Shelby County Chiropractic

Trigger Point Therapy: How Does It Help Your Body?

Everyone deals with some sort of physical pain at some point in their life. And as we grow older, the chances of developing muscle or joint pain become quite high.

There are many different kinds of muscle pains. In this blog, we’ll be discussing all there is to know about trigger points and how trigger point therapy can help with muscular pain and tension.

 

What Is A Trigger Point?

Sometimes, muscles tense and tighten, forming a myofascial trigger point—also known as muscle knots. A ‘trigger point’ refers to a particular muscle knot that is in a state of contraction. This impedes normal muscle movement, which involves contractions that pump blood through the capillaries, which bring in purified blood and remove toxins.

A trigger point does allow this contraction to take place effectively. It can block off the flow of purified blood to the area or choke it. When muscles aren’t supplied with oxygen from purified blood, they begin to starve. As a result, toxins and waste start to increase in such muscles. The body responds to this buildup of toxins by signaling pain to the brain.

 

Problems Caused By Trigger Points

Trigger points can cause a number of problems, like headaches, joint pains, and back pain. Trigger points are most commonly known to affect major joints like the knees, shoulders, and wrists.

The pain experienced due to trigger points is often misdiagnosed as arthritis or tendonitis. This condition can also cause other symptoms like nausea, numbness, tingling of feet and hands, dizziness, heartburn, and genital pain. Research has revealed that trigger points are one of the beginning symptoms of Fibromyalgia.

 

Trigger Point Therapy

An experienced and licensed chiropractor can easily locate trigger points in a patient’s body. With the help of trigger therapy, they can reduce the discomfort patients feel, which has long-term benefits.

Trigger point therapy involves a deep tissue massage on the trigger points. This massage involves high pressure to relieve pain. A chiropractor uses the pressure of their fingers to pick up muscle fibers in a pincer grip. They then apply pressure until the pain begins to fade.

Chiropractors will usually ask patients how painful they find the procedure to get a better idea of their condition and whether or not the therapy is working.

 

Benefits Of Trigger Point Therapy

If you’re seeking an alternative to pharmaceutical painkillers, trigger point massage therapy is worth considering for its numerous positive effects. Here are a few of the benefits:

 

1. Increased Blood Circulation

Increased blood flow is only one of the many benefits of trigger point treatment. Tight muscles can limit the flow of blood to an area. As a result, people can experience various issues, such as lethargy, headaches, and fainting. The stiff muscles can be relaxed, and blood flow can be enhanced with a trigger point release. In the long run, this can greatly benefit your health.

 

2. Relief From Stress And Tension

Constraints in the body’s muscular tissue can also make a person feel stressed out. Trigger point treatment can help ease stress and tension by loosening constricted muscles. This has the potential to reduce tension and make you feel better.

 

3. Higher Range of Motion and Flexibility

When muscles are tight, they restrict movement. This can cause your mobility to decline and make regular tasks challenging. To relieve muscular tension and restore range of motion, trigger point treatment can be used.

Constraints in range of motion may also result from muscular tightness. This also makes it hard to move about and do everyday tasks. Flexibility and range of motion are increased when tight muscles are treated with trigger point therapy.

 

4. Reduces the Discomfort of a Headache

The head and neck are common areas for muscular tension. Many people have headaches due to the stress and anxiety that this causes. Pain relief from headaches can be attained with trigger point treatment on the tight muscles of the head and neck.

 

How Long Does It Take To See Results?

Every patient’s recovery rate is different. A number of factors have to be considered, like pain levels, age, and how long they have borne the condition. The number of trigger points on the body also affects the recovery.

 

A person undergoing trigger point therapy.

 

Receiving trigger point therapy from a licensed chiropractor who has experience with trigger therapy can result in better management of the condition.

Visit us if you are looking for trigger point therapy in Louisville. Dr. William Yadon DC, and Dr. James Stapleton DC, specialize in advanced chiropractic care services in Kentucky and offer services like Vibration Therapy, Aqua Massage Therapy, Activator Methods, and much more.

Call 502-633-1073 for more information on our services or to book an appointment.

