Gretchen, a current patient of Dr. Sullivan's, brought in pictures of her Grandfather who served in WWII to be placed in the 2014 Military & Veteran's Calendar. 1st Lt. Floyd Dodson served in the US Army Air Corps as a bomber pilot and flew from England over Germany during the war. After the war, he flew to Austria and picked up POWs to bring them back to England. He received the Purple Heart for being shot during a dogfight in the air, and is now buried at the Columbarium in Arlington Cemetery. Thank you 1st Lt. Dodson for your bravery & service to our country!
Remember, everyone that provides a picture receives a FREE calendar! Additional calendars will be available for purchase and ALL proceeds will be donated to the "Buddy" Poppy Program!
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October is National
Chiropractic Health Month!
National Chiropractic Health Month (NCHM) kicks off in October 2013 with the theme of "Get Vertical!"
The American Chiropractic Association encourages everyone to use the month of October to get off their couches and office chairs, stand up and move!
To celebrate National Chiropractic Health Month, Dr. Sullivan isoffering all current patients a FREE LASER TREATMENT with the brand new Deep Tissue Laser Therapy System!
Just email (info@novachirowellness.com) or call Nicole (703-912-7822) to schedule your complimentary Deep Tissue Laser Therapy treatment!
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 Hip Flexors: A Muscle Group to NOT Take for Granted |
Anatomy of the Hip
The hip joint is called a ball and socket joint and connects the torso to the legs. In a healthy hip, both the socket and the head are covered with a layer of cartilage. The joint itself is surrounded by a joint capsule. In the joint space (between the hip head and the hip socket) there is some joint fluid which allows the hip head to slide smoothly inside the socket with each movement.
 Surrounding the hip joint are tough ligaments that prevent the dislocation of the joint. The strong muscles of the hip region also help to hold the hip joint together and prevent dislocation.There are seventeen muscles in the hip, and one of the major muscle groups is that of the hip flexor.
The hip flexor muscle group encompasses a number of individual muscles, including:
- The iliopsoas, or muscles of the inner hip, which are the psoas major, psoas minor and the illiacus muscle
- The thigh muscles, rectus femoris and sartorius
- The gluteal muscle tensor fasciae latae
- The muscles of the inner thigh, adductor longus and brevis, as well as the muscles pectineus and gracilis
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Function of the Hip Flexor
The hip flexor is the muscle group that connects your legs to your torso and lower body, and allows your legs to move in conjunction with your torso. It's main function is to help the hip joints move properly in their full range. The hip flexor helps you draw your leg to your torso, and also helps you move your legs from side to side and backwards. It also serves to stabilize your hips and lower body, keeping the joints of your pelvis and lumbar spine strong.
In addition to being flexible, each hip must be capable of supporting half of the body's weight along with any other forces acting upon the body. During running and jumping, for example, the force of the body's movements multiplies the force on the hip joint to many times the force exerted by the body's weight. The hip joint must be able to accommodate these extreme forces repeatedly during intense physical activities.
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What Sitting Does to the Hips
It is not a secret that sitting for long periods of time can be harmful to your body. The majority of Western people lead sedentary lifestyles -sitting at desks all day, driving cars, sitting around dinner tables and watching television. As a result, many people in today's Western society have short, tight hip flexors. While all this sitting doesn't have a noticeable effect on the strength of hip flexor muscles, it can cause significantly decreased flexibility and range of motion in this muscle group as they quickly become accustomed to remaining in the seated position.
What Occurs in Your Hips While You Sit:
- The muscles on the fronts of your hips become short and tight.
- Your glutes actually forget how to contract.
Combination of Tight Hip Muscles +
Weak Backside Muscles
= Forward Tilted Pelvis
The hip flexor is a major stabilizer of the lower body, so if your hip flexor is too weak you'll suffer from poor balance and postural problems. If your hip flexors are tight, they will pull your pelvis into an unnatural forward tilt, which in turn pulls your lumbar spine out of alignment, causing lower back pain. Even if you do not have a lot of belly fat, this combination will push your lower abdomen outward, making your belly protrude. As a result, it adds more stress on your lumbar spine, which can lead to lower-back pain.
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The Right Range of Motion
When hips are strong and healthy, people can normal and full range of motion. Functionally, the hip joint enjoys a very high range of motion. Only the shoulder joint provides as high of a level of mobility as the hip joint. Below are the optimal degrees for hip normal range of motion.
Measured in Degrees:
Hip Flexion: 0-125 Hip Medal Rotation: 0-45
Hip Extension: 115-0 Hip Lateral Rotation: 0-45
Hip Abduction: 0-45 Hip Adduction: 45-0
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Dr. Sullivan's Recommendations
Lower back pain often originates with a lack of mobility in the hip region. Once the hip is tight and loses mobility, it puts additional stress on the lower back causing pain. The key to treating lower back pain is reduce the irritation and stress placed on it. This means you often need to loosen up the tight hip muscles and increase the hip mobility.
The best two stretches for hip tightness are the couch stretch illustrated in the number six stretch in the above section.
Here is a video showing you the couch stretch.
The second stretch is the seated hip stretch, an ideal stretch to do at work. Here is a video showing you the seated hip stretch.
Active Release Techniques, Graston Technique and the Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the massage ball also work great at relieving hip pain and releasing the hip tightness.
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Health & Wellness Articles
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Note: The material provided in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein may not always reflect the views of the NOVA Chiropractic, nor do they imply an endorsement.
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8992 Fern Park Drive
Burke, VA 22015
703-912-7822
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Mon 8:00 - Noon 2:00 - 7:00
Tues 8:00 - Noon 2:00 - 7:00
Wed 8:00 - Noon 2:00 - 7:00
Thurs 7:00 - Noon 2:00 - 7:00
Fri Closed
Sat Closed
Sun Closed
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The Latest & Greatest at NOVA Chiropractic
The laser has proven to help dozens of patients at
NOVA Chiropractic!
Common conditions with current patients that laser therapy is helping to heal are:
- Herniated discs
- Knee arthritis
- Carpel tunnel syndrome
- Achilles tendinitis
- Neck and back pain
- and much more!
For more information,
call 703-912-7822 or email info@novachirowellness.com
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Allium Herbs
Vegetables in the Allium genus include onions, shallots, leeks, and scallions, and herbs like garlic and chives.
In a recent study of women, those who tended to eat lots of herbs from the allium family, such as onions and garlic -- showed fewer signs of hip osteoarthritis in x-ray tests.
Eating lots of allium herbs correlates with less arthritis in the hip. And in a separate lab analysis, researchers also found that diallyl disulphide -- a substance found in the allium family -- appeared to help inhibit enzymes that can cause damage to joint-protective cartilage.
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Updated HIPPA Notice of Privacy Practices
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Stay Fit with
Local Events!
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Mount Vernon, VA
10/26 - 10/27/13 9:00am - 5:00pm
Sterling, VA
10/26/13 - 9:30am - 1:00pm
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Active Release Technique
Re-Certification Seminar
Iselin, New Jersey
Medicare Seminar
Richmond, Virginia
Health and Safety Fair
Fort Belvoir, VA
Health Fair at the Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
Neurokinetic Therapy Seminar
Washington, DC
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The Healthy Alternative
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A guidebook written by
Dr. Sullivan!
The Healthy Alternative:
A Guide For A Pain-Free, Active Lifestyle empowers and educates the reader when confronted with back or neck on the treatment options available and integrating the safest, most effective ways to manage and prevent pain. Order Now!
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