If you’re like the average American, you probably already failed your New Year’s Resolution. If one of your goals was to be more “healthy,” it might not even be your fault that you’ve already failed; this is because we don’t have an accurate description of “health.” How is it measured? What goes into being "healthy?"
One of the most debilitating complaints we will see in our office is headaches. This can either be from the intensity, duration, or both. The location can also be variable from person to person, with correlating jaw or neck pain not uncommon. We usually see a combination of these complaints as compounding factors that overlap each other, with each one needing to be addressed to help the patient best.
About half of the running population is thought to be injured at some point in one year. These “are defined as any damage or disorder that causes significant change or even cessation of ones normal running routine.”(1) So why is this so common? Although there will never be any solution to completely prevent pain, we can try to limit the likelihood and even the severity of the running pain with the following tips. (Additionally, this may focus on our demographic of runners, but some of the same concepts can apply across all spectrums of athletics).
When patients present with pain, we can usually put each patient in one of two categories: they weren’t doing enough activity, or they were doing too much. Let’s give you two examples. The most obvious is in the springtime, when the weather is nicer, people will take up running; but this is after not running for months because of the season and weather. When the person tries to run the same amount of miles, or as fast as they did prior to their hiatus, is when they get in trouble. This is a simple case of "too much, too soon": the amount of excessive load on the tissues causes strain and will send a signal to the brain for help because something is wrong.
Did you know the originator of the R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) protocol has since redacted his stance on such for recovery of tissue/s? This was created in 1971, by Dr. Mirkin, as a standard for addressing acute injuries and has since been utilized for decades for recovery and pain management. Unfortunately, this outdated protocol is still used by athletes, in sports medicine facilities, chiropractic, physical therapy and medical clinics as a means to address injured tissue.
"Maintenance care” is a moniker used in the chiropractic profession to get patients to be proactive about their health and bodies by scheduling visits in advance even though they are not currently in pain. The thought in doing so would be to mitigate the likelihood of future injuries/presenting in pain by addressing issues prior to them getting to that point.
In this two part blog series, we discuss how the key to becoming less "stressed" is actually incorporating daily habits that allow you to handle life's difficult situations better.
I know what you’re thinking already…what is up with this title!?
As we are in the thick of the fall sports season, one of the most common injuries for athletes is a hamstring strain. Although how injuries occur are a multi-factorial event, there are exercises we can program to help reduce the likelihood of this injury by building resiliency, strength and mobility.
Pain often comes on insidiously. You may think it’s no certain cause, but a lot of it can come down to self-care habits. I often tell patients that pain is usually stars aligning with a lot of variables that all added up to finally having the tissue “give out” and sending off a painful signal(s) to the brain: physical inactivity, lack of quality nutrition, constant strain or posture, poor sleep habits, insufficient water intake, etc. This isn’t always the case of course, but a combination of these can definitely be main factors of why you’re in the state you’re in.
You should be highlighting these areas if you wish to maximize your runs! Let’s dive in…
Since we are on the theme of running lately, let’s dive into some running topics and tips going into this summer for your runs and races!
Greetings Wichitans!
I am Dr. Reals and wanted to introduce myself as the new doctor at ICT Muscle and Joint Clinic. I am ecstatic to be back home and working with Drs. Keith and Rachel and I thought I would use this opportunity to familiarize those that may not know much about me!
