How Prevalent is Back Pain in Your Kids?

There have been many studies that indicate that most adults (80%) will have back pain at some point in their life, but not much has been studied in kids, until recently.

The severity and course of back pain is poorly understood in adolescents. A study was designed to determine the prevalence and two-year incidence, as well as the course, frequency, and intensity of pain in the neck, mid back, and low back (spinal pain). The study was reported in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders in May 2014.

The researchers studied 1,300 5th and 6th graders aged 11-13 in Denmark and followed them for two years.  They found a baseline of spinal pain prevalence of 86%.  What was interesting is that the frequency of pain was strongly associated to the intensity of pain.  That is, that those who reported relatively infrequent back pain also reported that the pain was not too intense; whereas those who reported more frequent back pain also reported that it was more severe.

After two years, the researchers found that the pain was likely to progress from one to more locations, from less frequent to more frequent, and from less intense to more intense.

There are a number of possible causes for back pain in children, teens and young adults. One thing that may lead to back pain is the regular use of a backpack that is too heavy or worn improperly. Many Salt Lake City students are overwhelmed by the weight of their textbooks and other school supplies that they must carry each day. It is also commonly popular to wear backpacks slung over one shoulder, with the straps adjusted too low, or in other ways that can contribute to developing back pain. Other risk factors may include poor posture, athletic injuries, or too much time spent hunched over a computer, phone, or tablet.

Given these results, it is important to have your pre-teen and teenagers checked.  Whether your kids are sedentary or more active and athletic, they may be prone to neck and back pain.  At The Joint Cottonwood Heights, we offer free spinal screening for your kids, bring them in and let us help them improve their overall health.

Advice from a Chiropractor in Utah: Reducing Back Pain Through Exercise

Regular activity, fitness and exercise, are critical for the health and well-being of people of all ages. Research shows that everyone, young or old can benefit from regular exercise, either vigorous or moderate. Even very old adults can improve mobility and function and reduce back pain through physical activity. It should be a priority for everyone. Millions of people suffer from chronic illnesses, which can be significantly improved through activity. Exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, chronic back pain and joint problems. People who are active outlive those who are inactive. Despite the well-known benefits, most Salt Lake City, Utah adults and children lead relatively sedentary lifestyles. They are not active enough, and back pain is just one of the many health consequences.

Say Goodbye to the Couch Potato!

A sedentary lifestyle is defined as engaging in no leisure-time physical activity (exercises, sports, physically active hobbies) in a two-week period. A lot of older people in Salt Lake City, Utah typically lead sedentary lifestyles. More than one-third of young people in grades 9-12 do not exercise regularly. The cost to the medical establishment is in the billions for treatments of diseases like heart disease and chronic back pain, and that cost could be reduced with exercise. Physical activity maintains muscle strength, joint structure, joint functioning, and bone health. Exercise has an effect on mental health as well, especially among young people. It increases the capacity for learning, increases self-esteem and reduces anxiety and stress. Sports can introduce skills such as teamwork, self-discipline, sportsmanship, leadership and socialization. Obesity has become a nationwide epidemic.

Regular activity, along with a nutritious diet that incorporates portion control, is the key to maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the effects of obesity like back pain and heart disease. Everyone must realize the benefits of physical activity for the mind and body. Then commit to a lifestyle that is active for the whole family, and don't forget the benefits of adding chiropractic treatment to enhance your healthy lifestyle in Salt Lake City, Utah. Let the doctors at The Joint Cottonwood work with you and your family on a preventative and maintenance chiropractic treatment plan.

What is the Big Deal about Chiropractic?

In my 25 years of practicing Chiropractic, I have notice much controversy both within and without
the chiropractic profession. There have been many attempts to define what exactly chiropractic is
and what it isn't. These opinions range on the spectrum from chiropractors being outright
“Quacks” all the way to being “Pseudo­MDs” and everything in between. There are those who
view chiropractors as the ideal Holistic Practitioners who should use any and all treatments and
therapies that can have a positive effect on health, and those who believe that chiropractors should
only treat to correct subluxations (defined as minor mal­positions of the bones of the spine) so that
the body can heal itself.

Over the years my own opinions have been somewhat tempered. I actually see the value in
multiple different definitions of chiropractic. The bottom line is that chiropractors are very well
educated with many hours of study in the basic sciences like anatomy, physiology, neurology,
microbiology, biochemistry, pathology, embryology, etc., with an emphasis on spinal neuro-
biology. Chiropractors are required to pass rigorous national and state board exams in order to
become licensed to practice in the U.S. Once licensed, chiropractors can, within reason, choose to
practice with any number of specialties, whether it be a general practice or a focus on nutrition,
sports medicine, rehabilitation or a subluxation based practice.

