Chiropractor in Burke, VA - NOVA Chiropractic & Wellness Center

Dr. Todd P. Sullivan

Bone Bruise

What is a “Bone Bruise”?

|

Chiropractor in Burke, VAAlthough the term “bone bruise” seems to indicate a relatively mild injury, in actuality it is no less severe than a broken bone. Also referred to as a bone contusion or bone swelling, bone bruises result from an acute trauma or a repetitive stress injury, and should be treated professionally.

A bone bruise occurs when the inner structure of your bones becomes fractured. Bone is made up of two different types of tissue: compact “cortical” bone on the outside and “cancellous” or “spongy” bone on the inside. Cortical bone is strong and solid, whereas spongy bone, as its name suggests, is a more delicate meshwork of bone tissue that can more easily suffer many small fractures, resulting in a bone bruise.

An acute trauma or stress to a bone may not be sufficient to fracture the outer bone, but there may be enough force to cause the spongy inner bone to fracture, leading to bleeding in the injured area. Sports injuries may be one of the most common causes of bone bruises, when an athlete falls or bumps into another person with considerable force. Auto accidents, falls and twists, particularly to the knees and ankles, also frequently result in a bone bruise. Other areas likely to sustain a bone bruise are the wrist, foot and hip.

Symptoms of a bone bruise (which include pain, stiffness and swelling) can sometimes be mistaken for tendon or ligament damage, or even a muscle bruise. Intense pain that lasts more than a couple of days (and often for weeks or months) may be a sign of a bone bruise. Stiffness may occur if the bone bruise is located near a joint or is in part of the joint. However, swelling is the leading symptom of a bone bruise, and there will usually be no sign of bruising on the skin, as the bleeding occurs within the bone itself. If you think you may have a bone bruise, an MRI can determine whether it’s that or something else. X-rays and CT scans can only indicate a fracture of the outer bone.

A bone bruise usually takes several months to heal because the inner spongy bone takes longer to repair than the outer layer. Treatments typically involve rest to take any pressure off the bone, elevating the affected area to help reduce swelling, taking an anti-inflammatory pain reliever and using ice packs to relieve pain soon after the injury. A brace can be worn to provide support to the injured area and reduce healing time. Experts also recommend that people quit smoking if they want the bone to heal more quickly, since smoking constricts blood vessels, reducing the circulation necessary to bring healing.

To learn more please visit Chiropractor in Burke, VA.

10 Great Reasons to Stay Hydrated

|

Chiropractor in Burke, VAWater is essential to life. Our bodies are already 60%-70% water, and those reserves need to be replenished on a daily basis to keep us healthy. Add either extreme heat or extreme cold (both of which dehydrate us), and drinking enough water becomes even more critical.

Exactly how much water we should drink each day is an open question. As reported by the Mayo Clinic, the Institute of Medicine has determined that adequate water intake per day is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) for men and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) for women. Some sources recommend more, some less, but there seems to be no question within the healthcare community that many of us should be drinking more water than we are.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Water curbs your appetite, and contains zero calories. Both of these reasons should have some appeal to you whether you’re actively trying to lose a few pounds or just trying to maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown that often when people think they’re hungry, they’re really thirsty.

2. Water increases your energy levels. Studies have indicated that a cup of water can be more effective at boosting your energy levels than a cup of coffee. One suspected reason for this is that our perception of fatigue is often caused more by dehydration than actually being tired.

3. Water is good for your skin. Rather than investing in expensive creams and lotions, why not invest in a few more glasses of water per day? They will help to keep your skin healthy, radiant, and glowing. And it’s a lot less expensive than anything you could buy at the cosmetics counter.

4. Water increases your brain power. According to a study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, subjects who drank a glass of water before performing a series of cognitive tasks reacted faster and thought more clearly than subjects who did not.

5. Water helps maintain the balance of your other bodily fluids. You lose moisture daily via sweat and other excretions. Similarly, your blood, lymph, and intestinal fluids become depleted, and must be replenished with a proper intake of water.

6. Water improves your moods. Although there are many causes of depression, headaches, irritability, and fatigue, one of the most common is dehydration. When your body becomes low on water, your blood vessels dilate, causing all of these symptoms. Increasing your daily intake of water can counter and reverse them.

7. Water lowers your risk of heart attack. When your arteries and veins become clogged with plaque, you increase your likelihood of heart disease—one of the most effective ways of preventing this buildup of plaque is to remain properly hydrated. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that drinking more water was positively associated with a decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease. Drinking liquids other than water increased this risk, according to the same study.

8. Water can keep your joints lubricated, too. The synovial fluid that keeps your joints functioning properly and that keeps your bones from rubbing against each other becomes depleted when you are dehydrated. Drinking more water prevents this.

9. Water improves your digestion. Your ability to digest your food depends on the proper functioning of a series of enzymes in your intestinal tract. The “delivery mechanism” for these enzymes is water—don’t get enough of it, and your ability to digest and assimilate nutrients in your food breaks down.

