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Different Types of Muscle Strains

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Uncovering the Facts of Different Types of Muscle Strains

Have you ever experienced a muscle strain?  What is a muscle strain, anyway?

A muscle strain is an uncomfortable injury or trauma to the belly of a muscle.  Minor strains often result in a stretch to the muscle, like pulling a rubber band.  More severe strains can overstretch the muscle to the point where the muscle can have a partial or even complete tear.  Strains often occur in the low back or hamstring muscles1, but any muscle in the body is vulnerable to a strain injury! 

Strain injuries do not discriminate.  Many athletes, active lifestyle, and sedentary individuals suffer from muscular strains.  They can occur in various scenarios ranging from repetitive or overuse injuries like running or throwing a baseball, or sudden onset situations such as lifting a heavy box while moving.  Many people often describe a muscle strain as feeling like a “pulled” muscle, and they are not wrong – a muscle strain often results from a muscle being pulled too hard by outside forces2!

While strains occur to muscles, they have a cousin you may know as well: the sprain.  Sprains have a similar stretching mechanism of injury, but sprains happen to ligaments instead of muscles.  For the sake of this article, we will keep it simple and discuss muscular strains; however, an injury is sometimes also considered a sprain/strain because there may be a strain to the muscle and a concurrent sprain of ligaments at the joint.

Muscular strains can be put into two categories: chronic overuse, and acute traumatic strains.  

An overuse strain can be confusing at first because there is no single “event” that can be pinpointed that resulted in pain or injury.  A traumatic strain injury, on the other hand, often has a single and significant event results in injury; think of lifting a TV and suddenly, your low back goes into spasm!  Ouch!

Over-Use Strain (Chronic)

The Cumulative Injury Cycle

The Cumulative Injury Cycle3 represents the process in which over-use injuries and pain may occur.  This cycle is not limited to a particular activity, but anything you do repetitively!

The chronic cycle begins with Overwork, such as the long duration of sitting or longer-distance running.  Yes, even long periods of sitting can overwork muscle groups in addition to increasing your chances of developing deep vein thromboses, diabetes, and undoing the benefits of exercise.3  The engagement of muscle groups in the same activity – day in, day out – may lead to muscular imbalances and Weak, Tight, and Tense soft tissues, like muscle.2,3

These weak and/or tight muscles lead to excessive Friction, Pressure and Tension to the local muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia2.

In turn, this results in Decreased Circulation and Swelling and Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) to the area.  The lack of proper oxygenation to our soft tissues results in the formation of Adhesions and/or Scar Tissue to the area, which decreases the function of the local structures.  

Think of these adhesions like a tube of superglue that leaks out and gets into the carpet.  The nice fibers of the carpet are no longer smooth, and the carpet is not as effective in cushioning your feet due to gluing the synthetic fibers together.

Overworked, weakened muscles, coupled with excessive friction and tension and decreased circulation, result in a vicious cycle that both weakens and tenses muscles and soft tissue.  The cycle keeps on churning until the body sends off the alarm system that something is wrong.

At some point in your life, you probably stepped on something painful.  You may not have known it was even on the ground, waiting to ambush the bottom of your foot, until you stepped directly on it.  Our bodies can act very similarly.  We do not know something isn’t working correctly us until our internal alarm system goes off.  That alarm system comes in the form of pain!

Now that we know how chronic and repetitive injuries can occur with strains, what about severe episodes?

Acute Strain

The dreaded acute or traumatic strain.  It is a sudden onset of extreme discomfort or pain, and it can be life-altering for a stretch of time depending on the “grade” of your strain.  Strains can come at different levels, known as Grades4; in particular, Grades I, II, and III.  Read on to learn more about the different grades or levels of injuries for strains:

Grade I Muscle Strain

In a Grade I muscle strain, the muscle or tendon is overstretched and may have small tears to the muscle, like papercuts.  You may have mild pain with or without swelling.  Grade I strain is also called mild muscle strain.  For Grade I muscle strain, simple home remedies, such as applying RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) therapy may be just enough to manage symptoms.  These are usually self-resolving in a small time frame, although can be uncomfortable during the healing process.

