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Lumbar Strain: El Paso Back Clinic

Lumbar Strain: El Paso Back Clinic

The lumbar/low back muscles support the upper body’s weight and are involved in moving, twisting, bending, pushing, pulling, and reaching. These repetitive actions can result in a lumbar strain, which is muscle damage or injury to the tendons or muscles of the lower back, causing spasms, soreness, and pain. A lumbar strain can be the source of severe pain symptoms; it can be debilitating and, if left untreated, can lead to chronic conditions. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic can relieve symptoms, realign the body, relax, rehabilitate, strengthen muscles, and restore function.

Lumbar Strain: EP's Chiropractic Injury Team

Lumbar Strain

The lumbar vertebra makes up the region of the spine in the lower back. Sudden injuries or overuse injuries can damage the tendons and muscles. Lumbar muscle strain is caused when the muscle fibers are abnormally stretched or torn. Lumbar strain can be acute/sudden or chronic/lingering. A strain that has been present for days or weeks is referred to as acute. It is considered chronic if it has persisted for over three months. It can occur at any age but is most common in individuals in their forties. Increased risk factors can include:

  • Weakened back or abdominal muscles can cause
  • Tight hamstrings can pull the low back muscles down.
  • Excessive lower back curvature.
  • Forward-tilted pelvis.

Symptoms

Lumbar strain can have varied signs and symptoms depending on the location, damage, and cause of injury. The damage can range from simple overstretching injuries to partial or complete tears of varying degrees. The tears cause inflammation in the surrounding area, resulting in back spasms and difficulty moving. A muscle spasm is a cramp caused by a sudden and involuntary contraction or twitch and can be one of the symptoms of a lumbar strain. Other symptoms can include:

  • Muscle spasms either with activity or when resting.
  • Stiffness in the low back.
  • Difficulty standing or walking, with slight relief when resting.
  • Trouble doing simple tasks like bending or climbing stairs.
  • Low back pain can radiate into the buttocks without affecting the legs.
  • The lower back may be tender and sore to the touch.
  • Decreased muscle strength.
  • Restricted or limited range of motion.
  • Inability to maintain healthy posture because of stiffness and/or pain.
  • Discomfort symptoms that persist.
  • Discomfort ranges from mild aches to sharp, debilitating pain.
  • Intermittent flare-ups.

Causes

There are often multiple underlying risk factors contributing to the injury or damage. A few of the most common causes:

Chiropractic

Depending on the severity, a doctor or health care provider could recommend chiropractic treatment and physical therapy. The chiropractor will perform an evaluation, combined with the doctor’s diagnosis, to develop a customized/personalized treatment plan. Treatment may include:

  • Ice and heat therapy
  • Massage to stimulate blood circulation
  • Percussive muscle stimulation
  • Pelvic traction
  • Ultrasound
  • Stretching exercises
  • Exercises to do at home for long-term relief.

It is a safe option to loosen tight back muscles, relieve pain, and promote lower back healing.


Spine Injuries In Sports


References

Ball, Jacob R et al. “Lumbar Spine Injuries in Sports: Review of the Literature and Current Treatment Recommendations.” Sports medicine – open vol. 5,1 26. 24 Jun. 2019, doi:10.1186/s40798-019-0199-7

Domljan, Z et al. “Lumbalni strain-sindromi” [Lumbar strain syndromes]. Reumatizam vol. 38,5-6 (1991): 33-4.

Li, H et al. “Rehabilitation effect of exercise with soft tissue manipulation in patients with a lumbar muscle strain.” Nigerian journal of clinical practice vol. 20,5 (2017): 629-633. doi:10.4103/njcp.njcp_126_16

Williams, Whitney, and Noelle M Selkow. “Self-Myofascial Release of the Superficial Back Line Improves Sit-and-Reach Distance.” Journal of sport rehabilitation vol. 29,4 400-404. 18 Oct. 2019, doi:10.1123/jsr.2018-0306

Medication Overuse Headaches: El Paso Back Clinic

Medication Overuse Headaches: El Paso Back Clinic

Medication overuse headaches – MOH comes from frequent or excessive use of pain-relieving medications, resulting in daily or near-daily headaches for which the drugs become less and less effective. They are also known as rebound headaches, medication misuse, or drug-induced headaches. It is a common disorder, with around one out of every 100 individuals experiencing these headaches yearly. They can be disabling, causing individuals to be less productive. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic can assess, diagnose, and manage headaches naturally with massage, adjustments, and decompression.

