S. Elgin Chiro says backpacks may equal pain

As parents, we are focused on providing the very best for our children. As we send them off to school, our intention is no different.

We are often told that carrying a bag of books on one shoulder is bad for posture. So, we confidently turn to the 2-strap backpack thinking we are taking stress off the little ones’ backs.

However, contrary to popular belief, these backpacks can be just as bad for the health of your children’s spines. When worn improperly or packed too heavily, even the 2-strap backpack can negatively affect the neck, shoulders, upper back and lower back.1

In a 2003 article published in SpineJournal, researchers revealed that out of 1122 backpack users, 74.4% suffered back pain. When compared with adolescents who had no back pain, adolescents with back pain carried significantly heavier backpacks compared to their body weights. These facts led the researchers to conclude “the use of backpacks, and especially the backpacks carrying heavier loads, was independently related to the incidence of back pain in adolescent students.”2

In another study, researchers found backpack weight was effective in predicting back pain in a sample of 3,498 students in California. They also found that girls and students who walk to and from school were more likely to report back pain. When the severity of pain was taken into account, older age, walking to and from school, and method of wear were all statistically significant.3

Knowing the harmful effects of a backpack on a child’s musculoskeletal health, what can parents do?

According to the Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) and the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), the idea is to “Pack it Light, and Wear it Right.” Both the CCA and the ACA agree on the following recommendations regarding the choice, packing, and carrying of backpacks.4,5

1. Choosing a Backpack

An important factor is the size of the backpack relative to the size of the child. The top of the backpack should not extend higher than the top of the shoulder, and the bottom should not fall below the top of the hipbone.

The backpack ought to be as light as possible – made from materials such as nylon or vinyl instead of leather.

The shoulder straps should be at least two inches wide, adjustable and padded. The straps themselves must leave ample room for movement of the arms. The back portion of the backpack should also be padded for protection and comfort.

Backpacks should always include a hip strap or waist belt. This redistributes as much as 50 to 70 percent of the backpack weight to the pelvis, which decreases the load on the upper back, neck and shoulders.

Choosing a backpack with several individual pockets instead of one large compartment makes it easier to prop-erly distribute the weight. Another option is to use a backpack-style carrier with wheels and a pull handle for easy rolling.

2. Packing a Backpack

The total weight of the backpack plus its contents should never exceed 15 per cent of a person’s body weight (e.g., a 90-pound child should not carry more than 14 pounds in a backpack). For elementary-aged children, reduce this number to below 10 percent of their body weight.

Pack contents so the weight is evenly distributed in the backpack. Place heavier items closer to the body. This reduces the pulling effect on the shoulder straps. It also makes it easier for the child to maintain balance without leaning forward.

To help stay under the recommended load, only pack items needed for that day. Load odd-shaped items on the outside to prevent them from digging into your child’s back.

3. Carrying a Backpack

Both shoulder straps should be adjusted so the pack fits snugly to the body but not too tight. A parent’s hand should be able to slide between the backpack and the child’s back. Always fasten hip straps.

If you’re still not sure what to do, ask  chiropractor Dr Schening for advice. In addition to helping fix spinal misalignments caused by an improperly fitting back-pack, Chiropractor Dr. Schening of Life Time Health and Wellness can help prevent these problems from happening in the first place.

References and Sources:

1. Whittfield J, Legg SJ, HedderleyDI. Schoolbag weight and musculo-skeletal symptoms in New Zealand secondary schools – Applied Ergonomics2005: 36(2): 193-8.2. Sheir-Neiss GI, Kruse RW, RahmanT, Jacobson LP & Pelli JA. The Association of Backpack Use and Back Pain in Adolescents – Spine Journal 2003; 28(9): 922-930.3. Siambanes D, Martinez JW, ButlerEW & Haider T. Influence of School Backpacks on Adolescent Back Pain. – J Pediatr Orthop 2004;24(2): 211-217.4. Pack It Light, Wear It Right – Canadian Chiropractic Association publication.5. Backpack Misuse Leads to Chronic Back Pain, Doctors of Chiropractic Say – AmericanChiropractic Association.

South Elgin Chiropractor Can Help Whiplash

The traffic light ahead turns red. You bring your vehicle to a stop. Then BANG! Your head snaps forward then backward. Your car is hurtled a foot into the intersection. You realize almost immediately what just happened. Your vehicle was rear ended. Other than being startled by the event, you’re okay… or are you? Despite feeling fine, you may have just received a common and sometimes serious injury: whiplash. Your chiropractor here in South Elgin can tell you that it’s often a deceiving injury.Whiplash Damage When your vehicle is rear ended, your neck can get stretched beyond its natural range of motion. Whiplash can occur at speeds as low as 5 mph.

