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Category: Work Injury

BlogWork Injury
By Dr. Slovin 0 Comments Chiropractic, Physio, Therapy, Uncategorized, Work Injury , , ,

Kinky Neck? 5 Tips to Get Rid of That Neck Pain

Kinky Neck? 5 Tips to Get Rid of That Neck Pain

Is there a kink in your neck you’ve been trying to work out? Looking for a way to relieve neck stiffness without hours of therapy?

It’s winter, and that cold weather isn’t exactly relaxing for your achy neck muscles. In fact, an upcoming storm or significant change in weather can create all sorts of pain in your neck and back.

In this article, I will give you a few tips to get rid of that neck pain and relieve the stiffness at home or work.

How Does a Kink in the Neck Happen?

A crick or kink in the neck happens due to injury to the small vertebral bones in the cervical spine.

The neck is very susceptible to injury because the bones are small, and the joints provide tremendous motion without many supporting structures. These are a few of the reasons why whiplash is so common after a car accident or slip and fall.

A kink in the neck is often caused by one of the following:

· Placing your neck in an awkward position for an extended period, such as while sleeping.

· Sitting slumped in your chair or looking down at your phone for a long time.

· Stretching or lifting abnormally.

· Improper form while weight-lifting or running.

· A pinched nerve, infection, or arthritis.

5 Tips to Get Rid of That Pesky, Kinky Neck Pain

One of the most common reasons you have a kink in the neck is you slept wrong or suffer with poor posture. Here are five things you can do right now to fix the neck pain and relieve stiffness.

1. Try the 60-second fix, which involves kneading away the cramp-like sensation in your neck by following these steps:

a. Identify the exact spot of stiffness or soreness.

b. Firmly push into the spot with your fingers, as hard as you can tolerate. If you feel a sharp pain, stop immediately and call your provider or me. You’ll want to get that checked.

c. While you have pressure on the area, turn your head slightly in the opposite direction of the neck pain. Bend your neck diagonally and point your chin toward your armpit. Hold for 5 seconds.

d. Repeat those steps 20 times in a row, stretching your neck and upper back afterward.

2. Another option is to identify the acupressure points in your neck based on the pain’s location and use those to help massage out the kink.

3. Change your sleep and sitting positions. Invest in ergonomic furniture that will put less pressure on your neck and other muscles.

4. “Text neck” is a massive problem today. Please stop looking down at your phone so often and for so long.

5. Leverage movement. Stretching and exercising will go a long way to keeping your spine strong and healthy.

Can a Chiropractor Help?

Obviously, I’m going to say yes; however, I encourage you to try the tips above first before trekking to an office in the dead of winter (or any time, really).

If you’re having trouble getting past the stiff neck pain, call my office! We’ll set up a safe time for an appointment, and I’ll help you work out the kink in your neck.

Keep Your Brain Moving and Stay Informed

For many, neck pain comes and goes. My monthly newsletter can help you gain control of your whole-body well-being. You’ll learn about specific movements and stretches for different parts of the body, natural healing remedies, and crucial medical science that involves the musculoskeletal system.

Whether you’re on my blog to meet a new chiro or just looking for information, signing up for my newsletter will help you stay up to date on all the latest posts and essential info that’ll keep you moving strong.

Sources:

Healthline – how to get rid of stiff neck

Healthline – Crick in the neck

Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy – Solve that Kink

Body Works Medical Center – Natural treatments for neck pain

By Dr. Slovin 0 Comments Chiropractic, Physio, Work Injury , ,

Nobody’s Perfect: 5 Red Flags of a Really Bad Chiropractor

Just like with any profession, there are always The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly when talking about medical professionals. While all of us may have our proper licensure, it is the little things that can make a good doctor great, and a bad doctor someone who you should never work with again. Here are a few tell-tale signs of a really bad chiropractic doctor.

5 Red Flags of a Bad Chiropractor

These warning signs will help you figure out if the doctor you’re seeing, or thinking of visiting, is worth the effort, money, and time.

  • The chiropractor doesn’t address specific areas of pain. They just go about their business and ignore what you tell them. If you tell them you’re having low back pain, it’s a red flag if they don’t somehow address the area of complaint during your very first consultation.

  • Not every patient who walks through the door will need an x-ray.  If the office seems to be overscheduling their x-rays or if you’re not getting any benefit from being x-rayed frequently, this is a red flag.  Regular x-rays mean you should be able to see either improvement or decline in the problem.  It’s a red flag if you’re getting nothing from these studies.

  • The chiropractor uses body shaming as a treatment tactic.  This is unacceptable. Any patient who is susceptible to this kind of behavior from their chiropractor should run in the other direction. Quickly.

  • Fear-mongering is a regular occurrence in many types of doctor’s offices. As a doctor, it’s our duty and responsibility to give it to you straight. You’re coming to us for expertise, and we should give it completely, transparently, and compassionately.  Any chiropractor who uses fear-based methods to get you into the office or agreeing to a specific treatment is not suitable for patient care.

  • Your office visits are uncharacteristically short, or they offer a “one-and-done” treatment option.  There is no such thing, and chiropractors should be spending at least 30-45 minutes with each patient on their very first visit.  I’ve heard of some spending under 10 minutes in the room with their patients when first meeting them. How can you get to know anyone in that time?

Overall, there are many warning signs that the chiropractor you’re seeing or thinking of visiting is a bad one.  That’s why you don’t always want to look at the “near me” results when searching for the right care provider.  Ask the hard questions; look at all the reviews; make informed decisions about your health care.

