Chiropractic Care For Kids

Every parent wants the best for their children. Today, we live in a society where there are so many do’s and don’ts in parenting that it’s hard to keep up, and easy to second guess yourself.  When it comes to a child’s health – our first reaction has always been to call our medical doctor…until recently.

Today, many parents are turning to Chiropractors for their children’s health and wellness. Times have changed – our society has moved away from the quick and easy remedy and toward more natural and less invasive treatments.  This is fueled by growing concern with the frequent use of antibiotics and prescription medication as treatment for every illness or condition.  Many people are finding that these quick and easy treatments cause more harm than good. They mask, they don’t fix. They cover up, they don’t correct.

Chiropractic is rooted in the idea that true health comes from within and generates outward. As B.J. Palmer, the son of the founding father of Chiropractic stated, “The power that made the body, HEALS the body. It happens no other way.”  In the beginning months of a child’s development, we have an amazing opportunity to set our children up to lead a healthy life, one that is mostly free from nerve interference and irritation – a crucial aspect of health and wellness.  The nervous system regulates and controls every organ, organ-system and cell that the body is composed of.  By keeping this system free of nerve interference, which Chiropractors refer to as a “subluxation”, the child can properly develop with every essential that is required for good health.

Most people don’t know much about Chiropractic care and the benefits it provides. Chiropractors are specially trained and licensed to address these areas of nerve interference, and when these subluxations are not addressed, the results can cause a range of health complications. These complications are ones that many parents in previous generations weren’t aware could be caused by nerve interference. Colic, eating and sleeping disturbances, digestive and attention issues, etc. can all be traced back to nerve irritation during the development of children.  Chiropractic care can help regulate these issues in children.

Even if you’re not a parent, chances are you’ve crossed paths with a child before. We all know how rambunctious and wild they can be, no matter what they’re doing – even just getting ready for bed.  Regular childhood activities such as youth sports, skating, riding a bike and even ones small yet significant, like climbing a tree, increase the chances the child will get hurt. You remember being a kid, right? It happens, its normal. These injuries, no matter how moderate or severe, can often result in a misalignment of the spine, resulting in that nerve interference. Not all injuries present themselves with immediate pain or symptoms, therefore can often go unnoticed for some time and ultimately complicate the injury or illness. Bringing children to their Chiropractor for regular check-ups can help to identify spinal misalignments, and by resolving these issues earlier in their development, the child can avoid other health complications as adults.

When treating the youth of our community, Chiropractors can help provide a strong platform to live a life of health and wellness.  As I mentioned before, every parent wants the best for their child – young or old, they never stop being your child. Chiropractic is natural, non-invasive, and beneficial at any age. It is a great way to promote a healthy lifestyle in the lives of your children and even your grandchildren. To learn more about how Chiropractic care can provide a positive influence in your child’s life, or even yours as you read this, I encourage you to do research at ICPA4KIDS.org, ask questions, and call a Chiropractor.

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The Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle

5 Benefits of an Active Lifestyle

Most people tend to associate the gym and at-home exercise with a personal goal. Usually these goals include losing weight or building muscle. While it has been proven many times over that a nutritionally rich diet, in tandem with an exercise routine, will help you accomplish these goals – they’re not the only benefits. Incorporating exercise into your lifestyle or even just increasing your activity levels, the benefits reach far beyond these first two goals. It doesn’t matter which goal you’re working toward, the overall benefits of an active lifestyle are well worth the effort you put in, I promise. If you are afraid that increasing your exercise level could result in an injury, don’t sweat it. Even just a light walk or moderate aerobic activity is a great way to begin your new active lifestyle. The best part of all this, is that once this increase in exercise becomes a habit, a lifestyle – you’ll start to notice the short and long-term advantages it brings to your life.

