ATHLETICS & PERFORMANCE

SHIN SPLINTS

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WHAT EXACTLY ARE SHIN SPLINTS, AND HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELP?

Shin splints are pain in the front of the lower leg. They occur on the tibia bone. This condition is common in runners, athletes, and generally anyone who exercises. Shin splints usually happen during or after a change in the intensity of physical activity, such as running more miles or more frequently. Shin splints are not a standard medical diagnosis. The condition may also be called medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), anterior tibial pain or exercise-induced leg pain.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF SHIN SPLINTS?

Not taking time to rest and heal and using the leg muscles too intensely can lead to swelling, inflammation of the tendons or muscles and tissue covering the shin. Symptoms can range from a dull, tight feeling to a sharp pain along the shin. Ouch!

Factors that increase your chances of shin splints:

  • Running long distances or on hills or uneven surfaces
  • Training incorrectly or too much
  • Switching your routine
  • Wearing the wrong shoes
  • Not warming up properly
  • Foot problems
  • In addition to excessive training, other conditions can also lead to pain in the shins, such as:

Flat feet

  • A very rigid arch of the foot
  • Chronic anterior compartment syndrome (when the large muscle on the front of the lower leg becomes too large for the tissue that surrounds it)
  • Stress fractures

CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR SHIN SPLINTS

Shin splints will often go away with basic therapy, which involves:

  • Rest
  • Ice
  • Massage
  • Rehabilitation exercises
  • Stretching
  • Kinesio taping

However, if the shin splits don not clear up quickly, your chiropractor will look for other problems that may be contributing to the pain. This includes examining your spine, hips, knees and feet for misalignments.

One problem with the foot that can lead to shin splints is over pronation — or “rolling in” of the foot. This condition causes over-stretching in the shin muscles. If this is the case, your chiropractor may prescribe a foot orthotic for you. This will adjust how your foot strikes the ground.

If you have shin splints, reach out to us!

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AND CHIROPRACTIC CARE

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athlete chiropractic care

“According to Kyle Prusso, DC, team chiropractor for the Oakland Raiders since 2005 and president of Pro Football Chiropractic Society, an organization of chiropractors who provide the highest quality chiropractic health care to the elite athletes of professional Football: “It’s great to see chiropractic care integrated in all facets of health care, especially in professional and amateur sports. One of the reasons is that athletes are asking for us, with increased player requests driving utilization of chiropractic across all sports. Athletes are very in tune with their bodies and recognize that chiropractic care can boost optimal performance levels.”

Every professional football team knows the importance of having their spines checked.  It optimizes performance and balances out their entire body.  Professional athletes maintain health by using chiropractic, and so should you!  Since we are chiropractors in Fort Collins, Colorado, we are proud of the Denver Broncos for taking care of their players’ spines.  Go Broncos!

Quote by Kyle Prusso can be found at https://circleofdocs.com/super-bowl-50-and-the-chiropractors-serving-each-team/

OUR 30 DAY CHALLENGE STORY, THE HALF WAY POINT

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Hello Everyone! As some of you may know, Impact Chiropractic is halfway through the 30 Day Challenge.  If you are joining us, we hope it is going well and would love to hear your half way results.  Dr. Elise and Dr. Lara are loving it so far, both having lost over 5 pounds already and their energy levels are sky rocketing.  We know that these positive lifestyle changes are vital to our health and well-being.

For those of you who don’t know what our 30 Day Challenge is, let’s dive in to all it’s greatness.

The Basics:

We are aiming to take control of our health and our lives.  We will continue to prevent and reverse sickness and disease through healthy lifestyle choices.  We are learning a food plan that works, not a diet.  We will listen to our bodies and exercise appropriately.  We will eliminate toxic exposures which can lead to dis-ease.

Essentials for Succeeding our Challenge:

Mindset: What we needed to do first before starting any diet/lifestyle change is get our minds right.  With self-doubt or negative thoughts, nothing will change for the better.  Your biggest limitation is yourself, so we need to set goals and empowering beliefs.

Nerve Supply:  To simply state it, the health of your nervous system is a reflection on the health of your entire body.  If your nervous system is lacking or working improperly, there is no way you can ever reach your full potential.  Always get your nervous system checked and tuned up by a chiropractor.

Nutrition:  This is a big one during our 30 Day Challenge.  The “common” American diet is leading us to more sickness and disease now that ever before.  Our “food” is filled with junk (pesticides, chemicals, SUGARS) and is not nourishing our bodies.  We’re cutting our process sugars, grains/wheat, alcohol, processed crud and we have been focusing on organic produce, grass-fed meats, and healthy fats.  If you can’t read something on the food label, don’t eat it… Better yet, your food shouldn’t have a food label.

Incorporate Exercise:  Motion is an essential part to life.  For our challenge, we are encouraging High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).  We’re doing them in the office on Monday and Wednesday nights, and man they are intense… but fun!  We’re elevating our workouts by using our “Vibe Plate,” which is used for neuromuscular re-education.  These workouts are quick and effective, so there is no excuse to skip them.

Eliminating Toxins: Going back to chemicals, they are found everywhere in our lives.  Whether its in our cleaning products, shampoos, makeup, water, food… it’s nearly impossible to avoid them all.  But what we are doing is paying attention to the things we can control: making our own cleaners, going organic, using glassware instead of plastic containers.  The less chemicals in your life, the better it will be.

This 30 Day Challenge is a great way to kick of 2017 by losing weight, but it’s so much more than weight loss.  If you are already at a healthy weight, but still unsatisfied with something in your life, here are some “non-scale goals” to achieve on the 30 Day Challenge:

  • Get rid of headaches
  • Improved digestion
  • Beat your addiction to sugar
  • Balance your hormones
  • Improved sleep/less fatigue
  • No more brain fog
  • Improved mood
  • No more anxiety
  • Skin improvements
  • SO MUCH MORE

As you can see, this challenge can be about much more than weight loss.  It’s important to keep your body as healthy as possible, it’s the only one you get.