Thursday, December 16, 2021

What are the benefits of chiropractic with electrical muscle stimulation?

The road to rehabilitation can be lengthy and winding at times. Patients are anxious to get back to their usual lifestyles and favorite hobbies once they begin to feel better. Chiropractors play a crucial role in guiding patients through this process. They use a variety of therapeutic strategies to help patients achieve their rehabilitation goals as quickly as feasible. Electrical muscle stimulation is one of these approaches.
 

Let's learn more about EMS, including its benefits, how it works, and the conditions it can help with. 

What is electrical muscle stimulation?
EMS is a focused rehabilitation treatment that can be combined with manual therapy and other rehabilitation activities and therapies. It aids healing by stimulating certain muscles, preventing atrophy, and increasing strength. Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) can be used to treat pain and regain muscle strength after an injury, surgery, or spasm.  

How does it work?
EMS works by delivering moderate electrical pulses to the targeted muscle region to maintain or recover muscle strength. Chiropractors use electrodes to induce muscular contractions on the patient's skin. The electrical impulses are designed to mimic brain messages and the body's natural response. 

Electrical
stimulation relieves pain by stimulating specific nerves. Chiropractors employ electrodes to direct electrical pulses to specific regions of the nervous system in order to inhibit pain signals from reaching the spine and brain. Endorphins, which are natural pain relievers, increase due to the stimulation. 

The advantages of electrical muscle stimulation:
The advantages of EMS can benefit a wide range of individuals with various ailments. 

Physiotherapy:
Physiotherapy patients can use EMS to help reawaken muscle responsiveness while recovering from surgery or an accident. Electrical stimulation, for example, has been demonstrated to strengthen quadriceps following ACL reconstruction surgery. Electrical muscle stimulation can be used in a
physiotherapy program with specific exercises. EMS can improve engagement in therapeutic activities while also addressing flaws.
Rehabilitation:
EMS also helps patients recover from major injuries increase their mobility and strength. It can be used in rehabilitation and occupational therapy program. The stimulation helps retrain muscles to adapt to the body's natural impulses and increase strength. When patients are striving to re-learn basic motor tasks, this is helpful. 

Long-term care: This sort of electrical stimulation allows patients who have had a spinal cord injury or paralysis to keep their muscles engaged. Electrical stimulation helps critically ill patients exercise and preserve muscular tone that would otherwise deteriorate due to lack of activity. 

Pain management:
Electrical stimulation can also help patients who are suffering from chronic pain. This sort of therapy
uses a different wavelength to target the body's nerves. This drug-free therapy can provide relief by suppressing the function of pain receptors that send signals of discomfort to the brain. 

Athletic training:
Electrical muscle stimulation helps elite athletes achieve a competitive advantage. It has been used to help athletes improve strength, boost performance, and promote muscular reaction in a range of sports. Types of EMS
When working with patients, rehabilitation doctors and physiotherapists employ several methods of
electrical muscle stimulation.
 

NMES:
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a type of physiotherapy that helps people recover faster after an injury or surgery. This type of EMS aids in the recovery of muscular responsiveness and
strength. The goal is to return to normal function and activities in a shorter amount of time. NMES can also be utilized to improve sports and strength training programs by enhancing muscle conditioning.

Russian Stimulation:
Similarly, electrical stimulation improves muscle contraction and strengthens weak muscles.
TENS:
TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and it is a sort of therapy used to treat both acute and chronic pain. TENS works by interrupting the pain signals that wounded tissues send through the body's nerves.
IFC:
Electrical stimulation with interferential current (IFC) is a type of stimulation used to reduce pain and improve circulation to wounded tissues in the body.
High voltage stimulation:
Chiropractors can use EMS with a high voltage to help wounds heal faster.
Iontophoresis:
Electrical stimulation can also be used to deliver medications through the skin. It is used to reduce inflammation, reduce swelling in a specific location, regulate scar tissue growth, and relax spasming muscles.
 

What patients should expect with EMS?

