Tag Archive for: pain

Avoid Aches and Pains While Traveling This Year

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Are you traveling for the holidays? Let’s talk about a few tips that you can do to help make traveling easy and enjoyable! We don’t want to be bogged down by the aches and pains of traveling once we’ve reached our destination. Let’s make sure you’re able to spend all the time with friends and family feeling your best.

For our road- trippers: Before we start our trek, let’s get into the car and sit up in a nice good posture. At this point, check your rear-view mirror and make sure it is in the proper position for you to be able to see. This will be used as a reminder to watch your posture as the trip gets started. If you start to slouch or sink into your seat, you won’t be able to see clearly through the rear-view mirror. This simple reminder will help with avoiding unnecessary low back pain. Another posture tip is to make sure you are sitting in a neutral position for your spine! Leaning up against the window or leaning towards the arm rest will be another movement that can lead to unnecessary aches and pains. The final tip is to make pit stops often and get out and stretch to keep your body moving! Staying in one position for multiple hours can cause tightness and pain throughout your entire body.

Prefer to fly? These tips are for you!: Similarly to driving, if you are taking a longer flight, make sure to get up and walk to the bathroom or walk up and down the aisle every so often! Again, this will keep your body moving and help keep pressure off your lower back. Have a connecting flight and have a decent lay over? Find some space in the airport and do some stretching. Make sure you are utilizing any time you can to keep your body as mobile as possible throughout your travels!

Getting Comfy: Sleeping in your old childhood bed or a hotel bed while away for the holidays? To help avoid any unwarranted neck pain, let’s talk about your pillow. If you are a side sleeper, it is important to make sure that your nose stays in the center of your chest. The best way to ensure this is to check your pillow height. If the pillow is too thin or too thick, then it will force your head to be in a position that can cause that “kinked” feeling. If you tend to sleep on your back, position the bottom of the pillow down towards your shoulders to help keep your head flat. We want to avoid the pillow pushing your head forward and putting it in a flexed position. If you sleep on your stomach, my best tip is to try sleeping on your side or back. Sleeping on your stomach not only puts pressure on your spine, but also forces you to turn your head one way or another the entire night! This will definitely lead to lots of aches and pains when you wake up!

These are just a few tips to help avoid those travel pains we have all experienced! However, if you are just simply unable to avoid those pains, this will be the ideal time to give your local chiropractor a call for help! Allow them to help you start the new year off on the right foot! Happy holidays, everyone!

 

By: Dr. Tod Williams

What Causes Neuropathy and How to Fix It Before Its Too Late!

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Neuropathy is damage, disease, or dysfunction in one or more nerves, especially of the peripheral nervous system (arms and legs). Common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are burning or shooting pain, numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness. Neuropathy is often degenerative, and is usually caused by injury, infection, disease, drugs, toxins, or vitamin deficiency. Let’s take a look at what the 3 most common causes of neuropathy are.

Diabetes is one of the most common causes of neuropathy. It has been known that two thirds of the population with diabetes are also affected by diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic nerve pain occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the nerves. The nerves’ ability to send signals to other areas of the body are prohibited by high levels of blood sugar. The capillary walls of the blood vessels are also weaker with high blood sugar, this results in the nerves not getting adequate amount of nutrients and oxygen due to lack of blood flow.

Another common cause of neuropathy is vitamin deficiency, more specifically, vitamins such as B1, B6, B12, and vitamin E. Alcoholism is a common reason for vitamin deficient neuropathy. The reason why alcoholism can lead to vitamin deficiency is because it is assumed that they are not eating a complete or healthy diet. Alcohol also effects the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B1. People that have a vegan diet also need to be careful about their vitamin intake. Vitamin B12 is naturally only found in animal-based foods. Vegans are highly encouraged to supplement vitamin B12 into their diet to help avoid vitamin deficient neuropathy.

The third common cause is the herpes zoster virus; the virus that is responsible for chickenpox in kids. This virus lays dormant in the body after adolescence and can be reawakened many years later, due to age or stress, and presents itself as shingles. The virus attacks the nerves and can cause itchiness, rashes, and pain into the nerves.

If the symptoms of neuropathy start to present themselves, it is important to take action as soon as possible before the symptoms progress! Schedule an appointment with us to have a neuropathy exam performed. We will determine if your condition is true neuropathy and come up with a treatment plan for you so we can start to reduce the progression of your neuropathy! Help us help you!

Understanding Sciatica

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The Sciatic nerve is a nerve bundle running down the back of your leg with nerves from the lower part of your spine (L4-S3 nerve roots).

The sciatic nerve has two primary functions, controlling the muscles and the sensations to the skin in the leg.

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