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Pelvic Floor Therapy Gives Hope to Women After Pregnancy

With pregnancy and delivery comes new hormones, body changes, new experiences, scars, and postural changes. Pregnancy and birth can place increased strain on the pelvic floor muscles, putting it at risk for weakness, tightness, or tearing. This can lead to difficulty with loss of urine, pelvic organ prolapse, and pain. Every woman deserves the resources to prevent and rehabilitate common problems related to pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum healing. In other countries, pelvic floor physical therapy after baby is the norm, as it should be! Women are at a significantly higher risk of pelvic floor dysfunction than men, and pregnancy can play a large role. Every woman should take the time to heal after birth, and really reconnect with her pelvis, pelvic floor, and her core. We need to change our mindset and remember that just because it is common, does NOT mean it is normal. These changes do not have to be something women just “live with.” There are resources out there for women that can prevent, reverse, and improve symptoms! A pelvic floor physical therapist can give women the tools necessary to reconnect with their pelvic floor and core during pregnancy and postpartum. They give women the information they need to heal, strengthen their body, and return safely back to the activities they love. When we address these body changes shortly after birth, they can be more quickly rehabilitated, often times reversing symptoms and preventing long-term side effects in the future. If you are pregnant or already suffering from this condition, I encourage you take steps to prevent these problems or recover. You deserve it!

Common Symptoms

Heaviness in pelvis or vagina/pelvic organ prolapse

Pelvic floor muscle weakness

Pelvic floor muscle tightness

Pain in hips, lower back, pelvis, or legs

Belly pooch/abdominal separation/DRA

Pain with intercourse

Loss of urine/feces (incontinence)

Scarring and scar tissue

Pain in vagina or vulva

Pelvic Floor?

What is the pelvic floor? It is a group of muscles in your pelvis that create a bowl. This deep layer of muscle is called the pelvic diaphragm and these muscles assist with:

Holding up the pelvic organs, including the uterus, bladder, and rectum

Pressure regulation with breathing and “core” activation

Functions such as holding and releasing urine and having bowel movements

Awareness is Power!

Common does NOT mean normal. Be sure to let your friends and family know that there is hope for healing these issues! 

Article by Holly Hernandez, PT, DPT, ATP

Owner of Lotus Rehab - Holistic Physical Therapy

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The Benefits of Chiropractic for Athletes

In today’s ultra-competitive world of sports, athletes look for any edge they can get to emerge victorious over their competition. The physical stress applied to an athlete on the playing field, court, or whatever venue is only a small piece of the stress applied when you consider workouts and/or practice. Currently all 32 NFL teams employ a chiropractor on their medical staff and 28 of the 30 Major League Baseball teams utilize on-site chiropractic services when at home. These teams invest millions into player personnel to win and produce the best product on the field. And it’s no mystery to them that chiropractic care increases the durability and performance of their athletes. Chiropractic can reduce the risk of injury, expedite the recovery of existing injuries, and increase the performance of the athlete. With less interference from the symptoms of pain/injury, athletes can maximize time spent on the playing field, allowing them to express their best potential.

How does chiropractic help athletes?

Mobility and flexibility usually differ from the right side to the left side in an athlete as they develop unequal muscular tone due to repetitive motions in their respective sport. This asymmetrical muscular tone causes altered biomechanics (altered movement) and spinal misalignments. The existing asymmetrical muscle tone and altered biomechanics causes the body to function less than perfectly. This can decrease performance potential and could possibly cause pain or injury. When an athlete is first introduced to chiropractic care, they are usually in the final stage of altered biomechanics which is pain and/or a traumatic injury. The asymmetrical muscular tone and joint alignment put more stress on some tissues than others which predisposes the athlete to a specific injury. To correct this problem, a course of rehabilitation will be developed based on the chronicity of the condition and the characteristics of the symptoms experienced. Through proper assessment, the correction of the spinal misalignments and a functional at home exercise/stretch regimen, symmetrical muscular and skeletal function can be restored. While correcting these misalignments after an injury occurs is very helpful, we find that it’s even better to address them with preventative maintenance chiropractic before an injury occurs.  By addressing the altered biomechanics and spinal misalignments in advance, we can greatly decrease the likelihood of an injury from occurring or recurring in the first place. If you need personal advice about your situation, we welcome you to give us a call at 830-629-3101.

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Christmas Recipes from  Chiropractors  Drs. Korey & Kelsey Rose

Merry Christmas! We wish you a wonderful holiday season full of great family time and food. To get started, here are few yummy recipes that look delicious and will be perfect for your health-conscious relatives. Special thanks to Minimalist Baker for letting us link to their recipes and use their fabulous photos.

No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

If you love the rich, creamy texture of cheesecake but you're trying to go low carb and dairy free, this recipe will hit the spot. And, it doesn't require baking. To try this delicious recipe, click here. 

Vegan Gluten-Free Ginger Bread Men

For a traditional holiday treat that is crispy on the edges but soft in the middle, these Ginger Bread Men will be perfect. But watch out, according to Minimalist Baker, they are addictive.  To try this this recipe, click here.

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

With so many relatives and friends allergic to flour and dairy these days, this version of a classic sugar cookie will be welcome at many family gatherings. It suggests using naturally-dyed sugar and dried blueberries for toppings too - an added health bonus! To try this this recipe, click here.

We hope you enjoy these recipes and have a wonderful Christmas holiday.

 ​If you need help with spinal care or have a question, we welcome you to contact us at (830) 629-3101.

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5 Tips to Help Your Family Stay Healthy This Fall!

