Dead Hangs to Help Fix the Rotator Cuff

Rotator cuff injuries are a common problem that can affect people of all ages and activity levels. Dead hangs are a type of exercise that can be used to help fix rotator cuff injuries by improving the strength, stability, and mobility of the shoulder joint.

Watch You Tube Video below

When a rotator cuff injury occurs, the muscles and tendons that make up the rotator cuff can become damaged or weakened. This can lead to pain, weakness, and limited range of motion in the shoulder joint. Dead hangs can help to address these issues by working the muscles of the shoulder girdle in a safe and effective way.

One of the key ways that dead hangs can help to fix rotator cuff injuries is by strengthening the muscles of the shoulder girdle. The shoulder girdle is a complex system of muscles and bones that includes the rotator cuff muscles, as well as the muscles of the upper back and shoulder blade. By performing dead hangs, you can engage all of these muscles in a coordinated manner, which can help to improve their strength and endurance over time.

Another way that dead hangs can help to fix rotator cuff injuries is by improving shoulder stability. When you hang from a bar, your shoulder joint is in a fully extended position, which can help to stretch out the muscles and tendons of the joint. This can help to improve the stability of the shoulder joint by strengthening the connective tissue and reducing the risk of further injury.

Dead hangs can also be beneficial for improving shoulder mobility. When you hang from a bar, your arms and shoulders are in a fully extended position, which can help to stretch out the muscles and tendons of the shoulder joint. This can be particularly helpful for individuals who have tightness or stiffness in the joint, which can contribute to the development of rotator cuff injuries.

In addition to these physiological benefits, dead hangs can also be a low-impact way to work the muscles of the shoulder girdle without putting too much stress on the joint. This can be particularly important for individuals who are recovering from a rotator cuff injury, as they may need to avoid high-impact exercises that could further damage the joint. Overall, dead hangs can be a useful tool for fixing rotator cuff injuries by improving the strength, stability, and mobility of the shoulder joint. However, it is important to work with a qualified professional to determine if dead hangs are appropriate for your specific condition and to receive guidance on how to perform the exercise safely and effectively.

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: email DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino & YouTube @Dr.MichaelGuadagnino

Three Ways to Avoid Back Pain During the Holidays

I am asked if December is a slow time in the office; to the contrary this is often a very busy month. Back pain is a common occurrence around the holidays and with a few tweaks to how you go about this busy month, you can help to avoid being one of those who suffer.

While December can be exciting it can also be very stressful. Getting all your shopping complete, writing your Christmas cards, and making sure you can afford it all…..while still going about your normal daily life is not easy. Stress can add up, and it tends to manifest right in your back.  What can you do about it?  It’s always easy to say “not to stress”, but just by hearing that phrase, it could make some people even more stressed out. You could try some breathing techniques, yoga or doing something that clears your mind. Some like to walk, others just chill on the couch reading or watching TV. Make lists of what you wish to accomplish, and check off each item as you move along. Seeing, and then achieving is often times a relief in itself.

Next is lifting heavy packages, straining while decorating or other physical activities we do to prepare for the holidays. As with all activity make sure you stretch prior. Moving furniture to make room for the tree may not seem like much, but you will be doing some physical activity. There are some basic stretches you could utilize from You Tube that will help to stretch and wake up your back muscles while maintaining your range of motion.  Don’t neglect stretching prior to any activity and make sure you lift with your legs.

Lastly, walking around in malls is not the best thing for your back. Most mall floors are built on concrete. If you go shopping for a few hours you are pounding on that hard, non-giving surface for a long time. This includes shopping local as you walk on sidewalks. Make sure you wear a good shoe, preferably a sneaker that has good give to it. As I said above, stretch prior to going out, especially if you are not accustomed to all that walking.

December can be a great month; it can also be a time of personal neglect. Do the things necessary to keep yourself healthy, especially during these stressful times. Make sure you continue to exercise, take your vitamins and eat right. No one wants to be in pain for the holiday, or in fact no one want to be in pain ever.  Try these three techniques to help you get through pain-free.

Until Next Time

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: email DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino & YouTube @Dr.MichaelGuadagnino

Are You Actually Absorbing Your Supplements?

