Taking Care of Your Joints

You are the best asset!

We go about our daily lives, awaken in the morning after a night’s sleep, get ready for work, stand in the kitchen, sit on a couch or chair, read the paper, go on our blackberry or other type of electronic device, laptops and home work stations, drive/walk/bus to work or school, sit at a desk all day, exercise and then come home make dinner and go to bed.  

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Do you ever think of how your body is aligned during all of these daily activities? We do! A large portion of patient care at Back to Health Wellness is understanding how you make use of your body during and night the day. We ask that you read on and learn how to be your own investigator and on how you keep your body aligned during the day and at night.       

Let us first understand the way in which our bodies work. If you maintain your body in a ‘neutral’ or normal alignment this will have the least amount of force exerted on your body.
This alignment allows the least amount of force or pressure to be placed on the joints, nerves, muscles, ligaments (attach bones to bones) and tendons (attach muscles to bones). Wow, would that not be great for our bodies to allow them to feel good! Often patients do not know how to achieve this. Read on and we will explain how! 

Proper Sleeping Techniques
Wow, did you know there is a technique for sleeping? I did not until I went into chiropractic and realized how many people hurt themselves while sleeping! A week does not go by without someone coming in and stating, “Something funny happened in my sleep." It is not funny when they are in pain.  

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Here are some things to think about for ergonomics of sleeping: do not sleep with your arm above shoulder height, do not place it under your pillow (this indicates that your pillow is too low for you), you should sleep on your back or sides and not your stomach (this is very hard on the neck, back, shoulder and knee joints and causes arthritis over  time), sleep with your body not twisted, you can use a pillow between your knees when you are on your side and a pillow under your knees when you are on your back, and your arms should be in a relaxed position and the wrists should not be bent.

The age and type of your mattress makes a difference as well.  The majority of mattresses only last 10-12 years. When looking for a new mattress look for a medium one that offers support.  If you go with a coil mattress ask for the greatest coil count, this gives you the greatest support.

Your pillow is important too! This normally last up to 2 years, if you have a water pillow they normally last 5 years. 

Feather pillows are not advised as they do not offer support; people normally fluff them up and the fluffing does not last long once you fall asleep. If you use a feather pillow try a water pillow instead as they are the same type of support system. 

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Back to Health has loaners for pillows if you want to borrow one ask at front reception.

Feet are the foundation for the rest of the body!

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Did you know that the average person walks about 250,000 miles in their lifetime? When a person weighing 165-170 pounds walks an average of 7.5 miles a day they will carry 500 tons a day on each foot! Your feet are remarkable pieces of equipment--they must act as rigid levers to propel the body forward and also act as a shock absorbers during the their initial contact with the ground. Their complex structure allows your feet to perform these functions very well; however, they are obviously subject to tremendous stresses, making them and the other body parts associated with walking the targets for many possible problems. 

If the alignment is off at the foundation the rest of the body will be under strain as well.  80% of people over the age of 20 will pronate (inward rotation after heel strike). This can cause strain on the plantar fascia of the feet, knees and even the hips and lower back. This is why we complete a gait analysis with all of our new patients. If the foundation is an issue it needs to be addressed by supporting with orthotics. These can sometimes be off the shelf or custom made.  

Proper Lifting & Bending Over Techniques and Proper Work Station Ergonomics

Lifting Techniques:
Never bend your back to pick something up, Hold the object close to your body, Don't twist or bend, Keep your eyes up, Plan ahead before lifting, Lift close to your body, Feet shoulder width apart, Bend your knees and keep your back straight, Tighten your stomach muscles, Lift with your legs, Do not lift and twist your torso, instead turn your whole body, Wear a belt or back support, get help if the load is too heavy.

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Ergonomic Techniques:
Have your monitor at eye level (your eyes intersect the middle of the screen), The monitor(s) should be straight ahead of you and not off to the side, Use a keyboard tray, Have your wrists straight and not bent up or down, Rest your wrists, The back of your chair should be slightly tilted back and the seat should be slightly up – as if you are reclining a bit (least amount of pressure on the lower back and hips), Use a foot stool.   

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Ergonomic Assessment:
Send pictures to Dr. Barbara Rodwin of yourself at your workstation and she can make recommendations!

