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Achilles Tendon Tears: Risk Factors Explained

Achilles Tendon Tears: Risk Factors Explained

Individuals who participate in physical and sports activities could suffer an Achilles tendon tear. Can understanding the symptoms and risks help in treatment and return the individual back to their sports activity sooner?

Achilles Tendon Tears: Risk Factors Explained

Achilles Tendon

This is a common injury that occurs when the tendon attaching the calf muscle to the heel gets torn.

About the Tendon

  • The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body.
  • In sports and physical activities, intense explosive movements like running, sprinting, quickly shifting positions, and jumping are exerted on the Achilles.
  • Males are more likely to tear their Achilles and sustain a tendon rupture. (G. Thevendran et al., 2013)
  • The injury often occurs without any contact or collision but rather the running, starting, stopping, and pulling actions placed on the feet.
  • Certain antibiotics and cortisone shots can increase the likelihood of Achilles tear injuries.
  • A specific antibiotic, fluoroquinolones, has been shown to increase the risk of Achilles tendon problems.
  • Cortisone shots are also associated with Achilles tears, which is why many healthcare providers don’t recommend cortisone for Achilles tendonitis. (Anne L. Stephenson et al., 2013)

Symptoms

  • A tendon tear or rupture causes sudden pain behind the ankle.
  • Individuals may hear a pop or a snap and often report the feeling as being kicked in the calf or heel.
  • Individuals have difficulty pointing their toes downward.
  • Individuals may have swelling and bruising around the tendon.
  • A healthcare provider will examine the ankle for continuity of the tendon.
  • Squeezing the calf muscle is supposed to cause the foot to point downwards, but in individuals with a tear, the foot will not move, resulting in positive results on the Thompson test.
  • A defect in the tendon can usually be felt after a tear.
  • X-rays may be used to rule out other conditions, including ankle fracture or ankle arthritis.

Risk Factors

  • Achilles tendon ruptures are most seen in men around 30 or 40. (David Pedowitz, Greg Kirwan. 2013)
  • Many individuals have symptoms of tendonitis prior to sustaining a tear.
  • The majority of individuals have no history of previous Achilles tendon problems.
  • The majority of Achilles tendon tears are associated with ball sports. (Youichi Yasui et al., 2017)

Other risk factors include:

  • Gout
  • Cortisone injections into the Achilles tendon
  • Fluoroquinolone antibiotic use

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are commonly used for the treatment of respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and bacterial infections. These antibiotics are associated with Achilles tendon rupture, but further research is needed to determine how they affect the Achilles tendon. Individuals taking these medications are advised to consider an alternative medication if Achilles tendon problems begin to develop. (Anne L. Stephenson et al., 2013)

Treatment

Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment can consist of non-surgical techniques or surgery.

  • The benefit of surgery is there is usually less immobilization.
  • Individuals can often return to sports activities sooner, and there is less chance of re-rupturing the tendon.
  • Non-surgical treatment avoids the potential surgical risks, and the long-term functional results are similar. (David Pedowitz, Greg Kirwan. 2013)

Treating Ankle Sprains


References

Thevendran, G., Sarraf, K. M., Patel, N. K., Sadri, A., & Rosenfeld, P. (2013). The ruptured Achilles tendon: a current overview from biology of rupture to treatment. Musculoskeletal surgery, 97(1), 9–20. doi.org/10.1007/s12306-013-0251-6

Stephenson, A. L., Wu, W., Cortes, D., & Rochon, P. A. (2013). Tendon Injury and Fluoroquinolone Use: A Systematic Review. Drug safety, 36(9), 709–721. doi.org/10.1007/s40264-013-0089-8

Pedowitz, D., & Kirwan, G. (2013). Achilles tendon ruptures. Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 6(4), 285–293. doi.org/10.1007/s12178-013-9185-8

Yasui, Y., Tonogai, I., Rosenbaum, A. J., Shimozono, Y., Kawano, H., & Kennedy, J. G. (2017). The Risk of Achilles Tendon Rupture in the Patients with Achilles Tendinopathy: Healthcare Database Analysis in the United States. BioMed research international, 2017, 7021862. doi.org/10.1155/2017/7021862

Inversion Therapy, Back Pain & Spinal Decompression

Inversion Therapy, Back Pain & Spinal Decompression

In many inviduals with low back pain, how does spinal decompression and inversion therapy reduce nerve entrapment?

