Summer Fun... or Summer Pain? (How to Stay Moving and Feeling Good)

Ahhh, summer! ☀️

It’s the season of barbecues, beach days, and apparently... back pain. Between heat waves, unexpected rain, and yard work marathons, a lot of folks are walking into our office with the same summer story.

Yard Work vs. Your Low Back: Who Wins?

One patient recently came in after a very productive day of landscaping. His lawn looked stunning (he even showed me pictures — it really did!), but his low back was not on board with all that glory. Like many do, he waited a few days to see if the pain would go away. It didn’t. He finally called us, we got him in quickly, and now? He’s doing so much better — so much that he almost forgot his follow-up appointment because he’s pain-free! 🙌🏽

Planes, Pillows, and Pain: The Travel Trap

Another new patient popped in after a vacation. Between the plane ride, hauling bags, and sleeping on a mystery mattress — her neck and upper back were a mess. She happened to see our new sign, realized we’re just 5 minutes from her house, and came in. A day later, she was on our table. Today, she’s back to her daily activities with zero pain — just a bit of tension, and a lot of relief.

Click for video

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🧠 Don’t Let Summer Sideline You

You don’t need to suffer through pain just because it's “not that bad” (yet). Waiting too long can teach your body pain patterns — turning a small issue into a chronic problem. We don’t want that for you. So here’s what you need to remember:

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💡 3 Quick Summer Back Care Tips

1️⃣ Get Ready:
Whether you’re heading to the pool or the hiking trail, warm up!
Even 5–10 minutes of light movement helps. Focus on the back, legs, shoulders, and wrists. Yes, even for beach days. Especially for yard work!

2️⃣ Get Set:
Ergonomics matter.
Use proper form when gardening, lifting bags (of mulch or luggage!), and even when playing sports.
The secret sauce? Bend with your legs, hold loads close, avoid twisting, and for the love of summer — use your glutes!

3️⃣ Go (Gently!):
Ease into your projects and sports. Don’t be a hero.
Take breaks, switch positions, and yes — kneepads are cool now. Foam rollers are even cooler. They’ve been shown to be more effective than stretching alone for preventing pain and soreness.

🎁 Bonus Tip:
Supplements like magnesium, curcumin, bromelain, quercetin, and boswellia may support recovery and reduce inflammation — naturally.

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🦸🏽‍♀️ Your Summer Pain-Free Plan (with a tiny disclaimer)

I’m good, but I can’t treat you through your screen. (Even if I am secretly Superwoman.) 😉
So if you’re hurting, or want to stay pain-free, give us a call. We’re here to help you keep doing what you love this summer.

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📞 Back to Action

✅ Schedule your summer tune-up:
📞 860-589-1491
🌐 saporitochiropractic.com

We accept most major insurances. No insurance? No worries!
👉 Ask about our New Patient Summer Special: $149 off your first visit + discounted packages.

WE ARE MOVING... NEXT DOOR!

 

Hi Y’all,

Happy Holidays! And all the best for the new year!

So much has been happening over here at your friendly neighborhood chiropractor, but let me start at the beginning:

Yes! It’s true we are moving… Just next door. We will be offering you the same great service, in a new location. We are growing, and so as of 1/1/2025 we will be located at 653 Terryville Ave, Bristol CT, (It’s the brick building directly beside the office that we have occupied for over 30 years!)

Moving means a larger more comfortable space and better parking. As a result, we can and will be offering expanded services, flexible hours and more providers. We will continue to give you the same outstanding care that you have come to count on over the past 30+ years plus so much more

• To celebrate over 30 years of serving Bristol CT, we would like to offer you, our loyal patients, 30 days of gifts over this holiday season and into the new year. Just Click Here to repost our social posts and unlock your FREE gifts!
• But wait… there’s more! 🙂 Our generous office warming gift to you: Take a full $30 off one month of Optimal Life Weight Loss, (many patients loose as much as 25 lbs. in three months!) + Get a FREE Optimal Weight Evaluation. ($130 Value.) Conditions apply. It’s easy to redeem your gift, just call us in office 860-589-1491 for details and to schedule for free.
• …One More Thing! You are cordially invited: Please do come join us in our new office on Jan 29th 2025 for our NEW YEAR OPEN HOUSE. Come have some snacks and a drink with us; Meet our staff and providers; Get samples, prizes and surprises; Enjoy free services; Get started on your journey to make 2025 your healthiest year yet!

