Dr Scott Birckbichler, Virginia Beach Chiropractor

Tips and Advice

1.

For a musculo-skeletal injury like neck pain or low back pain, you should generally begin with the following in this order: heat, stretch, then ice. If the injury lasts more than 2 days, call me and I can help.

2.

Heat can include a hot shower, a heating pad, or a 20 minute walk to increase the temperature of your muscles before a stretch.

3.

Never heat right before you go to bed. At the end of the day, your injury is hot, angry, and swollen. The last thing you want to do is add more heat and then sleep on it. You will wake up very stiff and sore. Instead, you should ice before bed. See below.

4.

When you ice, you should ice for 30 minutes at a time. Use a paper towel, a t-shirt or a thin layer between you and the ice to avoid frostbite. Never put an ice pack, especially a gel ice pack, directly on your skin.

5.

How many people do you know that have really tight shoulder muscles? They probably have their shoulders up all day, every day. Keep your shoulders down throughout the day. Every hour, take a deep breath in and raise your shoulders up, then exhale and drop your shoulders down, but make sure not to slouch, still keep the curve in your low back.

6.

Do your stretches at least three times a day. When stretching, you should feel only tension, NO PAIN.

7.

Never sleep on your stomach.

8.

Sleep on your side or your back.

9.

Keep moving during the day. Don’t be in any one position for more than 30 minutes at a time.

10.

When, lifting, lift with your legs, not with your back.

11.

If you need to wear a back brace, only wear for an hour, then take it off for an hour. The better you get, the less that you want to depend on the back brace. Never wear it while sleeping. You can loosen it up and it makes a great ice pack holder.

12.

If you have sinus problems, I would recommend getting a Neilmed sinus rinse or Nettipot.

13.

You can use a tennis ball to relieve muscle knots. Lean against the wall or lay on it on the floor and move the tennis ball across the trigger point. Imagine you’re trying to squeeze the last little bit of toothpaste out of the tube. You have to get the lactic acid out of the muscle otherwise the trigger point may never go away.

14.

Sit-ups and back extensions are key after an injury resolves to insure that your low back pain is less likely to return.

15.

If you have a leg length deficiency, I can fit you for a heel lift to level out your pelvis and decrease a spinal scoliosis.

16.

Arch supports in shoes can help plantar fasciitis, bunions, hammer toe, heel spurs, ankle pain, knee pain, and many more issues up the leg (even headaches!).