Do Chiropractors Treat Disc Herniations?

Yes! Chiropractic is a great non-surgical, non-drug treatment option for disc herniations and the associated symptoms including low back pain, sciatica, radicular pain, stenosis, and radiculopathy. What is a disc herniation? A disc herniation is displacement of discal material outside the vertebral margins. Discs are the gel-like shock absorbers of your spine made of a nucleus pulposus in the middle surround by an annular fiber exterior. Think of the gel like structure of the disc…

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3 Tips for Back Pain

Back pain is incredibly common with 4 out of 5 people experiencing back pain at some point in their lives. That makes it critical that individuals have a few strategies/tips to manage the next back pain episode.  1. Don't Panic This seems obvious but also is incredibly difficult when you are in the heat of a lower back pain flare.   Individuals that have experienced a few episodes of lower back pain are a little hardened…

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3 Best Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis

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 own.…

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How do I know if I have plantar fasciitis?

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…

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How to Create an Injury-Free Running Program

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…

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A Smarter Running Program – Slow Cooker Style

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…

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Wake Up Call for Athlete Sleep

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…

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Runners’ Knee Presentation

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.…

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Mobilize Your Neck

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…

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Thoracic Spine Mobility Exercises

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…

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