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If you’re a parent, chances are you just sent a little one (or not so little one) off to another school year. Turns out, going back to school is actually quite the transition for those of us who get to enjoy summers off. Below are a few ways to get yourself and your child ready for the scholastic year!

Pack Healthy Lunches

We are what we eat, plain and simple. So, if you’re leaning on processed foods to feed a child, they’re likely not going to be getting the best out of themselves having to spend so much energy digesting foods with little to no nutritional value. Instead, pack clean, whole foods and plenty of veggies to ensure your child’s body and brain are both fueled for the day.

Choose an Ergonomic Book Bag

Even if your child is just hauling around a tablet or a laptop instead of books upon books, it’s important to set them up with a way to carry those books that doesn’t turn their spine into a question mark. There are plenty of options that steer away from the traditional “backpack”. 

Stay Engaged

Maybe your child is getting to the age where you’re having more trouble helping them with their homework, but that’s okay. Invest a portion of your time keeping an eye on how your child is doing and developing. It really makes a work of difference.

Another great way to set your child up for success this school year is to start their relationship with your local chiropractor. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to help with growing pains, back pain, immune system, GI system, and more. Chiropractic treatments have also been shown to boost healthy brain activity. Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to learn more about how our treatments can help you and your child win at school! 

If you’re training in any sort of martial art, whether it’s boxing, karate, MMA, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, or any other discipline, then chances are at some point you’re going to experience back, neck, or joint pain. Chiropractic treatments are actually an excellent complement to a rigorous martial arts training regiment. Chiropractic treatments can help you in a number of ways discussed below.

Drug-Free, All-Natural Pain Relief

Chiropractic adjustments will help relieve pain that occurs from wear and tear that you’ll experience as you undergo training.

Improved Immune System

As you encounter germs at the gym and dojo you can rest at ease because chiropractic treatments have been shown to improve many of the body’s systems and processes, including your immune system and GI system!

Improved Cognitive Function

Chiropractic treatments will help with your hand-eye coordination. Your brain and body will be functioning and communicating at optimum capacity after a visit to the chiropractor.

Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic to learn more about how chiropractic adjustments can help those who live active lifestyles.

Sometimes at work people tend to coast, which is why it’s important to build and keep healthy work habits that will ensure you’re on top of your wellness game. Below, Espinosa Family Chiropractic goes over a few work habits that will boost your overall health.

1.) Stretch Each Hour 

If you sit at a desk for work, make sure you get up and stretch it out every hour or so. Your coworkers might end up joining in!

2.) Bring Healthy Snacks

Bring veggies, fruits, and nuts to eat for snacking, which will help fuel your day.

3.) Go On a Walk for Your Break

Instead of going to the break room to gossip or watch TV, go for a walk outside — you’ll be amazed how good you feel after. You might even get your next great idea!

4.) Hydrate

Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Since you likely work 8+ hours 5 days a week, work is a perfect opportunity to get a few glasses of water in.

5.) Bring a Healthy Snack for Your Boss

Keeping your boss in mind will always help when you’re negotiating for a raise. Bring them a healthy snack to let your boss know you have their back.

Visiting the chiropractor is another way stay healthy in spite of a rigorous work schedule. Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to schedule your consultation.

Running might be something you’re interested in pursuing, but it’s important that you do it the right way in order to avoid unnecessary pain or injury. Below are a few ways to maximize your experience as a new runner and hit the ground… running!

Invest in Good Shoes

Invest in the right kind of shoes for what you plan to do. If you plan to run 5+ miles each day, it’s important to get shoes that provide support. Shoes will last anywhere from 300-500 miles.

Never Sacrifice Form

It might be tempting to grind it out and sacrifice your form, but you could seriously affect your posture, your joints, and your spine. Make sure to practice running with good strides and try to incorporate all of your leg power. Make all those leg muscles go to work.

Listen to Your Body

Taking a rest is a good idea if your joints or your back are aching. You’ll be surprised how strong you come back after a day or two of rest.

Visit the Chiropractor

Visiting the chiropractor is a great idea as you get into running because you’ll experience pain and discomfort from training your body to be able to perform on-demand. Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to schedule your consultation.

When it comes to happiness, some people might think it’s a state of mind while others might suspect it’s a byproduct of living a good life and doing good things for yourself and your fellow men and women. Happiness can certainly be elusive to some more than others. In this day and age, many people are finding themselves dug into their respective ruts and are looking to live a more positive and fulfilling life.

Below are a few keys to inner happiness that might serve as a springboard for making healthier decisions that make you happier on a daily basis.

Work Out Hard

When it comes to staying active, you’re always going to have an excuse not to. You have to ignore that, take your butt to the scene of the crime, and get yourself in gear. Focus on your workouts and never skip out on them early. Work out to exertion, whether you’re running, rowing, lifting weights, kickboxing, or whatever you decide to do. Healthy endorphins get released in the brain and we burn reserves of energy that, if unchecked, can turn into worry and anxiety.

You Are What You Eat/Drink

If a scientist looked at the inner parts of your body, what would they be looking at? Eating junk food changes our internal landscape, not to mention influences our thoughts and behaviors in a negative way. Eating clean, healthy foods will make you feel better and, therefore, happier.

Stay Connected

No, we don’t mean to the internet. Actually, we mean quite the opposite. The internet might provide useful information and avenues to connect with those all over the world, but the connection made with our neighbors, our families, and those within our communities is far more important. Sharing our lives with others is what creates rich human experiences.

Take Care of Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

Meditate, do yoga, and find places and things that make you feel more spiritual and put your thoughts on a higher plane. Chiropractic treatment is also a great way to help you strike the mind/body balance. Chiropractic adjustments have also been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, and relieve symptoms of insomnia. Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to schedule your consultation in order to learn more.

Practicing good posture is one of the keys to keeping your back and spine healthy. Exercise, yoga, chiropractic treatments, a good diet, getting good rest, and staying hydrated are also key factors in keeping your body and your spine healthy, but we’d like to focus on posture for today.

Continue reading for a few places where it is key that you practice keeping good posture.

1.) In the Car

If you live in a big, congested city (like, say, Los Angeles) you might spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours each way on your daily commute. That can end up exceeding 10-20 hours a week in extreme cases, which makes it crucial to keep good posture in the car. Make sure to adjust your seat to an upright position where your back and neck feel supported.

2.) At Work

You likely spend anywhere from 4-8 hours at work depending on if you’re employed full or part-time, which is why it’s important to practice good posture at your place of employment. Invest in an ergonomic chair that has your neck and back in mind. Stretch every hour or so to get your body away from staying in the same position for long periods of time.

3.) At the Gym

Practicing good form goes hand-in-hand with having good posture. More importantly, having bad form and bad posture while lifting can result in injury.

If you have any questions about how to establish and maintain great posture, contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today.

For those of our patients raising children, it’s important to set them up for success in this ever-changing world. Test scores aren’t the end all be all when it comes to your child’s progress, but it is a good indication if your child is engaged and on track with their studies.

Below are a few ways to get the best out of your children without seeming like a drill sergeant. 

Get Good Sleep

Make sure your child is getting 8 hours of sleep or more each day. Make sure to moderate caffeine intake and make sure they get the right amount of active time so they are tuckered out at the end of the day.

Eat Well

Feeding your child clean, whole foods will help make sure their body and brain are functioning at optimum capacity. We are what we eat, after all.

Balance Study Time and Play Time

It can’t be all work and it can’t be all play. Make sure to balance study time with playtime, maybe something like a 2:1 ratio. If you can incorporate games into studying, that’s some next-level stuff.

Chiropractic care is also a great way to make sure that your child’s body and brain are firing on all cylinders. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce growing pains, improve sleep, reduce moodiness, and more. Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to schedule you and your child’s consultation.

Living longer is on the minds of many folks in this day and age, not to mention on the minds of many of the greatest scientists and leaders of the medical field. The truth is, it’s the stuff we do every day that is either helping us live a longer, healthier life, or driving us closer to illness or at the very least standing in the way of our potential.

Below are a few suggestions for our patients to live longer, healthier lives.

Exercise and Recover

Make sure that you get cardio and strength training without overloading your joints. Recover as intelligently as you work out (do yoga, engage in active recovery, etc.). Make sure you always get at least 7-9 hours of sleep. Anything less is bad for your health in numerous ways.

Work a Little Less

Many of us fall into the trap of defining ourselves by our vocation. It’s a very limited way of looking at things. Being overworked is no way to be, no matter which stage of life’s game you’re currently playing. Take time away to gain new perspective. Learn new skills in case you end up going in a new direction. Take the time to stay connected with your community.

Eat Well

Changing your diet is paramount in helping you live happier, healthier, and longer. Stay away from fast food, processed food, and sugary foods and beverages. Eat lots of veggies and take the supplements that you feel like work for you.

Chiropractic care is another way to maximize your health and has been shown to help with pain relief, injury rehabilitation, and in the treatment of a wide variety of health conditions. Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to schedule your consultation in order to learn more.

Did you know that chiropractic treatments offer a plethora of health and wellness benefits to the teenager in particular? Sure, chiropractic care is associated with the treatment of back pain that often happens to folks later in life, but it’s also an effective treatment that will help deal with growth-related pain, sports injuries, tension, posture issues, sleep disorders, and more.

Below are a few reasons why every teen should be seeing their local chiropractor in Sacramento, CA.

Reset the Brain

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to clear mental haziness due to the fact that your spine and brain and interconnected. Adjustments will help clear up the communication channels and leave your teen feeling sharper and focused.

Prevent Injury

If your teen is a student/athlete, chiropractic adjustments will come especially in handy. Your teen can seek chiropractic treatment to help increase their range of motion, flexibility, and help reduce back, neck, and joint pain.

Improve Sleep

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to inspire higher quality sleep, help reduce insomnia, and help alleviate depression.

If you have any additional questions about how chiropractic adjustments can benefit your teen, contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today.

When we think of our back and spine, most of us think of measures we can take to avoid experiencing discomfort or injury. However, there is still much you can do to strengthen your back that will help you avoid injury and back pain. That way, you can be proactive in your wellness plan instead of reactive.

Read on for a few tips for strengthening your back.

Engage Your Core

Engaging your core muscle group is essential to vitality and physical fitness. Pursue the exercises that work your midsection for improved mobility and drug-free pain relief.

Do Pull-Ups

If you’re able, do pull-ups, which are excellent for building your back. There are also assistance machines if you have trouble pulling up your body weight.

Do Low-Impact Exercises

Running is great cardio, but it really takes a toll on your back. Instead, opt for the elliptical machine or even take your workouts to the swimming pool for less pain and less wear and tear on your back and joints. Swimming also builds essential muscles in your back.

If you have lingering pain even in the face of your new back-strengthening routine contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to schedule a consultation.