Industrial Injuries

At BackFit Chiropractic & Rehab, we see a variety of injuries. The most common one being musculoskeletal sprains and strains. Chiropractic provides effective non surgical care for musculoskeletal injuries, such as back injuries, lifting, twisting and movement injuries, and repetitive strain injuries. Many problems contribute to musculoskeletal injuries.

The most common are:

Frequent or heavy lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying of heavy objects; prolonged awkward postures; repetitive, forceful, or prolonged exertions; and vibration. Jobs or working conditions that combine the above risk factors will increase the risk for musculoskeletal problems. Lately we have seen a number of patients with injuries related to data entry or extended computer work. The level of risk depends on how long a worker is exposed to these conditions, how often they are exposed, and the level of exposure.

Strain Injuries:

Strains, tendonitis, muscle soreness and stress fracture of the bone often occur with excessive or repetitive activity. The warning signs are aches and pains, which gradually get worse as one continues with the activity. The most vulnerable parts of the body are knees, back, wrists, neck and shoulders. Repetitive strain injuries cannot usually be exercised away, neither does resting resolve the injury. Following an extensive orthopedic and neurological examination, our Doctors will assess each case and determine what type of chiropractic care and physical medicine is appropriate for each patient.

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Sports Injuries

Whether it is musculoskeletal sprain-strains or repetitive stress types of injuries, at BackFit Chiropractic & Rehab, we are focused on our patient's well being and recovery in order for them to return back to pre-injury status.

Many athletes seek chiropractic care, whether professional or weekend warriors, to enhance their sports performance. Through the use of highly specific and safe spinal and extremity adjustive techniques , therapeutic exercises and stretches, and correction of biomechanical faults , athletes can experience increased performance and reduced risk of injury. Chiropractic care can increase range of motion, flexibility, balance, coordination, joint proprioception, body symmetry, agility, reaction times, speed, and kinesthetic awareness. In a recent study a group of asymptomatic university baseball players were split into 2 group; one group received spinal manipulation while their counterparts acted as controls by receiving no care. Vertical jump, broad jump, standing broad jump, muscle strength, blood pressure, pulse rate, microcirculation (nail bed capillary counts) and stress test were evaluated in all athletes prior to the study, as well as a 5 & 14 week follow- up. Those receiving spinal manipulation experienced significant improvements in muscle strength and long jump distance at 14 weeks. The spinal manipulation group also experienced improvement in capillary counts at 5 and 14 weeks follow-up. Additionally, the spinal manipulation group had decreases in resting blood pressure and pulse rate following tread mill activity. Another study conducted by Nansel, PhD., found cervical adjustments improved neck range of motion in a group of asymptomatic individuals who had differences of more than 10 degrees in lateral flexion of the head, (Nansel, PhD. JMPT 1989; 12(6):419-27. Schwartzbauer J, DC, Schwartzbauer M, DC, Hart J, DC, Zhang J, MD, PhD. J Vert Sublux Res).

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Auto Injuries

In our office we care for many patients following a motor vehicle accident. For those of you that have unfortunately experienced this type of traumatic event, you know how stressful it can be both emotionally and physically. For this reason specifically, our BackFit staff is fully trained to take all the stress from the accident out of your hands and allow you to be back on the road to recovery as soon as possible.

Automobile accidents are a very common way for people to develop subluxations due to the impact. In addition to the structural changes that occur following an accident, there is a significant amount of damage that can occur at the "soft tissue" level. The whiplash injury to the neck, or cervical sprain/strain, is by far the most common injury that results from a car accident. Sprains and strains are referred to as soft tissue injuries (soft tissue includes muscles, tendons, and ligaments).

Soft tissue injuries, invisible on x-rays and often overlooked, can cause severe debilitating pain after a car accident. Worse yet, if a soft tissue injury is not specifically addressed, and left unresolved, the effected muscles and other soft tissues can end up causing chronic pain indefinitely in addition to diminished range of motion. Unfortunately, the standard medical approach to these injuries often amounts to nothing more than suppressing the symptoms with pain-killers and anti-inflammatory drugs, leaving the injured muscles to hopefully heal on their own. This method of care may give temporary relief, but it does not resolve the underlying problem in the long term.

Injured muscles heal with scar tissue in a way that leaves them weaker, less elastic, and prone to re-injury and pain. The scar tissue is placed in specific areas to allow you to heal, but it is an unorganized process. It is important to include some form of muscular therapy to help restore muscular strength, flexibility, and normal function by correcting or "aligning" the scar tissue and reorganizing it properly. At BackFit Chiropractic & Rehab, our Doctors and our Exercise Therapists work together on each case to better serve our patients. Following an extensive orthopedic and neurological examination, and a series of computerized diagnostic testing, our Doctors create the proper treatment program for each patient.

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