Author: Dr. Joseph Vear

Thankful for Chiropractic Care

Thanksgiving is nearly here – a time when we watch football, overeat, and spend time with family and friends. Our Thanksgiving feasts may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t getting prepared. To get ready for Turkey Day, consider adding chiropractic to your routine to boost your health and prevent some Thanksgiving pitfalls. Here’s what you need to know:

People may not be traveling as much this year, but Thanksgiving is a notoriously busy travel holiday. If you’re traveling this year – whether by car or by plane – it could lead to back pain. All that time cramped up in a small seat plus plenty of sitting and waiting then add on a near-complete lack of movement for hours is enough to make anyone’s back sore. That’s where chiropractic comes in. Visiting a chiropractor will return your spine to proper alignment and with continued care, will keep it there. This helps relieve immediate discomfort and can help prevent pain from returning.

Thanksgiving is also usually a day that ends up with everyone stuffed. And because the holiday season is so busy, it usually means less time for exercise. This is bad news for your health, flexibility, and weight. All of the food plus inactivity may lead to joint stiffness and pain. True Form Chiropractic can help in this area because when the body is in proper alignment, it is in an overall healthier state. Our patients report many positive side effects of chiropractic care, including joint pain relief. With regular chiropractic care, you can help prevent the inflexibility and stiffness that comes with a day (or season!) of indulgence.

So be thankful for chiropractic care and schedule an appointment now to prepare for a healthier holiday season.

Fall Sports and Chiropractic Care

Why would an athlete even benefit from chiropractic care? One of the most frequently cited benefits of chiropractic treatments is improved range of motion. Football and hockey players go through rigorous training and can suffer huge blows during games, which can disrupt spinal alignment and restrict movement, leading to pain and tension in athletes’ joints. With regular chiropractic care, athletes can get their bodies back into top condition and prevent further injuries.

Numerous studies have found that football and hockey players are at greater risk for neck and back pain. One study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that athletes saw a significant reduction in pain after “exercise, biomechanical modifications, and manual therapy” under the care of a chiropractor. This reduction in pain decreases the need for strong pain pills, which are very addictive even after short periods of time.

Perhaps most importantly, patients undergoing chiropractic care report that they are highly satisfied with the results of their treatments. In a 2015 study, 92% of 544 participants reported reduced pain, and 80% reported increased mobility. The researchers concluded that patients were highly satisfied with their chiropractic treatments.

But there is a prevailing believe that chiropractic care can be expensive.  But actually, chiropractic care can be very cost efficient than repeat visits to the doctor and expensive prescriptions. One study conducted in 2016 found that patients under the care of a chiropractor had less expensive costs overall in comparison to those who were not receiving chiropractic care. In addition to this, the length of their treatments was shorter as well.

An alternative to surgeries, which are invasive and often require a long recovery time, is chiropractic therapy. Some examples of the noninvasive treatment techniques include but are not limited to treatment methods, such as electrical muscle stimulation, dry needling, massage, stretch exercises, electrical muscle stimulation, and tools to help rid players of scar tissue.

It’s not just for athletes– all people suffering from stiffness or pain can benefit from chiropractic care. However, athletes who push their bodies to the limits in high-impact sports like hockey and football should consider ongoing chiropractic care. Many studies have shown the numerous benefits from this cost effective and noninvasive treatment. You’ll be thrilled at how quickly you reap the rewards of chiropractic therapy. If you are involved in fall sports, consider scheduling an appointment with True Form Chiropractic to see how it can help you improve your body so that you can perform better with fewer injuries and decrease the time you need to recover from current injuries.

Fall and Chiropractic Care

It is the time of year, once again, where the weather becomes cool and the leaves change colors. With these beautiful colors also come leaves to rake, plants to pull, and eventually snow to shovel. We see many injuries in our office relating to fall time chores. These include strains and sprains or injured joints of the neck, back, and shoulders. Chiropractic is very effective in treating these as well as preventing them. 

These chores typically involve using a “long-levered tool” such as a rake or shovel. If we use these tools over long hours of shoveling, raking, and other activities we can injure the muscles, ligaments, and joints of our neck, back, and sometimes shoulders or other extremities. These repetitive movements can cause injuries to our neck, back, shoulders, and other parts of your body. Chiropractors are very effective at treating these types of conditions.

