Runner's Knee

Runner’s Knee

Runner's knee happens when the kneecap (patella) tracks incorrectly over a groove in the thighbone (femur) known as the femoral groove when you bend and straighten your knee. In healthy knees, the patella rests in the femoral groove and slides easily up and down when you use your knee. But when the patella is out of place, it can irritate the femoral groove and wear away the cartilage beneath the patella, leading to knee pain.

What Are the Symptoms of Runner's Knee?

•        Direct trauma to the knee.
•    Excessive training or overuse. 
• Misalignment of the patella. 
•  Tight or weak leg muscles. 
•  Foot problems.

How Can I Prevent Runner's Knee?

If you're going to be doing an activity that puts a lot of stress on your knees, follow these tips:

       Warm up and stretch before running or doing any other knee-intensive activity, and be sure to stretch again after you're done.

       Keep yourself in good shape.

       Use proper running gear.

       Try to run on soft, flat surfaces. Increase the intensity of your workouts slowly.

How Should I Treat Runner's Knee?

Treatment for runner's knee depends on the specific problem that is causing the pain. Fortunately, runner's knee rarely requires surgery, and most cases heal in time. Regardless of the cause of your particular case of runner's knee, here are some things you should do at the first sign of pain:

       Stop doing activities that hurt your knee. This means no running, cycling, or skiing until the pain goes away and you can resume your activities without pain.

       Use the RICE formula as soon as you can:

o    Rest. Try to avoid putting weight on your knee as much as you can.

o    Ice. Use a bag of ice or cold compress to help reduce swelling.

o    Compress. Wear an elastic bandage or snug-fitting knee sleeve with the kneecap cut out.

o    Elevate. Lie down and keep your knee raised higher than your heart.

       Do stretching and strengthening exercises. Once the pain and swelling subside, talk with your chiropractor about an exercise program to improve your knee's strength and flexibility.

       Get arch supports for your shoes.

       Trigger Point Massage Therapy

Do you have Runners Knee? Book an appointment today with Guy Lacoursiere RMT TPT at 403-347-3261. Family First Chiropractic, Red Deer. www.family1stchiro.ca

Back Pain Continued

Back Pain is a Primary Reason Why we have so Many Prescription Drug Addicts

Unfortunately, many simply end up taking pain killers and retiring to bed instead of increasing their activity once the back pain starts. Back pain is actually one of the primary reasons why so many adults get addicted to pain killers. Addiction is a terrible side effect of these drugs, considering they do not actively change the issue causing the pain in the first place.

Pharmaceutical drug overdoses now rank second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in the US. The number of overdose deaths from opioid painkillers alone more than tripled from 1999 to 2006, to 13,800 deaths that year. This despite the fact that the FDA increased the restrictions for consumer drug ads in 2005, especially for COX-2 painkillers like Celebrex and Bextra.

In the past, most overdoses were due to illegal narcotics, such as heroin. But prescription painkillers have now surpassed both heroin and cocaine as the leading cause of fatal overdoses. In addition, more than 700,000 people visit US emergency rooms each year as a result of adverse drug reactions to all drugs, not just the opioids.

Adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered also kill about 106,000 people per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the US.

Pharmaceutical drugs kill more than twice as many Americans as HIV/AIDS or suicide, yet they’re still allowed to be advertised on TV, radio and in magazines. This is particularly ironic when you consider that the death toll from illegal drugs – which is about 10,000 per year – is dwarfed by the death toll (106,000 or more) from properly administered pharmaceuticals!

The first step toward meaningful change is realizing that prescription drugs are JUST as addictive and dangerous as illegal street drugs. In many cases, they are identical. The only difference is their legal status. For example, hydrocodone, a prescription opiate, is synthetic heroin – indistinguishable from any other heroine as far as your brain and body are concerned. So, if you’re hooked on hydrocodone, your body is responding as if you’re a heroin addict...

