BLOG- SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR INJURIES

InHealth Event: Ski to Sea Team!

The InHealth Event this week?  Kevin, Grant and I are headed to Bellingham this weekend to cheer on the InHealth Ski to Sea team! Last year the team placed second in the Masters Division, and this year they are hoping for first.  Training, team work and a little luck will hopefully get us there.  The race is sold out once again with a total of 500 teams!

The Bellingham Chamber of Commerce put together a "Ski to Sea Factoid" sheet which tells you about the history of the 100 year old race.  https://www.skitosea.com/content/About/factoids.asp

For those of you who haven't heard of the Ski to Sea Race, here is a run down.   

The Ski to Sea Festival consists of a 100 mile relay race of seven venues encompassing seven different sports, a historical hometown parade, and other special events provide a wide variety of entertainment and adventure for all who participate. A Ski to Sea Race team consists of 8 racers (2 in the canoe leg) for the seven race legs (Cross Country Ski; Downhill Ski/Snowboard; Running; Road Bike; Canoe; Mountain Bike; Kayak). A racer can only be on one team, and only complete one leg. We also recommend a support team to carpool the team to the different race leg venues. From the top of Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay, discover Whatcom County's recreational playground and the 'Ski to Sea' Experience.

 

PS- If you are from Seattle and interested in racing next year on the InHealth team, send an email to Dana@InHealthSeattle.com.   We start putting teams together almost a year in advanced!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

Seattle Chiropractor Report: IT Band Syndrome

For the Seattle Chiropractor Report, we are going to discuss IT Band Syndrome, also known as the Iliotibial Band Syndrome.  So lets jump right in!

What Is It?  IT Band Syndrome can be a frustrating injury for an athlete, especially when you are training for an event or find running (or the sport that you enjoy) to be your “stress release outlet”.   Often pain is described as being on the outside of your knee and the pain can increase to the point that you are no longer able to run/jump/play. 

The IT Band begins in the hip as the tensor fascia latae muscles and attaches to three different muscles:  the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and vastus laterlis.  As the muscles progresses down the thigh, it becomes a fibrous band of tissue.  This band then crosses the knee joint and inserts (ends) along the outside portion of the knee cap (pateall) and into the shin bone (or tibia) on a bump called Gerdy’s Tubercle.  The interesting part about IT Band Syndrome is that typically it is progressive, and can start with just tightness in the knee/buttock/IT Band and can advanced to the point where the pain is debilitating.  The earlier you can catch IT Band Syndrome, the sooner you can rehabilitate it or prevent it from being an injury that interferes with your running. 

InHealth’s Approach To Treatment.

One of the main approaches we take to treating IT Band Syndrome is through Active Release Technique,  a new and highly successful hands-on treatment method to address problems in the soft tissues of the body including muscles, ligaments, fascia and nerves.  Active Release Techniques treatment is highly successful in dealing with IT Band Syndrome because it specifically designed to locate and treat the scar tissue adhesions that accumulate in the muscles and surrounding soft tissues.  By locating and treating the soft-tissue adhesions with ART, it allows the practitioner  to 1) break-up restrictive adhesions, 2) reinstate normal tissue flexibility and movement and 3) more completely restore flexibility, balance and stability to the injured area. 

If you are experiencing IT Band Syndrome and want to get out of pain and back to your activities, contact Dr. Kevin Rindal at InHealth, Seattle's expert in Active Release Techniques.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

Do You Know of a Seattle Non-Profit Putting Together a Fun Run?

InHealth is looking for a Seattle non-profit to support that is putting together a fun run event!  We would like to come along side an NGO and help to promote the event, put together training groups, injury prevention classes, and even host the event at Northcut Landing. 

We are looking for the following:

• An NGO that wants to put on a "fun run" or "bike group" in the U-District.  We would love to host an event or training groups from Northcut Landing (we are located right a trail).
• We are open to many types of NGOs!  We are extremely interested in supporting NGOs that have to do with health issues, kids, or international issues.
• A group that wants to put forward the effort to really create a successful event! 

