A Real Pain in the Neck

Plenty of things in life are a pain in the neck - why live with something that doesn't　haveto be?


It's a condition called　torticollis, but it's also known as wry neck or stiff neck. It may be present at birth or may develop later, in children as well as in adults. With torticollis, the head is tilted to one side, toward the shoulder, and their chin rotates outward toward the other shoulder. Trying to straighten the head results in pain.

Congenital torticollis　affects babies and it is believed to be caused by birth trauma, a breech birth position, the use of forceps during delivery or position in the womb. Although congenital torticollis isn't painful in an infant, it can cause facial deformity if it's not corrected during the baby's first year.

Generally, a medical doctor will prescribe physical therapy to start with, along with gentle stretching exercises. If these don't work to correct the child's condition, surgery to lengthen the　sternomastoid　muscle, the muscle responsible for causing the head tilt, may be advised.

Acquired torticollis　affects older children and adults. Symptoms include muscle spasms, the head tilt and pain. Causes may include injury to the head or neck, a genetic defect, damage to the nervous system, arthritis and the use of certain medications. Women are at greater risk for the condition than men and typical onset is between the ages of 30 - 60.

In older children and adults, medical doctors may prescribe physical therapy, prescription medications (muscle relaxers, pain killers, and anti-inflammatory drugs) and ultimately surgery, if the condition doesn't resolve itself after a few weeks. Others will say, "Give it time, it will pass."

But why wait? And what if it doesn't just go away? Why should you be in pain when torticollis is a musculoskeletal condition that is caused by muscle spasms and cervical (neck) subluxation (nerve interference)? Who takes care of musculoskeletal conditions best? Chiropractors, who are specifically trained to address musculoskeletal issues, such as torticollis.

In fact, both types of torticollis respond extremely well to chiropractic adjustments. Many patients see a noticeable change in the degree of head tilt and pain after only 4 - 6 visits and complete resolution within six months.

If you or anyone you know is bothered by painful muscle spasms, the inability to turn your head or a head tilt that keeps you from holding your head normally, give us a call to schedule a thorough examination.

 

Regular Visits

Like building a muscle, repetition is the key. It's the same with your chiropractic adjustments.
After the investment of time needed for the first and second visits, many patients become concerned that every visit will be of equal length.

In a word: no. A typical office visit is shorter.

But don’t think a shorter visit lessens its value! With the groundwork laid, we can quickly size up what is happening in your spine and nervous system, adjust you and get you on your way.

Like a regular workout at the gym, each visit builds on the ones before. Miss a visit and we can lose the momentum necessary to make the desired changes.

We recognize your time is valuable. We do everything possible to run on time and minimize any imposition on your busy life

Hot or Cold?

Don't make an injury worse by making the wrong choice!

When should you apply heat? When should you use ice? Confusion abounds about these simple, yet helpful, procedures. Use heat in the wrong circumstances and you can make the problem worse. Here’s what to do and when to do it:

Think back to high school chemistry. How do you slow down a reaction? You make it cool. So, if you’re trying to reduce the inflammation resulting from a new injury, use ice. Ice constricts blood vessels, helping to avoid muscle spasms and reduce swelling. It can also slow nerve transmission of painful symptoms. Ice, when used properly, becomes a natural pain reliever. Apply an ice pack for short periods of time (15 to 20 minutes). Allow an equal amount of time between applications of ice so you don't compound the problem by risking frostbite!

On the other hand, if you want to speed up a reaction, add heat. Topical (or tropical!) heat can help increase blood circulation and help improve flexibility. If you have a history of chronic, long-standing joint and muscle stiffness, it can show temporary improvement with the application of moist heat or a hot bath. Just avoid the dry heat of a heating pad.

I Need a Massage!

Massage + chiropractic = an awesome combination!

You went to the gym, and now every muscle in your body hurts and you’re just aching to get a massage, but it seems like such an extravagance in terms of money and time. Yet, many different activities make up a good wellness routine and massage is just one of those elements in addition to nutrition, exercise and chiropractic care. So there's no need to feel guilty when you call to schedule that massage!
Physical, mental and emotional health benefits of massage:

• Massage improves the circulation of oxygen-carrying blood to the extremities and helps eliminate wastes from the body
• Massage relaxes you, relieves stress and anxiety, and supports feelings of general well-being
• Massage works with your chiropractic care to retrain muscles that support your spine
• Massage helps in managing the pain associated with certain physical conditions, such as arthritis and sciatica
• Massage serves to either stimulate or relax the nervous system, depending on the type of massage being administered

Just keep in mind that a massage is not a substitute for chiropractic care! Although the two may work in conjunction with one another, massage provides “feel good” therapy while chiropractic adjustments keep your nervous system functioning properly. That’s far more important than a temporary “feel good” luxury!

