A large portion of the patients that seek out chiropractic care are suffering from some form of back pain. While chiropractic adjustments and associated therapies can do a lot to ease back pain symptoms and aid in healing, lifestyle changes are also quite important �, particularly weight loss. Excess weight puts increased pressure on the spine, especially the lower back. The more chiropractic patients can near their ideal weight, the easier it becomes to treat and often eliminate the back pain.
The Importance Of Weight Loss
Research shows that obesity makes back pain highly probable.
Research has shown that excess weight and obesity do increase the risk of suffering from low back pain. A meta-analysis of the research on obesity and low back pain found that overweight and obese individuals were most likely to seek care for low back pain, including chronic back pain.
The components of the spine can wear down.
The spine is strong, but it is also delicate. The vertebrae are linked and supported by soft tissues, like discs, ligaments, and tendons.
These soft tissues make it possible to move, flex, twist and turn in a variety of ways, allowing your body to be quite mobile. But these soft tissues are prone to wear and tear.
Even a healthy body will experience wear and tear as it ages. When you add extra weight, though, you increase the wear and tear � and become more susceptible to injuries.
Extra body weight increases damage.
If you have ever carried an object for an extended period of time, like a bag of groceries up and down stairs or a jug of liquid across a parking lot, you know how it can wear you down. While you may feel fine at first, the longer you go, the more tired you become.
Extra body weight is something you carry around with you everywhere you go.
Across the parking lot.
Up the stairs.
Even sitting in a chair.
The structural components of your body, including your joints and the muscles that support them, are constantly forced to handle the extra pressure.
All the extra pressure transfers force through your joints, including your spine. Over time, the force will do damage. Discs will wear out faster, which can lead to degenerative disc disease and back pain.
Injuries become more severe.
The extra weight makes every accident and injury more damaging. Slipping and catching yourself, which may have been okay before, could now pull or tear muscles and tendons. Every time you are in an accident, your body will have a harder time maintaining safe alignment.
Common Injuries Caused by Excess Weight
1. Herniation
A herniated disc occurs when the tough outer layer of the disc is torn, allowing the soft inner layer to protrude. The protrusion can put pressure on nerves in the spine.
2. Pulled tissues.
Excess weight makes it more likely that you will pull or tear muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Every pound you lose is one less pound your body must carry. The closer you get to your optimal weight, the easier it will be for your body to support your spine. When you get chiropractic adjustments, they will be more likely to remain in place. A healthy weight makes chiropractic care more effective.
If you are suffering from back pain and excess weight, please contact us. Our chiropractic team can help you in your weight loss journey, and we can treat your pain in a way that is both effective and non-invasive.
A winged scapula is a debilitating condition left untreated. The condition is often spotted by the protrusion or the sticking out of the scapula from the back. Fortunately, chiropractic treatment can fix the condition. This and associated therapies can help you get relief from your symptoms, and to strengthen your shoulders to avoid further discomfort.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a winged scapula can include:
Protrusion of the shoulder blade from the back
Pain when sitting from pressure on the scapula
Difficulty moving the shoulder and arm
Weakness in the shoulder and arm
Sometimes the symptoms of a winged scapula are relatively minor in the beginning. You may only have a little discomfort at the start. But symptoms tend to get worse over time, so it is important for you to seek treatment sooner rather than later.
The damage to the thoracic nerve can cause muscles in the shoulder to become paralyzed, leading to winged scapula symptoms. Many times the appearance of a winged scapula indicated other problems in the back and shoulder.
Poor posture can also lead to a winged scapula. Years of poor posture can weaken the muscles that hold the shoulder in place to the point where a winged scapula is more likely to occur.
Chiropractic Care Can Help
I.D. The Cause
Because this condition can be caused by several different issues, it is important to determine the exact cause before beginning treatment. A chiropractor is well-qualified to give you a full body examination to locate the source of your injury.