To prevent these injuries there are several things you can do; stretching and warming up prior to and during these activities is important to make sure your muscles and joints are ready for activity. Using the proper technique while shoveling or raking is also important. You should use a tool that is long enough so that you can keep your neck and back straight while shoveling or raking. Oftentimes a bent handle versus a straight handle may make this easier. Making sure to bend your knees and keep your back straight while lifting shovels can reduce stress on your joints, remember to lift with your legs and not your back. It is also important to not overwork yourself. Taking breaks to stretch can prevent overuse injuries. 

It can be “normal” to be stiff and sore for up to a day after these types of fall chores. If the pain lasts longer than 1 day or is getting worse instead of better, please consider seeing a chiropractor. Expect a thorough history, a thorough examination, and an explanation of your condition. If the chiropractor determines you have a condition that may benefit from chiropractic care, expect a “report of findings’’ to discuss treatment options. After discussing those options, you choose what works best for you. Then a treatment plan will be created that may include in-office and home treatment recommendations with predetermined reevaluations to determine your progress. If the chiropractor determines you are not a good candidate for chiropractic care, expect a referral to the appropriate provider.

Subluxated Ribs and How to Make it Better

Popping a rib out of place can result in a lot of pain in your chest when breathing deeply or coughing. When a rib is out of place, you can feel sharp stabbing-like pains in the front of the chest or between the shoulder blades. The misaligned rib causing pain in your chest may intensify when you move your upper body or be worse in the morning when you wake up.

Your rib cage doesn’t just protect vital organs in your upper abdomen but also assists in breathing. Your ribs constantly move when you breathe and if a rib pops out of place, the pain can be unbearable. This is why a rib out of place can cause persistent upper abdominal agonizing pains under your ribs. Of course, there are other serious causes of intense, pressing chest pains that are related to your heart.

Some of the reasons why a rib can come out of alignment include injury to one or more of your ribs, excessive sneezing, forcefully throwing an object, or lifting heavy items. In most cases, you should, first of all, see a doctor for any kind of intense chest pain that causes discomfort. If the reason for pain in your chest or upper back is due to a popped rib, physical therapy can often help to relieve the pain and put the rib back into place.

Your rib cage has 2 pairs of 12 ribs that are attached to the middle part of your spine (thoracic spine). Ten of your ribs on each side of your chest attach to the front of your breastbone (sternum). The other 2 ribs on each side of your spine are called floating ribs because they don’t attach to your sternum. In total, you have 24 ribs in your ribcage.

Doctors from PubMed Health say that your rib cage also comprises of intercostal muscles located between your ribs, as well as nerves and ligaments. The muscles and ligaments in your rib cage support your torso and also contract and expand when you breathe.

A rib out of place describes a condition when one or more of your ribs gets partially separated from its normal position. This can happen either where the rib joins the thoracic spine at the back or where it joins the sternum at the front of your chest. This can cause pain that affects your ribs or middle back.

Doctors also refer to rib subluxation as a partial dislocation of a joint. This can cause tremendous pain especially if the rib presses on a nerve or if any muscle tissue is inflamed or damaged near the end of the rib.

An out of place rib is sometimes referred to as a rib misalignment, jamming a rib, popping a rib, or subluxated rib. Sometimes, you may hear doctors talking about a slipped rib or dislocated rib when a person has agonizing rib pain. What is the difference between a rib out of place and a dislocated rib?

Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that a dislocation (luxation) is when the bone is forced apart from the joint. This means that the rib becomes completely displaced from its joint. This results in intense pain in the affected area, and the pain may radiate to other areas of the body.³

On the other hand, a rib out of place, or subluxation, is only a partial dislocation. A rib head subluxation will also cause intense and even debilitating pain, but it is not as serious as a complete rib dislocation.

The main symptom if a rib is out of alignment or becomes partially dislocated is pain that will take a few weeks to heal. However, depending on the severity of the subluxation, you may have some other symptoms.

The journal Gut described many symptoms of various painful rib syndromes. Doctors say that there are 3 main symptoms of popping a rib out of place. These are:

• Varying degrees of pain in the upper abdomen or lower chest
• Tenderness on the lower part of the rib cage
• Pain when pressing on the affected area of the rib cage

Other symptoms of a rib out of place can include:

• A clicking noise when moving the upper body
• Inflammation and possible swelling in the affected joint
• Muscle spasms in the rib cage
• Difficulty breathing
• Increased chest pains when breathing deeply or sneezing

Sometimes patients with mild to severe chest pain caused by a displaced rib can mistake the pain for digestive problems or even a cardiac-related pain. You should never ignore any kind of chest pain. So, even if you assume that the sharp pains under one side of your ribs are due to a popped rib, you should still see your doctor.

