Healthy Tips

  • 1. Exercise Regularly—This does not mean anything overly strenuous. Something as simple as a daily walk can make a huge impact on your health.

    2. Eat a Healthy Diet—Proper nutrients allow the body to repair itself easier. Eat organic, unrefined foods and drink at least eight glasses of pure water every day. Avoid drugs, whether recreational or prescribed, including alcohol and caffeine.

    3. Maintain Good Posture—Are you sitting up straight as you read this?

    4. Sleep on Your Back or Side, Never Your Stomach—Avoid sleeping on your stomach, it twists your neck; avoid the fetal position, it reverses your spinal curves.

    5. Invest in a Good Chair, Pillow and Mattress—When you think about the amount of time you use these things each day, it’s worth it.

    6. Stretch Your Spine Before and After Sports—This will also help to loosen up the surrounding muscles.

    7. Stretch Your Legs and Back After Each Hour of Sitting—whether in a car or at a desk, stretching regularly will help to keep you from tightening up or injuring yourself further.

    8. Never cradle the phone between your neck and shoulder.

    9. Do Not Overload Your Backpack, Purse or Wallet. Remember to carry it over both shoulders to balance the load (if possible). Keep your wallet out of your back pocket when sitting, especially when driving.

    10. Remember To Visit Us Regularly—Especially if you are ill, under a lot of stress, pregnant or in an accident or trauma. Remember, it is much easier to prevent a problem than to correct one.

Spinal Tips

Sleeping
Sleeping on a soft bed or couch can strain neck and back muscles since the three curves of the spine are not adequately supported. Sleeping on your stomach is not recommended since it can cause additional strain on the neck and back. Make sure you have a firm mattress that keeps the spine aligned and supports the spinal curvatures. The best sleeping positions are on your back or side. A pillow can be placed under the knees when lying on your back to take pressure off of the lower back.

Standing and Walking
Standing or bending forward for long periods can cause increased spinal pressure— especially if you slouch. Bending over with straight legs increases the pressure in the lower back. High-heeled shoes may result in a “swayback,” which throws the natural curves out of alignment when standing or walking. When standing for extended periods, rest one foot on a small stool to maintain spinal curvature and relieve pressure. The knees should be bent when bending forward. Low-heeled shoes may help by maintaining spinal curvatures and cushioning your weight.

Sitting
Sitting in chairs that do not support your back may throw the natural spinal curvatures out of alignment and add extra stress to the neck and back. Slouching while sitting increases the strain even more. Sitting too far away from the steering wheel while driving also may increase stress to the neck and back.Use chairs that promote good posture and support your back. Rolling up a towel or placing a lumbar or low back support cushion in the lower portion of your back may help to support your lumbar curve. Reposition the seat of your car so that your knees are level with your hips.

Bending and Lifting
Bending forward with the legs straight causes a loss of the three natural spinal curves and puts undue stress on the lower portion of your back. Lifting and bending forward at the same time puts great strain on the muscles and increases the pressure inside the discs (the spongy materials between the bones of your spine) even more. When bending forward, keep your back straight while bending at the knees and hips. This will help to keep the three spinal curvatures in proper alignment. When lifting, keep your spine straight while using your legs to do the brunt of the work. Hold the objects being lifted close to your body to keep the weight on your spine to a minimum.

Turning
Keeping the feet, knees and hips stationary while turning the lower back increases the chances of a twisting injury to the spine or an injury to the discs. The shape of the vertebrae do not allow the joints of the spine to twist easily. Imagine your body as being one continuous unit from your shoulders to your hips. When turning, use your feet to make the turns, not your back. Concentrate on moving your feet first in the direction you wish to turn, while maintaining the natural curves in your spine.

Reaching
Do not stretch your arms or back for something beyond your normal reach. This type of movement decreases the natural curves of the spine, resulting in additional stress or strain. Move your body close to the item you are reaching for. A ladder or stool may be used to reach items above your head. A tool called a “reacher” can be used to grab hard-to-reach items. Always ask someone for help if the item is heavy or you don't feel you can reach it yourself.

