Backpack Usage

 

With school back in session, children are wearing backpacks again. And for many, that means an increase in neck, back, and shoulder pain. At the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, we are happy to provide safe, fast-acting pain relief, but we also want to provide for our patients’ holistic health and to address underlying problems. Sparing children from shoulder and spinal column trouble is possible when backpacks are used correctly, so we wanted to provide a brief guide on how to do that.

To be clear, backpacks are the best option for carrying school supplies, causing much less strain than handbags or single-strap bags. But they need to be fitted so they rest on the midpoint of a student’s upper back, not dangling down to the lumbar region or off to the side. They should have wide, padded straps, and students should also use a strap across their chests. A backpack should not be loaded enough to equal more than ten percent of the bodyweight of the person wearing it. Heavier objects should be loaded first so they won’t shift around as the wearer moves, and all compartments should be used so that weight will be distributed as evenly as possible.

A backpack’s straps should not be tight enough to cause pins-and-needles sensations in the wearer’s arms. If possible, it’s best to get one with a pull-out handle and wheels, but if school rules don’t allow those to be used, they’re just dead weight and should be avoided. If a child does experience aches in their upper body, they need to stop putting as much in the backpack and not try to power through it. If they experience longer lasting symptoms, we can provide treatments such as therapeutic massages, but the problem will not go away until they use their backpack more efficiently.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520. 

Pulling a Lower Back Muscle

 

Have you pulled something in your lower back? If you’re looking up the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, it’s probably because you suspect you have. Although chiropractors tend to emphasize problems such as herniated discs and subluxations, the most common back injuries are simple sprains to the soft tissues. But just because they are common does not mean they are not serious or that you shouldn’t seek help for them. This week, we’re going to take a closer look at what it means to pull a lower back muscle and what kinds of non-invasive, non-addictive treatments are available.

Muscles, tendons, and ligaments are all soft tissues that are made up of bundles of threads. Those threads may become frayed gradually, in the case of a chronic injury, or several may tear at once, during an acute injury. Injuries to muscles and tendons are known as strains and injuries to ligaments are known as sprains, although in practice, there is little difference and a person who has over stretched a tendon may have also over stretched a ligament. When soft tissues are injured, the body’s inflammatory response is triggered as a normal part of the immune system. This prevents blood that may contain pathogens from circulating as quickly through the body and makes cellular walls more permeable to antibodies, but also results in stiffness, swelling, and soreness.

Much of our treatment for strains and sprains is focused on pushing blood out of swollen areas so that nutrient-rich fresh blood may move in. This is what therapeutic massages are meant to accomplish, as are higher-tech options such as electric muscle stimulation. Therapeutic exercises are also recommended as a way to increase blood flow while strengthening injured muscles. Chiropractic adjustments can be used to take pressure off blood vessels, and if the underlying problem is that a displaced joint is contributing to wear, we can adjust the joint back into place.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520. 

Raking Safety

 

With fall officially here, the leaves have started to change color. Soon, we’ll be raking them up. Yard work is an excellent way of getting exercise, and at the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, we encourage all our patients to find fun ways of staying active. But every form of exercise requires us to take safety precautions, and if raking is done improperly, it can put strain on our spinal discs and shoulder muscles. To help our patients avoid injury, we wanted to remind them of some raking protocols.

The first part of healthy raking is the rake itself. It should be lightweight and have a long enough handle that you don’t need to bend over to use it. Before you start raking, put on clothes that are warm, but breathable, and that are close-fitting enough that nothing will get caught or tangled. Rake while standing with one foot forward and one back, and pulling the leaves into a pile to your side. You should be changing which side of the pile you are standing on and which hand is higher on the rake about every five minutes.

Before you start raking, do a warm-up of dynamic stretches to loosen your muscles. You can further reduce strain on your back by squatting down to pick up leaves or bending by tilting over at your hips instead of bending at the waist. Be careful to avoid putting more in the leaf bag that you are able to carry, and try to rake when the leaves are dry so less of your energy will be wasted moving water. If you do feel sore while raking, stop, and we can help you determine whether it is safe to continue at another time. We also are available to help people feeling tightness or stiffness by providing chiropractic adjustments and therapeutic massages.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520.