Send the following:
Two from the side          
One of the top part of you including the monitor, the other of the bottom part of you including your feet. 
One from behind
Showing your head and the monitor.

The Lower Back

THE ANATOMY OF THE LOWER BACK
The lumbar spine is made up of 5 vertebrae. Below the lumbar region are 5 fused vertebrae of the sacrum and the 5 fused vertebrae of the coccyx. A facet joint joins each pair of vertebra (i.e., the one above to the one below). Like hinges, the facet joints guide the movement of the spine, while also stabilizing the vertebral column.  

Ideally, the joints in the spine are lined up so that the back can twist and bend with little friction between the vertebrae. Between each pair of vertebrae lies a flat, circular inter-vertebral disc. The outer part of the disc, the annulus, is strong and hard. The inner portion, the nucleus pulposus is soft and absorbs shocks to the spine during movement. Many times degenerative disc disease or other problems involving the disc can lead to unbearable back pain. This can be due to damage to the nerve. 

The vertebrae surround and protect the spinal cord, a column of nerves running down from the brain. Nerves branch off from the spinal cord and with their roots passing through the vertebrae, extend all over the body. As a result, pain from a back problem may also travel to other parts of the body. This can cause numbness, tingling, pain, burning into the hips, legs, knees, feet, and even around to the abdominal region! One example is Sciatica.

CORE EXERCISES

Core exercises are excellent for aiding with problems of the lower back. Unfortunately they can cause issues with the lower back as well, if not performed properly and not the right type! People often will make use of the psoas muscle, hip flexor, too much and they also use the lower back joints when doing core – which places pressure on the spinal segments. Studies have indicated that people are aggravating their back when performing core exercises

The abdominal muscles can be engaged when sitting, standing, walking and running. If you think about placing your lower back/hips in ‘neutral’ alignment you are able to activate your core properly in these postures. Just think while doing any of these activities you can be working your core!

Please see the front bulletin board for instructions on how to obtain this neutral alignment! You can also ask Dr. Barbara Rodwin how to do this.

The lower back – the muscle (in red) is the psoas

SITTING CAN CAUSE LOWER BACK PROBLEMS

As technology advances, we are spending more and more time sitting, often in front of a computer. People are also being less and less active. Sitting all the time wreaks havoc on your posture and can cause pain, stiffness and discomfort in the lower back, hips, and neck.

Sitting all the time can add excessive compression on the joints of the lower back. Many people think that sitting is better for the lower back than standing, but sometimes sitting can be worse than standing. When you sit down, all of your upper body weight is supported by your pelvis and lower back. However, if you are standing, the weight of your upper body is supported by your pelvis, lower back, hips, knees, and ankles.

Standing and sitting can both put pressure on the lower back but through slightly different mechanisms. In standing, if you have poor posture or poor core stability you may feel discomfort in your lower back, but sitting (especially with bad posture on a hard surface) will put more pressure on the joints of the lower back.

We do have a posture sheet explaining how to use your chair and sit properly!

LOWER BACK PROBLEMS

Lower back pain means relatively short-term pain, stiffness and/or muscle tension anywhere along the back, starting below the ribs and extending to just underneath the buttocks.  If you are having lower back issues it is important that you have it examined by a Doctor of Chiropractic. A biomechanical exam will be performed which will determine if the problem is a lower back vertebrae/joint, muscle, and/or disc issues. Also we will determine if it is due to sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, and/or sleeping habits.  

During the course of the day if we use our back, abdominal, hip and trunk area properly we place very little pressure/stress on this region. If we are not using this area properly studies have indicated that we can put upwards of 150% greater force on the lower back. This extra force will over time lead to fatigue of the back and can cause spinal degeneration/arthritis in the lower back due to the repetitive stress placed on the vertebrae.  

When this degeneration occurs to the vertebrae and discs this causes the lower back vertebrae to lose some of their normal motion. Our body then adapts by tensing the muscles to hold this area tighter. This will lead to stiffness in the long back muscles, also known as the erector spinae. You will feel this along the sides of the spine. All of this can then cause issues with the nerves that exit at each vertebrae.

Lumbar degeneration 

LUMBAR VERTEBRAE, NERVES, DISCS, JOINTS 

Some people with lower back problems then feel it in their buttocks, backs of their legs, into their thighs, knees, shins and even into their feet!