Medication Overuse Headaches: EP Chiropractic Team

Medication Overuse Headaches

The same medications that relieve headache pain can trigger headaches if used too often, triggering an unhealthy cycle. Diagnosis of medication overuse headaches means an individual must experience headaches more than 15 days a month for at least three months while taking pain-relieving and/or antimigraine meds and cannot find other cause/s for their headaches. It is more common in women and individuals with headache disorders, chronic pain conditions, and individuals dealing with depression and anxiety.

Symptoms

Symptoms can vary depending on the type of headache being treated and the medicine used. Common symptoms include:

  • They occur every day or nearly every day.
  • They usually start when waking up.
  • They improve with the medication but then return as it wears off.
  • Headache can feel like a dull, tension-type headache or more severe, like a migraine.

Other symptoms can include:

  • Sleep problems
  • Restlessness
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Memory problems
  • Constipation
  • Irritability
  • Neck discomfort and pain symptoms
  • Weakness
  • Nasal stuffiness and/or Runny nose
  • Light sensitivity
  • Teary eyes
  • Sound sensitivity
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Medicines

Doctors and medical experts don’t know the exact reasons/causes why these headaches occur, and the risk varies depending on the medication. But most medicines have the potential to lead to overuse headaches, including:

Simple Pain Relievers

  • Common pain relievers like aspirin and acetaminophen like Tylenol can contribute to the condition. This is especially true if taking more than the recommended dosages.
  • Other pain relievers like ibuprofen – Advil, Motrin IB, and naproxen sodium – Aleve has shown to have a low risk of contributing to overuse headaches.

Combination Pain Relievers

  • Pain relievers that can be purchased at a store that combines caffeine, aspirin, and acetaminophen – Excedrin has been found to contribute to the condition.
  • This group also includes combination prescription medicines that contain butalbital – Butapap, and Lanorinal. Drugs that contain butalbital have a high risk of causing medication overuse headaches.

Migraine Medicines

  • Various migraine medicines have been linked with the condition. They include triptans – Imitrex, Zomig, and certain headache meds known as ergots, such as ergotamine – Ergomar. These medicines have a moderate risk of causing headaches.
  • The ergot dihydroergotamine – Migranal, Trudhesa have a lower risk of causing headaches.
  • A newer group of migraine medicines known as gepants appear not to cause headaches. Gepants include ubrogepant – Ubrelvy and rimegepant – Nurtec ODT.

Opioids

  • Opium-derived meds or synthetic compounds have a high risk of causing medication overuse headaches. They include combinations of codeine and acetaminophen.

Prevention and Chiropractic

The following steps can help prevent headaches:

  • Follow the label instructions of the medications and the instructions of the doctor.
  • Limit any headache medications taken as needed to relieve head pain to no more than two to three days a week.
  • Consult with a doctor if there is a need to take medications more than two days a week.
  • Contact a doctor if headaches present more than four days a month which could require headache-preventive medication.
  • Control and avoid anything that triggers headaches, like stress, dehydration, hunger, certain foods and drinks, and unhealthy sleep.

Chiropractic

Our team utilizes a personalized and combined treatment approach, including understanding the triggers. The team will work to understand each individual’s situation. A treatment plan can consist of the following:

  • Therapeutic massage to relax and release tight muscles and increase circulation.
  • Spinal manipulation and adjustments to realign the body, improve function and alleviate the stress on the nervous system.
  • Non-surgical spinal decompression.
  • Health Coaching
  • Nutritional recommendations
  • Posture retraining, work postures, ergonomics, targeted stretches/exercises, and relaxation techniques.

