low back pain Archives - Page 2 of 12 - Hometown Family Wellness Center

May 11 2020

Is The Squat Lift Bad For Your Back?

While in the gym yesterday I was watching a teenager doing the ever so popular squat lift. Research is showing that this weight lifting exercise is putting dangerous stress onto the spine. Most personal trainers and athletes blame spinal fractures on using improper form and technique but these studies are showing even “textbook” lifting technique is harming the spine.

Doing the squat lift can be harming your spine!

Dr. John McClellan, MD and his team of researchers Researchers took x-rays of 20 athletes in their 20’s at various positions in the squat lift. The back squat, where the bar is across the upper back and shoulders was the most troubling. The slope of the sacrum at the base of the spine went to 68 degrees during the back squat versus 58 degrees doing a front squat. The “horizontalization” of the sacrum during the squat lift makes those working out highly damaging causing fractures in the lumbar spine. The highest risk is for teenagers whose spines are still not fully developed.

The squat lift is very common with coaches and trainers of young athletes. Just this past year I had a teenage football player come in with severe low back pain. As a football player, this lifting technique is commonly used because of its effectiveness at strengthening muscles.

Stress fractures are very hard to heal once they occur. Michael Reed, PhD and physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery Spine and Sport in Jupiter, Fla says, “The problem is, it can be very risky. Even the best form will not protect you.”

The pars fractures that are most likely to occur have less than a 2% likelihood of healing. Eventually degenerative disc problems and chronic low back pain will develop.

Coaches and trainers need to be made more aware of the dangers of the squat lift. Educating them on the risks and more safe alternative exercises is a must. Caution needs to be taken while doing this and other exercises.

As a Freehold NJ chiropractor that does a lot of work with athletes of all levels, I guide my patients on proper lifting. I advise exercises to strengthen and stabilize the spine. Therapeutic stretching techniques are also important in preventing damage to the spine. Chiropractic adjustments help optimize range of motion of the joints and reduce pressure on the discs. We can help you get the most of your exercise while reducing risks of injury.

May 11 2020

7 Ways Chiropractic Benefits Sports Performance

Improving sports performance is important to all athletes. Many look for an edge. Some look for natural while others reach for performance enhancement drugs (PEDs) which are banned at competitive levels. Staying active is important to maintaining health and graceful aging. Our Freehold Chiropractor has been helping athletes of all levels over the last 17 years remain active and healthy.

Chiropractic is perfect in helping keep the body functioning optimally. Getting adjusted improves range of motion,

Chiropractic Benefits Athletes — Chiropractic Improves Sports Performance

flexibility, strength and coordination. All of which are important to athletes. Most college, pro and olympic athletes take advantage of the natural edge this provides. Almost every MLB, NFL and NBA team has a chiropractor on staff. Chiropractors have been officially working with Olympic athletes since 1976 and the most recent London Olympics in 2012 had over 100 chiropractors for the US team.

So lets discuss 7 ways chiropractic improves sports performance naturally and legally.

Chiropractic Helps Reduce Sports Injuries

Chiropractic allows the joints and musculoskeletal system work in conjunction to reduce stress. The joints allow for motion and the muscle contractions move the joints. When a joint is moving properly, the joints don’t have to overwork or strain. One study of Australian football players was conducted in 2010. The players all received sports training but half of them also received chiropractic care. Those that received the chiropractic were less likely to experience lower limb muscle strains and missed less time due to due to non-contact knee injuries.

Chiropractic Reduces Low Back Pain

Back Pain is one of the most common problems suffered by people. It is also very common in athletes leading to missing games and disability. A study, Treatment Options for Low Back Pain in Athletes, shows chiropractic as the most evidence based supported treatment along with superficial heat compared to traditional medical treatments. NSAIDs and muscle relaxants are commonly recommended but just mask the symptoms and have severe side effects.

Chiropractic Helps Extremity Injuries

Many athletes experience injuries to their feet, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Some chiropractors work just on the spinal regions but sports chiropractors also work on the extremities. Sports performance improves when the extremities are corrected.

Ankle injuries are very common in athletes. Usually once injured, recurrent ankle sprains are common. A study of ankle sprains compared athletes receiving only rehab to another group that also received chiropractic adjustments. The chiropractic group showed quicker reduction of pain and improvement in joint motion. This is important in reducing inflammation and speeding up recovery for an athlete to get back to action.

Chiropractic Improves Performance

Speed, reaction time, jumping, coordination are all important to help an athlete perform at their best.

One particular study showed improvement in vertical jump height. 22 female handball players were split into a chiropractic treatment group and a control group. By improving talocrural joint dysfunction with chiropractic adjustments there was a noticeable improvement compared to the other group.

