Over the last few weeks we’ve covered a lot of ground related to balance and osteoporosis and osteopenia. This included a wide range of topics; how it’s not normal to shrink and what you can do to gain height, as well as what can be done about soft bones, what things could be causing falls in your or a loved one and what you can do to prevent them at home. Even the common signs and symptoms to look out for when it comes to wobbly balance and an increased risk of falls. Why a doctor would be telling you to stop bending from the spine and how you can achieve that when it comes to having osteoporosis or osteopenia, the two types of vertigo and what “BPPV” is and last week we looked at the story of one of our patients who came in with balance issues, how we helped her improve her balance and mobility and what her treatment looked like to achieve this. That’s A Lot Of Ground To Cover! With any luck, you’ve had a chance to digest some of this information. Maybe you’ve even started trying some of the tips that I’ve given you over the last few weeks. Or maybe you’ve been able to share this information with a friend or loved one. If this sounds like you or a loved one, and you’d like more information about how to avoid another fall, regain confidence and maintain independence,… Read More

There’s lots of little signs that your balance is off, and although some are more extreme than others like falling over unexpectedly and feeling worried to leave the house…Some are more subtle, but if you notice and act on them quick, you can help lessen the risk of falls and get better balance in good time. Low back pain is also a sign that your balance is slowly getting worse. The back and core help support the body and keep you standing tall, but if the muscles are weak and your back isn’t straight, then your back will be in pain. And believe it or not, low back pain can be brought on by bad balance and a weak core. In fact, all of them go hand in hand together! Stooped posture often happens gradually and with poor balance people start to bend their necks down to look at their feet all the time. It is wise to see what is coming but many people start a habit of looking down all the time and that affects their posture and their balance. Our current world has been built around computers, cell phones, reading, watching TV and many other activities that often cause us to slouch or stoop our posture. Here are a few balance and posture tests you can try (please be safe and be at a counter ready to hang on): 1. Stand with one leg in front of the other and see… Read More

I know so many of us have faced losses of various kinds these last 6 months. My grandmother passed away and still no funeral to have closure or celebrate her life with family members. My kids all have had disappointments and losses of various degrees. We are all tired of virtual gatherings and yet it is vital to stay connected in some way. We all feel like we have very little control over things in our lives right now. This is why this article will focus on what you can do and what you can control. Covid-19 is giving everyone more time at home. Now there are blessings and curses to that (Yes with 3 boys at home I’m sure you can imagine. I’ve survived 2 broken windows thus far). As much as all of our routines and planning has been thrown off psychologists still recommend that you establish healthy routines. Continue to get good sleep, eat well, and plan your exercise routine. In fact, many people have discovered with less time going to and from places they have more time to do their home workout. The Breakdown We are finding there are 2 types of patients since Covid-19. See which one you fall into. One group become more sedentary: more time on social media, zoom calls/work calls, teleworking, playing virtual games with friends etc. This group has noticed increased stiffness and aches in the hips, neck, back etc. Another group decided it was a great time to pick… Read More

This was a reply by one of my patients that really was at a loss of how to move without bending the spine. She truly loved Yoga and wanted to know if there was any possibility of modifying yoga. Yes it is possible and I will explain more. How to bend without bending at the spine is one of the most common questions I get from my osteoporosis and osteopenia patients. It is often one of the most difficult things to learn in the beginning and once you have it down it becomes how you move all the time. Anytime our body has to learn how to move differently it feels very awkward and difficult. Learning to bend without bending the back will also prevent a low back injury! (We really should move like this all the time for good spine health!) First of all, why is it critical to learn to avoid bending the spine with osteoporosis and osteopenia? Because bending the spine when it rounds like the letter “C” places stress on the softened bone and can create a compression type fracture. More than likely you won’t feel it! They call them “silent” vertebral compression fractures and the research says 700,000+ happen a year. It’s more common than cardiac and stroke events combined! One happens every 45 seconds. What’s The Alternative and What Are The Benefits? If you can learn to bend correctly, you will decrease your risk for creating a compression fracture. Think about all the… Read More

