Posts Tagged ‘New Fairfield CT neck pain’
Welcome to Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center's New Fairfield CT neck pain 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 New Fairfield CT neck pain for the health of it.
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Nov 20, 2014 | Health Articles
As the roads become increasingly slippery, more auto accidents are occurring at an alarming rate. The sharp or sudden stops are causing whiplash injuries to not only the driver but all the passengers involved. These injuries unfortunately do not always cause sudden pain but can manifest over time and are not limited to motor vehicles...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Nov 6, 2014 | Health Articles
The smell of the ice. Some find no bigger pleasure as the sweet cold smell reaches our nose and begins the adrenaline rush for the upcoming hockey season. If you are one of the many fans you are aware that hockey can be an action packed game that comes with several health risks due...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Apr 17, 2014 | Health Articles
Our body has a miraculous way of healing it self but also protecting damaged areas. Scar tissue is one of the body’s natural reactions to injury, no matter how small or slight. Everyday actions that most people would not regard as an injury can create scar tissue. The soft tissues in our body are made up of collagen, when an injury occurs there are small tears or kinks in the collagen. These tears create scar tissue and in an ideal situation normal tissue replaces this scar tissue, but this doesn’t always happen. When you experience a tightness or an inability to move a joint in a fluid manner, you are experiencing a build up of scar tissue. Scar tissue can often interfere with the range of motion and the smooth movements of the muscle.
What are Trigger Points?
Stiffness and reductions in strength are caused by small bits of scar tissue that bind tissue around them, these are called adhesions. Trigger points are created when a nerve becomes trapped in these adhesions, this is usually where pain can radiate from. Painful movements result in a reduction of activity, which in turn leads to a further reduction in the range of motion. Due to the fact that scar tissue is less flexible, has less circulation and is less elastic than normal tissue, the muscles become weaker and shorten. It is vital that these scar tissue adhesions are removed in order to reduce pain and restore the strength and proper range of motion.
There are many therapies that can be used to to break up the scar tissue and release the trapped nerves. These therapies include ART (Active Release Technique), Graston Technique and Myofascial Release. Many chiropractors use these techniques to help release the nerves and stop the radiating pain. The Graston Technique uses different steel instruments to break up the scar tissue, whereas ART and Myofascial Release are a more hands-on approach.
Most chiropractors will include one or more of these therapies to help their patients regain strength and range of motion. Along with chiropractic adjustments these therapies can be extremely useful in the treatment of scar tissue, trapped nerves and radiating pain.
We Can Help!
If you or a loved one are experiencing pain and the loss of range of motion that may be associated with scar tissue, call today and begin a healing process that will get you back into enjoying all the activities you love pain free and unrestricted.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Mar 27, 2014 | Health Articles
Future Olympic champions are following the steps of some of the greatest athletes on the planet. Their training regiment now includes proper spinal alignments for optimal performance and to avoid or recover from injuries.
In today’s age of health and fitness, more and more kids are involved in sporting activities. Although being part of a football, soccer or Little League team is an important rite of passage for many children, parents and their children could be overlooking the importance of proper nutrition and body-conditioning needed for preventing injuries on and off the playing field.
“The majority, if not all, sports are good, provided that the child prepares appropriately,” says Dr. Timothy Ray, a member of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness. “Without proper preparation, playing any sport can turn into a bad experience. There are structural and physical developmental issues that need to be taken into consideration before children undertake certain sports.”
Highly competitive sports such as football, gymnastics and wrestling follow rigorous training schedules that can be potentially dangerous to an adolescent or teenager. The best advice for parents who have young athletes in the family is to help them prepare their bodies and to learn to protect themselves from sports related injuries before they happen.
“Proper warm up, stretching and strength-training exercises are essential for kids involved in sports, but many kids learn improper stretching or weight-lifting techniques, making them more susceptible to injury,” says Dr. Steve Horwitz, an ACA member from Silver Spring, MD, and former member of the U.S. Summer Olympic medical team. “Parents need to work with their kids and make sure they receive the proper sports training.”
“Young athletes should begin with a slow jog as a general warm-up, followed by a sport-specific warm-up. They should then stretch all the major muscle groups,” says Dr. Horwitz. “Kids need to be instructed in appropriate exercises for each sport to prevent injuries.”
Proper nutrition and hydration are also extremely vital. “While an ordinary person may need to drink eight to 10 8-ounce glasses of water each day, athletes need to drink even more than that for proper absorption. Breakfast should be the most important meal of the day. Also, eating a healthy meal two to four hours before a practice or a game and another within one to two hours after a game or practice allows for proper replenishment and refuels the body,” adds Dr. Horwitz.
Young athletes today often think they are invincible. The following tips can help ensure your child does not miss a step when it comes to proper fitness, stretching, training and rest that the body needs to engage in sporting activities.
