With cold weather creeping in and some of us, including your Chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA Area, are reluctant to turn on the heat and lots of people are waking up with “Stiff Necks”. This can usually be the cause of tight neck posture muscles from a cold bedroom. Keeping your neck stretched and relaxed will help prevent neck stiffness… and keep it warm.
The muscle runs from the top medial part of your shoulder blade up in to your neck. So the way to stretch it is to separate those two structures. You can do the stretch standing or sitting.
Lengthen the muscle by raising the elbow above the shoulder on the side to stretch.
In this position, first rest the elbow against a door jamb. This rotates the outside of shoulder blade up and the inside of it down, which lengthens the levator scapula muscle.
Second, turn the head away from the side that is stretching and bring the chin down, stretching the back of the neck .
Third, place the fingers of the other hand on the top of the head and gently pull the head forward increasing the stretch slightly.
Hold this for about 30 seconds to a minute.
If this helps great you got some relief before going to your chiropractor. If they didn’t call for an appointment because it won’t usually improve on its own.
Vertigo is definitely associated with an ear infection or and ear problem. But it could also be a reason to see your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor. Not because I can help your ear infection but because it could be coming from your upper neck. So, if your ear has improved but your dizziness hasn’t it may be a good time to give us a call.
When someone experiences dizziness, also called vertigo, the whole world seems to spin out of control with the nearest solid object becoming a lifesaver. Vertigo is a common complaint, especially after head and neck trauma. It may come from problems in the inner ear, or from disturbances in pathways in the nervous system. The experience can be impact your whole world, causing nausea, vomiting, and sweating.
If you are having trouble with vertigo, your chiropractor may be able to help. In a recent report in Livestrong, chiropractic solutions are outlined. Chiropractic manipulation can help solve vertigo: “Your chiropractor will use manipulation targeting joints that are not moving properly. In the upper neck, faulty motion patterns create misinformation about body position and movement going from the joints to the brain. This type of vertigo, called cervicogenic vertigo, can be helped by chiropractic manipulation.”
Positioning Maneuvers: The inner ear houses the body’s true balance center, the vestibulocochlear system. This complex system of fluid-filled tubes lined with hair-like sensors provides information to the central nervous system about position and movement. In some individuals, debris may accumulate in there. If this debris settles on sensitive areas within the tubes, it may result in vertigo.
If the patient’s vertigo appears to be coming from the inner ear, a chiropractor may use the Epley Maneuver to reposition the debris to a more innocuous position.
Your chiropractor will have exercises to help too. Exercises like the Brandt-Daroff technique have the person sit on the edge of a bed and flop first to one side, back upright, then to the other side at one-minute intervals. Tai chi exercise may also help as slow, controlled movements provide a safe way to focus on your body movements and balance.
Your chiropractor will discuss your diet and daily habits to pinpoint other reasons for vertigo. Tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and other substances that stimulate or depress the nervous system may become triggers. And non-prescription sleeping pills or antihistamines can spark dizziness. Your chiropractor may also suggest meditation, relaxation, or breathing techniques to regain control.
As you pursue diet, new daily habits, and relaxation techniques, be sure to discuss changes with your doctor to complete your health picture.
As your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area I see tons of low back pain. Not all low back pain is the same and the SI injury is a very common complaint. This is that pain that is to the right or left of your spine along the pant line. It can also cause pain into the buttock and back of leg.
Chiropractic is all about expression of optimal health and living the best possible life for you. The focus, especially with doctors of chiropractic at The Joint, is about improving the overall quality of your daily life through regular spinal adjustments. An adjustment helps restore spinal movement, which allows the nervous system to function at its highest possible level. Because the nervous system controls everything we do (including breathing, blinking and swallowing), a system operating optimally is extremely valuable. One of the additional perks — the one that often brings people in — is that pain and joint dysfunction often go away. That’s like magic! Many times people are freed to return to activities they love but have struggled participating in, whether it’s skateboarding, surfing, or lifting a little one up over their head. One of the most common issues that chiropractors see is SI joint dysfunction. It’s common enough that many people know what the SI joint is, but if you don’t, don’t worry — just keep reading. I’ll go over a bit of the science and how chiropractic can play a role in resolving SI joint issues.
