Currently viewing the tag: "sports chiropractor"

How to Avoid Getting Burned From Ice

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Burn from an ice bag.

My chiropractic clients will tell you that in my office it is adjustments, rehab, stretches, exercises and ice! Ice, cryotherapy, the big word in fitness marketing (my gym has a full-on cryotherapy center) today. Just so you know, I have been pushing ice since before it was hip.  

In any case, when it comes to icing injured tissue or body regions, some rules apply. Always remember to watch the clock: I recommend fifteen minutes, then at least ten minutes off if you wish to reapply for another fifteen, that should work fine. Also be sure to put a thin barrier between the ice bag and your skin. I tell everybody this vital precaution every time I recommend icing, especially if that person purchases a bag from me. In fact, no ice bag exchanges hands without my warning…yet, yet, yet…

No matter how much I emphasize this point, there is always one or two peeps out of every ten that will not heed my warning. Why Dr. Campos; why ya gotta put a barrier between your skin and the ice bag? Oh I thought you’d never ask.

Here’s why: Because if you do not put a thin barrier—paper towel, tee-shirt—then you will get burned…literally. Yes ice, like fire, can burn. Ever hear of frostbite? Duhhhh…

Okay, okay, I know many people do not know this; however, do you think it might be important if the doctor takes the time and is adamant about explaining it? Had one client fall asleep on his ice bag for well over the recommended fifteen minutes, and he had a very similar burn as the one pictured above for months afterward. Truth be told, I do not even know if it is gone now…maybe, I hope.

So, yes, please be smart, especially if you must be hip and dip into cryotherapy. Heed my warning and place a barrier between your skin and the ice. The barrier must be thin enough—even jeans work—so that the effects of ice actually get through. So terry towels are too thick; you will never get enough of the ice’s effects if the barrier is bulky. And remember, when icing, you will pass through three stages;

  • Cold – the obvious one
  • Burning – this is where people, especially those not watching a clock, will pull the ice off. Bad move, you will not get the effects you are shooting for until you reach the next stage
  • Numbness – this is where the therapeutic effects—decreased inflammation and pain relief— are occurring.

Please just watch a clock and stick to it through the three stages, use a barrier, and continue the practice for as long as your doctor recommends. Skip any of the three and you risk, at the very least, not getting better, but at worst a burn. Do you really need to experience that to believe what I tell you? Good. Happy icing.

Active Stretching to Prevent Injury

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A common misconception people have about stretching is that it is a passive activity–that is, the muscles should be stretched by using of gravity to pull the muscles. Wrong! In fact, over time passive stretching is the best way to injure yourself.

Active stretching is really the proper way to stretch. An active stretch is contracting the muscles as you stretch, both the muscle being stretched and its antagonist–the muscle doing the opposite action. As an example let’s take the hamstrings: most people, when doing a hamstring stretch, will just bend forward at the waist, passively, letting everything–head, neck and arms included–just hang down.

An active version of the same stretch would be bending forward at the waist, but now maintaining an arch in the back to preserve the discs of the lumbar spine (a common source of severe low back injury). Then while pushing the heels down into the ground and the knees back (which contracts the quadriceps, the antagonists to the hamstrings), the butt is actively lifted upward toward the ceiling, literally pulling the hamstrings from one end (the knees) and oppositely from the other (buttocks). That, my friends, is an active stretch.

Watch the video below to see a demonstration of active stretching. Passive stretching is sometimes warranted, particularly if you have never stretched, or it’s been so long it may as well be considered never…in these cases, a passive stretch will be just fine. But over the long haul, if you want to prevent injury and get the best stretch you can, that comes from active stretching.


Tingling Hands Not Always Carpal Tunnel

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Numbness and tingling can be an unnerving symptom no matter where it is felt.  When it happens in the arms and hands it can be especially disconcerting since we use our upper limbs constantly.  What causes numbness and tingling in the arms and hands?  Well the most oft-diagnosed condition is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), but I’m telling you it’s what we call a BS diagnosis.  Along with “tendonitis,” “sprain/strain,” and “arthritis,” carpal tunnel syndrome is just another way of saying, “I’m really busy; I don’t have time to investigate, and ultimately, I don’t know what you’ve got.”

Any doctors reading this?  If what I say pisses you off, it’s because IT”S TRUE!  Doctors not versed in musculoskeletal problems give the BS carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis (it’s a guess), and quite often, they’re wrong.  It wouldn’t be such a big deal except that the treatment for CTS is the ol’ snip-snip.  Can’t reverse that, so it behooves one getting this diagnosis to seek a second opinion.  I’d try an orthopedist or sports chiropractor; these professionals focus on musculoskeletal complaints and thus have a good grip on what might be going on.

