QuestionDear Victor Dolan,
About 2 1/2 months ago I strained my lower back during my dance class. A simple move that turned into a week of not being able to move. First let me tell you a bit about myself, I am 23 years old. I am very dedicated to fitness and was training for a fitness modeling competition 3 months ago. I am a hip hop dance instructor and also a waitress. After injuring my back for the first time I went to PT and in about 3 weeks I was able to go about my normal routine. I had one set back, while lifting groceries, but I was able to recover on my own. About a month ago, I was leaning over and to put up a little girls hair and my lower back tightened up and pulled. I thought it would be alright and would recover as last time. So I continued with work (waitress), wearing a lower back brace. A week went by, and my pain had increased and was now radiating up my back underneath my shoulders. I was unable to arch my back as usual, and to look at I no longer had a natural arch to my lower back and my hips appeared to be tilted back. I stopped going to the gym, dancing and took some days off of work. I began PT about a week ago and my arch is back and muscle wise I feel fine, but now I am popping in places that I haven't popped before. My hips pop, sometimes I find it hard to breath, and when I take a deep breath the center of my back pops, my shoulders pop when I rotate them, and my neck pops. All of which I have never experienced before. Also, recently I have been having tingling sensations down my back and sometimes on my left arm. I haven't been to the gym in a month now, and am really concerned about what is going on. I have made an appointment to see a chiropractor and I am still seeing PT. I have a few questions and concerns. Why am I all of a sudden popping in places that I have never popped before? Should I be really concerned about this? Is there anything else that I should be doing for my back? I am a very active person, and I need my back to heal, but dance is starting soon, and I don't know if I am going to be okay with it? Are these feelings and sensations normal after a reinjury occurs? Or did I do something really serious this time? Thank you sooo much for your time and expertise!!!!! Hope to hear from you soon!!!!!! Thank you again ! Danika
Answer23 years old, dancer, back pain, lower back pain, injury, reinjury, spasm, sprain, strain, pinched nerve, herniated disc
Hello Danika,
Sorry to hear of your condition.
Re-injury?
I do not think you were over the initial injury, so I am not sure I would call it a re-injury.
You need to see your local Doctor of Chiropractic for a full evaluation. You are young, so you should be able to be effectively treated. This is your first back injury, so you should be able to be effectively treated with good outcome. Your Doctor should perform a comprehensive exam as to all of these complaints. Xrays, perhaps even MRI or CT scans could be necessary as well.
You have now had your condition for 3 months. It will take time to repair the damage, but you are young, and the injury is relatively recent.
Chiropractors treat back pain, neck pain, pinched nerves, herniated discs, sprains and strains all the time. Chiropractors treat dancers and athletes who want to prevent injury, recover faster, reach their full potential- all the time. Here is some information I hand out in my Staten Island Chiropractic office:
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Sprains, Strains, musculo-skeletal injury
Sometimes a slip, trip, fall, heavy lift, or a motor vehicle accident can cause a 慡prain/ Strain Injury? This can result in ligament sprain, muscle strain, and 憄inched nerves?
Often- the true c a u s e of the lingering tenderness, stiffness and pain; is a misalignment, a 慿ink?in the joint, a stretch of the muscles, tendons and/ or ligaments:- more properly termed a Vertebral Subluxation. Sometimes symptoms can come immediately, sometimes days, weeks or even months later!- Well after the actual trauma !!!
Vertebral Subluxation Complex (a.k.a. 憇ubluxation?
The vertebral subluxation complex is the underlying cause of many healthcare problems.
A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.
This is a serious condition identified by its five parts:
Spinal Kinesiopathology:
This is fancy way of saying the bones of the spine have lost their normal motion and position. It restricts your ability to turn and bend. It sets in motion the other four components.
Neuropathophysiology:
Improper spinal function can choke, stretch, or irritate delicate nerve tissue. The resulting nerve system dysfunction can cause symptoms elsewhere in the body.
