Turkey Ready TMJ
The temporomandibular joint is easily one of the joints used most often in the human body from day to day. The temporomandibular joint, TMJ, is the joint that involves the meeting of the jaw, or mandible, with the skull. The joint is recruited every time the jaw is opened, closed, protruded, retracted, or moved side to side. Ie. Saying “ah” at the dentist, clenching your teeth during a traffic jam, singing your heart out at karaoke night, eating holiday festive food.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and the TMJ will be recruited in order to devour mounds of delicious food. Some people would not think twice about what will be on their plate, however some people must make hard decisions knowing that feasting on some food demands too much of the TMJ resulting in dysfunctional pain.
The TMJ articulations involve a disc, synovial fluid, nerve dense tissues, and muscles. When the TMJ is not functioning correctly, pain is often reported due to the high amount of nerve innervation to the area. A high amount of nerve innervation is necessary because it is important to be aware of sensation at the TMJ because it is used so often.
JOINT USED A LOT = NEED TO KNOW WHERE IT IS IN SPACE = LOTS OF NERVE INNERVATION = HIGH SENSITIVITY = INCREASED AWARENESS OF DYSFUNCTION
Discomfort associated with the TMJ can present in many ways. Some symptoms included headaches, neck tension, ear pain, and limited or increased jaw motion.
To decrease discomfort and more importantly determine the reasons of dysfunction, it has become more widely accepted to explore conservative options such as mouth guards, manual muscle work and physiotherapeutic interventions that can be offered through a number of specialists.
Treating a TMJ is not out of the spectrum for chiropractic care. It is actually a highlighted region that some chiropractors have a strong education of. Evaluating the physical motion of the joint, recording a history and pattern of discomfort, and assessing the influential musculature and posture can lead to a solid treatment plan recommendation.
We hope that you can enjoy your holiday treats without TMJ pain. If you are concerned about any issues or wondering if you may be dealing with a TMJ dysfunction, be sure to ask us!
Back to School: Backpack Safety
The school season is in full swing! By now, most parents, or kids, have already picked out their school supplies and their prized possession… their backpack.
The backpack is their definition of personal expression. Solid pink with key chains. Pictures of superheroes protecting the planet. Sparkling stars with neon stripes you can spot from the parent pick-up line!
To personalize a backpack even more, parents and children should acknowledge the American Chiropractic Association’s (ACA) recommendations for proper backpack mechanics.
Children are still growing. Their rate of growth can be easily influenced by their environments. A backpack can have the most influence on the development of the spine. To promote a healthy growth pattern and to prevent scoliosis related issues, the ACA has developed a checklist to reference when “personalizing” a backpack.
Here are a list of some of our favorite recommendations:
- Try to not carry more than 10% of your body weight in a backpack. Weight exceeding 10% of body weight can start to encourage negative growth patterns before maturation.
- To avoid extra weight, be sure to clean out backpacks daily or at least weekly.
- Make sure a backpack does not hang lower than 4 inches below the waistline. Keeping a backpack higher on the hips will disperse forces more evenly across the shoulders and encourage better posture.
- Use a backpack with adjustable straps so weight can be distributed evenly on both shoulders and through the back.
- Use both straps to carry a backpack!
Another population that utilizes backpacks are college students. They typically have more to carry and further journeys to pursue with a backpack. Similar rules apply: modify the weight of your backpack, utilize both shoulder straps (it is cooler to not have back problems than to sling only one strap around your shoulder for 4 years), and adjust the straps of the backpack when you take it on and off.
We hope these tips help you get a healthy start to the fall school session!
If you have further questions about how to properly utilize a backpack, purse, or sports bag to prevent injury or negative biomechanical influences, please let us know what questions you would like to have answered!
Chiropractic Care: Then & Now
An explanation of the full history of chiropractic and manipulation would be difficult to provide in a brief blog post. However, to have some insight into the philosophy and evolution of chiropractic care is helpful, and hopefully entertaining for many people in order to expand awareness of the profession.
