Back Clinic Mobility & Flexibility: The human body retains a natural level to ensure all its structures are functioning properly. The bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other tissues work together to allow a range of movement and maintaining proper fitness and balanced nutrition can help keep the body functioning properly. Great mobility means executing functional movements with no restrictions in the range of motion (ROM).
Remember that flexibility is a mobility component, but extreme flexibility really is not required to perform functional movements. A flexible person can have core strength, balance, or coordination but cannot perform the same functional movements as a person with great mobility. According to Dr. Alex Jimenez’s compilation of articles on mobility and flexibility, individuals who don’t stretch their body often can experience shortened or stiffened muscles, decreasing their ability to move effectively.
Sports Performance is everything! Regardless of whether you�re a pro football player or a weekend warrior, your level of performance in your chosen athletic activity is what takes you to competitive heights.
There are certain things that every athlete knows will make them stronger, faster, more flexible, and have more stamina. Chiropractic care is becoming increasingly popular as a way for the sportsman in all of us to have that competitive edge.
You may know that chiropractic is great for people with back pain or even headaches, but you may be wondering how it can help an athlete. Solid research, along with a proven track record show that chiropractic helps sports performance in several key areas.
Sports Performance & Chiropractic
Increased Flexibility
Flexibility is important for nearly every sport and chiropractic care helps to increase flexibility throughout the body. As the spine is aligned, the body is better able to perform as it should and flexibility is a big part of that.
Better Mobility
When a person has better flexibility they are able to move around better. Chiropractic loosens the joints and spine, releasing energy to flow through the body. Blood flow is increased which means that nutrients and oxygen are carries much more efficiently to the vital organs and brain. This whole body wellness encourages better mobility.
More Resistant To Injury
Because chiropractic keeps the body flexible, there is a much lower risk of injury. Tight muscles can lead to injuries, sometimes serious injury. When the body well aligned and flexible the chances of a pulled or torn muscle or torn ligament are greatly decreased.
Helps Relieve Sports Hernias
Groin pain is a component of around 20 percent of all sports injuries. The thing is, it is often not due to sudden movements that result in injury like a torn muscle. Most of the time is it due to a condition called athletic pubalgia, or sports hernia.
Sports like hockey and football are full contact sports and injuries are not uncommon. However, even milder sports like horseback riding or cycling can also result in injuries or pain from over exertion. One study showed how chiropractic helped relieve the pain of shoulder instability in hockey players.
Chiropractic aligns the spine and body while increasing blood flow, but endorphins are also released through the treatment. This helps the body combat pain in a natural, less invasive way without the use of medications.
Increases Strength
While chiropractic care is typically regarded as a method for relieving pain and alleviating skeletal and muscular issues, it has also been found to improve physical strength. A study on judo athletes who received just three chiropractic care sessions showed that their grip strength improved by 16 percent.
Helps Sports Related Injuries Heal Faster
Chiropractic care has long been a standard practice for aiding in the healing of many sports related injuries including tennis elbow, hamstring pulls, rotator cuff injuries, back strains, and neck pain. While it does help prevent these injuries, in the event that they do occur, chiropractic care helps the athlete recover faster and get back in the game quicker.
So whether you enjoy the occasional game of touch football with the guys or you are a college basketball star, chances are you too can benefit from chiropractic care. Each of these benefits are exceptional in their own right and athletes rely on their chiropractor to keep them in the game, but all these little benefits add up to one significant plus: it improves sports performance. If you want to be stronger, faster, and more agile, the research shows that chiropractic care can certainly help.
Most people stretch and hardly pay any attention to it. Throughout the day a person may stretch upon waking or after they�ve been sitting in the same position for a while. They might do some stretches before working out or as part of physical therapy. Stretching often makes us feel better but it might be surprising to discover that it is actually beneficial to optimal body function.
As a person ages their muscles begin to tighten. This is a natural part of the aging process. However, it can cause inhibit range of motion and joint stiffness, making normal day to day activities more difficult. After certain injuries stiffness can set in, causing pain and decreased flexibility.
