by Reinarts Family ChiropracticChiropractic Care for Tension Between Your Shoulder Blades
One of the most common complaints that brings new patients into my Franklin, TN Chiropractic clinic is tension and pain in the upper back between the shoulder blades. This upper back tension doesn’t discriminate based on age or sex. I see it as a common complaint in the very young as well as the middle aged. Men and women present with it equally. Upper back tension and pain is often accompanied by neck pain. They very frequently go together. Arm pain, arm weakness, numbness and tingling into the fingers is another common symptom. Often patients are having episodes during the day where their hands and fingers will “fall asleep”. They often report waking up in the mornings with their hands asleep.
What’s the cause of this tension between the shoulder blades and what can be done to get rid of it? Great question! I’m going to discuss two main causes and they’re both posture related. The first is your posture at work. Most of the patients who present to my Franklin, TN office spend a portion of their day seated in front of a computer. They also spend a great deal of time looking down at their hand held mobile devises. These postures performed day after day place a tremendous amount of physical stress on the neck and upper back. This repeated stress creates tension not only on the bones of the spine and discs but also all the soft tissues in the surrounding area. Upper back muscles, specifically the large Trapezius muscle become chronically tight from continuously being placed in these postures. That’s why you feel like you always need a massage. The muscles of the upper back are always under stress and tension and never get a chance to relax.
The other posture related reason for tension between the shoulder blades has to deal with the posture you are in while you sleep. We spend roughly a third of our lives in bed, so you want a sleep posture that supports spinal health. You are supposed to wake up feeling rested and with less aches and pains. Unfortunately, for many they wake up with more neck and upper back pain then they went to bed with. This can indicate poor sleep posture. The posture that you’re sleeping in is putting too much pressure on your neck and upper back. I’m very often asked what the best sleep posture is. The best sleep posture is on your back. I like to place a pillow underneath the bend in my knees and always make sure to have my hands down by my sides. Never over my head!
You can’t stretch or strengthen away a structural problem. Thank goodness we have the Chiropractic Adjustment! The purpose of the adjustment is to restore normal joint function to the joint and to remove nerve irritation and interference. This will allow your body to heal and you’ll see that tension between your shoulder blades fade away. If you have tension between your shoulder blades give my Franklin office a call. We love to serve the residents of Franklin, Cool Springs and Brentwood!
by Reinarts Family ChiropracticHeadaches are NOT Normal
One of the conditions my Franklin, TN Chiropractic office specializes in treating are Headaches. A lot of time headaches and neck pain go hand in hand, but I also have just the headache sufferers. Every week I have multiple new patients come to my office looking for help and relief. A common misconception that I hear week end and week out are that headaches are normal. I’m writing this blog to tell you that headaches are by no means normal! Headaches are very common, but not normal. There is a difference.
Most of the time I am not the first health care provider in the Franklin area they have visited. They have gone to their medical doctor and usually been prescribed some form of medication for their headaches. For many taking medication to mask the symptoms of the problem instead of correcting the underlying cause of the problem causes concern. They don’t want to have to live their lives dependent on a drug to get them by. Plus, they worry about harmful side effects of long term drug use. Some try Botox treatments and a new practice I’m seeing more of is the piercing of the ear to alleviate headaches. The challenge with all these treatments are that they are an outside in approach to health. Instead of fixing the problem you’re putting a foreign substance in their body to mask the pain/symptom. All true healing comes from inside the body.
In the United States, over 15% of all adults complain about headaches and migraines. This is a huge number of people who experience headaches! No wonder so many people believe that headaches are a normal part of life. I’m here to tell you that they are not and if you fall into the 15%, it’s time to try something different.
Specific Chiropractic adjustments are all about removing interference to your nerves so your body can handle the stresses of daily life better. Most of my Franklin, Cool Springs and Brentwood patients who come to me for headaches spend a majority of their day seated in front of a computer. Day after day they place their necks in stressful positions looking at a computer screen all day. This stress adds up and produces headaches and often neck pain. They are constantly trying to stretch out their necks to relieve the pressure and tension. Sometimes this buys them a little relief but never lasts long. That’s where specific chiropractic adjustments come in. You can’t stretch away a structural problem. If the bones of your neck are not moving correctly resulting in increased pressure and tension in your neck and head you need a chiropractor to restore proper motion.
