Backpacks and Purses

Backpacks and Purses- How heavy is too heavy?

In the developed world at least 90% of children use backpacks. Backpacks are an inevitable part of a student’s life. However, the amount of weight in the backpack is controllable.

The recommended weight limit for the backpack is 10-15% of the child’s body weight. This means that a child of 75lbs should only be carrying 7.5-11lbs. It has been found in studies that some children are carrying 50% of their body weight on their backs.

It is critical that the backpack be worn on both shoulders. If the weight is not evenly distributed across both shoulders, then the backpack becomes more detrimental than helpful.

It has been found that injuries and backpack use have been correlated as an overuse syndrome. Since children have yet to completely develop, proper backpack use should be emphasized during this period so that injury does not become long-term.

A correlation has been found between backpack use and back pain in children between the ages of 9-18. It has been found that fatigue is a predictor of back pain rather than weight. However, the more weight you have, then the higher your chances of having back pain.

A study has been done that has found that if the weight of the backpack exceeds 20% of the child’s body weight, blood pressure increases significantly. Also, this biomechanical shift in weight also alters lung mechanics and breathing becomes more difficult when the weight exceeds 20%.

The heavy backpack also causes postural changes, putting strain on the low back and the neck particularly, which can not only cause pain but can also alter posture.

Although backpacks are a necessary part of a student’s life, it is incredibly important for the child’s health and growth to keep the weight low. Also, ensuring the proper packing and wearing of the backpack is also crucial.

Pack it Light, Wear it Right!

 

Resources

Blog By: Dr. Marlee Lameris. Book today with Dr. Marlee at Family First Chiropractic located on 142 Erickson Drive. 403.347.3261. www.family1stchiro.ca.

 

1. The Association of Backpack Use and Back Pain in Adolescents. 2003. Spine 28(9):922-930.

Text Neck

Overuse of Smartphone’s can cause slipped discs

By: Dr. Stephen Kelly

With smartphone’s gaining popularity among South Koreans since 2010, an escalating number of youngsters, mostly in their twenties, are beginning to suffer the consequences.

According to the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation, the number of patients with cervical disc herniation (or slipped disc) has increased from 573,912 in 2007 to 784,121 in 2011. Out of 100,000 patients, 7.6 percent of them are in their twenties.

Most people look down when using their mobile devices. This posture adds a strain to the neck and causes cervical disc herniation. Whilst a human head weighs approximately 10 pounds (4.5kg), staring at a phone with your head tilted forward will feel more akin to a 20-30 pound (9kg to 13.6kg) load. A significant problem for the discs in your neck!

This study was done in Korea but this is a nearly worldwide problem. Chiropractic intervention can help “text neck” by realigning vertebrae and proving proper stretching/ rehabilitation exercises.

Cervical disc herniation isn't the only problem exacerbated by over use of Smartphone’s. Youngsters also spend less time exercising which has resulted in an increase in obesity and diabetes.

If you are one of those who like to spend hours chatting or gaming on your smartphone, this latest report from Korea should motivate you to take some time to rest in between and do some light neck stretches. After all, a slipped disc is no joking matter as it requires frequent medical, chiropractic and/or physical therapy. In some cases, it may even require surgical attention.

If you or a loved one frequently uses a smartphone, get checked by a chiropractor. It can help prevent/ relieve neck pain, headaches and potentially prevent a disc herniation.

Dr. Stephen Kelly.www.family1stchiropractic.ca.  Family First Chiropractic. 403-347-3261.  142 Erickson Drive. Red Deer, Alberta

 

Acute and Chronic Cycling Injuries

Cycling and Injuries

There are two main types of injuries associated with cycling; acute injuries and chronic injuries.

            1. Acute injuries usually involve collisions with vehicles or objects.

            2. Chronic injuries, which are also known as overuse injuries, are often caused due to repetitive strain during movements that occur continually during the cycle.