Introduction

Low back pain is a common problem worldwide that can cause individuals to miss out on important aspects of their lives, including work. The severity of the pain can be specific or non-specific, and it can be localized in one area or spread throughout the body, causing referred pain. Many normal and traumatic factors can contribute to low back pain, such as improper lifting, excessive weight gain, stress, excessive sitting, or repetitive motions. These factors can compress the spinal discs and cause the surrounding muscles to become over-stretched and tight, leading to nerve entrapment. However, various treatments are available to reduce low back pain and restore functionality to the body. This article focuses on two therapies, inversion therapy, and spinal decompression, and how they can be used together to reduce the likelihood of low back pain returning. By working with certified medical providers who use our patients’ information to treat individuals suffering from low back pain while combining inversion therapy and spinal decompression as part of their routine. We inform them about non-surgical treatments to regain spinal mobility and restore muscle strength to the back muscles while preventing the effects of low back pain from reoccurring. We encourage our patients to ask essential questions while seeking education from our associated medical providers about their situation. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., provides this information as an educational service. Disclaimer

 

How Does Inversion Therapy Reduce Back Pain

Do you suffer from muscle aches and strains in your lower back due to sitting for extended periods? Do you experience pain after carrying heavy objects or from being physically inactive? If these symptoms are associated with low back pain, seeking treatment is common. Many take over-the-counter medicines, hot/cold packs, or home remedies for temporary relief. Inversion therapy is another treatment option. In “The Ultimate Spinal Decompression” by Dr. Eric Kaplan, D.C., FIAMA, and Dr. Perry Bard, D.C., inversion therapy is mentioned as a method where the individual is suspended upside down in an inversion table for a few minutes to relieve pain-like symptoms. Inversion therapy can reverse the effects of gravity on the back, which can compress the spine and spinal disc over time, leading to back pain. Inversion therapy can relieve acute back pain by decompressing the back.

 

 

Using inversion therapy can help alleviate the symptoms of low back pain and reduce the need for surgery among many individuals. This practice, which has been used for thousands of years, involves utilizing gravity to provide traction for those experiencing lumbar disc herniation related to low back pain. By opting for non-surgical treatments, such as inversion therapy, individuals suffering from low back pain caused by various factors, including nerve entrapment, can experience relief. (Mendelow et al., 2021)

 

Back Pain & Nerve Entrapment Reduced

It is possible to experience low back pain with or without additional symptoms caused by factors affecting the back. This type of pain can result in mobility issues in the spinal region, pain that radiates into the lower extremities, and general discomfort associated with musculoskeletal conditions. (Delitto et al., 2012) Nerve entrapment can be a factor related to low back pain, and it can impact the peripheral pathway because signals from the peripheral system can cause irregular transmissions to the brain. This can lead to inflammatory cytokines releasing in the affected muscle and radiating shooting pain to the legs. As a result, the body can mimic leg pain correlated with low back pain, leading to a misdiagnosis of the issue. (Saal et al., 1988) Fortunately, various non-surgical treatments, such as inversion therapy and spinal decompression, can help reduce low back pain and its associated symptoms.

 


Enhance Your Lifestyle-Video

If you’re suffering from low back pain, non-surgical treatments can be a cost-effective, gentle, and safe solution. Innovative techniques are used to target the root cause of the pain and alleviate it from the musculoskeletal system. Inversion therapy, spinal decompression, and chiropractic care are some non-surgical treatments that can help relieve low back pain and prevent it from recurring. These therapies involve physical and mechanical manipulation of the spine to correct any subluxations. Misalignment of the body can cause low back pain and negatively impact one’s quality of life. Incorporating non-surgical treatments into your routine can help your body heal naturally and promote a healthy lifestyle. For more information on the benefits of these treatments, check out the video above.


