Archive for back pain
As a Chiropractor in Cameron Park I know the debilitating effects of back pain. Though some people try to “ignore” their back pain in the hopes that it will go away on its own, the majority of individuals know that back pain is difficult, if not impossible, to ignore. Back pain is a constant. It interferes with a person’s ability to work and to enjoy daily life, and it makes it impossible to get a good night’s sleep. In addition, many people know that untreated back pain can cause further musculoskeletal problems. But it will, no doubt, come as a surprise to almost everyone that unaddressed back pain that lingers six months or more has been linked with a loss of brain volume that’s equivalent to 10 to 20 years of normal aging. That’s right! According to new research at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, back pain can significantly age the brain! A. Vania Apkarian, Ph.D. and co-author of the study, said that the decline has to do with how the brain adapts to pain, and such decline can damage a person’s ability to assess emotional cues and control emotion.
If you are someone who needed one more reason to make an appointment with your chiropractor to get the treatment you need for your back pain, the possibility of significant brain decline might just be the “inspiration” you needed! Be smart (and stay smart) by calling your Cameron Park Chiropractor today!
Drinking Plenty of Water Is Vital For Optimum Health
Posted by: | CommentsChiropractors, like Dr. Kim, are determined to educate their patients about the importance of drinking plenty of water each day. The positive repetitive stress is on “Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!” For humans to survive, they need air and water (in that order). Therefore, one would suppose that drinking a sufficient quantity of water would be as instinctual as breathing in a sufficient quantity of air, but an astonishing 75 percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. (Most individuals are not breathing enough either, but let’s talk about why staying well-hydrated is so important.) You you cannot maintain or regain good health without drinking enough water. Every cell, tissue, organ and system in your body relies on the water you drink to function healthfully. Your saliva, and the fluids surrounding your joints, are fundamentally water. Your blood is kept circulating and your body temperature and metabolism are regulated by water. The improvement of nutrient absorption and toxin removal, as well as the reduction of heartburn, hypertension, exhaustion, headaches, and even back pain have been associated with the daily intake of plenty of water.
Athletes are particularly at risk when it comes to functional challenges caused by dehydration. “Physiologically, their core body temperature could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are,” said Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services. According to researchers at Indiana State University, a high percentage of collegiate and professional athletes begin the season dehydrated, putting their health at risk even before they begin strenuous workouts. In fact, 80 percent of football players exhibited dehydration during pre-season physical examinations.
Just how much water is enough water might be a little confusing. Chiropractors, like almost all health care professionals, recommend at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of water every day for many patients, however for our patients who are athletes, or for patients who carry around excess weight or exercise or work in a hot environment, we propose even more. There is a fairly simple way for you to be sure that you’re drinking a healthful quantity water. The color of your urine is a good indicator. You’re well-hydrated if it is a light, pale yellow!
Golf Injuries Can Be Prevented
Posted by: | CommentsInjuries are not unusual with any type of sport. You can often avoid getting injured in a certain sport by finding out what injury is likely to occur, and then do whatever it takes to avoid it. The truth is, though, that sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Consequently, it’s important to be physically fit to make injury less predictable, or less traumatic.
Prior to starting a sport, such as golf, the most critical thing you can do is to be certain that you have the proper fitness level. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, keeping your joints mobile and your muscles limber, preparing your body prior to activity, using proper form and good postures during activity, and giving yourself plenty of cool down and relaxation time, you will probably keep your body safe from injury.
Golf injuries don’t only happen to amateurs. It has been conjectured that close to a third of pro golfers playing in the same time frame are playing injured. The good news is that all-round good health and fitness can reduce the number of injuries that you may experience and might possibly preclude them completely.
Proper body strength in the muscle areas most employed during golf is crucial. However, it’s still prudent to make sure your spine is in good alignment and that it has good mobility prior to setting out to build muscle strength. A proficient golf swing relies on your spine’s capacity to effectually move in a rotational manner. Back injuries are the most common kind of injuries sustained by golfers. To be certain that your spine is in appropriate alignment and there is effectual movement in the vertebrae, see your chiropractor. Chiropractic treatment can make a big difference in helping you to avert back injury.
Once you’ve “straightened,” it’ll be time to strengthen. A safe, injury-free day on the green depends upon your being prepared for your golf game. You can warm up your muscles and make muscle strain less likely by doing golf stretching and flexibility exercises. Whole body range of motion (ROM) exercises will enhance flexibility, often rather fast, in all parts of the body. Furthermore, elastic band conditioning can provide functional golf range of motion advantages and can increase needed energy in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Sports professionals, such as Dr. Yong Kim, are adding elastic band training to their golf conditioning programs because the bands offer dynamic resistance that ordinary weight lifting does not offer.
A large number of golfers have painful “Golfer’s Elbow” besides back injuries. Despite the fact that golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are nearly the same injuries, there is a minute difference between them. Tennis elbow affects the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow disturbs the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can be a reaction to a single intense action, such as (in golf) hitting the mat at the driving range or thrusting down on a hard fairway surface. Repetitive stress from smaller shocks, though, is most often the protagonist. Moreover, it can come upon those who abruptly start playing too much golf. For example, if a person that generally plays golf once or twice a month elects to play in a tournament, he or she is conceivably at risk for developing the injury.
