As more people are working from home, lower back pain continues to plague our society. Workers that previously bicycled to their office are now remaining stagnant at home during working hours. Our bodies were meant for movement. Without it, things can become stiff, out of shape, and weak. If we cannot change where we work, what can we change to help decrease backaches and pains?
Here, we uncover 3 effective ways to treat lower back pain and improve your overall quality of life.
 
Visit Your Local ChiropractorChiropractors help in treating neck and back pain. If you are dealing with chronic lower back pain, a chiropractor is a great place to start. Lower back pain comes in all different forms. Misalignments in the spine can cause stress throughout different areas of your body and back. Chiropractic care provides adjustments that can help correct misalignments, which can reduce the pain you’re experiencing.
Are you dealing with chronic lower back pain that never seems to go away? Oftentimes, minor injuries can slowly become part of our ‘story’. A tweak that doesn’t fully recover can turn into a chronic injury that is impossible to get rid of. Chiropractic care helps people breakthrough these patterns by optimizing how their bodies function and operate. You can decrease back pain that has been plaguing you for years by seeing a professional chiropractor.
 
Exercise Your CoreYour core is part of your torso’s foundation. The abdominals work to support your lower and upper back. A strong core makes upper body movements easier and helps people avoid injury. Does it ever hurt when you sneeze? While this can be caused by multiple factors, a common culprit is lower back pain. Think about it. If your lower back is already under some form of physical stress, a sneeze could send a streak of pain through your body.
Exercising your core and maintaining abdominal strength are crucial to back pain recovery. The more support this area has, the easier it will recover. Are you required to be very active in your job? If you constantly move your body throughout the day, a strong core can help you stay healthy and avoid future back injuries.
 
Stretch in the MorningA morning stretch routine is great for your entire body, including your lower back. Does your back feel tight when you first wake up? Now that many people work from home, they oftentimes move right from their beds to their desks. Your body will slowly lose its strength and have trouble supporting your back without much movement in your day.
Stretching, even if for 5 minutes, can warm up your muscles and loosen your joints. This can help reduce the back pain you're experiencing from a bad night’s sleep. Additionally, stretching in the morning helps you feel more physically refreshed throughout your workday. Do you ever feel tired once the afternoon hits? Aside from caffeine, try moving your body and stretching more. This will re-energize your system and loosen up tight muscles in your lower back.
 
Make Health a PriorityYour health is important. We all only have one body in this life. If you are dealing with severe lower back pain, talk to a chiropractor to help you experience pain relief. You deserve to feel strong and healthy every day. If you are interested in reducing your lower back pain, give us a call today to get the process started. 

​One of the most common issues we see in our practice is low back pain. Often, these patients are presenting after a long struggle with low back pain and have invested their time and money into different modalities of care.
 
Chiropractic care has long been established as an effective nonpharmacological treatment for low back pain and is supported by several clinical practice guidelines. Opioid analgesic therapy is a commonly used prescription drug therapy for low back pain in older people.
 
A recent study collected patient feedback comparing spinal manipulative therapy (as provided by chiropractors) and prescription drug therapy (as provided by medical practitioners) for the treatment of chronic low back pain in the older adult population.
 
Generally, older adults who have received various treatments for low back pain report higher satisfaction with chiropractic care compared to medical care in the short term but there is less evidence for either type of care in the long term.
 
A total of 195 older adults with chronic low back pain participated in a survey measuring patient satisfaction and health related quality of life. Of these participants, long-term recipients of spinal manipulative therapy had higher self-reported rates of health-related quality of life than the long-term recipients of prescription drug therapy.
 
There still needs to be more research for this result to be conclusive but chiropractic care is an easily applicable method of care to aid in the management of low back without the use of pharmaceuticals.
 
 

1. Kizhakkeveettil, A., Bezdjian, S., Hurwitz, E. L., Toler, A., Rossi, D., Uptmor, S., Sagester, K., Bangash, M., MacKenzie, T. A., Lurie, J. D., Coulter, I., Haldeman, S., & Whedon, J. M. (2022). Spinal Manipulation vs Prescription Drug Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain: Beliefs, Satisfaction With Care, and Qualify of Life Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics, S0161-4754(21)00117-2. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2021.12.007

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Spinal pain is common and impactful, as low back pain is the first and neck pain is the fourth most common cause of years lived with disability globally, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2010 (1,2). Do you or a loved one suffer from any form of spinal pain? This is an important article could make the world of difference to you.
 
