Although often overlooked, your posture and the health of your spine should be at the top of the list when it comes to good health. It should be right up there with eating well, exercising often, and getting adequate sleep. Surprised? The spine covers and protects our nervous system—a complex network of nerves and cells that transport messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to different parts of the body—so it is important that we maintain good posture to prevent spinal decay, and to make sure that there is proper communication between the brain and body. Misalignments, pain, reduced range of motion, and poor posture are all indications that the health of your spine may be impeding on your ability to perform physically, focus mentally and carry out basic functions optimally. So how do you know your spine may be impeding on your health? While nothing can replace a complete neuromusculoskeletal evaluation performed by a chiropractor, there are some ways you yourself can get a general idea about the health of your spine and joints. Here Are 15 Warning Signs of an Unhealthy Spine: #1 – Poor Weight Distribution Stand on two separate bathroom scales with each foot Read more…
Can You Prevent Arthritis? Is it truly possible to prevent arthritis? The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is also known as degenerative joint disease. It is experienced by 80% of people over 50 years of age and can begin in the teenage years. It brings with it pain, deformity and the tendency to limit joint movement throughout the body. Unfortunately, it usually does not announce its arrival. Rather, it comes on subtly, often with morning joint stiffness appearing as the initial symptom. From there, it progresses, becoming increasingly painful, especially with activity. For many people, the assumption is that it is impossible to prevent arthritis of this kind. They feel that osteoarthritis is just a normal part of aging and that it goes hand in hand with normal “wear and tear” on the body. They also believe that nothing can be done about it. Improve Your Understanding to Prevent Arthritis Understanding how osteoarthritis is caused, can help provide solutions in how to prevent it. Osteoarthritis is caused by an improper function (or motion) of the involved joints. When joints begin to move improperly, 90% of the time it causes no sensation. As a result, joint degeneration occurs, Read more…
Can Poor Posture as a Child Impact Health in Adulthood? Good posture is developed from good habits, which is why it is so important to encourage children to stand up straight. Otherwise, bad habits can develop which can lead to issues later in life. Many adults with chronic back pain can trace their issues back to a childhood injury or a lack of proper posture habits established as kids. Children are at a greater risk for back and spine injuries because they are in the still growing and tend to be more active than adults. Studies show that injuries are more common among children who engage in sports or recreation regularly, and nearly one third of all injuries experienced by children are related to sports. Stresses and traumas that occur during childhood can also lead to spinal dysfunction later in life. Furthermore, the heavy backpacks our kids carry can contribute to postural problems and cases of spinal dysfunction. There is a correlation between a lack of proper spinal maintenance and the development of scoliosis in children and teens. What’s more, it seems that children who practice proper spinal health habits have far fewer health problems than those who do not. Read more…
Tips for Avoiding Stress and Strain While Working at Your Computer Did you know that working at a computer for long periods of time can cause strain to your body? Spending significant amounts of time on the computer is normal in today’s world, though. Working adults and school children use computers for extended periods every day, and they may be putting their health at risk by engaging in some unhealthy habits. This is serious: A report published in 2015 in the Annals of Internal Medicine found an association between sitting for long periods and a greater risk for deleterious health outcomes — even for those who engaged in regular exercise! Thankfully, it is possible to develop healthier habits that reduce the risk of spinal stress and strain. Here are some practical tips you can start right away to help incorporate healthy habits at work. Set Correct Chair Height While sitting at the computer, your forearms should be positioned at a right angle to the upper arms, which should hang comfortably at the side of your body. Adjust your chair height to ensure this 90-degree angle, but also consider the angle of your wrists — they should be kept straight while Read more…
Believe it or not, too much homework can be bad for your health. But don’t worry kids, there are things you can do to ensure that homework is painless! And no, we don’t mean avoiding assignments. Though school is in session for most, it’s never too late to talk about backpack safety. This week’s blog discusses the trouble with heavy backpacks and provides tips to keep in mind when shopping for a backpack. Backpacks, Back Problems According a recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study, more than 75% of students ages 8-12 suffer from increasing back pain inflicted by carrying their schoolwork and supplies in backpacks or similar totes. This is no surprise considering, some of our younger elementary school students are literally carrying one third their body weight for prolonged periods of time and distance. That puts a lot of stress on a body in the midst of development. Student back injuries are now widespread. 96% of the pupils monitored regularly haul much too heavy a pack on their back. Backpack Safety Tips 1. Children should not carry backpacks that exceed more than 10% of their body weight — which translates into a 5 to 10-pound load for elementary Read more…
Back to School “Back” Tips
Children now a days seem to be carrying more in their backpacks than ever before. Overloading and incorrectly carrying backpacks can cause a variety of problems. This can often causes kids to experience back pain due to pore posture. This results in distortion of the spine and putting it out of alignment. Some of the symptoms are muscle strain, headaches, neck, back and arm pain. Back Safety Tips! When shopping for backpacks look for lighter ones made from vinyl or canvas. Make sure that the straps are thick, padded and adjustable along with a hip/waist strap. The backpack should not be too tight around the arms/under the armpits, and that the size is proportionate to your child’s body. When fully packed, backpacks should not weigh more than 5-15% of your child’s body weight (less percent the younger they are/more percent the older they are). The heaviest items in the bag should be the closest ones to the body. Make sure they are only packing what they need for the day. When putting on a backpack, (you may need to help younger children) make sure the pack is on a flat surface at waist height. Make sure that when putting the bag Read more…
Is Sitting too Much Really that Bad? “Sitting is the new smoking!” at least that is what people are saying these days. Sounds a little bit extreme for some, but did you know that sitting can actually cause more than physical dysfunction and can also be systemic? Harvard University recently published an article stating that too much sitting is linked to heart disease, diabetes and premature death. The 2015 Inaugural Active Working Summit presented findings on the increase risk of lung, uterine and colon cancer with longer hours seated. More than half of the average person’s waking hours are spent sitting, watching television, working at a computer or commuting. Studies have also shown that brain function slows when the body is sedentary for too long. This is explained by the decrease in blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Sitting and Weight Gain If one spends a significant amount of time in a sedentary position throughout the day, they may find that weight gain becomes an issue. As the body slows down while in a resting and seated position, our metabolism slowly slows down as well. Calories are burned at a far lower rate when most of the muscles are Read more…
Arthrosis or Arthritis – What’s the Difference?
Arthrosis or Arthritis, these words look alike however they have two different meanings. Many people are not sure what the differences are. Some professionals don’t even bother explaining the difference anymore, resulting in even more confusion. I will try to give some clarity between these two words, so in the future you’ll know how and when to use them. Let’s start by a little bit of etymology (word origins) The word arthritis comes from arthri- (joint) and –tis for inflammation. On the other hand the word arthrosis comes from arthr- (joint) and –osis for abnormal. This doesn’t help explain the difference but sometimes it’s helpful to know where words come from. Two words same meaning Arthrosis is also known as Osteoarthritis. Both words are used interchangeably to describe the exact same condition. To help you remember try thinking of “O” for Arthrosis and Osteoarthritis. So what is the difference Arthritis is not a specific condition; it is actually a regrouping of multiple conditions affecting the joints including arthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout and many others diseases you’ve probably never heard of. Some arthritic disorders can even affect the skin like psoriatic arthritis. So what is the big deal if Read more…
The Impact of a Concussion
In the past decade they has been an increased awareness towards cerebral concussion
Foot Pain? FIght foot pain with Sante Chiropractic