Back Clinic Chronic Pain Chiropractic Physical Therapy Team. Everyone feels pain from time to time. Cutting your finger or pulling a muscle, pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. The injury heals, you stop hurting.
Chronic pain works differently. The body keeps hurting weeks, months, or even years after the injury. Doctors define chronic pain as any pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months or more. Chronic pain can affect your day-to-day life and mental health. Pain comes from a series of messages that run through the nervous system. When hurt, the injury turns on pain sensors in that area. They send a message in the form of an electrical signal, which travels from nerve to nerve until it reaches the brain. The brain processes the signal and sends out the message that the body is hurt.
Under normal circumstances, the signal stops when the cause of pain is resolved, the body repairs the wound on the finger or a torn muscle. But with chronic pain, the nerve signals keep firing even after the injury is healed.
Conditions that cause chronic pain can begin without any obvious cause. But for many, it starts after an injury or because of a health condition. Some of the leading causes:
Arthritis
Back problems
Fibromyalgia, a condition in which people feel muscle pain throughout their bodies
Infections
Migraines and other headaches
Nerve damage
Past injuries or surgeries
Symptoms
The pain can range from mild to severe and can continue day after day or come and go. It can feel like:
A dull ache
Burning
Shooting
Soreness
Squeezing
Stiffness
Stinging
Throbbing
For answers to any questions you may have please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents how hypertension affects the human body and some causes that can increase hypertension in many individuals in this 2-part series. We refer our patients to certified medical providers who provide multiple available treatments for many individuals suffering from hypertension associated with the cardiovascular and immune systems affecting the body. We encourage each of our patients by mentioning them to associated medical providers based on their analysis appropriately. We understand that education is a delightful way when asking our providers questions at the patient’s request and understanding. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., only makes use of this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
How To Look For Hypertension
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Let’s go back to the decision tree so you can begin to think about how you will apply the go-to-it model in functional medicine to hypertension and how you will start better assessing somebody with hypertension rather than telling them that their blood pressure is elevated. Is the body influenced by inflammation, oxidative stress, or immune response? Is it affecting endothelial function or vascular smooth muscle from those three categories of reactions, inflammation, oxidative stress, or immune response? Do we choose a diuretic calcium channel blocker or an ACE inhibitor? And so to do that, it’s really important in our gather section. Taking the medical history and the timeline of their hypertension, you get a clue about the organ damage to the questionnaires. You’re looking at their anthropometrics.
This includes the following questions:
What are the inflammatory markers?
What are the biomarkers and clinical indicators?
Those are outlined through the clinical decision tree. And already just doing that, you’re going to expand and fine-tune your lens on what you might see in your hypertensive patient. Let’s add to the timeline when does hypertension begin? The timeframe of hypertension begins actually in prenatally. It’s important to ask your patient if they were early or large educational age. Was their mother stressed? Were they born early or premature? Was there nutritional stress in their pregnancy? If they know that, you can have two people with the same kidney size, but the person who didn’t have enough protein during pregnancy can have up to 40% less glomeruli. Knowing that will change how you adjust the medication decades later if you know they possibly have 40% less glomeruli.
The Timeline For Blood Pressure
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: So it’s important to take the timeline of their blood pressure. Then it’s also important to recognize what is happening when we begin to organize and collect data through the biomarkers; the basic biomarkers will give you clues about whether they have issues with insulin lipids, whether they have problems with vascular reactivity, autonomic nervous system balance, imbalance, coagulation, or immune toxin effects. So this is a reasonable thing to print off because, in your hypertensive patient, this is through just the biomarkers you can begin to get a clue as to what areas of dysfunction affect inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune response and how these biomarkers reflect that information for you. This is very reasonable to have in front of you to help change your thoughts about hypertension and also enables you to refine some of the characteristics of the person on the other side of your stethoscope in a more personalized, precise way.
But let’s start at the very beginning. Does your patient have high blood pressure? We know that depending on the end organ effects of their comorbidities, you may run someone a slightly higher blood pressure if you have a profusion issue in the brain and the kidneys or the heart, but some guidelines are there. Our 2017 American Heart Association guidelines for blood pressure categories are listed here. They’ve waxed and waned back and forth over the last couple of decades, but this is very clear. Having elevated blood pressure, anything above 120, really shifted how many people we start seeing or considering addressing the root causes of their blood pressure. So we will come back to this, especially in the case to help us look at how we categorize people with blood pressure issues.
The Criteria To Mesure Blood Pressure
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: What is the first step? It’s how do you have the blood pressure taken in your patient? Do they monitor it at home? Do they bring those numbers to you? How do you monitor blood pressure in your clinic? How do you get accurate readings in your clinic? Here are the criteria to accurately measure blood pressure and the questions to consider whether you’re doing all these.
Do you ask your patient whether they’ve had caffeine in the last hour?
Whether they’ve smoked in the previous hour?
Were they exposed to smoke in the last hour?
Is the place where you’re taking blood pressure warm and quiet?
Are they sitting with their back supported in a chair with their feet on the ground?
Do you use the roll-around side table to rest your arm at the heart level?
Are they sitting at the exam table with their feet dangling, and a nurse aide elevates their arm and puts in their axillary fold to hold their arm there?
Are their feet on the ground?
Have they sat there for five minutes?
Have they exercised in the previous 30 minutes?
You may have systolic blood pressure if everything is in the criteria. Here’s the challenge. There are 10 to 15 millimeters of mercury higher when it comes to sitting and taking blood pressure. What about the cuff size? We know last century; most adults had an upper arm circumference of fewer than 33 centimeters. Over 61% of people now have an upper arm circumference greater than 33 centimeters. So the size of the cuff is different for around 60% of your adult patients, depending on your population. So you have to use a large cuff. So take a look at how blood pressure is collected in your office. Let’s say the blood pressure is elevated in your patients; then we have to ask, is it normal? Great.