How Spinal Decompression & Inversion Therapy Reduce Back Pain

 

As one of the forms of non-surgical treatment, spinal decompression is safer and more cost effective than traditional surgical treatments. Non-surgical treatments can be combined with other therapies to help improve and control the movement in the lumbar spine. (Zaina et al., 2016) So when spinal decompression is combined with inversion therapy, it can help decompress the spine, allowing the spinal discs to slip back into their original position and reduce the pressure off the aggravated and irritated nerve root from causing low back pain to occur again. Since inversion therapy is used for acute low back pain, spinal decompression therapy is used for individuals with chronic issues. After a few sessions of these treatments, the body will function normally and allow the back to be mobile again. When people start to think about their health and wellness for back pain issues, they can incorporate non-surgical treatments as part of their routine.


References

Delitto, A., George, S. Z., Van Dillen, L., Whitman, J. M., Sowa, G., Shekelle, P., Denninger, T. R., Godges, J. J., & Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy, A. (2012). Low back pain. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 42(4), A1-57. doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2012.42.4.A1

 

Kaplan, E., & Bard, P. (2023). The Ultimate Spinal Decompression. JETLAUNCH.

 

Mendelow, A. D., Gregson, B. A., Mitchell, P., Schofield, I., Prasad, M., Wynne-Jones, G., Kamat, A., Patterson, M., Rowell, L., & Hargreaves, G. (2021). Lumbar disc disease: the effect of inversion on clinical symptoms and a comparison of the rate of surgery after inversion therapy with the rate of surgery in neurosurgery controls. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 33(11), 801-808. doi.org/10.1589/jpts.33.801

 

Saal, J. A., Dillingham, M. F., Gamburd, R. S., & Fanton, G. S. (1988). The pseudoradicular syndrome. Lower extremity peripheral nerve entrapment masquerading as lumbar radiculopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 13(8), 926-930. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2847334

 

Zaina, F., Tomkins-Lane, C., Carragee, E., & Negrini, S. (2016). Surgical versus non-surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2016(1), CD010264. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010264.pub2

Disclaimer

Herniated Disc Decompression Clinic

Herniated Disc Decompression Clinic

Older and elderly individuals have an increased risk of developing a herniated disc/s. The age of the intervertebral discs/cushions causes deflation, drying out, and shifting, making it easier for discs to herniate. Muscle mass also reduces/lessens with age; specifically, the muscles parallel to the spinal column are responsible for stability. When the spine loses strength, the risk of injuries like slips and falls can damage the spine and the rest of the body. Herniated disc decompression will keep the vertebral cushions healthy, functioning, and properly aligned.

Herniated Disc Decompression

Symptoms of Disc Herniation

A herniated disc bulge or tear/s will press on the spinal nerves causing discomfort that can range from mild to severe pain and can last for weeks to months. The symptoms of disc herniation vary and depend on the injury angle, how much of the disc ruptured and if it is touching or has leaked out on the nerve roots. The most common symptoms include:

  • Restricted hip and waist flexion.
  • Continuous back pain that radiates.
  • Sciatica symptoms
  • Back muscles contract/spasm
  • The pain can worsen by sudden body movements caused by coughing, sneezing, or hiccups.
  • Numbness in the affected area
  • Numbness or tingling in the leg or foot
  • Decreased knee or ankle reflexes
  • Weakness
  • Bladder or bowel function changes like difficulty moving waste through the colon or large intestine.

Herniated Disc Decompression

Nonsurgical herniated disc decompression therapy can help heal the herniation by:

  • Stretching the spine to the total capacity.
  • Removing the pressure.
  • Pulls the herniated disc back into its correct position.
  • Fills the injured/damaged areas and the rest of the spine with blood, oxygen, nutrients, and lubricating fluids.
  • Helping to rebuild joint and muscle strength.
  • Increasing flexibility in the muscles that support the affected area of the spine.

The therapy duration depends on the herniation, injury, and damage severity. The objective is to bring significant improvement that will last.

