From ballet to break dancing, the hallmarks of a good dancer’s performance are the same: grace, fluidity and mobility. But these attributes are not created overnight. At PRI clinic, we treat dancers of all ages who have demanding schedules that often involve weekly practices, or in the case of professional dancers, are required to perform up to eight stage performances a week. As you can imagine, people who need to keep up with this level of activity are bound to suffer from the occasional injury.

For dancers the correct alignment of the body’s structure directly impacts the quality of their performance, lifespan of their career and overall wellbeing as a performing artist. Practicing movements and patterns time after time can lead to repetitive strains, which can affect the dancer’s ability to execute and focus on technique. Ballistic movements and tumbles come with the territory and can take a toll on the body over time. Many dancers simply accept aches and pains in their feet, ankles, knees, hip and back as part of the package of being a performing artist but this doesn’t have to be the case.

While most people associate chiropractic care with back pain, more and more dancers rely on chiropractors to not only treat problems that often arise but to help dancers perform at their optimal best.

It all comes down to mechanics: the body is a machine made of moveable parts and subject to the stresses placed upon it. Over time, these stresses can present itself as stiffness, snapping, aching or restrictions to movement leading to poor form and inefficient mechanics. Many times dancers will push through the pain in the hopes that it will just resolve itself, but this can make it worse. When pain or restricted mobility impairs the movement of the body, the dance and the artistic expression suffers.

Maintaining proper mobility/flexibility throughout the body allows dancers to perform their moves with more ease and efficiency while decreasing their risk of repetitive strain injuries due to poor mechanics. Dancing requires coordination and balance, which stem from strong muscles, bones and ligaments. If your body is out of alignment it can be vulnerable to injuries when you bust a move on the dance floor.

Chiropractic adjustments restore mobility to restricted joints as well as assessing the soft tissues (muscles/tendons and ligaments) for undue tension leading to imbalances in the spine/pelvis and legs. Studies have shown that dancers with low thigh strength levels and hamstrings that were disproportionately weaker than the quadriceps had a greater degree of injury in the lower extremity. Maintaining hip and pelvic mobility is paramount to a dancer’s mobility.

Whether you’re taking a recreational hip hop or ballet class or performing professionally, give PRI clinic a call for your dancing advantage! Your body will thank you!

Sources Cited

1.Scott Howitt. Chiropractic Takes Centre Stage: Treating overuse injuries in the world of dance. Canadian Chiropractor. Retrieved November 20, 2017, from http://www.canadianchiropractor.ca/content/view/1098/

2. Charlotte Leanderson et al. Musculoskeletal injuries in young ballet dancers. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy 2011; 19 (9); 1531-1535

It is hard to live in Canada and not be aware of Canada’s current Opioid Crisis. An estimated 2,000 Canadians are dying annually from prescription opioids. Our country is facing a national crisis.

Headlines related to chronic pain and fentanyl overdose are rising in frequency and urgency. Many chronic pain patients have been universally mismanaged by all health professions even with the best intent and the best minds clamoring for solutions.

Chiropractic can be a piece in the puzzle in the development of an effective opioid reduction strategy. By providing prompt access to effective health care options, like chiropractic care, evidence suggests that we can reduce reliance on opioids to treat acute and chronic musculoskeletal-related pain (of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.)

Chiropractic is a safe, evidence informed option to treating chronic pain, and our high patient satisfaction levels make chiropractic a popular option for patients looking to address pain and improve function.

Source: stock.adobe.com

In fact, new guidelines released by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, recommend a coordinated multi-disciplinary healthcare team, which includes chiropractic, be used to help manage pain and avoid the dependency of opioids.

Federal and provincial governments are widely recognizing the crisis that exists with opioid addiction and overdose. The Canadian Chiropractic Association has engaged in months of advocacy with the federal government and other health professions to build awareness and understanding that available evidence points to back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions as a leading reason for opioid prescribing.

As the national media discusses the link between over-prescribing and the opioid crisis, it appears that the public needs the expertise of chiropractic services more than ever.

