Winter Activities – a likely cause for acute low back pain?

As summer turns into fall, and fall into winter, chiropractors prepare themselves to receive a healthy number of new patients – related to some of the more common winter activities and
their contribution to a greater incidence of acute lower back pain.

As the calendar pages are turned to the fall months, people put their bathing suits and beach towels away as they anticipate the first snowfall of the year. As they dig into their closets however, reaching for their skis, skates, snow shovels and sleds most don’t
think of how often these fun-filled activities can lead to debilitating lower back pain.

A few of the most notable causes for injury in the winter months include:
1. Slips and falls – with icy conditions.
2. Snow shoveling – a strenuous winter-related activity.
3. Dangerous winter sports.

Slips and falls:

When the temperature starts to drop below the freezing point, chiropractors warm up their adjusting muscles. With
snow and ice covering walkways and other surfaces, people are more likely to slip and fall, adding to the list of reasons they visit their chiropractor.
Acute injuries resulting from slips and falls can range from a slightly bruised ego, to subluxations and dislocations of the pelvis, or even fractures in the tailbone or wrist.
One of the first things you should do if you experience a fall this winter is to check in with your chiropractor. The jarring effects of a fall can easily subluxate your sacroiliac joints or lumbar spine and lead to more chronic issues if these subluxations are not
corrected right away.

Snow shoveling:

Winter snow looks so soft and fluffy as it floats down to the earth, but when we attempt to clear our sidewalks of the frozen white stuff one shovel-full at a time, what we discover is that it’s not as easy as we first imagined. Snow gets easily packed and dense, and sometimes when the temperatures hover around the freezing point, the wetness of the snow can make it much heavier than it looks.
Shoveling snow is a physically demanding exercise that puts a great demand on the heart (thus putting us at greater risk for heart attacks). And, it can easily lead to sprains and strains of the lower back, wrists, elbows and shoulders. If you find yourself a painful victim of ‘shovelitis’ (a term used here to describe the acute lower back pain and inflammation following an afternoon of moving snow), your next step should be to make an appointment with your chiropractor.

If you’re looking to prevent that next bout of ‘shovelitis’, follow these helpful tips this winter:

1. Warm up before heading out into the cold – by stretching those tight muscles before using them.
2. Don’t over-load your shovel with snow – one shovel full of wet snow can weigh up to 25 pounds!

3. Always lift with your legs – be sure to bend your knees, not your back, when lifting loads of snow.

4. Don’t bend and twist – the worst combination for disc injuries. Avoid throwing snow over your shoulder!

5. Take a break! Taking regular breaks can help prevent getting over-tired, which is when you are most likely to injure yourself.

Winter sports:

Common winter sports – like skiing,
snow-boarding, hockey and tobogganing – not only involve many falls and spills, but also various activity-specific injuries.
Skiers and snowboarders often suffer knee and back injuries because of all the twisting motions involved in those sports – plus, thumb and wrist injuries are common.

Tobogganers have to watch out for injuries to the head and lower limbs caused by collisions with stationary objects and other people.

Hockey players need to be particularly aware of the dangers of their sport: Because it is a contact sport involving high speeds, sprains and subluxations are the number one injury in hockey, followed by contusions and lacerations. Of course, fans of NHL player Sidney Crosby will also be acutely aware of the ever-present potential for concussions in hockey – a devastating and serious problem in this sport.

We all know that winter sports can be fun, but we also need to be aware of the risks!

Luckily, your Doctor of Chiropractic knows how to safely and effectively take care of all those winter back pains. According to a recent article in the journal Spine, chiropractic treatment of acute low back pain is one of the most effective options and it is accomplished with minimal, if any, side-effects. Symptoms related to pain reduce more quickly and the effects of the
chiropractic adjustment last longer than other treatments (like medications, exercise, etc.) compared to chiropractic!
Whatever activities you are planning to participate in this year, be sure to schedule a chiropractic appointment afterwards, just in case!

Disclaimer: Information contained in the Wellness ExpressTM newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

Exercise of the Week

Abdominal Crunches on Exercise Ball – Reach for Ceiling.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate(Consult your chiropractor before
engaging in this or any other exercise.)

Start: Lie on back over exercise ball so lower portion of ribcage is
positioned over center of ball. Let head rest on ball, and relax hips. Keep knees wide apart, and position arms stretched out
overhead.

Exercise: Engage inner abdominals first by bringing belly button
inwards. Then, curl body forward on ball. As you curl forward, reach hands for ceiling. Return to starting position. Repeat 5-15 times.

