In the northeast many runners cross-train over the winter.  This is a good time to recover from injuries, strengthen weak areas, and get ready for the next season.  But how do you know if you are ready for the running season?  Two simple tests below will give you a quick insight into the health status of your muscular tissues.

Standing toe touch

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, keep your knees straight and reach toward the floor.  You should be able to touch the floor and only feel minor stretching equally in both hamstrings.  This should  be done WITHOUT warming-up.  A passing test is touching the tips of your fingers to the ground. A failed test occurs if any of the below findings occur.

• Can’t touch the floor
• Stretching in calves
• Stretching in back
• Focal spot of tension in hamstrings
• Unequal stretching in hamstring
• Pain

Forward lunge

Lunge forward with one leg and then push back with the same leg to the start position. Then repeat with other leg.  A passing test is a lunge that is balanced and effortless.  The left and right leg should feel stable and pain free. A failed test occurs if any of the below findings occur.

• Body leaning forward
• Unstable
• Painful
• Front knee dives in
• Fatigue quickly (should be able to do 10 reps on each leg without much effort)

If you fail either of these tests, then you are at a higher risk of injury while running.  Stretching, foam rolling, and strengthening will not make a sustained improvement on these tests.  The first step is to see if adhesion is causing the failed test.  Adhesions can cause all of the failed findings above.  To learn more about adhesions click the link below:

Adhesion

If you suffer with the same injuries every season and/or you failed a test, then click the button below to schedule an initial exam and get ready for running season!  Let us get to the root of your problem.

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice. Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

An article from the New York Times titled, “Sport Injures: When to Tough It Out“, recently caught my attention.  The main point of the article was to answer the question of whether you should go to the doctor or tough it out?  A quote from one of the doctors in the article is below:

“I think most folks should not go (to the doctors), because most general doctors don’t know a lot about running injuries,” he said, adding, “Most docs, often even the good sports docs, then will just tell you to stop running anyway, so the first thing is to stop running yourself.”

This quote brings about two very important points.

1. Your primary care physician, emergency room physician, and urgent care physician do not have enough training in overuse injury. They will prescribe rest, anti-inflammatories, ice and/or muscle relaxers which only cover up the pain in the short term allowing the problem to get worse.

2.  I do not like the advice to stop running or stop doing whatever activity aggravates your condition.  This may be good advice at first because it will allow your body to recover and reduce the pain but it didn’t fix the problem.  There is a reason why you have shin, hip or knee pain with running and getting a diagnosis is always the first step.

If you are experiencing any joint pain with activity, then your first stop should be at a soft tissue specialist for a diagnosis.  In my office, screening procedures and motion assessments are used to diagnose the source of the pain and special techniques are used to fix it.

It is impossible to write an article that would cover every scenario of when to see a doctor and when to tough it out. It is a good idea to have any pain checked out but below are some general guidelines of when to go see a soft tissue specialist:

• Shin pain-if you push through it, it can progress to stress fractures
• Elbow pain (tennis or golfers elbow)-left untreated it can progress to tendinosis which is degeneration of the tendon.
• Achilles tendon pain-can lead to degeneration of the tendon and possibly rupture.
• Heel pain/ plantar fasciitis-pushing through this will lead to further degeneration of the tissue causing pain even with sitting.
• IT band tendonitis-will cause chronic knee pain but the problem is usually at the hip.
• Pain in the same area with activity that gets better with rest but returns once you start the activity again.

If you get a random ache in a joint that only last a few minutes, then this is most likely not a reason to go see a doctor.  Aches that increase in duration and frequency should be checked out.

I am a soft tissue specialist located in the Buffalo/Western NY area. If you are experiencing pain, then reach out and schedule a 1-on-1 consultation through the link below. Then I can help you determine what your next step should be.

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice. Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

A recent article in the NY times (Common Knee Surgery Does Very Little for Some, Study Suggests) suggests that many people may be undergoing unnecessary knee surgery.

