movement in your lumbar spine. This can help provide stiffness and help you experience less pain when doing moving around. It also helps encourage keeping your back straight and helps to maintain your posture. I have no problem with the use of back brace when necessary, however, I see the use of back brace as a crutch not as a long term solution. Normally your lower back muscles and abdominal muscles which combine as your core muscles are what stabilizes your spine. By having strong core muscles your lower back should have more stability which will allow you to get rid of most lower back pain and prevent pain in the future. When using a back brace you are using the brace to stabilize your core which bypasses your stabilizing muscles. That can be ok short term if your are severe acute pain, however, over reliance on the back brace can cause your core to be weak and for a dependence on the back brace. Back to the story. I explained this to my patient and as she had been working on her core stability already I had recommended her not to get the back brace. I didn’t want to her lose the progress that she had been making. I also reminded her that it is normal to have flare up but with adjustments as needed and keeping up with regular strengthening exercises the flare ups will get fewer and farther between. If you have questions about whether a back brace will be helpful for your condition call today to make an appointment and we can go over this together. We all want to know how much things are going to cost. So it is no surprise that a common question we get is how much will my visit cost? Let's go over a couple of the common payment methods to figure how much things will cost as it may differ depending on the way you pay.
1. Do you take my insurance? One of the most common ways to pay is using your health insurance to cover the cost of the visit. The great thing about our office is that we accept most major medical insurance that have chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage benefits. You can use your insurance so the cost of your visit will only be the cost of your co-pay and/or co-insurance. A co-pay is a set amount established that you pay for the office visit and a co-insurance is when you pay a percentage of the cost of the visit. Co-pays are usually more common and stay the same for every office visit. Co-insurance can vary on cost depending on the services that you receive. Here are a list of common insurance plans that we accept at our office Aetna Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Cigna Health Net Kaiser-some plans may require a referral from your doctor Medicare Optum health Sutter health plus Sutter medical group-plans require a referral from your doctor Sutter Select/UMR United Health Care Western Health Advantage-through Landmark Health plan If your insurance is not listed here give us a call as we can let you know if we do take your insurance. Please also note that some of these plans may only cover chiropractic benefits. 2. I don't have insurance. Can I still get treated? Of course you can still get treated. We offer affordable rates as we believe chiropractic care should be accessible for everyone. Give us a call as we can let you know our cash rates. Please note that our cash rates are only applicable when paying at the time of service. 3. I was in a car accident. What are my options for payment? Being involved in an auto accident can be very traumatic. It may require several treatments in order for you to get back on your feet and feeling better. There are a couple options that you can choose at our office when in a car accident. a) Pay at the time of service with your insurance or at the cash rates-This option allows you to not have to worry about payment later that way it is out of mind. b) Setting up a lien with an attorney-If you have personal injury attorney we can do a lien agreement which allows you not to have to pay anything until after your case is settled. This allows you not to have to worry about payment until after you are feeling better that way you can just focus on getting treated and finding improvement. c) Using your medpay from your auto insurance to pay for treatment. Some auto insurances include medical cost coverage after being in an accident. Using this takes the burden off of you as you won't have to worry about the treatment cost. We unfortunately do not accept 3rd party payment at our office. 4. I got injured at work. What should I do? Work injuries are difficult to get past and can take a while to get better. Make sure to talk with your work about their process so they can file the proper paperwork. Our chiropractors, acupuncturist, and massage therapists can help and we do accept most work comp insurance carriers. One thing to note is that with work injuries there is usually a primary doctor in charge of your case along with other providers who can help you with treatment. Our chiropractors can be the primary treating doctor helping you with chiropractic treatment and can also help you find treatment with physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, or other types of treatment. We can also help you if you receive a referral for chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage therapy from your primary doctor. For more information on work injuries check out our other blog post below. what-to-do-when-you-have-a-work-injury.html If you have any questions on payment you can always call our office and we can help you figure out the costs for our services. The side bridge is a great exercise to help strengthen your core muscles including the quadratus lumborum and latissimus dorsi muscles. It is one of the McGill big 3 exercises intended to help with lower back pain and sciatica pain. By improving core stability you will be able to decrease your lower back pain and sciatica pain and also be able to avoid more pain in the future.