Thank you so much for all your continued support. We appreciate you.

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd and your Saporito Chiropractic Family

Clean up on aisle 2024: The top 3 things you can do to reset your body and health as we start the new year

"NOPE! It’s not about new year, new you! I’m not talking about some airy fairy weird weight loss fad. This is about your health, and without your health not much else will be able to function. Your health is important! It’s true! You do have to put on your own mask first. But, where to start? What can you do that will be easy but will have a big benefit? The answer is: Clean up the toxins!"

Toxins build up in our bodies over time through the air we breathe, the foods we eat and the stress we put our bodies under on a daily basis. The master filter in our body – the liver – works to cleanse the body of these toxins to keep them from disrupting the normal functions and operations of the body; essentially, keeping you healthy. Unfortunately, the overabundance of toxins our bodies build up, causes undue stress on our liver; and often the liver can’t keep up with the demand. It needs help to remove these toxins and keep you healthy. Think about it, If your filter isn't working well, the whole body is affected.

The old way of taking care of health involves us waiting until things are going very wrong before we throw some drugs and/ or surgery at the problem. Medications and some procedures can be potentially life saving, it's true, BUT... what would happen if we were able to get out ahead of all of it? What if there is a better way? What if you could improve your long term overall quality of life just by taking care of some simple things today?

I know this all too well! Maybe you know the story of how I pushed my body so hard that I ended up with a weird autoimmune diagnosis? You also may remember that it was clinical nutrition therapy (not the multiple drugs, nor my 2 surgeries,) that pulled my health back from the abyss! 

I’m going to share the three steps I took to resetting my body and repairing the damage that was done. The truth is, most people look at the start of a new year as an opportunity to do something good for themselves. Many, though, do not get past the “thinking about it” stage. They do nothing, and next year this time their health is a little bit or a lot-a-bit worse! Sigh….

So here’s the protocol that worked for me:

1. Start with a high powered natural antioxidant supplement:

This supports the body’s native detoxification enzymes; Helps clean up free radicals which are already causing damage to organs and systems in the body; and protects from the effects of new harmful free radicals.

2. Include a powerful natural anti-inflammatory supplement:

This helps to reduce generalized inflammation (which is the underlying cause of over 70% of the diseases associated with aging even including some cancers!) By extension there is also support for the immune system.

3. Add in a supplement that supports healthy liver function and repair:

Supports a healthy liver. Supports the body’s natural ability to produce detoxification enzymes, which scavenge harmful toxins in the body. Helps to cleanse and detoxify the liver and blood. Helps excrete toxins that accumulate over time. Helps maintain healthy glutathione levels while also supporting normal glutathione synthesis.

Simple, right? I’m happy to share the entire step by step protocol with you. Just keep in mind that these are general suggestions and that when it comes to health it’s not one size fits all. That being said, if you want the detailed protocol that I used, just type PROTOCOL in the chat and I will share it with you!!!

My gift to you for the new year is a FREE supplement evaluation. Just call us in office 860-589-1491 to schedule your 20 min session. Come in or join in virtually through our telehealth portal. Bring your supplements and lets talk about what may be best for you.

Wishing you a happy and healthy new year.

Regards in Health,

Dr. Davia

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office 860-589-1491, to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

Could my back pain be coming from my feet?

  

Durable medical equipment and orthotics

 

Durable medical equipment includes things as simple as a brace for the sacroiliac joints to equipment such as specialized chairs or personal electric stimulation units for use at home. Orthotics are inserts that are worn inside the shoes and these may be purchased over the counter or may be prescribed and custom fit.