One thing that can cause numbness and tingling in the arms and hands is an ulnar nerve entrapment or impingement syndrome.  The ulnar nerve, which innervates or controls the last two fingers (ring to pinky), can become compressed by the forearm muscles.  When this happens forearm pain and numbness and/or tingling in the last two fingers can occur.

A good sports chiropractor can alleviate this discomfort and teach you stretches and exercises to prevent further problems.  I highly suggest getting any arm, forearm or hand numbness/tingling checked by a doctor, because any nerve irritation can lead to long-term damage.  While waiting to get in to see the doc, however, you can do some things at home on your own.  Watch the video below to get some tips on alleviating arm and hand numbness and tingling.

And please, before you get the ol’ snip-snip, go see a sports chiropractor (or an orthopedist) for a second opinion.


Piriformis Syndrome: Pain in the Butt

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Buttock pain has many sources, none more irritating than piriformis syndrome.  Piriformis syndrome is a condition of a tight, inflamed piriformis muscle that clamps down on the sciatic nerve.  Piriformis syndrome, then, can lead to sciatica, a sharp, burning electrical pain down the leg and sometimes into the foot.

Piriformis syndrome needs to be diagnosed by a doctor–preferably a sports chiropractor, since you can get diagnosed and treated in the same office.  There are, however, some things that can be done at home to alleviate the symptoms.

Watch the video below to get some tips on how to take care of your own hip or buttock pain caused by piriformis syndrome.  Or you can also read the article here to learn more about piriformis syndrome


Runners Stretch for Low Back Pain Relief

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Low back pain can be caused by tight hip flexors.  The hip flexor muscle group is made up of the psoas, iliacus and rectus femoris (part of the quadriceps) muscles.  When tight, they pull the low back into a hyperlordosis, or an over-arch.  This causes pressure on the lumbar disks, leading to pain and stiffness of the low back.

The hip flexors can be loosened with a simple runners stretch.  You can do this at home finding complete low back pain relief, or it might be a good temporary fix before you get in to see your sports chiropractor.

Watch the video below to see the proper way of stretching the iliopsoas, or hip flexor complex.  If you need a good Los Angeles, Beverly Hills or West Hollywood sports chiropractor, check here.


Hip Stretch brings Sciatica and Low Back Pain Relief

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Low back pain, hip pain and sciatica can result from a tight piriformis muscle.  The piriformis runs from the sacrum (tailbone) to the femur (thigh bone), and is an external rotator of the hip.  Its function is essentially to prevent the inward collapse of the leg during walking.  It can become tight from lack of stretching (most common), overuse (especially with an overpronation foot dysfunction) and pregnancy.

Because the muscle crosses the sacroiliac joint and sits atop the sciatic nerve, a tight piriformis can cause low back pain, hip or sacroiliac pain, and sciatica.  If you’ve never had sciatica, consider yourself lucky, because it is characterized by a sharp, electrical, burning pain that shoots down a leg, sometimes to the foot, causing numbness or tingling.  Sciatica is not a pleasant situation and can be quite unnerving for the sufferer.

For sciatica caused by a tight piriformis muscle (as opposed to one caused by a herniated disk), you can try a simple stretch at home to get relief from the numbness, tingling and hip and low back pain that you might be suffering.  Watch the video to learn the best low back pain exercises and stretches available.  And while you are on the floor, pick up your phone and call your local sports chiropractor today.  If you work or reside in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills or West Hollywood, chiropractic can be found a phone call away at 323-651-2464.


Los Angeles Chiropractor Shoulder Pain Assesment

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Shoulder pain can have many causes and presentations. Although a painful shoulder might seem like a standard situation, it’s important to distinguish what type of problem you might be dealing with. You can therefore do a self-assessment to determine if your shoulder injury is something you can treat yourself at home, or whether you’ll need to visit a sports chiropractor.

Watch the video below to learn how to self-assess your shoulder pain and what steps you can take if you need shoulder treatment to avoid surgery. Although shoulder surgery is sometimes needed, many forms of rehabilitation can prevent shoulder, arm and back pain from leading to the knife. But you’ve got to know how to approach things first. Watch the video below.

If you need a sports chiropractor, come visit my Los Angeles, West Hollywood or Beverly Hills sports chiropractic office.

Beverly Hills Chiropractor Knee Pain Diagnosis

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Knee pain happens. Athletes and weekend warriors might find themselves with swollen, painful knees due to sports injury or simple overuse. Knee pain and swelling often needs to be checked by a sports chiropractor, but you can do some things at home that can help the healing process and prevent the painful knee from becoming a chronic injury.

