Your neck was created with a built-in shock absorber.
Imagine trying to balance a bowling ball on a stick. To make it more difficult, tilt the stick forward while trying to maintain balance of the bowling ball. That's what it's like trying to support your head on your neck if it loses its natural curve!
Your neck was created with a built-in shock absorber called a curve or lordosis. This was formed by design because the curve acts like a spring and absorbs the shock of your head resting on your neck. Think of the same bowling ball now resting on a large spring.....can you see and feel the difference?
When your neck loses its curve, the ligaments supporting your neck become stretched and lose their ability to maintain the curve. This can occur from a motor vehicle accident, chronic poor posture or uncorrected vertebral subluxation complexes.
Once your neck has lost its normal curve, your neck and shoulder muscles attempt to hold your head in the proper position. Unfortunately they were not created for this and they tire easily. Unless you decide to let your head drop into your lap, your neck muscles will have to continue holding up your head long after becoming fatigued. That's precisely when muscle spasms occur, and tightness begins in your neck and shoulders.
Ask your Doctor of Chiropractic to assist you in restoring your neck's normal curvature. This can include stretches and exercises, cervical traction, and an orthopedic pillow created specifically for maintaining the proper curve in your neck.
www.missionvillagechiropractic.com
www.blakelychiropractic.com
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Why Does My Back Ache?
US Department of Labor estimates that 100 million work days per year are lost due to low back pain!
Carrying the kids on your shoulders, cleaning the floors, lifting groceries out of the car, or a little extra up front (that's the pendulous abdominal syndrome). Lifting, bending and twisting, or worse yet, sitting all day at work. Add to this a slip and fall or a previous car accident and it's not difficult to understand why studies show that approximately 80% of Americans will suffer from lower back pain at some time in their life.
Many times back pain begins after just bending over to pick up a pencil. Now, it's not the pencil causing your back pain, but rather yoru lower back's structure (meaning the muscles, joints, discs, and vertebrae) has lost its normal functioning, and therefore could not provide the necessary support to your spine. Doctors of Chiropractic specialize in finding the cause of your lower back pain. Combining spinal adjustments with proper exercises and stretches, and a well balanced diet are the keys to reducing or eliminating your lower back pain. Doctors of Chiropractic are the specialists in treating lower back pain!
Resource: Cassidy, J.D., et al, "Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Low-Back Pain." Canadian Family Physician. 1985; Vol. 31, March pp. 535-540.
www.blakelychiropractic.com
www.missionvillagechiropractic.com
Carrying the kids on your shoulders, cleaning the floors, lifting groceries out of the car, or a little extra up front (that's the pendulous abdominal syndrome). Lifting, bending and twisting, or worse yet, sitting all day at work. Add to this a slip and fall or a previous car accident and it's not difficult to understand why studies show that approximately 80% of Americans will suffer from lower back pain at some time in their life.
Many times back pain begins after just bending over to pick up a pencil. Now, it's not the pencil causing your back pain, but rather yoru lower back's structure (meaning the muscles, joints, discs, and vertebrae) has lost its normal functioning, and therefore could not provide the necessary support to your spine. Doctors of Chiropractic specialize in finding the cause of your lower back pain. Combining spinal adjustments with proper exercises and stretches, and a well balanced diet are the keys to reducing or eliminating your lower back pain. Doctors of Chiropractic are the specialists in treating lower back pain!
Resource: Cassidy, J.D., et al, "Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Low-Back Pain." Canadian Family Physician. 1985; Vol. 31, March pp. 535-540.
www.blakelychiropractic.com
www.missionvillagechiropractic.com
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Rehabilitation Stretches
Rehabilitation Stretches
Rehabilitating your spine can be easy if you understand a simple model.
Joints, muscles and ligaments combine with precision balance to provide motion and stability. However, when a joint is injured (the elbow for example), its primary movers (the biceps) become short to protect the injured joint. Muscles moving the joint in the opposite direction of the biceps (the triceps), become stretched out or longer allowing the biceps to shorten. This phenomenon is called reflex inhibition.
A joint (spinal joint, knee, elbow), can be injured in many ways. One overlooked cause of injury is chronic poor posture. There are two common postural problems seen today, one in the upper body (called upper crossed syndrome) and one in the lower body (called lower crossed syndrome). The goal of spinal rehabilitation is to achieve the balance between motion, flexibility and stability.
There are 3 steps in rehabilitating the spine from these incorrect postural conditions.
1. Adjusting
Creating proper motion within the involved joint is best accomplished with specific chiropractic manipulation (CMT or "Adjusting")
2. Stretching
Specific stretches for the shortened muscles comes next. Although there are numerous protocols for stretching, 3 sets holding 15 seconds works well.
