Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) can be a complex condition, causing chronic discomfort and reduced mobility for those who suffer from it. At Muscle Works Chiropractic & Muscle Activation in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, we aim to shed light on this mysterious ailment by exploring its causes, symptoms, and effective treatment options, including acupressure therapy.

Chronic muscle tension and pain can significantly impact daily life, hindering your ability to move freely and comfortably. At Muscle Works Chiropractic, we understand the importance of effective treatments that address the root cause of your discomfort. One such treatment is myofascial release. Read more about the benefits of myofascial release, then contact us to schedule an appointment!

What is Myofascial Release?

Myofascial release is a hands-on therapy technique that targets the myofascial tissues, which are the tough membranes wrapping, connecting, and supporting your muscles. This technique involves gentle, sustained pressure to release tension and improve mobility.

Reducing Muscle Tension

Chronic muscle tension can lead to pain and restricted movement, making everyday tasks difficult. Our Coeur d'Alene chiropractor can apply myofascial release techniques to specific areas of tension, helping to relax your muscles and alleviate discomfort. This can lead to an improved range of motion and a decrease in pain levels.

Embracing an active lifestyle comes with its own set of challenges, from muscle strains to joint pains. At Muscle Works Chiropractic, we understand the importance of maintaining optimal physical health to support your active pursuits. Our unique muscle-based chiropractic approach focuses on the whole person, integrating principles of myofascial release, movement therapy, and biomechanics. Contact us to support your active lifestyle now!

Understanding Myofascial Release

Myofascial release is a key component of our approach at Muscle Works Chiropractic. This technique targets the fascia — the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and organs. By releasing tension in the fascia, we can improve flexibility, reduce pain, and enhance overall movement quality.

Exploring Movement Therapy

Movement therapy plays a vital role in promoting functional movement patterns and improving biomechanics. Our Coeur d'Alene chiropractors incorporate specific exercises and corrective movements to address imbalances and weaknesses. By enhancing your body's ability to move efficiently, you can optimize performance, prevent injuries, and enjoy a more active lifestyle with confidence.

Visiting a chiropractor isn’t nearly as “alternative” as it used to be, and for good reason. Chiropractic treatment has been proven time and again to be an effective, non-surgical solution to scores of health issues. Chiropractors are spinal experts and since your spine is the nerve center of your entire body it’s easy to see why chiropractic care is so effective. But when is the best time to see a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor? The “best” time may vary from person to person depending on individual situations, but here are a few of the most common.

When Pain Disrupts Your Life

If you are experiencing pain in your body that disrupts your daily life then it is an ideal time to see a chiropractor. Ideally, you will seek out treatment before the pain becomes this troublesome, but if you’re already there, chiropractic treatment can help. Pain in your back, neck, legs, shoulders, feet, head, or even sinuses can benefit a great deal from chiropractic adjustments.

Long Periods of Sitting

If you have a job that requires long periods of sitting, you are compressing your spine every day you are at work. Even though it seems gentle and low-impact, this type of activity takes a toll on your body. Even if you haven’t begun experiencing any pain from excessive sitting, damage is being done. You can help yourself by getting up and moving around several times during the day, but you’ll be helping yourself even more by visiting a chiropractor to keep your spine and all of its components balanced.

Sciatica is a condition that is often misdiagnosed and attributed to any intense lower back pain. Any pain in the lower back that limits your movement or stops you from enjoying life requires attention, but not all lower back pain is sciatic pain. This type of pain is unique and while it can be debilitating, it can be helped by a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor.

Sciatica Basics

Your sciatic nerve runs from your lower back, downward through your buttocks, and into the back of each leg. It is the longest nerve in your body and the widest, controlling the muscles in your lower legs. It also provides sensation to your legs and soles of your feet. When someone suffers from sciatica it means they feel persistent pain along their sciatic nerve.

Besides sharp pain, sciatica sufferers may experience dull aches, tingling, numbness, or even a burning sensation. The pain and other feelings are typically felt on just one side of the body. People between 30 and 50 are most likely to suffer from sciatica, and the symptoms are usually attributed to basic wear and tear rather than a specific injury. Sciatic pain often gets worse after prolonged sitting, physical activity, sneezing, coughing, or other sudden movements.

It’s easy to conjure up the image of someone hobbling into a chiropractor’s office, barely able to walk because they “threw their back out”, and while this is accurate, it is hardly the only reason to receive chiropractic treatment. In fact, everyone should make the time to see a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor.

Removes Pain at the Source

Chiropractic treatment is great for removing pain, but what makes it so much more effective than many conventional treatments is that it removes the pain at its source. A chiropractor will address the underlying cause of your back pain, headache pain, or shoulder pain then provide treatment to resolve the symptoms. Since so many instances of chronic pain are linked to spinal misalignment, performing chiropractic adjustments to the spine removes the cause of the pain so the pain is no longer necessary.

Effectively Treats Multiple Issues

A chiropractor is often able to help many issues besides joint and muscle pain. The range of conditions is quite extensive and includes sleep disorders, sinus problems, PMS symptoms, behavioral issues, emotional stress, allergies, pregnancy discomfort, and inability to concentrate. For kids, chiropractic care can often help ear infections, colic, and boost immunity to help ward off the flu or even colds.

Many parents that want the best for their children’s health are constantly looking for non-invasive ways to boost health and prevent degenerative conditions and pain. Chiropractic treatment provides a lot of benefits to adults, but should kids see a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor?

Is Chiropractic Safe for Kids?

To answer the question in a word, yes chiropractic is safe for kids. Several research studies of varying sizes have tested the safety aspect of chiropractic care for kids and they’ve all found it to be safe. Children of all shapes and sizes can receive chiropractic care without any safety issues. Even infants are safe in the hands of a properly trained chiropractor.

Is Chiropractic Effective for Kids?

Chiropractic treatment has also been proven as an effective treatment method for many childhood issues that range beyond pain management. Health conditions such as chronic ear infections and colic can be successfully treated with skillful chiropractic techniques. As your child continues to develop and grow, chiropractic treatment will help keep the joints, muscles, and nerves balanced so the lines of communication between the brain and nervous system remain strong.

Chiropractic treatment is a viable solution for many different health issues. Whether you have a bulging disc in your back, colicky baby keeping you up at night, or you suffer from severe headaches several times per week, seeing a chiropractor can help. The key is to find the right chiropractor for your personality and lifestyle. Here are some reasons why you should choose chiropractic care in Coeur d'Alene.

Experienced Practitioners

All chiropractors must complete extensive educational requirements before being able to apply their trade, but the added value of experience is often underrated. Just knowing that your chiropractor has seen hundreds or even thousands of patients with your condition provides a peace of mind that you may not have otherwise. Feel free to ask about the depth of our experience at Muscle Works Chiropractic & Muscle Activation during your initial consultation.

Searching for the Cause

Conventional medical treatment spends a lot of time covering up symptoms with pain medication and then repeating those methods when the symptoms inevitably return. When you choose chiropractic care, our team will focus on what is causing your aches, pains, and loss of mobility. The pain you feel is not the problem, it is the result of the problem. If you have severe headache pain that is being caused by the vertebrae in your neck being misaligned, fixing those vertebrae can remove the headache symptom permanently rather than temporarily.

Have you ever heard of a slipped disc? It’s a misnomer. Discs never “slip”, but they can bulge. When they do a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor may be able to help.

Intervertebral disc disorders are referred to as "contained" or "non-contained." A bulging disc is considered a contained disc disorder.

What is a bulging disc?

A bulging disc is actually the tough outer layer of cartilage in between your vertebrae that has not fully broken open - think of squeezing a balloon filled with hair gel. The disc may protrude into the spinal canal without pain or breaking open, instead, a small bubble pops out but remains attached to the disc.

Discs are exactly the right size to fit between your vertebrae so when a disc bulges, it extends outside the space it should normally occupy and can push into nerves in your spinal column.

Bulging is considered part of the normal aging process of the disc making bulging discs an extremely common spinal injury. A bulging disc can stay relatively pain free and undetected until you twist the wrong way, lift the wrong object, sneeze, or cough. A bulging disc can cause excruciating pain, lead to a diminished range of motion, and can in some cases cause organ dysfunction.

Have you ever heard of a slipped disc? It’s a misnomer. Discs never “slip”, but they can bulge. When they do a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor may be able to help.

Intervertebral disc disorders are referred to as "contained" or "non-contained." A bulging disc is considered a contained disc disorder.

What is a bulging disc?

A bulging disc is actually the tough outer layer of cartilage in between your vertebrae that has not fully broken open - think of squeezing a balloon filled with hair gel. The disc may protrude into the spinal canal without pain or breaking open, instead, a small bubble pops out but remains attached to the disc.

Discs are exactly the right size to fit between your vertebrae so when a disc bulges, it extends outside the space it should normally occupy and can push into nerves in your spinal column.

