Hip pain is more widespread than anyone could imagine. Close to 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis, and a 2010 article published in the Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal found that 1 in 4 people runs the risk of developing symptomatic hip osteoarthritis in their lifetime. So, chances are, you’re already feeling the discomfort caused by pain in the hips; stair climbing and even the simple act of walking might be burdensome for you!
This hip pain that’s been bugging you for a while now might indicate the onset of hip tendonitis!
What Is Hip Flexor Tendonitis?
Hip flexor tendonitis is defined by the irritation of the hip flexor muscles, an amalgam of different tissue surrounding your hips. Under normal circumstances, the hip flexors help smooth out different types of motion, such as raising your knees toward your trunk while bending your hip and stabilizing the body while lifting the trunk from a supine position.
The hip — the body’s largest ball-and-socket joint — keeps the body stable while ensuring the movement of the upper leg. However, the consistent load transfer between the upper and lower bodies, particularly when practicing sports, puts substantial pressure on the hip flexor tendons. This constant pressure, especially in the case of athletes, will irritate the hip flexor muscles, leading to pain and discomfort.
The degree of hip pain experienced by a patient with hip tendonitis varies. While some patients can still perform basic acts such as walking, running, and stair climbing, for others, even sitting up is cumbersome.
The 3 Grades of Hip Tendonitis
Hip tendonitis manifests itself through a hip flexor strain (i.e., a tear localized in the hip muscles). The pain resulting from a hip flexor strain is generally categorized into three grades:
Grade I tear: the damage is restricted mainly to a small number of muscle fibers.
Grade II tear: the patient experiences multiple damaged tissues and a moderate loss of function in the hip flexor muscles.
Grade II tear: the patient experiences a complete rupture of the hip muscle(s). Limping is the telltale sign of a severe tear, for which orthopedic surgery is sometimes required.
What Causes This Condition?
The primary cause of hip tendonitis is an overload on a hip muscle, e.g.:
The adductor longus
The gluteus maximus
The hamstring muscles
The rectus femoris
The sartorius
The tensor fascia lata
When too much pressure is exerted on any of these muscles, the iliopsoas (i.e., the primary hip flexor muscle) jumps to the rescue to stabilize the hip joint. From there on, the hip tendonitis symptoms are only one step away. Athletes such as cyclists, dancers, and runners (whose activities depend on repetitive hip flexion movements) often report hip flexor strains.
What Are the Hip Flexor Tendonitis Symptoms?
The most common symptom of hip tendonitis is hip flexor pain, whether acute or chronic. Patients will experience pain and muscle spasms at the front of the hip or in the groin. Over time, the discomfort will make it harder for patients to walk, climb stairs, or lift their knees toward the chest. The pain will also alter the patient’s gait and cause limping.
How Is Hip Tendonitis Diagnosed?
Seeing a specialist is imperative for diagnosing hip tendonitis. First, your physician will review your medical history and conduct a complete physical exam. After reviewing your symptoms of hip tendonitis, the physician will employ X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to zero in on a precise diagnosis and rule out other sources of hip and groin pain, such as fractures and sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction. Other tests, such as an electromyography (EMG), will detect any nerve compression.
Chiropractic Care for Hip Tendonitis
Noninvasive recovery from hip tendon pain calls for rest, relaxation, and physical therapy. It is imperative that you cut your muscles and tendons some slack to recover from the additional pressure. Putting ice packs on the hip — 10-15 minutes up to 4 times per day — will mitigate the discomfort and inhibit inflammation. Your physician will prescribe pain relievers (e.g., ibuprofen) to help you overcome any bouts of elevated pain and discomfort.
Once you’re past the preliminary stage of your recovery, it’s time to switch to physical activity. Exercises such as hip flexor stretches, pelvic tilts, standing butt squeezes, and scissors will expedite your recovery and get you back into shape!
Here at Bergen Chiropractic, our team of expert chiropractors, led by Dr. Gregory Doerr, helps patients achieve pain relief through various noninvasive methods. Out of the vast arsenal of chiropractic approaches at our disposal, one stands out as an effective way to restore normal muscle tone, stimulate blood flow, and break the cycle of unwanted chronic pain — kinesiology tape. Today’s article will talk about the wonders of the kinesiology tape we offer here at Bergen Chiropractic: SpiderTech!
