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As a chiropractor in Springfield, VA, my passion is to help my patients live as fulfilling a lifestyle as possible. When back pain happens, many people are shocked and depending on the severity of their pain, they may feel overwhelmed and helpless. Very few people take the initiative to research ways of preventing recurring back pain. Yet there are many simple changes that can be implemented that will reduce back pain, prevent back pain or keep it away so that you never have to deal with back pain.

When you are in pain, it is difficult to think straight, your only thought is how to get rid of the pain. When you are not in pain, it is easy to forget that your back ever bothered you; until the pain comes back. Pain is a great reminder. With that in mind, I’ve developed what I like to call “A Chiropractor’s Back Pain Checklist.” This list provides reminders on how to avoid back pain and how to deal with acute pain as it occurs.

Avoiding Back Pain

1. Make it a habit whenever possible to never sit for more than 20 minutes without getting up and moving around. Of course this is not always possible, but do it when you can.
2. When driving, stop every two hours to get out and walk around.
3. Avoid high heeled shoes. Wear shoes that are well made, comfortable and have a good supporting arch.
4. Get regular exercise such as swimming, rowing, walking and cycling. Avoid exercises that put strain on your back such as golfing, tennis and weight lifting. Your abdominal muscles help to support your back; therefore, it is important to learn exercises that strengthen your abdominal wall to help prevent back pain. This is especially true for women who have given birth.
5. When sitting you should have your knees a little higher than your hips. A small stool will easily accomplish this.
6. Use proper lifting techniques and never bend over at the waist, always bend at the knees.
7. Do not pull large objects, push them.
8. Keep your weight at a healthy level. Extra body weight will put unnecessary stress on your back.

Dealing with Acute Back Pain

If you find yourself in acute pain and can not get into a chiropractor’s office immediately, use the following recommendations:

1. For back pain caused by muscle injuries ice for the first 48 hours, no more than 20 minutes at a time every hour. Typically pain that starts after an injury or sudden movement is muscle pain.
2. After 48 hours you can use heat. Use a moist heating pad, a very hot towel or soak in a very warm bath.
3. As soon as you start having pain, drink two 12 ounce glasses of water. Dehydration can cause muscle aches including back pain.
4. Avoid motions or positions that irritate the pain until you are able to get check out by your chiropractor in Springfield, VA.

Following the above recommendations will help you to prevent back pain. However, in the event you do suffer acute back pain, follow the directions above and get into a chiropractor’s office as soon as possible. Proper diagnosis and treatment is necessary for over all health and wellness.

If you have been suffering from back pain, and want to avoid taking dangerous medications or even worse surgery, gives a call today at (703) 912-7822 or click on the link Chiropractor.

Many times patients arrive at my chiropractic office in Springfield, VA with lower back pain that presented itself after lifting a heavy object. Using incorrect lifting techniques can cause injury resulting in sudden and severe pain. Without a doubt, this type of injury can almost always be prevented if proper lifting techniques had been used.

Unless your line of work requires a lot of lifting such as nursing, warehouse work, retail stocking, etc. it is entirely possible that you have not had the opportunity to learn how to lift objects in a way that will protect your back. Hopefully, if you are in a line of work in which a lot of lifting is required, you have been trained on how to protect your back when lifting. For the rest of you, this article will explain the proper way to lift heavy objects to avoid injury.

Never bend over at the waist to lift something; in fact you should make it a habit not to bend over at the waist at all because this will put unnecessary pressure on your lower back. Minimize the risk of injury and damage using the following lifting technique:

• Immediately before you lift and right after you are done lifting you want to stand upright and bend backward five or six times. This ensures that any distortion in the curve of your lower back is worked out.
• Stand close to the object you are going to lift. Don’t have your feet together; use a wider stance for balance and support.
• Bend at the knees, keeping your back straight, until you can comfortably get your hands under the object.
• Keep the object as close to your body as you can so you are not extending your reach. Extending your reach will put pressure on your lower back even if you are bent at the knees.
• Lean back slightly, this will help with your balance. Straighten up using the muscles in your legs to lift yourself up and using a smooth, steady motion.
• If the object is very heavy, lift it to your knees and rest it there before straightening up.
• To turn with the load in your arms, use your feet. In other words, do not twist your torso.

Of special concern to me are those who have already developed recurring back problems. It is my practice to always advise these patients to seek help when lifting. I am well aware that this is not always possible. If this is the case for you, it is even more important that you develop a proper lifting technique.

In addition to using a proper lifting technique, it is also important to work on your core muscles such as your abdominals and gluteals to develop a strong lower back.  Consciously implementing this type of lifting technique and developing a strong core has the potential to make a pronounced difference in your life particularly if you suffer from chronic lower back pain.

If you are currently suffering from lower back pain, get checked out by your local chiropractor to prevent further injury and utilize the techniques described here to help prevent future episodes.

Neck pain, fatigue, carpel tunnel syndrome, TMJ syndrome, fibromyalgia, headaches  and many more conditions can be caused by how you hold your head.  An estimated 90% of the population do have a forward head posture.  In my chiropractic office in Springfield, VA, 9 out of 10 patients will have a forward head posture.  But how do you get into the habit of a forward head posture?  Today’s use of computers, television and increased commute time to work causes the joints, nerves and muscles to become irritate and injured.  Once the body reaches this breaking point you start having pain whether it be in the joints in the neck, the muscles or irritate the nerves supplying the arm and hand.

