Chiropractic + Wellness

The legs are important for standing and motion. Various problems can affect any part, including the bones, tendons, joints, blood vessels, and connective tissues of the entire leg, foot, ankle, knee, or hip. Common problems include unbalanced/unevenness, muscle sprains and strains, joint dislocations, nerve compression, and fractures. These issues can benefit from chiropractic leg adjustments to relieve the symptoms, realign the body, restore mobility, strengthen the muscles, and prevent further complications.

Leg Adjustments

The legs are composed of two major sections: upper and lower. The ball-and-socket hip joint connects the upper portion, with only one bone comprising the upper leg, the femur, the largest bone in the body. The lower leg goes from the knee to the ankle and is composed of two bones, the fibula, and the tibia.

• The tibia makes up the knee together with the base of the femur.
• The fibula starts from the knee joint and is connected to the tibia.

Muscles

The leg muscles support standing and sitting, carry the body's weight, and provide movement. Several muscles in the upper and lower legs work together to enable walking, running, jumping, flexing, and pointing the toes.

Upper Leg

The upper leg muscles support the body's weight and movement. Their jobs include:

• Anterior muscles: These muscles stabilize the body and help with balance. They also allow:
• Bending and extension of the knees.
• Flexion of the thigh at the hip joints.
• Rotation of the legs at the hips.
• Medial muscles assist in hip adduction - moving the leg toward the body's center. They also allow flexion, extension, and rotation of the thigh.
• Posterior muscles help move the leg from front to back and rotate at the hip socket.

Lower Leg

• Anterior muscles are in the front/anterior part of the lower leg and help lift and lower the foot and toe extension. 
• Lateral muscles run outside the lower leg and stabilize the foot when walking or running. They also allow side-to-side movement.
• Posterior muscles: These muscles are in the back of the lower leg. Some are superficial (close to the skin surface), and some sit deeper inside the leg. They help:
• Flex and point the toes.
• Jump, run and push off.
• Lock and unlock the knee.
• Maintain a healthy posture by stabilizing the legs.
• Stand up straight by supporting the arch of the feet.

Causes

There are different causes of leg discomfort symptoms. Age, work, physical activity, sports, and misalignments can all cause leg issues to develop.

Musculoskeletal

• Musculoskeletal system injuries, conditions, and disorders are related to the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This includes bruising, tendonitis, muscle strain, overuse, and fractures can all lead to musculoskeletal issues.

Neurological

• Neurological symptoms are related to a problem with the nerves and the nervous system. Damaged and pinched nerves can contribute to leg issues.

Vascular

• If there are blood vessel issues, it can also lead to leg symptoms. Depending on the cause, leg symptoms can vary from moderate to severe and may be non-stop or come and go.

Symptoms

Symptoms typically include:

• Muscle weakness.
• Muscle stiffness.
• Muscle tightness.
• A feeling of tiredness and heaviness in the legs.
• Decreased range of motion.
• Difficulty in walking or moving the legs.
• Leg cramps.
• Tenderness.
• Pain that may be dull or sharp.
• Pain that gets worse as time goes on.
• Bruising.
• Swelling.
• Tingling sensations.
• Numbness.
• Complete loss of sensation.
• Edema - fluid retention.
• Physical deformity of the legs.

Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic care is a proven way of reducing swelling and discomfort throughout the body. Chiropractic leg adjustments help release restrictions and misalignments. This results in increased mobility of the joints, decreased inflammation, and improved function. A chiropractic adjustment on the leg is known as a long-axis distraction adjustment. This adjustment is designed to open the affected joint in the direction the chiropractor pulls. They can adjust their contact to open the femur from the acetabulum of the pelvis, the knee joint, the ankle joints, and the low back. This encourages proper joint space and motion in the affected areas, promoting healthy movement and space and allowing more nutrient flow and pressure removal from the surrounding nerves to help with symptom relief.

Hip Long Axis Distraction

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

Binstead JT, Munjal A, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis, and Lower Limb, Calf. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459362/) [Updated 2020 Aug 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Accessed 12/29/2021.

