Low Back Pain and Piriformis Syndrome

Chiropractic Care and Soft Tissue Work

When you think of chiropractic care, you may think doctors of chiropractic only adjust necks and backs, or work with the spine.  While we are known for our ability to perform adjustments, that’s not all that your Little Rock Chiropractor does at Omnis Rehab: Joint and Performance Center.  A large part of our work and your appointment revolves around working with soft tissue.

What is the difference in an adjustment and soft tissue work?

An adjustment is the manipulation or movement of a joint in the body traditionally done by hand or assisted by a handheld instrument such as an activator.  The soft tissue work done in our Little Rock chiropractic office or North Little Rock chiropractic office when paired with traditional chiropractic adjustments can help patients get better faster and improve prognosis.  Some of the soft tissue techniques we utilize include:

• ART (Active Release Technique) 
• Graston
• Medi-Cupping
• Manual Therapy
• PIR (Post Isometric Relaxation)
• PNF which is a form of stretching designed to increase flexibility of muscles and increase range of movement

Some Common Ailments Treated with Chiropractic Soft Tissue Care

With joint disfunction or injury, most of the time the issue is accompanied with surrounding tissue tightness, muscles compensations, or a functional deficit (loss of range of motion or strength in area).  Our goal at Omnis Rehab is to get you back to feeling good and healthy as soon as possible with minimally invasive treatments.  We believe that you should be able to do your favorite activities, sports, or job without nagging pain or issues.  Here are some of the most common ailments we see in our office.

Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow: Both of these conditions are due to excessive or repetitive use of the forearm musculature.  While often times this pain is attributed to the before mentioned sports, they are also commonly seen in office workers or those who do tasks that regularly put their hands or wrists under strain.  Consistent strain to the lateral forearm musculature can cause scar tissue to build. In many cases doing nothing may cause a decrease in mobility in the elbow, wrist, or hand joints.  Using soft tissue techniques employed alongside chiropractic care, we can help address the pain and injury, while assisting with rehab and prevention of future issues.

Achilles Tendonitis:  The pain associated with Achilles tendinitis typically begins as a mild ache in the back of the calf or above the heel after activity.  Tenderness or stiffness is also common, especially in the morning, but typically gets better throughout day as muscles surrounding the area warm up.  Achilles Tendonitis can be a persistent problem that requires treatment and we at Omnis Rehab are equipped to handle the issue.  We can use many different types of soft tissue work to break up the adhesions in the muscles that contribute to the pain, as well as rehab the area to be stronger and more flexible, therefore helping relieve the pain caused by the tendonitis.  We can also teach your ways to stretch and perform your own soft tissue work at home to manage symptoms on your own, and keep the pain and discomfort at bay. 

Plantar Fasciitis:  If you suffer from Plantar Fasciitis, you may not automatically think to visit your chiropractor, but it is an ailment that responds very well to the soft tissue techniques we employ at Omnis Rehab.  Plantar Fasciitis is caused when the ligament that connects your toes to your heel (the plantar fascia) becomes inflamed, swollen, and weak. This can cause a shooting or stabbing pain in the bottom of your foot or heel when you walk or stand. 

Shoulder or Rotator Cuff Impingement:  One of the most common issues we successfully treat in our Little Rock and North Little Rock chiropractic offices is shoulder pain.  Shoulder issues happen in both young people and older adults, and can be caused from the regular aging process or from exercise or activity.  The shoulder joint is one of the most complex joint structures in the body and can easily become inflamed.  Shoulder impingement syndrome occurs when the tendons of the rotator cuff and the subacromial bursa are pinched in the narrow space beneath the acromion.  This causes the tendons and bursa to become inflamed and swollen, causing pain or discomfort.  This pinching can be worse when the arm is raised away from the side of the body, or when engaging in sport.  Impingement may develop over time as a result of a minor injury, or as a result of repetitive motions (CrossFit kipping, tennis or golf swings, etc..) that lead to inflammation in the bursa.  In our office we utilize chiropractic soft tissue work to help relieve the pain and restore the joint back to health.  

