Your spine is composed of 24 bones called vertebrae. In between each of this vertebrae are fibrous disc with a jelly-like center which provides shock absorption and flexibility to the spine. The vertebrae’s primary responsibility is to protect the spinal cord and allow openings for nerve to exit from the spinal cord to the body which I like to call “nerve channels”. Some of these nerves in the lower back unite as they travel through the pelvis to form the sciatic nerve while some travel to other parts of the lower extremity. A similar thing occurs with the nerves in the neck as they travel into the upper extremities. Accidents and injuries as well as chronic poor posture may damage these disc resulting in pressure on the nerves as they attempt to leave the spine through the nerve channels. This results in a number of symptoms including, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness or spasm, or even sharp shooting pain.

Many bulging and herniated disc happen due to poor lifting mechanics. When lifting something from the floor (no matter how heavy it is) it is important to bend at the knees while keeping your back as straight as possible, and lift using the strength of the leg muscle not the back muscles. Your legs are designed to bear the weight of what you are lifting, your back is not! Putting strain on your low back while bent forward is a surefire way to compromise the delicate disc and alignment of the spine.

Another major cause of disc related pain sitting for extended periods of time and becoming so common in today’s world that they are calling “sitting the new smoking”. Sitting for extended periods of time cause weakness in the muscles of the core that are responsible to help maintain an upright posture and protect the natural curve that your lower back should have. As these muscles become week, lower back begins to lose its curve an increases the pressure within the disc, weakening the walls of the disc and often resulting in bulging or herniated disc.

When explaining a herniated disc, I like to use a jelly donut analogy. Picture in your mind a jelly donut with strawberry filling. Have you ever accidentally squashed a jelly donut? What happens? The pressure causes the jelly to ooze out. When a disc herniates or ruptures the same thing happens, and just like a jelly donut the disc cannot be repaired.

Degenerative Disc Disease is another condition that can result in pain in the lower back and legs. This is not actually a disease but a state of dehydration and deterioration of the disc that is the result repetitive stress, poor diet and lack of exercise often combined with obesity, and aging. As this process progresses, the disc become much more susceptible to failure from physical stress and an act as simple as bending over to pick up a pencil may cause the outer fibers of the disc to tear resulting in arthritis, stenosis, and bulging/herniated disc.

In our office we use gentle chiropractic adjustment, Non-surgical Spinal Decompression, and One on One physical therapy, and acupuncture to help reduce the disc material and stop the muscle spasms to relieve the pressure that is being put on the nerves ultimately causing your problems.

Hi, I'm Stephen D. I've been coming to Village Family Clinic about a month and five days. I came in for a quick examination on my back. They examined how my vertebrae were aligning up. They’re trying to get me from a red area to a green area. Not that quite there yet but I am getting there and I feel very comfortable coming here. The doctors not only took care of me, they also take care of my cute little infant son, Michael. As soon as I walk through the door with Michael, the staff is ready to take care of him. That's why I love about Village Family Clinic, they do a really wonderful job. I feel very comfortable coming here. I trust the doctors adjusting my back, stimulations and whatever they think I need. I trust their advice, they are "Grade A" doctors and I appreciate them taking care of my back, my neck, and my body. I thank Village Family Clinic and the staff here that do a wonderful job in assisting me to have a better quality life.

Hello again from Hackettstown NJ’s Village Family Clinic. Dr. Fedich created a quick video tutorial that outlines some things you can do at home (or in the car) to relieve your lower back pain. Simple things that will cost you no money, no drugs, only a few moments of your time. All of the ideas presented here are things our own Hackettstown NJ chiropractors employ at home to treat lower back pain. Stretching is good preventive care for your back whether your in pain or not.

Of course we want all to know that we are a full service specialty medical facility offering numerous non-invasive pain management services such as acupuncture, physical therapy, and other medical pain management services. So enjoy watching Dr. Fedich’s explanation of the things you can do at home to help relieve your lower back pain. Feel free to contact us to learn more and/or schedule your treatment.

Hey there. Dr. James Fedich, the clinic director here at Village Family Clinic. I'm going to give you the top three ways to help with lower back pain at home without going to the doctor's office, getting any tests, or taking any medications. Three ways you can help your lower back at home. So we're going to go through three of the most simplest ways.

