Pogany Chiropractic

Strains and Sprains

Although bones can sometimes be fractured with acute sports injuries, the most commonly injured structures are the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Tendons attach muscles to bones, and ligaments attach one bone to another.
An acute twisting or overextension of a joint can lead to tears of muscles and tendons, called “strains,” and tears of ligaments result in “sprains.” These tears range from mild to severe. In mild injuries, just a few fibers are torn or stretched. Severe injuries, where there is a tear through the full thickness of the structure, are most often considered unstable injuries and frequently require surgical intervention. The intervertebral disc, a ligament between the vertebrae of the spine that works as a shock absorber, can also be torn, resulting in a disc bulge and/or herniation.
Ankle sprains most often involve tears of one or more of the ligaments along the outside of the ankle. Knee ligaments, including the larger external supportive ligaments and the smaller internal stabilizing ligaments, can also be torn. The cartilage on the back of the patella (knee-cap) can also become eroded from overuse, leading to a condition termed chondromalacia patella.

Sports Injuries

Participation in sports or exercise is an important step in maintaining your health. Exercise strengthens your heart, bones, and joints and reduces stress, among many other benefits. Unfortunately, injuries during participation in sports are all too common. Often, these injuries occur in someone who is just taking up sports as a form of activity, doesn’t use proper safety equipment, or becomes overzealous about the exercise regimen.
The more commonly injured areas of the body are the ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows, and spine. Remember that you should discuss any exercise program with your doctor of chiropractic before undertaking such activities.

What Are Good Ergonomics?

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, ergonomics is the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to employee apabilities. An ergonomic assessment of the workplace critically appraises the physical work environment—followed by changes based on the assessment.

Ergonomic principles are then used to make the workplace compatible with the employee, improving the employee’s safety and productivity. In other words, the easier it is to do a job, the more productive and happy the worker will be.

When considering the impact of proper ergonomics on workplace safety, three basic principles are especially important:

1- When lifting, the largest muscles in the area should perform the task. The larger the muscle or muscle group used for lifting, the lower the stress placed on smaller, more vulnerable muscles.

2- During any work activities, people should be able to comfortably assume a number of different postures and not remain in one position for an extended time. Muscles will fatigue and be more prone to injury when assuming a particular posture, especially a poor one (e.g., partially bent forward at the waist).

3- When performing tasks, it is important to keep the joints either in their neutral posture or approximately halfway into the range of motion. Working with your joints at the extremes of their ranges of motion for prolonged periods places abnormal stresses on them and can cause repetitive stress injuries.

When working at a desk, try these suggestions for greater comfort:

1- Choose a desk that is the proper height. All things on your desk should be within easy reach.

2- Your feet should be touching the floor, with the legs and body forming an angle of 90 to 110 degrees.

3- Keep your body straight with the head and neck upright and looking forward, not to the side. Do not hunch over or slouch.

4- Adjust the height of your monitor. Look forward with your head in a neutral position. Your eyes should be at the same height as the top of the monitor. Leaning your head forward can lead to headaches and neck pain.

5- When typing, keep your wrists straight, your shoulders perpendicular to the floor, and your forearms parallel to the floor.

6- When reading at your desk, use a bookstand or a paper holder to keep your eyes in the same neutral position you use to read documents on your computer monitor.

7- When talking on the phone, use a headset, when possible, especially if you talk on the phone for prolonged periods. Holding the phone between your shoulder and cheek will only lead to neck pain and headaches.

8- Stand up and stretch your legs with a short walk about every 20 to 30 minutes.

9- Take micro-breaks often, stretching your neck, arms and wrists, back, and legs. Simple stretches include neck rotations, fist clenches, arm dangles, and shoulder shrugs.

10- If your eyes concentrate on a particular object for long periods, relax your eye muscles by shifting your focus from objects that are close to you to objects that are farther away. This helps reduce eye strain.

When lifting, follow these simple suggestions:

When lifting from the floor, keep your back straight and lift with the legs. Do not bend over at the waist and lift with the muscles of the low back. Your body is more easily injured in this position.

Keep the object being lifted close to your body.

Keep your elbows flexed.

Keep your head up and your neck straight as you lift.

