Even if you have never stepped foot onto a court before, you may end up with tennis elbow. Occurring along the muscle that allows extension of the wrist, it is a painful condition that can linger for weeks or months. Previously, tennis elbow primarily showed up in athletes. Due to the increased interest in physical fitness, tennis elbow is being found in everyday exercisers, as well as people who perform work-related repetitive motion. Tennis elbow presents several symptoms. Pain will occur on the outside of the elbow an inch or so down from the bony part. There may also be pain when the individual tries to extend the hand and fingers against resistance. Extreme weakness in the wrist is another symptom. I have been diagnosed with tennis elbow. Now what? Tennis elbow is often difficult to diagnose, which can delay treatment. A correct diagnosis of tennis elbow is the first step towards being able to treat the condition and rehab the afflicted area. From there, a variety of treatments for tennis elbow are available. Passive remedies like rest, ice, and arm braces are critical components to healing tennis elbow. Take measures to reduce the movements that aggravate the pain, and use ice at regular intervals to help minimize pain and inflammation. An arm brace supports and stabilizes the area to promote healing. These remedies assist greatly in treating the condition, especially in the beginning. Active remedies consist of stretching and strengthening exercises, and are vital aspects of improving the condition. Individuals suffering from tennis elbow should begin an exercise regimen as soon as the pain allows. Follow a doctor's recommendation for the rehabilitative program exercises. The goal is to build strength. An individual dealing with tennis elbow may utilize a variety of medicinal remedies to manage pain and inflammation. Over-the-counter pain relievers and steroid injections are commonly used to treat the condition. Following doctor's orders when taking medications is strongly recommended. Untraditional remedies also provide vast improvements in tennis elbow, and these treatments have gained favor in the last few years due to their effectiveness. Regimens of massage therapy and acupuncture work on small areas contributing to the condition, and make significant strides in pain reduction and promote the body's restorative healing process. Another remedy that offers strong benefits to treating tennis elbow is chiropractic care. A chiropractor assesses the condition, then lays out a plan to promote healing. Treatment often includes working to align the bones and treating the surrounding joints so they function at maximum capacity, and can "take up the slack" of the injured area while it heals. Chiropractic care serves the dual purpose of treating the condition directly, and healing the areas around the injury so that the body continues to strengthen and renew. In a very small number of cases, the only remedy for tennis elbow is surgery. This is considered as the last straw, once all other forms of treatment have been exhausted. The best way to treat tennis elbow is to avoid it in the first place. Be sure to stretch before exercising, consistently perform strengthening exercises, employ correct techniques and proper equipment during physical activity, and don't overexert your arms (this goes for your entire body, by the way) during physical activity. If you are diagnosed with tennis elbow, it's essential to understand the variety of treatment options available. The best course is often a blend of more than one remedy. Chiropractic care should be part of your healing process, as it helps decrease pain, reduce healing time, and offers a non-medicinal approach to treating the body as a whole. Pregnancy is an exciting, precious time in a woman's life, full of new experiences. Unfortunately, the baby's development brings about bodily changes that often wreak havoc on the back and joints, and end up causing pain. These issues also frequently cause issues during delivery, and increase the time it takes for the body to recover post-pregnancy. Expectant moms benefit from chiropractic care in a number of ways. Here are five key ways chiropractic care helps alleviate the toll pregnancy takes on a woman's body. #1: Chiropractic keeps the spine in alignment. Pregnancy adds significant additional weight to a woman's body in a short amount of time. This change bears on the spine, frequently pulling it out of alignment. When this happens, the pain can be quite severe. Chiropractic care during pregnancy works to keep the spine in alignment and all supporting tendons working optimally, to be better prepared and able to adequately support the extra weight. #2: Chiropractic reduces need for pain relievers. Most times, individuals experiencing moderate pain pop a couple of over the counter pain relievers and think nothing of it. However, pregnant women strive to avoid medications when possible. Chiropractic adjustments decrease the underlying issues that cause pain, so the patient relies less on medications. Experiencing less pain as well as eliminating the need for pain killers is a win-win situation for expectant mothers. #3: Chiropractic strengthens and repairs joints. Pregnancy really beats up an expectant mothers joints. Chiropractic care for expectant mothers is a productive way to minimize the effect the large, protruding abdomen has on her hips, legs, and ankles. Treating the body as a whole, chiropractic treatment works to strengthen the body and promotes healing of injured or strained areas. #4: Chiropractic helps achieve pelvic alignment. An aligned pelvis is critical to the birthing process, and increases the chances of being able to give birth naturally. According to the American Pregnancy Association, "When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother's ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth." An experienced chiropractor can effectively align the pelvis before delivery, so the mother is able to deliver with little incident. #5: Chiropractic increases the body's ability to bounce back. Let's face it, every pregnant woman thinks "will I ever fit in the clingy red dress again?" The healthier and stronger a woman's body is before and during pregnancy, the easier it is to get back into shape once the baby is born. Eating right and safely exercising are effective ways to accomplish this. Chiropractic care is also a valuable component to fitness. Expectant mothers who choose chiropractic enjoy better posture, less pain, and increased mobility, especially late in the third trimester. This allows them to maintain exercise routines and be active longer than those suffering