Common Dance Injuries
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Being in the Clear Lake area of Houston, TX, we are blessed to have several excellent dance studios for our children to learn a variety of dance forms. Over the last 30 years I have treated several hundred kids and young adults with a variety of injuries from different sports. The most common dance injuries that I have seen and had excellent results with are as a result of overuse and over training.
The most common injury that we treat is hip pain. The pain typically comes from hip flexor tendonitis or iliotibial band syndrome (ITB). This responds very well to soft tissue therapy and educating the dancers and their parents on how to proactively treat the problem.
The second most common injury that we see is injuries to the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint. These are treated with spinal manipulation and physical modalities (electrical stimulation, traction, ultrasound, and ice/heat). Afterwards the patient is given stabilization exercises to help prevent a reoccurrence of the problem.
The third most common complaint that we work on is injuries to the knee and ankle. The knee is typically a patellofemoral (around the kneecap) pain due to a muscle imbalance or a tendonitis. This responds well by making sure that all of the muscles on the front of the thigh (quadriceps) are equally stretched out. Typically one of the muscles will become dominant and tend to get tighter. This can lead also to patella (knee cap) tracking issues. The ankle is typically due to a joint dysfunction. This can cause muscles to be used incorrectly. This responds very well to joint mobilization and physical modalities to the related tendons.
Now that you know the common injuries and how they can be treated, we will discuss how to hopefully prevent the injury to begin with. First of all you need to warm-up before training and practice. Second you need to make sure that you get enough rest and don’t over train. Third you need to wear the proper shoes. Fourth you need to eat well and stay hydrated and finally you need to do cross training exercises to build up the endurance and strength in all parts of your body.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Natural Muscle Spasm Treatment
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: A common question that I get consistently from patients, old or young, male or female, athletic or a couch potato is what they can do for muscle spasm treatment. For the sake of this article I will call a muscle spasm a forceful, intermittent & involuntary contraction of a muscle. A cramp is a sustained muscle spasm.
A muscle spasm is usually due to a muscle sprain, exercise, a joint irritation, dehydration, metabolic disorders or just overall fatigue. A cramp is due to the same things plus inadequate blood supply, mineral depletion or nerve compression.
Muscle Spasm Treatment
When you feel a muscle spasm or cramp, stop what you are doing. Try and massage and stretch the affected muscle out. If the problem is due to an acute (new) injury or sprain then put ice on it for 20 minutes and then off for 40 minutes. You can repeat this multiple times, but remember that after 20 minutes you will have gotten the maximum therapeutic benefit from the ice. The ice will help reduce the inflammation and irritation of the muscle. If this is a chronic (older) issue then moist heat will be beneficial. Use the heat for the same amount of time as the ice. Make sure that you are properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Coffee, tea and sodas are diuretics and tend to lead towards dehydration as does alcohol. If the spasm is due to exercise or an injury then make sure to give the muscles time to heal by minimizing activity. If things get worse, please consult with a physician or chiropractor about sports related rehabilitation or chiropractic rehabilitation.
Certain mineral deficiencies, such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium can also lead to muscle cramps. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recommendations for every vitamin and mineral in your diet. For potassium, the USDA suggests eating 4,700 milligrams per day. Potassium-rich foods include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, soy, yogurt and tuna. Your calcium intake should equal 1,000 milligrams per day. Good sources of calcium include sardines, soy, leafy green vegetables and dairy. A healthy diet also includes 420 milligrams of magnesium per day. Foods high in magnesium include nuts, squash, bran and lima beans. Other vitamins that can have an effect on your muscle irritability are vitamin D, E, B-1 & B-7. These all can help naturally treat muscle spasms.
Your Clear Lake Houston chiropractic Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Low Back Pain and Excessive Weight
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Two things that are epidemic in the U.S. are low back pain and obesity (being overweight). The two go hand-in-hand and while excessive weight may not be the only cause of your pain, it does makes matters worse by aggravating your pain through increased loading the disks of the low back. In addition, most people with low back pain or who are excessively heavy are also very inactive.
