Aches and Pains during Cold and Wet Weather

Arthritis can affect people all through the year, however the winter and wet weather months can make it harder to manage the symptoms.

Winter isn’t far away. Are your joints aching already? Chiropractic work may be the answer to your cold weather aches. Seasonal weather has a high impact on our joints--especially the wintertime. Low temperatures can cause joint pain in the back, arms, shoulders, hips, and knees. If you have arthritis or fibromyalgia, the pain is bound to get worse in the winter months.

The cold and damp weather affects those living with arthritis as climate can create increased pain to joints whilst changes also occur to exercise routines.

Many arthritis sufferers claim they can predict rainfall due to the level of pain in their joints. A recent study conducted in the US explains why. The study focused on patients with chronic pain, surveying if individuals feel an increase in pain when changes in weather occurs.

"67.9 percent of the people surveyed responded that they were sure changes in the weather had an effect on their pain. Most of the patients reported that they can feel a change in their pain before rain or cold weather occur," said Robert Jamison, Professor at the Harvard Medical School and chief psychologist at the Pain Management Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Chestnut Hill.

Jamison revealed however that the factor that may be responsible for increased pain is not snow, cold or rain, but actually, a change in barometric pressure. Barometric pressure (atmospheric pressure) is the force exerted onto a surface by the weight of the atmosphere at any given point. As a storm system develops, the barometric pressure begins to drop. Jamison explains the impact of barometric pressure on the body through a test conducted with a balloon. "When a balloon is inflated, it has the maximum inside and outside pressure."

"High barometric pressure that pushes against the body from the outside keeps tissues from expanding. As the barometric pressure falls, tissues in the body may expand. As the tissues expand, they put pressure on nerves that control pain signals."

"It doesn't take much expansion or contraction of tissue to affect a pain trigger," Jamison said. Therefore even individuals who live in drier climates also reported feeling more pain with weather changes. Hydration and regular exercise are recommended for achy cold weather joints. Some alternate solutions include warm baths and even Vitamin D supplements. However, one of the best ways to help the pain is to visit a chiropractor. Your chiropractor will locate the pain and try to recommend the solution that is best for you.

Stay warm this winter and make sure you take care of your joints. Visit Dr. Stringer today so he can help your cold weather pain.

Insurance Renewal Time!

Don’t forget the first of the year is coming up and a lot of you will be getting new plans or new insurance cards, these will need to be given to us as of January 1st, 2019 when you come in for an appt.

Active Release Technique (ART) - Uses and Benefits

What is active release technique?

Active release technique (ART) treats your body’s soft tissue by combining manipulation and movement. The technique’s been around for more than 30 years.

ART entails identifying, isolating, and targeting the affected area to break up scar tissue. This promotes blood flow and faster healing of injuries. ART can be used to treat problems with your:

• muscles
• ligaments
• tendons
• nerves

It was first used by Dr. P. Michael Leahy, a chiropractor, to treat soft tissue disorders in elite athletes and has since been used to treat millions of people.

A number of healthcare providers are trained in ART, including:

• chiropractors
• physical therapists
• massage therapists
• physicians

These providers use ART to treat back pain, headaches, and other symptoms caused by soft tissue conditions and injuries.

About the NormaTec Pulse.

What is NormaTec?

NormaTec is the leader in rapid recovery—our systems give a competitive edge to the world’s elite athletes, coaches, and trainers. Our goal is to establish recovery as an integral part of every athlete’s training, and we feel NormaTec systems are the best way to accomplish that.

The NormaTec PULSE Recovery Systems are dynamic compression devices designed for recovery and rehab. All of our systems use NormaTec's patented PULSE technology to help athletes recover faster between trainings and after performance.

Our systems include a control unit and attachments which go on the legs, arms, or hips. They use compressed air to massage your limbs, mobilize fluid, and speed recovery with our patented NormaTec Pulse Massage Pattern. When you use our systems, you will first experience a pre-inflate cycle, during which the connected attachments are molded to your exact body shape.

The session will then begin by compressing your feet, hands, or upper quad (depending on which attachment you are using). Similar to the kneading and stroking done during a massage, each segment of the attachment will first compress in a pulsing manner and then release. This will repeat for each segment of the attachment as the compression pattern works its way up your limb.

Spinal Class coming BACK SOON!

Be on the look out for a schedule and sign ups. This is a great way to learn more about what we do here and learn about chiropractic in general. Call us at: 425-337-3462 to be notified when the Spinal Class is scheduled, or send us an email with "Spinal Class" in the subject line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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