East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C.

Health & Wellness

5 Tips for Preventing Pain Caused by Surfing

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Summer in New York is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors, and many of us find ourselves more active during this season than any other. Studies show that activity levels peak in spring and summer, from walking in our communities to participating in sports like surfing. And while staying active is key to a long, healthy life, it doesn’t come without risks.

A 2023 study revealed that over 3.7 million people were treated in emergency departments for sports- and recreation-related injuries. Even more experience mild aches and pains that go untreated. Surfing, in particular, uses muscles we often neglect in daily life, making the risk of injury higher than expected.

Common Injuries Caused by Surfing

Surfing doesn’t just pose a risk of injury from wipeouts; the activity itself can strain your body. Some of the most common surfing-related injuries include:

  • Shoulder impingement
  • Lower back pain
  • Knee injuries
  • Hip flexor strain
  • Cuts and abrasions to the feet and toes

5 Tips to Prevent Surfing Injuries

To minimize injury while surfing, incorporate the following practices into your routine:

  1. Warm up with mobility exercises before entering the water.
  2. Use proper surfing technique to reduce joint and muscle strain.
  3. Stretch and cool down after surfing to aid recovery.
  4. Take regular rest days to allow your body to heal.
  5. Consider soft tissue support treatments, like the Graston Technique®, to manage pain and prevent chronic conditions.

Is Surfing Hard on Your Body?

Yes, surfing is a full-body workout that demands strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. It places stress on multiple muscle groups, especially the shoulders, knees, core, and back. Consistent surfing in challenging conditions requires proper warm-ups and cool-downs to avoid strain and injury.

How Often Do Surfers Get Injured?

Like any high-impact sport, surfing comes with its share of injuries. Rotator cuff tendonitis is common among surfers due to the repetitive paddling motion. Lower back and knee strains are also prevalent, often linked to soft tissue damage.

One proven method for treating these injuries is the Graston Technique®. This treatment utilizes stainless-steel instruments that comb over the affected areas and pinpoint the location of the scar tissue buildup around the damaged soft tissue. The scar tissue deep under the skin can then be broken up, which alleviates the pain and increases mobility. This allows you to heal faster and get back to your favorite activities, including surfing.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Assist With Your Recovery from Surfing Injuries

If you love summer activities like surfing, don’t let an injury keep you on the sidelines. At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness, we specialize in the Graston Technique® to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and restore mobility. Our experienced team has nearly 30 years of expertise helping patients recover from sports injuries and chronic conditions.

Contact us today to discover how chiropractic care can support your active lifestyle and help keep doing what you love, pain-free.

Can Graston Treat IT Band Syndrome?

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The iliotibial (IT) band is a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs along the outside of the thigh, stretching from the hip to the knee. IT Band Syndrome (ITBS) occurs when the IT band causes friction against the lower outer edge of the thighbone, which may cause inflammation in the bone, tendons, or small, fluid-filled sacs in the area.

What Is IT Band Syndrome (ITBS)?

Some researchers believe ITBS stems from the abnormal compression of underlying tissue by the iliotibial band. While the exact cause is still being researched, it’s widely agreed that repetitive knee bending and extension play a major role. As a result, long-distance runners and individuals new to running are most commonly affected.

You’re more likely to develop ITBS if you:

  • Run on uneven or downhill terrain
  • Wear worn-out running shoes
  • Push beyond your physical limits
  • Have a slight inward leg slope (bowlegged)

To reduce your risk, ease into any new running routine gradually. Make sure to stretch properly and increase training intensity over time rather than all at once.

How Do You Treat ITBS?

In many cases, treating a tight IT band will involve:

  • Reducing or modifying activity, such as pausing running
  • Using ice therapy and anti-inflammatory medications
  • Making lifestyle changes
  • Practicing targeted exercises to strengthen and stretch muscles around your hip and knee

If symptoms don’t improve after several weeks of making proper adjustments, consult a healthcare provider. Your knee pain might be due to a different injury or condition.

Your provider will review your medical history, perform a physical examination, and rule out other potential causes. In unclear cases, they may recommend imaging such as an X-ray or MRI. Fortunately, most cases of ITBS respond well to proper treatment and rehabilitation.

How Does the Graston Technique® Help IT Band Syndrome?

The Graston Technique® is a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). A trained provider uses stainless steel tools to gently scrape the skin and underlying tissue to:

  • Promote tissue repair
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Restore mobility
  • Break down adhesions and knots in the fascia

In a study of the Graston Technique® for Iliotibial Band Syndrome, all participants treated with the Graston Technique® reported a reduced level of pain post-treatment.

Talk to East Bay Chiropractic Wellness If You Suspect IT Band Syndrome

If you are experiencing IT band syndrome or a similar condition, the East Bay Chiropractic Wellness team can create a holistic treatment plan to help you return to your normal routine. With more than 35 years of experience, you’ll be in good hands with us. Fill out our contact form or call (516) 679-2225 to learn more about how we can help you.