Exercise of the Week

Crunches on Exercise Ball with Oblique Twist

Difficulty: Beginner to Moderate
(Consult your chiropractor before
engaging in this or any other exercise)
Start: Lie on back over exercise ball so that lower portion of
ribcage is positioned over center of ball. Let head rest on ball and
relax hips.

Keep knees wide apart and position arms across chest
(easy), hands behind head with elbows out (moderate), or arms
stretched out overhead (difficult).

Exercise: Engage inner abdominals first by bringing belly button
inwards. Then, curl body forward on ball, keeping lower back in
contact with ball at all times. As you curl forward, bring one shoulder/elbow across body in the direction of the opposite knee.

Return to starting position. Alternate sides. Repeat 5-10 times each side.

Exercise of the Week!

Abdominal Bridge on Exercise

Ball with Single Leg Curl

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (Consult your chiropractor before
starting this or any other exercise.)

Start: Assume abdominal bridge position on exercise ball. Focus on bringing belly button inward and holding entire body in a straight line – ankles to ears.

Exercise: Lift one foot a few inches off floor. Stabilize yourself, keeping body still. Curl leg to 90 degrees and hold for 5-10 counts. Return to start position, and repeat with other leg.
Maintain a tight abdomen throughout.
Repeat 5-10 times per leg.

Is Your Child Anxious at School?

Anxiety disorders affect one in eight children. It has become an increasing problem for kids, parents and teachers.
While many children look forward to school, some children dread it. Anxious kids endure painful, uncomfortable episodes of nervousness, irritability and frightening thoughts. They often
find it difficult to focus on their school work and may frequently complain of illness, such as headaches or stomachaches.
Untreated anxious kids are at higher risk of engaging in substance
abuse.

Normal Anxiety vs. Anxiety Disorder

It is typical for even non-anxious children to experience anxious feelings, such as being afraid of the dark or getting separated from their parents.
Children attach anxiety to specific situations, but the bad feelings
disappear when the situation is over, or the child simply outgrows the fear. However, children with anxiety disorders
endure extreme anxiety over long periods of time.

What causes a child to develop an anxiety disorder? The answer is still not clear, but numerous experts agree that genetics, family environment and life experiences all play key roles.
Studies indicate girls are more likely to develop anxiety disorders than boys, and younger children are more prone to anxiety problems than older children.

Separation Anxiety

This is a common issue for young kids, especially if they are just starting school or changing to a different school. A child may cry for a few minutes after being dropped off at school. This is a normal response, but for a child with separation anxiety disorder, he or she can feel fearful for hours and cry continually. The child
may have concentration difficulties and fail to engage with his or her classmates.
The problem can continue at home, with the anxious child having sleep problems, frequent nightmares or refusing to go to school.

Social Anxiety

This anxiety disorder can interfere with a child’s social development. To parents, social anxiety can appear as extreme shyness in their child. Kids with this disorder feel anxious around
new people and new situations, may have trouble forming friends and are often reluctant to participate in group activities. At school, a socially anxious child is afraid to make mistakes for fear of embarrassment or attracting unwanted attention.

School Refusal Anxiety

Severe anxiety can lead to a child refusing to go to school or stay in school. With school refusal anxiety disorder, a child often complains of feeling ill – either at school or shortly before going to school. He or she may develop this problem if changing to a new school, fears failing academically, or gets bullied.
School refusal can be linked to
separation anxiety and social anxiety.

Treatment of Anxiety

The primary treatment method used for dealing with childhood anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
This type of psychotherapy is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things – such as events, situations and people.
The CBT therapist teaches the child to recognize their unsettling thoughts and behaviors and provides strategies to deal and cope with his or her anxious feelings. CBT therapy also includes relaxation training, role-playing and positive reinforcement.

More Tips for Parents of Anxious Kids

If you think your child is struggling with serious anxiety, talk to a
pediatrician. You should also bring it to the attention of your child’s teacher and school counselor.
In the meantime, here are five tips for
helping your anxious child:
1. Be Supportive – Make your child feel comfortable talking about her anxiety and offer reassurance. When a child is able to express fears to her parents, she actually experiences a decrease in anxiety.

2. Be School Positive – Point to the fun aspects of school to your child. This can include playing with classmates and engaging in new activities.

3. Allow for Downtime – Just like adults, children need time to decompress. Do not over schedule your child with too many activities. Make sure they have unstructured playtime, which helps reduce the impact of anxiety.

