Top Chiropractor in San Leandro, CA

San Leandro Chiropractor

Chiropractic Care Can Help with Text Neck Problem

by

tex neck and chiropractic careChiropractic Care Can Help with Text Neck Problem

Are you currently reading this while hunched over your phone?
📱
If so, here’s a very scary wakeboard call: Chiropractic Care Can Help with Text Neck Problem.
💻
Most people spend an average of two to four hours a day slumped over their smartphones, according to the study, and that awkward position isn’t doing any favors for your neck and back.
📱
We know you won’t be throwing out your phone, tablet, or e-reader anytime soon. That’s fine, just be sure to use it with proper posture, which means your ears are aligned with your shoulders and your shoulder blades are back in the neutral position.
💻

How is Texting Hurting Your Health?

Let’s first put the situation into perspective. Mobile device usage has increased significantly and will continue to do so into the future. According to text-neck.com, Americans spend 2.7 hours per day on average communicating and socializing on their phones, and they spend even more time looking down at their mobile devices for web searching and other uses.

They go on to say that 75% of the world’s population spends hours daily hunched over their handheld devices. Studies also show that people under the age of 30 send an average of 3,000 text messages per month. That’s approximately 100 text messages a day!

Perhaps an even more unsettling thought is the fact that young children and toddlers are now given phones and tablets as play toys. One study found that 75% of children under 8 have access to a smartphone or tablet. It’s also been reported that in the U.S. alone, nearly 1 in 5 kids under the age of 8 use a mobile device at least once a day.

The problem with all this time spent with the head flexed forward is that it increases the risk of developing what has been termed as Text Neck.

What is a Text Neck?

Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone, tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long. And it seems increasingly common. Recently, a patient came in to my practice complaining of severe upper back pain. He woke up and was experiencing severe, acute, upper back muscle strain. I told him I believe the pain is due to the hours he was spending hunched over his cell phone. Diagnosis: Text neck. Of course, this posture of bending your neck to look down does not occur only when texting. For years, we’ve all looked down to read. The problem with texting is that it adds one more activity that causes us to look down—and people tend to do it for much longer periods. It is especially concerning because young, growing children could possibly cause permanent damage to their cervical spines that could lead to lifelong neck pain.

Chiropractic Care Can Change Your Posture From Clarke Kent to Superman

by

san leandro chiropractorChiropractic Care Can Change Your Posture From Clarke Kent to Superman

It’s not always easy, or for some people even possible, to maintain good posture. This is because our bodies adapt to our day to day life and environments. As the structure of the body changes it often results in the commonly seen forward slouching, internally rotated shoulders and compressed rib cage due to the nature of most people’s jobs – sitting in front of the computers for avery prolonged periods of time. Ideally the chest should be out, shoulders back, head high and chin tucked in.

Manual therapists such as doctor of chiropractic can make a massive difference to your body’s structure and function. We work on the mechanical aspects of the body aiming to find and treat restriction and dysfunction. Once the structure of the body improves and returns to a balanced and neutral state, maintaining good posture will come easily and naturally.

You shouldn’t be constantly having to try and force yourself to sit up straight or stand properly.  The body is designed to be that way naturally but many of us have unknowingly retrained it to adopt unhealthy postural habits which then become the norm.

Did you know your posture affects the way that you as well as others view and think of you? Good posture signals confidence, health and strength. Other people subconsciously pick up on these subtle signals and behave accordingly. Poor posture increases the likelihood of developing stress related conditions such as anxiety as it can affect the release of the stress hormone cortisol.

How can I find the cause of my Bad Posture?

There are a few simple tests you can do which will help you find out what the cause of your bad posture is.

1. Stand in front of a mirror and put yourself into a ‘good’ posture position, which will most likely feel very strange. You might even feel a bit self-conscious standing in this new position, but if you are able to achieve this ‘good’ posture, you don’t have a problem with joint or spinal flexibility. It is therefore likely to be habitual.

2. Now hold this posture for as long as possible. You might start to feel certain parts of you starting to ache. That is most likely due to muscle fatigue as a result of poor endurance of your postural muscles.

3. If you are unable to adopt the ‘correct’ posture, it is a sign that you lack the mobility to do it, either because of joint restriction, pain or muscle and ligament shortening.

4. If you feel less pain holding good posture, it is a fairly obvious sign that your bad posture is a direct cause of the pain, or at least part of the cause.

So how can I improve my posture?

If you look at the 4 points above, whichever category you fall into, the direct recommendation for you would be.

If point 1 and 2 are true for you, then you will improve by holding that ‘good’ posture more often until you are able to do it all day or by doing specific postural exercises to strengthen you muscles. A chiropractor can help you with this.

If you fall into category 3, you need help. It would suggest you might need chiropractic treatment to help you, combined with an exercise programme. Contact a chiropractor and have a proper evaluation and have the underlying problem dealt with.

If you fall into category 4, you should try to adopt your ‘good’ posture immediately and continue. If you feel unable to do it for any length of time, you might need chiropractic treatment to help you.


If you want to improve your posture, self confidence and the impression your body makes on others call 5104812225 or email me to book an appointment now.

Chiropractic Care is an Effective Weight Loss Method

by

weight lossChiropractic Care is an Effective Weight Loss Method

Many people dealing with the reality of obesity are beginning to explore non-traditional weight loss methods to supplement diet and exercise. In doing so, they often turn to chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is often used as a means of increasing health and helping with weight loss. This multi-dimensional approach to weight loss is one that addresses the real goal: getting healthy. If you’re struggling to lose weight, here’s why you should choose chiropractic care, what it is and how it works.

