Arrow Health

Sports Physicals: Questions and Answers

lhurlbut.dc — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 01:05:22 +0000

Sports physicals: questions and answers

Preparing for sports seasons…

Sports physicals, also called pre-participating sports exams, are required to determine whether or not your child is healthy and cleared to compete in any school sanctioned sports.

What to expect: During this physical, your student’s provider will assess the athlete’s general health, screen for existing illness and injuries, and detect factors that may increase your athletes risk of illness or injury. This exam includes two different components: medical history and physical examination. During the medical history, your child’s provider will gather a detailed history including past and current medical conditions, surgical history and pertinent family history. Your child’s provider will also ask a series of questions regarding heart health, bone and joint health, and mental health to ensure your child’s safety while performing. During the physical exam, the provider will assess the overall health of the athlete through evaluation of your child’s height, weight, blood pressure, vision, hearing, heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, and musculoskeletal system.

It is recommended to schedule your child’s sports physical roughly 6-8 weeks before the start of their sport in order to allow time for adequate follow-up in the case your child needs a more extensive evaluation. Following the examination and without need for further evaluation, you and your child will leave with a current Sports Qualifying Physical Examination Medical Eligibility Form from the Minnesota State High School League stating that your child has been medically evaluated and deemed medically eligible to participate in all school interscholastic activities without restrictions or with any limitations as determined by the provider.

Both Dr. Jordan Ramey DC and Dr. Lindsey Hurlbut DC of Arrow Health in Sauk Centre perform sports physicals for athletes in Sauk Centre, Melrose, Long Prairie and any surrounding area in accordance with the Minnesota State High School League requirements.

Please share this

Dr. Jordan Ramey, DC

Dr. Jordan Ramey graduated with her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University College of Chiropractic in 2021. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Dr. Jordan grew up in the town of Cambridge, Minnesota where she was heavily involved in the sports hockey, soccer and tennis. She has years of coaching both hockey and soccer and hopes to both play and coach again here in this community. Full bio >

The post Sports Physicals: Questions and Answers appeared first on Arrow Health.

Chiropractic and Colic

lhurlbut.dc — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 20:27:53 +0000

Chiropractic and colic

Infants with colic can benefit from chiropractic care.

Col·ic /ˈkälik/ noun
Severe, often fluctuating pain in the abdomen caused by intestinal gas or obstruction in the intestines and suffered especially by babies.

Infants with colic are typically otherwise healthy babies, which makes prolonged crying that much more difficult for parents to deal with. Colic usually presents as periods of inconsolable crying, often at night (sometimes called the “witching hour”), in newborns and infants under 4 months old. According to the Mayo Clinic, “episodes of colic usually peak when an infant is about 6 weeks old and decline significantly after 3 to 4 months of age.”

Colic is not a disorder. Colic is a symptom.

Meaning that there is typically a cause—often excessive gas—that is causing pain. The digestive tract of an infant is brand new and is still going through major developmental changes, especially in the first year of life.

However, that doesn’t mean that you have to just grin and bear it as a parent or just wait for them to grow out of it. There are other options that can help console baby (and you!). Chiropractic care is a safe and effective alternative option to help infants with colic symptoms.^1,2A pediatric chiropractor will perform a thorough newborn screen and may find a cause for colic symptoms.

Potential causes of colic that a trained chiropractor can help deduce:

Subluxation: The birth process, though beautiful, can be traumatic for some infants and can cause spinal or cranial subluxations (meaning the spine is misaligned). Subluxation in the cervical spine and cranium can cause postural preferences or even difficulty with latching. Subluxation of the thoracic or lumbosacral spine can cause slower digestion and constipation concerns.
Ties: Another game-changer can be the presence of a tongue tie or a lip tie. This is when the attaching skin (frenulum) underneath the tongue or between the lip and the gumline is too short. If baby has a tie, it can restrict ability for proper lip flare and tongue suction while baby is creating a latch. Latch is so important! A poor latch creates a poor seal around the nipple which causes baby to suck in air with every feed. Gas and discomfort ensues. Your pediatric chiropractor may be able to help with latch concerns, or otherwise connect you with the appropriate professional—in this case, a lactation consultant or IBCLC. Read more about signs of a good latch here.
Food Sensitivity: Colic can present with a food sensitivity—most commonly dairy (either mom is consuming dairy and passing to baby via breastmilk or baby is consuming cow’s milk formula). This doesn’t necessarily mean that baby is allergic to the food, but that baby has had too much and needs a break or needs limited exposure. Some breastfeeding mothers have reported a noticed improvement in baby’s temperament in as little as 3 days after removing dairy from their own diet, though it can take upwards of 2-3 weeks for food sensitivities to leave the system. Read more about dairy and other food sensitivities in breastfed babies here. This isn’t the answer for every child with colic, but worth a try before interceding with medication.