“Patients with high-impact chronic spinal pain (chronic pain limiting life and work activities) use opioids at a rate almost four times that of those with low-impact pain, and on average use over five times the morphine equivalent dose (3)”

The most common condition for which opioids are prescribed is back pain (4). Between 2011 and 2016, opioid use among the aged Medicare population increased. 11-14% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older were prescribed opioids (5). Opioid analgesics continue to be widely prescribed for spinal pain despite current clinical guidelines that are evidence based identifying that non-pharmacological therapies are the preferred first line of approach (6).

In recent research literature, where they conducted a retrospective observational study, looking through Medicare claim data. It was found that among older Medicare beneficiaries with spinal pain, use of chiropractic care is associated with significantly lower risk of filling an opioid prescription (7). So for spinal pain it would be important to try non-pharmacological approaches first which is recommended by the guidelines, as it is a far safer approach to deal with spinal pain.

So if you want to find out if chiropractic care may help manage spinal pain for you or your loved ones, have a chat with one of our chiropractors to see how they can assist.

“It’s always better to try the least invasive and safe approach first when it comes to our health”
 
 
 
1. Hoy D, March L, Brooks P, et al. The global burden of low back pain: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73:968-974.
2. Hoy D, March L, Woolf A, et al. The global burden of neck pain: estimates from the global burden of disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73:1309-1315.
3. Herman PM, Broten N, Lavelle TA, Sorbero ME, Coulter ID. Health care costs and opioid use associated with high-impact chronic spinal pain in the United States. Spine. 2019;44:1154-1161.
4. Hudson TJ, Edlund MJ, Stefck DE, Tripathi SP, Sullivan MD. Epidemiology of regular prescribed opioid use: results from a national, populationbased survey. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2008;36:280–8.
5. Jefery MM, Hooten WM, Henk HJ, et al. Trends in opioid use in commercially insured and Medicare Advantage populations in 2007–16: retrospective cohort study. BMJ 2018;362:k2833.:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj. k2833.
6. Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, McLean RM, Forciea MA. Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166:514–30.
7. Whedon, J.M., Uptmor, S., Toler, A.W., Bezdjian, S., MacKenzie, T.A. and Kazal, L.A., 2022. Association between chiropractic care and use of prescription opioids among older medicare beneficiaries with spinal pain: a retrospective observational study. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 30(1), pp.1-9.

 Dry needling (DN) is mostly used for subacute and chronic phases of an injury.
Dry needling is used to treat many different anatomic structures and a variety of conditions. It is used to stimulate neural, muscular and connective tissue such as tendons, msucle and scar tissue. Some conditions commonly treated by DN is piriformis syndrome, knee osteoarthritis and plantar fasciitis (1)
Dry needling has biomechanical, vascular and endocrinological effects. The literature states that short term pain, nerve conduction velocity, local oxygen, collage proliferation, muscular strength all improve with  dry needling (1,2)
There are 4 main reasons to use dry needling: to relieve pain, increase ROM and flexibility, decrease oedema, and increase strength and power. Pain being the biggest driver to people to seek help, most people use dry needling to help with their pain levels. In a research study article, subjects with acute neck pain were treated with trigger point dry needling (4). At 10 minutes and 1 week after dry needling, the subjects had decreased pain intensity and an increased pressure pain threshold (4).
A similar case report looked at treating acute neck pain in a 64 year old female (5). The subject’s pain and functional improvement was seen after the initial treatment, which lasted until the next treatment 1 month later. If lasting effects were seen from a session of dry needling, it may be worth suggesting the use of DN for athletes prior to a game or even in their subacute phase of their injury in the week leading up to their game. More research is always welcome and a trial of DN may help manage some of your issues.
If you are experiencing pain, and need help, maybe DN is what you need. But if you are afraid of needles, we here at Sprouting Health have other ways to helping you.
 
Citations

1. J. Dunning, R. Butts, F. Mourad, I. Young, S. Flannagan, T. Perreault Dry needling: A literature review with implications for clinical practice guidelines Phys Ther Rev, 19 (2014), pp. 252-265
2. K. Zhou, Y. Ma, M.S. Brogan Dry needling versus acupuncture: The ongoing debate Acupunct Med, 33 (2015), pp. 485-490
3. D. Smith Are all physical therapists qualified to provide sideline coverage of athletic events? Int J Sports Phys Ther, 7 (2012), pp. 120-123
4. M.J. Mejuto-Vázquez, J. Salom-Moreno, R. Ortega-Santiago, S. Truyols-Domínguez, C. Fernández-de-Las-Peñas
5. Tyler J.GregoryP.T., D.P.T.aSamuel A.RauchwarterP.T., D.P.T., S.C.S.bMichael D.FeldmanM.D.c Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation. Volume 4, Issue 1, January 2022, Pages e209-e213

​Today, we want to talk to you about an extremely common discussion that we have in consult around gut health; calcium vs dairy. We have been taught for years that dairy is an excellent source of calcium, but it is time to challenge the status quo?
 