A gentleman called the clinic the other day with growing concerns about his wife and asked us: “Why does my wife keep falling over?” He continued to tell us that his wife, Sally, 71, generally has good health. But lately she’s been having difficulty controlling her balance and loses confidence every time she falls. So much so, that she’s scared to leave the house without him, or their daughter by her side just in case. The Fear Of Falling Is Real Losing your balance is a scary thing. And it’s something we hear people worrying about all the time. It’s not uncommon that as we get older we begin to feel unsteady on our feet. People have told us that when they’re shopping they have to rely on the shopping cart. Fear of falling spoils their confidence to leave the house alone, or even get up and move around the house independently. It’s a worrying thing that happens. And most of the time, people don’t understand why it’s happening to them all of a sudden. So why is it that falls are one of the main causes of accidents and injuries in people aged 65+? Here’s just some of the reasons why falling can become more of an issue as we get older… When Senses Begin to Fail Poor eyesight and difficulties with hearing are one of the most common changes that comes with ageing. Any issues with hearing and eyesight will make you feel unsteady. Let… Read More

Did you know that some people suffer from headaches so frequently that they consider them to be a regular part of life? That’s why things like aspirin and other headache pills are such big sellers. In my years of experience, it’s often the case that, if someone is suffering from regular headache episodes, they just haven’t got to the real, underlying ROOT CAUSE of the problem. Many times, the recurring headaches may be the result of a dysfunction with the shoulder, jaw or neck… and it is usually possible that an expert in recognizing relief from headaches could help someone like you! If You Feel Let Down, Disappointed, And Even Skeptical About What Can Be Done To Help You, Then Read On… My name is Jennifer Penrose, Lacey’s leading neck pain specialist, and I have been helping people live with much less neck pain for more than a decade now – all across the state. And what we know now is that so many people are confused by the advice they’ve previously been given, unsure about why it didn’t work out… perhaps even skeptical about their best chances of living with less neck pain in the future… and that’s why I created this one hour Workshop entitled: “The Best Kept Secrets Of Easing Neck Pain And Headaches” – and decided to make it FREE to the residents of Lacey. When you attend, first you’ll discover just how many other options there are – then we think you’ll agree with the many attendees who’ve already gone… Read More

Do you or a loved one suffer from chronic shoulder or neck pain? so bad that you struggle to do simple things like turning your head to look over your shoulder? Reading this report may be the most important thing you do this year. It may unlock the agonizing mystery of your neck pain and show you a way to… Get back to the life you deserve A life where you can sleep at night without tossing and hoping to find one position where your pain stops. A life where you can read a book before bed… or newspaper on a morning… without the fear of more neck pain. One where you can wake up in the morning and not suffer from headaches or migraines… A life where you can plan family time with your kids or grandkids. Without worrying over if your neck pain will strike! …Basically, a life without chronic or severe shoulder pain or neck pain! Finally one of the nations leading neck experts, Jennifer Penrose, a specialist from Lacey who has already helped 100’s of people over the last decade with her recovery advice – has recently released a new 7 page “Neck Pain Consumer Awareness Report” that reveals the best kept secret in Lacey… How to actually get to the bottom of your Neck Pain without talking to your insurance, regular trips to see the chiropractor, or needing a referral from your doctor. Read More

So far in this series, we’ve covered all things neck pain, shoulder pain and even headaches. I just want to quickly recap what we’ve looked at. First we looked at why everyday activities can cause neck pain and what you can do to change that. Then we looked at how sleeping can cause neck and shoulder pain. It can be eased by sleeping with only one pillow and trying different sleeping positions that are comfortable and supportive. We then switched gears a little to look at headaches, and how most people think that they can be caused by something they’ve eaten, when it’s more often down to neck and shoulder tension causing a headache, and you could try things like relaxing in a warm bath to help ease the tension, or talking to a member of our team. Shoulder pain then became topic and I gave you some simple exercises that you can do from your desk to help ease it. Finally, last week we looked at how stress can actually be a big cause for headaches and that finding ways to relax can be really beneficial, including trying Yoga. Bringing It Back To Shoulder Pain This week I want to switch back to shoulder pain. It can sometimes be hard to see what you are doing wrong in your lifestyle because, well, it’s your lifestyle. Your daily routine is so well known to you that it can become second nature to read before bed, look on your tablet… Read More

