Protecting Your Back with Layers of Prevention

chiropractor dunedin

Keeping yourself free of back pain is a lifelong struggle

The sooner you start, the more likely you are to be successful in keeping back pain at bay. The simple truth is that our current healthcare system does not set our citizens up for success; western medicine is predicated upon waiting until the problem happens, and then treating it accordingly. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we disagree with this course of events. As we have iterated before, the spine is a finite structure- because of the extraordinary amount of responsibilities it has, as well as the enormous amount of pressure that is put on it daily, it is likely to degrade over time. The speed at which this degradation occurs, however, is partially controlled by you! 

Read More

Your Instinct Tells You to Stretch: Daily Decompression for Embattled Spines

decompression chiropractic dunedin

There is no better time than now to start stretching for your spine

Spinal compression is with you from the word go- the force of gravity is always pushing downwards, creating strain in the spinal discs that serve as the cushions between your vertebrae. Modern lifestyles then exacerbate the problem by adding lack of activity, poor posture, lack of hydration and many other malefactors into the mix. It’s no wonder that our aging population is suffering from more stiffness, pain and nerve problems than ever before. The effect of back pain on quality of life is palpable- chronic back pain sufferers are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunction because of the omnipresence of physical pain. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we believe in being proactive about mitigating the forces that seek to compress our spines and interfere with our lives. 

Read More

Cervicogenic Vertigo: It’s All in Your Neck

Chiropractor dunedin

Vertigo is sensory confusion at its finest

By far the most common cause of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), a condition that causes a sensation of spinning, either inside or outside of your head. The most common cause of BBPV is thought to be head injuries which alter the way your brain perceives the position and balance of your head, often involving dysfunction in the vestibular apparatus located in the inner ear. But there is another, less common, cause of vertigo known as cervicogenic dizziness, which is entirely different in nature. 

Read More

The Many Postural Changes of Pregnancy (And Why They Hurt)

Pregnancy chiropractor dunedin

When your body starts changing…

…your mindset needs to change to. It’s time to stop thinking about pregnancy as just your belly getting bigger and your back hurting. The reality is that every part of your body changes to support the new life inside of you and thus we must take a whole-body approach to preventing pain and dysfunction. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we believe that the best way to do this is with chiropractic’s natural healing modalities, as well as attention to posture and trimester-appropriate exercise. Below we have identified all the threats your body faces during pregnancy and what we can do about it!

Read More

Regular Exercise Makes for a More Comfortable Pregnancy

How can exercise benefit your pregnancy?

In a multitude of ways, the most important being: maintaining postural stability, boosting circulation and mitigating the common discomforts of pregnancy including back pain. If that sounds a lot like the role of chiropractic in pregnancy it is because exercise and chiropractic complement eachother in the quest to make your pregnancy more comfortable. Physical activity is different during each successive trimester, and it should always be performed with a measured, careful approach. At our office in Dunedin, we are pregnancy chiropractic specialists and we have been helping women in our community use exercise in support of healthy, successful pregnancies from day one through to the postpartum period and beyond. 

Read More