You might be hesitant to use EMS as part of your physiotherapy program. However, we can promise you that it sounds far more unpleasant than it is. Therapy usually lasts between 9 and 15 minutes. During therapy, you may most likely feel a tingling sensation and experience a recurrent tensing in the muscle. EMS should never be a painful experience. The chiropractor will place little electrodes on your skin during your appointment. The sticky electrode pads are placed all over the area that will be stimulated. The pads are connected to the EMS device, which provides the appropriate electrical current through wires.
Muscle Therapy:
During this period, the therapist will control the electrical current's intensity. This usually entails starting with a low amount of stimulation and progressively increasing it. As a result, the targeted muscles will contract more forcefully. While the pulses are being given, your therapist may instruct you to do a specific gesture.
Nerve Therapy:
The patient is urged to relax during the EMS therapy session to ease pain or muscular spasms.
When EMS is not recommended?
Patients with pacemakers, implanted heart devices, some forms of skin sensitivity and disease, and pregnant women should avoid EMS.
 

Visit Sheets Chiropractic to get assistance on EMS.

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Advantages of Spinal Decompression Therapy

 People who have chronic neck discomfort or lower back pain are treated with spinal decompression therapy. It entails exerting pressure on the spinal cord or utilizing the spinal cord's strength. The spinal cord gets stretched as a result of this.
Spinal decompression therapy is divided into two categories. Surgical and non-surgical spinal decompression therapy is available.

Non-surgical spine decompression therapy focuses on locating the source of the spinal cord pain. The spine is then stretched and a gentle push or pressure is administered. The location and force of the spinal column are altered by this pressure. The pressure on the spinal discs is relieved as a result of this alteration. And the bulging or ruptured discs retract, relieving pressure on the nerves and other spine components.
In chronic situations of back pain, Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy is done. The basic concept is the same as the non-surgical procedure, which is to lengthen the spine, but this time surgically. There may be a need to use spinal fusion to help stabilize the spine in this procedure.

Benefits of spinal decompression:
At some point in their lives, everyone suffers from neck or lower back pain. However, if the agony you're experiencing radiates to your arm, shoulder, or leg, you may have degeneration or a herniated disc pinching the nerve. Decompression of the spine can assist reduce pressure on the nerve that is causing the pain.
Spinal decompression is a non-invasive traction treatment that involves using a specially designed motorized table to release pressure, restore disc space, and encourage natural healing. When the strain on the disc is reduced or removed, it can typically return to its original position, alleviating discomfort caused by conditions like:

  • Herniated or degenerated disc
  • Spinal arthritis
  • Spinal Stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
  • Nerve root pressure

Fortunately, Sheets Chiropractic has a spinal decompression table on hand. Patients no longer have to worry about being referred to a specialist, which has become a vital addition to our holistic portfolio of services. Because of the treatment's popularity, we're even considering getting a second decompression table.

Here are five reasons why spinal decompression treatment is a good idea:

  • It's highly effective — Studies show that spinal decompression can help you avoid surgery 75-85% of the time if you're nearing the point where you might need surgery due to a damaged disc. The success rate for individuals with a herniation is substantially greater, at 85-95 percent.
  • The goal of spinal decompression therapy is to provide pain relief in a non-invasive manner. As the table moves, patients lie on a table with their waists or the base of their heads strapped in. There is no downtime and no need for medicines.
  • Long-term outcomes — it’s important to remember that spinal decompression is a process. On average, it takes six to eight sessions to notice a reduction in discomfort. Each pull pushes nutrients into the discs, helping them to hydrate. The herniation is also retracted into the disc. If done appropriately, this form of treatment can produce long-term outcomes.
  • Improved posture – Poor posture, which disrupts the natural alignment of the spine, is the source of many of the pain concerns we confront. Nerve interference is removed via spinal decompression. Many patients see a significant improvement in their overall posture when they combine routine chiropractic care with it.
  • It's a process — because we have a decompression table in our chiropractic office, you may rest assured that your treatments will be effective. Depending on whether the pain is in the neck or lower back, treatments can take 20 to 30 minutes.

Call us today
Sheets Chiropractic combines balanced chiropractic procedures for correcting bone abnormalities with a holistic approach to healing that discovers the true cause of your suffering. Because we provide treatments not found in many chiropractic offices, we are the go-to family chiropractor for patients of all ages. This enables us to treat a variety of conditions, including back pain, poor posture, and range of motion difficulties, post-injury treatment, a herniated disc, scoliosis, and more.


Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Chiropractic Care Can Help You Perform Better in Sports and Avoid Injuries

Did you know that nearly 30 million youngsters participate in youth sports? On fields, courts,and rinks around the country, that's a lot of kids! Participating in young sports has a lot of benefits, but those players also run the danger of getting wounded every time they play or practice. Chiropractic therapy, fortunately, is an excellent technique to improve athletic performance and decrease injury.

Chiropractic care is a gentle and safe technique to assist your young athletes to avoid injury and possibly improving their sports performance. 

Reaction time:
Research published in the Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation found that athletes who underwent 12 weeks of chiropractic care improved their reaction speed by 30% compared to those who did not.
 

Strength:
Another study discovered a link between chiropractic therapy and increased strength. This is significant because increased strength translates to improved performance and reduced injury risk. The electrical activity in patients' arms and legs was examined in that study, which indicated a significant increase in a cortical drive (and muscle contraction) after the correction. Researchers found an 8% increase in plantar flexor muscle strength in elite taekwondo players after a single session of chiropractic care in another investigation on the association between strength and chiropractic.
 

Oxygenation:
Finally, according to a study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, baseball players who had chiropractic therapy had higher capillary counts. A larger capillary count leads to oxygen-rich blood flow, which is necessary for excellent muscle function, performance, and repair.

If your child participates in young sports, there are various things you can do to assist them to improve their skills and avoid injury:

  • Regular chiropractic care is essential.
  • Before practice and games, warm-up.
  • After practice and games, stretch and cool down.
  • Get a lot of rest.
  • Stay hydrated during and after your game.

You undoubtedly already put a lot of effort into ensuring that your children are safe while participating in sports that they like. You spend money on mouth guards, helmets, pads, and other protective equipment, as well as courses and coaching, and you even invest time studying and teaching regulations to avoid injuries. Why not consider regular chiropractic adjustments as a gentle, effective method to improve your child's athletic performance and reduce their chance of injury?

Athletes and non-athletes alike benefit from chiropractic care in the following ways: 

Reverse the damage done to the body by sports:
Strength, flexibility, speed, and coordination are all factors that influence athletic performance. Sports participation is promoted due to the numerous advantages. When a person plays, they not only gain exercise, but they also improve fine motor skills, learn about collaboration and fair play, and, of course, make new friends. But their bodies are also taking impact no matter what sport they are playing.
 

When the spine's mobility and/or alignment are faulty, the ensuing vertebral subluxations can cause specific areas of irritation in the nervous system, interfering with the other systems' optimal operations. As a result, athletic performance declines as a result of this. When athletes are adjusted regularly, they frequently credit their success to chiropractic therapy.

Chiropractic therapy can help with a range of sports injuries, including:
Athletes can benefit from chiropractic treatment in a variety of ways. Wrestling, football, and hockey all have high-impact sports, and adjustments can help with those injuries, but they also have other benefits. High-impact sports have been demonstrated to put the body under the same degree of stress as a car accident. Athletes who receive routine adjustments may experience improvements in sports performance, range of motion (particularly in endurance athletes), flexibility, blood flow, and injury prevention. Because spinal adjustments lessen then irritation of the nerve roots between the vertebrae, minor injuries can heal faster, allowing you to perform better.
 

Injury Prevention:
Any chiropractor who specializes in treating athletes should be prepared to treat the full person and create a thorough injury-prevention program. Traditional orthopedic exams, neurological examinations, and consideration of supplementing physical exam findings with any other diagnostic evaluations, if suitable, or a referral if required should all be part of the first evaluation. Chiropractic therapy has been shown in numerous studies to aid athletes in achieving their peak performance. The runners healed rapidly, and seven of them achieved "personal best: times while receiving chiropractic care, but other variables may have played a role.
 

To decrease pain:
The spine is a vital physical structure that houses a variety of pain-sensitive tissues, including joints, muscles, nerves, discs, and ligaments. Any of these issues can be subjected to excessive stress and strain if there are any aberrant alignment patterns in the spinal column. Chiropractic adjustments were consistently better than alternative medical methods in reducing the intensity of acute low back pain and restoring normal function, both for short-term and long- term effects, according to a recent paper examining the effectiveness of spinal manipulation.


For consultation and chiropractic adjustments, contact us.