Please contact Dana Rindal at Dana@InHealthSeattle.com if you are an NGO that is interested! 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

InHealth Seattle Event: Swedish Hospital "Happy Baby" Event

InHealth Seattle is on its way to the "Healthy Parents, Happy Baby" event at Swedish Hospital on Sat., May 21 from 11am-3pm.  The event will feature a resource fair and nationally recoginzed speakers that will talk about life after you bring your baby home.  It can be a big change for most parents and it feels fresh in my mind with our 12 month old son. 

We will be reaching out to parents to let them know about "Mommy/Daddy & Baby Massage".  Darlene Green, LMP, teaches parents how to do baby massage at home so that they can help relax, bond and sooth their baby.  It really is an amazing experience and wonderful to give parents as another tool in their belt that they can utilize once they have their new additon at home. 

Plus, we do have free childcare available at NorthCut Drop-In for all patients who have kids that need to be watched during their appointments.  Please feel free to contact me (Dana@InHealthSeattle.com) if you have any questions!

We will see you at the fair!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

A Closer Look at Seattle Acupuncture

Note:  "A Closer Look at Seattle Acupuncture" post taken from AcuTake.

Everyone’s pain is different. In Western medicine, this is offered as an explanation for why some people remain highly functional when in pain and others find it debilitating. In acupuncture theory, it’s meant literally.

Acupuncturists are just as concerned with how an area hurts as they are with where it hurts. This is different than how bad it hurts, which is something that biomedical doctors inquire about in order to rank pain on a severity scale. Acupuncturists, while also interested in severity, are primarily focused on pain quality.
Pain can stem from a number of different underlying imbalances. Cases where the pain is limited to a specific area—wrist pain, low back pain, shoulder pain, etc.—are referred to in acupuncture as Bi syndromes.

Bi syndromes are conditions characterized by localized discomfort in the muscles, joints and tendons. They are caused by an invasion of exterior pathogenic factors—Wind, Cold, Heat or Dampness. (Further reading: acupuncture and the environment.) These factors obstruct flow and function throughout the body, commonly manifesting as pain in a specific area.
The goal of acupuncture treatment, however, is to look beyond where the pain manifests. The idea is that there’s a reason pain is showing up in the first place. This approach differs from medication, which offers temporary symptom relief but does not address the root cause of pain—hence, the pain keeps coming back.

Acupuncturists combine pulse and tongue diagnosis with the patient’s description of the pain quality—as well as other seemingly unrelated factors, such as digestive health and sleep patterns—to formulate a treatment plan that provides symptom relief and prevents recurrence.
Names vary, but the following categories of Bi syndrome illustrate how acupuncturists differentiate between various kinds of pain:

Wind Bi
-Soreness and pain that moves from joint to joint
-Limited range of motion of the joint
-Aversion to wind
-May also present with fever

Cold Bi
-Severe pain of the joints and limbs
-Fixed pain
-Relieved by warmth and aggravated by cold
-Pain worse at night
-Stiffness in joints, difficulty moving
-No redness or swelling of joints

Damp Bi
-Heaviness, numbness, and soreness in limbs and joints
-Swollen joints
-Pain is fixed in location
-Stiffness, difficulty moving
-May also present with heavy head and body, distension of chest or abdomen, reduced appetite, difficulty urinating, and loose stools

Heat Bi
-Sudden onset
-Painful joints with redness and swelling
-Pain relieved by cold and aggravated by pressure
-May also present with aversion to wind, fever, thirst, sweating, irritability, scanty dark urine, and sore throat

Deficiency Bi
-Intermittent joint pain with difficulty moving
-Soreness and numbness of the limbs
-Soreness and weakness of the low back and knees
-May also present with fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, pale complexion, and insomnia

Stagnation Bi
-Sharp, stabbing pain
-Pain is fixed in location
-Stiffness, difficulty moving
-May also present with bloating or feeling of fullness

To address these specific Bi types, acupuncture points are selected distal to (far from) the location of pain. For example, a point on the head might be used to treat lower-limb pain that moves between the foot and ankle. There are also empirical distal points that are indicated for pain in certain areas—ST38, for instance, a point on the shin, is known specifically to relieve shoulder pain.