Calcium is very important to enhance bone mineral deposition, and low calcium intake in children can contribute to rickets in combination with poor vitamin D and genetics. Currently it is recommended that infants have 300mg/day, children have 500-800mg/day and adults have 800-1000mg/day. (1-6)
We also know that calcium is important in the prevention of osteoporosis. A 12 year Harvard study of 78,000 women who drank 3 glasses of milk a day had a higher risk of hip and forearm fracture than those who dank one or less glasses per week. Another study from Sydney found high dairy consumption was associated with an increased risk of fracture. The countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis (US, England, Sweden & Finland) are the ones where people drink the most milk. (1-4)
 
So, now we come to the dairy challenge. Yes, it is high in calcium, but the bioavailability is actually rather low (30%), especially when compared with other sources such as brussels sprouts (64%), mustard greens (58%), or broccoli (53%). In fact, the animal proteins in dairy increase the excretion of calcium through urine. It has also been suggested that the daily recommended quantities are linked with increases in the risk of cancers, autoimmune diseases, ear infections and allergies in children, heart disease, and diabetes. (1-3)
 
What can I do to help my bone health if dairy is not the answer? Well, increasing fruit and vegetable intakes will help, limiting animal proteins, regular exercise and getting enough vitamin D.
 
 
 

1. Lanou A.J., Berkow S.E., & Barnard N.D. Calcium, dairy products, and bone health in children and young adults: A reevaluation of the evidence. Pediatrics. 2005: 115; 736.
2. Lanou A.J. Should dairy be recommended as part of a healthy vegetarian diet? Counterpoint 1-3 Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 89 (Supp): 1638S-42S.
3. American Academy of Pediatrics – Committee on Nutrition. Calcium requirements of Infants, Children & Adolescents. Pediatrics 1999;104(5):1152-1157.
4. Feskanich D., Willett W.C., Colditz G.A. Calcium, Vitamin D, milk consumption, and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003; 77: 504-511.
5. Cumming R.G. & Klineberg R.J. Case-control study of risk factors for hip factures in the elderly. Am J Epidemiol. 1994 Mar 1;139(5): 493-503.
6. Welten D.C. et al. Weight-Bearing activity during youth is a more important factor for peak bone mass than calcium intake. J Bone Min Res. 1994; 9(7): 1089-1096. 

One of the biggest types of stress that can affect our body that is often forgotten, is emotional or mental stress.  In modern society, it can be so hard to switch off and unload the mental burden from the day.  When we have such a high mental burden and are without the means to deal with it, we can trigger a heightened stress response which can lead to adrenal fatigue and burnout in the long term.  Stress can definitely be a factor in acute situations, and it is also often a factor in chronic and hard-to-resolve conditions.
 
While many people may assume that emotions only reside in the brain, it’s now known that the basis of emotions are formed by different hormones, brain chemicals and other molecules in the body.[1]  This is what we refer to as a physiological response.   One of the techniques we utilise at Sprouting Health is a stress-reduction technique called Neuro Emotional Technique (NET).  NET is used by body-oriented practitioners to help physical problems that have an associated stress component. 
 
There are a range of studies that have shown the benefits of NET on physical pain and also traumatic stress symptoms. One study[2] found that after a short course of NET treatment, pain measurements in a cohort of chronic neck pain sufferers were significantly improved when compared to a control group which received a sham protocol of NET. Chronic neck pain sufferers may benefit from NET treatment in the relief of trigger point sensitivity. Further research including long-term randomised controlled trials for the effect of NET on chronic neck pain, and other chronic pain syndromes are recommended.
 
If you are experiencing any chronic pain or feel that your emotional stress may be taking a toll on your physical body, give us a call and we look forward to seeing if we can help manage your symptoms.


