Archive for the ‘Health Articles’ Category
Welcome to Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center's Health Articles Archive. Here you can learn more about Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center, Chiropractic, and Dr. Brandon Chorney, today's choice for Chiropractors in New Fairfield, CT. Read Dr. Brandon Chorney's Chiropractic Health Articles for the health of it.
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jul 16, 2019 | Health Articles
The joints of our knees and the leg pains associated can be confusing or frightening sometimes when we hear the medical diagnosis. The actual diagnosis terms can sometimes be scarier than the exact condition.
But do not fear! Below are two common conditions explained so that you can begin focusing on the solution rather than the pain.
Patellofemoral Pain
Patellofemoral pain is also known as the softening of the cartilage of your knee cap or “anterior knee pain.” Quite simply this is a big medical word for a conditional pain where the shiny cartilage surface of your patella (knee cap) has softened due to many factors including abnormal pressure across the joint surface or hormonal changes in your body.
This knee pain is primarily located over the front of your knee and is often described as deep aching pain. It is sometimes associated with swelling and is usually worse when your knee is bent for long periods such as sitting in a car or bus. The pain also worsens with such activities as running, biking, squatting, kneeling or stair climbing either up or downstairs. Most often this condition is associated with mild or moderate swelling of the knee, and some people report a grinding feeling in their kneecap. This condition is more commonly found in young female adults and heavier-set adults.
Research has shown that many times this problem can be due to a muscular imbalance of the quadricep muscles whereby the outer quadricep is stronger than the inner quadricep muscle and causes the knee cap to track incorrectly. The muscle imbalance and improper tracking leads to irritation and inflammation on the undersurface of the knee cap and ultimately causes cartilage degeneration. It is usually pretty simple to diagnose the problem, but the key is to address it early!
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Iliotibial band syndrome is due to inflammation of the iliotibial band, a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the leg. The iliotibial band begins at the hip and extends to the outer side of the shin bone (tibia) just below the knee joint. The band functions in coordination with several of the thigh muscles to assist in flexion of the knee joint and to provide stability to the outside of the knee joint. The irritation usually occurs over the outside of the knee joint, at the end of the femur (thigh) bone. The iliotibial band crosses bone and muscle at this point. In proper function, there is a bursa between these structures which should facilitate a smooth gliding motion. However, when the band is inflamed, the iliotibial band does not glide easily, and normally the pain worsens with continued movement and resolves with rest.
We Can Help!
As experts of the human frame and the bodies mechanics, Chiropractors and Physical Medicine teams should be one of your first choices when looking for your healthcare solutions. We can help and assist in the restoration and rehabilitation of function and alignment of not only your knee and leg but your entire body. Our mission is to educate our patients in the simplest terms so they can understand not only the “how” but the “why.” With this knowledge, our goal is that they may be able to maintain their results and build towards optimal health for life.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jul 9, 2019 | Health Articles
Have you ever woken up after a full night’s sleep and felt more exhausted than when you went to bed? Of course, you have. But what makes the difference between good sleep and poor sleep? The difference is in the quality of our sleep cycle and most importantly the amount REM our brain is able...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jul 2, 2019 | Health Articles
Summertime madness of activities about to begin! We had just about mastered the balance all of our daily activities. Now with the ring of the last school bell hit fast forward and add the bumper of kids games, practices, carpools and change of babysitters. As our activities become a series of the next, we sometimes...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jun 25, 2019 | Health Articles
For the fourth time in two days, an advertisement to the local gym runs through the homepage of your Facebook. You have committed that this is the year of my best body, so you stop scrolling quickly call to join. It’s hard work, it hurts and could be slightly embarrassing, but in our minds, we...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jun 18, 2019 | Health Articles
src=”https://chirolifewellness.com/wp-content/article-images/travel-headaches-2016-b.jpg” width=”320″ border=”0″ />Buckle up! Our traveling season is upon us. Despite the saying “getting there is half the fun,” planes, trains, and automobiles can put a real strain on our summer holiday fun. So let’s start this season off right, and follow these tips to survive the physically demanding prospect of traveling to your holiday destination even if your final destination is to relax without your shoulders in your ears and suffering from headaches.