While some styles of acupuncture address pain entirely though distal points, most also include local needling at the site of pain. Acupuncturists palpate the area where the patient feels pain to identify ashi or trigger points, tight tender spots in the muscles. Needles are placed directly in or around these areas of tenderness. (Further reading: trigger points for low back pain.)
Pain usually brings people to acupuncture after mainstream options such as medication and physical therapy have been exhausted to no avail. A wider embrace of acupuncture in the earlier stages of pain management could help decrease the devastating financial and emotional effects of chronic pain. A little more “how?” in our questions about pain will lead to better answers than those we’ve found so far by only asking “where?”

Kelly Neu, Seattle Acupuncturist, can explain further if you have any questions!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

Seattle Chiropractor Report: Dr. Oz on Integrated Healthcare

Dr. Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor looks at Dr. Oz's website on integrated healthcare.

Integrated Healthcare is the combination of Eastern and Western medical practices.  Dr.Oz's website describes alternative healthcare as "The Medical Renegades Fighting for Uncoventional Answers".  Integrative medicine strives to bring the best of two types of medicine that historically have not got along and fought each other.   As Director of Development at InHealth that offers Seattle chiropractic, acupuncture and  massage therapy, I really enjoy this outlook on alternative medicine!  When I tell people what I do for a living, they typically give me one of three responses. 

1.  Complementary medicine has helped me so much!  It is always my initial approach to my healthcare.

2.  I don't "believe" in complementary medicine.  I don't think it’s a valid form of healthcare.

3.  What is complementary medicine?  I have no clue, feel a little leery of it, but want to at least give it a try.

The truth about medicine is that you really need both traditional and complementary medicine in a healthcare setting for the best results.  Complementary medicine tends to be inexpensive (when compared to traditional medicine), non-invasive, and natural forms of treatment.  In addition, the research supporting complementary medicine has grown immensely in the past 20 years and you can read more here about chiropractic research.  On the other hand, traditional medicine which includes, surgery and medication, save lives and allow people to live vibrant lifestyles.  The most effective and efficient form of medicine is integrated, bringing the best of both worlds to the table. 

If you would like to learn more about integrative medicine, feel free to email me at dana@inhealthseattle.com.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

Seattle Chiropractor Report: Vitamin D- Are You Getting Enough?

Seattle Chiropractic Report:  Vitamin D, also fondly known as the Sunshine Vitamin, is extremely important to your health in more ways than just one.   The most common cited reason to take vitamin D?  It helps the body absorb calcium and keep the correct amount of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.   However, more and more studies are linking the lack of vitamin D to cancer.  So it’s time to take a closer look at the vitamin and ensure that you are getting enough!  Here is a fictional conversation that you might have with your doctor on the matter. 

 

Doctor:  Your vitamin D levels are low.  You need to get more!

You:  What can I eat or take to get more vitamin in my body?

Doctor:  My prescription… relax, play, garden in the sunshine ten to fifteen minutes, three times per week.

You:  Well, that is nice to hear.   But I live in Seattle.  The sunshine is typically not out that often.  What are some other options?

Doctor:  You can take supplements or you can find Vitamin D in the following food:

·         Dairy products (cheese, butter, cream, fortified milk)

·         Fish

·         Oysters

·         Fortified Cereals

·         Margarine

You:  I can do that!  Although, hanging out in the sun is definitely my first priority.

Doctor:  Just avoid a sunburn.

 

So just how much should you be taking of vitamin D?  The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institue of Medicine recommends the following dietary intake for vitamin D as cholecalciferol.  (One microgram of cholecalciferol is the same as 40 IU of vitamin D). 

Infants

·         0 - 6 months: 5 micrograms per day (mcg/day)

·         7 - 12 months: 5 mcg/day

Children

·         1 - 13 years: 5 mcg/day

Adolescents and Adults

·         Males and Females age 14 to 50: 5 mcg/day

·         Males and Females age 51 to 70: 10 mcg/day

·         Males and Females age over 70: 15 mcg/day

Specific recommendations for each vitamin depend on age, gender, and other factors (such as pregnancy). In general, those over age 50 need higher amounts of vitamin D than younger persons. Ask your health care provider which amount is best for you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

Seattle Chiropractor Report: 5 Back Pain Facts

Although Dr. Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor, care for far more injuries than just back pain, many patients come to Seattle chiropractors hoping for relief.  If we look closely, 31 million Amercians are experiencing low-back pain at any given time. 