If you are experiencing any of the above issues or symptoms, give us a call at 501-313-2844 to schedule an appointment at our West Little Rock chiropractic office or 501-353- 1781 to make an appointment at our North Little Rock chiropractic office.

Can a Chiropractor Help with TMJ Pain?

If you have tightness, pain or a clicking feeling in your jaw, you may be suffering from TMJ pain.  Good news is, we can treat your TMJ issues at our Little Rock or North Little Rock chiropractic clinics.  With some simple stretches, TMJ exercises and TMJ chiropractic adjustments, we can help alleviate your symptoms and provide relief.  

What is TMJ?

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), more commonly known as TMJ is a blanket term for acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint.  This joint is what connects your mandible to your skull and can become irritated or inflamed leading to issues.  Some of these symptoms or issues include:

• pain or tenderness in jaw
• headaches
• aching pain in or around the ear
• difficulty or pain while chewing
• popping or clicking sound in jaw when opening mouth
• locking of the joint, difficulty in opening or closing mouth

Chiropractic Treatment of TMJ

A trip to your Little Rock or North Little Rock chiropractor is a great way to address these issues.  The first thing we will do in office is rule out a problem with the muscles surrounding the joint that help open and close the mouth.  The three key muscles we will focus on include the masseter, the temporalis, and the pterygoid.  These muscle are no different than any other, in that they are susceptible to strains, tightness and weakness.  Once we check for trigger points within these muscles, we will work on both stretching and activating the muscles.  Just like other muscular issue, we want to follow the rules of:  stretching and/or mobilizing the appropriate tissues, then activating the tissues for joint stability and proper muscular mechanics.  After our soft tissue work, we will move onto adjusting and assessing the jaw in a chiropractic TMJ adjustment.  Your Little Rock chiropractor or North Little Rock chiropractor may also recommend exercises for you to perform at home to help aid in your recovery and management of your TMJ pain.

At Omnis Rehab: Joint and Performance Center we treat many patients with TMJ pain and symptoms that go along with it.  If you are tired of dealing with the issues, we are here to help.  Visit our website to set up an appointment or speak with one of our staff.  You can also check your insurance benefits here. 

At Home Exercises and Stretches for Stiff Back

At Home Fixes for Upper and Lower Back Tightness

Snowmageddon has come and gone for Central Arkansas.  It was fun while it was here, but the lasting stiffness and tightness from the activities associated with snow aren’t any fun.  Shoveling snowy driveways and dragging kiddos on the sled can lead to back injury or muscle tightness.  If you are experiencing stiffness from change of your daily routine or too much snow fun, try out these stretches and exercises from Little Rock chiropractor, Dr. Brady DeClerk.

Try out these at home exercises to help upper and lower back pain and let us know how they work out!  As always, if pain or discomfort persists,  give us a call at Omnis Rehab Joint and Performance Center and we can get you schedules with out Central Arkansas Chiropractor or North Little Rock Chiropractor.

Call today to set up your appointment.

Snow day got you stiff?

Arkansas just got pummeled by winter weather and your favorite Little Rock chiropractor has been closed all week.  Dr. Kevin is here to the rescue with some exercises and stretches that can help bail you out of stiffness that has set in from our snow day activities.

Snow day stiffness

Shoveling snow, pulling kiddos on sleds, or slipping on ice can all throw your back out of whack.  You may also experience neck and back tightness just from the loss of your normal exercise activities or your regular schedule.  We recommend doing some daily stretches and mobilization.  Some of our favorite yoga poses that can provide relief include:

• child’s pose
• cat/ cow
• downward facing dog

We will be back in our Little Rock and North Little Rock chiropractic offices bright and early Monday so stay mobile until then with our snow day video!

Sciatic Pain in Little Rock, Arkansas

Do you have a sharp pain that typically radiates from one side of your back down one leg?  What about numbness, tingling, or weakness in one leg?  If you answer yes to this question, you may be suffering from sciatic pain.

Sciatic pain can vary widely from patient to patient so let us at Omnis Rehab Joint Performance Center help you understand this common condition.  Sciatica can originate from one side in the lower back, or the buttock area.  It often travels down the affected leg, causing numbness, tingling, pain, weakness, or a pins and needles sensation.

