Month: June 2019

Firefighters are a uniquely positioned profession in many ways. We all know that they are exposed to many risk factors. But few of us are aware that they tend to have an increased risk of lower back pain. This article will discuss the prevalence, cause and management of lower back pain of these first responders.

A recent study in the March 2019 edition of the International Journal Of Occupational Medicine And Environmental Health looked at lower back pain in members of the profession of firefighting. Surveys completed by 430 firefighters revealed that those exposed to higher levels of occupational stress were 52% more likely to report a musculoskeletal condition, with back pain being the most prevalent complaint.

Causes of lower back pain in this community are from a variety of factors.

Many in firefighting are required to spend long hours in physical training. As a chiropractor, I recently treated an officer of a local fire company who was being trained to rescue victims of a building collapse. He and his fellow trainees had to insert themselves into a small enclosed area of  a concrete structure and use a jackhammer to reach a victim in a simulated situation. This exercise placed a significant physical stress on his lower back and the joints of the pelvis.

Other causes of lower back pain are due to the physicality of their everyday job.  At times, fire fighters are the first to arrive at a medical emergency and may have to be in a posturally demanding position to administer CPR, resuscitation, stopping blood loss or moving a victim from a hazard. Inevitably, again, physical stress occurs to the lower back.

An overlooked cause of back pain is the equipment that must be worn and carried. Heavy fire protecting uniforms, an oxygen tank and carrying an axe or firehose can be awkward to wear, carry and therefore apply mechanical stress to the lower back.

There are certainly other causes of stress to the lower back but one gets the overall idea with the examples mentioned.

Whatever the cause of the injury and complaint a physical solution and care from a chiropractor can generally be of help to a physical problem. Chiropractors focus on helping patients who have lower back pain. Many back conditions are caused by misalignments and improper movements of the bones of the spine and the pelvis. Chiropractors can assess the firefighter during a physical examination and determine if realignment by the chiropractor performing a chiropractic adjustment will help in the correction of the cause of the lower back pain.

Chiropractors are experts at treating injuries of the lower back. Many firefighting first responders who have developed lower back ailments due to their line of work have been helped by chiropractors. In addition, many see chiropractors on an ongoing basis for maintenance care to avoid experiencing an injury and to enjoy a long healthy career.

Learn more about more about a UPMC chiropractor for back pain. For chiropractic treatment for lower back pain near me see this video.

We looked up to our father. He still is much greater than us. –Wynton Marsalis

Happy Father’s Day From Dr James Schofield!!

The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom’s shield and hope.
~John Philip Sousa

Happy American Flag Day from Dr James Schofield’s Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic office.

Over the years I have mentioned to various people a recipe I use to make a very healthy, homemade vegetable soup. I’m big on preparing food in advance so that it is always available.

Recently, I was asked some specific questions so I thought I would write down everything regarding ingredients and preparation.

A 6 quart crockpot is needed.

The ingredients are mainly obtained at my local Trader Joe’s and are all organic.

Ingredients:

• Kale- 1 10 ounce bag- chopped
• Power Greens- 2 5 ounce bags- chopped
• Broccoli- 1 20 ounce bag- cut
• Carrots- 4-cut into pieces
• Mushrooms- 6 large mushrooms- cut into pieces
• Diced and Fire Roasted Tomatoes – 1 can
• Molasses- 1 tablespoon
• Honey- 1 tablespoon
• Sea salt- a pinch
• Olive oil- 1 tablespoon
• Flaxseed (ground meal) – one third of a cup
• Onion- 1 small
• Garlic-several gloves

Start by lightly sautéing the onion and garlic.

Put all the ingredients into the crockpot. Fill the crockpot to within a half inch of the top with filtered water. Cover the crockpot and seal the lid. Slow cook for nine or 10 hours.

When the cooking process is finishes and the ingredients have cooled stir all the contents evenly.

Usually the contents will provide enough to fill four or five Tupperware containers. Put the containers in the freezer for storage.

I keep a defrosted container in my refrigerator so that I can dish out the ingredients every day. I will ladle some into a cooking pot, add some Trader Joe’s Vegetable Broth, turmeric, pepper and Peruvian Sea Salt (which I get from Steel City Salt Co. in Millvale).

In the winter I like to come home at lunch and have a bowl with some chicken breast added. It really warms and energizes me on those cold, dark days. During the warmer months I’ll have a bowl in the morning with a separate batch of fried eggs.