When working with a computer mouse, try the following:

Don’t move the mouse with just your wrist. Use your entire arm and shoulder.

Don’t rest your arm on the edge of the desk while manipulating the mouse.

Hold the mouse loosely.

Keep your wrist relaxed. Don’t hold it up or down; instead, hold it in a neutral (straight) position. Move away from the mouse several times per hour and move your wrists, arms, and shoulders around.

Workplace Ergonomics

by American Chiropractic Association

Workplace injuries, a common cause of time off, cost employers and employees billions of dollars every year. Some of the more common workplace injuries are carpal tunnel syndrome (a nerve entrapment at the wrist seen in computer users), low-back pain, tendinitis, bursitis, and neck pain or headaches.

What Causes Workplace Injuries?

Many workplace injuries are called repetitive stress injuries or cumulative-trauma disorders. These injuries occur when abnormal stresses are repeatedly placed on normal joints by poor posture or poor joint position during the performance of a task.

Many of these stresses are caused by poor workstation design and/or repetitive task performance. In addition, poor posture at the workstation can also be detrimental. For example, prolonged use of a computer or a mouse, particularly when the work area is not designed well, can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and/or neck and arm pain.

Many modern product manufacturers are designing their products ergonomically, mixing form with function. Such products blend in easily with the worker’s actions while on the job and make tasks safer and easier to perform.

Poor Posture & Pain

A lifetime of poor posture can start a progression of symptoms in the average adult. It can start with…

Fatigue – your muscles have to work hard just to hold you up if you have poor posture. You waste energy just moving, leaving you without the extra energy you need to feel good.

Tight, achy muscles in the neck, back, arms and legs – by this stage, there may be a change in your muscles and ligaments and you may have a stiff, tight painful feeling. More than 80% of the neck and back problems are the result of tight, achy muscles brought on by years of bad posture.

Joint stiffness and pain – at risk for “wear and tear” arthritis, or what is termed degenerative osteoarthritis. Poor posture and limited mobility increase the likelihood of this condition in later years. Your chiropractor will help you minimize those effects by removing spinal subluxations which contribute to bad posture and often first cause it to occur.

Poor Posture – How Does it Happen?

Often, poor posture develops because of accidents or falls. But bad posture can also develop from environmental factors or bad habits. This means that you have control.

Today, posture-related problems are increasing:

1) As we become a society that watches more television than any previous generation;
2) As we become a more electronic society, with more and more people working at sedentary desk jobs or sitting in front of computer terminals;
3) As more and more cars are crowding our roads, resulting in accidents and injuries;
4) and as we drive in cars with poorly designed seats.

In most cases, poor posture results from a combination of several factors, which can include:

1. Accidents, injuries and falls
2. Poor sleep support (mattress)
3. Excessive weight
4. Visual or emotional difficulties
5. Foot problems or improper shoes
6. Weak muscles, muscle imbalance
7. Careless sitting, standing, sleeping habits
8. Negative self image
9. Occupational stress
10. Poorly designed work space

Good Posture is Good Health

We’re a health conscious society today and good posture is a part of it. Because good posture means your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints and ligaments can work as nature intended. It means your vital organs are in the right position and can function at peak efficiency. Good posture helps contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Without good posture, your overall health and total efficiency may be compromised. Because the long-term effects of poor posture can affect bodily systems (such as digestion, elimination, breathing, muscles, joints and ligaments), a person who has poor posture may often be tired or unable to work efficiently or move properly.

Even for younger people, how you carry yourself when working, relaxing or playing can have big effects. Did you know that just fifteen minutes reading or typing when using the wrong positions exhausts the muscles of your neck, shoulders and upper back?

Good Posture…just how important is it?

by Masschiro.org

Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health. It is as important as eating right, exercising, getting a good night’s sleep and avoiding potentially harmful substances like alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Good posture is a way of doing things with more energy, less stress and fatigue. Without good posture, you can’t really be physically fit.

Surprised? Well, you’re not alone. The importance of good posture in an overall fitness program is often overlooked by fitness advisers and fitness seekers alike. In fact, the benefits of good posture may be among the best kept secrets of the current fitness movement.

The good news is that most everyone can avoid the problems caused by bad posture…and you can make improvements at any age.

