Patient’s Questions Dr. Burt’s Answers #6-#13

September 13, 2010 by drburt

Does sitting up straight really help you?

If you sit straight (back straight, legs in front of you, shoulders back) does it help you in later life? Or will you get a hunch back?

Answer:

Please read these articles. These two posts describe everything you need to know about the posture.

Why is Posture So Important and 96 Tips for a Perfect Posture

Back Pain/Lower back joint grinding?

Hello, I have a curve in my spine, and also have arthritis in my lower spine. For the last year or so I have been having really bad grinding noises in my lower back when I move my hips back and forth—if I lay on my side and stretch and move you can feel this as well. It’s kind of painful with a lot of grinding and popping. I have posted this before with no success only scams–so please any help would be great as I don’t have any medical insurance and I don’t want to go to M.D. if this is something everyone feels?!

Answer:

The symptoms you are experiencing correlate with symptoms of someone having osteoarthritis in the spine. The presence of scoliosis (curve in my spine) is most likely a contributing factor over a long period of time. I don’t know your age but is sounds that you have had it for a very long time. Lack of proper biomechanics in your lower back (lumbar spine) took its toll on your vertebral joints and proper articulations of each vertebrae. I would suggest for you to go see a specialist in your area ASAP. Doctor of Chiropractic would be the first choice – he/she has X Ray machine in the office and will be able to determine how advanced is the stage of osteoarthritis. If things went beyond the point where chiropractor can’t help your next choice should be an Orthopedist. My advise was given on a description of the problem that was provided in your question. I hope you feel better.

Leg pain after soccer practice?

My friend has bad leg pains. In her soccer practice she kicked the soccer ball full power at the same time as someone else did (and they are the best on the team btw…) and now when she steps with it she feels a rush of pain. But when she stretches like by pulling it towards her it does not hurt as much. Do you know what the problem is??? Is it serious?!?!?

Answer:

It sounds like your friend has sprain/strain in her leg. Since you do not provides specific region of the leg I will use general terms. When she applied a weight load on her leg injured muscles and tendons react to the load by sending painful signals to the brain. Basically pain is the way your body communicates with your brain by letting you know that something is wrong and you should do something about it. When your friend is stretching she does not feel as much pain and probably she feels better after the stretch. I would have your friend to see a local Certified Massage Therapist and get several session of deep tissue massage around painful area. Massage will help to repair soft tissue fibrosis and will enhance the healing process. The sooner she does it the easier it is going to be to fix the problem. Hope your friend feels better.

Is my sprained ankle good to go?

I sprained my ankle a little over a month ago and it has been starting to feel better. It now has a full range of motion and everything but when I run and jump around on it, it still feels a little sore. The pain is definitely tolerable but I’m worried I could be making things worse. Is this normal or do I still need to give it more time?

Answer:

Hello. The last sentence of your question tells me that you did not have any rehabilitation done to your ankle after you have injured it. That is basically the cause of your pain. During sprain injury your ligaments and tendons are being over stretched. During the passive healing process the soft tissue fibrosis is forming. In basic English that means that scar tissues around injured ligaments and tendons are being formed. These fibrotic tissue is very painful and will not go away on its own without proper rehabilitation. You could see your local Chiropractor, Massage Therapist or Acupuncturist with combination of Physical Therapy modalities. Please read more here

My ankle has been swollen for months?

I suffered an inversion sprain in March and it is now 5 months later but it still looks fat. I can run, sprint, jump and all that good stuff no problem, its just the physical appearance of the ankle that confuses me. Why is it still fat?? What can I do to get rid of it?

Answer:

Most likely you have fluid retention or there is still an inflammation after your injury. I would suggest for you to go see your Family Doctor and have him/her order X Rays and MRI of your ankle. This will help to figure what is going on with your ankle.

Another option is to try rehabilitation process. Please see an answer above with some additional information. I hope this helped to answer your question. Have a great day.

Is my hand fractured?

