What are these knots in my back and neck?? Are these normal? How do I get rid of them? This is a very popular question that we get asked here in the office at North Shore Pro-Active Health. Before we answer the question above let us talk about how muscle fibers work. Within skeletal muscle there are three types of fiber. Type one (I), type two A (IIa) and type two B (IIb). Each fiber types has different qualities in the way they perform and how quickly they fatigue.

Types of Trigger Points

Type I fibers are also known as slow twitch fibers. They are red in color due to the presence of large volumes of myoglobin (iron-oxygen binding protein) and high numbers of Mitochondria (power house of the cell). They are very resistant to fatigue and are capable of producing repeated low-level contractions by producing large amounts of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) through an aerobic metabolic cycle. The muscles containing mainly type I fibers are often postural muscles such as...

Arthritis is a very common diagnosis these days and the most important thing to remember is it’s not a death sentence.  I think people are very scared of the term arthritis, when it can be a very manageable condition.  By definition, arthritis means joint inflammation.  It refers to a group of more than 100 rheumatic diseases and other conditions that cause joint swelling and pain.

Some cases of arthritis can be helped by your chiropractor or massage therapist. Maintaining proper motion of a joint can prevent the damage caused by abnormal wear and tear.  Other cases of arthritis can be improved with diet changes and the addition of supplements.  Let us discuss a few types of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

This is the most common form and results from excessive wear and tear.  Most often OA affects the large weight-bearing joints of the body such as hips, knees and spine.  Repetitive stress, obesity and trauma can increase your risk for...

The Difference Between a Strain and a Sprain

A strain is a slight stretching or complete rupture/tear of muscle fibers.  This injury usually occurs between the muscle belly and the tendon of the muscle.  This can occur within muscle fibers when the fibers become over stretched or when the muscle generates more forces than it can stand.  There are three degrees for muscles strains:

• First-degree: involves over stretching of some of the muscle fibers which can cause point tenderness in the involved area, mild swelling, and pain with muscle contraction.

• Second-degree: involves some of the muscle fibers actually tearing. Some of the symptoms include point tenderness to the involved muscle, swelling, bruising, and pain with muscle contraction.

• Third-degree: involves a complete rupture/tear to the muscle fibers and blood vessels. Symptoms for this include pain, loss of function, evident defect where the muscle ruptured, swelling, and bruising.

A sprain is a slight...

One of the main questions we are asked here at North Shore Pro-Active Health is; “Should I be using ice or heat?” It is a very good question to ask since many patients are unsure of the answer. The answer is; it all depends on the injury type.  Is the injury in the acute phase or the chronic phase?

There are two basic types of athletic injuries: acute and chronic. Acute pain is of rapid onset and short-lived, or chronic pain develops slowly and is persistent and long-lasting. Acute injuries are sudden, sharp, traumatic injuries that occur immediately (or within hours) and cause pain.  Acute injuries also cause common signs and symptoms of injury such as pain, tenderness, redness, skin that is warm to the touch, swelling and inflammation. If you have swelling, you have an acute injury.

Chronic injuries, on the other hand, can be subtle and slow to develop. They sometimes come and go, and may cause dull pain or soreness. They are often the result of overuse,...

After deciding that Chiropractic care is right for you take a few minutes to research your options.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are currently almost 30,000  Chiropractors in practice in the United States.  Not only will their chiropractic education vary slightly since there are 17 different schools to choose from; but their post graduate classes and even pre-chiropractic experience will differ greatly.  Do your due diligence in finding not only an office but physician that you synchronize with.   There are four areas that I recommend investigating prior to making an appointment or committing to care.

Social Media

• Do they have a facebook page?  How many likes, comments, interactions do they have?
• Do they have a website?  Is it current?  Are there client testimonials?  A virtual tour?
• How are their Yelp reviews?  Do they interact with clients?  Address problem or less than perfect reviews?

The Office...

Differences Between Muscles Cramps, Spasms, and Soreness

Who has ever woken up in the middle of the night with the dreaded charlie horse cramp in their calf?? We have all heard about it but have you ever wondered why it happens? Listed below are the differences between a muscle cramp, muscle spasm and muscle soreness and how to help deal with and prevent them.

A muscle cramp is an involuntary muscle contraction. Meaning that the muscles fires without your control, and usually lasts for a short period of time.  There are many possible causes for muscles cramps such as: dehydration, electrolyte loss/imbalance, loss of sodium, low levels of magnesium, muscle fatigue, and lack of oxygen.

A muscle spasm is a reflex to something else that is going on in the body or trauma. There are two types of spasms that can take place: clonic and tonic. Clonic is an involuntary contraction that alternates between contraction and relaxation. Tonic is a hard, constant muscle contraction that lasts...

Have you heard of TRIGGER POINTS?

Trigger points are what people commonly refer to as muscle “knots”.  Trigger points are contracted muscle fibers within a muscle.  When muscle fibers are contracted, they are shortened. When the muscle is shortened, it affects the muscles strength and also the range of motion of that muscle.  These shortened fibers can also cause the muscle bundle to pull on its attachments which can cause pain in the joints they are attached to. Trigger points can be treated and eliminated with massage therapy as well as other soft tissue techniques like graston.

Trigger points can also cause referral pain in other areas of the body. It is possible to have trigger points in your back causing pain in your shoulder or vice versa. It is important to get your condition reviewed and examined by your chiropractor to determine what course of treatment would be best for you.

Inflammation is a word that is used often, yet hard to define.  Most of us have a hard time separating inflammation from an ankle sprain vs. inflammation contributing to heart disease and arthritis.  In order to understand how to fight it, it’s important to understand how and why it occurs!

Inflammation is a very common and innate response to an injury, pain or stress.  It is part of our bodies natural defense system to prevent something worse and/or speed up healing time.

Acute inflammation is the first response to an injury or pathogen.  It’s acute because it should only last several days or less.

Examples of what can cause this:

• Illness (virus, bacteria)
• Trauma (punch, kick, sprain)
• Burn
• Frostbite
• Allergic Reaction

There are a lot of players involved in the inflammatory process, but the basics are: heat, redness, swelling, and pain.  Thus leading to loss of function.  Acute inflammation is an important part of healing.  Follow...