What many chiropractic patients may be surprised to learn is that stretching is a great complement to chiropractic care. When combined with simple stretches and low impact exercises, chiropractic patients often find that their injuries heal faster, their pain is reduced, and they simply feel better and more energetic. If that isn�t enough to convince you to incorporate stretching into your daily wellness routine, maybe these four compelling benefits will.
STRETCHING
Helps Keep The Spine Aligned
When you stretch the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and lower back it will improve your posture by helping to keep your spine in better alignment. When your muscles are not stretched properly they begin to draw up � and it usually isn�t in a uniform or symmetrical manner.
This means that muscles on one side of your spine may draw up more than the muscles on the other side. This can result in your body being pulled to that side, causing your spine to be pulled that way. Stretching prevents this from happening and when combined with consistent chiropractic care it can ensure good spinal health.
Improves Flexibility & Range Of Motion
Most people know, on some level, that stretching improves flexibility and range of motion. However, many do not act on that knowledge and they often wind up at the doctor�s office complaining of back pain. Stretching will make you more flexible which, in turn, will make you less prone to injury.
Your muscles will be able to work as effectively as possible. It is important that you don�t overdo it though. Some people take terrible risks when they stretch, thinking that if they force their bodies into certain positions or if they �bounce� to get a deeper stretch then they will be more flexible. Actually, the reverse is true. Stretching in an unsafe way such as bouncing or forcing your body far beyond its limits will result in injury including pulled muscles and muscle tearing.
Helps Relieve Stress & Detoxify The Body
When you stretch, two very significant things happen. First, your blood flow increases as blood is rushed to the muscles, your organs, and your brain. Secondly, it moves oxygen through these areas. As a result, toxins that have accumulated in your soft tissues are dispelled.
The simple stretching that relieves tension in muscles, combined with the detoxifying effect will help you feel less stressed. Stretching is a great stress management exercise, one you can do just about anywhere. You don�t need any special equipment and you can even do it right at your desk while you are working. A bonus is that you�ll feel the de-stressing effects instantly.
It relies on the body�s natural ability to heal itself by releasing the tension and easing the stiffness of the muscles in that area. The stiffer those muscles are, the more they will hurt when you try to move. By relaxing them through stretching you will find that you move much easier and with less pain.
Stretching has so many great benefits. Talk to your chiropractor about a customized stretching plan that you can do at home. You�ll love what it does for you. If you don�t have a chiropractor, give us a call at (915)850-0900. We�re here to help!
Truide Torres, office manager, developed facet syndrome from participating in gymnastics at a young age. Due to the additional stress being placed on her spine, Mrs. Torres was forced to reduce her engagement in exercise and physical activities. In order to continue being involved in fitness, Truide Torres found facet syndrome pain treatment with Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C. in El Paso, TX. Mrs. Torres was well-informed and properly treated by Dr. Jimenez for her face syndrome and she was able to participate in her exercise and physical activities once again. Truide Torres recommends Dr. Alex Jimenez and his staff as the non-surgical choice for facet syndrome pain treatment, describing them as a caring, knowledgeable and qualified group of healthcare professionals.
Facet syndrome (also popularly known as facet joint disease, facet osteoarthritis, facet hypertrophy or aspect arthritis) is a syndrome where the facet joints (synovial diarthroses, from C2 to S1) degenerate to the purpose of causing debilitating symptoms. In conjunction with degenerative disk disease, a distinct but related illness, aspect syndrome is thought to be one of the most frequent causes of lower back pain. The signs of facet joint syndrome rely almost entirely about the location of this degenerated joint, the severity of the harm and the amount of pressure that is being put on the surrounding nerve roots. It is essential to note that the amount of pain a person experiences does not correlate well with the amount of degeneration that has occurred within the joint. A lot of men and women experience little or no pain while others, with the specific same amount of damage, experience chronic pain.
Please Recommend Us: If you have enjoyed this video and/or we have helped you in any way please feel free to recommend us. Thank You.
Chiropractic care is extremely beneficial for many different conditions; some obvious while others are more obscure. Structural issues that affect the knees are often very responsive to chiropractic treatment. In the case of chondromalacia patellae and other knee problems, it has proven to reduce pain and help improve the condition considerably, providing the patient with increased mobility and flexibility.
Chondromalacia Patellae (aka Runner�s Knee)
Approximately 40 percent of injuries that runners experience are knee injuries. These injuries fall under the umbrella term of �runner�s knee.� This includes chondromalacia patellae which may also be referred to as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFMS).
Other runner�s knee injuries include iliotibial band syndrome, and plica syndrome. Chondromalacia patellae is one of the more common forms of runner�s knee, along with PFMS. Rest and ice are typical remedies, but when that doesn�t work or when the pain and mobility difficulties return once the patient returns to normal activities, chiropractic care is often a good treatment option.
Chondromalacia Patella
The knee is a marvelous piece of machinery. It is constructed to take the impact of the body�s weight, bending, and moving. Under the kneecap is a layer of cartilage which acts as a natural shock absorber. Injury, overuse, aging, or other conditions can cause damage to that cartilage.
This condition causes pain and impaired mobility, most commonly when the knees are in use such as walking up or down stairs. The pain may decrease with rest and ice, but sometimes that simply isn�t enough. Traditional treatments include physical therapy, medication for pain, and surgery.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of chondromalacia patellae is pain in the front of the knee. It is often described as a dull ache that is deep in the knee. This pain is often made worse when the patient sits with their knee bent for a long time, when they squat or kneel, or when they walk up and down stairs.
The more the patient uses the knee, the worse it is. However, rest and ice can work fairly quickly to help relieve the pain. If the pain persists even with rest and ice, then more aggressive care is usually advised. While traditionally doctors prescribe medication and even surgery, more patients are gravitating to drug free, less invasive treatments for knee pain. Chiropractic is a viable option.
Causes & Risk Factors
The exact cause of chondromalacia patellae is not known. Doctors have been able to link the condition to several factors. Overuse of the knee places repetitive stress on the joint. This is commonly seen in sports or activities that involve a lot of jumping or running.
Poor muscle control is another common factor. The muscles that surround the knee and hip don�t function properly so that tracking of the kneecap is �off.� Injury is another common factor with chondromalacia patellae. When the kneecap endures a trauma such as fracture or dislocation.
There are several factors that may increase a person�s risk of developing chondromalacia patellae. Age is often noted in young adults and adolescents. Older individuals with knee pain are usually experiencing effects of arthritis.
Gender is another risk factor. Women develop the condition twice as often as men. Doctors theorize that this is due to the skeletal structure of a woman � the pelvis is wider which increases the angle where the bones of the knee joint meet.
Individuals who participate in certain sports, such as those that involve a lot of jumping and running, are at an increased risk of developing the condition. This is particularly true if they suddenly increase their level of training.
Chiropractic Treatment
Successful chiropractic treatments for chondromalacia patellae include nutritional intervention as well as adjustments and stretches. The treatment is designed to stretch shortened hamstrings and adjust the sacroiliac joint.
The point of much of the treatment is to improve tracking of the kneecap and increase motor control. Some practitioners use soft tissue work to help patients with knee pain. The whole body approach that chiropractic care offers not only provides relief from knee pain, but often cures or reduces the condition itself.
If you or a loved one are suffering from knee pain, give us a call. Our Doctor of Chiropractic will do a thorough exam to determine the proper treatment protocol for your condition. You don�t have to live with pain. Again, give us a call. We�re here to help!
When we think of cheerleaders we usually think of pretty girls in colorful outfits, pom pom’s in hand, cheering for their team. They are way more than that though. Cheerleaders are serious athletes.
It has taken a while, but the public is finally starting to realize just how true this is. Data collected by the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR), between 1982 and 2009 cheerleaders made up for more than 70 percent of catastrophic injuries in women�s college sports. At the high school level that number exceeded 60 percent.
Some claim that this high percentage of injuring among cheerleaders to be due to lax regulations at the state level. Some states refuse to recognize cheerleading as a sport and organizations such as the NCAA don�t either.
This leaves an already potentially dangerous activity without proper oversight of the government or regulating agencies. It also means that some people who manage cheer squads and organize competitions are not required to get the same coaching and safety training standards that those in other sports do.