In my current practice with The Joint, I have chosen to focus on improving the health of the body and spine and reducing back pain and neck pain using straight forward chiropractic adjustments. In my opinion (and this is only my opinion) the joints of the body, especially the spine, need to move. There is a specific range of motion that is normal for each joint in your body and when that normal motion is disrupted by injury or stress or poor nutrition or a sedentary lifestyle, then your body's function diminishes and you are more prone to develop degenerative arthritis or other chronic health problems such as back pain or neck pain. So if you cannot bend over and touch your toes, or if you cannot turn your head to look over your shoulder without turning your whole body, then you may consider regular, preventive and maintenance chiropractic care to reduce or eliminate back pain and neck pain. The improvement in your quality of life and levels of energy can be significant if you regularly care for your spine by improving your mobility.

Most of us wouldn't consider it wise to stop brushing and flossing our teeth for fear that we would
end up with rotten teeth, and I believe that we should have that same fear of developing a stiff and
degenerated spine if we don't take care of it properly with regular chiropractic adjustments. Let the
experienced doctors at The Joint Salt Lake City or our Chiropractors in Cottonwood Heights assist you with regular spinal maintenance. ­ Make an appointment today!

Stretching- Good or Bad?

Spring is just around the corner and that means its time to get outside and enjoy the great playground we live in here in Utah. Whatever spring/summer activities you enjoy be it golf, hiking, biking, running, climbing, or any other physical activity it is important to start the season out in such away that you re-acclimate to your sport without injuring yourself. One of the frequent questions I get as a chiropractor in Salt Lake City is “Should I be stretch

before beginning a work out?” The answer to that question is complicated. For a long time it was generally accepted that stretching before working out was a good idea. The thought was it could help reduce injury and increase performance. This is a challenging concept to test, however recent studies indicate that stretching prior to working out may actually have the opposite effect. Depending on the activity and type of stretching it could lead to decreased performance and may even be more likely to cause injury.

I am not advocating that people do not stretch at all, however there are things to consider when deciding what and how to stretching. The first thing to consider is, what your fitness goal is. Does your activity involve

more endurance, strength, flexibility, or speed? What muscles will you be using? Is your body conditioned to the activity? These questions all determine what type of stretching you should or shouldn't do. If you are not sure where to start, we here at The Joint in Sugar House are happy to do an evaluation and give some suggestions.

As a general rule my advice on stretching is to focus pre-workout stretching in the areas you will be using most and to do more dynamic stretching prior to working out and save the static stretches for post workout. A dynamic stretch is one that involves and active range of motion throughout the stretch. For example rolling your head side to side to stretch your neck. A static stretch is holding a postion for a set length of time without motion. In addition to proper stretching, a regular chiropractic adjustment in Salt Lake City goes a long way towards preventing injury and improving performance.

~Dr. Sean Smith

Can Posture Be Affecting Your Back Pain?

As a chiropractor in Utah, the most common causes I've seen of back pain and disability, after the age of 50, are spine related disorders. One of the most important things we can do from a young age to reduce back and neck pain and problems as we age is to correct our postural misalignment. A normal spine should have a specific alignment that keeps the back stable and strong. Any changes in that alignment can cause the spine to lose stability, become weaker, and degenerate faster.

When viewed from the front the spine should appear straight. From the side you should see some curves. Normally the neck will curve forward, the upper back curves backwards, and the lower back forward again. This a

lignment allows the spine to have a good range of motion, but also provides stability and support when lifting.

There a couple of ways to check your own posture and a few things to look for when you do. You can stand in front of a mirror to check your posture from the front, to see from the side you will probably need to enlist a friend of family member. When checking your posture you should take a few steps in place and then stand still in what feels like your usual stance. You should be able to see that your eyes are level with the horizon, one shoulder should not be higher than the other, and hips should be level. From the side you should imagine a vertical line through the hole in your ear, center of your shoulder, top of the femur, and ankle. By doing this you should be able to get a rough idea of your posture.

If you notice any deviations from the normal posture, you should be evaluated by a health care professional who specializes in spinal conditions such as your Utah Chiropractic Physician. Here at 'The Joint' in Sugar House we make postural evaluations part of your initial examination and can make recommendations to improve and postural distortions we find.

~Sean Smith

Occipital Neuralgia

Most people are aware that one of the common conditions we treat as Salt Lake City chiropractors is neck pain.

 Less known is the fact that headaches are a condition that frequently responds well to chiropractic adjustments. One particular headache condition that is often treatable with chiropractic care is known a Occipital Neuralgia (ON.) This is a condition in which the occipital nerves become irritated or inflamed. Frequently patients with ON are misdiagnosed with migraine headaches. This is because the symptoms can be similar to many of the symptoms associated with Migraines. Frequently patients will experience pain at the base of the skull which radiates up and over the head to behind the eye. Most commonly the pain is one sided, although both sides can be affected.    