Grade II Muscle Strain

Also called moderate muscle strain, Grade II strain occurs when the muscle or its tendon is overstretched with more of the fibers torn.  Symptoms may include marked pain with swelling.  The area of injury is tender and uncomfortable to the touch and may include bruising.  Movement can be difficult to perform because of the level of discomfort and muscle involvement.

Grade III Muscle Strain

Grade III strain, or severe muscle strain, is the most serious among the three grades of muscle strains. Most of the muscle fibers are torn!  In some cases, the muscle is completely torn or ruptured, resulting in a potential loss of function.  Pain, swelling, tenderness, and bruising are usually present.  Movement is usually difficult.

Moderate and severe muscle strains should be seen by a qualified health care provider, such as a chiropractor, for a thorough evaluation!

Now that you know about the different levels of muscle strains, what can be done to help prevent this kind of injury in the first place?

Preventative Measures

Here are some corrective strategies to decrease the chances of the over-use strain or acute traumatic strain injuries.

Keep in mind, even if everything is as perfectly as possible, you still may end up with strains and sprains if your sport or activity is strenuous in nature.  Even the best preparation cannot fully prevent injury, but it certainly can cut down on the chances of it happening!  Some things we can do are:

Corrective exercises: This will help combat against muscular imbalances that cause biomechanical issues and increased strain on the body.

Micro-breaks: Break up the repetitions of your activity or sport.

Ergonomics: Well-fitted sporting equipment, changes in exercise gear, or alterations to a work environment may be necessary to reduce the likelihood of injury.

Proper Technique: Less strain on the body from optimal efficiency and performance.

Rest and Recovery: Helps get the body back to a steady state and prevents excessive fatigue.

Equipment: Key to performance, efficiency, and reduction of strain on the body.

Should injury occur regardless of these factors, there are things you can do to ensure your body heals.  Anyone can get a strained muscle, and the amount of time you need to fully heal depends on the individual and the type of injury.5

Treatment Options

If a strain injury does occur, there are many treatment options one can consider in addition to the afore mentioned PRICE1,4,6 methods.  In our office, we typically utilize traditional therapeutic modalities such as electrical muscle stimulation, taping, ice, etc.

In addition, we provide 3 key treatment options that not all clinics do, and they are as follows. You can click on each one for more detailed information on our treatment interventions:

  1. Types of soft tissue treatment
    1. Active Release Tech.
    2. Graston
    3. Deep Tissue massage
    4. Ultra sound and IFC (Electrical Stimulation)
    5. Active stretching’s

It is important to see a doctor if you have a painful sprain or strain to get the appropriate evaluation and treatment.  Your knowledgeable chiropractor may also suggest changes to your exercise routine, sport habits, computer or desk setup, or other lifestyle factors to help improve your recovery.

References     

  1. Muscle strains. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/muscle-strains/symptoms-causes/syc-20450507. Accessed October 2020.
  2. Walls R.M., et al. General principles of orthopedic injuries. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed October 2020.
  3. Leahy, P.M. Cumulative trauma disorder defined. Retrieved from http://www.sportdc.com/art/leahy_art.shtml. Accessed October 2020.
  4. Mangusan, D. “Back muscle strains.” Retrieved from http://www.physiotherapynotes.com. Accessed October 2020.
  5. “Sprains and strains.” National Institute of Arthritis and and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Retrieved October 2020 from: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sprains-and-strains
  6. Sprains, strains and other soft-tissue injuries. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Retrieved from https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries. Accessed October 2020.
exercise

After an injury, GAIT OR RUNNING RETRAINING HAS TO BE DONE

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If you’re suffering from a running injury or a sports related injury, doing your rehab exercise might not be enough. When I’m treating patients with a running or sports related injury, I always look at the patient’s running form or the activity that caused there pain to see what is causing their injury. Squatting with weight on your back is another common cause of pain I see. After the exam and watching the patient movement during the sport of their choice, then the teaching starts. I try to improve there the patient form hopefully preventing the injury again.