Now I want to be clear – this doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in your favorite show, relax on the couch or play your favorite game. This is about finding balance. Some would even say that exercise has led them to a more balanced lifestyle and helped them to enjoy and appreciate the things they love to indulge in even more. Don’t feel like going to the gym means you should necessarily see results – go to the gym to feel better. Go to the gym with the big picture in mind – living a long, happy and fulfilling life. The goal is your overall health. Here are a few benefits to leading an active lifestyle…

1)    Reduce your risk of heart disease. In the U.S., heart disease is the leading cause of death, tragically claiming hundreds of thousands of lives each year. But by following the guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control, which is 150 minutes per week of moderate-intense aerobic activity, such as walking, can decrease your risk of this disease. When you break it down - 150 minutes per week is only about 20 minutes each day. And if you choose to increase the amount of time you stay active, you can even decrease your blood pressure and help regulate cholesterol levels.

2)    Reduce your risk of Diabetes Type II. By increasing your activity levels, of course you’ll be bound to lose a few pounds, but you’ll also notice a positive change in your blood sugar levels. Physical activity, even moderately, helps to boost your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which helps control blood sugar levels. Incorporating exercise in your daily routine will help you avoid potential complications that are associated with Diabetes, including but not limited to, kidney issues, eye problems and nerve damage.

3)    Reduce your stress levels. Stress - I know we all feel it. It comes in so many different forms, how can one not feel it?  It can present itself at work, at school, in your relationships, and everything in between. The good news, which I’m sure you’ve heard before - is that even minimal activity has been shown to increase the brain’s production of endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that help reduce stress levels, elevate your mood and increase your quality of sleep.  Stress effects everyone differently, and you should be aware of how your body is affected by it. As mentioned before, most people associate working out with losing weight and being fit, but the benefits don’t stop there. Leading an active lifestyle is one of the most important aspects of your mental health and can bring you a great deal of clarity and ultimately, help you react more positively to stressful situations.

4)    Increase your immune system. Regular activity is one of the best ways to improve your immune system. When the immune system is boosted, you will be less likely to succumb to those pesky and persistent illnesses, such as the common cold and the flu. Think of how much more productive you will be at work and at home when you don’t have to fight these illnesses off. The immune system is crucial in preventative care – putting you one step ahead of illness.

5)    Improve your daily activities. Your daily activities can range from climbing the stairs in your home or at work, to playing with your children or grandchildren. Leading an active lifestyle places you at a lower risk of having a functional limitation, especially at an older age. Daily physical activity is great not only for muscles, but for bones, joints and coordination. Stronger bones mean less fractures at an older age. Stronger joints mean you will get to experience more by not being limited by lack of stability. Finally, better coordination means less risk of falling, causing a fracture in the bone or damaging a joint.

The benefits of an active lifestyle are out there for anyone to have. It’s not selective, its inclusive. It doesn’t matter one’s race, ethnicity, gender or age - anyone and everyone can improve their quality of life by incorporating exercise into their lifestyle. To me, leading an active lifestyle is a small price to pay to set out for a long, happy and healthy life. A life full of family and friends, and without any limitations.  In life, it is all about balance. Indulge, have fun, be lazy sometimes – but be active, be productive – it will benefit you every day.

Wrist Pain

Have you ever suddenly realized that you’ve been taking a body part for granted? You know, you try a new workout and the next day you’re saying to yourself (or anyone who will listen), “Muscles I didn’t even know I had are sore!” Or you stub your little pinky toe and end up walking with such a limp that those around you think surely you’ve broken your leg instead. Well, that’s how I feel about wrists and wrist pain. I was a gymnast growing up and wrist pain has bothered me on and off since then. Every time it flares up though, I’m always shocked by it. I’m surprised at just how many little tasks cause pain and remind me that my wrist hurts. Then, undoubtedly the pain goes away and I forget all about it until the next episode. Smart, I know. Anyway, all day everyday we use our wrists for billions (ok maybe that’s an exaggeration) of movements and tasks, and it’s not until you have pain that you realize just how heavily you rely on them.  Lifting, grasping, typing, writing, working out…even flipping pancakes…all require healthy, mobile, pain free wrists. I mean in all seriousness, if you can’t scoop ice cream or pick up your kids without pain then we’ve got a problem. Let’s talk about one cause of wrist pain and how it can be treated. But first, some anatomy….