Do you think athletes would like to be stronger? When you get adjusted it removes interference to the nervous system. This allows your body to function at its best. Those nerves innervate every muscle in your body. If the nerves have pressure on them, there can be decrease in strength. A study of 18 Judo Athletes compared results of half of them receiving chiropractic adjustments and the others receiving sham treatment. Results showed those receiving chiropractic treatment had improved grip strengths.

Chiropractic Benefits Runners

Chiropractic helps the biomechanics of the body which improves sports performance. When there are imbalances in the legs, there are differences in strength and range of motion. One study was The Effect of Spinal Manipulation on Imbalances in Leg Strength. The runners under chiropractic care had increased hip extension and improved joint function as well as more balanced strength in their legs.

Another study in Canada included chiropractic care as part of the rehab program of 16 injured female long-distance runners. Now only did the runners recover more quickly but seven of them actually had their personal best times while under care, although other contributing factors could have helped.

Chiropractic And Golf

Hip and back pain are common in golfers. Golf swings are a repetitive motion which put added stress on the hips, lower back joints and discs.

A case study of a 49 year old golfer was in therapeutic treatment which included chiropractic care. She was suffering with osteoarthritis for 5 years. During the 6th treatment she reported her left hip being much better and by the 8th visit both hips were feeling good. After 6 months she reported no more pain.

An Article in Dynamic Chiropractic, Golf and Chiropractic, discusses golf swing myths and chiropractic intervention.

Chiropractic Is Non-invasive and Drug Free

Athletes like the fact that chiropractic addresses the cause of their problems to improve sports performance. There is no taking medications that mask the symptoms. There are no side effects. Athletes are able to recover more quickly and many times avoid surgeries which at times require long recovery periods. Some chiropractors utilize soft tissue techniques like Graston or FAKTR to break up scar tissue, therapeutic stretching and nutrition to help athletes recover, be more healthy and excel.

There is growing evidence of the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic care for everybody, not just athletes. Would you like to improve your sports performance or recover more quickly from an injury without drugs or surgery? Our top rated Freehold chiropractor can get you back on track! Give us a call at 732-780-0044.

May 11 2020

Dangers of Epidural Steroid Injections You Must Know!

So many people suffer with back pain. Stats show 80% of people suffer with low back pain, so it’s likely you know somebody suffering. Unfortunately, most people ignore the pain or just treat the symptoms. A common form of treatment is to get epidural steroid injections.

I warn patients about these on a weekly basis. Not sure how these have become the norm for 9 million/year to be given these. When you mask the symptoms and ignore the cause you will always be fighting a losing battle. Most ignore or are uninformed of the real side effects of steroids. Before you choose this treatment, I was just reading this article about back pain and I’m sure you or somebody you know has been recommended an epidural for pain. Read the article by clicking: FDA Warns About Dangers of Epidural Steroid Injections for Back Pain. Must Read Before Taking These Steroids.

As a local chiropractor, I find it very important to share this information. It is important to educate yourself and

address the cause of back pain. As your Freehold NJ chiropractor, I have shown you the root cause of your problems, not masking the pain. By finding the underlying imbalance, we can help correct the problem. It’s difficult because most people want a quick fix and there is not quick fix, just masking symptoms with these shots and drugs cause long term side effects while the true problem just gets worse. The longer the problem exists, the more time it takes to fix with proper therapeutic chiropractic care.

Make sure to share this information with those you know as you can save them from rare but serious adverse events, including loss of vision, stroke, paralysis, and even death.

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To Your Health and Wellness
Your Top Rated Chiropractor in Freehold NJ

May 11 2020

Lumbar Disc Conditions

images (24) — There are many types of lumbar disc conditions

Lumbar disc conditions are suffered by any people who have back pain. Other times there can be disc problems that are asymptomatic. As a Freehold Chiropractor, we see many of these conditions.

What is Lumbar Disc Herniation?

Structure

The backbone is comprised of several discs that are fixed between two vertebras. The spongy material can be compared to a jelly donut, which has an outer cover and is filled with a soft jelly on the inside. Similarly, a disk has a strong outer covering and a soft substance as a filling.

The Leak

Several times the outer coating of the disc is ruptured, causing an opening for the inner jelly like substance to seep out. Once out of its protective outer laying, the leaked material interferes with the normal functioning of the spinal nerves. The already narrow spacing of the spine, through which nerve roots runs, is narrowed further and puts pressure on the nearby nerves.

Lumbar Specific Herniation

Lumbar region is found in the lower back and is considered to be the strongest area of the spine. It is said to bear a large portion of the weight of the body. Sciatic nerve is said to be a conglomeration of nerve roots running down from the lumbar spine. Therefore, lumber disc injuries can cause pain in the legs and feet.

