Dr. Michael A. Dorn Jr., DC of Baltimore Back and Pain Center Wishes You a Safe, Healthy and Happy Halloween

It's that time of the year again. Parents are busy with all sorts of Halloween-related activities. For many parents, Halloween brings thoughts of parties and costumes, not to mention lots of sugary, sweet treats. Of course, as parents, you want your child to enjoy all of the fun and festivities of Halloween; but it doesn't necessarily mean they have to abandon good eating habits completely.

Dr. Dorn of Baltimore Back and Pain Center suggests that you "prepare your child the day before Halloween." Talk about how much fun it will be to go trick-or-treating but not so much fun for their body if they eat a lot of candy. It's important for kids to learn that candy is a treat that should be eaten in small doses. Agree upon when the candy treat will be eaten. This helps your child learn that candy can be an occasional part of a healthy meal plan.

"It's not hard to make Halloween a healthy and fun event with just a bit of planning," continues Dr. Dorn. Candy is a big part of Halloween but it doesn't necessarily have to be the only part of Halloween. The fall season offers many wonderful opportunities for families to make healthy eating, nutrition and being active a priority. This Halloween plan for a healthy season that helps your children learn about healthy choices while forming a positive association with nutrition.

Make Halloween a time to be active as a family. The cooler weather that comes along with the fall season is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the outdoors as a family. Take advantage of the beautiful foliage and collect orange, red and yellow leaves. Make a decorate wreath or paste leaves on construction paper to decorate the house. Visit a local apple orchard or pumpkin patch here in Maryland and pick your own apples, pumpkins and gourds. Many Baltimore area pumpkin patch locations have other activities such as corn mazes, haunted houses, and hay rides. Pack up some sandwiches and make a day of it! Join your kids and enjoy walking through the neighborhood or malls to look at Halloween decorations.

Have a happy and safe Halloween and watch out for all the witches, ghosts and goblins next week! And if you are in pain and in need of an evaluation or overdue for your next appointment, give our chiropractic office a call and get on the schedule at 410-662-4476.

Dr. Michael A. Dorn Jr., DC of Baltimore Back and Pain Center Discusses Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common complaints received in chiropractic clinics and by orthopaedic physicians because there are so many different activities that can lead to back problems. Back pain can be due to direct trauma, prolonged sitting, poor posture and often, heavy lifting.

At Baltimore Back and Pain Center we treat two common back injuries that can be experienced while lifting weight: a muscle strain and a muscle sprain. A muscle strain is a stretching or tearing of muscle or tendon. A tendon is a fibrous cord of tissue that connects muscles to bones. Strains often occur in the lower back and in the hamstring muscle in the back of your thigh. A muscle sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments — the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect one bone to another in your joints. The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle. During heavy lifting, ligaments on the back may be torn leading to back pains. A torn ligament will usually put strain on the surrounding muscles leading to muscle spasms. These muscle spasms also cause significant inflammation that contributes to moderate to severe back pain.

Whether an injury is a muscle sprain or a lumbar strain, what is important is to prevent and manage these injuries efficiently to prevent significant back discomfort. Prevention of back pain starts primarily from avoiding heavy lifting. As much as possible, the body should be given adequate time to rest in between lifts in order to prevent prolonged muscle sprains and strains. Prevention also involves proper use of body mechanics in order to limit the injury to the back. Dr. Michael Dorn of BBAP recommends these two preventive measures that are necessary when lifting heavy objects is inevitable:

• Never bend at your waist when aiming to pick a heavy object on the ground.
• Lift objects with your arms close to the sides of the body instead of putting the weight against your shoulders.

Many people place a heavy load on their shoulders and back while lifting. If an object can be physically lifted by a person, one should lift with the hands close to the sides of the body to distribute the weight evenly. However, if lifting is impossible, make use of a trolley and never use your body to lift it.

If you or a loved one are suffering from back pain, call Baltimore Back and Pain Center at (410) 662-4476 for a free chiropractic evaluation and hydro massage. Directions and office hours are posted on the Baltimore Back and Pain Center website.