 

Netflix and Chill Chronic Backache: How Binge-Watching Is Affecting Your Health

Spurred by the rise of Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and Netflix, binge-watching TV shows have become a popular emergent trend. Some people feel the need to binge-watch because their busy schedules don’t allow them to watch their favorite TV shows at regular intervals, while others binge-watch shows just to kill time and are up to date with everything on the small screen.

Whatever the reason, binge-watching is hazardous to health. After all, there’s a reason why your parents limited your screen time when you were growing up.

 

What is Binge-Watching?

Watching many hours of television or streaming video in one sitting is known as binge-watching, binge-viewing, or a marathon-viewing session. In order to catch up on your favorite show, you may have stayed up late one night and watched as many as six episodes in one sitting.

Spending too much time with your eyes hooked to a television, laptop, or smartphone screen may be quite harmful, despite the fact that it may appear fun at first.

Here are some of the most common health problems that occur because of binge-watching TV shows and having too much screen time:

 

Harmful Effects Of Binge-Watching On Your Overall Health

1. Affects Eyesight

All of us know that constantly staring at a screen affects our vision. Televisions, cell phones, and laptop screens are much brighter than our eyes can bear, especially at night. Binge-watching shows put them under immense stress. Doing so over a long period of time will cause eye pain and headaches.

What’s more, constant exposure to the blue light that’s emitted from screens affects our sleep patterns. Our body clock works with the sun, which is why we mainly work while the sun is out and rest when at night. Exposing yourself to such light causes the brain to stay active. As a result, falling asleep can get difficult, and your body and brain won’t get the rest it needs.

 

2. Makes You Gain Weight

Having a sedentary lifestyle isn’t good for anyone. To be healthy, the human body needs to stay active. Getting into the habit of binge-watching shows will make you lazy. Plus, when we watch TV shows for hours on end, we tend to crave unhealthy snacks. Most of us indulge in popcorn, crisps, or cookies when watching movies, putting us at risk of becoming obese.

 

3. Backache And Neck Stiffness

It’s no secret that binge-watching can cause back ache. Sitting in the same position on the couch while watching your favorite show may seem relaxing, but you’re doing grave damage to your spine in the long run. Have you ever gotten up after watching shows for 4 to 6 hours straight? Doesn’t your back feel stiff and sore?

Sitting in one position all day strains your back. Ideally, you should get up from your position and walk around every 30 minutes. Do a few stretches so that you don’t experience any pain when you’re finally done watching TV.

 

What’s A Solution To This?

Now that you understand why binge-watching is harmful, the simplest answer is to stop binge-watching. Make sure you regularly take out time to watch the shows you are following. You can also watch one show at a time so that it’s easier to track where you are in the series.

  • Take time out to give your eyes a rest. Close your eyes tightly to relieve some of the strain.
  • Snack healthy—instead of fried potato chips, opt for kale chips or sweet potato fries.
  • Restrict your TV viewing time. If you need some self-discipline, try setting timers or designating a certain day of the week for TV binge-watching.
  • Instead of being glued to the screen, reward yourself by watching some of your favorite shows after completing a task.
  • Make sure you’re not watching these shows right before bed. This will help you improve your quality of sleep.

Even when you are watching television, make sure you’re taking regular intervals to walk around and give your spine some relief. Chiropractic care can also help a great deal with the back and neck pain you experience.

 

A couple watching television.

 

 

Advanced Chiropractic Care Services in Kentucky For Muscular Pain Relief

Shelby County Chiropractic is here to help you with your back and neck pain. We are a family chiropractic care center in Kentucky that offer services like Vibration Therapy, Aqua Massage Therapy, Activator Methods, and much more.

Our lead practitioners Dr. James Stapleton DC, and Dr. William Yadon DC, are highly qualified and can help you relieve any kind of muscular pain and tension.

Call us at 502-633-1073to learn more about our services or to book an appointment.

 

 

 

Improve Sinus Health With Proper Diet

According to research, sinusitis is a prevalent cause of nasal congestion and eye inflammation in the United States, affecting around 37 million people each year.

Inflammation of the sinus lining, known as sinusitis, can be either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). The most common infection is an acute sinus infection, which often resolves on its own within a few weeks. On the other hand, chronic sinus infections can last for several months and recur several times.