So earlier today I was taking my curtain down and I guess my hand came to close to my ceiling fan and the back of it got hit. It hurt so bad and now I am left with a few scars, a swollen hand and moving my fingers isn’t to easy. The one that hurts the most to bend is the middle finger. Should I go to the doctor or just keep icing it?

Answer:

Most definitely please go see a Doctor ASAP. The fact that you have difficulties moving your fingers is not a very good sign. The presence of a fracture is possible. Please see your PCP and have hand X Rayed. If you have a fracture your doc will cast it for however long is necessary. If it is not fractured please get some rehabilitation of your hand from a Certified Massage Therapist, Chiropractor or Acupunturist.

Hip pain/Lower back pain after running, playing basketball, weight training?

So last year I was playing basketball, and another teammate jumped and his butt landed on my hip/lower back. After that I could barely play. Pain went away after a few days. So I kept playing all last year and pain would come and go.

This year in another basketball tournament, after not playing for months, I played and pain was killing me, I played through pain for a game but I couldn’t handle it anymore.

Now every time I run at gym or lift some heavy weights, hip/lower back starts hurting for a couple of days. Went to Back to a Doctor. He gave me none inflammatory pills but didn’t really help.

I constantly feel a pinch in right hip after seating at work for 8 hours.

What could it be? I will be starting Police Academy in the next 6 months or so. I don’t want this to be a problem.

Answer:

Sorry about your agonizing pain. I am pretty sure you are tired of taking anti inflammatory pills as by now most likely they stopped working anyway and your pain level has gone up. It is very common to have lower back and Sacroilliac Joint being injured during sport acitivies. The fact that you teammate landed on your hip tells me that excessive force was used to misaligned your Lumbosacral and Sacroilliac Joints. You MUST go see your local Chiropractor ASAP. Have him/her adjust your entire spine, use some PT modalities and get deep tissue massage. Make sure that Chiropractor that you choose has everything in the office – I mean PT modalities and Certified Massage Therapist. Please read more about lower back pain here.

What is Whiplash?

July 31, 2010 by drburt

Personal injury is a term often used to describe an injury most commonly caused by a car accident. It may also include other types of injury such as a slip or fall. Whiplash is most commonly associated with rear-end car collisions in which the heads of those in the front car are suddenly snapped back and forth by the impact. It is more accurately called cervical acceleration/deceleration (CAD) trauma or syndrome, which describes the rapid movements that can injure the vertebrae of the neck and the muscles and ligaments that support them.

Who suffers from whiplash?

Anyone can be subjected to whiplash, even in a low-force car crash at speeds as low as 5mph. But injuries associated with whiplash can also result from other mishaps in which the head is pushed or jerked beyond its normal range of motion. Whiplash most commonly causes serious and lingering neck pain, but there may also be back pain, headaches and dizziness. As much as bruising of the brain can sometimes occur in auto accidents. Severe cases of whiplash, may include symptoms such as blurred vision, ringing in the ears, nausea and numbness.
[Read more…]

Soft Tissue Injury and San Leandro Chiropractic Rehabilitation Process

June 2, 2010 by drburt

A Soft Tissue Injury (STI)happens when your muscles, tendons and ligaments get damaged because of a sprain or strain. It happens when one overuses or put too much stress on a particular joint. As a result the pain accompanied by bruising or swelling. STI is a very common problem and it can easily be remedied as long as the pain that accompanies it is not severe.

When STI occurrs, an immediate response applying the principle of “PRICE” would make a big difference. PRICE means Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. After an injury, the patient should be prevented from making any movements as it allows to prevent further damage. If the patient feels the pain, when he/she bends or walks then he/she should avoid these movements. If absolutely necessary, crutches may be used. Icing minimizes the pain and the swelling especially during the first 3 days after the injury has occurred. Ice is placed on the affected area for 15-20 minutes at a time every waking hour. Take a note that if you have diabetes or poor blood circulation, you must consult your doctor first before applying a cold pack. Pressure is applied to compress the injured area to control bleeding and swelling. Elevation of the affected area also minimizes the bleeding and swelling. Raise the affected area above the heart level for the first 72 hours or until the swelling would subside.