So what are the back pain facts?  We have them right here on the InHealth blog.

1.  One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.²

2.  Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work.  In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.

3.  Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.

4.  Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.³

5.  Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.⁴

So what if you are one of those 31 million Americans with back pain?  How can a Seattle chiropractor help?  Dr. Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor uses spinal manipulation and Active Release Technique to address back pain.  Used primarily by Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) for the last century, manipulation has been largely ignored by most others in the health care community until recently. Now, with today's growing emphasis on treatment and cost effectiveness, manipulation is receiving more widespread attention.

Chiropractic spinal manipulation is a safe and effective spine pain treatment. It reduces pain, decreases medication, rapidly advances physical therapy, and requires very few passive forms of treatment, such as bed rest.⁵

In fact, after an extensive study of all currently available care for low back problems, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research—a federal government research organization—recommended that low back pain sufferers choose the most conservative care first. And it recommended spinal manipulation as the only safe and effective, drugless form of initial professional treatment for acute low back problems in adults.

If you are experiencing back pain, contact Dr. Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at 206-315-7998.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

Seattle Chiropractor Report: 5 Things to Know About Kainoa Pauole

Dr. Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor,  recently asked Kainoa Pauole, owner of Pauole Sport, to answer a few questions about why she went into coaching triathletes.  Kainoa has been coaching all levels of athletes from novice to professional for the last 20 years.  As one of our community partners, we thought it would be fun to learn more about her. 

 

1.  Why did you decide to go into coaching?
I started swimming competitively when I was 8 years old and was lucky enough to have two really great coaches that I admired and helped me along the way.  My coaches were always a big part of my life and I knew I wanted to be that for others.  I was given my first swim coaching job for the same swim team I swam for as an age grouper.  After I completed my Masters Degree in Kinesiology & Exercise Science where I gained an extensive knowledge base and experience working with athletes, I started coaching triathletes.  I really enjoy working with athletes of varying ages, skills and abilities and find it very rewarding helping them achieve their athletic goals.    
 
2.  When do most people seek out a coach?  Are most of your clients beginners, professionals?
Many people seek out a coach after doing their first triathlon.  Most are hooked after their first race and decide they want to improve their performance.  Everyone has different goals; some want to improve their placement within their age group, some want to take a specific amount of time off their swim, bike and/or run leg and some want to try and qualify for the Ironman World Championships.  At Pauole Sport our team is made up of a wide variety of ages and abilities, from the beginner to high level age group athletes.
 
3.  What is the best part about your job?
The best part of my job is working closely with our athletes and watching them progress season after season, year after year.  It is so rewarding seeing an athlete get stronger both physically and mentally as we work together.   Another highlight of my job is to be able to support our athletes at races and watch our team compete.  It never gets old seeing athletes reap the benefits of all their training and dedication.  
 
4.  What is your next racing goal?
XTERRA Maui in October 2011
 
5.  What is one thing you can tell us about yourself that most people don't know? :)
A little know secrete is I have taken over five years of hula lessons and can dance hula.

If you are looking for a triathlete coach, training partners, or just help with planning for your first triathlon, Kainoa and her staff are the perfect fit.  They will encourage, coach and help you through the entire process.  Visit her website at www.pauolesport.com/.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.

Seattle Acupuncture Report: Injured Troops Turn To Acupuncture Clinic

For the Seattle Acupuncture Report, we took an article taken from NPR.  You can listen to the segment here:  

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106835768

U.S. military doctors have traditionally relied on painkillers and other Western medicine to treat injured soldiers. But one branch of the armed forces is leading the way in using acupuncture to help soldiers manage chronic pain.  This makes a great deal of sense to rely on natural forms of pain management rather than pain medication which can have side effects and can be addictive. 

 

Time to start managing your chronic pain with Seattle acupuncturist, Kelly Neu.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.