How do I know if my pain is coming from a muscle or a joint?
So many patients have often asked “how do I know if my pain is coming from a muscle or a joint? The answer is—it’s usually both! You might wonder, “How can you say that without knowing my specific issue?” Because, in most cases, it’s a “chicken and egg” situation—they go hand-in-hand. Here’s why: Think of your muscles as a system of pulleys, each muscle attaches to two different joints. So, if a muscle is injured, in spasm, or out of balance, it pulls abnormally on one or both of those joints. This can cause small misalignments and inflammation in the joint. Which is exactly what we focus on treating with chiropractic care for muscle and joint pain!
Another analogy I like to use is that your muscles are like the canvas of a painting, and your joints and bones are like the frame. If the frame bends, it affects the canvas. If the canvas pulls too much, it can twist the frame. Similarly, joint misalignments create dysfunction, which leads to inflammation. This inflammation then triggers muscle spasms, which in turn worsen the joint dysfunction. The result? A viscous cycle where joint misalignment feeds muscle spasms, and spasms feed back into joint misalignment. This is why your symptoms either worsen or just don’t seem to go away.
So, how do we treat it?
This is where chiropractic—especially the Activator technique—really shines! Our treatments align the joints, reduce inflammation, and ease muscle spasms. With Activator care there is no twisting, popping or aggressively yanking on the joints. Activator is particularly effective because it uses a gentle, yet extremely precise thrust to adjust the joint. This creates maximum motion while minimizing inflammation instead of aggravating it. As the joints align, muscle tension decreases, and the body starts to heal and feel better.
This also makes other therapies, like massage or topical treatments (think CBD or Arnica), more effective. So, whether your pain started with a muscle strain or a joint misalignment, our activator adjustments at Desert Valley Chiropractic with the right care plan can address both to get to the root of the issue. This helps you feel better, move better, and ENJOY LIFE!
When searching for chiropractic care in North Phoenix, you might wonder if X-rays are necessary before starting treatment. The short answer? Not always! While some chiropractic techniques rely on X-rays to determine the best approach, Desert Valley Chiropractic takes a different route to deliver personalized and effective care.
Why Some Chiropractors Use X-rays
While some experts consider it controversial many chiropractic offices use X-rays to guide manual adjustments. This may help the doctor know exactly where and how to adjust. This is particularly important for techniques that involve rotation or extension of the spine, as these movements can stress the joints if not carefully controlled. X-rays provide a clear view of the spine’s structure, helping chiropractors perform these techniques safely.
Of course, there are still scenarios where X-rays can be beneficial, such as screening for injuries such as a car accident, pathologies, or other underlying conditions. If we believe an X-ray is necessary based on your symptoms, medical history, or response to care, we refer you to a trusted radiology facility. There, a board-certified radiologist will review your films and provide us with a comprehensive report.
The added bonus of this approach is that your X-ray results are stored in a patient portal, making them accessible to your other healthcare providers if needed. This way, you have a thorough record of your health history that goes beyond just your chiropractic visits.
What About the Radiation?
Some patients are concerned about the radiation of an X-ray. Rest assured they are safe. For example, the radiation from a chest X-ray is the equivalent to 10 days outside in the environment. So, if we determine an X-ray is necessary, we will discuss the reasons why and you can breathe easy because they are a sage diagnostic tool.
If You Don’t Use X-ray, What Do You Use?
As mentioned above we use technology called Myovision. MyoVision is an advanced diagnostic tool similar to an EKG for activity of heart Muscle. The Myovision scan provides detailed insights into how your muscles and spine are functioning together. This state-of-the-art technology uses surface electromyography (sEMG) to measure the electrical activity in your muscles. Giving us a real-time snapshot of any areas of muscle tension, imbalance, or stress. The MyoVision scan is quick, non-invasive, and completely safe. Making it an ideal tool to use during your initial exam and throughout your care plan to track your progress.
The data collected by MyoVision along with a physical exam helps us pinpoint problem areas that may not be apparent through traditional assessment methods. By understanding how your muscles are responding to nerve signals, we can fine-tune our treatment approach to ensure that each adjustment is as effective as possible.
At Desert Valley Chiropractic in North Phoenix, we utilize MyoVision technology to complement our Activator Methods technique, allowing us to deliver precise, customized care without the need for X-rays in most cases. This way, you can have confidence that your treatment is guided by the most accurate and up-to-date information available.