Kale, greens and broccoli are all in the cruciferous vegetable family. Cruciferous vegetables are very important in detoxifying ourselves. It’s important to eat vegetables in this family every day.

Organic molasses is produced from sugar cane. Sugarcane roots extend deep into the ground and absorb a lot of minerals. Since organic molasses is not processed it is definitely okay to consume. It’s the white processed sugar that we want to avoid.

It’s good to combine pepper and turmeric. Pepper activates the powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients of turmeric and allows for better digestive absorption.

Preparation of foods is very helpful in maintaining a good diet. We can prepare many foods ahead. Some examples would be preparing a salad for the next day. Also defrosting chicken breasts, steaks, fish or any other kind of entrée for the following day. Having a bag of frozen vegetables in the freezer, readily available, for stir-fry is convenient.

By having foods prepped we are much less likely to grab just anything convenient at home or, even worse, stopping for fast food.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe please let me know. If you have any other ideas on food prep you utilize please pass it along.

For more chiropractic tips about healthy living visit http://www.northhillspachiropractor.com.

To learn more about chiropractor, Dr James Schofield, see this site.

 

Amanda had been coming to me for several weeks to receive chiropractic treatment for ongoing neck pain. One day upon entering the office she proclaimed: “My sinus headaches are gone!” In addition to having neck pain she also been dealing with a persistent sinus irritation and headache problem. She’d been taking sinus medication but was still having problems. Fortunately, her chiropractic care helped her with both her neck pain and her sinus condition. This article will discuss how neck pain and sinus headaches are associated and how chiropractic care can help. It will also reveal a recent important research study detailing how chiropractors can help headaches attributed to sinusitis.

Many people suffer from neck pain. In our society today is very common due to the amount of sitting we do during our childhood education and with desk/computer jobs that we engage in as adults. For over 125 years chiropractors have helped those with neck discomfort by providing a nonpharmaceutical, nonsurgical, safe, effective method of pain relief.

Chiropractors have noted that many people suffering from neck pain also have problems with their sinuses. These sinus conditions can include headaches in the frontal aspect of the head, stuffiness and congestion of the sinus areas and drainage of the sinuses causing a persistent cough.

A recent research study in the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy, February 2019 found that examinations of 31 patients with self-reported sinus headaches and 30 patients without a history of headaches revealed that neck pain in cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction were common among those with sinus headaches which may be a contributing factor to headaches attributed to sinusitis.

In my 34 years of chiropractic practice I often treat patients with sinus headaches and accompanying neck pain/dysfunction with a combination of manual therapies such as a chiropractic adjustments, nutritional counseling and lifestyle advice. When providing manual adjustments to correct misaligned or improperly moving spinal bones in the upper neck many patients get relief of their sinus problems.

Additionally, I commonly recommend patients use an inexpensive sinus rinse bottle. These can be purchased in any convenience store and are found on the “cough/cold” shelves. They usually come with  saline packets that contains a combination of baking soda and salt. One can simply fill the rinse bottle with lukewarm water, empty a saline packet into the water and then gently squirt the solution into the nostrils while leaning over the sink. This provides a gentle way for these sinus membranes to be cleaned and relieved of irritation.

I have found that people who get persistent or recurrent sinus headaches that are resistant to pharmaceutical care get relief by receiving chiropractic treatment.

Which chiropractor in the North Hills Pittsburgh helps  with headaches. See the best chiropractic care for headaches in Pittsburgh North Hills.

 

I am being treated on a maintenance level for some general back and neck pain. I had gone to a Chiropractor previously before moving to Pittsburgh in 2017.
Dr. Schofield has helped me to maintain better posture and alignment by doing adjustments to my spine during my visits.
My job is teaching the blind and I like music, reading, and the outdoors. Chiropractic has helped me maintain better posture while sitting and working with my students. I rarely get headaches now due to chiropractic care.

Dr. Schofield is wonderful and very easy to work with! Chiropractic care is both a great alternative and a great supplement to treatment you may be receiving for various ailments! It is alright to be curious about how it benefits you, everyone’s experience is different! What may help provide temporary relief for one person, could nearly resolve the issue for another.

To see North Hills Pittsburgh chiropractor reviews visit here. Get best Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic reviews.