Golf makes distinctive requests of your body. The game is generally longer than the majority of other sports and that can lead to fatigue. Whenever the body is fatigued, poor posture and decreased coordination often follow. This combination can produce an assortment of injuries. In addition, the shoulder muscles are liable to injury due to the repetitive swinging of the golf clubs. Just as attention should be given to make sure that your muscles are stretched and warmed up prior to starting your golf game, be sure to rest your body properly between games.
carpal tunnel Syndrome is often a surprising injury associated with golf. But, this injury can be the result of numerous games of golf played over a number of months constantly. As it is an affliction that occurs as a result of repetitive stress, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a severe injury creating disability and, on occasion, requiring surgery. However, if a health professional, such as your Sacramento chiropractor, discovers it at an early stage, chiropractic treatment and, sometimes, the use of a brace will relieve the problem.
Quite a few golfers seem to feel that injuries are merely an inescapable part of a golfer’s life. Nonetheless, a healthy, mobile spine, dedicated preparation, specific exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and maintaining a an appropriate fitness level, and sensible rest and recuperation after your game is over, can make injuries much less a part of your golfing experience.
Dr. Kim is a sports injury specialist. He knows the risks involved in any sport. He can help to relieve the pain of sports injuries you may have already sustained, and he can help you to straighten and strengthen to prevent injuries in the future. Let Dr. Kim help you to get on with your game!
Chiropractic: Expert Treatment For Your Low Back Pain
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re experiencing low back pain, you’re not alone. Low back pain affects many people, an amazing 80% in fact, making it second only to the common cold in its frequency. However, contrary to the common cold, waiting for your back pain to “run its course,” and taking prescription or over-the-counter remedies while you wait, is not the answer. The majority of back pain won’t go away by itself. More often than not, if your pain lessens, it is usually due to the fact that your body has compensated for the problem and, unfortunately, is generating new conditions. Low back pain is nothing to sneeze at! If you’d like to eliminate your back pain for good (and who wouldn’t?), it is important for you to see a back pain expert, like Sacramento chiropractor, Dr. Yong Kim.
Back pain is often a mystery to most people who are suffering from it, and chiropractors are skilled in solving their confusion. Most individuals ask: “Why is it that I have not experienced any trauma, accidents, or major injuries before the onset of my pain?” The answer is that the cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, bad work habits, improper lifting, lack of routine exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors create most back pain.
These elements add up over time and produce stresses and imbalances on the spine causing subluxations that can turn into serious back conditions. The process is similar to the front end of your car being out of alignment. When you insist upon driving anyway, there is irregular wear and tear on your tires. If you didn’t get the problem fixed, the situation would worsen until a tire “blew.” When the spine is misaligned, the function of the spine is put at risk. In other words, it’s not only a problem waiting to happen, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as seemingly benign as reaching down to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that generates back injury. When this occurs, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm in order to stabilize the stressed or injured tissues of the back.
Chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors when it comes to knowledge and treatment of the spine. They offer state-of-the-art diagnosis and experienced treatment for all musculoskeletal abnormalities. They not only provide welcomed relief if you are suffering from back pain, but they are knowledgeable about what will assist you in avoiding further back pain. As an adjunct to effective adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will give you an individual exercise plan and recommend other healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.
Strengthen Your Core for Permanent Back Pain Relief
Posted by: | CommentsMany of us know that in order to permanently cure back pain problems, exercise is a definite requirement. Regrettably, very few of us do any of the needed exercises because we argue that we don’t have the time and, besides, we don’t like to do them, anyway. It is only after we’re suffering with back pain that we come to the realization that we ought to have been doing the exercises all along. In the case of back pain, the old aphorism, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” was never more apropos. If you are currently suffering from back pain, it is important to see your chiropractor immediately. If you’re not feeling any pain at the moment, then it is important for you to work on your core and strengthen your back before that “no back pain” turns into mild back pain that turns into extreme back pain. Dr. Yong Kim will be able to relieve any current back problems you may have, and he will give you the type of core exercises that are best for you.
Why is the core so important and why does it require routine exercise? Core-specific exercises not only strengthen specific regions that will assist in relieving your back pain, but they also aid in giving your whole body balance and strength. There are quite a few different exercises that you can to do in order to strengthen your core. Sticking with core exercises over the long-term is crucial as it would be of little benefit to you to exercise for a minimal amount of time and then quit. A visit to see Dr. Kim to make certain that your spine is in proper alignment is a true necessity prior to beginning your core exercise program and, as mentioned above, he will be able to assist you in choosing not only the exercises that are most appropriate for your body, but an exercise program that will help you to keep on doing what you need to do.
The principal motivation for working the core of your body is that the core isn’t just “in the front.” In addition to your abdominal muscles, your core includes muscles that wrap around to your back and help to support it. Have you ever observed individuals that lift heavy boxes for a living? They use what is called a “weight belt.” To furnish your back with the support and strength it requires, the muscles in a vigorous core form a naturally effective weight belt.
You will become aware of quite a few different benefits that occur rather quickly once you build up the core of your body. One of the most distinct benefits is that your back won’t be hurting on a routine basis. Moreover, the added balance and strength are going to aid in improving your ability to more easily carry out many of the everyday tasks that you need to do. However, never forget “straighten, then strengthen.” In other words, see your chiropractor to be certain that your spine is healthy. Then, no matter what core exercises you decide to do, they will only do healthy things for your back.
Make an appointment today with Dr. Kim, your Sacramento Chiropractor. He’ll give you the help you need!
