ART Graston technique

Why Text Neck is Such a Problem

June 5, 2018 by Jon Crooker

Text neck is a relatively new term, coined from the bent over position we find ourselves in while texting and the resulting pain it causes. The neck is a wonderful thing. It supports the weight of the head which on average is about 10 pounds.

However, that’s with the head in the position it should be, straight on top of the shoulders when standing. When the neck bends forwards and downwards, the law of gravity increases the weight of your head. A study published in the journal ‘Surgical Technology International’ showed that if you leaned forward by just 15 degrees the head weight feels more like 27 pounds.

A 45-degree angle and the head weight feels like 49 pounds, and with a 60 degree angle forward – common when texting or browsing the web on your smart device – and your head feels like 60 pounds! That means your neck is having to cope with an extra 50 pounds of weight – that’s a 500% increase. No wonder our necks are suffering!

Why is text neck so bad?

It’s true, looking down isn’t a new thing. We’ve been looking down to read for years. However, never before have we looked down for such long periods as we do since we could text, email and surf the web from our smart devices. In fact, according to a study from IDC, 79% of respondents had their phone on or near them for all but up to 2 hours of their waking day.

Preventing text neck

We aren’t asking you to give up your phone, but we are asking you to make some simple changes:

Keep your phone at eye level. The more you can avoid looking down and increasing the angle of your neck (which as we know increases the weight of the head) the less you’ll strain your neck
Take frequent breaks. Prolonged neck flexion is much worse than short bouts
Practice good posture. Stand up straight with your shoulder blades pulled back
Keep healthy. Stretch your back and neck regularly.

The neck is one of the most common areas of complaint we treat at Bryn Mawr Wellness. If you are feeling any sort of discomfort, then please book an appointment so we can assess what’s going on. We can then use the appropriate technique to get you back up to full health. We’ll also show you a range of stretches to help you keep that way.

The Philly Half and Full-Marathons: Helping You Stay Race-Ready

November 11, 2017 by Jon Crooker

The Philadelphia Marathon and Half-Marathon are next weekend and if you’re taking part, then you’re on the home-stretch. With that in mind, you’ll want to ensure that you remain injury free between now and then.

At Bryn Mawr Wellness, we offer a range of techniques to help you face race day in top condition. If you do sustain an injury or feel tightness in your muscles and joints this week, we can help keep you going so that all your hard work isn’t for nothing.

Deep tissue massage

Massages are often associated with stress relief but deep tissue massages are excellent for runners both pre- and post-race. Deep tissue massage focuses on not just the superficial layers of muscle, but the deep layers. They can be quite intense but help relief tight spots in muscles, which runners often experience.

Releasing the tightness gives you more flexibility and range of motion, helping you to run better. It also helps to prevent the muscles getting tense when pushed to their limits.

Active Release Techniques to keep in alignment

Active release technique is a soft tissue therapy that focuses on releasing tension in the muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerve points. During training, you can damage muscle tissue and if left untreated it can reduce performance as well as develop into a larger problem.

With active release technique we work on breaking down scar tissue to increase mobility and strength back to the muscle.

Adjustments

One of the most common treatments that we undertake, adjustments are used to re-align movement to a vertebrae that’s lost its ability to move the way in which it was designed. A lack of alignment can affect your whole body and place unnecessary strain on other muscles, resulting in injury. Being in alignment optimizes nerve conduction and flow, which improves the overall performance of your body.

Graston Technique

The Graston Technique® is essentially used to address a body’s limited range of motion caused by scar tissue. Using a specifically designed stainless steel instrument we increase the rate and amount of blood flow to and from an area which helps to reduce inflammation, heal muscles, speed the healing process and lessen one’s recovery time. This is a great technique if you have sustained a minor injury but still want to compete and is excellent for post-race recovery.

Pre-and post-race day

Our aim is to ensure that your muscles and your joints can withstand as much stress as possible. While training, try to listen to your body and don’t leave any discomfort until it’s too late. Coming in for a check up pre-race will help us to identify and eliminate any problems. Undertaking treatment after race-day will help speed your recovery… ready for your next challenge!