Icing the knee at the painful injury site (see video) for 15 minutes at a time is crucial. Ice will decrease knee swelling and prevent the rapid formation of scar tissue. Ice saves–don’t forget this principle. Wrapping the pained knee in an ACE bandage will provide stability and prevent further knee injury. Then staying off the knee–NO SPORTS!–is essential.

Swelling can signify a torn knee ligament–like the ACL (anteriorcruciate ligament), PCL (posteriorcruciate ligament), MCL (medial cruciate ligament) or LCL (lateral cruciate ligament). Ligament tears can be rehabilitated conservatively, thereby avoiding knee surgery. A torn meniscus can also be conservatively treated. Meniscal tears can go through knee therapy and rehab successfully, but what is necessary is a proper knee diagnosis. If what you have is a simple knee sprain, then ice, therapy and rehab will get you back into your sport quickly.

If you have a painful knee injury get in to see a sports chiropractor right away. If you live or work in my neighborhood, come visit my Los Angeles, West Hollywood or Beverly Hills sports chiropractic office for knee pain relief today.

West Hollywood Chiropractor Treating Upper and Mid-Back Pain

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Upper back pain is becoming more and more common as computers play a bigger part in our daily lives.  I recently showed you how chiropractic adjustments can help relieve upper back pain.  Another useful approach to use in combination with chiropractic care is physiotherapy, including electric muscle stimulation, heat and deep tissue massage.

Sports chiropractors will use various modalities to help reduce muscle spasm and soreness of the upper and mid-back.  Electric muscle stimulation, or e-stim as it is sometimes called, helps reduce spasm by puttin the muscles in a brief and alternating contracted state.  This contraction/relaxation cycle is actually necessary to break the neurological disruption that is preventing the muscles from relaxing on their own.  Some medical doctors attempt to do this with muscle relaxant drugs (albeit through a different mechanism), but electric muscle stimulation is a physical modality to address a physical problem.  Watch the video above to see e-stim in action.

Heat helps by bringing blood to the area, which also allows muscles to relax.  Once the e-stim and heat therapy is complete, a session of myofascial therapy, or deep-tissue massage does wonders at breaking up knots, trigger points, sore areas, and any adhesions in the muscle tissue.  Then, the pièce de résistance, of course, is the chiropractic adjustment, which opens the stuck joint and brings normal movement back to the spine.


Watch the video to get a taste of what you can expect in a sports chiropractic office where you might be getting treated for upper and mid-back pain.  If you find yourself in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills or West Hollywood, please come visit my chiropractic office to get relief for your upper back pain woes.

Beverly Hills Chiropractor on Tennis Elbow

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Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is pain experienced on the outer part of the elbow and forearm. It is common in tennis players, usually from poor form or faulty equipment, but really anybody that uses their hands regularly, in work or in play, can develop tennis elbow.

Tennis elbow is a muscular issue where micro-tears of the muscles of the forearm are causing elbow pain and discomfort on gripping or carrying items. Even shaking hands can be an excruciating endeavor when tennis elbow is present–not a good thing. So having this condition warrants a trip to your local sports chiropractor for evaluation and treatment.

To find out how you’ll be treated for tennis elbow, especially in my Beverly Hills chiropractic office, please watch the video above; and you can get even more information on the causes and symptoms of tennis elbow by reading the article at this link.

If you are experiencing outer elbow and forearm pain and difficulty gripping or carrying items, don’t hesitate–call your local sports chiropractor today.

Los Angeles Chiropractic Knee Pain Relief

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Knee pain is a common injury in athletes, especially tennis and basketball players, as well as dancers. Knee pain comes in many forms, but if it is along the perimeter of the knee and feels sore or burning, then it is possible that a patellar tendonitis is the cause (also known as Jumper’s Knee).

Tendinitis is rarely a primary condition–it is usually secondary to something else. In the case of patellar tendonitis, the primary cause could be either tight muscles or foot dysfunction. To find out what is causing your knee pain, it is important to get evaluated by a doctor, preferably a sports chiropractor.

Watch the video above to see how we treat patellar tendinitis in my Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood sports chiropractic clinic.

Seven Step Knee Pain Solution

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Finally if you have an underlying foot dysfunction (overpronation or over-supination) you increase your susceptibility to knee injury due to faulty biomechanics and diminished proprioception. Foot dysfunction can be helped immensely by a good orthotic shoe insert.

Custom made orthotics to help knee pain

Custom made orthotics to help knee pain

Custom orthotics are best, and for that you will need to visit a professional (like a sports chiropractor or podiatrist). Don’t let your knee pain or injury become chronic, as that can lead to irreversible damage requiring surgery. Follow these tips and keep your athletic performance pain free.

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