Posts by OConnor
Chiropractic Applications in Sports Care
Athletes rely on biomechanical efficiency
The first role of the chiropractor in an athletic setting is to provide expertise regarding biomechanical function. How do the moving parts of your body synergize to support your every sporting movement? Sporting success is often determined by the smallest of margins; finishing either side of your personal best comes down to whether your body is optimized for range of motion and reaction times. Misalignments in the spine reduce nervous system efficiency, which directly translates to slower reaction times. And how can you reasonably expect to perform with limited range of motion?
Trigger Point Stress Relief In Westwood
Massage as preventive medicine
The idea of massage is clearly imagined in a spa setting, with candles, aromatherapy and white towels; less clearly imagined is its role in holistic wellness. At our office in Westwood, we use massage to help people manage back pain, improve biomechanical function and boost mental wellness. Massage is proven over and over again to be an invaluable piece in helping people with chronic pain live better despite their conditions. If you are feeling at the end of your tether, a massage by professional, experienced hands can help you hit the reset button. Trigger point therapy forms an important part of our massage therapy for residents of Westwood.
Do You Take Good Care of your Spine?
Honesty is the best policy
At our office in Westwood, it’s always OK to admit your shortcomings. In fact, it’s where we start with every one of our patients. Whether you are blessed with a pain and complication-free spine or your back has seen better days, there is always room for improvement. Our practice relies on the idea that the spine is a central pillar of wellness; taking care of it is therefore a priority and it is our mission to help you in this quest. One way you can change the way your spine feels this year is to change the way you exercise.
New Year, New Posture: The Power of Sitting up Straight
Posture is all in your head
Of all the health goals you could set for yourself in 2018, improving your posture has a tremendous upside. We are not saying it will be easy, but if you can learn to be aware of your postural shortcomings and make a concerted effort at overcoming them, you will go a long way toward improving overall wellness. The truth is, posture requires effort; it requires the coordination between body and mind. All of us know that we should, “sit up straight,” but even those of us who set out to heed this advice often find ourselves slouching and slumping after an hour or so. Step 1 is conquering the mental game- establishing awareness of when you have given up on your good posture and resetting.
Water Helps you Watch your Weight
H2O is your metabolism’s best friend
Hydration is essential for all cellular function and thus, it’s importance in keeping your metabolism and digestive system working optimally cannot be stated enough. Metabolism is a set of chemical processes that occurs in your body which helps you stay alive. Metabolism seeks to:
- Turn food into energy for cellular processes
- Turn food into building blocks that form proteins
- Facilitate waste removal
Even slight dehydration makes this system work less efficiently, which can cause a major ripple effect in the way you move, feel, think and digest.
Undoing the Ill-Effects of Overindulgence: Post-Christmas Detoxification
The myth of the detox
The idea that we could detoxify our bodies is a myth that has been perpetuated by the health food industry in response to growing concerns over the toxins contained within our food. The logic is faulty: rather than designing expensive detoxes and diets, it would be more prudent to not ingest the toxins in the first place! Alas, the western diet is rife with toxins- recent studies show that as much as 60% of foods contained in the United States are processed. Ingredients like refined sugar and processed grains do nothing for our bodies and actually detract from the healthy functioning of our cells. However, it’s likely that even the healthiest of eaters will run into some stumbling blocks this holiday season. Read on to find our tips for simple post-holiday body cleansing.
Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year
2018 offers a fresh start for your spine
After the dust of the holiday season settles, your body may need to hit the reset button. The accumulated stress that results from a busy holiday schedule contributes to muscle tension which tends to pull the spine out of alignment. The resulting nerve compression can make for a painful start to the new year. Chiropractic offers the perfect tonic for those looking to rebalance their bodies and start 2018 on the right foot.
Suffering Through the Holidays: A Typical Back Pain Story
This holiday season, gift natural pain relief
With more than 60% of Americans reporting they have experienced back pain bad enough to lead them to seek medical help, chances are good that someone in your family is suffering through the family activities this holiday season. And with so much to do during the holidays, many of these people will choose to medicate with OTC painkillers rather than naturally managaging their pain. If you are looking to get a thoughtful gift for said back pack sufferer, why not go back to the basics: heat and ice.
Keep Back Pain Out of your Holiday Plans
Nothing is more disruptive to the holiday season than back pain.
The holidays offer us a much needed reprieve from the general stress of life. It is a time to unwind in front of the Christmas tree and focus on the small things that really matter: family, friends and staying cozy amdist the cold weather. But there is one thing that threatens your enjoyment of the holidays more than Scrooge and a cohort of Christmas villains ever could: back pain.
Whether you plan to travel or stay at home for the holidays, take steps to mitigate problems with your spine
Avoiding back pain is a near-constant struggle. Choose to not accept your pain as a foregone conclusion; treat your back right by following these tips:
- Drink responsibly: brandy-eggnog, mulled wine, punch; whatever your christmas cocktail of choice, remember that alcohol influences inflammation. Furthermore, alcoholic beverages are laden with calories that increase weight and the burden on your spine.
- Travel right: if you are flying cross-country to see family, make sure you stand up from your seat to stretch regularly. Use a back support even if it is only a rolled up jacket; be careful lifting suitcases to and from the overhead compartment.
- Focus on staying hydrated at all times: the importance of this cannot be stated enough. Get yourself a water bottle and try to consume an ounce of water for every pound of body weight.
- Sneakily tone your core: whenever you think of it, pull your belly button in toward your spine and hold for as long as is comfortable.
Make sure you check in at your Westwood chiropractor during or after the holiday season!
Christmas break is hard on our spines. Activity levels go down, consumption of food and alcohol goes up; we drive and fly great distances so we can sit around on the couch. There is plenty of time for our spines to move out of alignment, for muscles to tighten and pain to accrue. At our office in Westwood, we establish alignment in your spine and work on undoing the muscle tension that accumulates during Christmas. If you are interested in using our services to overcome Christmas-related back pain, give us a call to schedule an appointment today.
The Developing Spine: Unique Risk Factors Facing our Youth
Can you remember a time before back pain?
For many of us, it is a struggle just to keep the pain down, let alone achieve fulll range of motion in our spinal joints. But there was a time not long ago when we could do seemingly anything without even giving a thought to back pain. Chances are your kids are living through these halcyon days right now, blissfully unaware of how much strife back pain causes. Unfortunately, since the technology boom, our youth are facing more risk factors than ever when it comes to maintaining the health of their spines.