Shockwave!
The S.C.A.P. Centre has recently purchased a shockwave machine to better treat our patients. Check out our services page for more information on how you can benefit from shockwave.
Performance Tape and Bruising
A bad bruise, or “contusion” can cause many problems to your muscle tissue. Sometimes it can result in a hematoma that can cause myositis ossificans, which is a bone that forms within a muscle!
Myositis ossificans is a condition that often occurs in athletes who sustain a blunt injury that causes deep tissue bleeding. A typical story is a soccer player who is kicked forcefully in the mid-thigh, and develops pain and significant bruising.
The soft-tissues that were injured in the traumatic event initially develops a hematoma, and subsequently develop the myositis ossificans.
By using performance tape, it can help with healing of the bruise and proper redirection of blood flow. See the picture below for proof!
How Does This Work?
Performance Tape pulls the upper layers of skin, creating more space between the dermis and the muscle. The space created is believed to relieve pressure on the lymph channels in the area between the muscle and the dermis, creating more space for lymph flow and thus better lymph drainage through an affected area. As you can see in the picture, the areas that were taped had noticeably faster healing.
This space also houses various nerve receptors that send specific information to the brain. When the space between the epidermis and the muscle is compressed, such as during an injury, these nerve receptors are compressed and send information to the brain. This information causes the brain to send out certain signals to the body on how to react to particular stimuli. Performance Tape alters the information that these receptors send to the brain and causes a less reactive response in the body, allowing the body to work in a more normal manner and removing some of the roadblocks that normally slow down the healing process.
Performance Tape is used to improve joint alignment by affecting the muscles and fascia, and can reduce poor function of a joint by influencing opposing muscle groups and joint mobility.
NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A CONTUSION OR BAD BRUISE, COME IN TO THE SCAP CENTRE TO GET TAPED TO PREVENT MYOSITIS OSSIFICANS AND IMPROVE HEALING TIME!
Posture and Tension Headaches
Chiropractic can help with your headaches!
Are you a headache sufferer? Do you rely on medications to cure your pain, but they just keep coming back? CHIROPRACTIC CAN HELP!
Headaches are highly related to a few small muscles located at the base of your skull: The “suboccipital muscles.” When these muscles are tight, they can cause referral pain into your head. Additionally, they can also put tension on a nerve that travels through the area, which causes headache pain. Typically people with headaches have a lot of tension in their neck muscles, a lot of which comes from their day-to-day poor posture and sleeping habits.
A lot of people who walk into our office have “forward head posture,” which is defined exactly as it sounds: your head is in a position that is too far forward with respect to your cervical spine. This happens secondary to bad posture. Forward head posture causes a constant contraction of your neck muscles. Take a look at the picture below for a great visualization of all the extra weight you carry around all day!
This forward-head posture causes your head to be in an extended position, and thus puts pressure on the nerves that travel through the neck musculature. For every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight. The muscles need to work harder in order to keep the position.
Another interesting finding: A study in the journal ‘Spine’ reported that the muscles involved in those with forward-head-posture connects to the ‘dura mater’ (the outermost membranes covering the brain and spinal cord). Therefore it is concluded that the tight suboccipital muscles can cause tension on the dura mater, and contribute to headaches.
In a cadaver study, it was noted that 11 out of 13 cadavers had a connection between one of the suboccipital muscles and the spinal dura mater. A study done previous to this reported the connection is related to headaches.
This is where visiting your Chiropractor comes in handy. We can evaluate the daily stress you put on these upper neck muscles and treat them effectively in order to reduce both your neck pain and headaches!
At the S.C.A.P. Centre we typically use Active Release Techniques (ART®), Acupuncture, and an adjustment for headaches and neck pain. We also use the “Fascial Abrasion Technique Tool,” which is a handheld tool that assists in treating the soft tissue structures. However, if we always modify treatment based on your individual preference!
REFERENCES:
1. Anatomical Connection Between the Rectus Capitis Posterior Major and the Dura Mater
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 (Jan 27)
2. Anatomic Relation Between the Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor Muscle and the Dura Mater
Spine 1995 (Dec); 20 (23): 2484-2486