MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE BEFORE THE YEAR ENDS

The end of the year is full of activities. With your calendar filling up with family time, office parties, shopping trips, and Santa visits, the end of the year usually means we’re short on two things: time and money. But taking a moment to review your current benefits can save you some money by taking care of things now instead of waiting for the new year.

GET TREATED BEFORE YOUR DEDUCTIBLE RESETS

If your benefits calendar coincides with the calendar year, now’s the time to take a look at it. You may have already met your annual deductible. If you’ve used your insurance this year, you’ve at least made some good progress toward meeting the minimum out-of-pocket expense before your insurance really kicks in. These benefits are yours, bought and paid for. So using them before they recycle could save you some serious money.

So let’s say you have to brace yourself to stand or you suffer back pain when you wake up in the morning. If you put off having a doctor examine you until 2017, you could end up paying the full amount for that exam. If you get your visit in before the end of December, your insurance could likely cover a significant portion of that amount.

USE UP YOUR EXISTING FSA CONTRIBUTIONS

Your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) through your employer is where you may have elected to have some of your pre-tax earnings put aside for medical expenses. FSA’s are an excellent way to set aside some cash for additional expenses, but if you don’t use all of your contributions by the end of the year, you could lose them.

Your FSA balance is a great way to shore up some loose ends in your health management, including getting some of your lingering issues taken care of. You can also use those benefits to pay for labs, tests, treatments, and prescriptions that may become necessary after you have your issue addressed.

CHECK YOUR BENEFITS NOW

This busy and strapped-for-cash season could be the best time of year for you to schedule a visit. Check with your insurance provider to see what benefits you’ve used and what may still be available to you before the January 1 deadline. Or call us at 303-367-2225 to schedule a consultation with one of our benefits specialists.

PREVENTING AND TREATING INJURY IN COLORADO SKI COUNTRY

Owing to abundant snowfall, relatively moderate wintertime temperatures, and expansive mountain ranges, Colorado ranks among the top recreational ski destinations in the world. Colorado’s rich ski history includes figures such as Father Dyers, crossing Mosquito Pass on his skis to visit mining camps, and locations like Camp Hale, the training camp for the 10th Mountain Division during World War II.

Today Colorado is home to almost 50 ski areas that log over 12,000,000 annual ski visits. With all of that activity on our slopes, accidents are inevitable. While skiing is not a contact sport, it involves coordination, high velocity, and muscle endurance to prevent injury and strain.

TIPS TO AVOID INJURY ON THE SLOPES

• Warm Up: Begin your day with a warm-up routine that includes stretches. Some beneficial stretches include
• Hips & Back: Lie on your back, bend your knees and let them fall to one side. Keep your arms out to the side and let your back and hips rotate with your knees.
• Quads & Hamstrings: Kneel onto one knee and place your opposite foot on the floor in front of you. In this lunge position, push your hips forward. Hold onto something for balance, if necessary.
• Standing Toe-up Achilles Stretch: Stand up and place the ball of your foot onto a step, raised object, or against a wall. Bend your knee and lean forward.
• Perfect your technique: Take a ski class from a professional before hitting the slopes.
• Prepare your gear: Make sure you have the right ski boots, bindings, and ski length for your body type and level of skill. Wear appropriate safety gear, such as helmets and wrist guards.
• Prepare your body: A good conditioning routine, including strength training, cardio, flexibility, and balance exercises, can help increase your strength and endurance on the slopes.
• Stay on the Trail: Especially while you’re learning, stay on terrain you’re comfortable with. Steeper terrain means higher speeds and greater potential for injury, and leaving park bounds means new conditions and more danger.
• If you are tired, rest:  Mistakes (and injuries) are far more common when we’re fatigued.

MOST COMMON SKI AND SNOWBOARD INJURIES

Knee Injuries

A third of all injuries in skiing are suffered by the knee joint, most commonly menisci, cruciate, and collateral injuries.

