Active Family Chiropractic

Empowering Your Health

Contact us at (518) 452-2800

Spring cleaning and yard work safety

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With spring here it’s important to keep some very important rules in mind when you embark on your spring cleaning and yard work. These are things that can save you from a lot of pain later on.

Warm up!

One of the most important things is to warm the body up before you do any kind of yard work or spring cleaning. This includes arm swings, leg swings, some air squats, just whatever you can do to get your body moving. Even taking a fast walk around your yard to get your blood pumping through your body. It’s very important to avoid straining your body.

Drink Water & Take Breaks

It’s very important that while you’re cleaning make sure to drink plenty of water and make sure that you’re taking breaks. Also, if you are doing a one-sided activity, such as raking, you want to switch sides so that both sides get the same amount of work on the body.

Cool Down!

Finally, when you’re done with the activity a lot of people make the wrong choice. They sit down with a beverage or they reward themselves with some kind of treat such as ice cream. However, it’s most important that after you do a physical activity to reward your body in a positive way. Some of the ways you can reward yourself positively is by stretching and some kind of rebuilding for the muscle tissue such as eating a steak or getting some kind of protein into your system. Also, make sure that you drink plenty of water to replace what you lost.

Follow the steps

Following the steps will allow you to do more and to recover quickly so that you can spend your spare time doing things you love without pain or soreness. As always the way to keep you in optimal health is to get regular adjustments by your CBP doctor. So make an appointment today!

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected]

 

How Do Rotator Cuff Injuries Happen?

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Have you ever had a shoulder pain that just wouldn’t go away? Maybe you couldn’t determine when it started or how but it bothers you. You could have a rotator cuff injury from overuse. Seeing a CBP Chiropractor can help get you back pain-free.

How do rotator cuff injuries happen?

The most common cause is a trauma, like a car accident, work injury, fitness injury, or just wear and tear. Wear and tear comes from overuse. For example, baseball players tend to sustain rotator cuff injuries due to wear and tear over time and could lead to a tear.

Can improper structure lead to rotator cuff injuries?

If you don’t have the proper structure in the shoulder joint, if it is subluxated, it can lead to improper forces on the muscles and tendons which can result in tendon/muscle damage. A lot of injuries that people have seemingly out of nowhere if it is not an obvious trauma, is usually an overuse, wear and tear type of thing. That over the years they were slowly creating wear and tear on those muscles and joints, which they were not addressing, by getting regular adjustments and stretching. What ends up happening is the wear and tear on the ligaments starts to create damage and then eventually, the smallest of stimulus could cause a complete tear of the ligament.

One of the other things that can cause rotator cuff injuries is the way the joints are shaped. Sometimes people have genetic deformities, where the shape of the ball and socket joint is not ideal, and that is not something that anyone can do anything about. If this is the case, strengthening the area is the only thing that can be done.

The rotator cuff is the most complicated series of joints in the body. Anyone of those joints, at any time, could become subluxated, overworked, and ultimately injured. Those injuries are very difficult to come back from.

How can a CBP Chiropractor help?

A CBP Chiropractor can identify what is going on structurally, and if there is something structurally wrong, it can be addressed by adjusting the joints and help the muscles to work more evenly. Seeing a CBP Chiropractor can help to prevent injury.

If someone has had a rotator cuff injury already, they may have had surgery, in that case, what a CBP Chiropractor can do is help by giving exercises to help strengthen the joints that haven’t had surgery on. In addition, they can help by strengthening the muscles around those joints as well.

For the most part, you can prevent those types of injuries if there is not a direct trauma. Getting a check-up with a CBP Doctor will give you the tools you need to strengthen the rotator cuff area and get on the road to living pain-free.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected].

 

Ow! My Sciatica is acting up!

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What is sciatica? If you’re anything like me, you could be very wrong on what you thought sciatica pain actually is. I always thought it was a pinched nerve from the front part of the hip. I suppose I was partly correct. It is a “pinch” of a nerve, just not in the location I thought.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a commonly misused term for what people describe as a lower back pain that shoots down their leg. Sometimes this is a true sciatic nerve compression and sometimes it’s not. One of the first things your chiropractor will do is to rule out muscle involvement because the sciatic nerve travels through one of the buttock muscles. If that buttock muscle is tight, it can compress that branch of the sciatic nerve and create similar symptoms. However, true sciatica is a compression of the sciatic nerve at the spine itself, where it emerges from the spinal cord.

One of the defining characteristics of sciatic pain is a shooting pain that travels down the back side of the leg. It can travel all the way down the leg as far as the foot and can be accompanied by a numbness and tingling.

What are some things you can do to alleviate the pain?

The first thing you want to do is to make sure that you find out the source of the pain. If it’s compressed at the spinal level itself, through a subluxation or something else like a disc herniation, the only thing you can do is consult with a medical professional, namely a chiropractor, to discover the extent of the damage. This should be the first step for anyone. Once the problem has been identified, then the appropriate solution can be applied.

A lot of times someone will complain of sciatic pain but it’s really just the compression of the sciatic nerve by the buttock muscle. If this is the case, one thing you can do is to take extra time to stretch the buttock muscle. You can also use a foam roller to roll out the tightness of the buttock muscle. Another thing to do is to avoid sitting. Sitting increases the pressure on the sciatic nerve. If you have any type of sciatic pain, you want to try to avoid sitting at all costs.

Another thing you can do is to get a massage, acupuncture or even take an Epsom salt bath. All of these can ease the tension of muscles and release compression of “pinched” nerves.

Regular visits to your Chiropractor can also help. Chiropractors can find if there is an issue with the structure of the vertebra. Once this is identified, they are able to restore that structure to as close to normal as possible through specific adjustments and in-office traction, and in the process, alleviating pain.

Are you experiencing sciatica pain? Make an appointment with your Chiropractor and take care of your spine today.

For more information on sciatic pain and how it can be treated email Dr. B @ [email protected].

Correct Holiday Gift Wrapping. Wrap your holiday gifts the right way!

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This is the season of giving…and gift wrapping. Whether you are wrapping one gift or 50 believe it or not there is a right way to wrap gifts.We’re talking about saving yourself some backache. Many of us try to wrap our gifts in secret and that leads us to wrap our gifts in odd locations… like the floor. Here are some tips so you can have an ache-free holiday!

Stop wrapping your presents on the floor!

You’re looking for a flat surface to wrap your gifts. Sometimes the floor seems like the best option, but it’s not. Wrapping on the floor puts your back into a compromised position. Instead of being able to keep your posture in alignment, you’re actually putting a curve into your lower spine, producing pinching of the nerves in that area, which leads to aches and pains. So save your back and look for a raised surface.

Find a table or a counter.

This is going to be your best bet for wrapping your presents. You want to make sure that you can maintain a straight back while you work. This will help to prevent those aches you can feel from slouching. Wrapping presents on a table or counter will also prevent you from putting your body into positions it probably shouldn’t be. Save your back and wrap on a raised surface.

Remember to stretch.

Staying in the same position for any extended period of time is not good for the body. Although you might want to get all of your wrapping done in one “sitting”, make sure to take breaks. Get up and stretch. It will help keep you limber and ache-free this holiday season.

If you have any questions call Dr. B at Active Family Chiropractic. She will have some great tips on stretching and keeping you fit during this holiday season.

Four Essentials of Health with Dr. B.

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Continuing on the theme of health, let’s talk about the four essentials of health. They are nerve flow, oxygen, nutrition and hydration. These are the essentials, meaning you cannot live without them. Why can’t you? Keep reading.

1. Hydration

Hydration is very important to our overall function. Without it, there would be major problems within our system. Water is used to help maintain the balance of fluids in our bodies. Since we are made up of around 70% water, when we become dehydrated, our body lets us know. We can experience headaches, nausea and fatigue. If you were to go without water for more than four days, all of your systems would cease to function and you would cease to live.

So how do you stay hydrated? Drink at least half your body weight in ounces every day to maintain good hydration.  Keep in mind that if you consume a caffeinated beverage, make sure to increase your water intake as well. Since caffeine acts as a diuretic, it can cause dehydration.

2. Nutritional Choices

Our nutritional choices can affect our health in major ways. Eating too much sugar can lead to inflammation, like eating too much fat can lead to the clogging of your arteries. So we have to make smart choices about what we eat. Believe me, I know fried food tastes good, but it’s not good for you. Making the correct nutritional choices can help you to care for the one body you were given. Making a conscious decision to eat well helps promote a mindset of caring for your health.

Imagine your dream car. Imagine owning it. If it says that the only gas you can put in it is 93 grade or higher, would you put an 85 grade of gas in your car? No. You would put in the gasoline that helps to keep your dream car running in perfect condition. The same should be true for your body. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

3. Oxygen

When we talk about oxygen, we’re not just talking about the air we need to breathe. If you cannot breathe, you suffocate and all of your systems will shut down. However, we not only need oxygen for our breath but for our cellular function as well. We need oxygen for our cells to stay healthy and to move. Oxygen is needed for our cells to move and burn fuel such as sugars and fatty acids. When oxygen is breathed in, it is transported to our red blood cells which are then used to produce energy throughout our body.

However, just breathing does not help circulate the much-needed red blood cells throughout our body. We need to move in order to help that process along. This is why it is important to stretch and to exercise. Movement circulates oxygen and red blood cells throughout our body, producing new healthy cells and removing old or damaged cells. When we live a sedentary lifestyle, we are not giving our body the chance to circulate needed oxygen and stay healthy. So get up and move…movement is life.

4. Nerve Flow

Without a doubt, this is the most important and why it was kept for last. Nerve flow is the connection of your nervous system with your brain. Without brain activity, you cannot function. Once a person is brain-dead, they have no control over their body or any function within. This is why it is important to care for your spine and keep it in good health.

Every cell in your body is dictated by your brain and your nervous system is the brain’s communication pathway. Every single thing in your body is controlled by your nervous system and you only have one. You cannot get a spinal cord replacement like a heart or lung transplant. Once your spinal cord is severed in any place, communication from your brain is cut off from below that break and cannot be repaired.

You have to make a conscious decision to care for your spine. Many people see Chiropractors as pain management…that they only have to go care for their spine when it’s in pain. This is called reactionary care. To wait for something to be wrong before you fix it. We should, instead, care for what we have and look at our spines as something we need to care for. Because our spine encases our spinal column, the main hub of communication for our nervous system, we should do what we can to keep it in prime working order. Misalignment in your spine (subluxation) can have many side effects, ranging from allergies to numbness to pain.

So how can we care for our spines? By having regular appointments with your CBP Chiropractor. These types of chiropractors are trained professional doctors who can help you maintain a healthy spine and therefore healthy function.

Change your way of thinking. We need to care for what we have instead of treating what we’ve broken.

For more information or if you have additional questions contact Dr. B at

http://af-chiropractic.com/contact-us/

Holiday Health Tips from Dr. B.

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It’s the holiday season and during this time of the year, more than any other, we tend to indulge. Not only do we indulge, but we don’t take care of ourselves. The holidays are not only a time to celebrate but for many, it’s also a time of great stress. We tend to sleep less, eat poorly, and not work out. Here are some tips on how to stay healthy during this hectic season.

Moderation.

We’ve heard it all before but there’s a truth in it. At holiday time we all want to be able to eat whatever we want, and we can, as long as we do it in moderation. Instead of having a whole bottle of wine, maybe restrict yourself to one or two glasses. Instead of having three full desserts, take a small tasting of each. Instead of having two or more helpings, remember one of the best things about the holidays is left-overs!

Being responsible for the quantity you’re consuming can help deter the extra pounds you may have put on if you allowed yourself to overindulge in everything. This will also help you stay healthy.

Stretching.

During the holidays you may find yourself staying at someone else’s house and/or traveling. While traveling, you want to make sure that you get up and walk around. Anytime you are in a seated position for more than 2 hours at a time, take a break, get up and shake out your limbs. This will help maintain the flexibility and the health of your muscles. This will also help minimize any subluxation you may build from extended stretches of being in the same position.

Minimize stress.

The holidays can be a stressful time of the year. If there is anything you can do to maintain health, it’s to try to minimize your stress. Make sure during this season to take time out for yourself. You can do this either by meditating or praying. Schedule a massage for yourself or a facial, just make sure that you’re taking time to center yourself and relax in all of the craziness.

Sleep.

During this time of the year, you may find yourself staying at someone else’s house. Most people have a hard time sleeping well at other people’s houses. We like our own beds, pillows and our own environments that we’ve created in our homes. Do what you can to recreate that environment, wherever you travel.

Sleep is incredibly important to our health. Make sure that you’re able to still get a good amount of sleep during the holidays. Bring your own pillow, sound machine, whatever you need. Using sound machines can help to block out external noises and promote a calming environment. Diffusing lavender oil or placing a small dab on your temples can promote calm and rest. Use these tips to help get a good night sleep.

See your Chiropractor.

This cannot be said enough. While we all get wrapped up in the holiday season, we cannot forget to take care of ourselves and that begins with maintaining your regular chiropractic adjustments. During the holidays, we are more susceptible to subluxations. This comes from all the bags we carry from shopping and traveling. In order to maintain good health, regular chiropractic visits are essential. During the holiday season make sure to keep all of your chiropractic appointments and think about adding one or two additional, if you can.

For more information contact DR. B at Active Family Chiropractic and have a wonderful holiday season.

About Us: Learn about Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP) through the stories of a CrossFit athlete, a passionate artist, and parents of twin babies

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