The Science
SI stands for sacroiliac. You have two SI joints. The joints are on either side of the sacrum and each ilium (you know this as your hip bone). They are at the bottom of the spine and connect the sacrum and ilium on each side. The main motion of the joint is a shearing motion (a sliding motion back and forth between two parallel surfaces, joint facets in this case).
Dysfunction
SI joint dysfunction means the SI joint is not moving the way it’s intended. Perhaps this means its range of motion is limited — either the sacrum or the ilium is literally mal-positioned and stuck — or there is too much motion. Each joint works to transfer weight from the upper body to the lower body; they are designed to allow minimal movement and they have strong ligaments and tendons that support them. The dysfunction can occur as a result of a variety of things. We live in a society in which the average person sits far too much and carries too much weight. This lack of movement doesn’t encourage proper SI joint health and function. Dysfunction can also be a result of stress from overcompensation after prior spinal surgeries. Too much SI joint movement commonly occurs in pregnant women due to ligament-stretching and laxity.
Symptoms and Treatment
As with most conditions, symptoms vary from person to person. It’s common for SI joint dysfunction to present with low back pain or pain in the buttocks. Pain can radiate down the leg or even into the front of the thigh, but generally not past the knee. SI joint pain can mimic many other causes of low back pain. Chiropractors are experts at determining the source of spine pain in patients — and caring for them, too!
Through an adjustment, chiropractors help restore motion in the SI joint and/or associated joints contributing to the problem. I’ve found that SI joint dysfunction typically responds well to chiropractic care and that pain relief can occur quickly after an adjustment. The exact treatment duration and intensity will depend on the person, their lifestyle and the degree of the subluxation.
As your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area headaches are a very common problem that I see. Most times the headaches are associated with some type of neck pain. This is the type of headache that responds very well to chiropractic care.
Neck pain and headaches are linked more often than you would think. Most people think they have a headache and it is local to the head. Further investigation could find the cause being your neck. There are two major types of headaches: Migraines (which we all seem to know about) and cervicogenic. Most people assume a really bad headache is just a migraine. This isn’t always the case and more often than not the headache is coming from the upper neck region. This is the reason migraine medication doesn’t work on these headaches.
Getting the headaches properly diagnosed will help people properly treat them. I see tons of patients who come in with “migraines.” They explain the entire headache. It starts in the back of my neck then shoots into my head. By this point they are taking their medication but it never seems to work. Then they sit in a dark room and try and ride out the “migraine.”
Visiting Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA is a great place to start to get the headaches properly diagnosed. If that isn’t possible check out a local chiropractor who can help you properly diagnose the headache. The headache could be what is called a cervicogenic headache. Sound scary but it is treatable and generally chiropractic care is the place to begin.
By definition a cervicogenic headache is any headache which is caused by the neck. The term ‘cervicogenic’ simply refers the cervical area, which is a part of your spine located right near the base of the skull. The pain of cervicogenic headache is usually unilateral; it originates in the neck and then spreads to the oculofrontal-temporal areas of the head. The headache initially presents as intermittent episodes and then progresses to an almost continuous pain. Pain may be triggered or exacerbated by neck movement or a particular neck position; it can also be triggered by applying pressure over the ipsilateral upper part of the back of the neck or the ipsilateral occipital region. If this sounds like your headache visiting a Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge Virginia may help.
There are some simple things you can do at home to help prevent the headaches if you can’t get to a chiropractor.
Relaxation
Heat or cool the head and neck
Mobilizing
Postural exercise
Improve your computer work station ergonomics (see our tips on this in other blogs at doroskichiropractic.com)
Of course if the headaches are severe enough and none of your home therapies are working do not hesitate to contact your Doctor. Headaches could be a symptom of a more serious problem and your Doctor will be able to do further testing or imaging to rule out more serious conditions.
With the standing desk being the new be-all end-all, I want to remind you not to forget about the stability ball. Yes, I know that was the old be-all end-all. Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA chiropractor wants to remind you that the stability ball does have some actual benefits that may help you with your low back pain.
