Posts by Dr. David Basco
Protecting your Runner’s High by Preventing Running Injuries
As many as 1 in 2 runners will suffer a sport-related injury every year.
For a seemingly innocuous activity, running causes its fair share of pain. There is a misconception that running is a low-impact sport; and while the trauma you sustain may not be the same as say repeated direct tackles in football, there is a constant accumulation of micro-trauma involved in running. What’s more, it tends to target the same muscles, causing overuse injury and consistently causes stress to the joints which absorb the shock of each step: in the knees, ankles and lower back. Because running has so many other healthful benefits, we want to make sure that the positives keep outweighing the negatives.
Musculoskeletal Health: The Difference Between Ligaments and Tendons
Ligaments and tendons are essential for movement
And while they each serve a different role, they are made of the same material (dense layers of connective tissue), and they combine to help you perform all essential movements. Here’s how:
- Ligaments attach bone to bone
- Tendons attach muscle to bone
Ligaments allow for the proper articulation of joints, simultaneously stabilizing the joints to prevent excessive movement from causing damage. Tendons provide further stability because they resist high tensile forces, while also allowing for the healthy conduction of forces across the body. The health of both ligaments and tendons is an essential focus at your Bay Area Spine Care Office.
Circulation is Vitality: We Need More of It
Is your lifestyle contributing to good circulation?
Movement makes your blood flow. When you just get up from your chair, go for a walk, or stretch; when you work out aerobically, lift weights, or go for endurance; your body responds by increasing blood circulation. As your blood flows through your body, it brings nutrients and oxygen to cells in need and it takes away cell waste and lymphatic material that is constantly accumulating. This idea that movement catalyzes blood circulation is a simple but critical formula that we seem to be losing sight of as we move forward with our sedentary lifestyles.
Stretching Before Bed Helps you Fall Asleep
What is stopping you from sleeping?
Your bed is beckoning but once you are safely under the covers you find it hard to switch off and fall asleep? Join the ranks of Americans who find that their non-stop lifestyle leaves them spun out at the end of the day, tossing and turning with anxiety rather than sleeping and replenishing their energy stores. The simple truth is that your choices leading up to bedtime make or break your ability to fall and stay asleep. It is becoming more normal for people to wind down with a television series than a book these days, an activity that keeps your brain stimulated and prevents it from seeking rest. At Basco Chiropractic, we propose another method for getting ready to rest: stretching.
Why Do I Want An Aligned Spine?
Spinal alignment is important for physical and mental wellness
Good spinal alignment is more than just a buzz-worthy topic: 21st century lifestyles are putting spines under more pressure than ever before. With cell phones, forward head posture, sedentary jobs and recreation, it’s no wonder that we are seeing more people than ever (and younger than ever) coming into the chiropractor with back pain. A key to preventing this pain is spinal alignment!
Let’s focus on the only definition of spinal alignment that matters: the position that puts the least pressure on your spine. The aligning points, or nodes, include: the head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles. Spinal alignment is critical for the following things:
- Better body mechanics and fewer injuries
- An optimized nervous system
- Better functioning of all major bodily systems.
- Less back pain
Musculoskeletal Medicine is Proven Pain Relief
What is musculoskeletal medicine?
Musculoskeletal medicine is a branch of healthcare that seeks to examine, diagnose and treat disorders related to the movement of the human body in order to improve our relationship with pain and help us lead a better life. Back and neck pain, discomfort in the muscles and joints of the back, and inflammation are musculoskeletal conditions that result from injury, aging, lack of exercise and poor diet. The standardized western narrative for treating such injuries is to repress symptoms with medication or seek to correct them aggressively by using invasive procedures that are often unwarranted.
Working Postures That Increase Musculoskeletal Pain Risk.
Among a sample of 789 workers across a variety of industries, researchers found prolonged exposure to awkward postures could increase an individual’s risk of developing a musculoskeletal (MSK) condition. These postures include: kneeling/crouching (low-back pain), neck flexion and rotation (neck pain), trunk flexion (low-back pain), and arm elevation (neck and shoulder pain). Future studies aim to identify exposure limits for each posture in an effort to curb work-related MSK disorder risk.
Ergonomics, December 2015
Hip Mobilization with Movement Benefits Hip Osteoarthritis.
Mobilization with movement (MWM) is often used in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis. However, there are very few studies evaluating the effectiveness of such manual therapies in the treatment of this common hip condition. A new study involving forty elderly patients with hip osteoarthritis found that pain, hip range of motion, and physical performance all improved immediately after receiving MWM.
Manual Therapies, October 2015
What Is the Best Type of Exercise?
Any exercise you can do on a regular basis is the best kind of physical activity. Walking is considered one of the optimal choices because it’s easy, safe, and inexpensive. It also doesn’t require training or special equipment, except for a pair of good walking shoes. Brisk walking can burn as many calories as running and is less likely to cause injuries than running or jogging. Additionally, walking is an aerobic and weight-bearing exercise, so it is great for your heart and helps prevent the weakening of the bones known as osteoporosis.
American Academy of Family Physicians, December 2015
Manual Therapy Returns Pilot to Air.
Low back pain can be a significant safety risk for a pilot, as it can become a distraction during flight. In a recent case study, a pilot sought a non-pharmacological and noninvasive therapy option for his chronic low back pain. After just three sessions of manual treatment to address sacral, pelvic, and lumbar dysfunction, the pilot reported an 80%+ improvement in pain and was able to return to flight. The case reveals the benefits of manual therapy in the management of chronic back pain among aviators.
Military Medicine, October 2015