What Is SpiderTech Taping?
The SpiderTech kinesiology tape is a straightforward way to:
Improve your muscular function
Achieve pain relief
Alleviate abnormal skin sensations
Stimulate the body’s lymphatic system to relieve swelling and bruising
Help achieve proper alignment of the joints
The SpiderTech tape is made from hypoallergenic acrylic glue to replicate the skin’s exact weight, thickness, and elasticity. This approach allows the tape to connect and synergize with the body’s natural sensory nervous system. In addition, SpiderTech makes use of 16 different pre-cut tapes to achieve consistent results with each application!
How Does the SpiderTech Kinesiology Tape Work?
The SpiderTech therapeutic tape achieves spectacular pain relief results through three applications: neurosensory, structurally, and microcirculatory.
Neurosensory
SpiderTech stimulates the skin’s receptors to decrease pain perception (you will feel the tape instead of the pain).
It restores proper muscle tone by stimulating the skin’s receptors and establishing proper muscle activation and function through the spinal cord.
It interrupts the chronic pain cycles by altering sensory perception in the central nervous system (the irritability of these nerves returns to a normal state).
Structurally
The tape’s elasticity prevents possible harmful ranges of motion without discomforting the patient.
The stretch of the SpiderTech therapeutic tape acts as a constant reminder to the patient to avoid poor posture.
It causes reduced strain on injured or affected soft tissue.
Microcirculatory
SpiderTech creates channels to sweep away swelling and bruising by changing the pressure under the skin.
It improves superficial blood flow to promote a faster healing process.
It removes chemical irritants and inflammatory markers that worsen injuries.
What Are the Results of SpiderTech Taping?
Patients treated with SpiderTech kinesiology tape quickly return to pain-free ranges of motion and strengthening. As a result, they will gradually perform day-to-day tasks with less pain or fear of re-injury and return to athletic, work-related, or house-related activities sooner. In three words: less painful motion!
How To Apply the SpiderTech Tape
Adequate application of the SpiderTech kinesiology tape is imperative for it to be beneficial. The actual way the tape is applied might vary from patient to patient — depending on their health issues — but the main principles of applying the SpiderTech tape are compiled in the 12 Principles of SpiderTech Tape Application document created by the SpiderTech experts. We will enumerate and explain each of these steps for the benefit of our patients. Visual learners will benefit more from this video.
Have the skin ready for the application: the skin must be clean, dry, and free from oils for the tape to stick to the skin.
Take your skin’s health into consideration: affected skin patches (e.g., by sunburns) are sensitive to the SpiderTech tape. Avoid applying the tape to such skin areas to prevent itching or irritation.
Timing is of the essence: save at least one hour before applying the tape and activities such as bathing or exercising to prevent sweat or water from reducing adhesion.
Water-related dos and don’ts: refrain from rubbing the tape when taking a bath, and pat it gently after bathing.
Do not wear the SpiderTech kinesiology tape for more than five days at a time.
Apply the base of the tape (i.e., Section 1) with the beginning and ending portions of the other numbered tape sections (i.e., 1-2 inches) without stretching the muscle or the tape.
Keep your fingers away from the adhesive: the oils secreted by your fingers will inhibit proper adhesion and cause the tape to peel prematurely.
Peel the paper backing while gradually applying the SpiderTech kinesiology tape to the skin. Apply each segment of the tape at a time to ensure proper adhesion.
Rub along the top of each tape section while applying to activate the adhesive.
For the Sensory Application Method, apply the base of the tape as described. Afterward, stretch the muscle while applying the other sections of the tape.
For the Structural Application Method, you will have to stretch the tape while applying its other sections.
When ready to remove the tape (i.e., five days after application), stretch the skin while gently rolling it off, or press your index finger down to slide it off the skin. Observe the direction of hair growth when removing the tape.
