Jeff Pierce, DO

Healthy Holiday Tips

November 22, 2017Health & Fitness

The holiday season is in full swing! The winter weather is here. The delicious holiday sweets and treats have arrived, and there’s no end in sight. We’re here to share healthy holiday tips that will help you maintain your figure, not let the bulge take over your belly and keep you feeling good, not stuffed and lethargic.

STAY ACTIVE

Exercise is even more important during the holiday season. We all need to be active at least four to five times a week. Luckily, the holidays keep us busy and moving. Activities and chores such as grocery shopping, cleaning the house, holiday shopping and cooking keep us active.

Did you know?

You can work out harder in the cold weather – which means you can burn even more calories too.
You’re more likely to stick with walking than any other exercise!
Just 30 minutes of walking a day can improve your circulation, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and help you lose weight.

The weather may be cold outside, but the cooler weather offers additional fun for the family, too:

sledding
skiing or snowboarding
ice-skating
walking around the neighborhood, checking out your neighbors holiday lights
instead of watching football on the television, go outside and play a game of flag football
instead of playing a board game, play an interactive game

This holiday season eat mindful, not mindless. Mindless eating is consuming food just because it’s there. It’s eating while distracted – watching TV, working at a computer or smartphone – it’s eating for emotional comfort instead of for hunger.

Don’t skip meals – arriving to the party starved, may result in overeating and overindulging.
Weigh yourself daily – and use that number to guide your actions.
Include lots of seasonal, colorful fruits and veggies on your plate – you decorate for the holidays with lots of colors, treat your plate the same way. Fruit and vegetables will add flavor and nutrients to holiday favorites, and they help you feel fuller longer, so you will avoid overindulging.
Downsize your plate – trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more and eat from a smaller plate.
Pour wisely – be mindful of all the extra calories in holiday cocktails. When pouring, count 1-2-3 when pouring to get an estimated 5-ounce serving.
Savor foods you truly enjoy and pass up on those that don’t really interest you.

To hear more healthy holiday tips, tune into Inside Sports Medicine on 97.1 The Ticket this Sunday, November 26 from 8am – 9am.

Image - How to Eat Healthy during the Holidays

ABOUT MICHIGAN SPORTS & SPINE CENTER:

We’re innovative leaders utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as musculoskeletal ultrasounds, PRP, stem cell treatment, and other innovative procedures. Michigan Sports & Spine Center is committed to resolving your pain, not simply masking it. We treat the whole body, not just the injury, and perform preventative treatment so your injury doesn’t come back. Our studies prove that Michigan Sports & Spine Center has patient success rates much higher than the national average. We treat everyone from high-profile athletes to your neighbor next door. Our primary focus is getting our patients back into the game of life!

Sources: Mayo Clinic, Huff Post, Eat Right

Benefits of Massage Therapy

November 17, 2017Health & Fitness

Massage has been practiced for thousands of years. Over the past few years, massage therapy has become ever-increasingly popular.

Did you know?

Massage is a general term for rubbing, pressing and manipulating your skin, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
They’re over 80 different kinds of massage therapy styles with a wide variety of pressures, movements and techniques.
The American Massage Therapy Association discovered that 50% of adult Americans who had a massage between July 2015 and July 2016 received it for medical or health reasons, including pain management, soreness/stiffness/spasms, injury rehabilitation, or overall wellness.
Massage is generally considered an alternative medicine. It’s increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions.

They’re countless beneficial health reasons to get a massage, such as:

manage low-back pain
reduce muscle tension
improve cardiovascular health
help chronic neck pain
lower blood pressure
relieve stress
reduce anxiety
increase range of motion
ease symptoms of depression
enhance exercise performance
sleep better
fight off sickness
lower joint replacement pain
relieve postoperative pain
relieve tension headaches
reduce pain of osteoarthritis
decrease rheumatoid arthritis pain
decrease symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
improve digestive disorders
improve balance in elderly adults
temper effects of dementia
promotes relaxation
decrease migraine frequency
reduce chemotherapy-related nausea
improve quality of life in hospice care

Remember, massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being.