The “PRICE” management is effective but other treatments may be necessary if the patient experiences extreme pain that lasts for more than 24 hours. A health care professional would be able to make a diagnosis and recommend treatments. Treatments include chiropractic, physical therapy and massage therapy. If a patient suffers from severe pain, prescription medications might be necessary along with a rehabilitation program.

Chiropractic rehabilitation helps to rapidly solve the problem of injuried muscles, tendons and ligaments. One of the chiropractic specialties for such treatments is called ART or Active Release Techniques. Patient would be amazed at how fast your recovery would be if you go for a chiropractic adjustment, ART and Physical Therapy Modalities. It is a hands-on approach that locates then eliminates the scar tissues. The Graston Technique is a treatment using different stainless steel tools and it can be even more effective than ART. The Graston Technique uses instruments to treat the affected areas suffering from chronic inflammation or fibrosis of the soft tissues. SASTM is another chiropractic tool used that is made of acrylic instead of stainless steel as used on the Graston Technique. But, in some cases, in order to get the best result in treatment, both set of tools may be used on the patient as well as different modalities.

Question: What Kind of Therapy Have You Had For Your Soft Tissiue Injury? What was an outcome like?

Neck Pain and Chiropractic Treatment in San Leandro

May 28, 2010 by drburt

Neck Pain and Chiropractic Treatment in San Leandro

Experiencing neck pain is really annoying and can take the focus off your work or activity that you should be paying attention to. It can be a little nuisance no matter if it’s mild or not. It is quite a common problem that many people experience at some point in their lives. Neck pain intensity can be mild to severe and the causes for the pain vary from just a muscular strain to a spinal misalignment (subluxation) or injury. The neck plays a vital role as it connects our head to the upper back. Since it supports the head so it won’t wag down, there are 3 top joints in the neck that provides flexibility and movement for both our neck and head. These joints support the head and if they get affected, the muscles tightening will cause the pain. Of course this is just the most common reason why a person experiences the neck pain. If a patient experiences neck pain, it would be best to consult a health care professional to figure out what caused the pain to begin with. It can just be a symptom and not the actual problem. It can be a referred pain caused by upper back problems or by an acute coronary syndrome. There are different available treatments out there depending on the severity of the neck pain. For many, a conservative treatment of chiropractic is their preferred choice. Chiropractors won’t proceed with chiropractic on the patient without initially diagnosing what caused the problem. A patient’s medical history is important as well as physical examination to test the movement of the patient’s neck ROM as well as to examine the muscles and testing of the nerves, in other words orthopedic and neurolgical examination. Chiropractic treatment may sound scary to some as twisting of the neck may mortify them and fear for the worst that could happen. However, licensed D.C. don’t just twist the neck or snap, one actually performs gentle manipulations of the cervical spine to improve the overall biomechanics which is quintessential to return the motion of the joints to normal. Chiropractors are well-trained and before they get their license, they are already equipped with the right knowledge to do the job well so you are assured that you won’t jeopardize your life if you try the treatment. In fact, you will greatly benefit from it. If the neck pain is caused by an injury, it would be best to have chiropractic rehabilitation along with physical therapy modalities (ultrasound, electrical stimulation and heat, Cold Laser – Erchonia PL 5000), deep tissue massage and possible pain medication. Medications can be prescribed to the patient by a medical doctor depending on the level of pain suffered by the patient. If after 1 or 2 weeks of chiropractic rehabilitation the pain level goes down to a tolerable level, the patient can stop taking pain medications. Allopathic physician and Doctor of Chiropractic would know what’s best for you, so do ask for the suggestions. Question: What was your neck pain like? What kind of treatment did you choose for your neck pain?

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