Uncategorized

Your body weight can be your greatest tool…

…in your quest to lose weight. For many people, a gym is actually a counterproductive place to attempt fitness goals. Unless you are cut out for the high-intensity culture of a gym, it may leave you spun out and actually less motivated regarding your fitness. Body weight training is a ready made solution for those of us who can’t be bothered to spend a dime on a gym membership or a set of dumbbells.  

Perks of body weight training: 

• It’s free
• Easy to learn 
• Can be performed in your living room 

Benefits of body weight training: 

• Burns calories to help with weight management…
• …while building muscle simultaneously, which is important-
• particularly in the core muscle group, which are essential for good posture. 
• Increases relative strength, which is your strength in relation to body size and…
• also increases reactive strength, or your ability to elongate and contract muscles.
• Finally, it boosts circulation and improves range of motion.

What do you know, these sound like the same benefits as standard weight training and cardiovascular exercise! Body weight training can be performed as stand alone exercises or as part of a circuit i.e. push ups, jumping jacks, squats, lunges, planks performed without a break in between. 

At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, body weight training aligns with our principles regarding total health. We want to help you keep off extra pounds, strengthen your core and improve range of motion and body weight training is one of the easiest ways to start doing just that, today! 

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

Chia is a Mayan word that means strength and legend has it that mayan warriors used chia seeds to boost their strength before battle. What better ingredient then, for your weight loss diet? The aptly named meats and sweets diet is at the heart of epidemic obesity in America, even if the trend towards being overweight has slowed in the past few years. Regardless of, and perhaps partly caused by, the overload of information available on the internet, there is more advice and research than ever at our fingertips, yet we find ourselves at our most unhealthy point in history. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we know that weight matters because every extra pound places more burden on the spine, which can lead to debilitating conditions. So let’s go small and consider the chia seed, a nutritional powerhouse. 

• High levels of antioxidants
• Full of micronutrients including calcium which is essential for bone density and magnesium which is essential for calcium uptake. 
• Chia contains 9 grams of healthy fat, of which over half is omega-3s. Americans are largely deficient in omega-3: a healthy diet should balance omega-6 and omega-3 at a ratio of 1:1 but many American diets look more like 10:1. This is profound because omega-6 contributes to inflammation while omega-3s fight inflammation. 
• 4 grams of clean protein, 11 grams of fiber at only 137 calories per serving.

I dare you to find a food that is more potent calorie-for-calorie. With just two tablespoons, you can fight inflammation, fortify your bones and contribute to healthy immune and nervous systems. What more could you ask for? For help with every aspect of wellness, including taking the fight to inflammation and resolving long standing pain or chronic conditions that you can no longer stand, give our office in Sacramento a call; we would love to help.

What ways are within our power to influence our spinal health? There are four primary ways: posture, exercise, sleep and nutrition. For sufferers of herniated discs, there are also many daily activities that will aggravate the injury. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, our holistic approach to healing begins with chiropractic treatment, but we want you to leave our office instilled with an awareness of the injury and a penchant for healthy actions. If you are serious about rehabilitating a herniated disc, watch out for the following pain aggravators

For hardcore fitness enthusiasts and more casual gym-goers alike, exercise is an appreciable part of your repertoire for healing spinal injuries. It is also a double-edged sword: some exercises antagonize the injury and others encourage healing. If the pain of your herniated disc is pronounced, avoid twisting exercises, weight-lifting and leg presses. Replace them with exercises focused on core-strengthening and aerobic fitness. Conducive stretching and flexibility exercises can also help to relieve pressure on nerves.

Avoid extended periods of static inactivity, if possible. Anyone can benefit from this advice! Whether sitting or standing, it is important to stay in motion; the body was not meant to stagnate. If standing in one place for long periods of time, try to alternate putting each foot up on a box or stool every fifteen minutes. You will notice a difference in the pressure accumulating in the lower spine. If sitting, use a stool to keep the knees elevated slightly above the hips.

When relaxing, avoid overly soft furniture. Sinking into a couch or recliner feels comfortable at first, but it is most likely working against your recovery efforts. The unnatural position that your spine takes while slumped in “relaxation” is very harmful in the long run. If you are interested in finding out more, call us today at (916) 457-8825. At our office in Sacramento, our treatment includes a cataloging of your daily routine. By charting healthy habits and highlighting negative habits, we can begin to use the power of the body to effect its own rehabilitation.

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C.

SERVICES 

At Espinosa Family Chiropractic Centers, we take great pride in providing the finest chiropractic wellness care to our patients. Below is the list of services we offer in our office. We serve the Greater Sacramento Area and are located in the beautiful East Sacramento Neighborhood.

