Christmas has a way of hampering people’s fitness progress

Nowhere is this more evident than in our spines! The most important things we can do for our spines are: 

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Maintain a reasonable level of activity
• Avoid inflammation
• Practice good posture

The holiday season puts all of this in jeopardy; studies show that activity levels among the population reach their lowest during December. Add in the fact that we tend to eat more food and you have a formula for weight gain and back pain that few of us can afford. The final picture is of someone relaxing on the couch, posture unsupported, wincing from back pain inside while they outwardly smile. If this is you, read on to find out how we can help you use the positive energy of the holiday season to effect powerful changes in your spinal health.

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Why does spinal decompression feel so good? 

Spinal traction is a type of decompression therapy that we provide that is designed to relieve pressure on the spine. Through our everyday activities, we submit our spines to compressive forces that move vertebrae out of alignment, threaten spinal joints and cause overall degradation. As you get older, these compressive forces compound and lead to more serious conditions including sciatica, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, and other painful conditions. Spinal traction is designed to combat the compression! 

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Holiday foods are filled with inflammation-causing agents

This might not be what you want to hear right before the holiday baking season kicks into full swing. And it certainly doesn’t make for great conversation around the baking table. But if you suffer from back pain, it is worth carrying a dose of awareness with you into each meal. After all, other people can enjoy the fruits of your labor- but abstaining from the majority of inflammatory foods will do your back innumerable benefit. 

Keep inflammation out of your holiday plans

Any list of inflammatory foods begins with sugar and saturated fat, staple ingredients of many holiday recipes. Other common Christmas time ingredients that cause inflammation include:

• Refined flour
• Artificial sweeteners
• Alcohol

You may not want to think of the holidays as being inflammatory-filled, but the diet certainly suggests such a trend. Protect yourself this holiday season by thinking about what you put into each recipe; many traditional recipes can be upgraded to anti-inflammatory variants. And you always have the power of choice to say no to another alcoholic beverage or another cupcake! 

We are concerned with the health of your spine over holiday foods

They may taste good, but the inflammation that they cause can have your back reeling. Think of every bite as a cost-benefit analysis- if it is actually going to hurt your back, it may be best to abstain. And if you are suffering from inflammation, ice is your best friend! Maintaining range of motion and activity levels are also important ways of combatting inflammation. Unfortunately, the holidays are the time of year we exercise the least. Try to maintain reasonable levels of movement and if you are still struggling with distracting back pain, give our office a call to schedule an appointment. We are standing by to help you with all your spine-related problems this holiday season! 

Your neck is a densely packed powerhouse of muscles

However, these muscles are among the most neglected in the body when it comes to gym time, and they rarely come in for attention unless they are causing problems. This is problematic for a number of reasons: first, an increasing number of us work jobs that require us to sit for hours on end, encouraging stiffness and pain in the neck. Second, ignoring the neck can leave you vulnerable to cervical spinal conditions that will develop later from a lack of strength in the supporting muscles and poor posture. I’m not saying you need to train each muscle of the neck individually, but we should treat it as a fairly important group of muscles to be exercised regularly. 

The relationship your neck has with pain

Think of how many times you move your neck in a day- it is probably impossible to even get close to an accurate estimate as 90% of neck movements are subconscious. Looking up, down, to the side, and over your shoulder; chewing your food and holding your head upright. Many of the muscles in the neck connect to the upper back and have implications in the mechanics of shoulder movement. What this mosaic shows is that, with weak muscles, your neck is vulnerable to a lot of movements and the worst malefactor is no movement at all.

It’s time to turn your neck into a bundle of strength

At our office in we have a plan to turn your neck into something more: a network of muscles that support the head, connect it to the body with proper mechanics, and allow for an extensive range of movement without causing pain or stiffness. It is important to realize that your neck can actually work as an agent for you- to prevent the onset of spinal conditions and pain related to a desk-heavy lifestyle. Give our office a call to find out how we can start strengthening the neck today.

The holiday food coma is a reality that few weight-watchers can afford

Thanks to the healthy quantities of fatty foods that seem to pass into our households each holiday season, keeping the weight down can be a challenge that few of us are equipped to meet. No one who is in a weight loss battle likes to see themselves slumped over on the couch, full of pie and brandy, waiting for the night to mercifully come to an end. Applying a few common-sense principles to each family dinner will ensure that you don’t lose too much ground in the battle to keep the pounds down. 

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Good running form means efficiency and speed but it also means injury prevention!

If you are trying to improve your running form, it behooves you to focus on minimizing the impact of each step on the joints of your knees and lower back. Yes, this starts with good running shoes, but the degree to which the impact will affect your joints is determined when you strike the ground.

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You will be snacking a lot this holiday season 

From the myriad sweet treats to decadent family dinners, the options are endless when it comes to indulgence during the holiday season. For those looking to manage their weight, or keep back pain at bay, this can be a treacherous time. It behooves any back pain sufferer to be proactive about the health of their spine during the holiday season. To this end, we want to talk about a different kind of snacking: exercise snacking.

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Nursing is the profession most affected by back pain

Yes, more than office workers who sit with poor posture all day; more than construction workers who manage heavy equipment; more than any other profession, nurses are the ones stuck with back pain. Reports and statistics consistently show that, among the different varieties of nurses, they collectively miss the most days of work due to back-pain related complaints. As an office of chiropractic, this concerns us and we want to know why nurses are so at risk. 

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Understanding muscle tension

Muscle tension means: a condition in which your muscles are semi-contracted for an extended period of time. It is most often caused by mental stress, which constricts blood vessels, reducing circulation and therefore oxygenation to the muscles. When circulation is hampered, oxygen has a hard time and waste products have a hard time getting out, leaving you with muscles that feel tighter and opening the door to muscle spasm and pain. What parts of your lifestyle are contributing to muscle tension? 

Factors that contribute to muscle tension

• Exercise: boosts oxygen supply to the muscles and stretching helps to prevent muscles from becoming overly tight or shortened. 
• Sleep: As you sleep, the body supplies muscles with more oxygen to help breakdown lactic acid; if this doesn’t happen, excess lactic acid contributes to the formation of trigger points.
• Diet: Certain ingredients affect muscle tension. Among the best things you can do are: reduce caffeine intake, and make sure you are getting enough vitamin B12 and calcium. 
• Keeping stress down: mental stress translates directly to muscle tension. Pain in the muscles can then cause mental stress and the cycle will perpetuate itself. 

Dispelling muscle tension

Chiropractic adjustment helps to alleviate painful pressure on nerves and boosts circulation. We release muscle knots with trigger point therapy and treat myofascial pain with instrument-assisted release. All of these modalities are intended to open up areas of tension to an influx of blood which carries fresh oxygen and nutrients that help dispel tension and allow you to move freely. If you are interested in living a life with less muscle tension, call us to schedule an appointment today. 

Shoulder Pain Is A Common Complaint

Encompassing four joints and a host of supportive muscles, tissues, and ligaments, the shoulder joint is among the most complex in the human body. Arguably the most used joint in the human body, 1 in 2 people will experience pain in the shoulder at some point in their life, and most shoulder pain will resolve itself within a matter of days. If not, it could be time to seek treatment. 

When should you seek treatment for shoulder pain?

• If the shoulder pain does not resolve itself in less than a week. 

• If the same pain recurs in the same location

• Loss of range of motion

• Loss of strength

• Swelling or bruising around the joint

As is the case with any condition involving the human body, the sooner you get a proper diagnosis, the sooner you can get appropriate treatment, and the sooner the issue will resolve itself. 

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