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Text Neck Killing Your Posture

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The Hidden Weight of Your Head: How Texting Can Harm Your Neck and Posture

The average human head weighs around 10 pounds—a substantial weight when supported by your neck, especially in forward-angled positions like looking down at your phone. This posture can lead to what’s now known as “Text Neck,” a condition increasingly seen across all age groups.

How Your Phone Impacts Your Posture

Our bodies are designed to support the head’s weight when we maintain an upright posture. However, every inch your head tilts forward doubles the pressure on your spine, putting an extra 10 to 20 pounds of strain on your neck. With people spending hours daily on their phones, this pressure compounds, stressing the muscles and tissues in your neck. This strain can lead to discomfort and even long-term pain if ignored.

According to the Washington Post, bending your head down to look at your phone is like holding your finger back as far as it can go for an hour each day. Over time, this stress can lead to serious complications.

Potential Injuries from Text Neck

The strain caused by Text Neck can lead to a range of mild to severe injuries, including:

  • Sore muscles
  • Inflamed tissues
  • Pinched nerves
  • Herniated discs
  • Loss of the natural curve of the neck

These injuries may cause ongoing pain and discomfort and can lead to additional health issues, including chronic neck and back pain.

Preventing Text Neck

While giving up smartphone use isn’t practical, here are steps you can take to protect yourself:

  • Use Your Eyes, Not Your Neck: Instead of tilting your head, practice using your eyes to look down. While this may not work in every situation, it can significantly reduce strain on your neck.
  • Strengthen Your Neck & Shoulder Muscles: Doing exercises to strengthen these muscles can provide better support for your head, reducing stress on the neck.
  • Mind Your Head Position: Awareness is key. Practice holding your head upright while using your phone, and try to catch yourself whenever you deviate from good posture.

Relief for Neck Pain

If you’re experiencing neck pain due to Text Neck or other injuries, chiropractic care can help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and find relief!

Car Accidents in Edmonton: Everything You Need to Know

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Whiplash: The Symptoms You Need to Know

Whiplash is an injury that occurs when your body is suddenly forced backward and forward. It’s the most common injury that happens during car accidents in Edmonton, and it’s one of the leading causes of chronic neck and back pain. While a little fender bender may not seem like a big deal, new research has shown that even small accidents can result in significant injuries.

The violent forces that occur during an auto accident can cause damage to your spinal discs, ligaments, tendons, and bones-even at “low” speeds. Most of these injuries happen because your head is whipped backward and forward very quickly. This rapid back and forth motion frequently results in ligament tearing and spinal disc injuries. Symptoms such as neck pain, back pain, headaches, confusion, and even depression indicate that you’ve suffered a whiplash injury. Because of a spike in adrenaline at the time of the accident, you may not immediately notice any immediate pain. For many people, these symptoms may take hours or even a few days to develop after the initial shock of the car accident wears off.

  • Whiplash is an acceleration-deceleration injury that can affect your ligaments, spinal discs, muscles, and facet joints.
  • There is often a period of little to no pain before the symptoms become worse.
  • Symptoms of whiplash include neck or back pain, headache, radiating pain, confusion, and difficulty sleeping.

It’s smart to get a complete evaluation after car accidents in Edmonton to minimize your risk of long-term pain. Getting the right care at the right time can make a big difference in your ability to heal quickly and avoid long-term chronic pain. Remember, even small accidents can cause injuries, so if you’ve been involved in an auto accident, be sure to reach out to our office as soon as possible so we can help you get on the relief road. How Long Does Whiplash Last?

Symptoms of whiplash include neck pain, back pain, headaches, dizziness, or confusion—none of these sound like a good time. So if you’ve been involved in a car accident, you may be wondering how long these symptoms are going to last. The good news is that with a proper evaluation and early treatment, you have a high likelihood of getting well within a matter of weeks.

Why it Matters:

One of the most common injuries associated with whiplash is ligament tearing. Ligaments are short, tough bands of connective tissue that hold together the bones in your neck and joints of your body. If these liga- ments are torn, it can cause neck pain. The average time it takes a ligament to heal is about six weeks with the proper care and treatment. If you notice symptoms like headaches, dizziness, or memory issues, you may have suffered a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). A majority of people with a mild TBI recover within three months.

  • Whiplash injuries frequently cause tearing of the ligaments that support proper spinal motion and stability.
  • The acute inflammatory phase of injury last up to 72 hours, the repair phase takes up to 6 weeks, and the remodeling phase of healing can last up to a year.
  • A non healed ligament injury can result in osteoarthritis.

After car accidents in Edmonton, the most important step you can take is to receive a full evaluation. Only after a complete evaluation will you be able to know what type of injuries you’ve sustained, and most importantly- how to get well. You would be surprised at how many people shrug off a “small” accident and push their symptoms aside. While that may save you a little time today, it’s likely to result in much more pain down the road.

Shoulder Pain After a Car Accident: What does it mean?

You may be surprised to learn that shoulder injuries are some of the most common challenges after a car accident, in addition to whiplash. If you are the driver and have your hands on the wheels at the time of the crash, the sudden force created by the accident can lead to a torn rotator cuff. Your shoulder is one of the most complex parts of your body and is made up of a collection of bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

Why it Matters:

The rotator cuff is a ball and socket joint made up of three bones: your arm bone (the humerus), your shoul- der blade (the scapula), and your collarbone (the clavicle). The supporting muscles, ligaments, and tendons are designed to help you lift and rotate your arm. Your shoulder is one of the most dynamic and unstable joints in your body. It’s hard to ignore a torn rotator cuff because…it hurts! Signs of a tear include shoulder pain when lifting your arm, weakness, pain when lying down, or a limited range of motion.