The Different Types Of Hypertension
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Is it elevated because of white-coat hypertension? Do they have normal blood pressure, elevated outside the clinic, or masked hypertension? Or do they just have sustained hypertension which is a challenge? We’ll talk about that. So when you interpret, it is also important to consider ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. So if you have somebody who’s hypertensive and don’t know whether the blood pressure goes down and you’re trying to figure out whether they have sustained hypertension, you can use 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. The mean daytime blood pressure above 130 over 80 is hypertensive the mean nighttime blood pressure above 110 over 65 is hypertensive. So why is this important? The average blood pressure dips to around 15% at night because of the issue with blood pressure dipping. Failure to have blood pressure drop while you sleep at night could develop problems that can affect a person throughout the day.
If your patient sleeps at night, it should drop about 15% when they sleep. If they have non-dipping blood pressure, it is associated with comorbidities. What are some of those comorbidities in non-dipping blood pressure? Some of the conditions correlated with non-dipping blood pressure include:
Congestive Heart Disease
Cardiovascular Disease
Cerebrovascular Disease
Congestive Heart Failure
Chronic Renal Failure
Silent Cerebral Infractions
Co-morbidities Associated With Non-Blood Pressure
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: These are the comorbidities associated with non-blood pressure. All of us agree that elevated blood pressure is not necessarily good in all those conditions. So when you look at different people groups or other comorbidities, non-dipping blood pressure is most commonly associated with sodium-sensitive folks, people who have renal insufficiency, people who have diabetes, people who have left ventricular hypertrophy, people who have refractory hypertension or autonomic nervous system dysfunction and finally, sleep apnea. So, non-dipping blood pressure increases your association with subclinical cardiac damage. Okay, Reverse dipping means you are more hypertensive at night and is more ascent associated than during the day is more related to hemorrhagic stroke. And if you have somebody with nocturnal hypertension, you have to start thinking about things like the carotid arteries and increased carotid, internal medial thickness. You start thinking about left ventricular hypertrophy and may see it on EKG. Here’s what we know about nocturnal hypertension. Nocturnal hypertension is a nighttime blood pressure greater than 120 over 70. It is associated with greater predictability of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
If you have nocturnal hypertension, it increases your risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease by 29 to 38%. We must know what’s happening at night when we sleep, right? Well, what’s another refinement? Another refinement is recognizing that resting blood pressure is controlled by your renin-angiotensin system. Waking blood pressure is controlled by your sympathetic nervous system. So let’s talk about how their renal angiotensin system drives their nighttime hypertension, and you think about what medication they’re taking. You might change the medication dosing to nighttime. Well, studies have shown that if you have nighttime hypertension and are a non-dipper, it’s best to take your ACE inhibitors, ARBs, calcium channel blockers, and certain beta blockers at night before bed. But it makes sense that you wouldn’t move your diuretics to nighttime, or you will have a disruptive sleep.
Addressing Daytime & Nighttime Blood Pressure
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: So if we don’t address daytime and nighttime blood pressure, we have to consider the effect of blood pressure load. What is your average daytime blood pressure and your moderate sleeping blood pressure is. We know that blood pressure load in young adults is hypertensive only about 9% of the time. So meaning the systolic load is about 9% versus in the elderly, about 80% of the blood pressure load is systolic. And so when you have a higher systolic load, you have more complications and end-organ damage. So what we’re talking about is helping identify your patient with hypertension; what is their timeline? What is their phenotype? Are they only hypertensive during the day, or they’re hypertensive at night also? We have to look at what helps balance that.
Here’s the other point, only about 3.5% of people with hypertension do it have a genetic cause. Only 3.5% of people their genes cause hypertension. The power is at the bottom of the matrix and recognizing these patterns, right? So you look at exercise, sleep, diet, stress, and relationships. So we know that these four autonomic balances help determine blood pressure. We will examine the renal angiotensin system, plasma volume where they hold onto too much fluid, secondary salt load, and endothelial dysfunction. Abnormalities in any of these can lead to hypertension. We’ve been talking about another one that can lead to hypertension: the link between insulin resistance and hypertension.
This diagrammatically gives you an idea of the physiologic interactions between insulin resistance and hypertension. It affects increasing sympathetic tone and increasing renal-angiotensin system balance. So let’s spend a few minutes on the renin-angiotensin system pathway angiotensinogen down to angiotensin two. We take advantage of these enzymes by giving inhibitors to angiotensin-converting enzymes in our hypertensives patients. Elevated angiotensin two leads to cardiovascular hypertrophy, leads to sympathetic phase constriction, increased blood volume, sodium fluid, retention, and aldosterone release. Can you inquire about your patient biomarkers? Can you ask whether they have elevated renin levels?
Look For The Signs
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Well, you can. You can check plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels. It’s important to do this if your patient is hypertensive and has never been on medication because this is where nitrous oxide is so important. This is where your endothelial nitric oxide synthase is present. This is where you have sheer and hemodynamic stress. This is where dietary intake of arginine or the environment that affects nitric oxide plays such a role in the health of this layer of endothelia. If you lay it all together somehow, miraculously, or at least in your mind’s eye, it’ll cover six tennis courts in the average adult. It’s a huge surface area. And the things that cause endothelial dysfunction are not new news to people in functional medicine. Increased oxidative stress and inflammation are two things we mentioned that play an effect.
And then, look at some of these other components, your ADMA being elevated and correlated with insulin resistance. It all begins to form together in a matrix that interacts. So you look at one comorbidity in cardiometabolic syndrome, and it affects another comorbidity. You suddenly see the interrelation between them or hyperhomocysteinemia, which is a one-carbon metabolism marker, meaning you’re looking at the adequacy of folate, b12, b6, riboflavin, and that activity of your one-carbon metabolism. So let’s look at some of these emerging risk markers to improve and track in patients with hypertension. Let’s reanalyze ADMA again. ADMA stands for asymmetric dimethyl arginine. Asymmetric, dimethyl arginine is a biomarker of endothelial dysfunction. That molecule inhibits nitric oxide synthase while impairing endothelial function, and in all of the comorbidities associated with cardiometabolic syndrome, ADMA can be elevated.
Conclusion
So, as a quick review, L-arginine is converted to nitric oxide via nitric oxide synthase, and nitric oxide adequacy leads to vasodilation. ADMA blocks this conversion. And if your ADMA levels are elevated and your nitric oxide levels are low, then you have decreased nitric oxide platelet aggregation increases in LDL oxidation. So many things reduce nitric oxide or are associated with lower nitric oxide levels, sleep apnea, low dietary arginine, protein, zinc insufficiency, and smoking.
