The reasons why are many. Some people go for chronic pain relief while others appreciate it as a part of their overall wellness plan.
Widely known as a natural pain relief option, chiropractic care is probably best known for back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain.
In fact, The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center said, “Chiropractors are the highest-rated healthcare practitioner for low-back pain treatments above physical therapists (PTs), specialist physician/MD (i.e., neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons), and primary care physician/MD (i.e., family or internal medicine).”
Yet, chiropractic care goes beyond back pain.
What is Chiropractic Care?
Harvard Medical School says, “Chiropractic is a system of therapy focused on the structure of the body, particularly the spine. Chiropractors manipulate the body’s alignment to relieve pain and improve function and to help the body heal itself.”
Chiropractors talk about correcting“subluxations.” What’s a subluxation? It’s when one (or more) of your vertebrae is out of alignment. All kinds of things can knock your spine out of alignment including physical accidents, bad posture, and years of sitting hunched over a computer.
As you might guess, it’s a problem because it blocks your body’s communication system and when your brain/body can’t communicate well, then you can feel pain. It’s like a traffic snarl on I-95. You can probably picture the cars jammed up on the highway. That’s similar to your bodies’ lines of communication.
Fortunately, a chiropractic adjustment can help you feel your best. It improves your range of motion, flexibility, and improves relaxation.
Did You Know? Chiropractic Can Help With These 4 Health Conditions
The world of science is always discovering new things. For example, in recent decades, researchers have found that chiro care is useful for the whole family.
1- Allergies – Did you know that seasonal allergies are symptoms of an overactive immune system? They can be. It turns out, those itchy eyes and scratchy throat are symptoms of your body reacting to things like pollen and dust as if they’re “dangerous.” In some cases, chiropractic care can help you find relief from allergy symptoms.
2- Athletes – From high school football stars to weekend golfers, sports can take a toll on your body. Fortunately, chiropractic care is a great part of your wellness plan to both prevent injury and help you heal if you are injured. Find out more about ways chiro care can help athletes be at their best here.
3- Prenatal care – As your pregnant body morphs and expands to encourage the new life growing within you, you may experience all kinds of aches and pains in your body. Gentle stretching, prenatal massage, and chiropractic treatments can help you find relief.
4-Pediatric care – Children of all ages can benefit from a pediatric chiropractor. We’ve helped colicky babies feel better and overly-active kids focus. If you want to know more about how we can help your kids, give us a call at 267-247-7000. We offer a free consultation.
In conclusion, chiropractic care has a place in your family’s wellness plan. We’re located in Doylestown, Pa, across from CB West and have appointments to fit most schedules. We’ll also be happy to answer any questions you may have about chiropractic care and get you back to feeling your best!
When the leaves turn gold and copper, you know winter is right around the corner. For some, seasonal allergies act up and the first colds of the season start.
Yet, if you’re like most wellness-minded folks, you want to boost your immunity. Chiropractic care is a great tool to add to your arsenal of Vitamin C, healthy eating, and exercise.
While most people think of chiropractic treatments as something for back or neck pain, it turns out it’s highly beneficial for the immune system too.
What IS the Immune System?
We talk about the immune system a lot. At least the media does and chances are, you’ve seen friends or family ask about favorite flu or cold remedies on Facebook.
But you might not have stopped to wonder about the immune system itself. That is, as long as it’s doing its job in keeping you healthy, you don’t wonder. But with cold and flu season coming and with COVID-19 still here, you might be wondering more than usual how you can boost your immunity. As you may know, your immune system is a collection of cells, proteins, and tissues that work together to keep you healthy. When it’s compromised, your body is at risk of kinds of diseases. From annoying allergies to serious issues like cancer.
It could be possible to boost your immunity with chiropractic care.
How Can You Boost Your Immunity with Chiropractic Care?
Good question.
Now, let me be clear, chiropractic care is only one component of a healthy wellness regimen. You still want to eat your fruits and veggies, get regular exercise, plenty of sleep, and reduce your stress.
