Have you thought about your mobility? When chiropractors and other health professionals talk about mobility, it’s usually in relation to your range of motion. So, can you comfortably turn your head, rotate your hands, shoulders, feet, bend your knees and elbows, etc. ?
If not, did you know you may be able to improve mobility with chiropractic care?
There are a lot of reasons for mobility issues. Injury, gout, and joints breaking down are some common causes.
Hippocrates, “the father of medicine” is credited with saying, “look well to the spine for the cause of disease?” And you may have heard the expression, “the spine is your lifeline.” It’s because keeping your spine flexible and healthy is essential to your well-being.
Spinal flexibility impacts every part of your body. Whether you can bend and touch your toes, easily stand from a chair, or even look over your shoulder. It’s all related.
And if you have restrictions, then the rest of your body overcompensates. For example, if your hips are tight, your knees may overcompensate. Or, if your shoulders are tight, then you may find your back is over-arching. Ultimately, these can lead to back and shoulder pain.
To keep your spine healthy and improve your mobility, it’s worth seeing a chiropractor.
4 Ways to Improve Mobility with Chiropractic Care
Chiropractors have over 150 techniques to reduce pain and improve mobility. Including techniques that have nothing to do with cracking your spine. For example:
1- Electrotherapy – Are you familiar with the at-home TENS machine that you can attach to yourself? If so, you know they send out small electric pulses to stimulate your nerves and muscles. At McQuaite Chiropractic, we use a professional version to provide pain relief and improve your mobility.
2- Cold/Heat Therapy – Heat encourages blood flow. Improved blood flow brings nutrients to the painful area so it can heal. Ice restricts the blood flow. Both can be helpful for your joints. For example, if you’re having mobility problems due to arthritis, then heat can reduce stiffness so you can move easier. Ice reduces inflammation.
3-Spinal Decompression – You may have seen people get strapped on tables and turned upside down. While it can look like a medieval torture device, it’s actually very helpful for taking the pressure off your spine. Additionally, there are other ways to do spinal decompression besides inversion therapy. For example, you can lie down, fully clothed on our special decompression table and the sensors will administer electromagnetic pulses throughout your body.
4- Ultrasound – More than imaging technology, an ultrasound also produces sound waves that have a massaging effect. This can reduce swelling and stiffness.
Massage therapy is also good for mobility because it relaxes the muscles.
Of course, everyone’s body is different. When it comes to improving your mobility, your age, health, and condition play important roles. When you see a medical professional, we’ll assess your overall health and medical history before recommending a treatment plan. After all, if your mobility problems are related to a pinched nerve, then that’s a different treatment than arthritis-related mobility problems.
If you’re in Doylestown, Pa. and are having mobility issues, come in and see if we can improve mobility through chiropractic care and get you feeling your best again! We take most insurances.
Do you feel over-extended this time of year and your immune system is low? It’s common. There are work-related holiday gatherings, kids’ programs, and all manner of social invites. Sometimes, it can seem like you’re on a treadmill frantically wrapping gifts and rushing to this or that event around Bucks County and into Philadelphia.
Next thing you know, you or a family member have picked up a cold or the flu. While there’s no substitution for rest and getting enough sleep it’s tough to prioritize those things until it’s too late.
Here are 7 Ways to Supercharge Your Immune System
From supplements to squeezing in a chiropractic appointment or three, making time for healthcare will help you and your family feel your best.
1- Vitamin C is a tried and true supplement -Take it in capsule form and/or increase your dosage via one of those powdered forms like the “Emergency C” to boost your health. Most adults can go as high as 2000 mg a day for a short time. Children are less and it depends on size/age and general health.
2-Wash your hands – Your mother was right. Wash your hands before you eat. It’s common sense and yet gets tricky when you’re at a stand up gathering shaking hands with people and surrounded by finger food. Depending on the situation, you may opt to put a plate in one hand and a drink in the other, not eat until later, or use a cocktail napkin to put a tasty tidbit in your mouth.
Fortunately, more people are adopting new habits that don’t require hand shaking as much which lessens the social pressure.
3- Wipe down door handles – Since so many germs are spread via hands, it makes sense to wipe down door handles and anything else that a lot of people touch. Whether at home, work, or public places. Fortunately, the grocery stores around Doylestown started offering disposable wipes for the grocery cart handles years ago. We recommend using them.
4- Get regular treatments – Many people don’t realize that chiropractic treatments can boost your immunity, but they can. The reason is because chiropractic adjustments relieve tension related to a mis-aligned spine. You may have heard, “the spine is your lifeline.” It is. And even if you’re not in pain, it’s natural that tendons, muscles, and bones may be a out of alignment and causing your body stress.
5- Reduce stress – It’s tough when you’re juggling a million priorities. Yet, stress always lowers the body’s defense against things like colds and flu. So, practice deep breathing throughout the day if you can. Take a break and breathe. Remind yourself of all the good things you have in your life and breathe.
And book yourself a massage or chiropractic appointment – or better yet, both! You’ll feel better.
6– Build in rest time – Remember the nap schedule when your children were small? If you’re like a lot of parents, that nap schedule dictated your entire schedule if you wanted to have happy children (and happy parents.)
That may be a thing of the distant past now but if you can assess your crowded schedule and prioritize having some quiet time, you’ll help ease the stress. Especially, if you leave your phone in another room for an hour or two. Encourage your entire family to take some time to unplug and rest the brain.
A Forbes says we touch our phones 80 times a day! For teenagers it may seem more like 80 times a minute. All that interruption makes us anxious. Why not give yourself permission to take a break from it now and again. You may be surprised at how much calmer you feel!
7-Exercise – With all the holiday shopping, wrapping, gatherings, loaded on top of regular life, it’s easy to push exercise to the bottom of the “to do” list but the truth is, you need it. If you participate in regular yoga classes or go to the gym, try to keep your schedule. It gives your brain a rest from all the other thoughts racing through it and boosts oxygen levels which boosts immunity.
These seven ways to supercharge your immune system are not earth shattering. Yet, it’s all about making them important in your day to day life so you feel your best. People with healthy wellness habits usually pick up fewer cold and flu viruses.
If you’re in Bucks County, Pa. and want boost your immunity with chiropractic care, call us at 267-247-7000, we take most insurance.
If you’re considering trying chiropractic care for the first time, you may have a lot of questions.
Questions like:
Can it help my chronic back pain?
Is chiropractic care safe?
Do you need to go multiple times?
Is it covered by insurance?
The answers are yes, yes, yes, probably.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, roughly 30 million Americans suffer with back pain every year. For some people, these are chronic conditions that cause you to miss work and seek all kinds of pain relief including chiropractic care. For others, it’s an occasional thing and you feel better with a chiropractic adjustment.
Is Chiropractic Safe?
In a word, yes.
A) Chiropractic care dates to 1895
B) Chiropractors attend four years of additional schooling after completing a pre-med program
C) It’s not habit-forming like opioids
Spinal manipulation, aka chiropractic care is considered a conservative approach to pain management and is recommended by traditional physicians.
In fact, you may not know that chiropractors attend a four-year rigorous training program after completing a full load of pre-med classes as an undergraduate. Then, they usually spend a year in a clinic working with patients like a residency program.
Chiropractic Care is a Gentle Approach to Pain Management
Your first visit includes a medical assessment and at our office, an x-ray. These offer a guide for your treatment plan which may include electrical stimulation (TENS), spinal decompression therapy, and/or traditional spinal manipulation.
Everyone receives an individual treatment plan.
Typically, the chiropractic adjustment involves you laying on the chiropractic table and we use a combination of body weight and quick movements to release pressure in your joints.
Many people experience immediate relief, though not all. In many cases, we’ll recommend 2-3 visits/week for a week or two to “jumpstart” the movement in your body. We may also make recommendations on diet/exercise/ergonomic tools to relieve pain. For example, resistance bands are an effective way to build strength.
For example, sitting slumped in front of the computer for hours a day will contribute to back and neck pain. So, if you raise your screen to eye level and get a chair that supports your back, you may have less pain. Taking these additional steps can go a long way toward reducing back, shoulder, and neck pain caused by poor posture.
Of course, there are dozens of reasons why you may have physical pain so you’ll want to come in for an assessment. Another common question is if we accept insurance. I can’t speak for all chiropractors but here at McQuaite Chiropractic in Doylestown, we accept most of them. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to treat pain.
Every profession has its lingo and chiropractors are no different. While you certainly don’t need to know all the terminology, you might find it interesting to know a few common chiropractic terms. For example, chiropractors use the terms subluxation, manipulation and adjustment a lot.
Before we define those, here’s a brief overview of the chiropractic philosophy.
As you probably know, chiropractors focus on spinal health. But they’re not only “back doctors.” If you’ve ever heard the expression, “your spine is your lifeline” then you have a sense of its importance. It’s true that the work the chiropractor does on your spine affects your entire body.
One of those ways is that by keeping your spine flexible you have better mobility and balance which help you avoid injury.
The chiropractor has your spinal flexibility in mind and focuses on “aligning” your body which improves your oxygen flow and keeps the nervous system in tip top shape. If you have one leg slightly longer than the other, or hunched shoulders and protruding neck from long hours at the computer, your chiropractor can “realign” your body.
This “realignment” can help you stand straighter and take the pressure off certain parts of the body so you feel better.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you walk around town with a computer bag on one shoulder. That can affect your opposite shoulder, lower back, and hip and cause you pain. A chiropractic treatment will help realign your spine (and hence the hip, etc.)
It’s even possible to not know that your spine is out of alignment and yet, when a practiced eye looks at you, they may be able to see that one shoulder is higher than the other or your neck sticks out a bit more than is ideal.
If that sounds like you, read on for some basic terminology.
4 Common Chiropractic Terms and What They Mean
Alignment – When your spine is in alignment, it helps your head balance properly on your neck. Your head weighs typically 8 pounds. This means you want it positioned correctly, otherwise, it’s putting pressure on your neck, shoulders, and upper back which can hurt.
Of course, your spine connects to your shoulders, upper back, middle back, etc. so if something is out of place in one area, it affects another.
A chiropractic’s goal is to help your spine support your body from head to toe.
Adjustment – “Getting an adjustment” means your chiropractor will use their tools and techniques to adjust your joints. Usually, they focus on the vertebrae, but they can also adjust wrists. It’s basically used to refer to the entire chiropractor treatment.
Subluxation – This is chiropractic speak for a misaligned spine. A healthy spine features the vertebrae in a “line” descending the spinal column. In the case of poor postural habits, accidents, or medical issues like scoliosis, the bones can be shifted to the right or left. This can be the source of chronic, nagging pain unless addressed.
Manipulation – The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describe it as, “It’s a technique where practitioners use their hands or a device to apply a controlled thrust (that is, a force of a specific magnitude or degree in a specific direction) to a joint of your spine. The amount of force can vary, but the thrust moves the joint more than it would on its own.”
While these common chiropractic terms can sound like variations on the same thing, to a practitioner, they’re a little different. As a patient, you can always ask your chiropractor to describe what they’re doing.
Life naturally takes its toll on our bodies. Long hours at the computer, repetitive tasks and accidents are all ways in which our spine get out of alignment. Stretching for flexibility, light yoga, and regular chiropractic treatments can help you stay healthy.
Need to see a chiropractor? Dr. McQuaite in Doylestown, Pa. takes most insurances and is voted Best of Bucks! Make your appointment today or just stop by.
Want to feel unstoppable? Stand up, throw your shoulders back and your chest out, raise your head proudly and hold your hands in fists by your sides. This is the “superhero” pose– so called because every superhero movie seems to show the heroes in this stance.
When you improve your posture you’ll feel better
It’s a powerful way of standing.
It says, “I’m here and I’m ready.”
If you haven’t already, go ahead and try it!
Feel better?
Ok. When the occasion doesn’t call for standing like a superhero – it’d be a little odd in the grocery line for instance – you can also try theAmerican Chiropractic Association’s guide to great posture.
Why Better Posture Improves Your Mood
One reason your posture affects your mood is that sitting slumped over restricts oxygen flow into the brain. Studies show that even those diagnosed with depression will feel better if they sit up taller. You feel more energetic when you improve your posture too. Plus, lousy posture takes a toll on your joints.
And while it’s no secret that sitting slumped over can make you feel tired and irritable, but you may not have realized, it can also contribute to back, neck, and wrist pain and even carpal tunnel syndrome.
8 Ways You Can Improve Your Posture and Reduce Pain While at the Computer
Besides boosting your mood and giving you more energy, improving your posture can also reduce pain. Yes, you’ll alleviate stiffness from long periods of working at the computer but also, better posture can help with chronic pain too. Here are 8 ways to feel your best.
1- Get a Good Chair – There are dozens of high-quality chairs on the market. Some of them are even known as “gamer’s chairs.” I probably don’t have to say any more about those! Such a chair has lots of padding but also supports your lower back to help it stay in proper alignment.
2- Check your Computer Screen – When your computer screen is at eye level, your neck can stay aligned with your spine which means it won’t be jutting out and putting additional pressure on your neck. You can find out more about setting up an ergonomic desk here.
3-Standing Desks – You can buy those battery powered ones or construct your own. Even shoe racks or plastic boxes can offer enough height to boost your screen to the right height. But make sure you stand with good posture. Well-cushioned shoes help protect your back and joints; especially if you’re on a hard surface.
4- Exercises – If you’ve ever pressed your back against a wall and squatted down in “chair pose,” then you know what it feels like to press your shoulders back. You can do this several times a day to counteract the effects of the forward slump. Your chiropractor can give you additional exercises that can help your specific condition.
5- Don’t Give Yourself Text Neck – Bending over your phone is apt to cause something we chiropractors call “text neck.” Like your computer screen, you’ll put less pressure on your neck if you keep your phone screen at eye level. It might feel funny to hold your screen up in the air, but your neck will feel better.
6- Chiropractic Adjustments – Regular chiropractic treatments help your body stay healthy and they can reduce chronic pain. You may be familiar with chiropractic adjustments as a quick, calculated thrust to a specific area of your body with the goal to realign the joints and tendons. I evaluate every patient, review their medical history and x-ray, and base the treatment accordingly.
7 – Massage Therapy – A good massage relaxes your muscles. Relaxing your muscles reduces pain caused by poor posture. Cramped and tight muscles hold tension. Massage will loosen them so you can stand taller.
8- Practice – Most of us don’t think about our posture much. But if you start noticing it, you might be surprised at how often you find yourself slouching – even a little. But noticing it and correcting it is half the battle when it comes to improving your posture.
In summary, bad posture contributes to feeling tired, sluggish, and even depressed. It can also cause pain in your neck, back, and wrists. Making adjustments such as improving your computer set up and recognizing when you’re slouched over can help you maintain better posture. Regular chiropractic treatments can help you maintain and improve your posture by helping your body shift and remain aligned.
Chiropractors have long been known as “back doctors.” Yet, they offer so much more. Studies show chiropractic care benefits asthma, ADD, neck pain, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel, scoliosis, and more.
The reason is because chiropractors are the “doctors of the spine” and it turns out that spinal health affects everything else.
Take chronic neck pain for example.
In chiropractic terms, the neck is also called the cervical spine.
If you reach around your head and touch the base of your skull, that’s where it starts. If you continue running your fingers down the back of your neck, you’ll feel the knobby vertebrae.
These vertebrae support your head and allow it to turn left and right, up and down. However, while the flexibility of your neck makes it easy to look over your shoulder and merge on the highway, for example, this flexibility also puts the neck at risk.
You know what it feels like to wake up with a “crick” in your neck. Usually, that type of pain will disappear after a few hours. However, other types of neck pain aren’t as easily solved.
Chronic neck pain is common after accidents, aging, diseases, and bad posture.
Imagine, if you’re in a car accident. Often, the impact forces your head forward and then it “whips” back. That’s where the term “whiplash” comes from and it can be super painful. The reason is that such a force can injure the muscles, joints, discs, ligaments, and even the roots of the nerves.
Even simply getting older can lead to degenerative problems like spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, and degenerative disc disease.
Then there are the stresses of everyday life which can cause you to tighten your neck muscles.
Poor posture which can push your neck forward and cause your head to stay jutted out. That puts pressure on your neck and spine.
As you can see, there are many causes for chronic neck pain. But what can you do about it?
3 Treatments for Chronic Neck Pain:
There are many ways to treat chronic neck pain including massage therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. Your medical professional will likely recommend a specific treatment plan but let’s see how these can help.
Massage Therapy – The massage therapist will work on manipulating the muscles in your neck to loosen them. Depending on the extent of your neck pain, you may feel immediate relief or it may take additional sessions. Many people find massage therapy combined with chiropractic care offers long-lasting pain relief because the neck muscles are able to relax which improves the chiropractic treatment.
Acupuncture – This ancient Chinese practice uses tiny needles to place in strategic points throughout your body. These locations – or acupuncture points – are message centers in the body and when triggered, they can improve blood flow in the body which helps reduce pain.
Chiropractic Care – The neck or “cervical spine” is at the top of the spine and the whole point of chiropractic treatments is to take care of the spine. Which means it makes sense that chiropractic adjustments can reduce chronic neck pain. According to the American Chiropractic Association, multiple studies have found more than half the study participants have found relief for neck pain with chiropractic care.
Now that you know these three all-natural pain relief treatment options for chronic neck pain, which will you try? If you’re located near Doylestown, Pa., we invite you for a free consultation.