So one of the most common questions that I get asked in 15 years of practice is..”do we use ice or heat”? My answer is going to be when in doubt use ice. Heat can make certain problems worse and ice will never do that. The ice is going to give you a little bit of that analgesic effect which just means it numbs it, gets the pain down. So if your back is hurting or another area point you can always. You can make problems worse with heat. I can't tell you how many hundreds of patients we’ve had with back pain and they jump in the hot tub. They can't walk when they get out. So, when in doubt always use ice for 15 minutes. Give it at least a fifteen minute break.

Another mistake we see is people don’t wrap the ice in a towel. You don't want to put ice directly on the skin. Again protect against any kind of frost burn. So when in doubt throw in an ice pack.

Second tip it's going to be a rolled towel. So this is one of our cheapest and most effective tools in the clinic. We do a couple of things with towels. Just get a regular-sized towel and roll it up. There are a couple different things we can do with the rolled towel. These are great for necks as well. So your next little sore you lay on the table, stretch it out. We do the same thing for the lower back. So we're going to lay on the table with that and that can help out sometimes alleviate the lower back pain, getting that natural curve back to the lower back. Sometimes it feels really great. The other thing we love the curved towels for is in the car. You can see people without really expensive cars, they got no lumbar support. So just having a towel there but giving that low back support can often take a lot of pressure off.

Then finally it's just some simple at-home stretches. So obviously everyone's condition is different. If you want to try to stretch at home this can work out pretty well. I’ll present you with a real simple at home or school routine. We're going to lay on our back and we're just going to do knee to chest. So we're going to bring the leg up, hold it for 10 seconds. A lot of patients have some knee pain so we can’t just grab right here. Or if you're having trouble grabbing, maybe your mobility flexibility or your knees are bothering you. You can take that same rolled towel put it behind the name and use that to help pull it up. Just pull upwards. We’re not going to kill ourselves, just hold it for 10 seconds to each leg three times. Ten seconds do both legs together. Three times ten seconds.

The last one I call the figure four stretch. There's a lot of variation based on how tight you are, but go ahead and cross this leg over and push it down to the ground. You're going to feel that in the glutes and the hamstrings. If you're a little more flexible pick this leg up while you have it crossed over to get a little deeper stretch.

So three simple at home remedies to help your lower back pain. First is going to use ice. When in doubt always use ice. Number two is going to be our real simple rolled towel. Try it in the car or laying on it at home. Third is a simple stretching routine. For those of you where these things are not working out for, you may need more individual attention. We can get that done for you here at village Family Clinic. We do Chiropractor, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Nutrition and Pain Management. If you need a little more help give us a call at (908) 813-8200. We hope this helps you out.

There is a pivotal moment in virtually every one of our patient-to-provider relationships. That moment is when we first shake hands with them and they share a common story about being at “wits end” regarding their acute and systemic pain. We assure all that we’ve “got your back”, but in Linda’s case, we inherited her neck, legs, and feet pain in addition to her back pain. Each and every day, once the last patient has left Village Family Clinic, we lock the door for the evening and reflect back on the day’s events. We celebrate the fact that a laundry list of pains entered that same door but never exited because of what we do here. In the short video below, Linda refers to the multiple modalities that we incorporate within her pain management plan, but what stands out most is her celebration of the success of her acupuncture treatments here at our Hackettstown NJ clinic.

So Linda, we thank you, think about you, and celebrate the fact that long after you’ve left us earlier today that you’re out there celebrating a managed quality of life that we know you deserve.

Hi my name is Linda, I've been coming to see Dr. Fedich and his staff for several years now. From neck, back, legs, and feet pain, Dr. Fedich and his staff have taken care of me from head to foot. They have all sorts of different modalities. If one thing isn't working for you the doctor will suggest something else. So between the three chiropractors, Dr. Z with the acupuncture that I LOVE! Everyone here is so wonderful and this is the place you really should come if you are having any kind of pain, aches, and they will take care of you 100%, Thank you.

If you are someone who has ended up with a leg injury that either required immobilization, reduced weight bearing or surgery here are some helpful hints to help while you are recovering.

1. Difficulty getting up and down from chairs or toilets:
   For chairs a simple fix is place 1-2 pillows or cushions in the chair seat and use a chair with armrests to allow you to use your arm to assist with getting up. This will reduce the force and energy required to get up and down to the chair seat.
   For the Toilet you can purchase either a clip on toilet seat riser with or without armrests or a commode chair to keep near the bed at night.
2. Use the right walking aide for the job:
   Frequently after a leg injury or surgery there will be a time ranging from a few days up to 2-3 months where you will not be allowed to put all or any of your weight on the injured limb.