Myopathology:
Muscles supporting the spine can weaken, atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. The resulting scar tissue changes muscle tone, requiring repeated spinal adjustments.
Histopathology:
A rise in temperature from an increase in blood and lymph supplies result in swelling and inflammation. Discs can bulge, herniate, tear, or degenerate. Other soft tissues may suffer permanent damage.
Pathophysiology:
Bone spurs and other abnormal bony growths attempt to fuse malfunctioning spinal joints. This spinal decay, scar tissue, and long-term nerve dysfunction can cause other systems of the body to malfunction.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.
Automobile accidents, improper lifting, improper posture, alcohol, emotional stress, chemical imbalances, and long periods of sitting can cause the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Vertebral Subluxation cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, vitamins or physical therapy alone. Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem requires a mechanical correction- - - a manipulation, best performed with the chiropractic adjustment. For good health- Treat the Cause, not just the Symptoms.
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Lower Back Pain (LBP): Low Back Pain can be caused by many different things. Big, BAD, catastrophic things like a tumor or a cancer can cause low back pain (only a proper exam by a licensed doctor, like your Doctor of Chiropractic, or your family Doctor of Medicine, can evaluate your signs and symptoms, and perhaps refer for testing). Big, bad things like a Herniated Disc, sciatica, possible fracture or dislocation can cause LBP (again, best evaluated by your DC or MD, and perhaps referral). Bad things, like - Sprains, Strains, contusion, or Vertebral Subluxation Complex (all very efficiently diagnosed and treated by your Doctor Of Chiropractic. LBP can come from a motor vehicle accident, sport injury, slip, trip, fall, arthritis, lifting improperly, or even bad posture in standing, sitting or sleeping. All of these things often have a Lumbar (Low Back) Vertebral Subluxation involved.
Vertebral Subluxation Complex (a.k.a. 憇ubluxation?
The vertebral subluxation complex is the underlying cause of many healthcare problems. A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.
This is a serious condition identified by its five parts:
Spinal Kinesiopathology:
This is fancy way of saying the bones of the spine have lost their normal motion and position. It restricts your ability to turn and bend. It sets in motion the other four components.
Neuropathophysiology:
Improper spinal function can choke, stretch, or irritate delicate nerve tissue. The resulting nerve system dysfunction can cause symptoms elsewhere in the body.
Myopathology:
Muscles supporting the spine can weaken, atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. The resulting scar tissue changes muscle tone, requiring repeated spinal adjustments.
Histopathology:
A rise in temperature from an increase in blood and lymph supplies result in swelling and inflammation. Discs can bulge, herniate, tear, or degenerate. Other soft tissues may suffer permanent damage.
Pathophysiology:
Bone spurs and other abnormal bony growths attempt to fuse malfunctioning spinal joints. This spinal decay, scar tissue, and long-term nerve dysfunction can cause other systems of the body to malfunction.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.
Automobile accidents, improper lifting, improper posture, alcohol, emotional stress, chemical imbalances, and long periods of sitting can cause the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Vertebral Subluxation cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, vitamins or physical therapy alone. Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem requires a mechanical correction- - - a manipulation, best performed with the chiropractic adjustment.
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine
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Athletic Performance Improvement, Accelerated Recovery
Chiropractic is well known to improve athletic performance, prevent sport injury, and accelerate recovery from injury or hard training. With Doctors of Chiropractic serving on almost every nation抯 Olympic Team, with Chiropractic holding official status with the USOC and serving almost every US Olympic Athlete: the results of chiropractic cannot be denied. Coaches and athletes are aware of terms such as
enhanced performance, performance improvement, .
accelerated recovery, restoration and regeneration. .
Many coaching conferences discuss strategies on these aspects of exercise, competition, sports and athleticism.
An interesting study was performed and published way back in 1991. The January 1991 issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation published findings that demonstrate significant increases in athletic performance after a twelve week program of Chiropractic treatment.