In school a professor once said that if a patient has bad ergonomics, continuing to treat him may have little or no benefit until that problem is corrected. We have seen this first hand in practice. From poor work space organization, to terrible beds and pillows, to wearing the wrong kinds of shoes, all of these can affect the outcome of a patient. This is why very early on in treatment we have a discussion about patients’ environments. Looking at the wear patterns on shoes and whether their legs and hips are the same height/length can also be very revealing. Taking a holistic approach to treatment means that we are in a better position not only to correctly diagnose the problem but to identify possible barriers to progress.

In our office we use the appropriate combination of the 7 keys to lasting relief. We have a proven 3 step process that is 100 % natural. We use the right keys at the right time to reduce pain, improve activities of daily living and then we give patients the tools to help themselves stay out of pain at home on their own.

You may still have more questions or concerns after reading this here about some therapies that help patients with back pain, so I invite you to get our free ebook: #BePainFree. There you will find a list of frequently asked questions and answers that may help you. Some of these FAQ’s have been adopted from the American and Canadian Chiropractic Associations. There are also a few interesting testimonials from real patients. If you don’t find the answer to your question in the #bePainFree eBook, do feel free to contact us in office. We are happy to help.

Do you want to know more? Download the #BePainFree eBook, it is FREE!

Just Click Here.

The free eBook is called:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

Really? Can Eating That Really Can Cause Pain?

 

Lifestyle changes

 

Some of our patients find that losing weight and increasing exercise decrease pain dramatically. Studies show that for patients with arthritis, walking for just 30 minutes per day can dramatically improve pain, in some cases more so than pain killers. Other patients find that their pain decreases significantly with changing their diet in an effort to reduce inflammation.

Reducing inflammation may help in the prevention and even treatment of many conditions including some chronic conditions usually managed with pharmaceutical interventions!

A natural approach to reducing inflammation requires looking at the types of fats in the diet, consuming a diet that focuses on whole foods and plant based materials and looking at the possibility of food sensitivities or allergies.

The skinny on dietary fats:

 

Some studies show that increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids in the diet either from food sources or supplementation has a significant anti inflammatory effect, while reducing the intake of omega 6 fatty acids (found in fats from other animal sources,) has also been found to be beneficial. Patients in these studies have seen improvements in conditions ranging from heart disease to rheumatoid arthritis and including other chronic inflammatory conditions.

 

Eat your greens!

 

Eating your vegetables is just good sense! Unprocessed whole foods from plants are great sources of steady energy, essential vitamins and minerals, the "good types" of fats and of course fiber. Foods from plants also contain antioxidants and certain compounds called phytochemicals, which have been shown to reduce inflammation.

 

Food sensitivity and food allergies:

 

Many patients have food allergies and an even larger number of patients may be sensitive to many commonly consumed foods. Some patients may not be aware that they have these sensitivities and may not make the connection between their symptoms and foods that may be to blame. Inflammation and chronic medical problems may be a long term effect. A simple modified food elimination diet or even a blood test may help to pinpoint the culprits.

Though inflammation is critical to the healing of an acute injury, when inflammation becomes chronic it may lead to serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic gastrointestinal conditions, degenerative brain diseases, cancer and some chronic arthritic conditions.

About 80% of the patients coming into our chiropractic offices do so because they are experiencing some type of musculoskeletal problem - most often PAIN! For every one of these patients, in addition to treating with mobilization, modalities, exercise therapy and other physical medicine methods, we always ask the patient questions about their diet.

Often patients come in expecting a quick adjustment and are a little surprised to find that diet and pain could be even remotely related! The truth is that some mainstays of the Standard American Diet promote inflammation. 

Some substances such as green tea, resveratrol, vitamins C and E, curcumin as well as certain compounds found in some fruits and vegetables have been shown in some studies to act on the same pathway as NSAIDS and COX-2 inhibitors! 

Most patients will benefit from reducing pro-inflammatory substances from their diets. In particular, patients with an inflammatory condition such as a musculoskeletal injury should consider how what they are eating may be affecting their recovery!

 

 Do you want to know more? Download the #BePainFree eBook, it is FREE!

Just Click Here.

The free ebook is called:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

When can rehab exercises help pain?