There is no reason to return to your activity strong but still performing the activity poorly.

There is a study below that confirms this approach.

If you have an injury or are concerned about your form please contact the office! We can help you reach your peak performance.

Mirror Gait Retraining for the Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain in Female Runners Authors: Willy RW, Scholz JP & Davis IS Author’s Affiliations: Division of Physical Therapy, Ohio University, Athens Ohio; Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE; Spalding National Running Centre, Harvard Medical School, MA, USA. Publication Information: Clinical Biomechanics 2012; 27(10):1045-51

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Understanding Pain: Why Do We “Pick the Scab?”

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The following information is from a great book meant for the non-physician to help resolve their own back problems. The book is by Stuart McGill PhD and is called “Back Mechanic: The Secrets to a Healthy Spine Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You.”

I highly recommend the book if you have suffered or are suffering from low back pain. The end goal is to remove the stressors and spare your spine with proper movement and strengthening exercises.

“Many back pain sufferers would experience a huge breakthrough in their recovery if they only realized that is was their flawed movement patterns that kept them pain-sensitive. Much like a scab forming on our skin, our backs are constantly trying to patch and health themselves. We, however, by continuing to repeat harmful movement patterns in our daily lives cause re-injury. We are essentially “picking the scab.” It is unreasonable to expect the body to heal if we continue to provoke it in the same way that led to the original injury. Continued provocation of pain sensitizes the nerves so that the pain is triggered with even less stimulation. Remove the provocative motions and we can find the solution.

Here’s how pain sensitivity works: people increase their sensitivity through repeated stressful and painful loading. These muscles and joints are loaded with sensors: pain sensors, pressure sensors, force sensors, chemical sensors. Some detect carbon dioxide; some detect pain, some sense histamine for inflammation. Human joints are packed with sensors that relay position and movement information to the brain. These signals travel along the sensory nerves. Along the highway of nerves, there are checkpoints or “gates,” at junctions. According to the Gate Theory of Pain, the idea is, to flood the checkpoint with “good information,” in other words, signals associated with pain-free movement. In this way, there is no more room for the pain signals as they are crowded out.

Try this: close your eyes and find the tip of your nose with your finger like in a roadside sobriety test. You are using kinesthetic sensory organs that run throughout your arm to navigate. These sensors alert the brain as to the position of your forefinger in relation to your nose. The sensation of this simple pain-free motion dominates the information traffic on your sensory nerves with feel-good kinesthetic sensory information that identifies position, length, and force. Finding and repeating pain-free motions in your back will cause the remaining painful activities to hurt less. Read the previous sentence again – it really is that important.

By discovering and engraining positive movements for your back, you will find that the pain often dissipates and then disappears entirely. This is because when we remove pain triggers and stop “picking the scab” we give our tissues a chance to rest, heal and regenerate. Simultaneously our sensors for pain are actually being desensitized. Master this, and you have mastered your back pain.

For those of you that have a known type of injury, a name to attach to your condition, your personal recovery strategy should always begin with avoiding the aggravating posture for your unique spine is key to getting yourself back on track.