Chiropractic and Brain Health


References

Alstadhaug, Karl B et al. “Preventing and treating medication overuse headache.” Pain reports vol. 2,4 e612. 26 Jul. 2017, doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000000612

Bryans, Roland, et al. “Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 34,5 (2011): 274-89. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2011.04.008

Diener, Hans-Christoph, et al. “Pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of medication overuse headache.” The Lancet. Neurology vol. 18,9 (2019): 891-902. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30146-2

Kulkarni, Girish Baburao, et al. “Medication Overuse Headache.” Neurology India vol. 69, Supplement (2021): S76-S82. doi:10.4103/0028-3886.315981

Negro, Andrea, and Paolo Martelletti. “Gepants for the treatment of migraine.” Expert opinion on investigational drugs vol. 28,6 (2019): 555-567. doi:10.1080/13543784.2019.1618830

Scripter, Cassie. “Headache: Tension-Type Headache.” FP essentials vol. 473 (2018): 17-20.

Volleyball Back Pain Chiropractic Clinic

Volleyball Back Pain Chiropractic Clinic

The low back is a common source of discomfort and soreness among volleyball players because of repetitive jumping, bending, and rotating of the trunk. Adolescents have an increased risk of this injury because their vertebral bones are still developing, which increases the risk for stress fractures. Chiropractic care, massage therapy, decompression, rest, and athletic training can help expedite pain relief and heal the injury.Volleyball Back Pain Chiropractor

Volley Back Pain

Muscle or ligament strains are the most common injury from repetitive jumping, bending, rotating movements, and hyperextension during serving, hitting and setting. This can lead to excessive compression forces on the discs and joints, causing reduced blood circulation, increasing the risk of overload injuries. One study reported that low back pain is experienced in 63% of players. However, if low-back pain is accompanied by pain that runs down the leg along with numbness or weakness in the foot or ankle, the issue could be a herniated disc.

Causes

One common reason is endurance imbalances in the muscles that stabilize the low back. The core muscles provide stability to the low back and spine for all movements. If imbalances are present, a player may spike or serve the ball with intense turning and arching. The added actions cause increased pressure in the joints and hip, gluteal, and leg muscles, affecting the spine’s stability.

  • The gluteals run from the back of the pelvis/hip bones down to the outside of the thigh.
  • The gluteal muscles prevent the trunk and hips from overbending forward when landing.
  • If the gluteal muscles do not have the strength and endurance to perform this motion, the upper body will bend too far forward, causing poor landing posture and decreased spine stability.

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

Studies have shown that players with low back pain tend to stand and land with an anterior pelvic tilt. This is an unhealthy posture when the front of the pelvis tilts forward, and the back of the pelvis raises. Landing hard with an anterior pelvic tilt causes increased arching and increases the pressure in the joints.

Chronic back pain

Warning signs of a more serious back problem include:

  • Pain that has lasted for more than 1 week and is not improving or getting worse.
  • Pain that prevents sleep or causes the individual to constantly wake up.
  • Difficulty sitting.
  • Back soreness when performing basic tasks and chores.
  • Significant pain on the court when jumping, landing, or rotating.
  • Chronic pain ranges from aches to shooting or throbbing pain that can run down the buttocks and legs.

Chiropractic Care

A chiropractor can alleviate volleyball back pain, rule out a more severe injury, such as a stress fracture or herniated disc, and provide a healthier and faster recovery. According to a study, athletes who received chiropractic care showed better speed and mobility. Quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination depend on an optimal functioning nervous system. 90% of the central nervous system travels through the spine. When one or more spinal segments are misaligned, the effect on the nervous system can seriously impact and disrupt nerve circulation, affecting speed, mobility, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination. Chiropractic adjustments will:

  • Relax and reset the back muscles.
  • Realign and decompress the spine.
  • Remove the pressure around the nerve roots.
  • Strengthen the core.
  • Improve and increase range of motion, strength, and overall endurance.

Anterior Pelvic Tilt


References

Haddas R, Sawyer SF, Sizer PS, Brooks T, Chyu MC, James CR. “Effects of Volitional Spine Stabilization and Lower-Extremity Fatigue on the Knee and Ankle During Landing Performance in a Population With Recurrent Low Back Pain.” J Sport Rehabil. 2017 Sep;26(5):329-338. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2015-0171.

Hangai M. et al., Relationship Between Low Back Pain and Competitive Sports Activities During Youth, Am J Sports Med 2010; 38: 791-796; published online before print January 5, 2010, doi:10.1177/0363546509350297.

