Why taking Ibuprofen could be the worst thing you could do for yourself...

I am by no means against taking medication, but we often forget, even when taking over-the-counter drugs, the reason these things change our present situation.  It's not simply that we are experiencing something undesirable, take a magic pill, and turn off the annoyance, though it may often seem that way.  What we are actually doing is turning off mechanisms and biochemical pathways that result in the "symptom" we are experiencing.  By turning off or altering these mechanisms, we also create a domino effect, turning off systems that are in place further down the line.  The processes that get interrupted are usually referred to as the "side effects," unless, of course, those effects are the desired outcome.

The reason I bring this up is because often, people will experience something in their body that they consider undesirable, like pain, and will instantly reach for Advil/ibuprofen to make it go away.  Since most folks are not biochemists, and are trained that ibuprofen and other "NSAIDs" are often the answer by medical doctors and pharmaceutical ads, they don't stop to think why it makes the pain go away or what other processes may be affected, so I'm going to teach you!

Advil and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce inflammation by interfering with an enzyme in the pathway that creates prostagladins called cyclo-oxygenase.  But prostaglandins are used for a lot more than just to create pain to indicate we've damaged something.  They also help our blood clot when we get injured, promote the production of mucus to protect our stomach lining from our digestive juices, and promote inflammation. 

Why in the world would we WANT to promote inflammation? 

Because that same inflammation is what tells our body where we need to heal!  It's a message that new tissue needs to be laid down.  By taking Advil, you are turning off the distress signal, letting your body know it has work to do!  Seems a little counterintuitive, doesn't it?  So if you need to cut the cycle off temporarily just to get through a rough patch, that's up to you, but taking these medications when your body is trying to recover from exercise, injury, or overuse will simply slow down the healing process... which I'm sure was never your intention.  Instead, get checked out by a good chiropractor, learn to use ice, heat, nutrition, rest, and even Epsom salts accordingly.  You'll bounce back faster than ever!

What to do when you can't turn your head...

A friend reached out to me with this question this morning and I thought I'd share my response:

Q: My neck muscle strained and I can't move it comfortably left to right - I have no idea how or why this happened. What can I do at home to gain more comfort and mobility? Heat or ice? Motrin load up?

A: As a Chiropractor, I get asked this question a LOT. Most folks completely underestimate the importance of this red flag! Nothing replaces a good chiropractic exam to determine exactly what the issue is. If I were alone on a desert island with no one to examine me and an endless supply of moist heat and ice, I would probably start with moist heat. If it got worse than it was when it started once the heat is removed, I'd switch to ice. I would also find which vectors made for a good stretch and hold the stretch for at least a minute at a time. Massage will also help. Since Motrin (ibuprofen) interferes with healing, that might not be the best idea. Tylenol (acetaminophen) interferes with T cell production and your immune system, so I would avoid that if possible as well.

Most of all, and I can't stress this enough, I would definitely get it checked out by a good chiropractor, since this is usually a warning sign that there are major problems lurking under the surface... If it's addressed now, you could potentially stop or prevent the development of arthritis and disease, saving you from a whole bunch of other issues including but not limited to headaches, fatigue, allergies, and more pain. I can't tell you how many times I see people coming into my office with major health problems that resulted from ignoring things like this. It's SOOO easy to fix when you catch it early on... but wait too long, and the damage becomes irreparable. Good luck! If you need the name of someone convenient to you, let me know and I'll see who I know in your area!!