Studies have found that the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing pain, stress and muscle tension. Make sure to consult Michigan Sports & Spine Center or another specialist before you implement massage therapy into your treatment plan.

Sources: American Massage Therapy Association, Mayo Clinic, WebMD

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Spinal Injures Related to Auto Accidents

November 10, 2017Auto Accident Injury

Did you know?

A spinal cord injury ranks among the most serious and potentially devastating injuries a person can suffer.
Car and motorcycle accidents account for more than 35% of new spinal cord injuries each year.
Between 240,000 and 337,000 people are currently living with spinal cord injuries in the U.S.
52% of people with spinal cord injuries are considered paraplegic and 47% quadriplegic.

In our spinal cords we have 31 pairs of spinal nerves. Each pair of nerves controls specific functions in our body, from our legs to our bowels, to shoulders and our toes. The spine functions to transmit nerve signals throughout the body. If the spinal cord is injured, it can cause life-changing problems.

We know the spine is a complex structure, we also know it’s very delicate. Why are car accidents so dangerous?

The spine is not built to withstand the impact of a motor vehicle accident. Back and neck injuries are all too common during auto accidents; the impact strains the muscles and ligaments in the back, and the facet joints bear the brunt of the force. Several injuries can be the result, such as compression fractures, spondylolisthesis and whiplash.

It’s important to spot the symptoms of car accidents so that if you or a loved one is injured, you know what do to. Some injuries can be made worse if the injured person is moved. This can be the case even in a low-speed vehicle accident. If you experience back or neck pain after a motor vehicle accident be sure to see Michigan Sports & Spine Center or another medical professional.

SYMPTOMS

Extreme back pain or pressure in the head, neck or back
Weakness, incoordination or paralysis in any part of the body
Trouble with balance, walking or mobility
Numbness, tingling or loss of sensation in hands, fingers, feet or toes
Loss of sensation, including the ability to feel cold, heat and touch
Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms
Loss of bowel or bladder control
Pain or an intense stinging feeling caused by damage to the nerve fibers in your spinal cord
Difficulty breathing, coughing, or clearing secretions from your lungs
An unusually positioned or twisted back or neck

SPINAL INJURIES RESULTING FROM AN AUTOMOBILE CRASH

Whiplash – a sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction, and the resulting rebound of the neck or head in the opposite direction. A sudden whipping motion causes damage to the supporting and surrounding tissues in your head and neck. Muscles in the neck react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, thus resulting in stiffness and pain. Severe whiplash can also involve damage to the intervertebral discs, ligaments, muscles, joints and nerve roots.
Spinal Fracture – typically during a car accident the seat belt doesn’t do a great job of keeping the whole body in one place. Commonly the lower half of our body stays pretty still, however, our chest and head experience more movement. These simultaneous forces can result in a compression fracture of the spine. This can bring about symptoms of pain, numbness, muscle weakness or bladder issues.
Disc Herniation – the spinal discs between the vertebrae absorb a good deal of force during an auto accident, frequently in an accident, one or more discs can shift out of place. When the disc shifts, it can compress nearby nerves or structures, causing radiating pain or numbness.
Spondylolisthesis – caused when a vertebrae shifts out of place due to a stress fracture in the bone. Spondylolisthesis is similar to a herniated disc, the displaced bone can compress nearby nerves or the spinal canal, triggering weakness, numbness, pain, and difficulty walking.
Paralysis – a person loses the ability to feel and move below the level of the injury. Paralysis can occur in varying degrees, and again means ones unable to move underneath the injury site.

To learn more about spinal injuries related to auto accidents, listen to Inside Sports Medicine on 97.1 The Ticket this Sunday, November 12 from 8am – 9am.

Sources: Mayo Clinic, Spine Universe

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Neck Pain & Neck Pain Related Injuries

November 3, 2017Health & Fitness

Pain affects more people in the U.S. than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. 126 million, or 55% of all adults experienced pain in the past three months. Of those in pain, 15% are experiencing neck pain.

That’s a lot of Americans suffering from neck pain!