Rib subluxation or a rib out of place is common among sports people and athletes. For example, sports that involve racquets or bats, swimming, or throwing items can put tremendous strain on the ribs, forcing one to become displaced or partially dislocated.

A study published in the Journal of Athletic Training found that rib subluxations are a common sports injury. For example, one swimmer experienced persistent pain in the left lower rib cage. Because rib subluxations are often undiagnosed, the pain lasted for many months. However, doctors discovered that the swimmer had suffered a subluxation in the rib cage.

Also, the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports says that trauma to the rib attachments in the rib cage can cause the rib head to pop out of place. Because 20 of your 24 ribs in the rib cage are attached to the sternum, a rib out of place can cause chest pain that radiates to the back.

Some other symptoms of a rib out of place can include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Increased intensity of pain when bending forward or crouching down
• Tenderness at the place where the rib is out of place

If you are experiencing the symptoms of a rib out of place, then there are some ways to help reduce the agonizing discomfort in your chest or middle back. Of course, because there is a risk of further injury, you shouldn’t try to put a rib back into place yourself.

• Get plenty of rest to prevent further injuries to ligaments, muscles, or nerves in your rib cage
• Try to breathe normally to prevent a buildup of mucus in your chest and chest infections
• Hold a pillow against your chest to reduce pain if you need to sneeze or cough
• Clear your lungs by taking 10 slow deep breaths every hour
• Ice the area affected.
• Some yoga poses can help to carry out a self-adjustment on a rib out of place if the misalignment is only minimal.

Next make an appointment with us where we will perform various manipulation techniques to help loosen the muscles and ligaments around the out of place rib. This will allow the us to gently pop the dislodged rib back into place. Most patients report that this type of procedure only causes a minimal amount of pain.

Summer Sports Injuries That a Chiropractor Can Help

Now that the weather has warmed up, it is time to get outside and active! But exercising and playing sports can lead to various injuries, including injuries to the neck and back, elbows, shoulders, wrists, knees, ankles and shins. Most sports injuries occur due to repetitive motion, sudden injuries and muscle and ligament sprains, strains and tears.

Common summer activities include hiking, jogging, bicycling, golf, tennis, and any number of other competitive sports! All of these are fun activities that many people enjoy, but they also inevitably produce injuries. Chiropractic care is the perfect, pain-free solution for those nagging injuries that include back pain, neck pain, lower back pain and even leg pain caused by your normal summer activities.

Golfer’s and tennis elbow are among the most common conditions treated through chiropractic care. These conditions can be nagging, persistent and really put a damper on both training and everyday life. In most cases, golfer’s and tennis elbow is not a result of playing either sport, rather it is associated with overuse of those particular muscles. Adults are particularly susceptible to these conditions due to a lack of muscle strength that would normally stabilize the area. Our experienced team works with patients to alleviate their pain and get back to being healthy and active.

Overuse injuries develop slowly over time due to repetitive stress on tendons, muscles, bones or joints. Golfer’s elbow is considered a cousin of tennis elbow, both cause elbow tendinitis. However, tennis elbow is sustained from damage to the tendons on the outside of the elbow while golfer’s elbow is caused by tendons on the inside. Common symptoms of golfer’s elbow include stiffness in the elbow, pain while making a fist, weak wrists, numbness or tingling in the extremities and pain when using repetitive hand, wrist or forearm motions. Tennis elbow is more of a late-occurring pain that slowly increases around the outside of the elbow. The pain becomes worse when squeezing objects or moving the wrist with force such as lifting, using tools or opening jars.

Treatment can be done through elbow adjustments and manipulations, soft-tissue work, exercises and if the condition persists, patients will be given support devices such as a brace or splint to help limit arm movement. Patients who play either golf or tennis might need their swing professionally evaluated and changed in order to continue playing.

For patients with any other sports-related injuries sustained this summer, we offer various treatment options to help get you healthy. Treatment starts with a physical evaluation and complete medical history, including how long you have had the pain and what you were doing at the time the pain first occurred. Additional questions may include the activities that cause more and less pain.

In many instances realigning the joints and vertebrae can provide nearly immediate pain relief and subsequent adjustments can keep the joints and spine in their proper positions. Massage therapy can help relax the muscles and relieve physical and mental stress while improving circulation and ridding the body of lactic acid. Chiropractic rehabilitation may also be utilized to further improve range of motion, strengthen weak muscles and reduce pain.