While the exact cause of ON is unknown, we know that it stems from the occipital nerves as they exit from between the 1st and 2nd vertebrae in the the neck. ON commonly begins after some trauma to the neck such as a car accident and is frequently accompanied by spasm of the neck and upper back musculature. If it is not resolved it can get progressively worse over time.    There are a variety of options to treat

this condition ranging from massage to microdecompression surgery. Many patients are given prescriptions for medications commonly used to treat Migraine headaches, but do not find any relief.

The most effective treatments for ON are those that have a direct effect on the occipital nerves. As with most conditions it is recommended to start with the least invasive treatment options first and progress to more invasive procedures if needed. One of the least invasive options for treating ON is chiropractic adjustments of the upper cervical spine. The adjustment helps to restore the normal function and alignment of the spine, which in turn can help reduce muscle spasm and nerve compression.

 Typically your Salt Lake City chiropractors will recommend a series of treatments over a number of weeks. In most cases improvement is noted within just a few weeks of treatment. If improvement is not seen within 4-6 weeks more invasive treatment such as a nerve block will likely be recommended. In my time as chiropractic physician at The Joint - Sugar House, I have seen a number of patients with ON show significant reduction and in some cases even total elimination of the flare ups associated with their Occipital Neuralgia.  

Preventing Ski Injuries

As winter approaches, it is time to start preparing for ski season. Here at The Joint - Sugarhouse our Salt Lake City Chiropractors see and treat numerous ski and snowboard related injuries every year. Many of these injuries are avoidable. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are over 144,000 snow skiing-related injuries treated in hospitals, doctor's offices, and emergency rooms every year. Injuries associated with snowboarding are even greater: 148,000.



A wide range of injuries can occur in snow skiing or snowboarding. Knee injuries are the most common. Shoulder injuries such as dislocations and sprains are common as well because skiers frequently put their arms out to break a fall. Head injuries and back pain can also occur in skiing, and can be especially serious.

Here are some tips for avoiding injury:

Proper Preparation

Maintain fitness. Be sure you are in good physical condition before you start the season. If you are out of shape, select runs that are less challenging to start and gradually build your way up to more challenging trails.

Many ski injuries happen at the end of the day, when people overexert themselves to finish that one last run before the day's end. A majority of these injuries can easily be prevented if you prepare by keeping in good physical condition and stopping when you are tired or in pain.
Warm up. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury. Warm up with jumping jacks, running or walking in place for 3 to 5 minutes. Take a couple of slow ski runs to complete your warm up.

• Hydrate. Even mild levels of dehydration can affect physical ability and endurance. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after skiing.
• Get Adjusted. Make sure that your spine is functioning at its best. Even small misalignment can cause you to lose some of you normal range of motion and reduce endurance. A regular spinal adjustment will help you to perform at your optimal level and reduce back pain.
• Ensure Appropriate Equipment
• Wear several layers of light, loose and water- and wind-resistant clothing for warmth and protection. Layering allows you to accommodate your body's constantly changing temperature.
• Buy or rent boots and bindings that have been set, adjusted, maintained and tested by a ski shop that follows American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard job practices.
• Check the binding of each ski before skiing. The bindings must be properly adjusted to your height and weight.
• Wear appropriate protective gear, including goggles and a helmet. Helmets are sport-specific, so do not wear a bike helmet on the slopes. Ski helmets should be worn.
• Ensure a Safe Environment
• Stay on marked trails and avoid potential avalanche areas such as steep hillsides with little vegetation.
• Watch out for rocks and patches of ice on the ski trails.
• Pay attention to warnings about upcoming storms and severe drops in temperature. Make adjustments for icy conditions, deep snow powder, and wet snow.

We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable ski season. Remember if you are injured or have back pain during or after your day on the slopes, don't wait to be treated. The Joint - Sugarhouse is conveniently located off of I-80; our Salt Lake City chiropractors are here seven days a week and no appointment is needed.

-Dr. Sean Smith

Weather and Your Health

Over the last couple weeks in Salt Lake City, we have seen the weather shift from almost summer like conditions to near winter conditions. We all know people who blame the weather for their achy joints, headaches, and many other health problems. At the Joint, our chiropractors in Sugar House hear this on a regular basis from Utah chiropractic patients. While some health care professionals remain skeptical about the effect of weather on health, more and more evidence is emerging to support some of these claims. Here are a couple of the most common conditions that may be related to weather changes.

Migraine Headaches

In people who are already susceptible to migraine headaches, such changes as falling barometric pressure, a sharp increase in humidity, or a sudden drop in temperature may trigger a migraine. Research supports the theory that changing weather triggers migraines. In one survey that asked migraine sufferers to list triggers, 53% responded "weather." In many instances when migraine sufferers move to an area with a more stable climate, they notice a reduction in the incidence of the migraines.

