Month: April 2022

As a practicing chiropractor of 38 years, experience helps me to observe certain trends. Currently it is late April where I live in Western Pennsylvania. Every year at this time I see patients coming to my office suffering from lower back pain due to what I call “The 3 G’s Of Springtime.” These three activities that begin with the letter “G”: Golfing, Grass cutting, and Gardening tend to get people in trouble. Since knowledge and precaution are valuable, this article will discuss why the Three G;s cause back pain and what you can do to prevent back discomfort from happening to you.

Golf. Many golfers experience lower back pain. To prevent this don’t let your enthusiasm to get the season started lead you into back problems. Remember you haven’t had much, or any golf activity over the winter. Muscles, ligaments and back joints should be engaged gradually. Don’t go to the driving range and hit 500 balls the first day. Instead take only enough golf swings to feel like you had a mild workout. Build and progress slowly and steadily by degrees, until you are back in shape to play that usual round of golf you enjoy.

Grass cutting. Don’t feel you have to do the entire yard in one session. It might be better to do your cuttings over a couple or a few days. If cutting grass is too much for you to do and you always hurt your back, I’ll give you the same permission I’ve given many patients. Hire a landscaper. I’ve had many patients tell me it was the best advice they’ve ever taken. There is no shame in having someone else cut your lawn if it saves you visits to the chiropractor.

Gardening. Gardening typically involves a lot of stooping and bending at the waist. Normally we can perform these movements without harm. There is one time of the day however when it is best to apply a degree of caution. The first hour after awakening our bodies are not sufficiently warmed up for extreme physical exertion. This especially applies to the lower back. It is best to stretch your back for a while early in the day. Then, do some lighter work activities to help you warm up. Following a slow and reasonable first hour routine will go a long way to avoid lower back pain. Another helpful tip to prevent low back discomfort is to apply a cold pack to the lower back for 20 minutes after you have finished gardening to reduce inflammation.

It’s important to be reasonable and prudent with the Three G’s Of Springtime. It’s no fun to start this wonderful time of year being debilitated by a lower back problem. By following the ideas and suggestion noted you can have a fun and productive outdoor season.

Visit here to learn more about  pain relief. See this site for information about a pain relief chiropractor near me.

Have a HAPPY EASTER! From the Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic office of Dr. James J Schofield.

Have a happy and kosher Passover. From the Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic office of Dr. James J Schofield.

Hip pain is a problem that affects many people. Problems with the hip can vary from mild and occasional to constant, excruciating and incapacitating. There are many reasons and causes for pain of the hip. There are also many treatments available for hip discomfort. This article will discuss causes of hip pain and types of treatment including a non-surgical, non-pharmacologic approach for hip pain relief.

Anatomically, we can look at the hip as two separate elements making up the whole part. The first element is the joint itself. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. It is the largest joint in the body. There are two main injuries that occur with this joint. One is simply osteoarthritis or, wear and tear, that occurs over time. The end stage of this problem results in bone-on-bone degeneration. At this stage many people require a hip replacement. The other injury is called a labral tear. The hip labral tissue is a form of cartilage that provides stability to the joint. A labral tear does not show up on x-ray and must usually be diagnosed by MRI.

The second element of the hip joint are the soft tissues and other bones surrounding it. There are many muscles involved with movement of our hip. Muscle fibers transition into tendons which attach to bone. Injuries of these tissues are classified as muscle strains and tendinitis. The hip joint also has bursas surrounding it. Bursas can be considered as lubricating structures that allow parts to move smoothly, without friction.

Hip pain can be experienced by some people specifically, directly at the joint itself. Others may have pain elsewhere such as the groin, buttocks, thigh or the back of the pelvis. This can be confusing as people do not know what exactly is causing their pain.

The hip joint is associated with the pelvis. The pelvis is made up of three bones. The outer wing bones, called the iliac bones, make up the socket part of each hip joint. Third bone of the pelvis is the middle tail bone, which is called the sacrum. Between the iliac bones and the sacrum are the gliding joints of the pelvis, called the sacroiliac joints.

If there is a misalignment of the pelvis and the sacroiliac joints a person may experience hip pain. If this is the case, there is a non-surgical, non-pharmacologic treatment to help provide pain relief. Chiropractors perform treatment to correct the condition by utilizing a chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic adjustments are very safe, gentle and will reposition a malalignment of the bones. Chiropractors can also utilize manual soft tissue techniques such as trigger point therapy to help with muscular imbalances. Modalities such as electrical stimulation and utilizing cold packs can help reduce muscle spasm and inflammation. Stretching and strengthening exercises can help restore normal motion to the joint.

Once surgery of the hip is performed it cannot be undone if it doesn’t resolve the problem. It makes sense to exhaust non-surgical options, such as chiropractic care first for hip pain relief.

For over 125 years chiropractors have been providing hip pain relief for their patients. These patients have found their treatments to be safe, pleasant, cost effective and have been pleased with the non-invasive, drug-free approach.

Visit here for safe chiropractic hip pain relief near me. Find a McKnight Road chiropractor near me.

Forty plus years ago when I was enrolled in chiropractic college, I recall other students and myself always pestering our instructors about the best rehabilitation exercises to help patients gain pain relief from conditions like neck and lower back discomfort, sciatica and degenerative discs. Invariably they always replied that walking would be optimum. And now in my three plus decades of chiropractic practice I’ve come to agree. This article will discuss the matchless benefits of walking, some tips and words of advice.

Let’s review the basics. My neurology professor gave an analogy regarding walking that I’ve always remembered. He said that every army from antiquity, be it the Greeks, Romans, Napoleon’s infantry and now more modern militaries, have always taken teenage young men who were certainly less than coordinated into their various forms of boot camps. First, they taught them to stand at attention. The recruits are supposed to keep their chin back, lower abs tight and elongate their spine. Once this is accomplished, they march and march and march with that good posture. By the end of bootcamp, marching with good posture, along with their other training, transforms them into the ablest military personnel on the planet.

We can all profit from this advice: as we are walking stand tall, tighten our stomach muscles and swing our arms as if we were marching under the watchful eyes of a drill sergeant.

There are many health benefits from walking. It helps strengthen our muscles in a gentle way, aids in weight control and improves overall conditioning. Our spinal discs, which are like spongy shock absorbers between our vertebrae, are lightly “pumped” as we walk which brings nutrients in, washes waste products out and keeps the discs healthy. The motion of alternatively swinging our arms and legs gives input into the brain and nervous system which helps coordinate and regulate systems of the body – digestion, endocrine, immunity and cardio/respiratory functions are improved

It’s a good idea to walk on a soft surface like a trail, grass field or a track versus walking on a sidewalk or asphalt road to lessen the impact on the spine and lower extremities.

My experience of helping patients gain neck and lower back pain relief has led me to discover that continuous walking is much more advantageous than an interrupted stroll such as walking the dog or playing a round of golf. Fifteen minutes of steady walking is better than an hour walk where Fido is stopping you every thirty seconds.

Anyone who knows me, will confirm that my favorite exercise is walking. Walking with good, upright, erect posture while swinging the arms appropriately is what human beings have done for millennia and what we are designed for. I’ve come to learn that my patients who are lifetime walkers are the healthiest overall, especially well into their later years. Try walking and enjoy its many benefits!

Visit here to learn more about  pain relief. See this site for information about a pain relief chiropractor near me.