You may feel pain quickly or you may not develop symptoms for several hours, weeks, or months. Your neck (cervical spine) contains muscles, ligaments, tendons, discs, joints and nerves confined to a relatively small area. And whiplash can injure all these body components. Although it happens most frequently in rear-end vehicle collisions, whiplash can occur in other situations – especiallyin the sports of football, gymnastics, boxing and contact martial arts. Besides the neck and upper back, pain from a whiplash may extend into other areas of the body, such as the arms and shoulders. You may also suffer muscle stiffness, burning or tingling sensations as well as headaches and numbness. Even if you don’t have any immediate whiplash symptoms, you should visit your South Elgin chiropractor as soon as possible.

What Can Affect Whiplash Recovery? The severity of your whiplash and recovery from it depends on many factors. Your age, sex, physical condition, and posture can have a major effect on the acuteness and length of symptoms. As you age, you lose flexibility and strength in your neck, disc and ligaments. This is why older adults may require more extensive rehabilitation for this injury. Women suffer whiplash more than men. Experts believe this could be because men have stronger neck muscles and women have smaller bone structures. Health conditions like arthritis and previous whiplash injuries can play a role. If you’re a smoker or you don’t exercise, your chances of healing quickly are reduced. Poor posture at the time of impact can worsen whiplash. If your driver seat’s headrest is not at the appropriate height, you may endure a more intense injury.

How Does This South Elgin Chiropractor Treat Whiplash? So what action will your chiropractor take when you arrive with a possible whiplash injury? Your chiropractor will conduct an exam to determine the extent of any injuries and may request x-rays to get a better look at the damage.If whiplash is confirmed, chiropractors may use a number of techniques to restore proper function to the affected areas. They may use adjustments to reduce constriction in the joints and improve mobility. They may also employ techniques to relax and gently stretch the muscles. Applying pressure to specific trigger points on the body helps relieve pain and can restore injured areas to their normal state. Your chiropractor may also get you to perform specific exercises and stretches during the healing process. Exercises can help stabilize and improve co-ordi-nation in the neck and prevent improper movement. Most whiplash cases are resolved within a few weeks. However, some people may endure symptoms well beyond this period. Fortunately, research has shown that chiropractic is an extremely effective approach to healing whiplash. In a study conducted by the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine, researchers found 74% of those people in the study treated for whiplash with chiropractic care showed improvement. The researchers proclaimed, “The results from this study provide further evidence that chiropractic is an effective treatment for chronic whiplash symptoms.”1 The researchers also noted that other treatments for whiplash were disappointing.1Preventing Whiplash There are steps you can take to minimize the risk of whiplash. Make sure your vehicle’s headrests are in the right position. The center back of your head should touch the center of the headrest or higher. When engaging in sports, you should always use appropriate and proper-fitting equipment.If you know someone who has suffered whiplash, tell him or her that chiropractic care can make a person feel a whole lot better!

References and Sources:[1] A symptomatic classification of whiplash injury and the implications for treatment.Khan S, Cook J, Gargan M, Bannister G., Journal of Orthopedic Medicine 1999;21(1):22-25.Chiropractic treatment of chronic whiplash injuries – Woodward MN, Cook JCH, Gargan MF, Bannister GC. Injury 1996;27:643-645.Motion Analysis of Cervical Vertebrae During Whiplash Loading – Spine: 15 April 1999 – Volume 24 – Issue 8 – pp 763-769

Chiropractor South Elgin shares intermediate level abdominal exercise.

Involves no equipment.
This exercise works the abdominal, oblique internal/external, iliopsoa muscles.
The purpose is to increase abdominal strength and muscular endurance.
The benefits include improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin lying on floor.
Lift knees so that a 90º position is attained at hip and knees. Place hands beside ears. Activate core.
Lift shoulder off floor approximately 6 inches attempting to bring elbow toward opposite opposite knee so that both simultaneously meet.

Return to start position and repeat on opposite side. Continue alternating sides until recommended repetitions are complete.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Auto Accidents

auto-accidents-pic
55% of auto accidents result in an injury each year. Pain from car crashes can become worse over time.

South Elgin Chiropractor Links Obesity to Low Back Pain

Low back pain has been recognized

as a problem of epidemic proportions.

It’s estimated that approximately 80%

of the North American population will

experience debilitating back pain at

some point in their adult lives.1 It’s no

surprise that more and more people are

seeking chiropractors to find relief.

