Dr. Chris is a chiropractic doctor of 34 years, President of The Centre for Fitness, Health, and Performance in Downtown Toronto; co-founder of The Jaw & Facial Pain Centre; and the founder & CEO of MuscleCare, the all-natural pain reliever. Needless to say, not only is he a pain doctor, but he's also a conservative care health and wellness expert.
Because you are a VIP of The Dr. Chris Club, he wants to hear from you with any questions you may have! To ask Dr. Chris a question, please email him at askdrchris.oswald@gmail.com, and he will answer your question as soon as possible to the best of his ability.
What vitamins should I take if I have back pain?
Hello! This is a great question. Calcium (1200 mg a day), Magnesium (600-800 mg a day), Vitamin D. These supplements will help relax your muscles, relieve pain, calm down the nervous system and ease your spasms.
How do I heal my sprained back?
I suggest MuscleCare, my all-natural pain reliever. It will push magnesium through the skin and into the muscles to relax your muscles and allow the natural circulation of nutrients from your food to enter your muscles faster.
You should also relax and stretch your back via gentle movements and stretches (held for 30-60 seconds) in various directions. If there's a sharp pain, do not continue, and try a different stretch.
How often should I apply MuscleCare?
The answer to this varies depending on your pain, how long you've had the pain, and where the pain is. I suggest you use the protocols I designed. They were sent to you when you purchased MuscleCare. They will tell you exactly what time and how often you should apply MuscleCare depending on your pain.
However, my short answer to this question is - as much as you need throughout the day. It's free of drugs and harsh chemicals, and there are NO side effects, so it's completely safe to use as often as needed.
What can I do to relieve arthritis pain?
Use MuscleCare
Look for a joint formula supplement with: Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin, and MSM (Take 2000 mg per day)
Stretch daily
Physical therapy in moderate to severe cases
I get really bad headaches during the day. Where are they coming from and how can I stop them?
Headaches can occur for many reasons including food sensitivity, lack of physical activity, physical activity with improper form, hormones, medication, poor posture, etc.
The most common source I've seen is poor posture - specifically from people looking down at their phones and laptops all day. When we look down at our phones, the front neck muscles are compressing, and the back neck muscles are getting pulled tight. This blocks blood flow and nerve supply to the head, causing headaches.
Try this stretch routine from my eBook, Stretching for Fitness, Health, and Performance. I suggest you stretch every day for at least 15 minutes. Always stretch both sides for at least 30-60 seconds, and don't forget to breathe!
Why do my knees hurt when I run?
This is a very common pain syndrome we see in my clinic.
Knee pain when running is a biomechanical problem where the muscles around the knee are too tight (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves). I suggest you stretch all of these muscles before and after your run for at least 30-60 seconds per muscle on both sides to loosen them up. You can also use MuscleCare.
If you are experiencing back pain, as well, the knee pain could be a direct result of that. The nerves of the leg muscles that go around the knee are affected when back pain is involved.
Another culprit for knee pain is improper footwear. A lot of runners tend to pronate their feet (roll inwards), which tightens the muscles around the knee joint to prevent pronation in the first place. This causes compression of the cartilage in the knee which results in blood vessel/nerve irritation and pain.
Here is an article from Healthline that shares supportive shoe recommendations for bad knees.