  • Shoulder impingement has been estimated to occur in up to 10% of people involved in car accidents.
  • The shoulder is one of the most complex, dynamic, and unstable joints in the body, with a complex network of bones, ligaments, and muscles.
  • The risk of neck or shoulder pain seven years after a collision was three times higher for patients with initial whiplash injuries than those without.

Ignoring a shoulder injury after car accidents in Edmonton is not a good idea. Your shoulder is designed to move, and if you try to “let it heal” by not moving it, then you’re putting yourself at risk for a frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is when your shoulder develops adhesions due to lack of movement. This can result in severe pain that takes months to heal. If you have shoulder pain after an accident, time is of the essence! Our team is here and can provide a complete evaluation and treatment plan for you to get moving safely and heal quickly.

Finding Relief After a Car Accident in Edmonton

Screech. Bam. Uh-oh. You’ve been involved in a car accident. Your day has been thrown upside down, and a million thoughts are racing through your head. If you don’t feel immediate pain, you may be tempted to think you don’t have a problem. But waiting too long to seek care has been shown to increase the chances that you’ll need more aggressive interventions. Taking the right action steps as quickly as possible after a car accident can make a huge difference in your overall health and healing. With the stress of an accident, calling the insurance company, getting a car repaired, etc., it’s not uncommon for people to make the mistake of putting their health and wellbeing last on the to-do list.

Why it Matters:

The problem is that the longer you wait to get evaluated and receive care, the higher your likelihood becomes of needing more aggressive medical care. Without a proper diagnosis and treatment, your body may begin to “heal” with more scar tissue than necessary. You may also try to live “around” your injuries, which can cause additional stress and compensation on other parts of your body and lead to additional injuries. Research has shown that active care involving range of motion, mobilizing exercises, and strengthening can effectively reduce pain. To give yourself the best chance to find relief without the

need for drugs or surgery, we recommend three simple steps. The three steps to finding relief after car accidents in Edmonton:

  1. Get an evaluation: A full evaluation can provide you with an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
  2. Begin receiving care: After reducing inflammation, movement-based techniques are often recommended to help you regain your quality of life.
  3. Stay consistent: Getting well is a process. Stay consistent with your care to heal as quickly as possible.

Next Steps:

There’s no way around it- auto accidents aren’t fun. But with the right healthcare team, most people can get back to their full life and activities without the need for drugs or surgery. The key is to follow the three steps of evaluation, care, and consistency. While it seems simple, following the three steps will give you the best chance to get well quickly and stay well for years to come.

Looking for care following a car accident. Check out ocwc.ca for more info on our clinic.

Science Sources:

The Association Between a Motor Vehicle Collision and Future Neck Pain. Eur Spine J. 2010. Whiplash. WebMD. 2021.

The Treatment of Neck Pain and Whiplash-Associated Disorders. JMPT. 2016. The Impact of Musculoskeletal Injuries Sustained in Traffic Crashes. BMC. 2018.

Graston Technique for Hamstring Injury Recovery

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Hamstring injuries are one of the most common injuries encountered by athletes and people who are physically active. These injuries can be caused by sudden acceleration motions, deceleration, or structural and functional imbalances within the body’s musculoskeletal system. While there is no one magical solution that works for every individual with a hamstring injury, using Graston technique can offer benefits that can speed up the injury healing process. 

What is Graston Technique

Graston technique is a soft tissue mobilization therapy that uses advanced instruments to break down fibrous adhesions that are formed in the body due to injury or overuse. The technique applies controlled pressure to the targeted soft tissue using specially designed tools. 

How It Helps: 

1. Pain relief: 

One of the biggest benefits of Graston technique is the immediate reduction of pain. The technique employs a deep tissue massage technique that helps clients reduce muscle tension while breaking up fibrous adhesions that cause pain and discomfort in the tissue. 

2. Improved Range of Motion: 

Hamstring injuries can lead to decreased flexibility and range of motion of the muscles. Graston technique can enhance flexibility while breaking down adhesions. It can help loosen tissue, promotes ease of movement, and makes it easier to engage in physical activity. 

3. Accelerates the Recovery Process: 

This soft tissue technique can speed up healing and recovery rates from the hamstring injury. The instruments used in the therapy help identify soft tissue limitations that hinder recovery and effectively break them down with advanced technology. Soft tissue regeneration is effectively speeded up with this therapy, accelerating the overall recovery process. 

4. Reduces Scarring: 

This soft tissue technique helps to reduce the development of scar tissue at the site of injury. Fibrous tissue buildup typically overcompensates following an injury and restricts mobility. Graston technique breaks down and stretches the tissue while improving an individual’s overall mobility. 

5. Fewer Complications: 

Patients that undergo Graston technique are less likely to develop complications after the injury and are less likely to re-injure themselves. The technique helps improve the body’s overall function by allowing the muscle to function correctly while reducing the scar tissue that impairs its movement. 

This soft tissue technique is an effective therapy method for people with hamstring injuries. It not only provides relief from symptoms like pain and discomfort but also helps to accelerate recovery and improve the range of motion. Graston technique helps break down adhesions in soft tissue and produces long-lasting results. 

Once treatment has been completed, athletes and individuals return to physical activity. They experience improved overall physical function. If you are suffering from a hamstring injury, seeking graston technique therapy through a licensed therapist will provide significant benefits. Call today @ 780-455-2112. Check out our office @ ocwc.ca.