Chiropractic, Physical/Massage Therapy, and Health Coaching

A chiropractor and physical massage therapy team will develop a personalized herniated disc decompression treatment plan with specific goals. The therapy will include:

  • Mechanical decompression.
  • Manual chiropractic adjustments.
  • Massage sessions.
  • Health coaching.
  • Exercises and stretches will be given that will help maintain pressure relief and flexibility.
  • Core stabilization exercises will strengthen and stabilize the spine and muscles.
  • Aerobic conditioning will help increase endurance.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression El Paso, Texas


References

Carla Vanti, PT, MSc, OMPT, Alice Panizzolo, PT, OMPT, Luca Turone, PT, OMPT, Andrew A Guccione, PT, Ph.D., DPT, FAPTA, Francesco Saverio Violante, MD, Paolo Pillastrini, PT, MSc, Lucia Bertozzi, PT, MSc, Effectiveness of Mechanical Traction for Lumbar Radiculopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Physical Therapy, Volume 101, Issue 3, March 2021, pzaa231, doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzaa231

Dydyk AM, Ngnitewe Massa R, Mesfin FB. Disc Herniation. [Updated 2022 Jan 18]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441822/

Maistrelli, G L et al. “Lumbar disc herniation in the elderly.” Spine vol. 12,1 (1987): 63-6. doi:10.1097/00007632-198701000-00012

Suri, Pradeep, et al. “Nonsurgical treatment of lumbar disk herniation: are outcomes different in older adults?.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society vol. 59,3 (2011): 423-9. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03316.x

Repercussions Long Term Sciatica

Repercussions Long Term Sciatica

Sciatica is a radiculopathy, which is irritation of the nerve as it exits the spine and is typically caused by compression/pinching along the nerve’s path. Most sciatica cases improve within a few weeks of the injury incident. Left untreated, it can become chronic sciatica and can have long-term repercussions and effects. A herniated disc is the most common cause if it bulges next to the nerve; it can pinch off the nerve or leak fluid onto the nerve, causing inflammation, swelling, pain, numbness, and weakness. Another common cause is spinal stenosis. As the body ages, the canal through which the nerve and spinal cord run can begin to narrow, placing pressure on the nerves. Then there are muscle spasms, spinal fractures, and spinal cancer. Anything that changes the curvature of the spine, including pregnancy, can cause sciatica.

Repercussions Long Term Sciatica

Repercussions From Sciatica

The repercussions can vary or be a combination that includes:

Chronic Pain

The pain can be anywhere along the nerve; typically, it travels from the lower spine through the buttocks, down the back of the leg, and into the foot.

  • The condition can cause various types of pain: Burning, electrical, or shooting pain in the low back.
  • Symptoms can come and go and may present only when sitting, standing, lying, or engaged in a particular activity.
  • The severity of the pain can vary from mild to severe, mildly uncomfortable, to limiting function.

Posture Problems

  • When the body experiences chronic pain in a localized area, the body’s natural reaction is to avoid placing pressure, twisting or bending, or using a specific body part, manipulating healthy posture or walking gait to protect the low back or legs from pain.
  • This is referred to as muscle/posture guarding, which removes pressure from the site but alters the body’s natural alignment, affecting the spine’s characteristics and causing adverse side effects, like upper back and neck pain, headaches, and fatigue.
  • Unhealthy and awkward postures can negatively affect digestion, organ function, and breathing.

Loss of Balance

  • Sciatica commonly causes numbness and tingling in the leg, calf, foot, and toes.
  • The hidden danger behind numbness; it alters the body’s proprioception or awareness of its position.
  • When proprioception becomes inhibited or altered, communication signals from the body to the brain/vice versa get jumbled/interrupted, confusing the brain, throwing the body off balance.
  • This can result in falling injuries.

Numbness or Weakness

  • Sciatica is more problematic if the pain comes with neurological symptoms like numbness, muscle, or leg weakness.
  • This means there is an increased level of possible nerve damage if muscular weakness, which requires aggressive treatment.

Declining Reflexes

  • Depending on where the nerve is compressed, pain and numbness can affect the lower leg area and feet.
  • Damage to the nerve can cause the inability to flex the foot up.
  • The knee-jerk reflex, known as the patellar reflex, is the kicking motion of the lower leg when tapped on the patellar tendon.
  • Sciatica can numb the area, causing a delayed reaction or severe unresponsiveness to stimulation.

Permanent Nerve Damage

  • If left untreated, neurological symptoms like numbness and leg weakness can progress to permanent nerve damage.
  • However, this happens rarely but explains the importance of taking the injury seriously so full recovery is achievable.

