Dr. Kyle Grisius
Chiropractic Physician, Owner of Midtown Chiropractic and Natural Medicine
What is Chiropractic
Dr. Kyle Grisius • August 30, 2022
What is Chiropractic and why it can help you stay in the gym
- What is Chiropractic
- 10 Facts about back pain you need to know
- Keeping you active and in the gym
What is Chiropractic
- We’ve all heard the stories from friends or family about how they went to the Chiropractor and never came back. Only to be sold a treatment plan that was cookie cutter, time consuming, and didn’t really get you the results you were looking for. Well, I’m here to tell you that modern Chiropractic is going to change your mind on why you need to have a Chiropractor on speed dial.
- Chiropractors are now recognized as highly trained physicians in the anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics of the human body. For comparison, medical doctors spend about 4,400 hours in school, and about half of that time is studying drugs. Doctors of Chiropractic spend 4,200 hours in school of which all is related to the human body. Medical doctors, orthopedics, surgeons, and the American Medical Association all support Chiropractic as a first line of defense for musculoskeletal injuries, specifically back and neck pain.
- As we see a major shift in the medical landscape and the growth of holistic, conservative medicine, Chiropractors are now leaders in managing people’s overall health. Chiropractors are no longer looked at as spine only doctors, as our education and training are more focused on a whole-body approach allowing us to treat all types of injuries and ailments.
- Some common injuries that Chiropractors treat
- Low back pain
- Neck pain
- Postural issues
- Shoulder or rotator cuff pain
- Sciatica
- Foot and ankle injuries
- Muscle pulls or tears
- Sports injuries
- Headaches and Migraines
10 Facts about back pain you need to know.
- Here are some astounding numbers to emphasize why you need to have a Chiropractor on speed dial.
- According to decades of research, low back pain is about as common as the flu. Nearly 80% of people will experience low back pain in their life, with about half of those people experiencing the pain as a chronic condition.
- Medications DON’T WORK. Even though prescription drugs are almost always prescribed for back and neck pain, the research shows that they don’t work. Period.
- Women have it worse. If women didn’t have enough to deal with already, why not pile on the back pain. The biomechanical and hormonal changes around pregnancy, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, and menopause are all major contributing factors to back pain.
- Treating back pain is very expensive in the traditional approach (medical doctor, drugs, x-rays). The average cost of back pain in nearly 5x more expensive when you see a medical doctor first compared to a Chiropractor.
- If you ignore the pain, it’s going to come back. Nearly 60% of the time the pain will return within 3 months if you don’t seek treatment. And it’s likely to return 80% of the time within two years.
- Back pain has been shown to “severely” affect how you live your life. Research has shown that nearly 40% of people living with chronic back pain do not exercise due to their condition.
- Desk work is a major contributor to back pain. 54% of back pain suffers have a job that requires them to sit for most of the workday. This is because sitting puts 40% more pressure on the spinal structures that standing.
- Rest is not recommended for back pain anymore. Long gone are the recommendations to “take a few days off”, and now we focus on what movement can we use as therapy to help you heal faster. Movement is medicine, as we like to say now.
- Seek treatment early and get a proper evaluation. Dealing with your back pain, neck pain, or lifting injury has a significantly higher rate of success if you treat it in the early phase. This is because less tissue breakdown occurs compared to chronic conditions.
- Getting along with your doctor leads to better outcomes. Okay this isn’t a researched fact, but we all know going to a medical doctor is not a pleasant experience while Chiropractors have extremely high satisfaction rates from their patients.
Keeping you active and in the gym
- Every NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL team, along with many other professional sports organizations have a Chiropractor on staff to help their athletes perform at their best.
- Strength and conditioning programs at almost all major universities have a Chiropractor on staff to help design and modify programs for all their athletes.
- Strength training is one of the best things you can do to help improve your body, mind, and overall well-being. Plus, there is growing research out there that shows being strong leads to a better quality of life in the later decades.
- Chiropractors are experts in treating muscles, joints, postural issues, and all the aches and pains that come along with a good strength training program.
- Being able to reduce injury risk and mitigate pain allows you to spend more time in the gym and seeing those results you work so hard for.
- A lot of Chiropractors have post-doctoral education in therapies and techniques designed around active individuals.
Q & A
- Here are some of the top questions I get in my office when seeing patients for the first time…
- Is this serious and am I going to get better?
- For a vast majority of my patients their back pain is not serious. Almost all of us will experience back pain, especially if we are active in the gym. Getting the proper treatment is important, but we don’t ever want to scare people related to their pain.
- Do I have to keep coming to your office forever?
- Absolutely not. Most of my patients spend about 8-10 visits over just a few weeks healing their situation and getting back to their lives. Then you can just call me in the future if you ever need anything.
- Is Chiropractic safe?
- Of course it is. Our treatments are based in science and have tons of research validating their safety. The chances of anything negative happening are extremely slim, and we discuss all of that prior to administering treatment.