Some of the primary symptoms of sciatica include:

• Leg pain that worsens when sitting, often times driving
• Tingling or burning running down the leg
• Numbness, weakness, or difficulties moving the foot or entire leg
• Loss of range of motion in leg
• A consistent pain on one side of your lower back
• An intense and/or intolerable pain that makes it hard or uncomfortable to stand up

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica (sometimes known as radiculopathy) is inflammation or irritation of the sciatic nerve.  This can be caused from dysfunction of the muscles and/ or joints surrounding this nerve.  These dysfunctions can be caused by an injury or joint misalignments/ joint restrictions putting pressure on the sciatic nerve.  Muscle weakness or muscle tightness can also contribute to nerve pressure causing sciatic pain.  Pregnancy is another leading cause of sciatic pain.  The sciatic nerve passes underneath the uterus and as your body changes throughout pregnancy, pressure on the sciatic nerve can increase.

Treatment of Sciatic Nerve Pain

Sciatic pain can be debilitating.  At Omnis Rehab Joint and Performance Center, our goal is to treat your pain through chiropractic and rehab treatments that are non invasive and safe.  Our goal is to accurately diagnose and treat the cause of the problem, getting you back into the swing of things through non invasive and conservative care.

At your first visit with your Little Rock chiropractor, we will determine through a thorough examination, which may include x-rays, what is causing your discomfort.  We will then work through some basic treatments of your sciatic pain in Little Rock, Arkansas that may include:

• Chiropractic Adjustment:  Your Little Rock chiropractor can apply spinal manipulations to allow your spine and joints to move freely and unrestricted.  Adjustments help realign the spine.  This allows nerves, joints, and muscles to function together correctly within the body.
• Heat and Modality Therapies: In our Little Rock or North Little Rock chiropractic offices, we often use heat for muscle relaxation.  We often pair heat with TENs units (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) which is a small battery powered, portable box that stimulates the muscles. It uses electrical currents at variable intensities to help control pain and reduce the occurrence of muscle spasms.
• Myofascial Therapies:  These types of therapies can help reduce trigger points and other muscle adhesions that can contribute to pain and underlying problems.  We use ART (Active Release Technique) as well as Percussion Massage.
• Spinal Decompression:  Spinal decompression utilizes a table that provides a gentle release to create more space within each joint of the spine.  This process takes pressure off nerves, relieving pain and symptoms in affected areas.
• Chiropractic Exercises:  Strengthening the muscles surrounding joints leads to better stabilization and healing of areas.  When your body and joints are properly aligned and muscles are firing appropriately, your body feels its best.

If you have sciatic pain, we can treat the source of the pain with our expertise at Omnis Rehab.  We have two locations for chiropractic care in Central Arkansas.  Call us today at 501-313-2844 or schedule your appointment today.  We accept most major insurance policies and you can check your insurance benefits here.

Chiropractic Adjustments: What’s that sound?

Ever wonder what that popping noise is that you hear during your regular chiropractic adjustment?  The sound is caused by small pockets of air or bubbles, which are fluid that surround and protect your joints.  When the joint tissues are stretched during your regular chiropractic adjustment, the pockets of air “pop” and create the noise or cracking sound that you hear.  The noise is a completely normal part of the adjustment process and can sometimes be heard when adjusting any joint in the body including back, neck, hip, or even feet joints!

Regular Chiropractic Maintenance

Just as we regularly go to the dentist or get our eyesight checked, we should do regular checkups with our Little Rock chiropractor at Omnis Rehab Joint and Performance Center.  Maintenance care is an important part of wellness within our body, especially for our spine and joints.  Regular chiropractic adjustments keep our joints moving better, which keeps joints, muscles and all surrounding tissues hydrated and functional.  We know we preach how important chiropractic care is, but here are some of the most common ailments that we can help treat.

• Back or neck pain
• Headaches or migraines
• Neurological conditions
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Surgery prevention
• Blood pressure issues
• Colic or ear infections
• Shoulder pain or tension

To schedule a wellness checkup with one of our doctors in our Little Rock chiropractic clinic or our North Little Rock chiropractic clinic, call us at 313-2844 or visit our contact page.