Many people take vitamins to improve their health. I’ve written extensively about Vitamins C and D as well as the mineral Zinc for keeping your immune system strong during these unsettling times. Others take it a step further by consuming antioxidants, fish oils, herbs and additional helpful products. It is important to always take a high-quality supplement that are chelated properly; this allows for better absorption. I have seen many x-rays with visible undigested vitamins sitting in peoples’ colon; these are supplements that were never absorbed so they never got into their systems. How can you best assure yourself that you are digesting and absorbing your supplements?

As mentioned above, make sure your supplements are chelated correctly. This means that the additives included with your supplements are the right ingredients. A wrong addition can make the supplement completely useless.  As an example, calcium needs to be absorbed in an acidic environment. Some people think taking an antacid which contains calcium will give you that calcium boost. In reality the antacid neutralizes your stomach which blocks the absorption of calcium. Your stomach has to be in an acidic environment for its absorption; a calcium citrate supplement will do just that. Be sure to look at the ingredients and not be confused by slick marketing.

Another important factor is to not take water soluble supplements and fat-based supplements together. Each has different types of absorption and taking them together could block one category from being digested.  The water-soluble vitamins include C and the B’s, as well as various other types of supplements. These can be taken with a carbohydrate-based meal or snack including fruits and vegetables. This will insure they are absorbed.  The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and other fat-soluble supplements are best absorbed after ingesting health fats. This would include nuts, olive oil, avocado or any other like fats.  Separate the two forms of supplements with a few hours in between to allow for better digestion.

Our food today is stripped of many of its nutrients from modern growing and preparation techniques. Utilizing vitamin and other supplements is a great way to keep yourself healthy and active. The key to utilizing these supplements is to make sure your body is digesting and absorbing them properly. Do some research, look at labels and keep yourself healthy!

Until Next Time,

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: email DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino & YouTube @Dr.MichaelGuadagnino

What is Sciatica Part II – Treatment to Help the Pain

What is sciatica and why someone may experience sciatic pain was discussed in the last blog. Let’s look at what we do in the office to help those suffering feel better.

In all cases it is important to start with a history and evaluation. We know that sciatica is a pain down the leg deriving from a back problem, but we need to know exactly what the lower back issue is. The reasons for sciatica could range from something as basic as a muscle spasm, a vertebral joint issue or a full-blown disc herniation. The determining examination includes putting the patient through a series of tests, neurological & orthopedic tests and palpation of the area. We try to reproduce the sciatic pain and monitor the nerve strength so a clear diagnosis may be made, and a treatment plan created.  Here are some examples.

Muscle Stretching and IASTM Treatment:  Often times muscular tightness, trigger points or spasm can decrease your low back range of motion and ultimately impinge on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve, during its trek down your leg, pierces through a muscle called the piriformis. Any disruption or spasm of this muscle can cause your sciatic nerve to “light up” with pain. Treating this cause of sciatica requires identifying the offending muscle(s) and creating a soft tissue program to allow it to stretch and respond to its natural elasticity and ultimately stop sciatic irritation.

Manipulation of the Vertebral Segments:   The 5 vertebrae in your lower back need full range of motion to allow you to move in all six planes of motion; flexion, extension, right & left lateral bending, and right & left rotation. In order for this to occur the joints found between these vertebral segments need full range of motion on the micro level. When this motion is limited or even completely “locked up”, it causes a neurological disruption that may produce sciatica.  By gently adjusting the individual vertebral segments and restoring the range of motion in the lumbar spine, this form of sciatica can be relieved.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression with the DRX9000:  More serious sciatic diagnoses such as low back arthritis, stenosis or lumbar disc injuries require a more significant approach. These back conditions could cause direct pressure on the spine, the spinal nerves or create a biomechanical disruption that can cause sciatic pain. Non-surgical spinal decompression is a linear, traction-like approach that creates a negative pressure in the lumbar disc space. This will “coax” the disc back into its normal resting space. Repeated treatments are needed, then the patient will progress into a stretching program which allows the pressure to be removed from the nerve(s) and ultimately relieve the sciatic pain.

