Chiropractic-Care-for-Runners

5 Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Runners

 

What is Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal system disorders, especially of the spine. For runners, chiropractic care can be an effective way to prevent injuries, speed up recovery, and improve overall performance.

Runners often put a lot of stress on their bodies, especially on their joints and muscles. The repetitive motions involved in running can cause muscle imbalances, joint misalignments, and other musculoskeletal issues. These problems can lead to pain, discomfort, reduced range of motion, and ultimately, injury.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Runners

Chiropractic care can help runners overcome these issues by providing targeted adjustments, manipulations, and other therapies. Here are some of the ways that chiropractic care can benefit runners:

  1. Improved joint function: Chiropractic adjustments can help realign joints that may have shifted out of place due to repetitive motions. This can help reduce pain, improve range of motion, and prevent further damage.
  2. Enhanced muscle flexibility: Chiropractic care can help improve muscle flexibility by loosening tight muscles and reducing muscle tension. This can help reduce the risk of injury and improve overall performance.
  3. Faster recovery: Chiropractic care can help speed up recovery time by improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and promoting healing.
  4. Better posture: Chiropractic care can help correct postural imbalances that can contribute to pain and discomfort while running.
  5. Customized treatment plans: Chiropractors can develop individualized treatment plans for runners based on their unique needs and goals. This can help ensure that runners receive the care they need to stay healthy and perform at their best.

Find the Right Chiropractor for You

If you are a runner and are considering chiropractic care, it is important to find a qualified chiropractor who has experience working with runners. Your chiropractor should also work closely with your primary care physician and any other healthcare providers you see.

In addition to chiropractic care, runners can also benefit from other forms of alternative medicine, such as massage therapy, acupuncture, and yoga. By combining these therapies with regular exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate rest, runners can achieve optimal health and performance.

Pediatric Chiropractic Care is a Specialized Form of Chiropractic Treatment

Pediatric chiropractic care is a specialized form of chiropractic treatment that focuses on the unique needs of children. It is a safe and effective way to address a variety of health issues in children, from colic to ear infections to scoliosis.

What is Pediatric Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care for children involves gentle adjustments to the spine and other joints in the body to help improve overall health and wellness. These adjustments are tailored to the child’s age, size, and specific health concerns, and are performed by a licensed and experienced pediatric chiropractor.

 

Benefits of Pediatric Chiropractic Care

One of the key benefits of pediatric chiropractic care is that it is non-invasive and drug-free. This means that children can receive treatment without the need for potentially harmful medications or surgeries. Additionally, chiropractic care can help improve a child’s overall immune function, which can help reduce the frequency and severity of illnesses.

Pediatric chiropractic care can also help children with a variety of developmental issues, such as delayed speech or motor development. By improving the alignment of the spine and other joints in the body, chiropractic adjustments can help improve nerve function and communication between the brain and the rest of the body.

Is Pediatric Chiropractic Care Safe?

Some parents may be hesitant to consider chiropractic care for their children due to concerns about safety. However, it is important to note that pediatric chiropractors are highly trained and skilled in working with children of all ages. They use specialized techniques and tools to ensure that adjustments are safe and gentle, and they always prioritize the well-being of the child.

If you are considering pediatric chiropractic care for your child, it is important to choose a licensed and experienced pediatric chiropractor. They will be able to assess your child’s specific needs and develop a treatment plan that is tailored to their unique health concerns.

Should Your Child Get Chiropractic Care?

Overall, pediatric chiropractic care can be a safe and effective way to address a variety of health issues in children. By improving alignment and nerve function in the body, chiropractic adjustments can help improve overall health and wellness, and may even help reduce the need for medications or surgeries.

Chiropractic Adjustment

Chiropractic for Allergies: Can It Help?

Allergies are a common health problem that affect millions of people worldwide. Symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and congestion can be bothersome and interfere with daily activities. While many people turn to medication to manage their allergies, others seek alternative treatments such as chiropractic care. In this blog post, we’ll explore the use of chiropractic for allergies and whether it can provide relief.