As you can tell the lower back is very complex and involves many structures that can cause your lower back discomfort.

Concussions

Chiropractic and Concussions

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Concussions are now taken more seriously than ever in both professional and amateur sports as well amongst the general public. Improved awareness of concussion symptoms and emphasis on their significance has led to improved treatment outcomes for patients. It is important to understand that a concussion is when the brain violently strikes the inside of the skull resulting in very simplistic terms, a bruise.

This can happen from either a direct blow to the head, or it can happen from a violent movement of the head & neck with minimal or no contact as would be the case in a whiplash injury.

The swelling of the brain tissue, which happens when any type of tissue is bruised, is what causes all the unfavourable symptoms associated with a concussion. However, symptoms may be severe and linger for extended periods.  Symptoms are widely varied and may include headache, memory loss, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, ringing of the ears, blurred vision and other symptoms. Emotional and mood changes are common as well as an inability to concentrate. Loss of memory or consciousness is not necessarily a component of even serious concussions. Early diagnosis is important because removal from activity is critical in reducing symptom duration and reoccurrence. 

If you or your child has suffered one or more concussions, regular chiropractic adjustments can be a huge benefit to you & will complement any medical treatments you may be having. Chiropractors receive extensive training in the recognition of concussion due to the high incidence of this injury amongst chiropractic patents. An often overlooked component of concussion treatment is the neck injuries that frequently accompany the concussion. The most important thing to remember about concussions is that early diagnosis is critical.

Please book an appointment for an assessment with either Dr. Barbara Rodwin if you have suffered a concussion. Dr. Barbara Rodwin also practices a technique that works exceptionally well for concussions, the CATS (cranial) technique.

Special points of interest:

Petadolex is very important as a supplement for concussion problems. When taken with a combination of other supplements Petadolex allows for a quicker recovery process! Ask your chiropractor or naturopath about this.

Registered Massage Therapy and Concussions

As previously mentioned, a concussion is a bruise. As with all bruises they take time to heal and repair. The nutrients required to help heal a bruise are delivered via the circulatory system. It is essential to increase flow to these afflicted areas without increasing blood pressure. Massages are a great solution. They de-stress your body, lowering your blood pressure while increasing circulation.

The relaxing effect of massage helps the body produce endorphins, which causes the body to naturally have the sense of relaxation. This stops the swelling and thereby decreasing the intracranial pressure. Patients with concussion and Post -Concussion Syndrome need to be treated to assist healing of the neurological, vascular and autonomic components of these injuries. Cranio-sacral therapy (CST) is one approach that may be applied by experienced therapists to facilitate this process. CST is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system - comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

Using a soft touch generally no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel, practitioners release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system.

Please speak to one of our registered massage therapists for more information on and/or treatment of a concussion.

Cranial Adjusting Turner Style (C.A.T.S) and Concussions

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Cranial adjusting speeds recovery from concussions
C.A.T.S. is a breakthrough technique for correcting the misalignments in the skull caused from the trauma involved in concussions. Cranial Adjusting Turner Style (C.A.T.S.) can realign the bones and restore the proper circulation of cerebral spinal fluid and blood to the nerves and tissues damaged by misaligned bones. This treatment has enabled many concussion sufferers get back their lives and do it more quickly than the traditional treatment protocols. C.A.T.S practitioners are able to detect and correct any cranial misalignments. They function under the basic principle that if a cranial bone is out of place; put it back into place and restore its function.

Cranial adjusting provides faster and better recovery for concussions.

Post-concussion symptoms can remain long after the original trauma. Headaches persist, brain fog does not lift and disorientation can completely take over every aspect of a person’s life.

Modern advances in brain research and imaging have proven that the sutures to the bones in the skull contain blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue, all within a space 1/100th of an inch across. They help nourish the cranium and facilitate movement of the bones that form the skull. The impact of a concussion can knock bones out of alignment and cut off the circulation within these sutures. Because the skull bones are still misaligned from the trauma, it’s difficult for normal brain function to be restored.

Dr. Barbara Rodwin is certified in the C.A.T.S. technique. Please feel free to ask her questions regarding this technique.