Nearly all of us experience neck discomfort or pain at some point; unfortunately it’s a part of life. All too commonly, it’s from sleeping funny, poor posture or overuse. Luckily, neck pain usually isn’t a serious condition and can be relieved within a few days. If you have neck pain that continues for longer than a few days, is severely painful or you have other accompanying symptoms consult Michigan Sports & Spine Centeror another physician immediately.

You can read our article on neck pain causes, treatment and relief here.

Most cases of neck pain originate from strain and can be treated non-surgically. Commonly, this involves relieving neck pressure and muscle spasm. Daily wear and tear, growing older, and injury and accident are common neck injuries.

WHIPLASH

Whiplash is a sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction, and the resulting rebound of the neck or head in the opposite direction. A sudden whipping motion causes damage to the supporting and surrounding tissues in your head and neck. Muscles in the neck react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, thus resulting in stiffness and pain. Severe whiplash can also involve damage to the intervertebral discs, ligaments, muscles, joints and nerve roots.

Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash.

We share more alarming whiplash statistics with you:

People assume whiplash injuries are only caused by being struck from a vehicle from behind. Whiplash injury and damage can occur from being hit from the side, by falling from a bicycle or horse, or by a contact sports injury.
Each year roughly 3 million new cases of whiplash occur, of those more than half of those cases incur some degree of chronic pain.
Whiplash injuries are more severe in children and in women; this is because their necks are smaller.
Symptoms of whiplash often appear weeks or even months after an accident.
People, who are 30 – 50 years of age, experience more whiplash injuries.
Most whiplash injures occur when traveling less than 12 mph.
Over half of those who experience whiplash injuries will still undergo chronic pain 20 years following the accident.

WOW!

Did you know that cell phone use can double or triple the weight of your head and can strain your neck?

Millions of people do it multiple times throughout the day and are totally unaware that their doing it, and even more unaware that their cell phone use can be detrimental to their back and neck.

Most typically, an adult human head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds. As the head tilts or angles forward (in the case of looking at your cell phone), the neck muscles, tendons and ligaments support the head during movement and when static. The strain on your neck rises as the forward angle of your head increases.

You may be asking how much heavier is the human head when tilted forward?

The greater the angle, the greater the strain. A human adult head, tilted forward:

at 15 degrees may equate to weighing 27 pounds
at 20 degrees, the strain on the neck equals a 40 pound head
at 45 degrees, equates to 49 pounds of strain
at 60 degrees the strain on the neck equals a 60 pound head

Consider now the fact that the average person holds their head forward to look at their cell phone (or tablet) for 2 to 4 hours per day!!!

To hear more about neck pain and neck pain related injuries, listen to Inside Sports Medicine on 97.1 The Ticket this Sunday, November 5 from 8am – 9am.

Sources: wikiHow, Mayo Clinic, Spine Universe

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Strength Training & Suffering An Injury During Strength Training

October 27, 2017Health & Fitness

Strength training and the inclusion of strength training in athletes training regimens have become increasingly popular.

Strength training is a type of physical exercise that specializes in the use of resistance to induce muscular contraction, thus building the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles.

Benefits of Strength Training

When properly performed, strength training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health, happiness and well-being, such as:

intensified bone, tendon, muscle and ligament strength and toughness
enhanced joint function
increased bone density
increased metabolism
decreasing the potential for injury
increased fitness
enhanced cardiac function
improved lipoprotein lipid profiles, example – elevated HDL (‘good cholesterol’)

Sports where strength training is prevalent:

bodybuilding
powerlifting
crossfit
weightlifting
strongman

Strength training is an important part of an overall fitness program. Several sports use strength training as part of their training regimen, such as:

football
hockey
soccer
tennis
wrestling
basketball
track
lacrosse
rowing
rugby

It’s very important to remember, the key to strength training is doing it properly. Follow the technique of progressively increasing the force output of the muscle through incremental weight increases. Done properly, strength training uses a variety of exercises and types of equipment to target specific muscle groups.

Strength training is predominantly an anaerobic activity, however some proponents have adapted it to provide the benefits of aerobic exercise via circuit training.

When performing strength training, it’s crucial you know your body’s boundaries and the proper training techniques so you don’t strain or pull something, or find yourself with a serious back or neck injury.