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents how anti-inflammatory phytochemicals can reduce inflammation and treat other chronic conditions that inflammation is correlated with. We dive into what medicines can trigger inflammatory cytokines and some treatments that work together to reduce chronic inflammation. We refer our patients to certified medical providers incorporating multiple therapies for many individuals suffering from chronic inflammation and its correlating symptoms affecting the body. We encourage each of our patients by mentioning them to associated medical providers based on their analysis appropriately. We understand that education is a delightful way when asking our providers questions at the patient’s request and understanding. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., only makes use of this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
How Medications Associate With Inflammation
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: When it comes to a person’s health and wellness, it is important to know that when you are introducing them to potential antigenic medication, that person’s immune system is already imbalanced and much more likely to make abnormal immune responses, which then can lead to inflammatory effects in the body’s system. You see them mostly with chimeric human marine antibodies, which are the ones that make antibodies for the immune system, to that point, will elicit a much higher immune response. When this happens, it becomes a challenge to long-term pharmacotherapy. So when people go to their doctors for a prescription, about 20-30% of medication prescriptions are never filled because, most of the time, the prescription will never fill them in the drugstore, which can cascade into various issues.
And when people follow their prescription, sometimes they’ll take it for a little while, and after six months, they stop taking it. So the drop in prescriptions taken for longer than six months is quite low. In the last article, we discussed NSAIDs, DMARDs, and biologics, and we will touch base with acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is another one that’s just really widely used, and it’s because it’s put into all of these different cold and flu, and pain products. They sneak it into many other medications; you must read the labels. This is because some people metabolize acetaminophen quickly, which can become toxic. This can lead to individuals getting random headaches throughout the day and causes their glutathiones to be used promptly. So when looking for cold and flu medicine, it is best to look at the labels for acetaminophen because it doesn’t have anti-inflammatory responses since it is used for pain control.
How Acetaminophen Affects the Immune System
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: So even though we do not know how exactly how the analgesic effects work when people take cold and flu medicines, however, we do know that when people take a ubiquitous amount of acetaminophen, it could increase the pain threshold by inhibiting nitric oxide pathways in the body through mediation through the receptors for NMDA and substance P. We still don’t have a great handle on that, but that’s how it works. So, these drugs can be quite useful in the short term, but long-term use has serious side effects.
When looking for medications, it is important to read the labels that have a black box warning, which is the highest warning that the FDA issues for any potential overlapping risk profiles that the FDA issues. This can include severe liver injuries or serious possible allergic reactions that can develop into chronic inflammation of the muscles and joints. Now there are ways to reduce inflammation and prevent the body from being in more pain by slowly introducing anti-inflammatory botanicals and phytochemicals to detoxify the medication causing these complications.
Some individuals may not realize that constant medication for various pains and issues affecting the body can mask other problems involving the body’s systems. This can include:
Endocrine system
Cardiovascular system
Gastrointestinal system
Reproductive system
When these systems have been affected by medications, they can develop inflammatory markers in the vital organs and cause lead to visceral-somatic dysfunction in the body. When pain medications target pain localized in one location, but the issue is in a different area, this is known as referred pain. Referred pain is where the pain is in one muscle group location but is felt in another area of the body. When the organs are involved, it can cause inflammatory symptoms in the system. To that point, this causes the immune system to be induced into autoimmunity.
How The Immune System Is Induced Into Autoimmunity
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: When the immune system has been induced with autoimmunity, the corticosteroids can develop side effects that can be long termed and delay the healing process. Some of the physical symptoms that are visible with autoimmunity include:
Muscle weakness
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Thin bones
Delay wound healing
Flare-ups
Rheumatoid arthritis
Mood changes
When dealing with these inflammatory symptoms associated with pain, there are fundamental functional treatment approaches that can reduce the inflammatory cytokines causing joint and muscle pain.
Treatments To Target Inflammation
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Some of the treatments that target inflammation include the following:
Slowly incorporating healthy lifestyle choices into a person’s daily lifestyle can reduce the effects of inflammatory cytokines affecting the vital organs, muscles, and joints. It is important to know that incorporating antioxidants, phytonutrients, and anti-inflammatory supplements can reduce residual symptoms in the body. All these treatments are some of the foundations that can address these inflammatory triggers and help reduce muscle and joint pain associated with inflammation.
Anti-Inflammatory Vitamins & Supplements
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Another important note about these treatments is that vitamins and supplements can combine to help treat inflammatory effects that are causing issues in the body. These anti-inflammatory botanicals and phytochemical agents can not only act on the different pathways in the body but also have different mechanisms similar to healthy nutritional foods. Incorporating anti-inflammatory botanicals and phytochemical agents into the body will help modulate the inflammatory cascades and provide multiple synergistic activities to the body.
These agents down-regulate the inflammatory pathways caused by NF-kappaB. They can act as modulators that dissociate the cytokines from causing more issues like oxidative stress or infections triggering inflammation. However, we need inflammation to heal the body from wounds and infections. We mustn’t want the cytokines too high to cause inflammatory effects. So incorporating anti-inflammatory botanicals and phytochemicals provides a much safer option to the body and can be used in many chronic inflammatory conditions.
Conclusion
Since many botanicals and phytochemicals have anti-inflammatory properties, it can be difficult to find a good amount that the body needs to reduce chronic inflammation. Since many cultures and places have used many nutritional plants and herbs for years worldwide, it can be exhausting. Some of the botanical supplements include:
Zinc
Green tea extract
Capsaicin
S-adenosylmethionine
Ginger
To summarize how it is important to know which supplements have anti-inflammatory properties, doing research and incorporating small changes into a daily lifestyle can provide amazing results and allow the individual to be pain-free and have good health when combining botanicals and phytonutrients.
