Accidents and Injuries

It is a common scenario, whether sitting or standing, when we need to bend down or forward, and suddenly there is a sharp sting on one side of the low back. The sensation can cause the knees to buckle. So we stand up slowly to assess the condition and realize it is almost impossible to stand completely straight and even harder to bend forward. So we sit back down to try and relieve the pressure. It helps a little, but the injury has caused the back muscles to spasm and get tighter and tighter. When we try to get up, there can be one big or several mild to severe electrical shock sensations traveling through the back. A severely over-rotated vertebrae could be the cause and require chiropractic care, massage, and/or decompression therapy. 

Over Rotated Vertebrae

The spinal column is made of 26 interconnected vertebrae. When in motion, each vertebra moves, and as the torso rotates, the spine must rotate as well. The spine can move in several ways, including:

• Bending
• Rounding forward.
• Extending or arching backward.
• Twisting
• Tilting sideways uses some of the same muscles when twisting.

Although the spine can move in various directions, there are limits to how far it can and should go. For example, when bending forward to lift an object, an individual can unknowingly over-extend and over-rotate vertebrae. This is where the risk of injury increases. A rotational injury of the spine occurs when the torso turns too far, and the spinal cord can't handle it. This can stretch the ligaments in the spine to the point of snapping, causing the facet joints to dislocate. Ligament strains and facet dislocations are two of the most common rotational spine injuries.

Complications

An over-rotated vertebrae injury can also lead to complications that include.

Chronic Pain

• Spinal nerve damage can lead to chronic pain conditions.

Mobility Problems

• Mobility problems are common following an injury of the spine.
• This comes from damage to the nerves that innervate the legs, causing weakness and coordination problems.

Pressure Ulcers

• Numbness following a spine injury can cause individuals not to notice pressure ulcers developing.
• These can lead to infections and could require hospitalization.

Individuals accumulate tension and/or weakness in the oblique abdominal muscles and other trunk muscles that can lead to chronic tightness and weakness, affecting movement and decreasing the range of motion.

Chiropractic Treatment Plan

Depending on the time and severity of the injury, a personalized treatment plan may consist of the following:

• Wearing a back brace.
• Non-surgical decompression.
• Muscle stimulation.
• Soft tissue massage.
• Chiropractic mobilization to release the spasms and reset the spine.
• Rest

Facet Syndrome Treatment

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, don't hesitate to get in touch with Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Janssen, Michiel M A, et al. "Pre-existent vertebral rotation in the human spine is influenced by body position." The European spine journal: official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society vol. 19,10 (2010): 1728-34. doi:10.1007/s00586-010-1400-3

Kruger, Erwin A et al. "Comprehensive management of pressure ulcers in spinal cord injury: current concepts and future trends." The Journal of spinal cord medicine vol. 36,6 (2013): 572-85. doi:10.1179/2045772313Y.0000000093

Passias, Peter G et al. "Segmental lumbar rotation in patients with discogenic low back pain during functional weight-bearing activities." The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume vol. 93,1 (2011): 29-37. doi:10.2106/JBJS.I.01348

Shan, X., Ning, X., Chen, Z. et al. Low back pain development response to sustained trunk axial twisting. Eur Spine J 22, 1972–1978 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-013-2784-7

Getting ready for holiday celebrations takes a great deal of work. Visiting family and friends, traveling, spending hours shopping, wrapping gifts, setting up lights, trees, planning meals can make the body feel achy, tight, tired, and sore. Stress is multiplied by ten, adding to the muscle tension, which can cause illness and other health problems. Chiropractic treatment alleviates symptoms bringing stress relief to enjoy the holidays. This includes body adjustments, therapeutic massage, health coaching, nutrition guidance, strengthening exercises, stretch training, and everything to maintain full-body health, prevent illness and injury so individuals can feel and function at their best.

Aches and Pains

Shopping at stores, malls can cause the body to experience adverse physical effects. Spending hours walking and standing can trigger neck, shoulder, back, leg, and foot pain. Spending hours hunched over a computer, laptop, tablet, or phone while online shopping can also cause neck, back, and shoulder pain. Soreness and pain can result from the spine and the rest of the body becoming misaligned.

Muscle tightening is a common sign of stress. When the mind and body become overwhelmed or anxious, the neck, shoulders, or upper back muscles can tense up. Muscle tension can limit the body's range of motion and trigger headaches. Therapeutic massage, mobilization, soft tissue therapy, ultrasound, and other chiropractic treatments can generate stress relief. Massaging the body also triggers the release of endorphins that help the body calm down and relax. The adjustments and massage also increase/improve blood flow that supports healing and reduces anxiety when stress begins to build.

Stomach Issues

Following the usual diet during the holiday season is a challenge. Work parties, restaurant parties, and family meals offer an array of holiday foods and treats. The body is not used to eating a lot of rich, fatty, sugary, or fried foods, and can experience bloating, constipation, gas, and other uncomfortable symptoms. These issues can be traced to the nerves that control the organs. Chiropractic can balance the nerves to help avoid uncomfortable digestive problems and help the body handle the rich diet better.

Maintaining Health and Stress Relief

Aches and pains are not the only effects of stress, body misalignment, and tight joints and/or muscles. If these structures press against the nerves and/or organs, it can affect immune system function. Chiropractic ensures that the organs communicate correctly through the nerves, balance the body,  reduce inflammation, and improve lymph fluid drainage. The fluid removes toxins and wastes from the body, making fighting colds and other illnesses easier.

Body Composition

White Coat Syndrome

White Coat Syndrome is the term used for any changes in blood pressure that individuals experience in response to being in a medical office or clinic. Three distinct diagnoses are based on how an individual's blood pressure responds to being in the presence of a healthcare professional:

White Coat hypertension

• This is when an individual is not taking medication for blood pressure but presents with high blood pressure in a medical office and returns to normal once they leave the medical facility.

White Coat effect

• This is when an individual is taking medication for high blood pressure and shows a high blood pressure reading in a medical office that indicates their medication is not working.

Masked Hypertension

• This is when an individual has normal blood pressure in a medical office but high blood pressure elsewhere.

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Ahmad, Asma Hayati, and Rahimah Zakaria. "Pain in Times of Stress." The Malaysian journal of medical sciences: MJMS vol. 22,Spec Issue (2015): 52-61.

PBS NewsHour. (December 2018) "Poll: How stressed are Americans this holiday season?" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/poll-how-stressed-are-americans-this-holiday-season

Pioli, Mariana R et al. "White coat syndrome and its variations: differences and clinical impact." Integrated blood pressure control vol. 11 73-79. 8 Nov. 2018, doi:10.2147/IBPC.S152761

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). (2019) "Holiday Safety Information Center" https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/holiday-safety