As discussed in Part 1, sciatica is not a specific diagnosis, all it suggests is pain down the leg coming from a back issue. The important part is to identify what is happening in the back that creates the sciatica and to find a correct treatment protocol to help relieve it.

Until Next Time,

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: email DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino & YouTube @Dr.MichaelGuadagnino

Is It Sciatica?

Do you have pain in your back the radiates down your leg? You may feel this pain all the time or it can come and go. It may not even be pain; it might be numbness or a vibration sensation. You may feel it when you sleep or when you stand. The discomfort could make getting out of bed difficult, it could make your body lean to one side or it could have no effect on your posture at all. This is commonly known as sciatica, which in its most basic definition is a back issue that causes pain in your sciatic nerve that travels down your leg(s).

There are many variations as to how you may experience sciatica, because there are many different causes of sciatica. If you have a friend who suffered similar pain, it doesn’t mean you will experience it in the same way OR even have the same treatment. Sciatica is not a specific diagnosis, it is a general term used to describe as stated above, “an issue in the back that causes pain down your sciatic nerve”.

Your back is made up of individual bones called vertebrae. Between each vertebra are discs, which are your body’s shock absorbers. In the middle of these vertebrae is your spinal column with is made up of the main nerve tracts stemming from your brain. Between each vertebrae a spinal nerve branches off and passes out of a hole. The nerve then transverses past the disc and goes to various areas of your body. This is how your brain communicates with your body.

The 5 vertebrae in your lower back make up the lumbar spine. The nerves emanating from the lumbar spine head to a different part of your leg. As an example, the nerve that exits below your 5^th vertebrae trails down the back of your leg, the nerve below your 4^th vertebrae moves to in front of your thigh.  Identifying these individual pain patterns enables your doctor to locate which part of your back may be injured.

There are many causes of these back “issues” which may lead to sciatica. Some include muscle spasms, vertebral joint inflammation, arthritis, stenosis, disc injuries and even tumors. The evaluation is important to identify what may be causing this problem as well as the level of severity of the injury. A full history and examination are very important and sometimes imaging studies are necessary to complete the assessment.

Once we know the cause for the sciatica a treatment plan can be created to help alleviate and eliminate the back problem as well as the leg pain.  Next week we’ll look into what types of treatment can be helpful. 

Until next time,

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: email DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino & YouTube @Dr.MichaelGuadagnino

Three Supplements to Boost Your Immune System

Unfortunately, summertime is coming to an end, and we will be inside more than out, which adversely affect our health. Humans were meant to be outside enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Depending on where you live this may not be practical for everyone. With the changing weather comes the dreaded “cold and flu season” or whatever illness may be lurking out there. As we live a more sheltered life, we cut ourselves off from the natural nutrition the outdoors bring. We also lock ourselves into communal confined spaces that allow for a sharing of viruses and bacteria. It is important to combat these seasonal changes which includes getting enough rest, nutrition and exercise. We can also supplement with vitamins and minerals which will boost our immune system.  Here are three important supplements to add in our daily routine.

Let’s start with the mineral zinc which is an essential micronutrient.  Besides being necessary for cell division, protein and DNA synthesis, zinc is very important for your immune system. Zinc has shown to fight infections by boosting your antibody production, which has demonstrated an ability to shorten the duration of a cold as well as lessen its severity. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Zinc is 11mg for an adult male and 8mg for an adult female.

The next supplement is Vitamin D. Sunlight triggers vitamin D production in your skin with help from your liver and kidneys. When people spend more time indoors, such as in the colder months they don’t get adequate sunshine. Vitamin D is important for bone development, but it plays a big role with your immune system.  Vitamin D modulates between your quick immune response and your adaptive immune system.  Vitamin D also helps your body’s “killer T cells” to mature and activate towards attacking micro-organisms. If you don’t have enough Vitamin D, this process can become disruptive or weakened.  Vitamin D comes in two primary forms D2, plant based and D3, animal based. Vitamin D3 has shown to be metabolized better in your liver and is the recommended choice vitamin. The RDA for Vitamin D is 700IU for those under 70 years old and 800IU for those over 70.

