If you are suffering from back pain, you don’t need to wait for a certain threshold to seek treatment. At the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, we utilize holistic therapies for musculoskeletal maintenance and pain relief that are safe and easy for patients. Nonetheless, there are certain situations in which it is especially important for patients to seek help.
As sports medicine doctors, we know that a lot of athletes are under the impression that pain is part of the game and they should play through it. But if back pain lasts longer for a week after an injury, the athlete should get a professional assessment in an office such as ours that can do imaging tests. Otherwise, they may be making an injury such as a frayed muscle worse. And if pain from a back injury lasts for longer than six weeks, a person should definitely seek an assessment, since that is how long back injuries generally take to heal naturally.
Symptoms of a pinched sciatic nerve always deserve fast attention. Those include tingling, numbness, or shooting pain in the legs, which could be caused by a slipped lumbar disc. Fevers or incontinence accompanied by leg pain merit emergency care, after which chiropractic can be used to restore and maintain a patient’s spinal health. A person should also always seek a professional assessment after being in a vehicular accident or other traumatic event that could have caused whiplash, since the consequences may not be felt immediately. Our office’s treatments, including massage therapy, spinal adjustments, and physical therapy, provide patients with pain relief while allowing the body to heal naturally, with a goal of allowing the patient to remain as active as possible.
Dr. Jay McClanahan operates the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 642 Cross Lanes Drive, Nitro, West Virginia, 25143. To schedule an appointment, visit Dr J Back Doc WV or call 304-776-1520.
As a chiropractor and personal trainer, Dr. Jay McClanahan is trained to help patients improve their core strength. Back pain can be caused by all sorts of things, but one constant is that strong back muscles will help to take the strain off discs and ligaments, making them less vulnerable to overuse injuries.
As you could guess from its name, the core isn’t just the muscles that are visible from the outside. The rectus abdominis, the one seen in front, is the six-pack muscle, but toning it alone doesn’t do much to take pressure off the back. Instead, you want to strengthen all your core muscles, including the transverse abdominis that binds around the lower back and organs, the multifidi muscles that link up the spine, the obliques that connect the ribs to the pelvis, and the hip muscles that connect to the pelvis and influence the position of the lower spine. Increasing these muscles’ flexibility, if done properly, will prevent them from fraying.
You’ll need to consult with us to ensure you’re doing exercises that are safe for you and that you’re adding reps at an appropriate pace. But in general, it’s best to stick with low or no-impact exercises such as bird-dogging, flutter kicks, and planks, especially if you’re just starting out or recovering from an injury. Don’t try to continue on your own if you feel pain, but regular exercises are the most important preventive measure for back injuries.
Dr. Jay McClanahan operates the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 642 Cross Lanes Drive, Nitro, West Virginia, 25143. To schedule an appointment, visit Dr J Back Doc WV or call 304-776-1520.
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. As one of the Charleston area’s leaders in pain management, we at the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center see a lot of people suffering from nerve damage. In the spirit of the month, we want our patients to understand how diabetes may be related to their pain and what whole-body treatment can do to help.
Chronic or recurring pain is often the result of damage to nerves, also known as neuropathy. It can result from elevated levels of blood sugar. Although it is most commonly felt in the lower limbs, it can also affect the digestive, reproductive, and circulatory systems, and the eyes. When people’s hips are affected, they may adjust their gait in a way that puts pressure on their spinal column, increasing their risk of developing lower back pain. Negative emotions often distress the nerves further, resulting in more pain.
Our office offers a number of holistic treatments as part of pain management. Among them are therapeutic massages, which can relieve pressure on nerves and help the blood to deliver nutrients, and therapeutic exercise, which relieves pressure on joints and tendons. We also offer weight loss programs, which remove a lot of the pressure on nerves and joints and include nutritional advice that will help people with diabetes to control their blood sugar. We can also determine whether a patient can receive an adjustment for damage done to their spine by compensating for problems in the lower limbs.
Dr. Jay McClanahan operates the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 642 Cross Lanes Drive, Nitro, West Virginia, 25143. To schedule an appointment, visit Dr J Back Doc WV or call 304-776-1520.
As the leaves turn colors and fall in Nitro, we at the Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center hope everyone knows how to rake safely. While we’re happy to provide chiropractic maintenance, we see a lot of preventable injuries here, so we thought it would be a good idea to give patients some tips.
Before you start raking, you need to be sure you have the right clothing and equipment. The rake should be light but have a long enough handle for you to use it without stooping down. Your clothes should be form-fitting, with no dangling accessories, but also be lightweight and breathable. You’ll need close-toed shoes that provide arch support and have slip-resistant soles. If you have long hair, don’t forget to tie it back.
Before you start any vigorous activity, you should do a five-minute warm-up that moves your limbs while pumping blood into them. As you rake, stand with your feet in a scissor-position without locking your knees. You’ll need to switch which hand is higher about every five minutes. Only attempt to move leaves when they’re dry, or else they will be too heavy. Test the bag to see whether you can lift it comfortably as you are filling it, and remember to lift by pushing up with your legs.
Dr. Jay McClanahan operates the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 642 Cross Lanes Drive, Nitro, West Virginia, 25143. To schedule an appointment, visit Dr J Back Doc WV or call 304-776-1520.