If you’re reading this, suffer from headaches and looking for another approach it’s time to give Chiropractic a try. It’s time to see if you have a structural problem in your neck that could be the cause of your headaches. Give my office a call! We’re conveniently located in Franklin and specialize in Headaches and Neck pain. We look forward to hearing from you and introducing you to another way!
by Reinarts Family ChiropracticWork Environment, Neck Pain, Back Pain and Chiropractic – Answers from your Franklin Chiropractor
Most patients that present to my Franklin, TN Chiropractic office can’t put a finger on what happened to cause their Neck, Mid back and/or Low back pain. They report that it just started some time ago, but they don’t know what caused it. For many this is very frustrating. We live in a cause and effect society. If we hurt there needs to be a known cause. In my world the term for this type of pain/discomfort is an insidious onset. The neck and or back pain just started without anything that the patient perceives should have caused it. Many patients that come to my office have an insidious onset of pain. Once we begin to dig deeper during the initial exam it is discovered that the things we do day in and day out have a big role to play in our pain.
Most new patients that visit my Franklin Chiropractic office are here due to micro traumas rather than macro traumas. It’s the little behaviors done every day that over a period of time have led to their complaint/symptom. A prime example of this is their postures at work and play. Ergonomic plays a huge role in spinal health. Most of my patients do a form of a job that requires a lot of time in the seated position, usually in front of a computer. That puts an incredible amount of pressure on their backs and necks. Then multiply this by five days a week for years on end and we have a huge problem. Prolonged sitting is such a problem in the United States that it’s becoming more common to hear the phrase “Prolonged sitting is the new smoking.” Think about that! They’re saying that sitting for long periods of time without moving is as bad as smoking!
Now we dive into the other aspect of my patients lives and that’s their postures when they’re not working. Many spend hours on end in the seated position on a couch watching TV or playing on a computer or cell phone. More pressure on the neck and back! Their poor spines can’t catch a break. Movement is a very important part of life. Humans were designed to move, not to be sedentary. When we’re not active enough our bodies begin to break down and a host of spinal and nervous system problems occur. Here are a few tips that I give my patients at my Franklin, TN Chiropractic office to help them with their neck pain, headaches, mid back and low back pain that results from their postures in their work and play environment.
- Get up every half hour. Just stand up and stretch for a minute. Get out of the seated position. Your spine will love you for it!
- Sit on a physio ball. It will cause movement in your low back as you sit on it.
- Get a sit/stand desk so you can alternate between the sitting and standing positions.
- Get Adjusted!
Reinarts Family Chiropractic – Your Franklin, TN Chiropractor
If you’re experiencing pain/discomfort you don’t have to live like this! Give my office a call at 615-538-6061 and let us do a thorough examinations so we can show you how we can help.
by Reinarts Family ChiropracticChiropractic, Neck Pain and Text Neck
One of the main complaints that brings new patients into my Franklin, TN Chiropractic office is neck pain. The complaint of neck pain doesn’t discriminate. I see it in my very young and very old patients alike. It’s such a common complaint that I wanted to take some time and discuss one of the major causes that I see contributing to neck pain. The cause I’m referring to is American’s use of hand held electronic devices, mainly cell phones. The term “text neck” is becoming very common and most people know exactly the posture that I’m talking about. That posture is the neck flexed forward so the person can look down at their cell phone.
What is “Text Neck”?
The “text neck” posture is very harmful on the cervical curve. It causes strain on the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues of the neck. The problem is not that people flex their necks forward occasionally. Many people spend a great deal of time in this posture. The result is neck pain. Many times, pain between the shoulder blades and headaches will also accompany the neck pain.