1.) Burn Extra Calories
As a personal trainer, you may not spend a large portion of your day sitting. However, many of your clients may sit for eight or more hours a day. That’s where you come in. While you probably focus on form and stance during each session, part of being a successful personal trainer is integrating your knowledge and expertise beyond the gym. You must be willing to go the extra mile and offer advice that your clients can take home with them. If your client is interested in replacing the office chair with a stability ball, remind him or her of the added bonus: extra burned calories.
2.) Relieve Back Pain
While you will have to focus on maintaining good posture while sitting on the stability ball, you won’t be as hunched over as you could be sitting in an office chair. But the truth is, sitting on a stability ball isn’t going to bring miracles or completely alleviate any pain you are experiencing. However, with regular exercise and stretching on a stability ball, you may be able to relieve some of the pain you are experiencing. We’ll take a closer look at those options below.
3.) Tone Core Muscles
While we already discussed the negative impacts that sitting in a chair can have on your core strength, did we mention that switching to a stability ball can also help you to sculpt and tone those stubborn abs and obliques? With a stability ball, you are no longer relying on the back of the chair to keep you propped up. Instead you must engage your core, which of course leads to an increase in your core strength. Looking for an extra challenge during the workday?
4.) Induce the Inspiration to Stretch
Maybe it’s just us, but it’s rather difficult as a trainer to sit on a stability ball without taking a break or two during the day to stretch out and relieve some tension. As we stated earlier in the post, the stability ball can relieve some strain you may experience in your back. It can also provide added support when you want to get a deeper stretch that you may not have been able to perform otherwise.
Keeping a strong core is still a good way to prevent a low back injury. It isn’t the only thing you should do but it can help. Get a regular adjustment from your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor and do these exercises!
Basic Core Exercises for Beginners
Supermans
Easy to learn and perform, Supermans strengthen the often-neglected lower back, a common source of pain. They also provide a great full-body stretch to finish up your workout.
Lie with stomach on ground, arms extended overhead and legs straight
Raise arms and legs as high as possible and hold for five to 10 seconds; keep arms straight and core tight
Slowly lower and repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3-4×20
Bird Dogs
Assume all-fours position with back flat; look straight ahead
Slowly raise right arm and left leg and hold for five to 10 seconds; keep core right
Slowly lower and perform on opposite site
Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3-4×20 each side
Planks
Assume plank position with elbows under shoulders, back flat and eyes focused on ground
Keep core tight and hold position for specified time
What factor does your weight play in your low back pain? Putting on a few pounds really doesn’t have a significant impact on your low back complaint. Of course, the more weight you add the greater risk you have of developing a low back issue. One thing that seems to go hand in hand with weight gain is a decrease in activity. This is also a factor in developing a low back injury. Your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area wants to help you understand the links between low back pain and weight gain.
According to the American Obesity Association, episodes of musculoskeletal pain, and specifically back pain, are prevalent among the nearly one-third of Americans who are classified as obese. The American Obesity Association also reports that more obese persons say they are disabled and less able to complete everyday activities than persons with other chronic conditions.
Some of the most common obesity-related problems include musculoskeletal and joint related pain. For people who are overweight, attention to overall weight loss is important as every pound adds strain to the muscles and ligaments in the back. In order to compensate for extra weight, the spine can become tilted and stressed unevenly. As a result, over time, the back may lose its proper support and an unnatural curvature of the spine may develop.
In particular, pain and problems in the low back may be aggravated by obesity. This occurs for people with extra weight in their stomachs because the excess weight pulls the pelvis forward and strains the lower back, creating lower back pain. According to the American Obesity Association, women who are obese or who have a large waist size are particularly at risk for lower back pain.
Obese or overweight patients may experience sciatica and low back pain from a herniated disc. This occurs when discs and other spinal structures are damaged from having to compensate for the pressure of extra weight on the back.
In addition, pinched nerves and piriformis syndrome may result when extra weight is pushed into spaces between bones in the low back area.
Arthritis of the spine that causes back pain may be aggravated when extra body weight strains joints. Those patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 25 are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than those with a lower BMI. The American Obesity Association recommends modest weight loss as a treatment for some types of osteoarthritis.
The effectiveness of back surgery may also be affected by a patient’s weight. Obese patients are at higher risk for complications and infections after surgery compared to patients who are not obese. For seriously overweight patients, paying attention to weight loss before undergoing back surgery may improve the healing process after surgery.
