MY HOW THE TIMES HAVE CHANGED! October Is National Chiropractic Month

My how the times have changed! People used to seek chiropractic care for back, neck and extremity pain due to manual labor, weekend warriors or working in their yard. Now they come due to aches and pains from sitting and playing on their phone. Of course, I am being a little sarcastic (not much, though). Many patients are still active and have overuse injuries and sprains from activity/work, but there is a new, overwhelming trend in healthcare. Patients seeking care due to overuse injuries and pains from using technology. OCTOBER IS NATIONAL CHIROPRACTIC MONTH and this year, the American Chiropractic Association's theme is Get Technohealthy! This means that our focus is to educate people on the hazardous health effects that may occur from using technology.

"DID YOU KNOW?

• "In 2008, almost 162 million smart phones were sold, surpassing laptop sales for the first time.
• More text messages are sent per phone than phone calls. The average number of text messages per month per phone is 357 compared with 204 cell phone calls.
• A study at the University of Queensland in Australia found that text messaging is the most addictive digital service on mobile or Internet, and is equivalent in addictiveness to cigarette smoking. "*

While we still treat headaches, back, neck and extremity pain, more and more of it is coming from poor posture due to bad office ergonomics, sitting long hours, staring at screens and lack of movement/stretching/exercise. Certainly, this also contributes to America's ever rising obesity problem, but that is another discussion.

Well, I say out with the old and in with the new:
                OLD                                                      NEW
        Golfer's elbow                                       Cell phone elbow
        Runner's knee                                        Blackberry (or Gamer's) thunb
        Phone neck                                           Texter's neck
        Back pain from lifting                             Back pain from sitting
        Loss of height from age                          Loss of height from slumping at the computer (posture)
        Headaches from sun                              Headaches from monitors/screens
        Proper lifting/reaching posture                Proper sitting/computer/phone posture

Though somethings stay the same, such as Carpal Tunnel (or similar symptoms), there are just many more occurences. Instead of knitting or factory work, it is caused by using the mouse or keyboard.

Chiropractors are well suited to deal with these ever changing musculo-skeletal problems.
Following a thorough exam, we start with spinal manipulation to remove restrictions, aligning the spine and allowing it to move properly. Next, incorporate muscle (myofascial) work to remove scar tissue and stretch the muscles. Muscles move bones, so if balance is not restored, the muscles will pull the bones back out of alignment. Then, we instruct patients in stabilization/strengthening exercises to help maintain corrections, and educate the patient about the cause and solution to their specific problem. This hands on approach not only restore bodily function and balance, but it also informs the patient of what they do everyday that is causing their pain, and what they can do to fix it. After that, it is all up to you!

So, unplug, get up, get out, walk/exercise/stretch at least every hour, reduce glare on your monitor, use proper posture and ask a professional to help you set up your home/work station properly.

"Modern technology such as smart phones and texting is bringing people together in new ways…but it also has the potential to take a toll on our bodies and our health. As experts in ergonomics, doctors of chiropractic can help their patients use technology safely, avoiding unnecessary injury and strain, or treat the aches and pains that may already exist. Being TechnoHealthy also means knowing when to unplug and reconnect with the world around you through exercise and other wellness activities."*

Help Spread the Word!     Click here for more ways to get Technohealthy!

Yours in health,

Laura McChesney, D.C.

*Referenced from the ACAtoday.org website

Better Posture for a Better Life

Just what is posture, as it refers to the body? "A position of the body or of body parts: a sitting posture. An attitude; a pose: assumed a posture of angry defiance. A characteristic way of bearing one's body; carriage: stood with good posture. A frame of mind affecting one's thoughts or behavior; an overall attitude."* Simply put, it is a position and an attitude. You can tell alot about a person through their posture. You can see if someone is in pain, if they are confident, in a bad mood and some people are professional posture readers (body language). Posture tells us many things and it is constantly changing.  Many of us could not get into a "good" posture if we tried, due to all the work we have put into "bad" posture. At some point in our lives, most of us have probably been told to "stop slouching!" Turns out, that was better advice than imagined.

 

Studies now show that there are correlations between posture and life expectancy. One study over 20 years shows that loss of height is related to earlier death. This refers to disk height and increased upper thoracic spine humping (kyphosis). Those losing over 3 cm increased risk 64% over those with 1 cm loss. ^ This is mainly related to increased cardiovascular compromise and lack of oxygen due to stooped posture. The farther you forward flex (slump) your spine forward, it compresses the heart and decreases the distance the rib cage and diaphragm are able to expand, allowing less oxygen in. This affects all tissues and organs in the body. Excessive kyphosis of the thoracic spine is often related to osteoporosis, but it increasingly common in the younger popluation due to the obsession with computers, texting, gaming and sitting long hours.

 

Another four year study shows that increased forward head posture also reduces life expectancy for the same reasons.** Did you  know that every inch you push your head forward, increases the weight of it on your spine by 10lbs?  This also affects balance. Your head usually weighs between 8-10 lbs. and it sits on your spine (kind of like a melon on a stick). It is held onto your spine by many muscles big and small. Increasing the weight of your head  is alot to ask such a delicate system and so your body does many things to compensate which results in a global problem.

 

No doubt you have also heard the saying, "Keep making that face and it will stay that way!" This too is true in that muscles and bones adapt and conform to the forces put on them in order to allow as normal a possible bodily function. There for, sitting long hours at a desk slumped forward, typing (or whatever you do), results in muscle shortening in the upper and lower body into a flexed position. This in turn pulls on the bones creating kyphosis, headaches, back pain, numbness/tingling, and many more problems.

 

What can you do to help fight postural pain and disease? Strengthening exercises for postural muscles, increasing your core stability and getting regular spinal adjustments to maintain alignment are proven to aid these conditions. Finally, the body loves motion. Get 30 min of walking/running/biking daily and get up every hour and perform extension exercises for your upper and lower body. It will thank you later!

 

* American Heritage Dictionary

^University of London, Archives of Internal Medicine

**Journal of American Geriatircs Society 10/2004