Set an appointment today to optimize your summer health!

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Increase Your Running Time

Many athletes use chiropractic to manage and treat sports injuries, but recent research suggests that it can also play a role in boosting athletic performance.

A preliminary study found that chiropractic treatments may improve performance in runners with restricted joints. Researchers from Sweden analyzed hip extension ability and running time in 17 young, male athletes. All the participants had restricted joint mobility and hip extension. Research on the biomechanics of running velocity suggests that these restrictions can negatively affect running performance. Tight hip flexor muscles and decreased elasticity of joint or tendon structures can increase the anterior tilt of the pelvis in a way that comprises step frequency and length.

To improve hip extension and flexibility, athletes in the study were assigned a set of stretches they incorporated into their typical training regimen. Half of participants also received chiropractic treatments that included high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulations targeted to the pelvic region and sacroiliac joints. Treatment also included manipulative thrusts applied to the hip joints.

By the end of the trial, both groups had enhanced hip-extension but the chiropractic group had significantly better improvements. In addition to correcting joint dysfunction, chiropractic treatments “enhanced and prolonged the stretching modality that was used as part of participants’ normal training activities.”

HVLA manipulations could also result in changes to the sacroiliac joint and pelvic regions themselves. The therapeutic effect of HVLA manipulations could lie “in the mechanical properties of the applied force, the body’s response to the force, and the movement caused by the force or an amalgamation of these and other factors.”

Despite positive changes in hip extension capabilities, the athletes in the study did not experience significant changes in running time. Although the chiropractic group had greater improvements in 30m running time than the control group, these changes did not reach statistical significance. However, the authors argued that this lack of statistical significance may have resulted from the low number of observations made. The authors suggested that more studies are needed to draw firm conclusions on the effects of chiropractic on running speed.

While more research is needed, these preliminary results suggest that chiropractic care may improve hip extension capabilities in runners which could in turn influence their running speed.

But runners aren’t the only athletes who could benefit from chiropractic; previous studies have shown that chiropractic can improve grip strength in judo athletes, help soccer players heal from sports hernias, prevent injuries in football players, ease golfers’ hip pain, and more.

Reasons for Regular Visits to True Form Chiropractic

When you think about visiting the chiropractor, is one of the following reasons your first thought? Are you usually in pain before thinking about making an appointment, or do you visit even when you are not in pain so that you can avoid some of the common reasons other people visit? We’ve seen and heard everything here, and we can do more than you probably know. With regular visits, patients can even prevent certain soft tissue injuries. Knowing your own body can help with that strategy, which can be accomplished through regular appointments.

• Neck, back, knee, shoulder and sacroilliac pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Sciatic pain and piriformis syndrome
• Depression, stress and anxiety
• Strengthen and stimulate the immune system
• Promote optimal organ function
• Flexibility
• Hormone and blood pressure regulation
• Military neck
• Upper and Lower Crossed Syndrome
• TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Problems)
• Tennis elbow
• Scoliosis and disc pain
• Hip bursitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Tension and migraine headaches

It wasn’t until I had an injury that I even considered going to a chiropractor, and the results led me down a path that showed me all kinds of possibilities for treatment – and prevention –  all through chiropractic work.

…but did you know these other reasons our patients seek treatment at regular visits?

• Makes tight muscles loose and loose muscles tight and improves the contractibility (thereby strength) of the muscle.
• Decreases degeneration of the joint and connective tissues (arthritis).
• Decreases the ongoing inflammatory process associated with the subluxation.
• Improves circulation taking stagnant blood out and bringing new blood in.
• Speeds up the recovery process.
• Improves nerve system function and the individual nerve’s ability to carry nerve impulses more efficiently.
• Increases energy, vitality and improves sleep.
• Relieves/Improves Prenatal Discomfort
• Decreases length of labor and associated back pain.
• Improves athletic performance (for ANY sport).
• Prevention ability for sickness, disease and pain.
• Improves overall health and wellness for infants and children.
• Chiropractic DECREASES PAIN!
• Ultimately, we all want to live without pain, and if possible, to feel great all the time!

RockTape Rocks!

At True Form Chiropractic, we like to use RockTape for the purposes of postural stability, lymphatic drainage, structural support and increasing blood flow for healing and recovery. Many athletes benefit from this technique both on and off the field.

If you’ve never been “taped” before, you probably have a few questions.

What can RockTape do? When used correctly, it can help relieve pain, enhance performance, and speed up recovery from sports events. 