Various symptoms of back pain have a distinct and known cause (although this information is not widely known making this book uniquely valuable). Injuries can be avoided if we avoid the injury mechanism itself. Here’s a recap of some pain avoidance strategies, as well as an introduction of some that will be discussed later. The knowledge in this chapter will provide the foundation that will help you:

  1. Locate and eliminate the cause of your pain- get an appropriate assessment that provides a specific diagnosis ( you will be able to obtain your own by reading chapter 6).
  2. Increase your consciousness around what movements and postures cause you pain.
  3. Develop replacement postures and movement patters that enable you to function pain-free.
  4. Stabilize your torso, core, and spine to remove painful spine joint micro-movements.
  5. Develop a daily exercise plan that includes walking.
  6. Mobilize your hips
  7. Learn to create power at the ball and socket joints (hips and shoulders).
  8. Learn exercises that are based on patters of movement: push, pull, lift, carry, lunge, squat, etc.
  9. Make healthy spine choices when sleeping, sitting, or engaging in more demanding activities.

You’re on your way to learning the secrets of a pain-free lifestyle! Let’s make it happen!”

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Sports Specialization: Yea or Nay?

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Sports specialization: Yea or nea? I am a parent and coach of my two kids but I also have the perspective as doctor who treats a lot of children with sport injuries so this is a great question.

The short answer is no. We’ll go into why this is my answer.

Only 2% of high school athletes go on to play at the top level of college sports, the NCAA Division1. Only 1% of them play sports professionally.

Well-intentioned parents encourage children to pick up a sport or two to develop personal character: to learn the value of teamwork and collaboration, to develop grit and perseverance, engage and embody good sportsmanship, build self-esteem, and more. Sports activities not only provide children and students with a healthy activity to engage in for personal development but also creates an opportunity for fitness and energy. Adolescents who participate in sports activities may find them enjoyable as a healthy outlet for play.

Engaging in healthy physical exercise, such as organized sports, becomes an even more important endeavor from a health perspective. With the rise of obesity and lack of physical activity in school-aged students, particularly American high school students1, encouraging the youth to engage in at least one sport has become both underutilized and imperative.

The last decade has witnessed a steady decline in youth sport participation.1 With the increasing rarity of young persons actively engaging in athletic leadership, it is no wonder then that parents, coaches, and others tend to be encouraging when a young athlete shows talent and dedication in a particular sport.2

Sports specialization in youth is defined as engaging in a single sport for at least three seasons a year at the exclusion of other sports.2,3 Early sports specialization occurs in children under the age of 12.

Athletic specialization is inherently not a bad thing. Encouraging a student’s deep commitment to a sport can lead to several notable benefits such as recognition of college and professional coaches, the chance to attend prominent training academies, personal development of perseverance and time management, and an improvement in athletic skills and performance within a chosen sport.3

However, can there be too much sport for the individual? While it is important to foster a youth’s promising talent and dedication, doing so to an extreme can have detrimental effects on the long game. Intense focus on a single sport, largely driven by parents and coaches, can lead to a young athlete developing both injury and burnout. Almost 55% of parents encourage their children to specialize in a single sport.2

And if that wasn’t difficult enough, the number of hours of vigorous, repetitive, athletic activity are just as large a risk factor for injury as sport specialization, if not greater. This is especially true for female athletes who are more physically impacted by long repetitive hours devoted to sport than male athletes.2

That’s not accounting for additional factors that can contribute to overuse injuries. These include poor technique, inappropriate equipment, improper training methods, poor conditioning, prior injury, and more.

It is true that any sports activity invites a chance of injury. However, the potential for injury increases as the intensity level and training volume increases.5  A series of studies in the Journal of Athletic Training were performed to evaluate the effects of being a specialized athlete at a young age.4 The results? Focusing on one sport increases the risk of major, career-threatening injury later in life.

And predictably, the type of injury accumulated from long periods of sustained, repetitive wear-and-tear on the body correlated with the sport. For example, in girl’s basketball, soccer, and volleyball, specialization increased the risk of knee joint and hip injuries.5 In baseball, especially Little League, pitchers who specialized had a higher risk of elbow and shoulder injuries.5,6,8

The strongest argument against sports specialization is the idea of building overall athleticism before honing laser-sharp athletic focus; in essence, encouraging young athletes to foundationally move well before they move more and at higher intensities.4 The focus is to encourage overall movement until the young athlete is developmentally ready to learn sport-specific skills, and physical maturation will grant the required strength and speed to succeed at a specific sport.