Encourage your child to:
- Wear the proper equipment. Certain contact sports, such as football and hockey, can be dangerous if the equipment is not properly fitted. Make sure all equipment, including helmets, pads and shoes fit your child or adolescent. Talk to your child’s coach or trainer if the equipment is damaged.
- Eat healthy meals. Make sure your young athlete is eating a well-balanced diet and does not skip meals. Avoid high-fat foods, such as candy bars and fast food. At home, provide fruit rather than cookies, and vegetables rather than potato chips.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Certain sports, such as gymnastics, wrestling and figure skating, may require your young athlete to follow strict dietary rules. Be sure your child does not feel pressured into being too thin and that he/she understands that proper nutrition and caloric intake is needed for optimal performance and endurance.
- Drink water. Hydration is a key element to optimal fitness. Teenage athletes should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Younger athletes should drink five to eight 8-ounce glasses of water.
- Drink milk. Make sure your child has enough calcium included in his/her diet. For children over 2 years of age, ACA recommends 1 percent or skim milk rather than whole milk. Milk is essential for healthy bones and reduces the risk of joint and muscle related injuries.
- Avoid sugar-loaded, caffeinated and carbonated drinks. Sports drinks can be a good source of replenishment for those kids engaged in long duration sports, such as track and field, but water is vital.
- Follow a warm-up routine. Be sure your child or his/her coach includes a warm-up and stretching session before every practice, game or meet. A slow jog, jumping rope and/or lifting small weights reduces the risk of torn or ripped muscles. Flexibility is key when pushing to score that extra goal or make that critical play.
- Take vitamins daily. A multi-vitamin and Vitamin C are good choices for the young athlete. Vitamin B and amino acids may help reduce the pain from contact sports. Thiamine can help promote healing. Also consider Vitamin A to strengthen scar tissue.
- Avoid trendy supplements. Kids under the age of 18 should avoid the use of performance-enhancing supplements, such as creatine. Instead, they should ask their coach or trainer to include weekly weight training and body-conditioning sessions in their workout.
- Get plenty of rest. Eight hours of sleep is ideal for the young athlete. Lack of sleep and rest can decrease performance. Sluggishness, irritability and loss of interest could indicate that your child is fatigued.
Chiropractic Care Can Help
Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can provide advice on sports training, nutrition and injury prevention to young athletes.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Mar 13, 2014 | Health Articles
For decades, arthritis has been considered a part of aging. But not anymore. Surprisingly recent research points out that people much younger can develop rheumatoid arthritis pain but the best news is that people no longer need to suffer needlessly from the pain. Years ago, doctors hardly ever encouraged Rheumatoid Arthritis patients to “go take a hike” or “go for a swim.” Arthritis was considered an inherent part of the aging process and a signal to a patient that it’s time to slow down. Great news! Recent research and clinical findings show that there is much more to life for arthritis patients than the traditional recommendation of bed rest and drug therapy.
Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis
The word “arthritis” means “joint inflammation” and is often used in reference to rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic diseases include more than 100 conditions, including gout, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and many more. Rheumatoid arthritis is also a rheumatic disease, affecting about 1 percent of the U.S. population (about 2.1 million people.)1 Although rheumatoid arthritis often begins in middle age and is more frequent in the older generation, it can also start at a young age.
Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. Several features distinguish it from other kinds of arthritis:
- Tender, warm, and swollen joints.
- Fatigue, sometimes fever, and a general sense of not feeling well.
- Pain and stiffness lasts for more than 30 minutes after a long rest.
- The condition is symmetrical. If one hand is affected, the other one is, too.
- The wrist and finger joints closest to the hand are most frequently affected. Neck, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, and feet joints can also be affected.
- The disease can last for years and can affect other parts of the body, not only the joints.2
Rheumatoid arthritis is highly individual. Some people suffer from mild arthritis that lasts from a few months to a few years and then goes away. Mild or moderate arthritis have periods of worsening symptoms (flares) and periods of remissions, when the patient feels better. People with severe arthritis feel pain most of the time. The pain lasts for many years and can cause serious joint damage and disability.
May I Exercise?