4. Encourage Exercise – Children should get 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Exercise helps slash levels of the stress hormone cortisol and boost levels of the mood enhancing neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Studies show children involved in team sports report less anxiety, and it is especially helpful for kids with social anxiety disorder.

5. Visit Your Chiropractor – Getting regular chiropractic adjustments help kids just as much as adults. Chiropractic reduces stress-related subluxations that impact nerves and restores a more balanced, natural tone to the nervous system.

 

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.
Copyright © Wellness Express™

Why Do Children Need Chiropractic?

Have we forgotten how difficult it is being a child? Just like adults, children have bones, joints, nerves and muscles
that need attention from time to time. Kids also experience several major physical milestones during their first year of life that place an increased demand on the neuromusculoskeletal
system – increasing the likelihood for injury and the need for chiropractic adjustments.

A child’s introduction to this life begins with perhaps the most physically demanding experience he or she will ever have to endure in this lifetime – childbirth! The journey down the
birth canal is demanding on an infant’s body, but the combined stress of pulling, twisting and extending the neck of the child during the birthing process puts the infant’s spine at risk.
Add any extra physical stress caused by difficult or assisted births (forceps or vacuum extractions), and it is not surprising one of the most common injuries resulting from childbirth is the cervical subluxation – where one of the vertebrae in the neck becomes misaligned, irritated or painfully restricted.

 

What Are Common Signs of Cervical Subluxation in Infants?

The first clue that your child has cervical subluxations is if the head is always turned to one side, as with torticollis. More subtle symptoms of cervical subluxations may include a child’s obvious preference for breastfeeding on one side only, or reluctance to turn the head to one side when prompted to do so.

We all know how painful it can be to have a “kink in the neck”. However, in addition to being painful, it is important to consider that every single nerve must pass through the first cervical vertebra on its way to the rest of the body. Therefore, many other
systems may be affected by upper cervical subluxations – asthma, sleeping disorders and colic are only a few of the conditions believed to be associated with childbirth-related neck trauma. Have your newborn child checked for subluxations. It is one of the most important things you can do for him or her as a parent. With a spine free of subluxations, your young child has the best chance to develop into a normally functioning adult.

Another stage of an infant’s development that is particularly
challenging on the body is when a child is beginning to crawl
(usually between 6-9 months of age). Moving into a four-point stance is an important milestone, as it helps initiate the development of a proper lumbar curvature. The lumbar curve is
particularly important for load-bearing activities, and it establishes the foundation for proper posture when
sitting and standing.

Crawling also helps with the coordination of opposite arm-leg
movements required for upright posture and gait. If there are restrictions in the pelvis or the lower back that go unchecked, then these critical movement patterns may be delayed. Any restrictions or imbalances of the spine and pelvis during this stage could lead to the development of faulty curvatures
later in life – such as scoliosis. Chiropractic adjustments are crucial at this stage to ensure the spinal curves are starting off in the right direction.

Learning to walk is another important developmental milestone in a child’s musculoskeletal growth (between 8-12 months of age). Standing upright is a key component in the development of
bone strength. Weight-bearing stimulates the production of a complicated internal latticework of bone, which provides strength. Proper bone and joint alignment ensures this is established properly right from the beginning.
Fortunately, your chiropractor is an alignment specialist!

What about Accidents?

When learning to walk, most children fall down hundreds of times. Although they are more physically flexible than adults, children are still susceptible to strains from particularly awkward
tumbling incidents. In addition, becoming more mobile requires getting used to the dangers of corners and edges.
Children can sometimes hit their heads quite hard on these objects, and the trauma can lead to muscle-spasms and/or subluxations in their necks and upper spines. It makes sense if
we want our children to grow up with strong, balanced spinal curves, a trip to the chiropractor is what they need – especially at the important developmental milestones mentioned here.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

Exercise of the Week ~ Abdominal Bridge

Abdominal Bridge on Exercise Ball with Forward Reach

We can never have too many core exercises! 

Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced (Consult your chiropractor before starting this or any other exercise.)

Start: Assume abdominal bridge position on exercise ball. Focus
on bringing belly button inward, and holding entire body in straight line – ankles to ears.

Exercise: Roll ball forward with arms, keeping body still. As you
reach forward, lower back will arch. Contract inner abdominal
muscles to prevent this from happening. Return to start position, maintaining tight abdomen throughout.

Repeat 5-10 times.