Early sports specialization also creates a lack of cross-trained foundation, inhibiting the body’s natural capacity for adaptation and leaving young aspiring athletes more prone to injury. Multiple sports builds fundamental motor skill development, which should be trained to achieve success in sports activities such as running, jumping, kicking, and throwing.5 Cross training builds better brains. In turn the brain will be able to control the body more effectively.

Repetition is an important part of athleticism, and one key factor that separates young athletes from mature athletes is that young athletes undergo numerous changes in a relatively small timeframe due to puberty and adolescence. Repetitive movements found in sport specialization can create microtrauma in areas that are still growing. Changes in body weight, height, and muscle mass provide additional stress to joints and connective tissue, and as young athletes grow, growth cartilage is vulnerable to the stress of repeated microtraumas. As muscle develops from repetition faster than bone, areas of musculotendinous attachment can be more susceptible to pathological injury. Such examples include Sever’s disease and Osgood-Schlatter disease, which are rarely found in adults.

Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry spoke on the topic of playing multiple sports at a sports panel with the junior NBA and the Positive Coaching Alliance. Curry advocates that children and adolescents should not specialize in a single sport too soon. “Because […] you might be better (than your peers) at any certain sport, you might feel comfortable in that space, and that zone. But you don’t really get to push yourself, you don’t really get to test yourself and how you deal with failure and success,” Curry said.8

It is important to vary training and avoid repetitive activities that place physical stress on an athlete’s body. Many options exist while resting from a specific sport; one such example is replacing overtraining with strength and conditioning. Not only can this enhance overall health, but also provide an opportunity for injury prevention and rehabilitation, improve body composition, and increase bone health. This can also lead to better outcomes with regards to athletic performance as it avoids staleness or unexpected long-term decreases in performance without evidence of injury.5

Sport diversification also enhances the mental health of a young athlete. Early specialization of one sport can lead to burnout6, which is defined as physical and emotional exhaustion from the athletic demands of a singular sport. With a decrease in performance from overtraining and the increase in the likelihood of being injured, burnout can ultimately lead to a promising athlete withdrawing or dropping out entirely.

Ultimately, sport diversification is what’s necessary to help prevent youth injuries. Playing as many sports as possible, as often as possible, creates an environment that is both physically and emotionally nurturing and productive. Sports specialization may be better utilized with structured practice once the foundations of proper movement have been placed in the aspiring young athlete.

Early involvement in sports should be encouraged. The development of gross motor skills is enhanced alongside the personal development that takes place with engaging in sports. A crossover between sports creates a positive physical, social, and mental experience that will springboard the young athlete into becoming a well-rounded elite — if he or she chooses.

References

1. Hainline, B. (2019) Early Sport Specialization: Shifting Societal Norms. Journal of Athletic Training: October, Vol. 54, No. 10, pp. 1011-1012.

2. “The growing trend of youth sports specialization.” Posted Mar 6, 2018. PR Newswire for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Retrieved Feb 2020 from: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-growing-trend-of-youth-sports-specialization-300608434.html

3. “The dangers of youth sport specialization and the benefits of diversification.” Posted May 20, 2019. Global Sports Development. Retrieved February 2020 from: http://globalsportsdevelopment.org/2019/05/20/specialization-vs-diversification

4. Newman, L. “Studies: Sports specialization at young age increases risk of career-threatening injury.” Posted Oct 22, 2019. USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved February 2020 from: https://usatodayhss.com/2019/jat-nata-sports-specialization-young-age-can-be-harmful

5. Caruso, T.H. (2013) Early sport specialization versus diversification in youth athletes. National Strength and Conditioning Association. December, Vol. 2, Issue 4. n.p.

6. Kutz, M, and Secrest, M. Contributing factors to overtraining in the adolescent multi-season/sport athlete. Strength and Conditioning Journal 31(3): 37-42, 2009.

7. Holt, J.B., et al. (2020) Progressive elbow magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities in Little League players are common: a 3-year longitudinal study. Am J Sports Med. 2020 Feb;48(2):466-472.

8. Interview with Stephen Curry with Stack. “Steph Curry says playing multiple sports gave him confidence to be an MVP.” Posted Feb 15, 2018. Retrieved Feb 2020 from: stack.com/a/steph-curry-says-playing-multiple-sports-gave-him-confidence-to-be-an-mvp

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Evaluate, Fix, Prevent

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Far too often in today’s healthcare system, patients are being let down by their healthcare providers. As the patient, you deserve to be guided back to health appropriately and efficiently. Too many injured and ailing people are not being thoroughly evaluated, therefore not receiving appropriate conservative care, nor are they given a game plan to prevent the pain or injury from returning in the future. There are many types of ailments and illnesses, but for the purpose of this article we will be discussing musculoskeletal pain and injuries.

There are 3 fundamental aspects of care you deserve as the patient

  1. Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment
  2. Conservative Treatment Options
  3. Prevention Training 

Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment

Too often a patient presents to their primary care physician or specialist and they are given a proper history and consultation, but a very low-level musculoskeletal exam. Many times, the doctor doesn’t even assess the muscle tissue, joint function and/or the movement of the patient. In many cases they perform a few orthopedic tests, may refer you for some diagnostic imaging, before concluding that you must rest for 6 weeks and finally prescribe you some medication to help “manage” your condition.

As a patient it is important to understand what you should expect from a comprehensive evaluation and assessment. Your evaluation and assessment should provide you with a working diagnosis and the potential indirect causes of the pain or injury. The diagnosis should be specific and clearly communicated.

In order to determine an appropriate working diagnosis a comprehensive evaluation should include, but is not limited to:

  • A thorough History & Consultation
  • Functional Assessment: Assessing weakness, tightness, faulty movement patterns.
  • Orthopedic Exams, Range Of Motion, Neurological testing as needed.
  • Muscle and Joint Palpation/Testing.
  • Gait Analysis (if deemed necessary)

When a thorough evaluation and assessment is performed it provides the healthcare provider with the information required to determine the appropriate course of care. This allows for an informed decision regarding which conservative treatment options would be best suited for your individual case.

Conservative Treatment Options

In my opinion, you deserve to have a comprehensive hands-on approach to your pain or injury. Most patient presentations respond best to a specific combination of therapies. This may include muscle therapy, joint restriction chiropractic adjustments, rehab exercises, and advice on how to train and prevent further exacerbations of the injury. You may not need both the muscle therapy and chiropractic adjustment for all pain or injuries, but many will optimally benefit from all four approaches above.

Conservative treatment should not be a “one size fits all” approach. With multiple therapies available, each which targets different tissues it is important that your care plan is individualized based on the findings from your comprehensive assessment.

Prevention Training

There are few things more frustrating from both the patient’s or doctor’s perspective than the return of the pain or injury. There are many potential factors that can contribute to re-aggravation of your injury or symptoms. These include over-use strain from work, life or sport, not following the prescribed exercises, or the lack of injury prevention training from your healthcare provider. As an informed patient, these are a sample of some prevention options you should expect instructions on.

  • Activities of Daily Living Training: Many activities we do in our daily life cause physical strain when performed improperly.  
  • Return to Work/Sport Advice: Proper time frame for return and potential modifications.  
  • Body Awareness and Preparation: Proper lifting, bending, posture, etc.
  • Corrective Exercises: Core stability exercises.
  • Desk Ergonomics Tips: Desk sitting is causing many of your conditions.  
  • Proper Equipment recommendations: Proper running shoes for a runner.
  • Skills/Technique Training: Golf swing technique from a teaching professional.