But aside from those healthy habits, regular chiropractic care can also help because it’s maintenance for your spine. As you might know, a chiropractic adjustment realigns your spine which can help open up the highway so to speak between your brain and body. Essentially, when your spine is straight, your body is better able to send messages from the brain and back again.
When your brain and body have open communication, it benefits the nervous system.
The nervous system is like a central highway in your body. Your spinal cord serves as that highway and it delivers messages back and forth to your brain. You can probably see why it could be helpful to prevent roadblocks like pinched nerves and other pains that put obstacles in the way of your brain and body connection.
You want to keep the traffic flowing on that highway and chiropractic care can help.
“The World Health Organization defines health as being “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (Source)
We agree. The goal of health is a state of complete well-being.
What about you? Do you boost your immunity with chiropractic care?
If you’re in Doylestown, PA, stop in for a chiropractic consultation, and let’s help you feel your best!
With remote learning underway, many schools are attempting to establish guidelines for behavior. Cameras on, dressed, and sitting in front of the computer at the time school starts is par for the course at many schools.
Thanks to Annie Spratt
Yet, where are your children sitting? Are they slumped on the couch or do they have a desk set up that supports remote learning ergonomics? Do they move around the house depending on their moods?
Child psychologists recommend having a dedicated space for school and homework because it helps the children focus. That space can be a kitchen table, a corner of the living room, or even a full desk set up in their room (for older children.) If your child naturally gravitates to a particular area, see how you can help them make the most of it for their workspace.
You probably know that having a comfortable chair and computer setup designed for your height and needs is far better for you than crouching over your laptop on the couch. It’s not different for your kids.
Remote Learning Ergonomics for Kids
Plus, now that they’re pulling 6+ hours a day on an iPad or computer, the kids need the kind of support that comes with a comfortable chair (that helps them maintain good posture.) Next, depending on their ages and work styles they may also benefit from a stand-up desk or a separate ergonomic keyboard and mouse.
1- Screen Height – An ideal screen height is eye-level. Hours bent over an iPad can cause “text neck” and long-term problems. Same with crouching over a computer screen that’s too low.
You can raise your child’s screen with any number of devices created for that purpose. There are adjustable stands for iPads and laptops so you can raise and lower the screens as needed.
2- Proper Viewing Distance – You don’t want your child to have to squint to see the screen. Nor should they have lean far forward. The ideal position for the screen is where your child can see it easily (and read/interact) while sitting upright in a chair.
3- Foot Rests – Ergonomic specialists recommend having your feet flat on the floor. So if your child’s feet don’t reach, then you can use a footstool. Some children’s adjustable furniture sets offer them.
4- Chairs and Tables – Kids are active. They’ll rock their legs back and forth and most will find it hard to sit still for very long. It’s even worse if the chair is too big for them. Have you ever seen a small child sink in a dining chair? There’s adjustable children’s furniture on the market that can grow with your child. Otherwise, a pillow or book can boost them up.
You can have your child sit in the area where they tend to work and eyeball their posture to gauge their needs. Can they sit straight and see the screen with craning their neck? Can they place their feet on the floor comfortably? If they’re using a computer, are their elbows able to bend naturally and reach the keyboard?
If you have older children who are using a computer all day, then they’ll need an ergonomic keyboard and mouse set up. These reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries. Regular stretching breaks and chiropractic care can also help your child feel his or her best.
When was the last time you woke up with back or neck pain? If you said, “today,” and that’s typical for you, then it’s worth thinking about how you sleep.
As you can imagine, your sleeping position impacts your spinal health. Have you ever fallen asleep in a chair and woken up with a crick in your neck? If so, then your neck needed more support.
The entire purpose of pillows is to cradle your head and neck. Yet, you don’t want it to be too high or low. Ideally, your spine is in a neutral position when you sleep. And by neutral, we mean straight. When your spine is straight, then you’re not twisting it to one side or another for hours on end.
