FISHY Fish Oil Facts!

Here are some fishy facts about NSAIDS  (Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) and why you should start bumping up your Omega-3 and Omega-6 via fish oil instead to reduce inflammation. 

Below are some facts from Dr. Joseph Maroon.  Dr. Maroon was the 2009 Neurosurgeon for the Pittsburg Steelers.

FACT 1: "NSAIDS are the most common cause of drug-related morbidity and mortality reported to the FDA and other regulatory agencies around the world."

FACT 2: "More than 70 million NSAID prescriptions are written each year, and 30 billion over-the-counter NSAID tablets are sold annually."

FACT 3: "The agent best documented by hundreds of references in the literature for its anti-inflammatory effects is omega-3 EFAs found in fish and in pharmaceutical-grade fish oil supplements."

FACT 4: "To encourage the production of anti-inflammatory PGs (prostaglandins) and to discourage the production of inflammatory PGs, saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, and arachidonic acid should be reduced in the diet; blood glucose should be controlled; and appropriate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil should be consumed."

FACT 5: "Omega-3 EFA fish oil supplements appear to be a safer alternative to NSAIDs for treatment of nonsurgical neck or back pain."

We sell very high quality fish oil in our office.  You can order from us or you can talk to your doctor about giving you a prescription. 

Wanna know if your current fish oil stacks up? Check to see if it includes the following:

EPA & DHA should equal 1gram or 1000mg per serving

If you are taking Fish Oil for pain managment and reduction of coronary heart disease you must take 4 grams per day. 

Look for a fish oil that meets the serving size of 1g or 1000mg in as few caplets as possible. 

If you have any fishy questions, you can leave a comment here, or just ask us next time you're in! 

Foot Pain in the Morning! OUCH!

Do you wake up in the morning, step out of bed and feel as if your foot is on fire?
Does every first step after resting, driving, or sitting cause you incredible pain?
Are you wondering: "What's wrong with my foot?" 

If the answer to any of these questions is YES! You might have plantar fasciitis. 

Plantar Fasciitis is a condition of the foot that involves the connective tissue that lines the underside of the bones in your foot.  It most often results in heel pain, but can also cause pain along the outside of the foot and under the ball of the foot.  

This connective tissue is designed to stretch and move with you when you're walking.   When it gets tight it develops the tendency to rip (or form microtears).  These microtears are normal, but when they keep happening day after day the body has a hard time catching up with the necessary repair.   When you sleep at night your foot will often curl into a relaxed position.   If healing occurs in this relaxed position at night, the fascia will heal in a shortened position.   When you wake up in the morning and step down, you rapidly stretch the new healed connective tissue and the pain begins all over again! 

There are several ways to break the cycle of Plantar Fasciitis and one of them is chiropractic care.   Dr. Warner loves to treat Plantar Fasciitis.  She thinks the feet and hands are two of the most neglected areas of the body.  She became passionate about helping patients with plantar fasciitis when her mom was diagnosed in 2006.   There are so many tricks to help get you started on the way to healing as well.  Here they are:

Ice water bottle massage:  get yourself a water bottle and fill it with water, freeze it over night and then use it to roll on the bottom of the painful parts of your foot.   The ice will help reduce the inflammation.  Like we always say, ICE ICE ICE!

Next, get yourself a plantar fasciitis boot.  These boots help keep your foot in a position where the fascia is stretched while it is healing at night.  This helps prevent the super painful feeling when you step down in the morning, and it also helps stop the cycle of Plantar Fasciitis. 

We wanna help those tired feet of yours... if they're hurtin, make an appointment and have Dr. Warner check them out!

Knots in your back?! Time for a Massage!

One of the best things for tired muscles is a massage.   We're not talking about the soft, easy-going type of massage... we're talkin DEEP Tissue.   Why is this technique so much more effective?  Let us break it down for you...

Muscles are complicated, but to understand why they sometimes give you pain, you only need to understand one word: Trigger Point.   A Trigger Point is an area of muscle (not the whole muscle - just a section eg. B in the diagram below) that is stuck in a contracted state.   The rest of the muscle remains relaxed while these specific areas stay hard.  You've probably noticed them in your neck or lower back.  Most people describe them as "knots."

These "knots" or trigger points develop for all sorts of reasons: stress, injury, car accidents, depleted electrolytes.   Most people develop trigger points in their shoulders and necks.  The really interesting thing about trigger points (especially in the head, neck and shoulders) is that they can cause "referred pain."  Referred pain is pain that feels like it is in one location (say the head) but is actually coming from another point in the body (the Traps muscle).   Referred pain from trigger points is often the cause of a headaches that get worse at the end of the work day or when you are stressed. 

So how do we get rid of the trigger points????   This is where deep tissue massage comes in.   In our office Dr. Reno and Dr. Warner use two techniques.   The first is called "Trigger Point Therapy" and it involves direct pressure to the trigger point until a softening is felt under the finger tips.   Another therapy is MRT (Manual Release Technique) which involves direct pressure combined with specific patient movements.   If you've had one of these treatments in our office, chances are you've been told to "go to your happy place."  Unfortunately, like a lot of things in life, the harder it hurts the more benefit you're getting.   We tell all of our patients not to worry about being a little sore and to ICE ICE ICE!

Our office offers excellent deep tissue massage appointments.  You can book a full hour or a half hour.  Sometimes your insurance will even cover the cost of a massage!   So remember, the next time you're getting a massage, have 'em go deep and get those trigger points out... your shoulders will thank you.