If you suffer from chronic pain, please check out PRI clinic. They have knowledgeable and professional medical staff that will help you come up with the safest solution to your pain symptoms without resorting to opioids.

To book an appointment, please contact PRI office.

Arthritis is the name for a group of conditions that damage joints causing pain, stiffness and reduced mobility. It affects nearly four million Canadians, 15 years and older – that is almost one in six people. Arthritis isn’t just an older person’s disease; it can affect children and people in the prime of life. Arthritis can be relatively mild or very severe, but common symptoms include:

◾Joint pain and aching

◾Joint swelling

◾Joint stiffness or reduced movement

◾Muscle weakness

◾Reduced function

Causes of arthritis

Arthritis is the thinning or destruction of joint cartilage caused by inflammation or excessive wear and tear. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, the most common forms are:

◾Osteoarthritis (usually affects hands and weight-bearing joints like hips, knees, feet, and spine)

◾Rheumatoid arthritis (can affect all joints in the body)

◾Gout (typically affects the foot)

There are many possible contributing factors for arthritis including:

◾Genetics or inheritance

◾Previous injury or fracture

◾Infection

◾Overactive immune system

Source: stock.adobe.com

How chiropractic care can help

Chiropractors are highly skilled at assessing how arthritis affects joint movement, muscle strength and physical function. Research demonstrates that specific exercises targeted at improving joint mobility and increasing muscle strength help manage arthritis and improve function.

Your chiropractor will:

◾Assess the affected area and ask about daily activities to assess the impact on your joints

◾Develop a treatment plan to safely improve or restore movement and mobility affected by arthritis

◾Help you manage your condition through education and treatment to reduce pain and swelling, strengthen muscles and increase joint mobility without worsening your arthritis symptoms

For help with arthritis, please contact the PRI office.

It’s easy to assume aches in pains in our backs are originating from where you are actually feeling it. So if your back hurts, it must be coming from an issue within your back, right? This is not necessarily the case. Everything in our bodies is connected through tissue and our nervous system.

Your body has three main shock absorbers: your feet, your knees and your spine. The shock of walking, running, jumping etc. is first felt by your feet. If your feet can’t handle the shock, it passes the impact absorption to your knees. When your knees are ill-equipped to handle the shock it passes the absorption to the last stop on the chain, your back. Your back will eventually fatigue and begin to cause you pain, especially if there is a misalignment in the lower region or the pelvis.

Most of the problems associated with our backs caused by our feet are simply because of the surfaces we walk on. Our feet were designed to walk on grass, sand, dirt, mud and other natural terrain. Human innovation has brought us cement, tile, wood, etc. which are actually detrimental to the health of our feet and in turn our back. Natural terrain is suited to the shape and structure of our feet. This causes our arches to be supported and causes the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the foot and ankle to work in a supportive fashion.

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You may ask yourself, how can I prevent this cycle of pain?

There are 3 solid solutions that work best synergistically, when used together.

1. Shoes – Find the right kind of shoe to support your foot type. If you have flat feet or have a minimal arch, shoes that have a good amount of cushioning or stability will work best to absorb the shock. Sorry folks, there are no high-heels on the planet that are going to do anything good for your feet or back, so try and wear them as sparingly as possible.

2. Chiropractic adjustment – A visit to your chiropractor can do wonders. First, they will check the joints in your feet and ankles are working properly. Your chiropractor will perform an examination, which could include examining your feet, analyzing your gait and posture, requesting an x-ray and checking your shoes for improper wear. If it’s determined that your feet are the cause of your back pain, your chiropractor will develop a program, which may include an adjustment of the foot to stabilize your postural foundation and to help relieve related stress/pain to the rest of your body.

3. Custom Orthotics – Your chiropractor may also suggest individually fitted, orthotic arch supports if they’ve determined your feet to be the cause of your back discomfort. Orthotic arch supports are heat moldable plastic shoe inserts designed to support the arch on the inside of the foot. Orthotics also help in realigning your foot’s ankle joints and bones.

At PRI clinic, we offer a wide variety of orthopedic shoes, custom orthotics built specifically for your feet with advanced technology and professional chiropractors who will ease your foot and back pain.