Therapeutic Wobble Chair | Bellevue WA Chiropractor

 

What is the Wobble Chair? How does it work?

Recently I have been feeling right hip discomfort from time to time. I am not sure what trigger the problem. Since I was not in a car accident or other injuries, it is most likely from my workout or my posture. It feels like my right hip is out of alignment. I feel muscle tension around my hip muscles, around hip joint and IT band. They are a bit tight and sore comparing to my left hip. I have been doing some hip joint, gluteal muscles, piriformis muscle and IT band muscle stretching, but the muscle tension is still there and quite bothersome. I got my low back and hip adjusted of course with good relief. I also use the traction table in the clinic. But it really bothers me sometimes still. So what's next?

I try the wobble chair! I use that for 10 minutes. I sit on it and move my hip/pelvis back and forth, sideways, right/left diagonally, clockwise/counter clockwise each for 10 repetition and repeat till 10 minutes is up. During the exercise I feel the sore spot being work on and stretch out. Afterwards my right hip feels a bit loosen up and the soreness is less. Wobble chair exercise really help my hip.

According to the Pettibon system, a daily home regimen of 5-8 minutes full range of motion exercises are absolutely essential for daily metabolic interchange, nutrition intake and elimination of waste products in order to maintain healthy well-hydrated spinal discs, ligaments and tendons. (The Aging Lumbar Spine, Bernini P.M.D. et al. Saunders, 1982)  

Lastly, in the office we use the wobble chair as an pretreatment exercise to warm up the spine. The motion can increase lumbar disc mobility, disc hydration, nutrition delivery and waste elimination. Your back will adjust better and stay in alignment longer when it's warm up. Please let us know if your back is bothering you. We can help! 
 

Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com 

Seeing is believing? | Bellevue Chiropractor

Back pain? chiropractic might be able to help!

Seeing is believing?

      The other day I fell to the ground and scraped my left elbow and left knee while rollerblading around where I live. I also landed on my right hip and right hand. I immediately saw some blood over my left knee and elbow. It was not a good experience. I then went home and cleaned up the injury site. Later on the day my wrists, hips, and arms started to hurt. Even though there were not open wounds and bruises around those area, I knew something was not right. There are certainly sprain/strain, and soft tissue injuries over my body due to the fall. I started icing my shoulder, neck, upper back, arm, and hip at 15 minutes increment for 2 to 3 hours. I felt better the next day. But my body still not feeling good, especially when I am working on patients, my wrist and ankle still bothers me.

      What is going on? I am not seeing the injury but still hurting! There is some soft tissue injury still over my body for sure. I then got a chiropractic adjustment from my colleague. Later on I slowly feeling better. But I am not completely heal yet, even though I am back to the gym working out. I still need to follow up for some chiropractic treatments. It is quite common for people to think that when you do not see the injury and you are fine. But as far as soft tissue injuries, or musculoskeletal injuries are concerned, it is not true. Not seeing the injury does not mean you are okay. It is better to live your life at it fullest than just getting by without pain. It is better to stay active than relying on medication to keep you pain free. It is imperative to see a chiropractor for musculoskeletal injuries whenever after car accident, sports injury, work injury, or any other kind of injury to make sure you are 100% okay, not just no pain. Don't wait until it is too late.

Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

Bellevue Massage Therapist | Janene Hampton LMP

Janene Bellevue Massage Therapist

Bellevue WA Massage Therapist
Janene Hampton

Please welcome Janene, our new massage therapist on board at Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA. She has been a massage therapist since 2011. She is passionate about helping people with a variety of techniques unique to their situation such as Deep Tissue, Sports injury, Swedish, Reflexology and Pregnancy. She also specialize in injury treatments, Swedish massage and deep tissue massage. She can keep you fit, active and healthy beyond traditional massage treatments. Her goals for patients are not only relieving the symptoms but also improving their quality of life. She is also a provider with many health insurances which includes Premera, Aetna, FirstChoice, United Health Care, Work Injury Claim, Auto Insurance and more!

Janene is inspired by her daughters Aushanae, Monae, and Kiona. She loves to paint, likenesses of the people who have influenced her through music, poetry and those she look to for advice. She also loves to read and continues her knowledge through any kind of books from business, texts, literature, and her daughters' poetry.