Now the wrist itself may look like a pretty small, simple joint, but in reality it’s like the major highway of body parts.  In one very small space you’ve got 8 wrist bones, a bunch of muscle tendons, arteries, nerves, and veins. You’ve also got a band of ligament squeezing most of this into a very tight space, with very little wiggle room. When you take all of this into consideration, you can imagine that there are a ton of structures that can actually cause your wrist pain. Surprisingly enough, the first cause of wrist pain that we’ll talk about today hardly involves the wrist at all.  

You’re probably thinking, “What could possibly go on OUTSIDE the wrist that gives me pain IN my wrist. That’s just silly.” Well maybe you didn’t think that at all but let’s talk about it anyway. One of the most prominent wrist injuries actually comes from the forearm. You’ve basically got two compartments of muscle in the forearm: the flexors and the extensors. If you sit and lay the backs of your hands on your thighs, palms up, and bring your hands/fingers toward your body, you are activating the flexor muscles. Each of the muscles in this group start at the bony point on the inside of your elbow when your palm is up, and travel through the forearm until it attaches down in the hand/wrist. If you turn your hands over, palms down, and lift the fingers/hands back up toward your body, you are engaging the forearm extensors. These muscles all start on the outside of the elbow and travel down the forearm into the wrist/hand. The tricky part of all of this is that when a muscle or a tendon becomes irritated, you usually feel it wherever it attaches to the bone/joint and not necessarily in the muscle belly itself.  This means that you can have a problem with your forearm muscles and have wrist pain. What a sick joke huh? This also means that if you overuse your forearms by say, typing all day long at your desk, or working with your hands, or using all of your electronic devices, you can end up with wrist pain. Not too many people spend a day at their computer right? Or on their phones or ipads? No way!

So how does this all happen? To provide you with one example: you sit at your computer typing all day long, with your forearms working hard to allow you to keep your hands in the proper position. Over 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, for however many years, your forearm muscles makes sure your wrists can move. Just like any muscle, when they’re overused they can start to build up scar tissue, adhesions, or trigger points (irritated bundles of muscle that can refer pain other places). To these muscles, repetitive typing or overuse is a form of trauma. It’s a very small trauma, but a trauma nonetheless. Eventually, your muscles aren’t moving the way they should because of the scar tissue or the adhesions or the trigger points. The muscles start tugging in weird ways on the tendons down at the wrist and the tendons become irritated. Irritation leads to inflammation (think tendonitis) and inflammation leads to poor wrist range of motion and pain. As if that weren’t enough, some of these muscles attach to the small wrist bones themselves, and may start to tug on those bones. This doesn’t allow the bones of the wrist to move like they should, causing more inflammation and restriction and pain.

Not so coincidentally, strain on these muscles can also cause pain on the inside/outside of the elbow itself through the same mechanism. If you’ve got some elbow pain take a look at Dr. Piretti’s article here.

But back to wrist pain. What can you do to address wrist pain coming from your forearms?

·             Rest: We can’t avoid some of the activities that cause our wrist pain, but there are a few that we can go without. That may mean you take a couple of weeks off from the gym or the sport that is flaring things up. I know that’s not what anyone wants to hear but sometimes you have to quit aggravating the area in order to let it heal. While you’re resting though:

·             Ice: Ice the forearm, ice the wrist, then ice them both again a couple more times. Part of the reason you have pain is because of the inflammation and one of the best ways to squash inflammation is to cycle ice on and off so the blood vessels change size and pump inflammation out. Usually 10min on, 20min off 3-4 times/day is a good place to start.

·             Muscle work: The muscles of the forearm should be evaluated for trigger points, spasm, and fascial adhesions/scar tissue. These sensitive spots in the muscle can be worked out by hand by your massage therapist or chiropractor, or a technique called Graston can be used to break up all the grit in the muscle and restore function. Ask your chiropractor if he or she is familiar with the Graston technique and can evaluate your forearms/wrists. It won’t be the best 5minutes of your day, but it’ll probably be the most productive. It’s a great way to get the muscles of the forearm to calm down and start functioning properly again.