Meniscal injuries occur during a fall when the ski bindings fail to release. When this occurs, the skier twists the lower leg and risks a meniscus tear or strain. Common signs of this condition are pain, swelling, inability to bend the knee, clicking and “giving way” of the knee.

A torn anterior cruciate ligament (torn ACL) can occur when a skier falls and twists the downhill leg, or during an off-balance landing after a jump. The most common indication of a torn ACL is an audible “pop” followed by extreme pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Less common, but more severe, is “O’Donoghue’s triad,” or simultaneous complete (or partial) tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and the medial meniscus.

Treating Knee Injuries from Ski & Snowboard Accidents

Knee injuries are initially treated with the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) principle, which will help minimize the pain and reduce the swelling.

With most knee injuries, the goal is to stabilize the injury with knee supports (or braces) and begin a program of exercise, therapy, and rehabilitation to facilitate natural healing and conditioning.

If the pain of the injury is too severe to resume even normal activities with the help of a brace, your doctor may recommend a pain management program. In these cases, treatments such as injection and prescription medications can help ease the pain of the injury and allow your body to resume its healing process.

Spine Injuries

Spinal injuries from ski accidents are far less common than knee injuries – that’s the good news. The bad news is that they are usually far more serious and require much more time off the slopes for recovery. The most common spinal ski injuries come from stress or torsion on the spine during a hard fall or a collision.

When minor injuries happen, they usually include pain and numbness. After the adrenaline has faded, these injuries will result in restricted movement and aches and pains. People who have suffered from this type of injury may be prone to more frequent back pain in the future, so it’s important to be examined by a physician no matter how minor your injury seems.

Major spine injuries from ski accidents are another story. Symptoms of these injuries can include loss of movement, difficulty breathing, loss of control of bodily functions, and muscle spasms. These symptoms, obviously, should not be ignored! Major spinal injuries can lead to partial or total paralysis, so get to an emergency room as quickly as possible.

Treating Spine Injuries from Ski & Snowboard Accidents

Just like with knee injuries, the goal behind treating a spine injury is to manage pain and resume normal activities as much as possible. Nursing the injury with inactivity and immobility only delays the healing process. Physical therapy, exercise, and movement are necessary for recovery from spine injuries, as well as strengthening your body to prevent further pain and re-injury.

SEEKING TREATMENT & STAYING ON THE SLOPES

Regardless of how minor your accident may have seemed, pain from the injury can take days or even weeks to be fully felt. If you have even a passing concern that you may have injured your back, knees, shoulders, or tailbone while skiing or snowboarding, the safe bet is to consult a physician who can help keep you on the slopes where you belong.

The McKenzie Method for Lower Back Pain Control

There is no simple cure for back pain. The spine itself is such a complex part of our anatomy that there’s rarely one fix for the wide range of aches and pains that bring patients to our clinic.

Treatments that offer therapeutic pain relief are only part of the picture of a pain-free life. After relief from the pain of injury or accident has subsided, there are additional steps to restore and maintain a healthy spine. In addition to the treatments we offer for acute and chronic back and neck pain, we offer our patients advice and instruction on using the McKenzie Method for controlling back pain and developing long-term spine health.

THE MCKENZIE METHOD 

 In the 1960’s a New Zealand Physical Therapist named Robin McKenzie noted that extending the spine could provide significant pain relief to certain patients. He developed a series of maneuvers and exercises to help patients take a more active role in their continued health.

The long-term goal of the McKenzie Method is to teach patients suffering from neck pain and/or back pain how to treat themselves and manage pain throughout their lives using exercise and other strategies. Other goals include:

1. Reduce pain quickly 
2. Return to normal functioning in daily activities 
3. Minimize the risk of recurring pain (avoid painful postures and movements) 
4. Minimize the number of return visits to the spine specialist 

 McKenzie’s exercises for back pain are a series of progressive positions. If your back pain is especially acute, you may not be able to work through all stages straight away. In this case work through as many stages as you can and only progress further as your pain subsides.