Since chiropractic treats the whole body through not just structurally via spinal adjustments, but also through soft tissue techniques, patients can receive complete care after an injury and during rehabilitation. Cheerleaders are finding that chiropractic treatment provides numerous benefits and can even make them better athletes.
Cheerleaders
Chiropractic Helps To Improve Range Of Motion
Chiropractic care helps to improve a person�s range of motion which in turn helps to prevent injury and relieve the pain of injury. Chiropractic is growing in its popularity within the field of sports medicine because of its effectiveness. A 2010 study published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association showed that chiropractic made a significant difference in performance.
Chiropractic Helps To Prevent Injury
Even when no injury is present, athletes can benefit from chiropractic care. This is especially true in high impact sports like cheerleading where athletes push their bodies beyond limits through acrobatics and some of the strenuous tricks that they do in the course of their sport. Chiropractic helps to loosen muscles, making them more pliable and flexible, thus less prone to injury.
Chiropractic Helps To Relieve Pain From Injury
A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in March 2011 shows that chiropractic for pain relief can alleviate the pain of hamstring injury. The study was conducted over the course of a football season and involved 43 professional cheerleaders for football various football teams.
Throughout the study the cheerleaders received specific exercise intervention. At the end of the study those who had reported pain due to a hamstring injury experienced significant pain reduction after receiving chiropractic treatment.
Chiropractic Can Increase Physical Strength
While chiropractic is typically considered a therapy for alleviating skeletal and muscular complaints, a study in 2011 showed that it can also improve physical strength. The study involved judo athletes competing at the national level who used cervical spinal manipulative therapy (SMT). The final results of the study showed a 16 percent improvement in grip strength among the athletes who received only three SMT sessions.
The case for chiropractic treatment for athletes is very strong. It can help during training, recovery from injury, rehabilitation, and at every point in between. Although cheerleaders are still in their infancy of being recognized as serious athletes, the case for chiropractic care as a viable sports medicine therapy to improve performance and recover from injury is significant. The benefits that cheerleaders can receive from chiropractic treatment, as we can see, can really give them something to cheer about both on the field and off.
There is no doubt that football is a rough sport. At times it can be downright brutal, especially on the body. The sport sees a myriad of injuries, some serious, including head and neck, ankle, knee, and spinal. Chiropractic care is quickly becoming a popular, viable method of not only treating injuries, but also for managing injury related pain and even injury prevention. There are several significant benefits that football players can glean from chiropractic care.
A survey exploring the prevalence of chiropractic care in the National Football League (NFL) showed that of the team trainers surveyed, 77 percent responded that they have referred players to a chiropractor for treat or evaluation. At that time, in 2002, 31 percent of the NFL teams have a team chiropractor on staff. Now all 32 of the NFL teams utilize chiropractic care for their players and staff.
College teams are also finding that chiropractic care can help their players. Virginia Tech has a chiropractor who routinely treats the players, helping them with injury recovery and physical health. The doctor has an office in the sports complex and the trainers are able to schedule appointments for the athletes.
The Benefits Of Chiropractic Treatment For Football Players
Improved Mobility
Chiropractic manipulative treatment (CMT), aka the chiropractic adjustment, is one of the primary chiropractic therapies in sports medicine. It helps to increase flexibility and minimize or eliminate pain in movement. CMT is often used by football players as an injury prevention measure. It has also been shown to improve athletic performance.
Solid Body Maintenance
The brutality of football leads to frequent injuries. However, soreness and stiffness are even more commonplace. Many players use chiropractic care to ease the general pain that comes from overexertion and rough play. They may not be injured, per se, but are experiencing the normal pain that comes with the territory when one is an athlete. Chiropractic care keeps the body working as it should at optimal athletic performance.
Pain Relief
Chiropractic care has long been recognized as an effective pain management tool and now athletes are discovering the benefits of chiropractic therapy as well. It has been shown to relieve headaches, particularly those stemming from head and neck injuries. It also relieves shoulder pain and pain from ankle and knee injuries such as sprains.
Injury Prevention
There is a direct correlation between athletes who regularly use chiropractic care and a decline in sports injuries. Those who use the treatment experience better flexibility and mobility which has been linked to injury prevention. Additionally, chiropractic care helps to increase strength and by making the body stronger it is more resistant to injury.