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine. Chiropractors use a variety of techniques, including spinal adjustments, to improve the function of the nervous system and promote the body’s natural healing process.

Chiropractic for Allergies

The idea behind chiropractic for allergies is that by restoring proper alignment and function to the spine, the nervous system can better communicate with the immune system. It is believed that misalignments in the spine (also known as subluxations) can interfere with the nervous system’s ability to regulate immune responses, leading to an overreaction to allergens.

Chiropractors who specialize in allergy treatment may use a variety of techniques, including spinal adjustments, dietary changes, and supplements, to help relieve allergy symptoms. They may also use other modalities such as massage, acupuncture, and physical therapy.

Does Chiropractic Work for Allergies?

While there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that chiropractic can help with allergies, there is limited scientific research to support its effectiveness. A 2010 review of the literature found that there was insufficient evidence to support the use of spinal manipulation for allergic diseases. However, the review did suggest that spinal manipulation may have a beneficial effect on immune function.

It is important to note that allergies are a complex condition that can have a variety of causes. Chiropractic care may be beneficial for some people with allergies, but it may not be effective for everyone. It is important to speak with a qualified chiropractor and medical professional to determine if chiropractic is a suitable treatment option for your specific case.

In addition to seeking chiropractic care, people with allergies should also take steps to avoid allergens, such as dust, pollen, and pet dander. This may include using air purifiers, washing bedding regularly, and avoiding outdoor activities during peak pollen season.

Conclusion

Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine that can be used to help relieve allergy symptoms. While there is limited scientific research to support its effectiveness, some people have reported relief from their allergy symptoms after receiving chiropractic care. If you are considering chiropractic for allergies, it is important to speak with a qualified chiropractor and medical professional to determine if it is a suitable treatment option for your specific case.

1. They don’t do an a assessment or initial visit

Chiropractors are legally responsible for gathering your health information and assessing you before starting care. This means you should fill out paperwork, sit down and have some form of a discussion pertaining to why you are there before the adjustment occurs.

2. The chiropractor does everything but adjust you

The main job of a chiropractor is to find interference in the nervous system and adjust it based on your diagnostic findings. If you go to the chiropractor and they are stretching, massaging, taping, etc, but no actually adjusting occurs you should be concerned. All of these modalities are great in conjunct with chiropractic, but adjusting is what Chiropractors are trained to do.

3. Your chiropractor is ONLY concerned with getting you out of pain

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because it is one of the main reasons people go see a chiropractor. It does however show the chiropractor is either not aware of or choses not to focus on the importance of solving the problem for what got you in this situation to begin with. Usually, it can be structural but it’s also important to look at work and life habits to begin to solve the problem and ask the question “Why did this happen now”. During your care, your chiropractor should discuss health/life goals you are looking to achieve. This is important because your chiropractor should have the tools or resources available to help you achieve health goals, other than just getting out of pain.

4. Your chiropractor doesn’t track your progress

If you have been getting consistent care your chiropractor should have performed a Progress Examination. This is where they can see how you are progressing and share the results with you. This is important because if the care is not working, another technique, chiropractor, or professional should be implemented.

10 Signs You Need to See a Chiropractor

1. You notice postural imbalances in your body

These asymmetries can show up as one shoulder being higher than the other, rotated hips or even a crooked nose. Chiropractors are trained in seeing misalignments in the body and work to restore balance in the structure.

2. Your body feels like it is not running at it’s best

A less than optimally functioning nervous system can be one cause of fatigue, aches and pain, headaches, etc. A goal of most chiropractors is to help remove nerve interference to the
nervous system, and in turn increase the function of the body.

3. You sit often

Sitting can put a lot of abnormal stress on our bodies. A chiropractor can help unwind this tension and some can provide exercises/stretches to do throughout the day.

4. The soles of your shoes wear out differently

One heel might be more worn than the other, or at an angle. This is a tell tell sign that some-thing in the structure of your body is off.

