Back to Basics Chiropractic and Massage: Blog

If you’ve ever encountered some type of injury, whether it is by playing sports, falling down, or perhaps you’ve been injured in a car accident, chances are your body is not functioning at its highest peak due to a misalignment. Fortunately, our staff at Back to Basics Chiropractic have the ability and skill to remove these interruptions or misalignments and allow the body to perform as it was meant to. The most common sports injuries include but are not limited to sprains and strains, knee injuries, swollen muscles, and Achilles tendon injuries. Depending on the type of injury our doctor diagnoses during a consultation, the appropriate plan for treatment will be designed. If you injure yourself while playing a sport, stop playing, as continuing to play may cause more harm. Once an injury occurs, call us to discuss your treatment options. If you have questions or concerns regarding sports injury treatment, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, v...

Bulging discs, also known as disc protrusion, are very common and people often develop them without realizing it. A bulging disc usually arises with no symptoms, however, they can cause discomfort and disability in various parts of the body, especially if the disc compresses an adjacent nerve root or the spinal cord. Following the diagnosis of a bulging disc, one of our doctors at Back to Basics Chiropractic will recommend treatments designed to alleviate symptoms.  A bulging disc can occur in any part of the spine but is most likely to affect the lower back or lumbar spine. The most common lumbar bulging disc is observed between lumbar vertebrae L4 and L5 causing pain in the sciatic nerve. Pain such as this may localize in the lower spine or radiate down the buttocks into the back of the leg or the foot. If you are experiencing chronic pain and you suspect a bulging disc may be the culprit, call us to discuss treatment options. If you have questions or concerns regarding chiropractic ...

At Back to Basics Chiropractic we treat patients and relieve pain, but patient self-care is just as important for their continued health. Simple changes to everyday habits can help you to live a pain-free life.  So many of us spend a lot of a typical day sitting, between working at computer desks, watching TV, and commuting to work. All of this sitting can cause back pain, making it the most common reason patients visit the chiropractor.  Making a few adjustments to how you sit can ease this stress, help alleviate back pain, and minimize future visits. If you are sitting in a chair incorrectly and your spine isn't straight, you are putting more stress on your lower back. Leaning back just enough so that your thighs are at a 135-degree angle with your torso is an optimal seated position for preventing back pain. Long periods of sitting are what really increase the risk of muscle pulls, strains, and cramps. So if you don’t have time to walk around and stretch at the office try switch...

More athletes are turning to chiropractors now than ever.  Medical doctors tend to treat a sports injury by alleviating symptoms with medication and recommending rest from activity.  Even professional athletes with incredibly healthy bodies have relied too much on medicine to heal. At Back to Basics Chiropractic, our approach to rehabilitating sports injuries takes the rest of the body and its natural ability to heal itself into account.  This always results in less time ‘benched’ from activity and a quicker recovery. You don’t need to be a professional athlete to rehabilitate a sports injury the right way.  If you or your family members are involved in sports, a chiropractor can help you too.  Rather than prescription medication and rest from activity, a chiropractor will focus on repairing any damage to hard and soft tissue with chiropractic adjustments to     the spine and extremities.  If you are in pain from an injury, of course your chiropractor will advise the best pain relief s...

Back pain has an endless amount of causes. Your muscles might ache after playing a sport, or perhaps you strained them while lifting something heavy around the house. Regardless of what is causing your back pain, a common treatment method utilized at Back to Basics Chiropractic is spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation uses manual pressure to mobilize joints and increase mobility. Spinal manipulation therapy uses gentle hand manipulation to assist joints in moving back to their correct position. It’s designed to relieve pressure on joints, reduce inflammation, and to improve nerve function overall. To perform a spinal manipulation, one of our doctors will have the patient lay on a table and apply firm pressure on the vertebrae that is causing discomfort. If you have questions or concerns regarding spinal manipulation, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit  www.back2basics.com  for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of ...

At the beginning of the school year, every family has a choice to make with major implications for their children’s musculoskeletal health. We are talking about picking the right backpack. Although a two-strapped backpack is a much healthier choice than a laptop bag or large purse, there are still good habits to keep in mind, which is why we at Back to Basics Chiropractic are providing this guide. The straps of a backpack should be wide and padded. They should be tightened enough for the backpack to rest in the middle of the upper back, but loose enough that the wearer’s arms don’t feel restricted. Ideally, there should also be a strap across the chest. The contents of the backpack should be evenly distributed. It is recommended that kids not carry more than 15% of their bodyweight. Getting a smaller backpack can discourage them from overpacking. They should probably also avoid backpacks with wheels or pull-out handles since these add a lot of weight and are not usually used in school ...

Back to Basics Chiropractic helps patients rehabilitate from all kinds of injuries.  The method of icing an injury, called cryotherapy, is known to provide cooling relief and help numb painful soft tissue injuries. Applying ice safely by using an ice pack or cold compress is an excellent way to treat muscle spasms and injuries like sprains and strains.  If icing an injury does not provide relief or your pain worsens, contact us for help. After an injury, affected soft tissue will be inflamed and icing the area reduces inflammation and pain, as well as cools the skin to constrict blood vessels and heal the area.  The healing effects of ice pack therapy can also be helpful after a flare-up in chronic pain like in the back or knee, and is a cheap option for at-home relief. Cryotherapy is an effective way to manage pain at home without medication, and we also provide custom cryotherapy in the office. To learn more about cryotherapy and all the services provided at the practice, visit www.b...