Sleeping....

Patients frequently ask me what the best way to sleep is to prevent back and neck pain. Here is the answer:

Sleep on your side or your on your back, but never on your belly! Sleeping on your stomach is bad for both your lower back and your neck. Why is it bad for your neck? Well, you have to breathe even when you are asleep, right? In order to breathe while sleeping on your stomach, your head has to be turned to the left or right for hours and hours. This prolonged cervical rotation is not good for the muscles, nerves or spine. Also, this position doesn't support the natural, desired "C" shaped curve in you neck. Here are some helpful sleeping tips:

1. As stated above sleep on your side or back, never on your tummy
2. Put a pillow between your thighs if you sleep on your side to level your pelvis
3. Use a cervical pillow that supports your natural "C" shaped curve in the neck

Foot Asymmetries Can Affect Your Back

Most people don't realize that problems and misalignment's in the feet, can cause aches and pain elsewhere in the body. In fact, the feet affect the alignment of the entire skeletal structure! Custom fitted orthotics are a great way of keeping the bony structures of the feet in balance. Each day an average person takes about 8000 steps over pavement, gravel, tile and other surfaces. With each step, gravity causes almost two times the body's weight to bear down on each foot. If you weigh 180 lbs, that is 360 lbs of pressure with each step! Therefore, it is extremely important to keep your feet balanced. A custom orthotic is a simple way to achieve this goal. There are several ways your Podiatrist or Chiropractor can make an orthotic. Plaster casts, foam casts and digital scanning are the most common. Our office uses the digital scanning method because it is simple to do and produces a superior product. If you are experiencing low back pain, foot pain, or a pelvic imbalance, consider custom fitted orthotics.

"Once I begin treatment, will I need it forever?"

I can't tell you how many times I have heard the question, "Once I start getting treated with chiropractic, will I need to get treated forever?" The answer is very simple in most cases. You won't NEED to be adjusted forever to reap the rewards that chiropractic care has to offer, but you may WANT to keep getting adjusted to maintain your healthy posture on an ongoing basis. I like to compare it to getting your teeth cleaned at your dentist. Do you need to get your teeth professionally cleaned 4 times a year? No, but it is good for you to do so. Do you need to get adjusted monthly after the problem that you presented with originally has been corrected? No, you don't need to, but you might want to because it is good for you and it helps to maintain a healthy posture!