 

Rehabilitation exercise

 

Our most recent clinical nutrition intern made a keen observation. She noted that the patients who complied with the recommended rehabilitation exercises did better overall, had shorter treatment durations and saw faster improvements in their activities of daily living. I know, I know, this is anecdotal evidence, but this is what we see in practice every day. The good news is that studies show that rehabilitation exercises coupled with other of our “tools,” is very effective in treating back pain.

The challenge when talking about the benefits of rehabilitation exercises is to choose just one example of how well it works. That’s because we see it in action every day. In spite of the difficulty choosing, three examples stand out in my mind. Deciding which one to include is tricky so let’s chat briefly about them all.

I had a patient once who was in a reasonably serious traffic accident. We all dread that moment when someone, completely unknown to us slams into our car and changes our lives forever. Well this case was no exception, well…except that my poor patient had his two daughters in the car with him! As a parent, I can tell you truly, when he sat in my office with his two beautiful girls and told me everything that had happened, I genuinely empathized. Thank goodness, everyone had been wearing their seatbelts, but everyone was banged around pretty badly. They had gone to the emergency room where the ER doc had suggested that the dad see his regular doctor. After consulting his attorney about the accident, he and the chicas were sent to us. Dad did very well in a short time with the usual 3 step treatment system that we employ in practice. His main concern for the girls was that they were in severe pain that was not well managed by Tylenol, but he was uncomfortable giving them the more advanced analgesics that had been prescribed and he was looking for a drug free option. Children are great patients. They approached the rehabilitation exercises with greater enthusiasm than I have ever seen in my adult patients. Within 2 weeks of modalities, joint and soft tissue manipulation and rehabilitation exercises, the girls were pain free and back to participating in their pee wee sports teams as if nothing had happened.

Another group of patients that embrace the rehabilitation exercises are our athletes. I could fill in perhaps hundreds of stories here but this one stands out because maybe this particular athlete will be famous someday soon and then I can say I knew and treated her way back when! Anita’s parents had both been patients of ours over the years. They never brought their children in, perhaps mistakenly thinking that children wouldn’t benefit from seeing a chiropractor, or maybe there was just no need, until the fateful day when Anita was accidentally hit by an opposing player and was carried off the field in agony having hurt her low back. Her parents brought her in but were skeptical as to whether or not we could help. Once we were able to reduce the inflammation and begin rehabilitation exercises, Anita’s progress was astronomical. One thing about athletes is that they want to get back into the game, and so when you prescribe rehab exercises for them to do at home, consider them done. Anita was back to peak performance in a very short time and occasionally I see her featured in the news for her outstanding skills.

If we can only include one more example of how well exercise works for reducing back pain, here’s a brief story about one of our favorite patients Marisol. She started coming in to see us when she was pregnant and suffering from low back pain. For many pregnant patients this time poses a serious challenge as most do not wish to risk taking even over the counter medication for their pain. For Marisol, we were able to use just exercise to significantly reduce her pregnancy induced low back pain. We encouraged her to walk 15 min to half hour every day. That had tremendous benefits. We also put her on a regimen of   stretching and strengthening exercises, including using an exercise ball. The outcome was wonderful. She has since moved to the west coast but not before giving birth to a beautiful pair of twins. She delivered naturally; the twins came close to their due date, and are extremely healthy.

In many cases of back pain, keeping patients moving reaps great rewards. A study from the American Chiropractic Association confirms that adding exercises in as part of the treatment regimen helps patients tremendously. The patients that comply with their rehabilitation exercises…those patients do seem to get the best results. 

Do you want to know more? Download the #BePainFree eBook, it is FREE!

Just Click Here.

The free ebook is called:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

Are there tools that can help relieve pain?

 

 

Physical modalities

 

When we talk about modalities, we mean things like ultrasound, electric stimulation, heating and cooling devices and lasers to name a few. The studies looking for example at laser therapy for pain relief are outstanding. Many modalities have shown outstanding results in practice and I’ll give you a good example.

Going back to the days in the inner city clinic, I met an elderly patient who came in to see us for low back pain. On the first visit she came in a wheel chair. Let’s call her Marge. Marge was a lovely person. She reminded you of everyone’s perfect idea of what a grandma should be. The problem was she couldn’t move around on her own. She was brought in by her daughter who was a registered nurse and who was concerned about her taking any more medication for pain as she was already taking several pills to manage her hypertension and diabetes. It also helped that we accepted Medicare. 

