Everybody knows that Chiropractors adjust bones. What many people don’t know is that we can also relieve muscle pain and teach exercises to help rebalance muscle strength.
Since I opened my new KC Chiropractic office inside the Kansas City Wellness Club in downtown Kansas City, I have seen patient after patient who needs more than just Chiropractic spinal adjusting. A big part of what they need is exercise.
Exercise and yoga are the easiest ways to keep your body from developing the aches and pains many of us are prone to. The Kansas City Wellness Club is an amazing spa with a variety of activities to help you be strong, relaxed, and moving comfortably. It has a comfortable, accommodating, and functional gym/fitness center. But, if you’re already in pain, you may be reluctant to join a gym and add the well-earned ache of muscles fresh from a workout. The key here is to reduce existing pain, along with working out to strengthen and tone the whole body.
In my practice, I’ve seen knee pain, elbow discomfort, and a whole lot of shoulder issues. Ouchy places that have no obvious injury. Most of these cases didn’t need the bones moved around. They needed muscle work. Some muscles needed stretching and others needed strengthening.
Think tennis or golfer’s elbow. Knee pain just middle of the top of the shin. Or pain on the front of the shoulder. It doesn’t matter what hurts, finding the cause is what does matter.
When a set of muscles has been overworked, or overstretched, the place where the muscle attaches to the bone often gets very irritated and painful. And most of the time the problem is NOT the muscle that hurts. Often it is the muscle that acts as an antagonist. Yes, just like the protagonist/antagonist in a movie, muscles work in pairs of opposites.
Massage feels good. Reiki, yoga, facials, a sauna, and even a haircut all help relax muscles. But since these things don’t strengthen the muscles that are weak, the feeling doesn’t last. But oh, they sure feel good. (As a home remedy, ice and rest also help. But again, they don’t last or address the real problem. Muscle imbalance).
Often what is needed is a simple ‘1, 2, 3’. Figure out: 1) what caused the ouch, 2) which muscle(s) needs to be stretched, and 3) most importantly which ones need to be strengthened.
In all honesty, it’s up to you to find the right individual to help you. And there are a number of specialists that can help you: a Chiropractor, an exercise physiologist, a sports trainer, a sports rehab trainer, physical therapy, massage therapy, a hair salon, and a couple of other similar specialties. I have also met KC massage therapists who have the additional sports trainer/rehab skills. But it is the Chiropractors who have helped me the most – because of the breadth of their training.
What can YOU expect after a session with me? My patients tell me before they leave the office that their pain is either gone or significantly reduced. And months later they tell me that the home exercises that I gave them have made all the difference in their recovery and quality of life.
But when a patient comes in with a recurrence, I always ask the question “have you been doing the exercises I gave you?” The answer is almost always a sheepish “No. I did them for a while.” They usually stop doing the exercises after a couple of weeks. And when/if they start hurting again, they often can’t remember what to do.
As a chiropractor, I can help you with these ouchy places. I have the training and desire to help you strike the right balance of immediate pain reduction, stretching, and strengthening imbalanced muscles. In other words, I will teach you how to take care of your body so you can be ready for the fun stuff!
Dr. Gayle McCain, Chiropractor
