Feb
2
Neck pain. Its not something we want. And if you’ve experienced it, you may have no idea what caused it. You simply want to find a way to relieve it.
Understanding your neck – technically called the cervical spine – will help you pinpoint problems faster. When you know how your neck works, you have a better chance at avoiding things that will make your neck hurt. Knowing a few facts can also help you find ways to relieve your neck pain.
The cervical spine, or the neck, has a starting point at the base of your skull. From there, it connects to your upper back by way of seven vertebral sections. There are six discs in your neck, one between each vertebra, which support and cushion the vertebrae.
The cervical spine supports the weight of your head – which can weigh over 10 pounds – and controls your ability to move your head. When you turn your head in any direction, you are utilizing your cervical spine. Read more
Jan
24
Chiropractic Care May Be Remedy For High Blood Pressure
Filed Under Atlas Chiropractic | Leave a Comment
Is high blood pressure a concern for you? With high obesity rates, heart disease and stressful lifestyles, the need for concern is on the rise.
When most of us think of the term high blood pressure, we think of a home monitoring kit and a variety of pills that help keep things in check. Yet instead of thinking about solutions to an existing problem, why not stop the problem before it happens and concentrate on living a healthy lifestyle instead?
While western medicine puts the emphasis on prescription remedies for high blood pressure, there are also natural alternatives that can provide answers. One of these alternatives is chiropractic care. A recent study shows that this type of care may offer a wealth of benefits for high blood pressure. Read more
Jan
18
Cervical Spine Chiropractic, as the name implies, is chiropractic that focuses on the cervical spine. The cervical spine is the uppermost region of the spine composed of the top seven vertebrae. Another, less technical name for the cervical spine is the neck. So, cervical spine chiropractic is chiropractic that addresses the needs of the neck area.
The seven vertebrae that compose the neck are the smallest vertebrae in your spinal column, and yet they are responsible for supporting and moving your head. This is no small feat considering the average adult head weighs approximately 12 pounds. As a result of the demands placed upon it, the neck is more susceptible to wear and injury.
Some things that can lead to neck discomfort or pain include:
Whiplash is the sudden multi-directional jerking of the neck and head. This can lead to muscle fatigue, pain, and in extreme cases, damage to the joints. Read more
Jan
10
What are Probiotics?
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Probiotics are a type of living bacteria that carry a great deal of health benefit. They occur naturally in the gastrointestinal tract, but like any other bacteria, can be diminished or fortified by what we eat.
There are well over 400 different types of bacteria that live in the human gastrointestinal tract. The two most important are bifidobacterium bifidum and L acidophilus. These aren’t the negative bacteria you might be familiar with – probiotics can help a number of different issues, including digestive problems, headaches, tiredness, and even mood-related problems.
Lactobacillus acidophilus is widely considered one of the strongest probiotics. There have been a number of studies that show it can create beneficial antibiotics. Since this is a naturally occurring antibiotic, many of the side effects associated with artificial antibiotic use are simply not present. This probiotic powerhouse can have an antimicrobial impact on many pathogens.
There are a few things that can disrupt the natural balance of probiotics in our lifestyles. Unhealthy eating habits is one of the most prominent, but stress and other lifestyle factors can play a role. Probiotic supplementation can battle those issues and is beneficial in a number of different ways.
1. Helps treat many of the more common digestive disorders, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, diarrhea, and constipation. Read more
Dec
29
When you shop for the latest fashions, its easy to get caught up in the latest colors and styles. The latest jeans can be the start to a great outfit, just like those strappy sandles can finish the look.
The fashion industry is a smorgasbord of different shoes, pants, shirts, dresses, skirts, and accessories. If you are dressing merely for aesthetic appeal, you will never be without ample choices. However, the next time you head to the malls, go with a different thought in mind. Not only do your choices make a fashion statement, they can affect your health as well.
Choose your fashions wisely to avoid having aches and pains that require a chiropractic visit down the road. Here’s why. Read more
Dec
20
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to your overall health and well-being. Without proper rest, you run the risk of waking up sore, tired, cranky, and just feeling “blah”.