Does Graston help Patellar Tendonitis?

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Being physically active throughout our lives is important, especially as we get older. Exercising, such as jogging and playing sports, well into our later years can help keep us healthy and strong, which is essential for maintaining independence in our golden years.

Unfortunately, aging can also make us more susceptible to injuries from exercising. Even when we’re younger and trying our best to avoid it, injuries can still affect us at the most inopportune times.

One such common injury related to exercise and sports is patellar tendonitis. So, what exactly causes this injury?

What Causes Patellar Tendonitis?

The primary cause of patellar tendonitis is overuse of the tendon that connects our kneecap to our shin bone. This happens from repeated stress on the tendon, causing a series of microtears. This can result from playing sports that involve frequent jumping, such as basketball and volleyball, but it can happen in other instances as well.

Does Patellar Tendonitis Go Away?

For mild cases, it can eventually go away with proper care, but it’s important not to work through the pain. Paying attention to when you have pain developing between your kneecap and shin bone can help keep you from overexerting yourself and making things worse. It’s common for the pain to initially only appear while you’re being active, but eventually it can start to occur more and more frequently even when not being active, which can start to impact your quality of life. Seeking help from a professional at that point will help expedite the healing process.

Is Scraping Good for Patellar Tendonitis?

The Graston Technique® is designed to treat injuries just like patellar tendonitis. That’s because this technique, which only certified professionals can administer, is ideal for breaking up scar tissue that forms on soft tissue, including your tendons, that develops from these injuries. When your body is trying to heal from microtears in soft tissue, the hard, coarse tissue that develops over it creates pain and limits mobility. The Graston Technique® breaks that up to restore your mobility and expedite your healing process.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Help You Recover

Sports injuries might seem like minor inconveniences to some, but conditions like patellar tendonitis can become chronic and significantly affect your quality of life. Ongoing pain and mobility issues can introduce unexpected limitations into your daily routine, making even simple activities more difficult.

At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C., we’ve been helping patients manage pain and restore mobility for over 35 years. Our team offers a comprehensive range of chiropractic services tailored to your needs, including massage therapy, stretching exercises, spinal adjustments, and the Graston Technique®. This specialized approach has been shown to support faster, more effective rehabilitation.

Schedule your appointment today to get evaluated and explore the best treatment options for getting back to the life you enjoy.

What Is Text Neck and How to Treat It

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The modern age brings us many things, both positive and negative. Among them are a plethora of screens—laptops, desktops, and especially smartphones. Have you ever had a pain in your neck from looking down at a phone screen to text or surf the internet? You may have a very modern ailment called “text neck“.

What Is Text Neck?

A comparatively new term, like the technology that spawned it, text neck refers to pain or physical damage caused by tilting one’s head to look down at the screen of an electronic device for long periods of time.

The repetitive stress to the upper spine and neck is what causes the pain. The average human head weighs between ten and twelve pounds, but when the neck is tilted down, the effective weight increases to approximately thirty pounds, causing stress and strain to the spine and surrounding musculature. This stress is not limited to your neck. It also transmits through your cervical spine, shoulder muscles, and associated supporting ligaments.

What Are the Symptoms of Text Neck?

Pain and stiffness are the primary symptoms, but not the only ones. These are some of the symptoms to look out for if you suspect that text neck is your issue: 

  • Eye pain.
  • Fatigue.
  • Consistent or constant headaches.
  • Deterioration of posture.
  • Nausea.
  • Muscle soreness.
  • Reduced range of motion.
  • Sharp pain in that area of your neck.
  • Stiffness or tightness in your neck and shoulders.
  • Upper back pain.

As the use of mobile devices has exploded, so have incidents of text neck. Teenagers watching TikTok videos on their phones, office workers bent over desktop computer screens, and people of all ages playing video games all contribute to text neck becoming more common.

Can a Chiropractor Fix Text Neck?

The National Library of Medicine notes chiropractic care as non-invasive treatment modalities used to treat persistent neck pain issues such as text neck. Unfortunately, there has been limited research on neck pain, especially when compared to studies on lower back pain.

Can Graston® Treatments Alleviate Text Neck?

Graston Technique® is an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization therapy used to alleviate chronic pain and improve mobility. This type of manipulation, which is gaining more research support, aligns well with the National Library of Medicine study linked above.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness – A Holistic Approach

Since 1986, Dr Marmorale has stayed at the cutting edge of chiropractic care, being certified in the Graston Technique® since 2008. Dr Marmorale and our expert team at East Bay Chiropractic create a treatment plan for each patient, custom-tailored to their particular needs and circumstances. Contact us at East Bay Chiropractic today. You deserve a life free from pain!

Is It Okay to Stretch After the Chiropractor?

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When you have a chiropractic adjustment, the last thing you want to do is undo its benefits by moving or exercising the wrong way after treatment. Patients are often inclined to avoid activities like stretching, walking, exercising, and doing yoga after an adjustment, but in most cases, we encourage these when done in moderation.

