East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C.

Health & Wellness

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.

Do Chiropractic Adjustments Help Sleep?

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A good night’s sleep is essential for people’s overall well-being, but many struggle due to discomfort, pain, and sometimes, improper spinal alignment. The key to a good night’s sleep is keeping the spine naturally aligned by using a combination of sleep position, mattress style, and pillow type. Additionally, chiropractic adjustments focusing on improving spinal health can help promote better sleep.

What Sort of Bed Do Chiropractors Recommend?

The old advice doctors used to recommend was for people struggling with back pain to sleep on very firm mattresses, but one survey of nearly 300 people found that people who sleep on extra hard mattresses actually have the poorest sleep quality. A soft mattress can conform to your body’s natural curves, which is great if your joints align comfortably but you may sink and twist yourself into a painful night’s sleep. Replace your mattress every 7-10 years, as it softens over time and may no longer support proper spinal alignment while you sleep.

What Mattresses Do Chiropractors Suggest?

Chiropractors recommend mattresses that offer balanced support and comfort. Memory foam and latex mattresses are popular choices, as they contour to the body while maintaining proper spinal alignment. These materials help reduce pressure points and provide support to the natural curvature of the spine, ensuring that the sleeper’s body is properly aligned throughout the night. Hybrid mattresses that use both memory foam and latex with innerspring coils are also recommended for those who prefer a bit more bounce while still benefiting from the contouring properties of foam.

A mattress that is too soft can cause the spine to sag, while one that is too firm may lead to discomfort, so chiropractors often advise choosing a medium-firm mattress that supports the body’s natural alignment. There is no singular choice for “the right mattress” as it is a highly individual choice based on one’s body and its needs.

Do Chiropractors Recommend Pillows?

The right pillow can help with neck strain, headaches, and shoulder pain. Chiropractors recommend using them, but finding the one right for your needs is generally up to you. The pillow should support proper neck and spine alignment while you sleep.

In addition to finding the right equipment for a good night’s rest, chiropractic adjustments can also help people find a more restful sleep by easing muscle tension, relaxing the body, and relieving pain and discomfort. The Graston Technique®, as a form of soft tissue mobilization, uses specialized instruments to break down adhesions and improve blood flow. The technique can help treat discomfort and promote relaxation.

What Is the Best Pillow for Spine Alignment?

The best kind of pillow depends on your sleep position. Back sleepers should use a medium-firm pillow to support the neck’s natural curve, while side sleepers need a thicker, firmer pillow to fill the gap between the neck and mattress. People who sleep on their stomachs tend to prefer a thinner pillow or none at all to avoid straining their necks.

What Is the Best Bed for Spine Alignment?

A medium-firm mattress tends to offer more advantages to people with non-specific back pain. Studies have shown these mattresses can improve sleep quality and have a lower risk of developing new back pain problems. Beds that have active control help with the orthopedic column alignment and sleep quality.

Explore the Benefits of Chiropractic Care at East Bay Chiropractic Wellness

East Bay Chiropractic specializes in the use of the Graston Technique® for treatment and pain management caused by soft tissue fibrosis and chronic inflammation. As the first on Long Island to be certified in the use of the technique and with more than 30 years of experience, you know you’ll be in good hands. Contact East Bay Chiropractic today to learn more about how we can help you.

Tips for Staying Healthy This Winter

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Winter is a season for cozying up in front of a fireplace, for taking it a little slower, and, for many of us, letting our healthy routines get a little lax. It’s easy when the weather outside is frightful, to stay indoors and eat delicious treats. It’s also a time of slipping on ice and catching colds, so here are some essential tips for making it through this winter season.

1. Dress in Layers

It’s important to dress for the elements to protect your extremities. Being outside in the cold weather can take a toll on the body. If you must brave the outdoors, then it’s important to help trap heat by dressing in layers. Layers are helpful because they allow you to adjust to your body’s temperature fluctuations. Wear gloves, insulated socks, and a hat to protect your body from frostbite.

2. Stretch before Shoveling Snow or Any Other Physical Activities

Winter brings with it several seasonal chores like shoveling snow and picking up fallen tree limbs. Failure to properly stretch properly can lead to stiff muscles and muscle strain. Cold temperatures cause muscles and tendons to stiffen. When a person shivers from cold, the muscles rapidly flex and relax to generate heat. It’s one of the body’s ways of staying warm, but over long periods may result in tension or muscle aches. You can help with these pains by properly stretching and by keeping the body warm with appropriate clothes and heat packs.

Winter sports and walking along icy surfaces also risk injuring and straining muscles and other soft tissues. Always stretch properly and warm up before engaging in any wintery activities. Proper stretching helps increase blood flow and reduces the risk of injury. Stretching and massage can also help relieve muscle tension and promote relaxation during the colder months.

A form of manual therapy, the Graston Technique® uses specialized instruments to help treat soft tissue injuries. These instruments are gently scraped over the skin of the affected areas in specific, therapeutic ways. The technique has the goal of breaking up adhesions by increasing the blood flow to the affected area to promote healing and pain relief. It can also address fascial adhesions that could otherwise limit one’s range of mobility.

3. Hydrate

While it might not seem as important as in the heat of the summer months, staying hydrated is still a simple thing to do to take care of yourself. When you’re bundled up and active, it can be hard to tell how much you’re sweating. Getting plenty of water can help keep your body functioning, support your immune system, and it’s good for your skin.

4. Eat Well

Avoid holiday weight gain by practicing mindful eating: budget your calories, pause before going for seconds, and have a healthy snack before parties. Stay active with walking or dancing, and focus on fruits, veggies, and heart-healthy cooking. Remember, the holidays are about family and friends, not just food. Moderation is key.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Help You Stay Healthy This Winter

Whether it’s chiropractic treatment after a slip and fall or just maintaining your overall health, at East Bay Chiropractic Wellness we are here for you. We have more than 30 years of experience and helped countless Long Islanders. Contact East Bay Chiropractic Wellness today, and learn more about how we can help you.