Blog - Page 3 of 3 - Newry & Banbridge Chiropractic Blog

April 16, 2018

What Happens When You Hear a “CRACK” in Your Spine?

Bottom Line:
You turn your head or bend down to lift something and “CRACK”! What is it? Did you injure something? The first time that happens can be terrifying. Well, you don’t need to worry. That cracking sound is probably not a broken bone. It typically occurs in the facet joints, or knuckles, of your spinal column and it’s completely normal. Your facet joints are designed to help your spine move through a full range of motion.

Why it Matters:
The facets are little joints on the back side of your spine. Similar to your knuckles, they have a small capsule around them for lubrication and support. When a facet joint is stretched open, gas within the joint is released, making a crunch or cracking sound. The release of gas is perfectly normal and happens because of the negative pressure in the joint. Sometimes adhesions can occur in the joint making it painful to move. That is why after a chiropractic adjustment many people feel better and have an improved range of motion. Adjustments help the facet joints move more naturally with fewer restrictions.

– Cracks and pops in your back and neck are typically caused by the release of gas within the joint (like a knuckle)

– Adhesions in the joints of your spine can restrict your range of motion and contribute to degenerative changes

– Adjustments reduce the adhesions in the fact joints resulting in pain relief and an improved range of motion

Next Steps:
While many chiropractic techniques create a “cracking” or “crunching” type sound- not all do. Low-speed techniques also improve the motion of the facet joints, sometimes without any sound at all. And here’s a tip to share with your friends- stubborn headaches are frequently caused by irritated facet joints. If you know someone who suffers from headaches and works on a computer most of the day- their facet joints may be to blame. Share this paper with them and let them know a chiropractic adjustment may be just what they need!

Science Source:
Effects of side-posture positioning and side-posture adjusting on the lumbar zygapophysial joints as evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging: a before and after study with randomization. JMPT 2000. Neurophysiological effects of spinal manipulation. The Spine Journal 2002.

April 16, 2018April 16, 2018

How to Keep Your Spinal Discs Healthy

Bottom Line:

Spinal discs are the shock absorbers between the bones, or vertebrae, of your spine. The discs have a tough outer ring and a jelly-like center. Their job is to help us move, bend, and twist while absorbing the weight of gravity. But, over time, our spinal discs can become degenerative. Injuries, aging, and the effects of gravity all contribute to disc degeneration. The good news is that degenerative discs rarely cause pain unless they budge or herniate, placing pressure on the spinal nerves. So how you can slow down the degenerative process and keep your discs healthy? Keep reading…

Why it Matters:

Top research journals have recently discovered that movement and hydration are two important factors to keep your discs healthy. A well-hydrated disc can more easily adapt to movement and is less prone to injury. Many chiropractic techniques are designed to “pump” your spinal discs. This motion helps bring nutrients into the disc and pushes out inflammation and waste. That is a fancy way to say that chiropractic care can help keep your spinal discs healthy! Here are the key takeaways:

– Your spinal discs act as small shock absorbers between the bones of your spine

– Movement helps bring nutrients into the disc and pushes out waste and inflammation; helping them stay healthy

– Torn, herniated, or bulged discs can cause pain by irritating the nearby nerves. Researchers have found chiropractic care to be one of the best ways to heal and feel better!

Next Steps:

A combination of chiropractic care and staying well-hydrated are two ways to keep your spinal discs healthy and pain-free. But, don’t forget to stay active between your adjustments. And here is one more tip to slow down Father Time- daily exercise and stretching. Exercise and stretching will not only keep you fit and trim but can also potentially slow down the degenerative changes of your spine keeping you healthy and active for many years to come!

Science Source:

The Effect of Sustained Compression on Oxygen Metabolic Transport in the Intervertebral Disc Decreases with Degenerative Changes. Computational Biology 2011
Running exercise strengthens the intervertebral disc. Scientific Reports 2017

April 16, 2018April 16, 2018

How to Prevent Sciatica

Bottom Line:

It’s easy to understand how lifting a heavy object at work could injure your back, pinch a nerve and cause sciatica. But, surprisingly, research has shown that too much sitting may be the number one reason for sciatica, not to mention the worst thing for your back. When you spend hours per day sitting down, the muscles in your buttocks and legs become tight and the muscles that support your low back start to deteriorate or atrophy. Without strong stabilizing muscles to support your discs and nerves, it’s no surprise that you are more likely to injure your back if you spend a lot of time sitting.

Why it Matters:

Fortunately, preventing sciatica may be easier than you think. New research indicates that consistent exercise can stop, or even reverse, the effects of too much sitting. Just thirty minutes of exercise each day can help strengthen the supporting muscles around your spinal column and help prevent future episodes of sciatica. What about chiropractic care? The top research journal SPINE found that maintained chiropractic care can actually prevent future episodes of low back pain. Getting well and staying well with chiropractic sounds like a smart decision. Here are some take away points:

– Chiropractors can help evaluate, detect, treat, and prevent future episodes of low back pain

– Exercise daily to help strengthen the core muscles that support your spinal column

– Stretch before and after activity to improve your flexibility and reduce your chances of injury

Next Steps:

Take action by setting a daily schedule of exercise. If time is tight, take a few minutes every hour at work to walk around the office. Remember, starting small is better than not starting at all. And, as days become weeks, months, and years; the exercise that you do now will pay huge dividends down the road to keep you happy, healthy, and pain-free.