So what exactly is a good head posture: With correct head posture, the ear is centered over the shoulder.  If the ear is off center to the front of the shoulder, this is known as forward head posture.  For every inch the head is forward of this center position, it exerts an additional 10 pounds on the muscles in your neck and upper back, causing them to work harder to keep your head erect and your chin up!

What can be done to correct a bad forward head posture?  At my chiropractic office we take a three prong approach to treating forward head posture.  First we treat the muscles using Active Release Techniques & Graston Technique which loosens up the tight, muscle adhesions.  Next we restore the joint mobility, re-align the joints and take pressure off the nerves with a chiropractic adjustment.  Finally we strengthen the weak neck muscles and apply proper ergonomics so that the patient does not re-injury their neck on a day to day basis.

We have found this treatment to be very effective in correcting a forward head posture, along with the patient modifying their postural habits and ergonomics on a daily basis.  So if you have been experiencing neck pain, headaches, TMJ syndrome, and carpal tunnel syndrome give us a call today at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at http://www.NovaChiroWellness.com

You never know until you hurt it how much you use your lower back all day long. When your lower back is injured, every movement becomes painful. Simple actions, such as getting out of a chair or bending over the sink, become excruciating, and your daily routine becomes difficult and frustrating.  Back pain affects 60 to 80 percent of U.S. adults at some time during their lives, and up to 50 percent have back pain within a given year. Some of these problems are easily treated and never return, but in five to ten percent of patients low back pain becomes chronic and the person continues to have recurrences and exacerbations.

Effective treatment of uncomplicated lower back pain involves treatment in a chiropractor’s office and beginning and continuing an exercise program. A recent study conducted by the Medical Research Council, a research organization based in the United Kingdom, has found that patients given a combination of spinal manipulation and exercise experienced greater improvement in back function and greater reduction in pain compared to those treated with spinal manipulation or exercise only.

Most mechanical lower back pain is associated with tight leg muscles and weak abdominal muscles. Leg muscles need to be stretched and abdominal muscles need to be strengthened to avoid recurrences of lower back pain.  People are generally not aware of these relationships. You may know you “should be exercising”, but you may be unaware of the importance of stretching. Also, abdominal strengthening is usually the last thing a person thinks of when he or she thinks of doing exercise.

Abdominal strengthening helps support the lower back. Spinal muscles are not designed to carry your body weight. If your abdominal muscles are weak, then your back muscles will be used to carry your body weight, and eventually you’ll have a lower back injury. Abdominal strengthening not only helps keep your lower back healthy, but also helps maintain good posture. Postural benefits include an easy, relaxed gait; muscles that are long and supple, rather than short and tight; and an open chest that allows for easy, smooth breathing. Your body is a machine. Everything’s connected. A lower back problem affects many other areas, ultimately. By making sure to stretch regularly and by including abdominal exercises in your gym routine, you can help ensure having a lower back that works.

So if you currently suffering from lower back pain we can help, call us today at (703) 912-7822 or visit our website at Chiropractor in Springfield, VA.

Weekly Health Update

Week of: Monday, January 4th, 2010

Courtsey of:

Dr. Todd P. Sullivan

(703) 912-7822

Mental Attitude: Benefits of laughter: Laughter increases secretion of catecholamines & endorphines, which increases oxygenation of the blood, relaxes arteries, increases heart rate, decreases blood pressure — all have a positive effect on all cardiovascular & respiratory ailments, as well as an increased immune system responses.  American Journal of Medicine, 1995

Health Alert: Still smoking! In 2007, 43 million or 19.8% of adults were smokers! CDC, 2008

Diet: Flavonoids found in tea decrease risk of heart attack and stroke! The Zutphen study, which assessed 805 male subjects over a period of five years, found the incidence of fatal and nonfatal first myocardial infarction and mortality from stroke decreased significantly as intake of flavonoids, derived mainly from tea, increased.  A follow-up to this study found a high intake of flavonoids significantly lowered the risk of stroke in study participants.  Lancet, 1993 & Archives of Internal Medicine, 1996

Exercise: Exercise & Healing: Regular exercise may accelerate wound healing by 25%.  Skin wounds healed 10 days faster on people who exercised.  (29 days Vs. 39 days).  Ohio State University, Jan 2006

Chiropractic: Chiropractic is effective for treating headaches! Cervical spine manipulation was associated with significant improvement  in headache outcomes in trials involving patients with neck pain and/or neck dysfunction and headache.  Many times, a chiropractic adjustment can help with chronic or acute headaches.  The adjustment releases short and tight muscles, allowing for optimum blood flow, which decreases the pain from headaches.  Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center, Durham, NC 2001

Wellness/ Prevention: Woman and Cancer: Women who adopted at least 6 of 9 recommendations below were 35% less likely to get cancer and 43% less likely to die from cancer than women who followed zero or one of the following recommendations.

1. maximum body mass index of 25, limit adult weight gain to 11 pounds
2. eat 5 or more servings of fruits and veggies a day
3. eat 7 or more portions of complex carbohydrates a day
4. decrease your consumption of processed foots and refined sugars
5. limit alcohol consumption to 1 drink a day
6. limit your red meat intake to no more than 3 oz per day
7. decrease fatty foods, particularly animal fats
8. limit intake of salted foods & use in cooking
9. eliminate tobacco use

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, July 2004

Quote: ”Health is a large word.  It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well.”  ~ James West

To Receive These “Weekly Health Updates” Every Monday Via Email,

Simple Email Me At NovaChiroWellness@gmail.com

www.NovaChiroWellness.com