Non-Surgical Sciatica Relief


References

Berry, James A et al. “A Review of Lumbar Radiculopathy, Diagnosis, and Treatment.” Cureus vol. 11,10 e5934. Oct 17 2019, doi:10.7759/cureus.5934

Davis D, Maini K, Vasudevan A. Sciatica. [Updated 2022 Feb 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507908/

Giuffre BA, Jeanmonod R. Anatomy, Sciatic Nerve. [Updated 2021 Jul 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482431/

Nori, Subhadra L. and Michael F. Stretanski. “Foot Drop.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, Dec 15, 2021.

Golfing Back Injuries Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

Golfing Back Injuries Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

Golfing Back Injuries: Golf is an enjoyable game that can be played at all ages. It involves the foundation of the body’s range of motion, the spine. Because of the repetitive nature of a golfer’s unique swing, the repetitive rotating/twisting of the spine slowly degrades the integrity of the spinal discs causing them to bulge, herniate, or rupture. The slightest shift causing misalignment can leave the spine vulnerable to further injury. Non-surgical motorized decompression combined with chiropractic musculoskeletal adjustments can restore and maintain optimal health.

Golfing Back Injuries Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

Golfing Back Injuries

Golfing involves muscle memory. Going through the walk, bending to tee the ball, recoiling for the swing, swinging and following through, walking to the hole, and bending down to retrieve the ball are all repetitive motions that can lead to:

  • Soreness
  • Inflammation
  • Back, hip, leg, and foot pain.
  • Strains
  • Other injuries to the muscles and discs.

The bending and twisting are the least tolerated motions by the spine. More than half of injuries sustained involve the back and/or neck. Having the spine correctly aligned is vital to retaining accuracy, power, and injury prevention. Common injuries include:

Sacroiliac Joint/SI Joint Dysfunction

The sacroiliac joint is located between the spine and the hip. Symptoms of sacroiliac joint pain include:

  • Low back pain.
  • Hip pain
  • Pain in the buttocks.
  • Pain radiating down the legs.
  • Groin pain
  • Pelvis pain
  • Burning sensation in the pelvis.
  • Numbness and weakness in the pelvis and legs.

SI Joint Pain Causes

  • The sacroiliac joint requires supported stability when transferring a load from the torso to the legs, specifically during the swing.
  • If there is compression, misalignment, or weakness, the motion will begin to wear away this stability and leave the sacroiliac joint open to further injury.
  • Sacroiliac joint injuries often occur from minor multi-incidents and not one major trauma.
  • With time the SI joint becomes misaligned, exposing the cartilage between joints, causing inflammation known as Sacroiliitis.

Facet Joint Syndrome

  • The facet joints are located between two vertebrae, allowing the ability to bend and twist.
  • Healthy facet joints have cartilage all around them, allowing the vertebrae to move smoothly in all directions.
  • Facet joint syndrome causes pain between the vertebrae.

Facet Joint Syndrome Causes

  • The leading cause of facet joint syndrome is excessive and repetitive swing movement.
  • Misalignment can expose and irritate the joints, causing pain, swelling, and inflammation.
  • Multi-micro-traumas and not one major trauma are often the cause of injury/s.
  • Muscle spasms are common.

Symptoms

  • Highly reduced range of motion
  • Muscle pain
  • Numbness
  • Weakness
  • Cervical Facet Syndrome affects the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands.
  • Lumbar Facet Syndrome affects the buttocks, legs, and feet.

Spinal Decompression

Spinal decompression provides relief for golfing back injuries.

  • Decompression treatment varies from case to case.
  • The treatment is computer-controlled to provide gentle and painless decompression.
  • The therapist enters the program cycle.
  • The decompression table goes through brief moments of pulling and relaxing.
  • The spine’s bones are stretched slowly and methodically.
  • As the vertebrae are separated, a vacuum is formed, pulling the gel-cushion center of the disc back inside, removing the pressure on the spinal nerves and alleviating pain and disability.
  • The vacuum also draws oxygen and nutrients into the injured and degenerated discs to optimize healing.

DRX 9000


Long Term Success


References

Cole, Michael H, and Paul N Grimshaw. “The Biomechanics of the Modern Golf Swing: Implications for Lower Back Injuries.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 46,3 (2016): 339-51. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0429-1

Dydyk, Alexander M., et al. “Sacroiliac Joint Injury.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 4 August 2021.