Eid K, Tafas E, Mylonas K, Angelopoulos P, Tsepis E, Fousekis K. Treatment of the trunk and lower extremities with Ergon® IASTM technique can increase hamstrings flexibility in amateur athletes: A randomized control study. Phys Ther Sport. 2017;28:e12. doi:10.1016/J.PTSP.2017.08.038

Jeno SH, Schindler GS. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis, and Lower Limb, Thigh Adductor Magnus Muscles. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534842/) [Updated 2020 Aug 10]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Accessed 12/29/2021.

McGee S. Stance and gait. In: McGee S. Evidence-Based Physical Diagnosis. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012:chap 6.

Ransom AL, Sinkler MA, Nallamothu SV. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis, and Lower Limb, Femoral Muscles. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500008/) [Updated 2020 Oct 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Accessed 12/29/2021.

Thompson PD Nutt JG. Gait disorders. In: Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012:chap 22.

Young G. Leg cramps (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429847/) BMJ Clinical Evidence. 2015 May 13;2015:1113. Accessed 12/29/2021.

Many people have back pain so often that it starts to become a daily struggle. You don’t have to put up with pain every day.

Many doctors work with alternative therapy. This makes it important that your insurance policy and see what back care therapies are covered. This can improve your health even more effective.

Pay attention to your sleep in order to fix back-related problems.Put a pillow underneath your head and shoulders. Place rolled-up towels underneath your neck and knees to help support the body’s curves. You should also have a mattress that is comfy.

You should not expect one treatment at the chiropractor to solve all your pain problem. You will probably see some immediate relief; however, but regular visits are required for lasting relief. Stick with whatever regiment your chiropractor recommends. If you fail to do this, you will end up disappointed with the results.

There are lots of solid reasons as to why a person ought to visit a chiropractor. If your back or neck hurt, you should find a reputable chiropractor right away. Your body will not run correctly if your skeletal structure.

Ask your chiropractor if there are frequency discounts in their office. Chiropractic treatment usually requires a series of office visits. You may need to visit several times weekly for months to come. It can quickly become quite costly. The doctor’s office may have some sort of discount if you visit a lot so things don’t cost you so much more affordable.

Ask you doctor to recommend a chiropractor. Even if you don’t need a referral, your doctor can suggest a good chiropractor.

Chiropractic Video

Make a wise decision when searching for a chiropractor. Most chiropractors are honest, but others cannot be trusted. There are actually some of people going to a chiropractor and feeling much worse afterwards. Make sure you’re doing research prior to choosing a chiropractor.

Check out the references of a chiropractor before scheduling an appointment with them. While lots of chiropractors are interested in their patients’ health, there are some that attempt to extend treatments beyond what is actually needed. Look at reviews online and get recommendations from your regular doctor.

A cervical pillow or roll up a towel and position it beneath your neck when you sleep can really help. They let your head drop down while a regular pillow has your head being pushed forward.

Blood Pressure

Is your blood pressure something you have? Studies show that vertebrae is as good as using two hypertension medications together. When the vertebrae are manipulated, the blood pressure can be regulated.

Chiropractic care can also help your immune system as well. Your nervous system can malfunction when the bones in your spine are misaligned. Because your nervous system controls tissue, cell and organ function, if it gets impacted it can make your health go wrong. Fixing the issue can get your immune system back to optimal performance.

Stay away from chiropractors that want to give you dietary supplements and other products. They are likely charlatans if they offer and cannot be trusted. Nutritionists and doctors are reliable sources for such advice.

It is easy to find a qualified chiropractor in the United States. Chiropractic care makes up the second largest health care profession. It is also happens to be the fastest. On top of that number, as many as 10,000 students or more are learning the practice themselves.

Meet with the chiropractor before scheduling an appointment. A chiropractor can really improve your quality of living. A poorly qualified chiropractor can make matters so much worse. Find a chiropractor you feel comfortable. Be sure you talk with a chiropractor before scheduling treatment.

Avoid slumping when you are sitting or standing in a hunched position for long periods. This strains your back and will give you lower back pain and that’s going to hurt you stand straight. If sitting or standing hunched over is unavoidable, make sure you stretch well and periodically get up from your position.

If you do a lot of sit-ups and crunches to build up your core strength, it’s time to find other core exercises, since these are two that often make things worse. The Yoga plank position is a good alternative and can help your back and core.

The thoracic spinal area of your spine is responsible for communication regarding digestion and other stomach functions. You can have problems with things like acid reflux or other irritations when the thoracic area is irritated. Chiropractic care can fix any alignment issues and prevent misalignment of this area to help heal the stomach.

Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance lifting heavy item. Ask someone else to help or use proper equipment. A dolly that’s good and secure can assist you in moving something. A dolly is a great investment if you are moving heavy things often.

To keep headache pain at bay, you may want to go to your chiropractor or a therapist that can massage the pain out of your body.Tightness in the pain. The temperomandibular joint (TMJ) can suffer from teeth in your sleep. A guard might keep this case.

It is important to take your time when searching for a good chiropractor. There are tons of chiropractors out there. Once you find the ideal one, shop around for a good price. Call each one and ask for a quote. Make sure that their quote includes all of their services and they are quoting you doesn’t neglect to mention any hidden fees.

You may believe that your use of a smartphone is making your life better. It may actually be hurting your neck though. When you look at the screen, your neck is pulled down, which puts too much weight on the muscles. Use your phone at eye level to avoid this.

Clearly, there really is no reason to endure ongoing back pain. You can help yourself through the situation. Try some of the advice here, and you can get relief quickly.

El Paso TX. Chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez discusses ways to assist you to get the care you’ll need at your next appointment.

Dr. Michael J. Cooney, D.C I’ve been treating patients with severe and chronic pain from around the corner in Rutherford, New Jersey to as far away as Australia and South Africa.

From our patient’s first reference to the past treatment office visit, the success of any pain treatment we prescribe is contingent upon us (the health care provider) correctly treating the root cause of your pain.

As the patient, just describing your intense pain or neuropathic pain is a high stakes” conversation that is “. I am able to read your medical history, attributing lab results and physician reports, however this really is secondary to understanding each patient’s pain mechanics. It is absolutely vital this is communicated to your pain management provider as correctly as possible.

For those fighting “invisible pain” such as fibromyalgia, CRPS (complex areas pain syndrome), RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), diabetic neuropathy or long-term pain after cancer treatment, correctly communicating the place, frequency and depth of the discomfort can be especially demanding and emotionally taxing.

You might wish to bring this short article for your next doctor visit and go over each of the key pain description points I’ve outlined below.

I really hope your doctor will ask you these questions, but if not, you are able to behave as your own pain promoter and offer this information.

“TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PAIN”

Based upon your medical records, we already know the reason behind your pain (injury or ailment). In order to restart your highest quality of life possible, our goal would be to remove or minimize this symptom.

Pain symptoms are private, subjective –and unique. (What Joe describes as “unbearable pain” could be considered “fairly disagreeable pain” to Mike). Through the years, I developed my own “pain diagnostic” conversation with patients to assist my team and I understand what, where, when and just how much pain patients are feeling.

I’ve outlined key points below: 

TIME MATTERS

This is key to a proper analysis. Don’t presume we know you’ve combated with this pain to get a month a year or a decade.

1.I’ve had this pain for _________________.

2.How frequently and how long does it last?

3.What ignites (flare) or lessens your pain and for how long?

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Doctors may instruct you to indicate the area/s where your pain is concentrated. They may also request that you notice a difference between pain which is on pain and the surface that’s below the surface.

The front and back of the unisex individual figure are the most identifiable, although this tool comes from the McGill Pain Questionnaire including other measurements.

Most referring physicians, regardless of their medical specialty, utilize 1 to 10 point pain scale that is simple, so I keep everyone on the same page.

This tool comes from the McGill Pain Questionnaire including other measurements, but the front and back of the unisex person body are the most identifiable.

HOW BAD IS YOUR PAIN – MEASUREMENT TOOL

Simply said, take into consideration where your pain level falls the majority of the time—unless you experience extreme pain changes.

No Pain

0 – Painfree

MANAGEABLE PAIN

1 – Pain is quite mild, barely noticeable. You don’t think about it.

2 – Small pain. Annoying and may have occasional twinges that are stronger.

3 – Pain distracting and is noticeable, you may get used to it and adapt.


MODERATE PAIN—DISRUPTS REGULAR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING TASKS

4 – Moderate pain. If you should be deeply in an action, it may be blown off to get a time frame, but is diverting.

5 – Moderately strong pain. It can’t be dismissed for more than a few minutes, but you still can manage to work or participate in some social activities.

6 – Rather strong pain that interferes with normal daily activities. Difficulty focusing.

