Every chiropractic office is different. Many "old school" chiropractors will still take x-rays of every single patient. I do not. If after doing a history and exam I feel you need to get imaging done to help us formulate a better treatment plan, then I will refer you out to have those images taken.
Reasons I may order imaging:
There is a time and place for imaging. Typically, it's not needed on the first visit. If someone takes images of your spine, ask them why they need to take the images, ask them to describe everything they see and WHAT IT MEANS. If my patient walks in with an imaging report, the first thing I do is sit down with them and go over what all those words mean and what we do from there. It is important to note that imaging will show structural changes, pain is not always caused by a structural problem. A systematic review showed that 37% of 20-year-olds and 96% of 80-year-olds have disc degeneration in the form of a disc bulge or disc protrusion WITHOUT ANY SYMPTOMS (2)! Another study showed that only 3-4% of people with a disc herniation or stenosis were symptomatic (3). Soooo what does all that mean? It means your imaging could look "terrible" and you could have no pain/symptoms at all OR your imaging could look "normal" and you could have a lot of pain/symptoms. Take away. Sometimes imaging is necessary. If you have imaging taken, be sure someone takes the time to explain it to you. Otherwise, conservative treatment such as chiropractic care or physical therapy should be your first step in dealing with pain. Reference: 1. Ottawa ankle rules | Radiology Reference Article | Radiopaedia.org 2.Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations 3. Diagnostic Evaluation of Low Back Pain with Emphasis on Imaging
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The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that sits within the pelvis. They are "bowl-shaped" and work to support our lower organs. The urethra, vagina and rectum all pass through the pelvic floor. This is why the pelvic floor can play a role in causing bladder leaking, discomfort during intercourse, constipation, diarrhea and uterine prolapse. The muscle strength and resting muscle tone can either help or hinder these conditions.
Naturally, the pelvic floor and the diaphragm work together. It is when these two muscles groups become out of sync that problems "don't resolve on their own." Sneezing is a great example of when these two muscles don't work together. A sneeze is a forced exhale, during exhalation the diaphragm and pelvic floor should both rise. However, if pressure is forced downward, it can result in bladder leaking. Pressure management is the key to a healthy pelvic floor. Hands down I would tell you that if you could only afford one item it would be a kettlebell. If you are not familiar with a kettlebell, it is one of the most functional pieces of fitness equipment.
Pros The kettlebell can be used for activities that mimic everyday actions like carrying a bag of groceries, lifting a kid, putting things on a high shelf. With a barbell you are limited to training in one plane of motion, this increases the risk of injury when you go to do things outside of the plane you trained in. The kettlebell does not have this limitation. It allows you to train in multiple planes of motion. Better for long-term training, thus further reducing the risk of injury because it does not allow you to advance quickly before moving up to the next bell. Research shows that inactive adults were able to improve their grip strength with kettlebell training; grip strength is an important indicator of longevity (1). Cons Kettlebells can only be loaded so much. For those whose goals involve heavy weights, a barbell would be better. Typically, kettlebell training will recommend you stick with the same weight until you master that weight. Fitness is not a race. It is a lifestyle. Everyone has a different goal. If yours is to improve or maintain your health, then a kettlebell would be the perfect addition to your home gym. The kettlebell offers long term training with reduced risk of injury due to the style of training. To learn more about Kettlebell training click the link below: Beginners, START HERE | StrongFirst Where to purchase a Kettlebell: Kettlebells: The Perfect Full-body Workout with One Handy Tool (titan.fitness) References: 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-02958-z |
AuthorHi I'm Dr. Harmon! I wanted to start a blog just to help patients. Feel free to follow along as we dive into health conditions and life! Archives
April 2023
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