5. You have limited range of motion

If you have trouble bending or experience tightness during stretching a chiropractor may be able to help. Sometimes this is due to a structural misalignment leading to tight muscles.

6. You are active

If you run a lot, or want to maintain an active lifestyle, getting adjusted is an important way to make sure your body is moving properly.

7. You have had physical trauma

Whether you got in a car crash, or have played sport, both micro and macro trauma adds up in the body. This trauma can lead to structural imbalances and degenerative conditions.

8. You want to live a more health conscious life

Chiropractors are full of knowledge of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Most of them are vitalistically minded, meaning they recognize the bodies ability to heal and work to help the body express the innate potential within.

9. You experience tingling in an arm or leg

A lot of times this can be contributed to a pinched nerve. A chiropractor is trained in finding the root cause and addressing it.

10. You have a lot of stress

Chiropractors can help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and reducing stress.

Best Ways to Minimize Back Pain at Work

Have you ever heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking”? Well it is true, humans sit more than ever. Our bodies were made to move, not to live in stagnation. Most of us work a desk job sitting for 7+ hours. This posture can lead to a variety of abnormalities which eventually can be a cause of pain in the back.

When seated our hip flexors are in a contracted state, there is usually forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and tense low back muscles. There are several different exercises, postural awareness, and ergonomics changes that can be implemented to prevent, manage, and improve pain from chronic sitting.

First, it is important to become aware of how one is seated. Making sure to keep your shoulders back and head in line with your shoulders. Often times, people are slouched over which can be a possible cause of headaches. It is also important to not sit on a wallet or have crossed legs. Over time, this can lead to one hip being higher than the other which can put pressure on the nerves of the low back and lead to pain. Muscles that most likely need stretched are hip flexors, pec major, and SCM all of which stretches can be googled for. Muscles that possibly need strengthened are are glutes, and rhomboids. Be sure to check in with your chiropractor/healthcare provider before implementing any new exercises or stretches. If the office space allows, it is also helpful to get a standing desk or to sit on an exercise ball. Take walks during breaks, get outside, stretch every 30 minutes and take deep breathes. All of these things can help rewire and reignite the brain/ body.

Remember our bodies are designed to move. A healthy spine leads to a healthy life. Get up, move your body, go see a chiropractor, get some sunshine, and the conquer the day!

Can you only see a chiropractor for back pain?

Back pain is one of the main reasons someone may think to go to the chiropractor, but is not the only thing chiropractic can improve. Chiropractic helps remove interference from the nervous system, allowing it to function better. The nervous system innervates, skin, muscle, joints, organs, everything in the body to be exact. Without this communication from the brain through the nerves, to the rest of the body we would not function. Removing the interference from the nervous system and improving its function can in turn help a wide array of issues. These issues can include but are not limited to, migraines, thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel, and sciatica. Chiropractors can also adjust more than just the spine. Anywhere on the body that has a moveable joint can be adjusted. This means chiropractors can adjust feet, ankles. knees, elbows, etc. There are even chiropractors who adjust the sutures of the skull.

There can be a lot of secondary benefits of chiropractic due to the stimulation of the nervous system. For example, patients sometimes see a decrease in anxiety. This is due to the fact that certain adjustments can stimulate what is known as the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for putting the body in a relaxed state. Each segment of the spine has nerves that come out and control certain areas of the body. For example, one of the vertebrae in the top of the spine can help the sinuses drain if you have allergies or a cold. Removal of nerve interference is essential to make sure the body is functioning at it’s best.

chiropractic benefits

How often should you go to a chiropractor?

The frequency of visits is going to depend from person to person. This will depend on a couple factors such as: severity of condition, amount of time the condition has been present, and how well the body responds to adjustments. Each person requires a specific care plan and therefore the amount of visit and frequency will vary anywhere from twice a week, every other week, once a month, etc.

The severity of a condition refers to what state the body is in? Has the patient had many injuries? Do they have neurological findings? Is there degeneration or change in the tissue? All of these different factors, and more must be considered to determine how severe a condition is. Usually the more severe, the greater amount of visits are required.