The stages of McKenzie’s exercises are prone lying, prone lying while resting on elbows, prone push-ups, progressive extension using pillows and standing extension. Numerous variations of the McKenzie sequence exist which add or remove stages according to interpretation of the original sequence.

SOME MCKENZIE EXERCISES

The following diagrams provide examples of some basic McKenzie exercises that can be done to help allay and prevent pain symptoms. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional. Always consult with your healthcare professional prior to designing an appropriate exercise routine.

Exercise 1 – Lying Face Down

Exercise 2 – Lying Face Down in Extension

Exercise 3 – Extension in Lying

Exercise 4 – Extension in Standing

Exercise 5 – Flexion in Lying

Exercise 6 – Flexion in Sitting

Exercise 7 – Flexion in Standing

McKenzie’s exercises are designed to reposition any displaced intervertebral discs. This is initially done by using gravity to draw the discs back into the spine and then actively to consolidate the effect of gravity. To facilitate disc movement, you must relax as much as possible when performing the exercises and maintain relaxed and even breathing for the duration of the exercise.

The entire range of diagnostic and therapeutic routines offered by the McKenzie Method can be taught and facilitated by the specialists and resources available in our clinic. If you’d like to learn more about how these stretches and exercises can help you maintain a pain-free life, come inand see us!

The Truth About Sciatica

Have you ever stepped out of bed in the morning and had intense pain radiating down your leg? Or had lower back pain that won’t let up? These are symptoms of a condition called sciatica, and it can seriously diminish the quality of your life.

Even if you feel the pain in your leg, the issue is normally in your spine. The pain can come and go, but there’s no reason to live with it. Learn more about this condition and how we can help it below. Let’s start by learning more about the sciatic nerve itself:

The Sciatic Nerve

Your sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in your body. It starts in the spine of your lower back where it is made up of smaller roots that branch out and then converge to make the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve travels through an opening in the pelvis and then below the piriformis muscle. Portions of the sciatic nerve then branch out in each leg to innervate the thigh, calf, foot, and toes.

The size and complexity of this nerve means that nerve pain can have several causes. “Sciatica” isn’t a diagnosis but rather a symptom of an underlying condition. Before we describe the condition, let’s learn more about the pain you may be feeling.

Sciatic Nerve Pain

In the last section we described how the sciatic nerve originates from roots in the lower spine. These nerve roots can become pinched, which will result in intense pain that runs down the entire length of one or both legs. So while the pain you feel is in your leg, the cause of the pain may be in your spine. Most people find this pain to be intolerable, sometimes excruciating. And since they may not understand the cause of their pain, they become frustrated when they’re unable to manage it.

So how do you know if you have sciatica? Most often the symptoms are

Shooting pain the back of the leg and/or lower back

• Numbness or tingling in your legs
• Trouble moving or staying active
• Stiffness in your feet
• Pain during the night
• Nagging pain after sitting or standing for a long time

The cause of the pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness depends on where the nerve is pinched. For example, symptoms in your foot and ankle indicate nerve impingement near lumbar segment 5 (L5).

Conditions that Cause Sciatic Nerve Pain

Disc Herniation

The vast majority of sciatic nerve pain is caused by a herniated disc (also known as a slipped disc or a ruptured disc). This means a disc in the spine has cracked or torn, causing it to protrude into the spinal canal. This protrusion can pinch the sciatic nerve, which sends pain signals down the associated leg.

Piriformis Syndrome

The piriformis muscle is located in the buttock region. When the piriformis muscles spasm , it can irritate the nearby sciatic nerve and cause pain, numbness, and tingling along the back of the leg and into the foot.

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spine’s passageways. This narrowing causes the nerves to become compressed, which can result in pain, tingling, weakness, loss of balance, and immobility. The nerve compression of spinal stenosis can cause sciatic leg pain, which is usually brought on by activities like standing and walking.