There is a large array of walking assistive devices but there typically 3 types:

1. Walkers: this is the most stable of the walkinging aides and usually are the preferred device in the early injury or post surgery time.
   Advantages: stable, allow for maximum arm assistance, good for patients with existing balance issues.
   Disadvantages: bulky, cannot go up and down stairs
2. Crutches: using two crutches can allow for the same level of reduction of weight bearing of the leg as a walker. There are two standard types the most common is the Axillary and the other is the Loftstrand (forearm) crutch.
   Advantages: Allows for quicker movement, can go up and down stairs, can move about in more compact spaces Disadvantages: Not as stable as a walker so requires a high level of balance and coordination. Resting or hanging the arm over the top of am axillary crutch can cause nerve irritation
3. Cane: typically use is with one cane, this is the lowest level of reduced weight bearing for the leg. Usually utilized in the later stages of recovery. Types are standard straight cane (single support base), or quad cane (wider 4 legged base)
   Advantages: lightweight and easy to carry, can be used to go up and down stairs. Disadvantages: Cannot use for someone who must be non-weight bearing or has to have more than 20% of body weight restriction on the injured leg.

Other helpful aids

Sock pullers: these can allow a person who cannot bend over or bring the injured foot up high enough to reach to put on their own socks

Long handled shoe horn: allows for easier effort to put a show on the injured leg.

Slip on or elastic lace shoes: best to use rubber soled and supportive shoes

Grabbers/Reachers: allow you to reach high or low places without losing your balance and risking a fall

Loop straps: allows you to use your arms to help move or swing the injured limb onto beds, couches, in and out of cars

Adaptive clothes: Typically pants that are wider and close with zippers, magnets or velcro. Allows for easier dressing over braces or casts.

Village Family Clinic offers proven conservative care such as Physical Therapy, Chiropractic care, Nutritional counseling, and Acupuncture. If you have had a leg injury, surgery or pain we offer care to help you get back to the activities and life you want to have!. Should you have any questions regarding this information please feel free to contact us.

Bob Scanlon, PT, Cert MDT, NJ Lic # 40QA00283600

Wrong! A very emphatic wrong! It is true that mostly every patient that enters a chiropractic office has some type of back pain – but this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to benefits of getting regular chiropractic adjustments. Aside from musculoskeletal conditions such as neck pain, back pain, shoulder/knee/joint/anywhere pain, headaches, sciatica, and auto accidents, chiropractic does so much more.

Firstly, let’s start off with a fully functioning nervous system. The nerves in your spinal column branch off to control your entire body. From your lungs, to digestion, heart function, stomach function, everything! Chiropractic removes nerve interference to these body systems by taking pressure off the nerves to allow an optimally functioning nervous system.

Chiropractic also increases range of motion and improves athletic and physical performance. By removing joint restriction and restoring proper muscle function and range of motion, chiropractic is key for athletes. There’s a reason every NFL and NBA team has their own chiropractor on staff!

Feeling stressed? Tired? Sick? Chiropractic has been shown to reduce stress and improve sleep quality, as well as improve immune system function! There is also research that a chiropractic adjustment to the upper neck can even lower blood pressure.

So whether you are in pain, feeling good and want to feel better, or just want to live a higher quality of life; chiropractic is for you!

Dr’s Note: We produce blog posts such as “The Doctor’s Corner” as a public service to educate the general public in and around Hackettstown NJ about how and why Americans increasingly include chiropractic treatment in their pain management care plan. The Village Family Clinic is a multi-specialty medical facility offer a comprehensive approach to pain management that includes medical pain management, chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture, and a host of other pain management services and techniques.

Wrong! A very emphatic wrong! It is true that mostly every patient that enters a chiropractic office has some type of back pain – but this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to benefits of getting regular chiropractic adjustments. Aside from musculoskeletal conditions such as neck pain, back pain, shoulder/knee/joint/anywhere pain, headaches, sciatica, and auto accidents, chiropractic does so much more.

Firstly, lets start off with a fully functioning nervous system. The nerves in your spinal column branch off to control your entire body. From your lungs, to digestion, heart function, stomach function, everything! Chiropractic removes nerve interference to these body systems by taking pressure off of the nerves to allow an optimally functioning nervous system. Chiropractic also increases range of motion and improves athletic and physical performance. By removing joint restriction and restoring proper muscle function and range of motion, chiropractic is key for athletes. There’s a reason every NFL and NBA team has their own chiropractor on staff! Feeling stressed? Tired? Sick?

Chiropractic has been shown to reduce stress and improve sleep quality, as well as improve immune system function! There is also research that a chiropractic adjustment to the upper neck can even lower blood pressure.