If you are having any kind of back or neck pain, or any other injury that is making it difficult to stay consistent with your strength training program, we highly encourage you to schedule a consultation today. You might be surprised how fast we can get you back in the game.
drgrisius@midtownchiropractors.com
https://midtownchiropractic.janeapp.com (scheduling link)
@midtown_chiropractic (IG)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Kyle Grisius is a Chicago native who spent the early years of his career on the west coast learning from some of the brightest minds in manual therapy and Chiropractic. He is now practicing back in his home city focusing on active individuals. He has post-doctoral education in Active Release Therapy, McKenzie Method Physical Therapy, Sports Orthopedics, and Sports biomechanics. In his spare time Dr. Grisius is often golfing or traveling.
Welcome to our blog, where I will be discussing the many benefits of strength training. Strength training is a form of exercise that involves lifting weights, using resistance bands, or performing bodyweight exercises to build muscle and increase strength. Here are some of the benefits of incorporating strength training into your fitness routine: Increased Muscle Mass: One of the primary benefits of strength training is that it can increase muscle mass. As you lift weights and challenge your muscles, they respond by growing stronger and larger. This can improve your overall appearance and increase your body's ability to burn calories, even when you're at rest. Improved Bone Health: Strength training can help to increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This is particularly important for women, who are more susceptible to bone loss as they age. Increased Strength and Endurance: Strength training can help to improve your overall strength and endurance, making it easier to perform everyday tasks and engage in physical activities. As your muscles become stronger, you'll be able to lift heavier weights and perform more repetitions, which can help to build endurance. Reduced Risk of Injury: Strengthening your muscles can also help to reduce the risk of injury. When your muscles are strong and well-balanced, they can better support your joints and help to prevent common injuries such as sprains and strains. Improved Metabolic Health: Strength training can help to improve metabolic health by increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat. This can lead to improved insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control, reducing the risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Improved Mood: Strength training can have a positive impact on mental health by releasing endorphins, which can improve mood and reduce stress levels. Regular exercise has also been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Increased Independence: As you age, strength training can help to maintain your independence and ability to perform daily activities. By keeping your muscles strong and healthy, you'll be better equipped to perform tasks such as carrying groceries, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of a chair. In conclusion, strength training offers numerous benefits for overall health and wellbeing. From increased muscle mass to improved mood, incorporating strength training into your fitness routine can help to improve your physical and mental health, reduce the risk of injury, and promote independence as you age. So why not grab some weights and start reaping the benefits of strength training today? Dr. Kyle Grisius Owner and head physician of Midtown Chiropractic & Natural Medicine
All The Benefits of Chiropractic Care
With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome being one of the most common surgery performed, we wanted to compile a helpful list of statistics. These stats come from a variety of sources in hopes to provide a holistic understanding about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Surgery. According to the compiled information from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Carpal Tunnel surgery is the second most common type of surgery, with well over 230,000 procedures performed annually. The U.S. Department of Labor has concluded that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the "chief occupational hazard of the 90's"-disabling workers in epidemic proportions. According to NIOSHA, Only 23% of all Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients were able to return to their previous professions following surgery. Women are twice as likely to develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as opposed to their male counterparts. Ergonomic disorders are the fastest growing category of work-related illness. According to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , they account for 56 percent of illnesses reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. United States, employers spend more than $7.4 billion in workers compensation costs, and untold billions on medical treatment, litigation costs, hidden costs and lost productivity. U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. More than eight million people are affected by carpal tunnel syndrome each year. Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is the second most common type of musculoskeletal surgery, (back surgery is #1) with well over 230,000 procedures performed annually. There seems to be a statistically higher incidence of recurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome after endoscopic release compared with the traditional open release in our cases. Although the pathogenesis of this increased rate of recurrence is not clear, this should be considered when planning surgical release of the volar carpal ligament for carpal tunnel syndrome. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 105: 1662, 2000.) Many patients are undergoing multiple surgeries, which can cause complications ranging from excessive scar tissue overgrowth (re- compressing the nerve tunnel) to surgical injuries that leave the fingers totally devoid of sensation. United Press, August 8, 1996. If you type 40 words a minute : you press 12,000 keys per hour or 96,000 keys per 8-hour day. Approximately 8 ounces of force is necessary to depress one key. Almost 16 tons of force will be exercised by your fingers.
Ankle mobility, specifically dorsiflexion, is a range of motion that is vital not only for everyday movements like walking and jumping but also plays an important role in the gym. Limited ankle dorsiflexion is shown to reduce the athlete’s ability to squat, single leg squat, perform lateral movements, and even jumping and landing exercises. Do you ever notice difficulty with these movements but can’t seem to figure out why? Your ankle mobility might be the answer. What is Ankle Mobility? Ankle mobility is extremely important for how the lower extremity functions. The two major movements are ankle dorsiflexion (think lifting your toes and foot off the ground) and ankle plantar flexion (think pointing your toes and foot away). There are other motions associated with ankle mobility but for the purpose of this blog we will focus on the two major movements mentioned above.