The hips in the lower portions of the body allow the legs to move the host from one location to another and provide stability to support the upper body’s weight. The hips will enable the torso to twist and turn without feeling pain. This is due to the various muscles and ligaments surrounding the pelvic bone and hip joint socket that allow the motion to be possible. However, when various injuries or factors start to affect the multiple muscles surrounding the pelvis or there is a chronic condition like osteoarthritis that causes wear and tear on the hip joints can cause underlying symptoms associated with the hips and cause many individuals to have difficulty when moving around. Luckily there are ways to improve hip mobility and the surrounding muscles in the hip and pelvic region of the body. Today’s article looks at the causes of the development of tight hips in the body and how different stretches can release tight hip flexor muscles. We refer our patients to certified providers that incorporate techniques and multiple therapies for many individuals suffering from hip pain and its correlating symptoms that can affect the musculoskeletal system in the hips, legs, and lumbar region of the spine. We encourage and appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis when it is appropriate. We understand that education is a fantastic way when asking our providers intricated questions at the patient’s request and understanding. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., only utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
What Causes The Body To Develop Tight Hips?
Have you been dealing with hip mobility issues? When you sit, do you feel uncomfortable, and your hip muscles become tight? Or do you have a decreased range of motion when moving your hips? It could correlate with your hips if you have been experiencing muscle pain issues in the lower extremities. The hips help stabilize the upper and lower portions of the body while providing the full leg’s range of motion. When a person begins to sit for long periods or twist their body in a weird position, it can cause the muscles that surround the hips to become shortened. Other issues, like chronic conditions, can play a role in developing tight hip flexors. Studies reveal that various pathologies affecting the hips, lumbar spine, and lower extremities could strongly correlate with restricted hip mobility that can cause harmful effects that can affect the hips. To that point, some of the symptoms associated with tight hip flexors include:
Instability
Hypermobility
Limited range of motion
Reduce muscle strength in the groin
Muscle cramps
Sharp, sudden pain in the hips, pelvis, or groin
Low back pain
Piriformis syndrome
Other research studies mentioned that hypermobility disorders could affect the hip joints. Hypermobility disorders like EDS (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) could cause micro or macro-trauma on the hip joint and affect the ligaments surrounding the hip joint. To that point, it can cause the hip flexor muscles to become tense and potentially affect how a person moves, which then causes soft tissue injuries and chronic pain.
Hip Flexor Stretches-Video
Do you feel tight along your hips? Do you see yourself hobbling around when walking? Or do you feel aches or strains when stretching? Many of these issues correlate with tight hip flexors that could result from hip pain in the lower extremities. When a person has tight hip flexors, it could be due to them constantly sitting down, causing the hip muscles to be shortened, or chronic conditions that can affect the hip joint and muscles. However, there are various ways to prevent tight hip flexors and regain mobility back to the hips. Studies reveal that stretching combined with core stabilization can help improve the hip’s range of motion while ensuring core endurance exercises can help strengthen the surrounding muscles in the hip area. The video above shows stretches targeting the hip flexor muscles and helps improve hip mobility.
Different Stretches To Release Tight Hip Flexors
Studies have shown that the hip flexor muscles are the main contributors to lumbar spine stability when releasing tight hip flexor muscles. So when there are tight hip flexors, it can cause overlapping risk profiles to the lumbar spine, which leads to pain and impairment in performance. The best way to reduce the pain-like symptoms associated with tight hip flexors is by stretching the lower half of the body to reduce muscle strain and tightness in the hip flexors. Additional studies have found that stretching combined with exercises targeting the low back can reduce the pain caused in the low back and help improve stability and strengthen the surrounding muscles located in the hips. Now it is important to remember that stretching for at least 5-10 minutes before and after working out allows the muscles to warm up and improve flexibility. Below are some different stretches that can release tight hip flexors.
High Crescent Lunge
While standing on the mat, take a step forward to allow your right foot to be in a staggard stance *Think in a lunge position.
Bend the front knee gently while keeping the back leg straight, as this allows the heel in the back leg to be lifted off the mat; the bent front knee enables the thigh to be parallel to the floor, and the right foot is pressed flat on the mat.
Square up the hips, so they face toward the mat’s front.
Extend the arm up towards the ceiling to stretch upwards while pressing into the mat to feel the hips stretch
Hold for five breaths before slowly rising out of the lunge position and repeating on the other side.
This stretch helps release tension in the hip flexors and quads while warming up the muscles and increasing blood flow to the legs.
Knee-To Chest Stretch
Lie on the mat with both legs extended out and feet flexed.
Pull on the left knee to the chest while keeping the right leg straight, and the lumbar portion of the back is pressed into the mat.
Hold the position while taking deep breaths for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Release slowly and repeat on the right leg *You can lift both knees to your chest and rock slowly from side to side to relieve low back tension as an alternative.
This stretch is extremely helpful for tight hamstrings and allows the tense muscles on the hips and lower back to relax while increasing blood flow back to the muscles.
Piriformis Stretch
On the mat, sit with both legs extended out.
Cross the right leg over the left and place the other flat on the floor while the left foot is flexed
Place the right hand behind the body while the left elbow is on the right knee.
On inhale, press the right leg to the left while allowing the torso to twist on the right.
Take five breaths for a deeper stretch and switch sides to repeat the action with the left hand *If you have low back pain issues, the modified version allows you to use your left hand to pull the right quad in and out to the left and vice versa.
This stretch helps loosen tight muscles in the lower back, hips, and glutes. If you have sciatic nerve pain associated with piriformis syndrome, this stretch helps release muscle tension from the piriformis muscle aggravating the sciatic nerve.
Happy Baby Pose
Lie on the mat with both knees bent and feet on the ground.
On inhale, lift the feet off the ground and grab the outer sections of the feet with your hands.
Then gently pull the feet towards the chest and allow the knees to lower to the ground, on either side of the body, while keeping the back flat on exhale.
Hold the position for at least five breaths.
This stretch helps with the inner thigh muscles or hip adductors and helps them become loose and mobile without feeling any strain or tension.
Bridge Pose
On the mat, lie on your back and sides, and extend your arms while your feet are flat on the floor with your knees bent.
Press with your heels to lift the hips and allow the feet to walk a few steps toward the body. *Keep the feet and knees hip-width apart.
Clasp hands together underneath the body and press them into the mat
Hold the position for five breaths.