[1] Ruff, M., & Caldera, P. (2019, February 12). Candace Pert & the molecules of emotion: Documentary film overview. Candace Pert, PhD. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from http://candacepert.com/news/candace-pert-the-molecules-of-emotion-documentary-film-overview/

[2] Bablis, P., Pollard, H. & Bonello, R. Neuro Emotional Technique for the treatment of trigger point sensitivity in chronic neck pain sufferers: A controlled clinical trial . Chiropr Man Therap 16, 4 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-1340-16-4
 

If you spend a lot of time on your feet, whether it be for work or leisure, you may have experienced painful feet at some point. Either a short or long term issue, this can be a frustrating symptom that has the potential to limit or put a stop to your normal daily activities. If you experience severe pain along the bottom of your foot, there is a chance that you may be suffering from plantar fasciitis. You’ve probably heard of this condition as it isn’t entirely uncommon, and you may also have hear that it is extremely difficult to overcome. While it does come with challenges of treatment and management, the good news is that there are options and your chiropractor may be able to help you manage this!
 
What IS plantar fasciitis?
There is a thick band of tissue running along the bottom of your foot, from your heel to your toes. This band is called the ‘plantar fascia’ and is responsible for protecting the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves of your foot, as well as allowing your foot to function appropriately while you’re on the move. Plantar fasciitis describes an inflammation of the plantar fascia.
 
What causes plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is typically an overuse injury, often seen in individuals who perform high levels of activity or spend large portions of the day on their feet. Other causes can include wearing shoes without appropriate support to the arch of the foot. Being overweight can also cause extra strain on these structures and result in inflammation.
 
How does plantar fasciitis present?
Usually begins as a mild pain that progressively becomes worse but can also present with rapid onset following an event that may aggravate the plantar fascia (change in activity, more time on feet than usual, sporting event). It typically creates a stabbing sensation on the bottom of the foot, most often near the heel but can be in other areas also. Normally a person may report pain with the first few steps getting out of bed in the morning or after periods of rest. Interestingly, the pain is usually worse AFTER exercise rather than during physical activity.
 
How to treat plantar fasciitis?
Your chiropractor can perform adjustments to your feet/ankles/knees/hips/spine which can help to alleviate pressure/pain and allow for appropriate biomechanics, giving your feet the best opportunity to relax and heal. Your chiropractor can also give you some stretches to perform on a daily basis to help relieve tension and alleviate the pain and tension associated with plantar fasciitis.
 
 
Yelverton, C., Rama, S., & Zipfel, B. (2019). Manual therapy interventions in the treatment of plantar fasciitis: A comparison of three approaches. Health SA = SA Gesondheid, 24, 1244. https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v24i0.1244
 
Buchanan BK, Kushner D. Plantar Fasciitis. [Updated 2022 Feb 2]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-.

Recurrent headaches have become more prevalent in kids with an annual prevalence of about 5% among 3-year-old children (11). Headaches can affect quality of life in children and perhaps affect their performance in daily activities and school. Children with recurrent headaches have been reported to be more stressful and have higher levels of depression compared to those with none (12).

The cause of headaches in children can be multifactorial. Such causes can be psychological factors, nutrition, socioeconomic factors, and co-morbidities (1, 3, 5, 7, 9). Trauma to the head or neck, as well as prolonged static postures, have also been related to children with headaches (2, 4, 10).

There is some evidence that suggest spinal manipulation can be used to help adults with chronic headaches (10). It is not uncommon for children to receive manipulation for headache since it is common presenting symptom for 11-20% of school aged children and adolescents in chiropractic practice (6).

A recent research study was carried out to investigate more on the effects of chiropractic care and children with headaches. This study was separated into two groups where children in one group received spinal manipulation compared the control group where the children received sham manipulations (8). This study was only carried out for 4 months. The results from this study found that the children who received chiropractic care experienced fewer headaches, but it did not reduce the intensity of the headache. (8)

There still needs to be more research for this result to be conclusive but since manipulation is easily applicable with no or mild side effects, chiropractic spinal manipulation might be considered as a valuable treatment option for your child with a headache.
 