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis is a condition wherein a vertebra slips forward over an adjacent vertebra. This displacement causes spinal nerve root compression and often results in sciatic leg pain. Spondylolisthesis is usually caused by spinal degeneration, trauma, or physical stress. 

Can I Cure Sciatica at Home?

Before we talk about home pain management, it’s important to stress again that sciatica is a symptom and not a diagnosis. While some of these home remedies can help you temporarily manage or alleviate the pain, you should see a physician to determine the cause of the sciatic nerve pain. He or she will help you outline a long term treatment plan so your pain doesn’t return or become permanent.

Activity

Light stretches and isometric workouts can help relieve the pain from sciatica while also improving your general health or strength. Consult with a physical therapist to learn which exercises are beneficial and to make sure proper form is used.

Heat

Heating pads, such as those found at most drug stores, can provide temporary relief. A heating pad placed on the lower back and left on low/medium heat for 20 minutes can help you manage the pain. This can be repeated several times a day as needed.

Diet & Lifestyle

To combat inflammation and improve your odds of feeling better more quickly, make sure to eat a nutrient-dense healing diet, avoid smoking/using recreational drugs, and get exercise and good sleep.

Medical Help for Sciatic Pain

Chiropractor/Massage

Chiropractors and massage therapy will focus on relieving the muscle tension in the sensitive area and also re-aligning the spine to reduce impingement and irritation. In some cases, this will provide short or even long-term relief, but in the cases of herniation, stenosis, and spondylolisthesis, these treatments may only temporarily alleviate the symptoms.

Pain Medication

Over-the-counter or prescription pain medications are usually effective in relieving sciatica pain. These medications can reduce the inflammation contributing to the pain, which can offer short-term relief. In the cases of severe pain, muscle relaxants or narcotic medications can help offer quick but temporary relief.

Epidural Steroid Injections

For severe sciatic nerve pain, an epidural steroid injection in the area around the nerve can reduce inflammation and affect relief. Unlike oral pain medication, these injections are made directly into the inflamed area. The relief from these injections helps you resume your normal range of activities and allows you to move forward with long-term physical therapy.

Physical Therapy

Long-term relief from sciatica pain will most likely involve some form of physical therapy. Chiropractors, medications, and injections can provide relief from pain symptoms, but physical therapy will help promote the muscle balance and physical conditioning to maintain a pain-free life in the long term.

Surgery

Surgery is always a last resort for managing sciatic nerve pain and should only be explored after chiropractic treatments, pain medication, injections, and physical therapy have failed to provide relief. If your pain is persistent and preventing you from engaging in daily activities, your doctor may explore a surgical option.

Most of us will suffer from back pain sometime in our lives, and that pain often comes with symptoms in the sciatic nerve. While the absolute best thing to do for your pain is to keep stretching and moving, the pain may not let you do that.

If your sciatic nerve pain is serious enough to keep you from enjoying your daily life, you won’t want to wait to see if it gets better. SpineOne knows this, which is why we offer same day appointments with our physicians to help you identify the underlying cause of your sciatic pain. Call us today, and we’ll help you with a long-term plan to live pain free.

The Surprising Truth About Text Neck

You may have heard the term “Text Neck” in the news, on social media, or in a discussion among friends. Although this condition is increasingly discussed, it has yet to be taken very seriously. A number of our patients complain of the symptoms of this condition, though not all of them believe their neck pain began with staring at their phones. Text Neck is very real and poses a serious risk.

Text Neck is a result of staring down or staying hunched over an activity for too long.  This posture isn’t exactly new; people have done this for centuries with books, drawings, sewing, and many other activities. The condition is referred to as “Text Neck” because the saturation of mobile devices, and our cultural addiction to them, have multiplied the amount of time we spend hunched over.

Your head weighs, on average, around 10 pounds. With a healthy spine, you never have to think about that weight; your neck manages it with ease. As you bend your neck forward, the stress on your cervical spine increases exponentially. Some experts say that the stress on your cervical spine doubles with every inch your head tilts down.