Some of the most common injuries that can occur while performing strength training are:

disc herniation
IT band syndrome
Achilles tendonitis
SLAP tear
hamstring pulls and tears
tennis elbow
patellar tendonitis

Listen to Inside Sports Medicine on 97.1 The Ticket this Sunday, October 29 and hear more about strength training and common injuries while performing strength training.

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Are You Working Out Properly? Proper Ways to Workout

October 20, 2017Health & Fitness

Sweating means you’re burning tons of calories, right? Wrong!

The rate at which you sweat and the amount you sweat depends on several factors outside of your actual workout, such as fitness level, air temperature and humidity. Typically, people who are fit tend to sweat quickly because their body systems are more efficient at cooling down.

Check with Michigan Sports & Spine Center, or your primary care physician before starting an exercise regimen. There are exercises for every health condition, however it’s a smart idea to know what to avoid. It’s important to remember, exercising should make you feel healthy and good in your own body, not hurt you!

One of the key elements to a good, successful workout is properly warming up and cooling down.

Start your workout with a warm up, not by stretching. Warming up gets you moving, it warms the body up and gets the heart rate going. Stretch only after warming up or exercising.
Warm-ups and cool-downs typically involve doing your exercise at a slower pace and reduced intensity.
Stretch again at the end of your workout. Stretching at the end relaxes your muscles, reduces soreness and keeps the muscles flexibility.
Cooling down after your workout allows for a gradual recovery of pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure.
Yes, we understand that this may add a few minutes to your regiment, however this also may reduce stress on your heart and other muscles.

We offer more helpful tips on the proper ways to workout…

Try aerobic exercises like jumping rope, swimming, jogging or biking.
Try anaerobic exercises like running, lifting weights or doing burpees.
Exercise your core with crunches, planks or sit-ups.
Remember, it’s impossible to target exercise in order to lose fat in a particular area of the body. If your goal is to reduce belly flab, thighs, wherever, you will need to lose fat over the entire body. However, paired with strength building and muscle toning in the specific area will improve that area best.
Consistency is another key element to your workout regime. Don’t expect results over night, and don’t expect your results to stick around if you stop working out. Workout several times a week and keep it up if you want to stay fit and healthy.
Don’t push yourself too hard. Try to increase the difficulty of your workout after about two weeks of exercising.
Engage your core during every exercise. Most exercises involve your core in some capacity – and even more if you remember to squeeze it. You burn more calories when you work larger muscle groups (abs, back) than smaller muscles (biceps). To max out, engage all these groups at once – and try some moves that involve rotation, like plank twists.

Listen to Inside Sports Medicine on 97.1 The Ticket this Sunday, October 22 and hear more about the proper tactics to working out.

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October 18, 2017Jeff Pierce, DO Inside Sports

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Are All Physical Therapists Created Equally?

October 13, 2017Health & Fitness

Are all physical therapists the same? Do they do the same things?

When you experience a pain, injury, loss of range of motion or strength, you may need to see a skilled physical therapist, or PT. Your physician may prescribe physical therapy, however many states allow direct access to a physical therapist without a referral.

Not all physical therapists are the same. The right PT will motivate you and ensure that you do the correct things in order to get you back to your optimal level of mobility. It’s crucial that Michigan Sports & Spine Center or another specialist assist you in finding the proper physical therapist for you.

Finding a Specialist

Typically physical therapists specialize in treating specific areas of the body, like the knee, back, shoulder, neck, or they may concentrate on sports injuries, stroke rehabilitation, or one of the many other areas of physical therapy. PA’s may also be certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in eight specialty areas of physical therapy: sports, pediatrics, orthopedics, neurology, women’s health, cardiopulmonary, geriatrics and clinical electrophysiology.

Before Your Visit

It’s important to be prepared, prior to your first physical therapy visit make sure to go through a preparation list:

create a list of questions you have for your PA
write down all of your symptoms, is the pain more prevalent at certain times of the day or after performing certain activities?
write down key information about your medical history, any medications your taking

What To Expect

Your physical therapist will ask you several questions about your health, injury or about your specific condition to which you are seeing him/her for. This will help determine your treatment plan and what treatments are most effective to help you in your recovery.