10. Water even prevents fluid retention. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s true. Dehydration causes the body to retain water, because it thinks there is a critical lack of it. Drinking more water actually causes your body to stop retaining it.

To learn more information please visit us at Chiropractor in Burke, VA.

Understanding Inflammation

|

Chiropractor in Burke, VAInflammation is a natural part of the body’s own self-healing mechanism, but is widely misunderstood and misrepresented in the popular press. First, many people confuse the term inflammation with infection—the two are not the same, although the latter often causes the former. Inflammation is the body’s reaction to the presence of harmful stimuli such as injury, damaged cells, pathogens, or irritants. It manifests as pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function in the inflamed area, but these symptoms are actually part of the body’s own healing process, and an attempt to throw off or expel the harmful stimuli.

Inflammation is classified as either acute or chronic. Acute inflammation describes the body’s initial response to harmful stimuli. It is created by the movement of white blood cells to the injured tissues. This part of the healing process involves the local vascular system, the immune system, and other cells in the affected area.

When the inflammatory response becomes prolonged or chronic, however, the same process can become destructive and has been linked to a number of diseases. Chronic inflammation can result from a failure to eliminate the cause of the initial acute inflammation, an abnormal autoimmune response in which the body mistakes healthy tissue for a pathogen and attacks it, or a chronic, low-intensity irritant that continues to cause the acute inflammation response. Diseases that have been associated with chronic inflammation include asthma, tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic peptic ulcer, periodontitis, ulcerous colitis, Crohn’s disease, sinusitis, and hepatitis. Recent research has linked chronic inflammation with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and even heart failure.

Researchers have identified many factors that seem to contribute to chronic inflammation, thus increasing the risk of all the diseases associated with it. These include sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality, obesity, and eating an inflammatory diet (including fast and processed foods, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, sugar, aspartame, high-fructose corn syrup, and salt). Stress is also seen as a major cause of chronic inflammation because the stress response sends signals to the adrenal glands to release cortisol, which keeps the body at “high alert,” thinking it has to constantly fight off danger and infection, and thus causing the acute inflammation response more often than is necessary.

Both acute and chronic inflammation can be treated medically using anti-inflammatory medications such as naproxen, ibuprofen, and aspirin. As an alternative to using more serious drugs such as corticosteroids, a diet rich in antioxidants can help to fight chronic inflammation. Also, many herbs have anti-inflammatory properties, such as hyssop, devil’s claw, ginger, turmeric, and even cannabis. Some studies have indicated that diets high in omega-3 fatty acids (such as those commonly found in fish oils) can help to treat or prevent chronic inflammation. Green tea and tart cherries have also been found to be effective anti-inflammatories.

In my chiropractic office we use K-Laser Therapy to help reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process.  If you are suffering from inflammation give our office a call at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractor in Burke, VA.

 

By Dr. Todd P. Sullivan

Top 5 Mobility Tools

|

The most common problem that I see with my patients at my chiropractic office in Burke, VA is a lack of mobility.  The normal range of motion that we should have in our spine, our shoulders, hips or ankles is often limited.  This is often caused by joint or muscle tissue restriction or tightness.  Besides seeing your chiropractor in Burke, VA there are several tools available to increase your mobility.

Here my Top 5 Mobility Tools:  (Click on the link to read more about the mobility tool and to purchase it from a retailer.)

1.  OPTPAxisFoamRollersBasic Foam Roller: 

A foam roller is great mobility tool because it is easy to use and can be used on several parts of the body.  The best uses for a foam roller are for tightness in your hips, hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back, middle back region.  Typically the a foam roller will either come in white, blue or black colors.  You are going to want to get a black roller because it is harder and will last longer.

2.  Lacrosse Ball:

A lacrosse ball is great at getting into the those tight spots in the shoulder, shoulder blade and upper back region.  It can also be used on your hips and hamstrings.

3.  Exercise Bands:

Exercise bands have so many uses.  They are great for working on shoulder range of motion and hip mobility.  They can also be used to assist your pulls up or add more resistance to barbell.  Check out Superflex bands for shoulder mobility.

4.  18TigerTailTherapy Stick:  A self massage roller stick is great for runners and works very well at loosening up tight calf muscles which is one of the major causes of loss of ankle mobility.  It can also be used on the quadriceps and hamstrings.  There are many versions of these massage sticks and each one has it’s place.  Some come with smooth spindles and some have nubby spindles just depending on what you are trying to do.

5.  FMT_cook_hip_liftGray Cook Band:  Probably the most versatile band on the market.  It can be used to assist or resist exercises.  It has two handles and middle strap which can be hooked on a door jam or foot.   There are hundreds of exercise variations that you use the band for.  The band is great because it can help improve your mobility throughout the entire body.  To learn how to use the Gray Cook Band look it up on Google or look at the exercises at www.MyTPI.com.

