Habits That Are Hurting Your Back - Part 1

1.  Sitting For Too Long

Sitting puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing.  When you’re sitting down, your posture changes…especially because most people who sit for long periods of time are either sitting behind a desk at work or on a couch at home.  When you sit at a desk, in front of a computer, your shoulders round forward and your head juts forward.  That forward head translation and hunched shoulders puts pressure on the muscles in your upper back and neck causing tightness, stiffness and trigger points to form.  Make sure to get up and move or stretch every half hour or so.

2.  Skipping Exercise

On average, 40% of people halt exercise when they have back pain.  Believe it or not, skipping exercise when you have back pain can prolong your pain.  I’m not saying to go into the gym and lift heavy free weights or jump on a treadmill and run 5 miles, but activities like walking, stretching and yoga help to speed up healing.

3.  Eating an Unhealthy Diet

Eating an unhealthy diet adds excess pounds, especially around your midsection.  That excess weight changes your center of gravity, thus changing your posture.  That posture change causes your back muscles to compensate in different ways to support your spine which causes pain.  An unhealthy diet can also cause high cholesterol which can clog your arteries over time.  Clogged arteries are a major culprit of back pain.

4.  Having Your Car Seat In A Bad Position

When you get into your car, do you feel like you have to stretch to reach the steering wheel or pedals?  If so, your seat is probably positioned too far back.  Your seat should be close enough to the steering wheel and pedals that you don’t have to reach for them.  Reaching alters your posture which can cause back pain.  Also, make sure that your car seat back is angled at 90 degrees so that you are sitting upright and the head rest is flush with the back of your head for added support.

5.  Overloading a Purse or Briefcase

Carrying heavy bags, such as a purse or a briefcase, causes an imbalance in your shoulders which negatively affects your posture.  The maximum recommended weight of a purse or briefcase should be about 10% of your body weight.  Always be sure to switch the side your carry your bag on to help even out the musculature in your back and shoulders.

If you or someone you know in the Gallatin Valley area is looking for a chiropractor, please call Dr. Shea Stark with Pro Chiropractic at 406-388-9915 to schedule an appointment in our Belgrade, Manhattan, or Bozeman Chiropractic clinics. Dr. Stark is a board certified chiropractor and the author of this blog post. To learn more about Dr. Stark and the many benefits of chiropractic care, please visit our website: www.prochiromt.com.

The What and How of Chiropractic Joint Manipulation - The Adjustment

Chiropractic Joint Manipulation

Chiropractic care focuses on treating the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system. It addresses back pain, neck pain, joint pain as well as pain in the extremities (arms and legs). The most common procedures that are used are spinal  and joint manipulations, also known as adjustments. These procedure are used to restore joint mobility by using the Chiropractor's hands and fingers or small instrument to move joints and bones into proper motion, position, and alignment.

Often problems occur in the spine and joints of the body as a result of stress.  This can be when you lift something the wrong way or have a job with repetitive movements. Additionally, when you bend the wrong way or sit incorrectly for long periods of time this can cause problems in your joints and surrounding tissues. Car accidents and sports injuries also cause injuries that result in joint injury, swelling, and fixation  As a result of these physical stresses, the tissues in and around joints becomes inflamed leading to swelling and pain.   Spinal manipulation therapy restores the movement to the joints and bones, effectively opening up space and taking pressure off sensitive structures.
 

Physical Exam

When you go for an exam the chiropractor will give you a physical exam and assess joint motion and position in your body. A properly trained chiropractor will look at posture, movement, and function to determine the cause of your pain or problem before beginning treatment.  The doctor will determine where your body needs alignment and better range of motion.  The top chiropractic offices use ever-advancing technology such as digital x-ray, computerized posture analysis, dynamic gait scanning study, in combination with finely tuned palpation skills and orthopedic tests to assess you joints.  Once the initial examination is complete the doctor will determine which joint manipulation treatments, therapeutic exercises, diet, and lifestyle changes are needed.

Joint Manipulation

Joint manipulation involves using the Chiropractor's hands or sometimes a small instrument to move the joints into better position. They are expertly trained to rapidly move the joints in specific directions, improving motion and opening space to alleviate pain.  It sometimes leads to a popping or cracking sound, which is harmless gas bubbles releasing from the joint fluid.

Spinal manipulation therapy unlocks stiff joint segments, calms muscle spasms, and stimulates the mechanoreceptors (joint motion sensors) that signal the brain. This reduces the pain in the joints and gives you better balance, through improved feedback from the brain. Those that experience joint manipulation report greater energy and less pain, and feel ready to tackle the tasks of the day. Joint manipulation often provides more rapid pain relief than other therapy methods.

Joint manipulation can assist with repetitive and posture injuries from standing or sitting in one spot for long periods of time. Often car accidents cause neck and back pain from muscle strains, torn ligaments, and jammed, stressed joints that joint manipulation can help. Athletes that get sports injuries from training or trauma often find this treatment very helpful. 