Exercise is critical in successful arthritis management. It helps maintain healthy and strong muscles, joint mobility, flexibility, endurance, and helps control weight. Rest, on the other hand, helps to decrease active joint inflammation, pain, and fatigue. For best results, arthritis patients need a good balance between the two: more rest during the active phase of arthritis, and more exercise during remission.2 During acute systematic flares or local joint flares, patients should put joints gently through their full range of motion once a day, with periods of rest. To see how much rest is best during flares, patients should talk to their health care providers.3
The following exercises are most frequently recommended for patients with arthritis:*
| Type of Exercise |
Benefits |
Frequency of Exercise |
| Range-of-motion exercises, e.g. stretching and dance |
Help maintain normal joint movement and increase joint flexibility. |
Can be done daily and should be done at least every other day. |
| Strengthening exercises, e.g. weight lifting |
Help improve muscle strength, which is important to support and protect joints affected by arthritis. |
Should be done every other day, unless pain and swelling are severe. |
| Aerobic or endurance exercises, e.g. walking, bicycle riding, and swimming |
Help improve the cardiovascular system and muscle tone and control weight. Swimming is especially valuable because of its minimal risk of stress injuries and low impact on the body. |
Should be done for 20 to 30 minutes three times a week unless pain and swelling are severe. |
Range-of-motion exercises
For example, stretching and dance help maintain normal joint movement and increase joint flexibility. Exercise can be done daily and should be done at least every other day. Strengthening exercises, e.g. weight lifting help improve muscle strength, which is important to support and protect joints affected by arthritis and should be done every other day, unless pain and swelling are severe. Aerobic or endurance exercises, e.g. walking, bicycle riding, and swimming help improve the cardiovascular system and muscle tone and control weight. Swimming is especially valuable because of its minimal risk of stress injuries and low impact on the body. This exercise can be done for 20 to 30 minutes three times a week unless pain and swelling are severe.
Important Note:
If patients experience
- Unusual or persistent fatigue,
- Increased weakness,
- Decreased range of motion,
- Increased joint swelling, or
- Pain that lasts more than one hour after exercising,
they need to talk to their health care provider.3 Doctors of chiropractic will help arthritis patients develop or adjust their exercise programs to achieve maximum health benefits with minimal discomfort and will identify the activities that are off limits for this particular arthritis patient.
Nutrition for the Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient
Arthritis medications help suppress the immune system and slow the progression of the disease. But for those who prefer an alternative approach, nutrition may provide complementary support. Some evidence shows that nutrition can play a role in controlling the inflammation, and possibly also in slowing the progression of rheumatoid arthritis.
Some foods and nutritional supplements can be helpful in managing arthritis:
- Fatty-acid supplements: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and gamma linolenic acid (GLA). Several studies point to the effectiveness of these fatty acid supplements in reducing joint pain and swelling, and lessening reliance on corticosteroids. 4,5
- Deep-sea fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring, and halibut, are sources of EPA and DHA. GLA is found in very few food sources, such as black currants and borage seed.
- Turmeric, a spice that’s used to make curry dishes, may also be helpful. A 95 percent curcuminoid extract has been shown to significantly inhibit the inflammatory cascade and provide relief of joint inflammation and pain.
- Ginger extract has been shown to be beneficial in terms of inflammation.
- Nettle leaf extract may inhibit some inflammatory pathways.
- A vegetarian or low-allergen diet can help with the management of rheumatoid arthritis as well.
The benefits and risks of most of these agents are being researched. Before taking any dietary supplement, especially if you are using medication to control your condition, consult with your health care provider.
What Can Your Doctor of Chiropractic Do?
If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor of chiropractic can help you plan an individualized exercise program that will:
- Help you restore the lost range of motion to your joints.
- Improve your flexibility and endurance.
- Increase your muscle tone and strength.
Doctors of chiropractic can also give you nutrition and supplementation advice that can be helpful in controlling and reducing joint inflammation.
References
- Questions and Answers about Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. February 2002. Available from http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/artrheu.htm.
- Handout on Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Jan. 1998, revised Nov. 1999. Available from http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/rahandout.htm.
- Questions and Answers about Arthritis and Exercise. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. May 2001. Available from http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/arthexfs.htm.
- Fortin Paul R., et al. Validation of a meta-analysis: the effects of fish oil in rheumatoid arthritis. J Clin Epidemiol, Vol. 48, 1995, pp. 1379-90.
- Navarro Elisabet, et al. Abnormal fatty acid pattern in rheumatoid arthritis – A rationale for treatment with marine and botanical lipids. J Rheum, Vol. 27, February 2000, pp. 298-303.
Our body has a miraculous way of healing it self but also protecting damaged areas. Scar tissue is one of the body’s natural reactions to injury, no matter how small or slight. Everyday actions that most people would not regard as an injury can create scar tissue. The soft tissues in our body are made up of collagen, when an injury occurs there are small tears or kinks in the collagen. These tears create scar tissue and in an ideal situation normal tissue replaces this scar tissue, but this doesn’t always happen. When you experience a tightness or an inability to move a joint in a fluid manner, you are experiencing a build up of scar tissue. Scar tissue can often interfere with the range of motion and the smooth movements of the muscle.
For decades, arthritis has been considered a part of aging. But not anymore. Surprisingly recent research points out that people much younger can develop rheumatoid arthritis pain but the best news is that people no longer need to suffer needlessly from the pain. Years ago, doctors hardly ever encouraged Rheumatoid Arthritis patients to “go take a hike” or “go for a swim.” Arthritis was considered an inherent part of the aging process and a signal to a patient that it’s time to slow down. Great news! Recent research and clinical findings show that there is much more to life for arthritis patients than the traditional recommendation of bed rest and drug therapy.