Now, there was a problem treating Marge. She was in a wheel chair, it was difficult for her to get on and off the table for treatments and she did seem to be in a lot of distress. So we did the one thing that we thought might give her some relief without having her suffer much more pain than she already had. We used hot and cold packs as well as electrical stimulation.  

This must have been one of those glowing cases. After the first treatment there was modest improvement in the pain level. After a few visits with just the modalities she showed some improvement that was significant. At this point it became easier to get her out of the wheel chair on her visits. We could do some simple rehabilitation exercises in the office and she was able to continue with them at home. 

These stories can get overlong so suffice to say that Marge graduated from wheelchair, to walker to cane in a matter of a few weeks. She surprised me one day walking briskly down the corridor to the treatment room. I hardly recognized her! She had come in without her daughter and without her cane and her pain level was significantly reduced.

There have been so many instances, weekly, perhaps even daily, where using modalities in office has helped our patients in acute pain. We continue to use selected modalities in specific cases along with our other tools. 

 

Do you want to know more? Download the #BePainFree eBook, it is FREE!

Just Click Here.

The free ebook is called:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

Is it truly sciatica? Could the pain be something else?

 

Soft tissue mobilization

 

I mentioned other tools in our tool kit. Soft tissue mobilization is one of our favorites. We love these techniques because they give excellent results, and results are what we are all about. Back pain tends to be multi-factorial, not just caused by one isolated thing. More often than not the soft tissues: Muscle, tendons, ligaments and especially the fascia are involved.

One case that stands out in mind is from a few years ago while working in a more rural setting. Our patient Dan, who was about middle aged and spent most of his days working on his feet, came in complaining of what at first glance appeared to him and all his friends and family to be “sciatica.” Many of us have heard of someone who complains of their “sciatica acting up” or just mentioning their “sciatica.” Well this case proved that symptoms of pain going down the leg with numbness and tingling can be caused by different things and that a proper diagnosis by your health care provider is essential. 

Back to Dan’s story: After careful examination, it turned out that all the tests that would point in the direction of sciatica were 100% negative. Dan did not take this news well because he was convinced that “sciatica” was his problem. What we did find upon our examination were “trigger points” in the gluteal region (small tight spots in the muscle,) and severely tight leg rotator muscles. He also had very tight hamstrings and hip flexors, while his gluteal muscles were weak. Even though Dan was a bit skeptical of our diagnosis, he was a trooper. He hung in there while we used different soft tissue mobilization techniques on his gluteal region, as well as on other areas where the muscles were tight or had trigger points. 

Within a few visits, he was able to report that the numbness and tingling down the leg had gone. A few treatments later he was able to better pin point exactly where the pain was coming from, and lo and behold, just as we had predicted, the pain was coming, not from the low back as he had first identified, but from the gluteal region. This story ends as you might be expecting. In a few more visits, our friend Dan was virtually pain free. This was very meaningful for him because he could work at his job without pain, he could do his personal care routine without assistance. Things like putting his boots and socks on in the morning no longer posed a challenge. The one thing I think Dan appreciated the most, was no pain while lying in bed at night.

Another quick example of soft tissue techniques at work: I have a colleague who is an avid runner. Let’s call her Avia. She was not your typical low back pain patient. She was in her very early 30’s, in great shape, had great nutrition, and seemed at first glance to be practicing all the things that we all teach our patients. But she had bad hip and knee pain which we both agreed was from not stretching before her runs. She had developed a tight IT band and TFL. We used instrument assisted soft tissue technique on the outer portion of the leg with recommendations to continue at home with use of her foam roller. Before long both the hip and knee pains were a thing of the past. Now she remembers to foam roll before she runs and has not had a recurrence of her initial complaint. She has run in marathons since with no associated negative events.