Jadhav, K.G., Deshmukh, P.N., Tuppekar, R.P., Sinku, S.K.. A Survey of Injuries Prevalence in Varsity Volleyball Players. Journal of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy, Vol. 6, No. 2: 102-105, 2010 102

Mizoguchi, Yasuaki, et al. “Factors associated with low back pain in elite high school volleyball players.” Journal of physical therapy science vol. 31,8 (2019): 675-681. doi:10.1589/jpts.31.675

Movahed,Marziehet al. (2019). “Single leg landing kinematics in volleyball athletes: A comparison between athletes with and without active extension low back pain.”

Sheikhhoseiniet al. (2018). “Altered Lower Limb Kinematics during Jumping among Athletes with Persistent Low Back Pain”

Sports Exercise Headaches Back Clinic Chiropractor

Sports Exercise Headaches Back Clinic Chiropractor

Sports exercise headaches are exertion headaches that involve pain during or immediately after sports, exercise, or some physical activity. They come on quickly but can last a few minutes, hours, or days. Activities associated with exercise headaches include running, weightlifting, tennis, swimming, and rowing. Chiropractic, massage, decompression, and traction therapies can realign the body and relax the muscles allowing for optimal circulation and certain strategies to help prevent future episodes. Usually, there is no underlying disease or disorder, but it is recommended to talk to a healthcare provider to make sure.

Sports, Exercise, Physical Activity Headaches Chiropractor

Sports Exercise Headaches

When individuals exert their bodies intensely, they need added blood and oxygen, particularly with activities that involve tightening/tensing the abdominal muscles or increasing chest pressure. Doctors and scientists believe an exertional headache occurs when intense physical activity causes the veins and arteries to expand to circulate more blood. The expansion and increased blood circulation generate pressure in the skull that can cause pain.

Alternate Triggers

Exercising is not the only cause; other physical activities that can trigger an exertion headache include:

  • Sneezing
  • Coughing
  • Straining to use the bathroom
  • Sexual intercourse
  • Lifting  or moving a heavy object

Symptoms

Symptoms of a sports exercise headache include:

  • Neck stiffness or pain
  • Pain on one or both sides of the head
  • Pulsating pain discomfort
  • Throbbing pain discomfort
  • Shoulder tightness, discomfort, and/or pain

Sometimes individuals report the headache can feel like a migraine that could include:

  • Vision problems like blind spots
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Light sensitivity

Most exercise headaches last five to 48 hours and can continue for three to six months.

Diagnosis

An underlying disease or disorder does not cause most exertional headaches. However, individuals experiencing severe or frequent headaches should consult their doctor or a healthcare provider. Tests will be ordered to rule out possible causes that include:

If there is no underlying cause found, the medical provider can diagnose exertion headaches if there have been at least two headaches that:

  • Were caused by exercise or physical activity.
  • Started during or after the physical activity.
  • Lasted less than 48 hours.

Chiropractic Treatment

According to the American Chiropractic Association, spinal adjustments are an effective headache treatment option. This includes migraines, tension headaches, or sports exercise headaches. Using the targeted approaches, chiropractic restores the body’s natural alignment to improve function and alleviate stress on the nervous system. This allows the body to operate at optimal levels reducing muscle stress and muscle tension.


DOC Decompression Table


References

American Migraine Foundation. Secondary Headaches. (https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/secondary-headaches/) Accessed 11/17/2021.

Evans, Randolph W. “Sports and Headaches.” Headache vol. 58,3 (2018): 426-437. doi:10.1111/head.13263

International Headache Society. HIS Classification ICHD-3. (https://ichd-3.org/other-primary-headache-disorders/4-2-primary-exercise-headache/) Accessed 11/17/2021.

McCrory, P. “Headaches and exercise.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 30,3 (2000): 221-9. doi:10.2165/00007256-200030030-00006

National Headache Foundation. Exertional Headaches. (https://headaches.org/2007/10/25/exertional-headaches/) Accessed 11/17/2021.

Ramadan, Nabih M. “Sports-related headache.” Current pain and headache reports vol. 8,4 (2004): 301-5. doi:10.1007/s11916-004-0012-1

Trotta K, Hyde J. Exercise-induced headaches: prevention, management, and treatment. (https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/exerciseinduced-headaches-prevention-management-and-treatment) U.S. Pharm. 2017;42(1):33-36. Accessed 11/17/2021.

