Washington Park Chiropractic

By: Jenny Wetzel

As I sit here at the front desk of Wash Park Chiro with nagging upper back pain (which of course has been lovingly treated by Dr. G, Dr. Schwabe, and Ashley), I can’t stop wondering if it was my yoga class three days ago that started this problem. (Shoulder stand, to be specific.) I decided to consult Dr. Google, and I wanted to share one article I found on MSN Health addressing my concerns. To all you yogis, dedicated to a daily or weekly practice or just occasional drop-ins, take a look to learn about the benefits and risks of your yoga practice. (Sidenote: my pain may also be the result of walking my 120 lb Great Dane….stay tuned for a blog on proper ergonomics for walking your pup!)

“Back pain is common, but what causes it can vary. So, it’s tough to recommend one perfect exercise or treatment. Some people find that sitting for long hours aggravates their back, whereas others, like you, seem to find the opposite. And similarly, some people find that exercise such as running is no problem at all, whereas others find that anything vigorous is uncomfortable, and that only stretching helps.

Yoga is a tricky option. Anecdotally, some people swear that yoga helped their back problem. And while there is very little research on yoga injuries, one 2005 randomized clinical trial in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggested that yoga is an effective treatment for chronic low back pain. The researchers studied 101 adults with back pain. Read the rest of this entry →

By: Dr. Lisa Goodman, DC

That Knot in your Back might be a Rib Fixation.

Each day I inform many patients that the ‘knot’ they have been feeling in their upper back right near the shoulder blade might actually be a rib.  The reaction I get most often is of surprise.  “How can a rib do that?”  Many of us picture our rib cage to wrap around the front of our body, but that rib cage also attaches to the spine in the back.  The joint between the rib and the vertebrae can become stuck or misaligned which is called a fixation.  Symptoms of a rib fixation include pain between Read the rest of this entry →

By: Amanda Miller, LMT

As the use of computers increased, so have back and neck discomfort; the hallmark pain associated with having a desk job.  The reason for this common problem is that it is not natural for humans to sit in the same position for prolonged periods of time, let alone all day.

Sitting in front of the computer desk for long hours can increase muscle stress and put pressure on the spine.  Sitting with a rounded back does several things to cause injury and/or pain.  Rounding your spine forward (slouching) when sitting holds your muscles in a longer than normal position, which weakens them.  It can also slowly degenerate your discs, the little cushions between your back bones, and push the discs outward to the back.  This is how discs can bulge.  Holding your neck tilted forward for much of the time, or angled back with the chin jutting forward may also mechanically harm discs.  Even without disc involvement, soft tissue pain from slouching is uncomfortable.

Here are a few things to be mindful of that may help you to alleviate some of the discomfort associated with sitting in the same position for long periods of time. Read the rest of this entry →

By Dr. Jake Simpson, DC

As seen in my practice, shoulder impingement syndrome is probably the most common shoulder condition that I treat.  Shoulder impingement, like other conditions, can be present independent of other shoulder issues or in combination with other problems.  In many cases an injury in the past can rear its ugly head as impingement syndrome if not properly treated at the time of the original injury.  Some of those original injuries may include, but not limited to: rotator cuff tendonitis, rotator cuff tears, shoulder bursitis, Acromio-clavicular separation, etc.

 So what exactly is shoulder impingement syndrome? 

In a nut shell, there are several categories of shoulder impingement but ultimately the condition is an acute or chronic inflammatory response to injury.  This injury could be a repetitive stress injury or a larger traumatic injury.  Anatomically, in virtually all parts of your body, bones are the innermost or deepest structures of the body.  The bones are surrounded by a variety of soft tissues including muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, etc.  However, the rotator cuff muscles are a little different.  Instead of muscles surrounding bone…bone actually surrounds muscle in parts of the shoulder girdle!  When injury occurs, our bodies respond by swelling.  Because bone surrounds muscle in the rotator cuff, when they swell, a series of events occurs unlike any other part of the body in response to injury…

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By: Dr. Lisa Goodman, DC

Yesterday my husband and I spent about 6 hours cleaning out the garage!  Oh what fun.  Yes, we went from barely being able to fit the stroller in, to being able to fit a car in there!  What a great feeling.  But I was SORE when we were finished.  Yes, I followed the ergonomic advice I give out daily:

1. Lift with your legs

2. Sit or squat when sifting through boxes rather than bending over

3. Take regular breaks and walk around

4. Stay Hydrated

5. Make the husband do most of the heavy lfiting (I especially like that one!)

But alas, sometimes lower back pain is just going to happen.  In fact, that is a question I get often, “why did this happen?”  The best answer I have is that when we stress the body in a way it isn’t used to for a longer period of time, you will feel it.  The body also really doesn’t like awkard motion, this most often occurs with reaching, twisting or lifting in ways you aren’t used to.

Read the rest of this entry →

by Dr. Jake Simpson

Chances are you are sitting down at your computer reading this blog entry.  And there is also a good chance you may have a little back ache, some numbness or tingling in your thigh, buttock, feet and toes.  Or maybe you are just feeling a little down with a lack of energy or motivation.  Am I right?  The average American sits about 8.9 hours a day, These 8.9 hours of sitting have been described by a number of scientific experts as a “public health risk”.  To find out why, read more:

Read the rest of this entry →

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