CORRECTIVE CARE CHIROPRACTIC 

We provide advanced spinal correction utilizing “traditional” chiropractic techniques. Never in the history of chiropractic have we been able to provide the level of help and expertise that now exists. These newer correction methods are even safer, more comfortable and more effective than ever before. As Doctors of Chiropractic, our staff have years of training and experience in spinal adjustment as well as continual education to make sure we are always giving the best care possible.
Corrective Care Chiropractic is a completely different approach to achieving and maintaining optimal health. A true Corrective Care Chiropractor will evaluate the Central Nervous System (CNS) and spinal function. The Chiropractic Corrective Care doctor evaluates the person for not only trauma and pathology, but more importantly, for function. Since our CNS controls every single one of our cells, tissues, and organs we need it to function as close to 100% as possible. When we see a patient for the first time at our clinic we always let them know there are two basic forms of chiropractic care. One being relief care, which is pain control, and the other is corrective care, which works on the underlying structural abnormalities (that are causing the pain) to return the body to its healthiest functioning state. It’s kind of like spinal orthodontics.

Although all Chiropractors are able to give relief care, the Corrective Care doctors and staff at our office will search for the true cause of any health condition and design a specific plan of action for each patient. The Corrective Care adjustment and alignment process, similar to what an Orthodontist does to teeth to correct their alignment, in time can often correct the spinal alignment. Thus stopping, or at least slowing down, the degenerative decay in the spine. This often requires several visits over a period of time. However, it will not require bracing the spine but instead giving very specific Chiropractic adjustments to slow down the degeneration at the spinal level and improve nerve function. Corrective Care Chiropractic can aid in building a healthy body and immune system by slowing down mechanical decay in the spine and helping the patient to function at an optimal level to maximize their overall health and quality of life.

CORRECTIVE EXERCISES 

We teach our patients special “back care” exercises designed just for them, to help strengthen and correct their own unique problems. These exercises can be performed in the comfort of your own home and can improve the effectiveness of your spinal correction by as much as 30-40%. In addition to skeletal misalignment, muscles and connective tissues can be out of place or strained by improper alignment and use. Specific exercises and stretches can help your body stay in balance and in health.

BACK CARE CLASSES 

Another way we teach our patients special “back care” exercises is through our bi-weekly Back Care Class. Our doctor teaches a back care class that will give our patients the necessary tools needed to take care of themselves even when they are not in the office. This consists of teaching our patients what chiropractic is, what specific chiropractic adjustments do to their bodies, and how they can assist their bodies during this healing and corrective process. On top of teaching the patients all this, the doctor will also show them how to do different daily stretches, proper sitting positions, proper sleeping positions, and much more.

LIFESTYLE ADVICE 

We often find it helpful to “coach” our patients on certain activities they should avoid or do differently to keep from aggravating their particular health challenge. Our goal is to help every patient achieve a fulfilling and happy lifestyle doing the activities they enjoy the most. We recognize that each of our patients is a whole person. Helping them reach true health and wellness is a collaborative effort between our professionals and our patients.

SPINAL SCREENINGS 

Posture and spinal screenings can reveal important health information and unlock the door to improved health and well-being. We provide screenings at Cal Expo events, community events, health fairs and places of employment. Contact us today to arrange a screening at your event or workplace.

REFERRALS FOR OUTSIDE SERVICES 

If we cannot help you, we will let you know that at the time of your examination or report of findings and refer you to a provider suitable for your condition.

If you’re a resident in the Sacramento area, contact us today at (916) 457 – 8825.

Our patients have come to Dr. Espinosa for:

Back pain, Neck pain, Headaches, Sciatic, Pinched nerves.

Did you know Dr. Espinosa has also helped our patients with:

Stress, Numbness, Digestive issues, Menstrual/PMS issues, Pregnancy, Sinus/congestion, Allergies, Asthma, Herniated discs

And he has helped your babies and kids with:

Colic, Ear infections, Scoliosis, Bed wetting, Sports, Playground injuries

And many, many more…

Espinosa Family Chiropractic provides the highest quality care to our patients. At your first visit you might expect:

A thorough history
Complete chiropractic evaluation
Necessary x-rays

Prepare for your visit with these files

• NEW Informed Consent TERMS Oct 2011.pdf
• Intake Form ESPINOSA.pdf
• Notice of Privacy Practice Espinosa HIPPA Form.pdf

Following your evaluation, Dr. Espinosa will answer 5 questions:

1. What is wrong and why?
2. Can chiropractic help you?
3. What is fixable or patchable?
4. How long will it take?
5. What are the fees?

Please call the front desk to schedule a convenient appointment today!

916-457-8825

More about Espinosa Family Chiropractic: