Thursday, July 30, 2020

Recurring Foot Cramps


As experts in caring for the musculoskeletal system, we at Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield often help patients to recover from recurring muscle cramps. Our methods are safe and non-invasive, but as a practice devoted to maintaining wellness, we want our patients to understand how to avoid the causes of cramps, as well. In the summer, people are especially prone to developing foot cramps, and if these go unaddressed, they could throw off the balance of the whole body.


A foot cramp, or charley horse, occurs when a muscle in the foot contracts and won’t release. Some foot muscles travel up the calf, and it’s possible for a constriction to be related to something elsewhere in the lower limb. If the cramp occurs while the patient is lying down, they are advised to put weight on the affected foot by pressing it against the floor. If the cramp occurred while they were active, they can gently stretch their leg out while massaging their calf and pulling their toes toward their face. A heating pad may also be helpful, but should only be applied for fifteen minutes at a time.


People should always stretch before exercising. If you frequently get foot cramps while playing sports, you may need to review whether your warm-ups are adequately increasing blood flow to your lower limbs. If your foot cramps occur at night, the problem may be that your shoes are too tight. Dehydration also plays a role in muscle cramps, which is why they happen more in the summer. If stretching, better footwear, and hydration aren’t enough to stop the cramps from coming back, we may examine the patient for signs of a nerve compression in their hip or lower back. A chiropractic adjustment or therapeutic massage may help to relieve pressure from the peripheral nerves. As providers of lifestyle medicine counseling, we may also advise patients to increase their intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium.


Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.




 

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Leg Pain and Back Problems

As a chiropractic office, Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield offers holistic treatments for problems in the musculoskeletal system. The nerves to the rest of our bodies emerge from the spine, and many muscles in the lower body connect to the pelvis or lower back. Since leg pain and back pain are often intertwined, let’s take a look at how they may play into each other and how we treat them.


The nerves to the legs emerge from the lumbar region of the spine, or lower back. They pass through the muscles of the pelvis, and compression in these nerves could cause a shooting pain, tingling, or numbness. The compression could occur at the point where they emerge from the spine as a result of a herniated disc, a bone spur, or the dislocation of a vertebra. There might also be swelling in the piriformis muscle, which links the lower back to the leg, in the sacroiliac joints, which connect the pelvis to the base of the spine, or in the bursae that lubricate each hip. Swelling and constriction in the leg muscles might also cause them to pull on the hips or lower back.


These are not the only causes of leg pain, but they are among the most common and the most responsive to noninvasive treatment. We work to reduce inflammation and set joints back in the right place by performing gentle, manual adjustments. These adjustments can release pressure on compressed nerves and allow the body to continue its natural healing process. We may also perform massage therapy and electric muscle stimulation to relax tight lower back muscles and allow blood to flow in and out more easily.


Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Cervicogenic Headaches

If you frequently suffer from headaches, the problem may be in your neck. As experts in musculoskeletal care, we at Kosak Chiropractic are happy to assist people suffering from blockages in the cervical spine. But many people are unaware of how this may be able to relieve pain ranging from their lower jaw to the top of their head, which is why we wanted to explain what cervicogenic headaches are and how chiropractic can combat them.


Sensation in our faces comes from the trigeminal nerve. It emerges from the cervical spine, or neck region, and branches off to the eyes and forehead, maxilla, and mandible. If there is a compression in the cervical spine, pain may be referred to the trigeminal nerve and we would call it "cervicogenic." Compression could be due to swollen muscles, a herniated disc, or dislocated facet joints, among the more common reasons, and is often the result of whiplash. Pain may also radiate to a shoulder or arm, but will usually be limited to one side of the body.


Although whiplash is the most common cause of cervicogenic headaches, people who work with their heads down, such as hair stylists and craftsmen, and people who have bad posture while typing also risk straining their neck muscles. We’ll use manual examinations, range of motion tests, and imaging scans to determine whether a headache could be cervicogenic. If it is, we may employ chiropractic adjustments of the neck, which use gentle, controlled force to stretch the neck muscles and correct the position of the joints. We will also recommend therapeutic exercises that will strengthen the neck muscles to better support the spine and become less vulnerable to fraying.


Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

Ergonomics at a Home Office

A few months ago, we advised our patients on how to keep their backs comfortable while in the office. Since then, a lot more people have bee...