Shark week just ended, and it got me thinking about the lessons a shark attack can teach us about pain. Before diving into (nice pun) the lessons to be learned, we need to clarify a few things about pain There is no such thing as pain fibers This may come as a shock, but the body doesn’t have pain fibers. Instead of pain fibers, our body has special nerves that gather information, and only sometimes…
Pelvic floor dysfunction is often neglected and overlooked. Traditional chiropractic and physical therapy coursework lack appropriate education on the pelvic floor. Fortunately, an increasing number of pelvic floor-focused providers can help identify, treat, and manage pelvic floor dysfunction. I was lucky enough to sit down with pelvic floor expert, Kayla Ives, owner, and physical therapist at the Pelvic Physio Omaha. https://youtu.be/1UIxiOfrFAQ The Pelvic Physio is the ONLY standalone pelvic floor clinic in Omaha, Nebraska. We…
Pain can be very confusing. One of my most important jobs is to answer the question “What is causing my pain?”. This may seem straightforward but it is very common that the site of pain is not actually the cause of pain. Sciatica and “pinched nerves” help illustrate this concept. To better answer the question “What is causing my pain?” I want to highlight the difference between referred pain and radicular pain. Both types of…
Plantar fasciitis is found in both sport (runners) and people that work on their feet. We have previously discussed this in the blog “How do I know if I have plantar fasciitis?”. If you have not done so, I would recommend you start there for more background information on risk factors, anatomy, differential diagnosis, and our chiropractic approach to treating plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis can take up to six months to go away on its…
Did you know Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain in adults? Plantar Fasciitis is a big buzzword in musculoskeletal medicine, much like sciatica. However, not all heel pain is plantar fasciitis. A correct diagnosis is an important first step (pun intended) in recovering from plantar fasciitis. Speaking of the first step... One of the cardinal signs of plantar fasciitis is sharp, stabbing pain with the first few steps in the morning…
A poor running program causes more running injuries than most people realize. Most running injuries are due to training errors and therefore considered preventable. I was excited to sit down with Creighton Cross Country Coach, Chris Gannon, to discuss Programming for the Runner. I have been able to collaborate with him while rehabbing a couple of his runners while serving as the sports chiropractor for Creighton University Sports Medicine Team.This is the first interview in…
5 Ways to Improve Your Squat | Dr. Peters, sports chiropractors, breaks down 5 Ways to Improve Your Squats. Work with your anatomy, rather than against it for better, safer squats.
Chiropractic was long considered no better than placebo. However, the body of evidence has grown and chiropractic is a legit option for spine pain. Meanwhile, many of medicine's most widely accepted truths are under scrutiny as 'no better than placebo'. The idea of a placebo is clearest to a parent of a young child. For example, Imagine your kid stumbles and scratches their knee. They run to you in tears and you console them, kissing their owie.…
There is a lot of mis-information about back pain facts. If you are frustrated with persistent lower back pain that has cost you valuable time and money then dive into this evidenced based post of 10 must-know back pain facts inspired by a recent article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. 1. Persistent back pain can be scary, but rarely dangerous.Longstanding back pain can be upsetting and disabling, but it is rarely life threatening so…
An uncomfortable truth about lower back pain is that most is categorized as 'Non-specific lower back pain'. In fact, most lower back pain cannot be attributed to one particular source. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FnO3igOkOkThe iconic exchange between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men highlights my feelings when people ask, “What is causing my lower back pain?” With this question patients are looking for the SOURCE of their lower back pain otherwise known as a STRUCTURAL…
UPDATE 11/12/2020 To current and prospective patients, I wanted to take a moment and update everyone on our current office policies and procedures. The fact is that COVID-19 is really spreading in Omaha and surrounding areas right now. However, we continue to stay open and deliver COVID-conscious chiropractic care. You may have heard about other chiropractors refusing to wear masks and I want to emphasize that is not the case at our office. In fact, we…
Are you curious if your chiropractor is scamming you? Check out these 5 common chiropractic scam strategies and find out. Remember this scene from Matilda? Imagine moving across the country to a new city. As you grab the last of the moving boxes off the truck, you aggravate your lower back. You are in desperate need of a chiropractor so you can feel better and finish the move. Like anyone would in 2020, you scroll through…
Slow cooking your running program will result in less injury and more miles, therefore allowing you to stay on your training schedule by progressing running intelligently. Crock-Pot History The original slow cooker was the brainchild of Irving Naxon who received a patent for the device in 1940. However, the device took off in the early 1970s after the patent was sold and started being produced in mass quantity under the name, Crock-Pot. To clarify, Crockpots…
https://youtu.be/2KexsCP3luQ In this research review, I'd like to highlight a study examining a wake up call for athlete sleep. The wake up call is to college athletes and athletic departments on the importance of sleep to well-being and performance. Although the study involves college athletes, principles and findings can be applied to non-athletes. Source: Kroshus E, Wagner J, Wyrick D, et al. Bri J Sports Med 2019; 53: 731-736 The Power of Sleep Sleep is…
A functional diagnosis is critical to better understanding pain and performance. At OMNE Chiropractic, Dr. Peters utilizes a movement based assessment to find solutions. Functional Diagnosis First, a functional diagnosis involves determining the movements or limitations causing the pain. It involves locating key areas of movement deficiency and their impact on the patient's symptoms. For example, Dr. Peters will test foundational movements such as a squat and a lunge. In addition, Dr. Peters utilizes other…
Knee pain in running athletes is extremely common. In fact, over 42% of running related injuries involve the knee according to a 2002 study in the British Journal of Spots Medicine. Consequently, nearly 25% of runners develop knee pain each year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvB6wm2kBlw Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) Patellofemoral pain is the most common cause of anterior knee pain in running athletes. In the past, the condition was thought to be related to a patellar tracking issue.…
First off, the idea of 'treating patients not pictures' is because an x-ray and MRI is only part of the story. In my opinion, arthritis is a lazy diagnosis and often does not explain patient's pain. For this reason, it is important to treat patients and not pictures. For more information, check out the video below or click here: https://youtu.be/gEgXrzEUE5o Pathoanatomical Diagnosis Pathoanatomy is a combination of pathology and anatomy. Pathology is the study of…
We have all experienced it at some point. You turn to check your blind spot and you hear a crack in your neck. It may even sound really loud due to the close proximity to your ears. Many times this is harmless but can often make patients nervous. Let’s address some of the myths and answer "Are noisy joints normal?" What is that sound? First off, the term commonly used by healthcare clinicians is crepitus.…
Neck manipulation is a powerful tool for treating neck pain, headaches, dizziness, and cervicogenic vertigo. However, self manipulation is not recommended leaving patients tied to their chiropractor. With that being said, cervical spine SNAGs are a safe and effective way to mobilize your neck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHXAGnfv1Sg Cervical SNAGs SNAGs is an acronym for sustained natural apophyseal glides. In other words, it means neck mobilizations, and they are wonderful for self care and at home treatment. The…
Thoracic spine mobility is one of the most common areas of dysfunction presenting to the clinic. In fact, it is the most common area of treatment. Thoracic spine joints are prone to dysfunction due to the structure of the joints and lifestyle factors. Structure of the Thoracic Spine The thoracic spine is more commonly referred to as the middle back given its location between the neck and lower back. The middle back is comprised of…
