Archive for May 2019

It’s true that Memorial Day weekend many of us use to get out to the beach — for many of us it’s the early indicator of the summer season to come.

However, instead of doing the traditional drink-a-thon, maybe it’s time to think about having a healthy Memorial Day weekend. Below O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic goes over a few ways to stay well on Memorial Day.

1.) Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Long periods out in the sun, being active, and maybe even having an adult beverage or two can seriously dehydrate the body. In lieu of a cold brew, maybe opt for a 12-ounce glass or bottle of water. Try to drink half your body weight in ounces.

2.) Paddleboard

If you have the opportunity, do something active in the water. Paddleboarding is a great way to engage your core.

3.) Eat Well

Try to eat plenty of veggies and fruits. Maybe opt for fish or chicken instead of red meat. Try not to go too heavy on carbs or processed sugars.

If you have any additional questions about how you can stay healthy 24/7/365, contact O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic today.

Cryotherapy is one of the many wellness treatments we offer at O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic. Cryotherapy provides a multitude of health benefits that can only be experienced to be believed.

Below we go over a few health benefits and ways you can optimize your health through cryotherapy at O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic.

Treat Pain and Discomfort

Cryotherapy offers a drug-free solution to pain and inflammation. Cryotherapy has also been proven to heavily reduce pain in arthritic patients.

Eliminate Headaches

Cryotherapy has been shown to treat headaches and migranes by cooling and numbing nerves in the neck region.

Treat Mood Disorders

Cryotherapy incorporates and utilizes ultra-cold temperatures which can cause physiological hormonal responses that boost your mental health. The release of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and endorphins can all have a positive effect on patients who have been experiencing anxiety and depression, and other mood disorders.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can optimize your health though innovative cryotherapy treatments or our many additional chiropractic care services, contact O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic today to schedule your consultation.

Incorporating yoga into a busy daily routine can be no easy task. Those of us who work 40+ hour weeks and spend a significant amount of time in traffic, it can seem impossible.

Below O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic goes over a few easy ways to make yoga a part of any daily routine.

Get Yoga in at Work

Although high-level companies have been incorporating team stretch routines for decades, some even having yoga rooms in-house, you can still get your yoga in on your own at work. If you work at a desk you can research a few yoga poses that are work-suitable. Your cohorts might even start to join you.

Do Yoga at Home

Set aside a small corner of your home where you can do your daily practice, even if it’s only for 10 minutes a day. Your body will give you a huge thanks among many other health benefits.

Spring for Yoga Classes

Yoga classes will plug you into a community of like-minded people, not to mention help you sharpen your yoga skills, making you more effective when you yoga alone.

Chiropractic care is also a wellness-boosting practice that can be added to any routine for multiple health benefits. Contact O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic to schedule your one-on-one consultation today.

Did you know that most back injuries occur when we’re doing the stuff we do every day?

It’s true. Usually, it’s the job we work at 40 hours a week, the bed we sleep in (hopefully somewhere close to 56 hours a week), or the exercise and day-to-day activities that we engage in that put us at most risk to sustain a back injury. However, mostly, the wear and tear our backs sustain is going to come predominantly from our jobs, even those jobs that we might think have us at less risk.

1.) Office Job

Sitting in a stiff chair at work staring at a computer screen is probably one of the worst things we can do for our neck and spine, especially if our desk and screens are not set up the right way, having us stare anything but straight ahead. This is especially true if we’re not engaging in perfect posture.

2.) Professional Mover

Lifting heavy objects for a living is going to put a strain on your back no matter which way you slice it. Professional mover is going to be likely one of the hardest jobs on your back. Make sure you wear proper safety gear and engage in proper lifting technique and observe all safety protocols.

3.) Landscaper

Landscaping, roofing, and laying tile or brick are all going to be extra hard on your back. Most manual labor jobs are going to put a lot of strain on your back, neck, and joints.

If you’re experiencing pain related to your job or related to an injury you sustained, contact O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic today.

At O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic we provide services that correct the spine and help open our patients up to a whole new quality of life. Another part of what we do is provide information and education to our patients that will help them boost their wellness on a daily basis.

Below are a few foods and beverages that you can easily do without that are seriously affecting your health, resulting in cognitive dysfunction, inflammation, and more.

1.) Bagels

This one might be hard to pass up when you’re in a rush in the morning, but bagels don’t really have a lot of nutritional value in and of themselves. If you’re going to make the argument that you put a lot of healthy stuff on it you could easily put that healthy stuff on a healthier bread or even sliced cucumber and tomato.

2.) Orange Juice

Orange juice is very high in sugar content and sends your body into a shock of sorts because you’re not getting any of the fiber associated with eating fruit. Even in smoothies, try to make them veggie dominant, with very little fruit. If you must add fruit, add fruits high in antioxidant, like berries. Bananas are also a good choice, though you’d be hard-pressed to find banana juice.

3.) Milk Chocolate

Once you switch to dark chocolate, try milk chocolate again and you’ll taste how much sugar is packed in there. It will feel practically sinful. Sugars can boost inflammation in the body, which can lead to all sorts of conditions, like diabetes, certain types of cancers, and even Alzheimer’s.

4.) Salty Peanuts

You might think you’re eating healthy when you eat that entire can of salty peanuts, but you would be wrong. There’s tons of sodium and the wrong types of fats. Instead, opt for raw almonds and walnuts, which are healthy brain food and will help you get your clean protein fix.

5.) Sodas

Cutting sodas from your diet is one of the best things you can do for yourself on this list. Sugars are packed with sodas and flavor additives and are harmful to your teeth and your body. Instead, opt for sugar-free substitutes or mineral water.