So whether you are in pain, feeling good and want to feel better, or just want to live a higher quality of life; chiropractic is for you!

Help us Make a Difference!

Our entire team here at Hackettstown’s Village Family Clinic is on a mission to help abused women and children in Warren County and are working with DASACC. The mission of the Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Crisis Center is to help, serve, and advocate for those impacted by interpersonal violence, to be proactive regarding its prevention, and to create positive change.

How can you help?

If you refer in a friend or family, their first visit will be only a $20 fee, which we will then match and give to DASACC.

For example.

If you refer a friend who could use chiropractic or acupuncture treatment, they pay $20 for a world class checkup, and DASACC gets $40. You and your friend would be helping us help this worthy cause.

Village Family Clinic is a multi-specialty medical care facility serving Hackettstown NJ with physical therapy, Chiropractic care, Nutritional counseling, Acupuncture, and a host of other health services. If you suffer any form of acute or chronic pain, we exist to help you get back to the active and pain-free life that you deserve. Contact us today!

Debilitating pain is an equal opportunity employer. Pain attacks people of all ages and body types. People in pain have a primary mission in life, to find and sustain a pain management program that works for them. Meet our patient Vincent. You’d never know by looking at him that he was dealt a bad hand and lived with systemic debilitating pain in his lower back, upper back, and neck. Would you care to guess what recurring treatment relieves Vincent of debilitating pain and what treatment has returned him to an essentially pain-free quality of life? Recurring acupuncture treatment at our Hackettstown NJ clinic has helped Vincent turn his life around. Most acupuncture patients (Vincent included) are skeptical, at first that is. But ask yourself something. If anything that’s been around for over 3000 years and is still delivering widespread success, just what is the justification for skepticism?

Of course acupuncture is but one of many medical pain management services and chiropractic pain management services offered here at Village Family Clinic in Hackettstown. There is a combination of services available to you that can and will mitigate (and often times outright eliminate) pain that robs you of the quality of life that you deserve….like Vincent who tells his story in the short video below. Vincent, we celebrate both with and for you!

Hi, my name is Vincent. I'm a patient here at Village Family Clinic (Hackettstown, NJ). I've been coming here for about five years or so now. I originally came for debilitating lower back pain with Dr. Fedich. Eventually I ended up actually working with Dr. Z for acupuncture. The relief is just awesome! It's almost instant pain relief. I've had a couple of neck injuries and upper back injuries. I was kind of skeptical about the whole acupuncture thing at first, but after trying it a few times it was just amazing how well it actually works. So I definitely recommend coming here to anyone else who's looking to look for even minor pain or any type of relief that they may. It’s definitely a professional place that I would recommend.

Hello again from Hackettstown NJ’s Village Family Clinic. Dr. Carlock addresses in the short video below a frequently asked question regarding foot pain. What most people don’t know is, as it pertains to foot pain, more often than not the source of the pain is not originating from the foot. Dr. C. offers a very informative explanation using visual aids that will help anyone trying to understand what is causing there systemic foot pain and how Hackettstown NJ chiropractors treat foot pain quickly successfully, and economically.

Of course we want all to know that we are a full service specialty medical facility offering numerous non-invasive pain management services such as acupuncture, physical therapy, and other medical pain management services. So enjoy watching Dr. Carlock’s explanation of the origins of foot pain and feel free to contact us to learn more and/or schedule your treatment.

"Hi how are you doing everybody, this is Dr. Carlock over a Village Family Clinic. We get a question a lot from patients recently, I've had patients come in with pain in their foot and a lot of people are wondering, like, where is this pain coming from? So a lot of times, actually more often than not, where you're feeling the pain is not necessarily where it's originating. Of course you could have plantar fasciitis, or a sprain, or something else going in the foot. We would screen for that but most of the time believe it or not, the pain in the foot is actually coming from the back.

So, if you're feeling like a tingling or a sharp pain, a lot of times recently in the clinic we figured out that it's coming from the back. So the body is designed in such a way that the nerves come out off the spinal cord in the spine. All these nerves in the lower back they go all the way down the leg into the foot. You can see a better picture here, they're all converging from that sciatic nerve that goes down your leg and then all the way to the foot. If some is being pinched in here, whether it's from a disc or something being out of place, sometimes if there's a classic pattern where you feel all the way down but every once in a while you feel it just in your foot. It's our job to discern whether that's the case, and if so, we can definitely help it out. So, if you're experiencing some foot pain you don't really know where it's coming from, come on in we'll check you out and we'll get it figure out for you."