Chiropractic adjustments of infants are extremely gentle and very safe. If you have questions about chiropractic care for infants or you want to find a pediatric chiropractor near you, search for them through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.

Resources:

Alcantara J, Alcantara JD, Alcantara J. The chiropractic care of infants with colic: a systematic review of the literature. Explore (NY). 2011;7(3):168-74.
Wiberg JM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: a randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1999;22(8):517-22

Please share this

Dr. Lindsey Hurlbut, DC

Dr. Lindsey Hurlbut, DC, is a graduate from Northwestern Health Sciences University College of Chiropractic. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Biology, emphasis in Health and Medicine, minor in Psychology from Minnesota State University. Specializing in chiropractic spinal and extraspinal manipulation, she has additional clinical education in rehabilitation, myofascial release, applied kinesiology, prenatal and pediatric chiropractic, and nutrition. Dr. Lindsey is passionate about what she does, experienced in her field, and confident in treating individuals of all ages.

The post Chiropractic and Colic appeared first on Arrow Health.

Why you shouldn’t adjust yourself.

lhurlbut.dc — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 20:24:06 +0000

Self-adjusting: is it okay?

People often ask, “I crack my own neck, is that okay?”

Here’s the skinny. DIY is not recommended when it comes to spinal adjustments. But, we understand your desire to do so.

Your body is always in a state of self-healing. You have more innate intelligence than you probably even realize. Even children, without being told to, often try to self-adjust their back or neck when they have an area of discomfort. There is a difference in someone that stretches their neck or back and experiences a light “pop” versus someone that wrenches on their neck or jaw in order to force a “pop” to occur. The first situation isn’t that big of a deal. The latter is a different story…

The fact that you desire to self-adjust indicates that you have an underlying problem. This could be from misalignment of the spine or from something more advanced such as degenerative joint disease or a muscular imbalance such as upper crossed syndrome.

There are benefits to the “crack” sound often achieved during a chiropractic adjustment, including reduced prostaglandins (inflammation modulators) and increased levels of endorphins (“feel good” hormones). However, these are temporary gains. To obtain the full benefit of an adjustment, you need restoration of joint motion, not just a joint noise!

In most cases of self-adjustment, the person gets the joint above or below the “stuck” joint to make noise, but doesn’t actually adjust the problem joint segment. This explains why their symptoms often return after only a handful of minutes, once the endorphins wear off and the prostaglandins set back in.

The issue arises when a person continues to repetitively self-adjust. In this case they are getting more and more motion into segments above and below the problem joint. So now they not only have a pain-generating immobile joint segment, but are creating areas of hypermobility or instability above and below the “stuck” segment, which ultimately adds to their problem.

A chiropractor is highly trained to identify the actual problem and with the proper force and direction they are able to adjust the problem joint. Chiropractors will also offer appropriate rehabilitation, to address musculature concerns and restore not only alignment but proper posture as well. Simply stated, just because you can do it yourself, doesn’t mean that you should. There are many things in life that you can DIY, but when it comes to spinal adjusting, it is best left to a professional. If you find yourself needing to self adjust frequently, it is in your best interest to be evaluated and treated by a chiropractor.

Please share this

Dr. Lindsey Hurlbut, DC

The post Why you shouldn’t adjust yourself. appeared first on Arrow Health.

What’s that sound during a chiropractic adjustment?

lhurlbut.dc — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 21:36:57 +0000

What is that sound during a chiropractic adjustment?

That “pop” or “crack” sound is a natural phenomenon.

What that sound is NOT:

The sound that can occur during a chiropractic adjustment is NOT the bones cracking, grinding together or anything scary like that! It is actually a natural phenomenon that occurs within a specific type of joint – a synovial joint. Synovial joints are found within the spine, but other examples are in the fingers/toes and TMJ.