Bulging is considered part of the normal aging process of the disc making bulging discs an extremely common spinal injury. A bulging disc can stay relatively pain free and undetected until you twist the wrong way, lift the wrong object, sneeze, or cough. A bulging disc can cause excruciating pain, lead to a diminished range of motion, and can in some cases cause organ dysfunction.

If you are suffering from back or neck pain after even the most minor of car accidents (or even if you feel no pain at all) it is entirely possible you have sustained whiplash. Without a thorough assessment from a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor, whiplash can lead to a lifetime of debilitating chronic pain.

Knocking or “whipping” the spine out of alignment can strain the neck muscles and cause intense pain and discomfort. Painkillers are a stopgap measure in controlling pain, it it's important to get to the cause of the condition.

Chiropractors treat the underlying spinal (or whiplash) injury by relieving pressure on your tendons, nerves, and muscles. This alignment of the spine coupled with corrective exercises helps heal even serious damage to your musculoskeletal system.

Following trauma, your body naturally tries to immobilize the injured area. A protective spasms can help to immobilize damaged joints and muscles. This is a normal healthy reaction, however, if function is not restored within 4-8 weeks, scar tissue can form and can make full recovery extremely difficult.

Chiropractors know that a multi-faceted treatment program is best for you and can help you get better sooner.

What is wellness?

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that wellness is: "...a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." And the National Wellness Institute says that it is "a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential."

Chiropractors embrace and believe in these definitions and will work with you to achieve your individual wellness goals.

Coeur d'Alene chiropractor’s wellness care

Wellness is not only the absence of pain or symptoms. True wellness incorporates physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects. When all of these aspects are in equilibrium you are on the right path to full wellness.

Coeur d'Alene chiropractic care focuses on the nervous system. The nervous system controls the function of your body as a complete unit. A properly functioning nervous system is the bedrock on which wellness is built. Good and regular chiropractic wellness care can result in:

If you are ever unlucky enough to be injured in a car accident you may experience a strain of your neck muscles and the surrounding soft tissue. The feeling is called whiplash and it can limit your neck movement severely.

When a vehicle is hit from the rear (or the side), the force can cause a sharp movement to your head and neck. It’s important not to ignore whiplash type injuries and to see your Coeur d'Alene chiropractor as soon as possible. Fast and careful treatment is the best defense against whiplash.

Whiplash symptoms

Symptoms can be felt instantly, or take days or weeks to manifest. They can include:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Loss of mobility in the neck and or shoulders
• Upper back pain

Whiplash is the common term used to describe any neck injuries from sudden impact. Your head is thrown to the side or backwards violently and vertebrae, discs, muscles, and ligaments can all be damaged.

The importance of your headrest

The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and consumer reports have seen great improvements in the efficacy of headrests to prevent whiplash-related injuries in a crash, however, the IIHS also rated nearly half of all headrests as poor for cars on the road before 2006. To increase your chances of not getting whiplash follow these rules:

Your sinuses are eight hollows in the bones of your forehead, cheeks, and temples that help you to breathe. If you’ve ever had a sinus cold you know they can become blocked, inflamed, and filled with mucus.

The mucus is there to trap dust and microbes, but when your sinuses become inflamed they may not drain properly leading to infection and sometimes severe pain. A condition called sinusitis often occurs when you have a cold and generally clears when the cold ends. If the blockage remains sinusitis can stick around, that’s where your Coeur d'Alene chiropractor may help.

One third of sinus infections begin with a common cold. Another third are caused by allergies. The remaining third are from asthma, viruses, bacteria, and environmental allergens such as cigarette smoke and pollution.

Sinusitis symptoms can vary in severity and length and may include:

• Sleep apnea
• Breathing difficulty
• Headaches
• Snoring
• Coughing

How can Coeur d'Alene Chiropractors help?

Healthy sinuses drain properly. Alleviating the stress on your nervous system can help your body work more efficiently and in turn, ensures that the bones of your skull move freely. Gentle adjustments to the spine as well as possible massage over the sinus cavities can be very helpful.

The human body is designed to naturally repair itself, but it is an ability that is dependent on a healthy nervous system. Coeur d'Alene chiropractors’ safe and painless corrections can help your body heal faster and prevent disease.

Your spine is the key pillar of your body and performs the primary function of support, protection, and flexibility. The nerves that branch off the spinal cord communicate with specific organs. If your spine is healthy, your body can function just as it was designed.

From an economic standpoint, it benefits us all to maintain a healthy spine and body. As a society we save money if we follow good wellness techniques and programs that promote good health. An unhealthy populace is a populace that is not working to optimum levels.