My patients who live in Franklin, Cool Springs, Brentwood and the surrounding areas are no different than the rest of the United States. They live on their cell phones. Continuously looking down to either text, check social media or perform some other function on their phones takes a devastating toll on their necks. One of the most common structural changes I see regularly in my Chiropractic office is the reversal of the cervical cure. A normal cervical curve should have a cure that looks like the letter C. When that cure gets reversed it starts to curve the opposite direction looking more like the reversal of the letter C. From a structural standpoint this is incredibly harmful to the bones, discs and soft tissues of the neck. The cervical curve is designed the way it is to help support the weight of the head. When you get this reversal of the curve neck pain is sure to follow.
Tips to help avoid “Text Neck”
A few tips that I give my Franklin, TN patients are:
- Always be mindful of your posture. Think of yourself like a puppet with a string coming out of the top of your head. When the strings are loose the puppets posture collapses, but when the strings are taught proper posture is restored. Be like a puppet with tight strings.
- Examine your work or study space. Make sure its ergonomically correct and supports your spinal health. You spend a majority of your time in these spaces, so make sure they aren’t creating a future neck problem for you.
- A good cervical pillow that supports your neck curve is a must. We spend roughly one third of our lives in bed. Make sure that your pillow is properly supporting your neck.
Come in to your local
If you’re experiencing neck pain, pain between your shoulder blades and/or headaches, it’s time for you to take action. Give my office a call at 615-538-6061. We’re conveniently located in Franklin, TN right off the 65 interstate. We’d love to be your chiropractor!
by Reinarts Family ChiropracticChiropractic and Pregnancy: Advice from Your Local Franklin, TN Chiropractor
One of my favorite groups of people who visit my Franklin, TN Chiropractic office weekly are pregnant woman. Chiropractic and pregnancy go hand and hand. My typical pregnant new patient starts out as a referral from an existing patient that came to me during her pregnancy. Usually its low back pain that brings my pregnant patients in. Sometimes, it’s headaches, neck pain or discomfort between the shoulder blades. The one thing my pregnant new patients all have in common is that they are uncomfortable and want relief. They also know as they get further along in their pregnancy, the pain and or discomfort continues to get worse. They’re looking for relief. Anything to get a break from the aches and pains they’re feeling on a daily basis. That’s where I come in.
Benefits of Prenatal Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is beneficial to a pregnant woman in two main ways. The first is from a structural perspective. If the bones of your pelvis and back are aligned correctly your body is going to function better and better be able to handle the extra weight associated with pregnancy. I can’t tell you how many pregnant patients I have who describe to me the feeling of being “stuck” and feeling “locked up”. They feel restricted in the movement of their low back and pelvis. They also describe these same feelings in their mid-backs between their shoulder blades and necks. Once I start adjusting them with a gentle, specific, chiropractic adjustment, the stress they feel is relieved. In many cases relief is immediate. They feel an instant release of pressure and tension. I hear from my pregnant patients time and time again that getting adjusted throughout their entire pregnancy is the best decision they ever made. They also report that labor is so much better with a properly aligned spine and pelvis. It makes total sense. If the pelvis is aligned and moving without restriction, labor and delivery is going to be easier.
The other reason my Franklin, TN office is so popular with pregnant women is a neurological reason. Your nervous system which is your brain, spinal cord and all the nerves that exit the spine controls every aspect of your life. You can’t function one second without them. The Chiropractic adjustment removes interference to the nervous system which is both controlling the pregnant mother’s health and the health of the developing baby in her belly. What’s more important during a pregnancy than making sure the baby is getting maximum nerve supply. Proper nerve supply also means the mother caring the developing baby is taking the best care of her body too during this physically trying time. A properly functioning body also gives you the best opportunity for a speedy recovery after the birth has occurred and getting your body and health back to pre-baby status.
