When people think of jobs with a high rate of injury, occupations like law enforcement, fire fighting, and construction come to mind. However, it's common for teachers to suffer injuries, too! Here are the most common problem areas we see as chiropractors, what you can do, and what to expect from your friendly neighborhood chiropractors at Morrison Chiropractic.

Alright, get your pens and paper ready - there will be a test at the end!

Neck and upper back pain are common with sustained awkward postures; for example, being on Google Meet for 5 hours and/or grading papers. Relief starts with being aware of your ergonomics: are you spending a lot of time hunching over laptops on the ottoman? Next, take frequent breaks to move. We suggest every hour take a few minutes to stretch or walk around a little bit. With diligence and awareness of good posture these actions can help keep overused muscles and joints from becoming irritated. Prolonged joint and muscle irritation can escalate to pinch nerves in the arm and or cause headaches. Need some help? We have had success with all of the above conditions! Patients usually experience some relief within a few sessions!

Sitting at a desk for too long can also cause lower back pain. Additionally, our teachers who have to physically engage students can develop strains in muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and even discs of the lower back. We have treated thousands of these varied cases. The key is in a detailed exam! (We ace these exams every day!) Frequently, we hear our patients say, "Finally somebody took the time to listen to me." There is an old saying in healthcare if you listen carefully to a patient they will tell you what is wrong, but if you listen really well, patients will also show you the path to resolving their problem. (My mom, a retired school teacher, would say "teaching begins with listening." How right she was!)

But chiropractic is not just about the spine! Let's go on to another area: your feet. Standing in a classroom and walking those long hallways can strain and irritate fascia, tendons, and ligaments of your feet! With appropriate exercise (typically releasing excessive tension trapped in the lower legs and strengthening the intrinsic muscles of your foot), relief can be a step away.

Finally, our hands work so hard and we are seeing a huge surge in thumb tendonitis a.k.a DeQuervains syndrome. This is in large part due to cell phone and tablet use. Unfortunately, when tendons around the hand stay inflamed long enough, nerves can become entrapped and irritated. This often results in numbness, tingling, burning pain and weakness! The most common nerve pinch diagnosis of the hand is carpal tunnel syndrome and we treat it!

Again, we got you covered from exam to home program to in-person treatment, mostly done by hand! Different techniques target different areas - manipulation for restrictive irritated joints, myofascial release to restore elasticity to bound up layers of muscle, and kinetic manual therapies that release trigger points and knots in the muscles. This is all designed to naturally restore balance to your amazing body, without the need for excessive drugs or surgery.

But what about my... (fill in the blank)? We can treat you from head to toe! We have seen that certain groups of teachers are more predisposed to certain issues, for example, our PE teachers have more shoulder issues, our sign language instructors more elbow and arm issues, our tutors and one-on-one educators neck pain from having their student positioned to one side, and our kindergarten teachers hip and knee pain from sitting on the floor. Signs of relief usually begin in the first few appointments! However, we also play well with others: if you need additional intervention, we work well with your healthcare providers and will also happily refer you to another qualified practitioner, if needed.

We consider it an honor that you would consider our office for care and look forward to meeting you and helping you move toward your healthcare goals! Morrison Chiropractic has two convenient locations in Clarksville and Ellicott City and has been serving Howard County and surrounding areas for nearly four decades. Schedule an appointment today!