Vitamin C is the third supplement and one most commonly thought of when looking to improve your immune system. Vitamin C is an important anti-oxidant and co-factor that benefits many aspects of metabolism. Vitamin C helps support immunes cells while research has demonstrated that usage of vitamin C can limit or help prevent the onset of colds and flu. The RDA for Vitamin C in adults is 90mg.

Keeping your immune system running at its highest level is always the best way to prevent or fight infections. A lot of our food is stripped of nutrients due to the quality of soil, the collection process or in its preparation. Supplements assure that we will be receiving the required number of vitamins and mineral. A final point, it is always best to prime your immune system early and maintain it through the winter. This means to start supplementing now so your body has had time to utilize and become heightened by your early preparation; should you ever become exposed to an invasive microorganism you have the best chance to fight. As always, keep yourself healthy and keep your immune system as strong as possible.

Until Next Time,

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: email DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino & YouTube @Dr.MichaelGuadagnino

Preserve the Past, Don’t Knock it Down

I recently completed one of my bucket list items with a visit to the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. My initial motivation was to visit the place that Sal Bando, Gene Tenace and the rest of the early ‘70s Swingin’ A’s played. As a Yankees fan, my team was not very good during that era, and this A’s roster was a team of Rock Stars. While sitting in my stadium seat I began to reminisce as I looked over the field. I noticed the spot where Joe Rudi made an amazing catch in the ‘72 World Series, third base where Ricky Henderson lifted the base declaring he was the greatest of all time and the location of Derek Jeter’s flip. 

There were other moments I replayed in my mind visualizing a specific player in the exact spot of a memorable play. This is something I used to do at old Yankee Stadium; when I looked at first base knowing Lou Gehrig played at that location, noticing where Chris Chambliss’ ‘76 home run just cleared the right field wall and gazing at centerfield imagining Joe DiMaggio roaming that area.  The problem is when they dismantled Yankee Stadium and the team moved across the street, that space was eliminated forever.

The Oakland Coliseum is an old building, in many ways it is falling apart. The floor under my feet was rusted, the bathrooms were reminders of a bygone era and the monstrosity the Raiders built, then left behind destroyed the beauty of the ballpark. In the next few years the A’s will be moving to another location, and this stadium will go the way of old Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds and Atlanta Fulton County Stadium; along with the physical space filled with memories confined within their walls.

The A’s play in the 5th oldest MLB ballpark, built in 1966. The 6th oldest park was built in the 1970s, as they tear down these grand old stadiums, so goes their historic space, The energy of the past still lives in these parks, if you doubt it attend a game at Fenway Park and tell me you don’t feel Ted Williams presence throughout the building. I always say when they tore down Yankee Stadium, they released the ghosts. Baseball is filled with over a century of history, it is a shame so many teams have abandoned their homes and likewise released their history contained within those walls. If the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Green Bay Packers have been able to modernize and upgrade their existing old stadiums, then it is possible for other teams to do the same rather than tear down the setting of so many shared memories and forever preserve their past.

Until Next Time

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: email DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino & YouTube @Dr.MichaelGuadagnino

Sprinting vs Distance Running

Both athletes and non-competitive fitness enthusiast utilize running as a form of aerobic exercise. Some prefer the long-distance jog, while others like quick speed training as part of their workout. Each style offers benefits, so which style should you choose to help you reach your intended goals? Here is a breakdown of some of their benefits.

Sprinting is a high impact exercise which means it helps to build muscle, bone strength and density. It improves the storage capacity of calories and energy within your muscles while burning fat stores.  Sprinting enhances your strength endurance as it aids in your body’s ability to compete while it strengthens your muscles and improves your cardio stamina.  Sprinting will also increase the size of your mitochondria, which is the energy powerhouse found in every cell.  Speed training such as sprinting allows your body to become stronger and is a form of HIIT that continues cutting fat all day long. It is an excellent training tool for athletes as it simulates game like situation while building up your body.

