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Honestly reflect for a second: How proactive are you in terms of spinal health at work? Do you give yourself the ergonomic support you need every hour of the day; do you take regular breaks to hydrate; do you stretch at least once an hour? An honest answer for many people is probably no: the 8 hours go by and, besides the lunch break, you were deskbound for long periods of time, allowing tension to accumulate. So how do we stop feeling stiff at the end of the day? The formula is simple and the sooner you start the better: it requires a mix of ergonomic support, hydration and nutrition, posture and regular stretching. The stretching is the part we will focus on today because it’s the best way to immediately break any tension that is accumulating. 

The next time the thought strikes you, just stand up. Have a deep breath and reach for the ceiling, then stretch your arms out in front of you and hold them, with palms facing outward at full extension for about 5 seconds. Then walk to the water fountain or have a substantial drink from your water bottle. Before putting your head down and returning to work, try a stretch that works to relieve pressure in the shoulders, hips and back. 

• Palms on lower back
• Push with your hands and stretch your back in the direction of your palms. 
• You should know have your pelvis and lower stomach pronounced.
• Hold this position for 5 seconds and return to normal. Repeat this 3 times. 

It takes about 120 seconds to become a real workplace hero in this scenario. By being proactive about your own health you influence everyone around you. A culture that revolves around healthy workplace habits makes for a more productive employee pool. Give our office in Sacramento a call if you are serious about limiting the toll that the office is taking on your spine. 

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

Counting calories is an unpleasant reality of aging. For people who spend most working days in the office, the struggle to maintain equilibrium can often tip in the favor of more calories consumed than burned. As we age and metabolism starts to slow, we start to see and feel the excess. So often the odds are stacked against us because we start at a point of disadvantage: the more weight we have to shed to achieve, the less likely we are to take the initiative and follow through with a weight loss plan. The best way we have found is to take it slow and do it together. 

When envisioning and implementing any weight loss plan, we want to keep sight of the primary equation. To maintain a healthy weight, calories consumed = calories burned. For people who are modestly overweight and looking to reach their personal, “healthy weight,” it will take a coordinated effort between diet and exercise. This means limiting calories and increasing activity. 

Can you cut 2.5 hours out of every week to devote to moderate aerobic activity? Can you cut out 500 calories a day to lose 1 pound per week? Perhaps that sounds drastic, so we start where you feel comfortable and build on your success. Because each person’s body is different, each person’s caloric needs are specific to the individual.

 We help by keeping the structures and muscles of your body in proper working order, improving your circulation, and providing you with a natural energy boost that both improves state of mind and motivates you to get moving. From here it is a matter of small lifestyle adjustments and we help to provide an accountability and moral support team that boosts your chances of success.

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C.

Getting wet could be your ticket to a healthier spine. We always tell people, when trying to improve the state of your spine, or to rehabilitate an injury, movement is key. Movement reduces pain, but pain reduces movement. The key is to get out of this cycle and we can help: our chiropractic adjustment will help improve range of motion and reduce inflammation so that you can get up and be active. One of the best destinations from here is the pool.

Swimming is a great, holistic exercise for the body. Low-impact and high reward, it actually strengthens joints rather than weakening them the way running does. The buoyancy of water provides support for the body by removing the pull of gravity but it also provides natural resistance as you glide through the water. The benefits are enormous. 

Water therapy also removes the pressure of gravity, but gets you moving in a less exhaustive manner. Certain programs can actually be used to target your specific back pain. 

Soaking is the easiest method, but it is not to be ignored. Warm water is great for healing joints, relaxing sore muscles and promoting blood circulation. 

Swimming is primal and perhaps this is why we feel so good in the water. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we want to see people start getting wet for the sake of their spine. Call our office to schedule an evaluation of your spine to find out if swimming could be right for you! You never know until you try, and it is never too late to start. 

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

The simple sight of an airplane or the thought of an airborne voyage can be enough to set some back-pain sufferers jittering with anticipation. The plane is one of the worst places for backs because of the confined spaces and poorly designed chairs. It is unfortunate that people actively avoid travelling to their dream destinations because they simply cannot put themselves through the pain of a flight. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we want to help you overcome this pain and get on the plane. To this end, we offer chiropractic adjustment to ensure that your back is free of subluxation and muscular imbalance that could contribute to debilitating pain. From here, we offer you our expertise on making the plane a more comfortable place to be:

• Standing up: every 20 minutes while the seat belt sign is off, stand up and walk down the aisle and back. While you’re up, keep your legs straight and reach for your toes. 
• Stretching: from the chair, perform gentle neck twists, shoulder rolls and leg lifts to break the cycle of accumulating tension. 
• Hydrating: drink plenty of water on the plane, to keep joints hydrated and reduce the chance of cramping. 
• Using the complimentary pillow: to create as close to a properly supported resting position as may be possible, place the pillow in the curve of your lower back and sit up straight against it.

These tips will help you keep your blood circulating, helping to improve every function and system in your body. Utilizing proper posture will also help you prevent further degradation to the joints and structures of the back. For more help on creating a more comfortable travelling experience, give our office in Sacramento a call at (916) 457-8825.

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

Vacation raises the spirits. boosts energy levels, and strengthens the mind’s resolve. It offers a crucial respite to the many days of work that pile on both mental and physical stress. So, are you headed to the mountains for a camping getaway? to a tropical beach to do nothing but read books and swim? or to a city you’ve always wanted to see to breathe in the culture and experience some culinary delight? Whatever your plan, these tips can help maximize your enjoyment and minimize your pain: 

• Always factor in some rest! It is easy to get carried away trying to see every last thing, which leaves you mentally spun out and physically exhaustive. Balance the sight seeing with taking your time in restaurants and truly relaxing. 
• Get a good pair of walking shoes: you often end up walking more than you ever imagined. A good pair of walking shoes will prevent a lot of damage to your joints and leave you feeling spry!
• Bring your own pillow: hotel pillows are often inadequate and can leave your neck feeling stiff and sore after what was supposed to be a relaxing night. 
• Posture: keep it in mind! Don’t let this trip contribute to the degradation of your spinal structures or supporting muscles. Stay upright and smile! 
• Stretch: whether you are travelling by plane, train or automobile, find time to break the monotony and release the accumulating tension with a few well-timed stretches. 

If in doubt, call our office before your trip and schedule an examination. We can ensure your back is properly aligned and free of nerve-impinging subluxation. At the same time, we can work together to create a plan for spinal health on your travels. Give our office in Sacramento a call and see how we can optimize the enjoyment of your vacation. 

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

Pain limits movement: this we know to be true. Pain is often enough to discourage people from exercising completely, to the detriment of their rehabilitation. Excluding more severe injuries, successful rehabilitation often depends on keeping your body moving. Benefits of more flexibility include:

• Prevention of injury 
• Better balance and coordination 
• Easier aerobic exercise
• Improved athletic performance 
• Easier everyday movements 
• Faster rehabilitation
• Less likelihood or re-injury
• Less pain 

We do not propose that the average person needs the flexibility of a contortionist; however, everyone can use a little more flexibility in their life. Healthier joints and longer, stronger muscles become all the more important as we age. So, how does chiropractic help? We realign joints to reduce pain and immediately restore range of motion. This makes stretching for flexibility less painful and more effective: stretching will elongate your muscle fiber, from the middle of the muscle to the point where muscle meets tendon. 

Don’t let pain stop you from moving! It is a dangerous cycle whereby one encourages the other: pain encourages less movement, while less movement leaves you vulnerable to injury. For help reducing pain and adding more flexibility into your life, give our office in Sacramento a call. Helping you live a prosperous, pain free life is our prerogative. 

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

Sinuses can be your friend or foe depending on how well they are working: it is generally agreed that the function of sinuses (the air-filled cavities in the forehead and cheek bones) is to conduct the drainage of mucus from the nasal passageway by allowing air to circulate freely. However, as anyone who has had a sinus headache knows, a sinus blockage can be problematic: as mucus builds up, less air can flow through and thus less drainage occurs. This creates a veritable breeding ground for bacteria which causes infection. This infection that causes inflammation and swelling, we know as sinusitis. 

