Forward Head Posture & Chiropractic | Bellevue Chiropractor

      This video was recorded back in February. I came across it again over the weekend and decided to post and share with everyone. The full size spine model make it easier to see the relationship between the spine, nerve, bones and disc. Poor posture increase loading over your spine, nerve, joint, disc and more. Overtime it changes the biomechanics of your body. You then will have aches and pain in certain area of your body. it includes but not limited to headache, neck pain, upper back pain, mid back pain, low back pain, shoulder pain, arm and leg pain. The damage, repetitive stress injury, can be long lasting and irreversible if left uncorrected. Chiropractic, rehab exercises and massage therapy are safe and effective treatment options to keep you fit, active and healthy! Active Spines Chiropractic are here to help you get more out of life.

    http://www.activespines.com Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng, a Bellevue Washington Chiropractor, explains forward head posture, spine alignment, and chiropractic in his Bellevue Chiropractic clinic. Call today for an appointment 425-818-0086 with your Bellevue Chiropractor. Chiropractic care can keep your spine active and healthy! Proudly serving Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Renton, King County and more. Address: 1530 Bellevue Way SE, Ste C, Bellevue WA 98004

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

What is an effective treatment for neck pain: Chiropractic adjustment, exercises or medication?

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all had a great time during the holiday season with friends and family. Hopefully you know your New Year resolution or you are working on it. I am still working on New Year resolution. Recently I read a journal article about treatment for acute or subacute neck pain. I am glad to know that chiropractic adjustment and exercises provide better result than taking pain medication.

At Active Spines Chiropractic, we provide a treatment protocol that is similar to that in the article. After detail examination and x-ray if needed, you will receive not only chiropractic adjustment but also some other manual therapy and exercise to get you better as soon as possible. We have a massage table that will relax your back before your adjustment. We will teach you how to do exercises correctly. These exercises are specifically designed for your spine to keep you active and healthy. Each treatment will last about 30 minutes which is very detail and comprehensive. Again this is to ensure that you are making a speedy recovery from your injury. Last wish you all have a great New Year. If there is anything that we can help, please give us a call at 425-818-0086. We also have a new website. Please check it out if you have time. Activespines.com

Pleas go to the link below for the original research: Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain.

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

4 Effective shoulder pain treatments and related problems

A group of researchers published a study on JMPT June 2011. They did a systematic review on manual and manipulative therapy (MMT) for common shoulder pain and disorders. The result shows that it is effective to treat shoulder complaints with manipulation, soft tissue techniques, exercises and other therapy.

Personally I have found that this is quite an effective approach for treating common shoulder related issues such as rotator cuff injuries (grade I and II), frozen shoulder, shoulder impingement syndrome, poor posture( inward rotated shoulder), and other chronic soft tissue problems as well.

What to expect for the first visit? After a thorough chiropractic, orthopedic, physical and neurological check up over shoulder, neck and upper back region, we can identify the cause of the problem. From there we know if this is something we can help. Generally speaking there will be 3 phases for treatment of care. First is to decrease pain and symptoms. Second is promote pain free range of motion over shoulder, neck and upper back area. Third phase is to restore proper proprioception, stability, strengthening the shoulder girdle and proper posture.

What are the treatment protocols? First step is the mobilization and adjustment of the shoulder, neck and upper back to restore proper joint motion. Once there is proper motion over the shoulder region the next step is to relax and loosen up the tight muscles in those area. There are many techniques for that and one I found very effective is "Gua Sha". This works very well to break up adhesion and promote healing.

Third step is to start with some cervical, thoracic and shoulder joints active range of motion exercises and also stretch out major muscles around it. This has to be done at home daily to promote healing and maintain proper mobility.
The last part is to the stabilization and strengthening of the shoulder joint itself. A very effective and easy way to do is to use Thera Band for exercises. Patients can do it at home or clinic. Proper instruction and direction is needed before start doing this at home. By strengthening the rotator cuff muscles, and stabilizing the shoulder joint, it can prevent future flare up and you can enjoy life more~

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

Referrence: Manipulative therapy for shoulder pain and disorders: expansion of a systematic review.

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

Posture Pump neck exercise for neck pain and posture problem

Posture pump exercise is one of the many spinal rehabilitation protocols that we do in our clinic. Once your condition is under control with chiropractic adjustments and neck rehabilitation exercises, which means you are feeling better and the pain level is going down, posture pump exercise will be a good addition to your spinal health. You will usually do this for about 10 plus minutes prior to your chiropractic treatment. Who is a condidate for this therapy? This is good for someone whom is on the computer long time, dirving long time, poor psoture, after car accident, or someone with lots of shoulder neck tension. What can this therapy do for you?

1. Correct poor posture.



2. Increase joint flexibility and mobility.



3. Make you feel taller!

Last please talk to your health care provider before doing this therapy.

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

Total Spine Rehab for you neck and upper back at Active Spines Part I

Total Spine Rehabilitation(TSR)is our spinal rehabilitation protocols at Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue. This is going to be a 3 part series! We will focus on 1. cervical, 2. thoracic and 3. lumbar regions! In this article we will focus on the top 5 neck exercises done in our clinic. We do more than 5 in the clinic! Please consult your health care provider first before doing these exercises! Because I want you to do it correctly! You do not want to develop bad habits! Let's begin!