3. Exercises
Finally, specific exercises are performed to strengthen the weakened muscles. Again, many exercise protocols exist, 3 sets of 12 repititions is appropriate.
source: Chiropractic Wellness Volume 7, Issue 3
www.blakelychiropractic.com
www.missionvillagechiropractic.com
Rehabilitating your spine can be easy if you understand a simple model.
Joints, muscles and ligaments combine with precision balance to provide motion and stability. However, when a joint is injured (the elbow for example), its primary movers (the biceps) become short to protect the injured joint. Muscles moving the joint in the opposite direction of the biceps (the triceps), become stretched out or longer allowing the biceps to shorten. This phenomenon is called reflex inhibition.
A joint (spinal joint, knee, elbow), can be injured in many ways. One overlooked cause of injury is chronic poor posture. There are two common postural problems seen today, one in the upper body (called upper crossed syndrome) and one in the lower body (called lower crossed syndrome). The goal of spinal rehabilitation is to achieve the balance between motion, flexibility and stability.
There are 3 steps in rehabilitating the spine from these incorrect postural conditions.
1. Adjusting
Creating proper motion within the involved joint is best accomplished with specific chiropractic manipulation (CMT or "Adjusting")
2. Stretching
Specific stretches for the shortened muscles comes next. Although there are numerous protocols for stretching, 3 sets holding 15 seconds works well.
3. Exercises
Finally, specific exercises are performed to strengthen the weakened muscles. Again, many exercise protocols exist, 3 sets of 12 repititions is appropriate.
source: Chiropractic Wellness Volume 7, Issue 3
www.blakelychiropractic.com
www.missionvillagechiropractic.com
Monday, September 1, 2008
Being Treated and Adjust
Doctors of Chiropractic deliver 94% of all manipulative procedures!
If your doctor determines that your condition would benefit from chiropractic care, part of the treatment plan will most likely include a form of spinal manipulation called chiropractic manipulative therapy (C.M.T.) or "adjustments." The purpose of the adjustment is to normalize the improper spinal motion found within the vertebral subluxation complex, therefore reducing nerve interference.
Doctors of Chiropractic are not the only health care professionals to utilize spinal manipulation. Physiotherapists, osteopaths and even some medical doctors incorporate spinal manipulation in their treatment plan as well. The difference, however, is that Doctors of Chiropractic are uniquely trained to apply spinal manipulation. DCs spend years mastering the art and science of spinal manipulation, and in fact, deliver 94% of all manipulative procedures!
Although there are many chiropractic styles or "techniques" utilized by DCs in practice today, they all share a common goal; correcting the VSC for the purpose of eliminating nerve interference associated with the VSC.
Many chiropractic offices utilize various complimentary therapies to assist in treating the five parts of the VSC. Physiotherapy modalities (common ones are ultra-sound, electric muscle simulation, heat and ice), massage therapy, rehabilitative exercises and stretches, as well as nutritional counseling are commonly found in the chiropractic office setting.
Resource: Shekelle, P.G. et al. "The Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation for Lower Back Pain." 1991; Ran Study/UCLA
www.blakelychiropractic.com
www.missionvillagechiropractic.com
If your doctor determines that your condition would benefit from chiropractic care, part of the treatment plan will most likely include a form of spinal manipulation called chiropractic manipulative therapy (C.M.T.) or "adjustments." The purpose of the adjustment is to normalize the improper spinal motion found within the vertebral subluxation complex, therefore reducing nerve interference.
Doctors of Chiropractic are not the only health care professionals to utilize spinal manipulation. Physiotherapists, osteopaths and even some medical doctors incorporate spinal manipulation in their treatment plan as well. The difference, however, is that Doctors of Chiropractic are uniquely trained to apply spinal manipulation. DCs spend years mastering the art and science of spinal manipulation, and in fact, deliver 94% of all manipulative procedures!
Although there are many chiropractic styles or "techniques" utilized by DCs in practice today, they all share a common goal; correcting the VSC for the purpose of eliminating nerve interference associated with the VSC.
Many chiropractic offices utilize various complimentary therapies to assist in treating the five parts of the VSC. Physiotherapy modalities (common ones are ultra-sound, electric muscle simulation, heat and ice), massage therapy, rehabilitative exercises and stretches, as well as nutritional counseling are commonly found in the chiropractic office setting.
Resource: Shekelle, P.G. et al. "The Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation for Lower Back Pain." 1991; Ran Study/UCLA
www.blakelychiropractic.com
www.missionvillagechiropractic.com
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