The Purpose Of Pain

The Purpose Of Pain

If you have backpain, headaches or other muscle and joint pains or know of someone who does, making the pain go away is a major goal. But what is the purpose of pain? It turns out there are some very important reasons why we are equipped to sense pain. Dorland’s Medical Dictionary,used by health professionals around the world, list more than 34 different ones! Pain causes you to pay attention to something that’s not working right. It is a warning that a limit of some type has been reached; that the body is not equipped to or cannot adapt further. So in many ways pain is a good thing, it is a warning. We get into trouble only when we misinterpret the pain, or think we can simply make it go away without attending to the underlying cause. Our immediate goal is to relieve the pain as quickly as possible, but more importantly our primary interest is the cause of the pain. Covering up the pain may be convenient but is costly in the long run. We want to correct the cause of the problem so that the pain does not keep reoccurring and joint degeneration and muscle changes do not set in. We stress our backs and necks everyday and if not properly maintained arthritic changes will develop.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Sleep Health

Are you waking up and feeling tired? Your chiropractor can offer tips on sleep positions, ergonomic pillows and mattresses to improve your sleep health.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Sciatic pain relief

Effective Solutions For Sciatica Pain

Sciatica is leg pain caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back. Although the pangs begin in nerve roots located on either side of the lower spine, they then course through the sciatic nerve, which runs the length of each leg from the buttock down to the foot. The leg agony, called radiculopathy, "is often worse than the back pain," says William A. Abdu, MD, medical director of the Spine Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Usually felt in one leg, the sensation "can be intolerable," says Birgit Ruppert, a physical therapist at the Spine Center. "Some people liken it to the nerve pain you experience if you have a toothache."

The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disk: When a disk develops a tear or crack and bulges into the spinal canal, it can pinch the sciatic nerve.

Chiropractic Care

Sixty percent of people with sciatica who didn’t get relief from other therapies and then tried spinal manipulation experienced the same degree of pain relief as patients who eventually had surgery, found a 2010 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. The 120 people in the study saw a chiropractor about 3 times a week for 4 weeks and then continued weekly visits, tapering off treatment as they felt better. In people who responded to chiropractic care, benefits lasted up to a year. "Spinal manipulation may create a response in the nervous system that relieves pain and restores normal mobility to the injured area," says study researcher Gordon McMorland, DC, of National Spine Care in Calgary, Alberta. "It also reduces inflammation, creating an environment that promotes the body’s natural healing mechanisms."

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Pain Relief From Headaches

Did you know chiropractic helps manage headaches? If you’re looking for a drug-free solution to address your headache-related pains, chiropractic can help.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Gardening

When Gardening, Pull Your Weeds…Not Your Back

Now that spring is here, the weather is warming up and leaves are turning green, many people will spend more time outside planting bulbs, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. Gardening can provide a great workout, but with all the bending, twisting, reaching and pulling, your body may not be ready for exercise of the garden variety.

Gardening can be enjoyable, but it is important to stretch your muscles before reaching for your gardening tools. The back, upper legs, shoulders, and wrists are all major muscle groups affected when using your green thumb. A warm-up and cool-down period is as important in gardening as it is for any other physical activity, performing simple stretches during these periods will help alleviate injuries, pain and stiffness.

To make gardening as fun and enjoyable as possible, it is important to prepare your body for this type of physical activity. The following stretches will help to alleviate muscle pain after a day spent in your garden.

Garden Fitness Stretches

  • Before stretching for any activity, breathe in and out, slowly and rhythmically; do not bounce or jerk your body, and stretch as far and as comfortably as you can. Do not follow the “no pain, no gain” rule. Stretching should not be painful.
  • While sitting, stretch your leg out in front of you, knee straight, and prop your heel on a step. Then lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of the thigh, or the hamstring muscle. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Do this once more and repeat with the other leg.
  • Stand up, balance yourself, and grab the front of your ankle from behind. Pull your heel towards your buttocks and hold the position for 15 seconds. Do this again and repeat with the other leg.
  • While standing, weave your fingers together above your head with the palms up. Lean to one side for 10 seconds, then to the other. Repeat this stretch three times.
  • Do the "Hug your best friend" stretch. Wrap your arms around yourself and rotate to one side, stretching as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for 10 seconds and reverse. Repeat two or three times.
  • Finally, be aware of your body technique, body form and correct posture while gardening. Kneel, don’t bend, and alternate your stance and movements as often as possible to keep the muscles and body balanced

After the Bulbs Are Planted

If you feel muscle aches and pains after your day in the garden, there are ways to alleviate the discomfort. Apply a cold pack on the area of pain for the first 48 hours or apply a heat pack after 48 hours. If pain persists seek the care of a professional before the pain progresses. Feel free to call our office if you are in need of further assistance.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724

Bad Diets

Bad Diets Tied to 400,000 U.S. Deaths

Unhealthy diets may have contributed to as many as 400,000 premature deaths from heart disease and strokes a new study estimates.

And, it’s not just the things you should be avoiding, such as salt and trans fats, which are contributing to these deaths. The excess deaths may also be caused by what’s missing in your diet, namely, nuts and seeds, vegetables and whole grains, the researchers said.

Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 cause of death in the United States, killing more people than any other cause. Poor diet is the top risk factor for cardiovascular disease death and therefore needs attention when setting health agendas. Debates on dietary policies tend to focus on cutting out unhealthy foods and nutrients, such as trans fats, salt and sugar sweetened beverages. But this study shows that a large number of heart related deaths may be due to the lack of healthy foods.

Fairport Chiropractic1157 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14450
585-381-7724