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Physical Therapy & Chiropractic Blog

US Healthcare: More Efficient and Cost-Effective with Multidisciplinary Practices

Sep 30, 2019
Demand for alternative approaches to healthcare in the US is at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days. Between being the most expensive healthcare in the world, and dealing with things like the opioid crisis and how to navigate the Patient Protection and Affordable Car Act (PPACA), most people believe that we, as a nation, need to rethink how we do healthcare. The healthcare environment is beginning to change in the US. There are several reasons for the changes including addressing increa… Read More

Is Stretching Always the Answer?

Sep 25, 2019
Is stretching always the answer? We know there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for all our aches and pains, but how do we know if stretching will do more harm than good? First situation to consider is hypermobility. If we continue to stretch a joint that has increased laxity, we are creating more instability. The reason it may feel like tension is due to the body’s natural reaction to create stability by creating trigger points in the muscle. So really, if we have this hypermobility, we wil… Read More

An Eye on Those Back to School Backpacks

Aug 09, 2019
Before the book bags and backpacks get heavy there are a few things to consider. The heaviness and position of a backpack matter! It can make or break your posture and health of your spine and shoulders.We live in a society with excessive smart phone use and too much sitting. We’re looking down in hunched positions all of the time (unless corrected). A heavy or poor backpack placement will only add to this problem. Wearing a loose backpack that sits near your low back can increase pressure on th… Read More

Are you taking “Vitamin I”? Why we should use caution when taking NSAIDs.

Jul 11, 2019
First of all what are NSAIDs? NSAIDs are Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs and are the most prescribed medication for treating pain and conditions like arthritis. Most people are familiar with over the counter NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, and Motrin but there are many others. We meet new patients that use them so often that they refer to Ibuprofen as their “Vitamin I”. Many medical guidelines for treating acute injuries involve taking NSAIDs. Some NSAIDs you can buy over the co… Read More

Keeping Your Head On Straight While Sleeping

Apr 23, 2019
Have you ever thought that if you didn’t have to sleep at night that your neck or back would never hurt? We have many patients that come into Arvada Sport and Spine Group who suffer from what is commonly referred to as a “stiff neck”. A common scenario the patient describes is: “When I went to bed I was fine, but when I awoke the next morning I was in a lot of pain and my ear lobe was laying on my shoulder!!” Often times the way we sleep, the positions we lay in for long peri… Read More

5 Reasons Why We Love Water

Mar 29, 2019
Water is extremely important for good health. Not drinking enough can lead to dehydration. That can cause fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps and more. Worse prolonged dehydration can lead to serious complications like organ failure.Here are just a few reasons why we love water and what it can do for you.Protects your Spine and other TissueWater lubricates and cushions cartilage found in joints and disks of the spine. Cartilage that is found in joints and the disks of the spine, contain around 80%… Read More

DON'T BREAK YOUR BACK!

Mar 12, 2019
Tips to decrease injury while lifting: Keep your eyes and head up. This will decrease the rounding of your back and encourage a more neutral spinal position. Keep the object closer to you. The further away, the more compressive forces on your spine. (see image below) Brace with your core. Your abdominals are your natural back brace. Pull your belly button towards your spine to engage. BREATHE! Holding your breath causes increased intraabdominal pressure. Pivot rather than twist. Turn wit… Read More

Foods That Reduce Inflammation

Mar 12, 2019
Why is reducing inflammation important?There are two types of inflammation in the body, Acute and Chronic. Acute inflammation is the body’s natural healing response to an injury. This inflammation is temporary and is an important part to the healing process. Chronic inflammation is when it doesn’t shut off and starts to break down joints and tissue, causing degeneration. Chronic inflammation contributes to many common western diseases. This is the type of inflammation we want to reduce.Here ar… Read More

How to screen for scoliosis

Mar 13, 2018
A frequent question that we receive here at the clinic is how to check a child for scoliosis. Defined as a lateral curvature of the spine, scoliosis affects 3-5% of children with varying severity. To screen, we start with the patient standing up straight facing away so that the back is visible. Starting from the feet upwards to the head, take a look at each joint line noting areas of discrepancy. First, take a look at the ankles and feet, note excessive rolling in at the ankle which tends to red… Read More

Cupping

Nov 02, 2016
Cupping in its most basic form is one of the oldest and most universally practiced medical treatments in the world. Cupping is used widely in the world for many different reasons and the origins of cupping can be dated back to at least 3,500 years ago. Typically when we think of cupping we think of the round marks on people that are often associated with cupping. Recently at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio many of the U.S. swimmers including Michael Phelps were seen with cupping marks on them… Read More