By Dr. Kelsey Rose, New Braunfels Chiropractor It’s that time of year again—the sniffles, sneezes, coughs and headaches have begun.  Are you prepared to help defend your family from “cold and flu season”?  We all get run down in the fall especially with kids’ practices/game/tournament schedules, dance recitals, band competitions, choir performances…you name it!  With so much going on, it’s easy to let a few things slip through the cracks such as proper nutrition and sleep. So what can you do? Here’s a list of smart strategies to keep your entire family healthy. *WASH YOUR HANDS: Seems simple enough right?  Unfortunately this super easy task gets neglected especially during cold and flu season.  I’m not talking about just washing hands after using the restroom. This should be a given.  Wash your hands frequently throughout the day with warm soap and water to help prevent the spread of scary ‘germs.’ Many people only wash for 5-10 seconds but this is not the best way. Try singing your ABCs or happy birthday twice through to get the adequate amount of wash time in.  Washing your hands prior to eating is a huge help as well!  Think of every hand shake, door knob, sign-in pen, chair, TV remote or gas station pump you touch almost every day. You never know who is currently fighting off a bug so it’s best to stay on the safe side and wash up!                **A common carrier for bacteria today is our cell phones. Go ahead and take that cover off, grab a few Q-tips or cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol and go to town on that screen in every nook and cranny.  If you have Thieves essential oil or tea tree oil, these are great to use instead! *STAY HYDRATED: This one also seems super easy to stay on top of but so many of us go from our morning coffee or tea straight to our lunch time tea. Then before we know it, it’s 4 p.m. and we’ve hardly had any water! Give your body the tools to help fight off those bugs.  Right when you wake up, consume at least 8 oz. of water.  Then enjoy your morning coffee/tea but at lunch time, switch that sweet tea for a water.  One of the easiest ways to constantly consume water throughout the day is to make sure you bring your own cup/bottle with you.  Many of us have a RTIC or Yeti cup so go ahead and use that bad boy for water.  Also, it makes it more accessible if you use a straw so you constantly sip throughout the day.  When you’re feeling well you should be trying to consume at least 64 oz. of water.  When you get sick, aim higher for around 80-100 oz.  A hidden gem is coconut water—it can really help replenish electrolytes which are *majorly* important when sick. *PROPER NUTRITION: This is also one of the tools your body needs to help boost the immune system.  Unfortunately, a lot of us go for the orange juice when we’re sick because “it has a lot of Vitamin C in it.”  The store bought orange juices contain so much sugar that this is not the best choice—especially when sick. There is actually a better choice out there! Red bell peppers have 3 times the amount of vitamin C than an orange.  If you have a picky eater out there and it’s tough to get them to eat a raw red bell pepper, eating an orange would be better than consuming orange juice.  Other great choices are kale, broccoli, strawberries, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and my personal favorite, pineapple. Pineapple contains anti-inflammatory properties which are a huge bonus when under the weather. Kiwi, papaya and mango are also great sources of vitamin C. A great way to sneak all of these superfoods into one serving would be to make a smoothie!  Use 1-2 cups of kale or a kale/spinach mix, then add strawberries, mango, papaya, kiwi and pineapple so it’s sweet (also add ice and either water or almond milk). *SLEEP: This tool is key to giving your immune system a hand when it’s working hard.  Do your best to listen to your body. Go ahead and take that sick day so you can go home to hydrate, fuel up and rest.  You don’t want your or your kid’s immune systems to be sluggish when they are trying to strike an attack against foreign invaders. Get the kids to bed earlier than usual when under the weather and this goes for you as well!   *GET ADJUSTED: Spinal adjustments are the final tool your immune system needs. Adjustments have a positive effect on your nervous system and your nervous system controls all of the other systems in your body so you definitely want it working properly!  Chiropractors are specifically trained to evaluate, check and care for your spine. My final encouragement is to start implementing these tools TODAY to help you and your family combat those super bugs this fall.  There’s never a convenient time to start living healthier but as you can see, these ideas are very easy.  Stress will always be in our lives but by using these tools, you can help your body adapt and fight back better than ever. If you need help with spinal care or have a question, I welcome you to contact me at (830) 629-3101.

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Gazette Features Heart Warming Story About Local Rescue Team

We are so grateful for all of the citizens who pulled together to rescue those stranded along the coast after Hurricane Harvey. The love and support these victims are receiving is truly amazing. To read more about the local team that assembled to rescue people with their boats, check out this article by the Seguin Gazette.

http://seguingazette.com/alert/article_1715ef10-8de9-11e7-9f04-9b3a1c4601c6.html?mode=story

Also, here are some photos that Dr. Korey took on the mission.  

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5 Tips to Maintain Your Health on Vacation

By Dr. Kelsey Rose, Chiropractor, New Braunfels, Texas

When on vacation, many of us tend to throw all of our healthy habits out the window!  We tend to skip out on workouts as well as stretching and then go for the extra scoop of ice cream as well.  While there’s definitely room for a few splurges, summer vacation does not mean you vacate healthy habits completely! Here are a few tips to help you stay on track. 

Tip #1:

Don’t skip out on exercise! Even if you’re planning a week-long vacation and don’t want to lug around heavy weights, you can still keep fit. Plan ahead to set aside at least 20-30 minutes of exercise 4-5 days of the 7 you will be gone. These exercise routines can consist of yoga (this can pretty much be done anywhere), a run or a bodyweight exercise routine found on YouTube.com or a website. My personal favorite is FitnessBlender.com. This website offers a *FREE* arsenal of workouts for cardio, strength or yoga/pilates so you don’t have to cut into your vacation spending fund.

