Monthly Archives: September 2017
Experiencing Whiplash?
Posted on September 25, 2017 by admin
Experiencing a terrible neck pain sensation? You may be experiencing whiplash, especially if you were recently involved in a motor vehicle accident.
Whiplash is caused by high force of forward and backward movement, which is quite common in drivers who have been in a car accident. This condition does not only occur from car accidents, but it is common in contact sports such as football and any form of physical abuse and/or assault.
How do you know if you have a whiplash? Some symptoms of a whiplash include stiffness, headaches, dizziness and more. Normally, whiplash injuries may not mean much but sometimes there could be other problems associated with your neck pain and it is always advised to have your whiplash pain checked out with your general physician or chiropractor.
What are the Two Types of Arthritis?
Posted on September 18, 2017 by admin
Arthritis is a common medical term many of us have heard about. There is also a lot of us who has experienced or is at risk for it. However, did you know there are 2 types of Arthritis?
The first type is osteoarthritis. This is defined when there are tears and wears of the cartilage at the end of the bones. As the cartilage is wearing out, the joints are rubbing against each other more frequently. This type is more commonly present in individuals who are over the age of 65. Factors such as obesity and overuse of the cartilage area can increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis. The symptoms associated with osteoarthritis are morning stiffness, pain which is decreased with movement, swelling, and any cracking and/or clicking sounds occurring in the joint area.
The second type is called rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disorder where it identifies normal functioning joints as abnormal therefore resulting in inflammation and pain. If inflammation isn’t taken care of, it can cause further damage to your cartilage and joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is commonly found in females who are 30-60 years of age. Symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis are similar to osteoarthritis but the stiffness and pain does not improve with movement.
If you have arthritis, what should you be doing? You can always try some stretches to help relieve arthritis pain. Always consider warming up before your stretches to prevent more pain from developing and try to do stretches during the least painful time of the day. If you move from time to time, it can actually relieve some pain and stiffness as well as using labor-saving devices and adaptive aids.
Just because you are experiencing arthritis, it doesn’t mean that you are limited to physical activity and exercise. Some exercises can help with rheumatoid arthritis. Consider putting aerobic conditioning, resistance training, stretching and flexibility exercises, and balance exercises into your active lifestyle, which all of these can help ease rheumatoid arthritis.
What Can We Do About Low Back Pain?
Posted on September 11, 2017 by admin
Low back pain can affect how your performance is, whether you are at work or at school. Most of us like to resort to pain killers to relieve our discomfort or pain but should we actually take medication to help with our back pain?
NSAIDs can be very harmful and lead to other health problems such as ulcers, stroke, and heart attacks. Studies suggest that medications help minimally in relieving pain and cause a lot of harm instead.
What should you do when you are experiencing low back pain?
If the back pain isn’t linked to anything dangerous, then let your back take a rest for a day or two with minimal stretching and exercising. If needed, physical therapy can be applied as well after a day of resting. However, if the back pain worsens or does not improve, it is always safer to contact a practitioner and figure out what could be the cause of the low back pain.
With a new case of low back pain, having rest and applying heat is important for the first few days. As the pain continues to linger, you can try a massage, acupuncture or spinal manipulation. If the pain continues, you can mention to your general practitioner about the issue and they could suggest a MRI to eliminate any serious issues.
Every individual experience low back pain at a different level so if you feel that you cannot handle the pain, it is best to see your local chiropractor or practitioner for more help.
It’s Never too Late to Set SMART Goals
Posted on September 5, 2017 by admin
For many of us, today is the first day back to school! Have you considered setting new SMART goals for the start of the school year? It is common to set SMART goals for yourself in the new year however it is not too late to create new goals in September!
Haven’t heard of SMART goals before? They are goals that are more specific and are more measurable throughout your progress. How do you know if your goals are SMART?
Specific: Create detailed, concise and clear goals of what needs to be achieved with a fully constructed result.
Measurable: How will you be able to keep track of your progress?
Achievable: Is this goal realistic? Are you able to attain this goal within the reasonable amount of time mentioned in the goal?
Relevant: Is there a purpose along with the goal you have made? Is it the right time to set this goal and are you able to continue going through with the goal?
Timely: How soon or long will it take to complete your goals? Is it a reasonable period of time for you to attain them?
Following these criteria can create detailed goals and tracking your process can become a lot easier as you allow yourself a set time to accomplish these goals!