While you’re staring down at your shiny new phone, the stress on your cervical spine has increased to 50 pounds! Now take into account that you could spend around three hours a day staring at your phone and it adds up to extreme stress on your neck.

Is Text Neck Really a Problem?

You’ve probably been staring at your device for years and haven’t noticed any problems. That’s where this condition’s insidious nature is important to understand. Its effects are subtle but cumulative. Text Neck has been linked to headaches, neurological issues, depression, and heart disease. These symptoms can creep up on you slowly, but chances of a negative impact on your health increase each time you hunch over your phone.

Maybe most alarming is how often we’ve seen this behavior in kids and young adults whose spines are still developing.

What Are the Symptoms of Text Neck?

Stretching your body’s tissue for extended periods of time causes it to become sore and inflamed. Repeated stress on the vertebrae can also lead to herniated disks, pinched nerves, and eventually improper curvature of the spine.

Text neck most commonly causes neck pain and soreness. In addition, looking down at your cell phone too much each day can lead to:

• Upper back pain ranging from a chronic, nagging pain to sharp, severe upper back muscle spasms.
• Shoulder pain and tightness, possibly resulting in painful shoulder muscle spasm.
• If a cervical nerve becomes pinched, pain and possibly neurological symptoms can radiate down your arm and into your hand (known as cervical radiculopathy).
• Text neck may also possibly lead to chronic problems due to early onset of arthritis in the neck.

What Can I Do?

Luckily there are some steps you can take every day to minimize the impact that your mobile devices have on your spine health. Here are some suggestions­­­­­­:

Stretch!

When you get a couple of minutes during your day, stop to stretch your neck and reset your brain. Tilt your head from left to right a few times. Look over your left shoulder, and then slowly turn your head to look over your right shoulder. Roll your shoulders and neck. Anything you can do to get those stiff muscles moving will pay off.

Hold your phone higher

Holding your device higher and bending your neck less can dramatically reduce the strain on your cervical spine. Holding your device in this way can also improve your situational awareness.

Set it Down

So while this is maybe easier said than done, it’s nonetheless important to put the phone down every once in a while. Maybe a text message gets missed, but the benefit to your health and wellness will be worth it in the long run.

Is Kyphoplasty an Effective Treatment for Compression Fractures?

Compression fractures occur in your vertebrae when the bone density is no longer enough to support the weight of your spine. This condition often occurs as a result of aging, injury, or osteoporosis. The vertebrae in the spine can develop cracks and fractures over time, resulting in lingering pain and lost height.

Vertebral Augmentation

Veterbral augmentation was developed in 1984 to reduce pain and loss of function from vertebral compression fractures. Prior to the invention of vertebral augmentation, patients suffering from compression fractures had only the option of bed rest until the bones healed and the pain subsided.

There are two types of vertebral augmentation – Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty. These minimally invasive procedures can provide rapid relief from the pain of these fractures, and patients undergoing these treatments are typically able to resume normal activity in the same day.

Vertebroplasty

Vertebroplasty involves injecting a cement-like substance directly into the fractured vertebrae, which stabilizes the bone and can immediately decrease the pain resulting from the fracture. This procedure is percutaneous (minimally-invasive), requiring only a local anesthetic at the area of the needle insertion. The procedure normally takes an hour, and patients can return home on the same day.

Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty is similar to vertebroplasty. The primary difference with Kyphoplasty is it involves a first step of inflating a small balloon (the KyphX Inflatable Bone Tamp) into the fractured area. The balloon expands the vertebrae to resume most of its original size and shape prior to the fracture. After space is created in the vertebrae, a cement-like substance is injected to fill the void and stabilize the bone.

"I was very happy to get here and have everything go as smoothly as it did. I was surprised to get X-Rays and an MRI on the same day - usually one has to set up another appointment for the MRI, causing another missed day at work!

Everyone was polite and professional from the time I walked in the door - the receptionist, the technicians, and, of course, Dr. Vu. I would highly recommend SpineOne to anyone."

-Chris Y.