Enjoying a Safe Sports Year

October 14, 2016 by Jon Crooker

It’s fantastic when your kids enjoy playing sports and join the various sports team either at school or neighborhood leagues. Currently the number of sports injuries sustained by young people is on a dramatic rise and is quickly becoming a concern for parents, teachers and coaches.

Approximately, three million children and adolescents visit the hospital emergency room each year with a sports-related injury and another five million visit their primary care physicians, specialists including chiropractors.

Injuries range from sprains, strains, fractures and breaks. At Bryn Mawr Wellness ,we are seeing a lot more of these injuries among our young patients. We offer a large range of treatments including diversified adjustments, physical therapies, therapeutic exercises and techniques. In combination, all these treatments will help with recovery and pain management so the body can heal. It is also vital to the recovery to follow the doctor’s suggested exercises and treatments for home care.

Preventing injuries

Injuries can and will happen but there are number of steps you and your children can take to lower their risk:

Warm up and cool down. If you try to run or stretch a muscle without first warming up it is more prone to injury. Stretching after exercise is essential to keep muscles flexible and ensure a wide-range of motion is maintained.
Keep hydrated. Muscles can cramp when not hydrated, making them more susceptible to strains. Dehydration can also result in loss of concentration or feinting, both putting your child at risk of injury.
Follow proper technique. Injuries can occur through bad form. Ensure that you trust the coaches to look out for, and correct, form at each practice session.
Wear the correct equipment. In very physical sports like football and hockey, it’s essential that your child always wears the right protective equipment and that it fits properly. This will help aid in injury prevention.

Over-use injuries

Aside from strains and sprains, one of the most common injuries we treat are over-use injuries. Kids are now playing one particular sport with serious intent from a young age and this can result in injuries and pain from repetitive use of a specific set of muscles.

Over-use injuries can be prevented or kept to a minimum by following the above advice. Adding other forms of exercise into the mix can help, ensuring that muscles are worked in a different way. In addition, a well-known techniques known as “The Graston Technique” can also help as it reduces the scar tissue that can build up through chronic over-use.

Kids don’t have to give up their sports, we just have to help them be more aware of injury prevention and protection. If injury does occur… help is available to get them back in the game.

Tips for Golfers to Maintain Good Back Health

April 29, 2015 by Jon Crooker

Golf is a lifelong game that brings families, friends and colleagues together. It is a game enjoyed by many both recreationally and professionally. Whether you’re an infrequent player or someone who hits the links every day, there is a good chance you’ve experienced lower back pain as a result of your golf swing.

According to Titleist Performance Institute, 23 percent of professional golfers play with low back pain and 28 percent of golfers in general deal with low back pain after every round of golf.

A little effort to improve form and reduce low back pain can go a long way both on and off the course.

Key Muscles Used in Golf
Massage therapist Tom Myers talks about the Spiral Lines in his book Anatomy Trains. This is a ribbon-like band of muscles, connected by fascia: it wraps around the body and is the chain of muscles that rapidly contract and then stretch with movement. This band of muscles is particularly essential for the golfer who wants to maximize efficiency. These muscles must be free of dysfunction in order to golf efficiently.

How Chiropractic Medicine Can Help Your Game
A golfer’s swing requires a great deal of mobility, balance and muscle coordination. There are two manual chiropractic therapies that can help your body move properly: ART® and Graston Techniques®. These techniques help to create dynamic stability at a joint by encouraging proper motor control.

The combination of chiropractic joint manipulation in addition to ART®, Graston Techniques®, and myofascial therapy fosters total-body stability through motor control and dynamic stability.

Spinal discs don’t like rotation, flexion or rapid movements, all things that are key to the golf swing. This is made far worse if the golfer doesn’t have the adequate balance of sacroiliac, core or lumbar stability and mobility. Chiropractic care can help to alleviate pain and protect spinal/disc health.

The Importance of a Proper Swing
The golf swing requires multiple joints to either move or to stabilize. It requires this in a tiny amount of time and with an immense degree of power. If anything is off, the body quickly has to compensate. In other words, if the ankle isn’t moving enough then the knee or hip is going to have to move into an awkward position to achieve the motion needed for the swing. This will force the spine to rotate over an unstable base. This is how injuries occur. Maintaining balance and sustaining mobility through chiropractic methods can help to avoid injury on the golf course.