The studies they referenced in the article showed that people undergoing knee surgery for degeneration did no better than people that underwent sham surgery, physical therapy, or who took medication.  This research suggests that jumping into surgery may not be the answer and it is costing our healthcare system billions of dollars.

Meniscus (shock absorbing cartilage in the knee) tears are very common.  They can occur from trauma or degeneration.   The degenerative type occur without trauma and accumulate from the stress and strain of life.  MRI’s allow us to visualize degenerative changes in the mensicus which have many doctors rushing to surgery.  The research is showing that we shouldn’t be so quick to rush into surgery in these cases.

If you have knee pain or have an MRI showing degenerative changes in the mensicus or other tissue, then conservative care should be your first priority.  Adhesions can accumulate in the tissue surrounding the knee.  This can occur without any previous history of trauma.  Adhesions will act like glue and not allow the knee to move properly.  To see if you have limitations in your knee.  Perform the test pictured below.

If you cannot get your heel to your butt or you experience tightness, discomfort, or pain then this is a positive test. Adhesion can be the cause of this positive test.  If this test is positive or you are experiencing knee pain, then call our office to make an appointment.  At Phipps Soft Tissue and Spine, we provide non invasive hands-on treatment to break down adhesions. This will allow the joint to function properly and decrease pain.

This research confirms that it is usually wise to start with conservative care and move to more invasive treatments if necessary.  Removing the adhesions with non invasive hands-on treatment is the first step.  To get started click the button below.

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice.
Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

Why is pain a gift?

Pain is the bodies warning system that something is wrong.  If we didn’t have pain, we would slowly destroy our bodies and not even know it.

Unfortunately, we are trained to cover up pain.  Americans consume billions of dollars of pain medicine every year.  Pain medicine allows us to function when we shouldn’t.  It seems like the answer to shoulder, knee, back, elbow, neck, and foot pain is ibuprofen or some other type of pain medicine.  This may help in the short term but it sets you up for disaster down the road.  Many times pain medicine will allow you to irritated the bad tissue until it tears.  This may be why we see such a large number of rotator cuff tears and disc herniations.

Rest, ice, or pain medicine is not the answer to reducing your pain.  Muscle adhesion is the most common source of pain and stiffness and the most underdiagnosed. To determine the cause of your pain, click the button below to schedule an appointment.

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice.
Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

Have you ever heard the saying, no pain, no gain?  This saying can be a good thing or a really bad thing.  For example, if a triathlete starts swimming after a long break, it is probably going to be a painful experience for the first few workouts.  It’s hard to get oxygen, your arms are sore, and you are trying your hardest not to let your legs become a 60 pound anchor.  At first you have to push through the pain, and eventually it becomes easier and your body adapts. Pain in this case is a part of becoming better, stronger, and faster.  If that same triathlete has shoulder pain on their right side during swimming, then that’s a different story.  Joint pain is bad pain and indicates that the joint is not working correctly. Adhesion in the rotator cuff muscles will result in shoulder pain and if not corrected will lead to degeneration, tearing, and damage. Bad pain is your body’s way of saying STOP.  If you try to work though the pain and take anti-inflammatory medicine, it will only get worse because you will continue to beat the joint up until something tears.  If you are unsure if your pain is good or bad, contact us today (716-629-3100).

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice. Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

The goal of spinal decompression is to take the load off of the discs in your low back or neck. This can help take away neck pain, low back pain, and numbness/tingling in your hands and feet.  At Phipps Soft Tissue and Spine, we treat the adhesion to naturally decompress the spine.  Muscles that crosses a joint will stabilize and compress it.  In the neck and low back there are many muscles that cross these joints.  If you have adhesion in these muscles, they will increased load and pressure on your discs because the joints are not moving correctly.  Breaking down adhesion with special techniques will naturally decompress the spine and provide a healing environment and pain relief.