How To Use SpiderTech Taping for Pregnant Women
Out of all our patients, the ones with the most health benefits to reap from using the SpiderTech kinesiology tape are pregnant women. Although a magical moment in every woman’s life, pregnancy is no walk in the park. Living for two people simultaneously comes with significant changes. Women typically gain 25-35 pounds over nine months, and that extra weight causes constant pain and discomfort, particularly in the hips, back, and stomach area. Sciatica, swelling, fluid retention, and varicose veins make it even more important for women to seek pregnancy pain relief.
That is why we encourage all future moms to use our SpiderTech pregnancy tape! Right off the bat, the Pregnancy Spider tape will provide support to the back, hips, and abdominal area, alleviating the pain brought about by the extra weight. In addition, the simple one-piece design allows pregnant women to self-apply the tape, either underneath the sternum (i.e., the vertical bone in your chest) or below the baby bump.
Below the baby bump (for added support and pain relief in the pelvic floor muscles)
On the sides of the abdomen (to provide belly support and alleviate abdomen and lower spine pain)
On the lower belly and back (for both abdomen and back pain)
Learn More About SpiderTech Taping at Bergen Chiropractic!
At the Bergen Chiropractic and Sports Rehabilitation Center, our chiropractic team, led by Dr. Gregory Doerr, follows the highest and most professional medical standards to provide superior chiropractic help. Our mission is to provide unparalleled patient care and services in a comfortable healing atmosphere. Access our contact form or call us at (201) 945-4075 to learn more about our chiropractic services! Our chiropractic offices at 532 Anderson Avenue, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010, and 62 Summit Ave, Hackensack, NJ 07601, are ready to welcome you as we proudly serve New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, PA, and Baltimore, MD, areas. Also, feel free to access our blog, Facebook, and Instagram pages for more information on chiropractic treatments!
Car accidents can be a harrowing experience for all parties involved, physically and emotionally. There are over 225 million drivers registered in the U.S. alone; of those, 6 million are involved in car accidents yearly. In the aftermath of a car accident, it is essential to seek medical attention from a primary care physician to ensure proper healing and to address any injuries or conditions that may have occurred due to the accident.
One question that many people have after a car accident is whether or not they should see a chiropractor. By visiting a chiropractor, individuals can receive a comprehensive and holistic approach to healing after a car accident, helping them return to their normal activities and improve their quality of life.
Should I See an Accident Injury Chiropractor After a Car Crash?
It is recommended to see a car accident chiropractor after your body has healed from all its major injuries. At Bergen Chiropractic, we are specially trained to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident, most commonly whiplash injuries, fractures, and neck pain.
After a car crash, seeking medical help as soon as possible is essential to ensure a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. A chiropractor can work with you and other healthcare professionals to develop a comprehensive medical treatment plan that addresses all aspects of your recovery. Even minor accidents cause injuries that will surely benefit from chiropractic adjustment and care. Hence, it is vital to have a proper diagnosis regardless of the accident’s severity.
The Most Common Auto Accident Injuries
Car accident injuries result from the impact and sudden motions occurring during car accidents. The most common injuries include:
Whiplash injury: This is a common injury caused by the sudden head and neck jerking motion during a car accident. Symptoms include restricted range of motion, neck pain, headaches, and stiffness.
Broken bones: They occur when the impact’s force exceeds the bone’s strength, causing it to crack or break. Symptoms of a broken bone include joint pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the affected limb.
Back pain: Can be caused by impact or the pressure affecting the spinal cord. Back pain ranges from mild to severe and is located in the upper, middle, or lower back.
Shoulder pain: Discomfort resulting from a dislocated shoulder or trauma to the muscles and bone. Shoulder pain restricts movement and causes discomfort.
Head injuries: Concussions and injuries similar in kind occur when airbags fail to deploy or seat belts fail to restrain the body properly. This injury leads to damage to the nervous system, chronic pain, and headaches.
Soft tissue injuries: These types of injuries are caused by the tearing or stretching of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Soft tissue damage results in internal bleeding, pain, swelling, and stiffness.
These injuries vary in severity and may require different medical attention and treatment approaches by the chiropractic team and other medical personnel.
How About Seeing a Chiropractor After Minor Car Accidents?