Why Choose Desert Valley Chiropractic?
With over 300 five-star Google reviews, we are proud to be one of North Phoenix’s top-rated chiropractic offices. Our patients appreciate the gentle approach of Activator Methods, which has made a life-changing impact on many people dealing with pain and discomfort. Whether you’re dealing with a recent injury, chronic pain, or just looking to maintain your health, we’re here to support your wellness journey.
Ready to experience the Desert Valley difference? Call us today at 602-439-1515 to schedule your first visit!
Whiplash is a common yet often misunderstood injury that affects millions of people each year. Statistics suggest that 3 million Americans will suffer with a whiplash injury on an annual basis. The economic burden is substantial and estimated to be 3 billion dollars annually.
Whiplash is an injury to the cervical spine or neck. It is a result of a sudden rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip. This sudden motion can cause damage to the neck’s muscles, ligaments, and nerves.
While whiplash is most commonly associated with car accidents, particularly rear-end collisions, it can also result from sports injuries, falls, or other traumatic incidents.
How to Diagnose Whiplash?
Proper diagnosis and understanding of an injury is essential to tailor the appropriate treatment. Thankfully diagnosing whiplash is not terribly difficult. To diagnose a whiplash injury your provider should perform the following:
Review mechanism of the injury – understanding all the facts about the crash is important to determine the status of an injury. For instance, was it a rear end collision, or were you hit from the side. Did your vehicle get pushed into another car, or did it spin after impact? The direction of these forces can have substantial influence on the injuries to the spine.
A detailed history of all symptoms and how life may have changed after the crash. Are you having trouble performing regular everyday activities at home, or is it more difficult to concentrate at work?
A complete examination of the areas of complaint including range of motion measurements and a full orthopedic evaluation.
A Computer Radiographic Mensuration Analysis (CRMA) – This is perhaps the most important step, because it can objectively determine the extent of a spinal injury. A CRMA involves a specific series of X-rays, that include images in flexion and extension. It is followed by a digital measurement of the films. The CRMA measurement will tell us if there is excessive motion of one bone over another, which is necessary to determine:
The amount of damage done to the supporting structures of the cervical spine.
The correct approach to your care.
If the injury related to a car accident will result in permanent damage.
What is Permanent Damage?
If there is excessive motion determined by the CRMA it indicates permanent damage to one or more ligaments supporting the spine. The technical term for this type of ligament laxity is an Alteration of Motion Segment Integrity (AOMSI). Essentially meaning that even after treatment, it is highly probable the injury will flare up from time to time. This can be important information to have when discussing your injury with the insurance companies or potentially attorneys.
If you or someone you know has been in a recent car accident and there are concerns about injury, Desert Valley Chiropractic may be able to help. We will sit with you and take the time to review all the factors around your crash and determine if we can help. Please call us at 602-439-1515 to schedule a consultation.
Chiropractic care has been helping CrossFit enthusiasts maximize performance and minimize injuries for a long time. CrossFit is an intense workout regime embraced by over 5 million people each year. Given its demanding nature, many CrossFitters, who often have sedentary jobs, find themselves prone to injuries. However, these injuries are not inevitable. Incorporating stretches, foam rolling, and other mobility exercises into your routine can significantly reduce the risk of injury. Additionally, chiropractic care offers numerous benefits for CrossFitters, enhancing their performance and overall well-being.
Chiropractic Care and Injury Prevention
CrossFit workouts involve high-intensity movements that can strain muscles and joints. Regular chiropractic adjustments help maintain proper alignment of the spine and joints, reducing injury risks during workouts. Poor form during lifts and exercises is a primary cause of injuries. Misaligned joints can lead to unintended poor form. Chiropractic care enhances joint function, increases range of motion, and improves form, thereby preventing injuries.
Get the Most out of your Workout
Proper joint alignment and function improves biomechanics of the spine or other effected joints. Improved mechanics allow you to get the most out of your workout, including more intense Crossfit workouts. When the body is in alignment, muscles function optimally, allowing athletes to generate more power and strength.
Recovery, Recovery, Recovery!!
CrossFit workouts can be intense, often resulting in muscle soreness and fatigue. Being in optimal alignment with Chiropractic adjustments will promote faster recovery by reducing inflammation, improving blood flow and aiding the body’s natural healing processes. The better your recover, the more you can perform on your next workout.