This stretch helps take the pressure off the hip muscles while strengthening the glutes and abdominal muscles.
Conclusion
When it comes to releasing tight hip flexors after sitting for a long time or having hip issues affecting your low back or pelvis, Doing different stretches that target the hips can reduce the pain and release tight muscles associated with other conditions that can affect the body. The hips are important to take care of since they provide mobility and stability to the upper and lower portions of the body. They support the upper body’s weight while providing a huge range of motion to the legs. Incorporating these different stretches can reduce the pain that they have been under and help warm up the other muscles that surround the lower extremities.
References
Lee, Sang Wk, and Suhn Yeop Kim. “Effects of Hip Exercises for Chronic Low-Back Pain Patients with Lumbar Instability.” Journal of Physical Therapy Science, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4339134/.
Moreside, Janice M, and Stuart M McGill. “Hip Joint Range of Motion Improvements Using Three Different Interventions.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2012, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22344062/.
Reiman, Michael P, and J W Matheson. “Restricted Hip Mobility: Clinical Suggestions for Self-Mobilization and Muscle Re-Education.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3811738/.
The brain is one of the most powerful organs providing somatic and peripheral signals throughout the body. The brain ensures that the body stays functional and sends the right amount of neurons and other necessary substances to the various muscles, vital organs, tendons, and ligaments so that the host can continue to move, whether in an active or resting state. However, as the body ages naturally, so does the brain, as numerous factors can affect the body in multiple ways. Chronic conditions like neurodegenerative disorders can affect how the brain functions in the body and can cause a cascading effect on the body that affects not only the motor skills but the muscles, ligaments, and vital organs. Today’s article looks at one of the neurodegenerative disorders known as Parkinson’s disease, how it affects the body, and how to manage Parkinson’s early on to prevent it from affecting the brain. We refer our patients to certified providers that incorporate techniques and various therapies for many individuals from Parkinson’s disease and its correlating symptoms that can affect the musculoskeletal system. We encourage and appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis when it is appropriate. We understand that education is a fantastic way when asking our providers intricated questions at the patient’s request and understanding. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., only utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
What Is Parkinson’s Disease?
Do you often find yourself slurring your words? Have you been noticing you’ve constantly been slouching over, and it is affecting your posture? Or have you been dealing with stiffness in different muscle areas? If you have been experiencing any of these symptoms, it could correlate to the early signs of Parkinson’s disease. Studies reveal that Parkinson’s disease is a slow, progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting about 1% of the world population over 60. This neurological disorder is common, and while it commonly affects men more than women, it causes the basal ganglia to deteriorate over time and causes numerous symptoms to affect the body’s motor function. Additional studies reveal that environmental influences like smoking and endocrine factors could potentially cause overlapping risk profiles that cause early development of Parkinson’s disease. Some of the symptoms that are most common with Parkinson’s disease include:
Loss of motor function in the hands and feet
Body Tremors when resting
Muscle stiffness
Unstable posture
Unable to write, speak or swallow
Sleep issues
Cognitive dysfunction
Urinary disturbances
These various symptoms cause body dysfunction in the multiple muscles and vital organs and can lead to overlapping risk issues that can mask Parkinson’s disease.
How Does Parkinson’s Affect The Body?
When Parkinson’s disease affects how the brain sends neuron signals to allow the body’s motor skills to function in each muscle group, the signs and symptoms can vary for each individual. Early symptoms are mild and go unnoticed. However, since Parkinson’s disease affects the body’s motor skills, muscle weakness fits in the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. Studies reveal that Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder often characterized by different motor symptoms; a muscular deficiency could cause joint and muscle instability and torque. Muscular deficiency in the body could cause the brain to signal the immune system to send out inflammatory cytokines to the various muscles and vital organs and cause abnormality in the body, which then affects the gut-brain connection and leads to gut dysbiosis associated with muscle stiffness.
Understanding Parkinson’s Disease- Video
Have you been experiencing muscle weakness in different areas of your body? Do you feel constipated constantly? Or have you been dealing with cognitive issues affecting your quality of life? Many of these signs and symptoms are associated with a neurodegenerative disorder known as Parkinson’s disease. The video above explains what Parkinson’s disease is and how it affects the brain. Studies reveal that the association between the brain’s structure and Parkinson’s disease correlates to muscle deficiency in the body. Since Parkinson’s is a slow, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, one of the symptoms is muscle weakness. Muscle weakness does occur in the body when Parkinson’s disease starts to progress further and causes a deficit in the central activation of each muscle group. When this happens, numerous issues will begin to develop over time alongside Parkinson’s. On the bright side, there are various ways to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease and restore the body’s functionality.
How To Manage Parkinson’s Disease Early
There are numerous ways that many individuals can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease early on to prevent more issues from affecting the body’s motor skills. Getting enough exercise can help improve a person’s well-being and motor skills. Incorporating healthy foods and supplements that can improve brain function and reduce other symptoms like inflammation can help improve muscle and organ functionality. And finally, finding hobbies and setting boundaries can lower cortisol levels and decrease stress can be a positive impact on the brain; managing the progression of Parkinson’s can ensure a person’s well-being while making the brain from rewiring those neuron signals from going haywire.
Conclusion
Parkinson’s disease is a slow, progressive disorder that causes the brain’s basal ganglia to deteriorate and cause dysfunction in the body’s motor skills. When the brain’s neuron signals become haywire due to Parkinson’s, it can lead to muscle weakness in the body, and that can cause overlapping risk profiles in the body, causing more symptoms to mask Parkinson’s disease. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease early on can reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s:
Eating nutritious food for the brain
Exercising
Being mindful
When people incorporate these techniques into their lifestyle, they can regain their quality of life.
References
Frazzitta, Giuseppe, et al. “Differences in Muscle Strength in Parkinsonian Patients Affected on the Right and Left Side.” PloS One, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 25 Mar. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4373899/.