Forearm Pain Chiropractic Care

Forearm Pain Chiropractic Care

Forearm pain refers to soreness, aches, or discomfort between the wrist and the elbow. An injury or inflammation can affect any tissues, including muscles, bones, blood vessels, tendons, and the skin. The causes usually include overuse injuries, pinched nerves, accidents causing trauma, lifting or heaving heavy objects, sports injuries, and fractures. If left untreated, issues like chronic muscle pain and decreased and disrupted blood/nerve circulation can develop, leading to numbness and weakness. Chiropractic treatment can release tension, massage, reset, and stretch the muscles to expedite healing.

Forearm Pain Chiropractor

Anatomy

The forearm comprises the radius and ulna, which extend the forearm’s length and cross at the wrist.

The Radius

  • This bone starts at the elbow and connects to the wrist on the thumb side.

Ulna

  • This bone begins at the elbow and connects to the wrist on the side of the little finger.

Muscles

  • Several muscles operate to rotate the forearm up/supination and down/pronation and flex and extend the fingers.

Causes

Forearm pain can happen to anyone and is usually related to traumatic or repetitive use injury. In other cases, pain may be associated with a benign growth, like a cyst or possibly a malignant tumor. Common causes include:

  • Pulled and/or strained muscles
  • Muscle ruptures or small tears
  • A direct blow, fall, or any extreme twisting, bending or jamming action.
  • Tendonitis from tennis or golfers elbow.
  • Tennis elbow is caused by inflammation or tiny tears in the forearm muscles and tendons outside the elbow.
  • Golfers’ elbow is on the inside of the elbow.
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a repetitive stress disorder that affects the nerves and tendons of the wrist and forearm.

Musculoskeletal Causes

The musculoskeletal causes involve issues in how the forearm components operate together.

  • Repetitive actions like lifting, gripping, and typing can compress nerves and blood vessels throughout the forearm.
  • Repetitive positional injury can lead to swelling.
  • Forearm problems like dislocations or sprains can also lead to chronic inflammation and pain.

Traumatic Causes

Traumatic causes include those that result in injury to components of the forearm.

  • Anything that causes a direct injury to the forearm, including an automobile crash or accident, fall, or a direct hit, can fracture bones in the forearm.
  • A sprain can twist or stretch a ligament or tendon.
  • Activities that cause bending, twisting, quick sudden movement or direct impact can result in sprained multiple ligaments in the forearm.

Chiropractic Treatment

Healing forearm pain depends on the type of injury, location, and cause of the pain. Chiropractic addresses arm pain, tingling, and numbness in ways often overlooked by general physicians.

  • A chiropractor will perform a physical examination to determine if there are any underlying causes.
  • They may apply an ice pack to help control inflammation before the massage.
  • The chiropractor will perform gentle adjustments to the wrist, arm, and shoulder.
  • They may recommend a forearm brace to help retrain positioning and movement.
  • They will recommend exercises and stretches to strengthen and maintain the adjustments.

Carpal Tunnel Pain Treatment


References

Ellenbecker, Todd S et al. “Current concepts in examination and treatment of elbow tendon injury.” Sports health vol. 5,2 (2013): 186-94. doi:10.1177/1941738112464761

Shamsoddini, Alireza, and Mohammad Taghi Hollisaz. “Effects of taping on pain, grip strength and wrist extension force in patients with tennis elbow.” Trauma monthly vol. 18,2 (2013): 71-4. doi:10.5812/traumamon.12450

Suito, Motomu, et al. “Intertendinous epidermoid cyst of the forearm.” Case reports in plastic surgery & hand surgery vol. 6,1 25-28. 28 Jan. 2019, doi:10.1080/23320885.2018.1564314

Restaurant Work Shoulder and Hand Injuries

Restaurant Work Shoulder and Hand Injuries

Restaurant work takes a toll on the body with the repetitive moving, bending, twisting, reaching, prepping, cutting, serving, and washing. This is especially true of the shoulders, arms, and hands. When individuals avoid treating their aches and pains, this can lead to chronic pain conditions that can cause severe and permanent damage to the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractic can alleviate the tingling and pain by removing the compression, re-stretching/lengthening, and strengthening the muscles and nerves to perform at optimal levels.