What Kind of Headache?

 

 

Any headache is too many!

You feel a pounding headache coming on, but what kind of headache is it? Are you aware that there are many different types, each with a unique set of causes and symptoms? The most common types of headaches include:

Tension-type Headaches

There are two types, episodic and chronic. Someone with chronic headaches often wakes up and goes to sleep with a headache and feels a constant tightness or ache in the head and neck areas.

Migraine Headaches

A vascular-type headache, migraines are debilitating and often are accompanied by nausea/vomiting and acute sensitivity to sound and light. Women suffer more from migraines than men, possibly due to frequent hormonal changes.

Cluster Headaches

Occurring more often in men, cluster headaches may actually be the most severe of all headaches. They usually only last 30-60 minutes, however, they may recur several times throughout the day. Chronic smoking and alcohol use often contribute to the onset of cluster headaches.

Hormone Headaches

More frequent among women, hormone headaches usually occur in conjunction with PMS and menstruation. Women who take birth control pills may also experience hormone headaches with greater frequency. Symptoms are similar to those associated with a migraine – a one-sided, throbbing headache that includes light/noise sensitivity.

Rebound Headaches

Caused by the over use/abuse of over-the-counter and prescribed headache remedies that often contain caffeine. Headache sufferers tend to use the medications in higher dosages or more frequently than prescribed, causing a headache “rebound effect.”

Do you know someone who complains frequently of headaches? Based on the success our practice enjoys with all types of headaches, improperly moving bones of the upper neck are common culprits.

An Ear Infection ... AGAIN?

 

Children's Health Issues image

Another visit to the doctor for yet another ear infection… There’s got to be a better solution!

You wake up in the middle of the night to that piercing cry… again. It can’t be… but it is… your child has another ear infection. And while it’s heartbreaking to see any child in pain, when it’s your own and it’s the middle of the night, you feel helpless, knowing that there’s little you can do but wait until morning. 

Ear infections account for more visits to a medical practitioner's office than any other illness or condition. About 50% of all children will have their first ear infection before their first birthday, while two-thirds will have had one or more by the age of three. 

Ear infections can be either bacterial or viral in nature. Fever, cold or other upper respiratory symptoms may also be present along with ear pain. Although antibiotics are frequently prescribed, if the infection is viral, these are of no use at all. 

Unfortunately for some children ear infections keep reoccurring, bringing yet another round of antibiotics, which encourages the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. At some point in this cycle, ear tube surgery may be recommended.

Many parents have found that the number and frequency of ear infections in their children decreased following chiropractic adjustments. And although chiropractors don’t treat ear infections, many young patients experience increased immunity that helps their bodies fight all types of infection.

In one study, 80% of the children who received chiropractic adjustments were ear infection-free for at least six months following their first visit. They also received maintenance adjustments every four to six weeks.

Chiropractic adjustments correct misalignments in the spine that can irritate nerves and interfere with the body’s ability to function properly. These misalignments can occur as the result of a fall, an injury, or even the birth process because of the amount of force that’s exerted on an infant’s neck and spine.

By adjusting your child’s neck with gentle, low force pressure the misalignment can be corrected and normal function can return. Your child’s body is then able to heal on its own, without drugs and surgery.

If you have a child who experiences frequent ear infections, please call our practice so that we may arrange a spinal examination for your child – so that maybe everyone can get a better night’s sleep.

Back Pack Safety

Overloaded Backpacks!

 (see announcement at end of article)

 

More than 40 million students carry school backpacks. Studies have found that over half of children who use backpacks regularly carry more than the recommended safe weight in their school backpacks.

Too Heavy Carrying Wrong Way

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that more than 3,300 children, aged 5-14 years, were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to backpacks in 1998

  

Although many factors can lead to back pain — increased participation in sports or exercise, poor posture while sitting, and long periods of inactivity — some kids have backaches because they're lugging around their entire locker's worth of books, school supplies, and assorted personal items all day long. But most chiropractors recommend that kids carry no more than 10% to 15% of their body weight in their packs.