The body is a complex machine with various muscles, tendons, ligaments, and vital organs that each play a specific role in maintaining functionality and stability to the host. The body allows movement and mobility from the neck down to the feet. When the body suffers from pain or has been affected by various issues that correlate with pain, two things can occur, one, where acute pain can affect the body and cause the individual to be sore for a few days or two, where the body suffers from chronic pain that leads to the development of myofascial pain syndrome that can lead to referred pain in different muscle groups and cause the body to dysfunction. Today’s article examines how to diagnose myofascial pain syndrome, how the body reacts to this condition, and how various treatments can reduce myofascial pain syndrome in the body. We refer patients to certified providers incorporating techniques and therapies for individuals dealing with myofascial pain syndrome affecting different body areas and causing functionality. By locating where the trigger points are coming from, many pain specialists utilize a treatment plan to reduce the effects that trigger points are causing on the body while coming up with a diagnosis to minimize the referred pain impacting the body. We encourage and appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis when it is appropriate. We understand that education is a terrific way when asking our providers intricated questions at the patient’s request and understanding. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., only utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
How To Diagnose Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Have you been experiencing pain in different locations in your body? Do you have any areas of complaint that affect your daily lifestyle? Or do you have issues of stability and mobility when you are out and about? More often than not, approximately 25% of Americans are in some pain that can impact their lives and, if not treated right away, can cause the body to be dysfunctional. When there is constant pain in the body, it can cause overlapping risk profiles, known as myofascial pain syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome is often defined as pain that originates along the musculoskeletal muscle groups and causes hyperirritable spots within the muscle fibers’ taut band, causing trigger points to develop. This means repetitive motions cause muscle strain and tightness along the muscle fibers when the body goes through repetitive movements daily.
When many people are dealing with myofascial pain syndrome, they would go to their primary doctor and explain that they are dealing with pain in different areas of their bodies, including their head, neck, shoulders, back, hips, etc. Afterward, their doctors conduct an examination to see where the issue is occurring. Many doctors often ask numerous questions to their patients about their daily activities before coming up with a diagnosis that myofascial pain syndrome is affecting their bodies. Studies reveal that the etiology of myofascial pain syndrome is not fully understood. Still, when the muscles, ligaments, and tissues are inflamed or undergo repetitive trauma, it can be accompanied by correlating conditions and disorders. To that point, doctors will work with their associated medical providers to develop a personalized treatment plan to diagnose and reduce myofascial pain syndrome associated with chronic conditions affecting the body.
How Does The Body React To Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Now when the body is dealing with myofascial pain syndrome, studies reveal that it can be a major health problem when it is not treated right away; it can cause the following:
Impaired mobility
Pain
Muscle hypersensitivity
Sleep issues
Neurological issues
According to “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual,” by Dr. Janet G. Travell, M.D., the book mentioned that when myofascial pain syndrome becomes aberrant, it can lead to a disorder known as myofascial pain modulation disorder. This means that when a person is dealing with trigger points in their bodies, it can distort their referred pain patterns when being diagnosed. Active trigger points normally project pain in different body locations, known as referred pain. However, with myofascial pain modulation disorder, the pain is not localized but aberrant, which causes distortion to the central nervous system and sends pain signals to cause structural damage to the affected muscles in the body.
An Overview Of Referred Pain- Video
Have you been experiencing pain in different locations in your body? Do you have mobility issues when turning your neck or hips? Do you feel like you are losing your quality of life? If you have been dealing with pain-like problems in your body, it could be due to myofascial pain syndrome causing these issues. Myofascial pain syndrome is when the body goes through repetitive motions or trauma that causes symptoms of muscle strain and stiffness that are correlated with referred pain. The video above explains what referred pain does to the body and how it can affect the muscles and the corresponding organs. This is known as somato-visceral dysfunction, where the muscles and the related vital organs are affected, causing pain. An example would be chest pain associated with cardiovascular issues that mimic a heart attack. Various treatments can now treat myofascial pain syndrome associated with trigger points that can reduce the localized pain affecting the body.
Various Treatments To Reduce Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Several available treatments can help the body and bring back a person’s quality of life when it comes to reducing pain-like symptoms associated with myofascial pain syndrome. As stated earlier, when a person is diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome by their primary doctors, their doctors will work with other pain specialists, like physical therapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors, that can locate where the referred pain is in the body and alleviate the symptoms. This allows the treatment plan to be personalized and catered to the individual. When myofascial pain syndrome causes the muscles to become tight and stiff due to repetitive factors, the pain specialists work with the body to restore functionality and help loosen the muscles. Not only that, but many individuals would take up meditative practices to allow their bodies to relax and reduce future trigger points from developing. This will enable them to have a clear mind and be pain-free.
Conclusion
Myofascial pain syndrome is when the body has pain-like symptoms affecting different muscle groups. It can cause numerous symptoms associated with pain that can cause mobility and dysfunction in the individual. Since the body is a complex machine that incorporates various muscles, tendons, ligaments, and vital organs to maintain functionality, myofascial pain can cause referred pain to a different location of the body and can be a major health problem. However, available treatments can reduce the pain-like symptoms caused by myofascial pain syndrome. When doctors work with associated medical providers specializing in myofascial pain syndrome, they can develop a personalized treatment plan to reduce future pain-like symptoms associated with myofascial pain syndrome from causing more issues to the body and even reduce correlating conditions that overlap that trigger myofascial pain.
References
Cao, Qi-Wang, et al. “Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Myofascial Pain Syndrome.” World Journal of Clinical Cases, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Mar. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8017503/.
Desai, Mehul J, et al. “Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Treatment Review.” Pain and Therapy, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4107879/.
