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September 2019

Are your shoes affecting your spine? What can you do for Whiplash?

By Newsletter

Do The Soles of Your Shoes Wear Out Differently? Ask Us Why.

Looking at shoe wear pattern can be one of the most effective ways to determine the needs of a chiropractic patient. The way the shoe wears is a reflection of the repetitive function of your lower extremities, providing useful clues about areas of concern. 

Shoe Wear Patterns

The way your heel wears is one of the first ways a Chiropractor can predict problems, along with necessary treatments. Normal wear patterns on the heels are typically gradual, even, and symmetrical.

When the heel wear is abnormal, it is seen as excessively worn on one foot, or if it is more laterally or medially worn. These are good indicators that there is abnormal lower extremity biomechanics what may be best addressed with orthotics. Orthotic use will help improve the alignment up the kinetic chain to the spine. 

The patterns of friction on the bottoms of the shoes (the soles) are good indicators of lower extremity function and balance – or lack of. Looking at the soles can indicate excessive pronation if they are worn more along the medial aspect of the sole.

Lateral wearing of the sole indicates supination, or what can be considered bow-legs. Excessive wear at the front of the soles under the toe can indicate an arch collapse, and foot issues in runners. When soles are worn asymmetrically, this can indicate altered weight bearing and can result in pelvic pain or discomfort. 

Midsole asymmetry can indicate biomechanical problems and medial arch collapse.

What If There Is Abnormal Shoe Wear?

With all of this information, it is important to note that biomechanical dysfunction in the lower extremities has a direct effect on the pelvis and spine. Your chiropractor will conduct an in depth assessment of your legs and feet. This step can be time consuming, but is necessary to make an accurate assessment of what work needs to be done to prevent further injury or discomfort.  

It Could Cause Pelvic Misalignment

Overall weight distribution that is uneven, asymmetrical wear in the tops of your shoes, and any other obvious signs of biomechanical problems should be addressed. If the misalignment of your pelvis is left uncorrected, it can have a harmful effect on your joints – specifically your heels, ankles, lower back, and hips. 

We Can Help

With your results, we will develop a plan to correct any misalignments and biomechanical dysfunction. This may include collaboration with a podiatrist, the use of orthotics, exercises, and adjustments. 

If you have noticed uneven wear on the soles of your shoes, or are experiencing foot, ankle, knee, hip, or lower back pain – check in with us and have yourself examined.

 

Should I See a Chiropractor For Whiplash?

Whiplash is often characterized as being associated to car accidents, but there are many other more common causes. Sports, falling off a bike, and amusement park rides are just a few, and if you aren’t aware of these types of injuries, you could downplay your symptoms thinking they aren’t that serious. I’m sure as kids, many of you have had injuries related to rough play or falls that had gone undiagnosed because the signs and symptoms were unclear. Millions of people suffer whiplash a year, and many go untreated which can lead to long term damage. 

The good news is, we can help.

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is the common term for what we call a “cervical acceleration-deceleration injury.” This more specifically refers to the damage done to the ligaments, muscles, tendons, discs, nerves, and vertebrae of the neck as a result of sudden hyperextension and hyperflexion of the neck. In simpler terms, when you experience sudden force that moves the neck backward then forward forcefully, the ligaments that hold the vertebrae in place are damaged. This causes the vertebrae to to change their position and irritate the nerves. Not only can you experience neck pain, but the body parts connected to those nerves are affected as well.

It’s Very Common

Whiplash is actually more common than you may think. It’s most common in those who have been in car accidents, but there are other causes that were listed above. In addition, there are other factors that can make someone predisposed to whiplash injuries, such as vertebral subluxations, arthritis, osteoporosis, and already sustained whiplash injuries.

The symptoms of a whiplash injury can vary in relation to the severity, but most commonly you will experience:

  • Muscle spasms
  • Pain in hands and arms
  • A loss or reduction in your ability to move your neck
  • Stiffness or pain in your neck
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Pain in the jaw or face
  • Blurred vision
  • Ringing in your ears
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Numbness in your hands or arms

It’s also important to note that your symptoms could appear immediately after the injury, or could appear after a delay which often causes people from associating their symptoms with their injury. This is where a gap in treatment could occur.

See a Healthcare Provider Right Away

If you suspect you may have experienced whiplash recently, or even months ago, you should be examined by a Chiropractor to assess the damage. They will set you on a course of action in relation to the severity of your injury.

Immediate Attention is Key

Immediate attention may ensure less long term effects of whiplash such as chronic pain, loss of function, permanent damage to your vertebrae, damage to your nerve system, and even accelerated degeneration of the cervical spine.

We Can Help

We may use a combination cervical adjustments, spinal distraction, and soft tissue  therapy to decrease the irritation to the nerves in your neck, while increasing the flexibility and blood flow of the cervical joints and muscles. It is this combination of soft tissue care, spinal adjustments, and soft tissue therapy that has been shown to help whiplash.

Again, If you suspect you may have experienced whiplash, please follow up with us for further instructions on how to treat it.

 

Walking Your Way to Wellness

The truth is, most people simply don’t move enough. There’s no denying that walking is good for you, but allowing your body the opportunity to spring into action is beneficial to your overall health. As a low impact form of exercise, walking is actually complementary to you chiropractic care.

Many people think exercise has to include strenuous movement, intense sweating, and pain in your muscles. But moving in general is considered exercise, particularly if you live a sedentary lifestyle. 

Walking Is The Perfect Addition to Your Routine

Here are a few reasons why walking is the perfect addition to your chiropractic care:

Increased circulation. When you walk, you get all of your systems working. Your circulation increases throughout your body, ensuring you have a continual and adequate flow of blood to all of your muscles and your spine. When your circulation is increased through walking, your blood pressure lowers, bringing balance while strengthening your muscles. 

Prevents back pain. When walking with proper form and well fitting shoes you can prevent or relieve back pain. The improvement in flexibility and mobility will help you feel better overall, and walking will aid in weight loss and management.

Walking helps to rehydrate spinal discs. When you are mobile the compression on your spinal discs releases water from your discs to hydrate and cushion your vertebrae. The discs then absorb this water, rehydrating them so they can continue to act as shock absorbers for your spine.

Walking improves flexibility and mobility. As you walk regularly, your muscles become stronger. When paired with light stretching, the added benefits to your circulation, flexibility, and mobility are increased. Walking is a perfect, low impact start to an exercise routine.

Walking will act as a catalyst to your weight loss. We know the detrimental effects extra weight can have on our bodies, but more specifically additional weight puts stress on your spine. More specifically, abdominal fat creates excess weight in the front which causes swayback. Swayback causes pressure on the lower back which leads to back pain. 

Walking not only makes us feel good by releasing “feel good” hormones, but it really has whole body benefits. Walking reduces your risk of heart disease, improves your blood sugar, reduces blood pressure, can reduce your risk of osteoporosis, will help you to maintain a healthy body weight, and will improve your mental health. 

Your Spinal Wellness Matters

Good spinal health is the core of your wellness. And while most exercise is good exercise, walking regularly is the best thing you can do to kickstart your health and begin a new routine. 

If you have been living a sedentary lifestyle, we will likely do an assessment and recommend walking to start getting back into your physical wellness. Over time, the duration or intensity of your walks may increase, or you could move into an exercise routine that includes other forms of moving or cardiovascular exercise.

You’ll not only be feeling better physically, but you may see changes in the way you look, and you will definitely notice changes or improvements in your mood.