Of course not everyone can move to a different climate so they can feel better. But migraine sufferers can take some action against weather-induced headaches. If weather changes seem to play a role in the incidence of your migraines, it would be a good to monitor the weather forecast and take steps to avoid the occurrence of a headache. One thing that has helped many migraine sufferers is a Utah chiropractic adjustment.

Stiff Joints

Probably the most common weather-associated complaint is joint stiffness. This is something we see and treat on a regular basis at the joint. According to a recent study: "Baseline pain appears to be strongly affected by a drop in temperature and a change in humidity. Almost 80% to 90% of patients feel a difference in their pain's intensity and sensitivity."

Instead of simply reacting to weather-associated increases in joint pain with measures like placing heating pads over painful joints and taking pain meds, it is recommended that people use proactive measures to improve joint function, such as engaging in nonweight-bearing exercises, and getting a chiropractic adjustment.

So when the weather turns, be sure to come see us at The Joint.  Our chiropractors in Sugar House and we will help keep you feeling good.

~Dr. Sean Smith

Extremity Adjustment

When asked "What does a chiropractor treat?" most people respond by saying either "back or neck pain." It is true that as chiropractors we focus primarily on treating the spine, however we also treat the majority of the joints in the body. This includes the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, hips, and ankles. The typical treatment from our Salt Lake City Chiropractors involves mobilizing the joints to improve range of motion and function as well as decrease pain. Generally we refer to this as "extremity adjusting." Just like with the spine the extremity adjustment can serve to treat certain injuries, maintain proper function and to prevent injury.

There are three primary goals with the extremity adjustment.

First is to ensure proper alignment of the many bones and joints in the extremities. The ankles and wrist have several different joints which can easily become misaligned. Maintaining the proper alignment will help to preserve the symmetry side to side. This helps to reduce the risk of injury due to poor biomechanics. At 'The Joint - Sugarhouse', located in Salt Lake City, our chiropractors work with many of the local high school and college athletes. We have great success in preventing injury. With some teams we have worked with, non-contact ankle injuries were reduce by nearly 100% with regular adjustments compared to previous years without care.

The second goal of the extremity adjustment is to increase flexibility and range of motion. Increased flexibility in the ankle for example, allows for faster and smoother transition from the push off phase of gait to the strike position. This reduces the drag and increases performance. In a sport where tenths, or even hundredths of seconds make the difference between first place and second, our chiropractors understand that every bit of drag counts.

Third and possibly most important result of extremity adjustments is increased proprioception. This is the bodies awareness of where it is in space. It is what gives us our balance. Increased awareness and balance will increase overall performance and reduce injuries.

Preventing Back Pain

Many people experience back pain due to injury or strain.  A great number of these can be avoided by proper lifting and regular exercise.  By maintaining an active lifestyle, you can strengthen your muscles ensuring your bones stay in the proper alignment.  Exercise also helps you lose or maintain weight.  Extra weight can be a strain on the body causing unnecessary pain in your back.  You should always try to stand up and sit up straight to avoid slouching.  Improper posture can create strain on your body causing you undue pain.  Our Chiropractic clinic in Salt Lake City see many patients for back pain that could have been avoided.  

It is important to see your doctor if you experience tingling, numbness, or extreme pain in your back that can not be relieved by over the counter pain relievers.  The Joint Chiropractic Clinic in Salt Lake City can help you determine the cause of your pain and the available options to alleviate that pain so you can live a healthy life.  Chiropractic is the recommended first line of treatment for back injuries and back pain.  By realigning your body, we help patients reduce or eliminate the pain they are experiencing so you can feel normal again.    

Find out more about The Joint here!

Affordable Pricing

The Joint wants to make sure that chiropractic care is affordable for everyone.  Offering low prices and convenient options makes our services more obtainable!   Our Salt Lake City chiropractor offers different pricing structures that work for a wide variety of clientele and their situations. This allows our patients to receive treatments for less than most insurance co-pays. 

Patients can pay by visit, which will cost them only $29 per visit.  Our procedures are convenient and don’t require x-rays.  At our Salt Lake City chiropractor, we also accept and encourage walk ins, allowing you to choose a convenient time without having to make an appointment.  The first visit includes an initial consultation, an exam and adjustment.

We also offer monthly maintenance plans, for individuals who want to utilize our services more frequently.  For an individual, the plan costs $49 per month and includes 4 office visits. 

Our family plan is specifically designed to provide low pricing to all of your family members.  Monthly membership fees for each additional member decreases the cost by $10 per member.  With our Salt Lake City chiropractor allowing the cap fee to be a low rate of $19 makes this a great deal for any family needing adjustments. 

For more information about our low pricing or about our services, visit our website here!