Now that you have these great mobility tools how do you use them.  Look up videos on YouTube or ask your chiropractor to show you how to use these mobility tools.  I always try to get my patients to work on their mobility at home as much as possible.  These mobility tools will improve your outcomes, decrease pain and improve your function.  There is just one catch, you actually have to use them in order get results.  I always tell my patients a minimum of 5 minutes a daily and no more than 15 minutes maximum.

If you have any questions or have a problem that is not resolving and would like Dr. Todd P. Sullivan to take a look at it give our office a call at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractor in Burke, VA.

By Dr. Todd P. Sullivan

Spring is Here and Summer is Coming! Ease into Your Warm-Weather Exercise Routine to Avoid Injury

|

Chiropractor in Burke, VAThe prospect of warmer weather just around the corner, especially after a winter like this one, is already inspiring many people to “get back in shape.” It’s like a second chance at that New Years’ resolution you made back in January and never followed up on because it was freezing outside.

We all know that exercise is good for us. But no one likes having to put on ten layers of clothing to run outside or having to drive 20 minutes to the gym for a one-hour workout during the winter months. At around this same time every year, spring weather makes it easier for many people to “reboot” their exercise goals and to increase their level of physical activity. However, it’s important to use some common sense when jumpstarting your warm-weather exercise program.

There are at least two big reasons why. First, statistics tell us that over half the people who start a new exercise program quit within six months. “Easing into it” and taking things slowly at first can help to prevent this. Second, starting to exercise again after a period of inactivity can lead to a number of injuries that can easily be avoided by taking a more realistic approach to exercising again. For example, if you’re a runner, don’t start out by trying to run a marathon. Ease into a new running routine by starting with short runs and extending the distance you run each time you go out. Also, try to remember the following general guidelines about exercise in general and exercising in warm weather.

  • Always warm up before exercise and stretch/cool down afterwards. The warm-up period is far more critical if you haven’t exercised for a while, because you need to get your body used to increased activity before you put demands on it. So do your jumping jacks or other gentle exercises to raise your heart rate and get your circulation going before you start your sports or exercise routine, and then do some stretching afterwards during a “cool down” period to allow things to settle down again.
  • Start slow, and don’t overdo it. If you’ve been inactive for some months, start with a couple of weeks of vigorous walking before you ease back into      running. Also, if you’re an outdoor runner, be sure to pace yourself when picking routes, remembering that you have to run just as far to get back home.
  • Set goals, measure your progress, and try to keep to them. If possible, work with a trained sports/exercise counselor at your gym to set realistic      exercise goals for yourself. Then carefully monitor your progress, making note of exactly how far you run or how much weight you lift in each session. Doing this will help you actually see your own progress and provide additional motivation when you run into problems or your performance plateaus.
  • Hydrate,  hydrate, hydrate. We can’t say this enough—hydrate. Drink lots of water before, during, and after exercising, especially as the temperature and humidity rises. The amount of water you need to consume depends to some extent on your weight and how long you exercise, but as you make progress and your workouts get longer, remember to consume a sports drink beforehand to replenish your electrolytes. This becomes more important as temperature and humidity rises, and you begin to sweat more.
  • Cross-train. If possible, try to vary your workouts, even as you’re easing back into them. Try running one day, lifting weights the next, and swimming the      next, etc. This will develop different muscle groups more evenly and help you avoid injuries caused by repeatedly using the same ones.
  • Listen to your body and be aware of your limitations. If your arthritis has been acting up all winter, naturally don’t start with exercises that put a lot of pressure on your knees and joints. As a general rule, avoid believing in the “no pain, no gain” meme. That’s for committed athletes, and until you’ve been back in the swing of your exercise routine for six months or more, you’re not one. Don’t push yourself to the point of pain,  and if you feel weak or in pain after a particular workout, rest for a day or more before exercising again.
  • Dress right. Yes, the temperatures are warmer, but be sure to wear proper clothing and footgear for the sport or exercise you are performing. A remarkable number of injuries are caused each year by things as simple as running while wearing improper shoes.
  • If you become injured, remember R.I.C.E. This acronym stands for Rest (take off for a few days to rest the injured area), Ice (apply ice or cold packs to reduce swelling and inflammation), Compress (wrap swollen areas in a compression bandage), and Elevate (raise the injured limb). Avoid activities that use the injured area for a few days—you can still remain active, but don’t rush back into the same activities that caused the injury in the first place. For example, if you      sprain your ankle, spend the next week exercising your arms and upper body.
  • If you are overweight or have known health problems, consult a doctor first. Don’t be macho—discuss your plans to get back in shape with your physician, and follow his or her advice.

If you suffered a recent injury give our office a call at (703) 912-7822 or visit us at Chiropractors in Burke, VA.

 

By Dr. Todd P. Sullivan