Tip #2:

Continue eating healthy! Everyone is allowed to have a treat every now and then. However, this doesn’t mean your family has to go out for ice cream every night or have donuts every morning. Whether you are driving to your destination or flying, have oodles of healthy snacks ready to eat.  Some examples are apples, oranges, grapes, almond, cashews, celery with nut butter, or homemade protein bars or protein bites (Dr. Kelsey likes to use this recipe http://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/365-easy-energy-bites-recipe/).  

 Tip #3:

Stretch! This is especially important to do on long car rides. Plan on stopping every 2-3 hours, get out and stretch.  There is no need to make it a 30-minute pit stop by any means—10-15 minutes will do just fine. Even if you are flying, you can still do some seated stretches. Stretching your hamstrings is important but you also need to stretch your hip flexors as well.  If you’re a yogi, you can definitely do a few poses that you know give you relief.

Tip #4:

Be careful when lifting luggage! Many of our patient’s come in with lower back pain and say they lifted something incorrectly. Instead of leaning over by bending at the waist which can damage your back, you need to squat, bend your knees to scoop up whatever you’re lifting and use your legs to lift it.

Also, be sure to not lift something heavy and twist at the same, which also can be damaging. When possible, use suitcases with rollers on them so that you can avoid carrying heavy luggage very far. And, make sure your purse or carry-on bag is not so heavy that it puts too much strain on your neck and shoulders.

Another good idea is to carry a travel pillow for those moments when you get sleepy. Many people fall asleep with their neck in an awkward position so a pillow will definitely help.

Tip #5:

Stay safe if participating in water sports, water slides or rides at amusement parks. Surfing, wakeboarding, water-skiing, knee-boarding, roller coaster riding, etc. can be hard on your joints and back! The jostling created during the aforementioned can create unnecessary compressive forces on your spine. Have fun with your family and/or friends but try not to over-do it! Be sure to quit before fatigue sets in and makes your body more likely to be injured.

If you can, work on strengthening your core and specific muscles used for water sports in advance so that your body is better prepared for the activity. And, don’t be afraid to tell the boat driver to slow down the boat or bail out if the speed gets too fast to be safe.  

During outdoor activities, it’s also smart to drink plenty of water to keep your muscles and joints hydrated.

Last but not least—after you ride the Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, make sure you have an adjustment scheduled for the following day!

Dr. Kelsey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic in New Braunfels along with her husband Dr. Korey Rose. If you would like more information about monthly maintenance chiropractic care, please contact their office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.  

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In Pain? Cold Laser Therapy Can Help

By Dr. Korey Rose, Chiropractor, New Braunfels, Texas

Cold Laser Therapy also known as Cold Light Therapy and  Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is an FDA cleared therapy used for pain and inflammation. This therapy uses a specific wavelength in the light spectrum to cause a photochemical reaction at a cellular level. These specified set of wavelengths have the ability to stimulate a physiological response to decrease pain, improve healing, increase cellular reproduction, and increase inflammatory response in acute and chronic conditions. 

How it Works

A desired tissue which is injured/ inflamed is targeted. Light photons are emitted from a laser probe and penetrate through the dermal tissues and subcutaneous tissues to the desired target tissue. The photons are absorbed by the cell and interact with light sensitive portions of the cell. It is proposed that specifically the photons stimulate specific enzymes within the mitochondria. The mitochondria is an organ within the cell responsible for converting glucose (food) into ATP which the cell utilizes for energy. With this increased energy, the cell can oxidize more efficiently and increase cellular replication. Essentially, the metabolism of the target tissue is increased which improves inflammation recovery and wound healing time. Another effect of the light stimulant is heat production. In every chemical reaction, heat is always a byproduct. The rise in tissue temperature from the reaction promotes increased blood flow and circulation, which increases the delivery of healing factors, nutrients, and oxygen to the target tissue.

What Conditions Can it Treat?

Cold Light Laser Therapy has been found to be successful in treating many different conditions in clinical studies but requires more evidence to confirm its validity. It can be used in correlation with other therapies to increase their efficiency and to reduce recovery time for a patient’s injuries. It is noninvasive (non-surgical) with very few contraindications or situations in which it should not be used for. Those include: pregnancy, cancerous or precancerous tissues, over the thyroid, or over eyes.

Dr. Korey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic in New Braunfels along with his wife Dr. Kelsey Rose. If you would like more information about monthly maintenance chiropractic care, please contact their office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.   

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Passive Modalities: How Electrical Stimulation & Ultrasound Can Speed Healing When Combined with Chiropractic

You may have read that we provide electrical stimulation or ultrasound therapy to complement chiropractic adjustment here at Rose Family Chiropractic Wellness Center. These therapies or “passive modalities” may seem strange at first glance but can be a powerful addition to speed healing along with chiropractic.

Our office typically uses one of three passive modalities on a daily basis. We use electrical stimulation in the form of interferential therapy or high volt therapy with ice or heat; therapeutic ultrasound; or a combination of two of these three therapies.  After a thorough history and exam, we will decide which modality would help you heal in the best way.  Each are explained below.

Interferential Therapy

Interferential therapy is the use of low frequency electrical stimulation that transmits electrical impulses through your skin. Electrodes are placed on the skin surrounding the treatment area. The interferential low frequencies penetrate through the skin into the deeper muscle layers. Interferential stimulates these tissues and nerves therefore beginning the healing process. The frequencies produced by interferential actually help stimulate the release of endorphins (the body’s natural pain killer). This modality is very effective at reducing inflammation and pain, as well as increasing localized blood flow and edema (swelling).  This is the most common modality used in our office.  It is typically accompanied by either an ice pack or heat (depending on the injury).