 The most common sites of injuries involve the neck, knee, groin, hand and low back.

            a. Neck- Chronic neck pain in cyclists are thought to occur due to constant hyperextension of the neck in order to keep the head upright. Conditions that could enhance this problem could be heavy helmets, weak back muscles or low handlebars.

            b. Knee- Chronic knee pain is often felt in the front and the outside of the knee. Knee pain in the front is often due to the repetitive bending of the knee during the ride and the pain on the outside of the knee is either due to weakness in the hip musculature or incorrect saddle height.

            c. Groin- Chronic groin pain is due mostly to prolonged sitting on a poorly fitting saddle. Compression of nerves or other vital structures in the groin region can lead to pain and injuries.

            d. Hand- Chronic hand pain can present with numbness, tingling or weakness and is often due to compression on the handlebars. This sustained pressure and vibration can lead to hand problems.

            e. Low back- Chronic low back pain is usually due to constant bending forward and core weakness. Conditions that could amplify this problem include improper saddle height and a weak core.

Since the majority of these issues involve both biomechanical and structural issues, it is important to address both the physical setup of the bicycle as well as the dynamics of the rider. Also, a rehabilitation program can be implemented which can help alleviate a lot of these problems.

By: Dr. Marlee Lameris. 142 Erickson Drive. 403.347.3261. www.family1stchiro.ca

Resources

1. Asplung, C. Knee pain and bicycling. 2004. The Physician and Sports Medicine 32(4).

Hip Flexors

Guy Lacoursiere RMT

If you have tight hip flexors, you can expect to have problems with your hip joints and lower back.

Your hip flexors are a group of muscles that enable you to bring your knee up towards your trunk. Though several muscles contribute to this action, the two primary players are your iliacus and psoas major, which come together to form the extremely strong ilipsoas tendon, which attaches your hip flexor muscles to your thigh bone.

Tight hip flexors are all too common in today's society with a lot of us spending several hours a day sitting on our bottoms. Without regular stretching and activity, sitting for long periods on a chair or couch can lead to shortening of your hip flexors.

There is rarely a person I work with that does not have tight hip flexors. The best thing that I can recommend is to stretch them daily and come in for a massage from time to time.

 

To book an appointment with Guy Lacoursiere RMT, call us at 403-347-3261. Family First Chiropractic. 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer. www.family1stchiro.ca

 

3 Times the Peril Triathlon Injuries

Triathlon Injuries

Triathlon is a sport that is growing in popularity and participation. Triathlon consists of swimming, cycling and running combined in varying distances.

Injuries usually occur as a result of an individual leg of the event or due to the physical strain of a combination of the three events. Over-use injuries are incredibly common due to the immense strain this competition places on the body. 

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A triathlon can range anywhere from 26km to a whopping 225km, and because of such the race can last anywhere from 1 to over ten hours. Therefore, because of the endurance and drastic demands this sport places on the body, injuries are plentiful.

In various studies, incidence of injuries in triathletes ranges from 37% to 91%. The majority of the injuries were non-impact in nature and instead were caused by overuse. The majority of injuries were related to running due to the high impact, stressful nature of the sport. However, cycling also reported high levels of injuries due to the highly repetitive training.

The most commonly affected site of injury was the lower extremity, including the ankle, foot, thigh and knee as the most vulnerable. Running seemed to create the greatest numbers of injuries in the lower extremity, cycling caused the majority of low back pain and swimming accounted for the majority of upper extremity injuries.

Almost 80% of all injuries occurred during training instead of during the competition itself, but if you compare per hour, there is a six-fold increase of injury during the competition. This is because people push themselves harder during the race, increasing the risk of injury.

There are also injuries that result from an accumulation of the three phases of the sport. These involve overuse musculoskeletal injuries and exhaustion-related conditions such as dehydration and hyponatremia. These conditions need to be addressed with the competitor, practitioner and coach.

Understanding the demands of the sport and working within the body’s limits are two important factors involved with the successful completion of triathlons.

