Tailbone Injuries

Have you ever heard of a bruised tailbone? It’s rare for the tailbone to truly be cracked, but the soft tissues surrounding it can certainly be injured. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we use noninvasive, non-addictive treatments to relieve pain and put the body in the best position possible to heal itself. Let’s take a closer look at why pain would occur in this area.

The tailbone, scientifically known as the coccyx, is made up of several fused vertebrae that hang below the sacrum, the part of the spine that connects to the hips. The coccyx helps to anchor the large muscles and ligaments in the pelvis. When they get inflamed and become painful, a patient is said to be suffering from “coccydynia.” Their deep location normally prevents them from being harmed, but injuries can happen during childbirth, as well as activities such as horseback riding and cycling.

Coccydynia will often be at its worst when a person is seated. We can provide patients with ring-shaped pillows or chiropractic wedges to sit on, which will keep weight off their tailbone. We can also make adjustments to displaced joints. Other possibilities include inflammation reduction through electric muscle stimulation and therapeutic exercise to ensure that the muscles responsible for moving the legs and stabilizing the lower back remain supple during the patient’s recovery.

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.

 

Importance of Vitamin D

Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield offers care for the entire body, not just individual problems. Our musculoskeletal system is made up of soft and hard tissues, so to be free of pain, people must address issues with both. We offer a variety of manual manipulations for soft tissues and joints, and for the bones, our nutritional counseling program will help to ensure that patients are getting enough calcium and Vitamin D.

Calcium is a mineral that is a key component of bone tissue, but our bodies don’t produce it. Instead, we absorb it when Vitamin D activates cells in our intestines. Dietary sources of Vitamin D include fatty fish and egg yolks. It is also common for orange juice, cereal, dairy, and leafy greens to be artificially fortified with calcium and Vitamin D. But one of the most important ways of increasing Vitamin D production is by exposure to sunlight. Cholesterol produces Vitamin D when sunlight is able to reach the skin unblocked, which is one reason why it’s important for people to be active outdoors.

When people don’t absorb sufficient amounts of calcium, their bones are more brittle and prone to fractures. Most people do not get enough Vitamin D, but it is also possible to get more than the body can use safely. Our nutritional counseling will help patients find the right supplements to keep their bones strong, keeping their muscles and ligaments well-supported and their weight off their joints.

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.

 

Sleep Positions

Since we ideally spend about a third of our time asleep, it makes sense that our sleep positions will have major implications for how our backs feel. We provide a variety of noninvasive pain relief treatments at Kosak Chiropractic, including adjustments for misaligned spines. But for lasting relief, patients may have to make changes to their lifestyle, including how they sleep.

Stomach sleeping is recommended against for most patients. Besides leaving the lumbar region unsupported, it forces the head backward and sideways, often leading to neck pain in the morning. Side sleeping can keep the neck in alignment if it is done with a firm pillow, and misalignments it creates between the pelvis and legs can be prevented by sleeping with a pillow between the knees. But this position still leaves the lumbar region unsupported, so patients who do it are advised to alternate which side they sleep on. People with wide hips may need a softer mattress to allow their hips to remain even.

The best position for most patients is on the back. With small, cylindrical pillows under the neck and lower back as needed, this position keeps the whole spine aligned. It’s only major downside is that it may be difficult for people with obstructive sleep apnea, but back pain at night can also cause a sleep deficit, and for patients receiving proper treatment, the neck pillow can provide more support and prevent cervicogenic headaches.

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.

 

Rotator Cuff Injuries

The Kosak Chiropractic clinic in Fairfield provides care for the entire body. Our whole musculoskeletal system can suffer when any part of it is injured, which is why a holistic approach is necessary. One common injury we see is fraying of the rotator cuff, which too many people unnecessarily use drugs or surgery to treat.

The rotator cuff is the bundle of tendons that strap the humerus, or upper arm bone, into the shoulder joint. The muscles they attach to allow the arm to move in a full circle and they are kept lubricated by a bursa between the joint and bone on the top of the shoulder. The bursa and the muscles are both prone to inflammation when overused or when the patient develops a degenerative condition.