Niddam, D M, et al. “Brain Structural Changes in Patients with Chronic Myofascial Pain.” European Journal of Pain (London, England), U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2017, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27352085/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 2:the Lower Extremities. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
When exercising, it is very important to warm each muscle group to prevent injuries from occurring when working out. Stretching the arms, legs, and back can loosen up stiff muscles and increase blood flow to allow each muscle fiber to warm up and allow maximum power when each set is performed. One of the best ways to reduce muscle fatigue or stiffness before working out is to foam roll each muscle group for at least 1-2 minutes max to provide optimal functionality. Foam rolling allows the muscles to warm up before an extensive workout session. Still, it can also offer many benefits when combined with other therapies to reduce pain-like symptoms like trigger point pain from causing further injuries from reoccurring in the body. Today’s article focuses on the benefits of foam rolling, how it reduces trigger point pain, and how it is combined with chiropractic care to achieve optimal health and wellness. We refer patients to certified providers incorporating techniques and therapies for individuals dealing with trigger point pain affecting different body areas. By locating where the trigger points are coming from, many pain specialists utilize a treatment plan to reduce the effects that trigger points are causing on the body while suggesting different tools, like using a foam roller to reduce pain in the other muscle groups. We encourage and appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis when it is appropriate. We understand that education is a terrific way when asking our providers intricated questions at the patient’s request and understanding. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., only utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
The Benefits Of Foam Rolling
Have you been dealing with pain-like symptoms in different parts of your body? Do you feel stiffness in your muscles? Or have you been feeling exhausted throughout the entire day? Many people often feel stressed, overworked, and exhausted after a long day and need to find different ways to relieve stress. Whether going to the gym to work out or yoga class, many people should warm up for about 5-10 minutes to work out each muscle group to reduce muscle fatigue and stiffness. One of the tools that people should utilize is using a foam roller. Studies reveal that foam rolling before working out can improve muscle performance and flexibility and, at the same time, alleviate muscle fatigue and soreness.
Incorporating foam rolling as part of your warm-up can prevent issues like trigger point pain from causing more problems in the affected muscle group and causing more harm. Foam rolling has been known as a self-myofascial release (SMR) tool for many athletic people to relieve delay-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and can help the recovery process for muscular performance. Studies show that when athletes have DOMS, their muscles are tender and stiff that which causes restricted movement. By foam rolling, each sore muscle group can get rolled out on a dense foam roll from the person’s body weight to apply pressure on the soft tissue. When performed correctly, the body’s range of motion will increase, and soft tissue restriction is prevented.
Foam Rolling To Reduce Trigger Point Pain
When the body has been overworked, the muscle fibers will start to overstretch and cause various issues in different body parts. When this happens, tiny, hard nodules form over time and cause referred pain to other body locations in each muscle group. This is known as myofascial pain syndrome or trigger points. Studies reveal that trigger point pain is when the affected muscles are either acute or chronic and cause pain in the surrounding connective tissues. Dr. Travell, M.D.’s book, “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction,” mentioned that myofascial pain could cause somato-visceral dysfunction in the body as the affected muscles and nerves are correlated with the corresponding vital organs. This means that if someone is dealing with back pain, it could be an issue with their gut system. Now how does foam rolling help prevent trigger point pain? As mentioned earlier, foam rolling each muscle group can alleviate muscle soreness and improve blood circulation. Studies reveal that foam rolling on the muscle group affected by trigger point pain can increase blood flow to the affected muscle and reduce fascial inflammation in the body.
What Foam Rolling Does To The Body- Video
Have you been dealing with muscle soreness? Do you feel like you are constantly bending over or shuffling your feet? Or have you been experiencing constant aches and pains when stretching? If you have been dealing with these musculoskeletal issues, why not incorporate foam rolling as part of your routine? Many individuals have some pain that is affecting their muscles that is causing them pain. Regarding reducing pain, incorporating foam rolling on the affected muscles can increase blood flow to the muscle and reduce any symptoms associated with chronic conditions. Studies reveal that the combination of foam rolling and stretching before working out can provide these amazing benefits, which include the following:
Ease muscle pain
Increase range of motion
Reduce cellulite
Relieve back pain
Relive trigger points in muscles
The video above gives an excellent explanation of what foam rolling does to the body and why it provides relief to those different muscle groups. When people merge foam rolling with other treatments, it can benefit their health and wellness.
Foam Rolling & Chiropractic Care
As stated earlier, other various treatments can combine foam rolling to promote a healthy body. One of the treatments is chiropractic care. Chiropractic care incorporates mechanical and manual manipulation of the spine, especially in subluxation or spinal misalignment. When the spine is misaligned, it can cause muscle strain and mobility issues that can affect the body over time. So how does foam rolling play a part in chiropractic care? Well, a chiropractor or doctor of chiropractic can develop a plan to help manage the pain while treating the condition affecting the body. Since foam rolling is utilized in a warm-up session in association with physical therapy, many individuals who work with a personal trainer can incorporate foam rolling as part of their warm-up to loosen up stiff muscles and go to regular chiropractic treatments to improve muscle strength, mobility, and flexibility.
Conclusion
There are many beneficial properties that foam rolling can provide to the body. Foam rolling can allow blood circulation to the muscles while reducing muscle fatigue and soreness. Incorporating foam rolling as part of a daily warm-up can also prevent trigger points from forming in the muscle groups and can work out the tight knots that the muscle has occurred. At the same time, treatments like chiropractic care and physical therapy can combine foam rolling to promote health and wellness in the body and prevent muscle pain.
References
Konrad A, Nakamura M, Bernsteiner D, Tilp M. The Accumulated Effects of Foam Rolling Combined with Stretching on Range of Motion and Physical Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Sports Sci Med. 2021 Jul 1;20(3):535-545. doi: 10.52082/jssm.2021.535. PMID: 34267594; PMCID: PMC8256518.
Pagaduan, Jeffrey Cayaban, et al. “Chronic Effects of Foam Rolling on Flexibility and Performance: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 4 Apr. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8998857/.
Pearcey, Gregory E P, et al. “Foam Rolling for Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness and Recovery of Dynamic Performance Measures.” Journal of Athletic Training, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4299735/.
Shah, Jay P, et al. “Myofascial Trigger Points Then and Now: A Historical and Scientific Perspective.” PM & R : the Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4508225/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 2:the Lower Extremities. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
Wiewelhove, Thimo, et al. “A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foam Rolling on Performance and Recovery.” Frontiers in Physiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 9 Apr. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6465761/.