SEVERE PAIN—DISABLING; DEBILITATING, REDUCES DAILY QUALITY OF LIFE, CANNOT LIVE INDEPENDENTLY

7– Severe pain that dominates your senses and significantly restricts your capability to perform ordinary daily tasks or maintain social relationships. Interferes with sleep.

8– Intense pain. Physical action is seriously limited. Conversing requires great exertion.

9. Not able to converse. Weeping outside or moaning uncontrollably.

10– Unspeakable pain. Perhaps and bedridden delirious. Mobility may be undermined.

“MY PAIN FEELS LIKE…”

Most of the time, patients experience one or two consistent pain “feelings” but some can experience a variety of sensations.

The most common pain kinds are:

• Sharp stabbing pain
• Extreme heat or burning sensation
• Extreme cold
• Throbbing, inflamed tissue
• Susceptibility to contact / touching
• Itching
• Numbness, tingling, pins & needles

CREATE A PAIN JOURNAL

I motivate patients or their family members to document a weeklong pain cycle till they meet with chiropractic, their pain management or alternative medicine team.

Additionally, jot down any treatments or activities that lessen or increase your discomfort.

As an example, maybe you have discovered that hot showers or cold weather allows you to feel worse, but exercise or Epsom salt baths makes the pain more manageable.

If you come prepared with all this information, your time with all the physician can be spent focusing on next steps and also a treatment plan, rather than a lengthy Q & A review of the information supplied here.

More importantly, addressing these issues beforehand will ensure your physician receives up-to-date, higher quality information.

Consequently, your case could be assessed more quickly and a pain management plan can be placed into action to begin removing or reducing your suffering as rapidly and efficiently as possible.

Compartment syndrome is a condition that causes pressure within a group of muscles to build up to dangerous levels. This pressure build-up begins to decrease blood flow, not allowing proper circulation, nutrients, and oxygen from getting to the nerves and muscle cells. The syndrome can be acute or chronic, and surgery can be required. Acute compartment syndrome is considered a medical emergency, usually caused by a severe injury and requires immediate treatment; otherwise, it can lead to permanent muscle damage. Chronic compartment syndrome or exertional compartment syndrome is usually not a medical emergency and is often caused by physical exertion.

Muscle Compartment

A compartment comprises a group of:

• Muscles
• Blood vessels
• Nerves
• They are kept in place by a fascia membrane.

The fascia does not stretch or expand because its job is to keep the tissues in place. If compartmental pressure builds up, swelling and bleeding may occur. When the tissues don't have enough blood to provide the proper amount of oxygen and nutrients, the tissues begin to die, leading to permanent damage. Because the fascia does not stretch if there is swelling or bleeding within a compartment, this increases pressure on the:

• Capillaries
• Nerves
• Muscles in that compartment.
• Blood circulation does not reach the compartment to supply oxygen and nutrients.
• Nerve and muscle cells get damaged.
• Compartment syndrome most often takes place in the lower leg's anterior/front calf compartment.

However, it can also develop in other areas like the:

• Legs
• Arms
• Hands
• Feet
• Buttocks

Acute

The typical symptom is pain, specifically when the muscle in the compartment is stretched.

• The pain is more intense than the injury itself.
• Flexing, contracting, or stretching the muscles increases the pain.
• Tingling or burning sensations may present.
• Muscle tightness or fullness sensation like bloating.
• Numbness or paralysis are late symptoms that usually indicate severe to permanent tissue injury.

The acute syndrome develops after a severe injury, like an automobile accident or from a broken bone. Injuries and conditions that can cause acute compartment syndrome include:

• Fractures
• Muscle contusion/bruise that goes beyond just a bump. Two examples include a motorcycle falling on the rider's leg or a football player getting hit in the leg intensely.
• Crush injuries.
• Constricting bandages - Casts and bandages that are too tight can cause the blockage of blood. If symptoms develop, remove or loosen any constricting bandages. If it is from a cast, contact the doctor immediately.
• Anabolic steroids - Taking steroids is a possible factor in compartment syndrome.

Blood circulation restoration after a blockage.

• When sleeping, a blood vessel can get blocked. Lying for a long time in a position that causes a limb to go to sleep, then shifting, moving, or getting up can contribute to the condition. This type of development can happen in individuals with neurological damage or who do not realize what is occurring. This can happen after intense intoxication with alcohol and/or drugs.
• Surgical repair of a damaged blood vessel that was blocked can result in compartment swelling.
• Permanent disability and tissue death can result unless the pressure is relieved.