Symptoms of sinusitis include: 

• Fatigue
• Stuffiness
• Achy jaw
• Full ears
• Pressure in the cheeks and forehead

Symptoms are usually the worst in the morning, after you have reduced further any chance of drainage by lying horizontal all night. A sinus headache can make for a pretty crummy way to start the day. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we seek to determine whether a structural cause may be the source of the blockage. Subluxation, particularly in the cervical region, can interfere with nerve supply to the sinuses.

We ensure that the spine is free of subluxation through specifically targeted adjustment and tap around the sinuses to encourage them to drain properly. Furthermore, people who regularly suffer from sinus headaches can benefit from more movement: exercise improves circulation and lets the air flow, making breathing easier. Other ways you can effect an improvement on a sinus infection is through proper hydration and consumption of anti-inflammatory nutrients. 

For more tips on how to fight the pest that is sinus infection, give our office in Sacramento a call. 

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we believe in a holistic approach to health: from this perspective, a chiropractic adjustment to relieve pain and re-establish balance is only the beginning. To continue the path of healing and improving wellness, it takes a coordinated effort between exercise, nutrition, sleep, posture and a host of other factors. For many people, this seems overwhelming but we urge you to fear not: if you are serious about making changes to improve your health, we are here to help. 

Corrective exercise is an invaluable element of chiropractic care. It improves the effectiveness of a spinal adjustment by going further: strengthening the muscles and connective tissue that keep your back balanced and healthy. Often, a quick examination will reveal that lower back and core muscles are strained without a person’s awareness. This type of muscle strain can be relieved with stretching and light aerobic activity, simple movements that get the muscle groups moving. 

A program for corrective exercise should be detailed to the individual: it is important to note that if you have suffered a serious spinal injury NO exercise should be undertaken. However, most conditions involving mild to moderate back pain will improve with appropriate exercise. We start slow: doing stretches and exercises that you feel comfortable with in small doses. We then introduce more advanced stretching and exercise as your strength and flexibility returns. 

If you are tired of back pain creating a drag on your life, give our office in Sacramento a call at (916) 457-8825

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

One of the greatest benefits of chiropractic is how it improves range of motion, impacting flexibility, reaction speeds, balance and coordination. It’s no wonder that many athletes swear by chiropractic to keep them on top of their game. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we see the impact that sedentary lifestyles have on the standard human’s flexibility: it is a very sad sight and we are here to change that.

When we sit in front of the computer all day, then watch TV all night, our muscles are training themselves to achieve only the range of motion necessary to sit, and generally not with good posture. Age and weight are other factors that conspire to limit the seemingly unlimited range of motion we once enjoyed as children and young adults. Poor flexibility leaves us more susceptible to injury, makes everyday movements more difficult, limits our athletic performance and makes recovering from injury less successful. 

Through chiropractic adjustment, we target spinal joints that may be out of alignment, creating pain and limiting your motion. Once we get you moving again, we help you implement a personalized plan that combines corrective exercise and flexibility stretching to keep you limber for a long life. 

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C.

At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, spinal adjustments form the basis of our practice; however, our expertise extends to the realms nutrition and corrective exercise for those seeking total wellness. Immune function is certainly improved by ensuring the proper alignment of the spine, but to live a long life free of pain we need to be eating well, sleeping restfully, and strengthening our body properly. While not everyone is willing to upend their diet, adhering to some simple principles can change the way you feel and impact positive immune function and mental health. 

• Eat organic: At one time, the adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” may have been universally applied to all apples. Today, however, you want to ensure that your apple hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides during the course of its growth. Less pesticides, more nutrients. 
• Less alcohol: A great way to reduce your caloric intake, especially for beer drinkers. Reducing body weight is a great way to lessen the burden on the lower back.
• Focus on raw ingredients: Juice contains more sugar and fewer vitamins than the fruit it supposedly comes from. 
• Hydrate: A large percentage of Americans are chronically thirsty. Do you drink your eight 8 oz. glasses a day? An easy way to start getting more water in your diet is to purchase a 1 liter water bottle and drink it down twice throughout the day. 
• Eat less processed food: These contain all the wrong kinds of sugar and fats. Making the effort to cook with wholesome ingredients may take an hour longer but save you years of pain.

Nutrition and chiropractic care are complimentary in their quest for wellness: call our office in Sacramento today to start creating a dynamic plan that incorporates nutrition and chiropractic care.

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C.