Our hospital-based integrated care model gives our doctors access to the top cardiovascular specialists in our communities. This allows our practices to co-manage and make referrals for care to serve our patients’ heart health’s best interests. We determine the cause of pain and offer movement therapies for improved health and reduced pain. At the same time, consistently see our patients have an increase in their quality of life.

We are your dedicated partners in conservative pain care and your healthy heart journey.

References

1. Ayloo A, Cvengros T, Marella S. Evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal chest pain. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2013;40(4):863-887.
2. Stochkendahl MJ, Christensen HW. Chest pain in focal musculoskeletal disorders. Med Clin North Am. 2010 Mar;94(2):259-73. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2010.01.007. PMID: 20380955.
3. Mork AA, Haufe SM, Yancey WB. Sometimes (what seems to be) a heart attack is (really) a pain in the neck. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2004 Jan-Feb;17(1):74-7. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.17.1.74. PMID: 15014058.) (Mitchell LC, Schafermeyer RW. Herniated cervical disk presenting as ischemic chest pain. Am J Emerg Med. 1991 Sep;9(5):457-60. doi: 10.1016/0735-6757(91)90215-6. PMID: 1863303.
4. Bagcier F, Volkan Yurdakul O, Ozduran E. Three simple rules in pectoral muscle’s trigger point treatment, which may be a cause of chest pain: position, palpation, and perpendicular needling. J Am Board Fam Med. 2020;33(6):1031-1031.
5. Choi YJ, Choi SU, Shin HW, Lee HW, Lim HJ, Chang SH. Chest pain caused by the trigger points in the scalenus muscle – a case report -. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2007;53(5):680.
6. Proulx AM, Zryd TW. Costochondritis: diagnosis and treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2009 Sep 15;80(6):617-20. PMID: 19817327.
7. Foreman RD. Mechanisms of cardiac pain. Annu Rev Physiol. 1999;61(1):143-167.

Is Pain Interrupting Your New Year’s Resolution?

The number one most popular New Year’s resolutions made amongst the US population, is to improve health and fitness through exercise. One of the most common reasons this resolution can fail is due to the onset of back pain. Many patients come into our office this time of year with pain that either resulted from injury while exercising, or pain that came on for seemingly no reason and is keeping them from achieving their exercises goals. 

One of the most common (and most painful!) conditions we see as a result of beginning an exercise regimen or increasing one’s current exercise program is an increase in or onset of back pain – more specifically sciatica. Sciatica is a broad term that many patients use for any type of pain that radiates into their leg or legs. However, not all sciatica is created equal. Causes of pain radiating into the leg can range from a simple muscle spasm to a herniated disc with compressive neuropathy. Many types of lower back and leg pain can be managed with simple exercises but sometimes it is necessary to see a professional.

Top 3 Stretches For Sciatica Relief

There are several useful exercises you can perform on your own to help resolve the causes of radiating lower back pain and pain into the leg. Here’s our top three!

McKenzie Lumbar Extension

1. Begin lying face down on floor or firm surface with elbows bent and hands under shoulders.
2. Slowly extend your arms as you press your body upward arching your back and gently squeezing your lower back muscles. Once arms are fully extended, pause momentarily, then slowly lower yourself down to the start position. 
3. Perform this exercise 10x every hour. STOP this exercise if it seems to worsen your leg pain.

Piriformis Figure 4 Stretch

1. Begin lying on your back. Cross one leg over the other, placing ankle on opposite thigh above the knee.
2. Grasp uncrossed leg under-thigh and gently pull towards the chest. A stretch in the hip of the crossed leg should be felt. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat for prescribed repetitions. 
3. Perform this stretch 2-3 times per day on the affected side

Psoas Stretch

1. Start in a lunge with the back knee down.
2. Keeping your back straight, shift your hips forward until you feel a stretch.
3. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Switch legs and repeat until you feel adequately stretched.

When To See A Professional

If pain persists despite trying these exercises or you develop numbness, tingling, or weakness, then it is time to see a professional. There could be a more significant issue causing the pain, or you just may need additional muscle work, stretches, and exercises outside of what you can do on your own.

If pain is keeping you from reaching your 2021 goals, schedule an appointment at one of our offices today!

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Find out how to empower, engage and act towards improving the quality of your overall health with chiropractic care and techniques. 

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Anyone who has heard the word “stress” can tell you that it is incredibly common. A recent survey revealed that nearly 80 percent of Americans experience stress, with 44 percent encountering it frequently in their daily lives. While stress is a normal part of life, it can negatively impact your relationships, your career, and even your physical well-being if it becomes chronic. But here is some good news – you can take control of your stress level with chiropractic care before it takes control of you.

What Exactly is Stress and How is it Identified?

