Fort Myers Chiropractor.com

Back pain is a common ailment, suffered by up to 80% of the population at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, because the back is such a complex structure, many people are unsure what has caused their pain and what to do about it. Adding to the confusion is often conflicting reports in the media about what preventative and at-home treatments work. So how does one know what to do? It is first important to understand the spine, the most common injuries, and where to turn for help.

About The Back

The spine is a column of 24 bones (vertebrae), cushion by spinal discs, and moved and supported by muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Built into these bones are openings top to bottom and through each side. Through these openings pass most of the body’s nerves — from the brain to all of the body’s tissues and organs. The spine itself is divided into four main sections — cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacrum/coccyx (tailbone). The lower back, or lumbar region, is where most back pain is felt.

Common causes of back pain are:

Muscle fatigue can be caused by many factors — either as an accumulation of factors over a period of time or as a result of a single activity for which your body was not prepared. The more common factors include:
Improper posture.
Incorrect lifting techniques.
Repetitive twisting, bending, or reaching.

Sprains and strains from injuries and/or trauma. Symptoms of back sprain or strain generally include:
Muscle spasms, cramps, and stiffness. Pain aggravated by weight bearing or specific movements, which is relieved by rest.

Disc problems and arthritis from repetitive trauma of bending, lifting, old injuries, and heredity. Symptoms can include:
Progressive or persistent back and/or leg pain.
Extremity numbness or tingling.
Increased pain or coughing, sneezing, or laughing.

Sciatica is caused when the sciatic nerve, which runs down the length of both legs, is compressed or inflamed. The nerve can be irritated by things such as an injury to the low back or by sitting too long on a lumpy object (such as a wallet). Symptoms of sciatica include:
Pain that runs from the low back to the back of the leg toward the toes.
Pain worsened by activities that add pressure to the spine — such as laughing, coughing, sneezing.

Beating Back Pain:

There is no way to predict accidents but there are things that you can do to strengthen your back and reduce the risk of muscle fatigue, sprain, strain, disc problems or sciatica.
Where non-slip shoes.
Avoid long hours in one posture (whether sitting, standing, or sleeping).
Drive defensively.
Use ladders when reaching high places (rather than chairs, boxes, or other objects not intended for standing).
Exercise. Active, aerobically fit individuals have fewer back injuries, miss fewer workdays, and report fewer back pain symptoms.
Quit smoking. Some evidence suggests that smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to have lower back pain.
Proper bending and lifting techniques.

Chiropractic and Back Pain

Chiropractic examination is thorough and may include:
A complete medical history, including previous treatments and other factors that may play a role in the current case.
X-rays or other imaging tests (if clinically necessary).
Tests of range of motion, strength, coordination, posture, and others.
Physical examination, including (but not limited to) orthopedic and neurologic testing, laboratory work-ups, etc.
Palpation (examination by touch).

Chiropractic treatment will be based on the results of all tests performed. Because each case is different, each person’s treatment is different. All chiropractic modalities are non-invasive (do not pierce the skin), drugless, and promote overall health. Treatments commonly used in the chiropractic office included (but are not limited to):
The treatment most unique to chiropractic is spinal adjustment or manipulation. The Doctor of Chiropractic often, but not always, performs this method of care manually. Each adjustment is chosen following careful examination and should never be performed by someone who has not been thoroughly educated, trained and licensed in this procedure. The purpose of the adjustment/manipulation is to improve alignment of spinal structures as they relate to the nervous system, which will result in a relief of pain, improved function, and a reduction of inflammation. For back pain, adjustments may be applied to the spine, but if pain radiates to or affects other locations, those sites may be adjusted as well.
Therapies such as electrical muscle stimulation, massage, application of heat or ice, ultrasound, or others may be used.
The Doctor of Chiropractic will incorporate advice on appropriate exercise, posture, diet and nutrition, and other lifestyle factors that can play a role in health and healing.

To hasten your recovery from back pain — and to prevent re-injury — follow all of your chiropractors recommendations, including follow-up visits and prescribed rest and exercise. And when you have questions, ASK! Your active participation in your care is an essential component to your chiropractic treatment.

www.DrRobWatkins.com

Our cars are like our favorite shoes. We use them often to get us from place to place. But many forget that cars can be dangerous if not respected for their potential danger. I’m not talking about drinking and driving or road rage, but the dangers inherent in our cars that we may not even be aware of. I am talking about airbags.

Some picture an airbag as a soft pillow that is quickly placed in front of you moments before an auto accident. Although airbags save many lives, they can be very dangerous. Airbags deploy in 1/20 of a second which is about 160 mph, faster than you can blink your eyes. A controlled explosive device is necessary to inflate the bag at this speed creating quite a hard surface to strike.

Though airbags save many lives, they often cause a variety of injuries. Most injuries are friction burns from the bag itself scrubbing the arms of the driver when it deploys, but fractures of wrists and arms occur as well.

In the video above I talk about the potential for serious injury due to the improper position of the front seat passenger. Propping your feet up on the dash could pretty much guarantee you severe lower extremity or leg fractures with any airbag deployment. Even if an emergency stop was made while a passenger was in this position and the airbag did not go off, the angle and the direction of the passenger’s weight would cause them to slide underneath the lap belt into the floor in front of them. This would likely cause neck and face injury after sliding or catching under the lap belt. NOT FUN!

Oh, and by the way, if you use the excuse of having an airbag to rationalize why you don’t wear your seat belt… Consider this: some airbags will not deploy unless the seat belt is on.

It didn’t take long to learn that the force of an airbag can hurt those who are too close to it. Researchers have determined that the risk zone for driver airbags is the first 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of inflation. So, placing yourself 10 inches (25 cm) from your driver airbag gives you a clear margin of safety. Measure this distance from the center of the steering wheel to your breastbone. If you currently sit less than 10 inches away, you can adjust your driving position in the following ways:

• Move your seat to the rear as far as possible while still reaching the pedals comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of your seat. Although car designs vary, most drivers can achieve the 10-inch distance even with the driver seat all the way forward by slightly reclining the back of the seat. If reclining the seat makes it hard to see the road, you can raise yourself up by using your car’s seat-raising system (not all cars have this!) or a firm, non-slippery cushion to achieve the same effect.
• Point the airbag toward your chest, instead of your head and neck, by tilting your steering wheel downward (this only works if your steering wheel is adjustable).

The rules are different for children. An airbag can seriously injure or even kill an unbuckled child who is sitting too close to it or is thrown toward the dash during emergency braking. Experts agree that the following safety points are important:

• Children 12 and under should ride buckled up in a properly installed, age-appropriate car seat in the rear seat.
• Infants in rear-facing child seats (under one year old and weighing less than 20 pounds / 10 kg) should never ride in the front seat of a car that has a passenger-side airbag.
• If a child over one year old must ride in the front seat with a passenger-side airbag, he or she should be in a front-facing child safety seat, a booster seat or a properly fitting lap/shoulder belt, and the seat should be moved as far back as possible.

If you have been in an accident, please call for a consultation about your injuries. Prompt treatment is important.

www.DrRobWatkins.com

Fort Myers – 590-9555

LaBelle – 675-8900

In the United States, about 20 million people have been diagnosed with asthma; nearly 9 million of them are children. The most common treatment for Asthma has been the use of corticosteriod inhalers.

A new study found that breathing techniques can cut the use of asthma reliever inhalers by more than 80% and halve the dose of preventer inhaler required in mild asthma, research finds. The new study, published in the journal Thorax, compared the impact of two breathing techniques on symptoms, lung function, use of medication and quality of life among 57 adults with mild asthma.

One technique focused on shallow, nasal breathing with slow exhalations, and the second technique used general upper body exercises, accompanied by relaxation.

The participants, who used a preventer inhaler and required reliever inhaler at least four times a week, were randomly assigned to one or other breathing technique. Participants practiced their breathing exercises twice a day for around 25 minutes over a period of 30 weeks. They were also encouraged to use a shorter version of their exercises in place of reliever inhaler, and to use reliever if the exercises did not work.

Researcher Professor Christine Jenkins, of the the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, found that the use of reliever medication fell by 86% in both exercise groups, a process which began within weeks of starting the exercises, and was maintained over eight months. She writes: “Breathing techniques may be useful in the management of patients with mild asthma symptoms who use a reliever frequently.”

By the end of the study, the participants dropped from using around three puffs of their reliever inhaler each day to approximately one puff every third day. Preventer dose requirements were also cut in half.

In addition to breathing exercises, other things that you can do to reduce asthma symptoms are:

• Use air filters to help clean air in your home.
• Cover mattresses and pillows with dust covers and use hypoallergenic bed clothing to reduce exposure to dust mites.
• Choose a more vegetarian-type diet. Animal proteins found in meat include arachidonic acid—a precursor for inflammation.
• Include foods with omega-3 fatty acids in the diet—such as fish or fish oil.
• Supplement with vitamin C, which helps reduce allergic reactions and wheezing symptoms.
• To reduce stress in your children, spend quality time with them and limit their exposure to TV programs that include violence.
• Get regular chiropractic wellness checkups.

Your’s in Health

Dr. Rob Watkins