Realigning The Thoracic Nerve
Chiropractors are skilled at aligning the human body, including the thoracic nerve. We can locate the point where misalignment of the nerve has occurred and often correct it.
Strengthening The Shoulders
As a winged scapula is often the result of weakened shoulder muscles, the most effective treatment is usually to strengthen the muscles. Our team can guide you in rehab exercises to return your muscle strength and support your shoulder. We can also help you learn how to activate the right muscles in the right manner to operate your shoulder properly.
The symptoms of a winged scapula can come on slowly, which makes many sufferers feel like they should try fixing the issue themselves before seeking medical care. Unfortunately, trying to heal a winged scapula on your own is not likely to be effective.
In fact, you will need some sort of assistance to even apply ice to the area, You will also need help to identify exactly what is wrong and to treat it. Seeking qualified care is recommended.
Helping You Heal
A winged scapula can be quite painful. You should not have to suffer from should pain and back pain. We encourage you to contact us to schedule an appointment and get the treatment you deserve. We are happy to help you with all your chiropractic needs.
Approximately 8 out of 10 people will experience sciatica or a sharp electrical surge that painfully runs through the back down to the foot. It can then lead to having numbness in different areas of the back, leg, and foot. Here are two such cases that describe their back pain and their inability to engage in activities. �
Truide discusses how her pregnancy caused her back pain.
Dionicio discusses how truck driving triggered his back pain.
These patients utilized chiropractic care with Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC and are now back on their feet, pain-free and ready to get on with their lives. The El Paso Back Clinic is the place to go for sciatica back pain relief.
El Paso Back Clinic
We are blessed to present to you�El Paso�s Premier Wellness & Injury Care Clinic.
As El Paso�s Chiropractic Rehabilitation Clinic & Integrated Medicine Center,�we passionately are focused on treating patients after frustrating injuries and chronic pain syndromes. We focus on improving your ability through flexibility, mobility and agility programs tailored for all age groups and disabilities. �
We want you to live a life filled with more energy, positive attitude, better sleep, less pain, proper body weight and educated on how to maintain this way of life. �
Only the best for you�
If you have enjoyed this video and we have helped you in any way, please feel free to subscribe and recommend�us. �
Ms. Hermosillo participates in fitness classes and follows healthy lifestyle habits. She participates in a variety of physical activities to achieve tip-top health. As a result, however, Ms. Hermosillo began to experience neck pain and back pain.
The symptoms were beginning to affect her life both professionally and personally. Ms. Hermosillo heard about local 20+ year El Paso, Texas chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez that brought unbelievable relief of her symptoms! El Paso Back Clinic follows a safe and effective treatment focusing on a variety of health issues associated with the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Ms. Hermosillo recommends Dr. Jimenez for personalized spine therapy for neck pain, back pain, and other conditions.
El Paso Back Clinic
We are blessed to present to you�El Paso�s Premier Wellness & Injury Care Clinic.
As El Paso�s Chiropractic Rehabilitation Clinic & Integrated Medicine Center,�we passionately are focused on treating patients after frustrating injuries and chronic pain syndromes. We focus on improving your ability through flexibility, mobility and agility programs tailored for all age groups and disabilities.
We want you to live a life filled with more energy, positive attitude, better sleep, less pain, proper body weight and educated on how to maintain this way of life.
Only the best for you!
If you have enjoyed this video and we have helped you in any way, please feel free to subscribe and recommend�us.
Sitting for long periods is associated with early death � upsetting news for the millions of Americans who spend extensive time sitting as they work and as they relax after work. A recent study conducted at Columbia� University has found that prolonged sitting destroys your health. Regular exercise, although great for you, failed to significantly reduce the risks associated with prolonged sitting.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize the time you spend sitting. Experts recommend taking a movement break every 30 minutes to protect your health.