How does it work? It provides full, fluid range of motion of the body, resulting in better adhesion and improved neurosensory feedback. RockTape lifts skin away from underlying muscles and nerve endings to provide relief from pain, improve blood flow from muscles, delaying fatigue.

Movement is the key to health. The less we move, the sicker we get, and humans are moving less and less these days. Americans sit 9.3 hours per day right now, which is more hours than we actually sleep in a day.

Many of our patients are athletes who come in for regular maintenance and don’t wait for an injury to occur, but we are also here when there is one.

You can learn more about RockTape here, and easily see why we choose this brand.

Wouldn’t you like to have better mobility and less pain? Give us a call and see if RockTape is for you! Contact us or schedule an appointment online now.

The Pandemic, our Patients, and the Practice

Like many of us, my patients during the pandemic have experienced some major shifts. Some have lost jobs. Some have busier schedules than usual with kids at home. I personally don’t know anyone who has contracted Covid-19, though, and I’m thankful for that. 

Taking Care of Patients During the Pandemic

A number of my patients have been missing the gym due to closures or limited access and find it difficult to stay fit. However, this can just be an excuse. Lack of movement causes aches and pains to come back. Other patients have been using the off time to get outdoors and do more activities like biking, running or simply walking. When aches and pains appear with increased – or decreased – activity, it can lead to injury from falls and other mishaps. My patients and I are grateful that I am still able to be open and take care of them.

During Covid, patients can use their time here to decompress and vent (while being treated of course). Some are relieved to be seen at this time to help them with whatever they are feeling physically. Patients who have been more worried about contacting Covid have been self-isolating, but this is temporary. Of course we follow protocols by mandating masks in the office and taking extra measures to sterilize treatment areas between patients. Though we are currently seeing lower numbers for appointments and fewer new patients seeking care, we will be back to normal before long. Read our blog about when you should see a chiropractor.

Positive Thinking

Positive thinking can do a lot to help get you out of a rut or back into my office so you don’t let your physical health take a hit too. This article was written before we knew the full implications of Covid-19, and it still applies. We are all in this together. Stay strong for each other. I have great long-term wellness relationships with my patients, and I look forward to seeing everyone again soon!

When Should You See A Chiropractor?

Chiropractors offer patients many benefits and can help with your physical and emotional well being, not just when your in pain or something is wrong.  Here are some times that you should be visiting a chiropractor for treatment:

1. Do you suffer from headaches?  Headaches can be caused by many things including dehydration, malnutrition, misalignment, oxygen deprivation and more.  Visiting a chiropractor can help increase your blood flow which will increase oxygen to the brain improving headaches.  They can also help you learn improving your overall health.
2. Joint or muscle pain is one of the most frequent reasons people visit a chiropractor.  The issue may be musculoskeletal alignment and a chiropractor can train your body through spinal manipulation to function optimally relieving pain in your joints and muscles.
3. Poor posture can also be relieved with regular chiropractic care.  With so many people sitting at a computer all day, often our spines are misaligned from being hunched over a keyboard putting pressure on our discs and causing our bones to shift which can lead to a slipped or herniated disc.
4. Chronic back pain is also a common reason to visit a chiropractor.  Many factors can lead to back pain including standing for long periods of time and poor posture.  Chiropractic care can help you avoid dangerous medications or surgeries.
5. If your alignment is off, you may be experiencing a subluxation in your spine and need a spinal readjustment.  This will prevent chronic issues down the road.
6. Sometimes an injury or age can decrease our range of motion.  If you are not feeling limber, chiropractic adjustments can help you increase your range of motion to help your body work more optimally.
7. Accidents also wreak havoc on our bodies.  Chiropractic care after an accident can help your body heal faster and properly.  If you are in an accident, scheduling a chiropractor’s appointment should be your top priority.
8. Shooting pain is frequently a sign that you are suffering from a pinched nerve or disc.  A chiropractor can diagnose the cause of the pain and help you to alleviate unwanted pressure being placed on nerves and causing you pain.
9. If you are an athletic person and into sports and all the outdoor activities Colorado offers, you may be subjecting your body to additional strain.  This can cause the spine to become misaligned and make your body more prone to injury, pinched nerves, slipped discs or other degenerative issues.  Visiting a chiropractor regularly can keep you in peak performance.
10. If you are health conscious and concerned about your immunity, chiropractors are also a great tool to help you take care of your body.  They can provide you with care routines, nutritional guidance and techniques to deal with stress and anxiety.  Spinal adjustments can make you feel better.