The phenomenon behind the sound:

Medically the noise that occurs during an adjustment is called cavitation. Or it was called cavitation)¹… The mechanism behind this was believed to be the formation of an empty space (a bubble) within the synovial fluid of the joint.

However, recent research is indicating that the phenomenon is not cavitation but instead tribonucleation. Watch out, big words here! According to Kawchuk et al., “joint cracking is associated with cavity inception rather than collapse of a pre-existing bubble.”² This study used real time MRI to visualize what occurs within a joint at the time of a chiropractic adjustment. This study provides direct experimental evidence to support tribonucleation versus the previously termed cavitation.

In short. That noise is the sound of a gas bubble forming instead of a gas bubble collapsing – which makes sense since a chiropractic adjustment typically provides a gapping of a joint to allow for improved motion instead of a compression of a joint that would “pop” a bubble. Science is often still catching up to mechanisms that occur within our body and may not be settled quite yet on this phenomenon.

What does the noise mean?

Essentially, not much! The sound associated with an adjustment is nothing more than a noise, “ear candy” if you will. It does not indicate that an adjustment was successful or that a joint “moved” into position. The chiropractic adjustment is meant to restore alignment and motion of a joint NOT to make a “crack” sound. That is why chiropractors recheck joint motion following an adjustment, to be sure of success.

There is some side benefit to tribonucleation within a joint as it is associated with an increase in endorphins (‘feel-good’ hormones) and a decrease in prostaglandins (hormone-like inflammation modulators).^3,4

Read about why a person shouldn’t adjust themselves in our blog.

Resources:

1. Brodeur R. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1995 Mar-Apr;18(3):155-64. The audible release associated with joint manipulation.

2. Kawchuk GN, Fryer J, Jaremko JL, Zeng H, Rowe L, Thompson R (2015) Real-Time Visualization of Joint Cavitation. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0119470. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0119470

3. Vernon HT, Dhami MS, Howley TP, Annett R. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1986 Jun;9(2):115-23. Spinal manipulation and beta-endorphin: a controlled study of the effect of a spinal manipulation on plasma beta-endorphin levels in normal males.

4. Kokjohn K¹, Schmid DM, Triano JJ, Brennan PC. 1992 Jun;15(5):279-85. The effect of spinal manipulation on pain and prostaglandin levels in women with primary dysmenorrhea.

Please share this

Dr. Lindsey Hurlbut, DC

The post What’s that sound during a chiropractic adjustment? appeared first on Arrow Health.

Are adjustments painful?

lhurlbut.dc — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 19:57:36 +0000

are adjustments painful?

For the majority of patients, chiropractic adjustments are painless. Many patients are shocked at how painless an adjustment can truly be and even find it funny afterward how anxious they had been.

Possible reasons for pain

There are some scenarios that increase the likelihood of experiencing soreness during adjustments:

Involuntarily tightening the body or resisting the adjustment.

Fighting the adjustment makes it almost impossible for a chiropractor to get good work done and highly increases the odds of experiencing soreness during or after treatment. When the muscles are relaxed, adjustments tend to go smoother and are comfortable. If you are anxious about adjustments, it is best to discuss this with your chiropractor to determine the best route of care. Sometimes it is as simple as changing the technique to allow you the benefit of adjustments without the added stress.

Adjusting an area that experienced recent trauma.

Musculoskeletal trauma, such as whiplash, typically presents with high levels of focal inflammation. With high inflammation, the injured area is often exquisitely tender. Trauma patients often feel short-lived discomfort during the adjustment but often report relief afterward.

After receiving an adjustment, there may be some generalized soreness in surrounding tissues. Typically this is similar to the soreness experienced as if you started a new workout.

But most of the time…

Adjustments aren’t typically painful at all! The beautiful thing about chiropractic care is that the overwhelming majority of patients report positive experiences following chiropractic adjustments including pressure reduction, pain relief, calmness or overall sense of wellbeing after receiving adjustments; others note improved mobility and function.

Dr. Lindsey is gentle in her approach. She listens to your concerns and takes strides to take the best approach for each individual in order to get results both safely and effectively. Patients often look forward to their adjustments!

Please share this

Dr. Lindsey Hurlbut, DC

The post Are adjustments painful? appeared first on Arrow Health.