Dr. Phipps is an expert and diagnosing and treating muscle adhesion and has the skills and knowledge to accurately assess, diagnose and treat your pain.

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice. Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

The short answer is maybe, but eventually it will catch up with you.  I have many patients that come in and say they can usually work through the pain but this time it will not go away.  This response indicates to me that they never actually worked through the pain.  Their body compensated by loading up another area.  Eventually there will be no other areas to compensate to and pain will result.  Most of my patients are between the ages of 30-55.  This is the common age range when the body runs out of areas to compensate to.  One of the most common under diagnosed sources of pain is muscle adhesion.  If you have a nagging injury that will not go away or you have been “working through” the pain, call our office today.

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice. Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

Foam rolling is a great way to warm up before exercise, but it will never remove adhesion.

I am a big fan of foam rolling as a warm up.  It will warm up your muscles and prepare them for exercise.  However, you should never use foam rolling as a method of relieving pain or improving range of motion. The most common cause of pain and stiffness in the body is muscle adhesion and this is not treated or reduced with foam rolling.  Ignoring adhesion will lead to pain, degeneration, and joint damage. When you have musculoskeletal pain (joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons), then you need to be evaluated by a soft tissue specialist.

Dr. Phipps is a soft tissue specialist and an expert and diagnosing and treating muscle adhesion. Relying on foam rolling to get through your training sessions is dangerous and will eventually catch up to you. Dr Phipps will restore your function so you can be active your entire life.

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice. Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

Part 3 of 3: Click here for part 1 and part 2

After understanding how adhesion forms and what it can lead to, we can now focus on how to treat and reduce adhesion.  Adhesions are diagnosed and treated by a skilled certified provider.  Adhesions can’t be broken down by foam rolling or massage. There are two main methods of achieving this goal:

1. Manually (Dr. uses hands) – MAR (Manual Adhesion Release)
2. Instruments – The newest instrument/technique on the market today is Instrument Adhesion Release (IAR).

The key to breaking down adhesion in a muscle is finding it. This may seem very obvious but adhesion is very common and finding the relevant adhesion takes years of training. Once the proper diagnosis is made, treatment can begin.  MAR take advantage of the different attachment points of muscles to achieve maximum tension on the adhesion. These techniques are non-invasive and done exclusively through a skilled doctor’s hands.  Once the adhesions are broken down over a series of visits, the muscles can function normally again.  They can lengthen and contract with the appropriate force to allow for normal joint motion resulting in less pain for you.

If you have pain or stiffness, get the proper diagnosis first by clicking the button below.

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice. Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor

Part 2 of 3: click here for part 1

In part one, we covered how adhesions form, but how can adhesion lead to all of the following problems?

• Neck pain
• Low back pain
• Disc injuries
• Carpal tunnel
• Tennis elbow
• Golfers elbow
• Headaches
• Plantar Fasciitis

Adhesions can create abnormal movement of a joint resulting in pain. The easiest way to visualize this is to look at the shoulder joint. To simplify things, we will discuss the rotator cuff muscles, as they play the largest role in maintaining proper positioning of the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles that surround your shoulder.

If you were to lift your arms overhead, with or without weight, the rotator cuff muscles keep the joint in proper position.

Muscles adhesions will act like glue and limit the strength and flexibility of the muscles. Adhesions will limit the muscles ability to maintain proper joint position resulting in shoulder impingement. This can set the stage for bursitis, rotator cuff tear, and shoulder pain, especially in the front and outside of your shoulder.

We could break down every joint in the body the same way and the root cause would likely be altered joint movement from muscle adhesions.

Next time, we will explain what to do if you have pain.

Part 3: How to diagnose and treat adhesion?

*Please note that every patient is different. The content and tips displayed on this page are for educational purposes only, and do not substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a medical or healthcare provider, such as Dr. Phipps, for specific diagnosis and treatment advice. Williamsville, NY 14221 Chiropractor