Hosea, T M, and C J Gatt Jr. “Back pain in golf.” Clinics in sports medicine vol. 15,1 (1996): 37-53.

Lindsay, David M, and Anthony A Vandervoort. “Golf-related low back pain: a review of causative factors and prevention strategies.” Asian journal of sports medicine vol. 5,4 (2014): e24289. doi:10.5812/asjsm.24289

Smith, Jo Armour, et al. “Risk Factors Associated With Low Back Pain in Golfers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” Sports health vol. 10,6 (2018): 538-546. doi:10.1177/1941738118795425

Healing Nutrients and Non-Surgical Decompression

Healing Nutrients and Non-Surgical Decompression

Nerve impingement, sciatica, disc herniation/degeneration, or spinal stenosis can cause sharp, debilitating nerve pain causing electric shocks, pins, needles, or burning sensations along the back or into the arms and legs. In combination with additional chiropractic treatment modalities, spinal decompression therapy effectively relieves the pain and disability resulting from disc injury and degeneration, repairs the damaged discs, and reverses nerve dystrophy. Part of the treatment involves a proper diet to deliver healing nutrients to the spine.

Non-Surgical Decompression Healing Nutrients

Healing Nutrients

The spine supports the entire body to perform motions and movements and needs the proper healing nutrients, especially after chiropractic and decompression therapy. There are vitamins and minerals that are critical for a healthy spine. These ensure that the bones, muscles, discs, and other tissues function correctly. There are nutrients that are essential to the immune system; if they are not present, the ability to heal and recover properly is reduced and takes longer. Nutrients commonly used in immunonutrition include:

  • Nucleotides
  • Antioxidants
  • Arginine
  • Glutamine
  • Omega-3

All are found naturally in certain foods and nutritional supplements and are essential in healing from injuries, like a herniated disc, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, and back or neck surgery.

Nucleotides

  • Every cell in the body contains nucleotides, which help make up and maintain DNA and RNA.
  • DNA and RNA production is necessary for cell repair and regrowth.
  • When the body is experiencing a stressful health issue like back or neck pain, it needs more nucleotides.
  • The body produces and recycles nucleotides and absorbs them through food.
  • All-natural plant- and animal-based food sources contain nucleotides.

Antioxidants

  • Antioxidants maintain and restore healthy tissues by reducing oxidative stress.
  • Oxidative stress is associated with chronic inflammation.
  • Antioxidants include:
  • Beta-carotene
  • Selenium
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C boosts the immune system and acts as an anti-inflammatory
  • Antioxidant-rich foods include:
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Fresh and frozen fruits
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Whole grains

Arginine

  • Arginine is an amino acid produced in limited amounts during growth, illness, or injury.
  • Research has shown that taking arginine supplements can increase the body’s ability to fight infections.
  • Foods include:
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Legumes
  • Meats, specifically turkey meat

Glutamine

  • Glutamine is an amino acid involved in the processes that control cell growth and repair.
  • Supplementation can help decrease the risk of infections and reduce the number of missed school or workdays.
  • Glutamine-rich foods include:
  • Eggs
  • White rice
  • Corn
  • Beef
  • Tofu

Omega-3s

  • Omega-3s naturally reduce the body’s inflammatory response.
  • Inflammation is necessary during healing, but chronic inflammation can be destructive.
  • Omega-3 supplementation can help decrease chronic inflammation.
  • Omega-3 foods include:
  • Salmon
  • Eggs
  • Walnuts
  • Flaxseed
  • Spinach

Spinal decompression gently stretches the spine, creating a vacuum inside the discs and joints. The negative pressure helps heal disc bulges and herniated discs. The lengthened spine allows healing nutrients and water to flow correctly, reducing swelling and inflammation and improving joint motion.