There are many soft tissue techniques. Among our favorites are instrument assisted soft tissue techniques, where we use a special type of tool to get deeper into the soft tissue than one might be able to with just the hands alone. Some other soft tissue techniques involve actively or passively stretching and contracting muscles, or moving them through certain specific ranges of motion in prescribed patterns. We like using kinesiology taping too. It may or may not fall neatly into the soft tissue techniques category but we get great results using it. If you are wondering what kinesiology tape is, think back to the Olympics when all those athletes had brightly colored tape all over their bodies. We have found that for many patients with muscle spasms and cramping, the tape works wonders. 

Another favorite is the foam roller. When used properly by patients on their own at home, we have noticed dramatic improvements in soft tissue complaints. The key here is: just like anything else - when used properly. As I explained earlier on, my background is science and so I am always looking for the evidence to support using something in practice. The good news is that studies show that foam roller use is effective.  A recent study even showed foam rolling to be more effective than stretching! I’m sure more studies are needed in this area but the preliminary evidence is definitely encouraging.

 

Do you want to know more? Download the #BePainFree eBook, it is FREE!

Just Click Here.

The free ebook is called:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

What options do you have for treating back pain?

 

Joint manipulation

 

Some patients love to be adjusted. Many who have never been adjusted before have many questions. Let me share with you a story about a patient, let’s call her Amy, who had such dramatic results with manipulation that I only saw her for 2 visits: the first visit and the second to make sure everything was ok. Amy had suffered from low back pain for many years. Possibly as a result of her job which involved a lot of sitting for long hours. Truth be told, we aren’t certain that her workspace was the most ergonomic that it could be, and after years of torturing her poor back, she finally had an epidural steroid injection followed by back surgery at one level. Well, the good news was, the surgery was a smashing success. The bad news? Shortly after the surgery she started to experience severe muscle spasms which were not responsive to prescription muscle relaxants. Amy had never been to a chiropractor before but was referred to us by her orthopedic surgeon and her insurance company. With those two referrals in hand she thought she may as well give it a try but she was very tentative when she came in. Let me give you the short version of this already too long story. Though we don’t always adjust patients and not usually on the first visit, we adjusted Amy. Her pain relief was immediate and sustained. We had her come back in to see us in a couple of days just to make sure she was doing ok, and she was. The last we spoke she was having difficulty remembering what that 8/10 pain that brought her to our office actually felt like.

Very recently I had another patient come in, this time a gentleman, with a similar situation to Amy’s. In this case it took more than 2 visits and a couple of other interventions but the results were just as dramatic and meaningful for the patient’s quality of life.

There have been many incidents of a quick adjustment very quickly changing the course of a patient’s pain. It must be noted however that the majority of our patients see results from adjustments over time in conjunction with other tools in our tool kit.

If you have never been to a chiropractor, you probably have wondered what people mean when they talk about going to the chiropractor to “get their backs cracked.” I’m with you: anything called cracking the back sounds a little dangerous to me. So let’s refer to it by its proper name: Joint manipulation. First let me reassure you. There is nothing cracking or breaking! To treat pain and mobility issues chiropractors may mobilize joints (the spinal manipulation/ adjustment.)   Some specially trained MD's DO's and PT's offer this service too.  Some patients have joints that aren’t moving properly. If it is severe enough these joints may contribute to patients being unable to perform range of motion exercises or may find performing these to be very painful. This pain may contribute to muscle spasms which may cause more pain in a seemingly never ending cycle. 

The joint manipulation is theorized to work in a number of ways. The aim of the adjustment is to get the joint to the end of its range of motion and then to take it just a little bit farther to reduce pain, spasm and improve range of motion. The clicking or popping sound that many patients hear (and call cracking) is attributed to the gasses expanding within the joint when the joint is stretched. Similar to the sound you hear when you open a can of soda. Most often, there is no pain. Side effects are few and far between with the most common being soreness in the area, similar to what you may feel if you have a strenuous workout. This usually goes away within a short time.

What has helped a lot of our patients who were reticent about being adjusted is looking at the scientific literature.  Lots of studies come to the same conclusion: 

" Acute and chronic chiropractic patients experienced better outcomes in pain, functional disability and patient satisfaction [compared to] patients seen by other health care providers." Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics 2005.