Another consideration is how long has the condition been present. It is important to realize as we age we experience various traumas through our life. No matter how big or small our nervous system keeps records of them. These traumas can add up and outwardly express as postural imbalances, neurological deficiencies, muscular tightness, etc.

Finally, how well a patient responds to adjustments is another determining factor in frequency of visits. This can be effected by stress, hydration, medications, and joint mobility.

As a patient progresses through stages of care and achieves specific outcomes the frequency of visits will change. How long this takes again varies from patient to patient. The number of visits can also increase if someone has a major change in their life such as an accident or large stressor. The good thing is after receiving consistent chiropractic care people usually tend to bounce back to their precious state faster after an injury or trauma.

healthy-chirldren

Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Kids?

Most people have seen a chiropractic adjustment performed on an adult, consisting of pops and cracks. An adjustment on a child often looks much different. Most pediatric adjustments have no more force than what it takes to bruise a peach. The adjustment also will not usually cause a popping sound. Infants and most children under the age of 3 do not need a physical force to be adjusted.

Why might a child need to get adjusted? The first and the most important reason is to make sure their nervous system is free and clear from any interference. A lot of times childbirth can be traumatic and cause various misalignments in the child’s body. For example, if the child was forcefully removed from the vaginal canal with forceps it can be very traumatic to the neck. It has been found that ear infections could possibly be correlated to this type of birth. This is why it is important to have a baby checked by a chiropractor as soon after birth as possible. There are various research articles and case studies mentioning how chiropractic can help with a variety of childhood issues such as colic, constipation, breast feeding, ADHD, sleeping through the night, developmental delays and much more.

There are many different chiropractic techniques with various research and case studies correlating to them. Some of the techniques include: ICPA, network spinal, craniosacral, Webster, and activator. All of these techniques are low force and some even use a handheld instrument. It can be helpful to check into what technique a chiropractor uses or find a pediatric specific chiropractor. Making sure a child’s nervous system is clear of interference gives them the best chance at growing up disease free!

Is Chiropractic Care Unsafe?

The fear of chiropractic being potentially dangerous is common among people. Most people fear being paralyzed, or having a stroke. Chiropractic has been around for more than a hundred years and the documented cases of a chiropractic injury have been extremely low, especially when compared to the number medical injuries. One study showed for patients aged 66-99 with “risk for a neuromusculoskeletal problem, risk of injury to the head, neck or trunk within 7 days was 76% lower among subjects with a chiropractic office visit as com-pared to those who saw a primary care physician” (Whedon).

Chiropractic is a gentle, natural way to improve nervous system function. When done properly, an adjustment should not take much force. In fact, one study showed the force it takes to sever the spinal cord is equivalent to the impact created by a 500-pound car crash-ing into a wall at 30 miles per hour (Pbs). Therefore the likeliness of a chiropractor hurting your spine and causing paralysis is very unlikely.

There are only a couple different scenarios when someone should not be adjusted. These include certain spinal injuries, severe degeneration, certain grade herniations. It is important that the chiropractor takes certain precautions with these patients such as X-rays and low force adjusting techniques. Another population that some may think can not go to the chiropractor are pediatrics and pregnant women. Kids can be adjusted as early as birth and it is extremely important to their wellbeing to do so. Pregnant women are also encouraged to get care throughout the entire pregnancy. In most cases, this helps the birth process and overall pregnancy go much smoother. Both of these populations are safe to receive low force adjustments.

Stay informed, do your research, and realize there are many false claims about every profession. When preparing to go to your chiropractor, make sure to tell them about any previous injuries, car accidents, surgeries, or conditions. You could even ask to observe an adjustment before receiving yours to help calm any nerves.

Whedon JM, Mackenzie TA, Phillips RB, Lurie JD. Risk of traumatic injury associated with chiropractic spinal manipulation in Medicare Part B beneficiaries aged 66 to 99 years. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2015 Feb 15;40(4):264-70. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000000725. PMID: 25494315; PMCID: PMC4326543.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/take-sever-human-spine