To summarize, there are many potential shortcomings that you may experience when you see any healthcare provider for your musculoskeletal pain or injury. The first step is being an informed patient, and understanding what quality care entails. I have outlined some key points that you as an informed patient should come to expect from your provider when you seek treatment for any musculoskeletal condition.

  • A comprehensive assessment including but not limited to a thorough history, a functional movement assessment, palpation (assessing by hand) of the joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments
  • An exam that assesses the body as a whole in order to determine the root cause, and does not only focus on the point of pain. For example, many times a patient with low back pain has hip range-of-motion and mid-back mobility issues that have led to the low back being over-worked.
  • A specific working diagnosis based off of the comprehensive exam.
  • All your conservative treatment options should be explained and discussed, offering you a chance to ask any questions you might have and provide clarity regarding our plan.
  • You should expect to receive advice regarding preventative care for your injury, so once you are out of pain, you can avoid re-injury or aggravations.  
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Maintain a healthy brain: How to protect the body’s control center

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Healthy brain function is essential for optimal wellness, but conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and concussions are emerging as critical concerns for our health care system. as conventional medicine searches for solutions, cutting-edge research is starting to show that nutrients and herbal extracts may have beneficial effects on memory and brain function.

Top Supplements to Boost Brain Function:

  • Fish oils high in DHA
  • Turmeric (bioavailable forms)
  • Magnesium
  • Vitamins D and E
  • B vitamins (especially B12)
  • Bilberry (anthocyanins)

Did You Know?

  • Most concussions do not involve a loss of consciousness.
  • Sports-related concussions do not show evidence of damage on MRI or CT scans.
  • Across the same sports, girls have higher rates of concussions.

Hrkal, Paul ND (2019) Maintain a Healthy Brain Sage: A Healthy Living Magazine

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Symptoms of Tech Neck

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Tech neck happens when people spend too much time with their head and neck extended too far forward over their body while looking at a computer screen. It can also happen when people repeatedly tuck their head down over their chin and hunch their shoulders while sending or receiving text messages on a cell phone.

Symptoms:
•Neck pain •Shoulder pain   •Shoulder blade pain •Pain in arms and hands •Numbness in thumbs and fingers •Headaches and/or Migraines •Fatigue •Eye strain and blurred vision

  • Minimize Tech Neck by:
  • Bring screens to eye level
  • Use a tablet or smartphone holder
  • Take frequent breaks from screens
  • Strengthen mid back and cervical extender muscles

Call Dr. Steve for help with your posture and tech neck!

The DCs ultimate guide to tech neck
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Functional Clam

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Function Clam

The clam is a great exercise for strengthening the Glute Medius. The Glute Medius is an important muscle related to lower back pain. They help stabilize the pelvis while walking, so the weakness can lead to an unstable pelvis.

Another area that weakness of Glute Medius can cause pain in is the knee. Because of this runners have to pay extra attention to this muscle so they don’t suffer from injuries related to this muscle. ( knee pain and Illiotibial band syndrome)

If you want more information or want to see if you have weakness that could be contributing to your pain, call the chiropractic office in Elgin, Illinois and make an appointment!

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What happens you get adjusted?

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Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper mechanics to the spine or the joint being adjusted.

A Spine Journal study was “the first to measure facet gapping during cervical manipulation on live humans”.

A patient being adjusted by Dr. Sikorsky

The results demonstrate that:

  • Target and adjacent motion segments undergo facet joint gapping (0.9 mm ± 0.4mm) during manipulation.
  • Intervertebral range of motion is increased (8-13 degrees) in all three planes of motion after manipulation.
  • Pain score improved from 3.7±1.2 before manipulation to 2.0±1.4 after manipulation.

Anderst WJ et al. Intervertebral Kinematics of the Cervical Spine Before, During and After High Velocity Low Amplitude Manipulation. The Spine Journal Volume 18, Issue 12, December 2018, Pages 2333-2342