Perhaps even more ironic, prescription drug addiction is now also being advertised as a “medical condition” for which there is treatment... Back in the day, this was simply called Drug Rehab, but now they’re trying to remove the stigma associated with drug addiction, since the vast majority are hooked on legal meds. Just because the drugs are legal, does not mean the addiction is any less severe or damaging.

CranioSacral Therapy and Women

CranioSacral Therapy and Women

 One of the greatest benefits of CranioSacral therapy is its effectiveness in dealing with the many natural cycles, conditions and related complications that we women go through as we journey through life.

Conditions such as:

·         Puberty.

·         Attempting to get pregnant.

·         Pregnancy.

·         Pregnancy and birth complications.

·         Infant and toddler care and nurturing.

·         Menopause.

·         Conditions attached to later in life.

It is also in the area of Women's Healththat conventional medicine and complementary health approaches are often found working side-by-side.

It is interesting to note that I notice the following:

• The majority of people who make health decisions in the households tend to be the women (booking children, husbands for treatments).
• While women are very happy to put enormous time and energy into looking after others (their unborn children when pregnant, baby infants, toddlers, children, Husbands/partners) - they seem to put themselves last in line when it comes to good old preventative and early treatment of many ailments!

I feel it is important for women to learn to take better care of themselves.

Working with CranioSacral Therapy myself over the last number of years has helped me to get more in touch with my own natural health rhythm - and I have found that while many of my female clients may have come for a specific ailment - over time they start to listen more to their own body and learn just what it needs to get back to health and stay there for the long term.  

To learn more information on CranioSacral therapy or to book an appointment with Jeannette. Call us at 403-347-3261. Family First Chiropractic, Red Deer. www.family1stchiro.ca
 

 

How to check posture on your toddler and older children

 How to check posture on your toddler and older children

During the first months and years of your child's life, he or she grows from a helpless infant into a fearless adventurer. A child's natural curiosity about the world is accompanied by significant physical growth, weight gain, and emotional development. Your toddler's spine is the housing and protection for their nervous system and, by age 2, has doubled in size. The brain, spinal cord and nerves are the master controller of all their body's systems. Your toddler has learned how to roll over, sit, crawl, stand and fall in the past year which may have caused stress to a growing spine and nervous system. Don't wait for your child to manifest symptoms, but periodically check your child's posture.

·         Having your child stand against the wall you can check the bottom of their ear lobes. Are they level?

·         Place your hands on top of their shoulders and later on their hips, if your hands are not level this could be your first sign as a parent that you child's spine is not growing straight.

·         Have them face away from you and look at their spine- is it straight or does it curve to the side?

·         Have them bend forward and touch their toes, does the spine move easily, does it curve to the side or stay straight?

·         Does your child drag their feet or just drags one foot

·         Does your child toe in or out when they walk?

·         Does your child complain about leg, or knee pain? Or ‘growing pains’

If you answer yes to any of these observations your child’s spine should be assessed. Dr. Joelle Johnson and Dr. Stephen Kelly are located at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness at 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer. Call 403-304-7980 to make an appointment or visit our website at www.family1stchiro.ca

Precious Cargo, Prenatal Chiropractic Care

Precious Cargo, prenatal Chiropractic Care

During your child's first nine months, they will undergo tremendous growth and development as they prepare to enter this world. Your baby's brain and nervous system are the first to develop following conception. The spine and skull, which is the housing that protects this vital master controller, develops later. 

The choices you make before conception and during each stage of your pregnancy will be a factor in your baby's wellness. During your pregnancy, the lack of interference to the baby's development gives them an opportunity for their inborn intelligence to develop their physical, emotional and spiritual nature. 

If you're thinking about becoming pregnant, your Doctor of Chiropractic would encourage you to begin the dialogue six months to even a year before you are ready to have a family. 

Physical, chemical and emotional stressors can affect the quality of your pregnancy and a Family Wellness Chiropractor is as much an educator as they are a healthcare provider. 

