Loudoun County, Va. — With the transition to working from home and with the start of distance learning, neck pain is a common problem we are seeing in our clinic. The change in desk set up, chairs or extended time sitting and working at a desk can be a major contributor to neck pain. Neck problems can vary in severity and can also lead to feeling pain in other parts of your body. One of several neck problems we see is called cervical radiculopathy. Cervical radiculopathy is a fancy way of saying your neck pain is caused by a nerve…

Loudoun County, Va. — That click pop and crack in your shoulder can develop for a variety of reasons, including: Bursitis: Inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs protecting your joint Labral tears: Torn cartilage due to injury, age, or overuse Rotator cuff injuries: Damage to the muscles and tendons Dislocation: Your joint slips out of place Osteoarthritis: Cartilage degeneration in your joints Anatomy of the Shoulder The shoulder joint consists of the upper arm bone (humerus), shoulder blade (scapula) and the collar bone (clavicle). The shoulder has several muscles including the rotator cuff and is one of them most mobile joints…

Loudoun County, Va. — Many people think that a concussion only happens in football games or car crashes. But the truth is, all athletes are at just as high a risk for these brain injuries. So how do you reduce the risk of you or your athletes getting sidelined by a concussion? What is a Concussion and How Does it Occur? A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way the brain functions. Think of your brain as a marble in a small bottle of water. When you shake the bottle back and forth, the marble may hit…

Loudoun County, Va. — Do you have the desire to stay active but your joints can’t seem to keep up with the stresses applied to it with higher impact exercises such as jogging and lifting weights? A great way to continue to stay active throughout the entirety of your life is to practice low impact activities. What is a low impact activity? Low impact activities are those that put less pressure on your joints. Many people think since they have joint pain or problems, they can’t exercise. This is false! There are many activities you can participate in, that help…

Loudoun County, Va. — Due to the nature of the joint, the shoulder is a very common joint to injure. The shoulder joint is a very shallow joint which has mostly muscles and ligaments holding it in place in addition to a thick and stiff piece of cartilage called the labrum, which helps to vacuum seal the two bones of the shoulder in place. Since the joint has a lot of movement this can be a factor in causing injuries. Many shoulder injuries are caused by overuse and sometimes by a traumatic injury. 5 Common Injuries to the Shoulder Joint…

Loudoun County, Va. — Back pain is a primary cause for sick-days in working environments and can cost employers up to $1,685 per employee every year. Unfortunately, back injuries are quite common and can happen for a multitude of reasons. Fortunately, there is an effective way to treat these injuries. Anatomy of the lower spine The low back is made up of the lumbar spine, sacrum, and coccyx. There are 5 distinct vertebrae, or bone segments, to the lumbar spine and each are held together with ligaments. Between each vertebrae is a gel like sac called the disc that helps…