from back pain and achy joints. After the delivery, it's easier to get back into a fitness routine, and into that red dress, if the new mother's joints, back, and hips are aligned and functioning properly. Chiropractic care can serve to reduce pain and increase the overall heath of expectant mothers, letting her relax and focus on the more pleasant aspects of pregnancy. Expecting women who commit to chiropractic care can look forward to a stronger body, the chances of a smoother delivery, and an easier recovery after the baby comes. While back pain is a known and widely-studied issue in adults, its prevalence in school-aged children has received comparatively little scientific attention. Elementary, middle, and high school students must often carry backpacks that weigh enough to cause chronic back pain, poor posture, and even decreased lung volume. Recently, several studies reveal the truths behind childhood back pain and ways to mitigate it. Are Backpacks Too Heavy for Kids? Recent research supports that children carrying backpack loads of more than ten percent of their body weight have a greater risk of developing back pain and related issues. An international study found that an alarmingly large proportion of school-aged children in Australia, France, Italy, and the United States regularly carried backpacks weighing more than the ten percent threshold. In another study involving a sample of 1540 metropolitan school-aged children, over a third of the children surveyed reported back pain. In addition to carrying heavy backpacks, female students and those diagnosed with scoliosis had a greater association with back pain. Children with access to lockers reported less pain. The number of straps on the backpack had little impact on the respondents' answers. Children also reported limited physical activity due to back pain, and some took medication to relieve the pain. Girls who carried purses in addition to wearing a backpack reported significantly greater back pain. Adolescents with back pain spent more time watching television than their peers. Over 80 percent of those surveyed believed that carrying a heavy backpack caused their back pain. Proper Backpack Carrying Techniques The studies revealed several factors that may help reduce back pain in school-aged children. The best way to prevent back pain is to avoid carrying heavy loads. Children should take advantage of locker breaks and only carry items necessary for a couple of classes at a time. When lifting a backpack, children should crouch down and bend their knees rather than curve the spine. While not conclusive, research also supports that carrying the weight differently, e.g., by hand rather than by backpack, may help prevent or reduce back pain. The American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Chiropractic Association offer these additional safe backpack tips:
Chiropractic Care Can Help If your child continues to experience back pain, contact your local chiropractor. Chiropractic care benefits many adults with spinal discomfort, and licensed practitioners can provide tailored treatments for children. Chiropractors can also recommend safe exercises to improve back strength, and additional advice on proper nutrition to build strong bones and joints, healthy posture, and more. If your child is experiencing back pain from carrying a backpack, gives us a call. We’re here to help! If you have ever strained your back during a golf game, you are not alone. It's estimated of the 30 million golfers in the United States, 80% have experienced some sort of back pain. As fun as it is, swinging at golf balls puts an individual's body in an awkward position, opening up the opportunity for injury. While some golfers suffer through the pain by popping over-the-counter medications, others back away from playing as often, or stop altogether. There's another way to combat back injuries caused by golfing, without meds. It's not a magic wand, it's chiropractic care! Golfers are increasingly finding chiropractic care to be a valuable tool to help them deal with back injuries. Here are FORE! ways chiropractors can help injured golfers get off the couch and back on the green. Consistent adjustments can avoid injuries in the first place. Golfing, or any activity, is more enjoyable and causes less chance of injury if an individual's body is in top condition and operating normally. Periodic spinal adjustments keep the body functioning at maximum capacity, and reduce the chances of being injured. If the neck and back are aligned correctly, awkward positioning such as a golf swing will have a less negative impact. Chiropractic treatment can reduce a golfer's pain. Back injuries can be extremely painful, and many turn to pain medications to gain relief and comfort. By treating the origin of the pain instead of just the symptoms, a chiropractor helps their patients manage the pain through manipulations, instead of drugs. Over the course of a few treatments, pain is often drastically diminished and much more manageable. A golf injury can heal quicker with chiropractic care. Injuries to the back or neck can heal faster when chiropractors treat them than on their own. An experienced chiropractor can adjust the spine, and also work on the joints and surrounding tissue that can cause pain and hinder healing. Chiropractic evaluation considers the body as a whole. By treating the entire body, it promotes quicker healing of the injury. Increased mobility can be gained with chiropractic visits. Golfers who play often as well as those who only play a few times a year know mobility is essential to a good golf game. Stiff joints and a weak back not only mess with the golf game, but can be the very issues that end up causing an injury. A chiropractic treatment schedule keeps the body loose and strong, and working in optimum fashion. This prevents injuries and increases the chances of playing the game of your life. Golfers need to realize the sport can cause serious injuries just like "rougher" sports like football and rugby. It's a good idea to stretch before playing, stay hydrated, and avoid overexertion. If you are a golfer, chiropractic care is a valuable tool in staying healthy. Regular adjustments and manipulations keep your body on track and performing with maximum mobility at the top of your game. If you do suffer an injury, a chiropractor can help you manage your pain and decrease the time it takes to heal. Contact us today for more information on how we can help reduce the chance of injury for golfers, and promote healing. |
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June 2018
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