 "[Chronic LBP treated by a chiropractor showed better outcomes in one month than patients treated by a PCP.]" JMPT 2000.

 "[Cervical manipulation showed significant improvement in... neck pain and dysfunction and headache.]" Duke evidence report 2001. 

Another study I love to share is from the Annals of Internal Medicine which speaks to both the efficacy and safety of joint manipulation for back pain.

 On the first visit with a chiropractor, there is a physical examination. Where necessary standard diagnostic tools like imaging and blood work may be ordered. Our job at this point is to find out what’s causing the pain and to rule out serious internal complaints. Where indicated patients may be referred to another provider for their management or co-management, and those that are a good fit based on our scope of practice, well, those are the ones that we treat.

Do you want to know more? Download the #BePainFree eBook, it is FREE!

Just Click Here.

The free ebook is called:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

In this icy weather, know what to do in case of an accident!

We have been having one snow storm after the other, and while we might like to just hibernate until spring comes around, occasionally we will have to get out there on the roads! Today they were predicting ice, this is one time i'm glad the weather man was wrong :)  

I hope you stay safe on the roads but if you or someone you know does have an accident there are a few things you should think about. Very often, severe traumatic injuries require the intervention of a surgeon especially when there are broken bones, damaged internal organs or when the soft tissues are severely torn. Those patients usually end up directly in the emergency room. Frequently however, for patients who have been in minor to moderate traffic accidents, there can be severe pain with little immediately apparent structural damage. Especially in the case of motor vehicle accidents, symptoms may show up later and may not even be directly correlated to the recent accident. In a lot of these cases, physical medicine methods are the best solutions.

My own fender bender brings to mind a patient that I had once who was in a reasonably serious traffic accident. We all dread that moment when someone, completely unknown to us slams into our car and changes our lives forever. Well this case was no exception, well…except that my poor patient had his two daughters in the car with him! As a parent, I can tell you truly, when he sat in my office with his two beautiful girls and told me everything that had happened I genuinely empathized (and this was before my own accident!) Thank goodness, everyone had been wearing their seat belts, but everyone was banged around pretty badly. 

They had gone to the emergency room where the ER doc had suggested that the dad see his regular doctor. After consulting his attorney about the accident, he and the chicas were sent to us. Dad did very well in a short time with the usual 3 step treatment system that we employ in practice. His main concern for the girls was that they were in severe pain that was not well managed by Tylenol, but he was uncomfortable giving them the more advanced analgesics that had been prescribed and he was looking for a drug free option. Children are great patients. They approached the rehabilitation exercises with greater enthusiasm than I have ever seen in my adult patients. Within 2 weeks of modalities, joint and soft tissue manipulation and rehabilitation exercises, the girls were pain free and back to participating in their pee wee sports teams as if nothing had happened.

Here are some suggestions for what to do in the unfortunate event of an accident:

1) If you have the opportunity to go to the ER or to see your doctor, do so as soon as possible

2) Sometimes there is severe pain but no overt evidence of damage. If that is the case, go in to see your chiropractor or physical therapist as soon as possible

3) Symptoms of whiplash do not always show up immediately so monitor how you are feeling and if you notice symptoms see your health care provider sooner than later

4) Physical symptoms are not the only ones to be concerned with. Many patients who have had accidents suffer from a form of post traumatic stress. Seeing a mental health professional after an accident is often an excellent idea

Please be safe out there.

Regards in health,
Dr. Shepherd

Is arthritis the problem?

 

Degenerative Changes

 

We see these most often in our older patients however they are not unheard of in younger patient groups. Often degeneration of joints in the spine can lead to spinal stenosis which means that a bony portion of the spine has remodeled and is somehow interfering with a nerve(s). This may lead to many things including severe pain which may or may not travel down to the arms or legs, possible weakness of muscles of the arms or legs, numbness and / or tingling down as far as the hands or feet, and even absence of reflexes. 

Degenerative changes can affect any joint and so while we tend to think just of the spine, some patients who come in complaining of back pain who do have degenerative changes may be suffering from problems with the hip joints or even the sacroiliac joints, knees or ankles. It’s important for this distinction to be made as this will determine what course of treatment will be most effective.

