Stand up and be HEALTHY!

Hey there everyone, Dr, Chris here checking in from warm and sunny Jacksonville, Florida. Today I wanted to talk with you about your posture. Specifically, your posture when you’re doing what way too many of us spend our day doing: sitting at a desk! We’ve talked before about how sitting at a desk isn’t very good for you, but sometimes there’s just no way you can avoid it. You’re stuck behind your desk for hours a day, working at your computer and answering phone calls. Well, you still don’t have to accept poor posture! In fact, that is more reason than ever to fight against it! Here are some desk chair solutions that can help you combat ‘sitting disease’!

The stand-up desk

More people than ever are trying stand-up desks these days, and that’s great because it means they are getting easier and cheaper to find! Now you may be thinking, “That’s great doc, but there’s no way I can stand at a desk all day!” Are you sure? People say that it is easier than you expect! A good stand-up situation won’t leave you flat on your feet, either. If you have a foot rail, you can put one foot up and shift your weight from one foot to the other. Leaning against a tall stool can help too. But people report feeling more energized and productive when they stand, so you may find that you don’t want to lean on anything!

Adding a podium to your regular desk

If you aren’t ready to make the leap to a full stand-up desk, encourage yourself to at least stand up more frequently. One way to do that is to put a podium or raised stand on part of your desk that will encourage you to stand up for some tasks, for instance, when you are making phone calls. Changing up the position you are in can greatly enhance your postural health!

Walking desk

If you are the kind of person that likes to read or do other activities on the treadmill at the gym - why not work on a treadmill too? This is a more expensive and difficult setup to achieve, and it certainly isn’t for everyone, but there’s question that walking all day while you work would be terrific for your spinal health!

Exercise ball

The benefit of sitting on an exercise ball is that to stay balanced, your body has to be constantly making tiny adjustments. This results in a workout just from sitting which engages your entire core: your abs and your lower back. As a bonus, the fact that there is no back to this ‘chair’ discourages slouching. Make no mistake, though, an exercise ball chair is a real workout, and you need to ease into it! You can start by sitting on it for just an hour a day. Putting less air in the ball will make it easier to balance on early on. Eventually, you should be able to work up to sitting on the ball for several hours at a time.

Balance stool

Balance stools work on the same general principle as exercise balls, but they have one big advantage: they won’t go rolling around your office every time you stand up! They bounce up and down and wibble and wobble from side to side, making sure you work out those core muscles maintaining your balance. They cost $200 and up.

Kneeling chair

Kneeling chairs help your posture by taking the pressure off your spine and putting it on your knees and shins. You still sit on a seat, but there is no back, and your legs are angled downward. Your knees and shins rest against a pad for support. For many people, this setup is terrific, as these backless chairs encourage them to sit upright and maintain correct posture. For those who have knee problems, this kind of chair might not be the right choice, however.

Recliners

If ergonomic comfort is what you want in your office chair, what is more comfortable than a recliner? The ability to lean back eases pain for all kinds of people with spinal problems. Get a lap tray and put a wireless mouse and keyboard on it, and it will be just like you are parked at your desk. Even better, a recliner is not much more expensive than a top-of-the-line ergonomic office chair - and sometimes way cheaper. The only downside is that a recliner may be too comfortable - if you’re snoozing instead of working, that’s a problem!

Wrap-up

I want to stress that no matter what your desk setup is that you should change it up often. Get away from your desk, walk around, and do some stretches. If you need to, set a timer to remind you to do these things! No matter what your posture is, being stuck in the same position for long periods of time is hard on your spine. So take regular stretch breaks and work out those kinks!

If you have concerns or ideas about your own desk posture, I’d love to talk to you about it. Schedule an appointment with my office today. The phone number is (904) 398-4860.

Yours in health,

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

4111 Atlantic Boulevard

Jacksonville, FL 32207

www.activechirocenter.com

What is this "Manual Therapy" you speak of?

March 1, 2016

What in the world is “Manual Therapy” ?

Hello again, Jacksonville and friends beyond.  Dr. Chris here today reaching out via the Worldwide Web to describe a therapy that has probably been around as long as man and pain have been.  Perhaps you have even recently heard the advertisements for therapies such as manual therapy, myofascial release, the Graston technique, the Niel Asher technique of manual trigger point therapy, and who knows what else.  In my office, we employ many types of physical therapy modalities many which are very common throughout physical medicine practices.  You may already be familiar with electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, hot and cold packs, exercise therapy, and possibly massage therapy. 

What you are likely not quite as familiar with would be “manual therapy” which is typically a specialized form of physical medicine/physical therapy delivered by the hands as opposed to by a passive device or machine.  In some cases such as the Graston technique, a specialized smooth metallic instrument is utilized to render this form of therapy.  In that sense, manual therapy patients receive hands on muscle tissue manipulation which is rendered in an attempt to decrease aches and pains caused by traumatic muscle strain, joint sprain, and other musculoskeletal conditions. 

Here in my office manual therapy is typically rendered by a specially trained licensed massage therapist or a licensed chiropractic physician such as myself.  What is most important to understand, is manual therapy is not the same as massage therapy that you may have experienced at a local Massage Envy or a private massage therapist.  Massage therapy is also a form of soft tissue therapy but it typically involves less intense, less invasive stroking type techniques of effleurage, petrissage, or taponment.  Manual therapy by contrast, involves restoring mobility of stiff joints and reducing muscle spasm in order to return a patient to more natural, pain free joint movement.  Manual therapy techniques aim to  relax tense back muscles and restricted joints in order to decrease pain, increase flexibility, increase muscular endurance, and to remove fibrotic scar tissue and adhesions with muscle. Scar tissue and fibrosis of the muscle, left untreated, can lead to chronic pain but can also lead to premature spinal degeneration.  In a more specific post to follow, I will highlight specific forms of manual therapy techniques that you may find beneficial in treating some of your chronic aches and pains, or healing from an acute injury or trauma.

As always, I thank you for your time and attention and wish you a happy and healthy day!

If you feel that you may be a candidate for a session of manual therapy, please feel free to email jaxchiro@gmail.com and I will help put you in touch with someone that can get you all fixed up. 


Be well,

Christopher B. Renne, DC
Active Medical & Chiropractic

A Valentine's Day Did you Know?

Hello again, friends!

Today I received my monthly e Newsletter from a colleague that I thought would benefit my subscribers and patients here in Florida. That said, below please find a "cut and paste" from
Vonn Roenn and Kelley Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys that I sincerely believe will add value to your lives. I hope you never need to know any of this material, but I know the odds say you will as many as three times in a typical Florida life cycle.

"Happy Valentine's Day.
How Much Do You Love Your Auto Insurance Policy?

Do you love it enough to know exactly what coverage you have, why you have it, and what important coverage you might be missing?  Signing up for auto insurance is something we must do, but few of us know exactly what coverage we have, and more importantly, what protection this coverage provides.

Do You Have Full Coverage?

Frequently we hear someone say that they have “full coverage.”  What this means is that you have the minimum insurance coverage required by your State, which in Florida is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage (PD) coverage. 

• PIP provides you, the insured, with up to $10,000.00 in benefits for medical treatment and/or lost wages in the event you are injured in an accident, regardless of who is at fault (which is why it is called no-fault insurance). 
• Property Damage coverage pays for damage to any property caused by an accident where you are the at-fault driver or at-fault owner.      

If these are the only two coverages identified on your insurance policy, you technically have “full coverage,” but you and your family are far from being fully covered.

How Can I Protect My Loved Ones

There are several additional coverages available that will help to ensure that you and your loved ones are fully covered in the event of an accident or injury.  We have identified a few coverages below that we highly recommend every driver have on their policy.

Bodily Injury Coverage (BI): This coverage protects the insured up to the limit requested in the event you are at fault for an accident that results in injury to someone else.    

Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM): This coverage provides medical, wage and pain and suffering coverage to the insured in the event they are injured in an accident by an uninsured or under insured driver.  This is the only way to ensure that you and your family are protected in the event you are injured through someone else’s negligence.

Collision Coverage (Coll): This coverage provides property damage repair to your own vehicle if it is damaged in an accident, regardless of who is at-fault for the accident.

