Posts Tagged ‘chiropractor sacramento’
The Power of Functional Wellness
Functional Wellness focuses on the health as a whole in order to influence the health of individual parts
Chiropractors, physiotherapists, and nutritionists are among the leading lights in the functional wellness movement. We seek to help our patients take a new approach to healthcare which emphasizes the combination of knowledge and natural healthcare approaches with functional medicine to create profound changes in the way you feel, look and function on a daily basis. We take the time to work with you on an individual basis to create a plan that is:
- Holistic
- Safe
- Preventive
- Evidence-based
- Promoting optimal function
So how does functional wellness work?
Preventing Back Pain While Biking
Cycling and lower back pain go hand in hand
A cycling habit is great for physical fitness, happiness and social well-being. Cycling gets you out for varying degrees of exercise and lets you access the outdoors in a truly unique way. But, as with all physical activities, you need to be careful that your fitness habit is not causing your back pain. The fact is that cycling, because of the mechanical factors involved in the motion, lends itself to back pain. Indeed, people who have no previous history of back pain find that when they start biking, they also gain a tender lower back. But that doesn’t have to be the case! We have identified the factors that matter for keeping you on the road and leaving the back pain behind!
Will You Still Be Active When You’re 80?
Are you looking foward to old age?
It Is hard to envision life at 80- the mere number brings on feelings of anxiety and questions with intangible answers. But we are here to tell you that, while it may be difficult, now is the right time to start envisioning your life in old age. The more we think about it now, the more we can take an active hand in determining what kind of life we will lead In the future. One of the best ways to think about your future is through the lens of spinal health. Whether we like it or not, our spines will play a make-or-break role in our wellbeing in old age. If we start taking care of our spines now, old age will be exponentially easier and less Painful.
Healing Modalities for Athletes: The Deep Friction Massage
Smart, safe, effective healing for athletes
The most common sports injuries involve ligament sprains and tendon strains. The severity of these injuries ranges between limiting your performance and preventing you from engaging in physical activity altogether. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, a major part of our philosophy is helping athletes heal quickly and effectively. Because exercise is one of the cornerstones of wellness, it is our responsibility to offer you all our knowledge and expertise in support of keeping you active. Deep friction massage is an excellent modality for healing common sports injuries, but it must be carried out by a skilled set of hands. Fortunately, we have those hands! Read on to find out more.
Preventing Sports Injuries with Chiropractic Care
For athletes, success is where preparation and opportunity meet
Within this formula, we are interested in the preparation; how can we work together to better prepare your bodies for the challenges you face in your chosen sport? When an athlete comes to see us at our office in Sacramento, we focus on the following:
- Improving biomechanics of the upper body and lower limbs
- Maximize range of motion in joints throughout the body
- Boosting core stability
- Establishing spinal alignment and balance
- Resolving muscle imbalances
- Promote faster healing
- Naturally increase energy levels
Every single one of these bullet points represents an important factor in athletic success. But the most important part of this preparation process is that it keeps your body in the best position to avoid injury; by increasing your body’s natural resilience, and ensuring the right pieces are in place to stabilize the transfer of forces in a healthy manner, we go a long way toward preventing common sports injuries.
Protect Yourself and Your Spine When Buying a New Mattress
What is the current state of your mattress?
If you are like many Americans, you’ve slept on your mattress far too long. The average mattress has a lifespan of 7-10 years depending on how you care for it; certain brands such as Tempurpedic have been known to last up to 20 years without a dip or a sag. On the other end of the spectrum, some poor-quality mattress brands may give within 2-3 years. Regardless, it is always important to look out for the signs that you may need a new mattress. Aside from physical signs, including a surprising range found here, there are clear signs on the mattress itself, including:
- Squeaking and creaking: the more sounds your mattress makes, the greater the likelihood it is up for replacement.
- Visible sagging: a sure sign that your mattress has lost its resilience- sagging mattresses are signal contributors to poor spinal alignment and back pain.
- The hammock effect: to go along with sagging, you may notice that you tend to fall in towards the center of your mattress- another sign that it’s time to upgrade.
Exercising with a Herniated Disc: What to Watch For
Strengthening your back with a herniated disc is possible
In fact, it is one of the most effective ways to go about rehabilitation. Long gone are the days when doctors recommended bed rest for spinal injuries. And while most herniated discs will require a few days of heavy rest and recuperation, especially during the acute injury phase, it is important to get moving again as soon as possible. Herniated discs are uncomfortable and this carries over into the realm of exercise- they limit range of motion and performance. But that makes it all the more important that you continue building strength and stability into the muscles that will support your spine in its endeavor to recover.
Spinal Stenosis in Our Spotlight
One of the lesser known spinal conditions
Nonetheless, one of the most brutal. Spinal stenosis involves a narrowing of the spinal canal, which shelters and protects the spinal cord. When this narrowing happens, space is naturally reduced and the ensuing tightness pinches the spinal cord and the nerves around it, causing pain, tingling and numbness, throughout the spine and to the extremities. So how does this narrowing of the spinal cord happen?
The Standing Hip Shift Addresses Musculoskeletal Imbalance
A challenging exercise with a great reward
The Standing Hip Shift is an answer for people who have chronically tight hip flexors, anterior pelvic tilt, spinal misalignment and back pain. In other words, if you sit a lot, or feel stiff a lot, this movement can directly address some of the muscular imbalances that are causing your pain. As always, consult with a health professional to ensure you will not incur injury, and that your body is in good enough shape to begin a new exercise plan to account for your back pain. Otherwise, the standing hip shift is a good movement to start performing daily in order to address the stiffness and tension that accumulates throughout the day.
Preventing Weak Bones and Osteoporosis
Key word: preventing weak bones
That means that you start the process sooner rather than later. Though osteoporosis carries a strong genetic component, there are many lifestyle factors within your control that can make or break your bones’ density and strength. While you may think of osteoporosis as a condition of the elderly, the truth is that every choice you make throughout all of your life counts. We can see the importance of this in under-30s: at this point in life, you are still accumulating bone mass; the choices you make at this early stage in life will have ramifications later down the years.
- Smoking directly interferes with bone accumulation by impeding the hormone calcitonin from building bones. It makes your bones brittle and more likely to fracture.
- Excessive drinking, especially during adolescence and young adults years, can dramatically affect bone density and increase your risk for osteoporosis in old age.
So if you needed any more incentive to moderate or quit your bad habits, your future self should be one of them. Let’s take a look at more ways that you can live a preventive lifestyle that supports strong bones even against genetic factors.