Identifying the Need for Weight Loss
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure commonly used by medical practitioners. BMI is a mathematical formula (BMI=kg/m2) that takes into account a person’s weight in kilograms and height in meters and calculates a number. The higher a person’s BMI falls on a pre-determined range of values, the higher the likelihood for obesity. Although there is some debate over the specific meaning of BMI measurements, a BMI of 30 or higher is typically considered to be obese, while a measure of 25 to 29.9 is typically considered to be overweight.
It is also important to evaluate where excess fat is carried on the patient’s body. Patients who carry more weight around their midsection are at greater risk for obesity-related health problems, such as low back pain. Weight loss for health considerations is often advisable for women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches.
Sacroiliac or SI pain is one of the most common types of low back pain I see as your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area. It is a pain that is on the right or left side of your waist line. It can cause pain into your butt or leg. Chiropractic can help with this complaint once the inflammation goes down so I always preach ICE!
Chiropractic is all about expression of optimal health and living the best possible life for you. The focus, especially with doctors of chiropractic at The Joint, is about improving the overall quality of your daily life through regular spinal adjustments. An adjustment helps restore spinal movement, which allows the nervous system to function at its highest possible level. Because the nervous system controls everything we do (including breathing, blinking and swallowing), a system operating optimally is extremely valuable. One of the additional perks — the one that often brings people in — is that pain and joint dysfunction often go away. That’s like magic! Many times people are freed to return to activities they love but have struggled participating in, whether it’s skateboarding, surfing, or lifting a little one up over their head. One of the most common issues that chiropractors see is SI joint dysfunction. It’s common enough that many people know what the SI joint is, but if you don’t, don’t worry — just keep reading. I’ll go over a bit of the science and how chiropractic can play a role in resolving SI joint issues.
The Science
SI stands for sacroiliac. You have two SI joints. The joints are on either side of the sacrum and each ilium (you know this as your hip bone). They are at the bottom of the spine and connect the sacrum and ilium on each side. The main motion of the joint is a shearing motion (a sliding motion back and forth between two parallel surfaces, joint facets in this case).
Dysfunction
SI joint dysfunction means the SI joint is not moving the way it’s intended. Perhaps this means its range of motion is limited — either the sacrum or the ilium is literally mal-positioned and stuck — or there is too much motion. Each joint works to transfer weight from the upper body to the lower body; they are designed to allow minimal movement and they have strong ligaments and tendons that support them. The dysfunction can occur as a result of a variety of things. We live in a society in which the average person sits far too much and carries too much weight. This lack of movement doesn’t encourage proper SI joint health and function. Dysfunction can also be a result of stress from overcompensation after prior spinal surgeries. Too much SI joint movement commonly occurs in pregnant women due to ligament-stretching and laxity.
Symptoms and Treatment
As with most conditions, symptoms vary from person to person. It’s common for SI joint dysfunction to present with low back pain or pain in the buttocks. Pain can radiate down the leg or even into the front of the thigh, but generally not past the knee. SI joint pain can mimic many other causes of low back pain. Chiropractors are experts at determining the source of spine pain in patients — and caring for them, too!
Through an adjustment, chiropractors help restore motion in the SI joint and/or associated joints contributing to the problem. I’ve found that SI joint dysfunction typically responds well to chiropractic care and that pain relief can occur quickly after an adjustment. The exact treatment duration and intensity will depend on the person, their lifestyle and the degree of the subluxation.
Shoulder pain is very common because the joint has a huge range of motion which means it sacrifices some stability. A common shoulder injury is frozen shoulder. This can be the result of multiple injuries to the labrum portion of the joint causing pain, which than leads to lose of motion and a tightening of the shoulder. Your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area has some information that may help
Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a common condition in which the articular shoulder capsule (a sac of ligaments surrounding the joint) swells and stiffens, restricting its mobility. It typically affects only one shoulder, but one in five cases affect both.
The term “frozen shoulder” is often used incorrectly for arthritis, even though the two conditions are unrelated. Frozen shoulder refers specifically to the shoulder joint, while arthritis may refer to other/multiple joints.