TSR(Total Spine Rehab) for the neck:

1. Gentle neck range of motion exercises. Gentle lateral flexion, flexion-extension, and rotation for 20 repetition and 3 sets. It takes less than 3 minutes! These help loosen up tight neck muscles, decrease muscle tension, fatigue and help with blood flow. It also brings oxygen to that region! These are good for people whom sit at desk all day.

2. Gentle neck stretching exercises in flexion, lateral flexion, 45 degree lateral flexion and extension-lateral flexion. Use gentle force, hold 15 seconds each and repeat 3 times. Take approximately 3 long breathes( inhale and exhale) while you are doing it. This helps muscles to relax better! This will take about 5 minutes! Do this through out the day and you will feel good as new!

3. Chin tug exercise: This is very effective for people who has forward head posture. Start by leaning against the wall. Glide the back of your skull up and down the wall. Use your hand to help the motion by pushing your chin up and down. It will be hard to do in the beginning. But you will get better at it after a few times. Please do this slow and with proper breathing rhythm. Do 20 repetitions and 3 sets. This takes about 5 minutes.

4. Neck muscle strengthening exercises: Believe it or not some of your neck muscles get weak due to poor posture and inactivity, especially the deep neck muscles! Training for deep neck muscle requires supervision due to its complexity and depth. Here let's do some isometric neck exercises! First sit up straight and tug your chin in. Then put hand(right or left) on your forehead. Push head into your hand, not allowing neck to bend. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. Repeat this over the sides and back of your head! These are rather simple right. This will takes about 10 minutes!

5. Posture pump exercise and/or cervical traction: this is a very effective exercise to restore cervical spine curvature and rehydrate cervical discs. You will do this for 10 minutes in the clinic!

By doing these exercises correctly and regularly, your neck will be healthy and active! I hope these are not too complicated for you. Please check back for phase II and III exercises!

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

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

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)- neck, shoulder, arm and hand symptoms.

Do you have neck, shoulder arm, hand numbness, tingling, pins and needles, soreness or pain? You might find this article helpful if you do.

The thoracic outlet is located between the first rib, the clavicle, and the scalene muscles. The brachial plexus and the subcalvian artery pass between the anterior and medial scalenes muscles, the first rib, and the overlying clavicle. The brachial plexus and the sbuclavian artery can be compressed as they pass between the thoracic outlet. The lower roots of the brachial plexus (C8-T1) or ulnar nerve are at high risk than the more superior roots because of their location in the plexus.

TOS is also known as scalene anticus syndrome, hyperabduction syndrome, cervical rib sundrome, costoclavicular syndrome and pectoralis minor syndrome.

Causes of TOS:

1. Mechanical: repetitive stress, overuse, poor posture, muscle spasm, decondition or artrophy.
2. Traumatic: penetration injury
   
3. Congenital: cervical rib
   
4. Vascular
5. Infeciton
6. Idiopathic
   

The symptoms include pain in the fingers, hand, forearm, arm, and shoulder. Numbness occurs most often in the fingers, hand and the forearm. You may also feel cold, weakness and skin color change. Pins and needles in arm and hand.

Conservatice treatments for TOS:

1. Self care tips: improvement in posture, office ergonomics, modification in work related posture habits, cervical traction, stretching
2. Treatment in our clinic: a few options, myofascial release technique, PIR stretching, In office posture training for cervical and thoracic spine, strengthen weak muscles, chiropractic adjustment for neck, upper back and first rib, and medical massage.

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

TMJ Syndrome with forward head posture

TMJ syndrome is also known as temporomandibular pain. The pain may result from irritation over the TMJ joint and/or soft tissue around it such as muscle, capsule, ligament. Besides wear a night guard or dental care, you might also benefit from chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic adjustment can restore proper join motion, alignment and muscle tone over your neck and upper back.

Forward head posture like the picture on the top can also cause TMJ syndrome. The jaw gets pulled down and backward due to poor posture, which causes tension and misalignment at the TMJ joint. Self care for forward head posture includes but not limit to chin retraction exercise, neck and upper back stretching, neck muscle strengthening, posture exercise and office ergonomics. Chiropractic adjustment over cervical, thoracic and 1st rib are beneficial. When your spines is in balance you will have greater result from home exercises. Do you have forward head posture? Do you always carry stress over your upper back? Are you always slouching and hunched over? If yes to any of the above, please call Dr. Cheng at 425-818-0086. He will be able to help you! Don't wait until it is too late. Chiropractic adjustment is a very safe and natural treatment to help you live your life to the fullest.


1. Mandibular Whiplash, Part I: extension Flexion Injury of the TMJ, Levandoski R. Functional Orthodontist, 1993; Jan/Feb: 26-31
2. Tinnitus in Patients with TMJ Internal Derangement, Ren Y, Isberg A. Journal Craniomandibular Practice, 1995; 13(2): 75-80
3. TMJ injury can occur in collision without direct jaw impact, Burgess J. Journal Craniomandibular Disorders, 1991; 5(4): 251-257

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