What’s even more alarming is the

apparent link between the incidence of

low back pain and obesity. According

to the American Obesity Association,

64.5% of adult Americans (about 127

million) are considered overweight or

obese.2 Recent evidence suggests that

obesity seriously impacts the musculoskeletal

system, increasing the risk of

low back pain as well as osteoarthritis,

spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc

disease and spinal stenosis.3 One study

in particular showed that people who

underwent surgery to help them lose

weight also experienced less low back

pain. 4

Causes and Effects of

Obesity and Back Pain

Some studies suggest that the link

between obesity and low back pain is

inconclusive.5 But they’re several

obvious reasons why an obese person

would experience more of this type of

pain.

First, we should look at the common

causes of obesity.

If we exclude certain

genetic or hormonal diseases, we

discover North American obesity is

primarily related to poor nutrition and

lack of exercise. Our meals are often

high in saturated fat and low in essential

fatty acids. This leaves us prone to

inflammatory states like arthritis. The

large amounts of caffeine we consume

also robs the skeleton of its bonebuilding

calcium.6 And if we take into

account our sedentary lifestyle, the

body lacks the necessary weightbearing

effects to maintain a fortified

skeletal structure. The result is an

increased incidence of osteoporosis and

bone fractures.As a person packs on more weight,

moving around becomes difficult.

Therefore, many obese people choose

to remain inactive. But this leads to big

problems. Lack of movement in the

joints can accelerate degenerative

changes, which are seen in cases of

osteoarthritis. If an obese person does

remain active, the extra body weight

puts additional stress and strain on the

muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.

Postural changes are also common in

obese people, usually caused by

carrying extra weight in their abdomen.

As the size of the mid-section

increases, the person’s center of gravity

shifts forward and the lower back curve

is exaggerated to accommodate for

these changes. This adds more compressive

loads on the joints of the lower

back, increasing the risk of subluxation

and pain.

This South Elgin Chiropractor

Gives Tips On What You Can Do

About Weight Problems.

When faced with any health issue, the

first thing you should do is consult with

healthcare professionals. Your medical

doctor can order blood tests to rule out

hormonal imbalances or genetic

metabolic disorders. Your South Elgin

chiropractor is knowledgeable in nutrition and

exercise and is an excellent source for

help in these areas.

Secondly, take control of the two

most powerful factors controlling your

body weight: diet and exercise. Portion

control is one of the easiest ways to

reduce excess body fat. Eat slowly and

stop consuming when you’re no longer

hungry. Eating because your body

needs the fuel is different than eating

because you enjoy the food.

Think of the body as a machine with

moving parts, and give it the right fuel

to keep the engine running smoothly.

Before starting an exercise program,

also check with your chiropractor.

Weeks, months or years of

inactivity can leave your body too

weak to pick up where you left off.

Consider hiring a personal trainer. If

cost is a factor, have the trainer design

a starting program that you can do on

your own, then update the program

every six weeks or so. This gives you

the best chance for continued progress,

and keeps you more interested as your

exercise routine varies.

Above all else, keep a positive mental

attitude. Read about people who have

achieved what you’re setting out to do,

and tell yourself,

If they did it, so can I!”

Value your health, and experience

how the aches and pains get less and

less as your body gets lighter and

References and Sources:
1. Skinner HB. Current Diagnosis &
Treatment in Orthopedics.
Lange Medical Books. New York;
2000.
2. AOA Fact Sheets. 2002.
American Obesity Association.
http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfac
ts/aoafactsheets.shtml
3. Silveri CP & Spinasanta S.
Back pain and obesity: connection
to back pain and the development
of obesity.
4. Melissas J, Volakakis E,
Hadjipavlou A. Low back pain in
morbidly obese patients and the
effect of weight loss following
surgery.
Obes Surg. 2003;13:389–393.
5. Mirtz TA & Greene L. Is obesity a
risk factor for low back pain? An
example of using the evidence to
answer a clinical question.
Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2005; 13(2).
Online source:
http://www.chiroandosteo.com/con
tent/13/1/2/ABSTRACT%3CSCRIPT/
comments.
6. Hernandez-Avila M, Stampfer MJ,
Ravnikar VA, Willett WC, Schiff I,
Francis M, Longcope C, McKinlay
SM. Caffeine and other predictors
of bone density among pre-and
peri-menopausal women.
Epidemiology 1993 Mar; 4(2):
128-34.

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY STRONGLY LINKED TO DIABETES AND HEART DISEASE

A new study published in Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity looks at the impact of Vitamin D deficiency on diabetes and cardiovascular risk, and says more research is definitely warranted.

The study connects the well-known worldwide prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency to rising incidences of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, as well as cancer, autoimmune and dental diseases.

Reviewing all relevant literature shows plausible molecular mechanisms of the role played by Vitamin D, leading the researchers to conclude that “treatment with Vitamin D supplements appears to be an effective and inexpensive treatment that deserves to be explored.”