Increase Strength & Endurance
Chiropractic care has been linked with increased muscular strength. While it is often thought of as a way to relieve pain, it has been shown to effectively promote strength in the muscles after only a few sessions. This can help players avoid injury by combining the increase in strength with increased mobility. This also works to promote endurance and stamina.
Sports Hernia Relief
A significant amount of athletes experience groin pain due to injury. Athletic pubalgia is one of the most common causes of injury related groin pain. Also known as sports hernia, athletic pubalgia can cause significant pain. Chiropractic care has been shown to relieve the discomfort within 8 weeks when combined with rehabilitative exercises.
Chiropractic care plays a very important role in injury prevention, whole body care, and pain relief for athletes in one of the roughest sports in the world. These benefits can also be translated to other sports where injury is a frequent occurrence.
Yoga��increases the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment hasn’t taken the world by storm, but it has gained steadily in popularity in the last decade. Originally developed thousands of years ago, the practice of breathing, posing, and stretching offers a variety of important health benefits. Reduced stress and blood pressure, increased flexibility and stamina, greater balance, and a better understanding of breathing techniques are all fabulous results of practicing yoga.
In addition to the normal exercise benefits yoga offers, the practice serves as treatment for a variety of injuries and health conditions. Yoga embodies the recognition of the link between physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness, and reaches its fans in deeper ways than other forms of traditional exercise.
Although the two disciplines come from entirely different histories, the concept that yoga heals the body in its entirety closely mirrors the concept behind chiropractic care. These similar foundations offer enormous benefits to those suffering from a variety of injuries and conditions that seek help from a chiropractor. By incorporating yoga sessions into their treatment, chiropractic patients often reap great rewards.
Here are four reasons why:
Yoga Primes The Body For Healing
Practicing yoga stretches and elongates the body’s muscles, releasing tension and stress. Before patients visit their chiropractors, yoga can serve to warm up their bodies and clarify their minds, so the chiropractor can dig into the root problem. Yoga complements chiropractic treatment by readying the body to heal itself.
Yoga Increases Joint & Ligament Strength
Dealing with a health condition or injury is frustrating and can seem like it takes forever to heal. Implementing yoga into a recovery plan helps strengthen joints and ligaments, which aids in promoting healing and cutting down the time it takes to get better.
Yoga works on the body as a whole and promotes greater well-being from head to toe. A stronger body absorbs chiropractic care more productively and deeply than one that is stiff, sore, and unhealthy.
Yoga Increases Range Of Motion
Depending on the severity of the individual’s specific condition, chiropractic patients may need several visits to “prep” their bodies before the main issue can even be addressed. Yoga sessions increase a body’s flexibility and help with the range of motion in the neck, back, hips, and other joints. By going into a chiropractic treatment equipped with better range of motion, the patient is more pliable, and the visit is able to offer more in-depth adjustments, for greater results.
Prevents Future Injury
Many reasons individuals seek chiropractic treatment are for recurring issues. Yoga provides an ongoing way for patients dealing with chronic issues to manage and reduce instances of pain, inflammation, and other symptoms. A regimen of yoga coupled with chiropractic care keeps the body aligned, its balance level, the muscles stretched and de-stressed, and the joints operating efficiently.
Both also serve to keep posture correct, and ligaments strong. All of these results create a body that is less susceptible to future injury, and less inclined for previous medical conditions to resurface. Individuals enjoy greater mobility longer, all without changing their active lifestyles.
Yoga has long been touted as the answer for many of the body’s issues, and it’s smart for individuals, whether dealing with current issues or in prime health, to check out the basics of yoga. Chiropractic care coupled with yoga offers a great many benefits to patients who are dealing with medical conditions or injury. Ask your chiropractor for an evaluation of your health issues, and whether adding yoga to your overall health plan would help you lead a better, more active life.
Chiropractic Keeps Nastia Liukin’s Body In Balance
IFM's Find A Practitioner tool is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine, created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world. IFM Certified Practitioners are listed first in the search results, given their extensive education in Functional Medicine
Please Recommend Us: If you have enjoyed this video and/or we have helped you in any way please feel free to recommend us. Thank You.
