Sitting is Bad for Children, Too

An article, posted by The New York Times in their Well section, described a study to check the health effects of prolonged sitting in children.  They found that, just like in adults, prolonged sitting leads to decreased vascular dilation which can raise blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular disease in the future.  

As iPads, video games, Netflix, and other attention-grabbers have become more prevalent, kids are sitting more and more.  One researcher in the article even said, "I was surprised by how easy it was to get the girls to stay still for three uninterrupted hours."  

The study concluded that we should avoid prolonged sitting.  Getting up every hour to walk around for a few minutes can help undo the damage done by sitting.  

For more information on this study you can read the article by The New York Times HERE.  

Rib Pain: What Causes It, and How Can I Get Rid of It?

Anyone that has had rib pain can tell you it is not fun at all.  Rib pain typically presents itself as pain just outside the spine on the back; although, it can extend to the front of the chest too.  Rib issues can make also it difficult and painful to breathe.  These issues are often a result of restrictions or improper seeding of the rib head joint with the thoracic spine.  

So what causes these rib issues?  Sometimes, it can often be as simple as a hard cough or sneeze.  Another common cause of rib head issues is improper form or too much of a pushing exercise such as bench press, pushups, or punching.  When you push your arms forward and your scapulae retracts, the ribs move as well.  This produces a lever action on the costovertebral joint (the joint the rib makes with the spine).  Too much of this action or too much force, combined with weakness of the posterior muscles, can cause the rib head to push back in the joint, or in severe cases dislocate.   When the rib head is affected the muscles surrounding it tend to tighten up a lot.  This can help protect that joint, but can cause a lot of discomfort at the same time.   

So what do I do about it?  At Nashville Chiropractic we see these rib issues almost daily.  It is a very common occurrence due to people working out and neglecting the back muscles, or the back muscles becoming weak from years of desk work and sitting.  Typically, we are able to resolve these problems with a few visits.  By adjusting the rib head and promoting proper thoracic extension, usually the pain is greatly reduced after a few adjustments.  BUT that's not the end.  Ribs tend to be recurrent, so we need to address the surrounding musculature to strengthen the area around the ribs and prevent future injuries.  

If you are having, or commonly get, rib pain give us a call at (615) 620-0904.  We can address the issue and get you back to feeling and moving better.  

What Causes Achilles Tendinitis, And What Can You Do About It?

Achilles tendinopathy is usually a gradual-onset injury most often caused by overuse.  It is a common injury for runners, soccer players, basketball players, and any other athlete that spends a lot of time in forward motion.  Overuse occurs when the Achilles tendon undergoes excessive stresses without enough time to adjust to those stress levels between occurrences.  Excessive stress can be the result of poor foot mechanics, increased conditioning sessions, improper playing or running surfaces, improper footwear, muscle weakness, inflexibility, or a combination of all of the above.  

Let's focus on poor foot mechanics and footwear.  Excessive pronation (leaning of your foot towards your big toe) when running increases stress to the Achilles tendon.  The Achilles tendon naturally has a spiral formation; thus, when the foot is pronated it adds extra stress and tightness to the tendon.  This, coupled with then tendon's poor blood supply, can lead to injury that can be a real "pain" to get over.  

So what can be done to treat Achilles tendinitis?  First and foremost, a gait analysis should be performed to see if the athlete is a pronator.  If so, proper footwear and taping techniques can help limit the amount of pronation while running and ultimately decrease the stress on the Achilles tendon.  Further, a qualified healthcare provider can provide myofascial release to help break up any adhesions found in the tendon.  Stretching of the whole leg region can help increase achilles flexibility, i.e. calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.  Your healthcare provider can then prescribe exercises to help control and strengthen the area.  

It is best to seek help sooner rather than later regarding Achilles issues.  The longer one goes trying to fight it on their own without treatment or rest, the more likely more damage may occur.  If you or someone you know are having these issues then we would be happy to help you here at Nashville Chiropractic!

Music City Distance Carnival

Nashville Chiropractic will be on site at the Music City Distance Carnival (MCDC) on June 6th.  The MCDC is a distance-centered elite track meet held at Vanderbilt University's track.  Over the years this meet has seen 19 sub-4 minute miles, 23 countries represented, and 13 olympians compete.  We are very excited to be teaming up with the MCDC this year.  We'll be on site providing stretching and muscle work for the athletes.  The meet will be held Saturday night, June 6th, and will surely be a blast.  Come check it out and stop by to say hey.