 
References

1. Anttila P, Metsahonkala L, Aromaa M, Sourander A, Salminen J, Helenius H, Alanen P, Sillanpaa M. Determinants of tension-type headache in children. Cephalalgia. 2002;22(5):401–8.
2. Clar C, Tsertsvadze A, Court R, Hundt GL, Clarke A, Sutcliffe P. Clinical effectiveness of manual therapy for the management of musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions: systematic review and update of UK evidence report. Chiropr Man Ther. 2014;22(1):12.
3. Erlichman J, Hall A, Dean A, Godwin B, Mascarenhas M. Integrative nutrition for pediatrics. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2016;46(6):165–71.
4. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache S. The international classification of headache disorders, 3rd edition (beta version). Cephalalgia. 2013;33(9):629–808.
5. Hetlevik O, Bjorna CH, Lundring IT, Gjesdal S. Adolescents consulting general practitioners for psychological problems-a nationwide, register-based study in Norway. Fam Pract. 2019;36(1):77–83.
6. Hestbaek L, Jorgensen A, Hartvigsen J. A description of children and adolescents in Danish chiropractic practice: results from a nationwide survey. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009;32(8):607–15.
7. Lateef TM, Merikangas KR, He J, Kalaydjian A, Khoromi S, Knight E, Nelson KB. Headache in a national sample of American children: prevalence and comorbidity. J Child Neurol. 2009;24(5):536–43.
8. Lynge, S., Dissing, K.B., Vach, W. et al. Effectiveness of chiropractic manipulation versus sham manipulation for recurrent headaches in children aged 7–14 years - a randomised clinical trial. Chiropr Man Therap 29, 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12998-020-00360-3
9. Nelson S, Coakley R. The pivotal role of pediatric psychology in chronic pain: opportunities for informing and promoting new research and intervention in a shifting healthcare landscape. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2018;22(11):76.
10. Posadzki P, Ernst E. Spinal manipulations for tension-type headaches: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2012;20(4):232–9.
11. Singhi S, Jacobs H, Gladstein J. Pediatric headache: where have we been and where do we need to be. Headache. 2014;54(5):817–29.
12. Termine C, Ozge A, Antonaci F, Natriashvili S, Guidetti V, Wober-Bingol C. Overview of diagnosis and management of paediatric headache. Part II: therapeutic management. J Headache Pain. 2011;12(1):25–34.

13.    Weber Hellstenius SA. Recurrent neck pain and headaches in preadolescents associated with mechanical dysfunction of the cervical spine: a cross-sectional observational study with 131 students. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009;32(8):625–34.

1. Wilson MC, Krolczyk SJ. Pediatric post-traumatic headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2006;10(5):387–90.

Knee and hip osteoarthritis are the twelfth leading cause of global disability (8). OA was the eighth leading cause of the US health expenses in 2016 (8). In countries like Canada, 4 million individuals have OA where 122,000 knee and hip replacements are performed annually (3).

Both the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) and American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published new guidelines for non-surgical management of knee and hip OA (2&5). These guidelines include self-management strategies, exercise, and weight loss for overweight individuals. Manual therapy has not been included in the OARSI guideline due to the lack of supporting evidence.

Manual therapy is a collection of therapeutic interventions used by chiropractors and physiotherapists in the management of OA. The current lack of high-quality evidence presents manual therapy from being the core treatment for OA (4). However, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the US Bone and Joint Initiative recognize the potential effectiveness of manual therapy (6&7).

A recent review on manual therapy found improvements in pain and physical function in the short and long term for patients with OA (4). A systematic review, specifically for knee OA, reviewed 11 RCTs that concluded that the effects of manual therapy with and without exercise provide short-term benefits on pain levels, functional disability, range of motion and physical performance (1). There were other studies on the effectiveness of manual therapy showing effective symptom improvement for people with OA.

​However, these results can’t be considered conclusive due to the limitations each study had. If you would like to know more about this condition, feel free to contact us here at Sprouting Health Chiropractic. 

Citations

1. Anwer S, Alghadir A, Zafar H, Brismée J-M. Effects of orthopaedic manual therapy in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiotherapy. 2018;104(3):264–276
2. Bannuru RR, Osani M, Vaysbrot E, et al. OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2019;27(11):1578–1589
3. Canadian Institute for Health Information. Hip and Knee Replacements in Canada 2017–2018 Canadian Joint Replacement Registry Annual Report. 2019. https://www.cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/cjrr-annual-report-2019-en-web_0.pdf.
4. French HP, Brennan A, White B, Cusack T. Manual therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee – a systematic review. Man Ther. 2011;16(2):109–117
5. Kolasinski SL, Neogi T, Hochberg MC, et al. 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020;72(2):220–233
6. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Osteoarthritis: care and management – clinical guideline. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guidelines; 2014. p. CG177
7. Nelson AE, Allen KD, Golightly YM, Goode AP, Jordan JM. A systematic review of recommendations and guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis: The chronic osteoarthritis management initiative of the U.S. bone and joint initiative. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2014;43(6):701–712
8. Young JJ, Važić O, Cregg AC. Management of knee and hip osteoarthritis: an opportunity for the Canadian chiropractic profession. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2021;65(1):6-13.