Tommy John Surgery for Kids?

An article appearing on CNN.com about Tommy John’s legacy as it pertains to medicine got me thinking about how this relates to youngsters.  “What’s your train of thought there?” you might ask.  Well let me explain.  Tommy John’s surgery is a procedure in which doctors replace the ulnar collateral ligament (which is the ligament on the inside of the elbow) by taking a ligament from a different part of the body.  The action that most commonly injures this ligament, necessitating surgical repair is throwing of a baseball, most often by pitching, but can be any position player.  It has become a common surgery in high school athletes due to them throwing the ball faster as well as different types of pitches, like curve balls, at too young of an age.  Little league baseball has placed limits on how many innings and how many pitches a pitcher can throw to minimize overuse injuries.  Once kids are old enough to play at higher levels the rules are not as strict and the chance of injury increases.  These injuries are known as repetitive stress injuries and are not limited to the elbow.  The rotator cuff of the shoulder is another common site of injury due to repetitive stress, also most commonly from throwing.

This brings me to my concern of youngsters’ injuries.  It is obvious that a greater emphasis is being placed on youngsters to perform at higher levels when they should just be out there enjoying the sports.  These emphasizes are from parents and coaches alike.  We live in a very high stress, highly competitive society that places “winning at all costs” as a primary goal.  Most kids will not earn their livelihood at sports so competitive athletics should teach sportsmanship, teamwork and learning to cope with disappointments rather than just to beat the heck out of your body to win.

Those involved in youth sports should be made aware that repetitive stress injuries to the musculoskeletal system can lead to lifelong injuries and or disabilities.   

Study On Neck Pain

A recent study published in the prestigious, Annals of Internal Medicine compared chiropractic care, medication and home exercise as potential treatments for acute (new) and subacute (not quite as new) neck pain.  The study, by Bronfort et al, is titled “Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain”.  It showed that 32% of patients undergoing chiropractic care for neck pain were pain free after 12 weeks of treatment and 30% of those utilizing home exercise as being pain free after 12 weeks.  Only 13% of those who were prescribed 12 weeks of medication were pain free. 

This really speaks volumes to what we, as chiropractors, already know, and that is that most garden-variety neck pain is mechanical, meaning joint/muscle/ligament related.  Dysfunction of one of the structures has a great impact on the others.  If a muscle becomes tight it puts additional stress on a joint.  When that joint becomes restricted due to the pull of the tense muscle the ligament that holds the joint together adapts to its “new” restricted motion and becomes shorter and less elastic.  This will in turn put more pressure on the joint and its cartilage. 

The treatment for this type of condition should address the lost mobility, not the pain itself.  Once the different structures are moving normally and less pressure is being put on them, the pain will diminish and often does so very quickly.  The medication just masks the pain.  It is really a breath of fresh air to hear a journal like the “Annals” publishing reports like this.  For more information on what chiropractors do for this condition and to view examples of neck exercises visit www.peyserchiropractic.com.

Pain Free Gardening

With spring comes the blossoming of our gardens.  With the bloom of the season comes the heavy lifting, frequent bending and shoveling that is necessary to tend your garden.  And thus comes the aches and pains associated with all repetitive and strenuous activity.  Here are a few helpful tips to keep you outside enjoying your gardens and not doing it through a window while lying down.

Pre-Gardening

        Treat gardening like any other exercise and prepare like you would for the gym.  Light stretching and a warm up period will keep your muscles nice and limber.  A 10 minute walk around the block or even around the house, making a gardening plan can go a long way in getting your heart and muscles warmed up. 

Gardening Posture

           It is important you maintain good posture while gardening (or doing any activity, for that matter).  Improper posture can increase the amount of weight your joints must bear and this can lead to new pain or exacerbate old problems. 

            One of the most common ways people injure themselves is by using improper lifting techniques.  Click here for to see the proper way to carry the large bags of mulch and fertilizer.  If you will be carrying these bags more than a few feet make sure to use a wheel barrow. 

            Another common way to injure yourself is the repetitive bending over to pull weeds or digging with small tools.  It is better to sit down to do these tasks or kneel on one knee.  Always remember to keep your back as tall and straight as possible.  Also make sure you are taking breaks from bending.  If you weed one area, move on to something else before weeding the next section. 

            Lastly, try using shears and clippers that are spring loaded to open automatically to avoid putting strain on your wrist, forearm and shoulder muscles. 

Post-Gardening

           Stretching after your workout (gardening in this case) is often times more important than stretching before.  So make sure you have some sort of cooling down routine for when you are done.  Repeating your stretches and a nice 5 minute walk to look at all the progress you made is a great idea.

           

Its always a good idea to put ice on any area that may feel sore after you are finished.  Remember DO NOT USE HEAT!  Put ice on the area for 10-15 minutes each hour for about 3 hours.  If the pain persists beyond 48 hours it would be a good idea to give us a call and we can advise you on the best ways to try and alleviate it.

As always, if you have any questions or want more information contact us through our website at http://www.peyserchiropractic.com/

Happy gardening!

Welcome

Welcome to the new Peyser Chiropractic blog.  We have set this up to be a place where we can share important and helpful information that can help you live healthier and happier lives.  We will be providing synopses of current health care topics as well as original posts based on questions we are commonly asked in the office.  If you have specific questions you would like us to address please feel free to contact us via our website, http://www.peyserchiropractic.com/.