The background that inspired the new study states: “Vitamin D deficiency is newly recognized as a common condition of increasing prevalence worldwide. Clinically, Vitamin D has an established role in calcium and bone metabolism and has recently been shown to be associated with increased risk of developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as with cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and obesity.”

The exact molecular mechanisms that connect all the dots are still not fully understood. But the active metabolite of vitamin D regulates numerous genetic effects, obviating its connection to diabetes and other disease states.

Presently, there are no recommendations to screen for Vitamin D deficiency. But there are many known risk factors:

Lack/reduced sun exposure
Nutritional/absorptive problems
Reduced Vitamin D synthesis
Reduced bioavailability
Increased requirements
Medications that accelerate conversion of Vitamin D to inactive metabolites

Although Vitamin D deficiency is frequently unrecognized clinically, here at Lifetime Health and Wellness we know that laboratory measurement is easy to perform and treatment of Vitamin D deficiency is relatively well tolerated and inexpensive, the study says. Rising vitamin D deficiency and the many health-related conditions associated with it suggest the need for appropriate Vitamin D supplementation.

SOURCE: Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity, April 2010 http://journals.lww.com/co-endocrinology/Fulltext/2010/04000/The_impact_of_vitamin_D_deficiency_on_diabetes_and.3.aspx

Chiropractor South Elgin shares low back exercises for beginners.

Here is a simple exercises that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the multifidus, erector spinae, transverse abdominus, oblique muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to Increase low back strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention

Begin lying on your back.
Extend arms above head flat on floor.
Activate core and lift knees above hips and maintain a 90/90 hip and knee position.
Activate core.
Lift one arm off the floor and raise it towards ceiling until above shoulder level while simultaneously extending one leg downward towards floor.
Pause momentarily.
Return to start position, alternating sides.
Core activation should be maintained throughout entire exercise.
Repeat for recommended repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Disc Pain

disc-pain-pic
Disc pain can wreak havoc if not treated properly. At Corona Physical Medicine, we have years of experience treating disc pain.

South Elgin Chiropractor shares ankle exercises for beginners.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the peroneus longus/brevis, tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, gastrocnemius, soleus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to improve muscular endurance, ankle strength, and proprioception.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.


Begin seated in a chair with good posture.
Extend leg.
Attempt to write alphabet from A through Z with toes, moving ankle in all directions.
Repeat for prescribed sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Back Pain and Headache Help in S. Elgin

Can Back Pain Really
Be“All In Our Heads”?
Researchers analyzed a survey
distributed to college students to find
out the prevalence of back pain in this
population. The survey revealed up to
38% of the students reported having
significant back pain within the previous
school year.
Of the students with back pain,
researchers found that only psychosocial
factors remained statistically
significant as being associated with the
symptoms. In the end, it appeared that
chronic fatigue or emotionally-abusive
relationships were the most strongly
associated with their back pain.3
Dr Schening your South Elgin  chiropractor knows that
life-stress can be a significant cause of
muscle tension and subluxations.
Chiropractic adjustments help relieve
tension throughout the body and reduce
fatigue associated with it.

The “Pop” and Pain
Relief
Researchers wanted to know whether
the pop heard during the chiropractic
adjustment really makes any difference
to the level of pain relief perceived by
the patient versus when no noise was
heard during the adjustment.
The researchers enlisted 40
asymptomatic patients and first tested
them for thermal pain sensitivity on
their legs and lower backs to create
baseline values. Then, the patients
underwent a lumbar adjustment. For
some, the audible pop was associated
with the movement and for others it
was not. All subjects were then
re-tested for thermal sensitivity.

The results may surprise you.
Researchers found that there was a
significant reduction in thermal pain
sensitivity after the lumbar adjustment,
whether or not a sound was heard
during the maneuver!4 So, you don’t
need to hear a pop to know that the
chiropractic adjustment is helping you.

References and Sources:

2. Weber Hellstenius, SA.
Recurrent Neck Pain and
Headaches in Preadolescents
Associated with Mechanical
Dysfunction of the Cervical Spine:
A Cross-Sectional Observational
Study With 131 Students. JMPT
2009 (Oct.); 32(8): 625-634.
3. Gilkey DP, Keefe TJ, Peel JL,
Kassab OM & Kennedy CA. Risk
Factors Associated With Back
Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study of
963 College Students. JMPT 2010
(Feb.); 33(2): 88-95.
4. Bialosky JE, Bishop MD,
Robinson ME & George SZ. The
Relationship of the Audible Pop to
Hypoalgesia Associated With
High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude
Thrust Manipulation: A Secondary
Analysis of an Experimental Study
in Pain-Free Participants. JMPT
2010; 33: 117-124.