Tech Neck

If you continuously suffer from neck pain, then you are certainly not alone. Harvard Medical School estimates that seven in ten people at some point experience neck pain and one in ten people are in pain at any given day. Between 50 to 85% of adults with neck pain will experience a recurrence of the pain within five years. The leading cause of neck pain remains to be weak back and neck posture, especially when we sit too long on our computers or text on our smartphones.

The solution to the neck pain problem is not a quick fix. Pain management and pain relief for neck pain involve a variety of therapies that include chiropractic care and rehabilitation therapy, medication, self-help techniques and, in some cases, surgery. Patients today play a crucial role in their recovery by participating in strengthening and stretching exercises, as well as mind and body therapy.

First, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” There is a significant difference in the cost of fixing a problem versus preventing it. Strengthening your neck and correcting poor postural habits could save you down the road.

The tech neck syndrome is a term that refers to a condition caused by hunching over your phone, tablet or any hand-held device for extended periods with rounded shoulders, a hunched back and forward bent neck. Medically explained, tech neck is a repetitive stress injury caused by bending your head down and forward for long periods. When you hold your head this way, a lot of tension is generated deep in the neck muscles and across the shoulders, which causes acute as well as chronic pain.

According to the Spine Hospital at the Neurological Institute of New York, bending your head 15 degrees forward is as if the head weighed 27 pounds. This is approximately 2.5 times the weight of the average adult head, which weighs 11 pounds. The problem is not simply bending the head forward, but that you bend it forward daily as you scroll on your smartphone.

Symptoms of tech neck appear in any area where pressure is applied to the muscles, nerves and joints. This leads to chronic back pain, which ranges from mild to very severe and regularly pinched nerves. After bending the neck for far too long, you can get tension headaches. A chronic joint strain may also cause an early onset of arthritis, as this stress causes inflammation.

A text neck can also lead to an increased spine curvature, or lead to an upper thoracic deformity called dowager’s hump, which results in bone structure altering of the vertebrae in this area.

Fortunately, there are simple exercises and therapies you can do to prevent or relieve the symptoms of tech neck. If you are concerned about your posture or are experiencing upper back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain and/or headaches contact a healthcare professional to discuss treatment options and therapies. Pro-Motion Chiropractic offers neck strengthening tools to help those suffering from a whiplash injury as well as those preparing to compete in MMA competitions and supplement these tools with therapies designed to relieve your headaches, muscle pain and limited neck motion, so if you need some help, don’t hesitate.

Muscle Tension and Motor Control

When treating patients I commonly find tight and painful muscles directly or indirectly associated with the major complaint the patient is being treated for. I hear “Why is that muscle tight? It’s not even near my pain.” or “I didn’t even know that muscle was so tight!”

Tightness is often a way that the body uses parking brakes in the absence of real, authentic braking systems. The braking system that the body has is called motor control and it is finely tuned to input, processing and appropriate output. When a fault is present somewhere in that system—somewhere in movement, somewhere in that coordination, timing and symmetry—a dysfunction is observable.

The body is set up to do what you ask of it, and in a situation where the strength or coordination are not present, it simply creates a parking brake system—one that tends to stay engaged, slow you down and keep you out of trouble. This parking brake is a fail-safe in the presence of fatigue, injury, protection of other structures and avoidance of pain. You may have some limited improvement in control, but you also waste energy and lose efficiency. The weakness issue remains evident. It is often deconditioning; it’s body-wide and not isolated and it’s easily fixed by getting up and moving today  . . . and then moving a little more tomorrow. However, isolated weakness is rarely just weakness.

Isolated inhibition of a single muscle or group of muscles is best diagnosed in rehabilitation as a neurological problem or impairment resulting from injury, disease or dysfunction. The subtle and background inhibition I’m speaking of is the inability for a muscle to take a command to an appropriate level of tone to execute a posture or a pattern. Our real problem here is when we simply discuss tightness or weakness of a muscle, we can go down the rabbit hole thinking it’s a muscle problem. Very often, it’s a coordination problem.

If there is tissue tightening, everything from deep fascia to superficial scarring or scar tissue from a previous injury, the muscles will be told to tighten prematurely or even maintain a significant amount of resting tone simply to protect the kink in the system. This tightness can also be preserved not from a signal from other tissues but it can be left over from a previous injury that has already been resolved. The muscles never got the memo.

Sometimes patients are confused when I prescribe exercise for a chronically tight muscle. “Isn’t the muscle too strong already?”. The simple answer is “no”. Because of a lack of strength, poor coordination, or engrained guarding from a previous injury, the brain thinks it’s only option is to contract that muscle as hard as possible to provide the only control it can. By improving the connection of the brain to the muscle (coordination), improving strength, or retraining movement patterns the brain can finally create a new habit or movement (incorporating strength and coordination) which allows those muscle to relax to a “normal” level.