Do you have neck pain or back pain? She can definitely help you! Please call us and we can verify your insurance benefit for you. Most likely with one hour of massage you will only responsible for your co-pay which is a great saving! Please call 425-818-0086 to schedule your next massage appointment with her! For more information please go to our website :)


Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

OMNI to broadcast Friday’s Knicks-Raptors game in Mandarin | Bellevue Chiropractor

     OMNI says it will broadcast Friday’s Knicks-Raptors game in Mandarin for the very first time on March 23rd 2012. This is an exciting news. I heard this last night while watching the Knicks and 76er's game. It was also mentioned this morning on NPR. How cool is that! The is the very first live Mandarin broadcast in NBA history! “The level of enthusiasm for Jeremy Lin from the Chinese and Taiwanese communities has been extraordinary over the past month, and it’s clear that his Cinderella story and stellar performances are inspiring youth in these communities across Canada,” said Madeline Zinak, the station’s National Vice-President.
    
      Interesting enough, later this morning I got a phone call and a potential patient ask me if I can speak Chinese. Yes, I can speak Mandarin since I was born and raised in Taiwan. She called because her sister has debilitating low back pain and need some help. She had found Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA on Google. They will be in later today for chiropractic examination and see if chiropractic care can help her back pain. Last I cannot wait to watch the game on Friday! This is very exciting again!

You can read the news at Jeremy Lin Linsanity grips OMNI as it prepares its first all-Mandarin NBA broadcast for Knicks vs Raptors Friday


Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

Auto Collision Related Spine Injuries 2012 Part I

Hi everyone~ I went to a seminar about Auto Collision Related Spine Injuries 2012 by Dr. Dan Dock, DC on Thursday, Feb 9, 2012. Here I will share some of the information that I learned from the seminar. As far as record keeping is concerned. Dr. Dock recommends hand writing notes. It has to be readable by other people as well. He also focused on incorporating an exercise program for patients to do in the office for their neck and/or back injuries.

There are ways to show the treatment is reasonable and necessary. Such as how patients activity of daily living have improved since getting care. Please be specific such as on the right or left, and which body part. And if their pain level have changed. You can use none, minimal, mild, moderate or severe to rate pain level besides using 0 to 10 scale. Mechanism of injury is the key to find out injury and to see clinical correlation. Where was the car hit? Where was the head turn? Was the foot on the break? Were arm on the steering wheel? If hit from behind, patient's body go backwards then forwards. If patient could not recall his position mostly he has light concussion, or short term amnesia. If the amnesia last for more than 2 to 4 hours, patient needs a CT scan. There might be intercranial bleeding.

If patient has gradual onset of pain following the accident. Most likely because the endorphin is slowly wearing out after the accident. If patient did not come for treatment, ask why. Is it because work, job, family or no health insurance? Look for muscle spasm and rate the level. Check for Active range of motion and passive range of motion once a month. Decreased cervical extension could be pedicle or facet fracture. Asymmetrical loss of motion could mean injury to the facet and disc. Look for sharp angulation, sharp reverse curve in cervical flexion and extension x-ray. This could mean damage to the capsule ligament, facet joint, interspinous ligament, and supraspinous ligament. If there is breakage in George's line there might be torn disc or fracture.

MRI for patient if there is distinct nerve root pattern, intense pain, something new and different, or patient is getting worse with treatment. Consider pre and post x-ray if the condition is unstable.

Care plan: update frequency of care, duration of care, exercise program, physical limitation and referrals for second opinion. Supportive care means patient's condition deteriorates without care. Maintenance care: no change in subjective and objective findings without care.

Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

Chiropractic contributes to success of St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants

Chiropractic care can keep your spine active and healthy. Recently I read an article on Chiropractic Economic proves that again. Lots of professional athletes utilize chiropractic care to keep them in the game or back to the game faster. With a more balanced spine, you can bring your performance to the next level.

At Active Spines Chiropractic, we focus on proper alignment of your spine and proper muscle function. Besides chiropractic adjustment, proper rehab exercise for your neck, mid and low back are also very important. That is why we also have you do exercises in office. With this comprehensive chiropractic plus sports therapy care, you will become active and healthy before you know it!

You can find out more from Chiropractic Economic below:

Chiropractic team doctors Ralph Filson, DC, of the Cardinals, and Michael Gazdar, DC, of the San Francisco Giants, explain that regular chiropractic care provides baseball players with proper spinal function and balance to reduce the risk of spine-related injuries, enhance recovery time, and improve overall performance.

http://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic/news/11929/52/chiropractic-contributes-to-success-of-st-louis-cardinals-san-francisco-giants/

Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

Ankle sprain treatment: PRICE and more!