Distance running is the more common running form often utilized as jogging. The most notable benefit is increased endurance which allows your body to work less as it reaches the same performance level on subsequent events. This occurs by building your heart muscles so it improves overall blood flow preventing your muscles from becoming fatigued. Distance running recruits the fast-twitch muscle fibers so you have more muscle fibers conditioned to get you through long distant events such as marathons. Weight loss is a primary benefit of long-distance running, although you can lose not only fat but muscle tissue. There is an increase opportunity for calorie deficit with long distance running over sprinting; which benefits weight loss.

Both forms of running have their positive benefits. It is necessary to evaluate your goals and chose which form of running allows you to reach them. There isn’t a right or wrong answer, its what fits your needs, lifestyle and abilities.

Until Next Time,

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: email DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino & YouTube @Dr.MichaelGuadagnino

Don’t Forget the Secondary and Tertiary Injuries!

You injured your back, knee, neck etc. Then given a diagnosis about the injury and a plan on how to correct it, but an often overlooked and important point: are the secondary and tertiary problems being addressed? Treating the primary diagnosis is extremely important but taking care of the corresponding issues can be the difference from being 80% better to 100% better.

As an example, you are diagnosed with a herniated low back disc. The obvious treatment protocol calls for reducing this herniation; but this type of injury typically is associated with muscle imbalance issues. Another example is carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a pinched nerve in the wrist. Often times carpal tunnel syndrome includes impingements of that same nerve as it travels from your neck down your arm, do you only treat the wrist?  These are just a couple of situations that are normally found when treating musculoskeletal injuries.

It is important for your doctor to not only look at an X-Ray or MRI, but to perform an entire examination on the injured area. This includes a full history, orthopedic, neurological and structural evaluation of the injured location as wells as the adjacent anatomical structures. Someone may have arthritis on x-ray, but they may also have joint dysfunction in the areas above and below this arthritis. This can only be identified by putting the evaluation together with any films and diagnostic tests.

Over my 30-years in practice I have referred hundreds of patients for MRI’s. Often times the films will identify a problem which isn’t the primary cause of the injury. It is common to have a piriformis muscle lesion that creates sciatica. The film may show a disc injury, yet the piriformis problem is the primary reason for the pain. If I treated the disc and didn’t address the muscle this patient most likely would not reach their full healing potential. My suggestion is to choose a practitioner that performs a full evaluation along with using any diagnostic tools available. This could be the difference from partial to total healing.

Until Nex Time,

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino

When is Hand Pain Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Contradictory to common belief, all hand pain is NOT Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).  Often times, patients who enter my office and are experiencing hand pain believe that they are suffering with carpal tunnel syndrome. This is an understandable misconception as a lot of advertisements, media and other discussions seem to label hand pain as CTS.

It is helpful to know what carpal tunnel syndrome is, so you know what carpal tunnel syndrome isn’t.  The actual diagnosis is an impingement or pinching of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel in your wrist. This passageway allows the median nerve and three tendons to reach from your forearm into your hand; and it is called the carpal tunnel. When pressure is applied to this tunnel by a host of pathological or non-pathological reasons the median nerve can become pinched. As this occurs pain, numbness or weakness may be felt your first 3 fingers. This is carpal tunnel syndrome, anything other than this exact pathophysiology is not.

Some other common areas for nerves to become impinged and create sensations in your hand are your elbow, shoulder and neck. Anywhere a nerve courses through your body it can become impinged, but these are the three most common areas, along with carpal tunnel syndrome that can cause hand pain.

treating CTS with cold laser therapy

There is also something called a “double crush syndrome”. This is when nerves are impinged in two or more areas. As an example, you could have an ulnar impingement in the elbow, and a median nerve pinched in your neck. In this scenario you may experience pain in the hand, but the remedy is to treat multiple areas.

As with telephone lines the nerves that terminate in your hand begin from more distant areas. They branch off the spine, through the neck, along the shoulder, between the elbow and down to the hand. A correct diagnosis as to the level of nerve impingement will allow your practitioner to treat the cause which should remove the symptoms. Is your hand pain carpal tunnel syndrome?  Maybe, or it might be something else too.

Until Next Time,

Dr. Michael Guadagnino

Chiropractic Physician

To reach Dr. Guadagnino at his Ramsey, NJ office: DrMGuad@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @Dr._Guadagnino