The mattress and pillow that you choose for sleeping is crucial to getting the rest your body needs. If you find yourself tossing and turning through the night and waking up stiff, sore and generally unrested, chances are that you need a different pillow or mattress – or both. The following tips can help you ensure that you are sleeping on the right pillow and mattress.
- Your mattress needs to be supportive of your entire body. One way to check the supportiveness of your bed is to look for gaps. When you lay down, if there are gaps between your body and the mattress, you need better support. Lack of support can lead to back pain. Read more
Dec
15
Tis the season for overindulging. As you move from party to party, chances are you’re having a few too many cookies and extras along the way. Maybe those jeans are now hard to button. And maybe your back hurts as you get out of bed in the morning.
So invariably you make your New Years resolutions list to include things like “diet” and “get healthy”.
With just a few simple and practical lifestyle changes, you can be on your way to not only a healthy New Year, but a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life. It doesn’t take a lot of work. Instead it takes thought and commitment.
Limit caffeinated drinks. If you are a regular at the local coffee house, change your routine. Caffeinated drinks also cause dehydration. Instead, focus on increasing your intake of water, decaffeinated teas and other natural beverages during the day. Read more
Dec
5
Better Health Means Eating Right
Filed Under Healthy Living | Leave a Comment
“You are what you eat.”
You’ve probably heard that saying many times over the years. And while it may make sense as you read it, it probably doesn’t stick with you when it comes time to choosing something for dinner, or making selections at the grocery store.
When you head to the store, its hard to know where to begin. You might do what a lot of people do, and look at the nutrition facts listed on almost every food in the store. Nutrition facts are based off of a 2000 calorie diet, a standard used for energy requirements for the average person. So one of the easiest ways of looking for quality foods is to count calories. Yet with this type of eating, you’ll more than likely have a diet of empty calories, meaning you’ll still lack nourishment in the foods you need the most.
To properly read food labels:
Start with the serving size. If the serving size is extremely small, the manufacturer is simply trying to keep calories, total fats and proteins at a reasonable level. In order to accomplish this, they have to reduce the portion size to something unreasonable that the majority of people will never abide by. Read more
Nov
15
Exercises That Can Help Your Back Pain
Filed Under Back Pain | Leave a Comment
When you suffer from back pain, you want relief as quickly as possible. While your physician may prescribe painkillers or advise you to take an over-the-counter medication, medicine may not always do the trick, nor may it be the best thing for you. Sometimes, you need to try other things to get relief from your back pain. Exercise is one of the most natural ways you can help ease your back pain. Through a series of stretching and other mild exercises, you can increase your flexibility and relieve your back pain.
Passive Stretches – these stretching exercises help keep your joints moving. Hold each stretch for about 20 seconds.
Back Stretch – Lie on the floor on your stomach. Using your arms, push the upper part of your body up, making a gentle curve of your back. Relax your stretch and repeat. Read more
Nov
7
When you suffer from pain, whether it is in your back, neck, joints or other parts of your body, one of the places you may not consider for treatment is the chiropractor. Chiropractors help alleviate pain by making simple adjustments to the bones in your body. They also use heat and cold therapy, as well as deep tissue massage, to provide pain relief. If you are considering seeking treatment from a chiropractor, the only thing stopping you may be the cost. Many people wonder if chiropractic care is covered by insurance.
While some chiropractic care offices may indeed accept certain types of insurance, there are many ways to pay for treatment. Chiropractors deal with this question all the time, and most are willing to talk to you about the many options available to you.
Start with a FSA, or flexible savings account. Many insurance programs today offer you the option of having a low cost insurance option, combined with a flexible savings account that you fund and use at your discretion. Once you have money in your account, you simply write checks to pay for medical expenses you deem necessary. If you talk with your chiropractor about a year long plan, you’ll quickly learn how much you’ll need over the coming year, and how much to budget into your account. Read more
