What are Subluxations?

 

If you’re interested in learning more about spinal health and the importance of musculoskeletal alignment, you have probably encountered the term “subluxation.” Understanding subluxations is one of the key components of chiropractic, a philosophy of treatment that emphasizes non-invasive, non-addictive means of correcting misalignments. At the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, we offer several therapies for correcting subluxations and associated problems, and we want everyone to know why they should get examined for them.

A spinal subluxation is when a vertebra has become dislocated. Although this may be minor enough to not be noticeable to the patient for a while, it is often responsible for serious problems. A subluxated vertebra could compress a nerve, causing pain and numbness and interfering with the signals it sends the body. A subluxation in the lumbar, or lower spine, could cause pain along the leg, and a subluxation in the neck could cause pain along the arm or in the head. Even if a displaced vertebra isn’t affecting a nerve, it may be distorting the shape of the spinal discs, which cushion the vertebrae bodies, and compressing the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and blood vessels. This can cause soreness and inflammation.

The body has great potential to heal itself, but sometimes in order to do so, the dislocated vertebra has to be adjusted back into place. Chiropractors are trained to do this without harming the patient; many people even enjoy getting adjustments. We also offer several anti-inflammatory therapies, including therapeutic massage and electric muscle stimulation to ease blood flow into tissues that have been compressed.

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. 

Weightlifting Safety

 

Weightlifting is an excellent way to maintain musculoskeletal fitness. As a fitness instructor as well as a chiropractor, Dr. Jay McClanahan of the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro has coached many people recovering from injuries to their backs and joints. And while weightlifting may not be suitable for everyone with an injury at every point in their recovery, it does strengthen the bones as well as the muscles, and decreases the risk of a person suffering an additional injury in the future. We can help patients to develop fitness plans for their individual circumstances, but there are a few safety rules for weightlifting everyone should follow.

As with any workout, you’ll need to start out with an aerobic warm-up. You should spend at least five minutes getting your blood pumping through your body (not doing static stretches, which could strain a cold muscle). Your fitness instructor can guide you through the proper form for each lift, but you should increase the length and strenuousness of your workouts slowly. Stop doing anything that hurts, and don’t attempt to lift heavy barbells without someone else present in the room. At the end of your workout, you’ll also need to do a five minute cooldown.

While lifting, you should keep your back straight and avoid turning your head. Control your breathing so that you inhale when you lower the weight and exhale while lifting or pressing. You’ll need to balance your workouts so you don’t work the same muscle group two days in a row or more than twice in a week, or you’ll risk incurring an overuse injury. However, keep in mind that your muscles and tendons can also become fatigued from a sedentary lifestyle, and that lifting weights properly will ultimately make you more flexible and resilient. 

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. 

Vitamin D and Spinal Health

 

We hope you’ve been getting a chance to enjoy the longer days this spring. Getting adequate sunlight is essential for maintaining healthy bones. That may seem a bit strange, but at the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, we take a holistic approach to musculoskeletal care. That includes helping patients understand which conditions best facilitate the body’s natural healing, such as getting plenty of Vitamin D.

Our bones, including the vertebrae, are largely made up of calcium. There are various sources of calcium in our diets, including dairy and foods that are artificially fortified with it, such as breakfast cereals. But our bodies cannot process calcium on their own. For that, our guts need to be activated by a chemical called Vitamin D. Our skin creates Vitamin D when it is directly exposed to sunlight (as opposed to through a glass). When a person is not getting enough calcium or not getting enough Vitamin D to process it, their bones may resorb tissue faster than they are able to replace it. If that happens, they will gradually become thinner and honeycombed, at which point a person is said to be suffering from osteoporosis. 

People with osteoporosis may incur small fractures in their vertebrae from ordinary activity. They may not be able to feel this happening, but if they accumulate enough fractures, the bodies of the vertebrae will begin to collapse, causing the patient to lose height and stoop forward. Getting at least fifteen minutes of sunlight three times per week is recommended as a precaution against this, although people who are older or have darker skin may require more. Even if you’ve already experienced problems with your back, it’s never too late to improve your sunlight and calcium intake.

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. 

Hip Flexor Strain

 

There are many causes of lower back pain, but one of the most common is tightness in the hips. Our lumbar vertebrae are large bodies that connect to large muscles running through the pelvis and into the upper leg. Problems with those muscles may be felt on both their ends, and may further radiate outward. As experts in lower back care, we at the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro regularly help patients to recover from hip flexor strain through a variety of non-addictive, non-invasive means, and we want everyone to know when they should seek care.

The hip flexors include a few different muscles that allow us to bend down and lift up our knees. Injuries to those muscles are usually felt at the front of the hip and tend to be worse when a person is walking or jumping. But when these muscles tighten after being injured or underused, they pull on the lumbar spine and cause it to move stiffly. They may also swell, in which case they may press on the sciatic nerves, which exit the lumbar vertebrae and travel through the pelvis on their way down the legs. Symptoms of sciatica include pain, tingling, and numbness along the leg, and in severe cases, may be accompanied by loss of function.