It is often assumed that chiropractic care is only necessary after severe car accidents, but this is not the case. Even minor accidents can cause injuries that can benefit from choosing to see a chiropractor. Chiropractic care speeds up the healing process and provides lasting pain relief results to the patient.
It’s crucial to seek medical attention and have a proper diagnosis regardless of whether you were rushed to the emergency room or fit to go home. At the time, you may feel fine, but auto accident injuries are not always immediately visible and may show up days or weeks later.
The Benefits of Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident
A car crash is traumatic to the body, which is why chiropractic services are a helpful resource for managing pain and promoting healthy recovery of the injured areas. In addition, chiropractic treatment provides several benefits for individuals involved in a car accident, such as:
Inflammation reduction: Chiropractic care reduces inflammation caused by injuries, speeding up the healing process.
Improved mobility: Injuries and scar tissue can limit the range of motion in the affected area. Chiropractic treatment helps restore normal levels of mobility by addressing underlying musculoskeletal issues.
Reduce chronic pain: Chronic pain management can include spinal manipulations, adjustments, soft tissue therapy, and exercises. Early intervention prevents chronic pain by addressing injuries and speeding up the healing process.
Avoiding medication: Natural, effective pain relief to prevent daily discomfort for patients with a natural aversion to taking pain medications.
Complementary to other treatments: Chiropractic treatment works seamlessly alongside other treatments, such as medical treatments or physical therapy.
Looking For a Car Accident Chiropractor? Look No Further Than Bergen Chiropractic!
Poor posture is no surprise considering the time spent behind a desk looking down at the computer or smartphone. On average, Americans check their phones 344 times per day — that’s once every four minutes, with an average screen time of seven hours!
If it’s considered bad posture, then why does it feel good? Just like too much screen time, comfortable behavior feels good while doing it but often has impactful consequences. In the long term, postural issues severely affect the body’s nervous system and spine, resulting in back pain, headaches, and fatigue.
But don’t worry; a visit to the chiropractor can help correct poor postures, such as forward head translation or slouching, and realign the spine to ensure that the body is functioning optimally!
What Is the Root Cause of Poor Posture?
Feeling like a walking skeleton has the propensity to make the best of days a challenge. Want to feel reinvigorated? Before you can fix your posture and restore proper alignment, you need to understand where it stems from. So settle in because we’re about to dive deeply into the reasons behind those slouchy shoulders.
Sedentary lifestyle: A lack of physical activity and exercise leads to weaker muscles and increased soft tissue, resulting in a lack of support. Lack of movement contributes to poor body mechanics and stiffening of the body’s joints.
Muscular imbalance: Despite leading an active lifestyle, the back, shoulders, and core muscles tighten over time. This may be due to a lack of stretching or movement variation in those specific regions causing slouching or hunching.
Poor ergonomics: The image of rounded upper backs in front of screens is synonymous with the workplace. Sitting in front of an improper work setup leads to muscle fatigue and habitual slouching.
It’s essential to address the problem’s crux to correct posture imbalances effectively. Bergen Chiropractic will help you develop an effective treatment plan to restore better posture holistically!
How Does Poor Posture Affect Your Overall Health?
Bad posture not only affects one’s appearance but also significantly impacts overall health. Improper posture strains the muscles and joints, leading to pain and discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and back.
Prolonged bad posture can lead to chronic pain, headaches, and scoliosis. It also affects internal organs, leading to problems such as acid reflux, slowed digestion, constipation, and irregular breathing.
As improper posture can cause various health issues and limit self-confidence, it is essential to be mindful of one’s posture, make a conscious effort to maintain good posture, and seek professional chiropractic assistance to reduce the risk of developing bad posture.
Signs of Bad Posture
Knowing what to look out for can help you get the assistance you need to remedy any postural problems you have developed. Some of the most common symptoms of bad posture include:
Slouching or hunching forward: This is one of the most obvious signs of bad posture. It can occur while sitting or standing.
Rounded shoulders: Rounded the shoulders forward indicates tight or weak muscles in the upper back and chest.
Forward head: Jutting the head forward indicates that the neck and upper back muscles are tight and weak.
Back and neck pain: A common symptom of lousy posture is back pain caused by the added strain on the muscles and joints.