The Sitting Study
The study used hip-mounted accelerometers to measure how much time study participants � nearly 8,000 individuals � spent in sedentary positions. Over four years researchers tracked participants and recorded the number of deaths among participants. The study found that increased sedentary time leads to an increased risk of death from any cause. The risk of death went up regardless of how old the participants were or how often they exercised.
The study found that participants who sat less than 30 minutes had a 55% lower risk of death in comparison to participants who sat for longer periods of time.
Why Does Sitting Ruin Your Health?
Finding out that sitting for extended periods so greatly increases your risk of death is startling for many people. The next question is, �Why?� Unfortunately, the exact reasons are far from clear. The study was not meant to uncover the reasons why, so there is limited information to explain what occurs in the body to increase the risk of death. It will take further studies to provide an answer.
Methods to Protect Your Health
Although the exact reasons why sitting increases the risk of mortality are not yet clear, the recommendation to take a break from sitting every 30 minutes does offer an actionable step to protect your health. There are several other ways you can limit your sitting, including:
Sit & Standing Desks
There are a number of different desks designed to be used from a standing position, including stationary standing desks and sit to stand desks � both manually operated and motorized. Standing desks allow you to work exactly as you would at a sitting desk, only while standing. They take some getting used to, but most people who try them out find that they are an easy way to minimize time spent sitting.
When you purchase a standing or sit to stand desk, it may take some time to build up your stamina to use the desk for extended periods of time. Try standing for short periods, then sitting, then standing again to avoid excessive fatigue.
Apps
A number of apps are available to help you track your activity and make gradual lifestyle adjustments to increase your activity levels. Apple�s Health app includes an Activity monitor and coach that collects data from your iPhone, Apple Watch and third-party apps to let you know how much you are moving and to remind you to move more. You can set reminders on your app to tell you to move � such as every 30 minutes � as a way to ensure you avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time.
Timers
The simplest way to avoid sitting for more than 30 minutes is to set a timer on your phone or use a separate timer, to go off after 30 minutes of sitting. Once the timer goes off, engage in brisk walking or some other activity to get your heart rate up for five minutes. Then you can go back to sitting � after you set your timer again.
Helping You Stay as Healthy as Possible
Our chiropractic team is dedicated to helping you enjoy a long and healthy life. Please contact us to schedule an appointment for a comprehensive exam and targeted health advice from an experienced chiropractor.
According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), approximately 31 million Americans deal with some form of low back pain. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to lessen the pain you are experiencing. Taking care of yourself � including maintaining a healthy weight and regular exercise � can help prevent back pain. And when you do experience back pain, chiropractic treatment and stretching can often ease your symptoms.
Prepare for Stretching
Before we get to the stretching, we recommend preparing for your stretching session so you can stretch comfortably and safely. Tips for stretching include:
Ease into it. Stretching should be done gently and smoothly, traveling from stationary to a position slowly and carefully. Avoid bouncing, which can tear muscles.
Stretching should not hurt. You should not feel significant pain when you stretch. As you move into your stretch, listen to your body and stop before you start to feel pain. Stretching should feel good, not painful.
Wear comfortable clothing. Wear loose clothing that will allow you the full range of motion.
Choose an area to stretch that is flat and clean. Choose an area that will be comfortable and well-suited for your activity.
Use padding when necessary. If you are going to be stretching on a hard surface, a little padding can make things much more comfortable.
Hold each stretch 15-30 seconds, and repeat at least 2 times. Holding a stretch lets the muscles elongate, and repeating the stretch improves your results. Repeat the stretch four times for maximum benefit.
Modify to fit your needs. Everyone must work within their limitations. When you try a stretch and you find it is not working for you, try to modify it to suit your needs. You can find modifications to most popular stretches online.
Three Stretches that Are Great For Back Pain
1. Children’s Pose
The name Child�s Pose comes from yoga, where this stretch is often used to begin each session of stretching. Child�s Pose is so popular because it is gentle and effective, and just about anyone can do it.