For more information or to book an appointment with Dr. Joelle Johnson or Dr. Stephen Kelly please call us at 403-347-3261 Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer www.family1stchiro.ca 

Back Pain

 

An estimated 75-85 percent of people will experience back pain at some time in their life, and most cases are mechanical in nature, meaning the pain is notdue to a serious medical condition such as inflammatory arthritis or fracture.

Fifty percent of all working adults say they have back pain, and it's one of the most common reasons for missed work.

According to the American Chiropractic Association,¹Americans spend at least $50 billion annually on back pain treatments, and are often left feeling more confused about their problem.

Not surprisingly, back pain has become a major target for Big Pharma disease mongering.² The latest example of this is the emergence of ads for ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton, which includes the spine.

The drug advertised is Humira, which has a price tag of about $20,000 a year. It is reprehensible for drug companies to promote this expensive and dangerous drug for an exceedingly rare cause of low back pain, which likely is responsible for less than a tenth of a tenth of one percent of low back pain.

Side effects of the druginclude tuberculosis, serious infections, increased risk of lymphoma and other cancers, hepatitis B infection in carriers of the virus, allergic reactions, nervous system problems, blood problems, heart failure, certain immune reactions including a lupus-like syndrome, liver problems, and new or worsening psoriasis — and that’s the short list! There are many more.

Considering the fact that most cases of low back pain are not caused by inflammatory conditions, you probably do not need this drug — although you may have no trouble receiving it should you ask your doctor for it...

Besides addictive and dangerous painkillers, pain injections also carry risks. Last year, nearly two dozen people receiving steroid injections for chronic back pain contracted meningitis. The outbreak was traced to a contaminated batch of injectable steroids.⁴

Since poor posture and/or improper movement is to blame for most cases of back pain, one of the best things you can do to prevent and manage back pain is to exercise regularly and keep your back and abdominal muscles strong.

What’s Causing the Pain?

With the exception of blunt force injuries, low back pain is commonly caused and exacerbated by:

Poor posture	Poor physical conditioning facilitated by inactivity	Internal disease, such as kidney stones, infections, blood clots
Obesity	Psychological/emotional stress	Osteoporosis (bone loss)

To book an appointment, call us at 403-347-3261 Family First Chiropractic, 142 Erickson Dr, Red Deer. www.family1stchiro.com

Breastingfeeding and Chiropractic

Breastfeeding can help mothers relax and handle stress better and to prevent postpartum depression. Skin-to-skin contact with your baby has a soothing effect often called kangaroo care.Skin to skin contact with dad is also wonderful for bonding with your baby.

How can chiropractic care help with breastfeeding and bottle feeding your baby? It can help in many ways!!!

Try to listen to your body so that you can tell when stress is affecting your health, and take these steps to feel better:

• Get adjusted! Getting adjusted can increase your immune system by 60% with just one adjustment!
• Many new moms get ‘nursing neck’ which can cause upper back, neck pain and headaches as well. Even moms who are bottle feeding can get this. When feeding you are often looking down at your beautiful baby for 20-30 min or more at a time- often 8-10 times a day. This can overstretch already stressed ligaments and muscles in the neck, causing pain.
• Relax - It's important to unwind in a way that works for you. Try a bubble bath, deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and massage therapy. If you can't do these things, take a few minutes to sit, listen to soothing music, or read a book.
• Sleep - Your stress could get worse if you don't get enough sleep. It is hard to fight off illness when you sleep poorly. With enough sleep, it is easier to cope with challenges and stay healthy. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. If you can't, try to sleep when the baby sleeps.
• Eat right - Try to fuel up with fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains.
• Get moving - Physical activity not only helps relieve your tense muscles, but helps your mood too! Your body makes certain chemicals, called endorphins, before and after you exercise. These relieve stress and improve your mood.

 To find out more about breastfeeding and chiropractic, call us at 403-347-3261. Family First Chiropractic 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer. Family1stchiro.ca.