High Volt Therapy

High volt therapy is a higher frequency, pulsed modality electrical stimulation that we also use in our office. High volt uses higher voltage and a direct current to reduce impedance of the skin which allows the stimulation to penetrate the tissue deeper than a TENS unit.  A TENS unit uses low voltage and alternating current and is great for pain relief only. The application of high volt is the same as interferential in that pads/electrodes are applied to patient’s skin in the area of treatment.   High volt is great in the treatment of strains/sprains, edema and pain control. It is also typically accompanied by an ice pack or heating pad.  

Therapeutic Ultrasound

Therapeutic Ultrasound is applied to a patient by using a wand along with ultrasound gel to reduce friction on the skin and increase the transmission of ultrasonic waves into the tissues being treated. This is different than diagnostic ultrasound that is used for diagnostic imaging on a pregnant woman’s abdomen.   In the head of the wand are crystals that begin to vibrate via the piezoelectric effect that creates the waves. These sound waves pass through the skin causing a vibration of the local tissues. The wand is constantly in motion on patient’s skin. Ultrasound can increase blood flow and scar tissue breakdown as well as allowing tissues to relax.   Increasing local blood flow can help reduce local swelling and inflammation.  

Combination Therapy

Combination therapy is the simultaneous application of ultrasound and electrical stimulation. When we combine therapies, typically we use a type of interferential for the electrical stimulation. This combination therapy helps treat conditions such as plantar fasciitis. Another common application site for this type of therapy is on the levator scapulae/trapezius muscle area. Combining the therapies is advantageous because it combines the healing effects of both modalities.  

Dr. Kelsey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic in New Braunfels, Texas, along with her husband Dr. Korey Rose. If you have questions about your specific condition, please contact the office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.

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The Spinal Equation = Stability, Mobility, Stability

By Dr. Korey Rose, New Braunfels, Texas Chiropractor

If you love to learn how your spine functions and how chiropractic improves the function of your spine, here is a progression of how your spine develops from before birth to where you are now with aches and pains from texting, reading or sitting most of the day.

The spine is broken into four segments. From superior to inferior (top to bottom): they are cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, and sacrum. In an upright walking human being, these regions have different curves either a lordosis (cervical spine and lumbar spine) or kyphosis (thoracic spine and sacrum). A lordosis is when the spine is concave posterior (back), and a kyphosis is when the spine is concave anteriorly (front).

When you were a baby in your mother’s womb (in the fetal position), you develop your entire spine in a kyphotic curve . Then the magic of life and development begins after birth. As a baby you lay on your stomach and look up at mommy and daddy or up and around to observe your environment. The act of strengthening your posterior neck muscles begins the development of your cervical lordosis. Strengthening these muscles and developing your cervical lordosis not only develops this region but it neurologically stimulates your brain. The muscles in the region of the upper cervical spine are small in relation to other muscles in the body, but they have the greatest density of proprioceptors in the entire body. Proprioceptors are a special neuron that stimulates neurological activity in the brain. This means that the muscles of the upper spine are extremely important to the stability of the entire spine. When the brain is stimulated by the proprioceptors from the muscles of your neck, the brain begins to neurologically facilitate/ develop the muscle tone of your low back. This increased tone begins the development of your lumbar lordosis. Now that you are 7-10 months old and can hold your head up, it’s time to begin crawling. Cross crawl pattern is very crucial to the development of the soft tissue musculature which supports the spine. What I mean by cross crawl is opposite arm and knee function in correlation as you move forward. Very similar to proper running form. The motion of cross crawl exerts the most efficient amount of force using your entire body to propel yourself forward. Cross crawl development is key to the fascial plane slings that we have spoken about before in a previous blog post (Where you think it is, it ain't).

Throughout everyday life in the “modern world,” we sit an absolutely excessive amount, looking down at phones, looking down reading, or sitting down looking at a computer.  All these activities cause increased tone of the muscles in the front of the neck and weakness of the muscles in the back of the neck causing forward translation of the cervical spine and loss of the lordotic curve. The loss of this curve causes instability of this region. Remember those proprioceptors in the upper neck that were mentioned earlier in this article? Forward head translation is directly associated with decreased neurological feedback to the postural muscles of the lumbar spine, causing instability in the lumbar spine. Once this occurs, we now have instability of the cervical spine and lumbar spine.  What region is in between these?  The thoracic spine region. When this occurs, the thoracic spine begins to move abnormally less in attempt stabilize the regions above and below it. So now we have a perfect scenario for chronic pain and most likely the first symptom you experience is pain in the thoracic spine. So what does this mean in layman’s terms?   You may report that you have mid back pain but the reality is that the condition started with weakness of the neck and low back.  This forced the thoracic spine to develop compensatory patterns which ends up causing pain.   As a chiropractor, my job is to guide each patient in how to increase the stability of a weakened cervical spine, increase the mobility of the thoracic spine, and stabilize the lumbar spine. Now, not all conditions follow this pattern but more often than not this is the case. The good news is that by going through this process, we can address the pain and restore wellness.

Dr. Korey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic in New Braunfels along with his wife Dr. Kelsey Rose. If you would like more information about monthly maintenance chiropractic care, please contact their office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.  

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5 Tips to Keep Your Spine Healthy at Work

Do you often find yourself slumping over at your computer desk?  By the end of the day, do you have an aching back, a pain in your neck or a headache?  Sitting causes compression of your spine but when combined with poor posture it sets you up for chronic pain.  Listed below are tips to help you keep proper posture at work.

1.       Sit up straight!  

You should never be hunching or leaning back in your chair reaching for your keyboard. Your feet should be on the floor, hips and knees at 90 degrees, keyboard low enough so that you are not bringing your shoulders to your ears (in line with your elbows), shoulders down and back and your monitor at eye level. Sit at the edge of your chair so that you do not rely on the back of your chair.  This is also advantageous because it will help you keep your shoulders back. If your shoulders are back, you reduce strain on your upper back and neck which decreases the chances of you getting a tension headache from poor posture.  