Enhanced Range of Motion
Flexibility and range of motion are crucial in all aspects of life, including CrossFit. It is important to have smooth movements to aid with proper form and technique. Chiropractic care improves joint function and reduces muscle restrictions, helping CrossFitters move more freely and efficiently. Given how much time we spend sedentary in front of a computer with poor posture, achieving full range of motion when starting to work out can be challenging. Regular chiropractic visits can significantly improve this.
Prior to any big workout including CrossFit it can be beneficial to warm up your core. Core engagement is critical to preventing significant injury during a workout. If we engage the core for a few minutes prior to a workout, it will be there to support us when we need it. Plus, it can help with your form, especially with more intense movements.
Also, don’t forget to stretch after the workout. You have spent all that time working your muscles, shortening them and putting stress on the surrounding joints. Take the time to lengthen those muscles after your work out. They’re already warmed up, they’ll have good blood supply and post workout stretching has been shown to reduce soreness and speed up recovery.
Overall, chiropractic care supports the health and performance of CrossFit athletes by addressing musculoskeletal issues, promoting better range of motion, optimizing overall function and faster recovery. It’s essential for athletes to work with qualified chiropractors who understand the unique demands of CrossFit training. At Desert Valley Chiropractic, we are dedicated to providing expert care to help you achieve your fitness goals safely and effectively.
In our office we see this all the time, patients will tell us it hurts right here! Then they point to the top of the glute area or sacroiliac joint (SI joint). It is a particularly common problem with people who sit a lot for work, even with an ergonomically correct set up. While there certainly can be multiple reasons to have pain to have a “pain in the butt” we typically will see problems with the fifth lumbar vertebrae (L5) and or an SI joint that has locked up.
The Anatomy of the problem:
The sacroiliac (SI) joint and the lumbar spine are intricately connected. They play vital roles in maintaining the stability and flexibility of the lower back and pelvis. The lumbar spine, composed of the five vertebrae in the lower back, supports much of the upper body’s weight and enables a range of movements, including bending and twisting. At the base of the lumbar spine lies the sacrum, a triangular bone that fits between the two ilium bones of the pelvis. This forms the sacroiliac joint or SI joints on either side.
These joints act as shock absorbers, distributing the forces exerted on the spine and pelvis during activities like walking, lifting, and running. The connection between the lumbar spine and the SI joints ensures a seamless transfer of weight and motion from the upper body to the lower limbs. This facilitates smooth and coordinated movements. However, any dysfunction in the SI joints can disrupt this balance, leading to pain and limited mobility. Understanding this connection is crucial for diagnosing and treating lower back and pelvic pain effectively.
Common Causes of the pain in your Butt (no its not your spouse):
Experts have difficulty estimating the number of people that suffer with SI joint pain because of the prevalence of low back complaints. Still, it is estimated that a third of the patient with low back pain also have pain related to joint dysfunction of the SI joint. This equates to roughly 204 million people world wide who have pain in and around the SI joints. There can be many factors that result in you having a pain in the butt including:
Repetitive Stress: Activities that involve repetitive motion, like running or heavy lifting, can strain the SI joint.
Too much sitting: Many people sit for long periods of time while at work, and this can put pressure into the SI joint and low back, as well as causing the muscles in the area to tighten up.
Prolonged standing: Standing for a long period of time, and sometimes standing on a hard surface can be hard on the SI joints, causing them to get inflamed and irritated.
Injury or Trauma: A sudden impact, such as a fall or car accident, can injure the SI joint.
Pregnancy: Hormonal changes and increased weight during pregnancy can put extra stress on the SI joint.
Arthritis: Degenerative arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis can affect the SI joint.
Poor Posture: Prolonged sitting or standing with poor posture can contribute to SI joint dysfunction.
Symptoms of SI Joint Pain:
The symptoms of SI joint pain can vary but often involve pain in the low back, pelvic pain, limited range of motion and worsening pain with movement. Some common examples include:
Pain rolling over in bed
Increase pain while standing
Increase in pain while sitting
Increase in pain while climbing stairs
Increase in pain while walking or running
increase in pain with large steps forward
Treatment Options for SI Joint Pain:
The treatments for SI joint pain may vary, but at Desert Valley Chiropractic we focus fixing the joint dysfunction so you can move and be pain free. We offer various treatment options for managing SI joint pain:
Chiropractic Adjustments: Using the Activator Methods technique, we can check and isolate if the problem is cause by joint dysfunction of the sacroiliac joint and or the lumbar spine. Then we provide precise adjustments to restore joint function and alleviate pain.