Chronic Physical Exertion

The pain and swelling from the chronic condition are caused by vigorous physical activity/exercise. It most often occurs in the leg. Individuals that participate in activities with repetitive motions have an increased risk. Physical activities/sports include:

• Running
• Biking
• Swimming

This is usually not dangerous and is often relieved by discontinuing the specific exercise/s or physical activity for a while. Symptoms include:

• Pain during exercise.
• Cramping during exercise.
• Numbness
• Moving the foot is difficult.
• Muscle bulge can be seen.

Chiropractic Treatment

Leg pain should not be ignored for long as the problems could escalate into severe/dangerous territory. Chiropractic treatment is highly effective in the detection and treatment of leg pain. Chiropractors are experts in the neuromusculoskeletal system. Their expertise in promoting physical function applies to the whole body's systems, including the:

• Muscles
• Bones
• Ligaments
• Nerves
• Tendons

They are trained to diagnose and treat developing and chronic musculoskeletal problems and know when to seek specialized medical care when necessary.

Body Composition

Can't Individuals Just Exercise More and Eat Whatever They Want?

No individuals cannot just exercise/move more and eat whatever they want if they are serious about losing excess weight. A healthy diet and exercise are essential parts of the formula for effective weight loss. One study shows that being aware of diet in quality and quantity overtakes just exercising when achieving and maintaining healthy body composition changes as a vital part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Evaluating the effects of diet, exercise, or a combination of both revealed that long-term success was most significant in the mix of diet and exercise. Individuals can exercise vigorously, but losing weight can be very difficult if they have unhealthy eating habits or cannot stick to a healthy diet. The individual can develop other health problems from an unhealthy diet.

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 issues 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

Braver, Richard T. "Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome." Clinics in podiatric medicine and surgery vol. 33,2 (2016): 219-33. doi:10.1016/j.cpm.2015.12.002

Joubert, Sonia V, and Manuel A Duarte. "Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome in a Healthy Young Man." Journal of chiropractic medicine vol. 15,2 (2016): 139-44. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2016.04.007

Schmidt, Andrew H. "Acute compartment syndrome." Injury vol. 48 Suppl 1 (2017): S22-S25. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2017.04.024

Vajapey, Sravya, and Timothy L Miller. "Evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic exertional compartment syndrome: a review of current literature." The Physician and sportsmedicine vol. 45,4 (2017): 391-398. doi:10.1080/00913847.2017.1384289

Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alexander Jimenez examines people that see a chiropractor and their reduced usage of opioids and other types of drugs.

The draft Guidance for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, issued in December 2015 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, included “many complementary and alternative therapies (e.g., manipulation, massage, and acupuncture)” among its recommended non-pharmacologic approaches. However, when the final Guidance was released three months later, manipulative therapy and its 75,000 licensed chiropractic practitioners was not directly referenced. A recent study from James “Jim” Whedon, DC, MS, pictured, suggests that the CDC harmed its mission with its excision of explicit reference to manipulation. Patients using chiropractors were less likely to use prescription opioids.

Whedon is currently a researcher at the Southern California University of Health Sciences, and is co-chair of the Research Working Group of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health. He is a relatively rare resource in the integrative health community, as a specialist in diving into huge data sets of insurers and seeking to extract useful information. Whedon is a veteran of arguably the most important research center in this type of work, The Dartmouth Institute at the Geisel Medical School at Dartmouth College.

Whedon’s research began with awareness that “little is known about the comparative effectiveness of non-pharmacological care for low back pain as a strategy for reducing the use of opioid analgesics.” What is well known, as Whedon shared in his poster and presentation at the 2016 conference of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, is that patients with such pain are swimming in opioid prescriptions. Whedon’s presentation included a Baskin-Robbins-like list of 39 opioid varieties. He postulated that opioid use would be less likely among those receiving chiropractic care.

Association Between Utilization Of Chiropractic For Back Pain & Use Of Prescription Opioids

Preliminary results of a health claims study,” Whedon reports what he found through examining the New Hampshire All Payer Claims Database.  Of roughly 33,000 adults registered as having low back pain, slightly over a third saw a chiropractor. Of these, 38 percent had at least one opioid prescription. Of those who did not see a chiropractor, 61 percent had at least one opioid prescription.