If you are worried about the cost of adding additional coverage, keep in mind that you can increase deductibles and select lower coverage amounts to make your premiums more affordable.

Don’t wait until it is too late to change your insurance policy.  For a few extra dollars, you can ensure that you and your loved ones are protected in the event of an accident and minimize the stress and financial impact following an accident. 

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident and have questions about your rights, contact the accident and personal injury attorneys at Von Roenn & Kelley today at 904-900-3459. "

Thank you, Zach and Michael for sharing this valuable information. 

Until next time, Feel loved and stay safe out there!

Dr. Chris Renne

Chiropractic Physician

Active Medical & Chiropractic

www.activechirocenter.com

I'm hurt but I don't have a health insurance! Please help!!!

Not so fast my friends. Maybe you do and you just do not know it.

Hello, Jacksonville. Today I wanted to talk about car insurance. That’s right, I said car insurance!

Every day I have people coming through my doors who have been injured in auto accidents. All too often, as far as they know, they will have to pay for their medical treatment all by themselves. Fortunately, I have it on good authority that for most of you this just isn’t true! You have help: your car insurance.

Drivers who are insured in Florida are required by law to carry a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection insurance, also known as a ‘PIP’ policy. Note that that is a minimum - you may be carrying more. Who is this money for? It is for you! Florida is a no-fault state, so each person’s car insurance pays for their damages and injuries, regardless of whose fault the accident was.

Here is how it works, in a nutshell: If you are carrying a $10,000 PIP policy and you injure your back, that policy will cover 80% of the cost of your medical bills and 60% of the cost of your lost wages up to $10,000, even if the accident was your fault. Additionally, the policy covers property damage, again with a minimum of $10,000. So that will help out with your car, too.

Basically, if you have car insurance you have a guaranteed cushion of at least $10,000 in case of being injured in an accident. That money can be used for visits to the ER, a physical therapist, or even your friendly neighborhood chiropractor!

One thing you should be aware of: in 2012, the Florida state legislature tightened up the no-fault law to reduce fraud. For less serious conditions, there is now a cap of $2,500 on what you can claim. Also, if you need to make a PIP claim, it is important to act quickly! You have fourteen days to make your claim with your insurance. After that, you lose your chance!

Despite these restrictions, Personal Injury Protection is there to help you, the person injured in an accident, and it can. It doesn’t matter if you were at fault or even if the other driver was uninsured. The PIP policy still kicks in. Your PIP policy can be used to help cover the cost of your medical bills. This is a great advantage for Floridians. So take advantage of it!

Let’s start working on feeling better, Florida!

Yours in health,

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

Chiropractic Physician

www.activechirocenter.com

Distracted drivers+Cellphones=Whiplash Injuries. Here's what you need to know:

Hello everyone, Dr. Renne here to talk about a very common and very painful injury, the condition commonly known as whiplash. Physicians, of course, have a longer and more complicated name for whiplash: CAD Syndrome, also known as Cervical Acceleration Deceleration.

Wow, doc, those sure are some $10 words. What do they mean?

If you’ve ever been in a fender-bender in your car, there is a good chance you’ve experienced at least mild whiplash. Here is what happened to you: the rapid acceleration and deceleration (remember those words from the scientific name?) of the crash forced your neck to flex beyond the limits of its normal range of motion. As your head was suddenly thrown backward and forward, your cervical spine was hyper-extended. This might have resulted in all kinds of injuries to the vertebrae in your spine or the muscles, joints, and ligaments in your neck.

Now, if you experienced whiplash, the pain, soreness, and discomfort might show up right away. But they might not. Sometimes it takes a day or two to feel the effects. But either way it is definitely no fun! Whiplash can have symptoms you wouldn’t expect, too, sometimes taking the form of headaches, dizziness, shoulder and back pain, or even strange prickling or burning sensations.

Sometimes, the injuries you receive from whiplash may be no worse than a stiff neck in the morning. But when you’re dealing with a potential injury to your spine it’s a good idea not to take any chances. If you think you’ve experienced whiplash, don’t just try to tough it out! You need to see a medical provider. Your friendly local chiropractor is one excellent option!