Evidence Based Assessment

Lower back and neck pain are extremely common conditions that drain our health system, lead to labor hours lost, and ultimately cost a lot of money. Chiropractic care can halt this waste with careful and individualized care that improves well-being.

Yes, better surgical techniques can extend life, but as you age surgery becomes more and more fraught with danger. Non-invasive and softer approaches have a valid and important place in long-term care as the population grows. The world is getting smaller and we are living longer, Chiropractors are just one of many approaches to wellness.

Children grow so quickly. As they are growing their bones and muscles are susceptible to temporary backaches, joint pain, and muscle strains. Do your part to ensure your kids never start on the long road of back-related problems and choose the right backpack for them.

To be safe, make it a game. The simplest tool is right in your bathroom. Get out that scale and weigh. Your small child’s backpack should weigh less than 10 pounds. For a 150-pound child, 15 pounds is the recommended maximum. For a 75 pound child, 7.5 pounds is the most they should safely carry.

Over-heavy backpacks can:

• Reduce blood flow
• Lead to poor posture
• Cause headaches
• Disrupt natural curve of the middle and lower back
• Cause the spine and muscles to lean to over compensate
• Place undue stress on the lower back

Tips for choosing a backpack:

Try to get your child into the habit of wearing a backpack correctly, i.e., putting it on right and picking it up right. If you and your child follows these rules it’ll go a long way to maintain good spinal health.

• Squat or kneel to pick up the backpack
• Avoid twisting or bending picking up the backpack
• Lift with the legs (goes for everything)
• Slip it on (use a waist high table if you can)
• Always wear both straps
• Adjust the straps so the pack fits snugly
• Always use the waist straps

Herniated disc. Slipped disc. Bulging disk. Pinched nerve.

You may have heard all these terms to describe severe pain felt in the back. The fact is the worst of the bunch is the herniated disc.

The discs are structures that rest comfortably between your vertebrae, like gel-filled cushions or shock absorbers. A disc can herniate through a tear in the supportive ligaments surrounding one of discs. This can be caused by:

• Sudden injury
• Constant stress
• Improper lifting or twisting of the spinal column

Once the disc ruptures (or herniates), the disc material (somewhat like a jelly) inflames and exerts pressure on the spinal nerves resulting in pain. In the worst-case scenario, the material can push all the way out from between your vertebrae and press on the nerves that branch off the spinal cord.

Your Coeur d'Alene chiropractor will first assess your pain to determine your course of treatment. First, it is important to determine if your reflexes are intact and communicating.

Second, your chiropractor will see if there is any loss of muscle strength and check if you have full sensory communication along numerous paths of nerves.

No one ever plans to get injured, but injuries can happen at the spur of the moment and without warning. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete, a schoolteacher, a retired grandparent, or a young child, injuries are just part of life. Some of them are relatively minor and some are severe, but most need the proper treatment if you’re going to make a complete recovery. Injuries respond particularly well to Coeur d'Alene chiropractic care for a number of reasons.

Common Types of Chronic Injuries

Chronic injuries that require chiropractic care generally come from one of a handful of places. They may be work-related, the result of auto accidents, injuries from sports, or wear and tear injuries from daily life.

Here is a little more detail about each one:

• Work Injuries – Injuries suffered at work can cover a wide range of both acute and chronic conditions, but two that chiropractors treat on a regular basis are back issues caused by excessive sitting and carpal tunnel syndrome. Both of these injuries respond well to chiropractic treatment and enable you to get back to work without missing much time.
• Auto Accidents – One of the main injuries suffered in auto accidents is whiplash, where the head “whips” back and then forward in a violent motion. This has the potential to cause a great deal of pain and suffering, but the ability of chiropractic treatment to heal soft tissue injuries makes it effective for whiplash and other spinal injuries caused by car accidents.
• Sports Injuries – It’s hard to find an athlete that hasn’t suffered a serious injury, or at least smaller, nagging injuries that affect performance. Many sports-related injuries consist of soft tissue trauma like sprains and strains which is why chiropractic treatment is effective. Chiropractors can also help sports injuries in the early stages when swelling and pain are the main issues.
• Wear and Tear Injuries - Injuries to the neck and back caused by everyday wear and tear are becoming more and more common as the population ages. Years of improper lifting, poor posture, stress, and the force of gravity damages discs, strains muscles and alters the natural curve of your spine. Chiropractors in Coeur d'Alene are a great solution to keep your body moving well into your golden years.