 

An inflammatory condition

 

Many inflammatory conditions such as different types of inflammatory arthritis or some autoimmune type conditions can lead to back pain. It is also interesting to note that some studies suggest that the severity of pain may be influenced by a person’s overall inflammatory state. 

Something even more interesting than that little tidbit is that the standard American diet appears to stimulate the formation of the molecules that cause pain in our bodies. These studies show further that simple lifestyle changes can often reduce the inflammation in the body thus reducing overall pain. The science supports this, some studies suggest the science may be spot on and our positive experience in practice leads us to have a discussion about these types of lifestyle changes with every patient who comes in.

 Would you like to learn more? Get the free #BePainFree ebook

Just Click Here.

The free ebook is called:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

Did you have a recent accident or did you have one a long time ago?

 

Trauma

 

Trauma is the reason most people think we have pain. It isn't the number one reason that patietns come in to see me but it is high up there on the list!

So what is causing your pain? Was it as a result of a car accident you had recently? Maybe a slip and fall you had years ago? Very often, extremely severe traumatic injuries require the intervention of a surgeon especially when there are broken bones, damaged internal organs or when the soft tissues are severely torn. Those patients usually end up directly in the emergency room. 

Frequently however, patients who have been in minor to moderate traffic accidents, other types of accidents or for patients with minor to moderate sports or exercise related injuries, there can be severe pain with little immediately apparent structural damage. 

Especially in the case of motor vehicle accidents, symptoms may show up later and may not even be directly correlated to the recent accident. In a lot of these cases, physical medicine methods are the best solutions.

Would you like to learn more? Get the free #BePainFree ebook

Just Click Here.

The free ebook is called:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

Is your snow shoveling technique killing your back?

We have had a few inches of snow recently with more on the way! With the snow has come a flurry of patients complaining of neck and back pain. As nice as it is to catch up with our patients that we haven't seen in a long time, in many cases, the pain could be avoided by adopting different and better snow removal techniques. Lets talk a little bit about how to remove snow in a way that reduces the risk of back pain.

1) Use a snow blower, get help or get professional snow removal
For many of our patient's who may already have serious back injuries, who may be elderly or otherwise indisposed, using a snow blower, getting help or using a professional service may be the best way to go.

2) Use the correct tools
There is evidence that using the ergonomic shovels can be beneficial when shoveling. Some shovels have curved handles. Others have handles with adjustable lengths. What this means for you is that there is less bending while shoveling which takes a lot of the pressure off the back. Opting for a shovel that is smaller and lighter is also advantageous.

3) Now it's time to warm up...
Yes! Before going out there to shovel you do need to warm up your cold muscles to prevent muscle strains. Take 5-10 minutes to warm up your neck, back and shoulders, low back and leg muscles with some gentle stretches. Don't forget that when your muscles are warm they are less prone to injury.

4) Proper lifting technique

Proper lifting technique is a theme that seems to be repeated in a lot of our articles. Whether it lifting while shopping, fall clean up or snow removal, the rules are the same: Try to do as little lifting as possible. If you can push the snow out of the way that is preferable. If the snow is piled high, take it a little at a time from the top. When lifting anything including a snow shovel face the thing you are lifting head on and bend at the hips and knees lifting with the legs and buttock muscles. Focus on small light loads for lifting. Be sure your grip of the handle is appropriate for you and hold the shovel you have lifted as close to your center of gravity as possible. Finally, avoid reaching and tossing.

5) Take breaks
I think this piece of advice is the one my patients find hardest to follow. It may also be the most important. Doing repetitive tasks for extended periods is the surest way to cause damage to muscles and joints. As much as we all want to just "get it done," it's better to take a break for a minute or two for every 5-10 min of shoveling. Mixing up tasks may also be helpful in relieving the stress put on joints by repetitively doing the same thing.

Be sure to use proper lifting techniques this snow season this will help you to have a safe, happy and healthy new year!

Regards in health!
Dr. Shepherd

PS: Did you see the eBook? It is free! Will you check it out?

Here's the link:

 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.