Sometimes, it can often surprise us how the smallest things in life can actually affect our health. Small things like wearing that heavy bag on the same shoulder everyday, or that terrible posture you’ve learnt at work, but so desperately want to get rid of. That’s right everyone…it all adds up. Sometimes, even causes our shoulder pain. Today I’ll be going over the importance of exercising in the workplace and how it can help your shoulder pain. The reason why I’m writing about the workplace is because not many people realize how much time you spend at work. For example, the average full-time worker spends on average every year, 1,650 hours at work. That’s equivalent to 68 days or 9 weeks of day-in-day-out work! Now, imagine if you had an office job, or if you DO, think of all those hours you actually spend sat down, not moving and potentially developing poor posture. It’s no wonder you have shoulder pain! That is why it’s important to exercise at work and to keep moving as much as possible. Having only 5 weeks away from work can take it’s toll on your body. This truly shows how long you are at work for and how it can affect your health. Here Are A Few Tips With that in mind, here’s a few of my tips that are handy to use to ease that shoulder pain… Yoga before and after work is a MUST to stretch away those potential aches and pains… Read More

Like anything that has its own terminology shoulder pain is confusing until someone can break it down. The interesting thing is that almost all of those above can be caused from similar issues.  Let me explain. Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa. Yes you can get a steroid shot to put out the inflammation and the pain. But, you did not figure out the cause of the friction or correct the cause – so it could come back again. The shot is helpful to put the fire out, but be mindful if the bursitis was caused from tight muscles or a tight joint creating the friction and irritation of the bursa it can return. In fact, bursitis can be from several reasons: tightness in certain areas (usually chest, shoulders, and thoracic spine) AND from the rotator cuff not doing its fair share of the work load. We have to teach the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles to work together again. And many times without meaning to, people will use their neck muscles to compensate for the rotator cuff. Sometimes during exercises they found on YouTube or Google. This will usually lead to more shoulder pain. Don’t get me wrong I use YouTube all the time for do it yourself projects but sometimes consulting a professional is worth it. Remember Last Week? If you read last week’s write up about Bill you will recall that he had tightness in his chest, shoulders, and upper back. These changed the position of the shoulder and limited space… Read More

Pain is interesting. It doesn’t always tell us what caused the pain. And to make if even more complicated the onset of pain can be delayed by several days and even weeks from the initial injury.  This can be super frustrating to figure out what is wrong, how to fix it, and how to prevent it from happening again.Let me try to tell a common story about shoulder pain that seems to come from nowhere. We will call him Bill. Bill noticed a slight ache in the top side of his shoulder that steadily increased over the last few weeks.  He didn’t recall doing anything that caused the pain. We chatted a little more and I asked about any arm activities in the last 2 months.  He did say several weeks prior he had done a little more yard work that required some overhead activity.  He said it was fatiguing but didn’t notice any pain.  This is a common history with shoulders. We do something a little more strenuous overhead that we don’t do on a regular basis and then a few days to a few weeks later we notice an ache that gets worse. What causes the ache? Why does this happen? Let me try to explain it. The shoulder is a very mobile joint and it has approximately 18 muscles that influence the shoulder and shoulder blade.  The shoulder joint has four key muscles that provide key shoulder stability at shoulder height and above called your rotator cuff.    Unfortunately the design of the… Read More

Let’s talk about headaches. Ranging from a mid-afternoon head pounding ache, to an agonizing pain. Headaches are something most, if not all of us, have experienced at some point in our life. For some, headaches are a bigger problem and can even affect everyday life. But did you know shoulder tension is often the culprit? Lauren who is a patient of mine, wrote in an email to me before she came to see us: “Hi Jennifer, I’m 56 and have been suffering from migraines ever since I was a teenager and I’ve never been able to get to the root of the problem. Usually in the past I put my migraines down to stress or a lack of sleep. Then I thought it might be something that I’m eating instead. The thing is, I took away all of the foods that are said to set off headaches like cheese and chocolate…but nothing really changed. I don’t know if this is true, but I heard once that shoulder tension can sometimes bring headaches on? I thought you’d be the best person to ask. Is this right or am I being silly? I’m tired of getting migraines when I least expect them! It’s awful when they strike in the middle of shopping.” – Lauren, 56, Olympia, WA It’s Likely Your Shoulders and Neck Lauren certainly was right about shoulder tension being related to this common problem! And I can imagine you would have found it hard to believe me if I told you that 87% of headaches… Read More