Chiropractor offers practical advice during the holidays

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Chiropractor offers practical advice during the holidays
November 18, 2008
Kathy Parks
The Tribune

Each holiday season, local chiropractor Dr. Jeff Coy begins to see patients with lower back pain. He has been working in the area for more than 20 years and his practice has grown steadily.

“The first advice I’d offer is to recognize when to ask for help,” said Coy. “Many of the back injuries are caused by people working alone to get holiday decorations down from the attic.”

He said over-the-head lifting is hard on the shoulders and lower back, and the body is often twisted in unnatural ways causing injury.

“If you injure your back, apply ice right away,” said Coy. “So often I see people who apply heat, which does provide temporary relief from pain, but it also increases swelling and additional discomfort.”

He said after applying ice, if the pain doesn’t subside after a couple days, or the injury is severe enough the person is unable to stand straight, it’s time to have the injury checked by a professional.

“There are lots of people who work alone to prepare the Thanksgiving feast. They end up on their feet on the hard kitchen floor all day and suffer from lower back pain,” said Coy.

Coy said that his entire family now prepares the meal and he realizes it takes four or five people to do the cooking his mother once did. He said Thanksgiving cooking is more intensive, all in one day, where Christmas cooking tends to be spread out over a period of several days.

He said many people relieve their tired feet by standing on one foot, which only makes matters worse. Favoring one foot, according to Coy, shifts as much of 75 percent of one’s weight on a single knee, ankle and foot.

Coy said his best advice for healthy backs during the holidays is to pitch in and help with the cooking and carrying of heavy packages and Christmas trees.

In his practice, he handles everything from head to toe; from headaches to twisted ankles.

He schedules his patients for individual slots rather than overlapping appointments. He said his practice adjusts for the seasons, especially as it applies to sports injuries.

For example, golfers suffer lower back pain. Tennis players receive a lot of knee injuries. Basketball players seem to spread the injuries across their bodies with trouble in their necks, lower backs, knees and ankles.

He said common complaints from cheerleaders and gymnasts are headaches and lower back aches, while band students have problems with their feet, shoulder blades and backs.

“For all those starting an exercise program as they go into the holidays, I advise stretching the lower back muscles and the hamstrings and toning the stomach and core muscles to limit lower back pain and injuries,” said Coy.

For more information on Coy and his practice, call 281-359-5331 or visit www.drjeffcoy.com.

Photo: Dr. Jeff Coy offers advice on saving the back during the holiday season. Coy recently celebrated his 20th anniversary at Coy Chiropractic in Kingwood.