To do Child�s Pose, get down on your hands and knees. To begin with, place your knees slightly wider than hip-width. Flatten the tops of your feet to the floor, toes pointing behind you. Slowly move your hips back over your feet. Once you have rested your buttocks on your ankles, stretch your arms out in front of you. Feel your lower back stretch out as you hold the pose.
2. Knees/Chest
Lying on your back, use your hands to pull your knees up to your chest, rounding out your back in the process. You can interlace your fingers to hold your knees in position. If you like, hug your knees more tightly to your chest and rock left to right. To enhance the stretch, slowly bring your chin towards your chest.
3. Spine Twist
Lying on your back, stick each hand out to the side of your body to create a T shape. Bring the right knee up to your chest while keeping the left leg straight on the floor. Use your left hand to gently pull your knee higher, then pull the knee across your body to the left. Try to keep your right shoulder on the floor. Repeat on the left side.
Contact For Customized Stretches
If you are suffering from back pain, please schedule an appointment to meet with our chiropractic team. We can help design a custom stretching plan to help you ease your back pain.
El Paso Back Clinic Chiropractor Personal Injury Attorney Recommended
Piano players will sit or stand at a piano or keyboard, often in the same position for hours. A clarinet player must keep their head, neck, and jaw in a precise position in order to play properly. A guitarist must sit for long periods while holding the guitar in a certain position while moving their fingers over the frets in a very precise manner.
In other words, musicians put their bodies through some vigorous training. They practice for hours a day and engage their bodies in repetitive motions for long periods of time.
It's no wonder that many musicians complain of headaches, migraines, carpal tunnel, clicking jaw, numbness in the fingers, and back and neck pain!
Some of this pain can be debilitating and make it more difficult for them to perform their normal activities. Many live with chronic pain.
There was a time when these conditions were considered to be just a part of playing an instrument and the musician would push through the pain. However, many are turning to chiropractic and are enjoying not only a pain-free life but improved performance as well.
The Way Playing an Instrument Affects the Body
Some doctors liken musicians to athletes � instrumental athletes. They do have very similar practices such as practicing for hours a day so that they can perfect their abilities and skills. And like athletes, they also experience certain break downs within the body.
Posture is a common malady as the musician may stand or sit a certain way in order to play their instrument. This prolonged activity can lead to imbalances in the spine, pelvis, and other parts of the body.
When the body is not in balance, it cannot function as it should. Organs are affected and other the body may try to make accommodations for the imbalance which only exacerbates the problem.
This is further compounded each time the musician plays their instrument because by doing so they are consistently underworking and overworking certain muscles. This can lead to further imbalance.
The muscles that are worked, the ones used to play the instrument, get shorter, tighter, and stronger as scar tissue forms. By contrast, the underworked muscle groups stay underdeveloped and get weak. This muscular imbalance puts a great deal of stress on the spine and other joints in the body like the fingers, wrists, and elbows
They may also experience Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI. This condition is often quite painful and is concentrated in the soft tissues, nerves, tendons, and muscles.
These areas may become painful or inflamed when performing repetitive activities, pressing against hard surfaces, vibrations, awkward sustained positions, and forceful exertions. This causes the body to become out of alignment but also impacts the function of the skeletal system, nervous system, and muscular system.
Chiropractic
Chiropractors are very good for musicians because the can assess misalignments in their spine and make adjustments. When proper original alignment is stored to the body, it begins to function properly. This leads to a decrease in pain and other symptoms that may be experienced due to the long hours of playing an instrument.
Musicians also benefit from chiropractic because it can make them better at what they do. When the pain is decreased or eliminated and the other symptoms are relieved, it is easier to play.
When the spine is in proper alignment and the body is balanced, the musician will experience a boost in energy, their muscles will not fatigue as quickly, and their muscles will be more relaxed. With all those benefits, it�s no wonder that chiropractors and musicians make beautiful music together.
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