Health And Beauty Tips

Lower back pain comes from more than just lower back injury. Not many people realize just how closely connected everything is in our bodies. Physical problems, from head to toe, are directly linked with mental and emotional problems, and something as simple as a broken toe can lead to much greater problems if not properly cared for. This is why you should keep a Newburgh chiropractor in your address book, and why you should read these symptoms and causes of back trouble.

Stress

You may be asking, How in the world can emotional and psychological stress affect the back? Well if you think about it, it makes sense: After a rough day, how do you feel physically? Relaxed? Or exhausted, tense and in pain? You don’t need to be an athlete for your back to suffer due to your daily lifestyle. Daily stress in any form is bad for your posture and bad for your spine, and can lead to actual injury.

Trauma

We’re talking not so much of physical trauma but of psychological trauma. It sounds far fetched, but think about the fact that, with all our modern scientific equipment and research, doctors still have no idea exactly where the spine ends and the brain begins, as the lower brain stem is a pretty gray area. It stands to reason, then, that mental stress can amount to essentially the same thing as physical stress in some cases.

Leg Injuries

Your legs are the shock absorbers for your spine, and if they have a problem, your spine will, too. Imagine driving a car with no tires or shocks. Sooner or later, the engine itself is going to start having some problems.

Head Aches

Headaches can come from lower back problems because a kink in the spine can put undue pressure on the base of the skull. Ever wake up having slept in the wrong position to find both a kink in your neck and a headache? This is something a Newburgh chiropractor can help you with.

The growing awareness of safe driving and state safety laws have alerted the general public and parents to the importance of using car seats for their small children whenever and wherever they are driving. Most states require the use of car seats for children under the age of 4 and weighing less than 40 pounds. However, these safety rules aimed at protecting children may cause serious neck and spinal injuries and can even be deadly if the child car seats are used incorrectly.

The American Chiropractic Association, its Council on Occupational Health and ACA member Dr. Michael Freeman, trauma epidemiologist and clinical assistant professor of public health and preventive medicine at the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine, have developed the following general guidelines and safety tips to ensure proper car seat safety.

Make sure the child safety seat is appropriate for the age and size of the child. A newborn infant requires a different seat than a 3-year-old toddler. Car seats for infants should always be rear facing as the forces and impact of a crash will be spread more evenly along the back and shoulders, providing more protection for the neck. Car seats should always be placed in the back seat of the car-ideally in the center. This is especially important in cars equipped with air bags. If an air bag becomes deployed, the force could seriously injure or kill a child or infant placed in the front seat. Make sure the car seat is properly secured to the seat of the vehicle and is placed at a 45-degree angle to support the head of the infant or child. The lap harness should be fastened low, as close to the hips as possible; the harness should never be fastened around the waist. Make certain the shoulder harness is fastened securely and the straps lay flat against the body. Twisted straps can cause additional injury that might prevent the seat from working properly. Use a retention clip (if provided by the manufacturer) when securing a child safety seat with the shoulder harness. The retention or shoulder harness clip is an added safety feature and must be fastened close to the armpit of the infant or child. Borrowing or purchasing a used car seat can be dangerous. There is the possibility of unknown or undetected damage. Car seats that have been in a serious accident should never be used again. Be sure the seat meets federal motor vehicle safety seat standards. Consult the owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer for that information. All car seats should have an owner’s manual and instruction booklet. Be sure the clip between the legs of the child is fastened snugly. While car accidents can be dangerous for all passengers, small children are especially at risk, according to Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of ACA’s Council on Occupational Health. “The weight of the head of a child makes the cervical spine much more vulnerable to injury,” Dr. Bautch explained. “The infant has little control in the muscles of the neck, and the head can bounce from side to side and fall forward, which can cause serious spine and neck injuries. Children have more flexible upper bodies and shoulders. Make sure the harness comes up, way up, over the shoulders.”

Underscoring the importance of proper car seat use, a recent article in Nation’s Health reported the findings of a study conducted in Kentucky by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found a 37 percent drop in infant fatalities since the 1982 enactment of the state law mandating the use of child car seats. “To continue this decline, prevention efforts now must focus on the proper use of the seats to maximize their life-saving potential,” researchers said.

The key when traveling with small children is to be aware of and follow these rules and tips to ensure proper car seat safety. And remember everyone: Buckle up!

If you or one of your children have been involved in a serious automobile accident and have neck and back discomfort, you should consider a visit to a chiropractor.