Restaurant Work Shoulder and Hand Injuries

Restaurant Work

The arms and hands are designed to accomplish various tasks. When functioning normally, tasks can be performed flawlessly. Repetitive/Overuse or trauma can cause nerve compression, stiffness, and pain, decreasing function and affecting daily routines.

Carpal Tunnel

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common disorders that affect the arm and hands.
  • The carpal tunnel is a space where a nerve and several tendons pass. If the nerve becomes compressed, it can cause numbness, tingling in the fingers, pain, and muscle weakness, making it difficult to grip objects.
  • Discomfort and pain start gradually in one or both hands.
  • It can cause tightness and pain in the shoulder, forearm, wrist, and hand.
  • It can also cause numbness in the palm and fingers.
  • It can cause swelling and burning sensations.
  • Individuals often shake out the numbness and tingling sensations throughout the day or night.

Tendonitis

  • Tendonitis can present with carpal tunnel symptoms except for the gradual starting pain.
  • Tendonitis comes from Overuse and repetitive motions.
  • The pain will be tender directly on the affected area.
  • To help prevent and avoid, ask about exercises that stretch the affected tendons.
  • Ask a doctor or chiropractor which exercises and stretches are the safest for the specific condition.
  • Depending on the severity of the condition, individuals may need corticosteroid injections, physical therapy, or surgery.

Injury Prevention Tips Restaurant Work

  • Learn to stop trying to carry everything in one trip.
  • Ask for help/support staff to servers who deliver large orders and for clearing.
  • Recommend changes if body posture increases injury risk.
  • Heavy trays and plates should be balanced on the palm for better weight distribution.
  • Healthy rotation ensures that one worker does not always have the chopping and cutting duties for hours.
  • Take frequent breaks from tasks that require repetitive motions.
  • Find various stretches and exercises to build strength and flexibility in the arms, wrists, and hands.
  • Avoid scheduling multiple consecutive long shifts for jobs that require repetitive hand motions.

Body Composition


Sticking To A Meal Plan

Identify personal motivation to stick to a meal plan other than improving body composition. To keep motivation high, individuals need to identify other reasons behind goals. This could be:

  • Saving money from the food budget.
  • Spending time with loved ones preparing a healthy recipe.
  • Setting an example to family and friends.
  • It can be whatever motivates you.
  • Reassess and tweak the meal plan as needed.
  • Nutritional needs or dietary preferences change.
  • Meal planning should be a dynamic process.
  • Don’t get disappointed if not going as planned.
  • Refocus by making changes as needed.
References

Gentzler, Marc D, and Janan A Smither. “Using practical ergonomic evaluations in the restaurant industry to enhance safety and comfort: a case study.” Work (Reading, Mass.) vol. 41 Suppl 1 (2012): 5529-31. doi:10.3233/WOR-2012-0872-5529

Laperrière, Ève et al. “Work activity in foodservice: The significance of customer relations, tipping practices and gender for preventing musculoskeletal disorders.” Applied ergonomics vol. 58 (2017): 89-101. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2016.05.013

Masear, V R et al. “An industrial cause of carpal tunnel syndrome.” The Journal of hand surgery vol. 11,2 (1986): 222-7. doi:10.1016/s0363-5023(86)80055-7

https://www.osha.gov/etools/hospitals/food-services/work-related-musculoskeletal-disorders

Szabo, R M. “Carpal tunnel syndrome as a repetitive motion disorder.” Clinical Orthopedics and related research,351 (1998): 78-89.

Hip Sprain

Hip Sprain

The hips are highly active joints. Hip sprains are rare but do occur. A hip sprain is caused by tearing or stretching the ligaments that surround the hip and join the bones to each other. This is different from a hip strain, which is an injury to the muscles and is generally caused by over-use of the hip flexor muscles and tendons, causing them to tear. Hip sprains usually happen after a fall or a sudden twisting motion, which can occur during sports or an accident.