Doctor's of Chiropractic are the accepted experts at spinal and extra-spinal joint manipulation.  No healing specialty has more training and competency to be able to answer your questions, and deliver this beneficial treatment in a safe, professional,  and comfortable way

To learn more about joint manipulation, visit your Top-Rated Bozeman Chiropractic Clinic at Pro Chiropractic today.  Dr. Jonathan Wilhelm, the author of this blog post the founder of Pro Chiropractic, is a board certified chiropractic physician, and holds a master's degree in Sports Science and Rehabilitation.

Autoimmune Disease And Chiropractic

Did you know that autoimmune disease is the THIRD largest category of disease in the United States behind heart disease and cancer?  There are more than 80 autoimmune diseases and they affect over 50 million Americans.  But what is an autoimmune disease?

Imagine that your immune system is an army whose sole purpose is to protect your body from intruders, such as viruses, bacteria and other outside toxins.  What if that army all of the sudden turned it's guns on you and started attacking your tissues?  That is autoimmunity.  Your body's natural ability to fight external threats starts to attack the body's tissues.  This process can cause symptoms such as fatigue, fever, malaise (feeling unwell), joint pain and rash, among others.  These symptoms usually wax and wane causing exacerbations of symptoms then going into remission.  Autoimmune diseases affect blood vessels, connective tissue, endocrine glands, joints, muscles, red blood cells and skin.  They can also start attacking your organs, such as the liver, intestines or kidneys. 

The exact cause of autoimmunity is unknown, but it is believed to be a combination of heredity and environment.  If a family member has an autoimmune disease, you are 2 to 5 times more likely of developing one.  Environmental triggers include certain medications, hormones (such as pregnancy and stress hormones) and chemical irritants.  Women are 75% more likely to be affected by autoimmune disorders, especially African-American, Hispanic-American and Native American women.  

Examples of autoimmune disorders include: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's disease, multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes mellitus, psoriasis and irritable bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease), among many, many others.  Autoimmune disease is one of the top 10 causes of death of females over 65, the second highest cause of chronic illness and the top cause of morbidity in females in the United States.  These diseases are treated by medical doctors using immunosuppressant drugs and corticosteriods, which both have pretty severe side effects when used for extended periods of time.  

What does this have to do with chiropractic, you ask?  Chiropractic can be a fantastic supportive treatment for those who suffer from autoimmune disorders.  The treatment goals for most autoimmune diseases include reduction of symptoms, control the autoimmune response and to maintain the body's ability to fight disease.  Immunity is controlled by the brain stem which is protected and encased by the upper cervical spine.  Chiropractic adjustments relieve the pressure on the nervous system caused by misalignments in the spine.  Every cell, organ and tissue in your body is controlled by the nervous system, so relieving the pressure on the nervous system promotes better health and function of those cells, organs and tissues.  In short, chiropractic adjustments allow your body to function at it's fullest potential.  Chiropractic patients with autoimmune diseases often relate improvement in symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain and muscle aches.  With dietary alterations and consistent chiropractic adjustments, patients have noticed a marked decrease in inflammation caused by autoimmunity.

If you, or someone you know, are in the Belgrade or Bozeman, Montana area and looking for a chiropractor to help with symptoms caused by an autoimmune disease, please call Dr. Shea Stark with ProChiropractic at 406-388-9915 to schedule an appointment.  Dr. Stark is a board certified chiropractor and the author of this blog post.  To learn more about Dr. Stark and the many benefits of chiropractic care, please visit our website: www.prochiromt.com

Elite Athletes Choose Kinesiotape - Where to Find Kinesio Tape in Bozeman, Montana

Another Elite Athlete is seen choosing Kinesiotape to control pain

and improve function!

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Dr Jonathan Wilhelm, Sports Chiropractic Physician at Pro Chiropractic in Belgrade, MT recently

completed advanced training and was certified in Kinesiotaping by Kinesio USA. 

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 Dr. Wilhelm can be reached at his Belgrade, MT office and is accepting sports medicine

patients.  To learn more about his training in this and other areas Click Here

David Beckham in Kinesiotape

                   

PRETTY IN PINK ... Becks shows off
plasters after Deportivo game

Beckham has it taped for fitness

ERIC BEAUCHAMP

Published: 05 Jun 2007

DAVID BECKHAM will be in strapping shape against Estonia thanks to a Japanese method of muscle protection.

Becks, 32, has turned to a new craze of binding muscles called Kinesio Taping to take the strain off his back.

The tape was developed in Japan in the 1970s by Dr Kenzo Kase and is now taking professional sport by storm as stars put on the giant plasters to give their aching muscles more elasticity.

Beckham was introduced to Kinesio by Real Madrid's physios and wore the tape to devastating effect in their last game against Deportivo La Coruna where he set up two goals.

Real spokesman Dr Juan Carlos Hernandez said: "We've been using the Kinesio Taping for about a year.

"Other players have worn it before Beckham but after he was photographed with the tape the whole world is asking about it!

"The tape is made from a special material with elastic properties that protects and supports the muscle and we have seen it produces excellent results."

Read more:http://img.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article232014.ece#ixzz1SzQq8L8z