Stretch For More Than The Keys
Travel should be looked on as a form of strenuous exercise that requires a period of warming up and cooling down. Warm up and stretch before you travel, and cool down with a brisk walk when you arrive to reinvigorate your hamstring and calf muscles.
Car Travel – Check!
If you are driving here are a few great road trip tips:
- Adjust the seat, so you’re as close to the wheel as you can be while still feeling comfortable. Keep the knees just a little bit above the hips.
- Use a back support if your car seat does not provide adequate support by design. The added back support will help reduce the risk of lower back pain and injury. The support should be widest between the lowest ribs and the waist.
- Exercise your legs while driving to keep the blood flowing and limit any swelling or pain. Count to 10 while spreading your toes wide; count to 5 while tightening your calf muscles, followed by your thigh muscles, then your glutes (butt); roll your shoulders back and forward (keeping your hands on the wheel!).
- Alternate holding the wheel with your hands at the 2 and 7 o’clock positions, and then the 10 and 5 o’clock positions. Try not to grip the wheel too tightly, which reduces the circulation and increase fatigue in the muscles of the hands, wrists, and arms.
- Vary your focal point to reduce eye strain and headaches, but keep your eyes on the road.
- Take frequent breaks from driving; remember that fatigue behind the wheel can kill.
Air Travel – Check!/h3>
When traveling by air, here are great air mile friendly tips:
- Airline seats are incredibly spine-unfriendly. Standing up straight, familiarize yourself with the proper curve of your spine, then use rolled-up towels to recreate that curve when sitting down. Use another between your neck and the headrest.
- Bags heavier than 5-10% of your body weight should ideally be checked in rather than carried on. Lifting heavy bags into overhead lockers can hurt the spine. Whatever the weight of the bag, make sure you stand directly in front of the compartment and do not twist your back or neck when lifting.
- Under the seat, luggage should not be forced into using feet or hands while standing, which can cause muscle spasms given the confined and awkward space between the seats. Instead, sit down first, then push it in using both your hands and feet.
- Move about in your seat frequently to keep the blood flowing and guard against cramps and pins and needles. Massage your thighs and calves, then push up with your toes to shift your knees up and down. Use a bag to raise your feet higher.
- Don’t blast yourself with the overhead air vents which can cause your neck and shoulders to tense.
Kids List – Check!
Traveling with children can be challenging, but the most important aspect is to arrive safe and sound.
Here are a few safety tips when traveling with kids:
- Use an approved car seat appropriate to the age of the child when traveling in a car.
- Infant car seats should always face rearwards so that any impact is spread around the back and shoulders and not taken directly by the neck.
- A car seat should not be used in the front seat of a car where an airbag could deploy into it. Similarly, if the rear doors or the rear of the front seats are equipped with airbags, position the child seat in the center of the back seat to avoid it being impacted by a deployed airbag.
- Secure the car seat as per instructions and make sure it is properly fixed in place and cannot shift. The seat should be at a 45-degree angle to properly support the child’s head.
- Traveling by air, check to see if your car seat can be used on this airline, which is safer than seating a child on your lap.
Make Sure To Add Us To Your Checklist!
Before you head out to your travel destination, make sure to add a spinal health checkup to your list of preparations! We will make sure you are in tip-top condition so you may enjoy every minute of your holiday!
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jun 11, 2019 | Health Articles
We are in full swing of the digital age. All correspondence is now primarily virtual. This interaction between humans includes business, casual acquaintances and worse, our more intimate partners. With so much time spent in our virtual world, our physical bodies, especially our necks and backs, are suffering from diseases inclusive of obesity, migraine headaches...
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