·             Adjustments: Getting the bones of the wrist/elbow moving properly is crucial to decreasing potential inflammation in the surrounding area, and allowing the muscles to heal and do their jobs. Your chiropractor can assess these joints for you and restore motion to them if needed.

·             Ergonomics: If you can’t change the fact that you’re on your computer/ipad/phone all day, or the fact that you work with your hands, and those activities seem to be exacerbating your pain, it might be necessary to evaluate HOW you carry out these activities. Changes to your desk/computer set up can help take pressure off the forearms, elbows, and wrists. The same can be true for how you use your phone or other electronic devices. Sometimes the smallest tweak to your set-up or how you move can make all the difference. Both google and your chiropractor probably have some pretty good suggestions for you in this area.

When my gymnastics-induced wrist pain flares up, I go to all of these things to treat the problem. It may not be the most comfortable avenue but it sure is effective and gets me back on track quicker than anything else I’ve found. As we said before though, that wrist pain of yours can come from plenty of other places. We’ll be sure to explore those options in the coming weeks. Until then, see if it’s “just” some stubborn old forearm muscles and have someone evaluate them for you!

Jumpers Knee/Tendonitis

So, I spent the weekend before last watching March Madness. By “spent the weekend watching” I mean that it was on at my cousin’s house while I was there doing laundry for 2hrs, but thankfully it was enough to inspire this week’s blog. Duke was playing San Diego State and there was a lot of sprinting, cutting, and jumping happening. Obviously my chiropractic brain started thinking about knee injuries. It actually made me think of one injury in particular given the season we’re entering into. According to the calendar at least, Spring is here and I’m seeing more and more runners logging their miles through the streets of Boston now that the Earth has started to thaw (fingers crossed). The overuse knee injury that plagues runners and jumpers most commonly this time of year is Patellar Tendonitis, or Jumper’s knee. It sneaks up on you, and can be surprisingly painful, so let’s take a second to talk about the injury and some ways to treat it.

A lot of people who show up to the office with knee pain caused by this injury are just confused. They haven’t tripped, they didn’t run into anything, and they can’t really pinpoint when the pain started. All they know is that their knee has been bothering them during their last few runs or pick-up basketball games. The hardest thing for people to wrap their minds around is that the pain associated with this injury is caused by a combination of cranky muscles and tendons, and not some major tear or fracture. Patients suffering from this injury present with stories so similar to one another that sometimes it feels like déjà vu. They sit on my exam table, point to the front of their knee right under the knee cap, and tell me they haven’t “done” anything but it sure does hurt when they exercise. When I ask how it feels to go up and down stairs they look at me like “How did you know?!” While I wish it was because I am brilliant and can also read minds, the truth is that the nature of this injury dictates what activities are painful, and stairs are almost always one of them.

When we’re talking about the knee, there are a couple of muscle groups to consider. Some of the muscles of the thigh/quad attach from the pelvis to the femur/thigh bone, and others attach from the femur/thigh bone to the shin bone. It is these muscles, the ones that cross over the knee on their way to the shin, that create movement at the knee joint. When the muscles of the quad contract, they extend the lower leg out straight. The opposite happens when the muscles of the hamstring contract. This brings your heel towards your buns.  For now, let’s focus on the muscles in the quad.

