Falling in Winter: How Chiropractic Heals and Restores Health and Function
Previously we offered some tips on avoiding falls on the ice and snow this winter. Unfortunately, sometimes slips and stumbles are inevitable. In these instances, chiropractic care can help restore function, range of motion and overall health after you’ve been injured.
We’ve officially had our first snowfall of the season, and it was a mere preview of just how treacherous driving (and walking!) conditions can become during winter in South Dakota. Even if you take all the right precautions (small steps, smart shoes, slow and steady), you might still find yourself stiff and sore after a slip on the ice.
One common problem that can result from falling is a shoulder injury. When you instinctively extend your arm to catch yourself mid-fall, the high impact and awkward angle of this arm hitting the ground can injure your shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is an extremely complex joint, and a displacement of any part of this joint disrupts nerve flow and can affect numerous movements. If you think about it, you can move your arm in many directions: you can reach behind you and touch your low back, over your shoulder and touch your upper back, reach high above you and low below you. This amazing joint that allows us so much range of motion is also a delicate structure. When it is damaged, function can become diminished. Disruption to the shoulder joint is something that a chiropractor can help with.
A bad fall can be life-changing, and not in a good way. You might not even feel the aftereffects immediately, but eventually, whether hours or days or months or years, the damage from an injury becomes evident. You might have aches and pains in certain parts of the body, experience mental confusion, “brain fog”, depression, headaches, dizziness and vertigo are just some of the symptoms that can result from a slip-and-fall injury. Patients are often surprised at how chiropractic adjustments to the neck can resolve these issues.
Sometimes it’s hard for people to verbalize exactly what their symptoms are; it might be that they can’t think clearly, are easily fatigued, or just feel “off”. The brain is the most complicated and sensitive part of the body, and any spinal misalignment can break down nerve communication and cause a host of unpleasant symptoms. Made up of very heavily metabolic tissue, the brain creates metabolic byproducts and must be cleansed regularly. The cerebral spinal fluid that surrounds the brain is responsible for this “cleaning”, and without this cleansing process the brain can’t function correctly. This can cause memory problems, clouded thinking, depression, fatigue or confusion; cognitive abilities are compromised and diminished.
A common fear is that these symptoms are permanent, but after a series of cervical adjustments, patients feel more clear-headed, have more energy, and just feel better overall. Patients have said to me after an adjustment, “I didn’t even realize how crummy I felt until you fixed it!” Chiropractic adjustments correct the disruption of the brain’s natural cleansing process and restores cognitive abilities, balance, mood, energy and overall function.
We want you to feel great and have confidence as you brave the elements this winter. If you’ve been injured in a fall or are simply run down by aches and pains, you don't have to live with discomfort. Come see us at Reinecke Chiropractic and let our team get you back to feeling well.