Dr. Marlee is located at Family First Chiropractic. 403-347-3261. Red Deer. www.family1stchiropractic.ca

Cerebrospinal Fluid

Cerebrospinal Fluid

Cerebrospinal fluid immerses the brain and spinal cord in essential nutrients, cleanses the brain and spinal cord of waste material, and flows throughout the body contributing to whole-body biochemical equilibrium. Imbalance of the autonomic nervous system can decrease the production of cerebrospinal fluid, which can lead to nutrient loss and toxicity of the brain or spinal cord, as well as biochemical and cellular stress throughout the body.

Cerebrospinal fluid is produced in four interconnected cavities within the brain, called ventricles. The autonomic nervous system controls the amount of cerebrospinal fluid that is created. Nerve fibers from two parts of the autonomic nervous system send signals to the ventricles.

The two autonomic nervous system parts are: the sympathetic, referred to as the “fight or flight” or “stress response” division; and the parasympathetic, called the “rest, digest and renew” or “healing” division.

The autonomic nervous system can become imbalanced due to things like infection, chronic pain, disease or stress. This can increase sympathetic division signals sent to the ventricles, which can lessen cerebrospinal fluid production by as much as 30%. On the other hand, parasympathetic signals sent to the ventricles increases cerebrospinal fluid production so the system can create the maximum amount for a healthy brain, spinal cord and body.

Reducing the body’s “stress response”, especially when a stressful state is chronic, helps to rebalance the autonomic nervous system. This can increase parasympathetic signals sent to the ventricles, which optimizes cerebrospinal fluid production. Then the brain, spinal cord and body as a whole can receive ideal levels of nutrition and cleansing.

Craniosacral Therapy is an effective method that can lessen stress, balance the autonomic nervous system, and optimize cerebrospinal fluid production and flow leading to optimal health, healing and well-being.
Jeannette Raskin is located at Family First Chiropractic, Red Deer. 403-347-3261. www.family1stchiro.ca

Sprained Ankle

Sprained Ankle…Again!

Ankle sprains are the most common injuries in sport and are often recurrent in nature. It is estimated that ankle sprains range from 14% to 33% of all sports-related injuries. Reinjury is incredibly common and chronic functional instability is often present.

Since ankle sprains tend to recur, steps can be taken to prevent another sprain from occurring.

The most common ankle sprain is a lateral ankle sprain, which often occurs in a sports setting where the ankle is rolled outwards. This force causes injury to the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, which can lead to excessive motion in the ankle joint. This tissue injury results in pain, swelling and joint dysfunction, which includes poor control over the ankle joint.

Once the integrity of these ligaments has been compromised, dysfunction in the ankle joint can be chronic. Ligament laxity can lead to mechanical instability, which means that the joint will not be as strong. This leads to the potential for another ankle sprain to occur, even after the pain and swelling is gone.

Therefore, it may be more important to work on prevention rather than treatment of ankle sprains.

Some techniques that may be used to prevent ankle sprains include braces or external supports, and therapeutic proprioceptive exercise.

1. Ankle Supports

The use of ankle supports or taping is very common. Recently studies have revealed that external supports were significant in reducing ankle sprains in athletes with a prior history of ankle sprains. Rigid or semi-rigid braces were more effective in preventing ankle motion than taping. However, taping was used to enhance proprioceptive function of the injured ankle.

2. Rehabilitation

Function proprioceptive rehabilitation is a vital component of acute ankle sprain treatment. Also, proprioceptive training has also been found to be effective in protecting the joint from reinjury. Early mobilization after injury has been found to be preferable to prolonged immobilization. Motion is good.

Initially, reduction of swelling, inflammation and pain is crucial. Then it is important to restore full range of motion to the ankle joint. Next, it is important to strengthen the muscles in the ankle and the calf. After that, proprioceptive exercises can be introduced to restore balance, stability and function.

To book an appointment with Dr Marlee call us at Family First Chiropractic. 403-347-3261 in Red Deer. www.family1stchiropractic.ca

Resources

Osborne, M.D. and T.D. Rizzo. Prevention and Treatment of Ankle Sprain in Athletes. 2003. Sports Medicine 33(15):1145-1150.