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Neck pain is very common especially with people who work at a desk job or those of us who look down at our phones. To help get rid of neck pain we have some easy exercises for you that will help strengthen your neck. These exercises focus on strengthening the deep neck flexors of the neck which are typically weak in most people. The deep neck flexors are an important muscle group in the neck because they are neck stabilizers and postural muscles. If these muscles are weak it can cause neck pain and headaches. By watching the video below and following the exercises shown you can strengthen your neck muscles and decrease your neck pain and headache symptoms. The Holidays are a fun time of year with time spent with family and friends. A lot of times these gatherings are focused around food. This then results in weight gain with data showing the average American gaining 1-2 pounds during the Holidays. However there are tips to avoid gaining weight during the Holidays. Check out the article below or the video below to learn more on what you can do to avoid gaining weight this Holiday. Following these tips will allow you to still eat the food you love but avoid gaining weight this Holiday Season. https://www.eatright.org/health/lifestyle/holidays/how-to-enjoy-the-holiday-without-the-weight-gain The Holidays are a fun time of year with family time, parties, and good food. However, during the winter months a lot of people struggle with anxiety, depression, and feelings of stress. Exercise has been shown to be helpful in managing these conditions that many people struggle with. Going on walks or getting some kind of exercise has been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, stress, and even PTSD. While some may need extra help by talking to a doctor or to a therapist to get additional help exercise may be a good start to manage these conditions. If you need help with knowing what exercises would be good to help you ask our chiropractors! They are happy to help and want to help you feel well physically and emotionally! Check out the link below to see the full article.
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm A recent article came out from the Harvard Public Health Department talking about the rise of opioid substance use disorder in the United States. It is staggering the amount of prescriptions given out for opioids. While opioids may be necessary to help decrease acute pain they can be highly addictive.
One way to stop this epidemic is try other conservative care options first such as chiropractic care, acupuncture, and physical therapy. We offer safe, non-invasive treatment that are proven to help decrease acute and chronic pain. At Accident and Sports Injury Clinic our chiropractors, acupuncturist, and massage therapists can help you feel better! Here is a link to the article https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/rx-for-an-epidemic/ A common reason for low back pain is lack of stability in the spine. When your spine isn't stable any small movement that is just a little bit off can cause intense back pain and injury to the spine. In order to avoid lower back pain or get rid of it we need to strengthen the muscles surrounding the low back. The muscles we need to strengthen are the abdominal muscles, gluteal muscles, and back extensors along with other surround core muscles. The exercises shown in the video will help your low back be more stable which will in turn decrease your low back pain and help prevent injury in the future. The quadruped tract (bird-dog), plank, side plank, modified curl up (sit up), and prone press up exercises will help you get out of pain.
Have you ever had lower back pain? Chances are that you have with lower back pain being one of the most common reason people seek medical care. There are many conditions that can cause lower back pain. It may be due to a disc injury in the lumbar region of your spine. It may be from a sprain of the ligaments of the sacroiliac or SI joint. Whatever the reason is, it's helpful to know the best stretching exercises for lower back pain. Helpful as we are, we're happy to share those stretches with you.
5 Stretches for Lower Back Pain It's probably easiest to watch the video above, but we also included step-by-step, written instructions: Hamstring Stretch The hamstrings connect from the pelvis to the back of the knee. Tight hamstrings are often a cause of low back pain. To stretch the hamstrings there are many stretches but an easy one can be done sitting at the office or on the couch watching TV. You first put one of your heels on the ground in front of you making your leg as straight as possible. You then try to touch your toes with both hands with the opposite hand on top. You should be feeling a stretch in the back of you leg and you might also feel the stretch in the low back too. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. You can then switch legs and do the other side. Piriformis Stretch The piriformis is a muscle deep in your buttock area below the glutes. This muscle can cause a lot of pain in the low back and can even cause sciatic pain. To do this stretch you can do it in a seated position as well. Cross one of your legs over the other. Your legs should be in a figure 4 position. In this position you want to lean forward making sure that your knee stays parallel to the ground. You should be feeling a stretch in your buttock on the same side of the leg that is in the figure 4 position. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. You can then switch legs and do the other side. Quadriceps Stretch The quadriceps muscles on the front of your legs connect from the front of your hips or pelvis and go into your knee. Getting these muscles to relax can help put less strain on the pelvis which can help decrease low back pain. The easiest way to stretch the quads is to stand up. It is best to stand near a wall or something to hold on to because you will need to stand on one leg. With the same sided arm you are going to grab the same sided ankle of your leg. When you grab your leg you need to point your knee cap to the ground. Your hip joint should be as straight as possible and your knee joint will be as bent as it can be with you grabbing the ankle. With this you should be feeling a stretch down the front of your leg. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. You can then switch legs and do the other side. Psoas Stretch The iliopsoas muscle (also called the psoas for short) is the primary hip flexor of the leg. It connects from the lumbar spine to the thigh. It is used to bring your leg off the ground especially when climbing stairs or going up an incline. This muscle is very commonly tight and is a common culprit in low back pain due to its direct attachment to the low back. A good way to stretch it is you want to get in a kneeling position with the side you want to stretch having the knee on the ground and the other side having the foot on the ground. In this position you want to push the hip on the side with the knee on the ground forward. You then want to side bend your low back away from the kneeling side with the kneeling side arm over the head. You also want to twist your back away from the kneeling side. You want to find the right position where you feel a stretch on the front of the hip on the kneeling side. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. You can then switch legs and do the other side. Prone Press Up The prone press up or cobra stretch position isn't necessarily a stretch exercise hybrid. It does stretch the abdominal muscles but the purpose of this exercise is to promote extension in the low back. This exercise is great for most low back injuries. It is really good for disc injuries, types of sciatica pain, and also sprains and strains to the lumbar spine and the SI joints. To do this exercise you want to lie face down on the ground, bed, or a yoga mat. Laying face down put your arms at about shoulder width apart at the height of your shoulders. Now you just push up with your arms which will arch your back. You want to arch your back as much as possible without letting the front of your hips come off the ground. You can hold the arched up position for a couple seconds and come back down. On average doing this about 10 repetitions every couple hours will be helpful for most people. Visit Our Roseville Chiropractic Clinic Now that you know the best stretching exercises for lower back pain, put them to use. If you're still experiencing pain or want to know more about non-invasive treatment options, do not hesitate to contact us. Have you ever experienced a headache? Chances are you're not alone with 9 out of 10 Americans reporting to suffer from headaches. A lot of headaches are caused from back and neck injuries. The most common headaches (tension headaches) are associated with muscle tension in the neck. Luckily the Chiropractors at Accident and Sports Injury Clinic can help you. Research shows that spinal manipulation or adjustment are effective treatments to help alleviate symptoms from tension headaches and headaches that originate from the neck. It even shows that spinal adjustments can help decrease migraine symptoms!
Along with chiropractic manipulations, the Chiropractors at Accident and Sports Injury Clinic can help by instructing how to have better posture and give exercises to help decrease your headaches. For more information check out the full article at the link below https://www.acatoday.org/Patients/Health-Wellness-Information/Headaches-and-Chiropractic There are many different chiropractic adjustments that can be performed to help you get out of pain. At our office we primarily use a diversified manual technique to increase range of motion in the spine and in the extremities. For most people these types of adjustments help you get out of pain, feel more loose, and increase your ability to perform the activities you love. However, sometimes a manual adjustment may be too much force for you to handle. We have multiple alternatives to a manual chiropractic adjustment that may be the right fit for you.
The activator instrument is a mechanical hand held adjusting tool that allows for more specific movement at the vertebrae. It has adjustable tension allowing for lower force adjustments to be performed at a more specific spot. We also use the impulse instrument which is similar to the activator with adjustable force but is electronic. These may be a good alternative with conditions such as osteoporosis, post surgery, or after a recent motor vehicle accident. The drop table also allows for a lower force adjustment by using a special table. The table has drop pieces which are changed to the correct tension for you. The chiropractor will apply a quick, lighter thrust similar to a normal manual adjustment however part of the table will drop with adjustment. With the drop table a lighter adjustment will provide similar results as a manual adjustment due to the spine absorbing the force from the drop. At our office we have activator instruments, impulse instruments, and a drop table that can be used to deliver lighter, low force adjustments that may be right for you. If you have questions about these alternative adjusting tools you can consult our chiropractors. There is an exciting new study that deals with pregnancy and chiropractic care. You want to take extra care of yourself during pregnancy, and you should research the benefits and risks of chiropractic care. This new research is a good place to start. You can also learn more about pregnancy pain treatment here on our website. We cover both lower back pain as well as headaches that can come as a result of tension in your neck and back.
Study Findings The research suggests that chiropractic care is at the very least a safe alternative to pain treatment, compared to harmful narcotics. The article makes the claim that chiropractic care presents no health risk to pregnant women. Our chiropractors are experienced in treating pregnant patients and helping them relieve pain during pregnancy. We also have massage therapists who can help decrease your pain while pregnant. Please contact us if you have any questions. |