If you’d like to know more about how we do things here at Slovin Chiropractic Center, give us a call at (203) 840-0000 or send us a message through this website. We’re around, ready to answer all your hard questions.

Sources:

ChiroCare of Florida

Julie Scott Chiro

By Dr. Slovin 0 Comments Chiropractic, Insurance, Physio, Therapy, Work Injury

4 Myths About Chiropractors That are Actually True

The popular TV series, MythBusters, uses different aspects of the scientific method to debunk or prove popular myths. It’s such a fun show to watch. When it comes to chiropractic methods, I’m always looking around for legends to debunk every chance I get; however, some myths are actually true! Those are the ones I’d like to talk about today.

The Myth:  Chiropractors Only Focus on the Spine

Well, of course that’s true, our main focus is your spine – But it’s important to understand your chiropractor isn’t only focused on the spine. Many of us love taking care of extremities like your shoulders, ankles, and knees as well. We are well-skilled practitioners in the entire musculoskeletal system. Our focus is our solid understanding of your nervous systems.

The Myth:  Chiropractors Aren’t Doctors

True, chiropractors are not medical doctors. We are board-certified Doctors of Chiropractic Medicine who don’t prescribe medications or perform invasive procedures.  Instead, we focus on helping the body heal itself by reducing inflammation on your nerves.

 

The Myth:  Chiropractic Care Costs Too Much

Some insurances don’t cover chiropractic care, but most do. So this may feel and be true for some people but not for most.

Several studies over the years have looked at the cost of traditional healthcare versus chiropractic care and found that undergoing regular chiropractic care was significantly less than the cost of medical expenses.  In a North Carolina study, over 43,000 workman’s comp claims were examined over the course of 19 years.  It was discovered that the average claim managed by a medical doctor was $21,000, while chiropractic care costs only added up to $663, an 82% decrease!  Moreover, with chiropractic care, injured workers lost only 33 days of work on average while those under the care of an MD were out for 200 days or more.  A Nevada workers’ comp study supported these findings as well and found that loss of work time is one-third less with chiropractic care than with medical care.

The Myth: Chiropractors Are Sports Doctors

We work with a lot of athletes here in Norwalk as well as with those who are very physically active; however, chiropractic patients come from all walks of life. We also work with car accident victims, migraine and headache patients, those with fibromyalgia, as well as with people with a variety of other chronic conditions that are nearly impossible to treat only with medication.

So, it’s true, we are “sports doctors”.  As long as your injuries are not life-threatening, we work with anyone who has a spine and a pulse.

The Myth:  Chiropractic Care isn’t Mainstream

This one is a flat-out myth.

Chiropractic care is one of the world’s largest leading healthcare and healing professions. Chiropractors work closely with medical doctors and surgeons to offer the patient well-rounded, coordinated care.  It is estimated that Doctors of Chiropractic treat more than 30 million people annually. Today, Doctors of Chiropractic comprise the third largest group of doctorate-level, portal-of-entry primary-care providers in the nation, next to medical doctors and dentists.

The medical and health industries are great with misinformation. If you have some chiropractor myths you’d like to sort out, let’s have a chat. You can call my office, reach me on social media, or simply fill out the form on this website to get in touch. Ask your questions, get your answers, and start moving better.

Sources:

American Chiropractic Association

National University of Health Sciences

Medical News Today

https://getgreaterlifechiropractic.com/the-cost-of-chiropractic-care-vs-traditional-health-care/

By Dr. Slovin 0 Comments Chiropractic, Work Injury

6 Ways To Protect Your Neck and Back While Shoveling Snow This Winter

6 Ways To Protect Your Neck and Back While Shoveling Snow This Winter

A big storm is coming! Connecticut is bracing for the biggest storm it’s seen in three years!

As winter storms continue to threaten the East Coast, snow is an obstacle to many Americans daily. Here are some of our best tips on how to avoid risking a back injury while shoveling snow.

First, you should start with a quality shovel with an ergonomic design. Choose a push blade with wheels, a snow scoop, or a push snow shovel. A traditional snow shovel will put too much pressure on your neck muscles due to the “scooping” motion, whereas pushing will not. A snow blower is always the best choice for deep snow.

Second, try shoveling when there are no more than two to four inches on the ground. I know, this means you will need to shovel more, but the snow will be easier to lift, and this movement will be healthier on your back. Spraying the shovel with a silicone or WD 40 is also another favorite trick of mine and will help move the shovel through the snow quicker as well as keep the shovel clean between passes.

Third, always shovel loose snow. Hard-packed and frozen snow will require tremendous strain on your muscles and be too heavy. Take care to shovel small amounts of snow, so as not to overwhelm yourself.

Fourth, shovel the snow by pushing it rather than bending down to scoop it; try pushing the snow to the side of a driveway or walkway.

Fifth, try placing one hand on the shovel mid-shaft to make it easier to handle and keep the loaded shovel as close to your body as possible.

And last, but certainly not least, always think about your body’s posture when shoveling. Don’t reach or stretch to reach the area you’re focusing on; instead, move closer to it. Always bend at the knees and hips, keeping your back and neck straight, and let your weight help you push the snow.

This storm looks like a big one!

It’s very common for our office to become quite busy with lower back injuries following a storm like this or even smaller ones. Hopefully, these little reminders will help you through without injury. Snow shoveling is tough. Remember to take your time, don’t dress too heavy, and take frequent breaks. We’re here if you need us. Stay safe!