Physical Therapy: Tailored exercises and stretches can strengthen the muscles around the SI joint and improve flexibility.
Lifestyle Modifications: Recommendations for ergonomic changes, posture correction, and activity modification can help reduce strain on the SI joint.
Pain Management: Techniques like ice/heat therapy, massage, and over-the-counter pain relievers can provide symptomatic relief.
Referral to Specialists: In severe cases, we may refer patients to orthopedic specialists for further evaluation and treatment.
If we can help with your SI joint pain please schedule and appointment here or call us at 602-439-1515. Let’s work together to get you back to a pain-free life!
Let’s discuss one of the most common mistakes that we encounter at Desert Valley Chiropractic when talking with our patients. That is when to use ice or heat, but chances are you are doing it wrong. It’s really not that complicated complicated but knowing when to use either ice and or heat at the appropriate time can minimize pain and improve our healing time after injury.
Before we move on can you guess what the biggest mistake is? Keep reading for the answer so you can avoid it.
When should I use Ice?
The most common time to use ice is during the acute healing or inflammatory phase following an injury, and or after an increase in pain from a chronic condition. This occurs within the first 48-72 hours when the inflammation is at its peak. It is important to note that the inflammatory phase is a natural part of the healing process but It can be managed to reduce the effects an injury has on our body and bring relief from pain.
3 reasons to use ice in the first 72 hours.
Reduces swelling by constricting the blood vessels to minimize blood flow to the area and minimizes swelling.
Pain reduction because ice can numb the area temporarily offering pain relief.
Reduce inflammation by slowing down cellular metabolism and reducing the body’s natural inflammatory response.
Common forms of Ice
An ice pack
A bag of frozen Vegetables (please don’t try to eat them later)
Ice cubes in a towel or Ziploc Bag
When applying use a thin towel, you do not apply ice directly to the skin.
How long to apply Ice
It is appropriate to apply ice for 15 minutes at a time, and it is critical for you to repeat the process 3 or more times a day. Honestly, repetition is the key and the more often you ice during this phase the faster the swelling will reduce and the quicker you will heal.
Ice and Heat in Combination
Following the first 72 hours (3 days) after an injury you can use a combination of heat and ice. This is known as contrast therapy and it will help you to continue to maximize the body’s healing response. The time frame for contrast therapy is between 3rd to 7th days after injury.
The preferred order for contrast therapy is to use heat for 15 minutes, followed by rest for 15 minutes and then ending with ice for 15 minutes. The heat will open blood vessels improving circulation to the damaged tissue bringing the essentials the area needs to heal. However, heat can also cause more swelling, so we always want to end with ice to remove the excess swelling and minimize pain.
Heat
Let’s face it heat feels good when we use it, but easily the most common mistake patients make is to use just heat too soon after injury. Understand that heat when used correctly can be incredibly beneficial, but we always need to reduce the inflammation with ice first, and then we can consider heat therapy.
Benefits of Heat Therapy
Increases Blood Flow: Applying heat to an affected area helps dilate blood vessels, increasing blood flow. This can aid in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, promoting healing. Because of the increase in blood flow, it is important to note the timing with using heat. Limit your timing to 15-20 minutes per use. Longer than 20 minutes can cause a Vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels) which can then create a muscle spasm. It is perfectly ok to use heat 3 or more times a day, never longer than 20 minutes at one time.
Relieves Muscle Stiffness: Heat helps relax muscles, reducing stiffness and making it easier to move the affected area. This is particularly useful for chronic conditions such as arthritis. Keep in mind that if it is acute (sudden onset) muscle pain you want to use ice.
Reduces Pain: The soothing warmth can help alleviate pain by relaxing tense muscles and improving blood circulation.
Promotes Tissue Healing: By enhancing blood flow, heat can help speed up the healing process of damaged tissues.
When to Use Heat Therapy
– Chronic Pain: Conditions like arthritis, muscle stiffness, and old injuries benefit from heat application.
– Pre-Exercise: Applying heat before physical activity can loosen muscles, making them more pliable and less prone to injury.
– Relaxation: For general muscle relaxation and relief from everyday stress and tension.
