(512) 416-7700 | CONTACT US | MAP
(512) 416-7700 | CONTACT US | MAP
There are so many considerations during this time; knowing whether to get care, or go to the store, or even visit the park brings a host of questions.
Each action we choose comes with consequences; risks of one issue outweigh risks of another issue, differently for different people. Weigh your decisions weekly, and stick to your plan. It’s the exceptions we make in the moment, that create a weak link in an otherwise well thought out plan.
I choose to work conservatively.
Above all, the most effective way to reduce the consequences of the pandemic on our population as well as each individual is to social distance. That is our first line of defense.
Social distance and stay healthy.
There’s the rub, staying healthy. We know what it takes: good food, water, rest, exercise or movement, the outdoors, and other people. Even the first 5 are easy to say, yet hard to maintain on a normal day, even harder as our social infrastructure is straining. The 6th: other people – as we are all witnessing, is a big thing. Stress increases our need to adapt in our bodies and minds, which creates pain and restriction. This time is stressful; the lack of connection to other people is stressful.
If you are in pain, your health is suffering, or you feel isolated, hands on care might be worth the risk of exposure (with precautions), when the virus is less active in the community.
Because various stages of this pandemic may go on for years, simply forgoing care for that duration, is not the best option for all of us. To that end, taking advantage of times when the virus is less active in the community, might help us get through the longer haul.
I’m starting my practice again June 1st and scheduling through September. I will be responsive to the current public health guidelines and viral trends as they change. I will minimize risk at every potential to do so.
Considerations will be taken for each visit regarding:
For our detailed new protocols, please contact us. As a doctor, concerned with your overall state of wellbeing, I want to be available to you as responsibly as I can, for both you and our larger community.
Whatever your point of view, and whatever choices you make for yourself, leave room for more kindness and tolerance. We are all in this together.
With Love, Lisa Hastings, Dr. of Chiropractic
Shoulder pain is both common and debilitating, with a reported annual incidence of 11.2 cases per 1000 patients in primary care and a lifetime prevalence of up to 67%. Furthermore, recovery from shoulder pain is often slow with high recurrence rates. Of those affected by shoulder pain, 25% report having a previous episode, and 40 to 50% report persisting pain or recurrence at 12-month follow-up. Fortunately, shoulder conditions can be managed conservatively and surgically, depending on the patient and the degree of injury.
Your shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and affords a wide range of motion and versatility. However, you pay a price for mobility through instability and risk of injury.
I’ll cover common causes of shoulder pain along with general treatment options. See your doctor for detailed information about your specific shoulder pain.
Your shoulder is made of multiple joints between the humerus (upper arm), clavicle (collarbone), and scapula (shoulder blade). The head of your humerus fits into a bony socket in your shoulder blade. The supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis attach the humerus to the shoulder blade and stabilize the humeral head during overhead arm motions and assist in the elevation and rotation of the shoulder. These muscles are known as the rotator cuff.
These muscles can be pinched, become inflamed, or tear.
Tendons firmly adhere each end of a muscle to a bone. Bursae cushion and protect tendons as well as reduce wear and tear from gliding muscles and nearby bone. Excessive use and repetitive stress of your shoulder can lead to inflammation and swelling of both tissues.
Partial or complete tearing or splitting of a tendon can result from long-term wear and tear or sudden injury and trauma. In particular, rotator cuff tendon tears are common and sometimes elicit little or no pain.
Repeated overhead movements can compress the tissue between the top of the arm bone and the top of the shoulder blade and result in inflammation and swelling. The tissue can weaken or tear if the movement is continued despite pain and inflammation.
With subacromial bursitis, rotator cuff tendinitis, and partial rotator cuff tears pain is worse between 60° and 120° (painful arc of motion) of shoulder abduction or flexion and minimal or absent at < 60° or > 120°. Often pain is experienced as a dull ache that is hard to localize along with weakness into external rotation.
Activity Modification
Rest along with altering activities to avoid painful movements allow healing and insight into the root cause. NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen can be used for a limited time and are not meant to be lived on.
Improve Flexibility and Strength
Stretching is a simple and effective way to restore the muscular balance between the shoulder muscles. Strength training of the rotator cuff in conjunction with stretching can have a profoundly positive effect. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons shoulder conditioning program is a great place to start.
Conservative
When shoulder pain is nonresponsive or progressive professional care should be utilized. Conservative care such as Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, and Massage Therapy can be wonderful in improving and resolving shoulder pain.
An additional step is to have these muscles evaluated by a practitioner that uses Advanced Muscle Integration Technique (AMIT). Such a practitioner identifies muscles that are unable to hold strong under stress and re-integrates those weak muscles back into their properly functioning group.
Surgery
The majority of shoulder pain responds well to simple treatment methods such as altering activities, rest, stretching and exercise. Chronic dislocations and some rotator cuff tears do not benefit from exercise. In these situations, surgery may be recommended to remove scar tissue or repair damaged tissues.
If you have unresolved shoulder pain sidelining you let us at Clear Point Wellness get you back in action.
Dr. Jeff
Your South Austin Chiropractor
Running continues to be the sport of choice for many because of its beneficial health effects, convenience, and economic nature. In 2016, an estimated 64 million Americans went jogging or running. However, running correlates with a high rate of injury, even with all the benefits. Researchers have found that the overall yearly incidence rate for running injuries varies between 37 and 56%, and it could be even higher. Unbelievably, there is no difference in injury rate between gender, age, weight, height, or experience. Furthermore, running speed, frequency, surface, and time of day have little or no effect on future injuries after accounting for distance. Of the modifiable risk factors studied, the strongest predictor of future injury is ‘weekly distance ran’. The most common site of injury is the knee, with Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) being its second leading cause.
The iliotibial band is a vertical thickening of fascia running outside the hip to just below the knee. The IT band functions to stabilize the knee laterally and assist the tensor fascia lata and glute max in abduction, extension, and lateral rotation of the thigh. Knee stability is crucial to the longevity of both the athlete and the joint.
As the knee bends during running, the lower part of the ITB rubs across the side of the femur. The friction from rubbing may cause inflammation and pain, know as Iliotibial Band Syndrome. An emerging theory proposes that injury may be associated with fat compression beneath the tract. Unfortunately, the initial cause of either scenario is still up for debate. Whatever the mechanism of injury, Iliotibial Band Syndrome can cause significant morbidity and lead to cessation of exercise altogether.
Mediation of symptoms can involve stretching, massage, and use of foam rollers at the site of pain and inflammation. However, addressing the cause will lead to lasting relief and function. In particular, hip abductor weakness seems to contribute to the development of Iliotibial Band Syndrome. To combat these factors, it is essential to ensure the strength of these muscle groups. While strength training should be an integral part of any runner’s regimen, an additional step is to have these muscles evaluated by a practitioner that uses Advanced Muscle Integration Technique (AMIT). Such a practitioner identifies muscles that are unable to hold strong under stress and re-integrates those weak muscles back into their properly functioning group. If you have unresolved knee pain sidelining you let us at Clear Point Wellness get you back in action.
Dr. Jeff
Your South Austin Chiropractor