Reinarts Family Chiropractic – Your Franklin, TN Chiropractor
If you’re pregnant and live or work in the Franklin, Cool Springs or Brentwood area, give my office a call. We’d love to show you first-hand how Chiropractic can give you the best pregnancy experience possible!
by Reinarts Family ChiropracticTension Headaches Treatment From Our Franklin, TN Chiropractor
We are a Franklin, TN Chiropractic office with over 16 years of experience in treating headaches. Tension headaches particularly bring many Franklin and Cool Springs Moms into our office. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and cause mild, moderate or intense pain in your head, neck and behind your eyes. Tension headaches are often described as feeling like a tight band squeezing your forehead. Women are twice as likely to suffer from tension headaches as men.
My Personal Experience with Tension and Migraine Headaches
I grew up watching my Mom suffer from Tension and Migraine Headaches. Medicine would sometimes work, but it only covered up the symptoms. It never corrected the cause. Headaches are a terrible thing to live with on a regular basis. They rob you of so much joy, because you feel awful. You miss out on so many experiences either totally or partially because all you can focus on and think about is the pain and discomfort.
Like most of the United States, many of the patients that I see live and or work in the Franklin and Cool Springs area and spend a portion of their day driving and or sitting in front of and staring at a computer screen. Many of my Moms have to deal with the stress associated with taking care of children all day. All of these can be triggers for tension headaches. Other triggers include poor posture and emotional stress.
At-Home Remedies You Can Try to Relieve Your Pain
If you experience Tension Headaches here are a few things you can do yourself. Many of my patients don’t want to take medications, either prescription or over the counter because they’re concerned about side effects or problems caused by long term use. Start taking a magnesium supplement. Magnesium does a good job at being a natural muscle relaxant. Take a hot bath or shower to relax your tense muscles and reduce emotional stress. Get up from sitting at your computer every 20 to 30 minutes to reduce eye strain and stretch tight muscles. Be mindful of your posture. Avoid slouching.
Chiropractic care is excellent in treating Tension Headaches. Chiropractic adjustments gently remove the stress and tension from the neck and head allowing the body to heal, become more stable and handle stress better. Chiropractic care addresses the underlying cause of the headaches, not just the symptoms. My Franklin, TN office is a go to for my patients when they’re experiencing any type of headache, but especially Tension Headaches because it is so effective.
Call Us Today To Learn More About Tension Headaches!
If you experience Tension Headaches, give us a call!
Stop suffering and merely surviving and start living and thriving!
It is possible to live without Tension Headaches!
by Reinarts Family ChiropracticAdjustments and Chiropractic Care At Your Franklin Chiropractic Clinic
Chiropractic adjustments provide gentle, natural treatment to patients suffering from a variety of problems. Still, many people do not know what a chiropractic adjustment is or why it works. Knowing the benefits of chiropractic adjustments and understanding the concepts behind chiropractic care can help you decide whether or not adjustments are right for you.
What Is A Chiropractic Adjustment
A chiropractic adjustment is a procedure performed on the spine to realign the vertebrae and take pressure off of the spinal cord. Spinal adjustments help improve the functioning of the body by ensuring signals from the brain reach their destination without problems. This helps reduce pain and speed up the healing process when a patient is injured or ill.
A chiropractic adjustment is a targeted form of therapy that treats pain at its source. Your chiropractor will determine which part of the spine needs to be adjusted by performing an examination and talking to you about your condition and symptoms. One the chiropractor knows what parts of the spine to treat, he or she will make the adjustments efficiently.
Chiropractic adjustment may be done with tools or by hand. It is a painless procedure that should not cause pain. In fact, this procedure is safe for patients of all ages, from very young children to seniors.
Type of Conditions Adjustments Can Treat
A chiropractic adjustment can treat patients suffering from a variety of conditions including:
- Neck Pain
- Back Pain
- Cold and Flu
- Whiplash
- Concussion
- Soft Tissue Damage
These above conditions are some of the most common problems that chiropractors treat, but spinal adjustment can help with a range of issues from illness to chronic conditions.
Call Your Chiropractor in Franklin Today!
There are many reasons to see your chiropractor in Franklin! Your chiropractor can use spinal adjustment and other natural techniques like lifestyle advice, stretches and exercises and spinal screenings to help patients live healthier, happier lives. Contact Reinarts Family Chiropractic in Franklin, TN at 615-538-6061.