The subtitle here should read, “Enter the Gauntlet.” Disc pain is more variable than any other type of “true” musculoskeletal related pain. It almost seems like there is no rhyme or reason in symptoms. Disc related pain can even be the source of pain behind other unresponsive diagnoses such as: carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, and IT band syndrome.
This question is becoming more and more controversial for neck and low back pain. For the past few decades, healthcare has largely based its treatment options for disc herniations on image findings (X-ray, MRI, CT Scans). With these advanced tools, one would think positive outcomes with disc herniations would be significantly higher; however, different types of clinicians come to different conclusions when using different diagnostic and clinical tests. (1,2) This creates an approach based on a doctor’s theory of pain rather than a comprehensive, evidence-based approach.
With chiropractic care you never know what you are going to get. Google, Facebook, and Yelp reviews can help (though sometimes misleading), or maybe a family member or friend referred you to a specific chiropractic clinic or practitioner.
When it comes to self-treatment, there is a plethora of information on the internet. How do you navigate it accordingly? Stretch this, activate that, feel here and not there – you can quickly be standing on your head feeling more lost then when you started. We have put together a “cheat sheet” on what we find are the most important CONCEPTS when trying to self-treat at home. By focusing your efforts on concepts or principles, it will help weed out 95% of unneeded information on the web.
We wish you, your family members, and friends the very best going into the new year! It is always exciting to think of what the next year will offer as you reflect on the previous year. For us, so many things have changed; Rachel and I were married, and we are now expecting our first child late spring. As I am writing this I cannot believe how much has changed so fast and how well Wichita has rallied behind our cause of setting a new standard for chiropractic care. Stating this there will be some changes in services and pricing for 2018.
I am tired of seeing orthotics being prescribed like pills. Oh, your foot hurts… Well this shoe and orthotic combo work wonders but it will cost you $1300+. Um… No. Has your foot pain hurt you your entire life? Chances are the answer is a strong no! Over-the-counter orthotics are relatively pointless to relieve your pain unless they cost $20 or less constructed with Sorbothane. Here is a link for a pair on Amazon or if you want them now most Walgreens or CVS carry them. Sorbothane is the best shock absorbing material on the market, period. This type of orthotic is more for those individuals that have generalized foot pain during long periods of standing.
Forgetting many little nuisances to "needling" such as gauge, size, diameter, and material, here is our approach to dry needling. Depending on a person’s comfortability and tissue quality we may start with just dry needling; no fancy tricks. From here, if needed, I will progress into more intricate forms of dry needling if results become stagnant or limited. Quite frankly this rarely happens as long as the injuried tissue is classified correctly. Don’t get me wrong, dry needling is powerful, but it is never the end-all-be-all. Sometimes people are scared of the idea of dry needling and want to be eased into the approach. There is no right or wrong mindset here.
There are so many options available today when it comes to improving recovery speed, that it makes it difficult to comprehend which methods or which pieces of equipment are worth your time and (monetary) investment. Recently we purchased a lower body set of compression sleeves. After a few months of using them, here are our thoughts.
Reading this title, you might have considered "local" as a geographical location such as Wichita, KS; however, I am referring to pain that is arising in tissues (muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments) local to the elbow. There are many causes to elbow pain. Elbow pain can originate from simple issues such as: muscular tension surrounding the elbow, or more complex scenarios arising from the shoulder blade and neck. When the source of the pain is close to the elbow, it is considered local pain. Elbow pain arising from the shoulder or hand is considered regional pain, and when pain is a full body experience, it is considered a global pain mechanism. Whatever the cause may be, taking the time to identify if the pain source is local, regional, or global is the only way to decrease and eliminate the pain as fast as possible.
The old adage "no pain no gain" is a fool's philosophy. There are times in training you may feel fatigued, tired or outside of your comfort zone and this is fine. I am referring to the difference between "it hurts so good," and "it flat out hurts." If you are in the latter group, then you have missed out hugely on progress and performance.
Get excited! CrossFit Regionals are here. The six events have been revealed and competitors across the world will compete on three separate weekends. Soon there will be countless of individuals across the world tuning in to watch these competitions. Rachel and I both have enjoyed past competitions, but this year is special and it should be to everyone with Wichita pride.
The concept that chiropractors can perform physical therapy is almost unknown; chiropractors can perform and bill for physical therapy depending on passing of the appropriate board examination. Some chiropractic schools do not focus on physical therapy as part of their curriculum, and in doing so, those students and graduate doctors are not capable of billing for physical therapy. A state's allowed scope of practice can often influence a school's opinion on providing this type of education. Some chiropractic schools do not offer education in physical therapy because surrounding states' scopes of practice do not allow chiropractors to bill physical therapy to insurance companies and therefore that school unfortunately does not teach physical therapy.
As stated in previous blogs, defining and understanding chiropractic can be vague. There are many techniques offered by chiropractors in an attempt to address a variety of health issues - not always musculoskeletal in nature. However, when considering chiropractic, most individuals think of some form of manipulation or adjusting. To better understand how chiropractic adjustments are beneficial, a concept known as the "Joint-by-Joint Approach," established by Mike Boyle and Gray Cook, needs to be acknowledged.
There is a common lie Wichitans tell ourselves: you can get everything you want on one side of Wichita. If you live on the west side of Wichita, then there is no need to go east and vice versa. This idea that you can get everything you need in one specific location in Wichita is highly flawed. If this were true, why would you ever travel to Colorado, Kansas City, Tulsa? Here is a fun topic that everyone in Wichita likes to talk about - the possibility of Cheesecake Factory. You are lying to yourself if you think you would not drive across Wichita to go to the Cheesecake Factory, regardless of where it opened. So I ask you – why isn't an extra 10 minute drive time to get the quality service or product you are wanting worth the extra drive time?
Insurance is constantly changing with Obamacare and it appears this is going to be no different under the Trump administration. Things used to be simple; it wasn't too long ago that a co-pay meant a co-pay. Now things are not always as they appear. As a result, many chiropractic clinics and other health professionals are leaving insurance plans and companies altogether, or sticking only with the larger groups such as: United Healthcare, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Defining what chiropractic is to the public is just as confusing to the profession itself. Throughout graduate school, chiropractic is taught as a "Science, Philosophy, and Art." Depending on the personality of the future chiropractor, they may lean toward one of these pillars more so than the others. For both Rachel and me, we found our salvation through a group called Motion Palpation Institute (MPI). It was the first group that clicked with us; MPI laid the foundation upon which we stand. To understand the turmoil in the profession, it helps to understand the "camps", in regard to the adjustment. In chiropractic, you will typically find two camps: a static model and a movement-based model.
With the ever-evolving healthcare situation, it is hard as a consumer to find quality care at an affordable rate. This has driven many healthcare practitioners and practices, from a broad range of disciplines, to ditch insurance all together and go "cash only". In addition, this is causing a surge in differing healthcare models. For chiropractic, you may see practices that stick to adjustments only, practices that incorporate electrical stimulation or ultrasound, and others that open the technique box much wider.
When someone mentions chiropractic and its role within healthcare, you are most likely going to hear a broad range of opinions. This is largely due to the wide diversity in styles of chiropractors. There are chiropractors that adjust based solely on imaging, there are chiropractors that do not utilize any imaging, there are chiropractors that focus on nutrition alone, and then there are a variety of options in-between. Vast options exist to best suit your personality, needs, health, wellness, and fitness goals. Chiropractic is a wonderful and amazing profession for its diversity, however, its unclarity in regards to scope of practice creates a major problem.