Symptoms

As the lumbar region is strongly associated with the leg and feet area, one of the significant signs of lumbar disc injuries includes pain in the legs. Another symptom common to this condition is the tingling sensation in the feet. Feet might also feel weak and numb at times following a lumbar disc herniation.

The lumber region falls in your lower back area, therefore lower back pain is another common sign and symptom. Almost every body part below the lumbar region easily gets affected by lower back disc injuries. A weak bladder or loss of control of bowel movement and pain in the buttocks are considered to be symptoms of this condition as well. Other common indications include muscle weakness, groin pain as well as atrophy.

Visiting a Chiropractor

Considered to provide a conservative treatment, chiropractors can alleviate lumbar disc conditions. A case study of a 26 year old man is a validation for the success of recovery associated with visiting a chiropractor. Within a period of 90 days, the patient, who suffered from a lumbar herniated disc due to an athletic injury, completely recovered from the condition. Utilizing activator adjustment instrument (AAI), a controlled mechanical force was applied to the location of concern. A follow up after 12 months indicated successful long term recovery.

If you suspect lumbar disc conditions it is important that you get evaluated quickly. The longer you wait for treatment the disc can get worse and degenerate.

Image used under Creative Commons Licensing: Lumbar vertebrae anterior.png

May 11 2020

Pain Killers are a Ginormous Problem in the US!

Pain killers are overused and over-prescribed in the United States. It is at epidemic proportions. Worst case is the long term use of opioid drugs. This is covered in a report: A Nation in Pain: Focusing on U.S. Opioid Trends for Treatment of Short-Term and Longer-Term Pain.

36 million claims from 6.8 million insured Americans were reviewed from 2009 thur 2013. The patients were compared for short term use (30 days or less in a 1 year period) vs long term use (more than 30 days during a 1 year period). These patients were assessed for the number of prescriptions filled, the number of days per prescription and the dosage being prescribed.

These are some of the findings from this study:

There was a 9.2% in number of people getting pain killers but there was an 8.4% increase in the number of prescriptions and number of days being used.
Those using opioids for more than 30 days, 50% were continuing usage for over 3 years.
Seniors are using Opioid pain killers the most but the biggest increase in usage occurred with adults between 20 and 44 years of age.
30% more women than make take Opioid medications. Although men are more likely to fill more prescriptions and at higher dosages.
The highest concentrate of these pain killer users is in the Southeast US.
Around 60% of these patients were taken multiple medications. The most common being anti-anxiety drugs. This combination is the most common leading to overdose deaths.

Studies like this are a concern in the US. Pain killers are highly addictive. They might provide temporary relief but

Pain killers are at epidemic proportion and change is needed!

never correct the problem. The side effects are numerous: nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, increased risk of infections, osteoporosis, cataracts, constipation, weight gain, sleep problems, loss of sexual desire or ability, rash, liver damage, heartburn, ulcers, kidney problems, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, addiction and the list goes on and on. The scary thing is WebMD states, “All medicines have side effects. But many side effects can be managed so that you can still take the medicine.” GREAT… so the doctors can just push more medications to cover up symptoms of another and cause a snowball of prescribing medications. This calls into questions the true intent of doctors. Follow the money trail!

Our country is the most medicated of all developed countries. Out of 37 we have the worst rated health yet we take the most drugs and usage of surgery. To top that, we account for around 2% of the world’s population yet we take about 75% of the worlds prescribed drugs.

These studies and numbers are a huge concern for Americans in how we treat symptoms. Rather than masking symptoms with drugs that cause a myriad of side effects wouldn’t it make more sense to find the cause of the pain, disease or condition? The US would benefit by going way of natural treatments, prevention and wellness. This is exactly what chiropractic care is all about.

More studies are being done showing the benefits of chiropractic. A study about migraine headaches reviewed 21 clinical trials and concluded “Evidence suggests that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and cervicogenic headaches.” Another Palmer College of Chiropractic study: Positive Findings in Military Low-Back Pain, found that those that received chiropractic care along with their medical care reported significantly reduced low back pain compared to those that just received medical treatment.

Other studies show how chiropractic is effective in treatment of neck pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, car accident injuries and many other conditions. Chiropractic is a safe, gentle and natural treatment that can benefit patients in pain. Additionally it doesn’t have negative side effects nor the risk of addiction unless the feeling of normalcy and relief is addictive! Pain killers are a ginormous problem in the United States and chiropractic is one form of treatment that can end this epidemic.

If you are looking for pain relief and would like to get your life back, contact Dr. Russell Brokstein. To find out more click here: Chiropractor in Freehold, NJ

Chiropractic Helps Reduce Sports Injuries

Chiropractic Reduces Low Back Pain

Chiropractic Helps Extremity Injuries

Chiropractic Improves Performance

Chiropractic Benefits Runners

Chiropractic And Golf

Chiropractic Is Non-invasive and Drug Free

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