Do you tend to sleep with your pelvis twisted to one side or another? Or, do you sleep on your stomach? Neither of these is good sleeping positions to prevent back or neck pain because they put unnecessary pressure on your spine.
The Best Sleeping Positions to Prevent Back and Neck Pain
These probably won’t surprise you, but the best sleeping positions are on your back or side. You do want to keep your neck well cradled with a good pillow for you, which we’ll cover in a moment, but first, consider the back and side sleeping.
When you’re on your back, with your legs straight out and your arms by your side, your spine is in the straightest position. It’s very happy like this because your body weight is distributed evenly and completely supported. But if you’ve never been a back sleeper, it can be hard to try and train yourself. The easiest way is probably to lay on your back when you’re super tired and allow yourself to relax into the mattress. However, some people find sleeping on their back causes them to snore.
Side sleepers are also in a good place as long as you have a supportive pillow and keep your legs straight. If you’re using an arm for support under your head or pulling your legs up into your chest, then your spine isn’t supported evenly, and you could wake up with back or neck pain.
What’s your preferred sleeping position?
About Those Pillows
There’s a reason there so many types of pillows on the market. From down pillows to memory foam, there’s a pillow for everyone. The right one for you is supporting your neck and head and helping them stay in a straight line with your spine.
If you’re like a lot of people in the Doylestown area, you probably have at least 3 or 4 pillows in your house that you can try. Here’s an exercise you can do to assess them. Take the pillow, put it on your bed, and lie down in your preferred sleeping position. Notice if your neck feels like it’s tilting up or down. Which one feels like it keeps your spine the straightest? If the answer is none, then it may be time for a new pillow.
Of course, if you’re experiencing back and neck pain on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to have it checked out with Dr. Jeff McQuaite in Doylestown, PA. Find out more our neck pain treatment here.
Congratulations on your new arrival! Pregnancy is an exciting time. Of course, it also comes with a lot of changes in your body (and emotional) state. You’re probably eating healthy, maybe taking prenatal vitamins, and looking for all the ways to support your body and the little one inside.
One of those benefits is with a maternity massage. Massage relieves stress and helps reduce any discomfort you may be experiencing in your changing body. A therapeutic massage also boosts blood circulation and stimulates endorphins in your body. Both help circulate nutrients, reduce stress, and improves your sleep.
A maternity massage is different from a regular massage in that your massage therapist will position you differently. Usually, you’ll be in a comfortable semi-reclined position with supportive pillows. Your massage therapist will use a few different techniques that are applicable to pregnant women.
5 Benefits of a Maternity Massage
If you’re like a lot of pregnant women, you may find you have new or deepened aches and pains during pregnancy. Some of the common ones include upper or lower back pain, heartburn, and headaches. A therapeutic massage can help with these and other pains.
1- Massage improves circulation – That means increased oxygen flow, which carries nutrients throughout your body. This also boosts immunity and helps your body release toxins. (That’s why massage therapists always encourage you to drink a lot of water afterward.)
2- Releases Endorphins – One of the reasons you feel so relaxed after a therapeutic massage is because it releases endorphins. These are the “feel good” hormones in your body and they also reduce stress and help you sleep better.
3- Reduces Aches and Pains – Hip pain, sciatica, back pain, and even acid reflux can all be associated with pregnancy but a maternity massage can help. For further pain reduction, you can combine massage with chiropractic care for a complete, all-natural approach.
4- Good for the heart – Therapeutic massage can reduce your blood pressure and it increases blood flow to your uterus so your baby gets the nutrients it needs.
5- Stress Reduction – Sometimes you know you’re under a lot of stress. If that’s the case, you probably know stress isn’t good for you or your baby. A caring massage can help you feel nurtured.
Now that you know a maternity massage has so many benefits for pregnant women, are you ready to schedule yours?
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about maternity massage, talk with your healthcare practitioner. If you’re in Doylestown, Pa., McQuaite Chiropractic can recommend a massage therapist for you.