Simply put, stress is the body’s response to pressure from certain events or situations, and can be triggered by any number of factors including personal relationship issues, financial worries, career troubles, or health concerns. 

While stress can generate a number of reactions, physical manifestations are overwhelmingly common, and knowing the signs is one of the most crucial steps in successful stress management. A study by the American Institute of Stress revealed that 77 percent of people who identify as being stressed reported physical symptoms such as:

• Chronic pain
• Muscle tension
• Headaches
• Digestive issues
• Elevated blood pressure
• Disturbed sleep cycle
• Chest pain
• Rapid heartbeat

How Chiropractic Care Helps

Chiropractic treatment can interrupt the cycle of stress, tension, and pain by treating the cause of pain as well as activating the parasympathetic system, which calms the “fight or flight” reaction that commonly occurs during stressful situations. Research suggests that receiving regular chiropractic adjustments and muscle therapy such as myofascial release can have a number of benefits that may help your body fight against prolonged chronic stress, including:   

• Easing muscle tension
• Reducing pain
• Soothing irritated nerves
• Improving sleep

You Play a Role Too

You can manage your stress in several ways that are not only healthy, but also provide an excellent complement to your chiropractic care. These include:

• Having a healthy diet rich in healthy fats (avocado, nuts, and seeds), antioxidants (dark berries and leafy greens), and omega-3 fatty acids (fish)
• Exercising for 30 minutes three days per week
• Relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation
• Getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night
• Maintaining personal connections and a strong, healthy support system to keep you encouraged and motivated

As an additional benefit, these changes are easy to implement and can be done right in your home so you can get on the path to stress reduction today.

Anyone who has had back pain knows it can be disruptive, especially since it is the leading cause of disability worldwide. It is also the second leading cause for doctor visits behind only upper-respiratory infections and can become chronic or even debilitating without the right treatment. MyoCore takes these facts and more into consideration through integrated care, a unique approach that involves frequent close coordination between chiropractors, physicians and other medical professionals to provide patients with a high level of care that addresses pain at the source.

What is Integrated Care?

Many other medical disciplines employ cooperation between any number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare specialists in order to determine the root cause of a patient’s condition and formulate a treatment plan that optimizes the chances for a successful outcome. Chiropractic care is no different, as it requires that same level of coordination to properly treat pain. And that is one of the core principles of MyoCore’s integrated care model.

At MyoCore, our integrated care model refers to the collaboration between our chiropractors, and physicians or other healthcare providers who work together to design personalized treatment plans that meet your specific needs. If you’re having musculoskeletal pain that can be addressed without an invasive procedure, your physician may refer you to a MyoCore chiropractor.  Similarly, if your condition isn’t within the scope of chiropractic care, MyoCore chiropractors will refer you to the proper physician or other healthcare provider to get the treatment you need.    

When combined with evidence-based care and following best-in-class protocols, integrated care provides therapeutically effective treatment and patient support dedicated to achieving satisfaction.

How Can You Benefit From Integrated Care?

When your physician and chiropractor work together, you aren’t just getting drug-free treatment for your pain. You’re benefitting from a comprehensive and conservative approach that addresses your complete needs and goals as a patient.  That’s why integrated care can produce results that may equal or even surpass those of physiotherapy, chiropractic, or drug therapy alone.

And the best part?  Everything is designed for you right there in the hospital so you can get started on your journey toward better function and reduced pain right away.

Find out more about how chiropractic care can help you live a healthier lifestyle so you can be better prepared for cold and flu season with this infographic.

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We’re all spending a lot more time at home these days, and for many of us, that includes work. There are a lot of things to consider when creating your at-home setup, but one of the biggest (and most often overlooked) is your health. Here’s what you need to know to create a better work-from-home environment that can improve your daily life.

Ergonomics and Why it Matters

Ergonomics is defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as “fitting a job to a person.” This means both physically and physiologically. Ergonomics uses data to optimize products and environments and aims to improve comfort, performance, overall health and safety. 

If you sit, stand, or move around all day, the position you’re in can either help or hurt your health. Proper ergonomics can help lessen muscle fatigue and increase productivity. From the CDC: “The goal of ergonomics is to prevent soft tissue injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) caused by sudden or sustained exposure to force, vibration, repetitive motion, and awkward posture.”

The Importance of Posture

Being aware of your posture throughout the day is a critical part of healthy ergonomics. Do you notice yourself doing any of these throughout the day?

• Forward head carriage, craning your neck forward
• Sitting hunched over, rounding your upper back
• Pulling your shoulder blades back

Sound familiar? If so, it may be time to take a look at your at-home workstation.