Athletic Ability Research:
Male and female athletes between the ages of 18 and 42, representing a variety of sports backgrounds, were recruited to participate in this study. None had ever before been under chiropractic care. Each of these participants underwent eleven separate tests, each test designed to measure a specific aspect of athletic performance. Then, half the participants were evaluated through chiropractic analysis and placed on a twelve week program of chiropractic treatment ( consistent regimen of chiropractic, similar to a consistent regimen of physical athletic training/ exercise ). ( measured aspects: side step test, dodging run, right boomerang run, modified bass tests of dynamic balance, vertical power jump, standing broad jump, distance perception jump, horizontal linear space test, nelson hand reaction test, nelson speed of movement test, nelson choice of response-movement test )
All subjects continued to train and practice as usual in their sports. At the half-way point of six weeks, they were all reevaluated and changes in scores for each group were compared. All increases in performances by each group were measured by the average percent of change in all eleven tests combined.
The control group, those not receiving chiropractic care, showed slight improvement in eight of eleven tests ( this group had been training 慳s usual?for the time period ). By combining the average percentages of change on each test it was found that the control group showed an overall improvement of 4.5%.
Those receiving chiropractic treatment (along with their 憉sual training?, the test group, had dramatically different results. They showed improvement on all eleven tests for a total 10.7% average increase after six weeks. And when retested again after the second six week period of care this test group demonstrated a remarkable 16.7% average increase in athletic ability.
( consider that one/ onehundredth of a second ( 1/100th ) is the difference between win ?lose,,, 16.7% is HUGE )
What Do Chiropractors Do?
Chiropractors analyze the structure of the body, looking for misalignments, primarily in the spine, and also the extremities. Spinal misalignments, termed vertebral subluxations, irritate the nerves which in turn inhibits the body抯 ability to function optimally. Like a high performance automobile, the human structure must be balanced and in alignment to be at it抯 best. A Ferrari with pistons that don抰 fire in sequence, wheels that are out of balance or alignment, and high performance specifications that are improperly set will not only have it抯 performance compromised but will also have dramatically increased potential for parts to wear out and breakdown. The human body, far more delicate and complicated than even the most advanced automobile is similar. If the framework, particularly the spine, isn抰 properly aligned and balanced- the body cannot perform to it抯 potential and is more susceptible to illness and injury, with slower recovery when injury does occur.
What Do Vertebral Subluxations Do?
Vertebral subluxations cause nerve conduction interference. This inhibits millions of messages from the brain from flowing smoothly along the nerves and in this in turn interferes with the coordination of the actions of the body. The only health care provider trained to diagnose and correct vertebral subluxations is the Doctor of Chiropractic. Like a properly tuned Ferrari, the chiropractic patient athlete, when properly aligned, functions at a level of peak performance.
Famous Athletes Utilize Chiropractics.
Many athletes have discovered the relationship between proper spinal alignment and their own level of achievement. San Francisco Forty-Niner Greats Joe Montana and Roger Craig as well as heavy weight champion Evander Holyfield are examples of professional and world-class athletes who realize(d) the value of proper structural alignment and balance in their bodies. They have learned through their own experiences what research has shown; that through chiropractic care - one can demonstrate faster reaction time, better balance, improved coordination, increased muscular power; and when injured- accelerated recovery and regeneration.
The Competitive Edge.
Emphasis on athletic excellence continues to escalate in this country in terms of both dollars and extremes in personal sacrifice. Though the dangers of taking anabolic steroids have been widely publicized for years, the number of athletes who suffer serious health problems caused steroids continues to grow. Now, however, the athlete looking for the competitive edge need not look beyond the framework of his(her) own body. Increased public awareness is leading many to realize that a natural method is available in achieving performance enhancement. The method is Chiropractic!
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What should you do for your back?- See your local Doctor of Chiropractic for evaluation and treatment if appropriate.
I hope this helps. I wish you good luck and good health naturally, your Staten Island Chiropractic friend signing off,
Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com (email newsletter)
http://www.DocDolan.net
http://www.GoodHealthNaturally.info