Tiredness: Prolonged poor posture can cause muscle fatigue, contributing to exhaustion and stress.
Headaches: Lousy posture can also cause headaches.
Difficulty breathing: Poor posture can affect the breathing pattern and make it difficult to take deep breaths.
Poor digestion: Lousy posture can also affect organ function and cause problems such as acid reflux, weight gain, and constipation.
From tight muscles, uneven shoulders, and muscle strain to overly arched lower backs, there are plenty of telltale signs of a lack of good posture. Unfortunately, a host of symptoms are only apparent through a diagnosis, such as a twisted pelvis and the spine’s misalignment.
Kyphosis is a condition where the upper back is excessively rounded, and the shoulders are hunched forward. Weak back muscles and tight chest muscles usually cause this.
Lordosisis a condition where the lower back is excessively arched, and the buttocks are pushed out, caused by weak abdominal muscles and tight hip muscles.
Flat back is a condition where the lower back’s natural curve is flattened.
Forward head is a condition where the head and ears are far ahead of the spine and the vertical midline of the body.
A person may be dealing with a combination of these postural issues. Therefore, chiropractic assessment is imperative to properly diagnose the underlying cause behind your poor posture.
Can a Chiropractor Help With Bad Posture Correction?
Of course! Chiropractic care helps restore healthy posture, positively affecting overall health. Chiropractors are healthcare professionals who specialize in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal conditions, including posture-related ones.
Bergen Chiropractic uses a variety of effective techniques, including spinal manipulation, adjustment procedures, massage therapy, soft tissue therapy, and strengthening exercises to help correct imbalances and reduce pain, setting you up for maintaining good posture in the long run!
Our team of experts will perform a thorough examination to identify any structural or biomechanical issues that may influence the treatment outline. You may also qualify for X-rays or other imaging studies to better understand the problem.
Once a diagnosis is given, our team will develop a chiropractic treatment plan specific to your needs. This may include spinal adjustments to correct misalignments, exercises to strengthen and stretch the muscles, and lifestyle and ergonomic modifications to help prevent poor posture from recurring.
Not only will you feel better, but you’ll have an improved aesthetic. So say goodbye to slouching and hello to a straight and healthy spine!
What Does Chiropractic Posture Correction Entail?
Chiropractic posture correction involves more than just the satisfying popping sound you hear when the chiropractic adjustments are made. It typically combines different techniques and modalities depending on the individual’s condition and needs.
Spinal Adjustments
Chiropractic care uses gentle manipulative techniques to correct any spinal misalignments that may contribute to lousy posture. This approach can help restore the spine’s natural curve and reduce pain.
Soft Tissue Therapy
Effective techniques such as massage, stretching, and myofascial liberation release muscle tension and improve flexibility, resulting in fewer aches and pains.
Careful Exercise and Stretching
Specific exercises and stretches are prescribed to improve muscle strength and flexibility. These exercises help improve posture and reduce pain by correcting muscle imbalances.
Chiropractic posture correction is not a one-time treatment; it is a process that requires regular monitoring and adjustments to ensure that the patient’s posture improves and stays that way.
How To Improve Poor Posture at Home
Improving poor posture at home is simple! You can achieve it through exercises, stretches, and lifestyle improvements, such as swapping high-heeled shoes for sneakers or flats.
Here are a few steps to help improve lousy posture at home:
Strengthen the core: Strong abdominal and back muscles help support the spinal cord and improve posture. Exercises such as planks, bridges, and crunches help strengthen the core muscles.
Stretch muscles: Tight muscles can pull the body out of correct alignment, causing poor posture. Stretching the chest, shoulders, and upper back helps release tension and improve posture.
Use the wall: Sit with your legs flat on the floor and your back against the wall. Keep your shoulders back and down and your head up. Maintain this position for 30 seconds to a minute at a time.
Keep active throughout the day: While working, take short breaks every 30 minutes to an hour to stand up, stretch, and move around.
Improving poor posture takes time and consistency — it’s not an overnight process. However, with consistent effort coupled with chiropractic care, you will see improvements, and maintaining proper posture will become a habit!
Learn How To Maintain Proper Posture at Bergen Chiropractic!
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