The side bridge is often a forgotten exercise by many people but it is so important to do in order to strengthen your core. In this video Dr Zak Owens will demonstrate how to perform this exercise properly. He shows 3 ways to do including a modified version performed on the knees and elbows, the normal way to do it on the feet and elbow, and a more difficult way that includes log rolling into a plank and into a side bridge on the other side. When doing this exercise it is important to note that you must keep your back straight and core stable the whole time. That way you can properly strengthen your core but also so you avoid any positions that may aggravate your lower back or sciatica pain. Start first by doing the modified side bridge. The modified bridge is performed with the base being your knees and elbows. When doing this exercise hold for 10 seconds then rest and then do another repetition for 10 seconds. Start by doing 4 reps and then switching to the other side. Once you have completed both sides do 2 less of the amount of repetitions you did in your first set in this case 2 making sure to do both sides. f you are feeling good with the modified side bridge you can advance to the regular side bridge. This time instead of your base being the knees and elbow it will be your feet and elbow. Once again hold for 10 seconds for each rep making sure to keep a straight back and a stable core. Some instructions apply to the amount of reps and doing both sides. The last step would be the side bridge log rolling into a plank. This is a great advancement as it challenges different area of your core and allows you to do it without a rest between. Only do this one when you are ready as if done improperly may aggravate your back pain or leg pain and symptoms. Start with the regular side bridge with your top foot in front of your bottom foot. When you hit 10 seconds you are going to log roll putting both elbows on the ground and both toes on the ground in a plank position. You can then hold this position for 10 seconds before log rolling to the opposite side bridge position from where you started holding once again for 10 seconds. The side bridge is a fantastic exercise to help increase core stability especially for those with back pain, leg pain, sciatica symptoms, hip pain, or a weak core. It is also a great exercise to prevent pain in the future. Doing the side bridge exercise along with the other 2 McGill big 3 exercises (the modified sit up and quadruped) will be very effective in helping you with your pain. Lower back pain can be debilitating in any form. It can knock you down making it difficult to walk, sit, or even tie your shoes. There are many causes of lower back pain. One part of our lower back anatomy that is often overlooked is our SI joint.
The SI (sacroiliac) joint is often a forgotten joint as we tend to focus on the discs of the lumbar spine as the reason for all of our lower back pain. One reason it is often overlooked is because it behaves very differently from our other joints. Many of the joints that we think of are synovial joints which are more freely movable such as the shoulder and hip joints. The SI joint is different as it is partially a synovial joint as in the anterior part it is synovial and in the posterior portion it is syndesmosis or held together by ligaments. Because of this there is not a lot of movement in the SI joint, however, there is still movement and it is important that we have movement in our SI joints in order to perform daily activities such as walking. There are many reasons to get pain in the SI joint. One common reason is due to a sprain of the SI ligaments. This could be due to lifting something heavy that causes too much stress on the SI ligaments or even a sudden hit from a car accident. Another common reason for SI joint pain is due to degenerative arthritis. When you get arthritis in your SI joint this can make it difficult to move due to narrowing of the joint space between the sacrum and ilium bones. A less common reason for of SI joint is arthritis due to an inflammatory disease such as ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, or enteropathic arthritis. These can cause pain in the SI joint due to narrowing of the joint space and they may take getting additional treatments from a specialist in order to get proper treatment. When we experience an injury to the SI joint or the ligaments around the joint, we will have less movement due to tight ligaments and muscles around the joint. When this happens the SI joint won’t properly function which can cause pain when walking, sitting, or any movement that relies on SI joint movement. When the SI joint is the culprit of your lower back pain it can manifest in your lower back and can even go into your legs mimicking sciatica pain. Luckily there are things that you can do. Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation have been shown to be effective in decreasing SI joint pain. They have also been shown to be effective in treating SI joint pain caused by arthritis due to helping to improve joint range of motion. Exercises that focus on core stability have also been shown to help with SI joint pain. In our office we use therapeutic modalities such as therapeutic ultrasound and electric muscle stimulation to decrease pain. Acupuncture, massage, and physical therapy are also other great additional treatment options to help with SI joint pain. For more information regarding chiropractic care and arthritis check out the link below https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/physical-therapies/chiropractic-care-for-arthritis McGill Big 3 exercises are 3 exercises to help get rid of your lower back pain. They do this by helping to increase core strength and stability. Today we are going over the first exercise which is the modified curl up.