The first step is to perform movements that don’t increase pain. For most people, walking can still be done. If your back hurts when you walk or you are so heavy, that walking causes your knees to ache, then you may need to start by walking in a pool. The important thing is to get moving because weight-loss will be helped if you can burn more calories. Walking will also improve the strength of your low back muscles, which may lessen your pain, making exercise more possible.
Over the years, the gradual increase in our waist size just sort of creeps up on us. When our back begins to give way, we then realize what a barrier being overweight has become.
Getting rid of your excessive weight is a simple formula of burning more calories than you consume. But, losing weight is not easy. Your genes will tell you to consume more because eating less than you need in a given day is not life sustaining. If you ate 500 less calories than you need each day, after a year or so, you’d be down to 80 or 90 pounds (depending on where you began) and eventually you would die. This is what you are up against when you’re losing weight. The body tells you “don’t do this” and gives you the craving to eat what you need. Despite this self-preservation mechanism, losing weight is possible and getting down to a proper weight is doable. For some people, psychological issues may be more at play. Do you eat to cover up or distract you from pain or anxiety? Are you really hungry, or has eating become a way to compensate for something more painful or difficult to confront?
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Benefits of Using Rocktape™
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Houston Chiropractor Comments: Since I started using Rocktape in my office, the most common question I get is “What is that?” Rocktape is a kinesiology (the study of movement) tape that is stretchy as opposed to rigid. It is
used to help reduce swelling, decrease pain and allow full range of motion of a joint. It is different than the old rigid tape that our high school trainers used to tape our ankles and wrists. The second question that I get is “How does it work?” It works on the body by improving lymph and blood flow to the taped area, it allows the sliding and gliding 
between tissue layers and it alters the perception of pain while improving body awareness.
Kinesiology taping began in the late 1970’s by a Japanese chiropractor named Dr. Kenzo Kase. Most people first became aware of the tape by Lance Armstrong when he was winning his 7 Tour de France’s. Other people became aware of it in the 2008 Olympics when volleyball player Kerri Walsh was shown using it on television. It is currently used by athletes, weekend warriors and active people.
I became a believer in the taping when I tore my calf muscle 2 years ago. With the correct IASTM muscle work and the Rocktape, I was able to get back running without prolonged issues. In my office we use Rocktape on acute neck and back injuries as well as knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries.
Rocktape can be used for several days at a time without the need to reapply the tape. You can shower and even swim without worrying about the tape coming off. An additional benefit is that you can purchase a roll of tape and apply it yourself with proper instruction.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Fitness Advice for 2010!
Friendswood Area Chiropractor Comments: The New Year is upon us and if you are like most, you could be eating a little better and exercising a little more – and smarter! Who hasn’t been a little lazy and eaten a few things they shouldn’t over the holidays?
Or maybe you’d like to start eating right and exercising for the first time – and want to do it right…injury free. Either way, the free information below will be very helpful and valuable to you. And it is FREE! There is a list of 9 great websites you can go to and get all kinds of information about exercise, eating right, staying healthy naturally and more. Isn’t it great to have good, free information right at your finger-tips to make things so much easier? And whether you are a rookie beginner or a seasoned pro, it is always a good idea to get a pre-injury evaluation with us. This helps detect any minor problems you may have that can become major issues if an exercise program is started or escalated. To get your pre-injury evaluation, simply call my office at 281-286-1300 and Lydia or Kelsey will schedule the time that works best for both of us.
9 Websites To Help You Lose Weight,
Be Healthier And Feel Wonderful In 2010
- Workoutz.com – Tons of great free workout videos – with new videos and advice added all the time.
- Fitnessonline.com – Free topics include: Lose weight, build muscle, eat healthy, pregnancy fitness, fitness calculators and free newsletters.
- Mercola.com – One of the most visited natural health sites on the internet.
- Fitnessmagazine.com – Healthy recipes, weight loss, health, beauty.
- Crossfit.com – Effective and fun training for beginners up to professional athletes.
- Bodyrock.tv – Videos for women interested in having a serious beach body by summer!
- Menshealth.com – Provides information and tips on fitness, health, career, relationships, nutrition, recipes, weight-loss and muscle building.
- Nutritiondata.com – Tons of free nutrition tools and information.
- Videofiness.com – Fitness video reviews, forums to discuss and meet like-minded people, video exchange.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