Is It Okay to Stretch After a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Stretching after an adjustment isn’t just okay, we typically recommend it. Gentle stretching after a visit to the chiropractor can reduce post-adjustment soreness and speed the healing process by improving blood circulation to the affected tissues.

Can I Exercise After Seeing the Chiropractor?

While exercise is crucial to good health and well-being, we recommend avoiding strenuous or high-impact workouts after a chiropractic adjustment. Your body is adapting to being realigned, so ease back into activities slowly over the course of several days. Try not to bend or twist your spine for the first 24-48 hours, and don’t push yourself too hard. As an alternative to more vigorous workouts, try walking or swimming instead.

Is It Good to Go for a Walk After a Chiropractic Adjustment?

While it’s not a good idea to engage in strenuous or high-impact workouts after a chiropractic appointment, walking is an excellent way to exercise while allowing your body to stabilize after an adjustment.

Can I Do Yoga After Seeing the Chiropractor?

Yoga is a wonderful complement to chiropractic treatment, improving flexibility and fostering a healthy mind-body connection. After an adjustment, focus on gentle poses for a day or two, and gradually ease back into more difficult ones. Stop and call your chiropractor if you feel any pain or significant discomfort.

Should I Take a Nap After a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Feeling tired after a chiropractic adjustment is common. You’re adapting to the realignment and experiencing improved blood flow, so becoming sleepy is perfectly normal. If you feel like taking a nap, by all means, do so, but avoid nodding off in a contorted or uncomfortable position.

Can Stretching Help Break Up Scar Tissue?

Stretching lengthens and softens scar tissue, allowing it to become more mobile and increasingly flexible. If you have adhesions or scar tissue that are limiting your mobility, we recommend specialized treatment with the Graston Technique®. This process uses specialized stainless steel tools to locate and break up scar tissue and fascial adhesions, and to release knotted muscles. The Graston Technique® increases blood flow, reduces inflammation, and promotes faster healing, making it an excellent complement to traditional chiropractic adjustments.

Should I Stretch After a Graston® Treatment?

We recommend stretching after a Graston® Technique Treatment just like we do after a chiropractic adjustment. Post-Graston® stretching helps realign and maintain the released scar tissue and improve your flexibility and range of motion.

Serving Long Island for More Than 35 Years

At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness, we’re always happy to answer your questions about our treatments and what you should and shouldn’t do afterward. For more than 35 years, we’ve offered a broad range of chiropractic services to Long Island residents. These include traditional adjustments, massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, nutritional counseling, supplements, and our specialty, the Graston Technique®. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Marmorale today!

Does Cold Weather Cause Joint and Muscle Aches?

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Here on Long Island, we’re most of the way through winter, and while the warmer weather will be here soon, we still have to navigate the cold through the near future. The older we get, the less likely many of us are to enjoy the colder weather. For example, we’re more prone to serious injury from slipping and falling on ice, which can result in pulled muscles, spinal misalignment, and more. 

Unfortunately, you don’t need to experience an injury to feel pain and discomfort in the colder weather. Many people experience joint and muscle aches in colder weather. Below, we’ll discuss the possible causes.

Why Does My Back Hurt When It’s Cold Out?

There are a few reasons as to why your back, as well as other areas of your body, can hurt more when it’s cold out. One cause of winter back pain is something you can control: lack of exercise. We often find ourselves being less active in the winter months. It’s important to resist that urge and to continue being active, doing stretches, and other activities to promote physical health.

One of the more unavoidable reasons for pain and discomfort in the colder weather is how it affects our circulation. Our blood vessels may constrict in the colder weather, meaning less blood flow to our extremities as our body focuses on keeping our vital organs warm. Colder weather may also cause the liquid around our joints to thicken, causing stiffness and discomfort. Many traditional chiropractic treatments such as spinal manipulation can help reduce the pain, but other options may provide better results.

How Does Scraping Help Your Muscle Aches?

Part of why you may be experiencing pain and discomfort in the colder weather is from damaged tissue beneath your skin affecting your soft tissue, like your joints, ligaments, and muscles. This could be from a previous injury, or wear and tear on our bodies. The cold weather could be further impeding your flexibility.

The Graston Technique® uses specially designed stainless steel tools that require separate training and certification beyond traditional chiropractic care. These tools comb over your body to pinpoint the affected areas, the hardened tissue, and fascial adhesions causing the pain and discomfort, which gets reabsorbed into the body.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Help You Recover Faster

Aches and pains related to the cold weather can add stress and discomfort to your day-to-day life, putting you at higher risk of sustaining an injury. It’s time for you to experience the relief that only professionals with a long track record of satisfied clients can provide.

For more than 35 years, East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C. has been providing a wide range of chiropractic services to locate the stressors within your body and target those areas to alleviate your pain so you can focus more on enjoying your life. We can work with you on pain management and restoring the range of motion through massage, stretching exercises, spinal adjustments, the Graston Technique®, and much more. Schedule your appointment today and start your journey to a more comfortable tomorrow.