The modified curl up is not like a normal curl up or sit up. A normal sit up or abdominal work up focuses on flexing the spine to contract the abdominal muscles. To get the best understanding on how to do this work out it is best to watch the video above to see how to perform it. If you would rather here are instructions on how to perform it.
Now assess how you are doing after this. If you were able to do it without pain but it was challenging continue with the same number of repetitions. If it was done easy raise each repetition per set by 1. Instead of 5, 3, 1 do 6, 4, 2. Now if it was painful doing it you need to check your form. Try resting for a while and doing it again later. This is a great exercise to use when you are suffering from any type of lower back pain whether it debilitating or just an annoyance it will help you. If you have a sprain or a strain, disc bulge, sciatica pain, arthritis, spinal stenosis, or muscle pain in the lower back this exercise will help you. This exercise along with the other McGill Big 3 exercises have the best evidence of helping people get rid of their lower back pain and getting back to normal activity. For more questions about what to do for lower back pain whatever the cause is ask one of our chiropractors or acupuncturist. They have years of experience in treating lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, or any other type of pain you are experiencing. They will help you feel better. Work injuries are very common. Depending on what industry you are working in it is possible that you will get injured at work. Work injuries are very complicated with a lot of paperwork, trips to HR, doctor visits, and so much more.
While there are different types of injuries you can get at work it is important to know what to do when you get injured so you can know what you need to do. 1. Make sure to get away from whatever caused the injury. Stop doing the activity that is causing you pain. Get emergency first aid and necessary medical treatment as soon as possible. 2. Report the injury to your supervisor as soon as possible. Whether the injury comes on suddenly or developed over time you must report the injury to your supervisor and manager. Report it as soon as possible that way you can get the necessary help as soon as possible. It is also beneficial to report as quickly as possible since some of your work duties may aggravate your injury. If this is the case it may be necessary to modify your work injuries. 3. File a claim-Filing a claim starts the worker’s compensation process and protects your rights. Usually your employer will give you a claim form to fill out and will have someone to help you through the process. If you don’t know where to find this form you can click on this link for a claim form. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/FileAClaim.htm 4. Get treated-your work has a medical provider network with doctors and other specialists that can help you get out of pain and get you back to working full duty again. They will help you get the treatment that is needed. In most circumstances if you feel like you aren’t getting the best treatment you may get treatment from a different doctor or medical provider. 5. Keep documents-it is important to keep documents received during your treatments. Keep anything given by your work, primary treating doctor, or paperwork received from other treating doctors or medical providers. It may be important in the future. 6. Work as much as you can-in most cases continuing to work is the best option to help you recover quicker. Your doctor will try to find modifications so you can work without experiencing too much pain. By continuing to work you are staying active which has been shown to improve recovery time. In some cases that will cause more harm than benefit to continue working 7. Get an attorney-in some cases if you feel like you aren't getting the help you need you to get better it may may be a good idea to hire an attorney. They know how to help by their expert knowledge of workers compensation laws that can benefit you. At Accident and Sports Injury Clinic we want to help you get out of pain and back to working as soon as possible. Our Chiropractors and Acupuncturist have over 30 years of experience and are experts in helping with work related injuries. Our Massage therapists also have lots of experience helping to relax muscles that have been hurt at work. Along with chiropractic care you may also need additional therapies including acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, injections, or surgery. We will make sure to that you are taken care of whatever your need is. If you have any questions about a work related injury or how chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage therapy can be beneficial to you please feel free to give us a call. We want to help you get relief from your injury. Proper lifting mechanics is so important in order to avoid injury. You need to make sure that you lift with your legs rather than with your back. Many people put too much unnecessary strain on their back while lifting objects at work or at home. This can then cause a muscle strain or a disc injury causing a lot of pain. In order to lift properly Dr. Zak Owens shows how to properly lift using your legs.