       2.   Sit on an exercise/stability ball!

Sitting on an exercise ball allows you to achieve all of the posture points listed   above but an added bonus—you’re secretly working on your core muscles! Why is this important?  When your core is strong it decreases the chances of straining your lower back. **Make sure you choose the right size exercise ball. The ball is the right height if you can achieve all of the posture points in tip #1**

       3.    Stand up!

Request a convertible standing desk from your boss. Some choose to stand full time or just stand half of the day. Again, you still need the monitor at eye level and the keyboard low enough that you aren’t bringing your shoulders to your ears. This causes undue tension on your levator scapulae muscles as well as your trapezius muscles. When these muscles are engaged for prolonged periods of time or elongated due to poor posture (rolled shoulders) they can cause neck pain and/or headaches.  

       4.   Move!

Set a timer on your phone to make sure you walk around for a couple of minutes once an hour. Even if you are holding the correct posture, sitting for prolonged periods of time isn’t good for anyone. As the day goes on, the discs in your spine (cushions between each bone) decompress. Don’t force more compressive forces on the discs by sitting the entire day. Move around and get your blood pumping!  Holding a squat challenge with co-workers is even better! Hold each other accountable for 10-20 squats per hour.        

       5.    Stretch!

Do gentle neck stretches by placing your right arm on the left side of your head and gently tilting your head to the right to stretch your left neck muscles. Hold this for 30 seconds, do 2-3 rounds, then switch sides. You can also stretch your pectoralis muscles by making a semi-field goal shape with your arms. Standing in a door frame or in a corner, place your forearms in the semi field goal shape with your elbows at the level of your shoulders. Lean into the door space or into the corner ((No bouncing!!)) for at least 30 seconds and do this as often as possible throughout the day. Another good muscle group to stretch is your hamstrings because they are often shortened when sitting for prolonged periods of time. You can stretch your hamstrings by sitting on the ground with one knee bent and foot tucked in and the other leg straight out in front of you. Then reach toward the straight leg’s foot and hold for one minute. Do this 3 times then switch legs.  

Dr. Kelsey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic in New Braunfels, Texas, along with her husband Dr. Korey Rose. If you have questions about your specific condition, please contact the office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.

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5 Tips to Optimize Your Spine Health

If you’ve ever had neck or back pain, you know it can impact every other aspect of your life including your mood, activity level and weight. The good news is that with proper care, you can keep your spine in good health and enjoy your best life. Here are some tips to get you started Stretch!  Stretch!  Stretch! Maintaining proper flexibility through daily stretching is vital.  Muscle pulls bone so if you constantly have a tight muscle in a certain area it could be affecting your spine and “pulling” a bone in your spine out of alignment.  We offer several different ways to stretch areas of the body because we know everyone is at a different starting point.  Yoga is a great way to incorporate stretching into your day.  It’s also great for balance and increasing strength.

Strengthen! Your muscles need to be strong to help stabilize your spine.  We see significant imbalances in strength from side-to-side in patients every day.  We work with our patients by giving them exercises to help them become stronger where ever they need it. Move! Get out of that chair or off of that couch! Motion is life. Prolonged sitting is detrimental to your spinal health.  Many jobs today require some time in front of a computer.  Start a squat challenge between co-workers to do 5 squats each hour and then increase it every day.  Incorporate an exercise regimen in your daily schedule.  Even just 20-30 minutes daily goes a long way. Strive for Proper Nutrition! First and foremost, drink water!  64 ounces is the bare minimum and very important to help flush out toxins and keep you hydrated.  Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits is important so our bodies can utilize the vitamins and minerals from each.  Food is fuel and if you put the proper fuel into your tank, it runs efficiently.  If you’re constantly eating greasy, fried food, you may feel sluggish and tired.  Then, if you’re sluggish and tired, you probably don’t want to stretch, strengthen or move your body.  Eat right so you can treat your spine right!

See Your Chiropractor! Function is dependent upon structure.  If the structures in your spine are aligned properly, then your nervous system can function optimally.  Your nervous system controls everything in your body from digestion to flexing a muscle.  In order for these systems to function like they should, nerve interference (aka -  a misalignment in your spine) needs to be removed by a licensed chiropractor. Dr. Kelsey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic in New Braunfels Texas, along with her husband Dr. Korey Rose. If you have questions about your specific condition, please contact the office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.

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“Where you think it is, it ain’t.”

I’ve recently learned the phrase “where you think it is, it ain’t.” Now I really don’t think this phrase has been trademarked but if it has, Doc forgive me. But what Doc was talking about is pain and how you think you know where the pain is coming from. Chronic pain is a puzzle. Sometimes the area where a patient is experiencing pain or symptoms is where the root cause is - but most of the time it’s not.  Chronic conditions almost always have muscle weakness as a primary source. The weakness in this muscle causes decreased function, which causes other muscle groups to compensate and overwork to make up for the weak deficient muscle.