Chiropractic Care Can Help…

Visit your doctor of chiropractic. Before you become pregnant, your doctor of chiropractic can detect any pre-existing imbalances in the pelvis or elsewhere in your body that could make pregnancy discomfort even worse – or leave you with additional neuromusculoskeletal problems after childbirth.

Many pregnant women have found that chiropractic adjustments provide relief from the increased low back pain brought on by pregnancy. And scientific studies have found that spinal manipulation carries no increased risk to the pregnant woman or her baby. Chiropractic’s non-drug, non-surgical approach to back pain can be especially attractive to pregnant women who are trying to avoid over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Doctors of chiropractic can also offer nutrition, ergonomic and exercise advice that will help you avoid the discomforts of pregnancy.

Chiropractic care can also be helpful after childbirth. In the eight weeks following labor and delivery, the ligaments that loosened during pregnancy begin to tighten up again. Ideally, joint problems brought on during pregnancy from improper lifting or reaching should be treated before the ligaments return to their pre-pregnancy state. In addition, as the upper and lower spine return to normal, muscle tension, headaches, rib discomfort and shoulder problems can result. Your doctor of chiropractic can help.

What Can You Do?

The ACA and Dr. McAndrews recommend the following tips for pregnant women looking for relief from the discomforts of pregnancy:

• Safe exercise during pregnancy can help strengthen your muscles and prevent discomfort. Try exercising at least three times a week – preceded and followed up by a gentle stretching routine. If you weren’t active before your pregnancy, however, now is not the time to start a new fitness routine. Check with your doctor before starting or continuing any exercise regimen during pregnancy.

Walking, swimming and stationary cycling are relatively safe cardiovascular exercises for pregnant women, because they do not require jerking or bouncing movements. Even jogging, however, can be safe for women who were avid runners before becoming pregnant — if done carefully and under the supervision of a doctor.

Whatever exercise routine you choose, be sure to do it in an area with secure footing to minimize the likelihood of falls. Also, be certain that your heart rate does not exceed 140 beats per minute during exercise, and that strenuous activity lasts no more than 15 minutes at a time.

Stop your exercise routine immediately if you notice any unusual symptoms, such as vaginal bleeding, dizziness, nausea, weakness, blurred vision, increased swelling or heart palpitations.

• Wear flat, sensible shoes. Not only can high or chunky heels be uncomfortable, they can also exacerbate postural imbalances and cause you to be less steady on your feet than you already are. This is especially true as you get farther along in your pregnancy.

• When picking up older children – or any other object for that matter – bend from the knees, not the waist. And never turn your head when you lift. Just to be on the safe side, avoid picking up heavy objects altogether, if possible.

• When sleeping, lie on your side with a pillow between your knees to take pressure off your lower back. Many women find that full-length “body pillows” or “pregnancy wedges” are especially helpful during pregnancy. Lying on your left side is ideal. This position allows unobstructed blood flow, and helps your kidneys flush waste from your body.

• If you have a job that requires you to sit at a computer for long hours, be sure your workstation is ergonomically correct. Position the computer monitor so the top of the screen is at or below your eye level, and place your feet on a small footrest to take pressure off your legs and feet. Also, take periodic breaks every 30 minutes by taking a quick walk around the office.

• Eat small meals or snacks every four to five hours – rather than the usual three large meals – to help keep nausea or extreme hunger at bay. Good snacks include crackers or yogurt – bland foods that are high in carbohydrates and protein. Keep saltines in your desk drawer or purse to help stave off waves of “morning sickness” that can, unfortunately, occur at any time throughout the day.

• Folic acid supplements — at least 400 micrograms (mcg) a day — before and during pregnancy have been shown to decrease the risk of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida. Some doctors recommend even more for women who are already pregnant, or who previously gave birth to a child with a neural tube defect. However, check with your doctor before taking this or any other vitamin or herbal supplement. Some herbs and supplements that are considered perfectly safe for non-pregnant women can be dangerous or harmful to the baby or expectant mother.

• Get plenty of rest. Don’t let the demands of work and family life put you and your baby at risk. Pamper yourself, and ask for help if you need it. Take a nap if you’re tired, or lie down and elevate your feet for a few moments when you need a break.