What is Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care is an all-natural approach to wellness. It involves spinal manipulation by a qualified professional to effectively treat and reduce pain in the body. Experienced chiropractors put special focus on the challenges associated with weight loss and work to promote a healthy lifestyle for those with weight problems. Chiropractic care extends far beyond the short term and continues to help patients achieve long-term weight loss and wellness.

How Does it Work?

Chiropractors concentrate on holistic treatment approaches to weight loss. After an initial evaluation, he or she will determine the underlying problem and cause within the body. From there, a treatment plan is developed based on each person’s unique need. As treatment progresses, your chiropractor works with you to establish a diet and exercise plan that best suits your needs and offer encouragement along the way. The following is a more detailed explanation of techniques used by chiropractors in weight loss.

 Spinal Manipulation

Also known as an “adjustment,” chiropractors perform spinal manipulation as it has been proven effective in weight management. Not only does spinal manipulation relieve joint pressure, but it also increases flexibility. In addition to feeling better physically and increased ease of motion, spinal alignments help the body process nutrients and operate more efficiently allowing you to metabolize and process foods better than before. 

Massage

Much like spinal manipulation, massage techniques have proven effective in achieving weight loss as they reduce stress and improve mental health. A good massage can help you relax and feel balanced, positively impacting your overall health. 

After Care and Encouragement

Your chiropractor is not your weight loss coach, but your life coach. The goal is to lose weight simply by increasing your overall health and well-being, and your chiropractor will be your biggest supporter along the way. The focus will be you, not numbers on a scale. Your chiropractor will likely recommend other alternative medicine techniques for weight loss. For example, your doctor might recommend weight loss injections (or vitamin injections) like the ones offered by this company. There are numerous vitamins that help aid weight loss. Additionally, many of these vitamins make your trips the chiropractor more effective.

While all chiropractors perform spinal manipulation, some have areas of expertise that others do not. For the best results, it is important to find a chiropractor that places an emphasis on complete bodily health and wellness.

Correcting Hormone Imbalance with Chiropractic Care

by

hormonal imbalanceCorrecting Hormone Imbalance with Chiropractic Care

Many people view chiropractic care as an obscure, ineffective branch of medicine. Even those who are supporters of the practice think chiropractors are just “back doctors.” Unfortunately, both of these perceptions are inaccurate.

The Chiropractic Mindset

Proponents of chiropractic care believe our overall health is dependent on proper spinal and nervous system health. When these vital elements of the body are out of balance, the rest of the systems suffer the consequences. Our bodies crave a state of homeostasis and balance. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much effort to create this ideal situation. By attending to the spine and nervous system health, chiropractors can influence positive change in other areas of the body. Therefore, these holistic healers offer numerous benefits—many we didn’t even know possible. One of the many benefits of alternative medicine is correcting hormone imbalances.

Understanding Hormones

Hormones are essential chemicals that regulate and facilitate many of the body’s most necessary functions. They serve as messengers, traveling through the bloodstream from one tissue to another. The most talked about hormones are estrogen and testosterone. Most people are familiar with the way estrogen wreaks havoc in the lives of menopausal women and how low testosterone affects the sex life of men. However, these two hormones only scratch the surface of what the body is capable of producing and regulating. There are hundreds of hormones flowing through the body at any given moment.

Hormones are responsible for various functions of the body, such as:

  • Growth
  • Circadian rhythm management (like sleep/wake patterns, appetite, etc.)
  • Moods and emotions
  • Healthy immunity
  • Metabolism regulation
  • Puberty, menopause, and andropause
  • Reproductive health
  • Sexual arousal 

Hormone levels are in a constant state of flux. However, there are definite “high” and “low” thresholds and a span that is considered normal. When hormones become imbalance, patients can expect to experience things like:

  • Excessive mood swings
  • Unexpected weight loss or weight gain
  • Depression
  • Disturbances in sleep patterns
  • Decrease libido
  • Unexplained hair loss or growth 

Since none of these situations are desirable, it is important to keep hormone levels in check.

Chiropractic Care to Balance Hormones

Many people find it surprising to learn chiropractors can help regulate hormones. Because of the widespread appeal of commercial products for hormone replacement therapy, many people are unaware of the natural healing techniques. Fortunately, chiropractors offer drug-free, non-surgical hormone restoration techniques. Usually, these alternative methods involve spinal subluxation, exercise and a healthy diet.

Spinal Subluxation

When the spine is misaligned, it puts pressure on the nearby nerves. This pressure hinders the nerves’ ability to communicate with the rest of the body. When this happens, the brain doesn’t receive the messages it needs to in order to regulate the body (it can also receive inaccurate messages). When the brain is receiving poor information from the rest of the body, it won’t properly communicate with the endocrine system—which is responsible for hormone regulation.  Once the spinal alignment has been restored, the nervous system will begin functioning properly again.

Exercise

Many hormone imbalances are caused by weight management issues. For example, there is a direct correlation between obesity and low testosterone. There is also a correlation between decreased muscle mass and low testosterone. For these reasons, it is essential to incorporate exercise into an all-natural hormone management system. Fortunately, there are many exercises that boost testosterone naturally. In addition to exercise, there are other lifestyle changes that can naturally increase testosterone and other hormones.

Nutrition

A healthy diet is also a key element in overall health. Since an alarming portion of the population is deficient in one or more nutrients, it is no surprise our health suffers. Therefore, proper nutrition should always be included in any alternative healing technique.

Balancing Your Hormones

If you suspect a hormone imbalance, talk with your chiropractor. The doctor can conduct a simple test to evaluate your hormone levels. Once hormones have been deemed inadequate, the chiropractor will work with you to bring a natural balance to your body.