99 Cracker Barrel Drive, Suite 200
Barboursville, WV 25504
(304) 733-4616
February 2022 Newsletter
In this Issue:
1. Spinal Degeneration
2. Sugar Swaps
3. Mysterious Shoulder Pain
4. Active Release Technique (ART)
5. Meet our Massage Therapist, Jason
What is it?
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The majority of the time, spinal degeneration is the body's natural response to aging and it’s going to happen regardless, depending on genetics and lifestyle. It can increase quickly in certain vertebrae or it may be a gradual process when the spine is subluxated or fixed, and that's where we come in and help that vertebra to move like it's supposed to by taking x-rays and diligently evaluating.
Is it causing pain?
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Degeneration is not a very good indicator that a patient is having pain. X-rays of older patients that have degeneration may have no neck pain, and patients with younger spines may have neck pain. There is a big variety in certain populations on how much spinal degeneration they have. Degeneration can complicate and contribute to some pain like bone spurs growing into a nerve but most of the time that’s unlikely. Adjustments can help and keep vertebra moving, but other stuff like sleep, exercise, diet, and stress need to be considered or having a trauma/injury.
Did you know the daily recommendation of sugar is less than 25 grams per day? Excess sugar and sugar replacements have been known to contribute to both depression and gut issues. When we notice that our bodies are screaming for help, it makes sense to begin by evaluating the things we put in to our bodies!
Lifestyle changes don’t happen overnight. Sometimes baby steps can make a big difference and choosing better options doesn’t have to be difficult.
Sugar is everywhere... it can be difficult to avoid. If we're equipped with knowledge of what are good alternatives and bad alternatives to commonly purchased products, navigating the grocery aisles becomes a bit easier and less overwhelming. That's why we've created this small intro to sugar swaps to get your mind thinking.
To see our swaps, click here.
Mysterious Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is a complaint we see frequently at Short Chiropractic. Job #1 for us is to find the cause of the pain - and that can be a mystery. Often, the pain is coming from something other than the shoulder joint. Pinched nerves in the cervical spine (neck) can cause pain to radiate through the shoulder or an inflamed joint in the cervical spine can cause pain to be referred to the shoulder. In a similar fashion, the gallbladder or heart can refer to pain in the shoulder region. Even the upper thoracic spine and upper ribs can generate pain through the back of the shoulder.
If the shoulder joint (3 bones, 4 articulations and numerous muscles and ligaments) is the source of the pain, then which specific tissue(s) is involved? Once that’s determined, we can peel back another layer and ask ourselves, why is that tissue painful? Are there underlying biomechanical issues causing tissue strain? For example, rounded shoulders is a very common postural deviation that we find with the majority of patients with shoulder muscle/tendon trouble. We want to work to find a solution to the issue that will give you the best results...
Active Release Technique (ART)
ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles.
Meet Jason Watson, LMT
Jason has practiced massage for 7 years in the tristate helping the community achieve a better quality of life through pain reduction and improved mobility. He graduated from MCTC where he has returned to teach massage techniques (Deep Tissue and Clinical Massage) for 4 years.He has worked with various physical therapy departments as well as the Marshall University Football Team for 7 winning seasons.
He studied with James Waslowski receiving a certification in Manual Therapy using a range of modalities to achieve homeostasis, including: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Technique (PNT), Active Release, Myofascial Release Therapy, Deep Tissue, and Relaxation.