Continuing to overuse the hip flexors following an injury risks increasing the size of the tear. But beginning a few days after the injury, a patient will need to begin gradually returning to activity in order to help the muscles rebuild and become more resistant to future wear. In addition to coaching a patient on physical therapy, we provide electric muscle stimulation to help relax swollen lower back muscles, allowing them to get fresh nutrients. We also provide ultrasound and low level laser therapy to improve blood flow, and chiropractic adjustments to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerves. Patients may have to stick to impactless exercises such as swimming or riding a stationary bicycle during their recovery, but they are usually able to regain full function and return to their usual activities.

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. 

Core Strength as Prevention

 

Back pain is one of the most common health problems in the United States. It affects people doing nearly every kind of work, and has gotten worse during the past year when many people were using improvised offices and becoming even more sedentary. However, there are things we can do to reduce our risk of developing it. At the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, we value preventive care and help patients to recover from injuries holistically. Maintaining a strong core is one of the most important measures we can take to protect our spines.

Our vertebrae are cushioned by gelatinous discs that separate their bodies, and a network of thin muscles running along their facets allow us to bend over and backward. However, these structures can easily become overburdened through sudden use or tightened through lack of use. Maintaining strong, flexible core muscles distributes the body’s weight more evenly and allows it to be less reliant on smaller muscles for heavy lifting. The innermost core muscle is a horizontal band called the transverse abdominis, which provides support to the organs in our abdomens. Outside of it are the obliques, which support the ribs and allow us to twist and bend to each side. The outermost core muscle in the front is the rectus abdominis, which is the one that is most visible, but we also have deep connective muscles linking together our lower backs and the tops of our legs.

Our musculoskeletal health experts can help patients to devise plans that will allow them to exercise each of these muscle groups safely. Overuse of the hip muscles can cause them to swell and put pressure on the sciatic nerves, but if their strength is built up gradually, they will be more resistant to tearing when they are subjected to sudden pressure. For patients who are engaging in core strengthening as physical therapy, we also provide work-out recovery treatments such as therapeutic massages, electric muscle stimulation, and ultrasound.

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. 

What is Whiplash?

 

If you’ve suffered a neck injury, it may take a few days for symptoms to develop. But if they do, they may be worse or longer-lasting than if you’d gotten help sooner. At the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, Dr. Jay McClanahan and his staff offer a variety of non-invasive musculoskeletal treatments to help patients recover from injuries more comfortably and completely. Those include treatments for whiplash, so we want everyone to know why they should seek help quickly if they’ve potentially suffered it.

The term “whiplash” is used to describe overstretching and tearing in the neck tissues that occur when a person’s head gets thrust forward and then snaps back. It includes injuries to several different kinds of soft tissues, many of which also connect to the head and shoulder, and can potentially include misalignments of the spinal vertebrae. Weakness in the neck’s ligaments and tendons may cause the neck to become stiff and experience persistent pain that becomes worse with movement. A subluxation in the neck vertebrae may also result in impingement of the nerves leading to the head, causing radiating headaches, or the nerves to the shoulders, causing stinging or numbness along an arm.

Although whiplash injuries may require rest in the short-term, keeping the neck immobile will allow the muscles to further atrophy. Immediate care following a car crash or other potential whiplash often includes cold and heat therapy to reduce swelling, with the goal of allowing the patient to begin physical therapy to rebuild their neck and shoulder muscles. Our office offers massage therapy to help loosen tight muscles, in addition to chiropractic adjustments to relieve nerve impingements. We also provide spinal decompression therapy to unblock trapped cervical fluids, further reducing pressure on the nerves in the neck, allowing the patient to remain active with less pain.

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. 

Chiropractic Care for Cyclists

According to People For Bikes, about 47.88 million Americans participated in bicycle riding in 2018. Cycling, a popular sport is only growing with thousands of riders today. At Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center located in Nitro, WV, many of Dr. Jay McClanahan’s patients are avid bicyclists. Here are five ways bicyclists benefit from chiropractic care.

Correct Posture

A biker’s position places more pressure on your neck and back. Your trusted Nitro, WV chiropractor evaluates your spine for misalignment and damage. Through a variety of spinal manipulations, we will correct your posture and provide different tips and tricks to maintain good spinal health the next time you get on a bicycle.

Relieve Joint Pain
Cycling places a strain on your joints, especially around the hip and knee areas. Using treatments like exercise and massage therapies, we loosen stiff muscles and strengthen your joints. 

Treat Injuries
Like any sport, biking has its fair share of accidents. At Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center, Dr. McClanahan is skilled in treating common bike injuries. This includes impact injuries, tendonitis, head and spine trauma, ruptured discs, and much more. 

Manage Shoulder & Neck Pain

One of the most common ailments bikers face is shoulder and neck pain. Hunching over your handlebars while trekking over long trails increases the tension on your spine. At our Nitro, WV office, we recommend spinal manipulations, acupuncture, or massage depending on the level of injury. 

Preventative Care

Even if you don’t suffer from injuries or biking-induced pain, we strongly encourage riders to visit our office today. We believe prevention is the best medicine for overall health. Our care improves mobility, flexibility, and strength, so you can enjoy bicycling free of pain and illnesses!

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.