Ankle sprain/strain is a very common injury among athletes or the regular population. The most common ankle sprain is that your ankle rolls outward and your foot turns inward (inversion). This results in over stretching, partial tear or complete of the lateral side of ankle ligaments such as anterior talofibular lig, calcaneofibular lig. or posterior talo fibular lig depending on the severity of the injury. Grade I over stretch ligaments and Grage II partial ligamentous tear respond very well to traditional physiotherapy, manual therapy and chiropractic adjustments.

After detail examination ruling out contra-indication of conservative care, PRICE is the first step of treatment. "P" stands for protection. Protect the injury site from second injury. "R" stands for rest. Proper rest can prevent the condition from getting worse and allow the body to heal. "I" stand for icing. Ice your ankle 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off is very critical for the first 24 to 48 hours. You have to repeat 3 to 4 time at least. "C" stands for compression. Besides icing it is important to compress the injury side with elastic bandage. Don't wrap too hard. You can check your toes' circulation to make sure it is not too tight. "E" stands for elevation. Make sure your ankle is above your heart when lying down. This will help your body absorb the extra fluid due to inflammation. What else need to be done after PRICE?

1. When the swelling is going down, it's time for some active therapies to help your body healing in the right direction.
2. Besides icing and compression, it is important to use Kinesio Tape over the injury site to promote lymphatic drainage.
3. Gentle manual therapy to mobilization ankle joints is also important. This will help restore range of motion and promote healing.
4. I would also include some cross friction massage over the injury site depending on patient tolerance and conditions. One effective technique is using "Gua Sha." You can read more about this in my previous blog. Once a week for this would be sufficient.
5. Ankle stretching exercises: stretch your ankle in dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion and eversion for 10 seconds and 3 repetitions.
   
6. Chiropractic adjustment for the ankle low back and pelvis. This will help realign and balance the pelvis, and lower extremities.
   
7. Proprioception training and strength training: using a BAPS board or a vestibular disc is a good way to help patient regain balance and proprioception over the injury foot. Without proper proprioception training ankle sprain will likely to happen again.
   

The procedures above are some basic treatment protocol that we use in our clinic. Please consult your health care provider before doing these on yourself.

Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

What to do after car accident? Is Chiropractic care right for you?

Life is stressful enough. Getting into a car accident is the last thing everyone wants. It is not fun. It will give you more stress since you have to deal with the insurance company, get your car repaired, settle the car accident claim and seek medical attention. There are lots of things that need to be taking care of but there is not much time left from your busy life. With these little things stress adds up even more, you feel not only miserable but also suffering aches and pains. So what should you do next?

But the good news is chiropractic care might be able to help you! Do I need to see the doctor if I am not bleeding, if I do not have broken bones, cuts or bruises? Yes! You should definitely have a check up by a doctor who is specialized in treating ligametous musculo-skeletal injuries (soft tissue injuries). Un-diagnosed or treated post motor vehicle injuries tend to lead to future chronic aches and pains. Study shows even 40% of patient who under gone treatment develop chronic long term problems. Therefore even though you only feel slight discomfort over your neck or back, you should still get checked out by a chiropractor.

Neck pain after car accident? You might have whiplash injury. Study have shown that a trauma to the cervical spine may accelerate normal age related deterioration of the discs[1]. The cervical intervertebral discs may be at risk for injury during whiplash because of excessive disc strain[2]. In the previous studies, the most common site of disc injury was C5-C6. During a rear ended impact, even at low speed, your spine undergoes deformation during the early part of whiplash acceleration [3]. This happens before your neck muscles start to contract and protect your neck. As a result your neck and/or back joint get jammed and sprain. This will not only damage the joint, capsule, but cause early degeneration of cervical disc. Therefore it is imperative to see a doctor who is familiar with treating post auto accident injuries.

Area of concern after automobile accident: wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome), elbow, shoulder (rotator cuff injuries), neck (whiplash), upper back, low back, chest, hip, knee, and foot (fallen arch syndrome). A detail chiropractic, orthopedic, physical and neurological exam will be done for the first visit. We also have onsite x-ray for diagnostic imaging study especially for the cervical region. We use multidisciplinary treatment protocols for whiplash related injuries such as chiropractic care, massage, traction, heat or cold therapy, manual therapy, exercise therapy for the neck, shoulder, knee and back. Massage therapy is very effective in helping your body recovering from car accident injuries. Our massage therapists are specialized in medical therapeutic massage.

Besides comprehensive chiropractic, rehab and massage treatment in our clinic. We also coordinate care with other health care providers during your treatment. We work closely with your family doctor, acupuncturist, physical therapist, physiatrist, neurologist, and radiologist to name a few. Multi-specialty care will make sure that you have a speedy recovery without surprises. Delaying check up or treatment can lead to long term problem. I am sure that is not what you want. Call us at 425-818-0086 right after your car accident. We are here to answer your questions and help you get back to your normal life!

Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

1. Pettersson K, Hildingsson C, Toolanen G, et al. Spine, 1997 Disc Pathology After Whiplash Injury; 22(3):283-288
2. Panjabi M, Ito S, Pearson A, et al. Spine 2004 Injury Mechanisms of the Cervical Intervetebral Disc During Stimulated Whiplash; 29(11):1217-1225.
3. Tencer A, Mirza S, Bensel K. Spine 2001 Response of Human Volunteers to Rear-End Impacts; 26(22):2432-2442. November 15, 2001

Gua Sha for neck or back sprain/strain, tendonitis, or soft tissue injuries!

Gua Sha is one of the soft tissue and manual therapy techniques that I use in our clinic to help patient recover from their injury. A detail exam is required before performing this treatment.

What is Gua Sha? Gua Sha is an ancient medical treatment in Asia. Gua means to rub or friction. Sha means congestion of blood at the surface of the body. I usually use a slice of water buffalo horn and massage lotion as treatment tools. First we need to find an area that needs treatment. This is usually a spot that is tender to touch, sore, tight, and has knots. Most of the time it has been there for a while and is chronic in nature. Sometimes acute edema responses well to treatment too, but careful examination and evaluation is required. By applying specific repetitive sweeping, brushing and scooping motion over a small injury site for 3 to 5 minutes, it breaks down adhesion, increase blood flow, help soft tissue to regenerate, and promote healing. I also incorporate some stretching, and joint movement while doing this to maximize treatment result!

Clinical indication: chronic neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, rotator cuff injury, tendonitis or tendonosis of the biceps, Achilles, knee, or hip. Facet syndrome, carpal tunnel, ulnar nerve entrapment, thoracic outlet syndrome, post whiplash injuries or scar tissue conditions.

Treatment frequency is 1 to 2 times a week for 5 to 10 visits depending on the severity and complexity of your condition(s).

Potential treatment response: most of the time you will feel relieved, decreased pain or soreness, and increase range of motion right after treatment. You may also feels sore afterward, kinda like after a heavy workout, but it will decrease gradually. You will also notice some bruising, red spots or pettichia. This is an indication of chronic injury and the treatment is working! The bruising will disappear in 3 days. Ice the area 10 to 15 minutes as needed at home will help with recovery.

Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

Kinesio Taping for Neck pain, back pain, tennis elbow, knee pain and more!

I was trained to use athletic tape to stabilize ankle sprain, wrist sprain, knee sprain and most sports injuries in college. While in chiropractic school I learned something new- Kinesio Taping! This type of taping is totally different from traditional athletic taping. It helps improve range of motion, mobility, flexibility, reduce inflammation and edema, and improve performance. It's amazing! Besides chiropractic adjustment, I use this therapy for patient with acute neck and back pain. Most people feel decrease in pain level with tape on their back.

Kinesio taping is a method used to help normalize the function of muscles and other connective tissues. Kinesio taping is used for both spinal and extremity conditions such as neck pain, back pain, tennis elbow, knee pain, shin splint and shoulder pain.

Kineso taping uses elastic tape rather than the rigid tape traditionally used in sports. The elastic properties of this tape help in many ways:

• Improve contraction of a weakened muscle
• Reduce muscle fatigue and spasm
• Reduce over-stretching and over-contraction of muscles
• Re-educate muscles through sensory feedback
• Lessen edema (swelling) through aiding the lymphatic system
• Minimize post-traumatic or post-surgical bruising through improved circulation
• Help mobilize scar tissue by enhancing glide between tissue layers
• Help correct joint mechanics through aiding muscle function around the joint
• Relieve pain by activating the natural analgesic system in our skin receptors

For more information please visit Kinesio Taping website!

Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

Fallen Arch Symptom Patterns

Have you heard of pronation in your foot? Do your foot rotate inwards while you walk or stand? Without a proper arch support it can cause various foot, knee, hip, and back problems. Why? Because if your foot rotate inward or you have a decrease arch high, this can cause your knee twisting in and this causes tension on your hip joint. Your hip joint then effects your low back. You will have low back pain because your pelvis is shifting forward due to your hip, knee and foot. Your foot is the foundation of your body if you do not have a solid foundation you will pron to injuries.

How to avoid these problems? Chiropractic check up and foot exam can help you find out if you have fallen arch syndrome. Chiropractic adjustments, rehab exercises and custom made foot inserts have been proven to be very effective and creates long lasting results!

Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at activespines.com