Individuals involved in sports that require quick stops, body shifting, and sudden direction changes, like soccer, football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, etc., have an increased risk. Most hip sprains can be effectively treated with conservative treatments like self-massage, rest, ice, and nonsteroid anti-inflammatory medications. For more severe cases, physical therapy and chiropractic can treat the condition.

Hip Sprain

Hip Sprain Symptoms

  • Tenderness in the hip increases when lifting the thigh.
  • Cramping sensation/s in the muscles of the upper leg.
  • Swelling in the hip or thigh
  • Bruising in the hip or thigh.
  • Sudden pain in the hip or pelvis.
  • Sharp pain in the hip or pelvis.
  • Pain that worsens when walking, running, or stretching the hip muscles.
  • Loss of strength in the front of the groin.
  • Tugging or pulling sensation.
  • Limping.

Diagnosis

The doctor or chiropractor will:

  • Look into medical history.
  • Inquire about symptoms.
  • Inquire about activities that could cause symptoms.
  • Perform a physical examination.
  • Ask the individual to perform a variety of movements to determine what type of injury has been sustained.
  • Other conditions could cause radiating pain.
  • Pain in one or both hips might not have anything to do with the hips but a pinched nerve root in the lower back.
  • Sciatica can develop when certain nerve roots in the lower back are irritated or compressed, causing symptoms to travel down the sciatic nerve and radiate around the pelvis and leg.
  • X-rays can help rule out hip stress fractures, which can have similar symptoms.
  • MRI or CT scans are used to see if any soft tissue damage has occurred.

Hip Sprain Treatment

  • Treatment usually begins with over-the-counter pain medications and anti-inflammatories to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
  • Resting the hip will help prevent further damage.
  • Applying ice will help prevent tissue damage and reduce swelling.
  • It is recommended to use an ice pack several times a day for the first 48 hours after an injury.
  • Once the swelling goes down, a chiropractor and physical therapy team will create a personalized treatment plan that includes:
  • Adjustments.
  • Exercise therapy.
  • Posture training.
  • Stretching.
  • Massage.

Treatment/Rehabilitation Objectives

  • Reduce inflammation.
  • Relax muscle spasms.
  • Strengthen weakened muscles.
  • Improve joint mobility.

Individuals will be shown how to prevent the risk of sprains in the future. This includes:

  • Avoiding exercising when the body is tired
  • Wearing proper footwear and protective equipment
  • Warming up properly before exercise/physical activities.

Depending on the severity of the sprain, surgery could be the last resort to repair the ruptured or torn ligaments.


Body Composition


Realistic Goals

Not seeing results after putting in the work through exercise and diet can be frustrating. Setting realistic goals can help when results are not showing.

Realistic Fat Loss

  • Do not expect actual fat loss without being in a caloric deficit.
  • The body needs to use more energy than the amount of food/energy taken in; otherwise, excess energy/food gets stored, primarily as adipose tissue.
  • Total Daily Energy Expenditure or TDEE is necessary to set a realistic caloric deficit to achieve measurable fat loss.
  • There are caloric deficit variations, but most doctors, dieticians, trainers, and fitness experts agree that a caloric deficit of around 500 calories a day that equals to about 3,500 calories a week will result in a pound of fat loss per week.
  • One pound of fat a week lost might seem slow, but the one pound of fat is a real pound removed.
  • The long-term goal is not to fall back into unhealthy habits and develop and maintain new healthy ones.
References

Brantingham JW, Globe GA, Cassa TK, et al. A single-group pretest posttest design using full kinetic chain manipulative therapy with rehabilitation in the treatment of 18 patients with hip osteoarthritis. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapy 2012; 33(6): 445-57.

Kamali, Fahimeh and Esmaeil Shokri. The effect of two manipulative therapy techniques and their outcome in patients with the sacroiliac joint syndrome. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2012; 16: 29-35.

McMorland G, Suter E, Casha S, du Plessis SJ, Hurlbert RJ. Manipulation or microdiscectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2010; 33(8): 576-584.

Tibor, Lisa M, and Jon K Sekiya. “Differential diagnosis of pain around the hip joint.” Arthroscopy: the journal of arthroscopic & related surgery: official publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association vol. 24,12 (2008): 1407-21. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2008.06.019

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