While a disastrous injury can sever a tendon, what is more common is for the fibers that comprise tendons to fray, leaving small holes. As people age, the body has difficulty supplying sufficient blood to tendons in the extremities. This causes them to be weaker and increases the risk that the shoulder bones will develop bony spurs that can irritate nearby soft tissue. Degenerative rotator cuff tears are also common among people who have to make repetitive motions, such as athletes and painters. After diagnosing a rotator cuff injury, we’ll provide patients with several pain relief options, including ultrasound therapy (to break up scar tissue) and electric muscle stimulation (to stimulate fresh blood flow.) We may also recommend that the patient rest when not doing therapeutic exercises, which will target their upper back as well as their shoulder. Our nutritional counseling service can advise patient on what nutrients they need to speed their healing.

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.

 

Core Strengthening for Healthy Backs

Physical therapy is frequently necessary to recover from back pain, but maintaining a healthy core is also one of the most important measures a person can take. Our musculoskeletal system experts at Kosak Chiropractic help patients to make lifestyle adjustments that will allow their bodies to function comfortably. While injured patients should consult with professionals about what exercises to do, there are some aspects of the body’s core that everyone should be informed about.

We have multiple layers of abdominal muscles, and the visible one from the front, the rectus abdominis, is important but not the only contributor to spinal support. The innermost core muscle, the transverse abdominis, is a corset-like structure that holds organs in place. Between it and the rectus abdominis are two layers of oblique muscles, which allow the torso to rotate and bend side-to-side. There are also several vertical muscles running along the vertebrae that maintain posture. These are known as the deep muscles or transversospinales to distinguish them from other muscles of the back, which allow the thoracic and cervical vertebrae to bend.

When core muscles are strong, they are able to support the spinal discs and other soft tissues attached to vertebrae. In addition to strengthening and flexibility exercises, soft tissues benefit from therapeutic massages, which reduce recovery time by improving blood flow and loosening knots. Low or no-impact exercises, such as yoga and swimming, are good choices for most chiropractic patients, so talk to us about what kind of exercise you might enjoy.

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.

 

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Lower back pain is one of the most common afflictions in the United States, and it has several potential causes. Among the lesser known ones is sacroiliac joint dysfunction. When patients are suffering from joint problems, Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield provides safe treatments that target the source of a problem, as well as its symptoms, so we wanted to talk a bit about what makes sacroiliac joint dysfunction distinct.

The sacrum is a body of fused vertebrae at the base of the spine. The iliac bones are the crests of the pelvis it connects to. Dysfunction in these joints may cause inflammation, called sacroiliitis. Pain here can radiate through the lower back, pelvic region, and legs and tends to be worse after a prolonged period of standing or using the gluteal muscles. Although sacroiliac joint dysfunction can be caused by an infection, it is much likelier to be due to a degenerative condition or a traumatic injury that has damaged the structure of the joint.

Our treatments for sacroiliac joint dysfunction include manual adjustments of the bones and soft tissue manipulation for loosening muscles, such as electrical stimulation and massages. We can also prescribe therapeutic exercises that will strengthen the pelvic muscles and keep them flexible during recovery, allowing them to better support the sacrum in the future. Our office’s nutritional counseling service educates patients on what nutrients they need to keep their joints cushioned and lubricated and how they can control their weight to prevent their pelvic joints from being overburdened.

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.

 

The Bones of the Spine

We’re dedicated to including our patients in their healthcare decisions at Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield. Everybody has numerous treatment options available to them, and which is best will vary from person to person. But to make an informed choice, patients will need a basic understanding of how their spines are built and what different parts do.

Vertebrae are the bones that make up the structure of the spinal column. In front, they have flat bodies separated by rubbery discs. In back they form an arch through which the spinal cord stretches, and they are connected to each other by facet joints. The top seven vertebrae are the bones in the neck and are referred to as the cervical region. The topmost one is called the atlas and is responsible for moving the head up and down, while the second one, the axis, moves it from side to side. (These are the only two articulated vertebrae without a disc between them.) Below the cervical vertebrae are the twelve vertebrae of the thoracic region, and they connect to the ribs.

The lumbar region is made up of the five large vertebrae of the lower back. Beneath them are the sacrum and the coccyx, two structures in the pelvic region that are each made up of fused, immobile vertebrae. The nerves to the rest of the body branch out of the vertebrae at points called foramen, with the lowest parts of the spinal cord branching out of the upper lumbar vertebrae and continuing down through the pelvis and legs. Chiropractic care is largely concerned with the effects of compression of spinal nerves.

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.