Science Source:

Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcome? SPINE. 2011

April 16, 2018April 16, 2018

What Causes Sciatica?

Bottom Line:

Sciatica is pain caused by the irritation or compression of nerves in your low back. This can occur due to age, the stress of gravity on your spine, or injuries to your back. When a nerve is compressed or irritated by a spinal disc, bone spur, or ligament, it can become inflamed and painful. Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column), disc herniations, or degenerative disk disease are other common causes of sciatica.

Why it Matters:

So here is the easiest way to understand sciatica. Think of your nerves like power lines. They carry signals from the power station, your central nervous system, out to every muscle, organ, and cell in your body. The power lines, or nerves, in your low back travel down your hips, buttocks, and legs to your feet. If the nerve gets irritated at the power station, then it will affect everything along the path of the power line. That is why a spinal disc irritating a nerve in your low back can result in pain down into your leg!

– Burning, numbness, or tingling in your leg could be caused by a pinched nerve in your low back

– Staying active with daily exercise, stretching, and periodic chiropractic care can help prevent issues in your low back

– Over 90% of patients with sciatica reported being “much better” or “better” after receiving chiropractic care

Next Steps:

Just like your local power company needs to perform maintenance on their equipment, you should also perform maintenance on your body. Getting adjusted has been shown to increase your flexibility and range of motion, help keep your spinal discs healthy, and could even prevent future episodes of back pain! Maintenance care today can go a long way towards a more youthful and happier tomorrow.

Science Source:

Outcomes of Acute and Chronic Patients with Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Confirmed Symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniations Receiving High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude, Spinal Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study with One Year Follow-Up Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2014

Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcome? SPINE. 2011

April 10, 2018April 16, 2018

Smart Solutions for Relief from Sciatica

Bottom Line:

Few injuries can slow you down faster than a bad back. Irritated or compressed nerves in your low back can cause severe pain into your buttocks and legs. This type of pain results in tens of millions of people searching Dr. Google to find relief. And with television commercials promoting all sorts of ab rollers, electrical stimulators, and other magic gizmos it can be challenging to sort the fact from fiction. So here is a look at the latest research to help you find the most proven, evidence-based, smart healthcare solutions for sciatica.

Why it Matters:

Top research publications such as SPINE and the European Spine Journal have examined all types of care to find the most safe and effective options for people suffering from sciatica. What they have found may surprise you.

– Patients considered surgical candidates improved with chiropractic care to the same degree as if they had surgery!

– Many people receive medications and injections for back pain with little to no evidence to support their use!

– More patients improved with chiropractic adjustments than those who received spinal injections according to a recent paper from JMPT !

Next Steps:

As you can see, many of the most respected research journals in the world support chiropractic as a safe and effective way to find relief. Years ago, many people suffered through unnecessary and dangerous surgeries trying to fix their back problem. Now we know that medications, injections, and surgery should only be offered as a last resort. The research continues to support chiropractic care as your best option for pain relief and getting your life back

Science Source:

Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for Sciatica? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2010

Symptomatic MRI-Confirmed Lumbar Disk Herniation Patients: A Comparative Effectiveness Prospective Observational Study of 2 Age- and Sex-Matched Cohorts Treated with Either High-Velocity, Low Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy or Imaging-Guided Lumbar Nerve Root Injections. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2013

Spinal Manipulation and Home Exercise with Advice for Subacute and Chronic Back-Related Leg Pain. Annals of Internal Medicine. Volume 161, Number 6

April 10, 2018April 16, 2018

What You Need to Know About Sciatica

Bottom Line:

Sciatica is leg pain, numbness, or tingling, that originates in your low back. And wow can it hurt! The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body. It is made up of individual branches (or nerve roots) in your lower back that combine to form the sciatic nerve which then travels down into your leg.

Sharp pain which can increase when sitting, and weakness in your leg/foot making it difficult to walk are a few common symptoms that pop up when the sciatic nerve is pinched or irritated.

Why it Matters:

Did you know that sciatica often resolves without having to resort to risky medications or dangerous surgery? Research has shown that 89% of patients who were suffering from sciatica responded very well to chiropractic adjustments. Also, if you’ve thought about therapy, here is something to consider: a recent research paper found 20% more patients experienced relief with chiropractic adjustments and exercise than exercise alone.

Here are some take away points:

– Nerve roots in your low back combine to form the sciatic nerve

– The sciatic nerve travels from your lower back down into your buttocks, legs, and feet

– Research shows over 89% of patients with sciatica find relief with chiropractic care

Next Steps:

Sciatica can severely impact your quality of life. But rest assured that you don’t need to immediately resort to medications, injections, or surgery to correct the problem. Top research publications have shown that risky drugs are rarely more effective than a chiropractic adjustment.

Starting with chiropractic care is both a safe and smart decision!

Science Source: