Chiropractor in Burke, VA - NOVA Chiropractic & Wellness Center

Dr. Todd P. Sullivan

What Is A Pinched Nerve?

| Leave a Comment

A pinched nerve is a common complaint that can cause a wide variety of symptoms from pain to numbness. In many cases, the condition can be resolved quickly through chiropractic care; sometimes with just one session. However, chiropractic should be treated as an ongoing practice for better health and wellness. Not only can it help you better manage pain and resolve many health problems, it can also help prevent injuries and certain conditions from developing. This often means that seeking chiropractic for a pinched nerve is a wise decision and can bring a quick resolution.

What is a Pinched Nerve?

A pinched nerve is the result of excessive pressure being applied to a nerve. This pressure can come from muscles, bones, tendons, or cartilage and causes a disruption in the nerve’s ability to function. This causes a variety of symptoms including pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness.

In the spine, a herniated disc can put pressure on the nerve root, causing pain and discomfort. In the wrist, it can cause a condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Why is a Pinched Nerve so Challenging?

The issue with a pinched nerve is finding the source. When a nerve is pinched, the pain and other symptoms may not be at the actual site. Instead, the pain and other sensations can travel to other parts of the body, including down the leg or through the arm. This can make it difficult to treat, but an experienced, knowledgeable chiropractor can assess the situation and treat the condition, bringing relief to the patient.

What are the Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve?

A pinched nerve can manifest with many different symptoms, often depending on its location in the body. They may worsen while the patient is sleeping. Some of the most common symptoms include:

  • Pain that is aching or sharp
  • Lower or mid back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • General spinal pain
  • Pain that radiates down the leg or arm
  • Numbness or tingling in the legs, arms, fingers, or toes
  • Burning sensation in the legs, arms, fingers, or toes
  • Muscle weakness in the legs or back
  • Headaches
  • Frequently feeling like a hand or food is “asleep”

When the nerve is not pinched for very long, it typically does not leave the patient with any permanent damage. When the pressure is relieved, normal function returns rather quickly. On the other hand, if the pressure is not relieved, it can cause permanent damage to the nerve, leading to chronic pain.

What Causes a Pinched Nerve?

A pinched nerve can have a number of causes. Wrist or rheumatoid arthritis is a common cause, but others may include:

  • Injury
  • Repetitive motion that places stress on parts of the body
  • Obesity
  • Sports activities
  • Certain hobbies that require repetitive motion

What are the Treatments for a Pinched Nerve?

The first line of treatment for a pinched nerve is rest. Medications may be recommended or prescribed, such as NSAIDs and muscle relaxers, but remember every drug has side effects so make sure you talk to your medical doctor before moving forward.

Physical therapy is another common treatment. The patient is taught certain exercises that stretch and strengthen muscles around the pinched nerve so that it relieves pressure. They are also given self-management techniques that they can do at home to get relief. However, if the pinched nerve is do to a misalignment in the spine, it doesn’t matter how many exercises you do; they won’t fix the problem. In severe cases, surgery may be recommended. This is usually a last resort.

Does Chiropractic for a Pinched Nerve Really Work?

Chiropractic care is a very effective treatment for pinched nerve because it addresses the root cause and works toward fixing the problem through spinal manipulation and very specific chiropractic adjustments. By bringing the body into alignment, pressure on the nerves is relieved. This helps relieve the pain, but also facilitates healing allowing the patient to return to their normal daily activities and experience less down time.

Tips to Relieve Back Pain During Pregnancy

| Leave a Comment

An estimated 85% of women experience back pain during pregnancy. Why? As a woman enters her second or third trimester, her growing baby pulls her body’s center of gravity forward, which in turn increases the curve of her low back. That increased amount of stress on the low back often leads to pain.

Why it Matters:

Spinal adjustments are considered a highly safe, effective, non-invasive, and evidence-based option for women to find relief from pregnancy induced back pain. In fact, Chiropractors often also provide specific exercise and stretching recommendations to help ensure lasting results.

A recent study found that patients who received care from their OB-GYN and Chiropractor together had greater reductions in pain and an improved quality of life versus those who only saw an OB-GYN alone.

  • Approximately 92% of pregnant women are advised by their primary doctor to exercise and stay active during pregnancy.
  • Choosing the right pillows and finding the best stretches can dramatically reduce any pregnancy induced neck and mid-back.
  • The low back pain that many women experience during pregnancy can often be relieved with chiropractic adjustments.

Next Steps:

If you or someone you know is expecting, reducing stress, staying physically active, and finding relief from those pregnancy related aches and pains are important. We hope you’ll consider including us as part of your birth team. An amazing 90% of women report a high level of satisfaction with receiving chiropractic care during pregnancy, so it’s no wonder that chiropractic is one of the most popular “organic” healthcare choices for expecting moms.

 

Science Source(s):

Optimizing Pain Relief During Pregnancy Using Manual Therapy. Canadian Family Physician. 2013.

Why Truck Drivers Need Chiropractic

| Leave a Comment

Truck driving puts a lot of stress on the body. Just spending hours behind the wheel can take its toll no matter what type of vehicle you are driving. When you factor in the shifting, steering, clutching, and constant monitoring that is required in a big truck, you have increased risk of neck, back, arm, hip, and leg pain. If they drive a type of truck that requires loading, unloading, or tying down a load, the probability increases even more. Many drivers experience pain, difficulty in mobility, and decreased flexibility. This can impact how well they perform their job as well as how much they enjoy their down time.

How Truck Driving Takes a Toll on the Body

Drivers spend a lot of time doing just that – driving. That is hard on the body in and of itself. With professional drivers, they do it every day for hours on end. Even local drivers who are home every night put in a lot of miles.

Often, drivers must also perform certain functions regarding what they are hauling. Some have to secure their load with straps and tie-downs, or have to handle heavy hoses and equipment to load and unload tankers.

Some drivers have to load and unload (known as “lumping”) their freight themselves. It can involve heavy lifting and repetitive movements. Loaded tanker trucks can be challenging to drive because of the slosh. Most big rigs require a lot of shifting. They may have to shift through 10, 15, or even 18 forward gears.

Team drivers have the added stress of being in a vehicle that is constantly in motion. Even while sleeping in the bunk, they can be subject to the constant vibrations and bouncing as the truck travels over the road. This can lead to impact trauma, often to the shoulder as the driver in the sleeper lays on his or her side. Roads that are poorly maintained can cause impact trauma to both the driver and the person in the bunk.

For all the physical exertion and exposure to a rough environment, though, drivers get very little exercise. They spend a lot of time sitting behind the wheel and making the same movements over and over.

This limited mobility can lead to structural problems like pain in the back, hip, knee, shoulder, arms, and legs. This is compounded by the fact that many prescription medications that are typically prescribed for these issues have side effects that can be dangerous for someone getting behind the wheel.

How Chiropractic can Help Truck Drivers

Chiropractic care provides truck drivers with a non-invasive, drug free way to treat injuries, manage conditions, and relieve pain. Regular chiropractic care can help correct postural habits that can expose the body to injury or move the body out of balance and the spine out of alignment. Often, it can identify emerging issues before they become a problem.

When a driver first visits a chiropractor’s office, he or she will go through a thorough check up and assessment to determine their needs and goals. The chiropractor may recommend certain lifestyle changes and show them some exercise they can do in the truck or while they are on the road as well as ways to minimize the effects of the activities their job requires.

Some of the larger truck stops are now offering drivers access to medical and chiropractic services which allows them to get treatment when they need it. Sometimes a driver is out for several weeks at a time and may not be able to get to their regular chiropractor for an adjustment. However, it is still a good idea to have a regular chiropractor at home and keep regular appointments so you can stay healthy and on the road.

Pregnancy: How Your Body Changes

| Leave a Comment

A woman’s body undergoes many transformations during the nine months of pregnancy. Some of these changes are visible, such as an expanding belly, while others, such as morning sickness and backaches, may not be as visible but equally well known. Then there a few body changes may be unexpected and catch some women by surprise.

Why it Matters:

During pregnancy, the hormone Relaxin is produced to help loosen the joints and ligaments of the pelvis to best prepare the body for birth. Relaxin not only relaxes those ligaments in the pelvis, but also stretches other joints and ligaments all over the body.

This is one reason pregnant women develop back pain or sciatica (pain that starts in the back and travels down the leg into the foot).

As those ligaments become looser and the body’s center of gravity is pulled forward by a growing baby, a woman’s low back can become over-stressed by these biomechanical changes, resulting in pain.

  • Relaxin is a hormone produced during pregnancy that relaxes the joints and ligaments to prepare the body for birth.
  • What’s more, the other joints and ligaments of the body also become “looser” due to Relaxin, which can lead to changes in the body’s movement patterns.
  • These changes, while welcomed, often result in low back pain and other joint pains throughout pregnancy.

Next Steps:

Pregnancy is a special time in a woman’s life, and a unique time for the body. The changes that help guide a successful birth process can also wreak havoc on a woman’s back and joints. If you or an expecting mother you know are looking to find natural pain relief solutions, give us a call. We’re happy to evaluate you and work with your birth team to provide non-invasive, safe, effective care that can help keep you active through all three trimesters!

 

3 Tips To Increase Your Flexibility

| Leave a Comment

Flexibility is something that many people would like more of, but few know how to achieve it. If they do, they don’t do anything about it. This is because flexibility training is often seen as difficult, painful, and time consuming. It is also significantly underestimated. Why bother getting flexible if you aren’t an athlete or dancer? Why do regular people need to improve their flexibility? The answers to these questions may surprise you. You also might find that improving your flexibility is easier than you think.

Why is flexibility important?

Flexibility is a key component of keeping your body fit and healthy. Research shows that people who are more flexible are better able to reach their optimum fitness level.

It can also help to prevent injury and reduce your risk of conditions like arthritis and other chronic diseases. They also have a better range of motion and mobility as they age.

Muscles that are flexible have the potential to become stronger. This can help increase metabolism and improve fitness level.

A body that is more flexible can also carry out day to day activities easier and have less chance of injury. Blood flow is increased and circulation is improved which also helps to prevent chronic conditions like kidney disease and diabetes as well as heart disease.

Stretch for upper body flexibility

This upper body stretch also helps improve your posture. It is also great if you are largely sedentary throughout the day, such as sitting at a desk for extended periods.

  • Stand or sit in a chair, back straight, chin level, feel slightly apart and knees soft.
  • Put your hands behind your head, elbows out, chin tucked.
  • Gently press your head forward to feel the stretch through your neck, shoulders, and upper back; hold for five seconds.
  • Tilt your head back so that your chin is pointing toward the ceiling. Place the heels of your hands on your forehead and gently press to get a stretch through the front of the neck and the arms; hold for five seconds.
  • Bring your head to the start position, chin parallel to the floor, neck straight.
  • Put your right hand on the top of your head and gently press as if you are trying to touch your right ear to your right shoulder and feel the stretch along the left side of the neck and shoulder; hold for five seconds.
  • Put your left hand on the top of your head and gently press as if you are trying to touch your left ear to your left shoulder and feel the stretch along the right side of the neck and shoulder; hold for five seconds.
  • Raise your hands over your head and clasp your hands. Stretch and lift your body, lengthening your spine.
  • Release your hands and bend to the right, using your right hand to grasp your left elbow and gently pull it to the right. Hold for five seconds.
  • Raise your hands over your head and clasp your hands. Stretch and lift your body, lengthening your spine.
  • Release your hands and bend to the left, using your left hand to grasp your right elbow and gently pull it to the left. Hold for five seconds.

Stretch for lower body flexibility

This is a great stretch for women who wear high heels or for cyclists and people who walk, run, or use an elliptical machine.

  • Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you, feet together, knees soft, and back straight.
  • Slowly bend your right knee and lean back if necessary, using your right arm as a support behind you. Place your left hand under your left knee and flex your toes toward the ceiling, feeling the stretch through your calf. Hold for five seconds.
  • Stretch both legs out straight in front of you.
  • Slowly bend your left knee and lean back if necessary, using your left arm as a support behind you. Place your right hand under your right knee and flex your toes toward the ceiling, feeling the stretch through your calf. Hold for five seconds.
  • Roll onto your back with your knees bent toward the ceiling and feet flat on the floor.
  • Gently bring your right knee to your chest, holding it with your hands to get a nice stretch. Hold for five minutes.
  • Return to the start position, on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  • Gently bring your left knee to your chest, holding it with your hands to get a nice stretch. Hold for five minutes.
  • Return to the start position, on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Stretch for flexibility in the back

This stretch is very good for low back pain.

  • Lie on your stomach keeping your legs straight, knees soft, and feet shoulder width apart.
  • Place your hands under your shoulders, palms down on the floor and push your upper body up so that your back is curved with your lower body still on the floor. Tilt your head back for more stretch. Hold for 10 seconds.
  • Lower your upper body back to the mat and slowly roll over to your hands and knees.
  • Keep your knees shoulder width apart and your back straight.
  • While on your hands and knees, tuck your chin and round out your back, pushing it towards the ceiling, feel the stretch through your entire back. Hold for 10 seconds.
  • Return to the start position with your knees shoulder width apart and your back straight.
  • While on your hands and knees, lift your chin, stretching it upwards and drop your back so that your spine curves toward the floor. Hold for 10 seconds.
  • Return to the start position with your knees shoulder width apart and your back straight.