  

When a heavy weight, such as a backpack filled with books, is incorrectly placed on the shoulders, the weight's force can pull a child backward. To compensate, a child may bend forward at the hips or arch the back, which can cause the spine to compress unnaturally. The heavy weight might cause some kids to develop shoulder, neck, and back pain.

  

Kids who wear their backpacks over just one shoulder — as many do, because they think it looks better — may end up leaning to one side to offset the extra weight. They might develop lower and upper back pain and strain their shoulders and neck.

 

Also, backpacks with tight, narrow straps that dig into the shoulders can interfere with circulation and nerves. These types of straps can contribute to tingling, numbness, and weakness in the arms and hands.

  

And bulky or heavy backpacks don't just cause back injuries. Other safety issues to consider:

  

• Kids who carry large packs often aren't aware of how much space the packs take up and can hit others with their packs when turning around or moving through tight spaces, such as the aisles of the school bus. 
•  Students are often injured when they trip over large packs or the packs fall on them.
• Carrying a heavy pack changes the way a person walks and increases the risk of falling, particularly on stairs or other places where the backpack puts the student off balance.

Purchasing a Safe Pack

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents look for the following when choosing the right backpack:

 

1. a lightweight pack that doesn't add a lot of weight to your child's load (for example, even though leather packs look cool, they weigh more than traditional canvas backpacks) Using a backpack with one strap, not two, puts all the pressure on one shoulder. It pulls the shoulder down and can cause back, neck, and shoulder pain. Look for a backpack with two straps instead, which splits the weight of the backpack across the shoulders.

 

2. two wide, padded shoulder straps; Padded shoulder straps help prevent the straps from digging into your child's shoulders, back, and neck

 

3. a padded back, which not only provides increased comfort, but also protects kids from being poked by sharp edges on objects (pencils, rulers, notebooks, etc.) inside the pack

 

4. a waist belt, which helps to distribute the weight more evenly across the body

 

5. multiple compartments, which can also help distribute the weight more evenly

 

Although packs on wheels (which look like small, overhead luggage bags) may be good options for students who have to lug around really heavy loads, they're extremely difficult to pull up stairs and to roll through snow. Check with the school before buying a rolling pack; many schools don't allow them because they can pose a tripping hazard in the hallways.

 

Here's a breakdown by body weight for measuring how much your child should be lugging around in his backpack:

 

Child's Weight           Backpack Weight

 

50 pounds                      5 pounds

 

75 pounds                   7.5 pounds

 

100 pounds                  10 pounds

 

125 pounds               12.5 pounds

 

150 pounds                  15 pounds

 

Loading a backpack

 

• Never allow a child to carry more than 15% of his or her body weight. For example, a child who weighs 100 lbs should not carry a backpack weighing more than 15 pounds.
• Load heaviest items closest to the child's back. 
• Pack all items neatly to keep books and materials from sliding around in the pack 
• If a backpack is too heavy, consider using one on wheels.

Using Backpacks Wisely

 

To help kids prevent injury when using a backpack:

 

· Lighten the load. No matter how well-designed the backpack, doctors and physical therapists recommend that kids carry packs of no more than 10% to 15% of their body weight — but less is always better. If you don't know what that 10% to 15% feels like, use the bathroom scale (for example, the backpack of a child who weighs 80 pounds shouldn't weigh more than 8 to 12 pounds).

 

· Use and pick up the backpack properly. Make sure kids use both shoulder straps. Bags that are slung over the shoulder or across the chest — or that only have one strap — aren't as effective at distributing the weight as bags with two wide shoulder straps, and therefore may strain muscles. Also tighten the straps enough for the backpack to fit closely to the body and sit 2 inches (5 centimeters) above the waist.

 

You may need to adjust kids' backpacks and/or reduce how much they carry if they:

 

 

 

 

 · struggle to get the backpack on or off

 

· have back pain

 

· leans forward to carry the backpack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR ALL OF MY CLIENTS WITH SCHOOL KIDS!

 

After school starts, when your child has all of the books they are going to be carrying, bring them in with their back pack and books and I will do a free evaluation and set up to show them how to carry their book bag with the least chance of hurting themselves.