He does this through a method called hip hinging. First you need to make sure you are squared up to the object. The object needs to be directly in front of you. Then you will be doing a squat. Keep your back straight while you bend at your knees and hip. One way to make sure you are doing this correctly is to have a wooden dowel or stick behind your back to make sure it is straight. Once you get down far enough grab the object. Then push with your legs up keeping the back straight and straightening at the hips and knees. This is also equally important to do when you are putting an object down. Bending at the back when putting an object down can equally hurt you as if you were picking it up. Make sure when you are putting it down that you are keeping your back straight bending at the hips and knees. If you have any questions feel free to send a message. Your Roseville Chiropractor is always here to help. Inversion ankle sprains or ankle sprains to the lateral ligaments of the foot are a very common injury in sports and daily life. Damage to any of the ligaments whether it is the anterior talofibular, calcaneofibular, or posterior talofibular can cause a lot of pain. Also with tears in any of these ligaments you are prone to more ankle sprains in the future. In order to get out of pain after an inversion ankle sprain follow the exercises, stretches, and advice in this video so you can get back to playing sports or living your normal life.
The advice and exercises in this video are 1. POLICE or RICE acronym-POLICE stands for protect, optimally load, ice, compress, and elevate. Following these steps in the acute phase (0-48 hours) can help reduce swelling, inflammation, and more damage to the ligaments. RICE stands for rest, ice, compress, and elevate. RICE is the old acronym used that has only been changed because it is important to try and get movement back to the ankle. 2. Get movement in the ankle. Getting movement in the ankle is especially important at the the end of the acute phase and getting into the subacute phase. While there may be some pain at this point it is very important to know your limitations and not to push yourself to avoid more damage to ligaments. a) To do this you can start with doing passive range of motion with ankle which means maintain movement by not using the muscles of the foot but rather something else. This can be done with your own hand or someone else can do this. Make sure to go through dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion not too far but to tolerable points. b) Next you can get movement by doing active range of motion with the ankle. Active range of motion is when you are using the muscles of your ankle to move you ankle. This takes more energy and it is important to know your limitation when doing this. Make sure to go through dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion not too far but to tolerable points. c) You can now do isometric muscle contraction of your ankle. Isometric muscle contraction is when you activate your muscle but you don't lengthen or shorten your muscle. This allows for your muscle to work but without putting too much tension on it. Make sure to go through dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion isometric muscle contraction meeting the resistance with your hand or an object. d) Try to walk as much as possible during this phase without causing sharp pain 3. While in the subacute phase and you have mastered the previous exercises you can do theraband exercises going through plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, inversion, and eversion. This is good because you are doing active range of motion with variable resistance to your level with the theraband. 4. Doing toe raises will help strengthen the calf muscles. You can start out with standing on 2 feet and if you can do that you can move to standing on one foot. Along with doing toe raises you should also stretch out your calf muscles. 5. Once you are out of pain and in the chronic phase it is a good idea to start doing stabilization exercises for the ankle. Stabilization exercises are meant to strengthen the muscles around the ankle. The important muscles to strengthen are the fibularis and peroneal muscles since they are responsible for strengthening the lateral or outside part of the foot. This is important especially with an inversion ankle sprain because the outside or lateral ligaments are weak so to pick up the slack the lateral muscles need to be strong. Some ways to do this are through one legged stands. These can be done starting with just on the ground getting up to 30 seconds. You can do this with your eyes closed for a challenge. You can also do one legged stands on a rocker board or a bosu ball to help increase stabilization strength. If you want to incorporate stabilization exercises into your other workouts you can try doing weights while standing on a rocker board or a bosu ball. You can also practice doing workouts with one legged stands or even doing one legged squats. The possibilities are endless but make sure you do it to avoid ankle sprains in the future or chronic ankle instability. Along with exercises and stretches, manipulations or adjustments to the ankle have shown to help decrease pain and increase ankle mobility. This can be done by licensed chiropractors. |