Golf Tips from your Chiropractor

Spring is right around the corner and that means millions of Americans are about to be back on the courses in droves.  If you are a regular golfer, you know about a lot of the common ailments that can keep you from enjoying the game.  Here at Omnis Rehab Joint and Performance Center, we want to make sure you stay your healthiest so you can thrive in your golf game!  Here are some tips that may help you stay healthy as you get back into the swing of things.

Warm Up Properly

Golf may be a low impact sport, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t properly warm up.  Doing some simple mobility can help reduce your risk of injury, and increase blood flow promoting better play.  Here are some of our recommendations for warmup movements.

• Get your heart rate up for a few minutes with a brisk walk or some jumping jacks
• Do some arm circles rotating five big circles forward, then five backwards
• Mobilize wrists and hands.  Circle hands in similar way you did your arm circles, five clockwise, then five counter clockwise to active grip and wrist mobility
• Activate hamstrings.  Stand in your regular stance with soft knees.  Perform slight hinge (bend) at hips until you feel a stretch, or tension in your hamstrings.  Once you feel stretch, stand up returning hips to neutral position, repeat 6-8 times.
• Perform trunk rotations.  Hold golf club behind the neck or overhead and rotate torso slowly. As you warm up, range of motion should become less limited.  Hold positions for 20-30 seconds to maximize.

Strengthen Positions

As with any sport, strength training is important.  Strong muscles are less susceptible to injury and help protect your joints and musculature.  A tight core is a key component in keeping your back and spine healthy, as well as making your golf swing powerful and most productive.  These core strength exercises are recommended no matter what type or sports or activities you enjoy.  Your Little Rock chiropractor can help guide you on the areas that may need strengthening depending on your current physical limitations or ailments.

Learn Proper Form

No matter your golf skill, we can all benefit from learning better technique from a golf professional.  If you commonly have pain after playing or swinging your clubs, you may need to have your swing accessed by a professional to see if you have a form breakdown.  A productive golf swing incorporates significant torque and torsion throughout the movement.  With a proper swing, both your hips and back are rotating in a cohesive and smooth movement producing the proper force, while maintaining a neutral and healthy spine.  When there is a breakdown in form, injuries and pain can happen.

It is worth mentioning that you need to make sure you are properly lifting and carrying your golf bag.  Our golf bags can be quite heavy loaded down with all the equipment needed to play our best games.  If you prefer to carry your bag from hole to hole, make sure you are using a bag equipped with backpack style straps to limit shoulder and back stress.

Regular Maintenance

At Omnis Rehab Joint and Performance Center, we want our patients to feel their best.  We develop individualized treatment plans that offer patients the techniques and corrective movements and exercises to manage their health over time.  Our goals as Little Rock chiropractors are to give our patients the confidence and tools to manage their own success while using our services for support as needed.

If you want more information on chiropractic care for the athlete, check out this blog post talking about our approach with Chiropractic care and your athletic endeavors.

Welcome Dr. Kevin Nguyen to Omnis Rehab

Omnis Rehab Joint and Performance Center is excited to announce that Dr. Kevin Nguyen has joined the staff at our North Little Rock chiropractic clinic.

About Dr. Kevin

Dr. Kevin Nguyen is a Chiropractor, who is dedicated to helping others pursue optimal function and health. He was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and minor in nutrition at the University of Central Arkansas, he then pursued his Doctorate in Chiropractic from Logan University in St. Louis, Missouri.  He then moved back to work as a chiropractor in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dr. Kevin Nguyen will start regularly seeing patients starting on January 18th, 2021.  Call us at Omnis Rehab, 501-313-2844 to schedule your appointment with any of our Little Rock Chiropractors.  We look forward to seeing you!

Omnis Rehab North location is located at 5017 Warden Rd, Suite 7, NLR AR 72116.

How Long Does It Take a Sprained Ankle to Heal?

This post was Written by Omnis Rehab Physical Therapist Elizabeth (Betta) Clark, PT, DPT, MS

Have you ever sprained an ankle?

