One of the main questions we are asked here at North Shore Pro-Active Health is; “Should I be using ice or heat?” It is a very good question to ask since many patients are unsure of the answer. The answer is; it all depends on the injury type.  Is the injury in the acute phase or the chronic phase?

There are two basic types of athletic injuries: acute and chronic. Acute pain is of rapid onset and short-lived, or chronic pain develops slowly and is persistent and long-lasting. Acute injuries are sudden, sharp, traumatic injuries that occur immediately (or within hours) and cause pain.  Acute injuries also cause common signs and symptoms of injury such as pain, tenderness, redness, skin that is warm to the touch, swelling and inflammation. If you have swelling, you have an acute injury.

Chronic injuries, on the other hand, can be subtle and slow to develop. They sometimes come and go, and may cause dull pain or soreness. They are often the result of overuse,...

Inflammation is a word that is used often, yet hard to define.  Most of us have a hard time separating inflammation from an ankle sprain vs. inflammation contributing to heart disease and arthritis.  In order to understand how to fight it, it’s important to understand how and why it occurs!

Inflammation is a very common and innate response to an injury, pain or stress.  It is part of our bodies natural defense system to prevent something worse and/or speed up healing time.

Acute inflammation is the first response to an injury or pathogen.  It’s acute because it should only last several days or less.

Examples of what can cause this:

• Illness (virus, bacteria)
• Trauma (punch, kick, sprain)
• Burn
• Frostbite
• Allergic Reaction

There are a lot of players involved in the inflammatory process, but the basics are: heat, redness, swelling, and pain.  Thus leading to loss of function.  Acute inflammation is an important part of healing.  Follow...

At our practice we run into numerous patients who think they have fibromyalgia, but have never been diagnosed.  I wanted to take some time to explain what fibromyalgia(FM) is and what options there are if you are suffering.

FM is classified as a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and sensitivity to the entire musculoskeletal system.  Individuals suffering from FM have days of pain from moderate to severe in multiple body locations.  Most people also report some level of fatigue along with the pain.  To be diagnosed with FM, a patient will possess a minimum of 11 out of 18 specific tender points on the body.

It is estimated that nearly 2% of the population is suffering from FM and women are being affected 10 times more than men.  FM is difficult to treat because you are dealing with multiple complaints and concerns, and the best treatment is most often holistic.

Although studies are lacking for the benefits of chiropractic on fibromyalgia...