The shoulder has a spheroidal joint (ball – and – socket joint), in which the round part of one bone fits into the concavity of another. The proximal humerus (round head of the upper arm bone) fits into socket of the scapula (shoulder blade). Frozen shoulder is thought to cause the formation of scar tissue in the shoulder, which makes the shoulder joint’s capsule (not to be confused with the rotator cuff) thicken and tighten, leaving less room for movement. Therefore, movement may be stiff and even painful.
The modern English words “adhesive capsulitis” are derived from the Latin words adhaerens meaning “sticking to” and capsula meaning “little container” and the Greek word itis meaning “inflammation”.
Frozen shoulder is a condition that commonly occurs in people between 40 and 60 years of age. Women tend to suffer with frozen shoulder more than men.
Causes of frozen shoulder
The cause of frozen shoulder is not fully understood and in some cases is unidentifiable. However, most people with frozen shoulder have suffered from immobility as a result of a recent injury or fracture. The condition is common in people with diabetes.
Risk factors for frozen shoulder
A risk factor is something that elevates the risk of developing a disease or condition. For example, smoking is a risk factor for cancer – it elevates the risk of developing lung cancer.
Common risk factors for frozen shoulder are:
You’re more likely to suffer from frozen shoulder if you’re female and over 40 years of age.
Age – being over 40 years of age.
Gender – 70% of people with frozen shoulder are women.
Recent surgery or arm fracture – immobility of recovery may cause the shoulder capsule to stiffen.
Diabetes – two to four times more likely to develop frozen shoulder for unknown reasons; symptoms may be more severe.
A symptom is something the patient feels and/or reports, while a sign is something others, including the doctor observe. For example, pain is usually a symptom, while a rash could be a sign.
The most pervasive sign or symptom of frozen shoulder is a persistently painful and stiff shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms of frozen shoulder develop gradually; usually in three stages in which signs and symptoms worsen gradually and resolve within a two – year period.
There are three stages of frozen shoulder:
Painful stage – the shoulder becomes stiff and then very painful with movement. Movement becomes limited. Pain typically worsens at night.
Frozen/adhesive stage – the shoulder becomes increasingly stiff, severely limiting range of motion. Pain may not diminish, but it does not usually worsen.
Thawing stage – movement in the shoulder begins to improve. Pain may fade, but occasionally recur.
You should visit your local chiropractor to have this problem evaluated and treated.
It is easy to say make sure you lift correctly… but what is the correct way? Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor has some proper lifting tips for you. Since you are always going to be bending and lifting you might as well do it correctly.
Back pain and injuries from improper lifting techniques typically lead to three kinds of injuries to the muscles, vertebral discs, and joints. Some injuries from incorrect lifting include:
With improper lifting, you may experience a tear, rupture, or shift out of position of the soft cushions between your vertebrae, called discs. If this injury does occur, the fibrous rings surrounding the soft leathery discs can bulge and even rupture. This can cause the dislocated or ruptured disc to press against a nerve, causing pain and numbness to radiate down into you buttocks or leg.
Because of the numerous joints in your spinal column that connect all of the various bony structures, injury may occur. A joint injury can be caused by a bad lift because it causes excessive strain on your joints, irritating tissue within them, and in some cases, locking them up. As well, if you change position during a lift, you can place a lot of stress on your lower back muscles. This added stress can easily strain and injure your back, usually in the form of a small twist or tear of a single muscle or group of muscles.
An important rule to remember when lifting is to never bend from your waist and then stand upright to lift an item from the ground. Keep your back straight and crouch first by bending at the knees or hips. This all depends on where the item is that you are lifting and allows your arms and shoulder muscles to do the brunt of the lifting, rather than your back. Some simple lifting techniques include:
Make sure you have a place to put the object you are lifting.
If you need to turn while lifting the object, use your feet to pivot, not your back.
Your leg muscles should be the ones providing the power during your motion to stand erect, not your back.
Keep the object close to your body in order to maximize the use of your arms and shoulder muscles.
Keep your chest forward and bend at your hips, or knees, not your lower back.
When lifting, push your chest out, pointing forward. Avoid twisting or turning during your lift as this will cause injury.
Lead with your hips, not your shoulders and keep your shoulders in line with your hips.
Don’t lift any objects that are obviously too heavy.