This month’s topic relates to the body’s ability to spread the responsibility of motion throughout itself. An easy example I can use is when a baby crawls you will see him or her bring an arm and opposite knee forward at the same time as they crawl forward. This is called the cross-crawl pattern. Another example of this is proper running technique that requires an arm to drive forward in conjunction with the opposite knee for maximum power and efficiency. These groups of muscles that work in conjunction through cross-crawl are actually strongly associated with each other through a tissue called fascia. Fascia is a connective tissue that STABILIZES, encloses, and separates muscles and internal organs from themselves. Many of you have seen fascia before–it’s a thin, filmy, milky looking tissue that surrounds a steak. You experience it a second time as you chew endlessly trying to break it down and eventually yield to spitting it out. (Pretty visual huh? It’s ok. We’ve all been there at one point). I know I mentioned that fascia separates tissues but recent discoveries have unveiled that certain muscle groups which collectively work together for a specific motion are deeply invested in each other through fascial connections. So where am I going with this? Chronic pain is quite commonly fasciitis or inflammation of the fascia

Remember how I mentioned that fascia STABILIZES tissues and that it surrounds muscles? When you have a weak muscle that decreases function of a specific movement, other muscle groups increase their workload to compensate. These muscles that increase workload are surrounded by fascia as well. Under chronic overuse and tension, the fascia of these muscle groups will inflame and stimulate pain. So you can treat the area of pain all day long but until you address the muscle weakness that is the primary cause, you will just play a merry-go-round game of on and off symptoms. By all means it is important to us as doctors to relieve the pain and symptoms that inhibit our patients from enjoying life and participating in activities that make them happy. So we may treat the areas of complaint but possibly give patients home exercises to address the primary source. Without completion of this homework, return of symptoms over time is likely. The most common muscle deficiency I see in practice is glute medius weakness. The glute medius is the second largest of the three glute muscles. Its primary function is a pelvic stabilizer and hip rotator. This condition is almost a pandemic since the invention of the chair and toilet.  Many conditions arise from weakness of this muscle and symptomize on the opposite side of the back. Examples of this are sacroiliitis, one of the most common sources of low back pain, and SI joint dysfunction (See my previous blog article for more information). The good news is these issues can be addressed with proper specific treatment by a chiropractor along with a disciplined at-home therapy program by the patient.   So next time you are experiencing pain or discomfort, keep in mind that the actual place you feel the pain, may not be the actual source of the pain or “Where you think it is, it ain’t.”

Dr. Korey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic in New Braunfels along with his wife Dr. Kelsey Rose. If you would like more information about monthly maintenance chiropractic care, please contact their office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.  

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Functional Kinesiology Tape: How does it work? Can it really help you?

Kinesiology tape has been used for a period of about 30 years by manual therapists, physical therapists, and chiropractors. But tape has gained recent popularity through exposure of athletes such as professional sand volleyball player Keri Walsh and basketball superstar James Harden. In today’s professional sports scene where every inch, second, or pound of force counts, any small change can give athletes a big advantage. The purpose of kinesiology tape is to increase the function of the body, specifically increasing movement, and if you increase your movement, you can function at a higher level. Now you may not need to function at the level of an Olympic athlete or basketball superstar, but as I have said before, movement is life and if you don’t use it, you lose it. 

So how does it work?  Tape increases function with two primary effects: decompression and stimulation. Decompression Applied kinesiology tape lifts the upper most layer skin away from the deeper layers allowing relief of pressure to the free nerve endings and increase the circulation effect of fluid. Free Nerve Endings and Pain Your body has billions of free nerve endings just beneath the skin that are responsible for detecting pain. In the incidence of an injury, inflammation and swelling occur resulting in greater pressure being applied to these nerve endings causing them to reach a threshold and become stimulated. When these nerve endings are stimulated, pain is the result. When kinesiology tape is applied, skin and fascia are lifted away from this underlying inflammation causing a decrease in pressure and consequently less pressure applied to the free nerve endings.   Circulation When the tape is applied, it causes a lifting effect on a region of inflammation aiding the circulation of accumulated fluid. Where there is pain, there is inflammation. You cannot have one without the other. A lot of times at the site of an injury, swelling and fluid accumulation is evident and can be easily seen. Other times it cannot be seen so easily but it is there. The lymphatic system is responsible for gathering these bodies of fluid. The lifting effect of the tape decreases pressure on the lymphatic vessels allowing them to more effectively drain the local fluid that has accumulated at the injury site. The fluid is absorbed through lymph vessels very similar to arteries and veins and transports the fluid back to the spleen, an organ located in your abdomen. The spleen is a major component of the immune system as it filters all of this fluid gathered by the lymphatic system. It cleans the fluid and recirculates it back into the blood stream.

Stimulation The second major effect of kinesiology tape is the stimulation it provides to the body’s variety of sensory nerves in the skin and its deeper tissues. These tissues have high concentrations of nerves that are responsible for the detection of touch, temperature, pressure, pain, and PROPRIOCEPTION. Proprioception is the body’s ability to register its position in space. This is key to improving movement. In every single chronic pain condition, there is a deficiency of a specific movement causing the pain. In these movement deficiencies, there is a muscle or muscles that are being utilized deficiently causing over compensation of other muscle groups leading to chronic pain conditions. Kinesiology tape aids in your ability to increase the function of underutilized tissues to break the cycle of chronic pain.  Properly applied tape increases local proprioception and sensory input to the direct adjacent tissues helping them function at a higher level. Kinesiology tape helps many movement dysfunctions and musculoskeletal conditions. If you think it may be beneficial for a condition you have, you will want to a talk to a doctor who is trained in its use. Be sure to notify your doctor if you suffer from skin allergies, skin infections, cancer, deep vein thrombosis, kidney disease, and congestive heart failure. These conditions may be contraindications to the application of kinesiology tape.       

Dr. Korey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic along with his wife Dr. Kelsey Rose. If you would like more information about monthly maintenance chiropractic care, please contact their office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.        

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Headaches got you down? There's hope!

If you struggle with headaches, there are many potential causes with different solutions. The god news is that certain types of headaches, particularly tension headaches, can be helped by chiropractic services. So how do you know if you have a tension headache and what can be done to treat it? Read on.

What is a tension headache? 