Your PA will perform a detailed examination. Contingent on your condition and symptoms, the PA may evaluate the following, your:

strength
balance
flexibility
posture
coordination
heart and respiration rates
mobility of your joints, muscles and other tissues
how your walking
how you get up from different positions (laying down, bending, lifting, etc.)
Your physical therapist will work with you to determine your goals for physical therapy and will begin to develop a plan for your treatment. Commonly, the PA will make a diagnosis and begin treatment immediately.Your main goal of treatment is to improve or maintain your ability to do your daily activities and tasks.
An important part to your physical therapy will be your own education. Your PA will teach you special exercises or movements to do outside of therapy. You may learn new or different ways to perform your activities at home and/or work. These new techniques will help to minimize pain, lessen strain, avoid reinjury and speed your recovery!

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September 25, 2017Jeff Pierce, DO Uncategorized

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Foot & Ankle Treatment

September 22, 2017Health & Fitness

Did you know…

75% of Americans will experience foot problems at one point in their lives.
Your feet have a quarter of all the bones in your body – 52 bones.
The foot is a complex structure containing 26 bones with 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and multiple tendons that hold the structure together and allows it to move in a variety of ways.

The ligaments in your ankle hold the ankle bones and joints in position. They protect the ankle joint from abnormal movements especially twisting, turning and rolling of the foot. Ligaments are very elastic structures. Ligaments typically stretch within their limits, and then go back to their normal positions. When a ligament is forced to stretch beyond its normal range, a sprain occurs.

Like a sprain, they’re many acute or sudden injuries that can occur while performing everyday activities.

Acute Injuries:

bruises/contusions
puncture wounds/cuts
ligament injuries
injuries to tendons
strains
fractures
bone dislocation

Overuse injuries:

Achilles tendonitis/tendinosis – the breakdown of soft tissues around and in the Achilles tendon that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone.
Stress fracture – a hairline crack in the bone.
Retrocalcaneal bursitis – inflammation of the bursa, which causes rawness, sensitivity and swelling of the back of the heel and the ankle.
Plantar fasciitis – inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot, which in turn causes pain when walking.
Metatarsalgia – an ache in the front (ball) of the foot.

TREATMENT:

There are several treatment options for foot and ankle pain. Be sure to contact Michigan Sports & Spine Center or another specialist in order to receive the proper diagnosis and receive the proper treatment plan.

Physical Therapy/Exercise Training:

The combination of exercise training and physical therapy commonly includes stretching, strengthening and low-impact aerobic exercises.
A physical therapist can design a regimen that helps to reduce pain and discomfort and strengthen the muscles that affect your ankles, therefore getting you back on track.

Injections:

Trigger point injections – a procedure used to treat painful areas of the muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of the muscle that develop when muscles do not relax. Involves the injection of medication directly into the trigger point.
Facet injections – entails injecting a small amount of local anesthetic and/or steroid medication, which anesthetizes the facet joints and blocks pain.

Weight Loss and Exercise:

Losing extra weight can also help to lose the pain, and increase your comfort level and your quality of life.
Exercise can aid in achieving your weight loss goals, and at the same time strengthen your muscles and decrease pain.

Massage Therapy:

A deep massage will decrease muscle spasms, fight inflammation and encourage relaxation.

Osteopathic Manual Medicine/Manipulations:

Relieves pain by reducing pressure on sensitive structures, increasing flexibility, improving blood flow and decreasing muscle tension.

Acupuncture:

Based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture involves sticking very thin needles into specific energy points within the muscle/skin in an effort to diminish inflammation, pain and discomfort.
Acupuncture is successful because it helps to release endorphins and serotonin, which act to reduce pain.

RICE:

Rest your ankle or foot. Don’t walk or put weight on it.
Ice your ankle or foot with an ice pack for 20-30 minutes, several times a day.
Compress and support your foot or ankle with bandages or ace-wraps.
Elevate you foot or ankle for 48 hours. Keep your ankle/foot propped up on pillows about your heart level.

Sources: WebMD

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