Your Spine Smart Work Station

On average, an American adult sits for 10 hours a day—eight of which are during work hours.  It is important to set up the proper workspace so you can maintain a healthy spine and good posture. Let’s start by creating a spine smart workstation. 

Have someone take a picture of you while you are sitting at your desk or workspace. Review the photo and make these adjustments:

• Computer Monitor: Make sure your computer monitor is 30 inches away from your face, set directly in front of you, and that the bottom edge of the screen is level with your eyes. Prop up your monitor to prevent hunching.
• Chair: To get started, first adjust your chair’s settings so it supports your elbows, hips and knees at 90-degree angles.  This provides lumbar support and takes pressure off the low back
• Feet: Use a footstool (or box) to take pressure off your lower back. Remember to keep your feet flat!

During the day, drink plenty of water and set a timer to take breaks at least every half hour to stretch, walk or move around.

Bonus Posture Tips

• When seated, keep your elbows above the table; don’t rest them or hold them too far forward causing you to hunch.
• Keep your breast bone lifted to avoid strain or unnecessary rounding of the shoulders.
• If needed, sit on a firm pillow to help raise your body.
• For extra support, use a rolled-up blanket or pillow to place behind you as a back rest.
• Keep your knees at a 90-degree angle while seated, feet flat on the floor.
• Make sure your shoulders are dropped and relaxed, with your elbows hanging down near the seam-line of your shirt

Chiropractic and Ergonomics: The MyoCore Difference

At MyoCore, we treat many patients struggling with the effects of poor posture and harmful ergonomic habits. Working alongside your doctor, we use treatments (such as myofascial release, trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage, chiropractic adjustments and therapeutic exercises) to help combat pain and better function.

These treatments are designed to help our patients:

• Restore mobility of the joints
• Regain proper tone and flexibility of the muscles surrounding your joints
• Balance your body with unique therapies and exercise

Come experience how our expert clinical care teams can get you on the path to living pain-free!

By Dr. Katie Benson, D.C.
Associate Chiropractor at MyoCore of Overland Park

With the current COVID pandemic at the forefront of everyone’s minds, another devastating epidemic is still on going in this country: the opioid crisis. Many reading this have heard of the opioid epidemic, but what exactly does that mean and what can be done to combat it?

According to the Surgeon General, as many as two million Americans are currently addicted to or dependent upon prescription opioids. In 2014 as many as 10 million people reported using opioids for nonmedical reasons. This epidemic currently costs the United States economy an estimated $78.5 billion annually. Yes, you read that correctly: $78.5 billion annually! 

That is a staggering amount of money, but the impact on American lives is even more costly. Opioid overdoses kill 91 Americans every single day. Simply reducing the number of prescriptions though will not solve this complex problem as it will leave millions without the means of managing their pain. 

So what can be done? 

That’s where we at MyoCore can come in! 

We specialize in drug-free, non-invasive treatments that relieve pain through soft tissue therapies, rehabilitation exercises and joint manipulations. The American College of Physicians recommends first using non-invasive, non-drug treatments such as heat therapy, massage, acupuncture and spinal manipulation before resorting to drug therapies. Each patient receives an in-depth examination to determine the proper diagnosis and customized treatment plan that will work to decrease pain and improve function. 

Our doctors utilize soft tissue therapies, such as myofascial release, Graston, Active Release Technique (ART) and dry needling to decrease muscle tension and improve mobility. Our chiropractors are also trained in rehabilitation exercise techniques like McKenzie Method of Diagnosis and Therapy, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stability (DNS) and strength training to improve range of motion, strengthen weakened muscles and get you back to doing the things you love quicker! Last but not least, we use a variety of joint manipulation techniques to decrease joint stiffness, decrease pain and improve mobility. These range from gentle joint mobilizations to manual manipulations. 

Your doctor will determine which adjustment type best suits your needs and comfort level. This customized approach to pain management allows our patients to manage their pain outside of our office and can help decrease their need for prescription opioids. A study found that patients receiving chiropractic care were 55 percent less likely to fill an opioid prescription than those who did not receive chiropractic care in conjunction with their prescription! That’s an astounding reduction in opioid usage. 

In addition to our customized pain therapies, we also work closely with other healthcare providers to offer our patients a collaborative care approach to address their complex needs. Our referral network includes acupuncturists, massage therapists, physical therapists, primary care providers, counselors, orthopedists, and many more. Our goal is to build a team for our patients to help manage their healthcare needs. And that includes you! 

We are here to help you manage your pain and return to living the life you want to live! Our doctors strive to help you get back to doing the things that fill your life with happiness whether that’s being able to get on the floor to play with your grandkids, golfing with your friends or running your first 5K. 

We are here to help, so don’t delay your journey to decreased pain and a more active life.