DRX9000 Explicada En Español


References

Chen, Linlin, et al. “Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated diseases in organs.” Oncotarget vol. 9,6 7204-7218. 14 Dec. 2017, doi:10.18632/oncotarget.23208

Daniel, Dwain M. “Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy: does the scientific literature support efficacy claims made in the advertising media?.” Chiropractic & osteopathy vol. 15 7. 18 May. 2007, doi:10.1186/1746-1340-15-7

Dionne, Clermont E et al. “Serum vitamin C and spinal pain: a nationwide study.” Pain vol. 157,11 (2016): 2527-2535. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000671

Napier, Zachary, et al. “Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Reduce Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.” Medical science monitor: international medical journal of experimental and clinical research vol. 25 9531-9537. 14 Dec. 2019, doi:10.12659/MSM.918649

Zolfaghari, Farid, et al. “A Survey of Vitamin D Status in Patients with Degenerative Diseases of the Spine.” Asian spine journal vol. 10,5 (2016): 834-842. doi:10.4184/asj.2016.10.5.834

Sciatic Nerve Decompression

Sciatic Nerve Decompression

Sciatica is experienced as lower back pain and pain that radiates down the back of the legs. It is pain caused by compression, irritation, or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. It is generally experienced on one side of the body. Body movements like twisting, bending, sitting, or responses like coughing and sneezing can worsen the pain. Individuals with sciatica also experience muscle weakness, numbness, tingling, or electrical shock-like sensations. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic offer manual and motorized sciatic nerve decompression to stretch/realign the spine, release the compressed nerves, and relieve pain.

Sciatic Nerve Decompression

Sciatic Nerve Decompression

The spine consists of 23 spinal discs that are shock absorbers for the body during movement. Each disc consists of a soft inner core of a gel substance and a thick outer layer. Wear and tear of the spinal discs from aging, degenerative disc disease, repetitive physical activities like lifting and bending, obesity, and poor posture are some of the factors that can stress the spine, causing the thick outer layer of the spinal disc to crack/breakdown causing the soft inner core to leak out forming a bulging or herniated disc. This type of injury compresses, pinches, or irritates one or more nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve, triggering sciatica.

  • Spinal bone spurs.
  • Spinal stenosis or the narrowing of the spinal canal.
  • Spondylolisthesis, or the slipping or dislocation of the spinal vertebrae in the lower part of the spine.
  • Are also known sciatica causes.

Symptoms

Common compressed nerve symptoms include:

  • Pain or burning sensations radiating down the leg.
  • Because branches of the sciatic nerve extend from the lumbar spine through the buttocks and down the leg, pain, burning sensations or dull aching can present along the nerve’s pathway if the nerve gets compressed or irritated.
  • Weakness in the affected leg.
  • When walking or moving the legs, the nerves transmit information to the brain, stimulating the muscles to react in specific ways.
  • A pinched sciatic nerve can cause interference with relaying signals, resulting in weakness.
  • Numbness.
  • The compression impedes blood circulation and nerve energy transmission.
  • Pins and needles sensations – paresthesia.
  • Like numbness, paresthesia sensations happen when a nerve is compressed or irritated.

Non-Surgical Sciatic Nerve Decompression

Spinal decompression therapy relieves pressure on the spine by pulling/stretching it in small increments. Non-surgical spinal decompression creates negative pressure within the discs. The negative pressure pulls or vacuums back the disc material that has protruded or herniated and an abundance of nutrients to activate the healing response. The chiropractor, physical therapist, or nurse uses motorized medical equipment with sensors linked to a computer-aided system to perform the procedure. The equipment is designed to adjust the pull force accordingly to prevent muscle resistance. The adjustable table also allows the spine to be stretched at different angles to target the upper or lower back.

The objective of spinal decompression treatment is to relieve the symptoms of sciatica or disc disorders and heal the injured disc. We utilize spinal decompression as an effective tool in treating a vast array of spinal conditions.



DRX9000 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression


References

Berry, James A et al. “A Review of Lumbar Radiculopathy, Diagnosis, and Treatment.” Cureus vol. 11,10 e5934. 17 Oct. 2019, doi:10.7759/cureus.5934

Davis D, Maini K, Vasudevan A. Sciatica. [Updated 2022 Feb 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507908/

Giuffre BA, Jeanmonod R. Anatomy, Sciatic Nerve. [Updated 2021 Jul 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482431/

National Institutes of Health. (2019.) “Sciatica.” medlineplus.gov/sciatica.html