The main muscles of the quad are the rectus femoris and the vastus lateralis, medialis, and intermedius. They are all responsible for extending the knee and all play an important role in walking, jumping, running, and squatting as a result. The rectus femoris is particularly important because it attaches up into the hip and is important in swinging the leg forward while walking/running. It also travels down to the knee where it surrounds the kneecap before it turns into the patellar tendon and attaches to the shin bone. You can imagine how a muscle that crosses not one but TWO major joints is probably both very important and also under a lot of stress. This is especially true when it comes to the point at which the muscle attaches to the shin bone below the knee. Any overuse of the muscles (think runners with constant knee flexion and extension through their stride, basketball players jumping AND running, etc) can irritate that attachment point and cause tiny tears, inflammation, and weakness in the tendon, resulting in knee pain. Any imbalance of the muscles of the quads (or even the hamstrings/gluts for that matter) that affects how they work can make things even worse. The muscles start contracting in ways they aren’t meant to, and your body reacts with irritation and discomfort in that patellar tendon right below the kneecap. Eventually, the biomechanics of your knee are just “off” enough to cause that cranky, nagging  pain that you’re feeling.

So, how do we diagnose Patellar Tendonitis? Well, we rule out the bigger/badder stuff first. We use orthopedic tests to figure out if anything else can be causing your pain. Sometimes we take X-rays to make sure the bones aren’t involved. The rest of our diagnosis comes from testing the muscles for imbalances, assessing the joints of the knee for motion or lack thereof, and figuring out where the tenderness/pain is coming from.

Now the important part: How do we fix it?

Rest: There isn’t an athlete on the planet that likes to be told to rest, but sometimes it’s necessary to let things heal. Now, 2 weeks of rest won’t fix the cause of the injury, but it will help with the pain and inflammation.

Foam Rolling: I’m sure that you’ve seen someone at your gym rolling around on one of these over-sized pool noodles. They’re great for working through muscles that are so tight that stretching just isn’t going to cut it. If you’re tight enough it might feel like torture, but it works to loosen up both the muscle and the covering of the muscle that tends to develop adhesions and scar tissue over time. This allows the muscle to work more appropriately and takes stress off of that cranky insertion point we’ve been talking about. To use it, put it on the floor and lower yourself onto the roller so that your upper body is supported by your forearms in a plank position, and your lower body is supported by the roller under your quads (perpendicular to your body) with your feet off the ground. This probably WON’T feel good. I’m sorry! The goal is for you to roll up and down your quads 15-20times in this position. If it’s too much pressure, feel free to put one foot on the ground while you roll out the other leg to take some of the pressure away.

Graston: If this isn’t the first blog of mine that you’ve read, you’ve probably heard me talk about Graston. It’s that soft tissue technique that looks like a medieval torture technique but is actually AWESOME for soft tissue injuries. Your chiropractor can use it to break up adhesions in the covering of the quad muscles or around the tendon just under the knee cap. It hurts, but it’s a really effective way to get the muscles contracting the right way, taking pressure off stressed out joints.  

Muscle imbalances: Because there aren’t too many ways to tackle this one yourself, you may want to consult with your chiropractor. You may have thought that your chiro was just there to address your low back and neck pain, but we can do knees and extremities too! We are able to figure out which quad muscles are doing what, and target them accordingly. I’d love to tell you there’s a magic formula for everyone’s Jumper’s knee, but I’d be lying to you. Sometimes we need to put you through different squatting routines, practice proper sit-to-stand technique, or add some strengthening/stretches exercises to your gym routine. Proper function and biomechanics can make all the difference in this kind of injury.

Adjustments: Sometimes the way the joints of the knee are moving , or not, is the cause of the problem. If joints aren’t moving or gliding the way they should be, the muscle attachments in that area can get stressed, begin to work improperly, and create pain where that muscle inserts. In this case, irritated quad muscles due to restricted knee joints can result in inflammation just below the kneecap. The same is actually true for the low back and pelvis as well. If joints aren’t moving properly in these areas, the muscles that connect these areas into the legs get tight and irritated. If these muscles go to the knee, you might have yourself some knee pain. Ask your chiropractor to evaluate your spine and knees for good motion in the joints, and address them with adjustments if necessary .

The moral of the story is that knees are sensitive, and even if you haven’t sustained a major injury there are plenty of soft tissues and joints that can cause more pain than you’d expect. Take time to figure out where your pain is coming from, and get it treated before the real Spring season arrives. Stay healthy and injury free, and good luck with your March Madness brackets!!