Archive for August 2018
Don’t Let Running Be the Source of Your Back Pain
Running is repetitive stress
At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we love running. It is an instantly-accessible activity that boots fitness and wellness in a single, simple package. We always say, if it gets you active, we support the activity! But don’t make the mistake of thinking it is truly low-impact. In fact, running is quite high impact by nature; the repetitive jarring motion involved in striking the ground sends shockwaves up the body, through the joints of your lower body and into your spine. The lower back bears the brunt of this shock absorption and quite often suffers as a result.
Weightlifting and Back Pain: A Precarious Relationship
Weightlifting is a double-edged sword for back pain sufferers
On the one hand, it helps maintain muscle strength and tone, lending your back a crucial support. Strength is fundamental to function- it makes us more able and less prone to injury; your muscles are the frontline of defense for your spine against daily compression. On the other hand, weightlifting can significantly increase the risk of muscle strain, ligament injury, disc injury due to compression and other spinal health conditions. If you currently suffer from back pain, but you still want to maintain a weightlifting regime, it is highly advisable that you speak with a spinal health care specialist such as a chiropractor. We can provide you with a diagnostic picture of the state of your spine, helping your determine exactly what muscle-building activities will benefit you and which to avoid.
Where Does Sciatica Come From?
Sciatica is a symptom
Too many people adhere to the idea that sciatica is a standalone condition. This fallacious thinking leads people down the road of selecting treatments based purely on their pain. In reality, sciatica is a symptom of any number of conditions, including:
- Spinal stenosis
- Lumbar herniated discs
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spondylolisthesis
…and even muscle tension. Systemic tension in the lower back can compress the sciatic nerve sufficiently enough to cause pain, tingling and numbness, the hallmarks of sciatica.
We Wish You the Healthiest Pregnancy Possible
To make that happen, we need to keep you active
Pregnancy is going to slow you down- there is no fighting that. Your body is going to change more rapidly than you will be able to keep up with, and with such rapid change comes a fair amount of discomfort. From morning sickness to sciatica, pregnancies are often fraught with pain and dysfunction. All doctors agree that the best way to stay ahead of the curve (and the majority of the pain and discomfort), is to stay active. But not all doctors have a plan for keeping you in a state conducive to activity.
Soft Tissue Therapy: A Comprehensive, Feel-Good Treatment
What does soft tissue therapy involve?
Many people think of soft tissue therapy as a fancy name for massage. But it is so much more than a basic massage. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, the primary goal of soft tissue therapy is rehabilitation. We assess and determine the extent of pain and inflammation in a given region and use soft tissue therapy to manipulate and man age this pain. By combining this with traditional chiropractic modalities, we offer another dimension to our pain management and prevention arsenal. So why is soft tissue therapy so effective?
Begin Your Day By Indulging Your Spine
Morning time offers a choice
Will you start your day by falling back into the same old pattern? Or break out of it and begin on the track of healthy habits that will take you through the day with less back pain. All trends will begin in the morning time- it’s when you set the tone for your day; in this vein, we ask: what is more trendy than a healthy spine? Yes, the spine is the conduit for the nervous system, but it is also the conduit to a happy, healthy life. So let’s take a look at starting your day on the right foot for spinal health.
Sitting All Day: How Do I Limit the Damage?
Sitting all day
While calling sitting the new smoking is an exercise in hyperbole, it is clear that excessive sitting will take some kind of toll on your spine. The degree to which sitting harms your spine will be determined by the steps you take in prevention. These steps include:
- Strengthening the core
- Setting yourself up ergonomically
- Taking regular breaks
- Using properly adjusted office equipment
- Becoming a posture expert
But where to start? Taking action on behalf of your spine can be a difficult undertaking. That’s why we always say it’s a good idea to lean on your Sacramento spinal health experts.
Treating Herniated Discs with Cox Technic Flexion/Distraction
The severity of herniated discs varies
From a barely noticeable injury that heals itself to a crippling painful condition that knocks you out of action indefinitely, herniated discs vary widely in scope and severity. While it is true that most people have the capacity to heal their herniated disc by themselves, for others the injury can develop into a chronic condition. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, it is our foremost priority to stop this from happening. To us, successfully healing a herniated disc goes far beyond just getting rid of the pain. It also involves:
- restoring full range of motion
- restoring full strength to the supporting musculature
- preventing the injury from recurring
The first step is a proper diagnosis. From there we determine which modalities will benefit you the most. Read on to learn about one of our most successful techniques for rehabilitating herniated discs.