The core question that interested Whedon was how many prescription fills the two sets of insured patients received. Those whose opioid prescription was integrated with chiropractic care had an average of 3.9 fills. Those who did not receive chiropractic manipulative therapy averaged 8.3 fills per patient. He estimated that the average per person opioid charges were $88 for those using chiropractors. The figure was $140, or 60 percent higher for those not using chiropractic care.

Whedon’s conclusions were, first, that the likelihood of filling a prescription for a high-risk drug of any type was 27 percent lower. Secondly, the likelihood of filling a prescription for an opioid analgesic was 57 percent lower in the chiropractic-using population.

“These are preliminary results,” Whedon cautioned. “We intend to analyze the data further, applying robust methods to reduce the risk of bias that can result from other differences between people who use chiropractic care and those who do not.”

Comment: While Whedon takes care to note that “no causal inferences can be made,” the associations should be of real interest to the CDC and other policy makers. A follow-up study might attempt to compare the whole costs of the chiropractic-using population and those who didn’t.  These costs could include, on the one hand, the cost of chiropractic treatment, and on the other, the costs of other medications or treatment that may be prescribed for those on longer-term opioid treatment who may end up cycling into the addiction.

Physical therapists (PT’s) are healthcare professionals who treat patients of all ages with back or neck ailments. Your spine surgeon, physiatrist, orthopaedist, primary care physician, or neurosurgeon may refer you to a physical therapist as portion of your non-operative plan of treatment. An organized physical therapy plan may be an intrinsic portion of your after-care following back surgery. PT’s practice in a variety of settings for example hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes.

GOALS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

The primary goals of physical therapy include: maintain practical skill and improve, build endurance and physical strength, increase flexibility, reduce pain, and prevent impairment. PTs also instruct patients the best way to exercise to enhance overall physical fitness, move about safely (biomechanics and ergonomics), and injury prevention. Physical therapists also help patients with long-term physical incapacity (eg, spinal cord injury).

Physical therapy may contain passive modalities; the individual is administered to treatments by the PT. Modalities include myofascial release, different types of massage, ultrasound, ice or heat. Some of these treatments could be administered before lively therapeutic exercise.

SPINE-ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TREAT:

• Degenerative disk disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sciatica
• Spondylosis (spinal arthritis)
• Whiplash
• Rebuild endurance, flexibility and strength after back surgery, also as specific physical needs associated with surgical aftercare.

COORDINATED CARE

Your physical therapist may work directly for or with your physician to organize aspects of your physical treatment. For instance, your doctor may send the physical therapist pertinent parts of your graph, such as present medications, your analysis, and results of imaging studies.

During the first consultation, the physical therapist talks with you about symptoms, analysis, and your medical history. Many patients with a back or neck ailment experience pain that is severe, chronic, and/or episodic. Severity the location, type, and variables that decrease or increase pain are significant, and the PT will ask you many questions regarding pain.

EDUCATION AND CLINICAL TRAINING

Physical therapists are healthcare professionals who passed a state licensing examination and have completed an accredited physical therapy program. The program includes medical ethics academic learning, and evidence-based medicine with clinical use outside the classroom. After graduation, a PT may advance experience and knowledge by participating in areas of their interest. Now all physical therapists graduate with a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.

Through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, a PT can eventually be a board certified specialist in a specific area such as orthopaedics, pediatrics, or geriatrics. There are various areas of specialization.

SELECTING A PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Many states permit you to attend a physical therapist without a physician’s referral. What questions should you keep in mind about picking out a physical therapist, even though you can definitely ask your physician for a recommendation? Listed below are some questions to consider.

• What is the physical therapist’s training and educational history?
• Does the physical therapist frequently treat patients with my difficulty?
• How many times per week do I need physical therapy?
• Will I Be provided by the physical therapist with a customized home exercise plan?
• Am I comfortable with a female or male physical therapist?

TAKING CHARGE

Bear in mind a physical therapist is a precious healthcare professional and member of your medical team. While physical therapy may be challenging or demanding at first, you are offered many benefits by a PT. It’s an opportunity to take charge of your back or neck pain, while building a stronger more resilient body.