Everyone worldwide knows that feet are important. The feet allow many individuals to run, walk, or jog for long periods without feeling pain for a moderate amount of time. To that point, the various muscles and tendons surrounding the foot provide full body flexion, extension, and stability. Even though it is very easy to get in the recommended amount of steps into being healthy, around 75% of individuals will have foot pain that can impact their ability to walk. One of the most common foot pains is plantar fasciitis, which can become a painful foot condition if it is not treated as soon as possible. Today’s article looks at plantar fasciitis, its symptoms, how trigger points correlate, and treatments for it. We refer patients to certified providers incorporating techniques and therapies for individuals dealing with plantar fasciitis. By locating where the trigger points are coming from, many pain specialists can develop a treatment plan to reduce the effects that plantar fasciitis is causing on the feet. We encourage and appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis when it is appropriate. We understand that education is a terrific way when asking our providers intricated questions at the patient’s request and understanding. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., only utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Have you been dealing with constant heel pain? Do you feel pain shooting up your leg when you step or walk? Or do you feel a stabbing ache in your heel? Many of these pain issue people are dealing with correlate with plantar fasciitis. Studies reveal that plantar fasciitis results from degenerative irritation on the plantar fascia and its ligaments. This causes the muscle ligaments to become inflamed, swollen, and weak, which then causes the bottom of the foot or heel to hurt when a person is walking or standing. To that point, when there is a repetitive strain on the feet, it causes microtears in the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia in the foot plays an important role as it comprises three segments that support the medial arch and shock absorption when stepping down. As one of the most common causes of heel pain, the residual pain from plantar fasciitis tends to be a sharp, stabbing sensation. Plantar fasciitis is more prominent in middle-aged people. Still, anyone at any age can develop plantar fasciitis, especially if they have labor jobs requiring them to be constantly on their feet.
Symptoms Of Plantar Fasciitis
Since around 2 million Americans could potentially develop plantar fasciitis, it is important to know that when a person has been on their feet constantly, there will be inflammation along the tissues in the feet. Many individuals with a busy lifestyle that requires them to be on their feet frequently would often ignore the pain or discomfort. Some of the symptoms that plantar fasciitis causes include the following:
Pain on the bottom of the heel
Pain in the arch
Pain that is usually worse when waking up
Pain that increases over months
Swelling on the bottom of the heel
However, when the pain becomes overbearing, many people would often think they have sore feet or low back pain from being overly tired from work, under constant stress, or over-exerting their bodies. When this happens, many would think the pain would go away in a few days after resting for a short period.
Trigger Points Associated With Plantar Fasciitis
Now many individuals would often think that plantar fasciitis just only affects the heels, however, it can affect any part of the structure of the foot since all the surrounding muscle tissues are at risk of inflammation. When people start to ignore the pain and discomfort that plantar fasciitis is causing on the feet, it can overlap and develop trigger points in other areas of the body:
Ankles
Knees
Hips
Lower back
Studies reveal that trigger points or myofascial pain syndrome are hard, discrete, small nodules that are along the taut musculoskeletal band that causes numerous issues like inflammation, hypersensitivity, and pain to the affected muscle groups in the body. According to “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction” written by Dr. Travell, M.D., it mentions that when the deep intrinsic muscles that work with the plantar fascia are affected by trigger points, would cause symptoms of numbness and the feeling of swelling in the foot. This causes many people to have limited mobility and have intense pain when walking, which can negatively impact their lifestyle.
An Overview Of Plantar Fasciitis- Video
Have you been dealing with aching feet? Do you feel a sharp, radiating pain in your feet? Or do you have difficulty walking? Many often think they are dealing with sore feet or other issues causing them pain. Around 75% of Americans often have foot pain affecting their ability to walk, and one of them is plantar fasciitis. The video above explains plantar fasciitis and how it can affect the feet. When the plantar fascia tendons become overused, it causes micro-tears in the muscle ligaments. When added compressive force starts to push against the heel boner, it can lead to a pathological state whereby the plantar fascia degenerates and creates dysfunction and pain. When this happens, it can lead to other conditions like trigger point pain along the muscle fibers in the foot. The pain and tenderness caused by trigger points in the plantar muscles may mask as plantar fasciitis. To that point, when plantar fasciitis becomes an issue and causes the individual to be in immense pain, it can become problematic. As luck would have it, treatments are available to reduce the pain from plantar fasciitis.
Treatments For Plantar Fasciitis
When treating plantar fasciitis, many available treatments can reduce the inflammatory effects in the heel and prevent trigger points from coming back. One of the available treatments is chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is an alternative treatment option to prevent, diagnose, and treat numerous injuries and conditions associated with the spine, primarily subluxations or spinal misalignments. Chiropractic focuses on restoring and maintaining the overall health and wellness of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems through spinal manipulation and adjustments. A chiropractor can carefully re-align the spine, improving a patient’s strength, mobility, and flexibility. Regarding plantar fasciitis, chiropractic care can work with other treatments, including physical therapy, massage, and even injections, to manage the pain and treat the condition. Even though plantar fasciitis takes several months to heal, chiropractic care can involve a precise technique that involves adjustments to the feet, ankles, and spinal alignment. This provides several benefits, which include the following:
Reduces Stress in the Plantar Fascia
Promotes Healing
Provides Effective Pain Management
Reduces the Risk of Further Injury
Conclusion
As many individuals worldwide are on their feet constantly, foot pain can hinder one’s ability to move. One of the most common foot pain is plantar fasciitis which can correlate with trigger points along the various muscles of the foot. Plantar fasciitis results from degenerative irritation on the plantar fascia and its ligaments, which causes sharp, stabbing pain on the heel. When this happens, it can cause the heel to be inflamed, swollen, and weak. To that point, it causes instability and pain when walking. However, plantar fasciitis can be treated when it is caught early through various treatments like chiropractic care. Chiropractic care can reduce the stress in the plantar fascia and help reduce the risk of further injuries. Combined with other therapies, many people can function normally and regain their walking ability without pain.
References
Buchanan, Benjamin K, and Donald Kushner. “Plantar Fasciitis – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 30 May 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431073/.
Petrofsky, Jerrold, et al. “Local Heating of Trigger Points Reduces Neck and Plantar Fascia Pain.” Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2020, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31594202/.
Shah, Jay P, et al. “Myofascial Trigger Points Then and Now: A Historical and Scientific Perspective.” PM & R : the Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4508225/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 2:the Lower Extremities. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
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