There are many causes of headaches, and many types, but the most common headache treated by Coeur d'Alene chiropractors is called the cervicogenic headache, typically brought on by poor posture or stress.

Coeur d'Alene chiropractic care with gentle corrections, massage therapy, diet change, and postural advice is extremely effective in treating this kind of headache.

Diagnosis

The American Chiropractic association suggests that your Coeur d'Alene chiropractor ask you to complete a headache diary consisting of:

• Day and time of the headache
• Headache location
• What the headache feels like
• What you were doing when the headache began
• How long the headache lasts
• What makes it feel better or worse

Over 150 diagnostic headache categories have been scientifically established. The most common types of headaches are:

Stretching and Chiropractic Treatment

Coeur d'Alene chiropractic treatment often includes advice on stretching and movements that can help increase blood flow. Stretching is free and can be done practically anywhere at any time. Stretching requires no special equipment, is low impact, and an important tool in your wellness regimen. Stretching keeps muscles and joints relaxed, mobile, and feeling well.

Before you start

A stiff and inflexible back limits your body’s full range of motion and can make everyday activities daunting, uncomfortable, more challenging - and at worst - extremely painful. Your chiropractor’s stretching exercises are designed to complement and work out your spine. A strong spine increases elasticity through your whole core.

Focus on relaxing the muscle

Try maintaining a calm and relaxed state of mind as you stretch. A calm and relaxed connection between your brain and your body is imperative to gain the maximum benefit from your treatment. It can be the trickiest part of any stretching, but the benefits are well worth it.

Listen to your chiropractor and stretch as many times as they suggest. Start out slowly and gradually, but stay the course. With consistent and mindful stretching you’ll feel better in no time.

Coeur d'Alene chiropractic care can diagnose and treat problems that affect the nerves, muscles, bones, and joints of your body. At a basic level a chiropractor will gently adjust your spine. At a deeper level chiropractors are doing much more than just adjusting the spine.

Visiting a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor for back pain

After your initial visit and consultation your chiropractor in Coeur d'Alene will have a good idea of what your treatment plan is going to consist of. During your second visit you’ll probably be asked to lie on a table and receive the first of your gentle adjustments.

How many treatments will you need?

Coeur d'Alene chiropractic treatments can range from days to several weeks depending on the severity of your condition or the results you want to achieve. Chiropractic care can also be a lifelong choice to keep you on a path of well-being and solid core strength.

Many professional athletes continue to see a chiropractor even when there is no acute pain, as regular adjustments can keep you aligned and in peak form. Chiropractors in Coeur d'Alene are not just there when it really hurts; they can be in your corner frequently, keeping your body’s systems communicating at a high level and keeping muscle and bone deterioration at bay.

"Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better. When I walk out of the clinic, I feel like I'm about three inches taller and everything's in place. And as long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I'm one step ahead of the game".

- Tom Brady, New England Patriots quarterback

Most doctors have not had any special training in sports medicine or rehabilitation, so a Coeur d'Alene chiropractor should be your first stop if you are suffering from a sports injury. For treatment and rehabilitation there is no more efficient way to get back on the field.

All 32 National Football League teams have an official team chiropractor and in Major League Baseball 27 of the 30 teams also have an official team chiropractor (the other 3 allow the players to consult chiropractors on their own terms). Almost every NBA team has an official team chiropractor too. You know you’re in good company when Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jerry Rice, and Sidney Crosby all use chiropractors.

It’s not just about winning

Coeur d'Alene chiropractors handling athletic injuries understand that you want (and need) to be treated quickly - so you can recover quickly. The goal for chiropractors dealing with any athlete is to get them to a state of complete recovery. With that in mind, pro athletes - and weekend warriors alike - tend to believe that they can get back in the game sooner than later.

Your Coeur d'Alene chiropractor has been through an incredible amount of training. Don’t be shy to ask them where they schooled and what it was like.

Chiropractors have all been through stringent and labor-intensive education so they bring you the best care possible. It’s hard to get into chiropractic school and it’s even harder to graduate. Chiropractic credentials are among the toughest to attain of any of the health care professions.

Any applicant at a chiropractic college has already received up to four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education under their belt. Courses include:

• Biology
• Inorganic and organic chemistry
• Physics
• Psychology

All this rigorous training and education in the healing sciences is very similar to that of a general medical doctor. In fact, in anatomy, physiology, and rehabilitation chiropractors surpass the knowledge of most general practitioners.

In the United States and Canada 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience is the norm. It’s a long process, but working with things as delicate and complex as the spine and pain management is a lifelong learning experience.