A tension headache is described as a band like headache, or most commonly, a headache that starts at the base of the skull and radiates to the forehead.  The pain is typically described as dull, aching and felt on both sides of the head.  Many of our patients describe it as tightened muscles in their neck and skull.   Approximately 9 out of 10 women will suffer from a tension headache at some point in their lives.  Furthermore, there are 2 types of tension headaches classified as episodic and chronic.  Episodic tension headaches occur randomly and are usually triggered by stress, anxiety or fatigue.  Chronic tension headaches are continuous headaches and tend to vary in intensity during a 24-hour period.  Unfortunately, this headache is always present and isn’t typically alleviated by medicine.  

How can chiropractic help?

As discussed in a previous post, our office performs myofascial release techniques, which are particularly effective and very beneficial for tension headaches. If you want to learn more about it, check out our previous article!  http://chiropracticexperts.tumblr.com/post/141836650357/what-is-myofascial-release-therapy-and-how-can-it

We also find that a major cause of patient’s neck muscles getting so tight and causing them headaches is poor posture.  To address this, we educate patients on proper posture especially while working and teach patients how to do postural exercises.  Because tight muscles can also cause vertebral subluxation in the spine, especially in the neck area, we also adjust the misaligned bones and then help strengthen their muscles.  

By utilizing all of these techniques, we are able to have great results treating tension headaches. We hope this information helps you or someone you know!  

Dr. Kelsey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic along with her husband Dr. Korey Rose. If you think you might have Plantar Fasciiitis , please contact their office for more information at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.

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Are you vulnerable to getting Plantar Fasciitis?

Many people have personally experienced or know of someone who has suffered from plantar fasciitis, a common condition of severe foot pain caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a fibrous connective tissue that spans from the heel (calcaneus bone) and fans out to attach to the base of all five toes. The plantar fascia is a very tough and rugged piece of tissue that supports the metatarsal bones through gait (walking) acting as a shock absorber for the entire body.

Although the plantar fascia is very durable it is not immune to injury. Studies indicate that the plantar fascia can only withstand 100-105 percent of its normal length before micro tearing of the fascia occurs. We commonly associate this condition in the athletic community especially long distance runners and in occupations that involve prolonged standing and walking on their feet. What is most misunderstood is that 50 percent of all cases involve those who are less active. In these instances patients who are overweight are at much greater risk for plantar fasciitis. This group will begin to experience the symptoms of the condition after a period of activity (working on the lawn, beginning to exercise, etc.) following a period of prolonged inactivity. Commonly the most severe pain is located in the center of the heel where the fascia attaches to the calcaneus or “heel bone.” At this area the plantar fascia experiences the most stress as well is its thinnest region throughout the foot. The chronic tension and micro tearing will continue to broaden and fan out towards the toes in most cases. A common finding in Plantar Fasciitis is a “heel spur.” A common misunderstanding is a heel spur is not an extension of the heel bone, rather a collection of calcium that is deposited into these micro tears and over taught tissue. Inserting calcium is the bodies innate/ natural response to inflammation, this response will increase the rigidity of the tissue and prevent a complete rupture. This calcium deposition contributes to the severe pain. Under a microscope, these calcium crystals resemble a spear causing severe pain with continued tension these crystals will continue to cause inflammation and pain creating a vicious cycle. Very commonly plantar fasciitis causes severe pain in the foot upon arising from bed in the morning. However, several conditions can mimic similar symptoms to plantar fasciitis so x-rays may be warranted pending the patient symptoms to rule out a stress fracture, and a MRI may be necessary to confirm the diagnoses of plantar fasciitis or presence of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (the carpal tunnel syndrome of the foot). Traditional treatment would involve prescription grade anti inflamititories, losing weight, icing, stretching the calves, massage, new shoes, and decreased activity. Treatment for this condition is not simple nor is it extremely quick. Understanding why your plantar fasciitis has occurred is the biggest step in the right direction to fixing it. Beginning a static and dynamic stretching routine of the calf muscles is a great start and a BIG leap in the right direction.  The fascia at the bottom of the foot is actually connected directly to the fascia of the calf muscle as well as several of the hamstring muscles. Chronic tension in these muscles and fascial tissue contribute immensely to the symptoms in your foot. So stretching of the calves and hamstrings is a major aspect to recovery from plantar fasciitis but not a complete fix. Stabilization of the foot is the most important aspect to assure your symptoms do not return once you begin your daily life after treatment. Thorough treatment consists of targeted muscle/ fascial release techniques, muscle strengthening, and joint mobilization through adjustments. The only way to assure resolution of this condition is to increase the strength of the entire leg and feet to stabilize your plantar fascia. Plantar fasciitis has the potential to be a debilitating condition limiting your ability to walk and live the life as you desire.

​Dr. Korey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic along with his wife Dr. Kelsey Rose. If you think you might have Plantar Fasciiitis , please contact their office for more information at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.

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What is Myofascial Release Therapy and How Can it Help You?

You may have heard that we offer myofascial release therapy but most people don’t know what it is and the wonderful benefits it offers. In this article, I will explain what it is, how it works and the types of problems it can solve.

First of all, let’s define the term “Myofascial.” Myo- means muscle, and fascia is a very strong fibrous connective tissue that encases all of our muscles.  Fascia’s purpose is to reduce friction between all of our muscles. It actually connects muscles that have similar function together forming a “fascial plane.” It’s also innervated by sensory nerves and can be highly sensitive.