Ask the Doctor

 

What is chiropractic care?
There's nothing mysterious about chiropractic. It's a natural method of health care that focuses on correcting the causes of physical problems, rather than just treating the symptoms. Chiropractic is based on a simple but powerful premise. With a normally functioning spine and healthy nerve system, your body is better able to heal itself. That's because your spine is the lifeline of your nervous system. It controls feeling, movement, and all function through your body.

How does chiropractic work?
Chiropractic works by restoring your body's inborn ability to be healthy. When under the proper control of your nervous system, all the cells, tissues, and organs of your body are designed to resist disease and ill health. The chiropractic approach to better health is to locate and remove interferences (subluxations, misaligned vertebrae) to your nervous system. With improved spinal function, there is improved nervous system function. The goal of the chiropractor is to remove interference that may be impairing normal health through specific chiropractic adjustments, allowing your body to heal itself. A healthy spine and a healthy lifestyle are your keys to optimal health!

What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is the art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is subluxated, "locked up," or not moving properly. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous system, improving spinal function and overall health. An adjustment is a specifically directed force, normally by hand designed to 'unlock' the subluxated vertebrae returning normal motion and alignment to the spine. There are a variety of different methods used in Chiropractic to analyze and adjust the spine. Our doctor will choose the most effective technique for a person as well taking into consideration the physical build of the patient, the age or any other health matters. Additionally the doctor will make sure the adjustment is as comfortable as possible.

What is a subluxation?
Subluxations are problem areas of your spine that affect your entire nervous system. In these problem areas, the spinal bones are misaligned or have lost their normal range of movement. This irritates or puts pressure on local nerves, which interferes with the communication between your brain and body. It may involve your muscles, discs, ligaments, tendons and other body parts as well.

How do subluxations happen?
The stresses and strains of everyday living such as housework, gardening, desk work, lifting, or even sleeping on the couch, can cause spinal problems. So can falls, accidents (especially car accidents), sports activities and injuries. In children, subluxations can initially occur during the birth process, learning to walk, in play and from everyday childhood activities.

Can I tell if I have a subluxation?
Not always. A subluxation is like a dental cavity--you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That's why periodic spinal checkups are so important. Although it may be possible to know you have a subluxation, it is rarely possible to be sure you don't. Regular spinal checkups are always a good idea, and they promote good health from the inside out.

What are some warning signs of subluxations?
Symptoms such as headaches, back pain, neck stiffness, pain in your shoulders, arms or legs, numbness in your hands or feet, fatigue, or nervousness are the most common signs of subluxations. But, like a tooth cavity, most people will have a subluxation long before they notice any symptoms.

Are all patients adjusted the same way?
No. The doctor evaluates each patient's unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Each chiropractic adjustment builds on the one before. The resulting recommendations are based upon years of training and experience. Each patient's care is uniquely different from every other patient.

Can I adjust myself?
No. Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself correctly and accurately. It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a "popping" sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable spine even more unstable, and can sometimes be dangerous. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs!

Does chiropractic work for all types of health problems?
No, however chiropractic care is successful with a very wide variety of health problems not necessarily considered "back" problems because of improved nerve system function. With a normal nerve supply the body's natural healing capacity can improve a variety of health problems.

Is chiropractic care addictive?
No. If only it were, there would be more healthy people around and chiropractors would not get patients who last saw a chiropractor a few years ago when their back went out. It is possible to get used to feeling more balanced, less stressed, and more energetic as a result or regular chiropractic care. Chiropractic is not addictive, however, good health is.

What type of education do chiropractic doctors receive?
Doctors of Chiropractic are well-educated. Chiropractic education and medical education are similar in many respects and different in others because chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, and medical doctors do not correct vertebral subluxations. After graduating with a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) Degree, each candidate passes the demanding four part National Board Examinations. Then, doctors apply to a governmental or professional licensing board and pass a still more difficult test before being granted the privilege to practice. A chiropractor's education, however, never ends. Most doctors complete regular postgraduate instruction for license renewal and to stay current on the latest research and adjustment techniques.