As a chiropractor, here are the things I check for when a patient comes in with whiplash symptoms:

1. Joint dysfunction and loss of normal range of movement
2. Muscle dysfunction with painful trigger points
3. Faulty movement patterns
4. Herniated discs

If left unchecked, these conditions can lead to chronic pain as well as a loss of range of motion in the neck and shoulders. That’s why we want to get them looked at as soon as possible.

Fortunately, there are effective treatments available. Depending on the nature of the underlying injury, I might recommend chiropractic manipulation, muscle relaxation, muscle stimulation, exercise and physical therapy, or even posture and lifestyle changes. The earlier we start these treatments the more successful they will be!

If you’ve been in a car accident, or had a fall, or been in any kind of physical collision where your head was jerked around, you are at risk for whiplash. If you start experiencing neck pain, shoulder pain, soreness, tingling, numbness, headaches, dizziness, prickling or burning immediately afterward or within a few days, don’t wait! Please see a medical provider ASAP!

If you think you may have experienced whiplash, come in and see us. The phone number to setup an appointment is (904) 398-4860.

Yours in health,  

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

www.activechirocenter.com

904-398-4860 office

Is Massage Therapy really worth the cost?

Hello Jacksonville! I know that many of you come through the doors of Active Medical & Chiropractic because you are looking for a drug-free way to manage your back pain. Patients often tell me that the hands-on therapeutic services we provide like massage therapy really help to reduce their pain.

Well this week a new report has come out that says science backs this up! The Group Health Research Institute in Seattle recently performed a study of 401 back pain patients. Their study demonstrated that massage therapy was just as effective at relieving lower back pain as a combination of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and weekly physical therapy, the standard treatment for this condition. All of the participants in the study had experienced at least three months of pain, and their pain did not come from a specific event such as a car accident.

The study compared the standard treatment to both relaxing (or ‘Swedish’-style) massage and deep-tissue structural massage. The results were the same in both cases, with patients reporting a decrease in pain and an increase in their ability to perform exercises over the course of a year.

Not only did the study participants who received massage treatment improve just as much as those who received medication, they also appeared to improve a little bit faster. That’s right, massage therapy worked more quickly than drugs. That’s quite a result!

Frankly, it’s not news to me that regular massage therapy makes my patients feel better. I see it every day! But it’s great that studies like this are bringing the benefits of massage to more people’s attention.

If you’d like to schedule a massage session for yourself, just give us a call. Our phone # is (904)398-4860. We want you to start feeling better, faster. Today!

Yours in health,

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

Chiropractic Physician

www.activechirocenter.com

Easy stretching tip for the spinally challenged among us....

Hey Jacksonville, Dr. Chris from Active Medical &Chiropractic here with a quick tip on stretching out your back. You don’t have to wait to visit our office to start working on sore lower back muscles. There are some techniques you can use in the comfort of your own home. And one of them uses some items you’d never expect: two tennis balls and a roll of duct tape!

Putting this together is pretty simple. Take two tennis balls and place them side-by-side, and then wrap them in duct tape until you have nice duct-taped wrapped peanut that will hold together. “Okay doc,” you say, “I’ve got this weird contraption, now how do I use it?”

You put your duct-tape peanut on the floor and lie on top of it, face up and knees bent. The tennis balls should be oriented parallel to your waist and in the middle of the curve of your lower back.

Once you’re more or less comfortable in this position, it’s time to do some exercises! Raise both arms straight up and point your fingers towards the ceiling. Keep those elbows straight!

Now, take one of your arms and slowly lower it over your head so that it is parallel to the ground. You should still be keeping your arm fully outstretched. It’s okay to move your neck if you need to.

Hold this position for several seconds and then slowly return your arm to its original position. Now repeat the same motion with your other arm. Repeat this process four more times.

While you are moving your straightened arms up and down, the tennis balls should be working into your lumbar spine like the knuckles of a massage therapist, helping to loosen and soften the muscles. Try it and see for yourself!

You can use this technique to help alleviate lower back pain, and practicing it daily could help prevent future pain as well.

Of course, if you are in a lot of pain and need to see a professional, please give us a call! 

And as always, take care and be well, Jacksonville!

Yours in health,

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

Chiropractic Physician

www.activechirocenter.com