If I Go Once, Do I have to Keep Going?

False—mostly. Like many things in life, this isn’t a black and white issue. Chiropractic can be used as a short-term acute treatment or as part of a long-term preventative and health maintenance protocol.
Sometimes a person may get injured, which can result in pain or limited performance. This can happen due to a car accident, lifting heavy objects in an awkward manner, or perhaps taking a hard hit while playing sports. This can result in debilitating pain that prevents the ability to continue with the same lifestyle that existed prior to injury—whether that means having to modify one’s occupation, an exercise routine, hobbies, or a specific daily routine. Chiropractic treatments are an excellent means to correct acute issues related to the spine. It is possible that a very short-term stint of care will properly address the pain or performance issue and result in healing for the patient that requires no follow-up.

I often have patients come in bent over in excruciating pain who are able to walk out of the office with little to no pain. Neither surgery nor medicine was required to make this patient well. These examples powerfully depicts how chiropractic is able to immediately resolve functional issues, eliminate pain, and get the patient back to the life they love to live.
While there are instances where chiropractic can be used as an isolated treatment option there is also a tremendous benefit to consistently using adjustments to maintain excellent health, manage and eliminate pain, and enjoy top physical performance. Many professional athletes such as Olympic hopefuls and NFL players include chiropractic as part of their training regimens. They know that their bodies perform optimally when their spine, joints, and nervous system are carefully maintained with chiropractic adjustments.
Think about it, you probably visit the dentist annually or semi-annually to ensure your pearly whites are in tip-top shape with a checkup and cleaning. Keeping a close watch on your spinal health and getting regular “check-up” adjustments or treatments is an excellent proactive step towards ensuring optimal spinal health. Some studies have shown that regular chiropractic treatments promote increased lung capacity, visual acuity, reaction time, balance, and cardiovascular health. The spine has an impact on all other bodily systems and therefore should be a priority for routine maintenance and wellness.
Discuss your health goals and concerns with your chiropractor to determine if they will best be met by consistent care over time or if perhaps reaching your goals will require a shorter duration of care.

5 Tips for Staying Active at Work

Don’t Let Your Job Stand in the Way of Physical Fitness

Sitting for hours every day at work can take its toll on your health and fitness. Taking stretch breaks at your desk is one way to help stay active and improve your physical fitness at the office.
We all know the importance of physical fitness, and many of us would love to spend more time at the gym, or workout and play more in the beautiful summer weather. But for so many of us, our jobs get in the way, especially when home demands and commuting time are added to the hours spent actually making a living.
For those whose jobs require long hours sitting at a desk or workbench, fitness is a particular concern, especially in light of recent studies showing the dangers of being sedentary for too many hours a day.
A research review by the University Health Network in Canada that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that sitting for long periods every day increases your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and death.
Sitting with bad posture can do a number on your health, too. Slouching, slumping the shoulders, and tipping the neck forward place excess weight on the spine, causing joint pain and disc injuries that can lead to chronic back pain.
If we can’t just quit our jobs to get more active, what can we do during work hours to get moving and improve our physical fitness?

1) Don’t Sit Still

Limit sitting as much as you can. Consider getting a standing desk. If you must sit at your desk, take breaks every 20 - 30 minutes. Stand when you can stand instead of sitting, for instance when taking phone calls. Walk when you can walk instead of standing — instead of sending an email, walk to a colleague’s office to deliver a message.

2) Exercise at the Office

Beyond these changes, there are workouts you can integrate into your workday that include stretching, aerobics, resistance, and isometric exercise. Here are a few examples of exercises you can do at the office:

• Stretch at your desk. Try stretching your arms above your head, tilting your ears to your shoulders, and putting your hand on the back of your chair and twisting your torso.

• Find an open office or step outside for a quick cardio workout. Jogging in place, taking a lap around the parking lot, jumping jacks, lunges and squats are just a few ideas for quick exercises that won’t get you too sweaty and in need of a change of clothes.

• For increasing muscular strength, you can use dumbbells, resistance bands or tubes at your desk or body weight exercises. They tone muscles by using the resistance of gravity, as well as isometric, or squeezing, exercises.

3) Walk or Bike to Work

If you live close enough to your office, try walking or biking to work instead of driving or taking public transportation. In addition, the physical fitness benefits, walking to work can also help get you in the right mindset for a productive work day. If walking or biking to work isn’t feasible, force yourself to walk more by parking farther away or taking the stairs rather than the elevator.

4) Get Active During Lunch

With a busy work schedule, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of dropping into a nearby restaurant or fast food joint or ordering delivery. This usually means an unhealthy meal and a lunch break without any extra time for yourself. Bringing lunch to work will not only make for a more nutritious meal, but it will also save you the time of waiting in line and ordering food. Use that time to go for a walk or even to the gym.

5) Challenge Yourself

Last but not least, don’t forget to set goals, whether that means walking a specific number of steps a day, doing desk exercises for a set number of minutes, or even bringing your lunch a certain number of days a week. It’s easy to get lost in the status quo of your work day. Challenge yourself to be active as much as possible, and set realistic goals to hold yourself accountable.
You’ll be glad you did.

Iliotibial Band Foam Rolling

I often hear from people that they foam roll their IT bands often and then how much it hurts, but that they need to do it to help their knees or hips or back. While the foam roller is an effective tool for certain things, lengthening the iliotibial band doesn't appear to be one of them. Fascia has been found to be very difficult to deform or change. Muscular tissue, however, isn't as difficult. A recent study found that foam rolling to the gluteal muscle group was more effective at increasing hip ROM than was foam rolling the IT band. So, next time focus more on those butt muscles when foam rolling to improve your hip and knee troubles.

THE EFFECTS OF AN ACUTE BOUT OF FOAM ROLLING ON HIP RANGE OF MOTION ON DIFFERENT TISSUES

Chiropractic Foot Therapy

Chiropractic During Pregnancy

The Lost Art Of Bending Over

One of my favorite clinical terms is “lumbopelvic dissociation”. What this basically describes is when an individual is unable to move their hips without moving their lumbar spine. For instance, bending forward (flexing) at the hips while maintaining a neutral lower back. That movement is called is a “hip-hinge” and I teach it often when rehabilitating lower back pain.

There was recently a story on NPR titled “Lost Art Of Bending Over: How Other Cultures Spare Their Spines” (February 26, Morning Edition) which talked about how (in general) western cultures bend over versus how those in other parts of the world tend to bend over. More specifically, how these differences can lead to, or avoid, lower back pain. What the observer found when traveling to other countries was that people working in rice fields or working in their gardens bent over in a way that made their back like a table, i.e. their backs were flat and their hips were bent. More often than not, an American performing the same task would round their back to create a “C” with their hips and lumbar spine. This is one of the mechanisms that can lead to lower back pain.

In the story, Dr. Stuart McGill, PhD, likens the mechanism to woven cloth which is repeatedly pulled and stretched in one direction. Eventually the fibers start to loosen and unravel. Similarly, the outer layers of an intervertebral disc, when continually pulled in a certain direction, start to “delaminate”, or pull apart, making disc bulges and herniations more likely. By learning the correct mechanics of a hip hinge many people can avoid an episode of low back pain or recurrent episodes of low back pain and people who spend their days working in gardens can do so without suffering from lower back pain.

The hip hinge is a necessary skill for everyone from weight lifters to pregnant mothers. If you are having trouble with lower back pain, sciatica or back and hip strength, please call Pro-Motion Chiropractic and Rehabilitation or seek treatment from a knowledgeable doctor, clinician or therapist.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/02/26/587735283/lost-art-of-bending-over-how-other-cultures-spare-their-spines

Whiplash

Now that the snow is starting to fall, soon the roads will become a bit more dangerous. There’s nothing like the helpless feeling of sliding towards the car in front of you as your anti-lock brakes shutter and try to gain a grip on the ice beneath you. Whiplash is the most common injury following a car accident and can occur even at very low speeds. Here are some interesting statistics about whiplash that may surprise you.

Whiplash Statistics

• Most injuries occur when traveling less than 12 mph
• A read-end collision generally causes more damage to the cervical spine than side or frontal collisions do
• Whiplash injuries are more severe in women and children because their necks are smaller
• Whiplash injuries occur 5 times more often in women than men
• Symptoms of whiplash can often appear weeks or months after an accident
• In 75% of patients, symptoms of whiplash can last 6 months or longer
• Victims of whiplash lose approximately 8 weeks of work
• Whiplash injuries occur more often in people 30 to 50 years of age
• A whiplash injury can increase your chances of chronic shoulder and neck pain
• People suffering from chronic pain due to whiplash injuries often have abnormal psychological profiles
• More than 60% of people who have whiplash injuries require long-term medical follow-up
• More than 50% of those who have whiplash injuries will still have chronic pain 20 years after the injury
• Pre-existing health conditions such as arthritis will lead to greater severity of injury and greater pain

Signs of a Whiplash Injury

After an accident, you are likely to feel some pain and limited ranges of motion. Even if the pain is minimal, it could worsen hours after the crash. Some signs of whiplash can include:

• Pain when moving your head side to side
• Tenderness
• Headaches at the base of the skull
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Memory problems
• Tingling or numbness in the arms

Signs and symptoms of whiplash usually develop within 24 hours of the accident, which is why it is crucial to seek medical treatment immediately. If you’ve had an accident please let a professional make sure you are ok. You don’t want to be one of the 50% who has chronic pain 20 years after the injury.