Keep reading this blog if you’re looking for ways to reduce sinus tissue inflammation.  But before that, let’s explore some of its symptoms.

Symptoms

Sinus infections can make you irritable and disoriented; a stuffy nose and red eyes are usually accompanied with:

  • Splitting headache
  • Fever and cough
  • Mucus formation
  • Blockage or heaviness in sinuses
  • Bad breath
  • Fatigues and lethargy

Multiple reasons, such as allergies, exposure to pollutants or chemicals, hormonal imbalance, nasal tissue growth, blocked drainage sinus ducts, and a weak immune system, can cause sinus infections.

You can take multiple antibiotics and nasal sprays to ease your nasal congestion. Still, for better and long-lasting results, you need to make considerable changes to your lifestyle and incorporate healthy eating habits for effective sinusitis treatment. The omission or addition of some beneficial food items can greatly impact your nasal passage; therefore, eat your way to a free airflow.

woman-holding-her-head

1. Get Your PH Balance Right

People experiencing sinus issues also face digestive problems that cause acidity. You need to alter the PH level of your body. Acidity outbalances the alkaline level of your body, and you need to replenish it with the intake of the right food, such as nuts, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

2. Intake of Water

Your body is in constant need of water to perform a routine bodily function. When you decrease your water intake, your body starts hoarding water to perform major bodily functions. This leaves your sinuses dry and causes mucus formation.

Eight 8-ounce glasses a day is the standard recommendation from health experts. This amounts to around 2 liters or half a gallon. Therefore, drink at least eight glasses of water daily to rid your body of toxic elements and a quick flow of your mucus.

3. Pineapple

As your body’s toxic level increases, it causes inflammation in your sinuses. Pineapples are rich in antioxidants that help break mucus formation and reduce sinus tissue inflammation. In addition to this, the enzyme found in pineapple limits the damage caused to the mucus membrane from inflammation.

4. Peppers

When used in moderation, pepper can help reduce inflammation and clean sinuses by increasing the flow of mucus. The heat created from peppers reduces inflammation and limits pain caused by sinus congestion. However, they can also cause indigestion and stomach pain if eaten excessively, so ensure you keep a balance.

5. Ginger and Garlic

The sulfur component in garlic has antimicrobial and antifungal qualities, and it also helps decrease inflammation and inhibits the growth of viruses. Furthermore, ginger’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help the body heal more quickly and experience less pain and swelling. Plus, ginger’s antihistamine properties make it useful for relieving symptoms of seasonal allergies, asthma, and sinusitis.

6. Antioxidants

High levels of oxidants in your body can cause damage to your mucus membrane. Foods rich in antioxidants, such as citrus fruits and green vegetables, can provide you with the right amount of defense against these oxidants.

7. Herbal Tea

A steamy hot cup of tea can carry away accumulated mucus and relieve sinus pain. You can add ginger, peppermint, chamomile, or basil to get a speedy recovery.

Herbal tea with flowers

Foods You Should Avoid

Some foods aggravate your sinus congestion and cause you further discomfort, such as the following:

  • Dairy products promote the thickening of the mucus and increase microbial growth in your body
  • Caffeine weakens your adrenal gland
  • Processed sugar; your sinus-affected body has to work overtime in order to break them down
  • Carbonated drinks; if your digestive system is impacted by a sinus infection, intake of sodas can worsen the situation.
  • Avoid fermented foods like mayonnaise, as this causes a PH imbalance.

Treat Your Symptoms With Safe Chiropractic Therapies in Kentucky

Are you tired of dealing with nasal congestion, eye inflammation, and recurring sinus infections? Experience the benefits of non-invasive chiropractic treatments for sinus infections and allergies. Chiropractors can help improve your immune system, reduce sinus tissue inflammation, and promote healing. By combining exercise, a balanced diet, and chiropractic care, you can achieve a sinus-free life.

If you are seeking effective sinusitis treatment and improved sinus health, visit your local Chiropractor in  in Shelbyville KY, or call 502-633-1073 to book an appointment at Shelby County Chiropractic. Take control of your sinus health today!