Chiropractic care is another great way to boost your wellness. Contact O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic to schedule your one-on-one appointment today.

When it comes to sleeping, some of us are settling for far less than we need on a nightly basis to stay healthy and functional. The truth is, sleep deprivation or lack of sleep can cause drowsiness, compromised motor skills, decreased coordination, and affect your overall neuro functionality.

Below are a few measures you can take to achieve more restful sleep.

Exercise Regularly

Getting your exercise in at least 4 times a week will help you achieve more restful sleep. As human beings, we are genetically wired from ancestors who did much. We’re programmed to do the same amount, but many of us aren’t getting the right amount of movement and stimulation at our 9-5 jobs. After a good workout, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how tired you’ll be at the end of the evening.

Read in Bed

Reading in bed will help you fall asleep. Just make sure that you’re not getting into a bonafide page-turner before you need to get your sleep.

Cut Caffeine After 4 pm

If you have to be in bed by 9 or 10, then we recommend your last cup should be no later than 4 pm.

If you take a few proper measures, your sleep will get more restful and more consistent on a nightly basis. If you have any additional questions about how you can optimize your wellness contact O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic today.

Did you know that many of our pains are rooted in stress? Many times pain or injury can be our body trying to tell us something, whether we’re firing too hot on all cylinders, whether we’re pushing ourselves too hard physically, mentally, or emotionally. Many times pain and injury are rooted in stress.

Below OFW Chiropractic goes over a few ways you can reduce and manage your stress every day as a way to optimize your wellness.

Exert Yourself Physically

Our ancestors spent a lot of time being on their feet and staying on their toes, whether they engaged in hunting, gathering, or anything else necessary to survive. We don’t really have to live that way anymore, but our bodies still need that activity so our minds can be put at ease. When you incorporate rigorous physical activity into your daily/weekly routine, you’ll be amazed how good you’ll sleep.

Breathe and Meditate

Breathing deeply and meditation can help you both at the beginning or end of the day (or any time in between) as well as in the moment when stimuli occur. It’s a great way to gain perspective on your life while also taking a much needed moment to pause.

Visit Your Chiropractor in Westwood, NJ

Staying close with your chiropractor in Westwood, NJ will help you stay in line with the latest health trends as well as deal with pain and injury the drug-free way as they occur. Contact OFW Chiropractic today to learn more!

O’Connor Family Wellness treats many patients who happen to be athletes. As a result, we see a lot of patients who experience injuries that are common to particular sports they engage in, whether it’s the basketball player experiencing lower back pain, the Jiu-Jitsu specialist needing chiropractic adjustments, and a number of scenarios commonly experienced by athletes.

Below are some of the most common sports injuries experienced by athletes.

1.) Back Injuries / Back Pain

It just so happens that your back and your spinal column experience varying levels of stress during any sports activity, depending on how much you push your body. Doing the same motions over and over, hitting your body with the same level of impact day in and day out, this can lead to the accumulation of stress, inflammation, muscle spasms, and more.  Injuries to the vertebrae, the muscles, and also the discs can frequently sideline athletes or at the very least cause increased levels of upper or lower back pain.

2.) Trauma / Impact

Collisions on the court or the field of play can often happen, which can not only cause injury at the point of contact, but can throw your spine out of line or tweak your neck. A case of a sudden, jarring impact can also cause acute injury to your back, neck, or other areas of the body.

3.) Neck Injury

Football especially leaves player’s necks vulnerable to injury, especially players like offensive and defensive linemen, who hit each other on every play, which has serious implications for the neck, head, and spine.

4.) Knee Injuries

Whether it’s a torn ACL or MCL or anything else that can happen with the complex knee joint, many athletes experience knee injuries. Basketball is one sport especially vulnerable to knee injuries due to the amount of jumping and landing that goes on. One small mistake like landing on another player’s foot the wrong way can send even the greatest player to the bench with an injury that could possibly even end their career.

5.) Concussions

We all hear about concussions happening to football players, but did you also know that concussions often happen to football (soccer to Americans) players? Any footballer who commits to a header is liable to get a concussion. Concussions are characterized by a sudden impact to the head that causes the brain to shift inside the skull. Headache, dizziness, sleepiness, even temporary loss of consciousness are all symptoms of concussions.

Things you can do at home to prevent injuries include stretching and warming up before strenuous activity. If you experience an injury you should see a physician immediately to determine the next best steps.

You can also supplement any active lifestyle with chiropractic treatments that vary widely depending on your specific condition. O’Connor Family Wellness offers drug-free, all-natural ways to treat and even prevent injuries. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.

At O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic we get a lot of patients who experience whiplash, whether it be from an automobile accident, an amusement park experience gone bad, your latest bout with the bumper cars, or any other activity that leaves you in pain.

If you’re experiencing whiplash, it’s important to see a chiropractic care specialist for a drug-free solution. Below we go over some of the symptoms of whiplash.

1.) Pain or Tenderness in the Back or Neck (Or Both)

After an accident or injury, if you’re experiencing pain or sensitivity in the back or neck, you may very well have whiplash.

2.) Limited Mobility/Range of Motion

If you’re having trouble turning or craning your neck like you normally do, this is a common symptom of whiplash.

3.) You’re Experiencing Headaches

Headaches are also a common symptom of whiplash that many patients experience.

Most whiplash injuries can typically take anywhere from 12-24 hours to fully develop. Even after the incident any pain or swelling can take time to manifest. Just like with many injuries, whiplash injuries tend to feel worse the day after the initial incident.

If you believe you’ve experienced whiplash and need a drug-free solution, contact O’Connor Family Wellness Chiropractic today. We have a long track record of keeping our patients healthy and well!