The first manipulations occurred well before the first known writings/recordings of its use. The reasons for manipulation, as well as many medical procedures, have been continuously founded on a balance of science and art. Ancient cultures have utilized various forms of pharmaceuticals, surgery, manipulation, and physiotherapy in whichever ways their environments allowed and influenced them. These treatments and more grew into their own specialties, not to define between right and wrong, but to allow individuals to excel in their practice and provide others with quality care.
Chiropractic is a specialty that most commonly utilizes manipulation, later defined as the “chiropractic adjustment” to treat neuromusculoskeletal concerns. D.D. Palmer is credited to have first defined the techniques and profession of chiropractic. However, even his language and philosophies have evolved with new findings in science and a changing focus on healthcare in our culture. A concept defined by D.D. Palmer that is still a cornerstone in chiropractic care today is understanding the relationship of structure and function of the body and its influence on a person’s state of health.
The education of all professions, especially in the healthcare industry, has advanced to delineated requirements of study, testing, licensing, and practice. All doctors of chiropractic in North America, regardless of philosophy, are qualified as portal-of-entry physicians. With this role, they have a responsibility to determine if chiropractic care is the best option for a patient or if a referral to another health practitioner is of more benefit.
At East End Chiropractic we look to provide our patients with quality care. Our goal is to determine an applicable diagnosis with the aid of a thorough examination, functional assessment findings, and appropriate imaging. Taking into account patient goals and realistic recovery patterns of the human body, we look to define a treatment plan utilizing chiropractic adjustments and adjunctive therapies, such as soft tissue work, passive modalities, and exercise prescription, while respecting our state defined scope of practice.
Gardening Ergonomics: Stay injury free this spring
Sprucing up the garden is a mentally therapeutic activity that can be tasking on the body physically. Proper ergonomics help prevent serious issues from occurring, so you do not miss out on the spring season! It is important to be organized, warm up, and utilize the right tools to maximize injury prevention.
GET ORGANIZED: Have everything ready before diving into the the flower beds. Make sure you have your tools organized and a plan to navigate through the gardens.
- Tool Organizer: Keep large tools organized in a tool stand, umbrella holder, or golf bag! This will keep tools from getting tangled or having to bend over to pick them up off the ground. Keep smaller tools in a bin with wheels to make it easier to roll them around the whole yard.
- Step stool: If you are planning to do work on plants that are larger and grow above your waist, use a step stool. Do not raise tools overhead. Try to keep all your work around waist height.
WARM UP: Be sure to prepare yourself for physical activity. Active stretches are the best way to mobilize joints!
- WINDMILLS: Extend your arms out to your sides. Rotate one arm clockwise and the other counterclockwise. This will encourage shoulder mobility, thoracic extension, and relieve tension through chest.
- SIDE LUNGES: Stand with your feet spread apart. Lean toward the right by bending the knee and straightening the left. Switch sides and repeat. This will increase hip mobility!
ERGONOMICS: Utilize tools that work best for you!
- Tools with longer handles make it easier to reach areas in the garden without putting stress on the back.
- Hand tools with a wider grip will decrease the tension in the hands to manage smaller, tedious tasks.
POSTURE: Make sure to move your body around properly to avoid excess strain and prevent injury.
- One Knee, One Foot: Bend one knee to relax on the ground and put the other foot in front of you, similar to a lunge position, keeping the back stabilized. Many people injure their back by bending over all day. Knee injuries also occur by kneeling on both knees for too long.
- Proper Lifting: Remember to bend at the knees and hips, utilizing your gluteal muscles for support. Keep your back neutral and braced. Do not lean forward excessively to avoid flexion injury to the low back.
Remember to always stay hydrated when being active! Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or concerns about your gardening posture. We are happy to share preventative advice and help you stay healthy and active!