Whether this was a recent mild sprain that had you hurting for a few days or a major sprain that took you out for weeks as a kid, it could be relevant to what you are experiencing with your pain or performance now!

Ankle sprains are generally regarded as a ligament injury, most of the time to the outside ligaments of the foot.  The foot is usually more vulnerable to an inversion sprain (when you fall or trip on a turned in ankle) than an eversion sprain, since you have less muscles of the foot that are able to control inversion. Both sprains are possible however.

Ankle Sprain Treatment

The typical immediate recommendation for an ankle sprain is to rest, ice and elevate (if swelling is associated with it) for at least 48 hours. Often, following these guidelines will allow the person who sprained their ankle to become relatively pain free and functional over the next few weeks.

HOWEVER, what I find clinically with ankle sprains is that the talus bone (one of the bones that forms the foundation of your ankle) will usually slightly shift to the inside or outside of the foot, putting pressure on those ligaments and can continue the swelling and inflammation process long after the ligament should have healed. Many conventional treatment options including sports medicine, rehab, or physical therapy worlds will not address this. I would recommend seeing a professional as soon as possible after a significant ankle sprain, as talus bone shifting can be responsible for some of the immediate symptoms as you’ll see from the anecdote below.

Ankle Sprain Treatments in Practice

I was hiking in Colorado with my friend once when she sprained her ankle about 2 miles out from our car. She was unable to bear any weight on her foot and my options were to either carry her on my back for 2 miles or put my training to use in the wild.  I was able to feel with my hands that her talus bone had shifted significantly to the inside.  I attempted to slightly shift her bone the opposite way while she performed some ankle pumps, and she didn’t like me very much at that moment, but immediately after,[D1]  she was able to bear weight on her foot with significantly less pain and we made it back to our car safely.

The research shows that individuals who have sprained an ankle once are more likely to sprain an ankle in the future1-3.  It has been theorized that this is due to a decreased ability to feel where their joint is in space.  I agree that this is probably true, but I think often their joint “doesn’t know” where it is in space BECAUSE the talus bone has slightly shifted.

Adaptation and Over Compensation

The body will often learn to adapt around this minor shift and cause compensation at the foot, knee, hip or even at your back! Yes, I am implying that your untreated high school ankle sprain may be a contributor to your hip or back pain now.

Of course, the human body is amazingly adaptable and many people function and compensate swimmingly.  Until, that is, life catches up and physical and mental stressors become too much that the body says “hold up! I can’t compensate anymore.”

A great example of this is my husband David who struggled with back pain with simple activities (like putting on his clothes!) for the better part of a year while he was deployed.  He tried lots of different self-care techniques, including soft tissue, dry needling, spinal manipulation, McKenzie  [D1] techniques and deep breathing.  All of these gave some temporary relief. But, his pain kept coming back UNTIL we worked on his ankle.  He had sprained it as a kid playing tennis, and his body adapted around it until it no longer could. To be exact, we found his talus bone was sitting to the inside, presumably from his ankle sprain while playing tennis as a teenager!

Get Started Working towards Feeling Better

If this is your issue, I would recommend a talus mobilization by a professional, followed up with exercise designed to challenge your ankle stability. Although everyone is different, this specific rehab process takes about 3-5 visits on average, depending on how long it has been an issue, along with other factors.

Different people respond differently to similar treatments, and by all means I’m NOT saying that if you had an ankle sprain once, you’re doomed.  But, if you’ve addressed everything else except that on the path to a healthier body, and are still struggling, maybe it’s time to take a deeper look into your past.

Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Clark Today!

sources:

1.Beynnon BD, Murphy DF, Alosa DM. Predictive factors for lateral ankle sprains: a literature review. J Athl Train. 2002; 37: 376– 380. 

2. Swenson DM, Yard EE, Fields SK, Comstock RD. Patterns of recurrent injuries among US high school athletes, 2005-2008. Am J Sports Med. 2009; 37: 1586– 1593. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0363546509332500 

3. Yeung MS, Chan KM, So CH, Yuan WY. An epidemiological survey on ankle sprain. Br J Sports Med. 1994; 28: 112– 116.