Nurses and Back Pain: What to Know

Nurses

Nurses

How can nurses prevent back pain?

The main problem is with lifting; while most people wouldn’t think it, lifting is one of the main tasks a nurse is called upon to do. Between assisting patients in bed, moving them between table and gurney, and preventing falls, nurses are constantly called on to lift disproportionate amounts of weight at awkward angles. The frequent result is strain to the soft, supportive tissues in the back. And over time, all this damage compounds to cause more serious long-term injury. Here are steps nurses can take to prevent back pain: 

  • Lift the way your parents taught you: with your legs, not your back when possible. 
  • Wear supportive shoes: you are on your feet all day; shoes minimize the amount of impact your intervertebral discs will have to absorb. 
  • Consider switching specializations: if possible, there are certain specializations that demand less in terms of lifting. 
  • Find the healthcare provider that utilizes the latest technology, including ceiling lifts that take the necessity for lifting out of your hands.

Nurses can benefit from chiropractic care

It is a shame that health workers are the most at risk for back-pain-related conditions. We want to help nurses keep their backs in good health despite the demands of their job. If you or a nurse you know is suffering from back pain related to their job, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Shoulder Pain

Shoulder Pain

Shoulder Pain

Shoulder Pain and Chiropractic

If you are unsure about the cause of your pain, give our office a call to schedule an appointment. We direct treatment to the specific cause of your injury to ensure that we are not just treating symptoms. In this way, we give you the best chance of beating pain, restoring range of motion, and preventing pain from recurring. We offer chiropractic treatment to address nerve communication to the shoulders, provide information and instruction on appropriate stretching and exercise, and other therapies to help improve conditions including: 

  • Shoulder dislocation
  • Bursitis
  • Rotator Cuff injuries
  • Frozen Shoulder
  • Shoulder instability
  • Referred pain 
  • Arthritis
  • Labral tears
  • Ligament injury
  • and other conditions

Give our office a call to schedule an appointment today!

Dynamically Treating Back Pain with Flexion-Distraction

Dynamically Treating Back Pain

Dynamically Treating Back Pain

Flexion distraction is one of the tools we can use to treat back pain

It is a technique that uses a specialized table to elongate the spine while we simultaneously perform a targeted pumping motion that flexes the spine. The goal of flexion-distraction is to:

  • Increase space between the discs and reverse intradiscal pressure
  • Facilitate the retracting of bulging disc material
  • Put a stop to painful impingement on spinal nerves

When it comes to back pain, think conservative care first 

Flexion-distraction is an important tool in our arsenal of all-natural, non-invasive techniques that seek to improve spinal function to help you live a better life. Flexion-distraction helps people suffering with herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, spinal stenosis and many other conditions associated with the spine. If you are interested in using chiropractic to help you address your pain head on, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Atherogenic Inhibition: A Chiropractic Approach to Healing

A Chiropractic Approach to Healing

A Chiropractic Approach to Healing

Addressing atherogenic muscle inhibition

This is a neuromuscular condition in which the joint provides the brain with information by way of sensory nerves and the spinal cord. As the inputs from the joint are changed because of injury, the change in the activity of signaling between joint and brain causes inhibition in the muscles. Therefore, the main problem with atherogenic muscle inhibition is its subsequent effect on the range of movement. Because the muscles cannot activate fully, a common result is muscle wasting and inequality in strength between the two joints.

At our office, we focus on mitigating the symptoms of atherogenic muscle inhibition by improving joint mobility through targeted adjustments. We focus on improving neurological function between muscle and brain to allow for the proper activation and sustained contraction of muscles surrounding the joint, allowing strength to be retained and rehabilitation to go faster. If you are interested in finding out more about how we can contribute to the rehabilitation of your joint injury, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

The Challenges of Sleeping at College

Sleeping

Sleeping

New college students face unique sleep challenges

Many new college students are going to be adjusting to an elevated schedule of demands on both body and mind when it comes to managing a schedule that balances social commitments and academic responsibilities. When it comes to sleeping, these demands can cause difficulty; the top challenges identified by college students when it comes to sleeping include:

  • Getting used to a new environment- noise at night, an unfamiliar (and often uncomfortable) bed.
  • Stress: managing work, school and play creates a feedback loop of psychological and physiological stress
  • Health problems: exposure to new bugs, seasonal sickness, and even the side effects of medicine 

…and we can add to the list: the body and brain’s chemical adjustment as they get used to increased substance intake. 

Chiropractic can help you find a more restful night’s sleep at college

Utilizing both chiropractic and massage modalities, we can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol and enhance the feel-good capabilities of your brain. This helps to stimulate feelings of calm and relaxation that allow you to find both quality and quantity of sleep. If you are interested in sleeping better through your college experience, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

The Therapeutic Effect of Floating

water therapy

water therapy

The rehabilitative effects of swimming

Exercising in the pool has numerous benefits that exercising on land just can’t match:

  • Reduced compression of the spinal joints
  • Natural resistance of the water means that every movement is strengthening
  • Warm water provides therapy to joints

One major limitation for people looking to overcome back pain is that the pain itself limits motion. Your back pain is holding you back from performing the exact motions which help you prevent the pain in the first place. Enter the water and this vicious cycle begins to unwind. You can focus on strengthening and stretching the muscles and joints that matter for keeping pain at bay at whatever level of intensity you choose. 

How we help you get in the water

Our primary goal at our office is to get you in conducive shape for whatever kind of exercise you like most. After all, moving is what matters! If you want to get into the pool, we can help you overcome back pain through spinal adjustment that aligns the spine and improves your overall range of motion. Furthermore, chiropractic adjustment has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve circulation, boosting the body’s healing response. That means you can get in the water and reap the therapeutic benefits of buoyancy without the fear of hurting yourself further. If you are interested in overcoming back pain in a natural manner, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

How We Help Athletes Stay Ahead of Injuries

Athletes Stay Ahead of Injuries

Athletes Stay Ahead of Injuries

Adding an extra layer of support to your joints

While high-impact sports help your body build stronger joints and stronger tissue to surround them, it is important to give them an extra layer of protection and support; that extra layer comes from chiropractic. Through chiropractic adjustment and other hands-on modalities, we help high-impact athletes maintain the strength and mobility of the joints and muscles that are used most. 

When it comes to injured joints, chiropractors apply a manual force to restore joint mobility and increase circulation to damaged tissues which may be contributing to the loss of motion. Chiropractic treatment reduces inflammation and pain and facilitates the healing process.

Keep moving your best with chiropractic care

Athletes will benefit from the chiropractic care provided at our office because we are experts in musculoskeletal form. We keep your nervous system free of interference and ensure the proper alignment of your spine to keep your body ahead of potential injuries. If you are interested in adding an extra layer of protection and optimization to your athletic repertoire, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.