If fascia becomes inflamed due to trauma (falls, car accidents, etc.), repetitive trauma (poor posture) or post-surgical complications, myofascial adhesions can form.  Myofascial adhesions are very tight, inflamed muscles or fascial that are very sensitive.  If the myofascial adhesions are never addressed, they can become fibrous in nature and difficult to break up.  When these myofascial/fibrous adhesions form, over time they can create chronic pain because they contain sensory nerves that grow into the tissue.  

Myofascial release therapy is a treatment that uses sustained pressure on a specific muscle coupled with a gentle stretch to help elongate the muscle and release the tension on the fascia.  In a sense, it’s cross between a massage and a stretch.  The goal of our myofascial release therapy is to relieve the tension on the muscle to get the muscle to relax, therefore reducing pain and giving our patients relief.  

A common area that causes a lot of people pain is the upper trapezius/shoulder area.  When these muscles become very tight and then inflamed over a period of time, trigger points (knots) can occur and be very painful. In addition, chronic tension in this region can also cause tension headaches that radiate up the neck to the back of patient’s skull, around their head and to their temples. Muscle pulls bone, so tighter muscles on one side can pull on vertebrae causing misalignments in your spine (or subluxations).  To correct the misalignments in your spine, a chiropractic adjustment will be made and then subsequent myofascial release therapy will address the soft tissue problems. Eventually strengthening exercises will be given to the patient to help them reeducate the muscle to prevent reoccurring myofascial adhesions.  All of these treatments work together for the best healing outcome for the patient. Some of the benefits people receive from myofascial release therapy include:

·         Increased flexibility

·         Decrease in tension or migraine headaches

·         Decreased chronic pain  

·         Increased blood circulation

·         Decreased numbness/tingling sensations if myofascial adhesions are pressing on nerve

           This is just one example of the many adjuncts to the chiropractic adjustment that we utilize in our office!  We welcome you to come by our office to have your spine checked and a custom plan developed to facilitate your healing and best quality of life.

Dr. Kelsey Rose is a chiropractor who specializes in performing adjustments for pregnant moms and children. She, along with her husband Dr. Korey Rose, are the owners of Rose Chiropractic and Wellness Center.

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Whiplash: What It Does to You and Why You Need to Treat It

Many of you know of someone or have personally experienced the effects of a whiplash (sprain/strain injury) from an auto injury or other accident. The pain in the acute phase can be very severe if not debilitating.   However, what is unknown to a majority of the population is the chronic long-term effects of such an injury – and how treatment can prevent these complications.

While “whiplash” is most commonly associated with motor vehicle accidents, it extends to many other physical injuries that involve hyperflexion or hyperextension of the spine. The most common area impacted by whiplash is the cervical spine or neck but it can also impact the thoracic and lumbar spine. In the acute or early phase of such an injury, the symptoms commonly experienced are constant sore achy pains with severe sharp pain experienced with motion. The recovery period for this acute phase is between 4-8 weeks depending on many factors including: the speed involved in the injury, the postural biomechanical state of the patient before the accident, and the age of the patient. The anatomy of a spinal whiplash injury include many physical structures that are involved and all should be carefully considered, examined, and evaluated. Contributing to severe sharp pains in the acute phase are muscle and tendon stretching/tearing (strains) and ligament stretching/tearing (sprains). Annular tears of the intervertebral disc or joint capsule can occur as well in moderate to severe cases. Low impact events seem to affect the C4/5 disc most often. But as the impact of the injury increases, damage extends to include C3/4, C5/6, and C6/7. These injuries will be repaired and replaced innately by the human body with scar tissue. Scar tissue is very strong but lacks the flexibility and durability of the natural muscle, ligament or tendon tissue, that it is replacing. Sensory nerves in the immediate local region around the scar tissue begin to grow into the scar tissue making the scar tissue highly sensitive as compared to that of normal tissue. This infiltration of nerves is called territorial invasion. Without active conservative care a large quantity of scar tissue will accumulate causing chronic decreased range of motion and chronic pain.

Another source of chronic neck pain after whiplash injuries is the cervical zygapophysial joints or facet joints. Between each pair of vertebrae are two facet joints. These joints connect the vertebrae together but slide against one another to allow the neck to move in many directions. Tiny fractures and tears of the joint surface (articular cartilage) and joint capsule contribute to chronic pain long after the car accident or other injury. These fractures and cartilage tears don't show up on X-rays or MRIs. They are only seen when the neck is studied postmortem. Tiny meniscus cartilage in the facet joints called intra-articular meniscoids can become contused (compressed and bruised) and can even rupture. The result of all the soft tissue (muscles, ligaments, tendons) damage is that the zygapophysial (facet) joints are left unstable and unprotected.  It can lead to accelerated osteoarthritic degenerative changes. With such injuries, neurologic receptors within the joints, ligaments, and tendons called nociceptors, which create pain, become activated and can cause chronic pain.

The longer any of these injuries are left untreated, the more scar tissue will form creating a vicious cycle of chronic pain. Decreased range of motion from scar tissue formation will also cause decreased active gliding of the facet joint causing accelerated osteoarthritic formation because if you don’t use it you lose it. Quick conservative care to restore the patient’s range of motion will mobilize the cervical facet joints and regions of scar tissue.  This helps to limit the development of territorial invasion which is there for improving sensitivity/chronic pain. Anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers and steroids may decrease inflammation and pain initially but they do not address scar tissue formation and facet joint damage which is the true culprit of chronic pain. Through chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue myofascial therapy, and passive modalities, a chiropractor can help those in the acute or chronic phase for those that suffer from acute whiplash or chronic whiplash syndrome.

Dr. Korey Rose is the co-owner of Rose Family Chiropractic along with his wife Dr. Kelsey Rose. If you would like more information about monthly maintenance chiropractic care, please contact their office at rosefamilychiro@gmail.com or call 830-629-3101.